A Young Boy?
“There he is. I didn't really know I'd be seeing such a 'celebrity' so soon after he sprouted into the world.” Marisela Noches smiled and commented. Victor held her lower back and said, “Oh, he doesn't really appreciate that.”
“Oh,” Marisela lifted her eyebrows. Instead of apologizing, she smiled again and gently said, “It must have been an awful hell out there to bring your mother to safety. You have not to worry anymore. Let Lorena bring you around, I just picked her up from school. She should have some things to talk to you about. If she bores you, I'll drive her away, alright?”
“…” Baffled, Phesx Caolia nodded by mistake. Victor smiled from ear to ear, while the daughter pouted. “Mommy!”
“Aiyo, stop being such a little cutie. Go on, we adults will talk about boring stuff slowly. You don’t want that, hm?” Marisela smoothly piloted their human minds, with Lorena walking forth to grab Phesx Caolia’s right wrist. His face chanced a little, but he tried to hide it.
Marisela and Victor exchanged eyes, but the latter shrugged, and that was that. Phesx Caolia was brought away, first upstairs, up some wide, lavish and comfortable stairs to step on. When they turned around a corner and into a hallway, Lorena stopped and faced him.
“When you saw Merme, were you flustered?”
“…” Phesx Caolia speechlessly stared at the girl. An idea formed in his head, ‘Is she fishing to know if I like boys?’
“She’s very pretty, but I’m too young…” Phesx Caolia said, trying to be polite, as she let go of his wrist. Lorena sighed in relief before asking him again, this time stiffening at her own question. “What do you think of my father?”
Phesx Caolia: (´･_･`).
“I like girls,” the young boy weakly spilled out. Lorena widened her eyes and placed her hands behind her back, looking at the floor like it suddenly grew eyes and started singing. Phesx Caolia darted his eyes around before asking, “How old are you?”
“I’m 13, and you?” Lorena responded meekly. Phesx Caolia shrugged, speaking in a casual voice, just like she hears her male classmates talk to each other. “15, a few months ago.”
“Oooh, you looked older. Have you had girlfriends?” Somehow, she became more at ease with Phesx Caolia as she walked into the hallway, showing him the rooms by opening the doors and saying what it was. Phesx Caolia casually replied, “Ajá. Why? Do you want to know what boys like? I can tell you, but don’t tell your father.”
“Mm?” Lorena frowned, then faced him. “Why not? He married already +and has a family.”
“Mm-” Phesx Caolia was about to respond with something, which he immediately forgot. He looked at her face, only to see a sneaky grin appear below her small, crafty brown eyes. “Aaaah.”
“Hehehehe,” seeing his surprise, and that she made him smile, Lorena giggled nonstop. They continued on their way to check the main residence. Through the windows, she pointed at the other buildings. They even had a creature holding and a stable for small animals and horses.
The kids began to know each other. Perhaps the first, maybe even the only one, adequate relationship that Phesx Caolia would cultivate. If anything… maybe he just started his life as a young boy. Nothing else, just a young boy.
. . .
3 months later.
Several weeks have gone by. Phesx Caolia understood his role in the Ruvas’ household. He had to do nothing. Miss Ruva, Marisela Noches, was a housewife. Although she only helped with light house chores, she was good.
She and Rubena mingled a good portion of the day, every day. While they weren’t best friends forever, they knew their kind. Rubena was old and had house chores’ knowledge or ‘cleaning adventures’ Marisela had no idea about. They had their talks and expertise debates.
Meanwhile, the kids got used to their daily lives like nothing. Merme did visit a few times a month, always arriving with her car. When the Caolias arrived was a rare occurrence. She bought groceries, and rapidly became Phesx Caolia’s precious ‘elder sister’, buying him enough oranges to eat 2 a day for the entire week.
Lorena was gladdened to have Phesx Caolia in her house. The shy girl slowly gained more confidence, slowly. When he first arrived, she was blushing and doing what little girls would, but boys wouldn’t even understand. Looking at him, tickling him, making him notice her…
In short, the ‘inexperienced’ Phesx Caolia had to play with her like a kid. Though he was still one.
But now, she showed him her panties when waking up, going to the bathroom, and eating breakfast. Victor always left at around 8 AM, as CEO and founder of one of Lýmoca’s rich multipurpose company, or enterprise.
In the days he didn’t, of course Lorena wore at least some shorts. But Phesx Caolia was practically another girl in the mother and daughter duo’s eyes. Either way, even if that little lass had anything growing worth noticing, he still wouldn’t have cared.
Phesx Caolia would read about the world every day. In Preut, the schools were really just like cages where one could broaden their horizons with caged information. Crude but simple.
The Ruvas got him a phone, laptop, video game console, and a small dirt bike to train with. Phesx Caolia had experience with a rather ‘cute’ motorcycle from Preut, but he found some time well-spent with that dirt bike around the green grass of the mansion.
Furthermore, Lorena liked to go on rides with him. Although she was fearful of the speed and curves the young boy did, she grew used to grabbing a boy’s torso for protection.
If he gave the ‘boss’s’ daughter joy, that would help him secure a real bike in the near future. Phesx Caolia plotted to achieve his gains sooner rather than later.
By now, 2 years and a half have passed with Preut submerged in strife. The civil war was just like an old man’s heartbeat. When would it stop?
The more Phesx Caolia read, the more attention he brought to himself from the Ruvas. Marisela started getting him more books. At first, they were of some stories, folklore around the world, detailed and extensive, and the ‘little languages’ below the universal language.
However, as he wouldn’t stop reading them, finishing those with hundreds of pages in about 5 days to a week, she started lending him some from Victor’s collection. He noticed her intentions a couple of weeks ago, when Marisela often spoke to Victor at dinner when he returned, sometimes tired, and while Phesx Caolia read a few more pages before dinner began.
Furthermore, Lorena got into reading too. Either by competing, or feeling inspired by him to follow him like a role model, gaining him more bike points!
Thus, Phesx Caolia had just begun reading from Victor’s collection. At first, Marisela brought him to his studio in a morning after breakfast. The young boy didn’t know Victor was actually patriotic. He had many bookshelves of a regular width and height for knowledge about business, society, and the world’s history. But Victor had an entire wall with a detachable, extremely wide bookshelf of the history of Lýmoca. Or rather, anything about Lýmoca.
Marisela gave him the choice to start with, but regardless of it, since this was Victor’s, he would have to ‘pay a price’ for it. Thirsty and wanting more, Phesx Caolia chose a small section regarding creations, such as inventions, innovations, improvements, and new frontlines of technology and science.
Marisela would casually ask him about the books she first gave him before, just to satisfy her curiosity on whether Phesx Caolia could process what he read. But now, she practically tested him, spending time with him every weekend during the evenings before dinner.
If he got all things right, and even surprised her with a thought, or more, she would ask him what he would like in a new bike. Little by little, part by part, Phesx Caolia was imaginably building his new bike, but he also felt an immense danger and threat loom over his back.
Today, 1,022, 9th month, 2nd week, 3rd day, Phesx Caolia was called by Victor after dinner. He had just brushed is teeth and danced left and right with Lorena, hitting each other’s hips while brushing their teeth before a mirror.
“Come,” Victor sat in a small living room of the main floor. Phesx Caolia walked to him and sat at the side, wearing his new, loose, thin, comfortable, warm pajamas. 4 couches, 2 of 4 seats, and 2 of 2 seats. With a small table in the middle, only the table had thick books on them. They were piled up together, and what’s more, Phesx Caolia saw a few commerce symbols on some.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
‘Oh no.’ Phesx Caolia’s light black eyes flashed, nearly closing, but he flashed them open immediately. However, it was too late. How could a young boy compare to a man in his prime, famous and rich as hell? Of course he had cards under his sleeve!
Victor looked at him, seemingly knowing he had noticed. ‘Oh yes.’
“I know I said I wouldn’t bother you with these things for now, but you’ve changed my mind.” Victor sentenced him. Phesx Caolia’s drooped shoulders didn’t last long, as Victor added, holding a book to the left of his face. “Well, don’t put that face. I won’t drag you into my evil corporation. But since you can learn… shut up and learn?”
“…Sigh, yes sir.” Phesx Caolia surrendered to fate. He couldn’t beat the villain, so his future and present were in his hands. Victor nodded, satisfied. “That’s the attitude. Hey, in the future, I might just teach you about Lýmoca’s history, too.”
Phesx Caolia: “…”
With that, Phesx Caolia saw the first ‘professional’ book open its pages to him. He really didn’t know what did it matter for something like this to go into his brain. Ah, old habits never die, they only trick their host, then spark.
As for the Lys books, Phesx Caolia knew a few things, like how their empire was destroyed in the far past, along their territory and dignity from the internet. But that was it.
. . .
Another 3 months went by, it was soon the new year.
Phesx Caolia went outside for the first time in half a month, ever since the bus stations. Lýmoca had a population of more than 300 million. With Preut’s numbers, it is esteemed that the number would grow to 393 million approximately, if the civil war wasn’t tremendously bloody again, which Lýmoca now seemed to care about.
He went to the movies! The Ruvas brought him there, but only the fun guys, meaning, Victor and Lorena. Merme, Rubena, and Marisela stayed at home that day, chatting of evil women things. Only then did Phesx Caolia realize the severe difference between the 2 countries.
One was overpopulated, while the other was… fine? Either way, he could swear he saw more than a few thousand different people walk by, all chatting loudly and not caring about the others passing by hearing them.
At first… it was a little complicated. Phesx wasn’t used to seeing so many people whom he didn’t have to ‘take in’ with his senses to kill or avoid getting surrounded, or taken by surprise. Victor brought him a cap, which helped him cover most people from his line of sight, and it was black. That day, Phesx Caolia found out it could feel okay being outside.
They went to see a sci-fi, special agent, mecha movie. It had amazing effects, but any melee fight was to laugh at, at least in the young boy’s eyes. But Lorena was like a growing man finding out there might be mechas in 20 years with nowadays technology.
Phesx Caolia still didn’t understand the ‘generational’ joke, but he could feel Victor’s grief whenever the subject was brought up.
It was about a trainee who refused to use bions. Bion was, as Phesx Caolia got it, mechanical parts in one’s body. Of course, it wasn’t just putting metal and microchips in your body and then able to move it like another limb.
For starters, the mecha-lover Victor whispered to Phesx Caolia the history of bions. Before, they were the ‘can’t cure cancer’ a few hundred years ago. Only the rich could have it, and a microchip was necessary.
But after going through the IWS and morals of the Green Transformation’s GHH, these were replaced by pure Mintip and Courusel, which were first found in nowadays Cors. Courusel was another excellent resource, like Mintip, or Pugor. Or another that is drastically important, like the Senida, which is used to make the coins and thin fabric of the paper currency in the world.
Only after managing to mix Mintip and Courusel, with Pugor as its fuel, could the world give rise to the ‘natural’ bions, who do not place danger upon their holders. The world even developed intelligent detectors across every city in the world to find illegal bions. Such things were old news even 100 years ago, at the beginning of the 10th century.
Nevertheless, when finishing the movie, Phesx Caolia could only think to himself that it was would be too late for him. He had that strangeness in his body, after all. The movie ended with the trainee becoming a captain of his team, and getting the 2 hot girls in the movie as his partners.
After the movies, Phesx Caolia was brought to eat ice cream. He didn’t want to, at first. If someone were to tell him to name a sugary thing he liked it, he would say orange, or orange, and orange.
However, when he tasted a mix of chocolate, coconut, and chocolate crust below, he was won over by sweetness for the first time in his life. Not like he got much taste before the civil war.
Then, finally, a few days later, in the 3rd day of the last week of the year’s last month, the Ruva household celebrated the new year. Because of Victor’s job, he would be overseas during the new year, so they would just celebrate it beforehand.
Merme was invited, although she’d probably celebrate another one with her family. Rubena came out of the hospital early because of it. After many years with lung cancer, she was finally in treatment.
It was only treatment now, as it was too late, indeed. But the Ruvas didn’t hesitate to spend the money to keep her going. Thus, the house was ‘full’ with large candles everywhere encased in crystal, and some light music. Hot chocolate was also made.
After making the big countdown and screaming at the top of their lungs, since no neighbor would hear them, they relaxed a little. Rubena didn’t join the countdown, coughing already without even speaking. As for Phesx Caolia, he just watched with a little smile.
“Have you danced before?” As things relaxed, the husband and wife stuck their bodies together and whispered horrible things in each other’s ears. Lorena walked to him and asked him, no longer blushing when speaking to him. Phesx crossed his arms and lifted his chin, “I don’t dance.”
“Just stick your body to me. Even if you don’t want to, when you fancy someone, you won’t have to make them feel sad for not being there with you.” Lorena extended her palm. Phesx Caolia lifted his right eyebrow, “If she goes with another, I won’t fancy her.”
“No, dullass. She’d look at other couples dance slowly elsewhere while sitting like an idiot with you. So, just get used to doing something, just something. Alright?” Lorena rolled her little eyes, cute and sparkly. Phesx Caolia’s crossed arms stupidly relaxed before giving her his hand.
She brought him to a small living room and instructed him. Phesx Caolia held her hand, lifted just below shoulder height and with her face nearing his shoulder. Slowly and warmly, the atmosphere was enjoyable as Phesx Caolia understood her meaning.
A few minutes later, Phesx Caolia had to wake the lass when he felt saliva on his pricey tuxedo.
He couldn’t blame her, the dims were light, and even he felt sleepy without exhausting himself. Her parents came to the rescue, with Victor bringing Lorena to her bed. Marisela brought a napkin and cleaned Phesx, chiding him along.
“If this is how you end up after dancing with my daughter, I wonder how it will be when you find a gal. Just don’t get any odor on you, alright?” Her gentle voice and softly spoken words couldn’t hide the teasing in her. Phesx Caolia opened his mouth and did nothing more, he was baffled.
“Hehe, you got some here. Ah, who would’ve thought you like hot chocolate that much? You should’ve told me earlier. I make the best in the world,” Marisela said, proceeding to clean his cheeks like a good mother would.
“I wouldn’t know,” Phesx Caolia’s eyes lost focus when he commented that. Marisela motherly smirked, “I have competition? Can’t be. Could it be you’re trying to rebel against me, kid?”
Phesx Caolia inadvertently smirked from the left corner of his mouth. Finishing cleaning his face, Marisela poked his nose before ordering him away. “Now go rest. It’s fine if you read books until midnight, but stop doing it lying sideways, it’s bad for your eyes!”
“The weekly medical rec-” Phesx Caolia wanted to defend himself. But Marisela started mimicking him with a curled, ugly lips, “The weekly medical report says I’m only improving, wewewewe~. Shut it and go up then.”
Phesx Caolia hurried upstairs to hide his big smile, while Marisela went to Rubena, to chat a little and then bring her to her room as well. No questions of his relationship with his mother were made, to the best of all.
Going up the stairs, Phesx changed his face to a poker face instantly before Victor turned around the corner and looked up at him. He seemed pensive, seriously thinking about something, and something that clearly ignited within him.
“Oh, is your mother on her bedroom already?” Victor asked, eyes showing he was determined. Phesx Caolia sent his left thumb over his shoulder. “They’re just chatting downstairs.”
“Oh yeah!” Victor exclaimed before rushing to his bedroom, taking his jacket and tie off. Phesx Caolia blinked, staring at Victor’s back, before walking to his bedroom. How could he not want to read all night, when these fuckers spend half the entire night talking about life?
Phesx Caolia checked Lorena, who slept with her bedsheets already down her groins. She was a heavy sleeper kicker. Phesx Caolia went in and covered her body. With the cold nowadays, she would get cold. While doing so, he wished the best for her future man.
Exiting her bedroom and walking towards his, Phesx Caolia was about to read the last book he’s been onto, when he realized he had just finished it. He grabbed a new one and was amazed to noticed it was the last one about commerce, trade, business, and many more things the young boy feels ashamed to know and can recite to the letter.
. . .
3 months later. Phesx Caolia was now 16, and Lorena a cute, growing 14-year-old. Still, she was a fine piece of quality of some wood for a board.
Nevertheless, she got the Hellcat treatment. After spending months with Phesx Caolia, her emotional intelligence evolved by leaps and bounds, through seas of fire and mountains of swords. Not only that, but with the books they’ve read together, her intelligence was unearthed.
Furthermore, having grown older, Phesx Caolia was a little ruthless when dealing with her. Throwing her in the pools of the mansion, bringing her for a bike ride with his ‘new’ bike, making her scream and return home with a hoarse throat, but relaxed and joyous. In video games, even though Phesx Caolia was awful at first on every game, after failing like a fucker for a dozen hours, he’d become her biggest nightmare. Yet, she had become quick-witted.
One night, on a fabulous saturday, when the kids can be as irresponsible as they wish to, Marisela came to his room to check on them, as it was 12 am. She found her daughter facing the ceiling, her arms spread wide, and her tummy slammed by Phesx Caolia’s stomach.
Marisela was about to bring them to their beds, but when she extended her hands to them, she remembered they are bodies. If watching all those morbid movies and shows served her well, moving their bodies wasn’t going to be easy. Thus, she just threw a blanket on their asses and let them be.
“Hmph, if sleeping on the floor doesn’t teach you in the morning, see if Victor won’t give you the glare.” Marisela departed, wanting to return to her hubby, who must be annoyed at their sudden pause. Her legs moved quickly, still trembling…
“…” Phesx Caolia, who woke up the moment Marisela opened the door of her bedroom, opened his eyes and blinked with innocence. When he heard the terrible moans again, despite the soundproof, he mentally sighed. Standing up, he grabbed Lorena, but this time, he cursed whoever would marry her. How luck they would be…
If they did something to her… Lorena was lucky to not open her eyes just now and see murder before her eyes, as she slept soundly.
…