CHAPTER 47 - SUCK ON THAT AND SEE HOW IT TASTES!
MICHAEL
Lame brained dickhead?!
“Move it! If he gets to DEFCON 1 because of you, then you and I are going to have another problem!” Ma bitches from the kitchen, and Carl uses the buggy to nudge me along. I shoot him a dirty look and step inside.
“Or honey, we could just keep that for ourselves.” Carl calls out as he comes into the room.
“What do you mean?”
Yes, what do you fucking mean, Stepdaddy dear?!
“Why go through the unnecessary expense of getting something fitted that he’s going to grow out of unless, of course, Brian has told you something that you have been sworn to secrecy over?” He chuckles as he opens a small fridge. “What did he have this morning?”
“What do you mean sworn to secrecy? Pumpkin and carrot.”
“Well, with Brian, Justin and Little Grub becoming more of a family, you never know. They might want to add to it.”
You are fucking with me, right?!
“Wouldn’t that be borderline incest?” I scoff, and then six pairs of eyes swivel in my direction and nobody says anything for a few minutes. “Isn’t Daphne like his sister or something?”
LITTLE GRUB
Something is not right. Blob has done something. I am doing bubbies, I think Da calls them bubbies. Ga is not so soft and squidgy and Pa does not have his squishy face that he does when I do bubbies. I look around and try to find Da and Li so that they can take Blob away, but I can't see them. I don’t like Blob, I need Da and Li I need them! I know how to get them...
“WAAAAAHHHHHAAAAAAA!!!”
DEBS
“DEFCON 1!” I glare at the lame brained dickhead in front of me. “Even Gus knew that was a dumbass thing to say! Listen to him defending them!”
“Oh, for crying out loud! He’s hardly a human!” Michael flaps...actually fucking flaps his hands dismissively at my grandson and calls him hardly human!
“Get him outta here!” I order Carl, and while he deals with that I try to soothe Gus.
Ten minutes later he is alternating between screaming and grizzling, Carl and I exchange looks. “Needs his Daddies.” He declares and reaches for his phone.
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER
BRIAN
“Don’t you ever come near him again, do you understand me?!” I rasp at an unwisely belligerent looking Michael, he was still about when we arrived and followed us in, but he just shrugs. “Hardly a human…” I take a breath and try to shake off the restraining hand. “Let go of…”
“Brian, I am not letting go, and you are calming down.” I turn to look at Justin, his determination to stop me is as fierce as my determination to defend our Little Grub. “You are calming down. You are calming down.” He repeats firmly. “Gus needs Daddy hugs, so calm down.”
I nod and my heartbeat begins to slowly regulate. “Walk, while you still can.”
“Excuse me, you may have bought the house, but that is my Mother not yours, mine. I will…”
“Brian, go outside, just for a minute, please.” Justin tells me, and I am so shocked that I start to do as he says.
“Being ordered about by a twink. The aging Stud of Liberty Avenue is nothing but a whipped pussy boy.” His words stab into my back. “I am sure The Avenue will be delighted to hear how the mighty have fallen!”
My old feelings of insecurity bubble up but this time I push them aside and really think about what I have versus what he says I have and who I am. “Carl!” I call out and he steps inside, glaring at his soon to be stepson. “Can you get him for us?”
He nods. “Won’t be long.”
I hear the advance of a DEFCON 1 wailing Gus long before I see him, but the moment he is in my arms, he stops crying and buries his damp face in my neck. I rub his back until he calms down.
“The Avenue and The Boulevard know Michael. They see it every day, if this is what being whipped feels like, then I am glad. Every morning I wake up, I have a want and a need. I want cuddles with Little Grub and I need to see Justin, but it is not being whipped...it is being happy. Happier than I have been in the entire time I have known you.”
He gasps and tears gather in his eyes. “I can't believe you said that…”
“Believe it because it is true. Now Justin and I are taking our Little Grub - AKA Gus, not Little Gub or some kid called Guy - home.”
“Kiddo…” Debs interrupts gently. “...let him go to sleep before you take him home. Go up and give him a bath. Go on the pair of you, I will deal with this.”
BATHROOM
JUSTIN
Fucking livid does not come close! Little Grub is still hiccuping a little, but he is sucking his fist so that’s a good sign.
“If he thinks…”
“Brian, please calm down. This…”
“Justin, I am calm.” I raise an eyebrow. “Well, I’m getting there, but that was not what I was going to say. If he thinks he is going to force Debs to choose then he is mistaken.”
“What do you mean?”
“The amount of times I have seen those tears and heard those words, they are generally followed by Debs lambasting me for upsetting her boy and harping on until I make him all better…” He goes mushy as Little Grub starts to blow bubbles. “...well I have more important people to make better; you and him.” I grin as he lies him down to tenderly undress him, so I start to set the bath.
“Uh, Brian…” I snicker as I open the cupboard under the sink. “...have you and Debs been shopping for toiletries by any chance?”
“No, but she did ask if there is something specific that I used once. Told her that he likes Burt’s Bees, especially the oil, why?”
“Well that explains the four baskets then.” I start to laugh. “Sorry, make that five! And none of them are open!”
“What are you talk…” He trails off as he peers into the cupboard. “...I don’t believe it.”
“Well since we’ve almost run out of the oil and massage cream, I don’t think she’s going to mind if we take one do you?”
“No, I won’t....” Debs laughs from outside the door. “...there’s another 3 in the storage cupboard! Can I come in?”
I open the door and she steps inside. “Kiddo, he’s gone, so when you two are finished, put him down, and come and eat something.”
Brian just nods and tests the water, before lowering him gently into the tub.
LITTLE GRUB
Da and Li are here! I look around and I can’t see Blob. I knew they would get rid of him. I am all warm, and Li was doing the rubbing thing, I like the rubbing thing, on my front, it makes me feel all soft. Now Da is doing it on my back, I really like this...but I must tell them not to let Blob back in...will tell them in a...
MICHAEL’S HOME - AN HOUR LATER
KITCHEN
Well that’s another blot on her copybook! Ma threw me out, not Carl, but Ma! And she told me that it is up to me whether or not I come to the wedding! It is my choice, but she would be happy either way! Either way?! Either fucking way? I am her son, she should have uninvited me again, that way I would’ve had another reason for exacting my revenge. But oh no, she’s put the onus on me to decide. Well, that’s not how it fucking works in the world of sabotage and payback!
And as for Brian, I almost started to applaud! Such grandstanding, worthy of Custer’s Last Hurrah! But, unlike everyone there, I know now that everything he does is an act, a sham. He is a charlatan, a fraud, and a liar! He pretended to be my friend, he pretended to want a life with me, but he lied! He built my hopes up and dashed them cruelly on the rocks of doom and despair.
Plotting revenge and making plans for a new life away from here is hungry work! I look in the fridge and see nothing inspiring, so decide to order in and reach for my phone, but can’t find it. I must have left it at Ma’s. Then I remember about the van, which is by the garages! I start to panic as I can’t remember if I locked it or not.
“Remain calm, this is something that you bought for yourself. Of course you would make sure it is secure. It’s not something that he bought and could replace easily like he has replaced our friendship!” I head to the lounge and boot up my laptop before logging onto the GPS tracking site. The van is there, so once more I don my jacket to make my way to her house to pick up my phone, which is most likely where I left it.
GREENFIELD BOULEVARD GARAGES - SAME TIME
TREY
I knock on the side of the van and the driver waves his goodbyes. I look at the camper van and then think about what happened earlier. “I wonder…” I mutter as I dig in my pocket for the keys I found, and there is that all too familiar beep and flash. I open it up, and the first thing I spot is a phone on the floor. I gingerly pick it up because this thing is a travesty, and that’s just the phone! Has this man not heard of a screenwipe! Oh, this will never do, I can’t have this monstrosity here sullying up The Boulevard. Even if nobody else can see it, I can feel its dirty pervading presence. No, it has to go!
I drop it back where it was and pull out my pristine phone. “Ems, darling boy, it’s me. Oh, sorry Brandon, can I speak to him please? Hey, have you spoken to Debs or Carl at all today? No? Oh, an all-day-pray-away-day! I knew you were knocking some back, and heard tales of torches being sung! Anyway, listen, let me catch you up…”
Twenty minutes later, I am feeling much, much better, especially as a fuming Ems ordered the van to be towed posthaste, and, with one final look in the now empty garage, I close the door and punch in our new code.
“Marque, there is a tow truck coming for that. Can you make sure it is gone before you leave?”
“Sure, Trey, no problem, gonna be here a while anyway. Got all these garages to put the keypad locks on.”
“Not that I am complaining, but why are they being replaced?”
“Dunno. Carl called and asked if I could do it. Wasn’t doing much, and it’s double time. No brainer.”
“True enough. See you later, poppet!”
“Poppet?! Now that’s not one I’ve ever been called. You know, with me being 350 pounds of pure muscle with a tattooed head!”
“Oh hush!” I call over my shoulder, and his laughter fades into the distance as I make my way home.
DEBS AND CARL’S HOUSE - 20 MINUTES LATER
MICHAEL
We are at a standoff, which quite frankly, he of all people should not be challenging me to, especially here!
“I want to come inside my Mother’s house, and you can’t stop me!” I try to step inside, but again Justin pushes me back. “Touch me one more time and I shall have you arrested for assault. See how you like that!”
“Two things; for me to assault you, I would need to touch you. I am stepping towards you, you are stepping back - as is your wise choice. And secondly, you have been told to keep away from Little Grub, and he is still here, so you can’t be.”
“I want to check if I have left my phone here! I have things to do!” I fume.
“Is it on silent?”
“No it isn’t, not that this is any of your business!”
“Because I can ask Debs to call it, unless, you have another friend that you’d like her to call for you...no? Why am I not surprised.”
“It’s not here.” Ma says as she steps outside and pulls the door almost closed. “You didn’t come in with it. Try to think back to the last place you were, the reason why you have yet to explain, maybe you left it there. We are going to eat now. Come on, Justin.”
I recoil at the memory of last night, but there is something about the look on his face. He looks so self-satisfied!
“And what does that expression mean?!” I demand peevishly.
“It means, once again, I have bested you.”
I have to wipe that expression off his face, and I have just the thing! “What do you use when you thrash Brian?” He looks taken aback, I am so glad! “You know with that lifestyle you have corrupted him into.”
“What is he talking about, Justin?” Ma asks, and I can see the wariness on her face...she doesn’t know!
“Care to tell her? I am sure she will find it as disturbing as me, considering his past!”
“Justin?”
“I would need to speak to Brian first, and if he wants to share this with you then he…”
“He’s…” I jab my finger at him. “...a dominant! He beats Brian regularly and…”
“He’s a…” She trails off as she stares at him and then steps back inside. I hear Ma and Brian’s voices and feel triumphant, there is no way that she will allow Brian to be treated like this. No way!
The door opens and she’s back. “It’s disgusting isn’t it, Ma? You should…”
“You ever beaten him?” Ma asks.
“No!” He declares heatedly, and is red in the face. So much for besting me! “It’s not…”
“Justin…” She smirks, and puts her hands on her hips. “...have you ever beaten him?”
He cocks his head at her and smiles. “Of course I have! Although he’s 3-2 up with one tied.”
“And to think…” She turns to me. “...you are the same as them Michael but different.”
“What?!” I yell.
“Like hell…” He begins, but then chuffs a laugh and turns back to me. “...she’s right, however, the difference is that we enjoy delaying as long as we can together, but you deny yourself an orgasm simply by existing.”
“Justin, go and eat. Once again I will handle this.” He leans over and she accepts the kiss on her cheek before he goes inside.
“I was wrong about you. You are not a lame brained dickhead, you’re limp dicked and brainless!” She turns heel and slams the door in my face.
GREENFIELD BOULEVARD GARAGES - 2 HOURS LATER
I was so stunned at what he said that I went home to see if there is such a thing and there is! I can’t believe Brian would willingly subject himself to this! I got so lost in researching it that I lost track of time, but here I am, and staring at an empty space where my van is supposed to be. Not only that, but all the garages have new locks on them!
However, only mine has a notice on it; your van has been moved to another location, please go to Kinnetic Estates for your keys and the address. Sincerely, Emmett Honeycutt.
KINNETIC ESTATES - 40 MINUTES LATER
I have to run as I see Mel coming out and seemingly about to lock up. “Mel! Mel! Wait!” I am too focused on getting my van back to query the way she looked at me or the huff of annoyance as she reopens the door.
“This close.” She sounds like she’s bitching. “Stay out here.” She steps back inside and puts the door on the latch. She keeps me waiting for 10 minutes while she’s on the phone. I am about to knock on the door when she steps out, locks up and waits.
“You need them more than I want to give them.”
“Can I have my keys?”
“Debs raised you with better manners than that, but since I don’t want to be in your company for too long...” She holds out the keyring.
I snatch it off her and notice that the garage key is still on there. “What’s the point of this?” I take it off and go to hand it to her but she looks confused. “The garages have keypad locks, so I need the code for it and to know where my van is.”
“It has just been towed to your new house. As for the code, the answer is no. The garage and the contents have been forfeited, you have Justin to thank for that. If he hadn’t gone to his garage and found yours open, then…” I inhale sharply. “...however, you can keep that along with the key to the house. Put them in your memory box...to remind you of what you have lost.”
I wince as the keys dig into my palm, then exhale slowly. “I paid for the contents of the garage myself and…”
“Can you prove that? Do you have receipts?”
“Not on me, no!” I bite out.
“Then until you can provide documentary evidence to say you personally bought them, they remain forfeited.”
“Brian gave me the money, but I selected and physically got them!” I blast. “And he…”
“Hence me saying personally, as in from your own finance. You’ve just told me that you didn’t, so they are Brian’s and not yours.” She sneers and adjusts her bag on her shoulder. “I have seen the pictures, some of the pieces are really very nice, an improvement on your usual unsophisticated staple. It almost seems like you were maturing and setting up home with...”
I start to walk away before she can see how crimson my face is, but I am stopped by her laughter and turn around.
“You were! You were trying to set up house!” She announces, walking up to me with a bitchy grin on her face. “With Brian? As if! But it’s okay, it’s all worked out!”
“How is it all worked out?!” I snap.
“Well, Brian doesn’t need nor want them, so he’s going to give Debs first choice as a wedding present.” I feel sickened that he has, yet again, been so indifferent. “But you could get them back…” Her bitchy grin gets deeper at my quizzical look. “...if you wind your neck in, as Benson says, and be the son you’re supposed to be, she might leave them to you in her will!”