AUTHOR: Lush Mellifluence

M/M Slash. - Adam, a gay teenager, is forced to go to England with a bully of his and their mothers.

Golden rays fell upon Adam as he lay on his bed, sleeping. The sight would have been an awe-striking one, if it hadn't been for the sprawled position he lay. Even so, the morning was the picture of serenity. Blue-jays twittered outside his windows and the colorful redwing played contrast with the clear blue heavens. This was what nature had intended - peaceful mornings among the earth's creatures. Alas, man came along and invented the destructive sound of the alarm. A row like none other blared from an otherwise silent electronic clock (as opposed to the noisy tickers). No longer could the pleasant trill of the blue-jay be heard. And fortunately for Adam, this was a good thing - the beautiful yet soft notes of the soothing songbirds would do none too little to pull Adam away from his nightly respite. He lived in a nice suburban home in Southern California.

Adam Story, a scrawny boy, slowly rose from his bed and touched the clock. Immediately the clock ceased its terrible din and returned to a dormant state. In his soft cotton pajamas, Adam walked over to his bathroom to wash his face. His bathroom was conveniently inside his room.

Adam stood in front of the mirror above his sink. He began to bid his heavy eyes open, which proved to be a Herculean task. A blurred reflection came into view. The obscure image was not surprising, being his eyes were still groggy and adjusting, but the real reason was, bluntly, his terrible eyesight. His glasses rested on the sink, which he placed there every night before bedtime to give ease to his morning routine. Before placing on his glasses, he splashed cold water on his face, which quickly hurled him into the reality of the morning. After wiping his face off with a towel, he slid on his glasses and gazed upon his reflection.

A somewhat pale face stared back at him. He needed to get more sun. His soft auburn fringes fell upon his face, and with a swift swish of the head, it flew to the side. His face was more clearly revealed and he could now look upon his light brown eyes that were the same color as his few and tiny freckles 'round his cheeks and nose. He gave a weak smile to himself, curving his thin lips up saying to himself, "Time to survive another day in school."

The classroom setting was actually rather dull. Movies often portray a hullabaloo in the classroom. Papers flying, blasting music from a student's boom box, the whole nine yards and what not. This classroom, though not entirely silent, lacked spirit. Perhaps there was conversation here and there, but there was a tranquility to the room. This did none to quell the uneasiness of Adam. He new he would not sit in peace long.

"Hiya Adam!" Adam was slapped hard on the back. His glasses flew off his face due to the impact.

Speak of the devil.

Adam gasped for air, being his lungs were just startled and pounded into the next world. He didn't turn around, though. Unfortunately, this did not hinder his intruder's barging. The unwanted guest walked over to face Adam.

"Hullo," was all Adam muttered in his breathlessness. He didn't have his glasses on, and only an obscure figure stood in his view. It looked somewhat like the blurry silhouette of a showering person against a glass shower door. Either way, he knew, from just the sharp smack of his back, who it was. The cause of his unnerving feeling. His anxiety. Gary Flinn.

He then heard not Gary's voice or vulgar insult, but instead a crunching noise. Not like the crunch of a cracker or crisp, but somewhat like glass…

"No, please!" Adam pleaded. His glasses had undoubtedly and purposely been stepped on by Gary.

The laughter of a duo floated in the air, so harmonious you could compare it with a song of a barbershop quartet. Harmonious, but nonetheless malicious. It was the chuckling melody of Gary's cronies, Jay Lester and Tommy Patrickson.

"Be seated, all you scoundrels," said a hoarse yet joking voice Adam recognized as his teacher, Mr. Grey. "Today a blessing has fallen like fresh rain to greet a scorched face."

Mr. Grey smiled, then said nothing.

"Well, on with it, man!" said an impatient Giles Andrews.

"Pop quiz!" Mr. Grey said heartily.

Pained groans resounded through the class. Adam participated in this forlorn moaning.

"From Act Two of The Crucible."

The class made sure groan extra loud.

Adam got a D in the test. The day was not to get better. Especially P.E. without glasses. He couldn't see a thing, much less a ball. So he was asked to sit on the bleachers. Well, maybe the day isn't too bad after all, thought Adam. He abhorred sports and was frightened of the ball.

He watched the people play on the green football field from the high point of the bleachers. There was a whoosh beside him suddenly. Something hit the bleachers.

"The ball, Adam! The ball!" came a cry from below.

But Adam couldn't see a thing. He tried to feel for it, but couldn't. He soon heard running footsteps running up the bleachers.

"Asshole! Can't you do even the smallest of favors for anyone?!" said a voice. "All I wanted was the friggin' ball!"

"I'm sorry. I-" started Adam, but he soon was hit hard on the face by the soccer ball. The boy had thrown it at him in vengeance.

"Bitch," the boy muttered before leaving.

Adam's nose hurt. He felt his nose. It was wet with warm fluid. He looks at the fingers that touched his nose. Even without his glasses he could see red blurs on his digits.

"Aw jeez," said Adam.

He walked down the bleachers and over to the blur standing in the middle of the field. His P.E. coach always stood there.

"My god, Story! What's happened to your nose?" exclaimed Mr. Riley.

"Well-" started Adam.

"Never it matter," interrupted Mr. Riley, "go on to the nurse, then."

"But sir, I cannot see."

"Ah yes, gone blind have you without your glasses? Right, then." He then called over Tommy Patrickson.

"It wasn't me coach! I swear! I saw Adam trip!" Tommy came calling out.

"I beg your pardon?" asked Riley in confusion.

Tommy's statement wasn't bewildering to Adam. He recognized the voice. It was the boy who had hit him on the face with the ball.

"Uh sir," Adam interrupted, "never mind that. I to need be taken now. My nose hurts."

"Right, go on, then," replied Riley.

So the two began to walk off.

"Can't even go to the nurse yourself? Are you still breastfed?" mocked Tommy.

And Adam ran into a pole. He fell back in pain, holding his nose, eyes watering madly.

"What in hell's wrong with you? Can't even watch where you're going for yourself. Are you blind?" asked Tommy.

"My eyeglasses were broken this morning. Remember? Gary-"

"Oh yeah!" said Tommy. Then he realized what this meant, "So the ball. You couldn't see- Oh!"

"Yes, I couldn't see the ball."

"Well, you had it coming, didn't you? That was hilarious when Gary broke it, though. Anyway, you're still a little bitch for breaking your nose."

Adam didn't even regard that with a reply.

He had a rather sensitive contusion in the nose, but it fortunately wasn't broken. He still was forced to go to school the next day. He wished he could just stay home and away from Gary, Tommy, and Jay, but It doesn't matter anyway, he thought, it's the last day of school before winter break.

He was lucky to have a pair of old glasses hidden away in his room. Alas it was gigantic and hideous. And maroon! Disgusting! Adam thought to himself.

He walked outside, in front of his house, to wait for the school bus. Coincidentally, and rather unfortunately, Tommy was his next door neighbor. Tommy was to come out soon. Adam saw the red door of Tommy's house open and out came Tommy. Tommy was a teenaged boy of medium build and medium height (about an inch and a half taller then Adam). He had brown hair, green eyes, and a creamy complexion that was far from pale.

"Wow! You look like a freak!" Tommy said when he saw Adam with his new glasses. "What the fuck is that purple crap on your face?"

"These were my only other pair," mumbled Adam.

Tommy laughed jeeringly at Adam. "You really look like a bitch you know that?" Fortunately the bus came.

But unfortunately Tommy continued chivvying Adam along the way. He sat behind Adam and constantly kicked his seat and whacked him over the head with a rolled up newspaper. They got to school after the bus ride. Adam tried to get away from Tommy; he didn't want to have to undergo more cruel affronts from Tommy or from his friends who were soon to meet up with him. He made a fast start after he exited the bus, but Tommy grabbed his arm.

"Where're you off to so quickly?"

"Stop, ow. Let go, Tommy," Adam said gravely, squirming in his grasp.

"Oh, excuse me," replied Tommy sarcastically, "does my grip hurt? How about now?" he tightened his grip.

"Quit it Tommy, ouch, please," Adam beseeched. Adam may as well have been talking to a lamppost. Tommy held steadfast.

"Hey look," Tommy said pointing toward his friends a few yards away, "It's Gary and Jay. Let's meet them." With that he began to drag Adam over to his friends.

"Please, don't," was all Adam could say.

"Hey guys," Tommy said to his friends, "Adam wants to say hello. Don't you Adam?" He looked at Adam.

"Hello," Adam said weakly.

"Hey there!" said Gary, "you look awful cute in those glasses. Doesn't he guys?"

"Please don't break them, too," Adam pleaded.

"Well, you'll have to give us something in return then," Jay bargained.

"Great idea, Jay," Gary said. He then turned back to Adam. "Well, what'll it be?"

"They're not yours!" Adam suddenly cried. "You can't make me give you something in return for stuff that aren't yours! You're a piece of trash, Gary Flinn!"

Gary punched Adam in the face, hitting Adam's glasses. The glass shattered and cut the sides of Adam's cheeks as it punctured his face and fell. Gary's fist also bled. Tommy looked quite shocked, but Jay laughed hysterically.

Adam began to cry and ran off. He ran into the school and to the football field to a secluded spot behind the bleachers. Although he may not have been able to see well because he was missing his glasses, but he basically knew which direction to run to and which blur was what. He was still crying and sniffling and trying to wipe the tears and blood off of his face. The salty tears stung his open cuts.

After he calmed down and the bleeding began to subside, he decided to skip school. He walked out the back gate. He looked around the empty streets. The sky was still gray and it was cold. Fog escaped his nose and lips when he breathed. The houses and surroundings were a blur, but he knew from being around the area what they looked like: like a typical small suburban town with gloomy weeping willows and neat houses that enclosed the school. He heard running behind him and he turned around. He saw Tommy running toward him. Adam tried to get away but Tommy was too fast. Tommy grabbed onto Adam again.

"Please Tommy, not again. I-" Adam began, but Tommy interrupted.

"You fuckin' idiot! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"I snapped," Tommy could feel his tears falling again, "tell Gary that I'm sorry. Please don't hurt me too, Tommy."

"Hear this, Adam! It wasn't my fault or Gary's or Jay's! You brought it on yourself. You started it!"

"If you think I'm going to squeal, you needn't worry. I won't! I promise! Just please leave me alone!"

"Fine! But you better not snitch!" Tommy warned and shoved Adam to the ground.

He looked at Adam then reached into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a pair of glasses.

"I was gonna give you these this morning at the bus stop, but I saw you had found another pair. I guess you need them now, though. They're my mom's old pair, but you still better take care of them. You can keep it till you get new ones." He tossed it to Adam, who was still on the ground. "If you break 'em, I'll break your face even more." With that Tommy turned around and walked off, leaving Adam speechless and dumbfounded.

Adam returned home at the usual time, as he would if he had been in school. He laid down on a park bench most of the day. It was difficult to sleep because it was hard and uncomfortable.

"My goodness! What happened to your face! You've been bleeding!" Adam's mother, Adelaide, exclaimed when she saw Adam's cuts. Adelaide was a single parent raising a single child. Adam's father had died of cancer when Adam was only five.

"I fell mother. During P.E. class. I'm okay. Its all dry. No worries."

"Alright, sweetie. I have good news for you. I hope it makes you feel better."

"What is it, mom?" Adam really didn't care to hear. He just wanted to plop down on his mattress. The park bench served as a terrible bed.

"Well, winter holiday's begun for you, right?"

"Yes, mother."

"Well, guess where we're off to for vacation?"

"Just tell me," Adam said blandly.

"Oh show some spirit! We're off to the Old World! England!"

"Whoopie." Adam said sarcastically.

"We're going to go with a neighbor of ours. I haven't been able to make many friends because I have lots of work in the hospital and I have to care for you at the same time. But recently I have been having chats with Mrs. Patrickson. I helped her when she was having some pains a few days ago; she must have found out I was a nurse. Well, ever since then we've been having tea with one another and grown to be friends."

"Mrs. who?" Adam asked.

"Mrs. Patrickson. Her son goes to your school. You must know Tommy Patrickson."

"Mom, Tommy hates me. And I'd rather keep my distance from him as well. Can't we go separately or go with some one else? Or not go at all?"

"I do not have many friends, Adam. I'm lucky to have found a friend in such a kind woman."

"But mom-"

"Do it for me, honey. Please, I've taken care of you, I've done everything for you. Do this one thing for me. Please."

Adam sighed. "For you mom. But I'll hate it."

"That's my darling. Oh, we're leaving tomorrow."

"What?! I can't possibly pack in-"

"I've packed for you. If you want you can check to see if I've missed anything."

"I trust you." The truth was that Adam was too tired to check if his mom missed anything in the packing. He just wanted to sleep.