Word Count: 2075

Someone who lived at Ilian's apartment complex called the cops and reported Ilian missing.

That same someone must have scribbled down Lovely's license plate number, because that was how the police were able to track him down and bring him in for questioning.

He had no answers to give them that would prove to be of any help.

“When was the last time you saw him?”

“Last week.”

“When did you realize he was missing?”

“Two days ago when he didn't show up for our recital.”

“Why didn't you contact the police?”

“I thought I could find him myself.”

He felt cornered. He was badgered for answers he didn't have and looked down on for taking matters into his own hands. Somehow he managed to get out of being charged for breaking and entering. He was sure Dorian, money, and connections had a lot to do with that.

Naturally, Dorian was pissed.

He turned on Lovely late that night when they were finally allowed to go home.

“What the ******** did you think you were doing?”

Lovely crossed his arms over his chest and looked off to the side. He was tired and drained and he didn't want to deal with his brother's harping.

“You have nothing to say for yourself?”

“It's not really any of your ******** business,” Lovely said.

“It is my ******** business when the cops show up at my door because you broke into someone's apartment.”

“It wasn't someone's apartment. It was Ilian's.”

“And that makes a difference?”

Lovely shrugged.

“Why the ******** didn't you tell me he was missing?” Dorian said.

Lovely didn't have anything to say to that, so he kept silent.

“Answer me, ******** off.”

“What the ******** has gotten in to you?”

“I don't see why the ******** it matters. You don't care about Ilian anyway.”

“I care when it effects you. You broke in to his apartment, Leigh. You failed to even report that he was missing. You're damned lucky you're not being held as a suspect!”

Lovely rolled his eyes and continued to look off to the side.

“And since when has Ilian been your boyfriend?” Dorian tried a different angle.

Lovely felt his face go red. He told himself he was just angry about the constant questioning, but the truth was he was embarrassed that the lie was still ongoing. He'd had to explain away his relation to Ilian to the police somehow, and considering Ilian's neighbors had already reported him as Ilian's boyfriend, he couldn't exactly correct them without looking more suspicious.

He could have easily told Dorian that and ended the entire charade, but he was so mad about the whole situation he decided the truth wasn't any of Dorian's business.

“Since a month or two ago,” he lied.

“Really?” Dorian said. Lovely could hear the disbelief in his voice.

“Is it really that big of a ******** deal?”

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“Because all you'd do is harp at me like you're doing right now! You don't like Ilian anyway, so why the ******** would I tell you anything about us?”

Dorian released a breath like he was trying to calm himself down. “Where do the bruises come from, Leigh?”

“I told you already. I run into s**t.”

“Do you and Ilian ******** you if you think I'd let him beat the s**t out of me!”

“What else am I supposed to think?” Dorian said.

“Think whatever the ******** you want,” Lovely sneered. “You always do anyway.”

He unfolded his arms and turned on his heel to head for the stairs. He was done with this. All he wanted was to go to sleep and pretend like none of this was happening. He was pissed at Ilian for disappearing and pissed at himself for giving a damn. He was pissed at Dorian for acting like a p***k about it, and pissed at the entire world for sucking as much as it did.

“I don't want you to see Ilian anymore,” Dorian said.

Lovely whipped around, livid.

“What the <********,” Dorian said. “I don't want you seeing him anymore.”

“Who the ******** do you think you are telling me who I can and cannot see?” Lovely screamed.

“I'm your brother.”

“Then act like you give a s**t! You can't just tell me to stop seeing Ilian when Ilian isn't even around! In case you didn't notice, he's ******** missing!”

“You live in my house,” Dorian reminded him. “You'll do what I say.”

“Well, then maybe I don't want to live in your ******** house anymore!”

Lovely darted up the stairs without a backwards glance. He heard Dorian shout his name but ignored it, stalking into his room. He slammed and locked the door behind him.

For a minute he stood there wondering what the hell he even meant to do. This whole situation was getting out of control. He shouldn't even care. But he did, and that made the rage grow. He blamed Ilian for it. It was Ilian's fault for making him give a damn, and Ilian's fault for ******** disappearing. If he knew where Ilian was, he'd go and punch the son of a b***h in his stupid ******** face.

He knew one thing for sure, and that was that he didn't want to stay in this house tonight. He didn't want to deal with Dorian breathing down his neck and trying to dictate what he did with his life. Without thinking much of it, Lovely grabbed a duffle bag from his closet and began shoving clothes into it. He didn't even pay attention to what he was taking from his dresser drawers. The only thing that earned any sort of notice was his school uniform, which he shoved in along with everything else.

He felt around in his coat pockets to make sure he still had his keys, his wallet, and his phone. Satisfied, he hoisted the duffle bag and his school bag over his shoulder and tore out of his room.

Dorian was still at the bottom of the stairs. He must have heard all the noise Lovely was making scrounging around for things and slamming drawers.

“Where do you think you're going?” Dorian asked.

“None of your ******** business.”

Lovely pushed by him and went to the garage. He threw his bags into the back seat of his car and climbed into the driver's seat. He pressed the control on the visor to open the garage door.

Before he could back out, Dorian pressed the button on the wall to close the garage door again.

Lovely pressed the button a second time, but Dorian merely repeated his actions.

Realizing he wasn't going to get anywhere with this, Lovely swore loudly, climbed out of his car, and grabbed his bags from the ******** you,” he said as he stormed passed Dorian.

“You're not going anywhere,” Dorian said.

“You can't tell me what to do!”

“As long as you're in my house, I can.”

“In case you didn't notice, I'm trying not to be in your house anymore!”

“You're sixteen years old, Leigh.”

“Who the ******** cares?!” Lovely shouted. He stomped his way to the front door.

Dorian grabbed his arm.

“Let go of me!” Lovely said.

“Go back upstairs to your room. You're grounded.”

Lovely sputtered. He turned back to look at Dorian and glared bloody murder.

“You can't ground me!”

“My house, my rules.”

“What the <********>?!” Lovely shouted.

Eventually he managed to tear his arm out of Dorian's grasp and went for the front door again. This time he got it open before Dorian could stop him and tripped down the stairs into the snow.

“Leigh!” Dorian called after him.

Lovely picked himself up and ran.

He took streets he wouldn't normally have gone down in case Dorian tried to follow him. He slipped on a few icy patches in his haste, but made it to the second closest bus stop without much trouble. He picked that one because he figured Dorian would look for him at the closest one first. Luckily, the bus drove up only five minutes later and Lovely rushed on and took a seat.

He had to change bus routes twice to get to Ilian's apartment. It was past midnight when he finally arrived. Lovely stopped before crossing through the parking lot, suddenly wary of running into the police. They'd just turn him away and make him go home.

He should have gone to a hotel, he thought. But he would have had to charge that to one of his credit cards, and Dorian would have found him straight away.

Not that Dorian wouldn't be able to find him here. He supposed, after their argument, this was logically the first place he'd gone.

Lovely trudged through the snow that still covered the parking lot. Apparently no one cared to come clear it. He was surprised to find Ilian's place devoid of any police officers. Then again, they already knew who'd broken the window, and the inside bore no evidence of foul play. They probably thought Ilian was just some punk kid who'd run away. Lovely didn't expect they'd exert much effort to find him.

As he approached, Lovely saw that someone had placed a tarp over Ilian's broken window.

“What are you doing here?”

Ilian's neighbor was out on the landing again. He had another cigarette in his hand. Smoke curled into the cold night air.

“Seriously, when are you ever not out here smoking?” Lovely said.

The man didn't answer. He simply asked again, “What are you doing here?”

“What does it ******** look like I'm doing here?”

“You don't have to be such a b***h about it.”

“Then ******** leave me alone.”

Ilian's neighbor just looked at him for a moment longer before turning away.

Lovely pulled out the key he'd taken earlier and unlocked the front door. He went inside, locked the door behind him, and dropped his bags onto the floor by the couch.

For a while he just stood there and considered the situation. It wasn't like Dorian wouldn't find him, and he knew his brother would come after him sooner or later. There wasn't any avoiding that inevitable confrontation. Dorian would probably drag their mother and older brother into it too. Lovely didn't want to deal with that. He just wanted to be left alone. He'd been through enough stress in the last few days. He didn't need anymore.

He looked around Ilian's apartment and felt lost. Without Ilian there it felt like a strange, unfamiliar place. It was discomforting. He was even a little afraid. This part of town unsettled him. He didn't trust the people who lived there. He was suddenly grateful he hadn't been able to drive here on his own. He didn't want to think about what might have happened to his car if he left it unattended for too long.

Lovely went into the kitchen for something to eat. His earlier search had not turned up much. He ended up with a bowl of cereal with no milk. The cereal was a little stale, but he hadn't had anything for dinner and he was too hungry to complain.

He went back into the living room and settled down on the couch. He turned on the television and scrolled through the channels, but there was nothing on. He ate his cereal and put the bowl on the coffee table when it was empty. He got up just long enough to find an extra blanket. There was none, so he pulled the comforter off of Ilian's bed instead. He brought it to the couch with him.

He didn't bother to change his clothes or take off his coat. It was too cold for that. He simply curled up on the couch and wound the comforter around him.

He left the TV on. He could hear the couple upstairs arguing. A siren screamed nearby, but it soon faded away.

Lovely fell asleep there on the couch, in the cold he'd caused.

He'd deal with the rest of life's s**t in the morning.