The Hog

Chapter 4

I'm trying not to gape too much.  I'm trying not to be impressed.  But I am. This house is huge, its the biggest house I have ever seen. I check the time, 9:47 am. Right on time. I hate Thomas Greyson. I ring the bell and in an instant the huge doors are opened by a butler in white gloves. I greet him and he just nods and leads me to the backyard. Thomas is swimming laps. Further from the pool is a back yard that looks almost as big as a football field. Then beyond the field is a forest? Of course rich people have the hundred acre woods in their backyards, I bet beyond that is a lake. No wonder I had to drive 15 minutes out of town to get here.

"Close your mouth Hog." Thomas is standing next to me drying himself. "Wait here, don't go anywhere." he pushes me down on a chair and leaves. As if I'd have anywhere to go. Maybe he just doesn't want me to contaminate any more of his things with my Hog-ness. I roll my eyes at that.

I watch him enter the mansion of a house. He has the kind of body that tells you that he works out. I mean even his back- which is broad- looks like heaven.
I wonder what his blackmail will comprise of? Is it sad that I'm happy to have something to do on a Saturday instead of staying at home avoiding Frank? I mean, yes I hate Thomas Greyson- even if he does have a beautiful face and body- but I'd rather be here than at home facing my father. That is actually sad. I'd rather be blackmailed by a guy who has no morals than be at home.

"Earth to Hog." Thomas is standing in front of me with fresh clothes on. How long has he been standing there? "Wipe that look of melancholy off your face."

"I can look sad if I want, it's nothing to you." I fold my arms.

"I don't want my staff thinking I brought some girl here against her will." he bites back.

"Firstly I am sort of here against my will, blackmail isn't too consensual. Secondly I'm sure your staff can tell that I'm not the usual type of girl you bring over here, so they won't think anything of it. So let me sulk." I sink deeper into the chair.

"What do you know about the type of girls I bring here, huh Hog? You stalking me now?" A huge smirk forms on his lips.

I roll my eyes at him. "Well I know that the requirements for all your girls is crabs." I fake a smile.

Thomas smiles back at me, " I haven't heard that one since eighth grade. Wow Hog, thanks for that one." he laughs a little. 
I narrow my eyes at him. Stupid jerk. In a swift movement Thomas grabs my arms and pulls me on my feet. I stubble a little from the shock of standing up so fast but he steadies me.

"Time to get to work Hog." he grins before tugging me to follow him into his huge back yard.

********

"I don't want to go home." Amy cries into my shoulder.  I keep my arms around her.

"Amy Tyson you can't stay. Frank has been drinking and he...I don't want you to stay." I release her and stand up. I walk to the corner of my room.

"You can come and stay with me and dad and mom."  she cries some more.

"You're ten years old, you can't invite someone to come stay at your house. It's not your house it's your parents' " I shout at her.

"But you are my sister Francisco." 

"No! I am not your sister.  Bridgett and Stacey are your sisters, not me. My mom died before having any other children so I don't have a sister."

"You said your mom wasn't really dead! But that's not important, Francisco you are like a sister to me." she gets up and walks to me. We are both in tears by now. Amy Tyson wraps her small little arms around me.

"I hate Frank." she whispers.

"I hate Frank." and I cry in her arms.

********

"What the hell am I digging Greyson?" I put the shovel into the ground and lean on it. We are in  middle of the forest in his back yard. There are trees in all directions as far as I can see. We walked for almost half an hour to this spot. Thomas gave me the shovel , drew out a sqare on the ground and told me to start digging.  Then the bastard sat down under a tree and pulled out his damn iPhone. I've been digging for half an hour now and my arms ache. I'm thirsty and I just want to jump into the hole I'm standing in.

"Not your business Hog." he doesn't take his eyes of his phone. He is frowning at it as if it's a person. A person he might like to punch.

"Well I'm digging the hole so I'm pretty sure that should give me some right to know. You aren't in some cult are you?" I pull myself out of the box and flop down on the forest floor right next to it. When I look up I can't even see the sky or sun, the trees act as a roof which only lets needles of light pass through. It's beautiful.

"No." Thomas shuffles by the tree as he puts his phone away.

"Huh?"

"No, I'm not in a cult."

"Oh. Then did you kill a really tiny kid?" There is a breeze that makes the trees sway slightly. It looks like a domino effect of them passing a message from one tree to another.  Like the wind may have whispered a secret to one tree and a game of broken telephone erupted.

"The trees look like they are talking to each other." he sighs. I twist slightly on my back to look at him. He is still leaning against his tree but he is looking up at the canopy as well. " It's like they have their own language with the wind."

"Yeah."
We stay in silence for some time, just looking at the sky above us. When I look over at Thomas his eyes are closed. Could he really be asleep.

"Thomas?" I whisper. Nothing.
"Thomas? Are you asleep?" I raise my voice slightly.  I get up and walk over to him. I crouch right in front of him. His breathing is steady. His face is really beautiful.  His hair, his straight nose, his strong jaw, his full lips and his tan skin. They all fit together like a puzzle making a picture that's even better than what was on the box. I know its wrong to check out the guy who is blackmailing you but I am only human. And I happen to know what type of person Thomas is so it doesn't matter that he is good looking.

"Hey Thomas!" I say. Nothing.
I stand up, dust myself off and pick up the shovel. I walk back the way we came- I made sure to memosrise the path because you can never trust a boy who hates your guts leading you into a forest.  I put the shovel in the shed I saw Thomas get it from.

"Glass of water miss?" the butler offers me a glass when I enter the mansion. I take the water and drink it all at once. I thank him and he leads me to the front door.

********

I'm standing in front of my locker clutching my text books to my chest. My eyes are heavy with threatening tears.

"Cat got your tongue Hog?" Lucy Nelson asks, "Can't you speak Hog?" she laughs and the group of girls she has with her laugh along.

"My name isn't Hog. My name is Francisco." I shout back.

"No, your name is Hog. H-O-G! Hog!" and the laughtet continues.

"Hog!" says one of her girls.

"Hog!" says another.

"Hog!" and another.

Hog. Hog. Hog. Hog. Hog.

Francisco. I look uo to see Amy Tyson standing in front of me with a confused look. "Francisco, whats wrong?"

"Leave me alone Amy." I say. I don't want Lucy Nelson getting to her too." Just go to homeroom, I'm coming."

"Yes Amy, leave Hog alone. You don't want to be associated with all her drama- it is the begining of high school after all and you wouldn't want Hog weighing you down for the rest of high school now would you?" Lucy has a snake like smile on her face.

"Hog?" Amy looks even more puzzled

"Yes Amy, HOG." Lucy points her manicured nail at me and her followers join her in menacing laughter.