CHAPTER 31 - AND FINALLY THE WHO AND THE WHY…HOBBS

JUSTIN

Brian and I gape at each other. When Debs said she was going to confront Lindsay, after Brutus told us about their plans for a press conference, we thought fair enough. She’d always wanted a pop at her, but this, this is incredible! We are watching from the security office upstairs. Like all city offices, there are surveillance cameras everywhere.

“Christ!” I gasp. 

“Shush, twat, I am trying to listen!” Brian grumbles. 

DEBS

The room is quiet and everyone is looking at me. I dare not turn around to look at la-damsel, as I know that I will not be responsible for my actions!

“But you were more than happy to profit, well at least attempt to profit from Justin Taylor, weren’t you, Damsel?! As long as it got you what you wanted, you were more than happy, huh?!”

“Excuse me, what do you mean?” Charles joins the rest of the press pack in front of me. 

“Well, if she hadn’t pressed The Stud’s buttons, as only she could, he wouldn't have made Justin go to New York to be the best homosexual he could be. But that worked out, as he is in the place she would never be, as much as she and my unlamented son wished it, by his side, in heart and soul, but more importantly in his bed! And she ‘took’ a painting by Justin Taylor when she and her wife, who she cheated on with a man, came back from Canada to get framed, but neglected to tell her wife, who I repeat she cheated on with a man!.”

“So, her claims that they were going to be married when their son…” A woman begins.

“She has neither a son nor a daughter. They were emancipated from her about two, maybe two and a half years ago. The files have been released, well they will be in about ten minutes, so it will be a matter of public record, as are the records for the trials in New York. I was the executor of his estate, what little there was of it,. The redacted bits you would have to take up with her.” 

I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh as I face Justin’s would be killer. “So you took his name, did you, Hobbs?” I am surprised when he nods and smiles. “And what is that fucking smile for?! You almost killed him, and got diddly squat for doing so!”

“I know that, but that’s not why I am smiling. I am smiling because he has done the one thing I never thought he would do…”

“And that is?!” I spit

“I love him enough to give him both my name…” Marc interrupts. “...and forgiveness. You have to admit that he didn’t have to come to them with what they planned, did he?”

I nod, then turn to look at Vance. “And you, what did he do to you? Come, come step forward?!” I can feel the heat of his fury and embarrassment from here, time to make it worse. “Willingly, come on out or I come to you...and you know they will follow me.” I hear the chair scrape. “Do not move from that spot, Damsel!” I hiss over my shoulder. 

“Indeed she should not!” Is called from the door as Lynette enters. “Good afternoon, all. My name is Lynette. To my huge embarrassment, I am the sister to this person sitting here, and I am here to right a wrong. I thank you for coming, Christopher, you are long overdue an apology for what you went through before you attacked Justin…” 

“What he went through?!” I bellow. “What are you talking about?!”

“Why did you do it? Bash Justin Taylor, I mean. Why?” Lynette asks. Nobody says a word. “Okay, answer me this, did you realise you liked boys better than girls?”

Hobbs inhales sharply, I don’t think that he will answer. “Ten, I was ten.” He whispers; I frown at the look Lynette is giving me. 

“What?”

“Come on, Debs, think! Think like the Mother of Liberty Avenue of old.”

“About what? I don’t know what you are talking about, sweetheart.”

“Their confrontation when he told the ‘world’ about the hand job and said that he had no right to be there for a straight guy or something like that.” 

“Whose confrontation? I don’t know what you are talking about!” I am still scowling at Hobbs.

“Debs, Justin and Christopher had a confrontation on Liberty Avenue. Justin told him to leave, as he had no right to be there.” My jaw drops. “Chris and his cronies refused, saying he wanted to see how the faggots live, but it was when Justin told...may I?” I am not the only one confused as she looks at Hobbs again. Slowly he nods. “Justin told everyone that had crowded around that he had given him a hand job in the athletics room at school.”

“I never knew about that!” I glare at the camera. “Why would you say such a thing?! It was not your place!” I fume. “Wait till I get a hold of you!” 

“Because he was young and reckless, but it was because of Brian that you weren’t told. Brian sent the word out that nobody was to tell you. He knew what you would do, Debs…” She smiles at me. “...you would go and talk to him, try and make him see that it wasn’t a bad thing. You would’ve taken him under your wing, much like you did Justin. They could not stand what he did.”

“It’s true, I would’ve, but who are you talking about? What did whoever do to whom?” I demand.

“Brian got between Justin and Chris and would only move when Justin made him. His first instinct was to protect Justin, and it was because of that that his father found out.”

Hobbs is now so very pale and looks like he is going to fall over. “What did your father do?” I can barely hear Marc’s voice. “Christopher,  what did he do?”

“He...he beat...he beat me.. Really roughed me up, said he wanted to bash the faggot out of me. And then he destroyed my car. It was my pride and joy, and he destroyed it.”

“So you took the bat…” I swallow hard. “...to…”

“No, no! I really didn’t mean to! I...I wanted his car. He drove, so I was going to do to his car what my old man did to mine. See how he liked it. He must have told him, because how else did he find out?”

“Is that why you weren’t in school for a week?” Justin’s appearance startles us all.

“Yeah. I could barely move.” Christopher whispers. “Why did you tell him? Why?! Maybe I wouldn’t have...just why?!”

LINDSAY

No, this is not going to happen, there is no way this is going to happen! The moment she came in, I knew exactly what she was going to do!  

“It was Michael!” I yell.

“And, pray tell, how did he do this?” Debs sneers. “Michael would barely leave Liberty Avenue, especially since he was trying to make Brian jealous about him and David!”

“So what did you say?!” Charles demands.

“I didn't tell him! I swear it, I never did!” Justin protests.

“Not you, Justin, he’s talking to Lindsay, now that he’s got the measure of her. It was Lindsay that told your father about what happened between you and Justin, Christopher.” Lynette explains  “And Debs, she did hear it from Michael. She said she has never seen him so mad at Brian for defending the loudmouth twink, said he should have left him to reap the consequences of his actions. I am not sure when he told her, but when she was telling me about it, I remember the wrathful expression and the nodding.”

“When did she tell you?” Justin demands. 

“Before your prom, during my engagement dinner. I could not understand why she was so cross. I thought it might have been because Mel didn't come, not because she wasn’t invited, because she was, but she didn't want to come. She refused to be a hypocrite even for a couple of hours! Lindsay was at the bar, so were your parents, Christopher. She was listening to your father, saying how proud he was of the athletics scholarship and how much they were going to miss him when he leaves for it. Then she said...”

“Lynette...please…”

“That Chris and Justin would always have their trysts and handjobs in the athletics room to remember each other by.” I close my eyes as the one secret I hoped to take to the grave is laid bare. “So, care to explain that, Ms Peterson?”

Again, all eyes are on me. “I didn't wield the bat!”

“You might as well have done!” Justin bellows. “Because of you, his father bashed him! And then he bashed me!”