Boy's Blossom

Two

After both of the boys went to school, they went their separate ways. Keith went to go look for Leo, while Asher went to go find some peace and quiet. Asher was desperate to get away from school. It had been a long, difficult day and he just wanted to go home. He had been dreading this day for weeks, and now that it was finally over, all he wanted was to get out of there as fast as he could.

So, without any hesitation, Asher made a dash for the front doors. He was almost out, but then he heard someone calling his name. It was two police officers. They had been looking for him, and they had finally found him.

Asher tried to think of some excuse to get away, but nothing came to him. He was trapped. The officers told him that he was not allowed to leave the school grounds without permission. Asher had no choice but to go back inside.

He was angry and embarrassed, but he knew that he had to obey the law. He returned to school and finished out the day. As he left, he made a mental note to never try to leave school grounds again without permission.

(Few weeks later)

As Asher walked out of the school gates, his thoughts immediately returned to the image of Keith that he had seen during the school day. He had been wearing a navy blue dress and Asher couldn't help but admire the way it fit him. To Asher, it looked like it was made for Keith and it highlighted his slim, toned legs perfectly. Asher had felt a little guilty for staring, but he was unable to look away.

Asher strongly shook his head 'no.. what is wrong with me.. i'm not gay.. this shit is weird' he continued to walk on home and let his thoughts wander to something else.

.

Asher was tired and disgruntled as he dragged himself through the door of his foster home. It was a new place, and one he hadn't yet grown used to. His foster mother, Stephanie, greeted him warmly but demanded he get started on his chores as soon as he came in.

Asher felt overwhelmed. He couldn't focus on the task at hand and wanted nothing more than to curl up in his bed and sleep away the next few hours. He resisted Stephanie's request and argued that he needed to rest.

But Stephanie was firm. She reminded Asher that he was part of her house and had a responsibility to uphold. She offered to help him with his chores as a show of support, and then to let him rest afterwards.

Feeling defeated, Asher acquiesced and began attending to the task of cleaning. Each stroke of the rag seemed heavy, but he soldiered through them, determined to honour his foster mother's wishes.

Somehow, by the time the tasks were finished, Asher's mood had shifted. Despite the overwhelming exhaustion and frustration the chore brought on, he felt an unexpected sense of pride for having finished them and having accomplished something after all.

After that, he was allowed to rest, and Stephanie offered words of encouragement for his efforts. Asher went off to bed, feeling content after a long day, finally able to get the rest he had wished for, but also with a newfound appreciation for the responsibilities of his home. But that mood didn't last long, he lifted his sleeves and looked at his marks. They were dark and looked horrible. He wondered how he could get rid of them.