Apt Pupil 2
folder
1 through F › Apt Pupil
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
21
Views:
1,341
Reviews:
0
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
1 through F › Apt Pupil
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
21
Views:
1,341
Reviews:
0
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Apt Pupil or any of the characters associated with it. They belong to Stephen King and Brian Singer. No money was made from this wiriting.
Chapter 9
Todd sat on his bed, a book, unopened, across his lap. The nightmares were back with a vengeance that he couldn’t seem to prevent. If he killed anyone he would have to kiss his education goodbye. Todd wasn’t a stupid boy by any means and killing people left bodies and, after leaving a trail of them in his hometown, it would be incredibly stupid to start dropping winos here as well. The alternative, drinking, wasn’t really an option either as it would also affect his grades. So Todd suffered and as he suffered pounds began to drop from his frame and dark hollows appeared under each clear blue eye.
He opened the book but the text swam before his eyes.
XXX
The phone rang, startling him and the book dropped to the floor with a “clunk.”
“Hello?”
“Hello boy.”
Todd felt his blood run cold. He dropped the phone receiver. It fell without violence or disgust. On the bed, still cross-legged, Todd put his hands to his face and cried.
XXX
The phone rang (again) and Todd yelped. Scanning the floor quickly, he was close to declaring the phone lost, despite the ringing protests to the contrary, when his eyes fell upon the night table. The phone was there, perched in its cradle as if nothing had happened. Reaching out, hesitating for a second with his outstretched hand hanging in the air, he grabbed the phone. He clamped it to his ear with painful force.
“Hello?” he held his breath, waiting for a reply.
(“Hello boy”)
“Todd are you okay?” his mother’s voice filled his ear. “I called earlier and you hung up on me.”
“What?” the question whirled around in his head and he suddenly felt sick.
(Get a grip…
What the fuck is wrong with you?)
“Are you still there?” she sniffed. “You’re really quiet. Do you want me to call back later?”
“No, everything’s okay. Are you okay?”
There was a pause before she spoke again, “Your father’s been cheating on me. Oh Baby, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
She burst into tears. Todd listened to her, unsure of what she expected him to do.
XXX
Chris’ eyes were fixated on the basketball net above him. The ball touched his fingertips briefly before being propelled downwards. Both ball and man were reading themselves for the coming shot. Sweat formed on Chris’ brow and he could feel his long sleeved workout shirt cling uncomfortably to the sweat forming in other places. He pushed those thoughts aside. The ball hugged his fingers one last time before flying through the air and crashing through the nylon netting.
“Yes!” He danced for a moment in victory before his eyes caught Todd’s. He straightened out his posture and rigidly stuck out a hand, “Um…good game.”
He stood there for a moment, hand outstretched, before Todd reached out to grab it. Just before contact was made, Chris pulled his hand back. Their eyes met. Accusation was clear in Chris’ deep brown eyes.
“You let me win!” Chris stopped suddenly, “Wait a minute-Todd, what’s wrong?”
Todd’s features darkened, “I could ask you the same question, couldn’t I? For days now, you act as if there’s something wrong with me then you jump at the chance to go to the gym. Either you hate me…” his eyes lowered until they were level with Chris’ groin, “or you have something that you aren’t telling me…”
The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed through the gymnasium. Todd’s eyes widened in shock and, before he could prevent the action, one hand shot up to cradle the insulted cheek. Chris, his hand still raised, bore into him with cold and angry eyes.
“How dare-”
“No, how dare you, Todd,” he dropped his hand, but not his gaze. “I’m trying to be your friend here, but I don’t think you want any friends. You don’t like me much do you? You don’t like me because you like me because you like feeling like you’re King Shit. Well, I used to be King Shit, Todd. I can play your games.”
“You cum-sucking little bitch,” Todd shrieked, voice nearly hysterical. “You don’t know anything about me or what I feel…I should slug you.”
“Go ahead if it makes you feel better,” Chris let his hand fall to his side. “Or, if it will actually make you feel better, you can tell me what got you upset enough to lose the game.”
Todd closed his eyes, momentarily stunned by how much Chris sounded like Kurt Dussander, reducing him to the hysterical child while he took on the adult role. He sounded just too fucking reasonable.
(‘ “My boy,” he said. “Still you do not understand the situation. You never have right from the beginning…”’)
Hand no longer on his face. Todd’s fists balled at his sides. For silent minutes, the two young men merely glared at each other. The known between them was so tick that Chris was practically choking on it. Todd’s fists clenched and unclenched indecisively while Chris readied himself for the resulting blow…It never came.
“What do you want from me?” the question came out as a whisper.
“I want to get to know you. That’s all. Take it or leave it.”
Chris picked up the basketball. He left the room. Todd stood alone under the abandoned basketball net for a long time before he finally picked his coat up from the floor and followed Chris out of the building.
He opened the book but the text swam before his eyes.
XXX
The phone rang, startling him and the book dropped to the floor with a “clunk.”
“Hello?”
“Hello boy.”
Todd felt his blood run cold. He dropped the phone receiver. It fell without violence or disgust. On the bed, still cross-legged, Todd put his hands to his face and cried.
XXX
The phone rang (again) and Todd yelped. Scanning the floor quickly, he was close to declaring the phone lost, despite the ringing protests to the contrary, when his eyes fell upon the night table. The phone was there, perched in its cradle as if nothing had happened. Reaching out, hesitating for a second with his outstretched hand hanging in the air, he grabbed the phone. He clamped it to his ear with painful force.
“Hello?” he held his breath, waiting for a reply.
(“Hello boy”)
“Todd are you okay?” his mother’s voice filled his ear. “I called earlier and you hung up on me.”
“What?” the question whirled around in his head and he suddenly felt sick.
(Get a grip…
What the fuck is wrong with you?)
“Are you still there?” she sniffed. “You’re really quiet. Do you want me to call back later?”
“No, everything’s okay. Are you okay?”
There was a pause before she spoke again, “Your father’s been cheating on me. Oh Baby, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
She burst into tears. Todd listened to her, unsure of what she expected him to do.
XXX
Chris’ eyes were fixated on the basketball net above him. The ball touched his fingertips briefly before being propelled downwards. Both ball and man were reading themselves for the coming shot. Sweat formed on Chris’ brow and he could feel his long sleeved workout shirt cling uncomfortably to the sweat forming in other places. He pushed those thoughts aside. The ball hugged his fingers one last time before flying through the air and crashing through the nylon netting.
“Yes!” He danced for a moment in victory before his eyes caught Todd’s. He straightened out his posture and rigidly stuck out a hand, “Um…good game.”
He stood there for a moment, hand outstretched, before Todd reached out to grab it. Just before contact was made, Chris pulled his hand back. Their eyes met. Accusation was clear in Chris’ deep brown eyes.
“You let me win!” Chris stopped suddenly, “Wait a minute-Todd, what’s wrong?”
Todd’s features darkened, “I could ask you the same question, couldn’t I? For days now, you act as if there’s something wrong with me then you jump at the chance to go to the gym. Either you hate me…” his eyes lowered until they were level with Chris’ groin, “or you have something that you aren’t telling me…”
The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed through the gymnasium. Todd’s eyes widened in shock and, before he could prevent the action, one hand shot up to cradle the insulted cheek. Chris, his hand still raised, bore into him with cold and angry eyes.
“How dare-”
“No, how dare you, Todd,” he dropped his hand, but not his gaze. “I’m trying to be your friend here, but I don’t think you want any friends. You don’t like me much do you? You don’t like me because you like me because you like feeling like you’re King Shit. Well, I used to be King Shit, Todd. I can play your games.”
“You cum-sucking little bitch,” Todd shrieked, voice nearly hysterical. “You don’t know anything about me or what I feel…I should slug you.”
“Go ahead if it makes you feel better,” Chris let his hand fall to his side. “Or, if it will actually make you feel better, you can tell me what got you upset enough to lose the game.”
Todd closed his eyes, momentarily stunned by how much Chris sounded like Kurt Dussander, reducing him to the hysterical child while he took on the adult role. He sounded just too fucking reasonable.
(‘ “My boy,” he said. “Still you do not understand the situation. You never have right from the beginning…”’)
Hand no longer on his face. Todd’s fists balled at his sides. For silent minutes, the two young men merely glared at each other. The known between them was so tick that Chris was practically choking on it. Todd’s fists clenched and unclenched indecisively while Chris readied himself for the resulting blow…It never came.
“What do you want from me?” the question came out as a whisper.
“I want to get to know you. That’s all. Take it or leave it.”
Chris picked up the basketball. He left the room. Todd stood alone under the abandoned basketball net for a long time before he finally picked his coat up from the floor and followed Chris out of the building.