CHAPTER 7 - SEEING PLUTO AND HOW HE FOUND OUT

BLUE MOON HOUSE - JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT

ATTIC

BRIAN

“It looks like a truffle or a marbled egg. So beautiful.” I adjust my alignment slightly and wish Gus could appreciate it now. But as of this moment, he’s snuffling in his bassinet and rubbing his cute little button nose. I chuckle quietly as I put my camera up to get a picture for his album and wish that Justin was here to adjust the focus.

I break the pecan cookie in half again. We managed to persuade him to go up to four each, and he has promised to get the recipe off of his mom.

“Hey, Big Bad.” Emmett whispers, coming up with a steaming mug of something and a comforter. “Have to have hot milk with cookies and until we get a heater up here, you need this too. Now don’t stay up too late. I’m taking him down, okay?”

“Okay. Night, Emmy Lou.” He grins at me then gently carries Gus down. I switch the monitor on and curl up on the bay window sill. “A truffle. It definitely looks like a truffle.”

BEN AND JUSTIN’S HOUSE

ATTIC

JUSTIN

“Oh, I could just eat that!” I sigh as I look at Pluto. “Great, now I’m hungry!” I reach for the jar of cookies. I can’t believe they used puppy eyes and Gus to get extra cookies. I reach for my phone and tuck the comforter round me, then put a reminder in to ask mom for more supplies. She keeps offering me the recipe, but that would be opening a whole can of cooking worms I don’t want!

MICHAEL’S COMIC BOOK STORE - TUESDAY MORNING

MICHAEL

Yet again, it is going to voicemail! I wait for it to kick in; “Brian, it’s Mikey. Look, about the weekend... we both said things we didn’t mean. I, personally, was joking. It was just that. A joke! I guess tiredness can be the reason for your sense of humour failure. Can you call me so we can both apologise and go back to where we were? We also need to talk about getting that person out after he virtually assaulted me. You have a duty of care as a landlord and my friend!”

CHANDERS RESIDENCE, WARRENDALE - THURSDAY MORNING

DAPHNE

She is painstakingly wrapping the baby clothes and has a silly smile on her face. “I know, I know.” She beams proudly at me. “Still can’t believe, you, my daughter did this for Cynthia and her friend. So proud of you.”

“Thanks, Mom. Now don’t start!” I warn her as her eyes start to fill with tears.

“Can I have one last look?” She looks appealingly at me.

“No Mom, you promised. Stop pushing.” I put my phone firmly away in my bag and hold it tightly.

“I do not push!” She pouts and then sniffs. “I guide firmly and gently in the direction I want the person to go.” She sighs. “It was worth a try. So are you all packed and ready for school? I still don’t see why you can’t stay here and continue your schooling.”

“Carnegie has more flexibility. Besides, I want to get away from here. It was driving me potty with all the touching and the patting and the won’t be long now comments! And this is as far as I can go without you putting on a GPS tag!”

“This is very true!” Dad laughs as he comes in with more clothes!

“Dad! Not you as well?!”

“Yes.” He replies simply and hands them to Mom. “You going to be okay? I mean, when you see him with Cynthia?”

“I will be just fine. I was prepared to give the baby away; I was just carrying because Cynthia can’t.”

“I couldn’t do it. I’m sorry. I know I upset you by asking if what she said how it works was true, but I had to check, you understand?”

“Yes Mom, I understand. It may be true in her world, as in that’s the way she would treat...”

“I was all set to slap the woman. The sheer brass effrontery of her!” Mom growls. “I mean, I’ve never personally had much time for the family Peterson, but the way she was talking about being a mother without all the pain, pushing and weight gain, I was so annoyed! She was talking like she was lady bountiful and the surrogate was made out to be something out of a Handmaid’s Tale. And of course, she knew everything about the incubator. She actually called this woman an incubator, who would be compensated, because nobody does it out of the goodness of their heart!  And when she said - she actually said - that she would be at the birth and be the first one to hold the child as she wanted an instant bond; oh, I was ready to tear her hair out!”

“Mom, you need to calm down. You are not driving me to the station in that mood!”

“Alright, alright. I am taking deep tantric breaths, in and out, in and out...see?”

“Dad, you drive.”

MICHAEL’S COMIC BOOK STORE - FRIDAY AFTERNOON

I am no longer amused! It has been almost a week since Brian blew up at me and still nothing! I am feeling a little hungry, so decide to go to the new Diner. It's not as garish as the one that Ma ran, thank God, and the food is better. As I walk down the street, I take in how much the place has changed in my absence. I don’t get the recognition that I used to as her son and his best friend, but I’m sure I will get that back in time.

I come to an astonished halt as I pass the diner and see Emmett and Ma inside. I rap on the window and roll my eyes back at Emmett, before he slowly, very slowly, comes to open the door.

“Yes?”

“What are you two doing in there?”

“None of your business.” He retorts and slams the door in my face before pulling down some new blinds.

I start to knock again and then decide to keep knocking, no matter how sore my knuckles get!

“Michael, what exactly are you doing?” Carl asks, making me jump.

“Waiting for Emmett or my Mother to open up.” I retort and am about to start knocking again.

“You’ll have to knock harder for them to hear you in Woody’s.” He smirks before heading in that direction. I quickly catch him, and fall into step. He says nothing. I sigh. Still nothing. I clear my throat. Nothing. “If you want to know something, then ask.”

“What’s going on with the diner?”

“Don’t know.” He replies and then turns down a street away from Woody’s.

“Where are you going? Woody’s is this way!” I point out.

“But I’m not going to Woody’s. Maybe see you later.” His laugh fades into the distance and I flick him the bird!

I stomp up to the Diner at Liberty and Barker and find it full. Not only full, but I find my new neighbours there. Ben and his rescuers! I decide to join them.

BEN

“So if we start it at…”

“Hi guys, what are you doing? Mind if I join you? Thanks.” He doesn’t wait for an answer before sitting down and moving the papers and then pauses as he looks at them. “Kinnetic Inc is throwing a block party, to welcome everyone to the gayborhood? Oh my God! I can’t believe he’s done this! I knew he wasn’t upset about that joke! He’s throwing a welcome back party for me!” He sits back and smiles. “I shall be suitably attired and surprised! See you guys later. I need to go shopping!”

After he leaves, we all look at each other. “He surely doesn’t…” I start to smile.

“No, he can’t.” Eli states firmly, “Of course not!”

The door opens again bringing in two men, one who sounds exasperated. “How delusional are you to think that someone, who doesn’t even like you would throw you a block party?!”

“Okay, he would.” Eli shakes his head in disbelief.