The Eye of the Beholder [boyxboy]

Chapter V

~Thursday 19th May 2016~

"Not that I don't relish the idea of meeting all the people I will be working with in the future, but how long will this dinner be?" River tried to remain polite as his mother adjusted the tie he was wearing, despite it looking completely fine. She just had to fix something about him, whether it was the style of his hair, or his outfit, there always had to be something out of place that she could change. That was just the kind of person River's mother was, she fretted. Silently and calmly, most times, but still, she was a fretter.

"I'm not sure, dear," Alice spoke absently, frowning as she retied River's tie for the third time. It had been fine before she even touched it, but now she couldn't seem to get it back to that same state. River was just hoping she would stop soon, he was beginning to fear that she might smudge some of the concealer covering the edges of the tattoos that sat on his neck. He didn't need her finding out about those, he had already spent almost three years hiding them away perfectly. He wasn't willing to have put all that time and money to waste from one lousy mistake.

"Is there something else more important that you might need to attend to?" River smiled warmly, an expression he reserved only for his parents. Not because they made him happy, but because he had learnt the best way to fool them was with a smile. One that was full of love and happiness and blissful innocence. A feigned expression for a masked personality.

"No, not at all. I was just wondering. I mean, you know I like to have an early night when I have school in the morning," that lie translated to 'I want to have enough time to sneak out and go smoke with Vienna in the park nearby'. Although, Alice would never know that. She was far too busy with her work, along with River's father, to notice his absence during the night.

"It shouldn't be too late, dear, maybe eleven? Time will fly, you'll enjoy yourself meeting your colleagues," Alice had no understanding of what River enjoyed. She had no understanding of what any normal person would enjoy. In her mind, work was life, and anything else was just a burden. That included her own child, but River had dealt with that a long time ago. He didn't care anymore, he was just pleased that his parents didn't care enough to notice his habits. It meant he could do whatever he wanted, really, without much fear of consequences.

"Could you go tell Evan we'll be leaving soon? Your father and I will meet you in the car," River chose not to voice his opinion on how his brother was being left out that night. Evan never got involved in the family business since, in his parent's eyes, he had no part to play within it. He was the second-born, therefore no part had been left for him. The business was to fall into River's sole possession, to do with how he pleased. He could offer shares to Evan, or give him a job should he so desire, but he wouldn't be so cruel as to do that to his little brother.

River knew Evan had no intention of going into the family business, and he knew he was content enough to have been blessed with the choice of his career. So long as he made a good salary and did something good enough to please his parents, everyone would be happy. River was aware of Evan's wishes to pursue his creative side in his career, and he was more than ready to stand by his side when he decided to reveal that to his parents. The assault from their disappointment might not be so bad if the two stood together.

"Ev?" River didn't bother knocking on his little brother's door as he walked into his room, knowing Evan wouldn't mind. It was a bizarre deal between the two of them, especially since River would have the opposite reaction should his little brother enter his room without asking. Then again, Evan wasn't hiding as much as River, his conscience was far cleaner.

"Balcony!" Evan called from the open french doors that led out of his room. He was the lucky one, River always said, since he got the balcony leading off from his room. River got the roof below his room, which he was forbidden to step onto by his parents, but that was just one of the many rules he ignored when it came to them. River wondered whether his parents found it suspicious that he never complained about his little brother getting the 'better' room. Then again, they would have to actually pay attention to him to notice that change in his demeanour.