Build-A-Boyfriend

43

Harry and I intended to sit up the whole night before the big return to the dream factory, but we must both have fallen asleep somewhere in the early hours. My head was resting on Harry's stomach and at some point Dave must have curled up on his chest, choosing to rest the heaviest and thus most suffocating part of his body directly on my face.

The low meowing grumble he makes when I shift him away wakes Harry, who sits up quickly and beams at me with his sleep mussed hair sticking up at different angles.

"Hallo Hendrix!" He smiles, "what do you want for breakfast? We could go out for something!"

I can't quite bring myself to remind him, but it doesn't take long for the realisation to hit him and the smile slips off his face.

"I didn't want today to come." He says after a long moment. "I thought that it could just go on forever and maybe if I wished hard enough, today wouldn't come at all."

I lace my hands with Harry's and look up into his face. It feels like my heart is breaking into a million tiny pieces.

"We won't go." I decide suddenly. "Bollocks to this, I'm not just going to march you to you death. We-"

At this the phone begins to ring, making us both jump. I scramble across the bed, tripping over sheets in my haste to grab it, wondering if it's some sort of last minute saviour.

"Hello?" I demand breathlessly.

"Hello? Hendrix?"

"Dad." I groan, wondering what crap he wants to heap on me now after not speaking to me for the past couple of months. Today of all days.

There's a long hesitation and I'm just about to rudely ask him what he wants when he speaks.

"So... How are you?"

"Fine." I say shortly. "Look, Dad, I'm busy-"

"Your Mum saw you in town with Charlie." He interjects.

"Me?!"

It takes a second to dawn on me but before I can speak, Dad's talking again.

"Your mum said you looked a bit different, and that Charlie grabbed you and pulled you into his car when he spotted her... I know we've had our differences Hendrix, but if you're stuck in some sort of abusive relationship, I can help."

I close my eyes tightly. I don't need this right now. Dad hasn't finished yet though...

"I know I told you to get rid of that other lad, but at least you seemed happy with him. Mind, that Dream Factory business was a mess. I said to your mum, god knows what they'll think of next with all this 'Dream Factory' and 'sex parties' and 'Spotify' stuff. What's the world bloody coming to? It wasn't like this when we were younger."

I vaguely wonder what Dad thinks Spotify is.

"If you must know, I'm still with Harry-"

"But what about Charlie? Your mum said that you two were snuggling up to each other in the car park and it wasn't until Charlie saw her walking over that he shoved you in the car. First sign of abuse that is love, cutting you off from your family."

"It wasn't me." I say through gritted teeth.

"You can tell me anything, Hendrix."

"Right, fine. Charlie's a massive creep and in order to keep him quiet, the Dream Factory offered him a girl and he chose to have one made who looks just like me, enough to fool my own mother apparently-"

"WHAT?"

"Yes, so you were wrong about him all along. Oh, and today I've got to take Harry back to the factory and they're going to kill him because the end of my trial is up and I can't afford to keep him-"