Second Chance, Chapter 18
Warning:
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Chapter 18
Fall term was moving along rapidly. October was the time of the big homecoming football game and the dance on Saturday night. There had been a mad flurry of activity to find someone to go with.
Dylan was all excited because he had a date with Marissa Franklin who was one of the prettiest girls in the junior class. He could not believe that she had actually accepted his invitation. Aaron teased him about it every chance he got.
Josh and Eric were happy for Dylan because he seemed to have found a girl who was truly interested in him. Garret, however, seemed awfully quiet when the subject came up at the lunch table. His demeanor made the boys wonder again about Garret's feelings for other guys - Dylan in particular.
Eric and Josh went to the football game for lack of something else to do on Friday night, but did not attend the dance. They would not have liked seeing each other hold a girl close, so it was better not to go at all. Perhaps in time they would overcome that, but not at present!
"Hey look at this!" Eric exclaimed as he checked his email account. "Here's an email from Dane. It's sent to both of us. He says that they might be up here for Thanksgiving or Christmas and they want to get together if they are."
"That's cool! Maybe we can get them to sleep over here one night. We do have plenty of beds. I'd like to hear more about college life than what they've told us so far."
"He also says they just got on Skype and would like to cam sometime. They can't do it a lot because they have to study to keep up their grades. Both of them got mostly `A's at midterm and they don't want to slack off."
"So, how well do you know this Rob Mancini?" Eric asked of Josh as they were walking to their next class."
"Not well at all. We've never run in the same circles. His family's filthy rich. I mean we're comfortable, but they're probably millionaires several times over. I've seen his mom dropping him off at school in a big Beamer."
"He doesn't look like someone with money. In fact, if I met him outside of school, I'd assume he was a street person. Maybe he's on drugs. His hair is unkempt, he often looks like he hasn't had enough sleep, he doesn't dress that well, and he doesn't always smell that great. When Mr. Farley asked us to do our project with him, he seemed to imply that Rob had no friends. I can see why."
"Hey, since when do you go around sniffing other guys? I might be jealous here?" Josh snickered.
"Come on, you can't tell me that you haven't noticed he has a funky odor sometimes – especially on Mondays." Eric went on. "I respect Mr. Farley and I'll go with him on this because he's a great teacher, but it seems strange that a kid with bucks wouldn't have buddies who'd want him in their group unless there's something seriously wrong with him."
"Some guys are loners and some like the grunge look. I guess we'll know more about him tonight when he comes over. Let's not judge the book by its cover."
At 7:00 on the dot, the doorbell rang and Josh answered. Rob stood there in the jeans and hoodie that he'd worn to school, but wore no coat. He was shivering in the late October chill.
Josh escorted him up to his bedroom where Eric was setting up the card table for them to work on. There would be barely enough room for three laptops, but they could spread their books and papers on the bed. If things didn't all get picked up that night, it wouldn't matter anyway because they'd both sleep in Eric's bed.
Rob pulled out a notebook and pen from his backpack while the other two set up their laptops. Eric thought it odd that a rich boy wouldn't be using some top of the line equipment – maybe a Blackberry, but he didn't think it would be polite to say anything.
As the study session progressed, it was evident that Rob, despite his external appearance, was an intelligent, alert young man. He had no problem finding an important piece of information using Josh's computer when it was offered to him.
"Wow, you know your way around the `net," Eric exclaimed.
"I use the equipment at the library a lot. I used to have my own..." Rob said with a wan smile.
After working for nearly two hours nonstop, Josh said he thought they should go down to the kitchen for a snack before they called it a night. Rob was hesitant about accepting their hospitality, but relented after the guys insisted. The aroma of Scott's fresh-baked cookies helped seal the deal.
Ben came down to join the rest because he too had been enticed by the pleasant smell emanating from the kitchen. He wanted to meet Rob as well. He had handled a case for the firm that Rob's father owned when the company's own attorneys had been overwhelmed by a class-action lawsuit over cracked foundations. It never hurt to exchange pleasantries with a client's child.
He introduced himself to Rob mentioning the connection. Rob's body stiffened slightly at the mention of his father's name and Ben wished that he had not brought it up. He wondered if this was a case of the son trying to escape his father's image or if it was more serious.
Rob relaxed again once the conversation turned to other topics. He ate slowly, as if he were savoring every bite. At one point he mentioned how the cookies reminded him of his deceased grandmother. For a moment, he looked to be on the verge of tears.
Scott enjoyed the praise of his culinary arts and insisted on sending a few cookies home with Rob. The boy accepted them saying that he really shouldn't take any but couldn't refuse the kind offer. He thanked Scott several times for his generosity.
Eric and Josh watched as Rob trudged out to a van that looked like it had seen better days. When it started up, it sputtered a bit before roaring to life. The boys stood there shaking their heads.
At school the next day Rob seemed kind of withdrawn, but smiled with pleasure when Eric and Josh greeted him as they came down the hall from their locker. The trio headed for science class and worked together on the day's lab project after Mr. Farley asked the students to divide into groups of three.
Eric noticed that Rob was wearing the same clothes that he had had on the night before. That didn't seem right. If this kid was rich, you would think that he'd have had on a different outfit every day of the week.
They went their separate ways the next period. Eric headed for his advanced writing class. The minute he got there, Dylan sat beside him and quizzed him about his new friendship.
"How come you're hanging around `Raunchy Robbie'?"
"Dylan, that's not nice. He's a decent guy and really smart. What's your beef with him?"
"He's turned into a dirt-bag this year. He used to be a sharp dresser and really popular. He's just dropped out..."
"He hasn't dropped out of school and I've seen his science grades."
"Maybe he's doing some heavy shit." Dylan speculated.
"He's too alert mentally for that. He could be depressed or maybe his dad has gone broke. New housing starts have fallen off dramatically according to the news."
"Mancini Construction going bust? That would be like the Pope losing his religion! They do a multi-million dollar business. They might have to tighten their belts and put off buying a new Escalade until next year, but that would be a worst-case scenario."
November began with the historical election of a new president. After months of intense campaigning by both major parties, the actual vote turned out to be rather one-sided.
The Brady/Larson household was hoping that gays and lesbians would make gains in achieving more civil rights under an administration that was less conservative. Those hopes were dampened with the passing of Proposition 8 in California. It seemed strange to them that people who had been marginalized in American society would vote to inflict a similar status on others.
The month was moving even faster than the last ones, partially because of swimming. The boys were now officially practicing with their coach. He was working them hard. Sometimes they disliked all of the hours they were putting in, but they could see the reason for it. Josh and Eric were happy that they'd kept in shape over the summer. Not everyone had. Some of the guys were really exhausted. Jake Hall was one of them. The more he felt out of sorts with sore muscles and fatigue, the more he taunted Aaron about his sexuality. (Of course he did this when no adult was around to witness it.)
Aaron turned the insults back on Jake. If Jake called him a fairy, Aaron would smile and say something about fairies being light on their feet so they could move in the water unlike some lard-asses he knew. That would make the older boy furious, but he didn't dare make good on any verbal threats as long as Dylan, Garret, Josh, and Eric were around. Actually, there were probably more guys who would have come to Aaron's rescue if it came to that.
The one thing that was eating at Aaron was that his big bro was getting back his muscle tone and endurance. At this rate, it wouldn't be long until Dylan would be replacing him on the four-man relay squad. But Aaron was a realist. He started working more on diving so that he'd have his own event to star in when the inevitable happened. He wasn't so selfish that he wanted his brother to fail either, although he'd still like to surpass him if he could.
Dylan had a lot on his plate that fall. He was really worn out from swimming practice, his advanced classes, and also from his new-found love interest. Marissa had been rather gangly-looking during their freshman year, but puberty had been very kind to her since then. She was becoming a desirable young lady - filling out nicely in all the right places! A number of guys tried to date her, but she turned them all down except Dylan. Every time the two of them walked down the hall together, he looked moon-struck. Most of his friends grinned and snickered, but Garret was not among them. He looked like he'd lost his last friend.
Several days went by before Rob was due to come over to the house again. The guys had decided to devote most of Friday afternoon to working on their project since it was an early dismissal day and they would have a long uninterrupted time. Josh and Eric hated not to spend that time in their studio, but this was a major part of their science grade. Once it was wrapped up, they'd have time to devote to art and writing again.
The boys went home for lunch and a little "together time" before Rob was to show up at 2:00. He arrived on the dot as he had before. This time, he seemed a little out of breath. Eric didn't see the van parked anywhere in sight when he went to let him in.
This session was particularly productive. The boys got so engrossed in their work that the time flew by. It was nearing 5:30 when they finished, but the good part was that they had nearly completed the project. Another hour of work plus a bit of editing should do the trick. Eric would be in charge of the latter because of his writing skills.
They came downstairs to the pleasant aroma of dinner cooking. Rob swallowed hard and said that he'd better be going.
"Hey Rob, why don't you call home and tell your mom that we want you to stay for dinner?" Scott suggested.
"Oh, I can't impose on you," Rob answered.
"It's no imposition! We'd love to have you. Besides, it's no more effort to cook for one more person."
"You could ask her if you can stay over," Josh added. "We could finish up everything in the morning."
"No, I can't. I don't have any deodorant or toothbrush or anything -clothes to change into..."
"We have extras of that stuff. Dad always takes the freebies from the hotels," Eric laughed. "He's such a scrounge sometimes."
"Watch your mouth, boy, or I'll throw you out in the street!" Scott joked.
Everyone laughed except for Rob. Two big tears started to run down his cheeks before he turned away toward the door.
"I'll see you at school," he called over his shoulder as he left.
Josh and Eric ran after him. They caught up with the sobbing boy about half a block away.
"Talk to us Rob. What's going on?" Josh said gently. "Please come back and eat with us. You're way too thin. Let Scott fatten you up with his awesome lasagna. It might not be quite like your grandmother made, but it's really delicious. We'd like to help you with whatever you problem is – wouldn't we, Eric?"
"Yeah we would. You can trust us; we're your friends."
Rob allowed the other two to escort him back to the house. All three were shivering from the cold since none of them had put coats on. Rob was still wearing the same sweatshirt.
"Rob is staying for dinner and he's going to sleep over so we can finish in the morning," Josh announced as they entered the kitchen.
"I really shouldn't..."
"Rob, we've settled this. We want you here. What did Dad say that set you off?" Eric enquired.
"Okay, I'm gonna level with you right now. When I'm done, you may want to withdraw your invitation. What triggered my tears was when your father joked about throwing you out in the street. My father kicked me out last April. I've been on my own since then except for a short time when my cousin took me in. He bought me that old van and let me stay in his spare room, but he works for my dad's company and Dad was going to fire him if he didn't turn me out. He was going to defy my old man, but I left so he wouldn't get into trouble.
Summer wasn't bad because I stayed in a campground. There was a shower and toilets and I slept in the van. I had a job and was able to pay the fees and buy a few clothes at the Salvation Army store. It worked out okay until they closed the campground for the season. Since then, I've been parking the van at various places and using the shower at school when I have gym. It all fell apart this week when my van wouldn't start on Sunday. The police towed it and I don't have the money to pay to get it out, much less fix it. I've been sleeping under a bridge since then. I can't even get my other clothes and stuff out of my van.
Here's the worst part. I got kicked out because I'm gay. I'll leave now so you won't have to tell me to."
"No way are you leaving," Scott exclaimed as he drew the scruffy looking teen into an embrace. "I'll talk to Ben the minute he comes home. We'll figure out something. You can't be on the street! We understand in this house all about being gay. Ben and I would like to get officially married when we can."
Rob's eyes went wide for a second.
"You and Ben are a couple? I figured that you were, like, brothers or something. I guess I'm dense."
"We're gay too," Josh and Eric said in chorus.
"We'd appreciate it if you keep our secret, but you need to know so you'll realize that you're welcome here," Josh continued.
"No shit! Oops, sorry... I heard at school that you're cousins. You are related, aren't you?"
"Not yet!" Josh laughed. "We might have to get married before our dads do so that we won't be considered step-brothers. They might frown on it if we got married after we were related. We don't know who started the `cousins' rumor, but we've left it alone because it's easier than explaining our real living arrangement."
Ben arrived in the midst of the conversation and was soon brought up to speed on Rob's plight. He showed Rob to the bathroom to wash up and came back for a quick family conference. Everyone voted to take Rob in, at least for the time being. They would have to make sure that they covered all the legal bases before deciding how to proceed further.
When Rob returned, Ben hugged him.
"Welcome to our humble home. We discussed it after I shuttled you off to the bathroom. We want you to stay with us for as long as it takes to straighten things out. You will NOT sleep under a bridge as long as we have anything to say about it."
Poor Rob got all emotional again and he tried valiantly not to show it. Scott assured him that it was okay to let his feelings out.
"Hey, if you're gay, you're entitled to cry! We're a sensitive group and we don't hide our feelings in this house. We're all healthier for it."
Rob grinned through his tears as it began to dawn on him that he had hope at last. At first, he had worried about how Ben would treat him after learning about the connection with his father. But Ben had made a special point of letting him know he was safe and welcome.
Rob ate dinner as if it were the finest cuisine he'd ever tasted. It did taste authentic and it did remind him of his grandmother's cooking. It had been many months since he'd eaten anything this delicious and substantial. He felt like crying for joy all over again.
"Do you guys believe in God and miracles and all that stuff?" He asked.
"Yeah, pretty much," Ben answered as the rest nodded. "I'm not always so sure about miracles, but I'm open to the possibility."
"Well, I think I do," Rob continued. "I've been praying for help – even harder since the van got towed. I went to mass hoping God would notice me. I was down about as far as I could go.
I lost my job as a dishwasher at the Pine Inn. You know that dumpy little restaurant about three miles away? They said that I'd have to get a haircut and clean clothes before I could work there anymore. I mean, that place is such a dump that I can't believe they'd care how I looked or smelled. Anyway, I couldn't afford a barber and after I lost my wheels I couldn't get there very easily anyway.
The real reason I got fired was because the cook told lies about me. He kept hitting on me and I wouldn't give him the time of day. I guess he must have suspected I was gay. He offered to take me in if I'd `be nice to him.' You don't need to be a rocket scientist to know what he wanted.
Wednesday night I got attacked by a wino under the bridge because he said I was taking his spot. He was pretty drunk, so I didn't have any trouble defending myself, but it was scary. I stayed half awake for the rest of the night. I'll be really thankful to sleep inside again. A bed will seem like heaven.
After that incident, I told God that I was too tired to keep going. I thought about jumping off that bridge into the Mississippi, but something stopped me. I'm not sure what happened, but I thought my grandmother was there telling me to keep going; that I was going to get help soon. That's why I think God arranged for me to be here."
"Wow, that's pretty cool," Eric exclaimed. "I'd love to think that we might have been used by a Higher Power to make it better for you. But, how come you didn't go to a shelter or something?"
"I thought about it, but I didn't want to end up in a foster home or become a ward of the state. I certainly didn't want some judge to force my parents to take me back. I won't go back there again even if it means I end up dead!"
"We won't force you to go back, but we do have to contact your father to cover our butts. There are penalties for harboring runaways and I don't want to get caught up in that kind of mess." Ben stated. "Why don't we use the speaker phone and you can tell him where you are and get his permission to be here?"
"I can't do that," Rob said. "The minute he hears my voice, he'll hang up. Early on, I tried to get them to let me come back, but he insisted that he didn't know who I was!"
"Okay, I'll make the call. But you can speak up if you want. We'll record the whole conversation just in case we need it as evidence in a future court action."
"Hello."
"Hello, this is Benjamin Brady. May I speak to Roberto Mancini?"
"May I ask what this is about?" a female voice enquired.
"I did some legal work for him awhile back and I'd like to visit with him for a moment if he's not to busy."
"I'll see if he's available."
(pause)
"Hello, Ben. How are you? If you're looking for a recommendation, I'll be happy to give you a good one. You saved me a hellova lot of money."
"Actually, I'm calling regarding your son, Rob."
"I have no son by that name! I'll have to say goodbye."
"Wait, I need your permission to put him up for a while. He's been living on the street and I'll take him in, but not if I'm harboring a runaway."
"You can do anything you like with the boy. I want nothing to do with him! You can sell his faggot ass on Craig's List for his keep if you want. Boys like that love to be fucked!"
"Mr. Mancini, I have to warn you that the kind of statements you're making can be used against you in a court of law. He is a minor child and you are responsible for him until he reaches 18 at the very least."
"What is it you want from me? We may be able to work out a deal to keep this out of court. If he is willing to change his name, I might be willing to settle as much as $25,000 to get him out of my life."
"That figure won't begin to cover his expenses for the next two years, not to mention his college tuition. I'll get back to you with a figure after I've discussed it with my client."
"If he's your client, you're out of luck for getting any money from him or any recommendation from me. You could lose a lot of business if you cross me."
"I'm taking the case pro bono. I have a large enough group of clients with or without your recommendation. I'm sure that most of them will stay with me once they hear the details of what you've done to Rob."
"Don't push me, Brady."
"Don't threaten me, Mr. Mancini. I'll call you on Monday with our figure. Goodbye."
Rob sat stony-faced through the whole exchange, but there were tears running down his cheeks when he heard his father disown him again. Josh and Eric both put a hand on his shoulders.
"Well, Rob, I think we can get at least $150,000 from him, but we're going to start with $250,000 or more and see who flinches first. He knows what would happen to his reputation if the media got hold of your story. We're going to do a documentary-type video on your plight. The boys can take that on beginning right now. I want a record of how you look before you get cleaned up. It may embarrass you, but believe me it's going to be worth it to you in the long run."
"You're a smart lawyer and I'll do whatever you say. I'm glad you're on my side and I'll pay for your services after the settlement." Rob insisted.
"No, you won't. I want all that money to go to you. Josh and Eric are impressed with your character and your knowledge in science class and I trust their judgment. You're evidently a good person with a fine mind that will benefit from higher education and you're going to get the money you need for that. I'll take it off my taxes and it will give me great joy to have helped a kid who needs it."
Before they retired for the night, Eric and Josh had begun their interview with Rob. He repeated what he'd said earlier, adding a few details that he'd left out.
After they were done, they gathered clean clothes and toiletries for Rob to use. He emerged from the bathroom twenty minutes later looking like a new person. He beamed as they showed him the large, comfortable bed in the guest room that he would be using.
"This is so awesome! It's like paradise. I never realized how good I had it until I lost everything. I used to look down on kids that were dirty and shabby like I've been lately. I think I've learned a lesson that I'll never forget."
"Let's go down and get a snack before we tuck you in," Eric suggested. "We've got to fatten you up, but we'd better take some footage of you in your underwear to prove how your ribs are showing. That is if you're okay with that."
"Roll the camera! I want to nail that bastard! I'm not embarrassed to be half naked. I love to skinny dip when I get the chance."
"Us too!" Josh giggled. "We also sleep naked in this house, so don't feel you have to wear anything to bed if you don't want to. We usually throw on underwear when we walk around the house, but it's no big deal if you forget."
"I don't plan to sleep in anything tonight. I've slept in my clothes for months. I want to feel the sheets against my bare flesh."
After they had eaten their fill of popcorn, the boys all retired for the night. Josh was feeling especially horny after Rob had talked about sleeping naked. Eric felt the same way. Their lovemaking that night cut right to the chase with little foreplay, but lots of cuddling afterward.
The walls were thick enough to muffle their vocal orgasms, but Rob could guess what they were probably doing since he'd seen them head into the same bedroom. He grabbed a few Kleenex before bringing himself to a messy climax. He fell into a deep and peaceful sleep for the first time since April. As he drifted off, he said a little prayer of thanksgiving to God and his grandmother.
Author's notes:
This chapter is dedicated to Cameron and the other young guys who've been kicked out of their homes because of their orientation. There a lots of teens on the streets in the same plight. Unfortunately, they don't all experience miracles. Some take their own live in despair.
Thanks to all who emailed since last posting: Polar, John, McD, Jim We, Dave J, Caleb, Mike DeW, Ron M, Bill (TX), Baruch, Jim C, Tom A, Mark H, Tim E, Vann, Gary McC, Jian, and Paul R.
Can you believe the Supreme Court of Iowa struck down the anti gay marriage law in a UNANIMOUS decision? WOW! Perhaps the Bentonville crowd will have to reunite for one huge ceremony when licenses are issued again!!!