He wasn't the type Tom would normally go for, but he had something about him that meant Tom wanted to go talk to him. He was sat on his own and was half way down his pint. When he was nearly finished he would go over and offer to buy him another drink. It would put his fake ID to the test but he was prepared to take that risk. He has his big bag with him, his dad had just moved to a small village and tom was going to go live with him. His dad, Declan, was quite strict as far as education was concerned so the later he turned up the better.

The boy he had his eye on downed the rest of his pint and stood up. It looked like he was going to leave. Tom jumped to his feet and made his way over.

"Hello, I'm Tom." He said standing in front of the exit door.

"Aaron." Replied the boy.

"Fancy a drink I was just about to get one in." Tom realized what he must look like. He had just been travelling for a while so his hair was a bit of a mess. He had a big bag on his back and the big necklace his best friend had given him before he had left Africa. He couldn't of looked more out of place in a club if he had tried.

"I was just about to head home."

"Yeah it is quite late. Do you know where Emmerdale village is?" Asked Tom

"Yeah, that's where I'm heading, why?"

"My dad lives there, I'm going to stay with him for a while."

"We can share a taxi back then, save on the money." Suggested Aaron walking over to a taxi. Tom followed him and sat in the back which his bag in between them. They didn't talk much on the way home yet it didn't feel awkward. Tom guessed he didn't know him enough for it to feel awkward. When they arrived at the village Aaron pointed Tom to his dad's house then made his way back to his home. Tom started to walk down to where Aaron had pointed and knocked on the door when he got there. After a short while his dad opened the door with his shirt unbuttoned.

"Tom! Come in. I didn't know you were coming home?"

"It was more spur of the moment thing. I would of phoned but I don't have a mobile." Tom said while greeting his dad with a hug.

"Don't worry it's a surprise, but a nice one." Tom heard some noises from upstairs and just as he was putting his bag down a woman walked into the room and she looked like she had dressed in a hurry. "Natasha, this is my son Tom." Tom had already put together in his head what he had interrupted.

"Sorry dad, I didn't mean to interrupt anything." Tom apologized.

"What did you interrupt? We were just watching television."

"Dad, I'm 16 now, I know what you were doing." Declan looked a bit ashamed of himself but Tom honestly didn't mind. If his dad had known he was coming home then he might of minded. "Is there a room for me?" Asked Tom.

"Yeah, they'll always be a room for you, if you go upstairs you can have the first room on the left."

"Thanks. See you in the morning, bye Natasha." Tom said as he left the room. He heard her groan with embarrassment. His room was plain but nice. Travelling around Africa meant he had learnt to appreciate a room if it had a bed in. He put his bag down, grabbed some clean clothes, changed and his head was barely on the pillow before he was asleep.

The next day Tom woke up just before two. He'd had a good night sleep and got up. He had a shower and got dressed in a baggy t-shirt and baggy shorts. He went downstairs which was empty. His dad was a businessman with his own business so he couldn't just take a day off. He saw a little note on the table that just said he was at work and if he was up by one then to meet him in the café. Tom knew his dad though and he would have bet his dad would be late and be in the café now. He walked over to the café and went inside. His dad wasn't there but Aaron that he had met last night was.

"Tom right?" Asked Aaron.

"Yeah," replied Tom. "Aaron?" Tom asked even though he remembered that was his name.

"Yeah, do you want a coffee?"

"No thanks. I need a good big breakfast." Replied Tom sitting down at Aaron's table. Aaron caught the attention of the waitress.

"Brenda, the biggest breakfast you do when your ready cheers." Aaron ordered. "I have to get back to work, me and Adam are meeting at the pub later if you want some cool friends."

"I haven't seen my dad properly since I got back so I might have to spend time with him tonight." Tom knew that was a lame thing to say but it was true and he's underage so he would be sat drinking an orange juice.

"Right well I don't even think we could make you cool." Said Aaron and just as he was leaving Declan came in.

"Like father like son." Declan said while sitting down with Tom. "I've called the local school and your ready to start on Monday."

"Don't waste anytime then do you?"

"School is important, if I hadn't gone to school you wouldn't have been able to go travelling this summer." Replied Declan. "Any big news to tell me?" He asked while taking a chip off Tom's plate of food that had just arrived.

"Some big news yeah, it took a bit for me to come to terms with it, but I am fine with it now. Better than fine really." Declan just stared at him.

"What is it? You haven't got a tattoo or something have you?" He asked anxiously.

"No dad, I'm gay."