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16-20 Recap (Volume 6)
The scandal at school confronts Charlie at home while Brad learns the ropes of gay dating in the fourth week of volume 6. Volume 7 launches on 3/25!
CHAPTER 16 - LIMITS
"So David can't help you at all?" Eddy asked, topping of Charlie's glass of wine.
"It's not a legal proceeding," Charlie said, chugging the wine faster than his sister had anticipated.
"Easy on the medicine. I only brought one bottle."
"It's hopeless. Unless Robbie retracts his statement... "
"Alright, buck up Chuck. This whole doom and gloom thing is so beneath you."
"There's nothing I can do to fix this!"
"Well, take a shower, shave, and change your clothes for a start. You're pretty gamey, truth be told."
"Hey!" Charlie protested.
"Seriously, Chuck. There's a smell."
"Grumble, grumble, grumble," grumbled Charlie.
"I love ya li'l bro, I do. And I support you no matter what shit you're wading through in your life. But I do not and will not condone this moping. This isn't the Charlie I know." The buzzer interrupted the pep talk and Eddy got up to answer it.
"Charlie," said the muffled voice on the other side. "It's Ben. Can I come up?"
"Don't let him up!" Charlie said. "I don't want him to see me like this."
"Come on up," Eddy said, buzzing Ben up. She threw off her brother's indignant glare with a roll of the eyes as she went to unlock the front door. "Maybe this is exactly how he needs to see you. Maybe the promise of hot man action will help you find the pair you've lost."
"Hi," Ben said hopefully, opening the door and peeking in.
"Good to see you Benjamin," Eddy smiled, opening the door for him to step all the way in. She took his coat and noticed that he had brought a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine. "Ah, the good doctor brought some medicine. I see my services are no longer needed here."
"Eddy, wait!" Charlie started, but it was too late: her coat was on and she was halfway out the door.
"You boys make nice now," she said as she dashed down the stairs. Ben and Charlie stared at each other for a moment.
"How are you?" Ben finally asked.
"Alright," Charlie said, averting his gaze. "Well, as alright as can be expected."
"I've been calling."
"I know."
"Are you mad at me? Because like I said on voicemail, I'm really sorry about how we left things... "
"No, of course I'm not mad at you. How could I be?"
"Because... well, you haven't called me back."
"Aren't you going to ask me if it's true? If I did it?"
Ben shook his head in disbelief. "I know you didn't."
Charlie chuckled to himself with self-pity. "Sorry, I just... this whole thing has thrown me for a loop and... it's really embarrassing."
Ben took his hand. "Well I'm here for you. If you wanna talk or... "
"You don't have to Ben."
"I know I don't have to," Ben said, kissing Charlie's hand. "I want to." The buzzer interrupted this tender moment. They looked at each other quizzically, but then Charlie noticed Eddy's scarf on the floor.
"Must be Eddy coming back for her scarf," Charlie said. Ben got up and buzzed her up.
"Well, how about we start by making you some dinner. Looks like you've been on a liquid diet lately." Charlie smiled weakly as he got up to let Eddy in and Ben walked into the kitchen. He didn't deserve any of this, the good or the bad, but maybe the fact that so many people were rallying around him was a sign that he was doing something right. As he placed his hand on the doorknob, the person at the other end forced it open, nearly knocking Charlie over.
"What the fuck?" Charlie cried as he stumbled to the ground.
"Where is he, Parker?" shouted the man, barging his way in.
"Where is who? Who the fuck are you?"
"My son, Robbie. His bedroom window is open and there's rope made out of bed sheets dangling out of it. Did you kidnap him, you pervert?"
"Mr. Pittman, I haven't seen your son in weeks... "
"What's all the commotion out here?" Ben asked, rushing in from the kitchen.
"Do you know where my son is?" demanded Mr. Pittman.
"Whoa. Sir, I don't know who you are, but I'm going to have to ask you to calm down."
"This pervert molested my son and now he's hiding... "
"Whoa! Hold on there a minute, my boyfriend is not a pervert! If you'll forgive me, sir, I believe that your son is misguided and confused and once this whole thing blows over, you'll find yourself very thankful that my boyfriend is very forgiving and won't be pressing assault or trespassing charges. I however am not so forgiving, so I suggest you leave before I call the police. And before you protest or try to threaten either of us further, I might add that one of my close friends is on the Chicago Police Force, and we all know how famous they are for protecting their own. So I would suggest you leave peacefully now before things get... untoward."
Mr. Pittman's eyes narrowed as he glowered at Ben then back to Charlie. "This isn't over, Parker," he snarled before slamming the door on his way out. Charlie stood there stunned and Ben immediately took him up in his arms.
"Thank you for that," Charlie said, looking at him in disbelief.
"Anytime," Ben said, kissing him on the forehead. Charlie held him tight, allowing his head to rest on his shoulder, breathing in this wonderful man that he didn't deserve.
"Wait a minute," Charlie said, lifting his head off of Ben's shoulder and looking him dead in the eyes. "Did you say... 'boyfriend'?"
Ben's face went blank as he tried to recall everything he said in his "from the gut" rant. "I think I did."
"A couple of times."
Ben looked at Charlie, worried. "Is that ok?"
Charlie smiled. "More than ok," he said, kissing him tenderly.
Ben smiled back. "Alright then. As my first official act as your boyfriend, I'm going to run to the store and grab some groceries. All you boys have in your fridge is leftovers and beer."
Charlie blushed. "Thanks."
"And as my second act, I'm ordering you to take a shower while I'm out. You're kinda gamey."
Charlie blushed even more. "Omigod, you smelled the smell?"
Ben chuckled and kissed him again. "I was willing to tolerate it for a while, but even boyfriends have their limits."
###
CHAPTER 17 - CHAT
"So David can't help you at all?" Eddy asked, topping of Charlie's glass of wine.
"It's not a legal proceeding," Charlie said, chugging the wine faster than his sister had anticipated.
"Easy on the medicine. I only brought one bottle."
"It's hopeless. Unless Robbie retracts his statement... "
"Alright, buck up Chuck. This whole doom and gloom thing is so beneath you."
"There's nothing I can do to fix this!"
"Well, take a shower, shave, and change your clothes for a start. You're pretty gamey, truth be told."
"Hey!" Charlie protested.
"Seriously, Chuck. There's a smell."
"Grumble, grumble, grumble," grumbled Charlie.
"I love ya li'l bro, I do. And I support you no matter what shit you're wading through in your life. But I do not and will not condone this moping. This isn't the Charlie I know." The buzzer interrupted the pep talk and Eddy got up to answer it.
"Charlie," said the muffled voice on the other side. "It's Ben. Can I come up?"
"Don't let him up!" Charlie said. "I don't want him to see me like this."
"Come on up," Eddy said, buzzing Ben up. She threw off her brother's indignant glare with a roll of the eyes as she went to unlock the front door. "Maybe this is exactly how he needs to see you. Maybe the promise of hot man action will help you find the pair you've lost."
"Hi," Ben said hopefully, opening the door and peeking in.
"Good to see you Benjamin," Eddy smiled, opening the door for him to step all the way in. She took his coat and noticed that he had brought a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine. "Ah, the good doctor brought some medicine. I see my services are no longer needed here."
"Eddy, wait!" Charlie started, but it was too late: her coat was on and she was halfway out the door.
"You boys make nice now," she said as she dashed down the stairs. Ben and Charlie stared at each other for a moment.
"How are you?" Ben finally asked.
"Alright," Charlie said, averting his gaze. "Well, as alright as can be expected."
"I've been calling."
"I know."
"Are you mad at me? Because like I said on voicemail, I'm really sorry about how we left things... "
"No, of course I'm not mad at you. How could I be?"
"Because... well, you haven't called me back."
"Aren't you going to ask me if it's true? If I did it?"
Ben shook his head in disbelief. "I know you didn't."
Charlie chuckled to himself with self-pity. "Sorry, I just... this whole thing has thrown me for a loop and... it's really embarrassing."
Ben took his hand. "Well I'm here for you. If you wanna talk or... "
"You don't have to Ben."
"I know I don't have to," Ben said, kissing Charlie's hand. "I want to." The buzzer interrupted this tender moment. They looked at each other quizzically, but then Charlie noticed Eddy's scarf on the floor.
"Must be Eddy coming back for her scarf," Charlie said. Ben got up and buzzed her up.
"Well, how about we start by making you some dinner. Looks like you've been on a liquid diet lately." Charlie smiled weakly as he got up to let Eddy in and Ben walked into the kitchen. He didn't deserve any of this, the good or the bad, but maybe the fact that so many people were rallying around him was a sign that he was doing something right. As he placed his hand on the doorknob, the person at the other end forced it open, nearly knocking Charlie over.
"What the fuck?" Charlie cried as he stumbled to the ground.
"Where is he, Parker?" shouted the man, barging his way in.
"Where is who? Who the fuck are you?"
"My son, Robbie. His bedroom window is open and there's rope made out of bed sheets dangling out of it. Did you kidnap him, you pervert?"
"Mr. Pittman, I haven't seen your son in weeks... "
"What's all the commotion out here?" Ben asked, rushing in from the kitchen.
"Do you know where my son is?" demanded Mr. Pittman.
"Whoa. Sir, I don't know who you are, but I'm going to have to ask you to calm down."
"This pervert molested my son and now he's hiding... "
"Whoa! Hold on there a minute, my boyfriend is not a pervert! If you'll forgive me, sir, I believe that your son is misguided and confused and once this whole thing blows over, you'll find yourself very thankful that my boyfriend is very forgiving and won't be pressing assault or trespassing charges. I however am not so forgiving, so I suggest you leave before I call the police. And before you protest or try to threaten either of us further, I might add that one of my close friends is on the Chicago Police Force, and we all know how famous they are for protecting their own. So I would suggest you leave peacefully now before things get... untoward."
Mr. Pittman's eyes narrowed as he glowered at Ben then back to Charlie. "This isn't over, Parker," he snarled before slamming the door on his way out. Charlie stood there stunned and Ben immediately took him up in his arms.
"Thank you for that," Charlie said, looking at him in disbelief.
"Anytime," Ben said, kissing him on the forehead. Charlie held him tight, allowing his head to rest on his shoulder, breathing in this wonderful man that he didn't deserve.
"Wait a minute," Charlie said, lifting his head off of Ben's shoulder and looking him dead in the eyes. "Did you say... 'boyfriend'?"
Ben's face went blank as he tried to recall everything he said in his "from the gut" rant. "I think I did."
"A couple of times."
Ben looked at Charlie, worried. "Is that ok?"
Charlie smiled. "More than ok," he said, kissing him tenderly.
Ben smiled back. "Alright then. As my first official act as your boyfriend, I'm going to run to the store and grab some groceries. All you boys have in your fridge is leftovers and beer."
Charlie blushed. "Thanks."
"And as my second act, I'm ordering you to take a shower while I'm out. You're kinda gamey."
Charlie blushed even more. "Omigod, you smelled the smell?"
Ben chuckled and kissed him again. "I was willing to tolerate it for a while, but even boyfriends have their limits."
###
CHAPTER 18 - STUPID ME
Tyler looked away from the proposal for a moment to check his vibrating phone. It was a text from Brad.
"Sorry," he said, returning his attention to the proposal.
"It's all good," LaTrice, sitting on the edge of her seat anxiously. Tyler remained silent and thoughtful as he poured over the pages she'd so carefully crafted with Josh's help. He cleared his throat, took a sip of water, and put the finished proposal down on his desk.
"Well?!" she asked eagerly. "Does it look ok?"
"Ok? This is great! Are you sure you're up to it?"
"Fuck yeah! It's my plan, ain't it.
Tyler smiled. "Stupid me for asking." His phone vibrated: it was another text from Brad. He put the phone his desk drawer.
"So how long until I can put this shit in action?"
"As soon as Edward signs off on it."
LaTrice began to get teary. "I'm doing something, Tyler. I'm making something happen."
"I know! And it's awesome!" Tyler said, hugging her. "Just promise me you'll be careful."
"You don't have to worry about me. I can hold my own." Tyler's phone vibrated faintly from within his desk drawer. "Dang, Tyler, you must be dickin' someone real good. That motherfucker won't leave you alone."
*
Brad was two pints in when Tyler arrived at The Pitstop. When he caught sight of Tyler, Brad stood up and pulled out the stool for him.
"Sorry I'm late. Got held up at the shelter."
"That's ok. Did you get my texts?"
"Yep. All of ‘em."
"It's just, you never answered back... ."
"Well, I was working, man. I was busy."
"Right. Right. It's just... you know... I was working too... "
"Well I'm here now. Do you wanna grab dinner? See a movie?"
"Whatever you want, Tyler."
Tyler didn't understand why Brad was so on edge. He made eye contact with Hunter, who poured him a beer. Brad watched aghast.
"Christ," Brad said, appalled. "Were you just flirting with him in front of me?"
"What? No, that's Hunter. My roommate."
"Christ! Are you and your roommate... ?"
"Jesus, Brad, what's up with you?"
"I just... I texted you all day and you didn't answer back. And then you came in and I don't even get like a hug or a kiss or whatever, and then this hot guy comes up and... I don't know man, I don't know it's supposed to work with gay stuff. Am I supposed to care about this kind of stuff? I have zero frame of reference. All I know is when Becka and I were together, if I didn't text her back within five minutes, I got shit for it. If I didn't greet her with a kiss, she thought something was up. Every girl I talked to she thought... omigod. It's happened, hasn't it. I'm the girl."
Tyler laughed. "You're not the girl. You're not acting the manliest right now, but... I don't think there's supposed to be a girl or guy in a gay relationship. Or a right or wrong way to be gay. I think there's just what is. You know?"
Brad downed the rest of his pint. "I just... I just really, really like you. And it's freaking me the fuck out."
Tyler gave him a kiss. "Alright. That's a start."
###
CHAPTER 19 - SWEET KID
The police officer behind the desk looked at Alex with exasperation. "I told ya, kid, unless you're a family member, you can't report someone missing."
"But I'm the closest thing he's got! He ran away from home because he's gay!"
"Look, kid, I'd really like to help... " A handsome officer approached from behind and put his hand on the other cop's shoulder.
"Hey Virg, I got this. Why don't you grab a smoke?" The first officer grumbled as he stepped outside and the second officer sat down at the desk. "You'll have to forgive him,, we were on our way out when you came in. I'm Officer Fitzgerald. You say there's a gay kid missing?"
"Yeah, Officer, it's just awful. There was this whole thing at school and then his parents were just... he ran away and no one's seen him for days. He's a real gentle kid, he's hardly ready for sophomore year, let alone being out there. You gotta help me find him."
"I'd love to, but my partner was right, unless his parents have reported him missing... "
"But they're the problem!" Alex threw his hands up in frustration. "Why am I even wasting my breath? How could you possibly understand what us gay kids go through?"
"I understand better than you realize," Officer Fitzgerald said. "Let's just say, I've been where he's been. And it's not easy. I wish to God it was."
Alex was taken slightly aback. "Well then, if you understand, if you want to help, is there anything you can do?"
Officer Fitzgerald looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, not officially. But if you've got a picture of him, I can keep an eye out. Maybe walk through some spots where teen runaways frequent."
"I've got one even better," Alex said, reaching into his messenger bag. "I made these fliers at school. I've been putting them up all around the neighborhood."
Officer Fitzgerald studied the flier for a moment. "He looks like a sweet kid."
"I hope he's ok."
"Like I said, I'll keep an eye out."
"Oh and Officer, there's a link to the Facebook page I set up for him at the bottom. Just message me through there."
Fitz watched the kid away and chuckled to himself. "Facebook," he thought. A far cry from when he played Hardy Boys with his brother when he was a kid.
###
CHAPTER 20 - WANDER
Robbie was thankful that it'd stopped snowing. It wasn't so bad during the day: he'd settled into a routine of sleeping for pockets of time in corners of the library. It was sloshing around in the cold snow and avoiding trouble at night as he walked the lonely streets of Chicago. On his first night out, he tried to get as far away from his home in the Old Town as possible. He rode the train all night worried out of his mind about what he was going to do, and then slept on the train all day, exhausted from emotion. When he woke up, it was night and he needed some place to go. As the train pulled into Belmont, he remembered everything he'd heard about Chicago's gayborhood. The stretch of Halsted where men could walk holding hands, where there were whole establishments dedicated to people that were gay. If he left home so that he could be who he was, this was the place he needed to be.
As it turns out, most of the businesses on the gay part of Halsted were bars. Robbie tried to go in to a few, promising the doormen that even though he was underage, he wouldn't drink, but no one would let him in. He sat at a cute little diner and nibbled on a side of fries, drinking as much coffee as he could. He only had seventeen dollars of his allowance left. That was gone after the fourth night. He was screwed.
After the library closed, he wandered the streets. He passed by Nookies, the diner where he spent his previous nights, and looked longingly in. He trekked along Halsted again, passing a middle aged man opening the door to a tiled building with no windows that smelled like chlorine.
"Hey!" the middle aged called after him. "You want some company?"
Robbie didn't know what to do. Panicked, he replied: "I dunno."
"Fifty bucks."
"What?"
The middle aged man slithered in closer. "I'll give you fifty. Hundred if we do it bare."
Robbie finally realized the implication and pushed the man away. He ran away as fast he could, not sure where. When he finally ran out of breath, he stopped in an alley and broke down sobbing. He sat on the concrete, a train speeding overhead, echoing through the whole alley. Is this what being gay means? Is this the life he had to look forward to? A hand gripped his shoulder and before he could react, he felt a knife come at his throat.
"If you scream, you little bitch, I swear I'll kill you."
###
Volume 7 launches March 25th! Catch up here:
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
Volume 4 -
Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four, Week Five
Volume 5 -
Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four, Week Five
###
CHAPTER 16 - LIMITS
"So David can't help you at all?" Eddy asked, topping of Charlie's glass of wine.
"It's not a legal proceeding," Charlie said, chugging the wine faster than his sister had anticipated.
"Easy on the medicine. I only brought one bottle."
"It's hopeless. Unless Robbie retracts his statement... "
"Alright, buck up Chuck. This whole doom and gloom thing is so beneath you."
"There's nothing I can do to fix this!"
"Well, take a shower, shave, and change your clothes for a start. You're pretty gamey, truth be told."
"Hey!" Charlie protested.
"Seriously, Chuck. There's a smell."
"Grumble, grumble, grumble," grumbled Charlie.
"I love ya li'l bro, I do. And I support you no matter what shit you're wading through in your life. But I do not and will not condone this moping. This isn't the Charlie I know." The buzzer interrupted the pep talk and Eddy got up to answer it.
"Charlie," said the muffled voice on the other side. "It's Ben. Can I come up?"
"Don't let him up!" Charlie said. "I don't want him to see me like this."
"Come on up," Eddy said, buzzing Ben up. She threw off her brother's indignant glare with a roll of the eyes as she went to unlock the front door. "Maybe this is exactly how he needs to see you. Maybe the promise of hot man action will help you find the pair you've lost."
"Hi," Ben said hopefully, opening the door and peeking in.
"Good to see you Benjamin," Eddy smiled, opening the door for him to step all the way in. She took his coat and noticed that he had brought a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine. "Ah, the good doctor brought some medicine. I see my services are no longer needed here."
"Eddy, wait!" Charlie started, but it was too late: her coat was on and she was halfway out the door.
"You boys make nice now," she said as she dashed down the stairs. Ben and Charlie stared at each other for a moment.
"How are you?" Ben finally asked.
"Alright," Charlie said, averting his gaze. "Well, as alright as can be expected."
"I've been calling."
"I know."
"Are you mad at me? Because like I said on voicemail, I'm really sorry about how we left things... "
"No, of course I'm not mad at you. How could I be?"
"Because... well, you haven't called me back."
"Aren't you going to ask me if it's true? If I did it?"
Ben shook his head in disbelief. "I know you didn't."
Charlie chuckled to himself with self-pity. "Sorry, I just... this whole thing has thrown me for a loop and... it's really embarrassing."
Ben took his hand. "Well I'm here for you. If you wanna talk or... "
"You don't have to Ben."
"I know I don't have to," Ben said, kissing Charlie's hand. "I want to." The buzzer interrupted this tender moment. They looked at each other quizzically, but then Charlie noticed Eddy's scarf on the floor.
"Must be Eddy coming back for her scarf," Charlie said. Ben got up and buzzed her up.
"Well, how about we start by making you some dinner. Looks like you've been on a liquid diet lately." Charlie smiled weakly as he got up to let Eddy in and Ben walked into the kitchen. He didn't deserve any of this, the good or the bad, but maybe the fact that so many people were rallying around him was a sign that he was doing something right. As he placed his hand on the doorknob, the person at the other end forced it open, nearly knocking Charlie over.
"What the fuck?" Charlie cried as he stumbled to the ground.
"Where is he, Parker?" shouted the man, barging his way in.
"Where is who? Who the fuck are you?"
"My son, Robbie. His bedroom window is open and there's rope made out of bed sheets dangling out of it. Did you kidnap him, you pervert?"
"Mr. Pittman, I haven't seen your son in weeks... "
"What's all the commotion out here?" Ben asked, rushing in from the kitchen.
"Do you know where my son is?" demanded Mr. Pittman.
"Whoa. Sir, I don't know who you are, but I'm going to have to ask you to calm down."
"This pervert molested my son and now he's hiding... "
"Whoa! Hold on there a minute, my boyfriend is not a pervert! If you'll forgive me, sir, I believe that your son is misguided and confused and once this whole thing blows over, you'll find yourself very thankful that my boyfriend is very forgiving and won't be pressing assault or trespassing charges. I however am not so forgiving, so I suggest you leave before I call the police. And before you protest or try to threaten either of us further, I might add that one of my close friends is on the Chicago Police Force, and we all know how famous they are for protecting their own. So I would suggest you leave peacefully now before things get... untoward."
Mr. Pittman's eyes narrowed as he glowered at Ben then back to Charlie. "This isn't over, Parker," he snarled before slamming the door on his way out. Charlie stood there stunned and Ben immediately took him up in his arms.
"Thank you for that," Charlie said, looking at him in disbelief.
"Anytime," Ben said, kissing him on the forehead. Charlie held him tight, allowing his head to rest on his shoulder, breathing in this wonderful man that he didn't deserve.
"Wait a minute," Charlie said, lifting his head off of Ben's shoulder and looking him dead in the eyes. "Did you say... 'boyfriend'?"
Ben's face went blank as he tried to recall everything he said in his "from the gut" rant. "I think I did."
"A couple of times."
Ben looked at Charlie, worried. "Is that ok?"
Charlie smiled. "More than ok," he said, kissing him tenderly.
Ben smiled back. "Alright then. As my first official act as your boyfriend, I'm going to run to the store and grab some groceries. All you boys have in your fridge is leftovers and beer."
Charlie blushed. "Thanks."
"And as my second act, I'm ordering you to take a shower while I'm out. You're kinda gamey."
Charlie blushed even more. "Omigod, you smelled the smell?"
Ben chuckled and kissed him again. "I was willing to tolerate it for a while, but even boyfriends have their limits."
###
CHAPTER 17 - CHAT
"So David can't help you at all?" Eddy asked, topping of Charlie's glass of wine.
"It's not a legal proceeding," Charlie said, chugging the wine faster than his sister had anticipated.
"Easy on the medicine. I only brought one bottle."
"It's hopeless. Unless Robbie retracts his statement... "
"Alright, buck up Chuck. This whole doom and gloom thing is so beneath you."
"There's nothing I can do to fix this!"
"Well, take a shower, shave, and change your clothes for a start. You're pretty gamey, truth be told."
"Hey!" Charlie protested.
"Seriously, Chuck. There's a smell."
"Grumble, grumble, grumble," grumbled Charlie.
"I love ya li'l bro, I do. And I support you no matter what shit you're wading through in your life. But I do not and will not condone this moping. This isn't the Charlie I know." The buzzer interrupted the pep talk and Eddy got up to answer it.
"Charlie," said the muffled voice on the other side. "It's Ben. Can I come up?"
"Don't let him up!" Charlie said. "I don't want him to see me like this."
"Come on up," Eddy said, buzzing Ben up. She threw off her brother's indignant glare with a roll of the eyes as she went to unlock the front door. "Maybe this is exactly how he needs to see you. Maybe the promise of hot man action will help you find the pair you've lost."
"Hi," Ben said hopefully, opening the door and peeking in.
"Good to see you Benjamin," Eddy smiled, opening the door for him to step all the way in. She took his coat and noticed that he had brought a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine. "Ah, the good doctor brought some medicine. I see my services are no longer needed here."
"Eddy, wait!" Charlie started, but it was too late: her coat was on and she was halfway out the door.
"You boys make nice now," she said as she dashed down the stairs. Ben and Charlie stared at each other for a moment.
"How are you?" Ben finally asked.
"Alright," Charlie said, averting his gaze. "Well, as alright as can be expected."
"I've been calling."
"I know."
"Are you mad at me? Because like I said on voicemail, I'm really sorry about how we left things... "
"No, of course I'm not mad at you. How could I be?"
"Because... well, you haven't called me back."
"Aren't you going to ask me if it's true? If I did it?"
Ben shook his head in disbelief. "I know you didn't."
Charlie chuckled to himself with self-pity. "Sorry, I just... this whole thing has thrown me for a loop and... it's really embarrassing."
Ben took his hand. "Well I'm here for you. If you wanna talk or... "
"You don't have to Ben."
"I know I don't have to," Ben said, kissing Charlie's hand. "I want to." The buzzer interrupted this tender moment. They looked at each other quizzically, but then Charlie noticed Eddy's scarf on the floor.
"Must be Eddy coming back for her scarf," Charlie said. Ben got up and buzzed her up.
"Well, how about we start by making you some dinner. Looks like you've been on a liquid diet lately." Charlie smiled weakly as he got up to let Eddy in and Ben walked into the kitchen. He didn't deserve any of this, the good or the bad, but maybe the fact that so many people were rallying around him was a sign that he was doing something right. As he placed his hand on the doorknob, the person at the other end forced it open, nearly knocking Charlie over.
"What the fuck?" Charlie cried as he stumbled to the ground.
"Where is he, Parker?" shouted the man, barging his way in.
"Where is who? Who the fuck are you?"
"My son, Robbie. His bedroom window is open and there's rope made out of bed sheets dangling out of it. Did you kidnap him, you pervert?"
"Mr. Pittman, I haven't seen your son in weeks... "
"What's all the commotion out here?" Ben asked, rushing in from the kitchen.
"Do you know where my son is?" demanded Mr. Pittman.
"Whoa. Sir, I don't know who you are, but I'm going to have to ask you to calm down."
"This pervert molested my son and now he's hiding... "
"Whoa! Hold on there a minute, my boyfriend is not a pervert! If you'll forgive me, sir, I believe that your son is misguided and confused and once this whole thing blows over, you'll find yourself very thankful that my boyfriend is very forgiving and won't be pressing assault or trespassing charges. I however am not so forgiving, so I suggest you leave before I call the police. And before you protest or try to threaten either of us further, I might add that one of my close friends is on the Chicago Police Force, and we all know how famous they are for protecting their own. So I would suggest you leave peacefully now before things get... untoward."
Mr. Pittman's eyes narrowed as he glowered at Ben then back to Charlie. "This isn't over, Parker," he snarled before slamming the door on his way out. Charlie stood there stunned and Ben immediately took him up in his arms.
"Thank you for that," Charlie said, looking at him in disbelief.
"Anytime," Ben said, kissing him on the forehead. Charlie held him tight, allowing his head to rest on his shoulder, breathing in this wonderful man that he didn't deserve.
"Wait a minute," Charlie said, lifting his head off of Ben's shoulder and looking him dead in the eyes. "Did you say... 'boyfriend'?"
Ben's face went blank as he tried to recall everything he said in his "from the gut" rant. "I think I did."
"A couple of times."
Ben looked at Charlie, worried. "Is that ok?"
Charlie smiled. "More than ok," he said, kissing him tenderly.
Ben smiled back. "Alright then. As my first official act as your boyfriend, I'm going to run to the store and grab some groceries. All you boys have in your fridge is leftovers and beer."
Charlie blushed. "Thanks."
"And as my second act, I'm ordering you to take a shower while I'm out. You're kinda gamey."
Charlie blushed even more. "Omigod, you smelled the smell?"
Ben chuckled and kissed him again. "I was willing to tolerate it for a while, but even boyfriends have their limits."
###
CHAPTER 18 - STUPID ME
Tyler looked away from the proposal for a moment to check his vibrating phone. It was a text from Brad.
"Sorry," he said, returning his attention to the proposal.
"It's all good," LaTrice, sitting on the edge of her seat anxiously. Tyler remained silent and thoughtful as he poured over the pages she'd so carefully crafted with Josh's help. He cleared his throat, took a sip of water, and put the finished proposal down on his desk.
"Well?!" she asked eagerly. "Does it look ok?"
"Ok? This is great! Are you sure you're up to it?"
"Fuck yeah! It's my plan, ain't it.
Tyler smiled. "Stupid me for asking." His phone vibrated: it was another text from Brad. He put the phone his desk drawer.
"So how long until I can put this shit in action?"
"As soon as Edward signs off on it."
LaTrice began to get teary. "I'm doing something, Tyler. I'm making something happen."
"I know! And it's awesome!" Tyler said, hugging her. "Just promise me you'll be careful."
"You don't have to worry about me. I can hold my own." Tyler's phone vibrated faintly from within his desk drawer. "Dang, Tyler, you must be dickin' someone real good. That motherfucker won't leave you alone."
*
Brad was two pints in when Tyler arrived at The Pitstop. When he caught sight of Tyler, Brad stood up and pulled out the stool for him.
"Sorry I'm late. Got held up at the shelter."
"That's ok. Did you get my texts?"
"Yep. All of ‘em."
"It's just, you never answered back... ."
"Well, I was working, man. I was busy."
"Right. Right. It's just... you know... I was working too... "
"Well I'm here now. Do you wanna grab dinner? See a movie?"
"Whatever you want, Tyler."
Tyler didn't understand why Brad was so on edge. He made eye contact with Hunter, who poured him a beer. Brad watched aghast.
"Christ," Brad said, appalled. "Were you just flirting with him in front of me?"
"What? No, that's Hunter. My roommate."
"Christ! Are you and your roommate... ?"
"Jesus, Brad, what's up with you?"
"I just... I texted you all day and you didn't answer back. And then you came in and I don't even get like a hug or a kiss or whatever, and then this hot guy comes up and... I don't know man, I don't know it's supposed to work with gay stuff. Am I supposed to care about this kind of stuff? I have zero frame of reference. All I know is when Becka and I were together, if I didn't text her back within five minutes, I got shit for it. If I didn't greet her with a kiss, she thought something was up. Every girl I talked to she thought... omigod. It's happened, hasn't it. I'm the girl."
Tyler laughed. "You're not the girl. You're not acting the manliest right now, but... I don't think there's supposed to be a girl or guy in a gay relationship. Or a right or wrong way to be gay. I think there's just what is. You know?"
Brad downed the rest of his pint. "I just... I just really, really like you. And it's freaking me the fuck out."
Tyler gave him a kiss. "Alright. That's a start."
###
CHAPTER 19 - SWEET KID
The police officer behind the desk looked at Alex with exasperation. "I told ya, kid, unless you're a family member, you can't report someone missing."
"But I'm the closest thing he's got! He ran away from home because he's gay!"
"Look, kid, I'd really like to help... " A handsome officer approached from behind and put his hand on the other cop's shoulder.
"Hey Virg, I got this. Why don't you grab a smoke?" The first officer grumbled as he stepped outside and the second officer sat down at the desk. "You'll have to forgive him,, we were on our way out when you came in. I'm Officer Fitzgerald. You say there's a gay kid missing?"
"Yeah, Officer, it's just awful. There was this whole thing at school and then his parents were just... he ran away and no one's seen him for days. He's a real gentle kid, he's hardly ready for sophomore year, let alone being out there. You gotta help me find him."
"I'd love to, but my partner was right, unless his parents have reported him missing... "
"But they're the problem!" Alex threw his hands up in frustration. "Why am I even wasting my breath? How could you possibly understand what us gay kids go through?"
"I understand better than you realize," Officer Fitzgerald said. "Let's just say, I've been where he's been. And it's not easy. I wish to God it was."
Alex was taken slightly aback. "Well then, if you understand, if you want to help, is there anything you can do?"
Officer Fitzgerald looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, not officially. But if you've got a picture of him, I can keep an eye out. Maybe walk through some spots where teen runaways frequent."
"I've got one even better," Alex said, reaching into his messenger bag. "I made these fliers at school. I've been putting them up all around the neighborhood."
Officer Fitzgerald studied the flier for a moment. "He looks like a sweet kid."
"I hope he's ok."
"Like I said, I'll keep an eye out."
"Oh and Officer, there's a link to the Facebook page I set up for him at the bottom. Just message me through there."
Fitz watched the kid away and chuckled to himself. "Facebook," he thought. A far cry from when he played Hardy Boys with his brother when he was a kid.
###
CHAPTER 20 - WANDER
Robbie was thankful that it'd stopped snowing. It wasn't so bad during the day: he'd settled into a routine of sleeping for pockets of time in corners of the library. It was sloshing around in the cold snow and avoiding trouble at night as he walked the lonely streets of Chicago. On his first night out, he tried to get as far away from his home in the Old Town as possible. He rode the train all night worried out of his mind about what he was going to do, and then slept on the train all day, exhausted from emotion. When he woke up, it was night and he needed some place to go. As the train pulled into Belmont, he remembered everything he'd heard about Chicago's gayborhood. The stretch of Halsted where men could walk holding hands, where there were whole establishments dedicated to people that were gay. If he left home so that he could be who he was, this was the place he needed to be.
As it turns out, most of the businesses on the gay part of Halsted were bars. Robbie tried to go in to a few, promising the doormen that even though he was underage, he wouldn't drink, but no one would let him in. He sat at a cute little diner and nibbled on a side of fries, drinking as much coffee as he could. He only had seventeen dollars of his allowance left. That was gone after the fourth night. He was screwed.
After the library closed, he wandered the streets. He passed by Nookies, the diner where he spent his previous nights, and looked longingly in. He trekked along Halsted again, passing a middle aged man opening the door to a tiled building with no windows that smelled like chlorine.
"Hey!" the middle aged called after him. "You want some company?"
Robbie didn't know what to do. Panicked, he replied: "I dunno."
"Fifty bucks."
"What?"
The middle aged man slithered in closer. "I'll give you fifty. Hundred if we do it bare."
Robbie finally realized the implication and pushed the man away. He ran away as fast he could, not sure where. When he finally ran out of breath, he stopped in an alley and broke down sobbing. He sat on the concrete, a train speeding overhead, echoing through the whole alley. Is this what being gay means? Is this the life he had to look forward to? A hand gripped his shoulder and before he could react, he felt a knife come at his throat.
"If you scream, you little bitch, I swear I'll kill you."
###
Volume 7 launches March 25th! Catch up here:
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
Volume 4 -
Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four, Week Five
Volume 5 -
Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four, Week Five
###
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Vol 6.16-20 Recap (Volume 6)
Vol 6.16-20 Recap (Volume 6)
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