Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2007 17:25:14 +1000 (EST)
From: Dane Isaac <dane_isaac@yahoo.com.au>
Subject: Rian chapter 8

hey guys, here's the next one... dont know where i'm going with this but
it will come to me! let me know what u think and thanks for all the
emails!!!
Dane


Rian
Chapter 8


It took a few days of bed rest and house confinement before Rian felt
well enough to face enrolling at his new school. It wasn't a boarding
school as both Elizabeth and George had hoped but even they didn't have
enough sway to get him accepted this late in the school year. So it was
to the local private school St Josephs.

Those days of rest had allowed Rian some time to evaluate his options. He
came to the decision that he wasn't going to live like he did with his
dad. He wasn't going to cower and despite Jake's advice of keeping his
head down, he was going to be proud and just as loud.

On the first day of school Elizabeth drove Rian in to enroll. She smiled
suavely at the principal and bragged about Rian's outstanding academic
prowess and that unfortunate circumstances had forced him to change
schools.

Rian watched and waited silently. They managed to match him up with all
he classes he had taken at his old school. Rian was a smart kid, he was a
very quick learner and had one of those annoying abilities that allowed
him not to freeze up in exams but rather prosper under the pressure and
time constraints.

A few girls and guys spoke to him during class but Rian remained distant.
He wasn't going to make `acceptable' friends.

At lunchtime Rian surveyed the vast variety of children. The school was a
co-ed private.
He saw the usual pretty people all grouped together looking suspiciously
at anyone else. Skip that one. He saw the athletic groups of brawny guys
and muscled girls. Skip. He saw the computer nerds huddled together.
Skip.

Then he saw the artistic crowd. The guys and girls with coloured hair and
crazy hair cuts, painted nails and anything else that was
`unconformist'. Rian smiled. Loud and proud.

He walked towards them in their spot under the trees. Almost as one they
turned to face him. He smiled.

"Hi, my name's Rian. I'm new here. Does anyone have any black nail
polish?"

There was silence then one of the girls started laughing. "You got
balls. As it happens I have some metallic blue nail polish if you're
interested."

Rian smiled. "That'll do."

The girl patted the spot next to her on the grass. She was a very
beautiful girl with dark caramel skin and brown eyes. Her black hair was
streaked with red.

"My name's Amy. It's a bit late to change schools isn't it? You're
in year twelve right?"

Before Rian had a chance to answer another boy spoke up. "Yeah he's in
my history class."

"That's James." Amy supplied, handing over her nail polish as Rian
sat.

James had bright red hair and freckles. He, like a couple of others were
looking suspiciously at Rian.

Rian shrugged and got to work on his nails. He smiled to himself, this
was sure to piss off his grandparents. He blew on each nail like he had
seen some girls, camping it up as much as he could.

Amy smiled at him. "So why'd you have to change schools?"

"Well I told my dad I was gay. He^Å kicked me out and now I'm staying
with my bigoted grandparents who wanted to get me away from my
boyfriend." Rian kept at his nails, studiously ignoring everyone.

When he finally glanced up he saw mixed expressions. None of them were
bad however. Some were surprised, a couple including James and Amy looked
slightly admiring and others were smiling faintly.

"Once again. Balls." Amy said.

Rian just smiled quietly.

"So are you doing that on purpose to annoy your grandparents?" James
asked watching Rian apply nail polish.

Surprised by James' correct assumption, Rian nodded. "I've decided to
be loud and proud and fuck the consequences. I don't usually wear nail
polish but if it pisses of those homophobic arsehole grandparents then
all the better."

Amy grinned at him. "Good on ya Rian. So what's your boyfriend like?"

Rian smiled. "His name is Jake and he's an excellent soccer player.
He's the sweetest person I know."

There was an `Aww!' from the girls in the groups and Rian blushed
bright red. The boys all started laughing. For the rest of lunch they
joked around and Rian got to know the others in the group.

At the end of school Rian waited for the bus with a triumphant smile. His
grandparents wanted him to pretend to be `normal' but Rian was not
going to hide. Chris and Sam, two of the guys from the friends he had
made at lunch caught the same bus as him and they all sat near each
other. Sam and Chris waved to Rian as he started to walk home from the
bus stop.
When he got to his grandparents showy near mansion, Rian took a deep
breathe to fortify himself and went inside. His grandparents had two
maids. Rian had never felt so uncomfortable in his life as when his bags
were unpacked for him, when his towel was laid out fresh each morning,
his room continually tidied. He felt lazy and undeserving.

The younger maid was twenty and her name was Emily. Rian had gained her
confidence when he was bed bound. She was the first to see him as he came
inside. Emily smiled and went to take his bag but Rian just smiled and
shook his head.

She smiled too until she saw his bright nails. "Oh sir! You can't wear
that to dinner. You must get rid of it!"

"It's Rian, Emily and no the nail polish is staying."

Emily looked worriedly after Rian as he walked towards his room. His
grandparents were not people to be easily trifled with and she hoped Rian
knew what he was doing.

Dinner was always a stiff and uninteresting affair. So far his
grandparents had not seen his unconventional addition. They spoke about
his father's court case.

"George dear, it's very important we get Mark a good lawyer, one that
knows the value of a good psychologist's report. Alcohol, betrayal,
anger, disappointment are all elements that could trigger an emotional
breakdown. Poor Mark."

Rian was fuming as he ate. They always did this. Talked as if he wasn't
there or didn't matter. Soon after Elizabeth's hawk eyes zeroed in on
Rian's nails.

"What disgusting thing do you have on your hand? Go wash it off now."

This was it. Time for defiance, for loud and proud, for being strong.
Rian took a deep breath.

"No. I decided that I like blue. It suit's my hair don't cha think?"
Rian said innocently, holding his hand out and looking his nails over
proudly.

There was silence for a moment.

"Go to your room Rian. Honestly is it no wonder your father reacted the
way he did?" Elizabeth dismissed him.

Rian was boiling with anger. "What you mean breaking my ribs and beating
me unconscious. Yes I can see how nail polish would evoke that kind of
reaction."

"Stop being so dramatic Rian. You are impossible! Go to your room now!"
Elizabeth said haughtily.

Rian did so. He wasn't finished though. After a conversation with Amy
the next day at school, Rian arrived home later that week with bright
pink nail polish. He was sent to bed with no dinner.

As the weeks progressed Rian came home from school wearing glitter,
eyeliner, lip gloss, bracelets and rings.  Emily snuck him some food on
occasion but mostly he spent all his time at the mansion in his room. Amy
and James had become good friends and they all conspired together to make
Rian look as `gay' as possible.

This didn't come without problems however from both home and school.