Torîq - 1. Chapter 1

“Get a move on Telly Tubby,” Jessie said knocking impatiently at Torîq’s room door.

“I told you to stop calling me that!” he shouted as his sister’s quick-paced footsteps descended the stairs. They had at least five minutes before the school bus would pull up in front of their house and Jessie didn’t much feel like calling a taxi if they missed the bus. Torîq was now a freshman in the noble institution after graduating from his Junior High School with the highest GPA. He prided himself on being a good academic student; that and the fact that the Jackson’s were rich was the only reason he hadn’t been expelled from Moonstone for all the bullshit he did.

“TJ have you seen my socks?” VJ asked as soon as Torîq stepped out into the hall.

“Nope, why don’t you just do what I do? Go without,” Toriq asked ruffling his little brother’s hair. Out of his two siblings, VJ was the only one who could get Toriq to do just about anything. No one knew how he did, perhaps it was just the fact that VJ was his younger brother or the charm of being the last child but even those were shaky premises to base the logic of the situation on.

“Looks like you’ll get your wish. Mrs. Fredrick is gonna be all over my ass again. I have no idea why she watches me so much, it’s not like I display any of your delinquent characteristics.” VJ said fixing his hair so that it once more looked just like his brother’s.

“Maybe if you did, she’d back off. My offer still stands though,” Torîq replied with a wink and a smile.

“I don’t know what you guys are talking about but if you want to maintain your good reputation VJ then you’d better not take Tori up on whatever he's offering.” Jessie said handing both boys a Toaster Strudel, VJ a glass of milk and Toriq a glass of orange juice.

“I think I’ll handle this battle alone, thanks.” VJ said taking a bite.

“When's Mom and Dad supposed to be coming back again?” Torîq asked quite out of the blue.

“What are you up to?” Jessie asked suspiciously.

“Can’t a guy be concerned about his parents?” he asked feigning contempt that Jessie would ask such a question.

“A guy can be concerned yes, but definitely not you Tori, what did you do?” Jessie asked again.

“I kind of promised Matt that I’d help him babysit til 7, then catch a late night movie and maybe a hotel room.” he said not bothering to look directly at Jessie again.

“Ugh, I liked you better when I thought.. Ugh,” Jessie groaned, she almost forgot that their little brother was in the room.

Torîq had come out to Jessie one night when her boyfriend, Andrew McKenzie was being a total jerk and he had threatened to cut off his dick and stuff it up his ass if he didn’t get out of their house. Jessie was distraught over their argument (although they had made up a couple days after) and Torîq had taken her to the basement where they drowned their sorrows in cranberry and vodka. Of course they weren’t supposed to be drinking without parental supervision but being the delinquent of the familyTorîq assumed full responsibility the next day when they were found completely hung-over and sleeping in the basement. “It was a life or death emergency Mom, honestly or I’d have brought out the Chardonnay and invited VJ.” He had said with a nonchalant shrug. He got grounded for two weeks.

“So, what time are they coming back?” he asked noticing that VJ was showing no interest in their conversation.

“They get back tomorrow morning, so you’d better be back here by six,” Jessie said and Torîq’s face lit up.

“Thanks sis, I owe you big time,”

“Kitchen duty for a week asshole,” Jessie said as the horn of the school bus hooted from outside their gate.

It was a private school bus which catered for all the kids in the Washington Garden community. It was a big community consisting mostly of the elite and the middle class folks in the society. The route the bus took covered the elementary, junior high and high schools so that all the age groups travelled together.

“Could you move any slower Jackson?” Derrick Vanhurst asked sarcastically through the bus window as VJ’s bag fell and some of the contents rolled out.

“You’re a jock aren’t you?” Jessie asked the boy who had spoken.

“Yeah, so?” Derrick asked still feeling good about himself for insulting the ‘nerd’ of their class; he had even gotten a few laughs from some of the high school kids.

“So, keep it up and I’ll see to it that which ever high school you attend next year knows you like little boys.” Torîq said knowing that this was the highest form of insult as well as the fact that such an accusation could indeed ruin any chance the kid had at becoming Mr. Popular when he reached high school. Sure Torîq was gay, but he wasn’t one of those pansy-boys who behaved effeminate, even though he hated sports and could go for hours in a shopping mall. No, he was your typical boy-next-door type of guy with blackish-bluish hair which was cut in a bob that stopped just below his ears and framed his face nicely. He was currently sporting a brownish tawny complexion as a result of one week of tanning and bright hazel eyes which looked almost amber in certain lights. His cherry red lips were supple and slightly plump and carried off his rather small nose well. He was a bit on the short side, standing at 5ft 7in and had a lean figure which came from all the time he spent on tread-mills, and doing crunches. He never lifted a set of weights before in his life and refused to do so; he loved muscles but only on others.

“Thanks,” VJ said as he took the seat next to Torîq and the bus began to move.

The most important thing about the schools that Janique and Victor chose for their children to attend was that they weren’t private. Both Moonstone and Dalton were accessible to the general public and no discrimination based on sex, color or financial status was practiced, openly. Of course, there were certain traditional views that were upheld no matter how modernized the world claimed to have become. Matthew Facie was the classical example of Dalton High School’s no discrimination policy. He was 6ft 1, of a dark complexion and was from a lower middle income home, his acceptance into the institution was based on two things. Firstly, it puts the school in a good light especially since it makes them seem like they are actually upholding their ‘no discrimination’ statute. Secondly, although Matt sucked at academics, he was an all-star sportsman, he played football, soccer, basketball, baseball and on occasion he swam. What institution wouldn’t want him, so DHS had quickly given him a scholarship and stuck him with the brightest kid in his class for tutoring. That was how Torîq and Matt met.

“You’re late moron,” Torîq said smiling as Matt made it into his seat a couple seconds before Mr. Reinford stepped into the class.

“Dad had a stroke was at the hospital all night,” Matt said still breathing heavily from his run.

“Oh my God, is he alright?” Torîq asked a feeling of gloom enveloping the good mood that had surge on seeing Matt.

“Yea, I only came to school to save the kids from becoming the victim of verbal massacre.” Matt said referring to the foul mood that Toriq would have been in had he not showed up. It was so like him, trying to cheer up others although the sun was on temporary leave in his world. There was a smile on his lips but it was slightly off, it didn’t warm Torîq’s heart like it was supposed to. Even his chocolate brown eyes had a dark look to them and that only happened when he was extremely sad.

“You shouldn’t have Matt; you should have stayed at the hospital or with your Mom,”

“Nah, I’m exactly where I should be, here with you.” Matt said and the look he gaveTorîq made him blush.

“I think I get why you’d say that.” Torîq said

“Would you like to share with the class Mr. Jackson?” Mr. Reinford asked.

“I doubt they’d want to know that I got tested for VD last week and I finally got the results.” Torîq said without missing a beat. Some of the guys chuckled while some of the girls looked surprised. Sure they were used to Torîq’s smart-mouthing teachers but what surprised them was that some girl was finally deemed worthy of the self-righteous Mr. Jackson; God knows they all tried to get with him at some point or the other.

“Your ability to manufacture bullshit and at such an amazing pace deserves to be noted Mr. Jackson, I’ll see you in detention this afternoon.” Mr. Reinford said shaking his head. Torîq was of course one of his top students and unknown to anyone else they had a kind of favorite teacher-student relationship going on.

“Imagine if I hadn’t shown up?” Matt said reinforcing the point he had made earlier.

********** ********** ********** **********

VJ sat in the Dean’s office looking dejectedly at the walls of the room that had once come under the wrath of his brother. He had made it through three-quarters of the day without anyone noticing that he was without socks. It was Derrick who made the observation and of all the people whom he could have pointed it out to it had to be Mrs.Fredrick.

“Consider this your first and only warning Mr. Jackson, the next time; well you can ask your brother about that.” She said smiling as she recorded the offence. VJ considered a retort but then quickly swallowed it. The term was coming to an end, then he’d just have a year left in Moonstone before saying good riddance to the stigmatism by the teachers or the stupid uniform rules. It was funny how he never felt any animosity towards his brother for the fact that everyone who knew Torîq automatically assumed that VJ was just like him. It probably didn’t help that they looked alike except for the fact that VJ had left his hair just the color that God had made it golden brown with black specks; it probably didn’t help that he also made little effort to distinguish himself from Toriq in terms of look.

VJ left the woman’s office and walked into his final class for the day, Writing Compositions. This class was an elective and while it would have been a good end to any day, he hated it for the simple fact that Derrick was also taking the class.

“Well, well I see Mrs. Fredrick had a bit of sympathy for your punk ass.” Derrick said as soon as VJ took his seat which so happened to be the one next to Derrick’s.

“Grow up asshole,” VJ hissed angrily. Of course this surprised Derrick since VJ usually sat quietly through whatever taunts and jeers he’d dish out.

“I see your brother lent you his balls, no wonder you’ve been walking funny all day,” Derrick said and as soon as the words were out of his mouth VJ was on him.