All Too Well - Erik Menendez

My Life After You

Beverly Hills. CA. 1988.

Third Person POV:

Time passed between the two once-loving individuals. The seasons changed and Beverly Hills grew darker, some would say not just because of the earths natural cycle. But as a mere reflection of the broken conundrum that was created based on painful mistakes and self-destructive behaviours.

Summer had came, and left within a blink. Erik had developed a rigorous new tennis training schedule with a new fresh-approaching coach. One who pushed him to his limits with 8 hour-a-day training camps, this earned a fondness from Jose Menendez who insisted this was the only coach able to better his mediocre son. He was certain of it.

Eriks summer was spent almost entirely on tennis courts, desperately attempting to earn Joses approval. However, this wouldn't come.
The sex was starting to take even more of a toll;  gone was the expressive smile and muscular build, replaced with an ever-lasting frown, dark circles and a much leaner body. Food intake was almost none existence which left him with a profound weakness; mustering up strength on the court was almost impossible. No nutrients, no energy. He was the Mona Lisa; stiff, pale, fragile, perplexing those who glanced his way.

The sex had become relentless. Jose turned all of his attention off of his wife, and onto his son. Only his son. The isolation he had compacted Erik in just made the younger even more irresistible to the older man. He was enthralled to sink himself into his son, whenever he wanted. As much as he pleased.

Tear-soaked bed sheets, ripped up diary passages, bloodily bitten fingernails and the constant motion of the headboard rocking into Eriks bedroom wall. Jose Menendez helped himself entirely to his son. After all, who was there to stop him?
Lyle? Who hasn't had contact with Erik all summer? Of course - Lyle has tried calling. Even writing letters numerous times. However, Jose has put Erik under strict orders never to answer and never to write back to his older brother.
Complete and total isolation.

Erik has resulted in keeping Lyles crinkled up letters under the comfort and security of his pillow. (The ones he reaches before Jose sees them first and throws them out). Often times he traces his fingers over the paper, imagining Lyles soft fingertips once tracing over the same paper. The imaginary intimacy brings him some comfort, very little, but certainly some.

Friends were something that rarely was a part of Eriks life at the moment. His contact with Craig had first consisted of Craig desperately trying to apologise, asking for Eriks forgiveness while insisting he could show his sorrow through intimacy; Erik rejected it all.
Finally, the younger grew the strength to say no to Craig, even running out of school at times when Craig tried forcing himself upon the younger in the downstairs restroom. He pushed him and ran - every time.
Until eventually, Erik had enough with the attempts and proceeded to threaten Craig with telling Beth - about everything. Of course Erik would never do that, he'd never put someone through the fear of being outed, but he threatened it, hoping the dooming feeling that would linger inside of Craig would hault his actions.

And that threat was the thing that made Craig completely stop his vile attempts at getting inside the younger.

It was a sweet lick of karma; the fear Craig felt of possibly being exposed. He finally knew what it felt like.

However, Erik insisted they could remain friends. And they did. After all, Erik hated confrontation and did not want to be confronted with a pending awkwardness every time they were forced to practice together or sit at their friendship groups table during lunch.
They spoke, they smiled. Nobody found out about their secrets. And eventually, Erik found it in his heart to forgive Craig and could finally view him as a friend again.