Chapter 2 – The Wedding

Lorenzo didn't know how long it would be until he cracked.

When Chet and his mom moved in, Lorenzo had to put up with Chet 24/7. When the boys had to start sharing a room, Lorenzo thought he would go mad because when Chet snored, it was like a thunderstorm was just outside his window. Chet stole his snacks, used up his toothpaste, hogged the TV, and did everything that drove Lorenzo crazy.

Lorenzo, for his part, was trying to keep his calm. He did nothing and said nothing, except for glaring occasionally. Just one more day, he told himself, just one more.

Then came the day of the wedding.

Lorenzo and Chet were literally the mourners at a wedding. Lorenzo didn't pay much attention to the actual ceremony, although he remembered hearing the guy saying, "speak now or forever hold your peace", and he remembered saying nothing. He wished he'd said something.

He thought Chet had tried to say something, but his aunt put a hand over his mouth.

There was a party afterwards, and Lorenzo stayed as far away from Chet as possible on the other side of the room. He sat at a table all by himself, picking at the tablecloth. At one point he saw that a few of his dad's friends had left a bottle of wine on the table next to him when they left. He knew he shouldn't. He was only 16. He stood up and walked over to the table, grabbing the bottle of wine and an empty glass. Maybe just one, he thought.

He sat back down at his table a poured himself a half glass. It was red, and upon tasting, really, really sweet. Too sweet. So sweet it was almost sour. Without thinking, he finished the glass and was pouring himself another one.

And he finished that one too. And another, and another. His vision started to get blurry. He reached for the bottle again.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Lorenzo paused in his movement. He looked to his right to see Chet standing next to him. Couldn't Chet just leave him alone for once?

"None of your business, shit-bag." Lorenzo retorted. He continued to reach for the bottle, only for Chet to set it on the other side of the table and grab his arm.

"We have to go home." Chet stated. He pulled Lorenzo up onto his feet and started walking towards the exit.

Lorenzo didn't want to go home. Not if Chet was there. If Chet was there, then it wasn't home anymore; it was the embodiment of all the things he didn't want to face. Lorenzo tried to pull his arm out of Chet's grip.

"No…" he slurred.

Chet pulled harder on his arm. "Yes, Lorenzo, we're going."

Lorenzo put his entire body weight into leaning back and Chet had to pull even harder on his arm until Lorenzo swore it would fall off. Suddenly, Chet yanked on his arm hard enough to make Lorenzo fall forward into to Chet's arms. Chet then picked him up and carried him bridal style towards the door.

"Put me down, jerk!" Lorenzo exclaimed. He kicked and pounded his fists against Chet's chest.

"Would you- ow! -Would you stop? You're causing a – AH!" Chet cried out in pain when Lorenzo punched him in the face, breaking his nose. He dropped his new "stepbrother" and covered his bleeding nose. People turned their heads at the commotion.

"You asshole! I'm trying to help you!" Chet yelled.

"Well, don't!" Lorenzo yelled back.

"What's going on?" Lorenzo's dad came up to them, and the whole room went quiet, save for a whisper here and there.

Lorenzo stood up. "Nothing." He said. He didn't exactly want to tell him about the wine. "Let's go." He made towards the door.

"Whatever. Daddy's girl." Chet muttered.

Lorenzo stopped in his tracks. Oh no, he did not. He balled his fists and gritted his teeth, trying to maintain a blank expression as he turned to face Chet. There was no way that Lorenzo was going to be called a girl. Sensing Lorenzo's anger, his father tried to step between the two before things got nasty.

"Lorenzo, don't-" he began.

"What did you call me?" Lorenzo asked, dangerously quiet.

Chet grinned, while Lorenzo's dad decided he didn't want to be caught in the middle of a brawl, and so stepped back.

"You are, aren't you? You're a daddy's girl." Chet mocked.

That was the moment that Lorenzo cracked.

He screamed and threw himself at Chet, both of them kicking, punching, biting and scratching until Lorenzo's dad and a few of his friends managed to pull them apart. They went home covered in bruises, cuts, scratches and bite marks alike, not to mention Lorenzo's hangover in the morning. Their parents had to cancel their honeymoon plans to make sure that the two didn't kill each other while they were gone. Lorenzo spent the rest of that evening vomiting into the toilet while Chet held his hair back. Lorenzo didn't know why he bothered, but didn't ask. The next morning, he woke up wrapped up in so many blankets, he couldn't move. He wasn't even in his own bed. He was in Chet's. He looked over to his desk, where Chet had fallen asleep. He had a massive headache, and the morning light coming in from the window was hard on his eyes. He groaned, which caused Chet to stir and wake up.

"Oh. You're awake." Chet slurred.

"You think?" Lorenzo replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Need anything?"

"Why do you care?" Lorenzo tried to move his face out of the light.

Chet noticed the movement and went up to close the curtains. "Better?" he asked.

"Yeah." Lorenzo replied.

"You should probably go back to sleep, then."

"Um… Chet?"

"Yeah?"

"I really need to pee."

End Chapter 2