Dandruff

“What?” Felicity stared at her husband as if he’d grown another head. Actually, if Phoenix sprouted another head, it would’ve been less ludicrous than the words that just came from his mouth.

It was 9AM on a sunny Saturday morning, the radiant sun streaming in through the kitchen’s bare, bay window which overlooked the well-manicured terrace. The couple were seated at the round kitchen table, sipping coffee from shiny, porcelain mugs. Felicity stared across the table at Phoenix with brown eyes opened owlishly in shock. Her long, blonde hair cascaded down her slender, tanned shoulders. She looked every inch the model she used to be. Her modelling days were long past, though; she’d just taken it up to foot her medical school bill. She was now a doctor at University Hospital, but everyone chose to overlook her accomplishment. She was just the ex-model who was married to Phoenix Scofield. No one seemed to be too bothered with the fact that the beautiful woman was more than just a pretty face. Of course, all of this was totally irrelevant at the moment. She was busy gawking at the frustratingly quiet man before her.

“What do you mean you want us to have a kid move in here?” she asked again, her coffee long forgotten and growing cold.

“He’s got nowhere else to go… And I feel like it’s the right thing to do,” Phoenix spoke slowly, sounding like he was trying to convince himself more than he was Felicity.

“Why? I’m sure the state can take care of him…”

“I told you… He’s in the ‘Reach out Program’. His mother died and he’s on his own. You’re always talking about helping people in the community out! This is the best example of that.”

“By taking some punk into our home? Have you lost your mind, Phoenix?” she scoffed. “I can’t believe you’re even considering this! Actually, I can’t believe this crossed your mind at all!”

“He’s a good kid!” the lawyer was grateful his profession allowed him to lie so fluently. Jacob Reid was anything but a good kid. He still couldn’t believe he was being manipulated by that little monster. A big shot lawyer brought to his knees by a mere child? It just wasn’t right. After pinching himself all night, he was quite aware that this wasn’t just a nightmare no matter how much he wished it was.

“Isn’t this the kid who sat on the photocopier and got his ass prints all over that case you were working on for months?”

“He was just kidding around…” the memory of that little incident made his blood boil.

“If I remember correctly, you wanted to wring his neck.”

And of course he wanted to do that now more than ever.


“He was new at the time! I know I didn’t like him, but he’s really changed a lot thanks to the program.”

“He’s only been there for two and a half months. You were calling him ‘El Diablo’ up to last week.”

“People change. Come on, Felicity…” he put on the biggest puppy eyes he could muster.

She sighed and leaned back in her seat, eyeing him sceptically. “How long would he be staying with us?”

“Well… He just turned seventeen. So he’d only be here a year.”

“Only a year, he says! Okay, I’m convinced: you’ve lost your mind. I told you you’ve been under too much stress lately…”

“Oh come on, I don’t see the big deal!” Phoenix tried exasperatedly. His fucking reputation and social standing were on the line here!

“You don’t see the big deal?! You’d be bringing a young boy into our house! What if he tries to rape me or something?”

“Well, Miss Supermodel, one kick with those long, gorgeous legs of yours would send him flying…”

“Stop trying to kiss my ass.”

“He’s not like that, so just relax, okay? I’m also pretty damn sure he’s gay.”

“So he’ll be all over you then? That’s comforting…”

“You don’t have to worry about that. He knows I don’t stand for that kind of shit. Besides, he’s skin and bones. Hell, you’re probably taller than that runt.”

“I’m taller than lots of people. I was a model. And if this is your argument, I’m not convinced.”

Phoenix repressed a frustrated groan. This wasn’t at all going as planned. Felicity was fighting him all the way on this. He knew he made a mistake marrying a woman who wasn’t a complete idiot. But he knew he’d eventually get her to agree on this. His skills of persuasion were second to none. He could argue that the sky was hot pink with a meteorologist and win... unless that meteorologist was Jacob…

“You know how we planned to adopt, right?” he had her attention there. Her brow creased, wondering where he was going with this. Felicity couldn’t conceive children naturally. They’d tried and tried but nothing worked. A trip to the doctor informed them that there really was no hope for her. She’d had an abortion in her teenage years, and the scraping caused internal damage to her reproductive organs. She was a ‘Barren Betty’ as the bizarre gynaecologist they’d seen so eloquently put it.

“What’s that got to do with this?” she questioned carefully.

“The baby we adopt is going to grow into a teenager one day, you know. This is the perfect time to deal firsthand with those crucial years. Think about it… It’ll be just a year. The impact we could make on this kid’s life could be amazing.”

“Our baby wouldn’t be from a messed up family like the boy you’re trying to bring here! He’s going to come with baggage!”

“That’s why he needs our help. The baby could come from a home just like Jacob’s, but it’d be too young to be affected like he was. Give the boy a chance, if not for my sake, then for his. He’s already had a worse life than you or I could imagine. If he gives us too much trouble, we’ll give him up to foster care. At least then we’d know someone reached out to him and tried. Can you live with yourself knowing the trauma we could put him through if we don’t do this? Do you want to be yet another person who’s slammed the door in his face?”

Phoenix almost did a victory dance when his wife’s expression contorted into one of conflicted emotions. He knew she’d fall for this kind of mushy bullshit. Women. They were really too predictable at times…

“Alright,” she said, exhaling heavily and taking a sip of her lukewarm coffee. “You’ve always been a good judge of character. I trust you. The house is way too big for two people anyway… He can stay with us. But we’re going to have to set rules down, and if he doesn’t follow them, he’s gone. I mean that.”

“I love you,” Phoenix cooed, leaning across and kissing her delicately on the hand. “My lady has a heart of gold.”

“I better not regret this…” she threatened even though she was smiling tenderly.

“You’re doing the right thing.”

He watched in silence as she got up and went over to the sink with her now empty mug, washing it by hand, which was unusual since she usually let the maid take care of everything. She was quiet, probably lost in thought about what she’d just agreed to. He decided to finish his tepid coffee and leave her to herself for a bit.

She turned to face him after placing the mug back with its siblings in the cupboard. “Do you think he’ll like me?”

“He’ll love you. After all, what’s not to love?”

The uncertainty vanished from her countenance. She returned his warm smile amicably.

He felt a bit guilty playing on her emotions to cover his own ass after he betrayed her… But it was a necessary evil, that and he was selfish enough to do it without losing too much sleep. He was an attorney; lying was what he lived by.

==

The setting sun bathed the city in an orange glow, causing a glare on the damp asphalt. It had just drizzled a few minutes ago. Shoes clomped against the wet sidewalks. People were scurrying about like mindless worker ants. Life really did look pointless from a bird eye view. He couldn’t help but keep his eyes on his beloved shiny, silver Range Rover which stood out in the dinky apartment’s parking lot. This neighbourhood was bad; he had a right to be worried. The old, wrought iron lift moved jerkily as it ascended the shaft. The pulley shrieked loudly under the strain. The possibility that the elevator could become stuck between floors or go crashing to the ground below was a constant thought in the back of Phoenix’s mind. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his designer jeans and stared at the worn floor of the elevator. The beauty of the vintage design was lost on the lack of maintenance. He whistled in relief when he arrived on his desired level. He’d already decided that he was using the stairs on his way back down.

He stepped through the elaborately designed, barred doors and out into a dingy hallway. The threadbare carpet was dank and it smelled like wet dog and cigarettes. The paint on the used-to-be-white walls was peeling. A flickering, ancient, wall scone was the sole source of illumination. He frowned in disgust when a gigantic cockroach scuttled across his shoes and darted beneath a boarded-up door. This place was worse than he could’ve ever imagined. His feet sank into the carpet with sickening squishing sounds with every step he took. How could anyone live in a hole like this? His stomach was upset by the very thought of what the brown smears on one of the white doors could be. Finally he arrived at apartment 4a. He rapped on the battered door loudly, not wanting to stay in this vile place any longer than necessary.

Jacob answered the door, yawning and then settling an unimpressed scowl on the older man. His hair was even more of a mess than usual, looking more like tangles than thick, wild curls. A neat pair of reading glasses rested on the bridge of his nose and he wore an oversized Black Sabbath T-shirt and ugly, plaid boxers. Phoenix would’ve almost thought the kid was cute if he didn’t know what the revolting cretin was capable of.

“This is such a health code violation…” Phoenix declared as he pushed past the teenager and into the living room. The carpet was a lot cleaner than the one outside, and the room was actually pretty tidy. However, it was dark since the electricity had been turned off. The only light came from the setting sun through the barely open venetian blinds. He could barely make out the modestly sized television and the brown living room set.

“Well, sorry, I had no idea the King and Queen of Narcissism was going to be stopping by…” Jacob snorted, closing the door behind him as he took his glasses off. “What do you want? You already knew I didn’t live in fucking Buckingham Palace. Did you come to look down on me some more?”

“Like I would come this far to point out your obvious inferiority? My wife and I have already signed all the necessary papers. We’re now your legal guardians. Are you happy now?” Phoenix plopped unceremoniously onto the couch, propping his legs up on the coffee table.

“No, you’re a prick and I’m sure the bitch you’re married to is, well, a bitch… But at least now I get to have a little taste of the big life. I always wanted to live in a mansion while children starve in Africa.”

“Have some fucking respect, you little shit. The moment you fuck up, your ass is in that orphanage. You can be like a modern Oliver Twist… I’d visit you just to laugh in your face.” The lawyer sneered at him, a cold glint in his eyes. “You might think you’re winning this, but you have no idea who you’re fucking with.”

“You’ve got quite a nasty mouth outside the courtroom,” Jacob muttered, suddenly realising that he’d just doused himself in ketchup and plunged headfirst into a lion’s den. So his plan had a few loopholes, namely Phoenix making his life a living hell…

“You’re in my domain now. I can do and say whatever I want to you.”

“Am I going to have to call you ‘daddy’?”

As much as Phoenix hated to admit it, those words didn’t sound as repulsive as they should have. He subtly raked his eyes over the boy’s slender body, pausing at the long, pale legs. Jacob really was… attractive in his own way. He halted these thoughts immediately. Jacob was a cretin. Jacob was a spoilt brat. Jacob was annoying. Jacob wouldn’t look good on his knees with a dick in his mouth. Jacob was blackmailing him. Nothing about Jacob was attractive at all. He repeated this mantra in his head to get the point across.

“It was just a joke, jeez…” Jacob rolled his eyes at the constipated expression on the older man’s face. When he got no reaction from the man, he decided he wouldn’t rest until he got one. “I forgot you were into that kind of thing, actually. I hope you’re not thinking any sick thoughts about me!”

Phoenix snapped out of his reverie and glared. “I have standards.”

“Oh yes, I forgot you like the type you have to pay to fuck.”

Before Jacob could blink, he was shoved up against the front door, the knob digging into his back painfully and Phoenix’s large hand wrapped around his neck, applying enough pressure to hurt but not to choke him. He struggled to get away, but Phoenix countered his actions by crushing him with his surprisingly muscular body, successfully trapping him against the door.

“Let’s get something straight,” Phoenix said through clenched teeth. “You and I are not going to discuss my sex life any further. You won this little battle, but I assure you, the war is mine. I don’t care about what you think of my actions; you’re unimportant. But I can’t afford to have you making snide comments like that around Felicity. She’s not stupid. Do you understand me?”

All Jacob could do was nod quickly. Phoenix’s hold on his neck lessened a bit.

“That kind of talk ends right here, right now. Go get cleaned up and pack your shit. You’re leaving today,” he released the boy and perched himself on the couch once more.

“Don’t you think you could’ve called me beforehand? Why didn’t the social worker stop by to tell me any of this?” Jacob asked softly, his voice breathy. He hadn’t even noticed he’d fallen to the floor.

“What can I say? I’ve got a way with words and bank cheques. They barely questioned me when I said I wanted to look after you. Actually they were quite happy. That social worker likes you an awful lot for some demented reason.”

“Fuck you. Besides, I can’t pack all my things now… It’ll be too dark to see in no time,” Jacob shakily got to his feet. That attack winded him. He had no idea Phoenix would’ve gotten physical with him. He suddenly wished he didn’t compulsively mouth off to adults.

“Pack what you need for tonight. We’ll come by and get the rest of your shit tomorrow. I would’ve loved to let you suffer here but Felicity felt bad when I told her you don’t have any power. Now hurry up before I beat the shit out of you.”

“Oh joy, abuse!” the boy simpered sarcastically. The fight in him was temporarily gone after that incident. He disappeared into his room to pack a few important possessions and then took a quick shower. He pulled on a flannel shirt and jeans, not anywhere near as fashionable as Phoenix’s black dress shirt and snazzy jeans combination, but good enough for him. He grabbed the two bags he’d managed to pack and ventured back out into the living room. Phoenix was still lounging on the couch, thumbs deftly hovering over the keypad of his Blackberry.

“Couldn’t you do something with that hair?” Phoenix enquired disapprovingly.

“I brushed it just now! It doesn’t get any better than this!” Jacob was offended. His hair gave him character, damn it!

“I guess we’ll have to get that cut.”

“What? No way! It looks better than that short, boring mess you’ve got.”

Phoenix actually had no problem with the kid’s hair; in fact, he thought the black curls suited him. But he had to complain about SOMETHING. And the boy’s angry response was good enough for him. Besides, he knew his hair was flawless like the rest of him, so he didn’t have to dignify that childish retort with a response. He got up without a word and went to the door, opening it, and then sauntering out, not even looking back to see if Jacob was following him. There was such a thing as too much confidence. He didn’t even offer to help the scrawny boy with his bags. What a selfish douche… Jacob huffed and struggled to catch up. When he finally did, the bastard had decided it was better for Jacob to lug heavy bags down the steep, winding staircase instead of using the admittedly paranoia-inducing elevator. True to his nature as a pest, Jacob complained throughout the entire descent down the steps. Phoenix was already feeling the beginning of a migraine taking up residence in the back of his eyes. How was he supposed to live with this for a year?

“I always thought you were more of a sports car type. You know, something red and flashy and fast,” Jacob commented as they approached the SUV.

“I had a souped up Mustang in high school. I grew out of that phase,” the man replied. Ah, rich people. It must’ve been nice to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Or a silver stick shoved up your ass in Phoenix’s case.

Jacob was floored by the pristine, cream interior of the Range Rover. He thought the exterior was kind of ugly… But at least now he knew why Phoenix owned it. There were so many buttons on the cream dashboard, which had a nice, polished wooden finish. Even the steering wheel had its own army of buttons! He placed his bags on the spacious backseat before climbing into the passenger’s side. He stared at the navigation system which was nestled on the dashboard. He’d seen the advertisements for those things on TV, but somehow he was ridiculously in awe of the whole thing. He needed to get a grip. Phoenix spared a glance at Jacob as he slid behind the wheel, smirking at the drool which was on the verge of dripping down the boy’s chin.

“I know you’ve never seen anything like this, but refrain from getting cum on my seats.”

“Pfft. It’s ugly,” Jacob scoffed, immediately wiping the stupefied look off his face.

“No, it’s manly. You wouldn’t know anything about that.”

“Yes, I’M the one who has issues about MY masculinity when YOU have to tie people up to feel powerful!” Jacob clamped his hands over his mouth as soon as he said that.

“If you keep pissing me off, you might find out how much I like inflicting pain, but I don’t think you’d enjoy it very much.” Phoenix smiled, but nothing was cheerful about it. That was a threat, a very real one.

Jacob gulped. “Sorry… I’m not used to following rules…”

“You’d better fucking get used to it before we get to my house.”

“I mean this in the most inoffensive way possible but... You don’t even have the decency to blush about any of this…”

“The only thing I’m embarrassed about is being one-upped by the likes of you.”

Jacob rolled his eyes but said nothing. He’d expected an answer like that. The SUV was cruising down the street now. It was a much smoother ride than the public transport system, but Jacob had a feeling anything was. And the seats were so fucking comfortable, too… That was the last thought he had before he drifted off to sleep. Phoenix shook his head when he looked over at the sleeping boy. Pathetic. He grudgingly admitted that Jacob really was nice to look at. Without that rebellious scowl on his face, that is. Too bad he was such an idiot.

He’d never liked Jacob. The guidance counsellor, Mrs. O’Reilly, made Jacob sound like a nice boy with a few attitude problems due to his unconventional upbringing. And when he’d first met with them, the boy seemed harmless enough, mainly because he was less likely to stab and mug him than the other kids in the program. However, from the first day on the job, Jacob made it abundantly clear that he hated him. He’d behave alright around Dreyfus and Williams even though he’d send them dirty looks behind their backs and steal their things. But obviously he hated Phoenix a lot more because the stolen items would turn up in the unlocked drawers in his office. The locked drawers contained things that had no place in a law firm, namely handcuffs, lube, and other knickknacks of the sexual variety. If Jacob knew about those, he’d most likely have broken the damn drawer and put him in an awkward situation. Well, no more awkward than the ‘I didn’t steal that picture of your eighteen year old daughter; Jacob did. And it’s sticky because he spilled something on it… He put it in my desk as a prank. Seriously, Helen!’ speech he’d had with Williams. And now he was living with the punk.

Life worked in mysterious, stupid ways…

A hard pinch on the side was Jacob’s wake up call. He yelped loudly, startled and confused by the pain, before he turned to glower at Phoenix. The tongue-lashing on the tip of his tongue died as he took in his surroundings. Apparently, he’d lost track of time. They’d just entered a gated community. Bright streetlights lined the road, huge houses hovering above high walls. He knew Phoenix was loaded, but he had no idea he was this rich! The neighbourhood even had its own park, complete with a playground. His old neighbourhood had a park… But it was mostly used to peddle drugs. White, automatic gates opened, revealing a long, winding driveway leading up to a sprawling, white Colonial house. The house sat on a large plot of land, the trees in the big backward peeking over the roof. The front yard was fully paved and there was a small fountain situated in the centre; a nude cherub pouring water for eternity. Jacob took it all in with wide eyes. The columns, the fountain, the sheer size of the house… He was going to live here?! He almost wanted to pinch himself, but his side was still smarting so he knew he had to be awake. His jaw was once again unhinged and dribble was threatening to trickle out of his open mouth.

“It has a pool, too,” Phoenix announced smugly as he parked. He so loved shocking the kid out of his usual, rude disposition. It made him seem a lot more youthful and innocent as opposed to cynical and jaded.

“Fucking hell… It’s so beautiful…” the boy whispered, in awe.

Shaking himself out of his humiliating stupor at the sight of Phoenix’s amused grin, he unbuckled his seatbelt and opened his door. Phoenix whipped out his Blackberry and texted Felicity, alerting her that they were outside while Jacob retrieved his bags. There was no going back now. He just hoped Felicity and Jacob got along; it wouldn’t do to have them bickering or for her to nag him when he came to bed. She had a tendency to spill her soul when he was trying to get some fucking sleep. His eyes lowered to Jacob’s ass absentmindedly as they walked up the driveway. ‘Not bad,’ he whistled wolfishly in his head. He could’ve slapped himself for that thought, but that would probably lead to weird questions to which no answer would be believable. This was really not a good time to realise Jacob wasn’t as physically revolting as he’d previously willed himself to believe. As soon as they landed on the porch, Felicity opened the front door. She’d pulled her hair up into a neat bun, drawing attention to her perfect features. She wore a simple, white summer dress and her makeup was so neutral it looked like if she was wearing none at all. She was still extremely fashionable despite no longer being a model.

She smiled politely at Jacob. She was expecting a rough looking thug, but instead there stood a pretty boy with curls she would kill for. He had fuller lips than she did, too… He was about 3 inches shorter than her 5’10” height and she could tell he was thin beneath his loose-fitting clothing. He was definitely not what she was expecting. AND he was openly gay? She’d be worried if she wasn’t confident in Phoenix’s sexuality. But she did want to take the kid shopping now; she had a flair for dressing people up, and he was a blank canvas. You’d think he would dress better for being gay… His outfit was fucking dreadful.

Jacob scrutinised Felicity subtly with an extremely forced smile. She was the typical tall, tanned, blonde girl America was gaga for. He thought Phoenix would go for someone a bit more exotic.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Jacob,” Felicity said.

Jacob just continued to stare at her. An incredibly gauche silence dominated. Phoenix offered his wife a nervous, apologetic smile before narrowing his eyes at Jacob. He knew that expression on the boy’s face all too well. That look always meant he was going to say something stupid. 5…4…3…2…1…

“Are those real?!” Jacob blurted out.

==

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