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"BRIARWOOD"
aka "Whence Cometh My Help"
Revised Version
A dramatic saga
by
Ritch Christopher
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BOOK TWO
"The Clayton Clan"
Chapter Nineteen
"This, my friend, is only the beginning -
Such a sweet beginning, too.
Now, at last, I see a chance of winning -
See a chance of breaking through.
Who can say? Today may live in hist'ry
As long as there's a hist'ry book.
Yesterday the world was still a myst'ry;
Today it has a new and diff'rent look."
Music & Lyrics by Anthony Newley & Leslie Bricusse
"SWEET BEGINNING" copyright 1964
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When Walter came out of his bedroom, heading for the kitchen to begin preparing Monday morning's breakfast, he could hardly believe he was smelling the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. On entering the kitchen, to his surprise, he discovered Alex and Ted, all dressed and wearing aprons as they had already fried sausage links, hash brown potatoes, buttered croissants, and were in the process of scrambling eggs with cheese, tomato, onions, and bell peppers.
"What's all this?" Walter said, looking proud and pleased.
"Morning, Dad."
"Good morning, Daddy Walt."
"How long have you two been up? I thought you'd stay in bed until I had breakfast ready."
"Dad, since you've decided to treat Ted and me as adults, we figured it was time we started acting like adults."
"Good gracious! I wish now I had gotten you two together a long time ago. Everything looks wonderful. Has either of you heard a stir coming from Jeff's room?"
"Not yet."
"I suppose I should go up and roust him out of bed."
"Dad, how did your talk with Jeff go last night?"
"I hope I succeeded where I apparently had failed before with his father/son education. Although, I'm afraid I learned more from Jeff than he did from me. I wasn't aware how teenage mores have progressed so rapidly. I know my father never mentioned sex and the like to me until I was seventeen going on eighteen. I see now that parents should begin talking to their children around eleven going on twelve. I suppose it's no shock to you, but did you know that kids are actually having oral sex at ages twelve and thirteen?"
"I sure didn't. Heck, I'm eighteen and although I knew about it, I didn't experience it until last week. Sorry, Dad, I shouldn't have said that to you."
"Son, let's face it---I know you and Ted did more than just play 'touchy-feely' last weekend."
"Daddy Walt, I don't think the kids at Briarwood High are that far advanced in their sexual activities. Maybe in towns that are larger and less conservative, but I don't know of any twelve or thirteen year old kids who are doing it. Where did Jeff find out?"
"It was something Earl told him. He didn't know where Earl got his information, but I intend to investigate the difference in moral behavior in Briarwood compared to a place such as New York or Chicago. It's not as if I'm condemning anyone or anything, I just feel as if I haven't kept up with the times."
"Then Ted and I haven't either, so it may take a lot of time to make up. Whaddya say, lover? Oops! Dad, you won't mind if I call Ted, 'lover' do you?"
"I'd rather hear you calling Ted, 'lover', than listen to you and Jeff call each other, 'dickhead', 'penis breath', or 'crazy fucker'! Oh, yes, I left out 'asshole'. Of course I don't mind, but just be careful that you don't call him that at school where your schoolmates can hear you." Walter thought for a second and laughed out loud.
"What's funny, Dad?"
"I just remembered what I used to call Bruce back when..."
"What, Daddy Walt?"
"Don't tell him I told you, but I used to call him 'Juicy Brucey'".
Ted and Alex joined the laughter. "What did my dad call you?"
"Oh, lots of things. I remember when he got mad at me he called me 'forked dork'...or 'Doololly Wally', but don't either of you try calling me either of those."
"Doololly Wally. That's clever!" Alex said.
"Just forget that I ever told you!"
"I will," Alex said, hiding a smirk.
"So, Daddy Walt, you think you've got Jeff straightened out?"
"Dear God, I hope so, Ted. I WILL have to buy Jeff some condoms if he decides to spend the night with Earl again for his safety and my sanity."
"You didn't get the idea that Earl had been with any other partners?"
"No, sometime during their all-night orgy for two, Earl told Jeff that he was the only person whom he'd been with. Just the same, the next time I take Jeff to get a check up, I'll ask Jerry Forbes, Jeff's doctor, to run a blood test for STD's, just to be sure."
"It seems almost unfair that Jeff's growing up faster than I and he's two years younger."
"I won't lie to either of you, but Bruce and I started two years younger than Jeff."
"Good lord, Dad!"
"No wonder my dad is always horny!" Ted remarked.
"I seemed to notice that myself, Ted." Walter said as he exited the kitchen to go awaken Jeff. The two boys looked at each other, then burst out laughing!
"Damn, Alex! Do you believe that? My dad and your dad started when they were fourteen? Shit! We DO have a lot of things to catch up on."
"One at a time, lover. I'm still sore from Friday night."
"Me, too, come to think of it. I hope it's all right if we just let that part of our anatomy rest until it feels better."
"Suit me. I think I like oral sex better anyway."
"Me too."
Just then, the kitchen door opened and in walked Bruce.
"Dad!"
"Good morning, sons! First time I've said that. Y'know, I kinda like it," Bruce said.
"Why are you here this time of day?"
"WELL, your mother and I went out to dinner last night and after we left the restaurant, we drove around town and saw that Charlie Kempler was still open. I didn't know he stayed open on Sunday nights. He really wasn't open for business; he was taking inventory. So your mother and I stopped by to say 'hello' to Charlie and he showed us some of the items he was marking down for a sale beginning today. And well, before I knew it, I'd purchased one of his sale items."
"But isn't Charlie the Briarwood Ford dealer?"
"Yep! Has been for years!"
"You bought mother a new car?"
"No."
"You bought yourself the Thunderbird you always wanted?"
"Nope! I bought a new Mustang... RED! Fully loaded!"
"That's great, Dad!" Ted replied.
"Here, let me show you the temporary title until the real one comes from vehicle registration."
Bruce handed the piece of paper to his son and Ted read it. A radiant glow was all over Ted's face, tears in his eyes, and a smile which stretched from ear to ear.
"Dad, this title has my name on it!"
"Why shouldn't it? It belongs to you... you and Alex."
"You're kidding!" Alex exclaimed.
"But why, Dad? Why now? It's not my birthday and graduation is months off."
"Let's call it a wedding present or whatever it's called when two guys hook up."
"Oh, Jesus! This is so hard to believe."
"Well, don't just stand there, go out and look at it! I... I didn't buy CD's for the player. THAT, you'll have to do!"
Ted turned around and turned off all the burners on the stove and he and Alex dashed out the kitchen door to claim their prize.
"God, Alex, can you believe this?" Ted said, opening the Mustang door and sitting behind the steering wheel. Alex piled into the passenger's seat. "This is OURS, babe! Yours and mine!"
"All I can say is what a way to start a week," Alex said. "No, what a way to start a life... OUR new life!"
Not caring whether or not the neighbors were watching, Alex leaned over and kissed Ted. "I think we can stop worrying about whether my mom approves of our relationship now."
"We're lucky, Ted. Your parents, my dad. They're the greatest! Last week when I went to the group session, nearly all the gay guys there had been either kicked out of their houses for being gay or had had to run away to survive. We're REALLY lucky! Don't let's ever forget that!"
"You got that right! We ARE lucky. I think I'm gonna have to drive Dad back home so that he can get his car to go to work."
"Do you think he can stay and have breakfast with us? We cooked plenty of food."
"Let's go ask him and thank him again for the car!"
Excitedly, the Ted and Alex returned to the kitchen in time to hear Bruce loudly saying, "...of course not, Wally! There's no way I'm gonna let you pay for half the car. That's my gift, Jane's and mine."
"Dad, you ought to see what Daddy Bruce bought for us."
"I just heard about it and this old fool won't let me pay half the cost. What should I buy for them? A boat?"
"Dad, you don't have to buy us anything... honest."
"I will NOT be outdone by my son's father-in-law. I need to reciprocate and buy MY son-in-law something of equal value."
"Uh oh," Alex said, "Looks like the in-laws are having their first feud. Do you think we should go get each of them a shotgun and a jug of moonshine?"
"Dad, we were just about to sit down and eat breakfast. Will you join us?"
"I really shouldn't, but this would be like extending our camping trip to have one more breakfast together. Sure, son, I'll stay."
"Great!" Ted said, "After that, I'll take you home on my way to school. Alex isn't going today. He has a doctor's appointment."
"There's nothing wrong, is there, Alex?", Bruce asked, suddenly concerned.
"No, I have to go see my shrink, the one Mr. Bartolli sent me to, to get 'cured'."
"From what I see, you're already cured. I think Dr. Ted Baxter did more to help you than the real shrink."
"You can say that again!" Alex replied.
Then Jeff came in and sat down. His demeanor was not as ebullient as it had been when he returned home from Earl's the night before. He spoke to Bruce and his dad while only giving a 'whassup' nod to Alex and Ted. Then he noticed all the breakfast food on the table.
"Holy cow, Dad!" Jeff all but shouted. "Did you cook all this?"
"No, son, the meal is the works of Chef Alex and Chef Ted," Walter told him.
"Oh," Jeff replied with disappointment.
"Hurry up and eat, Jeff, I'm going to drive you to school," Ted said to him.
"Yeah, Jeff, you ought to see what's parked in front of our house!" Alex added. "Ted has a new Mustang... a red one!"
"WE have a new Mustang, Alex---remember?" Ted reminded him.
"Sorry. Yeah, Jeff, half of it's mine."
"Did you buy it for them, Dad?"
"No, son, your Uncle Bruce did."
"I wish I had someone to move in with me," Jeff said, glumly. "Maybe Dad would buy me a go-cart."
"Son, when the time comes and you team up with someone special in your life, I'll see what I can do to buy you a Batmobile."
Alex, Ted, and Bruce laughed at Walter's remark. Jeff didn't even crack a smile.
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Breakfast was over, the dishes, silverware, pots and pans placed in the dishwasher. Alex followed Ted up the stairs to their bedroom to get Ted's school gear AND to kiss him goodbye in private. Jeff put on his school backpack and Bruce, Ted, and Jeff got into the new red car to take Bruce home and then go on to Briarwood High. Shortly thereafter, Walter left for work and Alex went into the living room to watch TV until it was time to catch a bus and go to group at Kimbrough Hospital.
When Bruce got out of the Mustang at his house, Jeff moved from the back seat to the passenger's seat.
"Buckle up!" Ted said to Jeff. Jeff complied and Ted drove off toward the school. "What do you think of the new wheels?" Ted asked Jeff.
"It's pretty nice, I guess---for an old married couple, anyway."
"You're angry with me for moving in, aren't you, Jeff?"
"Maybe... a little."
"Jeff, nothing has changed between you and me. You've always been the little brother I've always wanted... and I'll still be your other older brother. Nothing else! OK?"
"Ted, maybe not to you, but the way I look at it, a lot has changed."
"Like what?"
"I guess I'd feel the same way if Alex had brought home a girl and told me and Dad that they had just gotten married."
"Yeah, but you didn't know the girl and you DO know me. I've spent almost every weekend at your house in Alex's bedroom, practically all my life."
"That's before you and Alex started fucking."
"Did you hear us fucking last night?"
"...No..."
"That's because we didn't fuck."
"You ARE allowed to fuck, aren't you?"
"Sure, if Alex and I both want to..."
"Then, out of curiosity, if you didn't fuck, what did you do?"
"I shouldn't be answering questions like that, but since you seem upset about it, I'll tell you. We didn't have sex at all."
This surprised Jeff. "Then what DID you do? I mean, it looks like Dad has given you and Alex permission to do whatever you like."
"Alex and I were both really tired from the camping trip, so we just laid in bed and hugged and kissed a little. When you love someone, that doesn't mean you have to have sex every night of every week of every year."
"I guess you and I don't think alike."
"All right, Jeff, you pried into what Alex and I were doing, so let me ask what you and Earl did over the weekend."
"We did more than huggin' and kissin'..."
"But you DID kiss Earl, right? How did you feel when you kissed him?"
"I... I felt like I wanted to fuck him."
"...And did you?"
"For almost two hours, we fucked each other!"
"Jesus! Didn't it hurt? Isn't your ass sore?"
"It only hurts when you stop fucking... not while you're doing it."
"That talk with your dad after supper... did he talk to you about using contraceptives?"
"Yeah, he went through all that."
"He and my dad did the same to Alex and me."
"So do you and Alex wear rubbers?"
"Sure. You can never be TOO safe."
"Yeah, but if both of you don't have AIDS, then why wear them?"
"I'm not sure, but your dad wants us to wear them anyway. And after all, the way he and my dad have supported us, letting us live together, that's the least thing we can do for him."
"It still sounds silly to me."
"Just remember, Alex and I always have the comfort of knowing neither of us has AIDS or other venereal diseases, but if you don't know where your partner's been last, you have no way of knowing what he'll give you."
"You mean Earl, don't you?"
"Not just Earl, Jeff. This past weekend, you became sexually active. You're only a sophomore at school. You're gonna meet lots of guys, even some girls, kids you might want to have sex with. That's why you should keep a condom handy in your billfold. Don't take a chance by thinking your partner doesn't have some kind of infection."
"Some night when you and Alex don't feel like fucking, could I come into your room and jerk off with you?"
"Did you ask Alex?"
"Yeah..."
"And what did he say?"
"No. My dad even made up some rules making it off-limits for me to come into your room after you and Alex go to bed."
"Then I suppose you'd better listen to Alex and your dad."
"What am I supposed to do?"
"Well, just between you and me, if you can't go over to Earl's, call him. That's called telephone sex."
"What? And pretend?"
"Lots of guys have phone sex even with their girlfriends. According to what I've heard, it can be lots of fun... and it's safe, too!"
"Oh well, I'll find something to do while you and Alex lie in bed hugging and kissing."
"Look, we're almost at school. Watch everyone's eyes when they see my new car!"
"It is nice, Ted. I mean, I really like it!"
"Good, when you get your learner's permit, I'll let you drive it!"
"Honest?"
"Why would I lie to my kid brother?"
Jeff beamed as he smiled at Ted. Jeff held his head high as Ted drove into the parking lot. Everyone looked and everyone noticed Jeff. He was happy!
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There were a few new faces at Dr. Hughes session while a couple of last week's faces were missing this week. Alex sat down beside Kyle before the group began. There were several changes in Kyle's appearance from the week before. Kyle looked paler and as if he had lost more weight. He wasn't breathing properly; it was more like he was panting or about to gasp for his last breath.
"Are you feeling all right?" Alex asked him quietly, his voice registering honest concern.
"I'm just a bit under the weather. That's all. With this goddamned disease, I have to be careful where I go, where I sit, and with whom. Anyone who is sick can mutilate my immune system. That's the danger of AIDS, you've got no antibodies in you to combat other people's germs. I could die from somebody's bad cold or the flu. The little devils in my body welcome germs instead of slamming the door to keep them out."
"I'm germ free, so I hope you won't mind if I sit by you?"
"No," Kyle replied, "I was actually hoping you'd be here and sit beside me. My name is Kyle in case you don't remember... Kyle Andrews. You're Alex, aren't you?"
"Alex Clayton. I'm surprised you remembered my name. I did know yours... well, I didn't know your surname but I did remember, 'Kyle'. How was your week?"
"Do you mean while I was at home or in the hospital. I spent three days at Kimbrough this past week."
"What for?"
"GERMS! GERMS! GERMS! They're everywhere and I seem to attract them everywhere I go. My t-cell count drops and I go into the hospital for IV's, fluids, antibiotics, and anything else the hospital can charge to Medicare and Medicaid. Fucking cheating assholes!"
"Who?"
"The doctors and the hospitals. I can cut my finger while slicing an apple at home and if I go to the ER, they'll charge Medicare twenty-two bucks for a lousy band-aid. I'm not supposed to take aspirin, so they poke Tylenol into my mouth and charge the government eight dollars a pop."
"EIGHT DOLLARS for a single Tylenol?", Alex almost shouted.
"Alex, that's another reason why you should be careful when you have sex. Always use a condom so that you don't get what I've got and become a financial burden on the taxpayers! No wonder Congress won't approve free drugs. With the prices that the hospitals charge back to Medicare multiplied by the cost of drugs the pharmaceutical lobbyists are charging the hospitals FOR the drugs... why, I've seen the bastards charge over a hundred bucks for a single shot of fucking penicillin."
Dr. Hughes entered the room to start the group. As everyone sat in the usual circle. Alex noticed Henry, the bald wrestler; Josh, the bookworm; Helen, who had poured herself into even tighter pants; Sharon, the 'plain Jane'; Kate, the dike; Cassandra, the black goddess; and Bill, the fatty.
Missing were Virgil, the kid that wore make-up, and Dave with the bad acne scars. There were two new members - Bert, a guy with ordinary looks but who had the build of a Greek god; and Ryan, who just looked to be 'over-normally,' normal. Ryan was just a nice looking guy with no distinguishing physical flaws or attributes. The two new ones both appeared to be about nineteen- or twenty-years old.
Bill was the first to talk about his week, ending with, "...and you know what? After I ran the two miles, I weighed myself and I was actually five pounds lighter!"
"That's good, Bill," complimented Dr. Hughes.
"But then," Bill continued, "I took a bath, ate supper, and weighed again before bedtime to make sure I hadn't read the scales wrong... and I had gained back the five pounds plus five fucking more! That's when I got depressed. How could I gain ten pounds after eating one meal? I thought maybe my body had retained water from the bath and I had become water-logged."
"Did you re-weigh yourself the following morning?" the doctor asked.
"No, I was too discouraged to look at a scale."
"Bill, you should know by now, NEVER weigh yourself after a meal and NEVER weigh yourself at night or just before bedtime. That's when your body tissues have accumulated the most water weight."
"Then I should wait until the morning time after I pee?"
"Yes. That's when you'll see the most results. Just don't forget what happened the last time you suffered a serious bout of depression. You became depressed because you put yourself in a bad situation. That's really the main focus of this group. We do things without thinking them through and without thinking about the possible consequences. That's when you either get depressed or hyper and get your meds out of whack, winding up in the hospital---or worse." Dr. Hughes said.
The doctor continued, "I would like to ask a question and I would appreciate a totally truthful answer." He waited a for a negative response and not getting one, asked, "Has anyone had any suicidal ideations this week? Have you had any negative feelings which might have led to thoughts of harming yourself, any of you?"
The first one to respond was Bill. "I did after I thought I had gained ten pounds."
"That's understandable, but you know how to avert that situation now, Bill." Then Dr. Hughes glanced around at the rest. "Anybody else?"
"I almost did," said Helen. "I thought I had finally found a boyfriend who liked ME. But after two dates, I came to realize he didn't love me, he only loved what I could do to his body. I wasn't expecting that from him. But he was just like all the others. I thought for a moment about doing something to myself, but then I changed my mind and said, 'Fuck him!' He's like all the rest of 'em. Looks like I'm never gonna find real happiness until I turn lesbian and learn to like the taste of pussy."
"Don't knock it!" Kate spoke up. "You have to develop a taste for pussy, like clam chowder or smoked oysters! I was gonna be the last one to talk, but I might as well tell you... I got a new girlfriend! She's an assistant basketball coach at a junior high school. We've been out three times now and so far, no problems. She's been trying to teach me how to groom myself and change my clothes, my hair, and wear some make-up. I don't know how long it will last, but for first time in a long, long time, I'm happy."
"That's good, Kate." replied the doctor, "Just keep your guard up and if you sense 'trouble in River City', you know who to call for help. Anybody else? How about you, Kyle?"
"No change... I got the results of my latest t-cell count and it's still the same... way down." Alex didn't understand while Kyle failed to mention his hospitalization.
"What does your primary physician say?" asked the doctor.
"He keeps telling me, 'Don't buy any green bananas'." he joked.
"Keep your spirits up! You're not down for the final count yet."
"You have AIDS?" asked the new kid, Ryan.
"Full blown! My AIDS has AIDS"
"Damn!"
"What's your name?" Kyle asked.
"Ryan."
"You worried about testing positive?"
"No... but as far as my parents are concerned, I might as well have it."
"What do you mean."
"I think I'm gay... but I'm still a virgin," Ryan explained. "I have this shoe box that I keep hidden in my closet where I keep magazines, dirty paperback books, and pictures of naked bodybuilders and movie stars that I like to look at when I get horny... and last Monday, my mom went through all the closets in the house looking for clothes and things to donate to the Good Will. She opened up my secret box and saw everything that I was keeping hid. Then she called my dad and showed him what she'd found, and when I got home from work at the music store, my mother had two suitcases packed with my clothes and she and my dad were waiting for me in the living room with my shoe box sitting on my dad's lap. They accused me of being gay, and before I even got the chance to defend myself, my dad threw me AND my suitcases out the door. They told me not to come back until I could prove to them that I had a steady girlfriend.
"I got in my car and drove away mad as hell. I went to the 7-11 and bought some beer, using my fake ID, and I got stinking drunk. I crashed my car into a ditch and when the police called my parents to tell them about my accident, my dad convinced them that I had threatened to commit suicide and had wrecked my car on purpose. So the police took me to the county crisis center and I stayed on suicide watch for 48 hours. They discharged me on the condition that I would attend this group for the next three months... and, well, here I am."
"Thanks for sharing that with the group, Ryan," the doctor said in a very calm voice.
"That's similar to what happened to me," Bert spoke up. "Only my mom caught me having sex in my bed with one of guys I work out with at the gym. I thought sure as shit there was no one home when I invited this guy over. I mean, he and I had fooled around in the shower and the locker room for a long time, and this was the first time either of us had ever tried anything in a real bed. I don't know if she was there when we got there, or if she came in later. Anyhow, we were both butt naked and I had him and me all greased up and I had just started to plow his ass when my mom walked in. You'd have thought she'd seen Frankenstein naked or something by the way she screamed at the top of her lungs. She wanted to know what the fuck I was doing and I asked what the fuck did it look like I was doing? And I screamed back at her, 'I'M FUCKING, Momma! I'm fucking a guy in his ass.' I thought she would faint, but instead she went over to the phone and called 911 and told the police that there was an intruder in the house and if they hurried over, they could still catch him. My buddy got dressed and got the hell out of there fast. Then before the police arrived, she went in to the hall closet and got this big two-barreled shotgun and aimed it at me and told me to get the fuck out of her house and not to come back until I had had some therapy. I went over to my buddy's house where I've been living, and wearing his clothes. I called the hospital and asked them if they had any therapy groups I could attend, and they recommended this one. Dr. Hughes, if you'll sign a paper saying I'm in your therapy group here at the hospital, it may satisfy her enough to let me go in my bedroom and get some clothes and some of my stuff."
"I will, Bert. It sounds as if you and Ryan had quite a headache from your parents this week."
"THIS WEEK? How about my entire life!" replied Bert.
"Anyone else have any traumatic experiences since our last session? Josh?"
"No, sir."
"Sharon?"
"No, sir."
"How about you, Cassandra?"
"Nope... no marks or remarks."
"Henry?"
"All smooth sailing, Doc."
"Alex, you look bright and chipper. What's been happening in your life?"
Alex could hardly wait to tell the doctor AND the group about the change in his life. "Well Doctor, fellow guys and girls," Alex began, "A lot has happened since last we met. I realized how stupidly I reacted to my first gay experience so I didn't run away the second time. I went back to my same buddy. We talked, did some things, and we both got brave and told our dads about our relationship and what we had done. Dad knew what had caused me to overdose. But we told my buddy's dad... he all but put a notice in the newspaper, announcing our engagement."
"You're kidding!" Kyle interrupted.
"Nope." Alex continued. "Our dads packed up the Winnebago and took us camping all weekend, allowing us to have sort of a honeymoon... with their blessings."
""Goddamn!" Kyle spoke again, "I think I've heard everything now! As long as I've been gay, I've never heard of parents giving their sons approval for being gay."
"You just never met anyone like my dad... or my Uncle Bruce."
"Your uncle? You mean your new lover is your uncle's son... your cousin?" asked Kyle, disbelieving.
"Not my real uncle. He and my dad have been best friends since they were boys." I explained.
"Ah ha! I think the cloudy picture is beginning to clear up. Your dad and your uncle... they have--or have had--a thing going?"
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to. Why else would two fathers encourage their sons to live a gay lifestyle unless they actually knew what it was like, themselves."
"Kyle, you're getting too personal with your remarks," said the doctor.
"I'm sorry. I apologize to you, Alex, and the rest of the group. I was just making a bad joke."
"Do you have anything constructive to say, Kyle?"
"Huh? Yeah. Sure. Alex, Ryan, Bert, ...whoever is going through the first stages of gay life... be careful! Don't wind up a statistic like me. I don't care how well you think you know your sex partner, you never know him or her well enough to completely trust them. Always, always, always use some kind of protection. I thought I knew my lover as well as I knew myself. And the whole time we were together, neither of us ever once cheated on the other. But that shit... that fucking plague can be lying dormant in your system for up to ten years before it surfaces and becomes active. Some trick, somewhere, sometime in the recent or far-off past had the virus which no one ever suspected until it was too late. I won't live to see my twenty-fifth birthday. I'm not ever going to attempt suicide. I've made it my life's work to stick around as long as I can to make sure the rest of you live out your four-score and twenty years... virus-free."
"Thank you, Kyle," Dr. Hughes said with deep sincerity. "Now does anyone have anything they want to add before I make my few brief remarks?"
Everyone looked around at the other and remained silent,
"All right then," Dr. Hughes said in conclusion, "If you look around the circle, the ones of you who attended the last session will notice two of your peers are missing. Dave is in County Hospital. No, no, not the psych ward! His parents are trying a new sanding treatment on his acne. I hope that the doctors will be successful in healing his scars... then maybe someone who loves him can concentrate on healing some of his emotional scars.
"The other face missing is Virgil's. Virgil won't be attending any more group sessions with us. Some of you may have heard this past Friday night, Virgil, in spite of all the help he had offered to him, decided to attempt suicide once again." The doctor paused. "I'm sorry to report... this time he succeeded. Not revealing any secrets he hadn't divulged himself to this group... Virgil felt he was a young woman trapped in his young man's body and couldn't find a way to fit. I feel sorrow and pity for him, but more important, I feel angry and defeated that I wasn't able to keep him alive. But even a doctor can do only so much on a person's psyche. After that, it's up to him or her. I cannot stress enough to you the idea that there is NO problem you can't face... and if there is one... there is always someone to call or call upon to face it with you. DOES EVERYONE UNDERSTAND THAT?"
The group was still in shock over the news about little Virgil. Finally, one by one they all managed to nod our heads in agreement.
The doctor continued. "There are eleven of you in this group... four girls and seven boys. I'd like to pair each of you up with a partner. Before you leave today, give your partner a telephone number where you can be reached all or most of the time. However, if you find there's one big problem you can't face alone, call your partner or call ME. Somehow we'll all see each other through any set of circumstances. Do I make myself clear?"
All said a unison, "YES".
Dr. Hughes went on with the assignments. "Kate, you and Helen will be partners. Cassandra, you and Sharon. Now for the guys: Bert, you and Henry are both interested in bodybuilding and or wrestling. Bill, you and Josh are nearly opposites but you might provide a good support system for each other. Now let's see, that leaves Kyle, Alex, and Ryan. I want the three of you who seem to have the most in common, be a smaller support group for one another. You're all three involved in gay issues from three different perspectives and I think you'll learn a lot and be a great deal of help to each other. Once Dave is out of the hospital from his surgery, we can team up one of you with him. Is this 'matching up' suitable to everyone?"
Again, they all agreed as they took slips of paper and pencils from the table and began scribbling names and phone numbers to give to their 'life-lines'. Soon they were finished with the name swapping and Doctor Hughes asked everybody to stand silently for a moment to honor their late peer, Virgil. The session was over and Alex hurried to the parking lot to be with Ted, who had promised to pick him up in the new car after school.
The meeting had lasted a little over an hour. Ted, who had taken Jeff home first before going to Kimbrough Hospital to pick up Alex, had sat in Kimbrough's parking lot, patiently, with a knotted stomach, filled with nervous anxiety, wondering what was happening in the session. As soon as Alex saw him, Alex ran, opened the car door, and slid into the passenger seat close enough to give him a quick peck on the lips.
"Hi, babe! How'd it go?" Ted asked.
"Wasn't all that bad. You weren't worried, were you?"
"Of course I was. Anything or anybody that could take you away from me worries me."
"Well everything went fine," Alex reassured him. "Let's not talk about this any more. Let's just go to home and start dinner."
They arrived at Alex's, parked the car and went into the kitchen, Jeff was in his room, talking quietly to someone on the telephone. Ted had a pretty good idea to whom Jeff was talking, but he didn't mention his speculation to Alex, nor what he had told Jeff earlier about phone sex. The Briarwood phone company charged by units after the first one-hundred minutes. Ted figured that the Claytons would have a record high telephone bill from now on.
When in a hurry and you want to fix a quick and easy dinner - spaghetti always filled the bill. Alex made the sauce while Ted tossed a salad. Neither of them knew how lucky they were not to have Jeff there to make the salad dressing. Ted took a packet of Good Season's Italian, mixed it with water, oil, and vinegar... and VOILA! Instant salad dressing. Next he sliced an entire loaf of Italian bread and spread each slice with garlic butter. Then Alex put a huge pot of water on the back burner to boil. He'd wait for his dad to arrive before dropping in the pasta, as Walter liked spaghetti slightly undercooked or al dente.
Walter arrived around six and was, once again, pleased and amazed at his two new galloping gay gourmets. Jeff came down from his room looking spent and exhausted but hungry as any mother's child, and ready to eat. The dinner places were set. The food was on the table. Everyone sat down sans 'grace' and started to eat when the telephone rang, as usual, during dinner. Alex rushed to answer the phone to Jeff's dismay as he thought for sure it was Earl calling for another 'round' of phone sex.
"Hello?" Alex answered.
"Alex?"
"Yes."
"This is Ryan."
"Sorry?"
"Ryan, you know, we met at the session this afternoon and exchanged telephone numbers."
"Oh, SURE! How's it going?" Alex asked.
"Not so good. Is there anyway I can come over to your house and talk."
"Are you having a problem?"
"Kinda." he replied, almost in tears.
"I DID write my address on that piece of paper with my phone number, didn't I?"
"Yes."
"Do you have a way to get over to my house?"
"Yeah, I can get there."
"OK. I'll tell my dad you're coming over. Will it take you long to get here?"
"No, just a few minutes."
"Have you eaten?"
"No, but I'm really not hungry."
"Nonsense. Come on over and have some pasta a-la-Alex!"
"Thanks... see you in a few."
"OK." Alex hung up the phone.
"Who was it, son?"
"One of the guys in Dr. Hughes group... a new guy named Ryan."
"Is everything all right with him?"
"I don't think so. He's having some kind of problem and he's coming over to talk. Dr. Hughes paired us off today, in case one of us needed some kind of support. Ryan and Kyle Andrews were paired up with me."
"Did he sound upset?" Dad asked.
"I thought he was crying."
"I'm glad you invited him over."
The five four of them continued eating until ten minutes later, the doorbell rang. Alex ran to open the door and there stood Ryan, carrying two large suitcases.
"Come in, Ryan." Alex invited.
"Thanks. You have a great house."
"Thanks. It didn't take you long to get here. Where were you calling from?"
"A pay booth about a block away."
"What's bothering you?" Alex hurriedly inquired.
"There's only one way to put it. I'm homeless... got no place to go. My folks threw me out of the house. So I went to stay with a friend. His parents heard me talking about going to a suicide discussion group. Then they told my friend they didn't want me being around him because they thought I was crazy or mentally ill."
"Those assholes! What'd they think... that you were going to form a suicide pact with your friend and both of you kill yourselves together?"
"Apparently... anyway, I had to get what gear my mom had packed for me... before my dad threw me out, and I had leave my friend's house immediately."
"Is your friend gay?"
"I'm not sure. I think he might have tendencies, but I never got to find out."
"So whaddya need? A place to stay?"
"Just for tonight... and then I'll try to make other arrangements tomorrow."
"I think we can arrange for you to spend tonight here. Let me ask my dad, but don't worry, I know it'll be all right with him. As I told the group this afternoon, Dad knows all about me, the group, and my futile suicide attempt last week. He's not about to turn you away. Just a minute." He rose and walked to the kitchen doorway.
"Dad.."
"Yes, Alex?"
"Could you come here? I want you to meet someone."
"All right, son," Walter said, entering the living room.
"Dad, this is my friend, Ryan Preston. I met him at the session this afternoon. Ryan, this is my dad, Walter Clayton."
"Pleased to meet you, Ryan,"
"Same here, sir."
"Dad, Ryan has no place to stay and would like for us to put him up for the night. I told him I'd have to ask you first."
"That's nonsense, Alex. You know your friends are welcome here always."
"Even if I'm a little bit crazy and have suicidal ideations and a bigger problem by thinking I may be gay?" Ryan asked, almost in tears.
"Ryan, you'd be welcome, especially if you were ALL those things."
"Boy, you're sure not like MY dad." His wonderment was apparent.
"I presume you meant that as a compliment?" Dad asked.
"Very much so, sir." Ryan replied,
"Alex, you want to fix up the couch in the den for Ryan?"
"Sure, it folds out into a queen sized mattress. You'll love it, Ryan."
"Thanks, Alex. Mr. Clayton, you're being so kind."
"Being kind comes easy for Dad. That's why I keep him around and not put him in a retirement home," Alex joked to lighten Ryan's mood and to playfully annoy Walter.
"Yes, son. At my age, I figure I only have forty or so years more left," Walter retorted in jest.
"Come on into the kitchen and have a bite to eat, Ryan. My brother and my lover are in there."
"You have a lover?"
"Sure."
"And your dad knows?"
"Sure! My lover's parents know, too. His dad bought us a new car this morning."
"I must be dreaming! I've never heard of any parent approving of his son's being gay."
"Don't say anything, but I think my younger brother, Jeff, is gay too. He's sixteen, going on forty. Just be sure you lock the door of the den before you go to sleep or you might wake up with Jeff beside you."
"Jeff walks in his sleep?"
"No, but he's horny twenty-four-seven."
"At sixteen?"
"I remember what you said at group this afternoon. So if you want to keep your virginity, lock the door!"
Ryan didn't know whether or not to believe Alex, but it did put an odd thought into Ryan's head. Alex took Ryan by the elbow and casually ushered him into the kitchen. Alex introduced Ryan to Ted and then to Jeff, who immediately gave Ryan the once-over. In a few words, Alex explained that Ryan needed a place to stay for the evening and he would be sleeping in the den.
"Come on, Ryan, sit down and fix a plate."
"I'll get him a salad," Ted said, rising to go to the kitchen island.
"Ryan, come sit by me," Jeff said while Alex and Walter rolled their eyes at the ceiling and turned away from the table.
"Do you like sports or video games?" Jeff asked Ryan.
"I'm pretty fair at Mario Brothers."
"Good! After dinner, you can come up to my room and we'll play."
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(To be continued in "Briarwood"---BOOK TWO-chapter twenty)