The following program contains material suited for a mature audience. If you are not over 18 you should be leaving now. Of course I can't control you and neither can anyone else really. This story is complete fiction. This story in no way speculates, indicates, or reports the sexuality, the behaviour, or any relationship that anyone mentioned may have. And now for our feature presentation. Viewer Discretion is advised...
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Misery 9 By: Chip Dyp (chipdyp@hotmail.com)
"Why do I have to make a choice?" Scott asked quietly once he had stopped crying.
"Because you're an adult, and sometimes adults have to make choices. You love your family, don't you?"
Scott pulled himself up and hugged his knees. He nodded slowly and looked across the dark room at a shadow on the wall.
"And you love being a musician, right?"
Scott nodded his head again. His gaze remained fixed on the wall.
"Then your choice is obvious. Forget about Mitchel and return to your family and your career."
"But I love Mitchel!"
"How can you love him? You barely know him."
"I do know him! He makes me feel safe and loved. He accepts me for who I am. He doesn't force me to do things I don't want to do."
"Yes, but your family is your family. You can't abandon them."
"Why not? They've abandoned me. If they didn't need me my father wouldn't hesitate to toss me out into the street."
"What about your brothers? They love you. They need you to further their musical career. If you walk away from them you'll be abandoning them."
"They don't care about me. They just care about their careers."
"Well, what about those careers? Why not milk this stardom until it is dry before finding a guy to settle down with. It may not be Mitchel, but I'm sure someone as attractive as you could find another boyfriend."
"I don't want another boyfriend. I want Mitchel."
"Is Mitchel worth losing your career and your family over?"
"Yes!"
"You don't get a second chance at this. Are you sure you could walk away from your family?"
"Yes!" Scott said with even more determination.
"Are you willing to be alone if Mitchel won't take you back? Are you willing to become a has-been in the rock and roll industry? If you break away from your family, you may never see or hear from them again."
"I know."
"I don't believe you," Justin shot back. "I can't believe you'd walk away from the parents that raised you."
"I would!"
"You won't walk away from the music career that has brought you stardom.
"I will," Scott shot back angrily.
"Don't lie to me, Scott. I know you like the attention. Knowing that everyone knows who you are. Maybe you're looking for more attention."
"No! I love him. He means everything to me. I would sacrifice everything I have and everything that I will be to have one more chance to make things work with Mitchel!" Scott stood up defiantly. "I would give up my family and my musical career... everything, for him."
Justin stood up and looked Scott in the eye. "I believe you."
Scott bowed his head and looked at his feet. When he looked Justin in the eye again, Justin knew that Scott had come to his decision. "Do you think it will be enough?"
"I don't know, Scott. No one knows."
Scott nodded his head. "C'mon we're leaving."
"Where are we going?"
"I'll tell you when we get out to the Jeep."
"Are you going to tell your family what you've decided?"
"Not everything. But I am telling them that I'm leaving. At least for now." Scott opened the door, and smiled at Justin. "Will you help me?"
Justin nodded and smiled at Scott. He exited the conference room and mentally readied himself for the fireworks that were going to erupt in the control booth when Scott dropped the bomb. If the recording session was any sort of clue, it was going to get messy.
The triplets looked up when they heard the door to the control room open. Their dad walked out of the studio in time to see Scott enter the room, two steps behind Justin.
"Is da wittle fairy done throwing a big temper tantrum?" Clint asked, leaning back against the soundboard.
Scott ignored Clint and walked into the middle of the room. "I have an announcement to make."
"And what would that be" his father asked. "Are you going to tell us you're a cock-sucking fag?" He took a step towards his oldest son and then stopped as Justin stepped forward. "You disgust me," he hissed.
"Then you'll be happy to hear that I'm done. Justin and I are leaving."
"You're not leaving until you finish your parts," Mr. Moffat said. He leaned against the control board beside Clint, and crossed his arms.
"You are wrong. I'm leaving, and there isn't anything that you can do about it."
"I'm your father..."
"No you aren't! You're a pathetic middle-aged man trying to relive his youth through his children. I never had a father. I've only had a producer."
"You can tell whatever lies you want, it doesn't change things. You have an obligation to your brothers and I to finish this song."
"Just like you had an obligation to love and protect your children. It seems that neither of us will fulfil our obligations."
"And where do you think you're going to go?"
"Wherever I want." Scott turned and looked at Bob and Dave. They were both stunned by Scott's announcement. "I'm sorry guys, I just can't do it anymore."
Dave nodded and stood up. "I understand," he said before wrapping Scott up in a hug. "Don't be a stranger," he whispered. "I'm going to miss you."
Scott nodded as Dave took a step back. Bob looked up at his older brother, "You'll be back, right?"
Scott nodded at Bob and smiled. "You know it."
"Isn't this sweet." Clint stood up and walked towards Scott. He glared at Dave and Bob before coming to a stop in front of Scott. "The wittle faggot is making friends." Clint turned his head and looked Scott right in the eye. "You aren't going anywhere until we are finished recording this song."
"Whatever."
As Scott walked past him, Clint grabbed his arm and spun him around. "Maybe you weren't listening..." Clint stopped when he felt Justin's iron grip on his shoulder.
"I think you should let go of your brother's arm. I understand collarbones break quite easily. It's also quite painful while it heals," Justin said quietly. Clint released Scott's arm and watched as his brother walked out of the studio. Justin let go of Clint's arm and turned around to follow Scott out of the studio. "It's been a slice."
"So what now?" Justin asked as they left the building.
"Can I borrow your cell?"
"All right." Justin tossed over his cell phone and got into the rented Jeep. "Who are you going to call?"
"You'll see." Scott sat down in the Jeep and punched a few numbers into the phone. He could see Bob and Dave standing in the window watching the Jeep. He shifted the phone into his other hand and waved at his brothers.
"Information."
"Hi, I need the number for NBC's news bureau in LA."
"One moment please."
"Thanks for renting the room in your name," Scott said, walking into the bathroom. "Hopefully we won't have people camped out in the lobby."
"That's the idea." Justin pulled the curtains closed and flipped on the lights. "I just wish we could've gotten a room on the fifth or sixth floor."
Scott walked out of the bathroom and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Why?"
"Well, now we have to keep the curtains closed just in case someone can see up here."
"I guess."
"So, what are you going to say on Dateline NBC?"
"I'm going to tell the truth. That I had to say what I said because I had to because they were forcing me to."
"They're going to ask what proof you have. Without proof it just looks like sour grapes."
"But I have to say it. If I don't say that Mitchel didn't seduce me, and that I am gay then I'm a liar, and Mitchel will never trust me."
Scott nodded and sat down on his bed. "You should be able to convince everyone."
"Yeah." Scott covered his mouth as he yawned again.
"Why don't you lie down and have a nap. I'll wake you in a couple hours so you can shower and clean up before we go to the studio."
"All right. What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to rent us a different car. We need a set of wheels that are a little more inconspicuous."
"All right. I'll see you in a couple of hours."
Justin stepped out of the room and into the well-lit hallway. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and punched a few buttons. He put the phone to his ear and frowned when he got a busy signal. Justin clicked the end button as he entered the elevator. He waited till he was in the Jeep before he tried a different number. And this time he got the person he wanted to talk to.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Mr. Sutherland. It's Justin."
"Hello Justin, how are things on your end?"
"They're good. I think you and Mitchel should watch Dateline NBC tonight. Scott is going to be doing an interview."
"About what?"
"He's going to come out of the closet."
"Does the record company know?"
"No. Scott insisted on no publicity. NBC agreed to keep the whole thing quiet in return for an exclusive."
"When did he do the interview?"
"He hasn't done it yet. He's going to do it live."
"Well, Mitchel and I will be watching."
"I tried calling your house a few minutes ago and there was no answer."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Well, I think I'd better get home. I need to see what's going on."
"All right. I'll talk to you later." Justin clicked the end button and started the Jeep. It was time to find another set of wheels.
Mr. Sutherland pulled into the driveway, and stepped out of his car. The neighbourhood was blissfully quiet. If they didn't live in the gated community, there would be press camped out on his front lawn, satellite trucks beaming pictures and sounds throughout the country.
Mr. Sutherland walked into his house and called out for his son. "Mitchel, I'm home." Mr. Sutherland walked through the house, loosening his tie and looking for Mitchel. He looked out the patio windows, and saw his son lying on a towel out by the pool.
"There he is," Mr. Sutherland whispered. He walked through the patio door and into the backyard. He glanced at the pool and frowned. The cordless phone was resting at the bottom of the pool.
"I didn't realise we were keeping the phone at the bottom of the pool," Mr. Sutherland said, sitting down beside his son. He placed his hand on Mitchel's back and gently rubbed.
"They kept calling and calling," Mitchel whispered.
"Who did?"
"All sorts of people. It was just like the email. They won't leave me alone."
"I'll call the phone company tomorrow and get our phone number changed. Until then, we'll leave it off the hook." When Mr. Sutherland didn't get a reply, he patted Mitchel's back. "Why don't we go inside? I think you've had enough sun for the day."
Mitchel nodded and rolled onto his back. He stood up and grabbed his towel from the ground. "Dad, do you think Scott still loves me?"
"I think so. Do you love him?"
"I don't know. I'm so angry with him for lying to the reporters. How could he do that to me? He cost you your job at Capitol Records. I don't know if I could ever trust him again." Mitchel opened the patio door for his father and followed him into the house.
"Well, I think you should hold off on your final judgement of him until later tonight."
"Why?"
"He's going to be doing an interview on Dateline NBC tonight."
"On what?"
"I don't know. It's going to be a live interview." Mr. Sutherland looked closer at his son and shook his head. "You look like you got a bit of a sunburn."
"It's not too bad. What do you think he's going to say?" Mitchel asked, shaking off his father's concern.
"I honestly have no idea Mitchel. I want you to sit in this chair and I'll rub some lotion into your back."
Mitchel sat down in the chair and looked over his shoulder at his father. "Do you think it's going to be a good interview?"
Mr. Sutherland turned his son's head, and squirted some cool healing lotion in his hand. "How do you define good?"
Mitchel flinched as he felt the cool lotion touch his back. "You know. Is he going to say he lied, tell everyone he's gay... that sort of thing."
"I don't know, Mitchel. We'll have to watch and find out."
"I guess," Mitchel grunted. He let out a little moan as his dad massaged his shoulders.
"I have some more good news."
"Oh, what about?"
"The guard who let the photographer through the gate has been fired. We also know who he is. The community is suing him for trespassing. I'm thinking about filing a similar suit. In addition, because you and Scott are minors, he could be in trouble for child pornography."
"Couldn't Scott and I get in trouble for underage sex?"
"It's highly unlikely. You're not going to go to the police because you had sex with Scott, and I'm not going to go to the police. The only wildcard is Scott's father, but I doubt he'll go looking for revenge."
Mitchel nodded and stood up. "So, what's for supper?"
"Well, I was expecting you to cook something," Mr. Sutherland said. He winked at his son and walked into the kitchen. "Let's see. How do chicken fajita's sound?"
"Sounds good to me."
"All right. I'll go get some chicken. You go have a shower and clean up."
Mitchel nodded and gave his father a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for everything Dad."
Mr. Sutherland wrapped his arm around his son and gave him a firm hug. "I love you Mitchel. How could I do anything less?"
"I'm really glad you agreed to do this interview, Scott," Joan said. She was getting her nose dusted by some makeup person.
"My pleasure," Scott said. He got a bit more dust on his nose before makeup person skittered off.
"Three minutes," a voice from the control room said over the speakers.
"Okay. Just to make sure we are on the same page, you want me to ask about the press conference, and I'm free to ask about Mitchel Sutherland, his father, your brothers, the band, and your sexuality?"
"That's right."
"Are you gay?"
"Yes," Scott replied confidently. Maybe this won't be so hard, he thought.
"All right. Once again, I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity."
"Glad to be of service."
"Ninety seconds. Scott, Joan, final mic checks please."
"Hello, my name is Scott Moffat."
"Thank you Scott. Joan?"
"And my name is Joan Martin. Welcome to Dateline NBC."
"Sounds good. Sixty seconds."
"Are you nervous?" Joan asked, fidgeting slightly in her chair.
"A little," Scott said honestly.
"Don't worry, it'll all work out fine."
That's easy for you to say, Scott thought. He rested his hands on his thigh and smiled at Justin. He got an encouraging smile in reply. He looked at the monitor and watched as they came back from commercial to Stone Phillips. Stone began introducing the segment as the control room brought up the lights.
"Ten seconds," the voice from the control room called out.
"Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three." The count went silent and the monitor switched over to a close up of Joan.
"Thank you, Stone," Joan began. "Tonight we are pleased to bring you an exclusive interview with Scott Moffat of the Moffat's. Hello Scott."
"Hello, Joan" Scott replied. He made eye contact with Joan like he had been taught and put his fears behind him.
"Now, you had a press conference yesterday, where you announced that you had been seduced by Mitchel Sutherland, the son of one of the executive vice president's at Capitol records."
"Yes, I did. But my statement was a lie concocted by an executive at Capitol records named William Evens and our agent, Jeff Hanson."
"They made you lie at a press conference?"
"Yes, they did. They felt that it was in their best interest if I denied being gay."
"Did you feel that way?"
"I don't care how many records we sell. It's nice having a large fan base, but I don't think my sexuality would do anything to drastically shrink it."
"Well, if you didn't agree with them, why did you agree to read the statement?" Joan asked. She wanted this interview to be her big break. The first few questions had been softball questions; it was time to start playing hardball.
"I wasn't given a choice. Mr. Evens told me that if I didn't read the statement exactly as it was written, Mr. Sutherland would be fired and arrested for fraud and embezzlement. I couldn't let Mitchel and Mr. Sutherland get hurt when they had done nothing wrong."
"So, Mr. Evens blackmailed you into making the statement?" Joan asked. She did her best to look shocked and concerned while she smiled on the inside. This was hot shit. No wonder Scott had insisted on not allowing any advance publicity.
"That's correct. I found out this morning that Mr. Sutherland no longer works for Capitol Records. I'm not sure if they fired him or forced him to resign or what, but I do know that it is likely my fault he is no longer with the company."
"I see. So you weren't seduced by Mitchel Sutherland, then."
"No, I was not seduced by him."
"Do you love him?"
"Yes, I do."
"Have you talked to him since the press conference?"
"No, we haven't had a chance to talk," Scott lied.
"What do your brothers think about having a gay brother?"
"They aren't happy about it, and neither is my father. Unfortunately, it's who I am. There's nothing I can do about it."
"So, will you be continuing work on your new album?"
"No, I won't be going back into the studio with them at this time. I think we need a little time apart."
"So, is this the end for the Moffat's?"
"For now, yes. I will no longer be recording with them, and I will not be going on the road with them when they complete the album."
"How close is the album to being finished?"
"It's almost done. I believe that all that remains is some mixing and back up vocals."
"I see. We've got just a few moments left. Is there anything you'd like to say before we wrap this up?"
"I just want to apologise to everyone I've hurt over the past few days. I'd also like to apologise to our fans. I just can't continue in the band."
"Thank you, Scott. We'll be right back after this commercial break. You're watching Dateline NBC."
"And we're clear," the voice from the control booth called out. "Thank you very much, Scott, Joan."
"It looked great," the floor director said as he walked up on the stage. A couple of technicians came up on stage and helped Joan and Scott out of their microphones before they were allowed off the stage.
"I hope things work out for you and Mitchel" Joan said as she and Scott started taking off their makeup.
"Thanks."
Scott quickly removed all of his makeup and put on a clean shirt. Justin smiled as he walked over. "It looked good. I think you said everything you wanted to say."
"You think so?"
"I do."
Scott smiled and followed Justin out to the rented Tercel. He had one more stop to make tonight.
Mitchel looked at his father and smiled as he watched the interview. Scott had stood up and said what needed to be said. He was so proud of him. The interview also cleared up a lot of doubts in Mitchel's mind. He now knew he loved Scott. And that he wanted him back.
Mitchel was surprised when the doorbell rang. He looked over at his dad who shrugged. "Why don't you get that?" His father asked.
"All right," Mitchel said. He stood up and walked to the door. When he peered through the windows he saw a rather ordinary looking guy in some messed up clothes. He looked a little closer and realised that he was looking at the man he loved. It was Scott. He pulled open the door, and hugged a startled Scott tightly. "Scott!"
"Hello Mitchel," Scott said. He was a little startled by Mitchel's response. "Can we come in?"
Mitchel released his grip on Scott and smiled at Justin who stepped around the corner of the house. "Yes, please." He ushered the Scott and Justin into the house and closed the door.
Justin walked past Mitchel and into the living room where Mr. Sutherland sat. He had called Mr. Sutherland after the interview to let him know that they were planning on stopping by the Sutherland residence after the interview.
"I take it you saw the interview?" Scott asked.
"I did."
"I meant every word."
"I know. Scott, I love you."
"I was hoping you'd say that." Scott leaned in and kissed Mitchel gently. They kissed for several moments until Mitchel broke the kiss.
"You're a great kisser," Mitchel whispered.
"So are you." Scott said. He gently caressed Mitchel's face and sighed.
"What are you going to do now?" Mitchel asked. "I mean are you going to find an apartment or something? I really want to be with you, Scott."
Scott looked down at the floor for a moment before looking Mitchel in the eye. "I have to leave, Mitchel. Justin and I are leaving California tonight."