push here , pull there , tilt the PSP that way— no that way , followed as Daniel took pity on the Christmas guest. Zach was pathetically grateful that this small boy was handing over his precious gift, and he tried his hardest, he really did, ridiculously happy with his score, until Daniel decimated it in the space of twenty seconds, sending a cheeky grin Zach's way.
Zach knew his upbringing had been unconventional, and he didn't just mean since he had been virtually 73
The Christmas Throwaway
RJ Scott
imprisoned in his own home, but before that. He was the first born child of one of the only families without a working TV, one of the only families that had absolutely nothing remotely resembling a game machine or a
computer in their home. He had rolled with it, his height always giving him the advantage of not generally being picked on for what he didn't have in his life.
Still, he was made to try out for all the school teams
— it was his dad's rule. Competition was the route to good health and happiness. That is, if you listened to Samuel Weston, it went alongside no television, no money, and fatigues instead of jeans. He shifted as he watched Daniel with the controls. Never let it be said he wasn't a fast learner, and he could see what was happening on the screen as Daniel moved each control.
"Beat that," Daniel said, handing back the PSP and smirking at his new high score. Zach took the gadget gingerly, put his fingers in the same position as Daniel had and pressed start, managing to multiply his last score by ten before it all became too fast. He could feel Daniel pressed into his side, chuckling like a little demon. He could sense Ben's eyes on him, and he sent him a quick shy smile even as his character nose-dived off of a cliff to be smashed to his apparent doom on the rocks below, or something 74
The Christmas Throwaway
RJ Scott
equally dramatic considering all the noises emanating from the handheld in his grasp.
The rest of the day was more of the same. Jamie and his wife and kids left at around ten, both kids droopy and tired in their parents' arms. When they had gone, the house seemed quieter. Ellie made her excuses; the current boyfriend of choice was on IM. Then Donna decided to retire with new bubble bath, a good book, and a glass of wine. Ben had disappeared a while earlier to check at the station, but everything was quiet, and he had arrived back just in time to wave goodbye to his brother and family. It was now just Zach and Ben sitting on the sofa in front of the fire. The night pulled in around them, and the only illumination was from the lights on the tree.
"I realized I don't know the name of your town,"
Zach said carefully, not wanting to open the whole how the fuck did you get here then debate, but needing to know what kind of town held families as impossibly perfect as the Hamilton family, or this other guy's family, the apparently really tall guy who had donated his clothes, where people gave presents and rooms to a boy like Zach.
"Hill Valley," Ben replied, with a grin.
"Hill Valley." Zach rolled the name on his tongue; it sounded strange. "Kinda sounds made up." Zach added the 75
The Christmas Throwaway
RJ Scott
afterthought before he even realized what he was saying, and then immediately regretted it. A person doesn't go around insulting his host's town name for God's sake.
Carefully he looked at Ben who, with his head laid back on the sofa, had an honest to goodness laugh on his lips. "It does." Ben sniggered. "I always said it should be called Flatville, 'cause we sure as hell don't have big hills round here." He kept chuckling every so often as Zach searched for another subject to talk about, but Ben beat him to it.
"What were you gonna do? That is, when you woke up Christmas Day, where were you gonna go?" Ben sounded curious, but not official, and Zach wasn't sure what to say.
Zach shrugged. What was he going to say? That he
had kind of given up, that he had no money
Zach knew his upbringing had been unconventional, and he didn't just mean since he had been virtually 73
The Christmas Throwaway
RJ Scott
imprisoned in his own home, but before that. He was the first born child of one of the only families without a working TV, one of the only families that had absolutely nothing remotely resembling a game machine or a
computer in their home. He had rolled with it, his height always giving him the advantage of not generally being picked on for what he didn't have in his life.
Still, he was made to try out for all the school teams
— it was his dad's rule. Competition was the route to good health and happiness. That is, if you listened to Samuel Weston, it went alongside no television, no money, and fatigues instead of jeans. He shifted as he watched Daniel with the controls. Never let it be said he wasn't a fast learner, and he could see what was happening on the screen as Daniel moved each control.
"Beat that," Daniel said, handing back the PSP and smirking at his new high score. Zach took the gadget gingerly, put his fingers in the same position as Daniel had and pressed start, managing to multiply his last score by ten before it all became too fast. He could feel Daniel pressed into his side, chuckling like a little demon. He could sense Ben's eyes on him, and he sent him a quick shy smile even as his character nose-dived off of a cliff to be smashed to his apparent doom on the rocks below, or something 74
The Christmas Throwaway
RJ Scott
equally dramatic considering all the noises emanating from the handheld in his grasp.
The rest of the day was more of the same. Jamie and his wife and kids left at around ten, both kids droopy and tired in their parents' arms. When they had gone, the house seemed quieter. Ellie made her excuses; the current boyfriend of choice was on IM. Then Donna decided to retire with new bubble bath, a good book, and a glass of wine. Ben had disappeared a while earlier to check at the station, but everything was quiet, and he had arrived back just in time to wave goodbye to his brother and family. It was now just Zach and Ben sitting on the sofa in front of the fire. The night pulled in around them, and the only illumination was from the lights on the tree.
"I realized I don't know the name of your town,"
Zach said carefully, not wanting to open the whole how the fuck did you get here then debate, but needing to know what kind of town held families as impossibly perfect as the Hamilton family, or this other guy's family, the apparently really tall guy who had donated his clothes, where people gave presents and rooms to a boy like Zach.
"Hill Valley," Ben replied, with a grin.
"Hill Valley." Zach rolled the name on his tongue; it sounded strange. "Kinda sounds made up." Zach added the 75
The Christmas Throwaway
RJ Scott
afterthought before he even realized what he was saying, and then immediately regretted it. A person doesn't go around insulting his host's town name for God's sake.
Carefully he looked at Ben who, with his head laid back on the sofa, had an honest to goodness laugh on his lips. "It does." Ben sniggered. "I always said it should be called Flatville, 'cause we sure as hell don't have big hills round here." He kept chuckling every so often as Zach searched for another subject to talk about, but Ben beat him to it.
"What were you gonna do? That is, when you woke up Christmas Day, where were you gonna go?" Ben sounded curious, but not official, and Zach wasn't sure what to say.
Zach shrugged. What was he going to say? That he
had kind of given up, that he had no money
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