New beginnings (boyxboy)✔

N.B 21

Ryan's POV

"I fucking try to do something good for you and this is how you repay me? I convinced the principal to let you register! I told him you had changed!"

I hated being shouted at like a little kid. I hated being treated like I was a toddler who had peed on himself even though he was potty trained.

"When the fuck are you going to wake up and realize what I am doing for you?"

The day had started nicely, sort of. It had snowed the previous night. I used to love winter, not anymore. I used to love playing in the snow. I could remember the previous winter. My parents and I had come to the town to visit my uncle. I didn't have any siblings so it was nice to play in the snow with Emily and Sally. We built a snowman and did snow angels. We also played with snowballs. It had been fun until one tragic day.

When I saw the snow I remembered that day. But that was soon forgotten when I made my way to school. I was excited about school, about seeing one person in particular. I had thought about asking him if we could just hang out for maybe 30 minutes after work before my curfew.

When I got to school I was called to the vice-principal's office. Apparently they had gotten a tip off that I was doing drugs. I of course denied everything. The vice-principal decided to search my locker, and located weed in there. I knew it wasn't mine. I hadn't touched weed in months.

I knew who had framed me. Jesse and his friends had gotten their revenge. I had been expecting them to try and get revenge, but I had somehow let my guard down. I'd been so focused on Rain that I didn't see anything else.

My uncle was called and I was suspended pending investigation. Found guilty, I faced expulsion. The school had a strict no-drugs rule. They also hadn't been keen on taking me in, so any excuse to get rid of me would suffice.

My uncle was incensed. He yelled at me all the way from the school to home. Even then he didn't stop.

"I'm going to my room", I said.

"Ryan, when are you ever going to take responsibility for your actions?" he asked.

"...When I actually do something. I told you, I didn't do it. That weed wasn't mine", I said.

"They found the weed in your locker", he said.

"The same locker that can be opened with a screwdriver", I said quietly.

My uncle received a call immediately after my words. He had to go back to work so he left me. My aunt wasn't home and neither were the kids, so I was home alone. I was happy about the silence. My ears were starting to ring.

I made myself a snack and sat in the living area watching TV. I was angry about the weed too. I had decided to be considerate to my uncle and actually put effort into school and behave appropriately, and Jesse and his friends had ruined that. My uncle was just beginning to trust me and now all that was ruined. I was also angry because being suspended meant I couldn't see Rain as much. He probably knew about the weed. He probably didn't want to hang out with me anymore.

All that was infuriating. I would get my revenge on the popular crew, and they wouldn't even see it coming!

*

"Eddie, that boy is a ticking time bomb! How can you be so blind? You are going to wait for him to blow up on us?"

"He is my responsibility".

"He is not your responsibility. He is 19. He can take care of himself".

"How can you say that? He has nothing!"

"So? Is it our fault his dad gambled everything away?"

"I cannot believe you are the same woman I married. I cannot throw my brother's son out onto the streets. Luis made mistakes".

"Luis isn't the only one who's made mistakes. You've always said it yourself. Luis was a ticking time bomb. His son is just the same. I can't sit and watch him tear our family apart".

"What are you talking about? Ryan got suspended from school. He isn't tearing this family apart".

"He is Eddie. It's me and our kids or him. I won't sit here and watch his shenanigans. Who knows if he isn't already feeding our kids the filth he was suspended for? He spends so much time with the kids. Lord knows what he does to them"

I had heard enough. I felt as though my head would just burst from my aunt's words. How dare she insinuate I would do anything to harm the kids? I loved Emily and Sally.

It was late that night I got suspended from school. My uncle had told his wife I was suspended and why when he got back. He'd done so before dinner, and she'd barely said a word to me at the table. The air around had been very tense.

After dinner I played with Emily and Sally in their room until she came and told them it was bedtime. Even then she hadn't said anything to me, like I wasn't even in the room. I'd retreated to my own room. I napped for an hour but was woken up by the need to go empty my bladder. When I passed by my uncle and aunt's room, the door was ajar. My aunt and uncle were still awake, talking loudly. I went to the bathroom, but when I came back I stopped at the door, out of view.

When she mentioned Emily and Sally I walked back to my room. I made a split decision. I couldn't stay in that house, not after what my aunt had said. She could insult me or my dad, but I couldn't handle the accusation about the kids. I never dreamed of hurting the kids. I liked playing with them.

I emptied my schoolbag and put some of my clothes in. I didn't take a suitcase since it would be heavy. I just wanted to get out of there. I walked out of the house with no idea where I was going. After a few minutes my uncle called my mobile. I let it ring until it went to voicemail.

I just walked with no direction. At some point during the night I realized I had to go somewhere. It was freezing outside. I made a decision, remembering an address I'd read at the back of a photo.

It was a long walk but I finally got there. I had never been there before, even though I was familiar with the suburb.

163 Charcoal street, Melrose

I was crazy. What possessed me to think Rain would take me in? It was in the middle of the night. It wasn't even his house. His parents wouldn't allow it. They didn't know me.

Regardless of what I was thinking. I called Rain. I was standing on the street in front of his house. At least from what I remembered, it was his house. I remembered too that he probably didn't even want to be associated with me after the weed scandal.

"Ryan, hi", he said sleepily.

"Hi. I...uh...I need a place to stay for the night".

"Huh?" he asked.

I saw a light come on in an upstairs room.

"Did you just switch on the light in your room?" I asked.

"Yeah. Where are you?" he asked.

I brushed my arm. It was getting colder. At least it wasn't snowing, though it looked like it would any moment.

"I'm outside your house. I just...uh...never mind. I'm sorry I woke you up", I said.

"Wait. It's freezing outside. Why do you...are you okay?"

I sighed. "I'll be fine".

"Wait", he said. There was some shuffling sound. "Stand on the lawn next to the driveway".

I wondered if it was a trap as I did as he said. What if an alarm went off?

I stood there with my phone next to my ear. When I looked up I noticed someone was looking at me. Rain was standing at the window of his room.

"I just had to make sure it's you. I'm coming down", he said and hung up.