Running from Reality

[Andy Moreau]

Andy wasn't sure whether to be offended or not, so he chose not to be. Samson was talking about his mom, right? And being nice to him? "So like, is everyone you know... or like, everyone at your old school..." everyone in Australia... "homophobic?"

[Samson Callahan Koster]

Samson looked at Andy in momentary confusion before the word registered in his mind. "Oh...I don't know," he shrugged and any lingering traces of the short-lived laughter faded quickly from his expression. "Maybe? But like...there aren't even any gays anywhere around. Seriously the only one anyone talks about is Ariel, and that's because it was big news, and no one even knew for sure."

He was silent for a moment and looked down again. "I guess a lot of them are. It was a really rural area." No one had money, everyone lived apart form everyone else, no one was exposed to anything, weren't those breeding grounds for that kind of thing? He didn't know a lot about the whole liberal/conservative divide, but what little he did know seemed to have people like from where he grew up on one side and, well, everyone else on the other.

[Andy Moreau]

"There are gay people," Andy said, perhaps a bit slowly to emphasize his point. "They're just careful so they don't have to fight every day of their lives against a whole school or city or whatever that hates them. I didn't have my hair like this at school until I moved here, where no one cares. I wore a hoodie when I could and I kept to myself because I'm short and everyone likes to f~ with the little guy. I got called gay when I was nine. Nine. People were calling me gay before I knew what it meant, and I sure as hell wasn't dreaming of sticking my d~ in some other kid's arse then."

[Samson Callahan Koster]

Did that mean he dreamed about it now? At least Samson had the presence of mind to keep that particular thought from escaping his lips. He hadn't really thought about there being gay people back home who were just afraid to say so, but now that it was pointed out he felt dumb for not guessing that without being told. "That sucks," he said, unsure what else to say about it that wouldn't send him further into whatever the wrong thing to say was. "At least you can fight now, and a lot of people can't, and no one cares around here, you say."

[Andy Moreau]

"I wouldn't have had to learn how to fight if it wasn't for people like your parents!" Andy scowled at the path ahead, where he could finally see a glimmer of water between the trees. "How'd you like it if you're always late to class because you've got to wait until the halls are cleared to go in? Have to sit as close to the door as you can so you can get away from the guys who've been throwing wads of paper at you for an hour? The bathroom's a great place to eat lunch if you like the smell of piss and not getting your arse kicked. After school? Better hope it's not Monday 'cause that's when the dumpsters get emptied and it f~ing hurts landing on your head in an empty dumpster. Oh, but you get to go home, right? Time to clean up the dog sh~ in the back yard, make someone else dinner and hope there's leftovers, clean the loo, try to make sure your brother doesn't get pushed around too much, take some punches to your arm and kicks for your grades being sh~ and go to bed without doing sh~ for homework because when the f~ have you got time? Go back to school and get your arse handed to you again! Get your arse kicked for f~ing years before you manage to fight back, and only when you can get them by surprise. One guy against two guys who can't fight and don't see you is easy. One guy against like three or four half a foot taller who are on the f~ing football team and the walk home is gonna take an hour. Then you get it for being late and smelling like garbage. But at least I can fight now. You want to fight? You want to learn the way I did?!"

[Samson Callahan Koster]

Samson's eyes were wide by the end of that not-so-little rant and he couldn't help but cringe away from his companion. His own upbringing didn't seem so bad anymore. Sure, his mum had had guys coming in and out all the time, and she wasn't afraid to hit him every now and again, same as some of the rest of the family, but that had all just seemed...normal. It looked like he'd failed at finding the right thing to say. "I'm sorry," he said in a small voice, a little further away from Andy than he'd been at the start. "That sounds horrible."

[Andy Moreau]

Andy seethed at the ground in front of him and gave a jerk of a half-shrug. Whatever. Maybe the guy would stop being so stupid about stuff now. There aren't even any gays anywhere around. Bullsh~. People were still talking about Samson's uncle and they hadn't even known for sure that the guy was gay. That would be a lesson to anyone else who showed up at that school to attempt to fit in. Of course, not everyone could fit in, whether they were gay or bi or normal.

"I don't want your pity," Andy said as he broke through the treeline. "Just like, think before you talk about stuff you don't know anything about."

[Samson Callahan Koster]

"It's never been the wrong stuff to say," Samson said, glancing over and completely missing the growing view of the lake. "I've been trying to think and I've still been saying the wrong things. You're literally the first person to ever tell me not to say anything about it!" He was surprised at the annoyance in his own voice and immediately pulled his eyes away from Andy again. It simply wouldn't do to get into a fight with the first person who'd been nice to him, but he just didn't know!

[Andy Moreau]

Andy groaned in frustration. He couldn't even begin to imagine a life where everyone in the whole school left the loners alone and kept busy talking about someone who hadn't even been at the school in like twenty years. "Sorry," Andy bit out. He was trying to calm down, but an arseload of memories he didn't want had just been thrown in his face. He stopped walking and sat, two or three feet from the water. He pulled his knees up in front of him, wrapped his arms around them, and lay his head forward.

[Samson Callahan Koster]

Samson didn't sit immediately, awed by the sheer size and impressiveness of the lake that stretched out in front of them. A tentacle slipped out of the smooth surface, and he was momentarily stunned at the fact that yes, enormous bodies of water did exist, and if he wanted to he could reach out and touch it. In those first moments, Andy was forgotten, but the guy's silence and posture weren't easy to ignore, and soon Samson sat next to him, though he was unable to come up with a comment. He unraveled Porthios and let the little snake explore the grass around them.

Before he could manage to come up with something to say, a barn owl swooped in and alighted in the grass next to him, holding out a thick leg on which was tied a rolled up letter and a small pouch that jingled slightly when it rubbed against the ground. He glanced over at Andy uncertainly, then removed the two items. The owl flew off, and he unrolled the parchment first to read. The handwriting was a hasty scrawl somewhere between print and script.

For all I know your idiot of a mum hasn't even told you what sex is all about, but if you don't know by now, I'm sure as hell not explaining the ins and outs to you. If you do it, then use these rubbers, for God's sake. The last thing I need is your mum coming after me because you knocked up some bird before you're legal. At least we'd know you're not queer, then, though.

WRAP IT UP, KID

This last was written in blocky letters, and beneath it was a rushed signature Samson could barely make out, but that wasn't the end of the letter.

Maverick Callahan

P.S. The gold is part of what that mother of yours wants me to start paying. Like hell I'm sending it all to her to buy silk undies and liquor with. If I'm to be extorted for bloody child support, the child had better damn well get to see some of it.

Samson's eyes bulged and he dropped the letter between him and Andy without a second thought to rip open the top of the pouch, his eyes catching on a few small packets and a handful of galleons nestled in the bottom. He was just a little speechless.

[Andy Moreau]

Andy would have kept his head down for much longer if not for all the unexpected sounds beside him. He'd heard Samson sit next to him, then what sounded like the flap of wings. He'd peeked and finally turned his head to look aside. He shouldn't watch, but Samson wasn't paying any attention to him and... was that a bag full of money? "What's that?" he asked quietly, just in case Samson wanted to ignore him after his rant.

[Samson Callahan Koster]

The soft words jerked Samson out of his thoughts and he pulled out one of each of the things sent to him in the bag. "Apparently my dad thinks I'm-" he stopped himself short and forced himself to think about the words before they came. "Scared I might be gay or something, so he sent me rubbers and galleons." It was ridiculous, when he thought about it, and the venom against his mother in the letter was obvious, but he'd never had this much money in his life, it looked like ten galleons. For now, the glittering gold was much more interesting than the little packets. He nudged the letter toward Andy. "You can read it, if you want."

[Andy Moreau]

Andy straightened and took the letter, since it was offered to him. For all I know your idiot of a mum hasn't even told you what sex is all about... Duh, you learned that at school. If anyone ever talked to you. At least we'd know you're not queer, then... Andy's brows drew together tightly. What an arse! But then he'd sent money, right?

"Well that's nice... sort of," Andy said. "I mean, it's a jerky way to do it, but he sent you a few galleons. I don't even know who my dad is. He never gave my mom anything." Or me.

[Samson Callahan Koster]

"My mum's going to be pissed," Samson said, though his eyes glittered with the possibilities of actually having money. He hated the letter, maybe wouldn't even keep it for a second read, but he now had more money than he'd had his whole life, so he supposed he couldn't be too grumpy about it. "He only ever gave us stuff because my mum and her brother and dad would go hound him until he forked it over." He dragged his eyes away from his hands and looked over at Andy. "Is there a book store in Hogsmeade?"

[Andy Moreau]

Andy nodded. "Yeah, it's got like wi-fi and stuff." And books. Andy had considered dropping hints that he'd like a smartphone so he could take advantage of it. "Um, I have to do some homework here and meet my foster dad in Hogsmeade at like five or six. If you like, wanted to wait I'd totally go with you there." Andy tried not to look hopeful, but he automatically liked people who weren't mean to him.