"There he is!" Red Leader sung with an air of distaste.
"What would you like sir?"
"Now, now. There's no need for such formality."
Tord looked at the man as if the blonde had lost his mind.
"Very well, father."
Red Leader wrapped an arm around Tord, dragging him from Tom.
"Do you know why this event was held, soldier?"
Out of the sight of his peers the cold personality of the leader returned.
"I do not, sir."
"They think I'm past my prime. They want to replace me with you," the man hissed lowly.
"I have no intention of taking your place until your death, sir. May you live long and be prosperous."
Tord was grabbed by his suit and pulled close, the man's eyes were slits, like a fearful cat, ready to lash out at any second.
"Don't think that I'm not on to your little plot to kill me."
He let Tord go and stepped back.
"Keep your guard up little fox, or I will catch you."
Red Leader slunk into the darkness. Tord walked back into the main room to find Tom and his mother. He was ready to leave.
"Hey, what was that?"
Tord wanted to tell Tom what really happened, to have him hug him, and tell him that he was going to be alright. But he was a soldier, and soldiers didn't show weakness.
"Just a chat with Red Leader."
Tom looked around him and whispered to Tord "I don't trust him."
Tord let out a chuckle that died out into a sorrowful hum. "Neither do I Thomas, neither do I."
The night was filled with Tord sticking to groups of three or more and constantly glancing over his shoulder. Trisha walked up to the boys, her face in a snarl, her hair a mess. The top few buttons of her shirt were undone, and the zipper of her dress separated for at least an inch.
"We're leaving boys."
As they stepped into the car, Tord let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. The car was quiet except for the sound of the ignition.
"Who touched you, Ms. Larrison?"
Trisha slumped in her seat,
"Was it that easy to tell?"
Tom looked at the floor of the car.
"It was that bastard, he caught me in a corner and tried to use me like he did before."
Tord leaned forward and wrapped his arms around his mother's shoulders. Her shaking seemed to lessen. After a while he leaned back and turned to Tom.
"Can I rest on your shoulder?"
Tord asked this time.
"Go ahead."
Tord laid his head on Tom shoulder and tucked his feet closer to his body, struggling not to cry. Tom wrapped an arm around his back and rubbed it softly. Tord fell into slumber, attacked by dreams of heartbreak and being caught in a bear trap.
When he woke up he was in his bed, Tom's sweater enveloping him in warmth and the early sunlight pouring through his window.
Tord curled up into a ball and sobbed. He needed a break. A break from his father, a break from school and a break from working his brain to death figuring out his feelings towards Tom. He needed a break from it all. And he got one. Until his mother came in and told him he needed to get ready for school.