Forbidden

One

"Father!" John called out, a hopeful look on his face.
"Yes, Jack?" His father rounded the corner, seeing the excitement brewing in his 16 year old son's eyes.
"Could my friend Alexander stay with us for the weekend?"
"I suppose, but you have to be quiet. And no mess making." Henry pointed a harsh finger at at his son. John nodded, running back to his room where he had Alexander on the phone.
"He said yes!" John squealed.
"Awesome! I just have to get Mr. Washington to drive me, I don't have my license yet." Alexander explained.
"Okay! Hopefully I'll see you in a little bit then. I can't wait to show you around the farm. It's huge, and we have apples, and all sorts of things growing out there!" John smiled wide, anxious for the boy to arrive.
••••••••
Alexander arrived less than an hour later at Henry and Elenor Laurens' farm, smiling and excited to see their son. John ran out to the driveway, where Alexander was standing, his hands in the pockets of his hoodie.
"Hey!" John laughed, throwing his arms around Alex and squeezing him tightly.
"H-Hey!" Alex laughed also, hugging him back. John let go, grabbing his friends hand and pulling him all the way to the back of the house. Alexander gazed in awe over the rolling hills and forests before him.
"All of this... is your dads?" He asked, his eyes wide. John nodded, smiling.
They began to walk out into the field, John wishing his father was not so strict and he could hold Alexander's hand. Henry would never let John near Alexander again, though.
"How are you?" John asked, nearing the forest where Henry had built him a treehouse when he was younger.
"I'm fine. How are you holding up, though? I mean, with what happened with your mom and everything..." Alexander replied with genuine concern.
John shrugged "I miss her... a lot. My dad is always drinking now, usually mad at me for nothing in particular... I usually just sit in my treehouse and draw."
"I'm sorry he's like that." Alexander said sympathetically.
John just shrugged again "It's fine. I'll be fine."
"What about Francis? How's he?" Alexander tried to lighten the mood by bringing up John's boyfriend.
"We fight a lot... he's so sweet but... I don't really know if I can do the whole secret boyfriend thing anymore, you know?"
"Yeah, I can't imagine how hard that must be... to keep it a secret I mean. Are you gonna break up with him?"
"I don't even really know. I love him, and we've been together for almost a year now and stuff... but it just doesn't feel right anymore I guess." John looked down to his feet. "We're here!" He perked up when they arrived at the edge of the woods, running to his old treehouse which he had spray painted rainbow in middle school when his dad stopped coming out there to check on him. John climbed in, Alexander following and sitting down on one of the two beanbag chairs inside.
"Hello Mtv, welcome to my crib." John giggled at his own joke, forcing Alexander to crack a smile.
Inside the treehouse, the walls were covered in John's drawings, several of Francis and Alexander, others of various animals. There was a typewriter on the ground next to several blank sheets of paper and some ink and pencils for drawing. John fancied himself a poet in a way, although he could not write as elegantly as his friend Alexander, he enjoyed the art of it.
"Its so cool in here." Alex gazed around at all of the drawings pinned up on the walls.
"I tried my best to make it livable in here, I only ever go home to eat or come get you or Francis. Home isn't home without my mom anymore."
"I'm so sorry, John. She was such a great lady."
John nodded, changing the subject.
"How is it at the Washington's?"
"Better than the Livingston's. They actually care about me." Alexander chuckled "No, they're great. I hope they like me, I kind of want them to adopt me."
John nodded "Can they adopt me, too?" He was only really half joking, wishing that he would be taken away from his father soon. No one knew about what happened behind closed doors between the father and son, it was too gruesome to recall.
"I wish." Alex smiled, kicking John's foot lightly.

a/n
hey hey! hopefully i'll actually commit and finish this story. I really like it so far and I hope you guys do too!