The Halls of Westwood [BxB]

Chapter 27

"ID?" A bored security guard sighed as he looked up at a blue-haired boy. He couldn't be older than fourteen, maybe fifteen. It was before Austin had grown comfortable expressing his style as much as he would have liked. But he wore a skillfully tattered olive-green t-shirt and tight black skinny jeans. Sometimes he'd mess around with makeup...

He'd add concealer under his eyes or use it to cover any acne. He'd darken his eyebrows because his hair was so light they were practically non-existent without it. He'd even add a tint to his lips on the occasion... Sometimes the girls at school liked to use him as their doll to dress up and plaster obnoxious powders and liquids on his face. He never complained... He'd just smile and compliment it if he was in the mood. He was just their token feminine gay friend that could give them advice about boys - as long as he never dated one. That grossed them out. 

But he didn't dare wear anything like that when he visited his dad. He always noticed... He was the reason Austin was so analytical. He taught Austin from a young age to read and mirror body language. How to get what he wanted and to get away with things. He'd notice... And he'd say something. Austin could handle anyone. He could lie and manipulate his way through any situation or any person. But never his father. He was like a rat in his dad's maze when they spoke. He had no control... All he could do was just try to keep the man out of his head.

He went through the usual procedures and exchanged his ID, signed a few papers, and went through the rest of security with ease. He did this once a month since he was six. Before his stepmother might have gone with him... She wanted him to have a good relationship with Mark. But now he was old enough to go on his own.

He headed down to the familiar visiting rooms. Sometimes he'd only be allowed to talk through thin glass. But if he was lucky, he'd be able to sit at a table with his dad as long as they didn't touch. That wasn't a problem... He sat down on one of the chairs, bringing one of his knees off of the floor and to his chest. He never could sit comfortably in chairs.

The doors opened and the short, scruffy man dressed in a baggy prison-uniform sat across from him with a clever smile. Austin didn't dare let a hint of his emotions reach his expression. He was careful to not let his body language reveal how terrified he was. To appear relaxed and unbothered... But it never worked.

"You're tense" Mark half-heartedly commented. "Did you get bit?" He blindly asked as he glanced down at a nearly healed dog bite on Austin's arm.

"Marcy and Luna got in another fight... I broke it up" Austin mumbled, trying to ignore his father's first statement.

"Care to play?" He asked as he nodded down at a deck of cards.

"You cheat" Austin scoffed.

"So do you" Mark chuckled before he began to shuffle the deck. "Like father like son" Austin's chest tightened. He wasn't anything like Mark. He wasn't a psychotic criminal. He wasn't born without empathy... He was taught to ignore it. He could have it... He wasn't different. He refused to be different in that way.

"We're nothing alike" Austin regretted the words the moment they left his mouth. He shouldn't have been stupid enough to fall for that.

"Austin..." Mark chuckled. "We're exactly alike" He gave his son a once over. "Look at you... You're just a younger version of me. Bored, reckless, angry... Just mirroring others in hopes that they won't notice that you're just a little too different" He hummed before he began to deal out the cards.

"I'm not like you" Austin spat.

"Then why are you here?" Austin froze at that question, his mind scrambling for an answer. Why did he bother visiting Mark? He didn't like him... He didn't love him or care for him. It was pointless. Jenny didn't even visit him. "I'll tell you why, it's because I make you feel better about yourself. Like you're finally better than someone. That, or you care about me... And we both know you're incapable of that" He chuckled.