Wild Child

Chapter 15

Friday morning Brian awoke with his dick halfway down Greg Fernley's throat. It was a nice wake-up call. After Brian shot his load, he was feeling all mellow and laid back. Greg knew this was his best opportunity to get what he wanted.

"Want to wake up like that every morning?" Greg purred as he laid his head on Brian's chest.

"I wouldn't mind," Brian said running his fingers through Greg's hair. It felt good, but not as soft and sensual as Justin's. Brian stiffened at the unexpected thought of Justin. He had managed to block out such thoughts for a long time. He told himself that it must have come from Gus' wanting to see Justin.

"What happened?" Greg asked sitting up and looking into Brian's eyes.

"I have to get up. I want to have breakfast with Gus and make sure that he has everything organized to go to Bramley."

"A tad anal this morning, aren't we?" Greg asked running his finger around Brian's nipple.

"I'm anal all the time and you love it," Brian smirked.

"Yes, I do."

Brian shifted intending to get up. Greg pinned him in place.

"Don't you want to wake up with me beside you every morning?" he asked.

"Of course, that's what we're doing now."

"If I have to go back to work on Monday, I may not see you until the following weekend."

"Why?" Brian asked with a frown.

"I often have to work late and I'll just crash at my place."

"This place is only a half hour from Pittsburgh," Brian explained.

"But I work almost on the other side of the city. It will take me hours to get here."

"Not if the rush hour is over," Brian said logically.

'Fuck!' Greg thought. Why did Brian have to be so reasonable about everything? "I'd rather just live here and play with you." Greg grinned like the cat who just ate the mouse.

Brian frowned. "Greg, I don't see life as a veritable playground. I work hard. I don't have time to play all day."

"You've been doing that since we met."

"That's because of Gus. I took time to try to get him straightened out."

"I thought you did that for me."

"Greg, you're an adult. Gus is still a child."

Now Greg was getting pissed. He wanted to quit his fucking job if only he could get Brian to say that it would be all right.

"I have to get moving," Brian said rolling Greg away from him. He headed into the bathroom.

Greg thought for a moment. Sex was still his best weapon and persuader. With a smile he followed Brian into the shower.

Gus came downstairs with his pile of work. He had spent a long time polishing it all up after his father looked over everything. The assignments were now neatly labeled and inserted into clear plastic folders. The work looked really good, and Gus believed the contents were even better. It had been a long time since he had really tried on his assignments. It felt good to have accomplished something. He was proud of himself.

He sat down at the kitchen table and laid his pile of work next to his place setting. He gave it a careful alignment so that the pile was neat and nothing would slide off. He wiped his hand lovingly across the top folder.

"That looks very impressive," Mrs. Hadley said with a smile as she handed Gus his bacon and scrambled eggs. She set the toast down beside his plate.

"Thanks," Gus smiled. He was very glad that Mrs. Hadley had forgiven him … almost.

"May I see one of your assignments?" she asked as she sat down across from him.

Gus handed her the top one. It was the one he thought had turned out best. While Gus ate, she read the paper. When she finished it she looked up to find Gus staring at her waiting expectantly for her response.

"That was very good, Gus. If the others are like that, you should have no trouble getting in."

Gus beamed at her. "I hope you're right."

"Right about what?" Brian asked as he walked to the coffee pot and poured himself a mug.

"I was reading one of Gus' assignments. I think he's done a very good job and they should accept him at that school."

"I hope you're right," Brian said. "Are you ready to go?"

Gus nodded and picked up his pile of work. "Oh, I should help you clean up," he said setting the pile back down.

"It's okay, Gus. Mr. Fernley hasn't had his breakfast yet. I'll let you off for today."

"Thanks."

"Ready to go?" Brian asked again as he drained his mug of coffee and filled his travel mug.

"As ready as I'm going to get," Gus said taking a deep breath.

Some time later Brian and Gus walked out of the principal's office at Bramley. They both looked very pleased with themselves.

"It looks like you can call this fine alma mater home for the next four years," Brian said with a smirk.

"I hope he meant it when he said that he was sure I would get in based on his preliminary look at my work."

"He was impressed with you, just like I was," Brian said gently. The principal was going to have his staff evaluate Gus' work, but his recommendation would be to admit Gus to the school. Gus had handled himself very well with the principal.

"You were?" Gus smiled.

"I was."

"This place may not be so bad," Gus replied looking around.

"Oh shit," Brian said stopping abruptly. "I forgot to ask what the tuition fees are. I better go back and find out so Ted can free up enough money to cover it, when you get in." Brian winked at Gus.

"Is it that expensive?" Gus asked with a frown.

"It won't be cheap."

"I'm sorry, Dad."

"You don't need to be sorry. It's not a hardship. I just want to be sure I have the money ready. School starts next week. Why don't you stay here and I'll go take care of it. Maybe a little down payment will ensure your future here."

Gus watched his father walk away. Money did have its privileges, something that he had never had in Toronto. But it also had its disadvantages such as the likes of Greg Fernley.

With a sigh Gus walked over to the big tree near the parking lot. He noticed a car parked there and watched as the prefect who had harassed him in the science lab got out and walked to a bench nearby. Gus ducked behind the tree hoping the guy hadn't seen him. He didn't much like the way that guy had sized him up the other day.

Gus continued to watch as another car pulled into the lot. A boy that Gus had never seen before got out of the car and walked over to the bench. Holding his breath Gus watched as money changed hands and the new kid walked away with a packet of something. Gus knew he had just seen his first drug deal since he returned to Pittsburgh. Now he knew he needed to stay away from that guy.

When the prefect got in his car and started the engine Gus thought he was safe. He leaned against the tree as he heard the engine rev and the car pull away. The next thing he knew the car was stopped by the tree and he was in the grasp of the prefect who had jumped out of his car. Gus found his arm twisted behind his back and strong fingers digging into his neck.

"Get an eyeful, kid?" the prefect asked with a cruel grin.

"I didn't see anything," Gus lied.

"I know what you saw. I also know someone who's been around drugs when I see them. Are you a user?"

"No," Gus replied struggling to get away.

"You say anything about this to anyone and they'll find you dead. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," Gus whispered.

"I didn't here that," the prefect said.

"Yes," Gus said louder.

The prefect gave Gus' arm one last painful twist and then shoved him face first into the tree trunk. Gus felt his face hit the rough bark and he cried out before falling to the ground. He whimpered as he rolled into a sitting position feeling his forehead with his fingers. He felt something sticky and pulled his hand away to look at what it was. Blood coated his fingertips and he groaned aloud.

"Gus," Brian's voice came through the haze of pain. "Gus, you're bleeding. What happened?"

"I … I stumbled and fell against the tree," Gus lied. He didn't want trouble at this new school before he even started.

"Did you pass out? Does it hurt?"

"No, I don't think so, and yes, it hurts … a lot."

"I think we better get you to a doctor," Brian said looking around to see what Gus could have tripped on. There were some exposed roots so it might have been that.

"I'm all right, Dad," Gus said. "Help me up."

"Are you sure you can stand?"

"I'll try."

Gus managed to get to his feet although he felt somewhat shaky. Brian held him up and they walked over to the Mercedes. Brian opened the passenger door and helped Gus sit with his feet hanging out. He opened the glove compartment and pulled out a box of tissues. He dabbed at the bloody spot finding mostly a scrape with one cut where a sharp piece of bark must have dug in. The bleeding was slowing down.

"Maybe they have some bandages in the school," Brian said.

"I'm fine, Dad. Can we just go home? Mrs. Hadley can bandage it."

"I don't know. I don't want you getting infection in there."

"I'll be okay. Please, Dad, take me home."

Gus wondered that those words were coming out of his mouth. He did want to go home. He felt safe at the mansion. That was where he wanted to be. And he didn't want to have to explain to people in the school how clumsy he was to have fallen into a tree. Besides, they might ask too many questions and find out that he was lying. Then he would be in worse trouble.

Finally Brian relented. He made sure Gus was buckled in and had tissue pressed against the wound. They made it back to the mansion in record time. Brian called for Mrs. Hadley as soon as he stepped in the door. She came running. One look at Gus and she told Brian to bring him to the kitchen. She immediately got her first aid kit and started doctoring the boy.

"Do you think I should take him to the doctor?" Brian asked as he paced back and forth while Mrs. Hadley cleaned and dressed the wound. "Do you think he needs stitches? Will he have a scar?"

"I'm okay, Dad," Gus said.

"I think he'll be just fine," Mrs. Hadley said as she secured the last piece of tape holding the gauze in place. "It's mostly a scrape. Head wounds always bleed a lot."

"If you're sure…" Brian said as Greg sauntered into the kitchen still dressed in his robe. He had gone back to sleep after Brian had left.

"I heard a lot of yelling," Greg said nonchalantly. "What's going on?"

"Gus fell and cut his head," Brian said.

"How did you manage that?" Greg asked trying to appear like he really cared.

"He tripped on a root and fell against a tree."

"I didn't know you were so clumsy," Greg smirked as he looked at Gus.

"I'm not clumsy," Gus retorted. He hated anything that Greg said to him or about him.

"Brian, could I talk to you?" Greg asked tiring of dealing with Brian's spoiled brat.

"Gus needs me," Brian said still hovering.

Gus smiled. "I really am okay, Dad."

"You're sure?" Gus nodded. "Okay, Greg, let's go into the library. Brian knew what Greg was after. He had made that very clear in the shower that morning. He was prepared to give in. He wanted Greg around. He liked the sex, and it was nice to have someone dependable, well kind of dependable, to do things with.

When Greg and Brian had disappeared, Mrs. Hadley looked at Gus and asked, "So what really happened?"

"Huh?" Gus asked.

"I asked you what really happened."

"I tripped and fell against a tree."

Mrs. Hadley stared at the boy. "Gus, there is no one less clumsy than you. I see you running around the pool and up and down the stairs. You're not clumsy."

"I didn't see the root," Gus lied, his eyes focused on the floor. He couldn't look Mrs. Hadley in the eye.

"If you say so," Mrs. Hadley said abruptly. She knew he was not telling the truth but she wasn't about to call him on it. He obviously didn't want to tell her what the real story was.

"I think I'll go to my room," Gus said rather sheepishly. He wanted to get away from everybody. This was the first time he had lied since he'd come to live with his father. He didn't much like how it made him feel.

As Gus went to the front foyer, he could hear voices from the library. It sounded a bit like his father and Greg were arguing. Gus could only hope that they were breaking up. He stopped and listened.

"So, you don't want me here?" Greg was saying.

"Yes!" Gus smiled.

"That's not what I said. I do want you here."

Gus' face fell. He had hoped this might be the end of Greg Fernley.

"Then let's make this a permanent arrangement," Greg persisted.

"What do you mean by permanent?"

"I want to live here and not work in Pittsburgh. I'll try to find something else more local."

"You will?" Brian asked. He had not heard that before. He had thought that Greg just didn't want to work.

"Of course, I'm not a freeloader," Greg touted.

"But you'd like to be," Gus whispered to himself.

"Can't you keep your job until you find something around here?" Brian asked.

"I could, but when am I going to have time to look?"

"There's the internet and contacts through your law firm," Brian said reasonably.

Gus heard Greg let out a long sigh. He was rooting for his father to stick to his guns.

"Fine," Greg said. "I'll go pack."

"Greg, please," Brian said.

"You don't want me enough to do this for me, then I'm leaving."

"Wait. If you promise to look for work around here, then go call your office and tell them you resign."

"Oh yeah!" Greg yelled. He could hardly contain himself. "Before I do that I'm going to make you so happy you agreed to this. This is the right thing to do."

There was silence and Gus assumed they were kissing. Greg had won. Gus started up the stairs as he heard the door to the library slam shut and the key turn in the lock.

"Fuck!" Gus said. Now Greg was going to be there all day everyday. Gus felt the bottom fall out of his world as he made his way up to his room.

He was forced to come downstairs for dinner and he ate in silence with Greg making smug faces at him the whole time. Gus could hardly believe that his father didn't notice but he seemed oblivious to what Greg was doing.

After dinner Gus asked to be excused and went to his room. He had to think of some way out of this. What should have been a great day, probably getting accepted at Bramley after all his hard work, had turned into a nightmare situation. He had a cut on his head from the school bully who was threatening him. And he'd have to see the guy every day if he got accepted at Bramley. Greg had his father even more under his control. Greg was quitting his job and he would be at the house full time. Gus had no illusions that Greg would find another job. He doubted if Greg would even look. Things couldn't get much worse.

Gus lay on his bed for a long time. His head throbbed a little, partly from the cut and partly from trying to think of a way out of this mess. The only thing he could think of was contacting Justin. Maybe if he talked to him face to face he could enlist Justin's help.

The question was how could he get to see Justin. His father certainly wouldn't take him. He had made that clear. He toyed with the idea of trying to con Greg into taking him into Pittsburgh. However, he soon relinquished that idea realizing that Greg Fernley wouldn't do anything to help him. And furthermore, Greg was a bigger con artist than Gus was. He just wished his father could see that. Mrs. Hadley certainly wouldn't help him again. She had made that abundantly clear.

Then another thought struck Gus. What if he could contact Debbie? Maybe she would come out to the house and help him. But he didn't know her number. Gus wondered if his father might have her number written down somewhere, maybe in the library. Gus got up from his bed and carefully opened the door to his bedroom. His father's door across the hall was closed. Greg was probably in there with Brian fucking his brains out. Slowly Gus made his way down the hall and headed downstairs. He listened at the bottom not hearing any sound from the library where the door now stood open. Gus thought he could hear the low sound of Mrs. Hadley's television. She must be in her apartment.

Gus entered the library and began looking for an address book or Roladex or something. There was no sign of anything like that. He opened the bottom desk drawer and saw the circular file of index cards. This was what he was looking for. Gus flipped through the cards looking for Debbie or Novotny or any other people in Pittsburgh who might help him. The cards all seemed to be for business. Brian's friends' numbers were probably programmed into his cell phone and it was nowhere to be seen. It was probably up in the bedroom with his father.

Gus flopped down in the big chair behind the desk. He swung it around and put his feet up on the desk. What was he going to do?

Thinking didn't seem to be getting Gus anywhere, so he turned in the chair and stared out the library window. It was dark but the lights on the outside of the house lit up the corner of the garage. And that was it.

Gus leapt up from the chair and let himself out the front door of the house. He ran across to the garage and hit the button to open the door. As the door slid up Gus could gradually see the Corvette sitting there waiting for him. Gus ducked under the door before it was even all the way up. He grabbed the key off the hook and climbed into the driver's seat.

He took a deep breath telling himself that he could do this. He had watched his father drive. All he had to do was repeat all the things he had seen his father do. Gus inserted the key and turned it. The car started and Gus smiled. He slid the gear into drive and using what he thought was gentle pressure he put his foot on the gas. The car jerked forward scaring Gus who barely managed to steer the car out of the garage without scraping the side off of it.

Once outside, Gus stepped down on the gas again. The car shot forward and Gus gripped the steering wheel so hard that he thought his fingers might fall off. He managed to negotiate the straight part of the driveway but then came the curve before heading down to the street. Gus took his foot off the gas and applied it hard to the brake. The car jerked and slowed down, but he could barely reach the brake. His foot suddenly slid off the brake and jammed down on the accelerator. Gus let out a little cry as the car leapt forward. The last thing he remembered seeing was the trunk of the big oak tree in the front yard coming at him fast. It would be his second altercation with a tree in the same day.

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