Hey Everyone. I decided not to write more for my In His Best Friends Arms story. I liked it as a one shot. So I was board and didnt know what to write so i sat down and wrote the first thing that came to mind. I ave to warn you it's a bit depressing. This first chapter is mostly background information to build the story on but I dont think it'll be boaring at all. I thought it was pretty good. Anyway please review.
Naldo was standing beside Barry as support chemicals into a beaker. He took a few steps back blushing. He felt his eyes rome down his best friends back landing on landing on the part he could never get out of his mind. He barley heard the scientist talking, too busy trying to look away. There was a problem growing in his pants and it wouldn't take a genius to figure out why that was happening, and Barry was a genius. It was a secret he couldn't say because He loved his best friend too much to lose him.
After five years of head over heels heart throbbing love he still couldn't do anything but look and dream. He wished more than anything that he could find out if Barry felt the same way. He leaned back, closing his eyes. There was one idea that he'd had for a while now but it would involve telling someone, actually two someones. If things didn't go well Cyd and Shelby could go back in time and tell him. But was it worth it? What if they hated him? What if telling them would destroy their friendship? What if they told Barry!
"Naldo" Barry shouted, grabbing the taller boy's shoulder. Naldo's eyes snapped open. "Are you ok?" he asked. There was worry in Barry's eyes making Naldo confused.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Naldo asked, scrunching his eyebrows.
"You were shaking" Barry said, squeezing Naldo's shoulder. The touch sent sparks down Naldo's body. "You weren't answering me and when I turned around you were trembling."
"I'm fine" Naldo said, putting on his best smile. He was good at that, plastering that big fake smile over his fears and confusion. No one ever saw through it. He was that happy crazy guy but if you dug past that mask you'd find a scared and confused boy who only wanted love but could never get the kind he wanted. Behind that smile lived pain and sadness.
"You sure?" Barry asked.
"Yea" Naldo laughed, sticking out his tongue.
"Ok" Barry said slowly, giving his friend one last look. The moment he turned around that toothy grin vanished as it always did.
"I think I need some rest" Naldo said, yawning. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Ok sure" Barry called, not looking back. Naldo opened the door to the science lab on wheels and looked back. The blond angel was intently stirring his concoction. HE always got lost in his work. The fact that he realized Naldo was shaking was astounding. The door flapped closed behind him.
Taking a deep breath Naldo started the short walk home. When the RV was out of sight he let his shoulders slump and head fall down. He didn't want to think about anything right now. He knew if he let his mind wander it would go back to those thoughts, the ones that no one could know about. IT wasn't his crush that he was talking about though. It was the other thing, the thought he locked in a tiny black box and shoved into the back recesses of his mind.
The door to his house came too quickly for his liking. He moved his hand to the doorknob but didn't turn it. The metal was cool in his hand but it seemed to burn his skin, scarring all the pain and anger that lay beyond the simple wooden door. He couldn't hear them now but he knew they were home. Both cars were in the driveway. Eventually he'd have to go in and he knew things would only be worse if one of them caught him just standing there.
Naldo opened the door as silently as he could. He slipped into the house and closed the door. The click of the door snapping in place felt like a scream in the quiet house. They weren't screaming today. That meant they were holding their anger out for him. He just hoped he wouldn't get hit in the face again. He knew Barry wouldn't buy the 'I wacked myself in the face' story again. He assumed his dad would aim for his gut though. He was terrified that someone would see he bruises. That black eye had driven him to insanity. He blamed Naldo for it and beat him till his entire back and chest were blue. It was the worst beating he'd had since third grade.
He snapped out of it. He needed to get to his room as silently as possible. His moved his feat slowly and deliberately. He'd learned where the floor squeaked years ago. Now he could make his way through any room of the house making less sound then a mouse. But his luck was terribly and he tripped. He barley caught himself before slamming into the ground.
"NALDO!" A man's voice shouted from the other room. Instinctively the teen flinched. But then he realized something. It wasn't the normal 'I'm going to kill you' tone. Someone must be over. Naldo hurried through the living room and kitchen to the den. His parents were sitting in opposite chairs and thank god Cyd and Shelby were seated on the couch.
"You have gests" His father said in his fake kind voice. The man was as good as Naldo when it came to putting on a mask.
"Hi" Naldo smiled, waving his hand. He wondered if he really had asked them to come back to the past to tell him if Barry liked him too.
"Hey" Cyd said, standing up.
"We need to talk" Shelby added. The each grabbed an arm and literally dragged him out of the room.
"What's going on?" Naldo tried to say. Neither girl answered, instead they pulled him up the stairs and straight into his room. He had never shown them his room or even let them in his house before, at least not in this timeline. Shelby released his arm and shut the door. "What's going on" Naldo asked again.
"Take off your shirt" Cyd commanded.
"What! No!" Naldo blurted out. What was going on? Why would they ask him that. They'd never seen him shirtless before. Actually they had the one time he was trying to grow chest hair with that machine. In his defense he may have been acting stupid but it was only a lie. If he got enough chest hair the bruises would be hidden.
"Take it off or we will" Shelby added, putting her hands on her hips. Naldo didn't know what to do. Reluctantly he pulled his over shirt off and threw it onto his bed. They would get his shirt off eventually. At least this way there wouldn't be commotion. His fingers shook, gripping the bottom of his second shirt. They would know. The moment it came off they would know his second biggest secret, his love for Barry being the first. What could he say, he loved Barry more than he cared about the bruises.
The girls watched him intently, looks flashing between guilt and pity. Something inside Naldo growled. He didn't want pity. This was his life. It had always been this way and he didn't need people to pity him. Without another thought he pulled the thin cloth over his head. His eyes fixed on the girls. They hadn't seen it before. He could tell by their wide eyed shock. Shelby's mouth was even hanging open.
"Oh my God" Shelby finally said, grabbing her best friend's arm.
"Naldo what happened?" Cyd asked. Naldo looked confused.
"I though you knew" He said, stepping back. "I thought that was why you were asking."
"Barry said he thought you were hurt but this…" Cyd trailed off.
"Who did this to you" Shelby growled.
"Shhh" Naldo hissed, glaring at the girls. They shut up but kept staring. There were blue and black bruises everywhere. Most looked about the size of a fist but some were longer as if something had been used to hit him. What shocked Cyd the most was the scars. There were scars all over his body, tiny white lines that were barely noticeable in the soft light. They crisscrossed his chest and some looked old, really old. Naldo wasn't just hurt like Barry thought. Someone had been hurting him for a while.
"Do your parents know" Cyd hissed. She turned as if to stomp out of the room.
"Of course they know" Naldo growled. All three were surprised at the bitter tone of his voice. This didn't look like Naldo. He was acting serious, mature and the smiling and laughter had been replaced by a grim sadness.
"How could they let this happen" Shelby began to rant.
"Shelby" Cyd hissed. "I think it was his parents who did this." Shelby's eyes flitted to Naldo asking for conformation. Naldo gave a tiny nod. He turned from them to grab his shirt but he froze when the girls gasped. He'd forgotten about his back.
"What happened!?" Cyd wheezed. Naldo was silent. He grabbed his shirt and pulled it on, hiding the big round burn mark in the center of his back.
"Naldo?" Cyd asked again.
"I was ten" Naldo said, voice emotionless. "My mom was cooking breakfast. I was playing in the kitchen. She had told me to go in the other room twice. I hadn't listened though. I ended up bumping into her causing the bacon to fall off the pan. She grabbed my arm but I tried to run. I made it out of her grasp but the next thing I knew I was on the ground with a pan shaped burn on my back."
"Naldo!" Shelby gasped. She rushed up to him, pulling him into a tight hug. "Oops" she gasped pulling back. "I didn't think about the…" She gestured to his now clothed chest.
"It's ok" Naldo smiled grimly. "I've hurt my entire life. I don't even notice the bruises anymore. Both girls looked shocked. "I think you have to go" he said, again in that serious unNaldo like tone. The girls opened their mouths to object but Naldo interrupted them. "I'm not supposed to have friends over. IF you don't leave soon I'll get the bat." He stated.
Cyd shivered. He said it as if he was talking about the weather as if it was as normal as breathing. It hurt her to realize for him maybe that was true. "We'll talk to you tomorrow" Cyd promised.
"I'll walk you out" Naldo told them. He led them by the arms down the stairs. The two girls looked terrified when the door closed in their faces. They had just left Naldo to get beaten by his parents.
Thats the end of Chapter 1. I warned you it was depressing. I'll try to update soon but my familly is leaving for Calorodo tomorrow and I wont have wifi till we get to the hotel. Even then I'm not compleatly sure I'll have wifi. I know i will in the second week but I hope the first place we're staying has it. Anyway what dod you think? Please Review.