Chapter 2: I Don't Blame You For Being You.

"Aleks, wake up." I whisper. It's 6:30AM. We're still curled up on the floor and he's still shirtless. He moves a little and groans in pain. I help him sit up. "C'mon, get in the bed." He clutches the right side of his abdomen and crawls onto the bed.

"I think I've got a broken rib." He mumbles.
"It wouldn't surprise me. I'm gonna go tell dad what happened. I'll be right back."
"No. Come her." He pats the bed beside him.
"Aleks..."
"Jasey..." He matches my tone. "I wanna cuddle."
"Fiiiine." I laugh a little and crawl up next to him. He wraps his arms around me and lays his head on my chest. I hold him tight, but not too tight. This is typical Aleks. He craves affection and always has. I've got no problem showing a little bit of it.

Stacy, as usual, interrupts the sweet moment. Her head is wrapped in a sickening hot pink towel and she's dripping water all over my floor.
"Jasey! Why he hell is HE here again?" She scoffs at the lump of battered boy beside me. "And where is my blow dryer?"
"Shut the fuck up, Stacy. It's under the sink." She storms out and slams the door behind her. Most of her actions are unnecessarily bitchy.
"Why is she like that?" He whispers. I can hear the tears catch in his throat.
"Because she has no soul. I dunno why, really. Just ignore her." He nods into my chest. There's a warm spot forming on my shirt, right under his cheek. "Shhh. Don't cry, baby." He doesn't say anything. Neither do I. We just lay there in silence.

"Jasey, can I talk to you?" Dad's standing in the doorway staring questioningly at Aleks. I nod and slip off the bed.
"Yeah?" I ask.
"You know he's not supposed to be here." He explains in his quiet, apologetic voice. Dad holds no problem with me or Aleks. Mom and Stacy do.
"Dad, he had nowhere else to go. He can't stay at his house anymore."
"Why can't he?"
"Because...h-he told his dad he's gay and his dad beat the shit out of him for it." He looks shocked.
"How bad?"
"Pretty bad. I'll explain to mom later, but for now...he has to stay." He nods and gestures me back towards my room.
Aleks is still asleep. I grab a pair of skinnies and a new t-shirt from the closet and get dresses. I don't bother with my hair, just pull it into a loose pony tail. Mom, dad and Stacy are at the kitchen table eating. I sit down across from mom.
"So you snuck that boy in again?" She's got that tone.
"He has a name."
"I don't care, Jasey. You know the rules and you just broke an extremely obvious one." She's raising her voice a little with every word. Dad opens his mouth to say something but decides it's probably a bad idea and closes it.
"His dad hit him again."
"I'd probably hit him too if he was my kid." Stacy scoffs.
"Shut the fuck up, Stacy." I snap.
"Jasey." Dad stops us before we actually start.
"He told his dad that he's gay. He told him and he beat the shit out of him."
"That's what he gets for being a fag." Stacy murmurs. She doesn't think I can hear her. I push my chair back and grab her by her pretty, blond pony tail and push her against the refrigerator. I've got her pinned.
"What the fuck is your problem, Stacy? What makes you think you can talk about ANYONE like that?" I yell. I'm no more than three inches from her face and she looks scared shitless.
"Get off of me!" She whines.
"You're a cold, heartless bitch." I give her one last shove and retreat to my bedroom. She's crying and mom's commenting on my unnecessary behavior. Aleks is curled into the fetal position at the head of the bed. He's crying.
"You heard, didn't you?" I ask. He nods.