Book I: Burnt Bliss [BoyxBoy]

Chapter 27: Snap Decision

August

"You need to start behaving." Margaret snapped.

Will turned. He had been staring out the window of the Music room and trying to think of a way out for him and Augustus. He was miserable and always on edge. He didn't know when his parents would strike again.

It was the early days of August, and less than two weeks after the journal fiasco. Will was desperate and so were his parents.

He would do anything to protect Augustus. They would do anything to force him into their pre-set life. How could he possibly do both of those things?

He hated the way they treated Augustus. As he did when Margaret attacked, he was willing and ready to shoulder their harm if it helped protect him.

Outright defiance didn't help. They never listened when he tried to be reasonable. His mother was furious.

What options did he really have left?

~*~

"I-I have to go." Will hurriedly pleaded later that week, lightly kissing Augustus's cheek. He dashed out of his room to greet Sarah. Augustus sighed as he laid back on the bed, disappointed. It was the third time she'd visited that week, and Will had promptly dropped everything to be with her, including scarce time they had alone.

Now that Margaret forced them into separate rooms, they usually only had time together during the day. They only risked sneaking into one another's room every few nights, and had to make sure they returned quickly, lest they fall asleep together and be found. 

It wasn't just about sex. It was the comfort, the time, the attention...attention Sarah was now getting, that Will used to give to him. He struggled to keep his faith in Will. Yet it looked so much like he was really becoming more interested in Sarah.

Things went from bad to worse when Margaret started dropping hints about wedding plans for next year while Sarah was over. She and Will both smiled, seemingly thrilled with the idea.

Augustus felt especially hurt when he saw Will hold her hand.

He'd never hold my hand in front of his mother. He angrily thought. What makes Sarah better than me? And why does he seem so keen on this wedding? They'll only be seventeen; why would he agree to that? Is there something about her that's better than me? How could he do this to us?!

As though that weren't enough, they had taken to talking in low tones with each other for hours a day. When Augustus casually walked by as they sat together in the backyard, they both immediately stopped talking and looked rather nervous. He was concerned--what exactly were they keeping from him?

This betrayal stung him: he had put so much work into their relationship--including hiding it, no less--and now Will was just throwing it away?

Augustus could just feel it now: This was it, the pressure from his parents had finally gotten to him. Will was slipping away from him by doing his parent's bidding. He was falling in line with everyone else in their privileged, oblivious world.

Augustus didn't belong in Will's life anymore.

The final stab came one afternoon in the garden. Will and Sarah sat together, discussing their plans:

"You know I can convince my parents to postpone things easily, but you're a bit of a risk. I mean, how will you lie to your parents about the--"

Just then, Will's parents walked by, and he was frantic--what if they'd heard Sarah?! They'd know they were secretly trying to derail a possible wedding!