Verse - 9. Chapter 9

The bell rang, resonating loudly from the speaker a meter behind Luka, as well as from outside the room’s blue, metal door. A moment later, the room let out a sigh—or, grunts, by those rushing to fill in the empty circles on their exam sheets.

Luka giggled, stuffing his sheet into his exam booklet and leaving both on the corner of the desk. Unlike some in the room, he was fairly confident in his performance. Mark had come every day during the past week, and the two actually got more studying done than sex—probably because Mark’s license rested on the exam. Though, it wasn’t simply Mark’s rigorous training; Luka was competent by his own right. His teachers had always held high expectations… shame fate planned otherwise.

His phone vibrated, and Luka absentmindedly drew it from his pocket. Soren had texted him first and was giving him directions to their rendezvous point; something about a tree by the front gates. Luka had only been to the high school once, and certainly didn’t know his way around it.

Nonetheless, he left, following the crowd.

He noticed two people nearly simultaneously, and both were responsible for the twisted grin that came onto his face. Cody trudged casually onto the concrete path, blending into the crowd as he laughed with a couple of guys around him. The other was different, the silent face of the shy guy who he’d run into—almost quite literally—at Jase’s home.

It seemed the guy remembered as well, as he quickly flustered when he met Luka’s eyes. He didn’t dodge him though, and the two ended up side-by-side as they moved down the path.

“Hey,” Luka began, his smile trickling into his voice. The boy avoided Luka’s eyes, though that didn’t stop the latter at all. “You know,” Luka continued, edging closer to the boy, “I never did catch your name.”

The boy blushed further, though managed a sheepish smile as he answered, “It’s Brian.” His eyes finally looked at Luka, and quickly moved to take in the boy’s body. Again. Slowly, the shy smile twisted, overruled by lust. “What’s your name, darling?”

“Luka,” Luka answered, snickering. “Had fun last week?”

“I enjoyed it, yeah,” Brian returned. His eyes quickly scanned his surroundings, before he leaned towards Luka and whispered, “Never gotten fucked by such a cutie before.”

Luka rolled his eyes, pushing the boy away with his shoulder. “And never will, if you keep hanging out with Jase.”

“I don’t hang out with him,” Brian murmured defensively. “I just, like…”

“Like getting fucked? Enjoy the free pot? Are attracted to assholes?”

Brian cringed momentarily, though his lips quickly pursed again, “Maybe.”

"Well,” Luka continued, “at least you’re honest. Though, you know… I can help with the previous two.” He winked, elbowing the boy slightly.

“I’ll think about it,” Brian answered.

Luka smirked, drawing a pen from his bag and taking Brian’s arm. He wrote his number down, before shoving the boy down another path. As Brian giggled away, Luka turned in time to meet Cody’s questioning gaze.

“Sup, Cody,” Luka grinned.

Cody’s friends had left him, likely as they’d reached the meet-up. Evelyn, Raquel, and Soren were watching the two from a tall, shadowing apple tree. “Luka,” Cody replied cautiously, glancing after the boy Luka had walked with. Brian had been dressed provocatively, wearing shorts the fame students were banned from wearing and a light shirt that highlighted the boy feminine frame. His hair was long, brushing his shoulders as he practically skipped into the crowd. Cody grinned, noting Brian’s bubble-butt. “I see you’ve made a friend,” he began, leading Luka towards their friends.

“I fucked him last week,” Luka whispered coyly, watching Cody from the corner of his eye.

The boy’s face looked surprised, though he failed to say much more than a mumble as they reached the group. It left Raquel an opening however, and she quickly drew Luka’s attention with gleeful shrieks. “Who was that, Luka?” she demanded. “That boy was so gay, and so totally into you.”

Luka flustered, his cheekiness fading as he did his best to shrink. “Really?” he questioned. “I’m not gay though.”

All four raised their eyebrows, staring at him in silence for several awkward seconds. Luka stood silent, eyeing each one steadily.

“You’re not?” Soren finally asked.

“No!” Luka exclaimed, breaking into laughter. “That would be criminal—cruelty against women.” His coy grin returned, as he flexed his muscles. They were nearly non-existent, though his black shirt managed to shift as his abs hardened.

Raquel rolled her eyes, “Gosh child, you’re worse than Soren.”

Cody looked over at Luka, watching as the boy easily maneuvered around his friends. “Not gay?” he asked, eyeing the spot where Brian had been moments before.

Luka grinned, answering, “I’m not gay, but neither am I not not gay.”

“What the??” Cody demanded.

“I lean in all directions, love,” Luka snickered.

“As I thought,” Raquel interjected. “You look like you’re definitely into dicks.”

“Maybe,” Luka answered nonchalantly.

Through it all, Soren was watching Luka’s expressions change. He found it interesting, how the boy’s face changed with every word, yet matched the boy’s easy-going voice and ways. As Luka’s blue eyes focused on his, Soren snapped back to attention and managed a faint smile. “What?”

Raquel rolled her eyes as she gave Soren a slight shove, pushing him into the tree. “Shaddup, Soren,” she giggled, “before we kick your ass.”

“What?” Soren repeated, laughing. “I really have no idea what you guys were on about.”

“Luka told us he was gay,” Raquel said, “then declared his undying love for you, Soren.”

“I’m not gay!” Luka shouted, his cheeks brightening.

“Right you’re not,” Raquel interrupted. “Whatever, let’s just get to the movies.”

"It starts soon?” Cody questioned.

“No,” Raquel answered, grabbing Evelyn’s hand. “But listening to you homos is gonna bust my brain. Let’s go, Ev!”

Cody and Soren shared an entertained gaze, as Evelyn was dragged away from them, leaving the two with Luka awkwardly standing between them.

“So,” Soren began, sliding around Luka and taking his boyfriend’s hand, “I hear you’re gay, Luka.”

Luka gave Soren a soft shove, knocking him into Cody as the three erupted into a laugh.

~.~.~.~

Gregory stared out the window, watching the clouds float slowly across the twentieth floor. It was bright outside, though the glass’s blue tint gave the downtown skyline a mystical glow—a glow the man’s steel-blue eyes effortlessly returned. His steadily-graying hair flowed lightly, vibrating with the cool air-conditioned air blowing out of the corner of his cubical.

“Gregory,” a male voice began, as the figure entered the office. Gregory had the honor of sitting near the window, giving him only two flanking coworkers—both of whom were eerily silent. Though, it didn’t ensure the rest of the room was silent; the lack of real walls ensured he heard the steady coughs, chuckles, and arguments from every corner.

“Did you finish the report?” the voice continued. It was his boss, a round man, with several chins lining his throat. There was a frown on his face, spawned in reply to Gregory’s.

“Yes,” Gregory answered, his eyes shifting to one of the many piles of papers lining his desk. He grabbed one silently, lifting it into his boss’s thick arms. The charcoal suit did little to hide the man’s weight problems.

“Excellent,” the man replied, though his scowl remained. “I’ll review it with your coworker’s papers over the weekend, and give feedback at Monday’s meeting.”

Gregory nodded curtly, realigning his eyes towards the window. His boss raised an eyebrow, before simply shrugging and making his way out of the office. It was 3:50 PM, far too late for anyone to begin other duties.

Ergo, the moment the clock struck 4:00, Gregory grabbed his suitcase and rushed out of his office. The elevator was right beside his door, ensuring his spot on the first ride towards the basement floors. It was an uncomfortable one however, pent up in the small room, surrounded by “morons and trash.”

His mood lightened slightly, as he reached his black SUV. It vanished again, however, when he pulled out of his parking slot and entered the basement grind; lots of employees left early on Friday, it seemed.

It was an easy trip afterwards, towards the bar he frequented. The regular bartender noticed him the moment he stepped through the doors. As Gregory took his seat, a small white-filled drinking glass snapped onto the table in front of him, a sly smile on the bartender’s face.

Gregory grunted, shooting the bartender a snarl. The man didn’t seem to take the hint, though, leaning down beside Gregory and opening a conversation, “Hey, hon. You’re as snazzy as ever. How was work?”

“I’m here to drink, not to flirt,” Gregory barked. “Especially not with a homo.”

The bartender rolled his eyes, smirking slightly as he withdrew. “As upbeat as ever.”

Gregory returned the sneer, downing the glass before slamming it on the table with a heavy thunk. The bartender immediately refilled it, before leaving the vodka bottle beside it and serving another guest.

The sun had well set, before the man left the building. He had two full bottles in his hands, intending to drink deep into the night. His car was tucked away in the dark parking lot, and Gregory stumbled his way towards it like an expert. The door unlocked at his touch, and Gregory crawled into the driver’s seat.

“City cemetery,” he mumbled, slurring each C.

“City cemetery,” his dashboard repeated. The doors locked, and the vehicle’s outside lights beamed alive. It only took a second before the car steadied itself into the empty lot, arching to point its nose onto the street. It headed out a moment later, stopping for a few seconds to scan the streets before easing out into the late-night roads.

The drive was long, well over half-an-hour; Gregory spent it staring out the driver-side window, watching the city lights flash by at an easy sixty miles an hour—the fastest the self-driving cars were legally allowed to go. It was trivial; the man’s eyes were distant, absent of all greater life.

They remained so, as the vehicle unlocked itself and Gregory jumped out, vodka bottle in hand. The cemetery gates loomed ahead, silently flanking the concrete sidewalk into the dead’s domain. There weren’t many people it seemed, a fact which left Gregory at ease as he trudged through the park.

He collapsed before two tombstones, a meter from one another, both decorated with kneeling angels, and similar holy verses etched into the cold stone.

Gregory coughed, taking a drink of the vodka as his spare hand ran across the grave marker. His fingers had crawled over them countless times before, yet the letters never ceased to sting his fingers.

Alexis Oniroyov. Dmitri Oniroyov.

Two of his three sons.

Gregory broke into tears, as he often did during his weekly visit to their graves.

~.~.~.~

“Where have you been?”

Luka smiled, his eyes staring into his webcam. Four-hundred miles away, Noel returned the glazed gaze, staring at Luka’s bright face. “Oh, you know,” Luka answered playfully, “places.”

Noel rolled his eyes, a gesture that somehow found its way into his voice, “Places? Right. You’re rarely out this late, Luka.”

Luka’s glanced at the clock; he’d gotten home a little before ten, having been coerced into a ride by Soren and his friends. That was an interesting experience, riding with Raquel. Her brother was strange, to the say the least, though his driving skills were amazing. Luka had never seen someone run a red-light, narrowly dodge a perpendicular-travelling car, before immediately sliding aside alongside it to avoid rear-ending another.

Needless to say, he didn’t want to repeat the experience.

“Yeah,” Luka answered at last, breaking his trance to look back at the camera. “I was with some… friends, watching some weird movie.”

“Lol, what? You went to see a movie?” Noel’s giggles were music as they danced into Luka’s ears, widening his smile into an eager beam.

“Shut up, Gold,” Luka countered, rolling his eyes.

“Was he cute?”

“What?”

Noel snickered, answering, “Well, Luka, only reason I see you going to the theater is for some guy.”

“He was cute,” Luka replied, sticking his tongue out slightly, aiming it at the camera. “He’s got a love, though.”

“Not cool, Luka,” Noel muttered, “gunning for someone else’s man.”

“I am not gunning for him,” Luka declared. His face broke into a scowl, and his nearly-naked body arched down into his seat. “Why would I gun for anyone when I’ve got you, darling?” His lips broke into a snarky grin, flashing his whitest grin at the camera.

“Oh Lord,” Noel complained. “You’re the biggest flirt, Luka.”

“Maybe,” Luka answered.

A door slammed below, the shock resonating loudly through the house and causing Luka to visibly jump. His eyes widened, as he turned to face his own door, and the demon was, no-doubt, approaching from behind it.

It was a silent wait; even Noel stared over Luka’s shoulder, watching the wooden door. Both of them jumped again, when the first shouts erupted from beyond it.

“Get out here, you little fuck!” Luka’s pupils shrunk, as his father’s fist impacted against his final shield; where was his mother?

“Get out here!” Gregory repeated as the door creaked beneath him. “I want to see your little shit face, you stupid little fuck!”

Another slam, another jump. Luka turned back to the camera, his face grimacing as he stared at the screen. His reflection watched back, and Luka almost laughed at the panic spread across his face.

“The fuck is up with him?” Noel’s voice entered his ear in a whisper.

“He’s drunk off his rockers,” Luka replied, managing a weak smile. “I should probably go; I’d hate for you to hear his shit.”

“I don’t mind,” Noel whimpered. “I like talking to you.”

“We won’t get much talking done with that in the background,” Luka said, rolling his eyes. “It’s honestly a mood-killer.”

“Don’t g—“ Luka disconnected the streaming signal, immediately typing out a quick apology. He sent it, before closing the program and putting his computer into sleep mode. Behind him, his father still ravaged the door.

Gregory drove his fist into the wood again, before pulling it back to examine his hand. It was coated in blood, as was the splintering door inches from his face. It took a few moments for things to click, and the man switched to his feet.

With it, the door finally blew back, breaking in half and awkwardly slumping aside. Lifelessly, Gregory hit it again, knocking the bottom half aside before repeating with the top.

He stumbled in, though he fell back against the threshold, his eyes struggling to see in the dark. His eyes scanned the room, looking for his target. “Get out here,” he repeated menacingly.

“Get the hell out of that room!”

Gregory swung back, his lips snarling violently at the woman that stood there. At least, they would have been, had the shadow not smashed into his face and knocked him sideways, off his feet.

“You bitch,” Gregory spat, dropping his bottle as his hands descended onto his face. It was moist, and his cheek stung as if aflame.

“Don’t you dare touch my child,” Luka’s mother growled, pulling the shotgun back to her side. She’d smashed the butt into her husband’s face, a move which shocked all of them. “Luka, baby,” she said aloud, glancing around the room. “Come out, honey.”

Luka stayed silent, watching from his closet door. He’d managed to slip into a pair of shorts, and was tightly squeezing the shirt between his hands. He was glad he had the paranoia to imagine the worst.

“Stay down!” he heard his mother scream, and the indisputable sound of the shotgun loading. “Luka!”

An eerie silence hung in the air, as Luka slipped the shirt on and cautiously shoved open the door. His lightly tapped his pocket, to make sure his phone and the wads of cash he’d shoved in were still there.

“You little shit,” his father slurred out, from his position on the floor. The man was lying beside Luka’s bed, watching his wife cautiously. She looked different, behind a shotgun.

The threat didn’t register, as his glazed eyes shifted to his son. Luka seemed lost, standing a few feet from his mother pointing a shotgun at her husband. “It shouldda been you,” Gregory spat, glaring at Luka. “Not Alexis.” His voice cracked, spit sliding down his chin; he hadn’t actually said his son’s name since the funeral, almost four years ago.

Luka managed a smile, the saddest smile he’d worn to date. “Dad…” he whispered cautiously.

Gregory’s eyes widened immediately, and he jumped to his feet, knocking aside the shotgun. “Don’t you dare call me that!” he screeched, as his wife moved to hold him back. It was a mistake, however, as Gregory managed to grab hold of the gun.

“Run!” Luka’s mother commanded, trying to shake the man off. Luka didn’t hesitate, immediately bursting towards the door, as his parents struggled over the weapon.

He made it to his front yard, before thunder broke the suburban silence. His feet stopped for only a split second, before they pushed him into the night.