This chapter continues from the previous section of the story and previous one. It is written from Marty's point of view as he reviewed his personal journal containing his observations of the two boys over the summer.
Marty leafed through his journal that contained his thoughts from May 24 through August 31. When he finished he sat back and thought about the two boys in his life.
It seemed like only yesterday, but Mike and Mark have been going together now since the start of the football season this past year. It seemed to get more serious after Christmas when both boys gave each other rings to show how much they cared for one another. I know for Mark the ring possessed a whole lot more meaning since he had saved up to buy the ring after doing odd jobs around the neighborhood. For Mark he was giving something very special, something he had worked to buy, for the person he loved.
I will never understand my own son though, as it seems that he has his mother's trait of being materialistic. Right after Mark gave Mike the ring the two of us were talking, when I asked him, "What is wrong with the ring that Mark bought for you?"
Mike's answer threw me for a loop when he said, "Dad the ring set I really want is the one that I showed you at the jewelry store in Pikesville. It's a nicer ring then what Mark bought."
"Oh, you mean the one you pointed out at Michael's jewelry store??
"Yeah that is the one." was his reply to my question.
"Mike, I have a serious question for you about those rings. Just how do you expect to pay for those expensive rings?"
Mike has started to sound more and more like my ex-wife, especially after I heard his answer to me. "Dad, I have been thinking about it, and since you have held back my allowance because my grades where not all A's, I think that you should give me one of your credit cards to buy them." he stated with a straight face.
Good God where did I go wrong, he sounds and is acting more and more like my ex-wife (that materialistic bitch), was my thought.
Maybe part of the problem is mine, because since Mark did not have the money to rent a tuxedo, nor did he own one, I decided to treat both of them to new tuxedoes. Hell you only get the chance to show off your lover at a prom (spring fling) once in a life time, so each should look great.
It was when Mark called me at home to tell me that he and Mike were going to use the suite certificate he had won during the state football championships that he first called me dad. I was so proud that he was finally calling me dad. He made the call as he felt that it was his responsibility to let me know where both Mike and he were going to be staying.
Things seemed to start on a downward slide after that, as I was called to the office probably four or five times in the final two weeks of school due to Mike's misbehavior. Comments that normally would have had him suspended for the remainder of the school year if it was not for the fact that I was the football coach so they gave him additional leeway. What really angered me was that they where all directed towards Mark. Mike was hanging out with some homophobic red necks from the baseball team now. I asked Mike," What has gotten into your head boy?"
He just hung his head, and it was then that I noticed he was not wearing the ring that Mark had bought for him. That caused me to grab him by his ear dragging him into a conference room to ask him, "Where is the ring that Mark gave you?" Tapping my fingers on the table I waited for either a lie or some bogus excuse. I still can remember yelling, "I AM WAITING BOY AND IT HAD BETTER BE THE TRUTH." Not really wanting to hear a word that my son said to me, I just zoned myself out remembering how his mother used to make up excuses as to why she did something or why she bought something that we did not need.
Mike did answer my questions honestly, by saying, "Dad the ring is in its box at the house, because I am mad at Mark since he is not going to the beach with us as a family."
In hind sight I probable should have never have told him that our beach house was finished and that just the two of us would be living there this summer. Mark had already told me that he was planning on taking a couple of (AP) Advanced Placement classes, as well helping out Mr. Mike, the principal who is legally blind. Mark told me that he was going to take care of Bagger, the guide dog, for Mr. Mike while he had back surgery. He also planned on helping out after Mr. Mike was released from the hospital since bending would be difficult for Mr. Mike. Mark had told me," Dad its not that I do not want to go on a family vacation, but I want to earn my own money like I did last summer."
That is your choice Mark, but his next statement threw me for a loop when he said, "Marty you are like a dad to me, and a great football coach, but I can not play with a player like your son Michael who has become a homophobic bigot towards me."
At the end of the school year, before we were scheduled to head off to the beach house, I noticed that the two boys did not even eat breakfast together anymore.
Mark informed me that he had decided to move into the new principal's condo, that way he could start to help Mr. Mike before the surgery and to let the stress at our house ease with out his presence.
I gave him permission to move what he needed to Mr. Mike's place before his AP classes started, giving him a cell phone with my number already programmed in case he needed me.
It was no longer US when it came to Mike and Mark thanks to Mike's attitude, and the next time he complains about Mark in anyway shape or form he is getting closer to being shipped off to live with his mother.
It has been almost 3 weeks since I have heard from my Mark and I trusted him with Mr. Mike and Bagger, the Seeing Eye dog. Than one night at 3 AM my cell phone rang and it was Mark asking if I could come home as a nurse had given Mr. Mike some medicine that he became allergic to, big time. I quickly went in and woke Mike up to telling him that we where needed back home immediately!!! His reaction was just as I had figured it would be so I was prepared.
Mike said, "Dad you go and leave me here to enjoy the beach while you rescue Mark as always."
Mike was not ready for my response when I said, "Mike get your fucking things packed NOW!!! And give me all your credit cards!!! You are going to go live with your mother and that asshole, Darr, because of your attitude toward Mark, Mr. Mike, as well as myself!"
It only took us about 2.5 hours to get home since I was driving 15 to 20 mph over the speed limit, but thankfully all the cops must have been on a doughnut and coffee break. Mark was right about Mr. Mike being allergic to the medicine.
Mark called me saying," Dad can you please pick Bagger and I up at the front door, as Mr. Mike will be staying at his house overnight I have been informed by the doctor."
I responded," Sure son but overnight is almost over since it's just about dawn, so ask the doctor if he means that Mr. Mike is being discharged later today." It was later that day after picking Mark and Bagger up about dawn; that we went to our house and rested for a short time before I picking up Mr. Mike.
I will never forget the one-sided conversation that Mr. Mike, my boss at the school, and I had on the ride home from the hospital. He said," Marty, you are an excellent football coach and teacher, but I need to warn you that Mark has told me already how Mike has been treating him like shit, and there is no chance in hell he will play football this season, since I have been informed that Mike does not meet the GPA allowed to play a fall sport. Let's stop and get some coffee so we can talk about this before we get to the house." After listening to my boss, or as the boys called him Mr. Mike, he explained how Mark wanted to move in with him because he did not feel loved by Mike anymore, and he did not want to come in between Mike and his father. Mr. Mike also informed me that Mark has earned enough AP credits to graduate a year before Mike now, and that Mike had failed 4 classes last year so that means that he can not play football unless he makes up all 4 classes.
Once we arrived at Mr. Mike's condo all hell literally broke loose. I had not even taken a seat when Mark approached me, and again said," Marty I love you as a father figure and as a football coach, but I can not play football on a team whose star player is two-faced homophobic bigot".
I than asked Mr. Mike to tell Mike what his status for the coming fall as far as his class level as well as the sports that are played.
Mr. Mike said, "Mike, you can not play any fall sports or any sports period as you failed 4 classes last year, and the guidance counselors along with myself are going to hold you back in the freshman class. Also Mike if at anytime during the school year we get a report about you verbally or physically abusing Mark like you did after the Spring Fling; you will be expelled on the spot."
I could see that Mike was upset but the next statement that I made probably really ticked him off. "Mark, now that you have heard that Mike will not be around to give you any grief would you please reconsider playing football for us this season." I asked.
I then looking over at Mike and seeing tears in his eyes, made me feel terrible but I could not back down and I told him to go call his mother. Mike and I had made an agreement, that as long as his grades kept him eligible to play football he could live with me, but once they dropped he had to move in with his mother and that asshole, Darr. I also took his credit cards from him, and told him, "You better get a job real soon as your car insurance is coming due." Mike broke down and started to cry like a baby.
Later that morning I brought over a copy of the playbook for Mark to study. It was then that I found out Mark has a photographic memory for after he reviewed the playbook for a while he handed the book back to me. I asked him questions about different pages and his answers were all correct.
While having a cup of coffee with Mr. Mike, he made an offer concerning Mike that I felt was reasonable. He said, "Marty, I am not a father or a big brother, but if you can find out how Mike really feels towards Mark. If my guess is right it might work well to ask Mark to tutor him. I will arrange for him to take his final tests to see if Mike can move up with Mark as a sophomore. But you will also have to let him know he will still face suspension as well as being expelled from school if he abuses Mark like he did last year."
Well I felt I had to give it a try, because I really do not want Mike to go live with his mom and Darr.
Just then Mike called to me, "Dad pick up the extension please."
"Sure, no problem," I yelled. Only there was a problem as both my ex and Darr were on the phone and began yelling at me.
She yelled, "I do not want some faggot son, like you Marty, living in our new house, and tell that son of yours that this number as well as this address will no longer be ours as we are moving away from the two of you."
Knowing now that I had to handle this situation on my own I called to him for a private talk. When I questioned Mike about his treatment of Mark he told me with a straight face, so I could tell that he was not trying to bullshit me.
"Dad, Jerry from the team last year was going around telling the others that I liked to get fucked up the ass because I was a flaming faggot, and that Mark was the true male in our relationship." With that said he started to sob and sob.
I held him in my arms and hoped that by the end of the month I would have my two boys back together, I would have them both living with me, playing football together, as well as being boyfriends again. But I have the feeling that Mark is going to be asking Mr. Mike if he can stay with him until school starts up again, because Mike has hurt him so badly.
TBC
Hope to get Mike's tape soon otherwise the next chapter might be from my view of what has been happening.