CHAPTER PROLOGUE:
Gus was in bed. He could hear the TV on downstairs. His Grandparents sounded like they were watching some kind of opera. He was on his cell.
"I mean it Saraj, I am gonna live with you and your family...I am leaving tonight...yeah, I've got it all planned, I'm just waiting for my Gran and Grandpa to go to bed...my Dad? He's okay with it, just wants me to be happy and I'm happy in Toronto with all my friends...see you soon, I'll call you when I'm nearly there...it's gonna take a while, but I'll call you"
Gus ended his call to his best friend in Canada and went to the window and looked at the porch roof outside. He was fully dressed. Jumper and Jeans. He went and pulled out a bag from underneath his bed, and checked through it. All his stuff was inside and he zipped it up.
He just needed to wait. He opened his bedroom door and leaned over the grand banister and looked down to the gloom below. The opera was still in full bloom on the TV.
How much longer would he have to wait until he was out of here...
XXXXX
TRUTH FAITH
At Woody's bar in town, Josh and Nathan stood up at the bar buying their drinks. Nathan had just told him all about the brakes being cut on Justin's car, and that he needed to inform Brian.
"Are you sure about this?", Josh asked and was a little concerned and not afraid to show it.
"Yes I am. I've never been surer about anything", insisted Nathan paying the bartender for the drinks.
Josh lead the way to a place they could sit down, "You could land yourself into a whole lot of trouble"
Nathan was getting agitated because Josh didn't seem to get it, "Brian NEEDS to know about Uncle Brad!"
Josh looked about them. The place was sure busy tonight, but he failed to see Brian and Co in the mix, he looked back at his friend, "are you even sure he'll be in here tonight?"
Nathan shook his head, nursing his beer bottle, "Justin said Brian was meeting friends here..."
Josh looked up because Nathan had stopped in mid-sentence, and jumped up pointing his finger through to the crowds, "...there he is...over there...HEY BRIAN!"
Josh sighed and watched Nathan push through the people around them towards Brian who stood with a couple of friends.
Brian looked at Nathan with some annoyance, "Nathan...what do you what...spending your money in here while you've got a lawsuit to fight..."
Nathan shook his head at him, eyes all wide and bright, "It's about Uncle Brad..."
There was a slight knowing smirk in Brian's reaction to him, "Now, how did I know you were gonna say that?"
Nathan frowned, "You know?"
Brian looked at him as if he was too slow and stupid, "Course I KNOW"
Nathan swallowed, not really knowing how to react now, "So...errr...what are you gonna do about it...I mean...Justin could have been driving that car"
Brian nodded not looking at him, but to a group of dancers nearby, "I know"
Nathan hated this. Brian was giving him the impression that he was nothing to look at, "So...?"
Brian licked his lips and them stared straight at him all serious, "Give me his address"
Nathan nearly choked on his beer, "What..."
"Just give me it...I'm gonna pay your Uncle Brad a little visit"
Just as Nathan told him the address, one of Brian's friends cut in, "Hey Brian...quit the twink, we're heading up to Babylon"
Brian downed his beer in one hit and wiped his mouth with his hand and winked at Nathan, "be seeing you"
Nathan watched him and his two friends go. Josh was then at his side, "So? What's going on? What did he say?"
Nathan looked nervous, "I sort of gave him my Uncle's address..."
"What? What do you suppose he'll do...?", asked Josh.
Nathan wished he knew, "Shit knows..."
XXxx
At Babylon, Justin had just arrived and was scanning the area. He soon saw who he was looking for and made his way over to them. the music was loud and he had to raise his voice to be heard.
"HEY"
Danny turned and raised his eyebrows at him. Danny was dressed in a pink crop top and oozed attitude at the sight of Justin, "Justin...I KNEW you couldn't keep away"
Justin gave him a snide smile, "Oh? Why's that?"
Danny looked at him giving him the once over, "Because the likes of YOU STILL want to be relevant"
Justin looked at him and laughed, "No...you're mistaken...not at all...in-fact, I've decided that i don't CARE if I am relevant or not"
Danny looked back at him like he was deluded, "So WHY are you here?"
Justin remained relaxed, he shrugged and looked at him, "To see Stu make a fool of himself"
"What?"
"He's entering the best dressed drag queen competition isn't he? But I've heard that his favorite judge hasn't showed up"
Danny laughed back at him like Justin didn't know anything, "Stu doesn't NEED HIM to win!"
Justin did know something, and his face gave it away, "We'll see"
Before Danny could pump the information out of him, Justin spotted one of Brian's friends, "Hey Rob! What happened to Brian?"
Rob looked at him, "He took off...he said he had some urgent business to take care of"
Justin frowned, "What business?"
Rob pushed past him, "I don't know...I'm not his keeper...that's YOU"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
CHAPTER INTERLUDE:
Gus slid off the bed as he heard the bedroom door to his grandparents room close. He padded over in just his socks and opened his door on ajar and saw that all was dark and the strip of light that came out from underneath his Grandparents door was soon out.
He went back and grabbed his bag and then pulled on his sneakers and then slid the window up. He climbed out into the warm and humid night. The crickets chirped as he crossed the porch roof and climbed down the drainpipe.
Once on the ground he looked at his watch. It was past midnight. He was on his way at last.
Taking one last glance at his grandparents grand big house, he faced forward and hurried off up the street.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
In a run down house at the wrong end of town, Brad was watching the game on the TV. There was also a littering of beer can's lying at his feet on the couch. His eyes glazed as he focused on the TV screen.
His attention was stirred by a rap at the door. Brad put down the latest can of beer he was drinking and went over to the door and opened it. He saw Brian Kinney standing on the other side of the screen door.
"What the FUCK are you doing here...?", Brad said slurring his words.
Brian pulled open the screen door and pushed his way in not waiting for an invite, "You KNOW WHY I'm doing here..."
Brad turned around, "What the fuck are you on about Kinney?"
Brian looked about the dump he stood in, and then at Brad, "I take it you go the extra mile when you tinker with cars"
"Huh?"
Brian shrugged, "I grant you...", he claps his hands, "...you nearly got me...but as you see I've survived to see another day"
Brad came forward, "What are YOU accusing me of?"
Brian grabbed Brad by the shirt collar and was in his face with gritted teeth, "YOU CUT THE FUCKING BRAKES!"
Brad smirked at him, his eyes still glazed with all the alcohol in his system, "prove it..."
"I don't have to...I KNOW IT WAS YOU!"
Brad shook Brian off him and pointed to the door, "You want to step outside and have this out?"
Brian loosened his tie, "Oh yeah...nothing wouldn't please me more bozo"
Brad laughed, mocking him, "We're not at High School anymore Kinney...you don't know who you are taking on"
Brian mocked him back, "You want to play hardball with me Brad...or just suck on them?"
Brad lashed out. Brian was hit in the face and went flying over the coffee table. Brian was instantly scrambling to his feet dabbing his nose with his fingers and saw blood.
"Well come on Kinney...you accuse me of cutting your brakes...that was nothing, you deserve what's coming"
"and you like things CUMMING...look, I KNOW it was you who cut them so why don't you fucking admit to it...what if Justin had picked up the car?"
Brad laughed, finding that fact very amusing, "What? That fag? Your plaything? I suppose it wouldn't have been no loss to anybody...BUT YOU"
Brad was laughing now. Brian sniffed back the blood and then slid off his tie. His eyes were dark and menacing. This creature needed teaching a lesson. The tie was now in his hand. He walked over to the window and peered out and then those dark eyes were back at Brad. he was STILL laughing.
Brian was behind him, then with one swift swoop the tie was around Brad's neck and both ends were in Brian's grasp. Brad gasped. He was nearly choking and went to his knees. Brian was seething and had his mouth to his ear, "What's wrong Brad? Not funny no more...?"
Xxxxx
Meanwhile, Josh turned the car into the next street. Nathan was in the passenger seat and they were on their way to Brad's place. They stopped at the traffic light.
"Are you thinking he's gonna do something to him?", asked Josh looking at him.
Nathan shook his head, "I don't know...I just know there is a history there and it's not the best"
The light changed to green and they turned another corner and Josh pointed because he spotted it first, "Isn't that his jeep?"
Nathan through his hands in the air, "SHIT! He's here already...
Xxxxx
At Babylon, Justin was trying to get hold of Brian but his cell was switched off, "Brian! When you get this call me"
The club was busy and the stage was made ready for the drag competition. There was a tap on his shoulder and he turned to see Stu standing there. He was completely dragged up, and wore the most lavish and outlandish of dresses one could get hold of.
The false eye lashes nearly had Justin's eyes out, "Stu...hey...you're all ready I see"
Stu laughed through the lipstick, "Ohhhh I'm sure to win this...I ALWAYS do"
Justin looked at him, "Really? Even without your pet judge?"
Stu tried not to sound too concerned about that, "You've lost me"
"No...that should be...YOU'VE LOST the competition", Justin smirked.
All of Stu's fingers were potential weapons. His nails not only painted radiant pink, but were also razor sharp.
"What do you know about any of it?"
Justin shrugged and watched as other drag queens paraded the stage, "Your pet judge was taken ill...you see...", he looked at Stu, "...I know because his replacement is a friend of mine...Emmet Honeycutt...you've got NO chance of being the runner up, never mind the winner"
Stu saw red and started attacking Justin with 'her' nails. Justin ducked and moved out of the line of attack and then grabbed the dress and pulled it. The thing ripped apart and Stu's wig went flying off. A cheering crowd gathered around as the two of them wrestled to the floor.
Xxxxx
Nathan was first through the front door of Brad's run down house. He could see Brian choking his uncle with his tie.
"Uncle Brad?"
Brad tried to move his eyes. His face blustering and red, "Nat..."
Nathan leaped forward and pushed Brian out of the way, the tie losing it's tight grip and Brad was left gasping for air on the floor on his hands and knees.
Nathan looked at Brian sitting on the floor perplexed of what he was about to do, "What are you doing? he's NOT worth it! He's SCUM and not worth rotting in jail for"
Brad was not pleased at being called that by his own nephew, "Scum? SCUM AM I?", before Brian could warn him, Brad grabbed Nathan by the neck, "FUCKING LITTLE CUNT!"
"Dad hates you...I hate you...WE ALL HATE YOU!"
Brad in a fit of rage threw Nathan up against the wall and he fell on to his backside heavily with a thud.
Brian grabbed Brad and restrained him. Josh was in and looking at Nathan, "Nathan? Nathan what's wrong..."
Nathan looked up at Josh, "I can't get up...Josh I can't get UP!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
CHAPTER EPILOGUE:
The highway was quiet at this time of night. Gus strolled along it's side and glanced at his watch. It was now past 2am. He looked up to the night sky. The moon was casting long shadows onto the road.
It was then he heard the truck. He turned around and saw the headlights. It approached. Gus put out an arm and gave it the thumbs up.
The truck screeched to a halt and the hydraulics of the brake hissed. The passenger door swung open and a deep voice called out.
"Hey young man...where is a youngster like you heading to this time of the morning?"
The voice was gruff. Gus climbed onto the wheel guard to peer into the trucks cab, "Toronto, Mister? You going that way?"
"I can go anywhere you like young man...why don't you hop in here..."
Gus swallowed unsure. Toronto was a long way still. This could be a good thing.
"Are you getting in lad?"
Gus nodded and jumped into the cab and closed the door. The driver licked his lips.
And then...the truck pulled away and headed up the highway into the distance.
XXX
Author's Chapter Notes:
Merry Christmas to you all.