Silence dripped down the walls of the room, flooding like vomit over the floor. It made the steps taken toward the bathroom door an agonizing trek.
Whoever hid behind it's flimsy wood now had complete control over him. Blackmail so strong no amount of stomping and baseball bats could put a dent in it. Blackmail that made Reese’s eyes sting.
So, of course it was Malcolm he discovered when it swung open, eyebrows raised like he’d just found a rat in his soup.
“Who were you talking to…?”
Silence settled into Reese’s mouth, locking his jaw shut. Tight enough to crack open teeth.
“You could at least try not to look guilty.” Malcolm stood up straighter. His expression lightened, watching that wet rat melt into a golden ticket. He was ready to sue this restaurant for every last penny. “I knew there was something going on between you two.”
In a mindless flash, Reese strangled Malcolm’s collar, shoving him against the nearest tiles with a grunt. He loaded his fist like a gun. But would firing it do any good? “Please.” He begged, voice cracking. “Please…”
Malcolm smirked, squirming. “So, you two kissed? I hope you at least brushed your teeth first.”
Reese burned crimson for a second before turning skeleton pale. A million choices blurred his vision, but his hands were too shaky to grab one. “W-why are you even here?! You’re supposed to be at Stevie’s working on that stupid project!”
His brother didn’t answer straight away. Instead, he shrugged off his grip while tossing him an eye roll “Well, you’ll be happy to know that I am at Stevie’s house.”
“Huh?”
“I’m mixing chemicals as we speak. And I won’t be home until after dinner.” This was spoken matter-of-factly.
Reese shook his head. He was used to missing the big picture, even on a daily basis. But, as they crossed the doorframe back into their room, he felt there was something different about this time. “What are you talking about?”
Malcolm pointed a single finger at Reese’s mattress. “That’s what I’m talking about.”
On the twin bed lay a miserable, snoring teenager, clutching a manila folder against his chest. His dark hair obviously hadn’t seen a comb in days and his hand looked like it was borrowed from a corpse. Shifting and grunting spoke of nightmares.
“You should take better care of yourself.” Malcolm asserted. “You look like shit.”
Reese paused. “Wait. Is that me?”
“I think that’s what I just said, Einstein.”
“But how?”
Malcolm turned to him. “You passed out from the fever.” He said, shrugging.
“What fever?”
That triggered a scoff, like an explorer stumbling right into a boobie trap. “The one you’ve been getting all day. God. Even in a dream I can’t get away from your stupid questions.”
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Reese's Complex
FanfictionReese Wilkerson is straight. So when he beats up Tony Moreci for laughing at him, he doesn't expect to finish it off with a kiss on the lips. Now, suspended from school, he faces off against his fed-up mother. She invites his victim over for dinner...
