Pitbull

Today is the second day of my senior year at Pelham High School. First of all, I get to leave at noon because I have all the credits and more that I need for college. I have already gotten my acceptance letter to Texas A&M. I live alone in a massive penthouse apartment that I bought out with some of my grandparents’ fortune that they left me. I don’t exactly know what they did to get all that money but it obviously paid well.

I pushed my dark brown hair off my forehead as I headed towards the double-door exit by the music room. Mozart spilled from the door left ajar. It’s Mrs. Harper’s lunch break right now and I’m pretty sure that she went to Chik-fil-a like she normally does. No one is allowed to be in her music room messing with the piano when she’s not there. I deviated from my path, pushing the door open slowly so as not to make any noise.

Pale, wan fingers flew over the piano keys, giving way to thin wrists covered in bracelets, a black Hurley jacket with the sleeves pushed up, a white, v-neck t-shirt underneath, dark red skinny jeans, and paint splattered Converse. Black hair shimmered under the fluorescent lights and bottle green eyes stared almost blankly at the music sitting on the holder on the baby Grand Piano.

I stood in the doorway, watching the boy play the music. Once the song was over, his playing shifted to a more melancholy note and stayed that way for a long while.

“Lincoln…what are you doing?” A female voice questioned. The music shuddered to a stop and there was a loud clatter as the boy scrambled away from the piano.

“I was on my way out when I heard the music. I know you don’t like anyone messing with the instruments when you’re not in.” I explained turning to meet the short woman’s gaze. She was about a foot shorter than my six foot frame. The boy standing by the piano seemed about five inches taller than her.

“Ricky has my permission to use the piano anytime he wishes.” Mrs. Harper smiled over at the boy. His eyes were trained on me and I immediately recognized him as Steven Mitchell’s boyfriend. Steven Mitchell is the school’s most notorious bad boy and druggie.

“I’m sorry Mrs. Harper. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble. I’ll leave now.” Ricky mumbled trying to slip past us. Once he had cleared us, he took off down the halls.

Mrs. Harper shook her head and took a seat at the piano, scanning her eyes over the music sitting on the holder. I took that as my cue to leave and go home. As soon and I was outside motorcycle kick-started not too far away, catching my attention. Ricky was climbing on the back of the enormous motorcycle, putting his tiny arms around Steven’s waist. The muscled bad boy tore out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell.

Over the next few days as I passed the music room, I could hear that same melancholy song that Ricky had played after the Mozart piece. It caused my heart to ache at the sound but I withstood it and stood just outside the music room.

“RICKY!” Someone shouted from down the hall. I quickly slipped into the music room, behind the door. Steven tore into the room and suddenly the boy looked up with a tortured look on his face. He quickly got up, moving forward to his boyfriend. Steven grabbed a fistful of Ricky’s hair jerking his head back, letting him fall onto the floor. The tiny boy made no sound but the pain he was in was evident on his face.

“Steven…” He whispered making no move to get up.

“Shut-up you filthy whore!” Steven hissed jerking Ricky up off the ground and dragging him by his silky hair, out of the music room. Ricky didn’t fight him. He never made a sound. I was frozen to the spot behind the door, not comprehending what I had just seen.

Ricky was back at school the next day in horrible shape. Everybody said that he said he had fallen down the stairs. He had a black eye and was limping horribly.

Before I left, I stopped by the music room. It was silent so I peered in to see Ricky just sitting at the piano. He ran his fingers over the keys before pulling shutting the cover. When he looked up, his eyes met mine. His eyes were no longer bright. They were dreary and listless.

“You were standing right behind the door.” He whispered in a monotone voice.

All that was possible for me was to stare at him.

He rose from the bench, making his way in my direction. He stopped in front of me, staring me right in the eyes.

“You’re the only one who knows I didn’t just fall down the stairs.”

With that, he turned and walked away, down the hall where I saw Steven standing on the steps to the stage with his bulky arms crossed over his chest. Ricky kissed his lips before slipping his hand in his boyfriend’s.

He didn’t glance back as they left.

I growled under my breath, heading out to my car to go home.

Once at home, I couldn’t keep my mind from wandering to Ricky. Why hadn’t I realized before, exactly how insanely gorgeous and tiny he was? Why hadn’t I realized that his boyfriend was a sadistic bastard? How could he ever think of hurting such a fragile person such as Ricky?

Ok…and why does this bother me so much? If Ricky didn’t like it then couldn’t he just break up with the jerk?

Hmm…maybe because the bastard is beating the shit out of him for no fucking reason…? What if he actually DID try to break up with him? Steven would probably kill him.

Alright, I really need to stop arguing with myself and go to work.

No, I don’t really have to work to support myself or anything. I just do it to have something to do instead of just sitting around my penthouse all day. I don’t have to work for the rest of my life. Unless I gamble all my money away…but I don’t really gamble to begin with. So I’m good.

Surprisingly enough, I’m a secretary at my father’s old accounting business. He had that job reserved for me before he died a couple years ago from cancer. I had immediately started working there when I turned sixteen. Then my mother and grandparents died in a car accident when I was seventeen. I got all their money and land but still, I kept up with my job.

Suddenly, my phone began to ring. I trawled my phone out of my pocket, surprised at the Caller ID name on the screen.

Steven

Well, about that…we were kinda friends in our freshman and sophomore year. Of course, he was nothing back then like he is now. He used to be really sweet and caring. I don’t even know what happened to make him how he is now. We just kind of drifted apart during the summer leading up to our junior year.

“Hello…” I growled into the phone.

“Lincoln, please help me…!” It was Ricky’s voice that poured over the line, frantic and he sounded like he was crying.

“Where are you?” Shit, what did Steven do to him?

“I-I do-do-don’t know…please…”

“Ricky, I need you to calm down. What do you see around you?”

“There is a dry cleaner place, a Wal-Mart, and a hair cutting salon place… I just hopped a cab and…SHIT…LINCOLN!”

“I know where you are. Just hold on and I’ll be right there.”

“Hurry…I see him…” He whimpered hanging up.

I shrugged back into my jacket, telling my boss that I’d be back later. He just waved me on, not really caring.

Outside, I hopped into my car, turning it on and pressing the gas. By the time I got to the place that Ricky had described, he wasn’t there. I pulled into the Wal-Mart parking lot, figuring that Ricky would have gone inside there because of all of the people.

I pulled out my cell phone and called Steven’s number back.

“Where are you?” I sighed as soon as I walked into the crowded building.

“There are cute and cuddly teddy bears.” He whispered sounding distant. I could hear all the store noise in the background. I headed off in the direction of the stuffed animals. I found him sitting in a brown teddy bear chair for toddlers, cuddling an enormous red teddy bear to his chest.

“Ricky, let’s go now.” I sighed holding my hand out to him.

He tilted his face up to look at me with a creepily serene smile on his face. I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up. He didn’t struggle as I dragged him quickly out of the store and pushed him into the passenger seat of my car. He just sat there, unmoving.

I climbed into the driver’s seat, turning to face him.

“Ricky, please say something.” I urged shaking his shoulder slightly.

“Thank you…” He mumbled staring out the window.

“Do you want me to take you home?”

“No, I live with Steven. Just drop me off at a hotel or something. I’ll figure out what to do.” He shook his head slightly, seeming to come back to the land of the living.

“I’m not going to do that,” I shook my head starting to drive off in the direction of my penthouse. “You’ll just stay with me. Anyways, why was it me you called? I didn’t even know you knew I existed.”

“You owed me,” He shrugged staring down at his bare feet. The jeans he was wearing were huge on him and the shirt looked comfortably loose. “Plus, I asked the teacher what your name was. You were always listening to me play the piano. I could see you when you came down the hall and stopped to listen, even though you tried to stay out of sight.”

I didn’t say anything. There really wasn’t anything for me to say to him. He just seemed so bitter.

Back at my penthouse, I forced him into the elevator. He didn’t want to but I wasn’t going to allow him to just got to a hotel or motel, or wherever.

“What happened to make Steven so mad at you?”

“Nothing…” Ricky sighed glancing down at the marble floor of the elevator.

“Ricky…” I growled.

“I told him no. Now just leave it at that.” He whispered pleadingly.

I didn’t pursue the matter further. I’m already pretty sure that I knew what he meant by that. It made me shudder to think that Steven could ever… My body quivered and the doors slid open to reveal the entrance to my penthouse. Ricky stepped inside, gazing around with his mouth dropped in awe.

Suddenly, a smile broke across his face as he ran and catapulted himself onto one of my plush leather couches, burying his face in my pillow since I had been sleeping on the couch the past couple nights. He giggled cutely then sat up, brushing his fingers through his hair which only caused it to get even messier than before.

I smiled slightly, heading into the kitchen to make lunch and call my boss to tell him that I wouldn’t be coming back to work today.

For lunch we had roast beef sandwiches with mayonnaise and SWISS CHEESE! Ricky wolfed down his sandwich like he hadn’t eaten in ages…which he kinda looked like he hadn’t. Then he wandered into the pantry and came back out a couple seconds later with a broad grin, holding a bag of pizza-flavored Goldfish.

Then he wandered off back into the living room with the Goldfish. I heard the click of the movie cabinets opening. I walked into the living room with my half-eaten sandwich, watching him rifle through my movies and finally settling on Bring It On.

“I have better movies…” I laughed.

“Ok…” He whispered reluctantly, starting to put the movie back in the case.

“Ricky. You can watch the movie of course. I don’t really care. I was just saying.” I plopped down on the couch, watching Ricky put the movie into the DVD player. Then he flung himself onto the couch next to me, grabbing my sandwich from the plate and taking a small bite.

“Your cooking is really good. Thank you.” He smiled sweetly before kissing me on the lips.

I nearly choked on the food I had in my mouth.

I was too shocked to move so he grabbed the bag of Goldfish from the coffee table and began munching away as the movie played. I stared at him for at least a good twenty minutes.

“I know you’re staring at me. It’s extremely awkward.” He stated without turning his face to mine.

I blushed and glued my eyes to the TV screen in front of me. For the rest of the movie, neither of us said a word.

After the movie though, he tugged Steven’s phone from his back pocket, glancing at the screen. A look of panic came over his eyes and he jumped to his feet, unsettling the plate from my lap, spilling the toasted crumbs on the floor.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry!” He cried starting to fidget.

“It’s ok. I’ll clean it up. What has you so uptight though? You’re safe here.”

“N-No…it’s ok…I’ll clean it. I…I have to go to work though.” He knelt down and began picking up the crumbs quickly. I grabbed his wrists, pulling him up to look at me.

“Relax. I’ll take you to work.” I soothed.

“N-No,” He nearly shouted. “I mean…I’ll walk. It’s not too far away.”

“Then I can drive you. It’s not that big a deal.” I sighed.

A shiver ran down his body.

“No. You can’t take me,” He sighed shaking his head. “I’ll be back from work around midnight.”

I watched him dart out the door quickly. The door shut and I rose from the couch, grabbing my keys from my pocket. I waited a good ten minutes before heading out as well.

Once in my car, I headed out onto the street, turning left. I could see Ricky in the distance. He was jogging quickly, glancing around himself periodically, probably keeping an eye out for Steven. Eventually, he disappeared into a gay bar and I immediately pulled into the parking lot, following him inside after a few minutes. Once inside, I checked the bar but he wasn’t there, nor was he one of the whorish pole dancers, nor any of the skimpily dressed waiters making their rounds and sometimes giving the guys lap dances.

I felt sick. Couldn’t Ricky find a better job than this?

I noticed a sign for the dressing rooms so I went back there, noticing Ricky sitting at a vanity table, injecting his arm with a clear liquid from a syringe.

“Ricky…” I called from the only doorway. His head snapped up and turned to face me. His eyes widened with shock but he didn’t move other than that.

He said nothing as I moved closer. Although, he did close his eyes and lean his head back against the chair, taking deep breaths. His cheeks were tinted slightly pink and his body shook almost unnoticeably. I grabbed the bottle of clear liquid from his vanity table, glancing at the label.

Dopamine…

“I have to go Lincoln. Please don’t stay.” He whispered sounding strained.

I touched the back of his hand and his eyes snapped open. He bit his lower lip, hunching over slightly.

“I’m not going to let you work here. You’re coming back home with me.” I growled grabbing his wrist, jerking him out of the chair, and forcing him outside the club into my car. He was panting and shifting uncomfortably, dressed only in extremely tight black leather pants, causing his skin to look paler.

Ricky was silent for the rest of the ride home, except for his labored breathing.

Once at home, he scrambled out of the car, dashing into the elevator to head up to my penthouse. He was pressing the button to close the doors frantically but to no avail I still made it onto the elevator before the doors closed.

He was shaking and held a pained look on his face. As soon as the elevator doors opened, I grabbed his wrist, causing him to gasp. He whimpered as I dragged him into my room, throwing him onto the bed. I unbuttoned his jeans, despite his struggling and tugged the tight fabric off his tiny, thin legs. He had a major, painful looking boner.

He quickly rolled onto his back, giving me a nice view of his ass. I noticed his back was shiny with sweat and his body was still trembling.

I went into my closet, emerging sometime later with a belt. I threaded it into a loop, moving back to the bed where Ricky hadn’t moved. I put the belt around his thing wrists, then brought it around a bar of my headboard and buckled it so he couldn’t free his wrists. He brought his knees to his chest, struggling as I grabbed his legs, pulling them onto either side of my knees as I knelt on the bed.

“Stop it! You can’t do this to me!” He cried trying to close his legs and bring them back up to his chest. He was starting to panic and arch his back in pleasure at the same time as I leaned over him and brought my knee up to his groin.

“You’re the one who’s horny Ricky.” I told the small boy beneath me.

He was suddenly quiet, still breathing heavily underneath me. I backed up to place my hands on the insides of his legs, lying down in between them. I took the tip of him into my mouth, causing him to moan like a whore. I dipped my tongue into his slit a couple times, causing his body to shudder roughly and for him to moan louder than before. He tried to push himself deeper into my mouth half-consciously but I wouldn’t let him. He whimpered and twisted slightly.

“No, please…” He gasped. “Lincoln, please don’t do… Ahhh…don’t…AHHH…don’t do this…”

I shifted my eyes to look up at his face. He looked tortured.

“Ricky…it’s ok. What’s wrong?” I soothed reaching up to release his wrists.

“I’m frightened Lincoln. I really like you but I don’t want you to do this to me. I’m not really like this. It’s the dopamine. I can’t let you do this.”

“Ricky…”

“No, listen. Steven found out the same way you did. He knew I was like this because of the dopamine. After we started going out, he would always inject me with the dopamine just so I would always act like this. I can’t be like this for you too.” Ricky was crying.

“I could never do that to you. I just want to make you feel better. I like you too so don’t worry.” He let me take him into my mouth again and I can’t count how many times he came till he was too tired to make a sound. He let his body go limp, sweat drenching his body and my sheets. I pulled him into my arms, lying on my side and snuggling against his back.

In the morning, I woke up to my alarm but then I realized that it was Saturday. I shut off the alarm then crawled back into bed, falling back to sleep. When I finally woke up for good though, I noticed that Ricky was no longer in my arms.

In a panic, I jumped out of bed, darting out of my room where I saw Ricky standing in the kitchen making breakfast.

“Good morning.” He smiled brightly abandoning the stove for a moment to come and give me a hug. I noticed that he was wearing one of my shirts that fit him like a knee-length dress. He tilted his face up and I kissed his lips before he moved back to the stove.

“I called the police…and told them about Steven. They came around noon while you were still asleep. They called a couple minutes ago to let me know that Steven was going to jail.” He sighed flipping the bacon in the skillet.

“Are you ok?” I questioned placing my arms around his waist.

“I am now.” Ricky smiled leaning back against my chest.

“Now all that’s left is to get you a piano.” I whispered kissing his cheek gently.