Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2016 09:55:58 -0600
From: Kurt King <kingkurt1339@gmail.com>
Subject: The New Life of Xander King Chapter 2

	This story contains sexual acts between males below the age of
consent/age of majority (minors), if this offends you or is illegal for you
to read where you're at, please close this website and go elsewhere.

	This story is fictional and entirely the work of the author's
imagination. And resemblance to persons, places, or things, real or
fictional, are entirely coincidental, and any views stated do not
necessarily reflect those of any companies or organizations which do exist
in real life, nor necessarily reflect the views of the author.

	This story is the property and copyright of the author, do not
share, reproduce, repost, or any other such act which is illegal to do
without the author's permission without the author's permission.

	As always - donate to Nifty to keep the archive running!

	On to the fun stuff - Thanks for all the feedback from Chapter 1,
even if it was in the wrong category (fixed now!). I'll try to reply to
every email, but sometimes, it isn't possible. Don't worry, though - I see
them all!

	At the beginning of the first chapter, I mentioned that you would
get to meet two of the three main characters - the third one isn't going to
be seen for a few more chapters, though he's just as important as Xander
and Finn. This chapter spans about two months of time, even though the
story's only barely longer than Chapter 1 (not much happens, but it's still
important!).

	For those of you who don't know what the candy Turtles are: they're
a type of caramel chocolate candy shaped like, well, turtles. That's what
I'm referencing in Chapter 1 with the dog's name.

	On to the story!

~~Chapter Two - A New Home~~

[Xander]

 	I'm almost to the pet store when I hear a bark behind me. Thinking
someone's just taking their pet to the store, like always, I keep going.

	"Hey, Xander," the kid from last Saturday says, and I turn around
to find him standing there in faded jeans, his sneakers, and a white
t-shirt, this one with light gray lettering on the right, the word
"DETERMINATION". He's got a pure-white leash in his right hand, attached to
the white collar of Turtle. "How are you?"

	"Fine," I keep my gaze on Turtle. He has Turtle now?

	"You already know Turtle," he says as Turtle lunges for me, jerking
him slightly. I jump, but Finn keeps a firm grip, not moving, and Turtle
snaps at the end of the leash. He barks at me, wagging his tail happily. I
want to play with him. "Taking him to get some treats. Whatcha up to?"

	"Nothing," I go inside the pet store and to the kennels.

	The freaky kid leaves me alone after that. Turtle tries running
over to play with me, but Finn doesn't budge an inch. He's definitely a
freak, being able to stop a big dog like that just by tensing up his arm
and pulling.

	Plus, what's with his appearance? Why is he so pale, and why is his
hair so white, and why are his eyes red? Why does he make himself look like
that? It's creepy.

	The week passes, and the freaky boy shows up again, this time
saying he's buying Turtle a dog bed. He tries talking to me, and I only
give him a few answers before going inside. The next Saturday, it's dog
toys, the one after that, treats again. The school year ends, and he keeps
showing up every Saturday. No matter what time I try to go in, he's there,
waiting for me.

	I realize that he's waiting for me before the adoption even starts,
and waits until after it ends. Why is he so insistent on talking to me?
Even if he were normal, I wouldn't want to be his friend, I don't want
friends, I just want to be left alone.

	Karma visits the orphanage a few times. She tries to befriend me,
too. It's annoying. The other boys give me flak about giving her the cold
shoulder. I give them the cold shoulder. I wish everyone would leave me
alone.

	I can't stay at the orphanage for fear of Karma showing up, and
doing my weekly visit to the dogs gets ruined by the freak. Why can't
everyone just leave me alone?

[Finn]

	"So yeah, he gives me the cold shoulder," I say. "But that doesn't
mean he'll always give me the cold shoulder. I want to be his friend. If
you two adopt him, then he won't be able to avoid me. Plus, Karma wants to
be his friend, too, and you know she's not going to give up."

	Talking about Xander, and adopting him. I'm trying to push Dad on
the idea again. He's the one we have to break. Xander always has worn
clothes, but I've noticed that he's always got cargo pants, too. He doesn't
wear shorts, probably doesn't own them. He doesn't look like he trusts
people, and I know I've seen him pull a biscuit out of the pockets once,
feeding a small part of it to the dog he was playing with before taking a
bite and putting it back into his pocket. Probably keeps food on him in
case he doesn't get to eat. I feel sorry for him. He's scrawny, as if he
doesn't get to eat a lot, and he's a little small, too. I really want Mom
and Dad to adopt him.

	"We're not adopting him," Dad sighs. "We've told you this,
Finn. And I have to wonder about something."

	"What?" I ask.

	"You talk about him nonstop," Dad says. "Do you have feelings for
him?"

	"Maybe," I feel my cheeks heat up. I can't lie to my dad, or I
would've flat-out said 'no'. The moment I lie, Dad knows, and a direct
question like that can't be avoided. "Dad, pleeeeeeeease adopt him! He's so
lonely! That's not natural, everyone needs friends and a family! We've got
the money and the space and-"

	"We can't adopt him," Dad interrupts me, then holds up a hand to
stop me from protesting. "We've looked into adopting him, Finn. However,
someone else is already looking into adopting him, and I'd rather not
interfere with that."

	I feel my heart plummet all the way down to the bottom of the
Mariana Trench. If he's getting adopted, he's probably going to disappear
from the area altogether.

	"He's staying in the area," Dad must have noticed my despair. "It's
the Scotts who are adopting him. They overheard you and Karma discussing
him, and after finding out that I wasn't filing for adoption, looked into
him. They liked what they saw, and so decided they were going to adopt
him. A few days after they got started on the paperwork, I'd mentioned to
them that I was going to look into adopting him. They offered to back down,
but I told them that maybe it'd be best for Mr. King if he were in a house
without other children. It'd probably be better for his stability than
constantly having someone nagging him."

	The Scotts are awesome people, though not as rich as us. They still
have a massive house, though, and they have a dinner with us at least once
every two weeks, sometimes once a week. They can't have children, neither
of them can, but they're still good people. Xander's in good hands with
them.

	It also means I know where he lives and even have a key to the
house. The Scotts are my and Karma's godparents. Avoiding me just got a
whole lot harder. I pity him once Karma finds out that the Scotts have
adopted him, though. We both like him, but when Karma likes a person, well,
she doesn't give them rest.

	Okay, so I guess I do that, too.

[Xander]

	I got adopted. I'm not sure how I got adopted, but I did. I found
out today, when I got back from my walk, that I was adopted. The people at
the orphanage scolded me for leaving even though they'd told me to stay at
the house today. I don't like staying at the house, everyone always has
friends over or are at friends' houses, and it's always noisy during the
summer. Going for a walk and finding a quiet place to relax is better for
me.

	I met them today. Mr. and Mrs. Scott seem like decent people, but I
hope they give me space. I didn't want to be adopted, I wanted to be left
alone. They took me to the house and asked me if I wanted to get my clothes
washed, since I only had five sets of clothes and a pair of pajamas. They
told me they're taking me shopping first thing in the morning for
clothes. I told them not to spend money on me.

	They're really rich. It's a huge house. I have my own bedroom, and
it's got a bathroom attached to it. The walls are bare, with a massive
queen-sized bed, a huge desk, and a T.V. mounted on one wall over an
entertainment center. They told me we can paint the room whatever color I
want it to be, and that while we're out, I can pick out other decorations
and stuff. I'm not getting anything, I don't want them to spend money on
me, they'll just want me to pay them back, and I'll never be able to pay
back rich people, will never be able to afford that. I'm a worthless
nothing, and will never make money.

	An hour after I collapse onto the bed and start staring at the
ceiling, wondering what I'm going to do and hoping they just leave me
alone, Mr. Scott knocks on my door. I don't answer.

	"Xander," he speaks through the door. At least he didn't just barge
in, like everyone at the orphanage does. That probably won't last
long. "Can you get ready to go and meet us downstairs in ten minutes? We're
having dinner with some friends of ours, they've got a set of twins your
age, our godchildren. Not asking you to socialize, just to come with us, we
have this dinner every other Friday."

	I roll out of my bed and pull my sneakers on. At least he didn't
tell me wear something nice, I only have second-hand clothes. Plus, my
nicest clothes are worn and faded and thin. I'm out of my room in time to
see him going down another hall, and take off after him. Not running, just
walking. I should probably walk faster, their house is huge, and I'll get
lost without a guide. They'll probably kick me out once I start needing
directions. I can follow him without running, though, he doesn't move fast
enough for me to lose sight of him.

	They've got drivers, but Mr. Scott drives us to the other
house. It's a huge mansion, too, but it's even bigger. Beds are probably as
uncomfortably soft there as at the Scotts'.

	"Just so you know," Mr. Scott tells me as we approach the front
doors. "You've already met the twins, Karma and Finn. They're both pretty
excited to have you over for dinner."

	The annoying girl and the persistent freak? They're twins? I
shouldn't be surprised, they're just like each other when it comes to
trying to talk to me. Now I really don't want to be here. I feel out of
place with all the money. I'm a nothing, a nobody. Dead dad before birth,
Mom died during birth, and no money to my name, both parents being drug
addicts and drunks. It probably won't be long before they decide that they
don't want a worthless, poor, stupid kid like me and send me back. I'm not
going to unpack. Better to keep a bag ready, just in case.

	One of the maids answers the door, and we're allowed in. The Scotts
lead me to the dining room, where the freak and the annoying girl are
already sitting with two people who look like older versions of them,
though the dad has brown hair and eyes, like his daughter. Everyone takes
their seats, and dinner is served. It's delicious. I save a few rolls, in
case I'm kicked out tonight. They disappear into the pockets of my cargo
pants, and I don't think anyone noticed.

[Finn]

	Xander's just as talkative at dinner as he has been the entire time
we've known him. I notice him grab rolls everyone now and then, but they
never make it to his mouth. I think he's hoarding them. He doesn't look at
anyone, just focuses on his food. He eats quickly, too. The food disappears
quickly after it makes it to his plate, though I think only the rolls go
into his pockets. Now I'm confident that he does that in case he doesn't
get to eat. He doesn't even look around as he does it, and if I weren't
watching him, I wouldn't have noticed it. He's good at that, probably used
to having to sneak extra food, just in case.

	I keep trying to get him to talk. He sticks with his one-word
answers, and Karma keeps texting me, telling me to just leave him alone for
now.

	"What's your favorite subject?" I ask him, and for the first time,
he looks at someone directly, locking his eyes with mine.

	"Why do you look like that?" His tone has a slight touch of
irritation to it, and everyone falls silent in shock. At least it's not a
one-word response. "You look like a freak."

	"I'm albino," I answer. "I don't have pigmentation, like everyone
else does. It causes my skin to be paler than normal, pure-white in
appearance, sometimes. I've been told that when I'm freshly clean, my skin
almost looks translucent, and the same goes for my hair. My eyes are red
from a result of it, though in softer lights, they look blue
instead. Unfortunately, it also means my eyes are sensitive to light, so
school lights actually hurt pretty bad. We've got LED's here, and they
don't hurt as much. Sunlight's a killer."

	"But you don't wear sunglasses," wow, did he just talk again?

	"It might be better if I did," I grin at him. "But it'd ruin the
effect of looking like a ghost I've got."

	"Where's Turtle?" He suddenly asks, changing topics.

	"Sitting on the other side of that door," I point to the sliding
door leading outside, where Turtle's looking at us sadly, wanting to be
here. He might be house trained, but that doesn't mean he doesn't beg for
scraps or try to eat our food off our plates. "Got to keep him away when
we're eating, and it's nice enough we can put him outside."

	Xander gets up from the table without a word and goes outside,
playing with Turtle in the back yard. I guess he socialized too much.

	"We're taking him shopping tomorrow," Aunt Linda says after a few
minutes of silence following Xander's departure from the table. "To go
shopping for clothes, since he's only got five pairs. I got the impression
from his reaction that he doesn't want us to spend money on him, though."

	"I'm not surprised," Mom says. "He doesn't seem like the kind of
kid who'd want someone spending money on him. Probably hates it."

	"We're going to try only a few sets of clothes for him," Aunt Linda
nods. "See if he'll accept just two or three sets, then in a few weeks, try
to get him to get a few more things. We're hoping we can break him into it
slowly, and same with decorating his room. We introduced the idea to him
about it earlier, and he didn't seem enthusiastic for us to spend money on
him."

	"Good luck," Mom says. "He seems like he could be a difficult boy
in that regard."

	I look out the doors to outside, and watch Xander for a little
bit. Dad said that he kept his last name when they adopted him, even though
adopted kids' last names usually change to their new family's. The social
worker assigned to his case apparently advised against changing his name,
something about the state of his mind and all that. I didn't really listen.

	Even while playing with Turtle, Xander doesn't smile. I do notice
him pull one of the rolls out of his pocket and tear off a piece, feeding
it to Turtle. He pulls off a piece for himself before sticking it back into
his pocket. Yeah, definitely hoarding.

[Xander]

	I didn't want to go to the store. They made me go anyway. If I
refused, they probably would've decided I wasn't worth it and sent me
back. I probably should have gone back. They push for probably a dozen
outfits, but we buy only three. Three t-shirts, three pairs of cargo pants
(they tried selling me on shorts or jeans, but I stuck with cargo pants, I
can store food in their pockets easier, and I don't wear shorts). We don't
get any decorations or anything for my room. I'm glad they decided we could
just go home after shopping.

	Things got awkward at the table yesterday, with the Masons. I left
the freak and annoying girl and the Scotts and Mr. and Mrs. Mason at the
table to go play with Turtle. I gave him part of one of the rolls I
grabbed. They're in my backpack, now. The one I keep a change of clothes
in, just in case I have to leave. It's always near me. I swapped out the
outfit I had in it for one of my new outfits. If they kick me out, I'm
taking it with me, it's nicer than the clothes I already have. I made sure
it got washed, first.

	The maids went into my room while we were shopping. They washed my
old clothes, the ones I had in the room. They didn't catch the ones in my
backpack, which tells me that they probably didn't look through it. I don't
like other people being in my room, especially strangers. If I tell the
Scotts, though, they'll probably kick me out.

	So I just lie on my bed and stare at the ceiling, thinking. The
only possessions I owned were my backpack and my clothes. I wonder how long
they'll have me before they decide they won't keep me, and send me back to
the orphanage.

~~END OF CHAPTER TWO~~

	Thanks for reading! Any feedback would be appreciated, though of
course, that's up to your decision. Thanks to everyone who responded to the
first chapter, there was a lot more feedback than I'd expected!

	In Chapter 1, we met Xander, a quiet, lonely boy who doesn't
socialize much, and Finn, a boy who has decided he wants to be Xander's
friend. In Chapter 2, we see more of Xander wanting to just be left alone,
and Finn trying to get him to talk some more. Xander also got adopted, and
is worried about being sent back to the orphanage, while at the same time,
thinking it'd be better for him (can't make up his mind, can he?). I'd love
to hear what y'all think is in store for Xander in Chapter 3 and beyond.