Title: Breakdown
Fandom: The Faculty
Characters: Zeke Tyler, Casey Connor
Rating: PG13
Length: 1636 words
Written for Challenge #208: check
Summary: After Zeke has received a message from his father, his whole world seems to break down


Casey banged the door of Zeke's garage shut and stared at his friend with sparkling eyes.
„Okay, spit it, what the heck is wrong is you?“

Zeke grabbed his can of beer, took a sip as if he wanted to annoy him even more. Then he smirked.
„I've made a decision. Was about time to wake up.“

Casey shook his head; his thoughts were racing. He just couldn't imagine what had happened to threw Zeke back into this state. For a long time, he had played the rebel who cared about nothing, not about other people, not about school or his future. It had taken some time to break through his shell and even longer until he had been able to trust him completely. To admit his feelings for Casey. To believe that there could be a future for the two of them if he wanted one.

He had changed so much; had given up his business, no faked ID cards anymore, no porn magazines and no Scat. His homemade drug. Instead of this, he had started to work for school harder than ever before and Mr. Furlong, his science teacher, had finally given him a recommendation letter for College. Not some city college no one talked about. MIT in Boston. Because Zeke was brilliant and a great future would be lying ahead of him.

A future together with Casey. Only last week Zeke had talked about it, that they maybe could try to find a cheap apartment near College, just for the two of them, so much better than to live on the campus together with hundreds of other students. But now...

Suddenly Zeke had started to fall back into old habits. He made dubious deals during lunch break, he skipped school, this afternoon he had even yelled at Casey, then he got into his GTO and drove away. Deep inside Casey felt tears burning, but this was not the right time to let himself go. He wanted answers. And he wouldn't go home before he hadn't gotten some.

„Stop acting like a prick. Talk to me. Did I do something wrong?“

Zeke put the can of beer back on the table, suddenly looking worn out.
„No. But this makes it even more difficult. I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to lose you. But I don't know how to move on. It's all a fucking mess.“

Casey dropped onto the old couch beside Zeke.
„Okay,“ he said.
„Will you stop talking in riddles and enlighten me?“

Zeke shrugged.
„My parents. What else. They always knew to fuck up my life when I thought there is a light at the horizon.“

Zeke never talked much about his parents, but what Case knew, was enough to feel anger and disdain toward the people he had never met. They had never been there for Zeke, their only son, had never cared for him, loved him. Nannies, boardings schools and later monthly checks. That was all Zeke had ever gotten from them.

„What did they do?“

„They got divorced, some months ago already. Not that I did care. It didn't change anything for me.“
Zeke pulled the face.
„Well, at least I thought it wouldn't. Until I got the mail; two weeks ago. My father. He writes that he has to pay a shitload of money for my mother. And that he can't afford it any longer to waste even more for his already legal son.

He even wants to sell the house. But he's generous, he allows me to stay here for two more months. Gives me a lot of time to find out what to do next.“

Casey gasped for air.
„But he can't do this. Doesn't he want you to go to College?“

„Believe me, he doesn't care much. He's already in contact with a realtor. And the last check arrived four weeks ago.“

„That's harsh.“
Desperately Casey was looking for the right words. Not fair. So not fair. It was beyond him that parents could act so selfish.
„Hey, but it's not that bad, isn't it? I know this house is your home, but we will move to Boston soon anyway. Start our life together. I don't think that we will ever come back to Herrington to live here.“

Zeke closed his eyes and leaned his head back.
„Don't you get it? I won't go to Boston and for sure not to MIT. What I need now are a cheap apartment and a job. As soon as possible.“

Casey stiffened in every movement.
„You can't be serious! Just because your father acts like a prick, you will give up your future?“

Zeke opened his eyes again and smirked.
„It's not what I want, Case, but let us face up to reality. Boston is not Herrington; life is much more pricey there. And MIT is an unheard of challenge. You can't concentrate on your studies when you need to work fulltime to survive.“

Now Casey couldn't hold back his tears any longer.
„And what... what does this mean for us? For our future,“ he asked.

„Hey.“
Zeke put an arm around him and pulled him closer.
„Hey. Don't cry, please. I'm sorry. We will figure it out.“

„I don't go to Boston without you,“ Casey sniffed.

„Don't be stupid, of course, you will. You will go to MIT and be the most brilliant geek ever,“ Zeke murmured and kissed him.
„You deserve it.“

„But I don't need an apartment, you know. I can live on the campus like a lot of other students. We can share a dorm. I have a college fond. And I'm sure, my parents will help us, too. Maybe you still can apply for a scholarship; you should talk with Mr. Furlong, I'm sure he can give you some good advice.“

„Stop!“
Stony-faced Zeke straightened up.
„We won't discuss this. I don't need any charity. I was always on my own, and I made my way without asking for help. For sure I won't start with it now.“

„Sometimes you can be such a stubborn shit,“ Casey murmured. Tears were gone, his eyes sparkled annoyed.
„It's not about you alone anymore, don't you get this, it's about us! I want to be together with you because I love you, I want a future together with you. And my parents would love to help you out because they care for you. Just in case you haven't noticed it before, they treat you like a second son.

And Mr. Furlong, he has always backed you up. He has never given you up, not even when you almost got suspended from school. He is proud you, Zeke, so proud of you, because of what you have accomplished during the last year.

When you give up now, it is as if all this doesn't mean anything for you. And I can't accept that."

Zeke jumped up from the old couch and stared out of the small window in the back of the garage. A gray and rainy day, like his mood. Since he was together with Casey, he hadn't felt like that anymore.
„It's not right,“ he murmured.
„I know, you would do all for me. And your parents, Mr. Furlong, Stokes, they care for me as no one has ever done before.

But it feels not right. My parents should be there for me. Parents are supposed to take care of their children. I don't think that they have ever loved me. I was just a burden, and now they can wait to get rid of me, and they won't even stop for a moment to think about it what this means for me.

That's not right. Not right!“

He didn't even notice the tears running down his face, but like through a haze he felt Casey's arms around him, holding him tight. Whispered words reached his ear; he didn't get the meaning, but it was enough to let loose finally.

:::

When he was able to think clearer again, it was almost dark in the garage, and he was lying on the floor, his head in Casey's lap. The boy smiled at him when he carefully tried to sit up.
„Hey. Do you feel better again?“

Zeke licked his dry lips, still trying to sort out his mind.
„What's happened?“

„You have had a kind of a breakdown.“

„Shit.“
Devastated Zeke closed his eyes. He couldn't remember much of it, just fragments filled with tears and uncontrolled sobbing, anger, and desperation. Never before he had felt like that; never before he had allowed himself to feel like that. He always had to be strong... strong... or he wouldn't be able to move on.

When he looked up again, his eyes met Casey's. His sheet anchor, who had held him, talked to him, cried together with him. Casey didn't care if he was strong or broken, rich or poor, Casey would always love him. He could read it in his eyes, could feel it in the way his arms supported him.

„I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...“

„Shhh.“
Casey put his finger on his lips to stop him.
„I guess this was long overdue. You have every right to be sad and angry, after all, your parents did. But you shouldn't let it happen that they drag you down, destroy your future. You don't need them anymore, not their care and their money. Because now there are other people who love you and who are not willing to give you up.

We will always find a way, Zeke. Because together we are stronger than the whole world.“

THE END