"Deadly Connections"
By: Emily B.
Author's Note
I'm raging so much inside right now. Also, the last chapter sucked ass, so here's another chapter. I'm pissed off and I don't even care, so I'm really sorry if this chapter sucks because of that. Anyway, on with the chapter. Ignore typos and enjoy.
Chapter Eleven: Avoiding Confrontation
"Ed, don't be silly," Oz chuckled at the boy's statement, patting Chum Chum's head in a fatherly manner, gesturing for the boy to return to his bedroom once again. "Now, just go to your room."
"But," the brunette whined slightly, folding his arms and pouting as he began to walk back to his bedroom. "Fine."
Oz knocked on the bathroom door carefully and softly, folding his arms a little as he waited for the door to open. Once the door didn't open, he knocked again, this time deciding to speak to see if he could gain the boys' attention.
"Zack, could you come to the door for a minute?"
"Uh," Fanboy began, looking over his nude body for a moment before peering his head from the shower curtain, looking to the door. He sighed faintly, handing Kyle the bar of soap. "I think you can wash yourself now."
"Zack."
"Hold on, Oz," the raven-haired teen stated, moving out of the shower, wrapping a towel tightly around his waist. He took a deep, calming breath as he reached for the doorknob, turning it carefully and opening the raggedy door. "What?"
The bearded man thought about his words for a moment, trying to peer into the bathroom to see if Kyle was also inside the bathroom. He heard a faint cry of pain emit from the redheaded boy, instantly knowing Kyle was inside the bathroom with Fanboy.
"Why are you showering with, uh, what did you say his name was?"
"His name's Kyle. And, I, um, I just thought that it would take less time. That way Ed could take his shower sooner," Fanboy explained, not wanting to tell Oz about Kyle's many scars, bruises, and lacerations. "That's all."
"Well, you've been in here for quite awhile," the plump man stated with a lisp tagging onto his words. He looked over his son's body, shaking his head faintly at all the faint, self-inflicted scars he saw with his dark, chocolate eyes. He heard Kyle make another small "ouch" and whimper, wondering why the boy was in such distress. "Is there something wrong with Karl?"
"Kyle," Fanboy corrected in a soft mutter, he looked over to the shower curtain, biting his lower lip slightly. He stood up on his tiptoes to whisper into his father-figure's ear. "Can I talk to you outside for a second?"
"Uh, sure, little dude. About what?"
Fanboy ushered Oz out of the bathroom, now standing in the middle of the hallway at the top of the staircase. The green-eyed teen readjusted the towel around his waist, tightening it slightly to be sure that it was secure and wouldn't fall.
"Kyle, well, he didn't really tell me what happened, but he's covered in more scars and cuts than I am. Most of them look like their infected. I tried to get him to tell me but he wouldn't."
"O-oh," the mustached man's face quickly grew serious. He turned away from his adopted, eldest son. He began to walk a few steps, before looking back to Fanboy. "Zack, I want you and the new kid to come downstairs when you're done with your shower."
"Get out of the shower, Kyle," the green-eyed boy stated with a stern and serious tone in his voice.
"What? Why? I've just gotten used to the water," Kyle smiled softly as he reached for a bottle of shampoo on the side of the tub. Before he could reach the bottle, Fanboy snatched it away from him, tossing it to the floor carelessly.
"You don't have time for that, just get out already."
The golden-eyed teen scowled slightly at the others' motions. He finally gave a reluctant sigh and stepped out of the shower, placing a dainty foot onto the rug below him. He shuddered softly at the cold air that hit his wet skin. Fanboy noticed the boy's shudders, removing the towel from around his waist and placing it around Kyle's shoulders like a poncho.
"There, now, just hurry up and get dressed."
"Um, Fanboy?" Kyle began, looking to the slightly annoyed teen with soft, golden eyes. "Is there any particular reason why you're in such a hurry?"
After a few moments, the two boys were fully clothed and ready to head down the stairs. They walked into the hallway from the bathroom, looking down the stairs that intimidated them. Fanboy and Kyle looked back and forth from each other, Kyle still being clueless to what was happening.
"Come on," Fanboy gestured as he began to walk down the staircase, the steps creaking each time he took one. "This shouldn't take too long."
"What is this about?"
"I, um," the taller of the two began, biting his lower lip, not wanting to tell Kyle that he had told about the many scars that were scattered across the redhead's body. "I don't know. Oz just said to meet him downstairs when we got out of the shower."
"Well, okay, I suppose."
"O-Oz?"
"Ah, Zack, come here please," Oz stated with a stern voice, looking to the boy in his boxers and then to the redheaded boy in the green tee and black boxers. "Bring your friend with you."
The two boys nodded and walked over to the now cleared dinner table where Oz sat, sitting next to him on either side of the table. They looked to each other nervously and then back to Oz with just as much nervousness.
"What's wrong, sir?" Kyle spoke up after a few silent moments, he tapped his fingers together out of pure nervous habit.
"Could you stand up for me?" Oz asked in a fatherly tone toward the redhead, who complied with the request swiftly.
The redhead quickly jumped back and flinched as the heavy-set male grabbed onto the hem of his shirt, lifting it slightly, looking over the large, gaping wound.
"Ah! Excuse me, sir! But, what exactly do you think you're doing?" Kyle sternly asked after gasping slightly from the shock. He had a slight look of fear on his face as Oz bent down to take a better look at the wound.
"That's really infected, you should have this checked out, little dude," Oz began, examining Kyle's body closely, looking up slowly until he reached Kyle's neck. "The one on your neck is pretty bad, too. Who did this to you?"
"I... I don't really like to talk about that subject, sir. Now, please, let go of my shirt and leave me be."
"I really need to know who did this to you."
Fanboy thought for a moment before looking to Kyle and Oz, trying to figure a way out of the situation.
"Um, Oz, I'm really tired and I'm sure Kyle is, too. Can't we just go to bed and talk about this in the morning?"
