8:48p.m.

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Tom sniffed and wiped his eyes on his hoody sleeve. When was Bill going to come back? He said he wouldn’t be long. Tom didn’t even know where Bill was! He shivered and pulled his threadbare blanket tighter around his shoulders. They were the same age, Bill and Tom. Twins even. Either way both too young to be alone. Bill was too young to be doing what he did. For the thousandth time that night Tom wondered where Bill was. He’d been gone hours! He was tired and hungry. He wanted to go home. But Bill had said they couldn’t go back home. Bill said that soon they could leave this nasty place and go somewhere better. That was months ago.

“Tomi?” Bill called quietly as he locked the door behind him. He always called out when he returned home. Tom never called back, probably never will. Tom jerked his head up at the familiar sound of his brother’s voice. A brief smile crossed his lips, soon to be replaced with his usual frightened look. Bill appeared around the corner and Tom scrambled up and launched himself onto his brother. Bill smiled. Tom could always bring a smile to his face – even when he’d had the worst day. Tom was reliable, sturdy. Unchanging. He had missed Tom so badly, he held him close. Tom wriggled out of his grasp and went to sit back down. Bill followed and sat beside him. Tom immediately snuggled up as Bill wrapped his arms around him.

“Billa?” Tom asked slowly.

“Yes Tomi?”

“Home?” he asked timidly. Bill smile dropped momentarily. He quickly hitched up a fake one in its place. Tom’s innocence always made him feel guilty.

“N-not yet Tomi” he said stroking his head soothingly.

“Want home…why not home?” he asked disjointedly. Bill’s heart broke just a tiny bit more on hearing his brother speak so poorly. He couldn’t help it. His mother had always said Tom was retarded. His father had just said he was stupid. Bill didn’t care what he was. He loved him – probably more than a brother should. Bill tightened his hold on Tom.

“Because…just go to sleep now Tomi” he said gently. Bill watched as Tom’s forehead wrinkled as he tried to comprehend what Bill was saying. Tom eventually worked it out. He hated not knowing what Bill was saying.

“Hungry” he whined. Bill sighed and disentangled himself from Tom. He walked into the kitchen and looked in the cupboards. There wasn’t much there. Sighing again he prepared a sandwich. He cut it in half and gave the bigger side to Tom, who had been watching with interest and chewing slightly on the string of his extra large hoody. Everything Tom wore was extra large. His shirts, his jeans and his hoody's. His hair was still his own natural dark blonde. It was tangled into dreadlocks now. He had a tatty headband and hat. He almost never wore his hat. Only when Bill took him out of the flat sometimes did he wear it. Most of the time Tom stayed there, while Bill went out at night, and slept most of the day. Getting up in the afternoon to do the chores. Bill handed him his half of the sandwich and he devoured it hungrily. Bill watched him as he nibbled at his own sandwich. It wasn’t enough, but he was used to that.  He never had enough to eat. He was almost painfully skinny. He only minded sometimes. Anyway, his “boss” preferred him that way. He wasn’t much of a boss. He just came around every week to take a certain amount of money from him and occasionally give him new clothes or in Bill’s case, a fuck and maybe a new necklace or something. Usually Bill sold what Bushido gave him. Bushido was rich and had a nice life. He had Bill and a few other guys and women under his control. He had never met them, but from what he could gather, they were all there by choice and were all overage. Bill was his “baby” at only 14 years old He had never wanted to do this, but he could see no other choice. He had been out alone one night. Just walking down by the river, when Bushido had spotted him. It had been that way ever since. A whimper from Tom and a slight tug on his sleeve snapped Bill back into the present and the riverside scene in his head melted away. He soon realised why Tom was so anxious, there was the distinct knocking on the door that announced the arrival of Bushido. Tom always became worried when he came. Bushido hadn't been very understanding of Tom’s condition. Bill had tried to defend him but Bushido lashed out at the boy. They both still had the scars of that night just under a year ago. Bill clasped his hand reassuringly and went to answer the door.