hey guys, here's the next one... dont know where i'm going with this but it will come to me! let me know what u think and thanks for all the emails!!! Dane
Rian Chapter 8
It took a few days of bed rest and house confinement before Rian felt well enough to face enrolling at his new school. It wasn't a boarding school as both Elizabeth and George had hoped but even they didn't have enough sway to get him accepted this late in the school year. So it was to the local private school St Josephs.
Those days of rest had allowed Rian some time to evaluate his options. He came to the decision that he wasn't going to live like he did with his dad. He wasn't going to cower and despite Jake's advice of keeping his head down, he was going to be proud and just as loud.
On the first day of school Elizabeth drove Rian in to enroll. She smiled suavely at the principal and bragged about Rian's outstanding academic prowess and that unfortunate circumstances had forced him to change schools.
Rian watched and waited silently. They managed to match him up with all he classes he had taken at his old school. Rian was a smart kid, he was a very quick learner and had one of those annoying abilities that allowed him not to freeze up in exams but rather prosper under the pressure and time constraints.
A few girls and guys spoke to him during class but Rian remained distant. He wasn't going to make `acceptable' friends.
At lunchtime Rian surveyed the vast variety of children. The school was a co-ed private. He saw the usual pretty people all grouped together looking suspiciously at anyone else. Skip that one. He saw the athletic groups of brawny guys and muscled girls. Skip. He saw the computer nerds huddled together. Skip.
Then he saw the artistic crowd. The guys and girls with coloured hair and crazy hair cuts, painted nails and anything else that was `unconformist'. Rian smiled. Loud and proud.
He walked towards them in their spot under the trees. Almost as one they turned to face him. He smiled.
"Hi, my name's Rian. I'm new here. Does anyone have any black nail polish?"
There was silence then one of the girls started laughing. "You got balls. As it happens I have some metallic blue nail polish if you're interested."
Rian smiled. "That'll do."
The girl patted the spot next to her on the grass. She was a very beautiful girl with dark caramel skin and brown eyes. Her black hair was streaked with red.
"My name's Amy. It's a bit late to change schools isn't it? You're in year twelve right?"
Before Rian had a chance to answer another boy spoke up. "Yeah he's in my history class."
"That's James." Amy supplied, handing over her nail polish as Rian sat.
James had bright red hair and freckles. He, like a couple of others were looking suspiciously at Rian.
Rian shrugged and got to work on his nails. He smiled to himself, this was sure to piss off his grandparents. He blew on each nail like he had seen some girls, camping it up as much as he could.
Amy smiled at him. "So why'd you have to change schools?"
"Well I told my dad I was gay. He^Å kicked me out and now I'm staying with my bigoted grandparents who wanted to get me away from my boyfriend." Rian kept at his nails, studiously ignoring everyone.
When he finally glanced up he saw mixed expressions. None of them were bad however. Some were surprised, a couple including James and Amy looked slightly admiring and others were smiling faintly.
"Once again. Balls." Amy said.
Rian just smiled quietly.
"So are you doing that on purpose to annoy your grandparents?" James asked watching Rian apply nail polish.
Surprised by James' correct assumption, Rian nodded. "I've decided to be loud and proud and fuck the consequences. I don't usually wear nail polish but if it pisses of those homophobic arsehole grandparents then all the better."
Amy grinned at him. "Good on ya Rian. So what's your boyfriend like?"
Rian smiled. "His name is Jake and he's an excellent soccer player. He's the sweetest person I know."
There was an `Aww!' from the girls in the groups and Rian blushed bright red. The boys all started laughing. For the rest of lunch they joked around and Rian got to know the others in the group.
At the end of school Rian waited for the bus with a triumphant smile. His grandparents wanted him to pretend to be `normal' but Rian was not going to hide. Chris and Sam, two of the guys from the friends he had made at lunch caught the same bus as him and they all sat near each other. Sam and Chris waved to Rian as he started to walk home from the bus stop. When he got to his grandparents showy near mansion, Rian took a deep breathe to fortify himself and went inside. His grandparents had two maids. Rian had never felt so uncomfortable in his life as when his bags were unpacked for him, when his towel was laid out fresh each morning, his room continually tidied. He felt lazy and undeserving.
The younger maid was twenty and her name was Emily. Rian had gained her confidence when he was bed bound. She was the first to see him as he came inside. Emily smiled and went to take his bag but Rian just smiled and shook his head.
She smiled too until she saw his bright nails. "Oh sir! You can't wear that to dinner. You must get rid of it!"
"It's Rian, Emily and no the nail polish is staying."
Emily looked worriedly after Rian as he walked towards his room. His grandparents were not people to be easily trifled with and she hoped Rian knew what he was doing.
Dinner was always a stiff and uninteresting affair. So far his grandparents had not seen his unconventional addition. They spoke about his father's court case.
"George dear, it's very important we get Mark a good lawyer, one that knows the value of a good psychologist's report. Alcohol, betrayal, anger, disappointment are all elements that could trigger an emotional breakdown. Poor Mark."
Rian was fuming as he ate. They always did this. Talked as if he wasn't there or didn't matter. Soon after Elizabeth's hawk eyes zeroed in on Rian's nails.
"What disgusting thing do you have on your hand? Go wash it off now."
This was it. Time for defiance, for loud and proud, for being strong. Rian took a deep breath.
"No. I decided that I like blue. It suit's my hair don't cha think?" Rian said innocently, holding his hand out and looking his nails over proudly.
There was silence for a moment.
"Go to your room Rian. Honestly is it no wonder your father reacted the way he did?" Elizabeth dismissed him.
Rian was boiling with anger. "What you mean breaking my ribs and beating me unconscious. Yes I can see how nail polish would evoke that kind of reaction."
"Stop being so dramatic Rian. You are impossible! Go to your room now!" Elizabeth said haughtily.
Rian did so. He wasn't finished though. After a conversation with Amy the next day at school, Rian arrived home later that week with bright pink nail polish. He was sent to bed with no dinner.
As the weeks progressed Rian came home from school wearing glitter, eyeliner, lip gloss, bracelets and rings. Emily snuck him some food on occasion but mostly he spent all his time at the mansion in his room. Amy and James had become good friends and they all conspired together to make Rian look as `gay' as possible.
This didn't come without problems however from both home and school.