Rich White Boys

3

Ricky woke up to a gentle knocking on his bedroom door. Matthew crawled out of the nest of blankets and pillows they made, answering the alarm. It was just a cook who wanted them to know that breakfast was ready, but even that set Ricky on edge. He pulled a fluffy, white cat stuffed animal to his chest and pushed his face into the fur.

Matthew knew Ricky had to eat, considering he was already underweight. They returned to how they laid before their sleep was interrupted. Both of them dozed until there was yet another knock. Matthew sat up and clamped his hands over Ricky's ear, screaming "fuck off" as loud as he could manage, then curled back up.

Christopher sighed and walked away. He knew Ricky didn't want to see him, but he thought he might have a chance to get a word in without the nanny butting in. That was another thing that confused him greatly: why did a 15-year-old need a babysitter to sleep next to him?

Christopher had run into Matthew last night after going to the kitchen for a bottle of water. He wore a pair of soaked boxers that clung tightly to his skin and carried the rest of his clothes in his arms. They talked for a bit, just getting familiar with each other. Neither mentioned Ricky, but it was clearly an elephant in the room.

It was a long night for Christopher after that, considering he didn't put down his laptop until he exhausted every online source that shadowed a bit of light into the situation. Just as the sun was rising up, he got his answer. It wasn't a definite cause and effect but he decided that Ricky's issue was a combination of him being sheltered so much and also never having a strong male figure in his life.

Christopher took his seat at the dining table with his father and new mother. They ate and made small talk. Then the two adults left to go back to their room. Christopher sat for a bit, eventually bringing his plate to the kitchen and beginning to wash it. He was quickly shooed away by a small woman who immediately began to do the dishes and clean any other mess in the area. Christopher wasn't used to people taking care of him.

He had lived in Ravenna, Italy for nearly his whole life with his father, visiting his mother four times a year, each visit a month long, in America. In fact, his parents were never even married or dating, so it wasn't surprising to him that they were okay with being an ocean apart. Despite living in a European country where English wasn't native, he never learned the local dialect. Of course, he picked up on certain words and his best friend, Vincenzo, taught him phrases, but he was far from fluent.

People in Ravenna weren't too fond of him which made life difficult. When you can't speak to most people and dress like the son of Satan, locals tend to look the other way when you come walking down the street.

That was the main reason Christopher stayed within the confines of his house, which was in between his father's and Vincenzo's, and the few places he also felt we're home.

Mister Warner had quite a look to him too, which was how Christopher decided on what he was going to do to his body. It was almost as if black hair and lipstick ran in the family.

Life with the Olson's was a fresh start though. Christopher had chosen to throw out the majority of his wardrobe. He stopped painting his nails and was letting his hair grow out, too. He was excited about all the change.

He was scared too though. Living in a new country with a child that despised him was going to be a challenge. He so badly wanted to fit in. To finally have a complete family. To feel loved.

Christopher was torn though. He was just hitting the age where "having a family" could mean fixing the bonds he had with his parents or becoming a parent himself. He didn't want a wife and a child but a husband and someone, or something, that he could take care off. A dog would suffice, but only for so long before he needed a human to reciprocate the feelings.

Christopher sat at the kitchen table, picking at a bowl of fruit. He wasn't interested in eating. He felt hollow and empty and food wasn't going to fill that hole. He pushed the plate away and stood, running back up to his room. He slammed his door behind him and flopped onto his bed.

Eventually, Christopher had composed himself enough to lift his head. When this happened, he grabbed his phone and downloaded a dating application. He built his profile quickly and began to get messages instantly. He chose a skinny pale boy that lived fairly close by to respond to. They talked for a bit before Christopher invited him over.

They met at the front door and talked face to face for a moment before heading inside. It was almost if Ricky had a sixth sense for when someone was coming into his home, since the minute that Christopher's companion for the night stepped over the threshold, Ricky came down the stairs.

"Who is he? What is he doing here? Get him out!" Ricky snapped, stopping dead in his tracks. Mathew came into a scene that he couldn't read for the first time in his life. He hesitantly set a hand on Ricky's waist, trying to de-escalate the situation. Christopher had no idea of what to say, and his toy was even more confused.

"Out! Out! Out!" Ricky screamed, rushing to where Christopher stood and throwing his arms around his new brother's waist. He gave the other boy a menacing glare and pointed towards the door. In defeat, he left. The very moment that his car left the driveway, Ricky dropped let go of Christopher and ran back upstairs.

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