Four days later, Roman has been spending every night at Janus' or Logan's house. And it was on the fifth day that he found his parents home. He walked in, felt someone grab his arm, then got dragged, kinda harshly, to a different room. He felt his heart quicken.

Rachel Prince was tapping her foot irritably, "Where. Were. You." It was a question, but she demanded it.

Roman forced himself to not choke up, "I- I was at- my friend's..."

"Which. Friend."

"..."

"Answer me."

"Janus'...ma'am."

"So...let me get this straight; while we were away, you decided to spend your time leaving your brother unattended so you could hang out with- that- that....fa**ot????"

"He's not a- that..."

"Oh- now you're talking back?"

"No- I was just- "

"Give me your phone."

"But, I was just-," Roman hoped she couldn't see his shaking.

"Give it."

Roman took his phone out and handed it to her, "You put a lock in it? What are you hiding from us?"

"It- It's just so strangers can't look...if I lose it."

"Oh, you poor baby. Can't handle someone looking at your poor phone. Honestly, Roman, grow a spine. If you didn't have anything bad on here, you wouldn't worry about who sees it."

Roman knows better than to respond. He takes the phone, unlocks it, then hands it back. Watching in anxiety as his mother went through it.

"Roman, what is this?" She pointed it at him, and he saw a draft of a poem he wrote when he was having a really bad day.

"Well, it's- just...a poem...I wrote..."

"Honestly, Roman, how old are you? This is pathetic. I mean- "My heart has strings pulling it apart. I thought I saw comfort in the lines of my scars. Who knew that pain could create such art" ? You're trying to be relatable and it's sad. There are people with actual problems and reasonable pain. Stop sulking over nothing, and not even in a worthy style. This writing is disgusting, and a waste of time. You're gonna be a CEO not Shakespeare. Stop wasting your energy on this garbage."

Roman felt his heart and eyes burn but he pushed it down, "Yes...ma'am..."

"You didn't use this phone for anything useful in days. You didn't call me or your father to check up on us. You were talking to fa*s. And writing worthless...what is it, a poem? So clearly, you don't need this phone. Maybe next time you'll make yourself more useful and make smart decisions. Use your brain for once," and she walked out with the phone.

The room he was in was a bathroom. Perfect. He closed the door and sat against the wall. He was forcing himself not to cry, he couldn't let his eyes get red and puffy. Crying is for the weak, he shouldn't be feeling hurt. Get up- stop faking. Roman pushes himself up and splashes water on his face. He looks at himself in the mirror, and cringes away. One thought pushed its way to the front of his mind...

Disgusting

Roman closed his eyes and walked out. He saw Remus leaning against the wall infront of him. How much did he hear...?

"What do you want?"

Remus frowned, "How come mom's in such a fowl mood?"

Roman shrugged, "Probably got in a fight with father."

"She had your phone."

"I didn't ask for permission to hangout with Janus, so she took it."

"If she cared so much about what you do with your life, they wouldn't take as many opportunities as possible to get away from us."

Roman scoffed, "Who wouldn't wanna get away from us-" Roman caught himself, "You?"

Remus frowned. He caught Roman's correction, "Who wouldn't wanna get away from me? Remy...Emile. Patton, Virgil."

Roman scowled. That's two more than what Roman's got, "It was a rhetorical question."

Remus took Roman's arm out of nowhere and rolled up the sleeve.

"Hey! What the- "

"She gripped you so hard, it bruised."

Roman tugged his arm away and pulled the sleeve back down. Remus stared at him. Something isn't right.

"Roman, Remus," Charles Prince walked in, the boys jumped from their stupor. Roman stood up straight like a soldier, and Remus crossed his arms and glared.

"Father," they greeted, in unison.

"Roman, you have gone too long without being in a relationship, it doesn't look good."

Roman glanced at him, "It...doesn't?"

"Of course, not! You think it looks good to look like you're unlovable?"

Roman forced himself to not take a deep breath, "No, sir."

"You will be meeting your new girlfriend today at noon, be prepared, for tomorrow you'll be announcing your relationship."

Roman stiffened and felt slightly sick. See, the thing that nobody knows about him; is that he's gay. But of course- what he likes or doesn't like doesn't matter..."Yes...sir..."

"Good. Remus- we have decided that it would be best to introduce you to the public. If someone were to mistake you as Roman, our name would be in danger. Step out of line, and we'll send you to military school."

Remus' eyes widened, "What- I- "

Roman spoke over him, "Yes sir, he means."

Charles looked at them condescendingly before leaving.

Remus rounded on Roman, "What the fuck! You can't agree for me!"

"You don't have a choice, trying to fight back would make things worse."

"Make what worse? And why are you okay with having your girlfriend being handed to you with none of your input?"

Roman sighed, "Give me your phone. I need Janus and Logan to help explain to you how things are gonna work from now on."

" 'How things are gonna work?' What are you talking about?" Remus slipped Roman his phone, anyway.

Roman shot both of his friends texts to meet up at Logan's, "Okay, let's go," Roman slipped Remus his phone back and led him to Logan's.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Logan opened the door, having been expecting them. Janus was already there, but they were both shocked to notice Remus Prince.

Janus asked first, "What is he doing here?"

"Our parents decided to, apparently, stop hiding him. We gotta explain to him the rules."

The two boys paled, "Are- Are they allowed to do that?" Logan asked.

Janus rolled his eyes, "Duh! Anyway, Remus. We're truly sorry that you're getting shoved into our world."

"Why...?" Remus was very apprehensive at this point.

Janus sighed, "Because your life isn't your own, anymore. There are things you're gonna have to do, weather you want to, or not."

Roman jumped in, "For example: you're gonna have to drop Remy and Emile, hang out with us all of the time."

Logan joined the information train, "Change your style, control what you say, who you're seen with, hobbies. You're gonna have to keep your grades at at least an A all year."

Janus nodded, "And you do not want to slip up."

All three shuddered.

Remus laughed, "Alright, you three are just psyching me out. Besides, I don't care what they way, I'm not gonna listen," Remus stood up, "You guys are so dramatic," and left.

Roman turned on his friends, "See! I told you we're dramatic!"

Logan sighed, "It...might not be a coincidence that multiple people have told us that."

Janus tilted his head, "...Are...we just being dramatic...?"

"Apparently," Roman replied.

The three of them are terribly confused. They thought that the pain that they're feeling was reasonable...and real...but...maybe they're just trying to be dramatic for attention. Maybe it's not even there, and they're tricking themselves...

Logan's mother walked in, "Roman, Janus, how come you failed to inform your parents that you were coming here?" Neither had an answer, "Well, your mothers are here." All three boys flinched, "Oh, stop being dramatic."

Each boy froze at that then stood up. Logan stood and watched as his friends got dragged home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Janus got thrown inside, the first things he noticed were that his parents were drunk, a glass being thrown at his head, and the door slamming. Great. His mother went upstairs, leaving him with his drunk father.

His father glared at him, "Such a disobedient snake! Do you think you're so mature and smart that you can just do whatever you want?" He grabbed Janus' hair and shook him, "Well, no! No you're not! So you're gonna stay inside for the next two days! Now get out of my sight, you wretch!" Isaiah Lies threw his son past him, watching in indifference as he fell on the floor then scrambled up the stairs to his room. Pathetic was in his mind.

Janus cuddled up with his snakes.

~~~~~~~~~

Roman met his father in his office, and immediately got struck across the face.

Roman sucked in a breath. This is getting more and more common. It's starting to feel like everything he does is wrong. And maybe it is... He let himself go limp as his father yelled at him, something about disobedience and incapableness. He felt his father whack him across the head with papers. It wasn't enough to leave injuries, but it was enough to make Roman over whelmed and put is arms up, to which his father grabbed his arms in that position and shake him roughly, whacking him across the face with the papers before throwing him against the door, yelling at him to get out and calling him weak.

-------------------------------------------------------