Date: Fri, 1 Aug 2008 02:15:02 -0700 From: David Courson Subject: Quarterback with the Emerald Eyes - Part 17 This story is fiction. Any similarity to any persons living or dead is merely a coincidence. If you are not allowed by law to view this material, please do not do so. If you are under 18 years of age, please leave now. This is a love story between two boys in high school. If that offends you, I apologize and ask that you not read any further. Otherwise, enjoy. Check out the Quarterback Yahoo group. Come and get involved at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Quarterback_with_the_Emerald_Eyes/ Stephen and Vann, you're the best. Thank you guys!!!!! George, thanks for keeping the group up and running. Without you, it probably wouldn't have made it this far. Thanks to all of you, the readers, for your support and patience on this story. I want to thank you for your wonderful e-mails and the push you guys give me to keep this story going. Sorry for this chapter being short, especially after chapter 16, but it's been too long since I posted a chapter and wanted to give you guys something to read. The next chapter won't take nearly as long. I promise. Quarterback with the Emerald Eyes -- Chapter 17 Over the next few weeks, everything went great. I got to know my co-workers better, got to know the business, both retail and movie rental side. Like a pro, I slipped into a nice, normal routine that was never dull. Todd and I went on several real dates since we both had the evenings off and our love was as strong as ever. We wanted to spend as much time together since he only had a few weeks before he was to go to school. Actually, a couple of weeks after Pride, he, mom, and dad flew to New York for freshman orientation. It wasn't mandatory, but it allowed him to get a glimpse of the campus and dorms and such before he actually had to go for good. The real orientation was the first couple of days of the new school year, which meant Todd had a couple more days at home, but it evened itself out in the wash because he was going now instead of later. In reality, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The morning the three of them were heading out, Kelly came over and hung out until they left. Coming down the stairs, mom said, "Are you two ready yet?" she asked of Todd and dad. "Coming mom," Todd said. A minute later, Todd followed dad down the stairs. Kelly and I were sitting in the living room, waiting for everyone to show up. When they were there, dad asked if everyone had their overnight bags. "Yes, dad. Everything's good. Can we go please?" Todd asked, impatient and excited about leaving. "Okay, okay. Just don't want to forget anything. Okay, let's see. Got the tickets," he said, patting his jacket pocket, "wallet, money. Honey, do you have the confirmation number for the hotel?" "Yes, dear and I have the keys. Can we go now?" she asked. Looking at Todd, he asked, "Did you need to bring anything?" "I have everything in my bag." I could see the frustration growing on mom's and Todd's faces. When dad said, "Okay, then, let's go," their faces brightened with relief, and I walked over and gave mom and dad a hug. "You have our numbers, and the number to the hotel is over on the counter," mom said. "Yes, ma'am, but I'll be fine. Don't worry. Kelly might stay a couple nights to keep me company." Looking at Kelly, mom said, "Make yourself at home, baby." Kelly smiled and said, "Thanks, Mrs. Blyth." "How many times do I have to say it? Christine, please," mom said with a smile. "Sorry, it's just my manners taking over. Thanks, Christine." She gave mom a hug, and then I, once again, did as well. Walking past me, dad stopped, and I hugged his neck and told them to have a good trip. As Todd came to me, I looked down. For some reason, I wanted to cry, knowing he was leaving, but I told myself he would be back in four days. He reached down and hooked his finger under my chin, raised my head, and looking into my eyes, he said, "I wish you'd come with us." "You know I have to work. Plus, I don't want to distract you while you're touring the campus." "You won't distract me. Hell, I might even ignore you because I'm so excited." "Then what's the point in my being there, if you think you might ignore me?" "Because, you'll be there with me. That's all." I smiled at him for a moment, and then said, "Listen, you go and have a good time. Meet lots of people, take lots of pictures, and text me while your gone, okay?" "I will, and remind me when I get back, we'll crack open that laptop and get things ready for when I do leave. Show you the IM's and email and stuff." "Okay, I will. Go or you'll miss the plane." He leaned in and kissed me with a long, slow kiss. Lips touching, settling on each other, eyes closed and hand on cheek kind of kiss. When he pulled away, I wanted to pull him back but knew he had to leave. "I love you, baby." "I love you, too, puppy. Go on, go." Todd walked out the door and before he got in the car, I called for him to text me while he was gone. He smiled and said he would and got in and closed the door. As we watched them drive away, Kelly said, "I can help you with IM'ing and e-mail. I know about that stuff. I could show you." "I might just take you up on that offer, but first, we have some place to be," I said, going back in to lock the back door. "We do?" she asked, confused and following me inside. "Yup," I said. I locked the back door and grabbed my keys, wallet, and phone. As soon as I grabbed my phone, it buzzed to let me know I had a new text message. I smiled and opened it and read the message. It was from Todd. `Missing you already' "I swear, he's a nut," I said to Kelly, smiling. I texted back telling him I missed him too. "Okay, let's go," I said, closing the phone and walking to the door. "Where are we going?" she asked. "You'll see," I said while grabbing her hand and pulling her out the closing door. After getting in the car, I headed for Midtown with Kelly still wondering. After a few minutes of asking more questions, she finally got the picture that I wasn't going to answer and just came along for the ride. About twenty minutes later, I pulled into a parking lot, and Kelly looked at me. "Here? We're coming here?" "Yeah, and your point?" I asked, sarcastically. "Okay, Blake, why are we at a tattoo parlor?" "'Cause, I'm getting a tattoo," I said, getting out of the car. "Bullshit," she said, following me out. "Of what?" "I'm getting Todd's named tattooed on me." "What? Where? Why?" "You forgot how and when?" I said, laughing. "Shithead. Would you answer the questions? Why are you getting his name tattooed on your body?" "Because I want to." "Where are you getting it?" she asked. I stopped and pointed to the front of my left hip, below the belt line and said, "Right here." "And again, why do you want to do this? I mean, it's permanent. It will be there forever and it's his name." "I know. But that's what I want. I love him that much. I just want his name, that's all." "Okay, think about the future for a minute. What happens if you guys break up?" "We won't. I already told him that if marriage was legal in Georgia, I'd marry him." "Okay, that's fine, but what happens if something happened and you do break up." "We won't," I said again, emphasizing the word won't. "Okay, now you're just being stubborn. Play along with me for a second. What happens if you do? What are you going to tell your next boyfriend when he sees Todd's name?" "Well, first of all, there won't be another boyfriend, because Todd and I won't break up, but hypothetically, if we did, and I did find a new boyfriend, I would tell him the truth. Todd was my first love and I will always love him. We are allowed to remember our first loves, right?" "Yeah, with memories, like cards or mementos and stuff. Not with tattoos." "Well, I guess I want to be different," I said, and walked to the door. "God, this is frustrating," she said, throwing her fists in the air on either side of her head. Walking towards the door, which I was holding open for her, she said, "Blake, I'm just trying to talk some sense..." "Would you shut up and get inside?" I said, cutting her off, but smiling to basically say thanks for trying. She looked at me for a second, and then finally I put my hand on her back and pushed her into the store. Once there, I looked around and an older gentleman, having seen us enter, asked if he could help us. I walked up and told him I wanted a tattoo. "You've come to the right place. What are you looking for?" "A name," I said. "A name? You want a name tattooed on your body?" "Yes, sir," I said with confidence. "I ask this question of everyone who wants a name. Are you absolutely sure?" "Yes, sir." "Who's name?" "My boyfriend's." "Again, are you absolutely sure?" "Yes, sir." "Okay. What kind of lettering do you want?" He handed me a sheet of nothing but fonts and I looked it over with Kelly. She pointed to a few she liked, and I pointed to a few I liked. When I finally got near the end of the list, something caught my eye and I pointed to it and said, "This one. I like this one." The man took it from me and said, "Ah, that's Twill Script. Don't have many calls for this one. What's his name?" "Todd," I answered. "Nice. This should be easy. Actually, I'm going to let my apprentice do this one." Kelly and I glanced at each other with worried looks. "Oh, don't worry. He's real good with names and scripts; it's the actual pictures that he needs to work on still, but with names, he's the best." "Okay then, if you say so. I heard this is one of the best parlors in town, and since I work at Brushstrokes, if anything gets fucked, everyone will know about it. If you understand me, that is." "I get your meaning, and I trust Mit not to fuck up. If he does, I'll take the blame, but I have confidence." "Cool. And if I'm happy, you'll get more business too. I'll recommend you to everyone who asks." "Thanks, little dude. Well, I'm Marty, Mit will be doing your tattoo, and he should be back in a couple minutes. He had to run an errand. What's your name?" "Blake," I said. "Hey little lady," he said to Kelly. Turning back to me, he said, "Okay, Blake, where do you want this tattoo?" I pointed, again, to the same place I showed Kelly and said, "Here. I want it below the belt line so it's not visible to anyone but him." "Okay. Is it clean?" "Well, yeah, I took a shower this morning," I answered, thinking it was a dumb question. "No, I mean, is there any hair there? If there is, you'll need to shave it." "Well, I have pubes, but I think that's pretty smooth, from what I remember." "Follow me. You can check it out over here." He opened the counter top and we talked through to the back area, and he showed us to a cubical type setting with a curtain closing it off from the main room. "Are you wearing boxers or briefs?" "No, I didn't wear anything under my jeans, because I knew where I wanted it and didn't want anything getting in the way." "Well, you can just pull your jeans down a little, if you want, for the exposed area. Or if you're comfortable, you can just take them off. Up to you. Also, there's a sink, some shaving lotion, and a disposable razor there if you need to get rid of any hair. How big do you want this name?" he asked me. Showing with my fingers, he said, "An inch tall, by two inches wide. This is going to be easy, and it won't take long. Straight black ink?" "It would probably be best, don't you think?" I asked. "With your fair skin, colors would show pretty easily. But, again, it's up to you." I looked at Kelly and she said, "How about a dark emerald green, to match his eyes? That would show up pretty good." "That's not a bad idea. But I want a bright, yet deep green." Walking to a table top, he grabbed a small book and flipped through to the greens they could make in-house. He found the page and handed it to me. Immediately, I saw the green I wanted and pointed and said, "Number 27. That's the green I want." "You sure?" he asked. "That's it. It's closer to his eyes than anything else. Number 27." "Okay, well, I'll get things prepared, and you shave if you need to. Mit will be back in a couple minutes, and he'll start everything." "Thanks," I said, as he left. "You didn't ask about the price," Kelly told me. "I don't need to worry about it. I did tell you what Pax gave me for my birthday, right?" "A laptop. Yeah, you've mentioned it." "Oh, well, I forgot to mention the ten thousand dollar check too." Kelly didn't say a word. Instead, her mouth dropped open and she couldn't form words to express her surprise. "I have the money to cover the cost." Kelly still couldn't speak. "Hey, you want to get Howie's name?" "What? Hell no," she said, finally finding words to bring her voice back. "Ten thousand dollars?" "Yeah, just something he wanted me to have. I told him no, but he wouldn't take no for an answer." "Oh my God, I wouldn't know what to do with that much money." "I don't either. It's just there, so I won't worry about much, at least." "Is he rich or something?" "Yeah, pretty rich," I said, unbuttoning my jeans. Kelly looked down, then immediately looked away, saying, "Sorry, didn't mean to look." "Kelly, I don't care if you see anything. We're best friends. It doesn't bother me." I looked down and saw the area looked pretty smooth. "Do you see any hair?" Kelly tried to cover her smile and looked at me then looked down. "Looks smooth to me too," then immediately looked away. "Would you take a closer look? Are there any fine hairs that I need to get rid of?" She gave a sigh and stooped over and looked more closely at my hip. Running a finger across the area, she said, "Looks like there are some baby fine hairs. You might need to shave." "Okay, then. Let's shave." I walked over to the sink and got some water on my hands and rubbed it on my hip then got some lotion and turned it into lather and spread it across the area and grabbed a razor and held it out to her. "Nurse, if you please?" "Me?" she asked, putting her hand on her chest. "Why me?" "Because you can see the hairs, I can't." She dropped her arm from her chest and snatched the razor out of my hand. "Move your jeans," she commanded. I pushed my jeans down and she looked up and said, "You don't have to take them off. I don't need to see that thing." "What, are you afraid of a penis?" I asked, smiling. "No, like I said, I just don't need to see it, to get this job done." "Fine," I said, pulling them back up slightly; just enough to keep me covered. She went to work and shaved all the fine hairs off the area. Once she was done, she took a towel and wiped off any left over lotion. "All done," she said, as she stood to walk back to the other chair for visitors. As she did, I lowered my jeans, to expose myself, and called her name. When she turned around, she looked at my face and then her eyes went down to my crotch. "Oh my God, Blake. It's humongous!!!" she said, louder than needed. I quickly pulled up my jeans and said, "You didn't have to yell." "Well, you were trying to embarrass me, so I figured I'd get you back," then she smiled at me. I quickly got in the chair and a second later, Marty came in asking if things were okay. After I said they were and that I was shaved, he said that Mit was back and he was getting the pattern ready. After he left, Kelly looked at me with a smile and I asked her what was wrong. "Nothing, but it's a nice dick, gotta give you that much." My plan backfired and I was the one that ended up blushing. While sitting in the chair, my back was to the curtain and I didn't see Mit make his entrance, but only heard him when he said, "Okay, I have the pattern ready, now I just have to make the ink color, then we can start." I thought I recognized his voice and turned around and saw that Mit was Mitchell, my older brother. "I can't fucking believe this," I said with a smile to Mitch. He turned around and once he noticed it was me, his eyes got huge. "Oh my God, Blake! Is that you?" He came to me and pulled me up into a hug. Since I didn't have my pants buttoned, they ended up sliding to my knees with my ass showing to Kelly. "Nice ass, too," she said. Mitch pulled back and looked at me then noticed my jeans at my knees. "Hey, sorry, bro. I didn't know you lost your pants there." I reached down and pulled my jeans up and turned to Kelly for a moment and said, "Bitch," and smiled at her before I turned back to Mitch. I buttoned the top button and gave him a real bear hug. "Damn, I've missed you, Mitch." "I've missed you too, Blake. I didn't know if I would ever see you again. Not after what mom told me." "What's she been saying?" "That you ran away. She told us you just up and disappeared and that she contacted the police and everything. I can't believe I found you." After a moment's silence, he asked, "Why did you run away?" "I didn't. She kicked me out." "What?!?" he practically screamed. "She told you that I ran away when she actually kicked me out? I can't believe how low she has actually stooped." "Why did she kick you out?" he asked, sitting on the stool next to my chair. I sat, too, and then answered him. "Because I told her I was gay. Am gay," I corrected. "You mean, you told her you're gay, and she told you to leave?" "Well, actually, she forced it out of me. I've never seen her so mad. Once I broke down and told her, she went and got some money and then told me to leave. I lived in my car for a month, back in January." "God, I didn't know she could be that much of a bitch," he said to me. "I can't believe she lied to us." He stood and walked over to one of the tables and turned his back on me and Kelly. "After she told us you ran away, I didn't want to believe her. I called your cell but it said it wasn't in service. I didn't know where to look for you, and I kinda gave up hope." I stood and walked to him. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him from behind. "I never left, just moved a few blocks away. I've been here the whole time." He turned and looked at me. "Why didn't you come to the school? Check it out for yourself?" "I didn't even think of that. I was just hurt." He reached his hand up and brushed my bangs off my forehead and said, "I was pissed at you for leaving and not telling me." "What number did you dial for my cell?" He told me the number and I smiled. "Yeah, she wanted to make sure you didn't know how to find me. The last three numbers are mixed up. She got lucky when the cell number didn't exist. You never questioned her, did you?" "I told her that the number wasn't working, and she said, `of course not, I stopped paying the bill'." "It's funny. I haven't ever paid a bill, and my number's still working. Somebody at the house is still paying my bill." "But who?" he asked me, confused. "Dad told me, when he got the phone for me, that he would take care of it until I was eighteen. Guess he never stopped paying. But then again, I only turned eighteen a couple of weeks ago. So, I guess I'll find out in a month if my phone cuts off." "Oh, fuck," he said, hitting his forehead with his open palm. "I forgot about that. Happy birthday, Blake." "Thanks Mitch. I wish you could have been at the party. I have a lot of good friends, and I think they would have loved to meet you. Especially, Todd." "Todd?" Mitch looked over to the pattern he had just created with Todd's name and walked over to it. "This Todd?" "Yeah. That's the one." "You're getting the tattoo? I thought it was her," he said, pointing to Kelly. "By the way, who are you?" "I thought you two already met" I said to them. "Nope. You only told me about him, but I never had the chance to meet him." "I'm sorry, guys. Mitch, this is Kelly, my best friend. Kelly, this is my brother Mitchell." They closed the gap between them and shook hands saying they were happy to finally meet each other. "Well, you came here for a reason, so why don't you sit back down and have a seat and tell me about Todd while I mix the color." "You mean, you don't hate me because I'm gay?" "Are you fucking kidding me? Hell no, I don't hate you. You're my brother, Blake. I love you. I can't believe that you could even think I would hate you." "Since I haven't heard from anyone, I thought mom told you guys and that you agreed with her. How was I supposed to know?" "Well, you got a point, and I'm sorry. I really did try to find you, but, like I said, I was pissed and didn't think rationally about how to go about it. I didn't know where to look." He stared at me for a few moments, with his eyes begging me to forgive him. I gave him a smile and wink, and then took my seat, and Kelly sat back and listened as I told the story of how Todd and I met, about the campground, the birthday, the fight, basically everything that has happened up until this morning when he left. Coming back to me after placing the pattern on my hip and getting everything in order, he said, "I still can't believe you moved in with them." "Mom didn't give me much of a choice." "Well, she threw you out, not made you live with the Blyth's." "No, sorry, I meant Christine. I call her mom. Have ever since mom signed the papers." Thinking that over for a second, I clarified, "I mean, our mom." He had the tattoo needle ready to go, but stopped and asked, "What papers?" I looked at Kelly and asked, "Did I forget that part?" "Yeah, and I was wondering why." Turning back to Mitch, I said, "Mom signed away her rights as my mother. Dad did too." "No fucking way. Dad would never do that. He was devastated after you left. We still can't get him out of his depression. Whenever I ask what he's thinking about, he always says you." Hearing this, my eyes started welling with tears. "Really?" "Hell yeah. He misses you so much. I've found him crying several times because of his missing you." I looked at Kelly through my watery eyes and saw she had tears in hers as well. I looked back at Mitch and told him to stop playing with me. It wasn't fair. "Blake, I wouldn't do that to you. God, dad and I have missed you so much. Every time we brought you up, mom changed the subject. Only she knew what was going on." I held back no longer and cried. My chin hit my chest and my hands covered my face. A moment later, I felt Mitch put his arms around me and hug me. "I'm sorry," I said to him. "Don't be. I'm just glad you're safe." I maneuvered my head to place on my brother's shoulder and hugged him to me. After a few minutes, I pulled back and smiled at him and wiped my eyes. He smiled and messed my hair like he used to. "So," he started, grabbing the tattoo needle again. "You sure you want his name on your body?" "Yes. She's already asked, Marty's already asked. I am one hundred percent sure I want to do this." "Then, let's do this. It might hurt at first, or it might tickle. Either way, don't move or the lines won't be straight." "Oh, don't worry about that. He's not straight so the lines don't have to be," Kelly said, trying to lighten the mood. I sat there, grinding my teeth together to keep from moving because of the tickle sensation and the numbing pain. He would get on a roll, but after about ten minutes or so I would have to tell him to stop so I could relax. By the time it was done, I was about to beg to come back and have him finish. I never liked pain, and I can tell you this, I will never get another tattoo in my life. Not even for Todd. I love him dearly, but hell no. Mitch turned off his needle and sat up. "All finished, man." "Oh, thank God. I didn't think I could take much more." "Blake, it couldn't have been that bad," he said to me. "You know my fear of needles. I don't like them. Even though it wasn't a full needle prick, I could still feel the sharp pain of it going in the skin." "Well, it's over with now. Take a look." I looked down and saw the cursive of Todd's name staring up at me. It looked good, but I could see the redness, coming out from the green of the name, due to the irritation. I reached in my pocket and grabbed my phone, turned on the camera function, and then handed it to Mitchell. "Take a picture please. I wanna see it upright." He closed in on the tattoo and clicked a pic for me then handed it back. Looking at it, I smiled. "It looks great. You did a good job." "Thanks, bro. It'll be sore for a few days, but it'll come out good. Next week, you need to come back in so I can take a look at it and fill in anything that's missing." "You mean, I gotta do this again?" I asked with a scared look on my face. "Not the entire thing, but there might be some color missing in some spots. I'll put in my notes what color and that way it will be the same next time if we need to touch up." "Okay, so what do I do now?" "Keep it bandaged with some Neosporin on it. In a couple days time it will start to scab over. Just wash like you normally would, but try not to peel the scabs off." "Why?" I asked. "Scarring, more than anything. Just let it go through the natural healing process." "Great. Anything else?" "Yeah, avoid pools, bathtubs and if you are going to the ocean within the next two weeks, don't go in the water." "I can't swim for two weeks?" I asked my brother. "Sorry, nope." "Fine. Small price to pay, I guess." I got up and buttoned my jeans after Mitch put the bandage over my new marking. When I was done, I turned to look at him and just stared for a minute. "You okay, Blake?" he asked me. I smiled. "Yeah, I'm great. It's just good seeing you again." "Yeah, you too, little brother," he said then pulled me back into him for a hug. "I love you, Mitchell. I always have." "You too, Blake." Pulling away, he grabbed his phone and opened it up. "Now, what is the right number for you?" I told him the correct number and then he asked when he would be able to meet my new family. "In a few days. Right now, they're in New York so Todd can check out NYU. That's where he's going to school next year." "Awesome. What about you? You got another year in high, right?" "Yeah. Kelly and I both will only have one or two classes next year. I might take some more classes at GSU, but I'm not sure yet." "Wow, a high school student and you're taking college courses. I knew you were smart, but had no idea you were that smart, Blake." "Yeah, well, we never really talked to each other when I was at home. You kinda did your own thing." "Yeah, and I'm sorry about that. Sorry if I wasn't there for you when you needed me." "Don't you worry about it. Everything worked out for me. I am loved, I have some wonderful friends, and I am with the man of my dreams. I couldn't ask for more than what I already have, except of course to see you and dad, if he still wants to talk to me." "Of course he does. I'll be surprised if he doesn't divorce mom over this." "Oh, God. I don't want that to happen," I said. "Blake, after you left, he hasn't been happy. Once he finds out that mom forged his signature and gave you up after kicking you out, he will definitely not be happy." "Still, they've been together so long. I don't want this to ruin anything." "Blake, he deserves to know the truth. Like where you've been for the past six months. Right now, I don't care about mom. She did this. If they get divorced, she brought it on herself." "I guess you're right, but still. I know I'd feel guilty." "Blake, even though I never really showed much interest in you or your life, I have always loved you. I know I never said it, but it was always there." I started to say something, but he held up a hand to stop me. "I wish you would learn to stop thinking of other people so much. That's an amazing trait, I know, but you still need to think of yourself, too, little bro." "I'm working on it. Hell, mom slapped me just a few weeks ago when I ran into her at Pride." "What the hell for?" he asked with an angry look. "She told me that I was the spawn of Satan, and I asked, `So you fucked him too?'" He started laughing and said, "No, fucking way. Oh my God, I wish I could have seen that." Kelly and I, both, started laughing with him. "It didn't feel good being slapped, but it sure felt good saying it after all she put me through." "I bet it did. You got balls, Blake. I don't think I could ever say that to her, and I've said some harsh stuff before." "Believe me, I remember." He walked up to me and embraced me again. "I love you, Blake. Don't forget that, huh?" "I won't, Mitch. Thank God I decided to get this tattoo; otherwise, I wouldn't have found you again." Pulling out of the hug, he said, "I'm still at the house, but not for long. You could have come by." "With her there? I don't think so. It won't hurt me if I never see her again. But I never had closure with you or dad." "He really has missed you a lot," Kelly chimed in. "The last thing he asked before he signed the papers was if he would still have a brother." Looking from Kelly to me, he asked, "Really? You were worried about losing me?" "Well, yeah. Like I said, we never really paid much attention to each other, but I still didn't want you to go away with mom and dad." I could see small pools of tears in his eyes, but he turned and wiped his face while walking to the table and acted like he needed to do something. With his back still to me, he said, "You won't have to worry anymore. You won't be able to get rid of me." After wiping his eyes, again, he turned back around and smiled. "I better not be able to." We stood and stared at each other for a few minutes before he broke the silence by saying, "Damn, I have another client I've got to get to." "That's cool. Kelly and I have to get some lunch. Listen, maybe this Friday, why don't you and dad come by the house? Dad knows the Blyth's, but you've never met them. We could have dinner. Todd, mom and dad should be back on Thursday night." "Sounds good. I think I won't say anything to dad before then. Let it be a surprise." "How will you get him away from mom?" "I'll tell her, no girls allowed. Just a night out for the men. Bowling or something. She'd probably tell me that it's a good idea. Try to cheer him up." "Sounds wickedly clever," I said with a smile. "Yeah, well, she deserves it." Looking at Kelly for a moment, then back at Mitch, I said, "Agreed," then smiled at him. I gave him a final hug and we said our goodbyes. He even kissed me on the cheek. He's never done that before. When we got outside, I started tearing up with how happy I was. Kelly noticed and asked if I was okay. "Yeah. Dad never gave up on me. I thought he did." Kelly hugged me and I gave into it. I only had a few days to wait before I would find out his side of the story and it was something I really wanted to know. We broke the hug only after I received a text message from Todd. I jumped because the vibration of the phone tickled my thigh. "Damnit, Todd," I said, grabbing the phone. I looked at Kelly and said, "Sometimes he knows how to break a mood." She laughed and I flipped open the phone and saw Todd's text telling me he loved me. I texted him back telling him he's a nut, but said that I loved him too, and then made one of those smiley faces with the colon and parenthesis. I closed my phone as Kelly and I headed to the car. Over the next few days, Todd and I talked on the phone and I told him about running into Mitchell and about him and dad coming to dinner on Friday. I told him everything that Mitch told me about how mom manipulated the situation and he couldn't believe how low she had actually gone. The next phone conversation we had, he told me that he told mom and dad, and they were just as pissed at what she did. Mom even threatened to sue her again, but I told Todd to talk her out of it. It wouldn't be worth going through. On Thursday the three of them came back and I hugged them all and gave Todd a kiss like he had been gone for a year, instead of a few days. When I pulled away, dad asked, "What did he do to deserve that?" "He came back," I said, smiling and wrapping my arms around him from his side. Turning to mom, he asked, "Why don't you kiss me like that when I come home from work?" "Because we're married. And besides, shouldn't it be you that kisses me like that? I am the lady here." "Says who?" dad asked. Mom threw a face that would scare any child within a three mile radius and started, playfully, hitting his arm. Dad laughed and said, "I meant, who said I should be the one kissing you like that." There was more laughter from dad and more hitting from mom. "Okay, okay, you made your point. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that, honest." Giving him one last hit, she said, "You better not have, mister," then turned away. Before she took her first step, dad grabbed her by the bicep and pulled her to him and gave her a very intense kiss. I looked at Todd, and he smiled and I leaned over and gave him another kiss, just as passionate as before. Friday finally arrived, and I was so nervous and excited about dad and Mitchell coming. All through the day, I was cleaning the house, putting everything in its place, and getting rid of all the small stuff that was basically dust catchers. Mom enjoyed having the place clean, especially since she didn't have to do the cleaning. She helped out and dusted and vacuumed, but other than that, she kinda stepped back to let my nervous energy work itself out. About an hour or so before they were to show, Todd and I went to the store and got some steaks, fresh potatoes, and the ingredients for a green bean casserole, my favorite, and then stopped by the freezer section and picked up some biscuits. When we arrived back at the house, mom took the food and organized everything for our guests. Seven o'clock came and went. I was getting more nervous by the minute. Why must they prolong my suffering of wanting to find out dad's side of the story? I was actually getting angry and was about to call when we heard a knock at the door. Todd saw me jump up but was already walking that way and answered it. When it opened, I saw Mitchell, alone. I looked around for a bit and asked, "Where's dad?" "I don't know," he said to me. "I told him about tonight, but he kinda disappeared." "Oh," I said, crestfallen. I looked down, disappointed, but then looked back up and saw he was still standing on the other side of the door. "Well, come in. We're still going to have a good time tonight. I can't wait for you to meet everyone." He walked in, and I went to him and gave him a big hug. I was upset with how things had turned out for the night, but I was happy as a lark that Mitchell had shown up. He had toned down his usual dress of Goth style and punked up hair, and actually wore a polo-type shirt and some nice jeans and had his hair styled. He looked like a young business professional. Pulling him back, I told him that I liked the look and asked it if was permanent. "No, I did this to make sure I made a good impression. I didn't want you being embarrassed by me," he leaned in to whisper to me. "Mitchell, I wouldn't have been embarrassed. I had already told them about your style. It would have been fine." "Well, its over and done with now," he said. I looked at Todd and introduced them. "So you're the one whose name..." I hit Mitch's arm, for I haven't told Todd of the tattoo yet. I told him it was a bug bite and it looked disgusting and I didn't want him to see it. It's been covered by a bandage so I know it's been working so far. Mitch, without knowing it, might have just screwed that up for me. If he did, oh well. Todd was going to find out eventually. "I'm the one whose name what?" Todd asked as he looked at me for hitting Mitch. "You're the one whose name he won't stop talking about. Always Todd this or Todd that. I think he's fallen hard for you." "No, really? I wonder what gave you that idea?" I asked of Mitch, sarcastically. Todd walked up to him and extended his hand. "It's good to finally meet you, Mitch. Blake's told me a lot about you." Mitch took Todd's hand and shook and said, "Well, I wish I could say the same about you, but..." he looked my way, and my face flushed. "Hey, don't worry. We have all the time in the world to get to know each other now." "Hey, how about us?" dad called. I turned Mitch around and said, "Mom, dad, this is my brother Mitchell. Mitchell; Don and Christine Blyth." He took mom's hand and pulled it gently to his lips and kissed the back of it. When he lifted his head, he saw the surprise on mom's face. "I've never been greeted like that before," she said, stunned. "I see it all the time in movies, but never had it done." "A woman as beautiful as you; gentlemen who meet you should only insist on greeting you in such a way." For a moment, I think I actually saw mom look at Mitch with lust in her heart and eyes. It was kinda weird and started to freak me out a little until dad extended his hand and shook Mitch's and extended a welcome to our home. Mom turned to head to the kitchen to finish up the last minute preparations for dinner. I could have sworn I saw her fanning herself as she walked away. Mitch and I sat in the living room and I asked what happened with dad. "I don't know. Earlier this week, I slipped up and said that you had told me something, and he got real excited and then became upset with me. I explained things and told him we were invited to dinner tonight. He seemed happy and nervous and all, but then when the time came, I got in the shower, and he left in the car. "After I got dressed, I asked mom where he went. She said he went to the store. After an hour of waiting, I said fuck it and left without him. He didn't have an emergency at the office, nothing. Just took off." "But why?" I asked, confused. "You said he was depressed. I thought he'd be happy to see me again." "The way he acted, I did too. I don't know why he did it." Looking down, he said, almost inaudibly, "I wish I knew." I looked at Mitch for a few seconds, then stood and turned and walked towards the wall, away from the front door. When I got there, I turned around and came back. I couldn't for the life of me imagine why, if he was so depressed and upset that I left, why he wouldn't take the chance to come and see me on that night. It drove me crazy. "Did you tell him about me and Todd? Or just about me?" I asked Mitchell. "No. I figured you'd tell him when he needed to know. I told him of nothing but running into you and you inviting us to dinner. Nothing else." I stared at him for a minute longer before I walked away and out the back door. I went out to the pool and looked at the still water reflecting to me the fading light from the sky. I saw the moon peek over the trees, full and in all its glory. On the edge of the pool lay a tennis ball that Todd and I would throw to each other. I kicked it in the water, causing the sky to move and the moon to dance in the bright red and orange colors reflecting back at me. I crouched down and put my finger tips in the water, trying to capture the moon, but my fingers went right through the orb, keeping it dancing on the surface of the water. I brought my hand back to my knees and fell backwards to land on my butt. Laying my head on my knees, and wrapping my arms around my legs, I kept myself from crying with the hurt dad had caused me once again. A few minutes later, I heard footsteps coming towards me. A moment after they stopped, I heard mom ask if I was okay. Not moving, I said, "Sure. Why wouldn't I be?" Sitting down next to me, she put her arm around me and said, "It's okay to hurt, baby. I can't even imagine what you're going through." "I'm not hurt anymore. I'm just disappointed." We both sat silent for a few minutes with mom rubbing my upper back and I turned my head to her and asked, "Am I an awful son?" She flashed a look or horror for a moment, before softening her features and said, "You're the best son anyone could ask for, Blake, and I'm not just saying that to make you feel better. I really mean it. I'm honored you're a part of this family. You're smart, funny," reaching up to brush my bangs off my forehead, she continued, "handsome, caring. You have a big heart; always thinking of others first. A mother couldn't be more proud." "My mom didn't seem to think so." "Excuse me for saying so, but she's a bitch. Just because you're different from her idea of what life should be, doesn't give her the right to do what she did." She paused for a moment and I stared at her, wondering what she was thinking. She smiled at me and said, "I told you before that no one could take Chris's place. If he were still alive, I hope he would have turned out like you." A lone tear rolled down her cheek. I leaned over and gave her a hug and said, "I wish I could have met him. If he was anything like the rest of this family, I know I would have loved him too." Pulling out of the hug, she gave a small laugh and wiped her eyes. "Yeah, he was an amazing person. He was so young, but so full of life. Todd was a lot like him at that age, before Chris died. Afterwards, he seemed to lose some of his spirit. He loved Chris so much. It took Todd almost three years before he started smiling and laughing again." I was about to keep the conversation going, but she interrupted me and said, "C'mon. Everyone's waiting to start supper." We both stood, and before she could start walking, I grabbed her in a hug and said, "Thanks, mom. I love you." Wrapping her arms around me, she responded, "I love you too, Blake." We headed back to the house with our arms around each other's back, holding each other close. When we entered, mom and I broke ranks and she clapped her hands together and said, "Okay, are we ready to eat?" Everyone moved from their spot and grabbed some food from the kitchen and carried it into the dining room. Once seated, Todd leaned into me and asked if I was okay. "I'm perfect," I answered him. Glancing at everyone around the table, I couldn't help but smile. To Be Continued... E-mails welcomed at dsc110875@hotmail.com Hope you enjoyed.