*Book One* Slave Boy (Phan)

Chapter Seven

Word count: 2320

Chapter Seven

Dan feels the need to cut his ears off. Or maybe he should just stab himself and bleed to death.

Anything would be better than this, he thinks, resisting the urge to gag.

What doesn't help is the fact that he's not allowed to leave. Mainly because they are in a car.

Hey, he can just jump out! Fantastic idea right?

Well, if he survived, he'll probably be placed in a mental hospital or something. That wouldn't be too bad would it? With Dan's luck, it'd be one hundred times worse than this.

Dan stares out the window trying to ignore the constant whispering between Phil and Lance in the backseat. Dan glances back at the two when someone squeals. It's Phil.

"Lance, quit it!" Phil says, trying to be serious, while swatting at Lances hand.

The second the car stops in the driveway, Dan's door is pushed open and slammed shut again. Before anyone else can get out of the car, he's walking through the front door.

Dan already knows what he has to do so he immediately goes upstairs to change into the crappier clothing that he dresses in to do his chores. A few days ago, maybe three, his mum stopped by and dropped off some clothes. Now he doesn't have to borrow Phil's.

His mother had been concerned about the bruises he had, which came from the moment in the school's restroom, but she doesn't know that. During her visit she also took a liking to Lance.

Yes, they met, which was weird. Ever since Lance came back from...wherever he was before, he's been around a lot. Dan doesn't like it. It bugs Dan how much his mum seemed to like Lance.

After changing, Dan goes downstairs and out to the garage to get the Lesters' lawnmower. He is just about finished cleaning up the backyard. For a while, Sheila insisted that Dan stay out of the backyard after his panic attack, but he finally convinced her to let him do work back there yesterday.

That is also when Dan got any trash picked up and any hazards to the lawnmower, such as rocks, out of the way. Now all he has to do is actually mow the lawn. It's on the list.

Recently, Sheila made up a list of things that Dan needs to do. It's the last thing on the list for now. She is making up a new one. He gets one a week. He also has a schedule.

On weekdays, he spends the day at school until three thirty, then they either walk home or Sheila will pick them up. After they get home, Dan does as many chores as he can before five. He has the next hour to shower, and then dinner is around six or so. After they eat, he spends the rest of the night in his room.

Mowing the lawn only takes about forty-five minutes, which is pretty good, as the backyard is pretty big. That's all he has to do for today so he puts the lawnmower back in the garage and goes inside.

Dan slips his shoes off by the garage door on a mat, knowing they must be stained with the green of the grass. He goes upstairs, ignoring the conversation mixed with laughter coming from Phil's room.

In his own room, Dan grabs a black tee and grey sweats. He takes them, along with a towel, into the bathroom. He starts up the shower and within five minutes he's under the warm water, the dirt and sweat getting washed from his body.

He only takes around ten minutes to shower. He gets out and dries his hair off some, but not completely. He slips on the comfortable clothing.

Dan leaves the bathroom, disposing of his dirty clothes in his room, before going downstairs. He finds Sheila in the kitchen, already starting on dinner.