The Boy Who Would Never Be Heard

"Neil, Neil, look! I got an A on my drawing! I never got one in Art before!" Ian said excitedly one day. He shoved his prized work in front of his computer screen. It was reminiscent to van Gogh's Starry Night with its dark colors and swirly texture. It momentarily covered the camera and blocked Neil's vision. 

"You're the best teacher ever! The best!" Ian showered his friend with praise. Luckily the paper was still between the boys so Ian didn't catch Neil's reddened cheeks and sheepish smile. Ian would have most likely dismissed the reaction as an aspect of Neil's timidity; however, Neil himself knew another reason was involved. He knew, and the thought of Ian finding out terrified him. If the children at his school acted peculiarly around him because of his parents, he would rather die than let them discover his crush on another male.



Neil sighed. Now what? Hanging out with Ian became his first priority, so the remainder of the day seemed to drag on. During class, the chatter, the giggling, the whispers…everything sounded muffled. At the moment, they didn't matter enough to have individuality. All Neil wanted to hear was his friend's voice. For once it was nice to be ignored, to be in a little bubble. It saved Neil from the other children's insignificant babble.



"What's wrong with you, freak?"



For the love of…



During lunch, the kids tried once again not to offend Neil except, of course, Flora. Ever since the two had met she used every opportunity possible to pester him. She plopped next to his seat after forcing his classmates to move out of the way.



"Are you sick or something?" she asked. Neil looked confusingly at her. He soon discovered that he was so lost in thought that his paper contained dots from repeatedly tapping his pencil. 



"Um…N-No I'm, I'm fine…" he said, erasing the stray marks. 



"Well, whatever it is, I don't want to catch it!"  Flora recoiled. "I might…end up liking girls or something!"



"I'm not sick, I'm…" he stopped himself when Flora's comment processed in his mind. "You can get that from catching a cold?"



"Well, yeah. There're all kinds of ways to be like…ugh, those people. You probably caught, um…'cold' because of your parents. Your dad likes another boy so now you'll do it too if you're not careful!"



"R…Really?" 



Neil didn't know this. So really really liking Ian was a mistake? An illness? So…did that mean Ian had it too? Did he catch it because of his parents or because of Neil?



Suddenly he remembered something. 



"But …isn't Mr. Moreau your dad too?"



Flora's expression changed almost instantly. 



"Who told you that?"



Neil didn't answer right away. Flora made it clear that that was a mistake. She grabbed the younger boy by the shirt and shook him violently.



"Who told you that, you twerp?!" she said with increased aggression. 



"I-I-I-ah-an!" Neil struggled to say and Flora pushed him away. "W…Why?"



Before Flora could answer, another girl around her age appeared.



"Hey!" she greeted her differently from the other more intimidated students. She was probably one of Flora's good friends. "So sorry I couldn't make it to your party, but…Do you think you can show up at mine? You give the best presents!"



"Depends," Flora stated while checking the nails of her lightly-clenched hand. "Who's going to be there?"



"Oh, well, um…Amy, Carol, Sharon, Lauren…"



"Ugh, Lauren? Isn't she the one who lives in that messy little house?" 



"B-But she's really nice!"



"I don't care. I have a rule about dealing with poor people. I have a reputation to keep, you know…"



After a few seconds the student glared at Flora's smug grin. She knew the imperial girl was referring to her mother's wealth. Neil, however, was none the wiser.



"If you don't want to come over, just say so!" her friend snapped before storming off. Flora's stone-cold face didn't falter. 



"Hmph," she crossed her arms. "Well, people can think what they want about my mom, as long as they don't know that that…thing…is my father," she looked warningly at Neil. "So keep your mouth shut!"



"I will, I will…" Neil was willing to do anything to avoid the wrath of Princess Flora…



"So!" Like before, Flora's attitude changed from snooty to bearable. "I heard from Ian that you're teaching him…" she pretended to be scribbling with an invisible pencil, "drawing doohickey stuff. And it's working," she smiled gently. "He couldn't even draw a stick figure without screwing up. What'd you tell him?"



"W-Well, I…guess I asked him what he wanted to draw since there are lots of ways to do it, then-"



"Wow, that's really interesting but I have to go so…see ya, freak!" 



And, like last time, she switched back as soon as she grew bored. Neil puffed out his cheeks at her as she walked away. She was frustrating beyond words, but he couldn't help but wonder what he meant to the master of mixed messages.



…



James and Ian paid Emily a visit one day. The former heir asked his son to go into the other room while the "grown-ups" talked.



"'kay, Dad," said the boy, his eyes glued to a console's screen as he walked. Once he closed the door, James and Emily sat across from each other at the abnormally-long dining room table. One of Emily's workers prepared the Brits a drink.



"I still don't get why you moved with her," the blonde said. "I thought she was the reason you left in the first place." 



"Er…yeah," James couldn't disagree. His mother was too much for him to bear after nineteen years. "But I need some…familial support right now. Even if it is her."



"Oooh, why can't you and Ian just stay with me and visit her whenever you get all depressed?" Emily pouted, slumping onto the table and grasping James' hands. 



"Well…" James mumbled just before his cell phone rang. He made the woman release him so he could look at the caller ID. "Oh crap, it's Alex! Um, what do I say, what do I say?!"



"Tell him where the hell you are, genius!" Emily barked. James stood up and walked away once he answered the phone. His expression shifted to false joy and his voice matched it. Emily followed him so he signaled her to be quiet. The blonde held her hands up and mouthed "Okay".



"Uh-huh…Uh-huh…" James' lips began to curl downward. "I see… …Yeah…Yeah, I understand." 



James hung up and looked solemnly at Emily. 



"…Well?" she asked. 



"He said…" the brunet sighed. "He said that he was tired of waiting for me to come back so he and Zach started hitting it off…"



"Oh…" Emily bit her lip as the room filled with silence. The woman was there for James through all of his breakups, but Alex was the longest lasting relationship. Just then the servant returned with a tea set. The friend sat back down and took a few sips. 



"Well…This is good…It's good…" James seemed to be talking to himself more than anyone around him. "No more distractions."



…



When Sasha was put in charge of Neil again, the boy wasn't in the best of moods. At the sitter's apartment, Zach informed the younger boy that there was another visitor. The person was supposed to leave beforehand but he was stalling. Neil could see who Zach was describing in the kitchen. He was a gargantuan man with blond hair that Neil recognized as the bakery's cashier. He was sweet-talking and embracing Sasha, who was playfully resisting. Neil wanted to gag. Zach noticed his discomfort. 



"Yo, senorita!" the redhead said while grabbing a beverage from the fridge. "Kid's here!"



"H-Huh?!" Sasha forced the flirting to stop. "Hey, Neil! Alden was just leaving, haha!"



"Okay…" Neil muttered



"…You okay, sweetie?" 



"I…I-I…" Neil's eyes began to brim with tears. "I think I m-made Ian sick…"



Alden and Sasha looked at each other.



"Is that right?" Sasha smiled, expecting this to be a joke. When the tears began to trail down Neil's cheeks, Sasha realized that he was implying something more serious. "When? How?"



"I…" the boy sniffled, "I-I touched him…hic…a-and now he's sick…"



"…Oh, that's right…He's using a computer to talk to Ian now," Sasha said to Alden before using hand gestures to explain. "Look, Neil, even if you can…see him…that doesn't mean you can touch him, okay? He's still somewhere far away, so you can't make him sick. He probably got a cold from some other kid!"



"…Okay…" Neil said. He didn't believe it. His parents were old and they've been together for a long time. They've had the illness for a while. There was no way Ian would be cured of it… All Neil could do was apologize again. Even if it wasn't his fault, he felt that he should say something. After all, if Ian did get the "cold" from another kid, it would have never happened if Neil didn't cause him to move there. 



Neil wondered if he was doing more harm than good by being around Ian.



…



"What're you saying sorry for now?"



Neil contacted Ian again as soon as he returned home. He explained the reason for the abrupt apology. The further Neil went into the elaboration, the more confused Ian became. Once Neil finished, Ian started laughing.



"What's so funny?!" Neil shouted. 



"Come on, dude! Don't believe a word Flora says! You don't get that from getting sick!"



"Huh? R…Really?"



"Yeah, dummy! My daddies told me that it's something you get when you're born. You didn't get me sick!"



"Oh!" Neil gleamed. "Good! …So…you still like me then?"



"Course I do! Nothing will ever change that, not even my stupid sister!"



Neil's heart fluttered. Ian said he liked him…that he'd always like him. It made Neil happier than he had ever been.



Happy…but at the same time furious. 



…



Flora strolled into the school, expected to be stared at and admired like every day. But there was something off. Instead of envy, she sensed…pity in people's eyes. What was this? Why was she being pitied?! She was the richest, prettiest girl in the city, dammit! During lunch, she grabbed the closest classmate and demanded an explanation. It was the same girl from yesterday.



"Now I get it," said her friend. "You've been making your mom sound like the greatest lady ever 'cause you don't have one! Oh, you poor thing…"



…What?! Flora received similar comments from other people and didn't understand why. She was starting to feel like…well, Neil.



…Neil…



As soon as she thought of the boy she saw something stapled to the bulletin board in the second grade hallway. It was a picture of two grown men in front of a house with…Who was that between them?



It was the picture Neil drew for show-and-tell with a few alterations. The younger person looked more like a girl! Flora's eye twitched. That little…She marched back into the cafeteria and searched for Neil. She eventually found his table and he was left alone, as usual. Neil was working on a new piece and paying no attention to her. To prevent any more rumors spreading, Flora took the boy outside. His pencils were left behind but he held his grip on his drawing.



"Why did you make that picture?!" Flora snapped.



"You lied about Ian catching something from me," Neil said, clenching onto his art.



"Well, of course he'd say I did! He doesn't want you to know there's something wrong with his family!" Flora shook her head. "Geez, no wonder he left you. You can't keep a secret at all…"



"…Oh...D…Did Ian tell you that…?"



"I'm just ki-…" Flora paused. She flashed a malevolent, toothy grin before saying "Yeah…Yeah, he told me…and now he's gone forever and it's all your fault!"



"I know…I know!" Neil had to fight back tears again. "I keep doing bad things to him and I'm...I'm sorry…"



"Hmph…Well, if you wanted to see him again, why didn't you just say so?" Flora pretended to be nonchalant about the matter. She checked her nails, trying not to laugh.



"Huh? Y…You can make him come back…?"



"Sure! Uh, Dad and I are real close, like best friends and stuff!"



"Then why're you mad…?"



"Because! Just 'cause me and him are really close doesn't mean I want anyone to find out…what he is. They'll start feeling bad for me since Mother's never around. You should know that better than anybody…"



"Oh…"



"And since you did such a horrible, horrible thing, then maybe I won't tell Dad to move back here!" she whirled around and pretended to storm off.



"Wait!"



Flora froze, smiling as her back was turned. She angrily said "What?!"



"Please! I'll do anything, just…please…"



"Aaaanything?" Flora stretched the word while facing Neil again. "Well, if you put it that way, I might have one or two things in mind…" she rubbed her chin for a second before lighting up. "Be my slave!"



"W…Wha?"



"You heard me, freak! Do everything I say! Then, when I feel like it, I'll call James…I-I mean Dad."



"…Oh…" it wasn't the most ideal punishment but Neil figured that he could bear with Flora a little longer. He nodded. "O-Okay…"



It shouldn't be too bad, right?



"Good! My first order is…" the girl's smile disappeared. "If you try to talk to Ian while you're my slave…ever…I won't do it. And don't even try to sneak around 'cause I'll know."



"Wh-"



"What's that, slave? You're going against your master's wishes?"



"N-No, I just…" Flora's glare was piercing. "…No."



"I'm only doing what's best for youuu…" Flora purred. "You don't want to hurt Ian anymore, right?"



"R…Right."



Maybe…it was for the best…It was Neil's fault that Ian's life completely changed, and he had to face the consequences for it.



"Now, my second order iiiis…" Flora pointed to the ground. "Bow to me."



"…H-Huh?"



"Ugh, you're awful at this," the girl buried her face in her hand. Trying not to get angry, she simplified her order with a fake smile. "Neil…Kneel."



She pointed again and, like a dog, Neil obeyed. To spare himself a bit of dignity, the boy imitated the knights he saw on television. In the process, he dropped his paper. As if fate was plotting against him, the bell rang at that moment and kids poured out of the cafeteria. Neil stayed in place, avoiding the people's stares. He gained attention in a way he had never hoped for. The other kids decided that some roleplaying game was involved and left Neil and Flora alone. 



"So, I guess you gotta call me a special name like Your Highness or…Your Majesty or…" Flora's eyes glistened. Neil stood up and brushed the dirt from his jeans.



"How 'bout Master Flora?" the boy remembered what the servants at her house called Ian during the party. 



"Nonono, that's for boys! Call me Lady Flora!"



As they talked, Neil's newest picture was left behind, trampled by other students.



…



Ian unlocked all the treasure chests, found all the collectibles, reached the final dungeon, and was less than 5000 HP away from conquering the final boss and his game. He would stop at nothing to achieve his goal! Not even…



He moved his computer's mouse, awakening it from its slumber. There were no missed video calls. Huh.



The enemy taunted Ian's party as he breathed his final breaths. The team's health was low overall so Ian used his medic to give it a boost. The bad guy's attack pattern changed but the heroes quickly adapted to it.



Still no calls? Neil must be busy today…



"Master Ian?" one of his grandmother's workers knocked on the guest room door before proceeding. "Lady Abigail wishes to speak to you. She says you have a lot work to do today."



"Gimme a second, I-"



"Now, Master Ian, it is not wise to keep a lady waiting," the butler took Ian's hand, throwing the boy off track. He tried to press buttons with his free hand but to no avail; the main character was killed and the game ended. Ian groaned and slammed his console onto the computer's desk. He couldn't even remember when he last saved.  He reluctantly stood and followed the servant before his patience grew thin, watching his prized items disappear behind him.



Little did he know that it would be years before he saw either of them.