Rentboy

sir.”
    The beating began as soon as they walked through the front door.
    Chapter Ten
    The first person Fox saw when he entered the printmaking studio five minutes late was Nik
    sitting at her usual station. The station beside her, usually his, was empty. With a pathetic attempt at
    avoiding her, he skirted the classroom to find a vacant table, hoping she had not seen him, but several
    times during the class she turned round to look right at him. At the end of the hour she got up and
    walked between the tables until they were face-to-face. She grabbed a chair and swung it round like a
    cowboy in a saloon to straddle it.
    “’Bout time you showed up. Where’ve you been all week? And what the hell happened to your
    face? You missed studio. You missed art history.”
    Still avoiding her gaze, Fox said, “Got busy. Isn’t it a bit warm for the hat?”
    “It’s my signature. Like your emo attitude is your signature.”
    “Fuck off.”
    Several other students turned to watch them when her voice rose. “I won’t fuck off! My brother
    has phoned my mobile twice a day since his birthday, lamenting the fact that he hasn’t heard from you
    and has no idea how to find you. Then two nights ago he told me you were both attacked in Regent’s
    Park by some bloke in camo that you identified as your dad. Is it true?”
    “You think Eddie’s a liar?” Fox looked away.
    “Eddie has never told a lie in his life. He thinks you live on the street and don’t have a mobile.”
    When Fox did not answer, she continued. “You don’t live on the street, and you do have a mobile
    because I’ve got the number.”
    “You didn’t give it to him, did you?”
    “Not yet. Why did you lie to him?”
    “Why do you live in a squat and talk with that cockney accent when you have a wealthy family
    who speak very far back?” he mimicked Eddie’s accent on the last three words. “We’re both liars, so
    don’t point the finger at me, mate.”
    Nik’s cheeks pinked up at the accusation. “I’m not a liar,” she said more quietly. “I just want to
    be someone else for a while.”
    Fox looked at her this time. “Me an’ all.”
    “But your lies are hurting my brother. Eddie’s lovely. He’s always been a good brother to me,
    even though I used to sneak into his room and steal money from his trouser pockets.”
    Fox said, “Yeah, he’s been good to me too.”
    “Then at least have the honesty to tell him the truth. Whatever the truth is. What exactly is it? I’ve
    never seen where you live, and you told me the twins were five or something when they’re nearly
    fourteen. Where did you meet him, Eddie?”
    “Didn’t he tell you?”
    “No. He just told me you live on the street and the twins live with your mum and her boyfriend
    and the boyfriend hates queers and your dad is dead. A war hero. So who the fuck was the ghost who
    beat up my brother in the park? And he looks like he’s had a go at you since.”
    Fox’s last sight of Eddie had been of him struggling to sit up, barely able to speak. “Have you
    seen him? Is he all right?”
    “I’m meeting him tonight to find out. Who was the camo dude?”
    “My dad,” he mumbled. “He’s not dead. I just wish he was. I don’t want to hurt Eddie, but I
    can’t see him again. I was going to tell him at the park, but I bottled it.” How could he tell Eddie his
    father had sent him out to whore himself for some scary doctor and some Ugandan bloke who looked
    like Idi Amin?
    “If you don’t fancy someone, then you don’t have to go out with them, but phone him, for God’s
    sake. He’s really worried about you. And he’s confused about the dad thing. He’s got no idea he’s
    been dumped. Eddie may be a genius when it comes to science, but with people he’s retarded. He
    trusts everyone.”
    “Sorry,” he said again.

“If you haven’t phoned him by the time I meet him tonight at seven, I’m going to tell him
    everything I know about you. Which, now I come to think of it, isn’t that much.”

    * * * *
    Memories of the evening Fox had taken him to the Tofu Factory and they’d been thrown out for

    causing a disturbance made Edward smile involuntarily. Gingerly he touched his fingertips to the split
    above his left eye. His black eye from the attack in Russell Square had barely healed, and now this.
    Looking around the busy restaurant, Nik said, “How did a Pot Noodle freak like you find out
    about this place?”
    “Fox brought me here.”
    Sitting