Fake Fan Fiction ❯ Boarding School ❯ Entanglements ( Chapter 21 )

** Well, this chapter is out way earlier than I had planned, but I got so many reviews asking for an update that I give in! (See, reviews really work! All hail the reviews!)

Warning: angst ahead!

 

Disclaimer: I don't own fake!

 

“Move over,” Dee demanded, dropping his lunch tray onto the table with a clatter. He had just shoved JJ out of the way to make room for Ryo to sit beside him. The blonde looked down at the tiny space between the now-scowling JJ and a suspicious looking Dee and hesitated.

 

“There's not much room there, maybe I should sit somewhere else-“

 

“There's plenty of room!” Dee bellowed. “JJ, didn't I tell you to move the hell over!”

 

“It's crowded Dee!” the other boy shouted back challengingly.

 

“Well no one asked you to sit here in the first place!” Dee shot back.

 

“Dee! You're so mean!” Now JJ sniffled theatrically.

 

Ryo put a hand to his temple, he could feel another headache coming on. It had been like this the entire week, JJ clinging to Dee and Dee hovering over Ryo to `protect' him from Rose. He hadn't had a moment's peace since the day they returned.

 

“Sit,” Dee commanded, pulling his sleeve so hard Ryo nearly dropped his tray.

 

With a loud `huff' Ryo gave in and sat down. Ted and Drake tried to make small talk, but, as usual, it was drowned out by Dee and JJ's bickering.

 

Dispersed between insults and whines were Dee's incessant questions about Ryo's nights alone with Berkley. Which typically went something like: `Did he try anything?' No. `Are you /sure/ he didn't?' Yes. `What about when you were asleep? How do you know he didn't try something then?' At which point Ryo would loose all semblance of patience with his lover and shout something like: `Well if I was asleep then I wouldn't remember anyway and it couldn't possibly be as annoying as all of your questioning!'

 

Needless to say, things were a bit rocky between them. It wasn't that Ryo trusted Rose, who had in fact had already made several passes at him in the last few days, but it bothered Ryo that his companion didn't seem to think him capable of rebuffing these advances. Dee should have some faith in him.

 

Having said that, Ryo was terribly jealous of JJ living with his handsome green-eyed lover. Of course, the blonde trusted Dee, but JJ seemed capable of anything just to get the boy's attention. He faked sickness, tripped himself in Dee's path, asked for help on work Ryo was sure he understood already, and all this in the space of a week!

 

Maybe it wouldn't have bothered either boy so much if they had been able to spend some time alone together, but the fact was that their respective roommates made this nearly impossible.

 

“Randy, you ok?” Dee suddenly asked, catching him in the midst of his thoughts.

 

“Oh, yeah, sure.”

 

The dark-haired boy did not look convinced. “Did something happen? With Rose?”

 

“No!” Ryo nearly shouted in frustration. “Please don't start this again, Dee.”

 

The other boy sulked at this, but kept quiet.

 

The rest of the meal was uneventful, but as Ryo walked out of the Dining Hall, he felt himself pulled into one of the side corridors.

 

“I'm sorry,” he heard Dee's soft voice whisper in his ear from behind. “I just miss you, Ryo.”

 

“I know, Dee,” he replied, leaning into the boy's embrace as they stood together in the shadows.

 

“Tell me you miss me too.” As he spoke, Dee drifted his hands beneath the blonde's suit coat to run along his waist.

 

Leaning his head back onto Dee's shoulder, Ryo confessed, “You know I do.”

 

“Come to my room tonight.”

 

“But-“

 

“I'll kick JJ out- he can stay with Drake and Ted, there's no class tomorrow so it won't matter.”

 

Ryo bit his lip. It was unfair to boot JJ from his own room, but then again, with Dee's mouth slowly working down his throat, he wasn't sure he cared. When an adventurous hand dipped south of Ryo's beltline, the blonde snapped back to the present.

 

Dee pouted as his lover pulled away, but Ryo smiled at him. “Ok, I'll come tonight.”

 

Jade eyes lit up with childlike joy at this pronouncement.

 

“Damn right you will!” he teased. “In more ways than one!” Dee added in a husky voice.

 

“Your hopeless,” Ryo told him, shaking his head, but smiling. He gave him a quick kiss and raced back to the hallway to get his books for the next class.

 

Ryo was glowing the rest of the day, but his contentment was marred by an encounter with Mr. Martin in the Teacher's Lounge later that evening. Ryo had become a teacher's aid to Professor Lindley and often stopped by the lounge if he had finished a project early. The soft-spoken, elderly professor could usually be found there, smoking his cigars at his leisure after class.

 

Today, however, the room was empty, except for Martin. Though Ryo quickly tried to excuse himself and shut the door, Martin caught his wrist and waved him in. “Sit down,” he offered.

 

“I was just dropping something off, I really don't have much time,” Ryo protested, but the man had already closed the door behind him.

 

“I won't keep you long, “ he assured.

 

Giving a weak nod, Ryo conceded and sat, rather uncomfortably, in the nearest chair. This was the second time Martin had cornered him alone, and Ryo didn't want a repeat of what he had experienced the first time. He shifted nervously and fidgeted inside his pockets.

 

But Martin kept his distance, seating himself in one of the soft leather chairs several feet away. “Did you enjoy your break?”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

His terse reply elicited an amused chuckle from the middle-aged teacher. “No need to be so formal, Randy, its just the two of us here after all.”

 

The tone in the man's voice seemed a little too casual for Ryo's liking, and he continued to avoid eye contact. “Yes si- I mean, yes…”

 

“Alan.”

 

“Yes, Alan.” It sounded inappropriate even as he spoke it and Ryo's discomfort increased. In a nervous response, he licked his lips and saw to his dismay that the older man's eyes narrowed at his action, drinking him in.

 

“I really should go,” Ryo said, standing.

 

But this seemed to be just what the professor had been waiting for. He quickly crossed the space between them and blocked the boy's escape.

 

“So soon, Randy? Or should I call you Ryo?”

 

The blonde's dark eyes widen in surprise and alarm. Desperately, he tried to calm himself. “I don't know what you're talking about, please let me pass.”

 

But Martin merely smiled, a predatory grin that revealed a set of yellowing teeth. “Oh, I think you do.” The man's disquieting stare left Ryo rooted to the floor. Leaning in, his foul, vaporous breath made Ryo want to recoil in disgust as the man whispered, “It's what your lover calls you at night when you think no one's listening.”

 

Ryo's onyx eyes reflected the horror he felt upon hearing these words and as the older man reached a hand out to touch him, he weighed the consequences of punching him in the gut.

 

But just before the man's fingertips reached him, a knock came at the door. Ryo breathed a sigh of relief. Until, that is, he saw Martin turn to face the door and hide Ryo's figure behind him. It seemed he was not willing to give up so easily.

 

“Oh, Mr. Martin, I didn't mean to disturb you-“

 

Whose voice was that? Ryo knew it…

 

“No bother, can I help you with something?' he man replied, his cool veneer never wavering.

 

“I- oh, are you speaking with another student?”

 

Thank God! Ryo thought, whoever it was had noticed him!

 

“Oh, yes,” Martin stepped aside, but placed a hand over Ryo's shoulder, staying any attempt for him to move. “Just discussing a few questions he had about the lecture.”

 

Ryo, who had been staring at the floor, felt the visitor hesitate, and he looked up to find himself staring into the startled eyes of his roommate.

 

“Rose!” he said, surprise evident in his voice. He opened his mouth to try and make an excuse to leave, but felt Martin's fingers squeeze him in a threatening vice. So he stared up at the other young man with plaintive eyes, hoping Rose would take the hint. It seemed ironic that Berkley would be the one to save him, though. After all, he'd just spent the week fending off his advances- only to find himself in an even worse situation! He wondered if Rose would expect some kind of `reward' if he helped him out with Martin. For a split second, an awful vision of Berkley stepping into the room and joining the teacher in his endeavors entered his mind, but it was quickly pushed aside.

 

“What was it you needed Mr. Rose?” Martin asked, a slight tension lacing his words.

 

Ryo watched the other boy's eyes carefully as he surveyed them.

 

“Actually, I was hoping to find Randy here, I needed to speak with him.”

 

/Oh, thank God!/ Ryo thought, beaming with triumph as he stepped away from the teacher's grip.

 

“Yes, I was just leaving anyway.” Though he tried, the blonde couldn't hide the obvious relief in his voice. As Rose stepped aside and he walked out into the hall, Ryo didn't see the other student send a dangerous and threatening look at the older teacher. Then, without a word, Berkley shut the door right in Martin's face.

 

As the two boys walked back to the dormitory, Ryo's jubilance gave way to fear as he realized how close his escape had been. What if Rose hadn't shown up?

 

“Randy? Are you alright?” the taller boy stopped and looked down at Ryo, who was steadying himself with a hand against the wall. Berkley placed a hand on his shoulder and found that the boy was shaking.

 

Quickly, Ryo brushed his hand away and walked ahead. “I'm fine,” he said, making his way to their room.

 

But once Rose had shut the door behind them, he sat Ryo down and kneeled in front of him. “What happened back there, Randy?”

 

The other boy shook his head. “Nothing.”

 

“Don't lie to me!”

 

Tears flashed in Ryo's haunted obsidian eyes, but he remained silent.

 

“You can't just bottle this up! If you won't talk to me, then I'll get Dee.”

 

However, to Rose's bewilderment, Ryo clutched at his arm. “No! Don't tell Dee! Please!”

 

What was this all about? Rose wondered. Was Ryo worried Dee would blame him if something had happened between himself and Martin? Or maybe Ryo was afraid if Dee knew that the same teacher who expelled one friend was now harassing another, he'd go after him and get himself expelled? That seemed likely enough.

 

Even so, Rose didn't think he could handle this. As much as he disliked Dee, it made him uneasy to hide something like this from him. If it ever came out later there would be hell to pay.

 

“Randy, are you sure about this?”

 

For a moment, Ryo paused to consider. He didn't want Dee to know, but he hated the idea of keeping more secrets from him. It seemed inevitable that more and more deceit was growing between them. But what could he do? Telling Dee would cause more trouble than it was worth… wouldn't it?

 

Ryo nodded his head, “I'm sure.”

 

“Ok, then I'll stay with you, as long as you need me,” Rose told him, sitting next to him and patting his back.

 

Ryo smiled weakly, but his heart was breaking. They were just the words he wanted to hear, but it was the wrong person speaking them.

 

 

*** These guys are just too fun to torture! Poor little Ryo! What will he do?