Opposites Attract

I stared at my phone. Why? Because it was beeping incessantly. But of course, that's my fault. When you run away from home, you have to expect that people are gonna call you. Not my dad though. He never cares.

I hadn't left Mr. Sinclair's - I mean Keith's, since he insists that we go back to being friendly towards each other - house since I got here. It's only been four days, I've been gone longer than that, but I usually warn people when I'm "going for a walk". People like Cory. I haven't spoken to him since I walked him home that day. He's probably pissed that I've been skipping school.

Keith has been pretty understanding about all of this. He hasn't forced me to go back to school or talk to my dad, but he strongly encourages it. I'm not ready to face the world yet. It was hard enough dealing with my dad when he was just insulting me, but now that he's actually hurt me, I don't think I can ever look him in the eyes again. And as for going back to school, well what's the point? Cory'll keep bugging me until I tell him, and I bet my dad will know if I went back to the school. Besides, my mind will not be able to focus on schoolwork anytime soon.

So now I'm just sitting here in Keith's living room, glaring at my cell phone that won't shut up. I picked it up. I was seconds away from throwing it against the wall when Keith came through the front door. I jumped up to help him with the groceries.

"Hey. How was school?" I asked him while taking three of the bags from him.
"Same as always. Cory looks so lost without you, and Zephrinity keeps trying to cheer him up by acting up in class like you always do, but it isn't working. Don't you think-"
"You got two phone calls today." I said, cutting him off. He sighed as I walked into the kitchen and he followed me.
"Sean, all I'm saying is that it couldn't hurt to talk to Cory." He put his bag on the counter.
"Yes it would. Because then he'll feel like he has to help me because once again I'm living the crappy life and he's the one who always smells like goddamn roses."
"Is it such a bad thing that he wants to help you?"
"Yes." I started taking food out of the bags. "I'm the strong one. I'm his protector. I've always been there for him whether he needed a bodyguard or a nurse. I hate having people do the same for me because then I feel weak. I can't afford to be weak."
He took the orange juice and chicken from me. "Admitting that you need help doesn't mean that you're weak. If anything, it makes you seem stronger because you know what your limits are and are willing to depend on other people. Trust is the most fragile thing there is, Sean, and if you can find someone who you can trust just as much as they trust you, then you'll realize that you don't have to be strong all the time."
"That was a really pretty speech, Keith. But I'm not buying it." I put the pasta away in the cabinets.
He sighed again. "Well, it was worth a shot. So, when are you going home?"
I stopped and stared at him. "Are you kicking me out?"
"No, I just don't think this is very appropriate for you to be living here. If anyone finds out, they could assume that I kidnapped you, or that I'm a pedophile."
"No offense, but you kinda are." He glared at me, and I gave a smirk in return. "I'm kidding. I don't want to go home yet. What am I supposed to say?"
"Well, to your dad, you should tell him that you're gonna be his gay son, and whether he likes that or not, he's gonna have to accept it or risk losing you forever. To Cory, you need to tell him everything about your dad. He'll understand and be there to help you whether you want him to or not." He smiled and ruffled my hair.
I glared at him and finished putting away the groceries. "Why does all of your advice involve me talking to people about the truth?"
"Because honesty is the best policy."
"Why don't you just go knit that on a pillow?" I glared as he walked out of the kitchen.

I sat back down on the couch and picked up my phone. I sighed and pressed unlock so that I could be bombarded with missed calls and frantic texts. I've realized that Cory worries about me too much. He knows better than anybody that I tend to disappear sometimes. I'm just off thinking or relaxing. Talking a walk is like leaving reality for a while. Nobody you know is around to remind you of your problems. Finding new places to go is like welcoming a different, drama-free place to go.

After reading through all of the texts and voice messages, I decided that I would at least call Cory and try to calm his nerves when the door bell rang. Keith walked into the room and went to the front door. I was curious as to who would visit him since he seemed like a 'loner' type of guy, but kind of alone by choice. He opened the door and said something that made my blood turn cold.

"Cory! What are you doing here?"

I quietly dropped to the floor and crawled into Keith's office, pushing the door to leave just it open just a crack.

"Mr. Sinclair, you've got to help us."
Us? Who's us?
"Help you with what, Cory?"
"It's Sean. We don't know where he is. He's done this before - disappearing without a trace, but he doesn't usually leave for this many days without telling anybody, and Cory's been getting really worried." I heard Zephrinity respond.
"Oh, well, I'm sorry but how am I supposed to help you?"
"Can you tell us if you've heard anything about him? When he walked Cory home four days ago, he seemed perfectly fine, so it's really weird for him to just vanish. You didn't notice anything off about him, did you?"
"Uh..."

I felt so shitty right now. Mr. Sinclair has to lie for me, Cory and Zephy are worried sick... and I still couldn't face anybody. I just wanted to go live as a nomad, wandering around the country but never staying anywhere long enough to get close to anyone. I don't want to become a disappointment to anyone else.

I was about to close the office door and go crawl under his desk when my damn phone rang. I grabbed it but made no attempt to shut it off because I already know that Cory heard. Sure enough, I heard footsteps before he came through the door and stared down at me. I didn't dare look at his face - I know that there would be too many emotions to try and decipher, but the one I hope I never see is anger. A pissed off Cory is some scary shit.

"What the hell, Sean?! You've got me running around town trying to find you - I'm terrified that something terrible's happened to you - and here you are hiding in our teacher's house?! What the fucking hell is going on?!"

I flinched and looked at my phone. I got confused, but when I saw it was my brother, I got so freaking pissed at him. For three years he doesn't write or call, and now here he is.

"What is it, Dallan?"
"Dallan? Sean, are you even listening to me?!" Cory yelled.
"So tell me if I've got this right: I come home to visit my baby brother, and my dad tells me that isn't home. He even tells me that he hasn't seen you for days. Now, that doesn't really surprise me, seeing as you wander off a lot. But what did surprise me was when I went to Cory's house and found out that he wasn't there either. His mom said that he was out looking for you, and that they hadn't heard from you in four fucking days. Tell me Sean, do you enjoy seeing your friends and family panic?"
"What do mean you came home? Since when do you come home for any reason?"
"Sean!" Cory smacked the phone out of my hands. I sighed and looked up at him, seeing the rage in his eyes. I hated myself for making him scared and angry.
"Yes, Cory?"
"Why the hell did you run away?!"
"I... I can't tell you."
"What do you mean, you can't tell me? You tell me everything, and I tell you everything."
"Not everything."
"Sean, can you just tell me please? I've got a headache the size of a football and I can't even tell you how upset you've made everyone. You even have my mom worried. And your dad really wants you come home."
My eyes widened. "I don't care what he wants! I'm never going back there!"
"Sean, what's wrong with-" I gripped his shirt.
"I'm not going back there. You can't make me go back."
"Okay, okay, just tell me what's wrong!"
I stared into his eyes. He had his apologetic look. I hated that look.

I let go of his shirt and crawled over to where my phone landed. Dallan had hung up but he was calling back now. Cory snatched the phone from me and answered it before I could get it back.

"Hi, Dallan. Yeah this is Cory. I've been good. Anyway, Sean is right here. No, he can't talk. Since he doesn't want to tell anybody anything, he must not have anything else to say. Where are we? Oh we're at a friend's house-"

My eyes shot up to him. He cannot tell him where I am. I lunged for him, but Zephrinty came out of nowhere and tackled me to the ground. Unfortunately, I can't hit a girl. I tried to wrestle out from under her, which is a lot more difficult than you would think - she's stronger than she looks. Cory proceeded to give my brother the address while Mr. Sinclair just stared on in amusement at us. Even after Cory had hung up, I was still fighting with Zephrinity.

"Get off of him, Zephy. He's mine now."
Her eyes widened, and then she smirked and got off of me. A new fear arose when I saw Cory grin evilly.

I'm dead.

He attacked me. There was no punching or kicking or anything. No, this was much worse. He was tickling me. I tried to hold back my laughter, but failed miserably. He was straddling my waist and tickling my sides. The worse part about this is that he can do this for hours. I hate that I'm ticklish.

Through my laughter, I heard Zephrinity tell Mr. Sinclair that this could be awhile and then they left the room. I pleaded with Cory to stop, but he only grinned and continued to torture me. I felt tears squeeze out of my eyes; my sides were beginning to hurt. For some completely unfair reason, Cory isn't ticklish, so basically I have no weapon against him. After what felt like an hour but was probably only five minutes, the doorbell rang. Cory didn't hesitate to continue torturing me but I did hear footsteps go to the front door.

"Hey, I'm looking for Sean. I'm Dallan, his brother. And I think I hear him now."

Dallan walked into the room and laughed when he saw me being cruelly punished by by best friend. Instead of being a kind older brother, he kneeled down beside me and helped Cory tickle me by pinning my arms down.

I hate my brother and my boyfriend so much right now.

"G-Guys! Q-Q-Quit it! I can't fucking breathe! S-S-Stop it! Y-You're gonna m-make me piss my p-p-pants!!" I screamed as best as I could.

Finally, they decided to be merciful and let me go. I would've kicked both of their asses if it weren't for the fact that I really didn't have the air or the energy - I was exhausted. I glared at them while I tried to catch my breathe. I heard Mr. Sinclair and Zephy come back into the room. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that both Zephy and Mr. Sinclair were practically drooling over my brother. I mentally grinned, knowing that I could have so much fun with that fact later.

Once I was finally able to breathe again, Cory smiled at me. "I'm not mad at you anymore." he said. I just glared at him. Then I looked at my brother and punched him in the arm. Then I punched him again.

"Ow! What was the second one for?!"
"Well, I can't hit Cory, so you'll just have to take both hits."
He pouted and rubbed his arm. "Jerk. Anyway, what are you doing here? Cory said you were staying at a friend's house, but I never would have guessed that your friend was an attractive old man."
I saw Mr. Sinclair blush and clear his throat. I smirked. "This is Keith. He's become a good friend of ours. And he's not that grown. He's only twenty-six, and he doesn't always act like it. He's like a more mature you, only about four years older."

Now, I really didn't plan on getting my brother and 'Keith' together. I know my brother, and he's more of a hook-up type of guy. I doubt that how Mr. Sinclair is, but I know that he is pretty stressed right now and he could use some company. It just makes sense.

Cory eyed me suspiciously, but I bet he had an idea of what I was trying to do. Zephy was oblivious though, because she was still drooling over Dallan.

"H-H-Hi Dallan. You probably don't remember me but-"
"Of course I remember you, Zephrinity! I loved hanging out with you and Cory and Sean during the summer. How have you been?!" He jumped up and gave her a huge hug, pretty much turning her into mush.
"Uh I-I-I've been, uh... uh... Hi Dallan." She smiled dreamily.
He grinned and let her go. "Good to her, Zeph." He looked at Mr. Sinclair, putting on one of his flirty smiles. "And you're Keith? Nice to meet you." He shook his hand. Mr. Sinclair looked a little taken aback, like he was unsure of what to do. He just nodded and shook his hand, then mumbled something about 'checking on something somewhere in the someplace.'

Yeah, he likes him.

I made Zephy go with him to check on the 'something', and then I had to make Cory force her to leave because she was way too dazed to hear me. I told Cory I just wanted to talk to my brother for a minute, so he nodded and pushed Zephy out of the room.

"So, Dallan. You've been here for five minutes and already you turn on the charm. Who exactly were you flirting with anyway, Zephrinity or Keith?"
"Who said I was only flirting with one?" He smirked.
"Zephy's still not legal."
"Neither was my third boyfriend. That never stopped me."
"You are such a whore."
"And proud to be one. Now, I still wanna know why you're here and not at home."
"I'll tell you, I promise. I have to talk to you and Cory about the same thing actually. But right now, I wanna talk about you hitting on Keith."
"He was cute. A little shy, don't you think?"
"Are you kidding? That's the first time I've ever heard him shut up."
"Hm... well he is pretty sexy, but I doubt he's gonna me much fun to pursue."
"What do you mean?"
"He doesn't look like the kind of guy to put up a chase. I bet I could get him in bed with me in a week, and where's the fun in that? I can get one night stands any time."
"Basically, you're saying he's easy."
"If you want to mean about it, then yeah."
I shook my head at the weird logic of my brother. "Whatever. I'm not asking you to sleep with him, because that would be disgusting. Just keep him company for a while. He needs somebody to talk to."
"No way. I don't do play dates."
"Oh come on! Just try to be his friend without trying to get into his pants."
"Why would I wanna do that?"
"Because if you don't, I'll tell Cory that you hid porno magazines in his room."
"It wasn't magazines! It was DVDs. He should be thanking me for that. Whatever, fine. I'll babysit your little friend."
"Play nice."
"Aw, do you have to suck all the fun out of it?" I rolled my eyes as he pouted.

We walked into the living room where Zephy, Cory, and Mr. Sinclair were sitting on the couch. Since it was an L-shaped couch, there was room for me and Dallan to sit, too.

"Okay. So, I've got a lot to tell you guys. Some of it you might already know, but I might as well just start from the beginning.

First of all, I'm gay. The first person I came out to was dad, but he kinda had a problem with that, just like he had a problem with Dallan being bi. Dad's always had this problem with gays, so when Dallan came out, dad had a fit and Dallan left home. When I came out to dad, he absolutely hated it. He insulted me a lot. For a long time, I wished I hadn't told him the truth because it totally ruined our relationship. But I couldn't take it back.

And then recently, I told Cory I had a crush on him, and long story short, we're dating now.

A few days ago, dad and I got in a fight about my being gay and Dallan being bi. Dad hates that I'm not as great as Dallan. Even though Dallan likes guys, too, he's still Dad's favorite because he's a champ: he got all the trophies, broke all the sports records, got good grades, and got all the girls. He was dad's golden child, while I was just his other son.

We argued, and it got too heated. He punched me. That was the last straw, so I ran away."

I looked at their faces, all shocked except for Mr. Sinclair who knew all of this already and was just giving me a smile for doing what I should've done a long time ago. Dallan was the most surprised because he didn't know any of this. It took a moment for it all to sink in, and then Dallan grew furious. Cory's expression practically mirrored his.

"He what?!" They both yelled. I winced. I knew they would overreact.
"I can't believe dad did that! I mean, I know he had issues, but that is no excuse!"
"Sean, why didn't you tell me?! Why would you let him keep doing that to you?!"
"It's not a big deal. I was handling it until he hit me."
"Handling it? You let him physically and verbally abuse you. That is not handling it!" Dallan yelled.
"Why didn't you ask for help, Sean?" Cory said with his damn apologetic look.
"Because I don't need anyone's help! I can take care of myself! I've been doing it since mom left, I've been doing it since Dallan left, and I've been doing it since dad started hating me. I don't need your damn charity!"

More than anything, I wanted to storm out, to walk off to who knows where, but they surrounded me as if they knew what I was thinking. They needed to get away from me. I was losing my control. Don't they realize I could turn into the Hulk at any minute?

My mind swarmed with anger and frustration and confusion and I just wanted to tear everything apart and get away from this suffocating room. I balled my fists and mentally begged them not to hurt anyone. I didn't want to hurt anyone. Why can't I just be what everyone wants me to be? Why can't I be Cory's boyfriend or my dad's perfect son? Why is it so hard to just be me?

My breathing became heavy, and I actually felt myself getting dizzy. The last thing I remember is Cory wrapping his arms around me before I passed out.