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Chapter 10
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That night, Eddie made sure not to go into his room alone until Richie was there too. He and Richie stayed together pretty much constantly when they weren't at school, unless one of them was in the bathroom. Eddie could hardly believe Richie cared enough about his well-being to allow it, but he appreciated it. No one had ever seemed to care about him to that extent before. He wasn't sure why Richie gave a damn, but he did.
While Richie showered that night, Eddie forced himself to follow Mr. Salinger around, asking him questions with answers he really didn't care about. He just wanted to be talking to him, so he'd have a reason to be near him without looking horribly clingy. Mr. Salinger didn't even seem to think it was odd. He just kept talking, answering every pointless question Eddie asked him.
He'd learned that Mr. Salinger had a thirty year old son who lived in Maryland. He had a wife once, but they got divorced. He grew up in foster homes too. Eddie figured maybe that was why Mr. Salinger was so cold and detached now. Eddie wondered if he'd end up that way too...
Now he was in his room, under all of his blankets, hiding from monsters that were all too real. Richie was sleeping in the other bed, breathing soft, even breaths. The other boy clearly was having an easier time sleeping than Eddie was.
Eddie stared at the closed door as he heard footsteps approaching. He breathed in a small breath and shrunk down. Would Patrick come in here with Richie here too? He didn't last night. Richie seemed to scare him away last time... But would that last? Clearly Richie was no match for the older boys either. Maybe Henry and Patrick would even work together on this. Henry could hold Richie back while Patrick hurt Eddie.
Letting out a shaking, yet relieved breath as the footsteps went on past the door, Eddie closed his eyes. If Patrick hurt him again - like he did two nights ago, or like he tried to the previous morning - Eddie was going to just leave. He wasn't staying here. He couldn't live like this. The free food, the roof over his head, the access to a shower and heat... None of it was worth it. He'd rather starve and freeze and be dirty than let Patrick keep doing this to him.
Eddie breathed in sharp breath and shrunk down again as the footsteps returned. This time, they stopped in front of the door. He watched the lock turn... Whoever was out there had the key, or was picking the lock.
Biting his lower lip and shrinking down in the bed, Eddie stared as the door opened very slowly and Patrick slipped inside.
"Come on." Patrick whispered, nodding toward him.
Eddie's lip trembled as tears stung at his eyes. Patrick had told him earlier - when he and Henry cornered him and Richie outside on the way to school, that he was going to do something to him tonight. He said they'd be quiet, that the whole thing would be their little secret. Eddie wasn't sure how he was going to swing it, but Patrick seemed to have a plan - to take him out of the room. Maybe they'd go to Patrick's room instead this time.
"Come on." Patrick whispered again. His voice had an edge to it, a warning that Eddie needed to do what he was told before things got hostile.
Reluctantly, Eddie pulled back his covers and stepped out of his bed, shivering as his body was exposed to the chill air in the room, and his heart clenched with fear. He glanced at Richie, who was still sound asleep. He kind of wanted to wake him up, to beg Richie to help him... but what if Patrick hurt Richie because of Eddie? Eddie didn't want that.
"Hey... Pretty Boy." Patrick's voice sounded more agitated the longer it took Eddie to comply. "Come on." He hissed.
Eddie swallowed and stepped toward the door, blinking back tears and holding his breath.
Patrick smiled, raising his hand up and putting it on Eddie's shoulder, leading him down the hallway.
"Where are we going?" Eddie whispered, his voice trembling as he shivered.
"You cold, Eddie?" Patrick frowned, rubbing his hand up and down the younger boy's arm.
"Where are we going?" Eddie ignored his question.
"We're gonna take a nice, warm shower." Patrick smiled. "Then you won't be shivering anymore."
Eddie swallowed and his legs stopped working as he stared wide-eyed up at Patrick. He couldn't bring himself to continue walking. A shower? Both of them in there together? They'd both be completely naked, in a locked room... With water running, making noise so no one would hear if Eddie cried - which meant Patrick wouldn't have to be as careful not to hurt him too bad.
He could guess what kinds of things Patrick might be planning to do to him, but he didn't want to. He didn't even want to begin to speculate what might be in store for him if he went along with this.
"Come on. Don't make me get rough." Patrick warned.
Eddie felt his lip tremble as he stared through his unshed tears. "Patrick, please..." He whispered, his voice shaking. "Can I please just go back to bed? I don't wanna do this... I'm so tired..." He whimpered. He couldn't bear this. It wasn't even once in a while. It was every single day. He hated it so much. This wasn't a life worth living - being hurt in such a degrading, humiliating way over and over, non-stop with no way out.
"You'll be okay." Patrick promised, leading Eddie into the bathroom and closing the door behind him. "Now you won't have to shower in the morning." He smirked. "We'll have a bit of fun, get warmed up, get you nice and clean..."
Eddie hugged his arms around himself and stared at the floor, listening to the sound of the lock on the door clicking. Then Patrick turned toward him with a sinister smile.
"Take off your clothes, Pretty Boy." He ordered.
"Please, Patrick..." Eddie whimpered, squeezing his arms tighter around his chest. "Please don't hurt me..."
"I won't. Just fucking relax." Patrick laughed, stepping forward and reaching for Eddie's t-shirt.
Eddie whimpered and shrunk back. "Please don't!" He whispered.
"Don't fight me on this. I won't hurt you if you just do what I say. Alright?" Patrick glared. "Chill out. Just do this... We can do it gentle and nice, or hard and rough. If you fight with me, it's gonna hurt."
Eddie's lip shook as tears started spilling down his cheeks, but he took off his shirt as ordered, holding it in in his hands and staring at the floor. He twisted it nervously between shaking fingers, refusing to look up at Patrick.
"Take off your little boxer shorts." Patrick reminded him, taking a step behind him to turn on the shower.
Eddie remained frozen in fear as he listened to the water spray out of the shower head and hit the tiles below. His heart pounded in his chest so hard that he felt like he might pass out. It sounded even louder in his head than the shower water did behind him. He was so scared.
Patrick exhaled an annoyed breath when he stepped back in front of Eddie and saw that he still hadn't removed his shorts. He reached down and tugged them down himself, shoving Eddie's leg so that Eddie stepped out of them with a shaking sob.
Eddie reached down with his hands to cover himself. His cries grew louder, shakier, more out of breath as he saw out of the corner of his eye, Patrick undressing himself too.
Eddie's breaths were growing shorter and shorter. He was going to pass out if he didn't get this under control. Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing though. "P-Patrick..." He whimpered, shaking in fear and from being so cold. "P-please... I c-can't b-bre-breathe..." He choked... "Pl-please let me g-go back..."
"Shhhh..." Patrick whispered, grabbing Eddie's upper-arms and shoving him toward the shower. "You're okay. We're friends, remember? I don't want to hurt you. This is gonna feel good. Just relax."
Eddie cried breathlessly as he stepped into the shower, pretty much just allowing Patrick to move him where he wanted him. The water spilling out of the shower head and onto his chest was warm. It would have felt nice if Eddie weren't completely fucking terrified.
"Your skin is so fucking soft." Patrick breathed, rubbing his hands over Eddie's chest. At some point he had poured some kind of soap into his palm and was lathering it up over Eddie's shoulders and chest. He traced his fingers down over Eddie's ribs, running them across bruises Henry had created several days before, turning various colors under the fresh ones he created yesterday. "Those still hurt?" He asked in a low voice.
"Y-yes..." Eddie whimpered.
"Shhhh, I'm not hurting you. I'm being gentle." Patrick assured him, putting his hand on Eddie's lower back and pulling him closer.
Eddie squeezed his eyes shut and felt himself grow stiff as he felt Patrick's wet skin pressed against his own. This reminded him way too much of his former foster father, the one who made him shower with him, who told him he had to help him clean himself so it would be done correctly. The guy used so much soap, rubbing all over Eddie so much more than he needed to, focusing on his genitals, lying and saying it was necessary to clean that area extremely thoroughly.
His lower lip trembled as Eddie remained frozen in fear, as Patrick's hands ran up and down his body. His fingers snaked down Eddie's back, down between his cheeks, kind of how he did two nights ago, only without actually penetrating him. Patrick's other hand ran down between Eddies legs, scrubbing soap there for a long, awkward few seconds.
Patrick didn't linger on this for long. Maybe only a minute or two. Then he put his hands firmly on Eddie's upper arms and turned him around. Eddie choked out shaking, heartbroken sobs, trying to keep himself from fighting back when Patrick pushed him face-first against the wall.
"Just relax." Patrick spoke in a low voice, running his hand down Eddie's back, down over his butt, over his thigh. He pushed Eddie's leg a bit to the side, leaning down close. Eddie could feel the older boy's body pressed up against his back, holding him in place.
"Please don't, Patrick!" Eddie choked breathlessly. "Don't hurt me..."
Eddie flinched and felt Patrick do the same when a knock sounded at the door.
"God damn it." Patrick grumbled. "Keep your fucking mouth shut." He whispered threateningly into Eddie's ear.
"Eddie, you in there?" It was Richie's voice.
"Nope. Just me." Patrick called out in response.
Eddie felt his heart pounding in his chest. He didn't know if he should stay quiet or not. Richie wanted to help him... but was he even in the position to do so? Would calling out to the other boy help? Would Richie find a way to save him? And then what...? Would Patrick get mad and hurt him worse, hurt Richie too?
Swallowing, Eddie stared ahead at the shower wall. He focused his attention on Patrick's hand on his leg, his other hand holding Eddie's arm in a hard fist. Eddie could feel Patrick's penis pressed up against his back. Patrick was probably going to rape him with it. That's what he was getting ready to do. That was what was going to happen in about five seconds if Eddie didn't do something to stop it. It was going to hurt horribly. This wasn't hands rubbing between his legs, humiliating but physically harmless, or a little thumb or a couple fingers forced into him, also humiliating and uncomfortable, but not something he was going to have to go to the E.R. for. It was even worse than yesterday by the football field, which was awful, but didn't necessarily hurt him much physically. This was going to really, really fucking hurt. Maybe enough that Eddie would actually have to go to the hospital. He might not have a choice...
He had to call out. He had to try to save himself from this. Patrick was going to hurt him more than he'd ever been hurt in his life. Eddie had never had anyone do this to him before. Never like this. Never this horrifying. The whole point of allowing Patrick to do things to him without screaming or fighting back was to keep himself from being hurt worse... this was about as worse as it could get.
"Eddie?" Richie called out again.
"It's just me, faggot. Move on." Patrick growled.
"You sure?" Richie's voice called out again. "Eds? You in there?"
Patrick exhaled an annoyed breath. "It's only me, four-eyes. Fuck."
"Richie, help!" Eddie finally screamed before he could tell himself not to.
"Eddie!" Richie's voice sounded pretty worried now as he pounded on the door again, trying the doorknob in a way that sounded pretty frantic. "Let me in, Patrick! Let me in right fucking now!"
"God damn it." Patrick squeezed his hands hard around Eddie's arm and over his thigh. "Go outta here, Richie. I'll break his fucking neck."
Eddie whimpered in pain and fear. "Richie, help me!" He screamed shakily.
"Shut up." Patrick growled, shoving Eddie hard up against the shower wall, pressing a hand over his face and pulling him back against his body. "Now I'm gonna hurt you on purpose, you little fucker. I'm gonna tear you to fucking shreds."
Eddie groaned in pain and squeezed his eyes shut. He could barely breathe. He was so scared. His heart was pounding so hard he couldn't even hear himself, Richie, or Patrick anymore. He just heard pounding, and his own wheezing breaths.
"Eddie! Let him go, Patrick!" Richie shouted on the other side of the door, pounding on it with his fist. Richie's voice sounded muffled, like Eddie was under water, or like Richie was all the way across the house. "Open the door! Patrick, let him go!" Richie's muffled voice demanded.
Eddie's heart pounded in his ears as his vision clouded over at the edges. He was going to faint. He was so fucking scared. His breaths were so short... He was going to pass out. He wondered if Patrick would keep going in that case.
"Hold still, you little fucker." Patrick breathed near Eddie's ear, shoving his leg further to the side. "This is gonna fuckin' hurt you so bad." He growled, pressing his penis threateningly up between Eddie's cheeks, slowly forcing it into him.
Eddie tried to scream past Patrick's hand. He struggled to move, but couldn't. He was trapped. He could hear commotion in the hallway still, but could no longer focus on what was being said. Was it just Richie out there still? It sounded like more than just him.
"Go ahead and cry you little piece of trash. I hope it hurts bad." Patrick growled, forcing himself further into Eddie's body as the younger boy moaned in pain and tried to shrink way.
"God damn it, move." Mr. Salinger's angry voice sounded from somewhere in the hallway. Eddie's ears perked up. What was happening? "I'm coming in, you god damned little perverts! You both know the rules. God damn it!"
"I'm gonna fucking kill you for this." Patrick growled, shoving Eddie hard against the wall, but letting go and taking a step back.
Eddie sobbed breathless sobs, holding onto the wall and squeezing his eyes shut. He still felt like he was going to pass out. He didn't think he was significantly hurt, but his heart pounded so hard and his breaths were so short.
"What the fuck are you kids doing?" Mr. Salinger's voice growled as he yanked the shower curtain back and turned off the water. "Are you fucking kidding me!?"
Eddie shook his head. He couldn't bring himself to speak. He heard Henry's laughter in the hallway and Richie shouting something. Everyone in the whole house was here. Everyone could see him, naked, crying. His vision was so dark around the edges. His breaths were so short and shallow. He wasn't even sure if his eyes were opened or closed, if he was fainting, or if he just hadn't opened his eyes back up.
"Son of a bitch. I told each one of you..." Mr. Salinger huffed, grabbing out at Eddie's arm and pulling him rather roughly out of the shower. "I warned you... None of this nasty sex shit. You're fuckin' kids... Jesus fucking Christ."
"Let him go!" Richie's voice shook from the hallway. "It's not his fault! Patrick made him!"
"That true?" Mr. Salinger looked at Patrick.
"No." Patrick scoffed. "Eddie loves me. He lives for this shit. Been begging for it all day. Right, Eddie?" He reached over and ran a hand through Eddie's hair and then down over his cheek.
Eddie reached up and shoved Patrick's hand away. "Get off of me!" He sobbed, feeling Mr. Salinger yanking him pretty hard by his arm. He felt a towel being wrapped around him. Salinger grabbed Eddie's hand, forcing him to hold the towel up as he shoved the boy toward the hallway and someone's hands out there caught him.
"No!" Eddie sobbed, struggling under the unknown hands. He was so panicked right now. He couldn't even focus on who was holding onto him. "Let go! Get off of me!" He screamed, thrashing and cowering down.
"It's me, Eds." Richie whispered, pulling him protectively against his chest. "It's okay. You're okay. You're gonna be okay now." Richie hugged him closer.
Eddie sobbed breathless, choking sobs. He let Richie hug him tight. He was so embarrassed, so scared. Patrick told him not to tell anyone about any of this, and now everyone in the entire house knew. Of course, Mr. Salinger was probably the only one who didn't know most of it already... but he did now, and Patrick was going to be pissed about that.
"Sir..." Richie directed his words back toward Mr. Salinger as he hugged his arms around Eddie's shoulders and held him close. Eddie hid his face against the other boy's chest, squeezing his eyes closed and trying to focus on breathing. "Patrick's been making him do this. Eddie didn't want to." Richie spoke up, his voice shaking slightly.
"Yeah?" Mr. Salinger scoffed. "That's what they always say. You get caught doing shit you're not supposed to be doing, and the tears just flow like Niagara Falls. I don't tolerate this shit. This is completely inappropriate. You both know better, and your fucking tears aren't fooling me."
Eddie sobbed breathlessly as Richie hugged him closer. He knew Mr. Salinger wouldn't believe him if he told him. He knew there was no way out of this. Now Patrick was just going to hurt him worse later.
"Patrick was raping him, you asshole!" Richie growled. "Look at him! He's terrified! He's in pain! He can barely breathe!"
"He's just upset he got caught. I'd probably be embarrassed enough to cry if someone caught me doing that too. Jesus Christ... Patrick, Henry... Go to your room. I'll come by to talk to you later, Patrick. You're in a lot of fucking trouble, young man. We've been over this... This kid is thirteen fucking years old. Go to your room." Mr. Salinger ordered. "Edward, you're coming with me."
Eddie breathed in a tiny, wheezing breath, shrinking back against Richie and shaking his head as he stared back at Mr. Salinger though his tears. What was Mr. Salinger going to do? Punish him? He said earlier that he didn't do physical punishment... but was it true? What would he do then? "I d-didn't..." Eddie stammered, his voice shaking so much he could barely manage to speak.
"Come on, kid. I don't have all fucking night." Mr. Salinger grumbled, reaching out and grabbing Eddie's arm.
"What are you gonna do?" Richie breathed, refusing to let go of Eddie.
"Gonna talk this out. Get to the bottom of it... Punish him if he needs to be punished." Salinger answered, pulling Eddie rather roughly away from Richie's protective hands. "You can go back to your room, Richard. I got this under control."
Eddie whimpered a shaking sob. He could still barley breathe. He was really scared of Mr. Salinger. Last time the man was angry with him, Eddie had been pretty sure the man would have hit him if Richie weren't there. Now he was trying to take Eddie off by himself...
"What do you mean you're gonna punish him?" Richie whispered, staring with wide eyes that looked even huger than normal behind his glasses.
"I won't hurt him, Richard. This has nothing to do with you. So just go back to your room. I'll call you down to come get him when we're done." Mr. Salinger ordered.
"When you're done with what? You're not gonna hurt him... so what then? How are you gonna punish him?" Richie stared.
Mr. Salinger exhaled a long breath. "It's not your business. Extra chores, revoked privileges, maybe a call to his social worker-"
"No!" Eddie interrupted with a shaking whimper. "Please don't call her!"
"Richard." Mr. Salinger's voice was stern as his grip around Eddie's arm tightened enough to make the boy wince in pain. "Go to your room. Now. Edward and I are going to talk this out and figure out where to go from here. It doesn't involve you."
"I won't say anything... I won't try to speak for him or anything..." Richie breathed. "He's really scared... Can I just-"
"No." Mr. Salinger growled. "Room. Now." He looked back toward Henry and Patrick who still hadn't left. Patrick had a towel around his waist and didn't seem at all ashamed to be practically naked in front of everyone. Eddie was ashamed of his own nudity. "Go to your rooms, right now." Mr. Salinger ordered again. "I have just about had it with all four of you."
Eddie winced when Mr. Salinger's hand squeezed hard around his upper arm. The man dragged him down toward the stairs, while Eddie looked backward, making eye-contact with Richie, who looked pretty lost, like he was thinking about following.
Eddie shook his head, silently telling Richie to please just let it go. If Richie made this into an issue, he'd just get himself in trouble too.
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