Title: And the world broke down
Fandom: The Faculty
Characters: Casey Connor, Zeke Tyler
Rating: PG13 (maybe R for language)
Length: 777 words
Written for Challenge 191 = abandon
Summary: Casey is slightly concerned about Zeke's strange behavior



„Hey, what's wrong?“

Casey dropped down onto the small wooden bench of the bleachers and eyed the guy beside him thoughtfully.

„What do you want,“ Zeke asked, without moving, obviously annoyed because of the interruption.

Usually, Casey would back off now; Zeke was not a guy he wanted to get into a fight with. He was none of the bullies, but everyone knew that it was better not to overstep the line. Today though something strange was going on. Casey hadn't seen Zeke at the parking lot in the morning, flirting with every girl who crossed his way. He hadn't been in the boy's washroom to make his usual dealings. He had been moody, and his hazelnut brown eyes had looked somehow lost.

„Just wondering. Maybe you want to talk?“

„Huh?“

„You looks as if you can need a friend.“

Zeke little laughter didn't sound very amused.
„A friend? I don't have any friends. No one cares about me. Never did.“

Casey swallowed. Okay, this was ominous. Zeke was a cool guy, a respected guy. The girls were crazy about him. The boys were more interested in the stuff he sold; the answers for the next test, porn magazines, condoms, faked Ids; there seemed to be nothing Zeke couldn't find. There was no party in town without him and no club he didn't know. And even if Casey didn't believe any rumor, he was sure that Zeke didn't spend many nights alone.

„I'm sure you are invited to at least three parties this weekend,“ he said.
„I will spend the weekend at the farm of my grandma.“

„Shit. All of this. It doesn't mean anything at all.“
Zeke smirked.
„Believe me, Casey, you don't want to swap place with me. You have a family who cares for you; this means so much more than partying every weekend.“

„Well.“
Casey shrugged.
„Sometimes it sucks always to be the geek.“

For the first time since Casey had dropped down beside him, Zeke turned around and eyed him silently for a while.
„You know what sucks,“ he finally said.
„When your parents abandon you already some days after you were born.“

„What?“
Casey looked at him shocked.
„What is this supposed to mean? The Tylers are not ...“

„Sure, they are.“
Zeke's eyes sparkled dark and sad.
„At least, they were supposed to be. But two weeks after I was born they left me alone for the first time. Nannies and Au pairs cared for me all the time. When my parents came home every few months, I couldn't even remember them. When I was old enough, they send me to a boarding school. Summer camps. All of it exclusive, of course, money never was the problem. Now I'm living alone in a much too big house, and my bank account is so big that you can probably only can dream about it.

My parents call this love, I say, they always gave a shit about me.“

„That's not fair,“ Casey whispered full of sympathy, and he wished he could pull Zeke into his arms to comfort him. This, of course, was impossible.

„Not fair,“ Zeke repeated and huffed.
„Yesterday I got a letter from my mother. They got divorced last week. Because my father wants to live in Madrid from now on, together with his secretary. She's only two years older than I am... and she's pregnant.“

Suddenly tears were sparkling in his eyes; he blinked once, twice, to fight them back.
„You know,“ he said, and his voice was trembling slightly.
„I should give a shit, right? It won't change anything for me. It doesn't matter at all if he's jetting around the world together with my mother or living in Europe together with this bitch.

I wish I could say that I don't care. I wish I could hate him... or her, or this fucking baby...“

He wasn't able to hold his tears back for longer, shaking all over he finally broke down.
„But I can't, you know, I just can't. Because... fuck, he is my dad...“

And Casey didn't hesitate for longer; he pulled Zeke into his arms, held him tight, stroked his back gently, whispered reassuring words. He couldn't say how long they were sitting on the bleachers like this; probably lunch break was already over, and he should be back in class, but he couldn't care less.

All he wanted was to be there for Zeke and to give him all the comfort and love he had never gotten before.

THE END