Rough Past
Link stared at his hands. His blonde hair fell over his eyes, hiding his clouded blue irises. He was usually the quietest out of their group, but he was being unnaturally silent today. Someone on the seat next to him gently elbowed him in the shoulder, jarring him awake. He glanced up to look at the people in the car staring at him.
"Hello? I asked you a question. What do you think?" a tall blue-haired male in the passenger seat asked.
"About what?" Link asked back.
"I don't think he heard a word you said, Ike," said the fiery haired male to his left. He laughed and continued to poke Link in the side.
"Cut it out, Roy," Link told the red-head, shoving his arm away.
"Yeah, be nice to Link, Roy," called a small brunette on the other side of Roy.
"Oh shut up, Pit. Nobody asked you for your opinion," Roy said teasingly. The red-head turned away from Link and threw his hands at Pit, tickling the poor boy to the point of tears. Link couldn't help but laugh. The whole car watched and laughed along with Pit.
"Hey will you three be quiet back there? It's hard to drive with you guys making so much noise," said the other blue-haired male in the drivers' seat. He had glanced over his shoulder to glare at them while stopped at a red light. The laughing stopped as the three in the back seat looked up to meet his gaze.
"Come on, Marth. A little laughing never hurt anyone," Ike told him.
"Yeah I even heard that laughter can add years to your life. So while the rest of us are going to live long and happy lives and reach 100 years old, you're gonna live to age 73 then die alone in a hospital due to Chucklesitosis," Roy joked.
"What the heck is Chucklesitosis?" Pit asked.
"It's a disease that makes your life so boring that your body doesn't even have the ability to create laughter," Roy replied coyly. Laugher was sent through the car, but Marth just smiled.
"You watch yourself, Roy. One of these days, your jokes are going to get you into real trouble," Marth scolded.
"Like what? My jokes have never gotten me into trouble,"
"That's the biggest lie we've ever heard," they all said in unison.
"Oh, yeah? Since when have my jokes gotten me into trouble?" Roy asked.
"How about the time you tried to play a prank on the school quarterback by dying his gym shorts pink? Remember, he put you in a headlock and wouldn't let go until someone bashed him over the head with a biology book," Marth commented.
"Well, yeah, but…" Roy started but was cut off.
"Or what about the time that you egged your neighbor's house and later found out that he was a wrestling champion?" Pit interrupted.
"Well that was different, because…"
"And what about when you tried to jump over the fence off the back of the school to run away and ended up falling off the fence and losing your pants," said Ike. Roy went red. "You also were chased around the yard by that person's dog."
"And then there was the time that you were banging on one of the P.E. teachers while he was standing right behind you," Link continued. Roy was silent.
"And then there was the time that…" Pit began.
"Alright, I get it. There has been more than one occasion where my pranks have gotten me into trouble!" Roy exclaimed over him. The whole car laughed, and then Ike spoke up again.
"That's very good, Roy. Admitting that you have a problem is the first step to overcoming it."
They drove for a couple more hours before finally coming to the mountain. The car sped up the winding road as the sun started to go down. Pulling off road, the group headed for the campsite. The tires were kicking up a cloud of dust behind the car. Marth finally pulled to a stop in a small, dirt lot. He killed the engine and everyone got out of the car. Ike and Link pulled the tent equipment of the roof of the car while Marth, Roy, and Pit got the rest of the equipment out of the trunk. They started hiking up the hill to their campsite when Pit grabbed onto Link's arm.
"What is it, Pit?" Link asked.
"I've never been camping before. Are you sure that nothing is going to jump out and scare us?" he asked worriedly.
"Look, Pit, I've been camping before at this very spot. I can assure you that nothing is going to scare you," Link replied. He smiled at Pit when he felt something grab his other arm.
"But Link, what about all those stories about people getting eaten by bears in these parts?" Roy asked in a mock worried tone. Link felt Pit clutch onto his arm tighter, and he rolled his eyes. He grabbed a stick off the ground and hit Roy in the head with it. Roy yelped, and releasing Link's arm, clutched his head.
"Cut it out. The only thing to be scared of out here is you and your big head," Link scolded. Everyone laughed as they walked, making Pit feel much better about being in the woods.
After about 30 minutes of walking, they finally came to the spot they wanted to stop at. Link and Ike dropped the tent equipment on the soft grass. Marth, Roy, and Pit set up the fire while Link and Ike set up the tents. The sun had gone down by the time that camp was set up. They all collapsed on the ground, exhausted.
"Okay, we need to figure out who is rooming with whom," said Marth, getting down to business.
"Why can't you talk like a normal person? I don't know anyone who uses the word 'whom' anymore," Roy said sarcastically.
"When you stop hanging out with people who only have a third grade level education, you'll hear it a lot more," Marth snapped back.
Link laughed. "So does anyone have an idea as to how we should pair up?"
"Pair up?" Roy asked, "But there are five of us."
"Great observation, Roy," Ike said sarcastically.
"No what I mean is how are we going to pair up evenly?" Roy asked.
"It's not that hard to figure out, Roy," Link told him, "We can do this one of two ways. We could have two even pairs and have someone sleep alone, or we could have a group of two and a group of three. We could also do some other random combination but these are the easiest for someone like you to think about."
"I vote for the option where someone has to sleep alone," said Marth.
"Alright, who would you room with or would you be the one to go it alone?" Ike asked.
"I think that I would go it alone."
"If Marth sleeps alone then how do the rest of us go about doing this?" Pit asked.
"Well I'll tell you right now, I'm not rooming with Ike," said Roy.
"And what's wrong with me?" Ike asked him.
"Nothing, except for the fact that you snore like a hippo with a bad case of nose congestion." Ike lunged at Roy and tackled him to the ground. They rolled around for a couple minutes before Ike had Roy pinned and he raised his arms in triumph.
"Come on, Ike. Let him up. We really need to get this done," said Marth. Ike got up and took his place next to Link on the ground again. "How about you, Pit? Do you have anyone you would like to room with?"
"Not really. This is my first time camping so I don't really want to be alone, but you took care of that," he paused. "I think that I would like to room with Link most." Roy whistled and Pit went red in the face. Marth slapped Roy on the back of the head and he shut up.
"Ignore him, Pit. Sure I'll room with you," Link agreed. Pit looked relieved.
"Alright I guess that means that Ike and Roy will be rooming together," Marth concluded. Roy groaned and Ike just smiled.
"Okay, but if I'm rooming with Ike, then I have one condition," said Roy.
"And what would that be?" asked Marth.
"That Link cooks dinner for us," Roy answered, pointing a finger in Link's direction.
"What? Why?" Link asked him.
"Because you're the only one who can cook worth anything," Roy replied bluntly.
"But I have to get that other tent set up for Marth," Link objected.
"Dude, it's alright. I can get the tent set up while you get dinner going," Ike told him.
"You're not helping me here, pal," Link whispered back.
"Oh come on. Just this once and we can take turns afterward," Roy pleaded.
"Fine," Link said grudgingly, "Does anyone have any suggestions?"
"I don't really care. You can just surprise us," Roy said happily.
"He had better watch out or Link is going to put something in his food," Ike whispered over to Pit. Pit giggled as they all stood up. Roy shoved Link toward the cooking supplies while Ike went over to set up the last tent and Marth and Pit divided up the sleeping bags. Link pulled out the small grill that they had brought with them for the week and made burgers. The smell drifted over the camp, filling the air with the pleasant scent of sizzling meat.
The five of them sat around the fire enjoying the soft sounds of the wind whistling through the trees and the crickets chirping in the distance. Roy was murmuring loudly as he ripped of another bite from the burger he was holding.
"Hey, Link, you wouldn't happen to have any condiments, would ya?" he asked through a mouthful of burger.
Link reached to his side and threw several bottles at him. Some landed at his feet, while one happened to hit him in the stomach. Roy lurched forward, trying to keep from spitting his food out, Link just laughed.
"Ha ha, real funny guys," he said, grabbing the bottle that had hit him in the gut. He looked at it, puzzled. It looked like some kind of steak sauce. It was in a thin bottle with a white paper band around the bottle with a big 'X' written on it.
"What is this? Some secret ingredient?" Roy asked.
"No it's some sauce that my mom makes at home. I brought it with me because it's my favorite. You can have some if you want. It's really good stuff," Link replied.
Roy shrugged and opened the bottle. He poured some on and took a bite. Link was watching him intently with a small smirk on his face. Roy's eyes widened. He looked like he was ready to drop the burger. He got up and sprinted for the bushes. Once he was out of sight, the others could hear him puking his guts up. Pit covered his mouth is astonishment, Marth's jaw had dropped to the ground, and Ike was laughing so hard, he was crying. Link's smile just got wider as he watched Roy come back into view. His face was green, but he looked furious.
"I'm gonna kill you…" he said menacingly. Link laughed and Ike high-fived him. Pit was laughing now too. Marth just sat there and shook his head.
"I told you he was gonna put something in his food," Ike told Pit.
"What was that?!" Roy snapped angrily.
Link stopped laughing and looked at the group of friends awaiting an answer. "Okay, you know how I have that spare refrigerator in my garage right, where we keep a lot of our extra meats and stuff?" Link began. They all nodded. "Well I was cleaning it out a while ago and I found that bottle in the back. It looked like it hadn't been touched for years. I thought about throwing it away, but I guess that I must have accidentally put it where we keep all the other condiments and ended up bringing it with me. Worked out nicely in my favor, don't you think?" Roy growled at him. Link just smiled at pulled out another bottle.
"Sorry, Roy, but my mom actually does make this really good sauce at home. I brought it with me and this one is the real deal, I swear," Link told him, swinging the bottle back and forth.
"I don't think I trust you anymore. You try some first," Roy said quietly. Link shrugged and took the lid off the bottle. He turned the bottle upside down and squirted some into his mouth. He looked Roy straight in the eyes and smiled. Ike laughed and snatched the bottle from him.
"Works for me," he said, dumping some onto his burger. They passed the bottle around, each putting a little of Link's mystery sauce onto their food. The bottle found its way back to Link and he put it away. Link just sat there and waited, that same smirk returning to his face. Ike spoke first.
"Sweet mother of all that is holy…" he said quietly. Link's smile grew wider.
"Oh… my… gosh," Pit followed.
"Holy shoot!" Roy exclaimed. Marth didn't say anything but his eyes just got wider and wider. They all looked at Link at the same time and he cracked up.
"My work here is done," he said, dusting his hands off.
"What is in this?" Ike asked urgently.
"It's a family recipe from my mother's side, so I can't tell you. But I can tell you that with this recipe, my mom has won the annual steak sauce competition four years running. That may not sound like a big deal but she has won thousands of dollars doing it. It's worth it," Link replied, smirking.
"She should market this damn sauce. Imagine the money she could make with it," Roy yelled. Link laughed and stood up.
"Where are you going?" Pit asked.
"I'll be back before it gets too late. I'm just going for a walk. You guys enjoy," Link said.
"No objection there," Roy said, ripping into the burger once again. Link chuckled and walked off.
Once he was far enough away from camp, he stared up at the sky through the gap in the trees. The stars were glittering and the moon was turning the forest an eerie silver color. Link sighed and started running. He came to a small grove and stopped. He was staring at the ground when he realized that he had tears on his eyes. He rubbed his eyes dry with his sleeve. Looking around the grove, he broke down again. Falling to his knees, he pounded the ground with his fist. Tears fell freely from his eyes and into the dirt.
What the hell am I doing? he thought, I knew I shouldn't come here, but I need to. Maybe I can find out why it came to this.
Ike was walking through the forest, looking for Link. The others were already in bed and Pit was getting paranoid. He said that he was hearing noises and that he was worried about Link. Ike had told him that he would go out and look for him and bring him back. Now he was thinking that that was the only thing that got Pit to calm down enough to go to bed.
He was somewhere deep in the forest. It was pitch black except for the small amount of light given off by the flashlight he was carrying. After walking for some time, the trees thinned out and a small clearing came into view. Ike glanced around the moonlit clearing and spotted someone sitting on the far side. He walked over to the person and recognized him as Link.
"Link?" Ike said almost to himself. Link turned around and stared at Ike. He had a smile on his face, but he still looked sad and a little confused.
"Hey, Ike. I didn't think that you would find me here," Link said quietly. Ike turned the flashlight off and sat next to his friend.
"What are you doing out here?" Ike asked him. Link blinked and stared at the ground in front of him.
"I was thinking," he said simply.
"About what?"
"Just…stuff. What about you, what are you doing out here?"
"Looking for you. You've been gone for hours, man. We were starting to think that something happened to you."
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."
"Are you okay?" Ike asked. "You don't seem like yourself lately."
"Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"
"You've been awfully quiet. You hardly spoke a word on the way up here."
"I'm fine. I promise. I've just been dealing with some family issues."
"Do you want to talk about it? You know I'm always here for you, man," Ike soothed.
"Thanks, Ike, but I don't really feel like talking right now," Link whispered.
"I understand," Ike said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We should get back to camp. The others have been worried sick about you."
"Yeah it's getting late. Let's go back," Link replied. Ike stood up and grabbed Link's hand. He pulled him up and flicked the flashlight back on. The two of them walked in silence back to the camp. Occasionally, Ike would glance over at Link. The blonde's eyes were distant and unreadable. Ike shook his head. Why is he acting like this? he thought, He's never been this quiet before. Something's up.
The sun was shining through the mesh net hole that served as a window. The light hit Pit's eyes and woke him up. He sat up in his sleeping bag and stretched. Pit glanced over to his side and saw Link sound asleep next to him. He smiled, feeling relieved. I guess that Ike found him last night, Pit thought. He nodded to himself and climbed out of his sleeping bag.
Pit crawled out of the tent, silently zipping the door closed behind him. He glanced around the camp and spotted Marthclimbing out of his tent across the campsite. Pit smiled and walked over to talk to him. Marth saw him coming and smiled back.
"Good morning, Marth," Pit said in his chipper voice.
"Good morning, Pit. Hey did Link ever make it back?" Marth asked.
"Yes, he did. I woke up this morning and he was asleep in his sleeping bag."
"That's good. I wonder where he was last night."
"I know. He was gone for hours yesterday. Where could he possibly have gone?"
"Ike said he found him in some clearing about a half mile from here," a new voice spoke up. Marth and Pit looked to the direction of the voice and saw Roy climbing out of his tent, looking tired and inattentive.
"Were you awake when they got back?" Pit asked.
"Yeah, they got back near midnight last night. I just happened to still be awake," Roy said through a yawn.
"We should let them sleep. Why don't we get breakfast going?" Pit suggested.
"You two can get that going. I'm going to see if there's a river around here that I can wash up in," Roy said, walking off.
"Okay, hurry back otherwise there won't be any food for you," Marth called.
"If there isn't, it doesn't matter. I made off with an extra one of Link's burgers last night. I'll eat it cold if I need to," Roy called back. Pit giggled once Roy was out of sight. Marth shook his head again with a smile on his face.
"Typical Roy. All he ever thinks about is food. And he always has a backup plan," Marth said with a chuckle.
Marth and Pit spent the morning making an outdoor breakfast fit for a king. They had eggs, bacon, orange juice, and hash browns laid out on a blanket in front of the fire pit. The aroma of the cooking food drew Ike out of his tent. He was staring at the buffet with wide eyes, his mouth watering.
"You can go ahead and start eating if you want," Marth laughed, "Roy will be back here any minute and I'm going to wake up Link now." Marth was laughing as he walked off toward Link and Pit's tent. Roy came back at that precise moment. He and Ike lunged forward to the plates. They heaped their plates with everything that they could get their hands on.
"Hold on, guys! Leave some for the rest of us," Pit said while holding his stomach with laughter. Ike and Roy sat back and began stuffing their food into their mouths. Pit took his eyes away from the frightening sight to see Marth and Link walking back over toward them. Marth looked disgusted. Link was still rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Morning, Link," Pit called. Link waved back while trying to cover a yawn.
"Mornin' shleeping beauty," Roy taunted through a mouth full of food. Link didn't reply but smacked Roy on the back of the head as he passed on his way to the plates. Pit followed behind Link to grab his breakfast.
"This looks great. Who was on breakfast duty today?" Link asked. Ike and Roy pointed to Marth and Pit, still shoving forkfuls of eggs into their mouths. Link turned to Pit and smiled. "I didn't know that you could cook," he told Pit.
"I can't really, but I do follow directions pretty well. Marth told me what to do and that's how we got anything done," Pit replied bashfully.
"There is nothing wrong with admitting that you can cook. Some girls really find that attractive," said Link.
Ike swallowed. "Yup, just look at the size of the fanclub that Link has back home," he teased.
"Shut up," Link snapped playfully, flinging a plastic spoon at Ike's head.
"Hey Link, I was wondering. Where were you last night? Ike said that you were in some clearing by yourself until about 11:30 last night. What were you doing out there?" Roy asked.
"Yeah, I was wondering too Link," Pit added.
Link was silent.
"Well are you going to give us some answers or not?" Marth asked. Link didn't reply. Ike racked his eyes over the faces of his friends. They were all waiting for an answer. An answer that they were never going to get if they pried like that. Ike stood up and whispered something into Link's ear. Link looked at Ike with a grateful expression on his face.
"Hello? Are you there? Are you going to answer us or not?" Roy pressed.
Link exhaled. "No I'm not going to answer. It was nothing," he said quietly. He paused. "Thanks for making breakfast, but I've kind of lost my appetite." He silently walked off, leaving the others in shock.
"…What the heck was that about?" Roy asked. Ike stood in front of Roy and clubbed him over the head with his fist. "And why does everyone keep hitting me?!"
"Because if I hit Marth, I get a lecture and hitting Pit would be like kicking a puppy. You're the loud mouth that everyone thinks of as the perfect hitting target," Ike said bluntly.
"Ike," Marth said quietly, "What's going on?"
"I tried to talk to Link last night when I found him. He didn't tell me much. He just said that he was dealing with family issues right now and that he didn't want to talk about it."
"He didn't tell you anything else?" Pit asked.
"No, but I think that it would be best if we just leave him alone for now. He really seems to be struggling with something," Ike explained.
"I don't get it. He was acting totally different yesterday," Roy noted.
"Well until we know what his problem is, I say we leave him be. That is the only way that he will open up to us again," Marth said sternly.
"Agreed. Lets just make sure that we don't bring this up on the hike today," said Ike.
~*~ Six Days Later ~*~
The rest of the week passed and the boys returned home. Link was the first to be dropped off. Marth pulled his car in front of his house and helped Link get his things out of the truck. Link put his head near Ike's window and said something to him.
"Are you sure that you don't want me to help you get these tents back into your garage?" Link asked.
"Yeah, I'm sure I can get these back into the garage on my own. Thanks for the offer though," Ike said reassuringly.
"Is this everything that's yours?" Marth called from the back of the car.
"Yeah, that's everything. Thanks." Link thanked him.
"Link!" a feminine voice called from the house. Link looked over his shoulder to see his mother standing on the porch, waving. He waved back and turned to his friends in the car again.
"I'll see you guys later," he said, grabbing his things from Marth.
"Say 'hey' to your parents for us, alright?" Roy called through the window. Link looked over his shoulder and gave him a thumbs up. Link's mom ran up and embraced her son. Link easily returned the hug when his father came through the door. His mother released him and waved to the boys in the car. They all waved back and were about to drive off when Ike told Marth to wait.
Ike was watching Link. His father had his arm around him, but Link wasn't returning it like he had with his mother. His father leaned down and whispered something in his son's ear. When he came back up, Link put a shaky hand around his dad. Link's mother turned to her family again and led them into the house. His father grabbed Link's bag and carried it into the house, closing the door behind him.
"Did something about that seem a bit off to anyone else but me?" Ike asked the others in the car. They all nodded.
"That look that his dad was giving him was giving me the creeps," Roy commented.
"And it takes a lot to make you queasy," Pit added.
"I say that we come back tonight and see if something is up," Ike said, still staring out the window.
"We're going to stake out our friends house?" Marth asked.
"Yep," Ike replied.
"Are you crazy? We could get in some serious trouble for that," Marth objected.
"You don't have to come if you don't want to. I just thought that you would considering that we're doing it for one of our friends," Ike told him. Marth paused.
"Alright, I'll come. We'll meet at my house at quarter to seven, alright?" All nodded except for Roy.
"That means 6:45, Roy," Ike said sarcastically. Roy went red in the face but tried to keep his face neutral. They all laughed as the car sped off down the street.
Link's mother placed the plates on the table. She heard the oven timer go off and she pulled the roast from its heated depths. Link set a bowl of mashed potatoes on the table. He froze when he heard his father's voice coming from the hallway.
"Well, that certainly smells good," he said, coming into the kitchen. Link averted his eyes and set a pile of napkins on the table. His father patted him on the back and walked to his wife. He kissed her cheek and glanced over at Link again. Link didn't even look in his general direction. He kept his eyes fixed in front of him as he pulled three glasses from the cupboard.
"Come on, let's eat," his mother said happily. She sat down at her usual spot at the table, her husband and her son sitting on either side of her. She smiled warmly and set her hand on Link's shoulder.
"I'm so glad you're home. It was quiet here without you," she said.
"It's good to be home," he replied half-heartedly. He was staring blankly at the food in front of him. His mother took her attention away from him and began talking with her husband. Link picked at his food while listening to their conversation.
"Do you have work all week this week, Kyle?" his mother asked.
"No, I get off for the week on Thursday," he replied.
"Well, I was thinking that we could do something as a family this weekend. What would you boys think about that?" she asked.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Lya," his father said.
"How about you, Link? Would you be up to doing something this weekend?" his mother asked. Link looked up from his food and shifted his gaze from his mother, to his father, and back again.
"That sounds like fun, mom," he said, smiling weakly. Lya smiled at him and continued her conversation with her husband.
The rest of the evening passed without much commentary from Link. He picked up his plate of almost untouched food and began to clear the table. He was standing by the sink when his mother came up behind him and whispered in his ear.
"It's good to have you back, Link," she whispered. Link smiled as he continued to help his mother clean up. Link was putting the leftovers in the fridge when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Could I talk to you for a minute? I want to show you something," his father cooed in his ear.
"Not now," Link replied quietly, "I want to help mom clean up."
"Oh, I can handle things here," Lya laughed, "You boys go talk."
Link felt a strong grip around his wrist and he was pulled from the kitchen. He followed behind his dad into his room. His dad let go of his wrist and locked the door. Link felt his insides drop when his dad turned to face him. He had a smile on his face that Link and seen many times, and had never liked. His father took two steps forward so he was standing between his son and the door.
"I've missed you, Link," he said softly. He reached his hand around to Link's pocket and pulled his son's cell phone from it. He turned it off and threw it onto the desk. He raised a hand and placed it on his son's shoulder. Link's eyes followed his hand cautiously.
"I'm glad you came home tonight. I've been feeling lonely," he continued, fingering the zipper on Link's jacket. Link tried to keep his breathing under control. Link's father smiled at his expression and slowly pulled the zipper down. Link took a step back, his breathing picking up. His father chuckled in a low voice and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Now, now, Link. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. And we both know that I prefer the easy way," he said quietly. Link held his ground. He had his arms down to his sides and his hand clenched into fists. He stared his father straight in the eyes and frowned.
"No," was all Link said.
Link's father frowned and crossed the room over to the desk. Pulling the top drawer open, he took out a pair of sharp fabric scissors. He walked back over to Link and shoved him. Link landed on his hands and knees on the bed. He quickly flipped over as his dad came down on top of him. He held the scissors in one hand and grabbed Link's hands with the other. Link struggled against his father's iron grip, stopping when he felt the tips of the scissors against the skin of his neck. He stared up at his father in fear.
"You know, it's a pity that you had to choose the hard way," he told Link, "I really would have liked to see you wear this outfit again. It looks nice on you."
Link was too scared to say anything. His father moved the scissors from his neck down to his stomach. He opened the scissors and slipped them under the hem of his T-shirt. He began to cut the shirt open when he leaned down next to his son's ear.
"I'm really glad you came home tonight," his father repeated, "This is where the fun begins."
Marth had parked the car three houses down from Link's. They climbed out of the car and began walking down the street toward their friend's house, when Marth called out to Roy from the back of the car.
"Here Roy, you may need this," he said tossing him a black ski hat. Roy looked at him with a confused look on his face.
"What's this for?" Roy asked him.
"It's to put over your hair so that no one sees us snooping around," Marth replied.
"But why don't you, Pit, or Ike have one?"
"Because our hair is dark enough not to be seen from a window. Your hair would stand out like a sore thumb."
Roy paused and shrugged. "Good enough for me," he said putting the hat on. They reached Link's house and paused in front of the path to the front door. Ike looked at the front of the house and pointed to a window on the second floor.
"That window leads to Link's room. Come on," he said.
Marth grabbed his wrist and held him back. "Hold on, Ike. How are we supposed to get up there?"
"We could use that tree to get up onto the roof and climb around to the window?" Pit suggested, pointing at a tree growing next to the house. They nodded in agreement and silently ran to the tree.
Roy got up first and looked down the street to make sure that no one was watching. The coast was clear and he signaled for the others to come around. They silently crept around and peered through the window. The room was empty.
"Where do you think he is?" Pit whispered.
"I don't know," Ike began, "Maybe one of us should go down and look through one of the windows on the main floor and see…" he was cut off when the door opened. Link was being pulled into the room by his father. His father closed and locked the door and turned to Link again. The window was open slightly and allowed the boys on the roof to listen to what they were saying.
"I've missed you, Link," Link's father said as he pulled Link's cell phone from his pocket. He tossed it to the side and took another step toward Link.
Ike was scared. He'd seen plenty of movies like this. He knew what movements like this meant. He began to hold his breath as he watched his friend face his dad. Link suddenly took a step back, away from his dad. His father said something, but Ike couldn't hear because of the sound of his heart beating so loudly.
Link's father frowned and walked off to the side where he couldn't see him. He came back into view and pushed Link onto the bed. He then came down on top of his son, pressing a sharp pair of scissors into his neck. He said something to Link that Ike couldn't make out, then began to cut Link's shirt open.
Ike looked to his side, at Marth and Pit. Marth's jaw had dropped slightly as he stared through the window with wide eyes. Pit looked like he was ready to cry. Glancing over to his other side, Roy didn't look sad or disturbed. He looked enraged. His eyes were narrowed and his hands were clenching onto the window sill so tightly, his knuckles were turning white.
Ike turned back to the window in time to see a black piece of fabric fly over toward the window, which he only assumed was Link's destroyed shirt. He could see Link, with his hands now tied above his head with his belt and his father trying to work his son's pants off. Link had tears in his eyes, but didn't say anything. Why wasn't he saying anything?
Come on, Link. Why aren't you fighting back? Ike thought desperately. It wasn't long until Link's father had him completely naked on the bed and was pulling his pants down. He pulled Link up so he was sitting in his lap, paused, and then jerked his hips forward.
Link tried to scream, but his father clamped a hand over his mouth, muffling the sound. Link was in tears and his father had a look of sadistic pleasure on his face. He gave a few more shoves before arching his back and releasing inside Link's body. Link was shaking as his father pulled out and dropped him onto the floor. Link didn't move, but continued to cry as his father untied his hands and kissed his cheek. He whispered something into Link's ear again before unlocking the door and leaving, shutting it behind him.
Link just stayed there on the floor for a few more agonizingly long minutes. He finally pulled himself up onto his knees and took a few deep breaths. He looked between his legs and could see blood running down his skin. He sighed then fell back down onto the floor, passed out.
They were running. Ike couldn't remember even coming close to the tree to get down. He must have just jumped off the roof. He could hear the others running behind him. His breathing was coming in short gasps by the time that they reached Marth's car. Ike set his hand on the roof of the car, trying to catch his breath. The others gathered around him, doing the same. Roy's breathless voice was first to be heard.
"Please tell me that we didn't just see what I thought we saw," he pleaded quietly. Ike, Marth, and Pit were silent. They all looked at him with horrified eyes. "That's what I was afraid of…" Roy added.
"I can't believe it…I simply can't believe it," Marth said almost to himself.
"No wonder he's been so quiet lately," Ike commented.
"Do you think that his mom knows?" Pit asked.
"Of course his mom doesn't know! Do you think that she would allow this if she knew?!" Roy snapped.
"Roy's right," Marth interjected, "I've met his mom. She is so sweet and kind. She would divorce that man in a heartbeat if she knew about this."
"Well, what are we going to do?" Roy asked, calm again. "We can't just leave him to suffer like this."
"We're not going to," Ike said suddenly. All eyes turned to him. "We're going to help him in any way we can."
"Do you think that we should go to the police?" Pit asked him.
"No," Ike said bluntly.
"No?" Roy asked, anger growing. "What do you mean 'no'?! Weren't you the one who just said that we should help him in any way we can?"
"Yes, but we need to get our facts straight first before we do anything. I say that we talk to him and get this straightened out with him first," Ike replied.
"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say! Are you denying what we saw just now? Are you suggesting that it was a trick of the dark and that the horrific thing that I just saw never happened?!" Roy shouted.
"Roy calm down. You're going to wake the neighbors," Marth protested.
"I will NOT calm down! Our friend was just raped in front of our eyes and you're worried about the neighbors?!" Roy screamed.
A dog barked in the distance, breaking the silence that followed Roy's screaming. Marth and Pit looked at the ground. They had known what they had seen, but never really felt it right to say the actual word. Roy had taken care of that. Ike's eyes never left Roy's. They held their stare for a few minutes, Ike finally sighing and turning his gaze to the sidewalk.
"I'm sorry, Roy. You're right, but I'd feel better if we checked on Link before we did anything," Ike said quietly.
"Well, his house is right there," Roy said, calming down slightly and pointing over his shoulder. "You can run over there and check and see if he is still laying there on the floor where we left him."
"No, I'm not going back there anymore tonight. I'll wait until school tomorrow," Ike said, getting into the car.
"How do you know that he will even be at school tomorrow? I wouldn't go if that happened to me," Pit said, walking around to the other side of the car to get in.
"I put two and two together. I was thinking about it while we were running. Him coming to school may be the only reason that none of us caught on sooner. It might also be his only escape from his dad," Ike explained.
"You might be right," said Marth, climbing into the drivers' seat.
"Right, before lunch tomorrow in the boys' locker room. We'll pull him aside and talk to him as soon as the room is empty," Ike said, forming the plan in his head. The others nodded silently as Marth put the key in the ignition and brought the engine to life. He pulled a U-turn and sped off, away from the darkening windows of the quiet suburb streets.
The room was filled with shouting boys rushing to get to the cafeteria before everyone else in the school. Everyone was beginning to file out, all except for Ike, Marth, Roy, and Pit who were taking longer than usual to change. Ike finally pulled his shirt over his head and motioned for the others to follow him. He pulled off to the side and hid in a dark corner along the main corridor which everyone was coming down.
The room was almost empty when Link finally came into view. Ike reached out and grabbed Link's arm, pulling him over into the darkest part of the locker room. Link tried to yell, but Ike had his hand clamped over his mouth. Link still couldn't see who was holding him and began to thrash around. Ike spun his blonde friend around to face him.
Link looked into Ike's blue eyes and stopped struggling. Ike took his hand off of Link's arm and put it to his lips, signaling for him to be quiet. He didn't take his hand from Link's mouth as he began to pull him deeper into the dark portion of the locker room. He dragged the confused blonde behind a wall that held up the showers from when the school first opened. They hadn't been used in heaven knows how long. In other words: perfect for little secret meetings like this.
Ike backed Link up against the wall and slowly removed his hand. Link's look of confusion faded and was replaced with one of rage. He started to yell at Ike only to be silenced by Ike's hand again.
"I need you to be quiet, Link," Ike said softly. Link nodded and Ike removed his hand again. This time, Link just stood quietly.
"Ike, what is going on?" Link asked sternly, "You guys scared me half to death!"
"We need to talk to you," Marth said quietly.
"You could have just asked. What was the point of the whole kidnapping scene?" Link asked, confused again.
"It was the only way that we could be sure that you wouldn't run," Roy explained, "Considering what we want to talk to you about, that's kind of important."
"Well, I'm listening," Link said calmly, crossing his arms over his chest. Ike sighed. He glanced at the faces of the others around him. They were also looking around for someone to start the conversation. Ike looked back at Link and could feel his nervousness rising.
"Hello? What's wrong?" Link asked, noticing his friends' worried faces. Ike sighed again and they all turned their eyes to the ground. Link let his arms fall to his sides.
"Well, if you guys don't want to tell me now, I can wait. You know where to find me-," Link began. Ike cut him off, grabbing his upper arms.
"No, we need to talk now. There's just not an easy way to say this…" he said. Link looked worried now.
"Go on, Ike," Pit softly encouraged him. Ike looked into Link's eyes, still gripping his upper arms. He took a deep breath.
"Link, you remember how we dropped you off first after the camping trip, right?" he asked. Link nodded. "Well, we watched you and your family while you were still standing outside. You acted visibly…different…around your dad." Link looked really worried now. His eyes were getting wider with every word Ike spoke. He was listening with avid attention when Ike spoke again.
"We came back later that night, climbed up onto your roof, and were watching through the window when you and your dad came into your room," Ike added slowly. "We saw the whole thing…"
Link was horrified. He didn't say anything, he couldn't. He couldn't look away from Ike, though he could feel the concerned stares of the others around him. He felt cornered. He couldn't breathe. He could only shake his head in disbelief.
"No…" he finally mumbled out.
"Link…?" Roy asked softly.
"No," he repeated, "No, no, no, no, NO!!" Link shouted. He thrashed out of Ike's strong grip and ran. He bolted around the wall that Ike had backed him up against, running full pelt toward the nearest door. Marth was already hot on his tail. He tackled Link onto the hard tile floor and wrestled with him across the locker room. Link was scrambling frantically, trying to get away from Marth. The others came up behind them and pulled Link onto his feet.
Link let his knees give way in their arms and he sunk to the floor. Roy and Ike released his arms as he used his legs to push himself up against the wall. Pit knelt down in front of Link and tried to comfort him. Link didn't respond. He had tears in his eyes and he was shaking as he stared blankly at the floor in front of him. He wrapped his arms around his legs and continued to cry.
"Maybe we should take him home," Marth suggested.
"No!" Link shouted. "I can't go back there. That's where he is." Link stared hopelessly up at his friends, his eyes brimming with tears. "Please don't make me go back there."
Ike knelt in front of Link, next to Pit. He looked Link in the eyes with the most sincere expression he could muster.
"Never."
Link smiled slightly before burying his eyes into his sleeve. Shuddering sobs wracked his body as he cried. Ike moved and sat next to him, wrapping an arm around Link's quivering shoulders. Link turned and grabbed onto Ike's shirt as if it was his only tie to humanity. Ike just sat there, letting Link cry into his shirt.
Roy, Marth, and Pit stared in disbelief at the sight in front of them. Link looked so vulnerable. So broken. What happened to the strong, hard headed friend that they had known for so long? Roy clenched his fists in anger. He turned at began walking to the door.
"Where are you going?" Marth asked. Roy stopped and looked over his shoulder.
"Come on, guys. We're going to my house. Right now," he said.
"Why? We have class in less than 20 minutes," Pit objected.
"We're going because I can tell that Link doesn't really want to be here right now and my folks are out of town. And because it gives me a reason not to go over to his house right now and pound the living hell out of his dad," Roy said bluntly.
"He makes a good point," Marth said, shrugging. Ike nodded and helped Link stand up. The five of them exited the locker room and left the school. Climbing into Marth's car, they gunned it in the direction of Roy's house, hoping to get some answers.
Roy came back in from the kitchen, carrying a plate of food. He set it on the coffee table and sat down in a chair across from the couch. Ike, Link, and Pit were sitting on the couch. Ike and Pit were staring at Link who had his head in his hands. The room was silent. Marth reached forward and took a sandwich off the plate that Roy had placed in front of him. He took a bite and looked at the other faces in the room.
Pit looked sad, confused, and slightly embarrassed. Roy looked like his only desire in the world was to hit something. It looked like it was taking all of his self control just to stay in his seat. Ike had the same look of sorrow that Pit had, but also had a strong determination behind his eyes. Link had kept his eyes averted the whole time. He hadn't said a word to anyone the entire time that they had been driving. He had stopped crying though.
"I guess that I'll start," Marth suddenly said, causing some of the others to jump in surprise. "I only want to know if there is anything that we can do to help you, Link."
Link lifted his head out of his hands and glanced around the room, his eyes finally resting on Marth.
"I'm not sure there is anything that you can do at this point," Link replied solemnly.
"Come on, Link," Pit persisted, "There has to be something that we can do."
"No, there isn't. I've already tried everything," Link said, rubbing his temples with his index fingers.
"Yeah, everything except calling the police," Roy said bluntly. Link's head snapped up. His eyes turned to ice when he glared at Roy.
"I can't do that. My dad has the family network wired. He monitors all the calls that I make and somehow managed to make it so I can't call any emergency personnel from my cell phone. As you know we don't have a land line and heaven forbid that my mother figures out how to use one," Link snapped.
"Well, no need to get snippy! We just need to call from one of our phones," Roy snapped back.
"I can't let you do that either," Link said quietly.
"And why not?" Roy asked somewhat sarcastically.
"Because my dad has threatened me with my mom. He said he would hurt her if I told anyone. She might get hurt if he figures out that you guys know about it," Link confessed.
"What a scum-bag!" Ike interrupted, "I'm gonna kill him!"
"Guys," Link said softly, standing up, "I really appreciate your concern, but I really think that I should just handle this on my own."
"You see, that's the problem, Link," Marth began, "If we leave you to deal with this by yourself, then nothing will change."
"Guys, I'm serious. I can handle this on my own," Link tried to reassure them.
"I know that face," said Ike. The others turned to him, confused. He stood up and pointed at Link with a smirk on his face. "That's the face that you make when you're not telling us the truth."
"What are you talking about?" Pit asked, completely lost.
"He makes this one face when he isn't telling the truth or he has a secret," Ike clarified. Link's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this. Roy and Marth stood up and walked behind their blonde friend. Link tried to turn and leave, only to be blocked by their bodies.
"What aren't you telling us, Link?" Roy asked. He took a step forward, completely cutting off Link's escape. Link's eyes darted around the room, looking for a way out. At last, Link jumped over the coffee table. He sprinted off through the dining room and off into the kitchen, heading for the back door.
Link heard the sound of footsteps running across the hardwood floors of Roy's kitchen. He was nearly to the door when someone barreled into him, sending them both to the floor. Link was unable to see who was on top of him as they rolled around on the kitchen floor. He was also unable to see the distance between himself and the counter.
Link hit his head on the corner of the counter, stunning him. His friends pulled him to his feet, Ike eventually putting him in a headlock to keep him still. Link struggled and thrashed in Ike's grip, but to no avail. Link soon gave up and looked his questioning friends in the eyes.
"Well? What was it that you were going to tell us?" Roy asked with a hint of sarcasm. Link didn't reply. Ike squeezed his neck slightly between his forearm and bicep. Link gagged quietly, trying to pull his head out of the space between Ike's arm and torso.
"Come on, Link," Ike encouraged, "The sooner you tell us, the sooner I let you go."
"Fine," Link grumbled. His eyes moved to the floor before he spoke. Sighing, he mumbled something out. A confused look came over Ike's face. He looked at the others, noticing that they also shared the same expression.
"What was that?" Marth asked. Link again mumbled out the same incomprehensible series of sounds. Roy got down in Link's face and asked him once more.
"Wanna run that by us one more time?" he asked.
"You guys are in danger by helping me, alright?!" Link yelled.
Ike's eyes shot to Link's after he spoke. In his stunned state, his grip failed and Link was able to pry himself from Ike's headlock. Standing upright, Link rubbed the back of his neck, trying to get some of the feeling back into it, before roving his eyes over the shocked faces of his friends.
"What did you say?" Marth asked his voice shaky from surprise.
"You heard me," Link began, "Now that you guys know; just being near me is going to be a risk."
"Why would he do that?" Pit asked.
"You honestly didn't think that my mom was the only one he was threatening me with, did you?" Link asked in a sarcastic tone. Pit turned his gaze to the floor.
"Well then, I guess that I'll have to be the one that gets to kick his-," Ike began.
"That won't work, Ike. He knows who you are," Link said quietly.
"What? How could he know? I've never even met the guy!"
"You don't need to meet him in order for him to know you. He knows the names and addresses of all my friends, your parents' names, and possibly your phone numbers," Link explained.
"That's a little bit creepy…" Roy commented.
"I'm so sorry, guys. I just can't let you get caught up in this. I don't want him to hurt you too," said Link, turning to leave.
"Where are you going?" Pit asked.
"I've got to get home. My dad will be wondering where I am," Link answered with a shudder.
"Oh, no you don't! If you think that I'm going to let you walk away like that, then you obviously don't know me," Ike said, catching Link's wrist.
"Ike, didn't you hear what I just said?" Link questioned.
"Yes I did, and I don't care. You're my friend and I'm sticking with you, for better or worse!" Ike stated, gripping Link's arm tightly.
"If you continue to hang around me, that statement, namely the "or worse" part will become reality, you know that?" Link emphasized.
"I don't care," Ike said simply. Link still looked worried. "Alright then," Ike said, turning to the others, still gripping Link's wrist. "Who else would like to join me in my quest to help my friend?" His voice sounded like one of the medieval knights from the King Arthur movies. Ike raised his fist to resemble the raising of a sword.
The others smiled and raised their fists to mimic Ike. Ike laughed triumphantly, still gripping his imaginary sword.
"Huzzah!" he shouted, and then turned to Link, "You're stuck with us," he said, his voice back to normal. Link laughed and shook his head.
"You guys are crazy, but I guess I have no choice," he said and Ike clapped him on the back.
"Group man hug!" Roy yelled. The others laughed and pulled in around Ike and Link, all save for Marth.
"What are you doing, Marth? Get in here," said Pit.
"No I think I'll pass on this one," said Marth, holding up his hands.
"Oh, no, this is not about your ego, this is about Link. Now get in here!" Roy clarified and pulled Marth into the hug. Marth grunted in objection before he was surrounded by the arms of his friends, holding him in.
Their laughter was interrupted by a buzzing sound. The hug broke up and all hands went to their pockets to see whose phone was ringing. Link was the one to pull his phone from his pocket. He checked the caller I.D. to see the name 'Kyle' on the screen. Link groaned, pushed the accept call button, and put the phone to his ear.
"Hello?" Link asked. A faint stream of sound came from the phone.
"No, I don't know where mom put your jacket. Most likely in the washroom though…" he paused. "To wash it? That's where all the other dirty laundry goes. Why?" Another pause. "No, I was going to go down to pick up mom's dry cleaning and then go to…No, she won't be home until late tonight…Maybe around 1:00…" Another stream of sound came out of the phone and Link's expression changed. "No, dad, please not tonight! I don't…No, I don't care if that's why you need your jacket! I won't put up with…" Link's eyes widened. "No, of course not! Why would I tell…Do you think I'm that stupid? I know what you threaten to do…Huh? I'm at the school right now. We are just talking outside…A friend of mine had a test to make up and we all stayed behind…Uh, sure. When will you leave?...Okay, I'll see you soon. Bye."
"Was that your dad?" Roy asked after Link had hung up.
"Yeah. He said that he is going to pick me up at the school. We need to get over there now! I will take him about 10 minutes to get there."
"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's get out of here!" said Ike, running for the door.
"Why? Can't we just drive him home?" Pit asked.
"We could, but that would make it obvious that Link had lied over the phone and his dad might suspect something," Ike pointed out.
"Good enough for me. Let's go," Marth called, grabbing his keys.
They all piled in the car and sped off toward the school. Link looked worried as they got nearer to the school. They pulled into the parking lot and Link looked around. He didn't see his dad's car yet and he let out a sigh of relief.
All five of them got out of the car and sat in front of the school in a convincing way that made it look like they had been there for some time. Not three minutes after they had sat down, Link's father pulled around the corner and into the parking lot. Stopping in front of the group of boys, he honked the car horn and waved at his son. Link shuddered, grabbed his school bag, and stood up.
"That's my dad. I'll see you guys later," Link said quietly.
"Yeah, see you tomorrow," Ike replied.
They all said their good-byes and Link left. He got into the passenger seat of the car, closed the door, and the car sped off. Marth sighed as he stood up.
"I'd hate to imagine the things that he thinks when he gets into an empty car with that man," Roy said, watching the grey spot that was Link's car vanish behind a house.
"I know. It would suck to know that the only thing that your father likes about you is the fact that he can do something like that to you and not have to worry about you telling anyone," Pit added solemnly.
"We should go," Ike said softly. Getting back in Marth's car, the four friends left the school, with a little too much on their minds.
The sun was just starting to go down when Link's father pulled the car into the driveway. Link climbed out of the charcoal grey car and stalked off in the direction of the house. Opening the front door, he strode through the threshold into the brightly colored house.
Link smiled. His mother had designed the house to match the happy feeling that seemed to follow her everywhere she went. The feeling that was always instantly crushed when he caught his father looking at him in a way that suggested he was thinking about something less than moral.
He ignored his father who had come in behind him and made his way upstairs to his room. Closing the door, Link sat on his bed, trying to calm his nerves. His friends know about what happened between him and his dad on a daily basis. That would only create more problems for him.
Link's head snapped up at the click of his doorknob turning. The door swung in slowly with a soft creak, revealing his father standing in the doorway. That damnable grin was once again plastered on his face. Link's insides fell, but his face remained neutral.
"I hope you're ready," said the man in the doorway.
"Ready for what, Kyle?" Link asked.
"Link," his father sighed, "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me by my first name?"
"As long as it takes for me to honestly believe that you are actually my father," Link replied bluntly.
Kyle paused, locking his eyes with his son's. He pulled himself into the room, once again closing the door behind him. Kyle looked away for Link, taking several long strides across the room. He pulled the chair from under Link's desk and sat down, staring his son in the eye.
The two of them just stared at each other for a while, when Kyle finally reached into his pocket. He removed a small glass bottle from the pocket of his jacket and tossed it at Link. Link caught it easily and glanced at his father with a confused look on his face.
"What's this?" he asked.
"That is the lubricant that I will be using this evening," Kyle replied, standing up.
Link's hands began to shake as he took in what his father had said. His eyes darted from the bottle, to his dad, and back to the bottle again. In pure horror, Link flung the bottle back at his dad, who caught it just as easily as Link had before. Kyle laughed and tossed the bottle up in the air with one hand, catching it absent-mindedly.
"What's wrong, Link? I thought that you didn't like it when I did it straight. This little thing will make it a lot easier on your body," Kyle told his son.
"I thought I told you that I didn't want to do anything tonight?" Link shrieked.
"I know you did, but I just couldn't see any good reason to pass up an opportunity like this." His father crossed the room. Standing in front of Link, he tilted his blonde son's chin up so he could look at him. He stroked Link's cheek with his thumb as he continued, "With your mother gone, we can make all the noise we want."
Link was shaking horribly to his father's touch. He tried to slink away from his father's hand by sliding further onto the bed. Kyle simply followed his son onto the bed. He was on his hands and knees in front of Link. I that position, Kyle was slightly taller than his blonde son, making Link feel like he was shrinking in comparison.
"I also wanted to try something new tonight," Kyle continued, gently stroking Link's thigh.
"Do I even want to know?" Link asked nervously, still trying to get away from his father.
"Oh, yes, you do. It will be a whole new experience for you," Kyle said soothingly.
"You know, dad," Link began, shifting to try to get off the bed, "As intriguing as that sounds, I just don't think that I'm up for that tonight. Besides, mom's dry cleaning needs to be picked up by 6:00 or they will-,"
"Forget the dry cleaning," Kyle interrupted, pushing Link back onto the bed. "You're not going anywhere tonight whether you like it or not."
"No dad, please…"
"Just relax. I swear that this won't hurt."
Kyle pushed Link back so that his head was against the pillow. Keeping one hand on his chest, Kyle reached his other hand behind his back and revealed a pair of hand-cuffs. Link's eyes widened. His dad meant business tonight. Noticing Link's shocked expression, Kyle chuckled slightly.
"I got these from an old friend of mine. I figured that it would make more sense to use these instead of something else, like a belt or ropes. It's more secure," he whispered. He grabbed Link's left wrist, clamping a cuff around it. Looping it around a pole built into the headboard, he did the same thing with the other wrist.
After successfully immobilizing his son, Kyle climbed off the bed, walking to the desk. He once again pulled the top drawer open, looking for his scissors. After digging around in the drawer for a few minutes, he turned to Link with an agitated expression on his face.
"You hid the scissors, didn't you, Link?"
Link couldn't help but feel a little relieved at remembering that he had taken the fabric scissors out of his drawer. "Aren't they in there?" he asked defiantly.
Kyle crossed back over to the bed. Staring down at his son, he pulled a switchblade from his pocket. Link gasped, watching the late afternoon light gleam off the silver blade.
"I guess that means that I'll have to use this," Kyle whispered, stroking the blade with his finger. Kyle moved the blade so it was just barley touching Link's throat. Link's breath started coming in short gasps. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to subdue the fear, knowing that if his father decided to hurt him, he would have no way of stopping him. Not with his hands suspended above his head.
"I wonder why you seem to prefer to have me cut you shirts open," Kyle wondered out loud, "It's a waste of money really."