Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:18:59 -0700 (PDT)
From: Michael Smith <faretheeforeverwell@yahoo.com>
Subject: Stories from Haven - Nolan 1

DISCLAIMER

The following story is completely fictitious and any resemblances to
persons living or dead are entirely coincidental. Just as in life, this
story contains graphic scenes of love and hate, life and death, joy and
sorrow, as well as material that may be offensive to some audiences. If
such material makes you feel uncomfortable, then please read no further
than this warning.

Send questions and comments to thatguywhowritesniftysmut@gmail.com

NOLAN - CHAPTER ONE

Nolan watched as the world above him grew deeper and deeper apart from the
world around him. He could only barely make out the forms looking down on
him from above the surface of the water. With its blue tint stinging his
eyes, and a small trail of red catching his attention only briefly, his
confusion was marred by a single cohesive thought.
     He was going to die.
     It was almost peaceful, the splashing of the water around him, people
playing and laughing with their friends. He could hear the dim echoing of
metal pipes from the side of the pool as children clamored up the ladder on
the side. He could almost briefly hear his name echoing through the water
to his motionless body as it finally came to rest on the bottom of the deep
end. He let out one last gasp as the water painfully tried to fill his
lungs, his body fighting against the intrusion, but there was nothing he
could do.
     There was no escape, no help on the way, no hope for him. His gaze
shifted to some point off in the distance of the seemingly infinite expanse
of water. It hurt, his lungs felt betrayed and on fire, he could feel his
throat closing up. Even as his vision began to fail him, the darkness began
creeping from behind his eyes; he could almost see a starburst of white
light and a swirl of bubbles reach out to him.
     The bubbles were like some secret magic and they began to take on the
form of a familiar face. It reminded him of Dylan. Dylan was always so
serious, always so grim. One of his best and only friends, Nolan was going
to miss Dylan the most. The last thought that went through his head before
the darkness swept his life away was...
     "Dylan looked much better when he smiled."

"Nolan," Fiona Applegate said with a light tone in her voice, "this is Pam
and Ken Richardson. They are going to be taking care of you for now."
     Nolan looked up at the couple from under his mop of black hair. The
fresh air of early spring and the noises of the outside world seemed to
instantly stagnate as Nolan thought of entering another foster home, but as
he looked up, his thoughts brightened a bit. The Richardsons looked like
good people, with warm smiles. Pam Richardson was a little plump, but sort
of in the way one might think of an older motherly figure. Ken was taller
with a bit of a belly, his hair graying and his mustache kept a bit too
long over his lips. Both looked down at the small boy with kindness in
their eyes.
     "Hello there, Nolan. Ms. Applegate has told us a lot about you." Ken
said with a bristly smile.
     "We hope you like it here." Mrs. Richardson added.
     Nolan shyly nodded while still slinking back a bit towards Fiona, the
small bag that contained his entire world clutched to his chest
protectively.
     "He is still a little shy around new people." Fiona explained,
selectively leaving out the word stranger, and placing a comforting arm
around Nolan's slender shoulder.
     Kneeling down to his level and turning the eleven year old boy to face
her, Fiona looked into his eyes. It was heartbreaking for her to see the
fear in those bright blue eyes. Even as she felt her own tears begin to
form, Nolan smiled at her and pulled her in close for a hug, which she
gladly accepted. She had learned early on that Nolan was a very physical
child with those he trusted and had briefed the Richardson's beforehand
about some of his more peculiar habits.
     "I'm going to miss you, Nolan," she told him, emphasizing her genuine
feeling with a quick squeeze, "but I will be around and stop in from time
to time and make sure you are doing okay."
     After letting go of the hug and pulling back enough to see his
beautiful face, she could see that simple smile he would always give
people, but his eyes betrayed his sadness. Collecting her feelings and
thoughts, Fiona stood and bid the Richardsons and Nolan a final
farewell. As she got into her car, the same car that only ten minutes ago
held a very nervous and precious child, she closed her eyes and sighed to
herself.
     "This never gets any easier."
     As the car drove off down the street, Nolan followed it with his eyes
as he was led up the path to the Richardson's house. He lost sight of the
car as it turned the corner of the next block and was gone. Letting out a
long held breath, he slowly made his way up the few stairs to the imposing
house in front of him. The front porch was littered with fire wood and a
few old chairs that had seen better days, as well as a few balls and a
couple bikes.
     "I'm sorry the front is such a mess," Ken apologized, "but the boys
sometimes forget to clean up after themselves. I know it might not seem
like much, but our home is a safe place, and I want you to consider it your
home too. I won't promise things will always go smoothly, but I do promise
that while you are living in these walls you can be yourself."
     "So long as you don't mind a few ground rules, that is."
Mrs. Richardson added as they both smiled.
     Nolan looked at them both quizzically.
     "Rule one is respect." Mr. Richardson began as the three of them moved
through the creaky front door into the living room. "Respect for property,
respect for feelings, and respect for privacy, both for yourself and
others. We don't have a whole lot of room in the house, but we still have
enough to take care of a few `strays.'" He said with a smirk. "You are
going to be our fourth guest." He added with genuine warmth.
     As Nolan entered the somewhat large living room he could see a
television screen lighting up with what appeared to be some sort of video
game. On the screen two streaming lines of notes seemed to endlessly
descend from a background of digital punk rockers and a familiar tune
filled the room. Nolan had heard the song before, but had never bothered to
ask what it was called. A large couch blocked the view of the game's
participants.
     "Boys, pause and present yourselves, Nolan is here." Mrs. Richardson
said with what sounded like frustrated undertones.
     The game stopped, with a guitar rift. Nolan looked past Mr. and
Mrs. Richardson to see a set of synchronized heads pop up from behind the
couch's back. The two faces belonged to the same boy. After fixing their
eyes on Nolan, each boy seemed to mirror the other as a devilish grin
spread across their faces. The entire process had a very unnerving effect
on Nolan.
     "Alright boys, I know that look. You are not to pull any of your
tomfoolery on this one for at least a few days." Mrs. Richardson said with
authority, placing a protective hand on Nolan's head, "And I mean it this
time."
     Both boys took on a look of shock and dismay, turning to each other
and shrugging their shoulders as if to say `why whatever do you mean.'
     "Honestly, when have we ever done anything like that?" one said.
     "Yeah, we are nice as can be and always friendly." The other added.
     "Especially with fresh meat." They both said in unison, glaring at
Nolan with devilish intent.
     "See, that is exactly what I am talking about. Now, front and
center. Proper introductions are in order, and none of that `but I'm not
so-and-so, he's so-and-so' nonsense."
     With an audible sigh, both boys slipped down and off the couch and
moved around until they were standing in front of Nolan and the
Richardson's. They were a good head taller than the eleven year old and
both sported the same short brown hair and blue eyes. They looked to be
maybe a year or so older than Nolan.
     "Nolan, this is Sam and Max." Mr. Richardson said introducing each boy
respectively.
     Both boys looked up at Mr. Richardson nervously, before shifting their
eyes over to Mrs. Richardson, and finally gazing back at each other.
     "Actually..." one began.
     "... and I know you said..." the other began to finish.
     "No nonsense!" Mrs. Richardson warned them both.
     Mr. Richardson looked over the boys with an appraising eye for a few
moments before bursting into a wide grin.
     "I'm just kidding, boys. Jeez, learn to take a joke."
     Both boys' jaws dropped a bit dismayed that they had been
had. Obviously, they were the ones used to running the cons in the
household. Taking advantage of their stunned silence, Mr. Richardson than
introduced them to Nolan, who quietly nodded a greeting before shifting his
eyes back down to the floor. Mrs. Richardson sensed Nolan's hesitance and
suggested she show him to his room.
     As she and Nolan passed the boys towards the stairs, Nolan could feel
the twins watching him. Mr. Richardson put his hands on the boys' heads and
ruffled their hair until each was a unique mess.
     "Well, maybe if you leave your hair like that, we can tell you guys
apart a little easier. Oh, and did I see a pair of bikes outside? Those
might need to find their way to the garage or else they might find their
way to the curb in the morning with the trash."
     The well executed and subtle hint about their bikes paid off as both
boys began to grumble under their breath as they made their way out the
door, presumably to put their bikes away.
     Mrs. Richardson led Nolan up the creaky stairs and around the banister
to the second floor.
     "Well, Nolan, right down here at the end is the upstairs
bathroom. Right next door to that is where Mr. Richardson and I sleep. Over
here, down the hall at the end is Sam and Max's room." As she walked Nolan
down the hall, she eventually guided him into a rather large room with two
beds. "This will be your room, but you are going to be sharing it with
Dylan. He is out right now, but he should be back in time for dinner."
     Mrs. Richardson looked down at Nolan, as he took in his new
surroundings. She could feel he was uncomfortable and apprehensive. She had
been doing this for many years and knew it would pass, more quickly for
some than others. She remembered when Sam and Max came and they basically
took over, claiming the entire world as their own personal playground,
while others, like Nolan, seemed so timid and afraid.
     "Well, I will let you get settled for right now. Your bed is right
over here, and there is a dresser next to it for your clothing and
belongings." She looked down at the small bag, baffled that someone could
have so little to call their own.
     Nolan looked down at the floor for a good while.
     "Thank you, ma'am." The gentle voice floated up like music, as Nolan
brought his eyes to meet Mrs. Richardson's sorrowful look.
     Pam Richardson was taken back a little by the sound of such a pure
voice. She suddenly realized that this was the first time Nolan had spoken
since Fiona had dropped him off. He had such a soft and beautiful voice,
and looking into his eyes for the first time she was surprised to find how
attractive he actually was. She could almost detect some Asian ancestry in
his face, and he was clearly one of those beautiful children that seemed to
glow with a delicate elegance.
     He smiled up at her. She smiled down at him. It took her a few moments
to break the trance. She could feel in her heart that he was special.
     "Dinner will be in about an hour. If you get done up here, feel free
to come down and play with the boys. Like I said before, Dylan should be
home in a little while. He plays basketball with some of the neighborhood
kids at the park just down the street. Maybe later we can take you on a
tour of the neighborhood?"
     Nolan just smiled and nodded.

Mrs. Richardson made her way down the stairs, each step creaking wood that
assaulted the ears of the twins as they resumed their game of guitar
hero. The Xbox had been a sound investment of their allowance from the
Richardson's for the chores they did around the house.
     "So..." Sam asked after a few minutes of playing.
     "He's really cute, isn't he?" Max added.
     "Totally." Sam confirmed.
     "I wonder..." Max pondered.
     "Me too." Sam agreed.
     The two twelve year olds continued to play their game as the
Richardson's set to work in the kitchen. A half hour or so later the boys
continuing to play their game as the smell of delicious food began to fill
the entire house.
     "Oh, gawd," Max bellowed in mock pain, pausing the game with his
controller.
     "Enchiladas..." Sam finished, both boys' mouths watering.
     "Honestly!" they both cried out, "you're going to kill us with
delicious food!"
     Sounds of laughter could be heard from the kitchen beyond the living
room. Moments later the front door closed with rattling glass, and
footsteps came into the living room.
     Without looking around, Sam and Max resumed their game, wanting to
finish the song before dinner.
     "Just in time, Dylan." Sam said.
     "We got enchiladas el Richardson tonight." Max added.
     "And who is this?" Dylan asked.
     Both boys paused their game and turned around to see Nolan sitting in
a chair just outside of their original line of sight. Neither twin had
heard Nolan come down the creaky staircase or find a spot sitting
Indian-style on the old wooden chair. Nolan was looking nervously up at
Dylan, who at 5'9" was way taller than the smaller boy. The fright in
Nolan's eyes could have been attributed to Dylan's typical smile-free face
or the fact that his fourteen year old body was currently shirtless and
sweaty, showing off his developing muscles.
     "When did you get there?" both boys asked Nolan in unison.
     Nolan looked nervously from Sam and Max back to the shirtless Dylan
and finally settling his gaze on some unmarked point on the floor.
     "Sorry..." Nolan replied meekly from the old chair.
     Nolan felt a hand land on his head and ruffle his hair into a tangled
mess.
     "Don't be sorry, especially to them. They are nothing but trouble on
four legs." Dylan comforted as he knelt down next to the seemly oversized
chair. "They caused me the biggest headache when I first met them."
     Nolan turned his face towards the older boy and gave a weak
smile. Satisfied, Dylan stood as Nolan's eyes followed Dylan's, lifting his
head to look up in the process.
     The older boy was tall and skinny, with a nice toned upper body but
without the bulky muscles some people who are in shape have. He wore his
light brown hair almost down to his neck and his deep brown eyes seemed to
be sizing Nolan up, but not in a menacing way. Even though he was still
covered in sweat from playing outside, Nolan couldn't help think that he
smelled nice. Of course, that could have been the smell of food in the air.
     "I'm Dylan. You must be Nolan." The older boy still didn't smile, but
there didn't seem to be any maliciousness in his expression. "I would have
been here when you arrived, but we didn't really know when that was going
to be, and I had made plans to meet some mates for a pickup game this
afternoon." He said matter-of-factly.
     After a few moments of silence, the cry for dinner was sounded from
the kitchen. The twins seemed to explode from the couch, and Dylan waited
for them to pass before offering his hand to Nolan to follow him. Nolan
looked down at the older boy's hand for a moment before extending his own
to take it. Dylan led him off of the chair and out of the living room into
the full kitchen where Mr. and Mrs. Richardson greeted Dylan and Nolan.
     After batting away the twins with their plates already at the ready,
the Richardson's went on to explain that Nolan, as the newest guest in
their house, would get to go first. Sensing his shyness, Dylan led the way,
instructing him on how to make the enchiladas. First showing him how to
take the warmed soft shells off of the big plate with the tongs, than using
the various dishes to place the meat, cheese, veggies, and sour cream on
top, and finally how to wrap and fold it so none of the insides got
out. Nolan paid attention with great diligence, and was able to mimic
Dylan's instructions and example perfectly.
     "See," Dylan said, "nothing to it. Even the tweedles over there,"
pointing to the twins while referencing tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum, "can
do it."
     "Hey!" they both cried in anger, "we're right here you know!"
     "Boys, play nicely." Mr. Richardson absentmindedly chimed in as he
poured Nolan some juice.
     Nolan followed Dylan and the twins out to the living room where
everyone made camp on the floor with their plates. Dylan switched the
television to a different frequency to access some strange box called a
Roku.
     "So," Dylan asked, "you have a favorite movie, Nolan? We can pretty
much get anything on this thing, but right now we only have access to what
is queued up. If you want we can see if anything looks good?"
     Nolan looked at the screen in front of him, baffled by the
question. No one had ever really asked him what his favorite movie was, let
alone offered him the chance to choose one to watch. He had always just
stayed in the background, never being noticed, because it was always safer
that way.
     After a few moments of staring blankly ahead, the twins broke the
silence.
     "Is he slow, or what?"
     The glare they got from Dylan even made Nolan feel bad for them.
     "It's okay... really... I'm just not that used to these sorts of
things, I guess..." Nolan timidly explained.
     "We're sorry, Nolan." Max spoke up.
     "We didn't mean anything by it... we were just kidding." Sam added
helpfully.
     After allowing a few moments for the apology to sink in, Dylan got an
idea.
     "How about, Iron Giant?"
     The twins seemed to be agreeable to that suggestion, while Nolan just
looked up at Dylan quizzically.
     "It's a really good movie, won a bunch of awards and stuff; of course
you probably don't care too much about that. Basically it is the story of
this boy named Hogarth who finds a giant metal eating robot that becomes
his best friend. When I was your age, Nolan, it was my favorite movie."
     "And when he was our age," the twins added, "it was his favorite movie
to crank one..."
     The glare returned, cutting short both boys' words.
     Nolan wasn't sure what it all meant, but he agreed to the movie, and
Dylan set it up and a few moments later it began to play.
     "In fact," Dylan added, "I think you will find that you and Hogarth,
the kid in the movie, sound kind of alike."
     As the movie played, Nolan sat enthralled. Mindlessly eating his food,
which tasted like the best thing he had ever had, he was drawn into the
story of Hogarth and the Iron Giant. From time to time, Nolan would steal a
glance from the television over to Dylan who, like himself, was caught up
in the movie. Nolan couldn't help but let his glances linger a little bit,
fixing his eyes on Dylan's still exposed chest and stomach. It was as if
the body of the older boy seemed to attract his attention, but he wasn't
really sure why. He just knew he liked looking at Dylan almost as much as
he enjoyed the movie, or the delicious food that seemed to magically
disappear from his plate.
     As the movie got closer and closer towards the end, Nolan found
himself completely immersed into the story. He didn't even notice that he
had begun to softly cry and sniffle as the Giant told Hogarth he had to go,
and Hogarth had to stay. "No following."
     The twins looked at Nolan crying, than looked at each other, but said
nothing; having filled their being yelled at quota for the day.
     Nolan felt a warm body slide up to him and wrap a protective arm
around him, pulling him closely into a sitting hug. He could feel Dylan's
naked flesh on his arm and the warmth from his body radiating through
Nolan's soft shirt. As the Giant lifted off of the ground to intercept the
warhead headed towards the peaceful town where Hogarth lived, Nolan felt
tears running down his cheeks.
     "I love you." Hogarth said to the Giant as he blasted off high into
the sky.
     As the Giant faced off against the warhead destined to descend and
kill everyone in the town, including the army that had originally tried to
kill him, he closed his eyes and imagined he was superman, saving the day.
     When the explosion was unleashed, Nolan jerked, but Dylan held him
close. Sensing the younger boy's investment into the movie, Dylan was
patient as Nolan began to cry at the heartbreaking destruction of the
Giant. As the movie began to wrap up, Nolan brightened, seeing the last
surviving piece of the Iron Giant make its way from Hogarth's room out into
the world where it would eventually reassemble itself, so the Giant would
be fixed and whole once more.
     As the credits began to roll, Sam and Max got their plates together
and took them out to the kitchen where the Richardson's had been eating and
talking while the boys watched their movie.
     "You okay?" Dylan asked, leaning down close to Nolan's ear.
     Nolan just nodded, not having realized Dylan was still there. As he
felt the wetness on his cheeks, Dylan brought a finger up to Nolan's face
and wiped his tears away.
     "I'm sorry; I guess I should have figured a movie like that might be a
bit much for you..." Dylan's voice trailed off.
     "No... it's okay... really." Nolan replied, "I really liked the
movie... I just... sometimes I get... sorry..."
     Dylan smiled.
     "I cried the first time I saw it too."
     Nolan looked up into Dylan's eyes. His heart was beating so fast and
it was hard to breathe. The smile was light, like a gentle candle burning
before him. He could feel its warmth. It wasn't a smile of happiness or
satisfaction, and it was far from the same smile some of the kids gave him
when they saw his weakness. It was...
     Both boys were broken from their spell as they turned around to the
sound of Mrs. Richardson picking up their forgotten plates from the floor.
     "I'm so glad to see you boys are getting along." She smiled.
     "Yeah," Dylan said, a little unnerved at her sudden presence, "Nolan
just got a little too into the movie. I've been there myself..." He added
meekly.
     Nolan thought that seeing Dylan blush was almost as nice as seeing him
smile.
     "Well, I was going to say, since you two are getting along so well,
and because we still have an hour or two of good solid daylight left, why
not take Nolan on a tour of the neighborhood and show him the park?" After
a few moments of looking Dylan up and down, she added, "That is, after you
get yourself cleaned up, young man."
     Looking down at himself, Dylan in all seriousness didn't see anything
wrong with going the way he was.
     "Honestly..." Mrs. Richardson began, "I will never understand boys and
their ability to run around all day, half naked and smelling of
basketball. Don't they teach you shame and hygiene at that school of
yours?"

After a quick trip up to their bedroom to get changed, Dylan told Nolan he
was going to grab a shower really quick and would only be a few minutes. He
suggested Nolan change into some clothes that didn't look so nice, since it
was always good to be prepared when going to the park... whatever that
meant.
     "Just some play clothes... you know... stuff you don't mind getting
dirty or sweaty or smelly in." Dylan added helpfully. After coming to the
conclusion Nolan was drawing a blank, he asked to see what Nolan had for
clothes.
     Dylan was surprised at the few clothes Nolan had to offer. All
together, three pairs of socks, a couple pairs of white briefs, a pair of
shorts, a couple white t-shirts, and a light jacket. All this in addition
to the collared shirt and pants Nolan was currently sporting.
     "Mom!" Dylan yelled, slightly worrying Nolan that he might have done
something wrong.
     Mrs. Richardson arrived a few moments later with a slightly worried
look on her face.
     "Who's hurt?" she asked an instinctive question.
     "No one is hurt... but still, this is an emergency." Dylan pleaded,
waving his hands around at the small display of secondhand garments.
     "Okay... I'm waiting for the explanation." Mrs. Richardson stated,
obviously not getting the reason she had been summoned to the room.
     "This is it." Dylan explained exasperated at Mrs. Richardson's seeming
inability to grasp the situation, "This is all Nolan has to wear."
     Finally it all sank in, and Mrs. Richardson's face took on the worried
and shocked features Dylan had been looking for.
     Nolan was lost.
     "Oh, my. That will not do." Mrs. Richardson said with conviction.
     Looking between Dylan, Mrs. Richardson, and his clothes, Nolan's eyes
instinctively dropped to the floor. He must have done something
wrong. Something was wrong with his clothes and now he was going to be
punished... or worse... made to leave. He couldn't leave. He wasn't
allowed.
     Sensing Nolan's complete change of posture, Dylan immediately felt
bad.
     "Nolan, oh shit, I'm sorry." Dylan almost exclaimed, not caring he
just swore in front of Mrs. Richardson, "I didn't mean to make you feel
bad."
     The older boy quickly knelt down in front of Nolan and took both of
his shoulders into his hands and tried to look him in the eyes. Dylan could
see the tears forming.
     "Nolan." Mrs. Richardson said calmly. "Dylan isn't mad at you and you
are not in trouble. He was just upset that no one had ever thought to get
you proper clothing of your own. He only got upset because he cares about
you."
     She let her words sink in while Dylan still held on to him. Dylan
wasn't completely sure what she was doing, but her words seemed to
work. Nolan slowly looked up into Dylan's eyes, and immediately Dylan felt
like an ass because he could see the fear and hurt in Nolan's eyes.
     "Really?" Nolan asked, holding back his tears with a sniffle,
"You... you aren't mad at me?"
     If there was a form lower than shit, Dylan felt like that right now.
     "Really." Dylan said with conviction in his voice. "Honestly, I'm not
really sure if I could ever get mad at you, Nolan."
     Nolan looked into Dylan's eyes. He had a serious look on his face and
seemed to think for a moment before speaking.
     "Why is that?" he asked hesitantly.
     "Because," Dylan replied, allowing himself to grin, "You are too damn
cute."
     With that, Nolan couldn't help but smile and blush.
     "And besides," Dylan added, "I like it better when you smile."
     That only made Nolan smile all the more.
     "So? You forgive me?" Dylan asked.
     Nolan just nodded and both boys hugged for a few moments before Dylan
let go and stood up.
     "You still want to go with Dylan and check out the park?"
Mrs. Richardson asked, having become somewhat invisible to the boys while
they had their emotional exchange.
     Nolan smiled and nodded.
     "Alright, well in order for you both to go, why don't you change into
those shorts and a t-shirt, okay Nolan? Dylan still needs to take a shower
and otherwise make himself less smelly." Mrs. Richardson added the last
part with a comical plugging of her nose.
     Leaving Nolan to get himself changed, Mrs. Richardson escorted Dylan
out into the hall towards the bathroom. Sensing they were far enough away
from Nolan, Dylan stopped and turned towards her, obviously a few questions
on his mind.
     "What the hell just happened back there?" Dylan asked direct and
honest as always.
     "Dylan," Mrs. Richardson began, "look, you have to understand... Nolan
hasn't had it as good as you and the boys." She said, referring to the
twins, "His life has been a series of very bad situations and even worse
people... people who hurt him... a lot... and in ways you couldn't possibly
begin to understand."
     She allowed the words to sink in. Dylan was smart and the Richardson's
had relied on his ability to reason and see the bigger picture to help them
get new kids to adjust to life in a more family oriented setting. A lot of
the kids they got were on a more temporary basis, but Dylan and the twins
had become a regular part of the Richardson household. The Richardson's did
their best to provide a safe space for those in their home, but the honest
fact is some of the kids they got were damaged from previous home
environments.
     "I'm not going to tell you that boy's life story, it isn't my place."
She continued, "but, just... be careful with him. Right now he needs
protection, he needs friendship, and most importantly... he needs
love. Something tells me I can trust you to look out for him."
     Dylan could sense this was different. He had "played" big brother to a
lot of kids over the few years he had been with the Richardson's, but this
was more important. It was more real. He could feel it in his heart and he
knew that Nolan was special. He was drawn to the younger boy and didn't
know why.
     "I promise I will not let him down." He dedicated himself with
Mrs. Richardson as his witness.
     Mrs. Richardson smiled and leaned in to give him a loving peck on the
cheek.
     "You're turning into a fine young man, Dylan. I'm very proud to call
you my son. Now go shower, you smell like butt."
     With that she left to go downstairs, leaving Dylan to clean up
quickly.