Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:26:31 -0700 (PDT)
From: ghostofoldtrafford@yahoo.com
Subject: lean on me 2

This story is a work of fiction. It contains description of sexual acts
between minors. If you find the events depicted within offensive, then, by
all means, stop reading. Places and people portrayed are entirely
fictional.

For criticism, advice and the occasional praise, feel free to contact me at
ghostofoldtrafford@yahoo.com

LEAN ON ME

Chapter II

As Mr. Samuels rolled Alexi's chair out the hospital's front doors, the
young man groaned and squinted, the sun blasting him full in the face. The
pavement and the parking lot were wet. Puddles lay scattered about, but the
sun was now out in full force.

"Summer rains..." said Mr. Samuels. "And the sunshine afterwards...They
make life worth living, don't you think?"

Alexi mumbled in agreement and Mr. Samuels just chuckled softly.

"Sir?" A man was suddenly by Mr. Samuels' side. He was tall. About
6'4". And built like a bull. The suit he wore, though finely tailored,
seemed ready to burst at the seams because of the pressure exerted on them
by the man's muscle mass. Alexi just stared into his black eyes. There was
no expression in them, save for confidence. The man handed Mr. Samuels a
shiny brown cane.

"Ah, thank you, Vince" and Mr. Samuels took it. "Alexi, I do believe you'll
need this. We wouldn't want the hospital staff thinking we're stealing
their wheelchair, now would we?"  Alexi didn't even seem to hear. He was
just staring dumbly at the huge linebacker that stood next to
Mr. Samuels. "Alexi?"

"What? Oh, yes." He said, shaking his head, in hopes that the confusion
would be driven away. He took the cane and looked at it for a long moment,
then sighed and got to his feet, planting the cane firmly on the ground. He
took one tentative step and before he knew it, he was falling. Vince was by
him in the blink of an eye and caught him.

"You should be more careful. The pavement is still wet. And you obviously
need practice with that stick." The man said.

"Thank you." Alexi answered, gathering himself. "Good advice." Then he
breathed in deeply. "Okay, this is just weird. Can we maybe get some
introductions going?"

"Oh, sorry. I'm a bit of an airhead at times" Mr. Samuels said. "This...is
Vince" he explained, while gesturing at the man as if he were presenting a
prize-winning race horse.

"Yeah...That doesn't really help." Alexi responded, a goofy smile on his
face.

"Right you are. He is my...err...assistant." Vince raised a curious eyebrow
at this. "Well, that is, he assists me in most everything I do. He's more
like a second in command. He's the Tigh to my Adama."

"Yeah...you lost me."

"Not a Galactica fan, huh? We're gonna have to fix that. Anyway, he handles
most of the daily operations at the office, which gives me more time to
spend with the family. I usually just handle the important decisions."

"Right...Lots of life-and-death situations in the flower import business?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised just how busy we are."

"And why is he here, if you don't mind me asking?" Alexi shifted a bit,
nervously scratching his head. He was becoming increasingly uncomfortable
under Vince's stare. Those black eyes unnerved him.

"Well, I don't do much driving. So, he's acting chauffeur. Besides, I
thought you ought to get to meet him as soon as possible. He'll be around
the house a lot. And I know people need some time to get used to him. So,
you know, thought we'd get an early start. Now, shall we?" Mr. Samuels
gestured towards the parking lot.

Slowly, they made their way through row after row of cars, Alexi slowly
getting accustomed to a pace with which he felt comfortable. A few minutes
later, they were next to a polished black town car. Alexi whistled
admiringly, then looked at it inquisitively.

"Huh, guess the flower business really IS booming."

They all got into the car and drove away. Alexi glanced at the hospital
through the car's window, then murmured something under his breath.

"Hmmm?" Mr. Samuels inquired.

"Just saying a prayer. I'm glad to be out of there. Do you mind if I close
my eyes just for a bit? My head is pounding and...well, I'd rather not see
the city as we leave." Mr. Samuels simply nodded and placed a comforting
hand on Alexi's shoulder, then squeezed slightly. Alexi leaned back in his
chair and was immediately asleep. He awoke as usual, startled and panting
heavily.

"Are you alright, Alexi?"

"Yes. It's just...sleeping in a moving car...It's not very resting to me"
he lied.

"Well, you'll be able to sleep in a normal bed soon. Your bed." Mr. Samuels
pointed out the window. "We're almost home". The car was slowly making its
way down a typical suburban street. Trees on each side, lining the
sidewalk, the same houses, though not all of them identical flying the good
old red white and blue, nicely pedicured lawns and the occasional man
walking his dog.

"Oh, God. It's Wysteria Lane!" Alexi exclaimed and Mr. Samuels barked out a
sharp laugh.

"Not quite, but you're not far off. This isn't a very large town, but,
seeing as it's the American dream and all, it does have your usual
suburb. Or "home", as you'll come to call it."

A few minutes later, the car pulled into a driveway. When Alexi stumbled
out of the car, he let out an appreciative whistle. The house in front of
him was a long way from being called a mansion, but it was quite obviously
one of the largest in the neighborhood as well.

"Wow, Mr. Samuels, you sure you're just a flower guy?" Alexi immediately
regretted his words, as he saw Mr. Samuels tense up and his expression
becoming hard, his mouth forming into a line. "Sorry. I'm sorry." Alexi
started, backing away slowly. "I didn't mean to be disrespectful."
Mr. Samuels took a step towards him and reached out a hand. "No, please!"
Alexi croaked, flinching away even more, and covering his head with his
hands." Mr. Samuels pulled away immediately and his expression softened.

"Alexi. God...I'm sorry. I wasn't gonna hurt you."

Alexi composed himself again, but he shifted his gaze towards the ground,
not able to meet Mr. Samuels' gaze. "I misspoke. I'm sorry, Sir. It's
just...sometimes I forget myself."

"You're a teenager, Alexi. Not a paige in Medieval Europe. And my name's
Sam, got it?" Alexi only managed to nod, still keeping his eyes
downcast. Sam sighed. "Come. The family'll be home by now." Alexi carefully
made his way to Sam's side and the two of them walked up the stairs to the
front door. There, Alexi stopped and looked back to the car, where Vince
just stood, watching him. Alexi simply couldn't shake off the nasty feeling
he had around Vince. It was a coldness he hadn't experienced in a
while. About a month and a half, he thought to himself.

"Honey, I'm home!" Sam shouted as he closed the door behind them. The sound
of footsteps above and then a red-haired woman appeared at the top of the
stairs. She rushed down, a huge smile on her face the whole time, then she
came to Alexi and hugged him tightly. He was taken by surprise, so all he
could do was mumble a "hello". She let go and Alexi looked down at her.
She was quite short, maybe 5'1", which made even Alexi, at his 5'8", feel
like he was towering over her.  She had brown eyes and the warmest smile
Alexi had ever seen. She looked him up and down, pursed her lips and shook
her head.

"This just won't do." She declared and Alexi's heart sank. Once again, he
lowered his head.

"Oh..." he murmured.

"What?" she replied startled. "No, dear boy. You misunderstand me. I was
just commenting on your general appearance."

"Well, I never thought of myself as good-looking, but..."

"Oh, Lord. I was just saying that you're thin as a stick and pale as a
ghost. Damn hospital food."

"Ah, yes...that." Alexi laughed nervously. "Well, I was always fairly
slim. I loved keeping in shape, but not weight-lifting or anything." A
faint smile on his lips. "I just ran. A lot..." He stopped, looking down at
his leg, all traces of the smile gone.

"Well, you're gonna have to find yourself a new hobby. Maybe chess in the
park with the elderly." came a voice from the top of the stairs. Alexi
looked up as Mrs. Samuels and her husband both shook their heads
disapprovingly. Sitting on the last step was Hunter, unruly blond hair,
blue eyes and all. "You can even watch me skateboard as you sit there with
the other gimps." He got to his feet, turned around and disappeared out of
sight.

"HUNTER!" yelled both his parents. "Get your ass down here this instant!"
Mr. Samuels started going up the stairs, anger playing on his face.

"No, please." Alexi said, catching his arm and holding him back. Sam looked
down at Alexi's hand and the young man once again flinched away. "Sorry. I
didn't mean to..."

Sam shook his head. "Stop apologizing. You didn't do anything wrong. But
Hunter crossed the line."

"No, it's my fault. He doesn't want me here. I understand. Who would want a
stranger in their house all of a sudden? He doesn't know me. All he sees in
me is someone to take away from his parents' attention to him. I...I'm a
burden on you. You shouldn't have done this. Your son's happiness is
important.  I'm sure Mr. Szalinsky will understand."

"Understand what? That our son is a spoiled brat? You're not going anywhere
except to your room to get some rest." Mrs. Samuels said, pulling Alexi
into a hug. He wanted to cry right then. He wanted to sob and never let go
of her. But he did and she led him down a corridor on the ground floor. She
opened a door and they walked into a bedroom. There was a double-sized bed
against the far wall, with a nightstand on each side. On the right side of
the room was a door, slightly ajar, that led to what looked like a
bathroom. The room also had a wardrobe, a desk and a very large TV in
it. And on the left side, large windows through which the afternoon sun was
streaming in. Dusk was close and the red tinge to the light gave off a
certain ambiance that just made Alexi breathe in deeply, with his eyes
closed. Mrs. Samuels smiled and embraced him again.

"This is your bedroom. I'm afraid there's nothing in the wardrobe, but
we'll take care of that tomorrow. The bathroom, on the other hand, is fully
stocked. So, feel free to take a shower. Then you can take a nap before
dinner. Sound good?"

"Sounds fantastic, Mrs. Samuels" Alexi answered sincerely, tears in his
eyes.

"It's Dana, you understand?" and she patted him slowly on the back as he
made his way into the room.

He placed his cane on the bed and started getting undressed until he was
left just in his boxers. He hobbled into the bathroom, where he found a
large towel, shower gel, soap, toothpaste and brush, deodorant, parfume,
and even a razor and aftershave. He dragged a palm over his chin and
realized he still didn't really need the last two. He closed the door and
looked himself over in the long mirror. Running had indeed kept him in
shape. He was never truly muscular, but lean. Dana had been right though
– he now looked sickly thin. He ran his hand over his smooth chest,
stopping for a few seconds on his ribs and he winced.

He opened his green eyes and ran his hand through his hair. He hadn't had a
haircut in almost two months. He had always liked to have his hair cropped
short. Though long and messy suited his looks just as well, it was just
something he had become accustomed to. He would have to visit a barbershop
as soon as possible. He realized Dana had been right about the other thing
as well – he really was pale. He usually had a healthy tan. Now, he was
chalk-white. He scrunched his face up in disgust, then glanced down to his
leg, where the surgery scars were clearly visible. He shuddered. He turned
on the hot water, slipped out of his boxers and once again looked in the
mirror. He always did like looking in the mirror. He had always felt proud
before. Of his body, of his hard cock...He just shook the thought out of
his head and got under the hot jet of water.

 He stood there, letting the stream hit his body. He always felt dirty
after traveling. Even if they weren't long journeys. He supposed it was
more of a psychological effect. A different way for tiredness to manifest
itself. All the same, the hot water felt great. He closed his eyes and
thought. Why did Sam and Dana want him? He didn't deserve them. He knew
that. Maybe they only took him in because they didn't know the full
story. Sure, they knew what happened to him, but not why. How would they
react to it? Should he even tell them? They deserved to know, if they were
to open their house to him. But he was afraid. He had seen rejection in
Hunter's eyes. He didn't want to see it in his parents as well. In time, he
thought, he'll tell them. Hunter...he really needed to talk to
him. Apologize for intruding on his life. He knew he needed friends in his
new life and Hunter was the first step.

He finished his shower and climbed into bed, where he immediately dozed
off. Dana woke him up what seemed like only minutes later. But he had slept
for close to two hours. Darkness had settled outside and a cold breeze was
flowing through the open window. He went to the kitchen.  Dinner was quiet,
the main discussion focusing on the following day's plans, which included
shopping for clothes, any kind of electronic accessories Alexi might need
and, of course, a trip to the school, to finalize the transfer and pick up
his schedule.  Hunter didn't come down for dinner, which put his parents in
a sour mood.

"Do you think it would be alright if I went up to talk to him?" Alexi
asked.

Sam seemed reluctant, but finally agreed. After helping cleaning up the
kitchen, Mr. and Mrs. Samuels settled in the living room, in front of the
TV and Alexi made his way up the stairs. He only had to follow the sound of
music to find Hunter's room. He knocked on the door, but there was no
answer. He knocked again, then tried the handle. The door opened.

"Hello? I'm coming in." No response. Alexi walked in and shut the door
behind him. He peered around the room. It was fairly similar to his own,
except that it featured a wide array of posters on the walls, all kinds of
clothing strewn across the floor and a laptop on the bed, music streaming
from its speakers. There was a closed door on the opposite wall and Alexi
figured it must be a bathroom. Sure enough, he could hear the sound of a
faucet. He made his way to the desk, where he sat in the big, comfortable
chair. He didn't hear when the water stopped in the bathroom. Something on
the desk caught his eye. A baseball. It was signed. Alexi wasn't a baseball
fan, but the ball seemed fairly old...and valuable.

"You thinking of stealing it, punk?" he heard from behind him.

Alexi jumped from the seat, which caused him to almost lose his balance,
but he used his cane to stay on his feet. Hunter was looking at him from
the bathroom doorframe, eyes narrowed, hatred on his face.

"No. I'm sorry. I was just admiring it. Listen..."

"Oh, you a baseball fan?" Hunter asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"What? No, not really. Listen, we need to talk. I know how difficult this
must be for you."

"Too bad. About baseball, I mean." Hunter said, moving away from the
bathroom, towards his bed.

"Yes, well, as I was saying, I know you probably see me as a burden, but I
promise I won't get in your way, at school, or at home. I just want to be
your friend."

"Maybe we could have played ball together. Well, you couldn't run,
obviously, but throwing a ball would be okay, no?" Hunter said, as he went
down on his knees, rummaging for something under his bed.

"See, that's the spirit. I'm sure..." The words froze in Alexi's throat as
Hunter straightened himself up again, a baseball bat in his hand. Alexi
stood still, his eyes wide. Hunter swung the bad idly.

"I'm a pretty good pitcher, but my swing's better." Hunter said, moving
towards Alexi.

Alexi backed away quickly, stumbling and falling down. He crawled towards
the door and put his back against it, looking up at Hunter in horror.

"No, please, please, don't." he sobbed.

Hunter studied Alexi's face and spat at him in contempt. "Coward. You're
afraid of someone younger than you." But Alexi wasn't listening. Trembling,
his gaze was fixed on the bat in Hunter's hands. Hunter noticed and swung
the bat. Alexi scrambled on the floor, trying to get away. His fingernails
dug into the floor and started bleeding. Hunter became somewhat alarmed,
but something inside him told him to keep going. That part of him that
hated his parents for bringing the miserable fuck sobbing on his floor into
his life, that part that wanted him gone at any price told him to keep
going. So he did. He advanced once more until he was only a foot away from
Alexi. He crouched down and grabbed the panicking young man by the collar,
forcing him to look into his eyes. Then he gently tapped Alexi's shoulder
with the bat. Alexi screamed in horror and pain. He yelled and sobbed and
tried to pull away. Hunter was taken aback and he stepped away a few
feet. Alexi was now curled up into a ball, shaking uncontrollably. Hunter
shook his head in puzzlement. "What happened to you?" he whispered.