“I don’t understand how your parents even know so many twisted people.” The joint had loosened Daniel’s tongue a tad too much.
“It is indeed a mystery, and you better be careful about using such language with any of them.”
“I’m not stupid.”
“Never said you were. Robert's star pupil can never be anything less than brilliant, right?”
Daniel rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”
“Oh, Andy will come over later to play a bit.”
Daniel sharply turned his head toward Trevor. “Why the hell for? I didn’t do anything.”
“So? He’s your brother, and he has rights.” To soften the blow, Trevor added, “I’ll stay here to keep an eye on things. You know I’ve got your back.”
“You never have my back,” Daniel mumbled, crossing his arms. “And you should get Andy help before he gets even crazier. Those pills he's taking are a joke.”
With a growl, Trevor grabbed Daniel’s hair and pulled him closer. “What did you call my brother?”
“You know damn well he’s crazy. Even your father said so.”
Trevor saw red. He held tighter to Daniel’s hair, causing him to hiss in pain. “When did he say that?”
“Never mind.”
“Whendid he say that?”
“He says that all the time.”
Trevor let go and composed himself. Self-control. It was all about self-control. One thing he’d learned well from his father was never to allow his raw emotions to dictate his actions. Common people did that, and Trevor was anything but common.
“If you ever say something like that to Andy’s face, I’ll break your legs.” Trevor held Daniel’s gaze. “I’ll start with your toes, then move up to your ankles and knees. You’ll be crawling around here like a worm. Do you get me, Danny?”
“Yes.” He looked away as they both breathed heavily, the air between them tense and smelling of weed.
Trevor forced his body to relax. He had made his point. Nobody called Andy crazy, even though it was the God-honest truth.
*
Kim glowed in her long, red dress. She loved hosting these small gatherings, calling them “My naughty little parties.” Trevor got the naughty part alright, but when he usually attended parties, they tended to include more than a few middle-aged couples in fancy eveningwear. Still, his mother had insisted on his attendance, the same way she had insisted on Andy staying in his room.
These sorts of gatherings have been going on for a few years now, with Kim arranging for male escorts to entertain her wealthy, naughty guests. But getting those men wasn’t unique or scandalous enough, which had been the main reason Kim had warmed up to the notion of adopting Daniel.
Years ago, Trevor had asked his mom if he could try to be the party’s entertainment in exchange for money. His father had been getting stingier with him even back then, and quality drugs didn’t come cheap.
Kim responded by slapping Trevor hard across the face. He couldn’t blame her since that hadn’t been one of his brightest ideas.
Trevor glanced at his watch eagerly. Dr. Eliot was due to arrive soon, and he had promised to help Trevor out with some pills. Nothing extreme, just enough to keep him mellow when his anxiety hits. Back in the day, he used to get pills by sucking the doctor off in his clinic, but now he had Daniel as a bargaining chip.
Trevor sat holding a glass of wine, watching his father struggle through conversations with people he didn’t like despite managing their finances. Robert locked his eyes with Trevor and made a gun shape with his fingers, pretending to blow his own head off. Trevor responded by pretending to hang himself, whichgranted him a rare smile from his father.
He’s been happier in the last few months than he has been in years, but not because of me.
Daniel made the man happy by being an improved version of his two sons, his reward for struggling with Trevor’s rebellious nature and Andy’s... “Andyness.” But a happier Robert was a good thing, regardless of the cause.
“I’ll go check on our little star,” Kim announced to the room and walked out, her heels like annoying hammers against the floor.
Dr. Eliot and his wife arrived a minute later. As expected, the doctor finished a quick round of polite greetings before making his way to where Trevor sat on the far side of the room. He settled next to him on the sofa. “Hello, young man.”
