The Color of Music

Chapter 2-Silk Ties

Even her eyes smiled as she watched me adjust my suit around me. I fumbled with the buttons on the white fabric. She put a palm on my back. I paused for a moment; then shrugged it off as softly as I could.
"Hey mom,"

"You look handsome,"

"I look like dad,"

I turned to her, and she smiled the kind of smile you did at disabled children. Sickly sweet like perfume or candy canes. "Hey, you got yourself here. Not him,"

I nodded even though I don't believe her, and when she reaches for a hug I slide passed her and try to reassure myself. She looks sad, like a wounded puppy.

"That wasn't very proper of you," my mom gently chided.

She loved to say that phrase. If tongues could chafe I always though hers would flake from consistency of her speaking it. I loved my mother, and she told me she loved me because she raised me to be a good boy. A proper boy. I don't know how but pleasing her is on the top of my list of things I give a shit about. —No. I shouldn't think that, even the thought of profanity wasn't proper.

She's the only person who loves me for me; I know this because she says so. I feel bad that I didn't hug her like she deserves. Dad doesn't hug her and she doesn't have friends so who else could hug her but me? My mind was made up as I came to a conclusion. There was no alternative, the proper thing to do was hug her.

My stomach feels gross and cold but I let her hug me anyway. Her arms wrap around my waist and I stand stiffly as she shoves her nose in my chest.

"Such a good boy. A proper boy,"

I know.

"You ready? We're all waiting for you," Alex appears just in time like a savior. He eyes my mom who finally unlatches from me.

Alex gives me the boyish smile he always does and for the first time all morning I manage to smile back. Alex was the person who could do that to me.

We both left the house and got into the limo, careful to avoid the many bodies of his friends. Alex, threw a piece of cloth at me.

It was a silk tie with a emblem of the 'Deviten' family. A blue eagle with a knife through its heart. My head snaps up.

"He didn't,"

Alex laughed hazily, his eyes going dazed and lips stretching in a way that made his face look young in a cute way.
"He did. Not only that, he already told the school I was his son. No escaping it now huh? I'll be Alex Devitan for all of highschool,"

Another two boys sat adjacent to Alex. Jake and Blake were twins, "Eh it's not so bad. Our mom didn't reach out sadly," Jake said sarcastically, it was sort of thing that was implied.

"But if Alex is being outed as one of the families, so are we," The twin boys pulled another white silk ties that matched their uniforms and bleached hair. Their emblem was on it too, the 'Benz' family.

My lips dipped and I sighed, I looked to Mark, the last boy in the car with us.

"Are you apart of this?"

"Of course, Rue. It can't be that bad. Everyone knew in middle school,"

"Middle school was different," I said.

"How so?"

"Our families money didn't matter in middle school. No one gave a shit who our parents were. This is the school, everyone gives a shit now,"

"Ah," Alex waved me off. He suddenly smiled slyly. "That's not true, Lexi cared who your family was if I remember correctly?"

To stop even the train of thought following that girl's name I bit my lip. I hid my distaste for the subject with a smile and the taste of blood. Alex and Mark laughed unawares.
"I'm just saying our reputation and our family names might...clash a bit,"