Cameron, 4

"Wow. Cool house," Gabriel enthused.

"Yeah, it's not too foul. Needs painting though. Dad's a builder, he says that a builder has to have a decent house, it's like a shop window for his work."

"That makes sense."

"Yeah, I guess. Thanks, Garth, for the ride."

"You're welcome, Kid. Anytime."

"Well, umm, thanks. And thank you, Gabriel. Thanks for everything."

"No problems, I had fun."

"Yeah, so did I. I'll call you later, okay?"

"Yes, very okay."

"Cool. Talk to you then Goodbye, Guys."

"Goodbye already," Garth waved a hand at him. "Get inside. There's no point in bringing you home warm and dry if you're just going to stand there in the rain."

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks again," Cameron grinned, waved and ran inside. The car went back to town.

He walked inside and looked around. The parents weren't at home, as usual. So where would they be on a Sunday? Not at church, that's for sure. Usually they were either working or at the golf club, playing or socialising. They wouldn't be out on the course in the rain, so they'd be in the clubhouse, getting drunk. He was a golfing orphan. He guessed that his parents weren't that bad really, they were not abusive or anything. They were just not involved, they were busy in their own lives and basically neglected their kids, which meant that he, as the oldest, was expected to look after the little ones all the time and do far too bloody much around there.

Still, if there was no-one there, no-one was bossing him around. He got sick of that. Why did people do that to him? It wasn't just the parents, all day, every day he had people ordering him around and telling him what to do. Family, friends, teachers, everybody treated him like a puppet who couldn't think for himself.

Ellie, his so-called, girlfriend was the worst of the lot of them. He was nothing but her slave and her toy, her sex-toy. She was a self-centred control freak. He hated it, but didn't know what he could do about it. He'd like to, but he couldn't break free. The Bitch wouldn't let him!

Ellie had a hold over him and she used it. She knew his deepest, darkest secret and, if he didn't play along and be her slave, she'd destroy him totally. It was nothing but blackmail. Normally he played along, forced a smile and pretended that everything was good. But it was not good, it was bloody awful.

He went to his room and flopped on the bed, to have a think. As you do.

Yesterday was the absolute worst day of his life. When he went out and sat on the beach in the storm he didn't care if he lived or died. He was sitting there thinking about how he could kill himself, without it hurting too much, that is.

He was going down on her, licking and sucking on her disgusting hairy twat. That was how she got her rocks off, she loved it. He didn't, he hated it, but she made him do it. It was disgusting and degrading. She never did the same him for him, ever.They didn't screw either. Despite what everyone thought, they didn't do that, never had. He just got her off in the way that she demanded and she never did anything for him. The nearest he ever got was when he wanked and she watched. She liked that and she made him do that too.

She went right over the top yesterday, it was the most horrible, foulest experience of his life. He was going down on her and she pissed in his face - right into his fucking mouth! She laughed like it was a huge joke, but it wasn't, it was the worst thing ever. Bitch. Foul, disgusting Cow!

She'd been running his life for months now, ever since she'd caught him having sex with a tourist in the motor-camp - a male tourist.. The guy, a visitor to the town, had picked him up and he'd gone willingly to his cabin to have sex with him. She saw them, followed them and videoed them screwing. Now she used that to blackmail him into being her slave. If he didn't do what she wanted, when and how she wanted, his parents, the school and the whole town would know that he was a faggot who had sex with strangers. Bitch.

So, she'd pissed on him and that was the last straw, he wasn't taking that. He left and walked out on her while she yelled and promised the end of his world. He didn't care. He sat on the beach, thinking about the best way to drown, and Gabriel came along and saved him.

Gabriel was such a cool guy. He was great! He'd come and found him, took him home and looked after him and he'd made no demands on him at all. He didn't ask him what he was doing out there, he didn't ask any personal questions at all, not a one. He was just totally nice and he'd saved him. Cool kid.

"Enough of that."

He stirred himself and got up to check his messages. There were several 'call me' notes from her, each one getting more strident and demanding. Apparently, they were meant to be at Lesta Simpson's for a DVD and pizza day and if he didn't call her right-bloody-now, this boy was gonna be in trouble! Enough of that too. He turned it off, couldn't be bothered.

Then he had second thoughts, he chickened out and went back and sent a message saying that he couldn't make it, he was sick. No sense in making trouble if he could avoid it. That wasn't a lie, he was sick - sick of her and his whole life!

He'd seen something last night with Gabriel, life did not have to be like the mess he lived in. There was a better life and there were better people out there. Things were going to have to change. How? He didn't have a clue, but they did and the sooner the better.

There was one more week of school to get through, and then they'd have 3 weeks holidays. He was looking forward to that but, apart from catching up on a lot of sleeping, didn't know what he was going to do with the time off. He wanted time off from her too, like forever. That'd be nice. If only there was some way, something that he knew about her that would keep her mouth shut. But there wasn't, he didn't and he wasn't free.

He had another look at Gabriel's pic. Damm. He wished he could go and live out in the wilderness like that. He'd never, ever, come down to town again. Could he do that for real? No, he'd never survive out there, he was no wild boy. Not like Gabriel. He was such a great kid. He'd love to see him out there like that, he lived in 2 worlds and it sounded like he preferred the other one.

He was missing him already. Could he phone him yet? No, better not. He'd only been home for a few minutes. He'd just look desperate. Better wait a while.

He tried to do some homework, but soon gave up. It was dead boring and he couldn't get into it. So he went online and played around there. That was always a good way to waste an hour or two. Why had he bothered coming home? No-one would've missed him if he didn't and he'd rather be back there with Gabriel.

He decided that, as soon as his parents came home, hopefully sober, he was going to tell them everything. He didn't know how they'd take it but his life couldn't be any worse that it was now. Something had to be done.

However, when they did arrive home, he didn't tell them anything. They were both too drunk, so that'd be a waste of time trying to talk to them.

The weather improved. The late-afternoon sun shone in a clear, blue sky and everything looked crisp and clean, as it did after rain. He decided to go for a walk, it'd be good over on the beach, better than in town last night. He shut down the computer, put his sneakers on and went out.

Funny, the sky was clear now, not a cloud in sight and the sun was shining, but there was still a lot of water around - puddles everywhere. Some of the paddocks were like little lakes and the small creeks and road-side ditches were full to the top. ('Great country for ducks!')

He went out of the driveway, over the highway and crossed the pine-covered dunes to the beach. A couple of pine trees had come down in the storm. Big ones too. Over on the beach, nothing had changed. He'd thought that there'd be debris from the storm lying around, but there wasn't any.

His phone vibrated, it was Ellie. Stuff her, he wasn't talking to her. He ignored it. A text came in, from her of course. It read, 'Where u? call now!'

He turned the phone off and put it away. He'd had it with her. He was out and he wasn't going back. Let the Ball-breaking Bitch do her worst!

He'd talk to the parents as soon as he could. Whatever their reaction, it'd be better if they heard it from him first. He went home. The parents were in bed, sleeping it off, so that was good. The kids weren't home either, so that was good too. He fed himself, just a thick sandwich with store-bought salad and ham, and then went back to the computer.

Didn't stay there long though. As soon as it logged-on, he saw the time, figured it was late enough and took the phone to his room to lie on the bed while he talked to Gabriel. He was glad he did that because they talked, about everything, anything and nothing, for over 2 hours! His ear was hot by the time he switched-off, but there was a big grin on his face. He liked that kid.

He had a feeling that Gabriel liked him too. He was not a bit tired. He lay back to have another think and, of course, went straight to sleep.