Week 2, Tuesday
Beau had only spent half of a week in classes and he was already feeling overwhelmed. He couldn't help wondering why he had agreed to do something so foolish... On top of regular classes, there was a never-ending list of rules. Some boys even had to attend classes such as anger management once a week depending on their crimes. And where was Beau in all of this? Impulse control.
It wasn't like arsonists were an everyday thing. Sure, there was one kid in the mental hospital that had tried to burn his house down while his family slept. But that was it. So instead, Beau had been placed in the same class as many of the addicts. At first, he had been annoyed... He didn't need help. The fire was a one-time thing. He never even fantasized about doing it again...
There was one good thing about the class and that was that he got to spend an hour every Monday morning before classes talking to Aiden. Aiden had proven to be just what Sage described him as; A nice guy with an addictive personality. He liked talking to Aiden. He liked listening to his jokes, he liked how he always messed with his lip ring when he was bored, and he liked how the first person he turned to when making a sarcastic comment was Beau. And that was exactly why Beau hated being around Aiden.
The fact that he enjoyed Aiden's company combined with the fact he found Aiden to be physically attractive wasn't okay. Beau was here because of Lukas. Beau took on the challenges in the asylum because he knew Lukas wanted him to have a better life. He was there to make his best friend and first love proud... Not to betray him by running after the first boy who batted an eyelash in his direction.
Beau closed his eyes tight, letting out a shaky breath as he clutched the cheap photo booth pictures in his hand. He and Lukas had been best friends for fourteen years and had only been together for a couple of weeks. But they were the best days of his life... They had only gone on one official date. They went to an arcade afterward, Lukas has proudly won him a stupid stuffed pig and named him Hamilton... Beau had ended their time by dragging him into a photo booth.
After fourteen years of being in love with his best friend, every photo taken of the two of them had Beau watching Lukas with a bright smile and love-filled eyes. And there was only one photo where Lukas ever returned the look. One photo where Lukas stared at Beau like he was his whole world... It had only been three days later that Lukas had been found dead in his bathroom. His lips tinted blue and his eyes a bloodshot red. He was gone, forgotten to the world...
From that day the sun didn't shine as bright, even the smell of peppermint made Beau want to scream, and Beau stopped smiling with his eyes. How could he when Lukas had been his reason to smile? His reason to exist and his reason to be the happy boy everyone knew and loved?
Beau bit down on his bottom lip to keep it from shaking. He didn't need to cry on only his second week. He didn't need to fall into a wave of grief in front of his new roommate. Well... Markos likely wouldn't even notice. If Beau had figured out anything about Markos it would be that his mind was more scattered than balloons caught in the wind. One moment Beau would try and talk about school and the next he'd be watching the boy pace around the room mumbling out sentences that didn't belong together. Almost as if half of the conversation was going on in his head.
Beau's mother would probably say that he had gone mad or that he had spent too long in the sun. But Beau had decided that Markos just had an energetic mind and didn't often socialize... Okay, maybe he was a little mad, but who could blame him? The boring and plain never-ending walls would drive anyone crazy.
Now, Beau's roommate was violently scribbling away at a piece of paper before throwing his head against the wall with a loud groan. Markos hadn't bothered unpacking more than he needed. But he had insisted on putting up a beautifully hand-sewn tapestry because 'If I spend any longer staring at these bland walls I might just throw myself against it until it's painted red'.
"Are you alright?" Beau asked, trying to disguise any pain or loss in his voice. Although he originally planned to arrive being out and open about his sexuality, he had decided that it was best to figure out how his roommate felt about lgbtq+ people first... He wouldn't exactly feel comfortable in a place where his roommate hated him over his sexuality. He was sure Markos wouldn't even care, but he decided it was better to be safe rather than sorry.
"No. No, I am not alright" Markos huffed before relaxing into the fluffy pillows on his bed. "That being said, would you rather a love interest be ruggedly handsome or exceptionally beautiful?"
"I-" Beau felt a blush creep to his face and he stared at his roommate completely baffled for a moment. "What?"
"I have an English short-story due in a few weeks and I have to go above and beyond so that my teacher will see I am a valuable student and stop throwing a hissy fit over my clothing" Markos, for the first time in a week, finally gave Beau half an explanation as to why he said the things he did. "You're a gay man so I thought I'd get your opinion"
"How'd you know...?" Beau knew he must be more flustered than a teenager talking to his crush but he had to know if he was that obvious. And if he was how had he managed to stay in the closet as long as he did.
"I do now" Markos smirked down at his paper before setting it aside. "You walk back with that boy from Ohio every day and he is not a straight man. The only thing that had me thinking otherwise is your lack of creativity in your style... You really couldn't have been bothered to cuff your jeans? Or maybe even put a logo on a t-shirt?"
"I didn't even think you knew I existed" Beau scoffed. "And I walk back with Aiden because he lives across the hall and I met him at a mental hospital a few days ago"
"Interesting" Markos hummed before standing up. "How tall are you?"
"I'm five foot eleven" Beau stared at the slender boy feeling puzzled. Markos stared at him for a few moments, mumbling something under his breath about how much he hated the imperial system before digging through his bags. He pulled out a simple hoodie. Half black, half a pale pink, and tossed it in Beau's direction.
"Sadly, I do not have time to lecture you about clothing but what I do have is a hoodie that I don't plan on ever touching, much less wearing again" Markos scoffed. "I'm taking you shopping the moment they let us into the city though"
Beau froze as he stared down at the soft cotton material. Not because it was a nice and unexpected gesture, but because he was terrified to even touch it. He knew Markos was very well off and he had once heard him say 'If it isn't a name brand it doesn't touch my skin' meaning the hoodie must have been worth more than Beau's bank account.
"Thank you? But you really don't have to-" But it was already too late because Markos had already left the dorm.
A boy with white fluffy hair laid out across Jayce's bed as he watched the simple boy pace between his bag and his desk, perfectly aligning each book he had brought with him. Austin's pale eyes were beginning to droop from exhaustion as he wondered where Markos was. Somebody had to save him from his boredom and it certainly wasn't going to be someone as common as Jayce.
The three boys were supposed to be working on a group project. The moment their economics teacher announced that they'd be working with their deskmate, Austin was elated. Markos was clever and seemed to do well in school. And as socially smart as Austin was, he couldn't tell you the first thing about academics. He was a C-average student and that was only because he couldn't fail a class without getting kicked out of dance. But then the teacher realized they had an odd number of students and Jayce was added to their group.
The door opened and Austin's head shot up hoping for the curly-haired boy's head to pop in. Instead, he was met with a better distraction; Jayce's roommate. Austin bit down on his lip as he shamelessly admired the way the hazel-eyed boy's t-shirt hugged his muscles. If Austin had seen him on the street, he would have barely spared him a glance due to how little passion burned in the man's gaze. But in here he was desperate for a pretty boy's attention and a passionless one was as good as any.
Austin's head cocked just slightly to the right as he imagined what lay under his shirt. There was no doubt in his mind that this boy was an athlete. That, or had a very weird obsession with working out like one. Maybe he was a boxer or played football, but nothing in his room even gave Austin a hint. He was about to say something when there was a loud knock on the door that Jayce waited no time to answer.
"Where were you?" Jayce demanded. "You're late"
"I was giving my roommate some much-needed advice" Markos scoffed before looking the boy up and down and casting him a clever smile. "Relax" he brushed past Jayce and moved to join Austin on the bed.
"Took you long enough. I was dying of boredom" Austin chuckled. Austin didn't consider himself to have friends. He had the girls that were only interested in him as the token gay best friend, he had his rivals, he had the 'straight' guy that would pay to get blow jobs from him, and he had his hookups. Those were the only people that mattered to him. Everyone else was just someone that intrigued him. Another puzzle to figure out, another web of lies to undo, and another game to win. Markos was proving to spark his interest. Maybe he'd consider Markos a friend one day, but today he was just another puzzle.
"My apologies for Jayce not being a good hostess" Markos teased receiving another glare from Jayce. Austin hadn't bothered to analyze Jayce. He was exactly who he presented himself to be. There weren't many secrets to uncover or any competition between him and Austin due to their very different interests. But one thing that did intrigue Austin was Jayce's strong dislike toward Markos.
"Who's your roommate?" Austin changed the subject as he glanced back at the pretty boy laying on the other bed with his nose in a book. He was bland, uninterested, and simple. But not in the same ways as Jayce. Jayce wanted things to be orderly and calm, this other boy just didn't care.
"Jullian" Jayce called snapping the boy out of whatever reality the book had pulled him into. Jullian looked up at Jayce, arching one eyebrow patiently. "You might want to say hello before they start thinking you're just an asshole" Jayce lightly joked. Jullian gave a light nose laugh at that.
"There's not much to say that you haven't already said for me, Williams" Jullian sighed before bringing his attention back to his book. His voice was deep and almost robotic. It lacked any emotion or passion... And passion was the one thing Austin knew better than anyone. His entire life revolved around passion whether it was in the bedroom or at a recital. He couldn't imagine a life without it.
"Come on, we have to put together a presentation on the factors of production" Jayce sighed as he sat down at the desk.
"I'm terrible in all aspects of school so I volunteer to do as little work as possible and do the actual presentation" Austin announced with a wide smirk.
"Sounds good to me" Markos shrugged earning a cold and solid glare from Jayce.
"No way. You don't do shit in any of the classes we have together so I highly doubt you're planning on helping me either. I'm not doing this alone" Jayce scoffed.
"I'm smarter than I look. I know what I'm doing" Markos protested. Austin had to agree with Markos on that. Although he rarely paid attention in either of the classes Austin had with him, Markos was a genius. That was undeniable. But Jayce didn't believe him which was also fair. While Jayce was hard-working, Markos was talented. It made sense that Jayce didn't like Markos... Markos had everything handed to him, Jayce had to get it himself. It was jealousy at its finest and Austin had front-row seats.
"But you don't do any work so it doesn't matter how smart you are" Jayce quickly reminded him.
"Tell that to my high marks. Apparently, I have a four-point zero GPA. Who would have thought?" At this point, Markos was only antagonizing him. He didn't care what the argument had been about, he just wanted under Jayce's skin.
"So you'll do the work? That's all I care about" Jayce sighed.
"I was planning on it but now I'm not so sure... You seem pretty insistent on the possibility that I'm going to let you down... I guess now I'm worried it might actually happen" Markos sighed before laying back on the bed. "I don't think I can help you anymore"
"I take back every time I've ever called my sister melodramatic. You top the cake" Jayce sighed as he began to rub circles along his temples.
"You two like to use big words" Austin finally cut in. "If you spoke to anyone in my neighborhood they'd look at you like you had horns stickin' out of your head" Austin chuckled. Austin was from a trashy trailer-park in Alabama. The worst in education, the most conservative minds, and the best place to get hate-crimed. Austin was both terrified of and addicted to the chaos that came with being an openly gay man there. He loved baffling the people around him and the drama he experienced, but he could have lived without getting his ass beat for years.
"You're from Alabama, right?" Jayce sighed as he tore his glare from Markos.
"I didn't fuck my cousin if that's what you're gonna ask" Austin groaned. He has heard that joke at least six times in this week alone. Markos gave the two of them a baffled look reminding Austin that he didn't live in the states and wasn't aware of all of the stereotypes.
"I wasn't planning on it, but thanks for the info" Jayce chuckled. Austin swore he heard a light nose laugh from Jullian, but the boy's face was as still as stone. One thing was certain though, this wasn't going to be an ordinary school year.
_________________________________________
Aiden sat at one of the cafeteria tables with his head propped against his hand. He stared down at his tray, pushing around the badly seasoned teriyaki chicken around. He couldn't wait until they finally let the boys go out on weekends... Then he'd finally get some real food. And by that, he meant takeout because that was what he was used to.
Back home, he'd be eating dinner and watching Dr. Phil with his brothers. Even joking about putting them on the show... That, or he'd be in his friend's garage high on acid and overwhelmed with the feeling of bliss. His body begging for him to take more with his friends telling him otherwise. They were always the smart ones in those situations...
Aiden knew that when he agreed to come to Westwood the withdrawals would be difficult. His entire body ached in need of relief. His mind was foggy and overwhelmed with thoughts, memories, and feelings from the past. He tried not to picture it. He tried to avoid being thrown back into his fifteen-year-old self... Back when he was still innocent and pure. Before he had even touched anything stronger than alcohol or weed. Before Sebastian...
Aiden's throat tightened as soon as that thought crossed his mind. He felt trapped in his own body. As if there was no escape. Every inch of his skin was bruised, cut, or touched in a way his younger self would have looked down on him for. Once upon a time, Aiden thought he'd be different from his family... That he'd be clean. Some of it was his own doing... The cuts on his arms, the lasting effects from numerous injections, and the scars from his failed attempts to end it all. But other things weren't from him... Other things were done to him against his will and it made him sick.
The only thing that kept him even a little stable was that it was just a body... He could break it a million times and it would heal. He could inhale, inject or swallow countless poisons yet for some reason he wouldn't die. It was just a body... He was just a body.
"Oh my god" Austin groaned as he collapsed into the seat across from Aiden. "I'm sitting with you today because Markos is busy arguing with Jayce over that stupid project again"
"Huh?" Aiden stared at Austin confused for a few moments before pulling himself out of his head and into reality. "Oh... Right. That." He finally took a bite of the chicken and wrinkled his nose in slight distaste. It was better than the other food but still lacked any real flavor. "Have you seen Beau? I usually sit with him"
"Talking to Peter Hart" Austin shrugged as he half-heartedly took a bite of the overcooked green beans. Aiden's heart dropped and he quickly glanced around for the copper-haired boy.
"And you let him?" Aiden hissed. Peter Hart wasn't a good person... He shouldn't even be there. He was a creep that had been harassing Austin since the moment he got there. Of course, Austin was indifferent to it as far as he knew. But Beau was sheltered. Aiden wouldn't be surprised if Peter was trying to get something out of him.
"Why are you getting so worked up?" Austin rolled his eyes. "Beau's not a kid, I'm not his mom and he'd have to be an idiot to not know that Peter just wants to get laid" He scoffed. Aiden rolled his eyes and quickly stood up muttering a quick 'I'll be right back' before Austin sent him a glare. "Are you sure you're not just jealous? I'm sure Beau was fine"
It didn't take him long to spot the tall, blonde boy. His hair fell in messy curls and he had cold blue eyes. He was leaning against a wall, smirking down at Beau who was nervously fidgeting with a simple cross necklace. Aiden hesitated unsure if he should interfere. Maybe Austin did have a point. Maybe it was Aiden just being jealous. Of course, he liked Beau, why wouldn't he? But the more he watched their interactions the more Aiden was reminded of his younger self. So he walked over.
"Hey, Beau" Aiden hummed as he slung an arm over the shorter boy's shoulders. He lightly bit down on his lower lip taking a moment to admire just how pretty he was. It had been a while since Aiden had been in an actual relationship... Of course, there was Sebastian. And then his second boyfriend, Matt, then his girlfriend Olive... But nothing serious since then. And Beau was sweet, he was pretty and Aiden enjoyed being around him. Why wouldn't he pursue a relationship? "Peter" Aiden added with a quick nod in the boy's direction.
"Coldwater... Right?" Peter asked before pressing his lips together in a straight line. He sent Aiden an annoyed look but Aiden decided it was best not to acknowledge it.
"Yeah" Aiden shrugged before smiling down at Beau. "Hey, can you help me figure out how to fill out the journal they gave us yesterday?" Aiden asked. In their impulse control class, they were supposed to journal. Aiden didn't really mind doing it and understood how to do it perfectly, but it was the only thing that came to mind. He just wanted Beau away from Peter.
"Huh? Oh... Yeah, sure" Beau gave Peter one last warm smile. Aiden subconsciously messed with his lip ring as he admired the boy. Beau was always smiling. He couldn't figure him out. He wasn't sure why someone would put so much effort into being happy all of the time... And maybe he'd never figure it out, but he could at least try. "It was really nice talking to you" Beau finally turned away from Peter and followed Aiden back to the table where Austin was waiting with a smug smirk.
"So you managed to rescue him from that creep?" Austin asked. Aiden sent him a cold glare when Beau just blinked confused.
"Peter? He was nothing but nice" Beau promised.
"You don't meet a lot of gay men, do you?" Austin chuckled. He didn't wait for a response before droning on. "I get it, I'm from Alabama so I didn't meet many either. But one thing I did learn is that it's not all sunshine and rainbows when you get out... Men are shit" He chuckled. "Just ask grumpy"
"Why me?" Aiden scowled.
"Because you obviously have a story. Normal people don't get so worked up over boys like Peter" Austin rolled his narrow blue eyes as if this was common knowledge. "An ex-boyfriend maybe?" Aiden's face fell blank and he decided to just ignore Austin. Austin's main goal seemed to be getting under others' skin so he knew if he just didn't react, he might stop. Or at least he hoped.
"Look, Beau. All you need to know is that boys like Peter aren't good... You'll just end up getting yourself tangled into a web of problems" Aiden sighed.
"Alright..." Beau hesitantly gave in.