The Prince and the Pauper

“Hey Lyle, you coming or what?” Donnie shouted for him. They were supposed to rendezvous with the rest of their friends at a party and Lyle was taking forever to get ready, like always.

He came running out of his room, slowing down as he casually gave Donnie a flirtatious look. They studied one another, silently admiring each other’s sense of style.

“You can’t rush perfection, darling.”

Donnie rolled his eyes. “Attempting perfection or inspiring hobos?”

Lyle snickered at his best friend’s usual bizarre commentary. “Someone’s feisty today.”

“Nope! I’m always this way. Can we go now?” Donnie sashayed out of the front door, Lyle close behind.

“Sure, Donnie. Let’s not wait for your pubes to grow.” Donnie turned around to punch Lyle’s shoulder, amused with his choice of words.

They climbed into Lyle’s glossy black Hummer, which was a gift from his parents for his sixteenth birthday. He pulled out of the driveway and sped down a street. Donnie would’ve been against the idea of speeding, but they were already late.

~

Lyle pulled onto an empty patch of grass. The party was already filled to the max 15 minutes into it. Finding the rest of their outfit would be difficult, even though it was one of their own friend’s house.

Getting out of the car, Donnie spoke up, “What the hell are so many people doing here?” He groaned at the task that was coming to him. He got butterflies in his stomach and his face flushed. He hoped Lyle hadn’t noticed how nervous he was.

“Next time I want to get somewhere early, I’ll be sure to ask someone else for a ride.”

Lyle made a pouty face. “Aw, are you nervous, Ronnie?” He laughed and walked over to him.

Ronnie shot daggers at Lyle, not denying his anxiety. Lyle gasped.

“Don’t be so uneasy, Woody. You’ll be fine.” He gave Donnie a whole-hearted smile, who was busy silently cursing Lyle for using his last name.

Sure, you have it easy, Donnie thought. He was jealous of how good looking Lyle was, and the rare imperfections he had, his personality made up for it. His hair was naturally straight, naturally beautiful. He’s taller, slender and toned- what every girl was looking for. Given he’s gay, you’d think more girls would give up on him and go for his best friend, but that wasn’t happening. Girls still drooled over him.

Donnie’s a little on the short side. Not in dwarf territory, but around 5’5”. He wants to match Lyle’s height (5’9”), but feels as if he never will. Lyle isn’t the tallest person he knows, but his height seemed perfect. Everything about him seemed perfect. So Donnie thought.

“Coming?”

Donnie snapped out of his thoughts to see an amused Lyle waiting for him a few feet away. He shook his head a little.

“Yeah, sorry. Just thinking.”

Lyle waited for him to catch up before playfully saying, “Well stop it. You’re freaking me out.”

When they reached the house, the music could be heard more clearly. The melodious notes of Untouchable (Luna Halo) projected from large speakers placed in the corner of a room. The teens passed the room, scanning it for their friends.

After passing several people and a few more rooms, they were about to make their way upstairs to continue their search.

“Oh. What do we have here?” Someone snorted.

They turned to face a guy they were familiar with.

“You guys going to do the nasty? You know..”

Donnie rolled his eyes, a little taken back by the thought. Is that what it looked like? He couldn’t help but wonder.

“I didn’t think so. You’re too hideous to get laid. When was the last time you got any? Probably never, am I right? Psh, faggot.” The guy opened his mouth in an ‘O’ shape, as if to say ‘BURNED!’ Donnie knew the insult had been directed at him. The guy wasn’t even looking at Lyle, no one messed with Lyle. He was talking about me. Donnie assumed.

Donnie glanced at Lyle to witness his reaction. He didn’t look fazed, more just bored. It hurt Donnie a little on the inside. Wouldn’t his friend stick up for him?

The guy made a painful face, and sighed heavily as if fighting not to pass out. The stench of alcohol saturated his breath.

“Brad, is your face hurting? Cause it’s killing me.” Lyle gave the guy a dirty look. Out of disbelief, Brad gave him a helpless look.

Taking Donnie by the hand, Lyle pushed past Brad and up the stairs. When they reached the top, Donnie pulled him to a stop, turning to face him.

“Thanks, Lyle.” Donnie offered a small smile, relieved he didn’t have to fight for himself just yet. Lyle had told him he shouldn’t let people talk to him badly, but he didn’t have the self esteem to do so.

Lyle smiled, “Welcome.”

Lyle kept things simple. He didn’t expect payment from his friends. If he did, Donnie would be so far up his ass in debt, he couldn’t pay him back with his life.

“There you guys are!” They turned around to face Allie. She walked up to them, throwing an arm around each. “You guys are so late!”

Donnie snorted, “We’re not that late.”

Allie simply kissed his cheek and greeted Lyle, leading them both into a room occupied by the rest of their friends.

“Let me guess, Lyle took forever getting ready?” One said.

“Not uh! Some jackass held us up.” Lyle winked at Donnie and blew him an imaginary kiss. Donnie did the same to him, willing to play along.

“Who?” Allie arched an eyebrow.

“No one important. A low tolerance psycho with sexual fantasies about our little buddy.” Lyle sighed.

“Fine, don’t tell us! But do tell me who the cutie staring at you from the other side of the hall is.”

All heads turned in the direction of the open door. Across the hall was a guy laying on a bed, staring seductively at Lyle from inside another room. As creepy as it seemed, he was already turned on.

“I don’t know, never seen him before,” Lyle said starting for the door. “But it looks like I’m getting laid tonight.” He joked.

He approached the guy, who sat up and smiled, closing the door behind him.

“Michel.” The lad said.

“I’m Lyle.” He said, sitting next to the guy. He opened his mouth to say something more, but he didn’t have a chance. It wouldn’t matter since Michel seemed to have no intentions of getting to know him. He knew this because Michel’s lips were occupied with his, not talking.

Lyle didn’t stop him. He didn’t care for making friends at the moment.

They continued to kiss, their tongues roaming the insides of each other’s mouths. Lyle could feel the slippery texture, the feeling that made him love kissing. Michel’s lips sent a feeling of ecstasy through him. Lyle’s hands toured Michel’s body, taking off his shirt and allowing Michel to do the same with him.

Lyle knew Michel. He wouldn’t tell anyone that. He wouldn’t remind him of their last encounter if Michel didn’t remember. It was a shameful memory for Lyle; a memory that shouldn’t have been made. Everyone that knew him assumed Lyle was a hard-ass that liked getting in trouble for the thrill. That wasn’t true. Just because his parents had more money than most did, didn’t make him rich. His family isn’t rich. Just almost.

“I can’t do this.” Lyle confessed before it happened again.

He got up, grabbed his boxers, putting them back on.

“What do you mean? Where the fuck are you going?”

Lyle ignored him, slipping on the rest of his clothes and leaving Michel naked, in the room alone. He ran downstairs, out of the house and across the yard to where his Hummer was. He got in to see a tear-stained face staring into oblivion.

“What happened?” Lyle questioned, feeling truly concerned.

No answer.

Lyle decided he would deal with it later. He started the car and drove off.

No one really understood Lyle, as he felt. They got the wrong idea about him. He wasn’t a snobby brat, his friends knew that. He didn’t steal his dad’s car and crash it into a tree just because he could. He doesn’t engage in fights at school just because he could. He didn’t call his teacher a bitch to her face just because he could. He didn’t steal from a liquor store, flash a police, yell slurs out in public, streak across a field during one of his school football games, slash the tires of his school bus, sleep with a stranger- just because he could. No, there was another reason. One ignorant, judgmental people never thought of. A reason he couldn’t tell anyone but Donnie, in fear of people calling him a liar.

He does it because he wants someone to tell him he can’t.