Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:16:24 +1000 (EST) From: Dane Isaac <dane_isaac@yahoo.com.au> Subject: Rian chapter 10 Hey guys! Im sooooo sorry this has taken forever and i really have no excuse! Anyway let me know what you think! enjoy Dane xx Rian Chapter 10 They sat on the beach for a while in silence. Curiosity soon got the better of Rian. "So what about you then? Since you've `divined' so much about me. What's your story?" Julian smiled. "I hardly got your story. But I will tell you a few things. I have a boyfriend and he lives in Melbourne. Goes to uni at Latrobe. We get to see each other every second weekend or so. He's name is Takeshi and he's beautiful. My anime prince. Anyway. We've been together for a year and a bit. So how about we long distance buddies if both our boys are in the city." Rian smiled wryly. "I wish I was there with Jake. We only got together like a day before I left. I had a crush on him for ages but well^Å shit happened. I just have to last out until I turn eighteen then I can go back to him." "Man, its Melbourne, not London. Get him to come visit you." Rian flinched. As if he could ever get away from long enough from his grandparents. "No. I'll wait." He spoke with such finality that Julian was surprised and determined to find out what was going on. Julian dropped Rian off a couple of hours later. He was already late and he knew the school would have called ahead and reported that he had not attended the last few classes of the day. He was right. The minute Rian shut the front door behind him several things happened. Firstly Emily rushed out of the sitting room with a look a pity on her face. "Rian you are in a lot of trouble. Your grandmother is furious." She couldn't say anything more because at that moment a loud screeching voice yelled Rian's name. "You better go." Rian found his grandmother in the library. His grandfather hovering in the background. "I suppose you know that the school rang. So where were you?" She demanded. "I just went for a walk." Rian replied softly, head bent. "Don't lie to me! Is it no wonder your father was driven mad? This behaviour is not acceptable. I will not tolerate it in my house. You are as worthless as your father treated you! Disgusting perverted boy." She was on a rant now and Rian felt as if every word she said was a physical blow. This is my family. This isn't meant to happen. Those thoughts reminded him of the ones he had when he was with his parents. Why did his family hate him? Anger and bitterness built up inside. "My father is a bigoted arsehole who got off on beating up his son! Isn't that perverted?" Rian yelled at her. "How dare you speak of your father in that manner! In my day we got the cane if we spoke so disrespectfully of our elders." She sounded affronted. "People should earn respect before it's given and that includes my elders!" Rian could feel tears brimming and fought them away. "Right. George get the cane and give him twenty lashings." Half an hour later Rian lay on his stomach on the bed they had given him. His tears had dried up and he felt exhausted. His bum ached and stung at the same time. It felt red hot. He just lay in silence until he fell asleep ignoring the grumbling of an empty stomach. All his new friends made comments about Rian's lack of usual get up and his apparent reluctance and pain when he sat down. The boys started joking that he had found some new toy boy when the deeply sad look in Rian's eyes stopped them. After that they treated him like fragile glass. Rian didn't care. He felt himself slipping back into the state he had been a while ago. Rian was quite shocked to see Julian turn up on his grandparent's doorstep Saturday morning. "Shit! What are you doing here?" Rian glanced back into the house to see Emily give him a warning look. "Rian? Who's at the door?" A loud and demanding voice came from the sitting room. Rian winced. He looked despairingly at Emily who shook her head no. Julian was frowning. "Seventh Day Adventists, Grandma." Rian replied while looking apologetically at Julian. "Don't you dare call me that! Get rid of them." Rian mouthed sorry at Julian's hurt face. "I'll talk to you at school on Monday." He whispered shutting the door. "Rian! A word!" The commanding voice spoke again. Rian sighed heavily. Emily gave him a sympathetic squeeze on his shoulder on his way past. "Yes grandma?" He got a small pleasure out of seeing her grimace. "I've told you. Do not call me that." "Sorry." Rian lied, secretly smiling. "I see you have stopped wearing that ridiculous get up. You may eat dinner with us tonight." Rian gave a half smile and left when she waved a dismissive hand at him. Rian was feeling desperate to talk with Jake that night. After dinner he snuck out of the house and went on quite a long hike to find a public phone. Waiting for an answer took ages and he nearly hung up a few times, looking around himself as he expected his grandparents to jump out of the darkness with their cane. A woman answered and for some reason Rian panicked. He managed to hang onto the phone and willed his heart to slow down. "May I speak with Jake please?" Rian asked quietly. "Sure honey. Is this Rian? How are you? Jake's been a right old sad sack since you left. Moping around and spending ages writing emails." She rambled on for a bit until Rian heard Jake shout exasperatedly at his mum. Finally he heard that voice. "Hey Rian." "Hey." Rian whispered back. "What's wrong?" Jake was immediately on guard. "No, nothing. I just wanted to talk to you." Rian answered then added as if an after thought. "And make sure you haven't hooked up with some cute boy." Jake laughed softly. "No. Just wishing you could come back here and everything could be great." They chatted for a while and Jake filled Rian in on school gossip and Rian told Jake about Julian and his new friends. Rian soon realized how late it was soon after and had to end the call. Walking back to the house took ages but Rian felt warmed inside from his talk with Jake. The warmth soon left when he opened the door to find to foreboding figures waiting for him in the foyer.