Miracles Aren't Fiction

Ryan is like a walking zombie nowadays. His body is forever aching and it takes a lot of effort to cover up the mounting bruises. At first, all he needed was a long sleeved shirt to cover his arms and some sunglasses for the black eye. But now, as Pete got more angry and violent with him, the bruises and cuts became more noticeable.

That’s another thing; Pete has recently found pleasure in making Ryan bleed. Last night, he took a sharp carving knife and sliced a bloody P in Ryan’s side. Luckily, Ryan had some gauze at home in the emergency first aid kit. He cleaned and covered up the wound as best as he could and got ready for school. Yeah, Pete doesn’t even wait until the weekend to call up Ryan.

Ryan is breaking inside. He’s not the same boy he was a couple of weeks ago. Things have changed in his life so dramatically, what if things can never go back to normal?

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In a way, Pete regrets that things he has done to Ryan. But when he thinks about the boy, when he thinks about the level of power he holds over him, Pete puts any type of regret out of him and lets lust take over. He gets this feeling of superiority when he’s with Ryan. In his mind, Pete knows it’s wrong to use Brendon as blackmail for Ryan, but at the same time, it’s the only way he can keep Ryan all to himself.

Pete is just testing how much he can do to Ryan before the boy cracks. It’s not about love anymore. It’s about power and control.

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“Spencer… you really don’t know anything? Nothing? Nothing at all?” Brendon asks desperately. He doesn’t know who to go too. He’s tried talking to Ryan, but Ryan just avoids him, as if he’s a plague. So now, Brendon is torn between worry and heartbreak.

“I don’t KNOW! Don’t you think I would have said something if I knew what was wrong with Ryan? Huh, Brendon? I’m worried too. He’s my best friend.” Spencer puts his face in his hands, shaking his head. “I don’t know” He whispers. Spencer feels as though he failed as a friend, let alone a best friend. He’s been so busy with Jon, he’s neglected Ryan. And that is not acceptable.

“I’m sorry, I just can’t help but be worried… did Ryan tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Spencer asks warily.

“Did he tell you that… that well,… he and I… were together?” Brendon says hesitantly.

“What do you mean?” Spencer looks confused and Brendon knows that Ryan hadn’t said a word. But this is important. If what Brendon suspects is true, than Spencer needs to know.

“I mean that Ryan and I were together for a bit. As in… boyfriends.” Spencer’s eyes widen and he takes in a breath. “But something happened and now it’s like what we had was never there.”

“Wait… does this have something to do with why you were in the hospital too?” Brendon nods and for Spencer, it seems to make something clearer to him.

“It is Pete…” He says quietly to himself. Except Brendon hears.

“You know about Pete?” Spencer looks up sharply.

“What about Pete? Did he do something? What do you know? Tell me!” Brendon, shocked, proceeds to tell Spencer about how Pete had caught him alone with Ryan in his room and about how when he left, Pete beat him into a bloody pulp. And then Pete threatened Brendon, saying to stay away from Ryan because Ryan is his. Spencer’s expressions change from shock, to disgust, sympathy and finally, fury.

“I can’t believe it. I knew Pete liked Ryan, but I didn’t think that he would go this far to get him. We have to find out what he’s doing to Ryan. And we have to find out soon… Before it’s too late.” Brendon readily agrees and they start to plan.

They will save Ryan from whatever horror Pete is inflicting on him if it’s the last thing they do.