Verse - 10. Chapter 10

“That was, an interesting experience,” Cody said cautiously.

Soren stared at his boyfriend, raising his eyebrows slightly. It was Friday, and Soren always slept over on Friday. They’d just been dropped off by Raquel’s brothers, who’d left the two at the gates of Cody’s home.

It was a large home, elevated a few feet from the lush, rolling lawn, raising the building even higher than the hill it already sat on. The walls were white, and the large windows numerous, though most were covered adequately by white curtains.

The two jogged up the short flight of stairs, arriving on the front porch covered in George and Mary’s. The lights inside were on, though the living room was empty as they stepped inside.

“The whole movie thing or just Zander’s driving?” Soren questioned with a chuckle.

“All of it, really,” Cody shrugged. “Zander’s completely crazy.”

“Yeah,” Soren said slowly. The two headed up the stairs, towards Cody’s room. “What’s your take on Luka?”

“He’s as strange as ever,” Cody replied. “The boy told me the strangest thing at school….”

“You talked to him?” Soren demanded, shocked.

Cody snickered, “I just ran into him, when we were walking towards the tree.”

Soren’s eyebrows rose again, as he closed Cody’s door behind him. “Well, what’d he say?”

Cody looked over Soren, as the two took off their jackets and threw them onto the desk. The room was warm, almost toasty. It didn’t keep the pair from cuddling up on the bed, however, and Cody soon reached to turn on his television.

“You know Brian, right?” Cody answered at last.

“That kid we all saw Luka talking to?”

“Yeah.” Cody rolled his eyes, tightening his grasp around Soren’s shoulders.

“That guy’s so totally gay,” Soren laughed.

“That’s something, coming from you, babe.”

Soren giggled, as Cody’s lips brushed against his cheek and squeezed his ear. “Shut up, Cody.”

Cody’s eye rolled, and he stopped biting Soren’s ears long enough to reply, “But, anyway, Luka totally told me that he—and I quote—fucked the guy.”

“Serious?” Soren spun in Cody’s arms, twisting to stare into Cody’s eyes.

“Yeah!” Cody answered. “The bastard totally gloated.”

Soren laughed, easing back into Cody’s hands. “Whoa. So Luka is gay.”

“And you’re apparently the last to notice. Your gaydar’s broken, babe.” Cody pressed his lips back to Soren’s ear, chewing on it lightly.

“Seems so,” Soren replied, snuggling into his lover. “Best that way, no?”

Cody smiled, squeezing Soren’s chest and planting a kiss atop his boyfriend’s head. “I guess….”

~.~.~.~

Noel stared at his monitor, his face dancing between rage and worry. Luka had ditched him again. Of course, it was because his crazy-ass dad was violently assaulting his bedroom door—though that certainly didn’t make things better. His eyes subconsciously slid to his cellphone, sitting silently on his desk.

He knew Luka’s address, though had been warned against calling the cops. Although, now, it seemed as if Luka was in physical danger… again.

He reached for it, staring carefully at the black screen, as if it held all the answers.

It did.

It vibrated suddenly, the screen bursting to life and stinging Noel’s eyes. It took a moment for them to adjust, though quickly widened in awe the moment they did.

“Luka,” Noel read off the screen.

Lol. The text message began. Holy shit. Holy fucking shit. Dude. Duuuuudddee… Fuuuuuccckkk me.

“What?” Noel typed back, while also muttering it beneath his breath. It wasn’t like Luka to cuss so liberally, which only encouraged the dread that was quickly overtaking Noel. It remained, even when the phone suddenly vibrated again.

Noel answered immediately, “Hello” leaving his lips before he even brought the phone to his ears.

“Hey,” Luka said, almost shyly.

“Dude,” Noel barked, “what happened?” Luka never called either. Hell, the boy rarely even texted.

Luka simply giggled, though Noel noticed the slight tension that lay underneath.

“My parents fought,” Luka said at last, exhaling shortly thereafter.

Noel raised an eyebrow. “Don’t they always do that?”

“No,” Luka answered, “not like usual. They really duked it out this time.”

“What?”

“My mom,” Luka replied. “She brought out the shotgun.”

“Holy shit…”

Luka giggled again, content with Noel’s response. “I think… I think one of them might be dead.”

Noel’s flinched. “What? Think? Might? You’re not sure?”

“Dude,” Luka began slowly. “I ran the fuck out of there….”

Noel nodded. Luka ran. “You ran….”

“I left her…” Only Noel’s steady breathing entered Luka’s ear, and he managed to listen to it for a few moments, before he gathered the courage to continue, “I left my fucking mom alone with that drunk asshole that’s always fucking beating her.”

“Luka…” Noel began.

“I’m such a fucking coward,” Luka went on, ignoring him. “I haven’t changed at all, Gold.”

A slight shiver went up Noel’s spine, stories of yesterday resurfacing in his mind.

“It’s my fault, isn’t it?” Luka asked, after a few silent moments. “If she’s…”

“Shut it, Luka,” Noel snapped. “Don’t get negative just yet. You don’t know what happened after you left. For all you know you’re finally fucking free of that fucker.”

Luka snickered. “I wish,” he whispered. “But, fuck, that man’s a demon….”

Noel sighed, moving onto his bed. “Just, calm down,” he began slowly, taking time to think of what he was even trying to say. “You really don’t know he won. You don’t know at all what happened. Just, sleep somewhere else, relax for today. Mark goes over tomorrow, right? Call him, have him check it out for you. Where are you right now?”

Luka took a look around. After he left his yard, he’d kept running, just aimlessly down the street, away from his home. He was standing outside a park now, watching the streets cautiously; it was past curfew, and running into officers wouldn’t really do him any good.

“You can find somewhere to stay, right?” Noel asked.

“Uh….” Luka snickered. He was well aware he had few real friends. He didn’t trust Jase anymore, not after the last time; not that he’d even want to spend the night there.

His hands ran over his pockets, as dismay pierced his face. “Shit,” he muttered.

“What?” Noel questioned.

“I didn’t grab any bud,” Luka answered.

Noel rolled his eyes. “Not like you planned to sleep anyway.”

“It’d still be nice….”

Noel’s lips twisted. He was aware of Luka’s nightmares and how they kept the boy from any solid sleep if he wasn’t drugged to high-heaven. “Jase?”

“Fuck Jase.”

“Mark?”

“You don’t even like Mark.”

“And that’s means something, all of a sudden?”

Luka smiled bitterly. “I’m trying to make it, yes.”

A smile slipped onto Noel’s lips, though it quickly disappeared as he sighed deeply again. “Luka,” he murmured, “I might not like what you do, but I do understand why.”

“You mean I’ve an excuse for all the shit I pull?” Luka asked, half-sarcastically, half-enthralled.

Noel noticed and rolled his eyes in response. “No,” he answered. “You’re still a shitty person for making me go through it. But, I don’t mind. I know you’re just trying to….”

“Trying to?”

“Not break.”

Luka stayed silent—and just in time, too, as a police cruiser turned onto the street. Luka watched it, half-expecting it to stop as it reached for the tree he was hiding behind. It didn’t, however, and instead continued cautiously down the street.

His attention slipped back to Noel then, and was surprised that the guy had stayed silent as well. Luka knew Noel hated silence, especially the awkward ones—and he was pretty sure the present one counted.

“Um,” Luka began at last, shaking his senses awake. “Fine. I’ll go get stoned with Mark, if you want me to.”

“I didn’t say that either,” Noel grumbled. “Do what you need to, Luka. Just, remember that… I love you.”

Luka smiled, his blue eyes sparkling in the moonlight. “Bye, Gold,” he said sheepishly. “Thanks.” He didn’t give Noel a chance to reply, before hanging up on him. He glanced at his phone for a few moments more, wondering.

Rather than making the call, however, he glanced at the street, his hand descending into his pockets to check his funds.

He’d grabbed fistfuls of bills from his drawer before his father had broken into his room, and he was glad of it now. He might not be able to find any weed at this point, though he was certain a few well-placed bribes would get him a place to sleep.

Mark would show up at his home tomorrow and be able to report to Luka just what unfolded. If his mother won—and he was almost convinced she had—then they’d be free, and he’d be able to return home and be able to live. Things were certainly rolling that way, especially since he was finally making real friends.

If she lost, however….

Luka shook his head again, pushing that thought away. He focused his attention on the street—or rather, the alley, as he’d chosen to take the backstreets towards a motel. He knew which one, too; he’d heard from Jase of a certain locale, where—for the right price and with the right words—one of any age could enjoy the company of skilled women.

He could certainly get himself a room, if the place had such few scruples.