Death's Middle Name {boyxboy}

Chapter Nine

"I think you know exactly what will happen, Alwynn," the pictures will be put out in the open, Alwynn will lose any chance of ever becoming a teacher with that material available for public viewing, "it is still your choice, but my terms are non-negotiable," Nolan leant back in his chair, looking rather smug, proud of himself, "I'll give you a few days to think about it, I would like your answer by Monday though. You may go, have a nice weekend," Alwynn left the room without a word, afraid that if he opened his mouth either he would say something he would regret or simply dissolve into tears and beg the man for mercy. Nolan didn't deserve that, he deserved things Alwynn was only able to fantasise.

Alwynn spent the next fifteen minutes sobbing silently in the bathroom, trying desperately to calm himself down enough to venture out and find Wisteria, aware that she would be wondering where he was. Every time he thought he had composed himself enough, Nolan's hideous sneer came to mind, setting him off all over again.

Vant: Hope you have fun on your trip, don't miss me too much. Alwynn smiled meekly down at Vant's text, the mere thought of the man setting him at ease.

Alwynn: If you're worried about me missing you, does that mean you'll be feeling the same? Alwynn took a deep breath, wiping his eyes and staring at his dishevelled reflection in the mirror. A few moments and the redness would die down around his eyes, no one would ever know he had even been crying.

Vant: Of course, you best send me a lot of pictures, I haven't been to the coast in a lifetime, I'm very jealous. Splashing some cold water on his face, Alwynn finally felt numb enough to leave the safety of his temporary hideout. Emotions weren't really needed that day, which he was terribly glad for, he wasn't sure he had any left.

"Alwynn, where've you been? I was just about to come looking for you," Wisteria passed Alwynn his coat, wrapped up herself already.

"Nolan wanted to talk about my apprenticeship and stuff. I tried to be quick but he was insistent on talking then, like it couldn't wait until Monday," Alwynn forced a brief chuckle, so used to having to plaster those smiles on his face by then that they almost came naturally to him.

"That man can be so inconsiderate sometimes," Wisteria led Alwynn out to her car, "so I'll drop you off at your house, go get Jeth and pick you up at like five? We can grab dinner on the road and we should get there around eight," Alwynn nodded, buckling his seatbelt, hoping the trip would be enough to take his mind off his current predicaments with Nolan.

"We're staying in a really nice hotel, mom, Jeth and Wist will be with me the entire time. I will be fine," Alwynn had lost count of how many times he had repeated the sentence 'I will be fine' since Wisteria had dropped him off at home.

"Why won't you tell me the name of the hotel, Alwynn? I just want to look into it, make sure it really is safe, etc," Alwynn rolled his eyes, collecting another two t-shirts from his drawer and folding them.

"Because you'll follow me, or you'll find one bad review and you won't let me go," Alwynn muttered, laying the t-shirts in his duffle bag and closing it, "I know what you're like, mom, you overthink."

"Can I, at least, make you dinner before you go?"

"We're getting something to eat on the road. Probably something deep fried and covered in grease and awfully bad for you, OK?" Alwynn regretted his last sentence the moment it tumbled from his mouth, knowing he had just given his mother something else to fret about. Shrugging on Vant's jacket, he turned to face his mother's scowl, that immediately turned sceptical.

"Who's jacket is that?" Alwynn sighed, slipping his phone and wallet into his back pocket.

"Vant's," should have lied, Alwynn scolded himself, should have just fucking lied.