Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:43:11 -0700 (PDT)
From: ghostofoldtrafford@yahoo.com
Subject: Lean on Me 3

This story is a work of fiction. It contains description of sexual acts
between minors. If you find the events depicted within offensive, then, by
all means, stop reading. Places and people portrayed are entirely
fictional.

For criticism, advice and the occasional praise, feel free to contact me at
ghostofoldtrafford@yahoo.com


LEAN ON ME

Chapter III


The door burst open and Sam rushed in, glancing wildly about, trying to
take everything in. "What's going on here?" He almost tripped over Alexi's
writhing form. "Alexi?" Then his eyes fell upon Hunter and the baseball bat
hanging limply now by the side of his body. Before Hunter's lips could form
a response, Sam was on him, grasping him harshly by the shoulders, shaking
him. "What have you done, you fool?" Hunter just gaped dumbly at him. Sam
raised a hand as if to strike his son, but thought better of it and just
shook his head. Turning his eyes towards Alexi, he saw that Dana had come
in and she was holding the boy tightly to her, his head in her lap. She
stroked his air, all the while whispering comforting words to him. A
muffled thud turned Sam's attention back to Hunter. The baseball bat had
fallen to the floor, on the thick carpet. "Out. NOW!" And before Hunter
could protest, Sam dragged the boy out of the room and down the stairs,
towards Sam's study. He shoved Hunter down into one of the comfortable
reading chairs, then moved to the corner, where a small cupboard held a few
bottles of whiskey.

"I didn't hurt him. I swear.  Only...I wanted to scare him a bit."

"Well, it worked, don't you think?" Sam snarled at his son. Having poured
himself a drink, Sam took a swig and moved over to the fireplace. He stared
at the many photos lining the mantelpiece. He forced himself to breathe
deeply and dig deep inside him for patience and calm. When he spoke, he did
so in an even voice, trying not to let the anger, disappointment and
disgust sip into his words. "You hurt that boy more than you could possibly
imagine."

"But I didn't..."

"DO. NOT. INTERUPT. ME." Sam spoke, accentuating each word. Hunter cowered
slightly, trying to sink deeper into the soft chair and hide. "Alexi is
broken in more ways than one and what you did right now opened such wounds
that I don't know how he'll ever be able to trust any of us again. By God,
Hunter, why did you have to do something so stupid? Now, when he had barely
gotten here? He wanted to go up to your room, because he felt it was his
duty to tell you that he wouldn't get in the way...That he just wants to be
your friend. And you spat in his face and in one fell swoop undid any
progress he might have made so far. Why, for the love of God, would you
refuse him the chance you yourself were given? You told me once how lucky
you felt to have us as your family. How blessed you were that Providence
brought us in your life? Why then do you deny him the same chance? Why do
you deny him friendship and family without even getting to know him? What
would Brandon say?"

Hunter was crying silently now. "I'm sorry. But I didn't think anything of
it. I meant to scare him a bit, but I would never hurt him."

Sam moved to stand in front of his son. When Hunter refused to raise his
head to meet his eyes, he crouched down so that Hunter was now looking down
on him slightly. "I know you're a good kid, Hunter and trust me when I say
I understand what you're feeling, but...you DID hurt him. That's something
you're gonna have to accept and work towards rectifying." Sam got to his
feet once more, emptied his glass and moved to refill it.

"We...Your mother and I, we had decided not to tell you everything about
him until he felt comfortable enough around us. It was stupid of us to do
so, perhaps, but we thought we needed to earn his trust before anything
else. I never expected this. I had hoped I would never have to say this,
but you disappointed me tonight, Hunter. I thought you better than this..."

"But dad, please..." Hunter croaked in-between sobs.

"That is besides the point now." Sam emptied the second glass in one big
gulp. "What happened to Alexi was...well, despicable. One afternoon, his
father came home. The police report said he was intoxicated. He...he killed
his wife and almost beat Hunter to death. It was sheer dumb luck that he
didn't get to finish the job. There was an ambulance across the
street. Someone had called in a heart attack. Apparently, it was a false
alarm, but the commotion from the Tupolovs', that is, Alexi's house,
grabbed the attention of the paramedics. They rushed in and saved the boy,
but it was already too late for his mother." Hunter was sitting upright in
his chair, eyes wide in horror. "His dad used a baseball bat for the whole
thing..."

"Oh, God, dad...I'm so sorry."

Yes, I'm sure Alexi is as well. He lost everything that day, son. You think
you know a thing or two about loss? Talk to him someday..."

"Why would anyone do something like that?"

Sam was silent for a moment, pondering his response. Finally, he shook his
head. "Who knows? Madness has many causes..."

Dana came into the room. She glowered at Hunter. "How could you?"

"Mom, I'm sorry..."

"You just make sure you tell him that. If he ever trusts you enough to get
near to him again..." she said. "Do you have any idea..."

"Yes, I do..." he trailed off, his head bowed.

Dana looked to her husband and communicated silently. She nodded and
grabbed Hunter by the scruff of his neck. "You, young man, are grounded
indefinitely. I've managed to calm Alexi down enough to get him back to his
room and into bed, so you can just march straight to your room."

Hunter almost ran out of his father's study. Dana just sighed deeply and
moved to her husband. She embraced him and he ran his fingers softly
through her hair, then bowed down to kiss her. Once the moment passed, they
both moved, hand in hand, towards the fireplace. She took one of the framed
pictures in her hand and tears began to fall on the photo of a small,
dark-haired boy smiling up at her.



The alarm almost made Alexi jump out of bed. Confused and bleary-eyed, he
managed to stop the blasted noise. He yawned and rubbed at his eyes. Bright
sunlight was streaming through his window. His eyesight adjusted and he
finally managed to distinguish a shape in the desk chair opposite his
bed. This time, he did jump out of bed and put his back to the wall. Hunter
got up from the chair and reached out a hand towards him. Alexi
recoiled. He wanted to yell for help. He wanted to run. He wanted to
cry. And he cursed himself for being a coward and a weakling. Then pain
shot through his stiff leg and all the world around him disappeared into
darkness, as he collapsed on the bed.

Hunter was next to him in an instant, a worried expression on his
features. "Are you alright?" he asked.

What a stupid question, Alexi thought to himself. There he was, as helpless
as a babe, having already demonstrated his weakness the previous night, now
he was sprawled on the bed and is latest nightmare by his head, asking if
he was alright. Why couldn't his dad have finished the job, he asked
himself bitterly.

Finally, his leg began to relax and Alexi's head cleared a bit. But the
cloud of fear was still there and getting darker. "Please...Don't...I got
the picture. I'll stay out of your way. Just, please, don't hurt me..." he
managed to say, still lying down on the bed.

Hunter extended his hand towards him again, but Alexi pushed himself out of
reach. Pity and pain played across Hunter's face. "I'm sorry. I didn't
know..." he said, then he quickly turned and ran out of the room.

He didn't know? Alexi thought to himself. God, what was it that he DID
know? Everything? No, that wasn't possible. Not even his parents knew. And
judging by the pity he saw in Hunter's eyes, he realized that what Hunter
knew was the oh-so-tragic story of Alexi Leonard Tupolov. He was sick of
the pity, of the furtive glances and whispered words. "Oh, that poor boy!"
he said mockingly. "Of course they all pity you. Look at yourself. You're
worthless. Less than a man in every possible way. A coward and a cripple."
He roared in frustration, then grabbed the alarm clock and smashed it into
the opposite wall of the room. Then he closed his eyes, took in a deep
breath, grabbed his cane and walked into the bathroom. When he came out a
few minutes later, only a towel wrapped around his waist, Dana was on the
floor of his room, gathering the pieces of the broken alarm clock.

"Well, I suppose a new alarm is gonna have to go on the shopping list for
today, then..."

"I'm so sorry about that. I'm gonna pay for it...Somehow..." he
half-whispered.

"Don't be silly." Dana smiled up at him. "Now, get dressed. Breakfast and
then we're off."

Alexi looked down at himself and blushed. "Right...clothes."

Dana just laughed as she straightened herself up. "I've taken the liberty
of picking out something for you to wear today...from Hunter's wardrobe. I
hope it's okay with you. You both are about the same size, so they should
suit you nicely though you're awfully skinny. Anyway, just thought you
shouldn't wear the same clothes as yesterday. I find it difficult to wear
the same clothes I wore during travel, even if it was a short journey."

"Yeah, me too." Alexi smiled shyly.

"There. A smile...It suits you. You should try it on more often."  And with
that, she left him to get ready.

What followed was a whirlwind for Alexi. He was never much of a shopper, so
his head was still spinning around noon, when, after a few hours, two dozen
shops and quite a bit of money spent, Dana was satisfied that he had enough
for the fall. "We'll see about some warmer clothing next week, okay?" she
had said. Alexi didn't even know how to respond. He was expecting no more
than a few shirts and maybe a pair or two of jeans, but now he was having
difficulty fitting all the bags into the back of the car, having already
filled the trunk. He finally managed to squeeze everything in and got in
the front seat. He had already thanked Dana two dozen times as they were
shopping, but he still felt he owed her and her family more than he could
ever pay back.

"Thank you. I know words can't do justice to how I feel, but it's all I can
give you now." He said.

Dana reached out a hand to pat him gently on the head, but Alexi flinched
slightly. Just pulled back her hand and the two of them were quiet for a
minute. "About last night..."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to react that way. I promise I won't do it
again."

"You're sorry? My dear boy, you have nothing to apologize for. We let you
down. We just never expected Hunter to react that way."

"It's alright. He didn't hurt me or anything. I don't think he would have
even if you and Sam hadn't come in. It's just..." he trailed off, looking
out the car window. The silence stretched between them, but it was not an
uncomfortable one. It was a moment of understanding.

"You need time. And love. And I promise, you'll have them both. Even from
Hunter. He...he needs time as well." Dana suddenly pulled over at the side
of the road and turned in her seat, facing Alexi. "We all have our secrets
and our haunted pasts. We all experience loss. And some of us take it
harder than others." She closed her eyes shut, yet a single tear still
glistened on its way down her cheek. "We had a son, Sam and I. His name was
Brandon. I was told I could never have children, yet there he was, a
miracle. He was a year older than Hunter. They grew up together, as true
brothers. Hunter loved him more than anyone else in the world. They were
together all the time. Brandon was his best friend and, even though they
were so close in age, he acted like Hunter's big brother in
truth. They...they were together when Brandon died, 4 years ago. They were
just standing in front of the school. I was on my way to pick them up, but
was running late. A...a car drove by and opened fire on them and a few
other kids. Brandon..."Dana couldn't finish the sentence, as pain overcame
her and she leaned her head on the steering wheel and started sobbing.

Alexi felt her sorrow and tragedy as if it were his own. He tentatively
reached out his hand to Dana, placing it in what he hoped was a reassuring
manner on her back. Dana quickly turned around and hugged him
tightly. "God, Alexi, you remind me so much of him." Was this it? Was this
the reason why they had taken him in? Alexi's mind raced. He was to be the
replacement for their dead son? It certainly explained Hunter's
reaction. Nobody could replace the center of his world when it had been so
violently ripped apart. Least of all a cheap, broken replica. Alexi could
never live up to Brandon, he knew that right then and there. But these
people were good and they were in pain. He knew a thing or two about
pain. If he could at least partially mend this broken family, perhaps he
could also find the peace and acceptance that had alluded him.

"I'm sorry." He whispered in Dana's ear as he pushed her gently away. Still
holding her by the shoulders, he looked deep into her eyes and knew they
understood each other. "Losing a son...I can't imagine that. But I do know
what losing one's family feels like. What having the very foundation of
your world shaken and shattered feels like. I'm not Brandon. But maybe
there is a reason why destiny put us together. If we can heal each other,
then we owe it to ourselves to at least try."

Dana brushed away her tears and smiled at him. "Thank you, Alexi. That
means a lot to me."

"And I'll take care of Hunter, I promise. I'll get through to him
eventually. Like you said...time and love." Dana hugged him once more.

When she broke the embrace and started the car again, the air seemed
lighter, the atmosphere brighter and suddenly, there was hope for the
future again.

"We need to head for the school. Then my shift is starting at work, so we
won't be able to buy you a computer today. Instead, Vince will pick you up
tomorrow after school and he'll see to it." Alexi gulped audibly and Dana
laughed. "Yes, he can be quite...unnerving at times. But he's been a good
and loyal friend to Sam. You'll get used to him quick enough."

They then stopped by the school, where Alexi got his schedule. Dana also
wanted to pick up Hunter, but when the boy saw Alexi, he told his mother
that he'd rather walk. Disappointment hit Alexi, but he just whispered to
himself "Time...", the resolution to break through to Hunter firmly on his
face.

The rest of the day was uneventful. Alexi passed the time by organizing his
wardrobe, napping and finally reading a dust-covered pulp novel he found
lying under his bed. Sam eventually called him down to dinner and he was
once again disappointed to see that Hunter was not there. Sam gave him an
apologetic smile and they both dug into the hot pizza. "Sorry, but Dana's
the only one with any real cooking prowess, and seeing as she's at work..."

"Are you kidding, this is heaven. I haven't had pizza in months." Alexi
smiled in-between mouthfuls. They passed the rest of dinner mostly in
silence, Sam occasionally asking Alexi about his shopping trip. Alexi
avoided any mention of the talk he and Dana had in the car. She'll tell
her. It's not my place, he thought to himself. Finally, saying their
good-nights, they each headed for their respective bedrooms.

Alexi was plagued by yet another nightmare as he tossed and turned in his
bed. But it wasn't the usual terror chasing him. He was now a 12-year-old
boy, chatting idly to his brother. They laughed as a loud bang pierced the
sky and then the blond-haired boy standing over him, his brother, was
screaming. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Are you alright?" The boy kept crying
as he replied. "I'm alone."


Morning came and with it Alexi's first day of school. He did his usual
morning routine, had breakfast and Sam drove him, explaining how Hunter had
decided to take the bus that morning. "Time", Alexi thought. As the car
pulled up in front of the school, Alexi noticed a few of the other kids
staring at him through the window. He breathed in and got out of the car,
planting his cane firmly on the ground. He waved Sam farewell and started
making his way towards the entrance. As he moved, he could hear the
whispers and feel the gaze of the other kids, but he kept his eyes firmly
on the front door. "More pitiful looks. I don't need your pity." He thought
firmly. "But what do I need? Family and unconditional love." The answer
came to him in a flash. For the weeks he lay in the hospital bed, he
thought over and over about what his life meant. What he wanted. Numerous
times, he wished his father had gone all the way. Other times, he thought
of finishing the job himself. He always dismissed the possibility of moving
forward. Until now. It was all so clear and easy for him to see. He wanted
love. He had always wanted it. And here was the chance to finally find
it. "But they still don't know it all." A nagging feeling that just
wouldn't go away. "Maybe I'm a good enough replacement son, maybe their
pity and love for a lost one is enough to accept me, but what if I ruin it
all again?". Alexi chewed at his lower lip as these thoughts raced through
his mind. He didn't even notice the small step in front of him and he was
suddenly falling.

"Great way to avoid their pity." Alexi mumbled under his breath. "Or your
own humiliation." As he heard a few kids laughing at him. He didn't get up,
instead just turning on left his side, to rub at his right leg.

"Wanna hand?" someone spoke.

Alexi looked up and his breath caught in his throat. A boy stood over him,
a hand outstretched towards Alexi. He was tall. Over 6 feet. Lean as Alexi
used to be. Another runner? He had soft brown eyes. The type that can melt
your heart with the kindness reflected in them. Stubble covered his chin
and his hair was cropped short, the way Alexi liked it. Worry was etched on
his face but, noticing Alexi's dumbstruck expression, he smiled and Alexi
felt his heart skip a beat.  Then he regained his composure and reached for
whatever reserves of dignity he had left.

"No, thanks. I can manage." He finally replied.

"We all need help, my friend." The young man grasped Alexi and pulled him
to his feet with amazing ease. "Even when we fail to realize it." He shook
the dust off Alexi, then held out his hand. "Name's Evan."