Hideaway

II

I awake to Jack Gilinsky's gigantic eyebrows in front of my eyes. Then I see the rest of his features and see that he's shaking Kian too.

"Get up!" He shouts at Kian. Kian groans and turns onto his side.

"I brought takeout," Jack lures him. Kian bolts upward, as if a meal hadn't been seen for him in quite a long while.

Jack smiles and Sammy walks into the room. "Have you two seen the news?"

Kian appears confused and I mirror him. "No, what's up?"

"It's your dad," Kenny runs into the room shouting. Sammy nods and we all run to the living room where the TV is.

On the screen is a mugshot of Kian's father next to the headline Small Town Murder.

Kian gulps and I sit down on the couch and pull his torso on my lap. He nuzzles himself in and holds my hand for reassurance.

"Robert Lawley was a simple business man living in San Clemente, California, until earlier this week when he became a murderer."

I glance at Kian, who is watching with every intent of revenge in his eyes.

"Police have questioned everyone as to why the man snapped and killed two members of his own family-"

Kian's jaw drops. I start to see his eyes get glassy and I hug him from behind as he bites his lip to resist the tears.

"And some answers have left us to believe it was the stress caused by his son, Kian Lawley, who was declared missing along with alleged boyfriend Sam Pottorff as of two months ago."

"Bullshit!" Kian yells. "He would have killed me if I hadn't left!"

He starts to cry. "Mr. Lawley will be facing trials later this month and up until then will be in a high security jail."

Kian throws the remote at the TV.

The others and I remain speechless as his fury and sadness intertwine into a tornado of emotion.

"He doesn't deserve to live! He killed my mom and my sister! And over what? Me? Fucking media and their attempts to make everyone look innocent. My dad can burn in hell for all I care!" Kian spits at the Tv.

I glance at Jack J, just coming in the house and made the 'shh' sign with my pointer finger up to my lips. He nods, seeing Kian kick things and punch at the wall and then makes his way out of the room.

Kian falls to the ground bawling, leaning his back against the wall and I walk over to comfort the extremely stressed boy.

I pull Kian's head into my shoulder as I sit next to him and he falls into my side. He grips at my shirt and buries his face in it, getting it soaked with tears. I put my arm around his neck and kiss the top of his head, and he continues to cry silently.

Kenny, Sammy and Jack G leave the room too, leaving me to reconcile in Kian's sad state.

Kian's right- his father does deserve to die.