A gay cop takes an interest in Hunter and Eddy meets her match in more ways than one in week 3 of Volume 4. Volume 5 launches 12/31!

CHAPTER 11 - NOT ON YOU

Hunter and Daryl split a cab back to Boystown from Union Station. They'd slept most of the bus ride home and now the cab was filled with an awkward silence.

"Thank you," Daryl said quietly, as the cab got onto Lake Shore Drive.

"For what?" Hunter asked.

"For letting me know. For bringing me."

"How could I not?"

"Very easily. I haven't exactly been... kind to you."

"You had a right. That outweighs whatever shit we've got going on between us."

"It's just... I don't know if I would've done the same if I was in your place."

Hunter looked out at the lake for a moment. "Well, that's on you. I did what I had to do."

"I thought I was done with it all, you know? All of them, every single last one of those small-minded hicks in that dead end town. I was ready to go back home and have it out once and for all. Curse out Dad for beating us... disowning us. But then... just... seeing him there. Dying. And him apologizing. I just... " Daryl started to cry again. Hunter hesitated, then put his arm around my brother.

"We're all we've got left," Hunter said.

"Don't you think I FUCKING know that? We've all we've ever had left. Why do you think I went crazy when you left?! Who else knows what we've been through but each other? You're the only one who knows the real me. I need you, Hunter. I miss you."

Hunter kissed the top of his brother's head. "I miss you too."

"So, does that mean that you're coming back?"

Hunter took a breath. "I've got my own life now, Daryl. It's not perfect but it's a hell of a lot better then what it was. That's not on you, though. It's me."

Pulling up onto Halsted and Roscoe, Hunter pulled out some cash for his share.

"I'm sorry," said Daryl. "For everything."

"I know. There's a lot of shit I gotta work through about it."

"Do you forgive me?"

"Give me time. Life's too short to... yeah, dude, just give me time."

*

All Hunter wanted to do was drop his bag in his room and take a long hot shower but there was a bit of a ruckus going on in the kitchen when he came in.

"He's one of my students!" he heard Charlie say.

"He told me he was in college!" he heard Tyler say.

"I said I was in school, I never said college," he heard some random guy say.

"And why did you lie about your name?!" Tyler demanded to this really young looking dude as Hunter entered the kitchen.

"I didn't! It's a nickname," young dude defended. "Alex. AleXANder. Zan."

Charlie shushed them both when he saw Hunter. "How are you?" Charlie asked, coming up to him. But Hunter, both physically and emotionally exhausted, broke out laughing.

"Omigod," Hunter gasped between uproarious laughter. "Tyler Drake is dating a high schooler!"

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CHAPTER 12 - LONG RIDE


Eddy left her client meeting at the Palmer House late and catching a cab during rush hour was a huge pain in the ass. That's why she was pissed when the hot brunette jumped in front of her to grab the cab that SHE had hailed. Deciding not to give a fuck, she opened the door and got in with her.

"Excuse you!" said the hot brunette.

"No excuse you!" Eddy said.

"Where you off to?"

"Garcia's in Lincoln Square," Eddy said just as hot brunette said "Julius Meinl on Southport."

"Just get on Lake Shore," Eddy commanded. "We'll figure it out."

"What's your damage?" hot brunette asked, as the cab sped off.

"This was my cab. You pushed me out of the way."

"You weren't quick enough. It's rush hour."

"But it was MY fucking cab."

"It's MY fucking cab," bellowed the cab driver. "Now one of you tell me where we're going?"

Eddy glared at hot brunette, tried to stare her down. Hot brunette's face slowly expanded into a Cheshire smirk.

"Julius Meinl on Southport," Eddy relented. "THEN Garcia's." The cab continued on its course to Lake Shore as both women distracted themselves from each other on their smart phones. Eddy was late meeting the Davids and this detour was pissing her off. What pissed her off even more? The standstill parking lot that was Lake Shore Drive.

"You could've just gotten another cab," said hot brunette, after they'd failed to move in five minutes.

"It was mine, by right."

"Oh, this old song and dance again."

"It's the unspoken rule of cab hailing, bitch. You just... you didn't care. You... "

"I saw what I wanted and I took it. What bothers you more, that I got what I want or that I beat you to it?" she laughed mischievously as Eddy was rendered speechless. "Oh and the name's not bitch. It's Heather."

Eddy looked out the window. This was the first woman in her whole life that didn't give her exactly what she wanted. She didn't know whether she wanted to kill her or fuck her. In any event, as cars moved even slower as they reached the S curve, she knew it was going to be a long fucking ride.

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CHAPTER 13 - STARCROSSED


The last bell rang and Alex remained seated as his classmates cleared out of the room. Charlie tried to avoid his daggered stare as he packed up for the day.

"Have you ever read ‘Romeo and Juliet,' Mr. Parker?" Alex asked.

"I hardly think your current situation compares, Alex."

"He's like only four years older than me. That's like nothing!"

"And you're a minor! That's not."

"I'm seventeen. That's legal in the state of Illinois."

"I hardly think your parents would make the distinction."

"My parents wouldn't care. They'd just be happy that he's decent and has a job."

"Alex, I still feel that it would be best... "

"For who? For Tyler? Me? Or you, so you won't have to be all awkward and whatever."

"That has nothing to... "

"Look, just because you're like old or whatever and have trouble dating, don't take it out on us. I like Tyler and he likes me and nothing's gonna stop us from being together. Especially not you."

"That's fine, Alex. But have you asked Tyler what he wants? I get it: age is just a number to you. But those four years... a lot of growing happens then. You might not be as compatible as you think."

Alex huffed to the door. "WhatEVer!" And he slammed the door behind him. Charlie sighed and sat down. He checked his phone: there were two text messages waiting for him.

One from Josh: "Hey, have to reschedule tonight. Department outing. Maybe this weekend. Dinner, maybe see a movie?"

And one from Ben: "Hey handsome, rounds got switched. Are you free tonight? Thought it'd be fun to ride the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier, maybe catch an acoustic set at Uncommon Ground?"

Charlie smiled. In all the years he'd lived in Chicago, he'd never ridden the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel.

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CHAPTER 14 - FITZ


Getting back to real life was like moving through Jell-O. Steve told him that he could have some more time off, but Hunter needed to reestablish some normalcy if he was gonna get over his dad dying. And truth be told, he needed the cash. Still, it was hard for him to find any sort of motivation or energy on what was a relatively slow night.

"So I told Jaison he should stop seeing that guy," Tristan prattled on behind him, stacking glasses. "I mean, whatever, the guy's boyfriend is a bitch, but still it's not right."

"Uh huh," Hunter said, not listening to him per usual.

"But he's still doing him! It's so awful!"

"Mmm," Hunter grunted.

"You don't even know who I'm talking about, do you?"

A loud ruckus outside the bar saved Hunter from having to answer that question. "I'm gonna check out what's going on outside. Can you cover?"

"Who the fuck do you think covered when you were gone?"

"Steve."

"Whatever, I helped. I got this."

The sudden rush of people approaching a recoiling Tristan gave Hunter a private little chuckle as he opened the door. In front of the bar, two trans girls were screaming at each other.

"Bitch, I don't do that shit no more!" the one with braids yelled.

"Trick, I saw your stank ass creepin' up on my man, don't play!" the one with bad skin yelled back.

Hunter recognized the girl with braids as one of the people who attacked Tyler over the summer. "Knock it off or I'll call the cops," he said.

"Come on, LaTrice," said bad skin, getting real close to her. "What you got?"

"Get up out of my face, Jazmine," LaTrice said. "I don't play like that no more."

"You think you too good bitch?" Jazmine spat in her face. LaTrice pushed her away and in a flash, Jazmine brandished a knife and stabbed LaTrice in the chest. Hunter kicked the knife out of her hand and she bolted. Hunter caught LaTrice before she hit the ground. Blood gushed out of her as Hunter cradled her in his arms.

"I remember you," she said, looking at Hunter's face. "You kicked our asses when we jumped Tyler."

"Yeah. Sorry about that."

"I deserved it," she said, groaning in pain. Her face drained of color and she began to tear up. "Do you... do you think that if I died, Tyler would miss me?"

*

Everything was a blur of sirens and blue red lights as LaTrice was loaded into an ambulance.

"I'm gonna ride in the bus with the tranny," said the stocky Hispanic cop, climbing into the ambulance. "You coming, Fitz?"

"Transgender, Virgil" said his tall and handsome partner, rolling his eyes. "Go ahead. I'm gonna get this witness statement."

"Suit yourself, Romeo," Virgil said, chomping on his gum through a smile. Hunter thought they were being a bit too jovial, given the situation, but they were probably as desensitized to violent crime in the way that he was to guys leering at him from his go-go days. When Fitz turned back around as the ambulance sped off, he was noticeably blushing.

"So... " Fitz said, turning to Hunter.

"Is she going to be ok?" Hunter asked.

"They're taking her to Masonic. The stab wasn't too deep, but they have to make sure nothing was punctured."

"Thank God."

"You knew the victim?"

"Sort of. There was an incident with my roommate, Officer Fitz."

"Gerald. Fitzgerald. But you can call me Caleb."

"Sure. Yeah there was... "

"Or Fitz," he quickly added. "Everyone calls me Fitz. But my name is Caleb."

"Alright, Fitz" Hunter said, smiling inside at his awkward flirting. "Yeah LaTrice, she attacked my roommate a few months back with some others."

"So is she violating some sort of probation... ?"

"Not that I know of? I mean, she didn't instigate anything. This other chick, she was up in her face. LaTrice was trying to avoid it. But out of nowhere, she pulled out of a knife... "

"This sounds like it's a pretty involved. Would you mind coming down to the station so I can get a proper statement?"

"Of course, whatever I can do to help."

Fitz held the car door open for him. "Don't worry," Fitz said, with a smile and wink. "I'll let you ride in front."

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CHAPTER 15 - FACEPALM


"Tristan!" Eddy yelled, leaning over the bar. "Whiskey, straight!"

"I heard you, bitch!" Tristan yelled back, clearly flustered. "Can't you see there's a shitload of people in front of you?!" He could kill Hunter. He said he'd only be gone for a few minutes, where the fuck did he go?

"I'll pour it myself," Eddy said, grabbing a bottle of Jameson.

"HEY!"

"Sorry, I'm just like, SO nervous," she said, chugging the whiskey and pouring another.

"You? The Dyke of Steel?" Tristan scoffed, pouring a vodka cranberry. "I hate to meet the lesbo that would make YOU shake in your stilettos."

"She's this chick I met leaving a client meeting. Big ol' bitch."

"Bigger bitch than you?"

"Yeah, actually. Maybe that's why she intrigues me. And scares the fuck out of me."

"Ah, the excitement of first love," said a hot woman with badly bleached hair and a passing resemblance to the actress in the Transformer movies. She raised her glass to Eddy and winked.

"Whoa, let's not go nuts," laughed Eddy.

"It's always the best at the beginning, though, isn't it? A hand grazes a thigh, a naughty whisper becomes a playful nibble of the ear."

"I don't know about all that," Eddy chuckled uncomfortably. Her phone vibrated with a call from Heather. She set her drink down and walked away from the bar.

"Hey," Eddy said, answering her phone.

"Hey, I'm so sorry!" Heather said on the other end. "I'm just leaving the office now. I'll be grabbing a cab in a few."

"Cool. But if the girl you steal THIS cab from is hotter than me, I'll kick her ass."

Heather laughed. "Whatever, Edds. See ya in a few."

Eddy planted her palm firmly on her face. What the fuck was that awkward shtick? What was this chick doing to her? Heather was majorly fucking up her game and she didn't know if she liked it or hated it. An almost empathetic chuckle came from behind her.

"That was cute," said the badly bleached blond, carrying her drink in one hand and Eddy's whiskey in her other as she approached.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that," Eddy blushed.

"It's alright," said badly bleached blond, handing Eddy her whiskey. "Gives me better insight."

"On what?"

Badly bleached blond smiled. "Nothing." She raised her glass to Eddy. "To new love." They toasted and drank.

The next thing Eddy remembered was rolling onto a floor from the backseat of a car.

What the fuck?

She tried to open her eyes but they felt like lead. A blinding light from a street lamp outside the car showed them passing Ashland and Belmont. She groaned, trying to fight the impending black out.

"Looks like someone's awake," came a voice from the driver's seat.

Eddy tried to push herself up and realized that her hands were handcuffed behind her. She panicked and began to jerk around but the drowsiness was falling on her again. She tried to keep her eyes open but they kept forcing themselves shut.

"Why... is it... so dark... ?" Eddy managed groggily.

"That's the thing, isn't it Eddy? It's always darkest before... "

And Eddy blacked out.

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Volume 4 has been a blast! Stay tuned, as we launch Volume 5 (and the 100th Chapter!) on December 31! Ring in the new year with us at BOYSTOWN THE SERIES. And until then, happy holidays!

Volume 1 -
Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four, Week Five

Volume 2 -
Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four, Week Five

Volume 3 -
Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four, Week Five

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