An: I am stopping this story short, 23 chapters or so. So you guys have like 3 more left. And the title of the final part is being called Theatric Infliction, because you know, the paint theme had to end soon. The last story is more sexual, more dark and you will be shocked at the pairings and twists, because you know my flow. And I have a new story comming called the Stockholm Syndrome, so watch out for that.

Chapter 20:

"When do you think he's going to wake up?" Robert murmured to Alex, both of them watching Michael's motionless body intently. Alex nimbly shrugged, rubbing his temples in agitation and then squinted," I still say he's faking"

Robert shot him a dirty look as Alex got up from the bed and moved back over to the plastic seat and raised his eyebrows at him, a funny look on his face," I want to make a deal with you…"

It had become a sort of meeting ritual, much like Marco's and Ryan's skirt antics, to come to the hospital when they had time off from school and stare at Michael, estimating when he was going to wake up, and have the occasional conversation every now and then.

"How so?" Robert asked, pulling the covers up on Michael's shoulders and wiping a sudden and unexpected tear away from his eyes.

"We, only me and you are to know about this, make sure that after this day, Jake and Michael are to never meet again. Never collide, never set eyes on each other" Alex cracked his knuckles slightly as he thought it over what he just said and added," I mean it"

"Are you doing this because you want Jake to yourself?" Robert asked.

"Like you want Michael?" Alex countered as Robert blushed and sighed," I can't…if they love each other…"

"Robert…" Alex said softly, laughing," Look what happened to poor Mikey, look at the kid, bloody and brusied, is this what you really want for him?"

As Robert sighed Alex continued," And I mean, I can handle Jake…"

"What, no…" Robert shook his head," Impossible. Only Michael can"

"In a sense, yeah, Michael is Jake's soul keeper" Alex cracked a smile," But I know something that even little Mikey doesn't know"

"How-"

"Drunken Jake, first year, lots of talking,. Long story short, I have something against him, are you up to it?" Alex held out his hand, eyes shining darkly.

Robert reached over and shook it dryly.

Jake held his book bag in front of his chest as he stumbled down the cold and familiar hallways, all the boys moving out of the way for him as normal, but this time it was to avoid him, shun him. He knew that Remy was up to something again, and he was holding back every fiber and ounce in his body that wanted to plaster the kids face onto the side of a milk carton when he walked into someone.

Knocking the books out his arms, Jake bent over and picked it up only to have the person kick the books from under him. He glared up to see Remy, sun glasses fitted, tie in place and holding the formal air that was the Leonardo Splice School For The Gifted And Talented. Jake knew that air well, since he created it. Remy casualy chuckled," I told you boys, he's as weak as ever" Jake looked at the boys behind Remy, committee, his committee," What the hell is going on?" He asked, trying to pick up his books but one of the boys, Jason, he thought, kicked it away from him again.

"There's an emergency meeting, front lobby…now" Remy said with an edge as Jake got up, no books in hand and stared at him," Who the hell do you think you are?" He guestered to all the boys," Who you all are? I'm the one who made this school, not some rich boy preepy freshman. And besides, Remy, you can't call a meeting…"

"But I can" A voice said dryly, voice said.

They all turned around and Jake's face turned white.

"Trey?"

He nodded as Jake sneered," What the hell are you doing here, you have no right to be in this building. Your expelled permently, they don't allow perverts into the school"

"And yet you're still parading around here, and watch your mouth, there's no proof of perversion. Now I have heard of your antics Jake, I know you have built this school up perfectly since you've been here, and been a remarkable student, and then suddenly, this Michael-- am I correct?" He asked Remy who nodded eagerly

"This Michael kid, is messing up your credit, I heard about the dance…the accident, you stabbed a kid, you should be in jail or at least juvie for that…and so, Remy over there gave the dean a call, and made a mighty nice pay of money to get me back into the school. You weren't always head kid here you know" Trey finished off plainly," Your not emotionally fit for the job, I'm here to take back my crown."

Jake looked around into the crowd of faces, all of them his friends, and he realized, by the looks on their faces, they knew what had happened and didn't want Trey there, almost, almost but never, as much as Jake did. And then he realized that Remy had something up his sleeve again, as he always did. " Not emotionally fit? Bullshit, here, fine, I resign, you bitches go and figure out how to follow under his ruling…" Jake wheeled around, scooped up his books and walked off down the hall, feeling broken.

He had nothing left now, incept for Alex, and he was sure he'd do something fucked up for that as well.

Marco came down the steps, head phones on and about ready to do his 5 minute dash to school since he was late. It was quite easy, it normally takes an half hour to get to school, but with his patented short cut, if you jump through Mr. Felons' lawn, past his rabid boy eating dog, under the small water pass by the end of the park, around the corner, climbed through that small water hole at the bottom towards the creek and then climbed up one of the sewer hatches he'd be there in 5 minutes.

He was a professional, you see.

He bounded into the kitchen, CD switching to the ever so wonderful PJ Harvey and grabbed a piece of toast in his mouth, slung his book bag over his shoulder and ran out the house only to stop when he realized that Ryan was sitting on the porch with his hands in his hair, running it through them continusly until the point of balding before he stopped and tapped him on the shoulder," Rye, we're going to be late to school"

"I was going to take the short cut" Ryan whispered, not moving though

"Wouldn't that mean that you'd have to actually get up--"

"I'm not moving yet, okay? Just go without me…I…" He trailed off, muttering to himself again.

"About yesterday…"

"Not now…" Ryan moaned, " I just want to be alone"

"Just tell me what's going on" Marco coaxed, soft brown eyes interested.

"The hospital called…" He whispered as Marco's face paled.

"What….what happened?"

"My mom died." Ryan whispered.

"Oh…" Marco said, biting his lips. At Ryan's deranged look he tried again" Oh, oh my god…no…how?"

"Why did you say oh like that?" Ryan asked.

"Well. I thought it was Jake…or Michael, cause you know one of the two of them is always getting hurt somehow and ahh…yeah" Marco said looking down as Ryan got off and pulled his book bag on.

"Where are you going?" Marco asked, also getting up.

Ryan pulled out his cell phone, a present Mrs. Del Rossi had gotten him for his birthday and the screen lit up, a little tune of Do You Want To coming on, making Marco remember that he has yet to see the bloody video and watched as Ryan scrolled down and yelled into the phone," Stop smoking lazy ass and pick up!"

"Ahh…my ears" Brian moaned, picking up the phone.

"Who is it?" Andy, on the other couch asked, because Brian had more couches than most people have dishes.

"Shut up, nobody, go back to sleep. We have school in an hour" Brian yelled at Andy before speaking into the phone," What?"

" School started 10 minutes ago" Ryan said dimly as Brian fell out the bed, threw a shirt at Andy and Pete yelled, something about cheese as Brian busted out in laughter and said " School. 10 minutes ago. Lemmy's down stairs. Eat. Get in the limo. I'll make up an excuse"

As Ryan listened to all of this, Marco stood there, because well, he didn't want to leave him alone like that. But you know, he did have school…and well…yeah…

"I'm picking you up, what's the problem?" Brian asked, obviously brushing his teeth,

"Mom died" He said sadly.

"What?"

"My mom died."

"Oh…oh, oh god! No" Brian realized what Ryan said and switched it to speaker phone as Andy, who was trying to suck all the air out of his body to fit into a pair of too too tight jeans and Pete, who was trying to fit too many grapes into his mouth, could hear as well." When?"

" I don't know…I have to tell Robert and Sarah and ….god, why do I have so many brothers and sister, why are there so many people in my life and christ I wanted the ring tune to Michael, not Do You Want To, but they only had this, or The Only Difference, and I liked that song, but I used that as my ring tone last week and I have this horrible headache and oh my god I am rambling over nothing! My mom is dead and I'm worrying about ring tones! That means they're going to go to Karen's to check up on us, to make sure we're with them, Mrs. Del Rossi never filed for custody…" Ryan paused to breathe, " And now where am I going to live, I can't be smuggled out of the US like Lemmy was…and./..I…oh…"

"Shhh…quiet you" Andy said, suddenly by the phone." Where's Marco?"

"He's…he's right here" Ryan murmured as Pete came on," Give him the phone…"

Ryan handed the phone to Marco, fell back against the wall and ran a hand through his hair again. " Hello?" Marco asked as Pete's voice swiftly said " I want you to hug Ryan, and when he tells you to let go, which will be 3 times, just hug him tighter. I want you to hold him until we come, okay?"

"Pete?" Marco asked, confused.

"Okay?" Pete snapped.

"Yeah, yeah, okay…" Marco said, hanging up and walked over to Ryan, standing above him before sliding down and engulfing him into his arms. " No…let me go…let me go…let me go, please…" He sobbed three times as Marco held him stilly, just as Pete commanded.

5 minutes later a limo rolled up and they were snatched in.

Michael loved his real father. He would always bring him back the most wonderful things, suvinears and jewelry, which he never wore, that was Ryan and Marco's thing, and post cards and such. What Michael loved the most about his father was the way when he was little, he'd dance around the room and sing the one hit song that always haunted him, before he died, his song " Andrew Broke Them All" was a hit.

Little did people know, that song was about him, Michael's Middle name was Andrew. And his father, often either drunk and or miserable from being on the road so much, would call him Andrew instead of Michael. So in his dreams, his recent ones, after Jake had given the key to his own heart into the hands of Robert, with delicate care of course, he'd been playing that song.

Over.

And

Over.

His dad loved sexual inuendos and sly guitar riffs and often dreamed of writing the perfect song, but in this case, " Andrew Broke Them All" was nothing like that, it was a broken smashed up ballad of something magical, but he never realized it. Michael didn't talk about his dad, he loved him too much to speak of.

Tiny stars and trinity signs

Andrew broke them all

Downed air planes and telephone lines.
Andrew broke them all

Laughs alone at nothing so

Andrew broke them all

And when alone he laughs so hard

He broke everybody's fall

Andrew was a twisted boy

He never saw him come

And every time he'd see his face

The urge was just to run

Breaks the girls and makes boys sigh

Andrew told some lies

And when his father used to cry

Andrew told some lies

Michael played that line over and over again, in some last ditch effort to figure out, why in the hell had his dad hit so close to home with lyrics that wouldn't happen for another 15 years? What was this really all about? Because to be honest, he really couldn't handle anymore shocking surprises.

Broken eyes and pretty face

Listless and so care free

Andrew only sold his soul

Bullets and powder free….

Andrew tired to save them all.
Instead he broke them all.
And with a screw to save his health…
Andrew broke himself.

The last part of the song scared him. How many times had he tried to break himself?

How many times had he almost done it? He counted:

The time in that Transvestites kitchen under the table

The time when Jake kicked him out of the house

The time when he first met Adrian…he didn't even want to remember what had happened afterwards

Peter Logan…bad memories

Sally Heir…bad memories

Katey Marsh

Sehila Marsh ( mother)
David Kean

Jake…
Jake…
Jake…
Adrian…
Oh then there was Jake again.
And again.
And again He lost count after twenty.

So he attempted to lick his lips, because he was beginning to realize that if he didn't get up, wake up, try and start life now, he may not be waking up again.

Ever.

It was Febuary 14th that day.

Remeber that song. That's all I'm saying/