Brian picture by Tadzio ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 3: Halfway home, Brian changed direction. The last people he wanted contact with tonight were his parents, so instead, he decided to head for Michael’s. It had started to rain and by the time he got there, Brian was soaked through. Ringing the doorbell, his head hunched down into his sweatshirt and hands buried deep in his pockets, he was a sorry sight when Debbie opened the door. “Brian?” she said. “My God, come on in honey, you’ll catch your death out there tonight”. She ushered him inside and then yelled up the stairs. “MICHAEL – fetch a towel down from the bathroom, quickly now”. Michael, reading his comics up in his room, heard her calling. Wondering why she would want another towel downstairs so urgently, he trotted into the bathroom, opened the linen closet door and took out a nice soft, warm towel. Coming down into the kitchen, looking for his Mother, he was more than a little surprised to find Brian standing there and not for the first time today, soaking wet. He couldn’t help but feel embarrassed, remembering the last time he’d seen Brian, in the soccer coach’s shower, giving the man a blowjob and his Mother had to take the towel off him. “Michael, give it here” she said, giving it to Brian. “Here sweetie”, she said and Brian started to dry his hair. “That won’t do”, she said. “Michael, take Brian upstairs and find him some dry clothes” and turning to Brian she said, “I think you’d better take a hot shower or you’ll get a chill and then we'll see about getting you home”. Brian hesitated. “Mrs. Novotny”, he said. “Do you think I could stay here tonight?” Debbie looked at him. “What’s the matter, Brian? You in trouble at home?” She looked at Michael for help, but he just shrugged and Brian dropped his head, she couldn’t read anything in his eyes. “Sure sweetie”, she said. “Why don’t you call your Mom and just say you and Michael are having a sleep-over tonight, so she knows where you are”. “Couldn’t you do that for me – please?” asked Brian, looking up at last. “OK” said Debbie. “Give me the number and I’ll call her”. Brian gave her the telephone number before he and Michael headed upstairs. Debbie dialled it and was just about to give up when it was answered. “Hullo” said the voice on the other end. “Mrs. Kinney?” asked Debbie. “Yeah”, came the reply. “This is Debbie Novotny, my boy Michael is friends with Brian”. She waited for a response, but nothing came so she continued. “I was just ringing to check that it was OK for Brian to stay the night. It’s getting late now and I don’t want to send him home on his own at this time. Is that OK?” Again she waited. It would seem the woman on the other end had trouble processing what she was saying. “Mrs. Kinney?” repeated Debbie. “Sure” came the reply. “Whatever. He does what he likes in any case…” but Debbie could hear another voice in the background saying, “Who is that? Give me the fucking phone”. She heard muffled sounds on the other end of the line and then a man’s voice spoke. “Who is this?” he demanded. Debbie was taken back by the severity of the tone and repeated what she said earlier. “This is Debbie Novotny, my son Michael is friends with Brian and I was ringing to make sure it was OK for him to stay here tonight as ………….” But she was cut off. “Tell that little shit to get his ass back here. It’s time he was home. He thinks he can do just what he goddamn likes all the time.” Debbie took a deep breath, she’d met assholes like him before and wasn’t about to be intimidated by him. “Mr. Kinney”, she said. “I’m afraid I don’t like your tone and quite frankly, there’s no way I’m sending Brian home while you’re in a mood like this. Perhaps by the morning everything will have calmed down, but right now, I think the best thing all round is for Brian to stay here tonight. After all, tomorrow's Saturday, so it's not like it's a school night and I'll bring him home myself in the morning. Good night to you” and she put down the phone. ‘Jeez’ she thought. ‘Does Brian have to put up with that?’ She could feel she had reddened in the face and took a moment for it to subside before she went upstairs to find the boys. There was no way she was going to let Brian go home on his own in the morning, she wanted to be there to see what sort of welcome he received. When the two boys headed upstairs, Brian went into the bathroom to take a shower, whilst Michael sorted out some shorts and a tee shirt for him to sleep in and took them into the bathroom. He could make out Brian’s form through the plastic shower curtain and not for the first time that day could he feel himself flush at the vision of Brian naked. “I’ll leave your things here” he called out. “Thanks” replied Brian, stepping out of the shower, not thinking of covering himself in front of his friend. Michael didn’t know whether he should leave or stay. He didn’t want Brian to see that he was uncomfortable there, in the bathroom with him, so trying very hard to act natural, he stayed as Brian dried himself off and got dressed. “Is everything OK?” Michael asked. But before Brian had a chance to answer, Debbie was knocking on the door. “Are you guys decent?” she yelled, but bowled right in without waiting for an answer. "MOM!" said Michael. "What?" came the reply. Brian had already put on the shorts and was putting the tee shirt over his head and Debbie was sure she could see the remains of some old bruises on his ribs. 'Christ' she thought, 'the kid sure is skinny'. "I spoke to your Dad….." Brian looked up, horrified at the prospect of his Father's reaction to receiving a call from one of his friend's Mothers "and I've told him you're staying here tonight" she continued. "What did he say?" Brian asked. "Well, he didn't sound terribly happy, but I assured him I would get you home in the morning so he didn't have anything to worry about" replied Debbie. "Now, have you eaten?" Brian shook his head. "OK, I'll make you something and bring it up. It's getting late boys," said Debbie, heading out the door. "I know it's Saturday tomorrow, but I don't want you up chatting all night". And she picked up Brian’s wet clothing from the floor. “I’ll take these downstairs. They should be dry by the morning”. The boys moved into the bedroom. Picking up the comic, the one he'd given him, from Michael's bed, Brian smiled "You still reading this one, Mikey?" he asked. "Well," replied Michael, "I've actually read it about six times now. The new one's due out tomorrow. You want to come with me to the store to get it?" he asked. Brian shrugged, making no commitment. The boys chatted and a little while later, Debbie came back with some hot milk and a big plate of that night's leftovers and two forks. "There," she said. "Tuck into that and then get off to bed". When she got to the door she turned back. “Brian”, she said. “So you know, you’re always welcome here. Any time – you got that?” “Thanks, Mrs. Novotny” said Brian and Debbie smiled as she left the room. They soon finished off the re-heated cannelloni and milk, and then finally, Michael asked again. "Are you OK, Brian?" Brian put down his fork. His thoughts were all jumbled up and even if he could talk to Michael, he wasn't sure how to put it into anything intelligible. "I came looking for you earlier" continued Michael: “after school”. He and Brian looked at each other, and Brian knew then that Michael had seen him earlier with Gary. "Is he your ……." Michael hesitated, unsure if he should continue. "Boyfriend?" offered Brian. "No, Mikey. He's not my boyfriend. I'm not into boyfriends," he said, echoing the words he'd been on the other end of just a couple of hours earlier. "Does that make you uncomfortable, my being here?" asked Brian. Brian was hoping that this wouldn't affect his friendship with Michael. He didn't need another rejection right now. Without saying anything, Michael went to his closet and began rummaging around inside. After a few moments, he came out holding a two-year old copy of ‘Men Magazine’, which he handed to Brian. "Where did you get this?" said Brian, taking it from him. "It's my Uncle Vic's," said Michael. "That's my Mom's brother - he's gay. I found it in his room after he visited us one time. And, just so's you know, I think I'm gay as well". Brian heaved a sigh of relief. Looks like he wasn't going to have to start explaining how confused he was about everything right now, 'cos his guess was that Michael was probably feeling the same way. "When did you know?" he asked him. "About a year ago, I think" answered Michael. "The other boys in my class started talking about the girls and the movie stars they were hot for and I couldn't think of anyone I liked. At least, not a girl, that is. How about you?" "'Bout the same here" answered Brian. "I haven't said anything to Mom yet" said Michael. "How about your folks?" "You gotta be kidding!" exclaimed Brian. "My Dad would kill me if he found out". "Hey, you boys" Debbie hollered up the stairs. "Quit the yakker and get that light out. You hear. We've all got stuff we have to do tomorrow and I've got a double shift at work". "Mom's a waitress," said Michael. "She sometimes has to work long hours". They climbed under the bedclothes. Michael only had a single bed so there wasn't too much room to spare, even with Brian's slight frame. "At least you know your Mom really cares about you, Mikey," said Brian. "Mine doesn't give a shit about me". The room was quiet; the only sound to be heard was the sloshing noise of traffic moving on the wet road outside. "Bri," said Michael. "If you want, we can do this properly next time. Maybe get a video out and we can do a proper sleepover. If you'd like to, that is" "I'd like that, Mikey" answered Brian and very soon, both boys were asleep. Snuggled together and drifting off, Brian was comforted in the knowledge that he'd found a friend that he was sure he could depend on. It took Michael a little longer to get to sleep however. His thoughts kept returning to seeing Brian with the teacher and again in his own bathroom earlier that evening. He remembered Brian had said that he 'didn't do boyfriends', but he was hoping he might get him to change his mind. Michael woke up around 6.15am. to find he was alone. He checked the bathroom and downstairs, but Brian had gone. Brian had slipped out of the house just before 6.00am. There was no way he wanted Debbie to take him home that morning. They might run into his Father and he didn't want her to meet up with him. Running all the way, he managed to slip into the house before either of his parents were up. Quietly, Brian crept upstairs, remembering to step over the third stair on the way, the one that always creaked. He thought he'd got away with it, but passing his parent's bedroom door, it suddenly opened and he was confronted by his Father. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Jack demanded. "Treating this place like a goddamn fucking hotel!" he yelled and before Brian could step out of the way, he lashed out, sending Brian tumbling backwards. His foot slipped off the top stair and he was sent flying. For once, Jack realised he had gone too far. Brian was lying at the foot of the stairs and he wasn't moving. To be continued. 26 March 04