Chapter 2

The sound of the door... he perked his head up from the bills he had been paying and light himself another cigarette before standing in the doorway of the kitchen, listening for the footsteps that carried upstairs. Then making up his mind he climbed the stairs and opened the first door on the right.

"Late," he said, the smoke curling out of his mouth.

Richard tried to be as discrete as possible, not that he even expected to get away with it. As quietly as he thought he made his way upstairs, keeping to himself. He changed his clothes into something more comfortable, a t-shirt and sweats. The clothes he wore for school covered the wounds, but weren't exactly comfortable. The gruff voice got his attention, spinning around to see a figure as the door opened.

"I know and I'm sorry... I really didn't think I would be this late... I had a question on an assignment..." Richard explained.

"You were suppose to come home and do your chores you little cunt, now the laundry still needs be done, the dishes and all of that. How do you expect me to work throughout the day, much earlier than most people, and do everything else," James asked quietly.

"I'll do it now... all of it..." Richard replied, just staring at the floor, unmoving. "I'll do them right now if you want..."

"Yes fucking now! And if you want to eat be sure to do a good job," he shouted and then slammed the door shut, stomping down the stairs. Little shit... slaving away all day while he was off at school, sitting for hours and not helping out around the house. Then the play... that play was taking up too much time, keeping him outside of the house for far too long. The more James thought about it, the more an idea formed in his mind and it churned his stomach sick. His own flesh and blood trying to leave him.

Dark eyes followed him as James continued with the paperwork and watched carefully at Richard's movements. Under the gaze Richard took a deep breath, going about with putting the laundry in, making his way into the kitchen to wash dishes next. At the table the cogs turned and James began to fume as he watched. How could he... no respect for him, letting him live in this house, under his roof.

"Why is it you do this... Drama stuff?" James questioned when Richard was about to venture upstairs, leaving the clean stack of dishes to dry, "What are you to take out of it eh?"

Cursing that one day he might climb the stairs without being stopped, Richard stopped, turning to look at him. In the back of mind he swept and moped the floor for good measure to make up for his tardiness.

"What do you mean why? I want to..." he answered simple, flickering his eyes up.

"Why take the time out? Is it that you like it? Answer me," James' voice shook as he stood, flicking away the ashes of another light and began to tower over him, "I asked you why!"

"Yeah, ok..." Richard dared not cringe though taking a step back as he approached, "I like it. I sort of find it fun and I can talk to the other students there too."

"Are you sure that it's not that you like someone there? Another boy ... you fucking queer... you will go nowhere near that club you hear! So I wouldn't even bother anymore and stop seeing him whoever he is, I did not raise a faggot," Jim gnashed his teeth and the whole body tensed. Across from him Richard was beginning to hear the anger, it was coming, the unstoppable train that careened at him

"Dad please... I swear it has nothing to do with that. I like acting, I'm not doing it for someone... I'm not..." he took a deep breath, he was wasting breath and he knew it, "I swear, nothing going on at practice except for running lines."

"Ya right... just get to your school work already," a headache curbed James away, not wanting to deal with the nuisance any longer. Richard nodded, hurrying up the stairs to his room, taking a deep breath as he closed the door behind him. It was always something... That last thing he wanted to hear was /him/ lecturing him on sexuality. He shook his head, walking over to his desk and starting to work on his school work.

It was for certain that Richard was lying, lying as he always did. It was a wonder who this other person was, maybe some other queer actor who took it up the ass, although knowing Rich, he would be the one taking it. Lazily James finished what work he had at hand and tossed ready to eat dinners in the oven.

"Dinner!" he called and when there was no answer something struck a nerve. Cooked, Jim gripped one of dinners and briskly walked upstairs, flinging the door open.

"I called you down for dinner! Fucking little shit! I told you I only am to call you once!"

At the same instant he flew in the door. Richard, who was already standing up, jumped, losing his balance and falling over the chair. "I was coming... I am coming..." He replied breathlessly, quickly standing up.

"Oh, I am sure you were, absolutely. Just wankin' off at that the boyfriend you have, enjoy that cock in your mouth? Moaning like the little whore you are, so are you hungry? Need something in your mouth now," James yelled and tore open the still hot meal. He saw Richard twitch at his movements, almost ready to try to run, but he was caught in James' arm and was thrown down, pinned with the weight of a body sat on top of.

"Then eat! I know you are hungry!"

"I was working on homework! I swear! Dad!" Richard yelled, trying to squirm out from beneath him. Not that it did any good, it never did any good. Furious James began to shove the burning hot meal down the throat, suppressing the squirming body beneath him.

"EAT!"

"Dad! Don!" Richard protested at the food shoved into his mouth, scorching the inside and throat. Unable to breath he instinctively tried to push the food away, covering his mouth with his arms to a point where he could speak again.

"It's not like that!"

"I don't want to hear of it! Shut up!" James roared when bit of food sputtering up and then roughly pulled him up only when there was nothing solid left to chew. Sitting up and then standing, James pulled Richard up by the shirt, except at the exhaustion, he stumbled back down.

"That is it..." James gripped him by the ankles and began to pull him out of the bedroom and down the hallway, "Closet... time... you will be lucky if I remember to let you out for tomorrow, miss that boyfriend of yours."

When his father attempted to stand him upright Richard nearly fell, the food still burning. He coughed and choked up what remained only to find himself thrown down, gasping for breath, his mouth burning too much to talk. Suddenly Richard felt himself being dragged down the hall, the carpet burning his raw skin as his shirt slid up and slammed against the wall of a secure closet. It was a special closet, one James had long ago sound proofed and installed locks, a too familiar place. Regaining some senses Richard saw the light from the hallway blocked out in front of him, weakness gripping him as he gasped, rolling over, still panting for breath.

"Look at you... pathetic. She told me you were mine but that bitch had to be lying. No son of mine would grow up to be a goddamned faggot and lazy piece of shit," James then spat in his face, wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, "And you give nothing, all you do is take my food, my money, when I could have thrown you out, but no, no, no. Education first as they all say, so I have to comply with those idiots from the agency, though a few quid doesn't hurt their business," he smiled wickedly, proud of himself, his slicked back hair by now falling messily at his sides.

At his feet the small crumpled body groaned .

"I'm not sleeping with anyone," he gasped, his voice cracking and rough and ending in a series of coughs the only hurt his throat worse, "Please..." Richard pleaded, pulling himself into a sitting position and leaning against the back of the closet, avoiding putting much pressure on the rug burns.

'Looks like I may not make it tomorrow after all...' he thought to himself, almost as if to Sebastian. That look was in his Dad's eyes, wild. Honestly, the safest place probably was where he was right now. Growing up fast meant Richard understood James' "business" assure that he would not be in trouble with those that held authority, a power that happened to allow him to slide through the cracks for a tip in the pocket... there was no where his Dad's grasp didn't extend, at least that is what is seemed, which was why Richard knew that there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Unsatisfied, James stooped down and slapped him hard, causing Rich to fall to the floor. The hands flew at the back of the head and his spine, keeping him pushed down into the floor.

"Hmph, denial, denial. Daddy really hates when you lie... I know you want it, hungry for it," James growled and had sit down on the back of Richard's knees. Stumbling and groaning, Richard squinted up at him only to find himself rolled over onto his stomach, face pushed into the floor and pinned, the small whimpers escaping yet he didn't say anything, trying to shake his head, not that it did much good.

"I was not planning on anything- ugh, how annoying..." a phone buzzed in James' pocket and pulling it out he read the message, "lost another street corner... bloody bastards."

Forgetting his son was there, sat up and left the closet, not even bothering to lock it behind him. The coast appeared clear enough for Richard to gasp for breath, rolling over to his back, panting. He glanced at the door, doubting it would be long before he came back... but it wasn't like he had any where to go... even if he did... what was the point when it would only make it worse later? He rolled over, propping himself up onto hands and knees before standing up, staggering against the wall, leaning on it for support before he made his way back to his room, collapsing onto his bed.

Much to the concern of one of his colleagues, Sebastian arrived to school rather tired, reassuring them it had been just a bad night's sleep. Rather, he barely slept at all, wondering if he even closed his eyes, tossing and turning at the worry over Richard. The images of his arm kept coming to mind and if what he said, Sebastian imagined the ugliness of it all had covered other places of his body as well. Eventually in his restlessness he walked to the kitchen for a glass of water, and his body beginning to shake at his own memories. Within the dark he could feel the ghosting of a hand placed firmly on his shoulder and the feeling of a wedding ring on the fourth finger.

"Sebastian... what's wrong sweet heart."

"Go away..."

"Remember you could tell me anything darling-"

"Stop it!"

The drink he had been holding in his hand shattered against the wall of his flat once he threw it, the memory disappearing with it, and now tired and panting, is when he decided to try to go to bed. His efforts had been fruitless. But when his last class started the next day, at first Sebastian was happy to see Richard talking to some of his other pupils who seemed fascinated and had surrounded him.

"Wow! So you got jumped and fought them off!" "Amazing!"

In the Brook house Richard had not gotten much sleep because he spent the rest of the night finishing laundry, cleaning and finishing homework as quietly as he could. He made the walk to school, usually his dad was smart when angry, smart enough to wound him where it couldn't be seen, but not this time. Generally he was accustomed to go with long sleeves, but he had rolled them up partially, just a few inches. Despite this Richard did not like wearing long sleeves, it was hot, and as long as they believed he was almost mugged, it was a reasonable explanation for the bruised skin.

"Um... yeah..." He said, his voice still horse and weak and he took another drink of water, "Well, I'd still rather not do it again now with further rehearsal going on. I need to be fir right?" Richard smiled at the crowd and tilted his head to a cute girl who watched him admiringly. Glancing up at Sebastian their eyes meet for a brief second, nothing needed to be said before looking back at another student who was trying to buy his attention.

"Yeah! They got you real good on that cheek there, how terrible," one girl pouted and hugged his arm, "I bet you will be better for the play though right?" the others nodded in agreement and continued in their admiration and sympathies. Before he could begin his lesson Sebastian walked out of the classroom, swallowing some air and tried to shake a headache so he could muster a good face for everyone else. The bell rang and all the lingering students in the hallway clamored inside, Richard was still being whispered for more information and their professor hushed them. As Sebastian spoke he saw Richard was off again somewhere, glancing back at him secretly, he wondered where Richard's mind took itself. Hopefully it was somewhere happy.

The rest of the hour wore on and the bell sounded, everyone running out because it was a Friday, a good deal of them patting Rich and congratulating him more on his victory against his attackers. In the end Sebastian and his student were the only ones left as usual.