Around and Around (boy x boy)

Author's note: This is just the prologue... it gives you a little background of the main character.  If you don't like it I encourage you to read at least another chapter because this is quite different from what the actual book is like.  I have 16 chapters written out so far, and am still writing... so I can pretty much update whenever! :)  Please comment if you like it, feel free if you find grammar mistakes to let me know!

Around and Around

Prologue

"Mommy never comes home..."

"She doesn't?" I shook my head, holding onto my stuffed tiger tightly. The man showed his yellow teeth in a sick smile.

"Well, I don't think that you should be around here, now should you?" He asked, his putrid breath spilling over me. It was a very sour, unpleasant scent. I would later recognize it to be the smell of cigarette tainted breath. I shook my head again, coughing weakly. "Where do you live, kid?"

"Here, I guess," I replied after a pause, rocking back on my heels lightly. The man nodded.

"Well... City streets ain't no where for a little boy to be livin'." He shook his head and stood up from kneeling on one knee. He talked funny; I didn't like it.

"No, sir. I suppose not..." He had no joy in him, no matter how kind he seemed. I still remember his laugh. The laugh of the man who saved my life... but in the end, he really destroyed it.

　

"Dylan!" I ran faster, laughter building in my chest. "Dylan! Where are we going?" She sounded out of breath. I let out a weak laugh at last and continued to run. "I don't like running! Stop!" I finally stopped my legs from moving forward any farther. I was breathing heavier than normal, but not nearly as bad as she was. "Why do you always have to do that?" She asked, her voice whining.

"'Cause," I simply replied, glancing around the field. I turned my head swiftly to smirk at the little girl standing behind me, my hair brushing over my eyes. She squinted against the sun, her mouth hanging open enough for me to see her front teeth. "Abby, you need to lighten up." I said and let myself fall to the grassy ground, laying on my back. She sat down next to me heavily.

Abby was a part of my foster family, the Riedel's. They had adopted me when I was twelve. Only having been with them for two years, I was extremely comfortable with them. I'd flipped through homes when I was younger, but this finally felt like a permanent arrangement.

"What do you mean?" She asked, like any unintelligent seven year old would. I laughed and plucked a piece of grass from beside me.

"I mean, you should stop taking life so seriously. Learn to joke a little," I told her, ripping the grass in half.

"I'm not serious! If anyone's serious around here, it's you!" Abby sounded offended. I laughed again and shook my head, closing my eyes. There was silence, and a cool breeze flowed over us. The field grass lightly whipped against my body "Dylan, have you ever kissed a girl?" She suddenly asked. I opened my eyes and stared at the bright, blue sky. There wasn't a cloud in it on that perfect March day.

"Mmhmm," I replied, resting my hands on my stomach. I didn't understand why she would be asking something like that.

"What's it like?" She asked, holding the tattered end of her dress in her hands. I frowned and laughed a little. That was a very difficult question to answer.

"Why?" I asked. She shrugged.

"I don't know. I was watching a movie with a girlfriend and boyfriend... and I was just wondering what it would feel like...," She replied, her voice drifting. I shook my head again.

"Well,you're a bit young to thinking about that stuff, aren't you. And besides- when you get older you only gotta worry about kissing boys," I told her and closed my eyes again, the sun beating down against my black shirt. It felt good.

"Boys are gross. I don't think that I'll ever be into all that icky stuff." I laughed out loud.

"I think that's what everyone says at one time in their life. I remember when I thought you only had to kiss a girl to get her pregnant," I said. There was another pause.

"Well, if that isn't how it happens... then how does it?" Abby asked. I sighed and rubbed my eyes quickly.

"I already told you, remember?" I reminded her. I didn't really think that anyone was too young to have knowledge, so I basically told her anything she asked. If her parents found out, they wouldn't be too pleased, though...

"Oh, yeah. I do now," She said and smiled. Abby was one of the sweetest, most innocent girls I had ever met. Sure, she was only seven, but still. She was so kind and considerate to everyone. She was like a little sister to me, and nothing could ever change that. Nothing would ever change that. I'd never had any siblings. Well, except for my biological half brother... but he was no longer in this life. I hardly remembered him anyways.

I sighed deeply and let my hands rest back on my stomach. "Hey, Dylan?" She asked. I replied with a simple 'Hm?' She let out a small breath.. "Why do you have those marks all over your back?" She asked. I opened my eyes and frowned at the sky above.

" They're scars, Abbs," I told her, mumbling slightly. I had no idea what made her bring it up. If there was one question that I was hesitant to answer, it was anything about my past. She didn't say anything else, as if that was an answer enough. My past was something I didn’t openly talk about.

I was only six when my mother abandoned me. She took me in her car and dropped me on the street. "You'll thank me when you're older." Those were the last words she ever said to me. I still haven't managed to do that. The only thing that I had were the clothes on my back, a stuffed tiger, and a choker chain. It had been from my dog, Molly. She'd died a couple months earlier, but I was old enough to love her to death. She protected me in life when no one else would.

My mom liked to beat me when she got frustrated with herself. She would drown herself in alcohol just to have an excuse for her actions the next morning. I think she actually hated herself for the torture she made me endure, but she would never admit it. Instead she'd give me another good licking with that dreaded leather belt. She even went so far as to cut me with a knife, but that was only once. On my arm... I still had the scar. She claimed it was an accident and proceeded to cry and hold me. But she didn't take me to the hospital.

It never was fair when she hit me. If she and her boyfriend were having problems, she'd hit me but not him. If we didn't have enough money for food or bills, she'd lock me in my room and neglect me for a few days so I couldn't sneak any food without her noticing. When our neighbours would complain about the dog barking too much, she would punish me. My mom hated me from birth. I never understood why. I guess some things just happen that way. I didn't realize until I got older the extend of her abuse. I thought it was normal when I was young. But all the times she beat me, my brother got it the worst.

"Maybe we should head back to the house," I suggested, not sure how long we'd been out. Abby sighed and I knew she was about to complain.

"Don't tell me you're tired. You're always tired, Dylan!" She whined, pushing her hands down on my leg. I let out a breath and shrugged, sitting up. What was I supposed to say to that? It was true.

"No, I'm not tired... I just wanna do something else," I told her and grinned. She shook her head, her light eyes drilling into me.

"Tell me more stories!" She said, the wind blowing her hair out of her face softly. I rolled my eyes and laughed.

"What do you wanna hear?" I asked. She shrugged and smiled.

"Anything!" I shook my head, not willing to do that. "Please!" I shook my head again and began to stand up. "Oh, come on! And you're the one telling me I need to lighten up..." I laughed at her use of the saying and began walking back towards the house.

"I'm older than you; I’m supposed to be serious."

"Well then I don't wanna get older..." Isn't that everyone's wish at that age?

Author's note:  So this is one of my ongoing stories that I've been writing for years and just recently started writing again.  I know that it's not perfect, and I'm probably going to go through the whole thing and rewrite it sometime.  But please let me know what you think!  and I promise it gets better! :)