Tales from another broken home.

Chapter 31: Rile the Artiste.

You stumble through questions that you can never answer.
Your barrel is loaded so go and paint your target.

I'm just not sure its gonna work.

You can burn it all. Rally around the table.
You can end it all.
I'm sorry enough to tell you that I'm ok and I'm never gonna see you again.

From "Paint Your Target" By Fightstar.

I got out of Mike's car. The institute of Art and Design was a modern white building surrounded by greens and benches full of art students. The atmosphere was so cool in this place. Everyone smoked. Everyone dressed differently. It was just cool. I made my way to reception and then to class. The class took place in a large open room with computers in one corner, large desks in the centre and easels to the far end of the room. A few kids had already gathered at the desk. There were people of all ages there I spotted a few 18 years olds and a few 13 years olds too. I went over to a small group sitting at a table.

"Hey."

"Hey you here for the class?"

"Yep."

"Cool I'm Jordan this is Jane and that dude's Frankie."

Jordan was tall and skinny with blond hair and blue eyes. Jane was short and pretty with long auburn hair. Frankie wore a blazer and top hat with leather cut-off gloves and shades.

"Slash is like his idol." Jordan laughed noticing me stare.

As we were talking a guy and girl in their early twenties walked into the room.

"Hey Guys, I'm Jan and this is Ellen. We'll be teaching this class."

They both looked pretty cool and definitely arty.

"Ok we're going to divide you into groups. One group will work on a large project and the other two will do individual work."

I got put into the group doing the large project along with Jordan and Jane. Frankie was more interested in doing his own thing. The group project was to paint a large canvas to go on display in the reception area of the Institute. We spent 2 hours spray-painting a cool graffiti piece.

"Wow Man your pretty good." Jordan smiled.

"Thanks I like your part too."

The class flew by and before I knew it the three hours were up and it was time to go. Mike was outside to pick me up and we were home half an hour later.

"It's just me and you tonight Kiddo."

"Cool." I smiled.

"Your Mam's doing Yoga with Angie."

"Wow there becoming like best friends."

"Yeah its good for your Mam to have someone to talk to."

We spent the night watching TV. and joking.

"Right I'm beat goodnight kiddo" Mike smiled and lifted me into a hug.

"No fair man you can't go lifting me like that."

"Sorry it's the rules that I get to pick you up at anytime." Mike laughed.

"Still unfair." I pouted.

"One day when your taller then me you can pick me up!" Mike smiled.

"I can see it now." I laughed.

The next day I went to Aaron's for band practice. I knocked on the door and Andrew answered.

"Oh Hey Riley. Aaron was upto late and he's still asleep so band practice is put forward a half hour." He laughed.

"Oh ok I call back then."

"Nah your here now you might aswell stay. Come on and I'll get ya a drink."

I sat at the table and Andrew poured me a coke.

"So how long have you and Ryan been goin out?"

"Not too long."

"Right. You know if you have any questions you can feel free to ask me or Steve."

"Thanks but I'm pretty ok at the moment." I smiled.

"That's good."

"So you ready for the gig on Saturday?"

"Huh what gig?"

"Well the band plays The BackHouse every Saturday."

"Oh I kinda forgot."

We talked for a while longer before Aaron came down wearing only a pair of boxers.

"Oh sorry dude didn't see you there."

Aaron's slender stomach was showing with its lightly ripped abs. His arms were skinny and he had his nipple pierced and another tattoo on his lower back. The tattoo was a Latino style script that said, "Hope."

"You like it" Aaron smiled.

"Huh."

"The tattoo man I know the rest is rockin" Aaron laughed himself silly on the last comment.

"Aaron if your head swells anymore it'll explode." Andrew laughed.

"Ok dude come on and lets start this practice."

I went into the garage and plugged in my guitar.

"Ok man play something new."

"Alright"

I had been playing over and over again all week trying to come up with a killer riff and last night it came to me. I began to strum the riff out.

"Woah dude that's really good." Aaron laughed.

"Well come on lets add some drums too it."

Aaron started tapping the high hat and soon we had the beat and the melody of the song set.

"Wow wait till Jay Jay and Adam hear this they're gonna freak."

"Yeah it sounds really good."

"Yeah man but you have to write some lyrics and sing."

"I don't know I've never really sang before."

"Come on I sing backing vocals while playing drums so it's not that hard."

"Ok."

I sat down in a corner of the garage and began to scrawl some words out. Soon they became phrases. Jay Jay and Adam arrived and began expanding on the song. Soon we had a whole song complete with a drum & bass solo.

"Wow we've got to debut this at the next BackHouse."

"Yeah and you're singin it Riley."

"I don't know guys. I've never sang on stage before I'd probably faint or something."

"Look all this band sing so eventually your gonna have to sing something."

Band practice ended an hour later with all the lyrics written. I sang through it once and the guys said it sounded good but they were just being nice. I felt nervous all over. My entire body was in panic mode. I had to sing in front of most of the cool people in my school. I detoured by my house on the way to Ryan's to grab a pack of Marlboro from under my bed. I lit up walking towards Ryan's and felt the soothing nicotine float through my body. When I got to Ryan's I could hear him banging away in the garage so I went around the back and in behind him.

Ryan was shirtless and covered in sweat as he played along to a Greenday song half-getting it.

"Wow you sound pretty good dude." I smiled supportively.

"Thanks I'm practicing like all the time."

"Wow look at you your all sweaty" I said looking him up and down.

"Oh sorry I'll go clean up."

"No dude let me clean you up." I smiled.

We went upstairs and into Ryan's bathroom. I slowly unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them off him. I ran my finger over his waistband before going down to his feet and taking off his socks.

"Tease" He laughed.

"Yeah but I'm worth it."

I ran my finger along his waistline feeling the soft cotton of his boxers before gradually pulling them off his hot, sweaty body. I sat and looked at him for a minute. It was times like these that I realised just how beautiful he was. He was standing right in front of me naked. Everything he had was revealed to me. His long brown hair covered his elfin ears, his button nose above his perfect smile. Further down a strong torso and smooth washboard abs. My eyes moved around him taking in every part and remembering them forever.

"Somebody thinks I'm cute."

"Yeah normally your too cute for words but at the moment your smelly and need washin'."

I gently moved him under the shower head slipping off my clothes and getting into the shower with him. Ryan's hand moved instantly for my groin but I pushed him away.

"No dude today's all about you." I smiled.

I grabbed a washcloth and began to gently scrub his shoulder and neck. The washcloth moved down his torso and rested onto his abs which I ran my hand over a few times feeling the small lumps of muscle rise and tighten under my palm. Ryan really came to life when the washcloth moved lower running over his now erect penis. I scrubbed his groin my hand constantly moving over his penis. Ryan shuddered a few times and released ecstatic sighs.

"Oh man I'm gonna cum."

"It's ok" I smiled standing behind with one arm round his waist and the other stroking his groin.

Ryan's body jolted forwards and he shot an impressive load against the tiles of the shower.

We were walking out of the shower when Ryan's Mam called up.

"Ryan baby is Riley staying here tonight cuz his Mam's on the phone."

Before I could say anything Ryan had answered.

"Yeah Mam he's staying."

"I owe you a good time." He smiled.