Foolish Games

18. Final straw

The morning didn't find Joni feeling any better. He hadn't slept well, and the thought of going to school... It was too much, just too much.

His father was still angry, tenser than ever before, ordering him to come home straight from school.

It was all fine with Joni who had no intention of going there in either case. The rest of the family out, he walked aimlessly into the house, finally ending up in his bedroom. He got a text message from Dima asking where he was, he simply replied that he was sick and wouldn't come to school for the rest of the week.

He lay down, hoping that there would be at least one word from Misha, anything; a message, a call... he hoped that he'd tell him that he was sorry and take back those nasty words, but it didn't happen. Not a word, nothing.

In the afternoon, Ivo called him, asking him if he was alright. Joni lied that he was and told the man that it wasn't wise for him to call because if his father found out, it wouldn't be good for Ivo. Joni was quite sure that his father couldn't be convinced of Ivo's innocence in the matter of touching him. Joni promised to keep in contact through messenger and update the situation.

**^^**^^**

Asko was not a happy man, just as he had almost yielded to what his wife thought better; not sending Joni away; a magazine and a call from one of Joni's teachers made him change his mind again.

He had seen the pictures by chance, going to bring some papers to one of his employees, who sat in front of his desk reading the magazine intensely. Annoyed by the lack of interest in real work Asko had sneaked up on the man, catching a glimpse of the pictures; his son... His seventeen-year-old son posing in nothing but underwear and the man looking at them was... literally looking! Not just glancing at the advert, obviously unaware of who stood behind him until Asko grasped the magazine from his hands. The man looked up in fright.

"Shouldn't you be working?" He roared.

"Of course sir, sorry sir," the man apologized, clearly embarrassed. "I...so your son is a model?" The man asked, pointing at the magazine, soon after regretting having spoken.

"Get back to work!" Asko snapped at him, tossing the papers on the desk, if it wouldn't be illegal to fire a man for such a minor excuse he would have done it. "I'll be watching you," he threatened instead and stormed out with the magazine in his hands.

**^^**^^**

"Where is Joni?" Asko asked once he got home.

"In his room, why?" Katja, who sat in the kitchen with Sini, asked, confused. Her husband gave her no answer, rushing to the room where his son was.

Joni sat at his computer chatting with his online friends on messenger, when his dad entered the room, looking like something had bitten him in his ass. Asko threw the magazine on the table for him to see.

Joni took it, looking at the pictures of himself. "Oh, these came out rather good," he noted, glancing at his mad father.

"What does it take to get a hold of you?!" Asko asked.

"To get a hold of me?" Joni repeated, raising his eyebrow.

"You have a sexual relationship with someone fourteen years your senior and then these pictures! Well, just look at them!" Joni took the magazine in his hands and smiled. He thought they looked good, his body looked great and...

"I don't understand what the big fuss is about, to be honest."

"Those pictures... those are close to pornography," his father hissed, which made Joni laugh.