CHAPTER 30: Enemy by Gobsmack

"The Enemy"

Hey! Oh, Mr. backstabbing son of a bitch

You're living in a world that will soon be dying

And I know, everybody knows you try to be like me

But even at your best, as a man you couldn't equal half of me

You! You're another shit talking punk to me

You're living inspiration for what I never wanna be

And I see, you've been blinded by what you believe

And now back up and sit down, shut up and act like you need to be

I am realizing, that everybody's lost their simple ways

And now that is here, I see it all so clearly

I've come face to face with the enemy, oh the enemy!

EMMETT

I have to hand it to George and Malcolm… when they do something, they pull out all the stops. Their bottomless budget is letting me really stretch my talents. The fact that they are paying me an exorbitant fee to make their dream day happen is making my own dreams come true. I can finally stop being the haberdashery to Disco trash and finally get this party planning business off the ground. It helps that Vic has already signed on as the chef and Darren has agreed to assist him.

This will finally close all the mouths that told me I was crazy to try this without a degree, especially that unfabulous dame of social climbing herself, the pretentious Lady Lindsay. Bitch!

“Mind if I join you?” I hear as I’m going through all of my notes from this morning’s early meeting.

“Not at all, Ben. It’s good to see you! How have you been?”

“I’ve been better but I have also been worse too, so I can’t complain. What have you got there?” He nods at the mountains of paper piles, spread all over the table. Starbucks certainly has its many uses!

“HoneyGrass Elegant Creations is finally taking off, and in a big way! No more rinky dink parties for the foreseeable future, no matter how grateful we have been for the business. My first major clients, George and Malcolm, are getting married at their estate in Sewickley. I know the table is a mess, but I really am organized, I promise.”

He laughs and I have to admit, it’s such a nice sound coming from him. Once again, I have to say that Michael is a damn fool! “Well, it might be more organized if you actually invest in a laptop and portable scanner. You’d be able to put them all into files according to party and save the hard copies in an actual filing cabinet, instead of sitting here looking like a well-dressed homeless Hattie.”

I snickered, but he does make a lot of sense. I must look like I’m being overrun by papers. “I suppose you have a point, but I don’t know too much about those things. I’m sure with you being a professor and all, it’s probably old hap for you.”

He looks down at the table before making eye contact with me again. “I suppose it is. In fact, I really need to get a new one.”

“What’s wrong with your old one?”

“Michael bought it for me,” he says, and I can hear the unvoiced with Justin’s money he left unsaid. “I really don’t want the reminder of him.”

“I certainly can understand that.” We both become quiet, until I decide that a mood stabilizer is called for. “Well Gorgeous, I guess it will be your absolute and divine pleasure to accompany me to the electronics store. Just think, all those computer geeks with their pocket protectors and knowledge oozing out of their ears, trying to help their electronically-deficient and desperate customers. You know, I always did have a thing for men who know their way around retail, especially those with glasses. I always thought they were sexy in a naughty librarian sort of way. So how about it? You, me... the geeks?”

He snickers. “Yeah, we wouldn’t want you to try to kidnap a geek, would we? Someone has to keep you out of trouble.”

“And who better than a well-muscled school teacher to drag me away, and save me from committing felonious acts?” We both laugh at that. “Besides, I have to find a new place later. It’s a good thing George and Malcolm are paying me well.”

“I thought the situation with you and Ted was working out well.”

“It is- or was- is a more accurate statement. But I think he’s been in contact with Blake again. I hear he’s cleaned up really well. Besides, he and I have decided that we’re better off as the best friends we are. So I want to give Teddy all the space he needs, to see if… to see if they can make a real go of it this time. He deserves all the love he can get.”

“You don’t sound too happy.”

“I am, but I’m also a bit biased. No one will ever be good enough for Ted in my book. But Blake… you know what, it’s not my decision.”

“It isn’t, but that doesn’t stop you from caring, and hoping that he’s making the right one for himself.”

That last sentence is what really catches my attention. My heart bleeds for Ben. Michael is such a fool! “But that’s the way true friendship is, Ben. It’s not selfish or controlling; it lives and breathes and is not to be stifled. Michael was never a true friend to anyone, not even himself.”

He sighs deeply. “I suppose you’re right. He’s his own worst enemy.”

“Yeah, he is. And Lindsay is, too. It’s no wonder they became partners in crime. Like recognizes like. You gonna be okay?”

“Yeah, I will. Mel and I have bonded over this whole thing, and she’s turning into a real friend. It’s funny, but she’s so different than when she was around Lindsay. More free with her words; less uptight. She’s not so bad. I guess the same could be said about me. I don’t feel the need to make excuses for my thoughts, feelings, or opinions anymore. Nor do I have the need to clean up the thoughtless and seemingly innocent, yet malevolent, utterings of Michael. For the first time since meeting all of you, I feel like I can just be myself and it be accepted.”

“Honey, I completely understand where you’re coming from. For so long, I felt like an outsider where the Brian and Mikey show was concerned. But over the years, I’ve learned that it wasn’t Brian’s fault. He’s far from perfect- well, except in his looks and attitude about life- but Brian’s not a phony. Well, except where Justin was concerned. We could all see that he was falling for Baby, Michael most of all. So when he hooked up with David, I was relieved that Michael would finally let Brian be himself, instead of the person Michael wanted him to be. Contrary to popular opinion, Brian didn’t like David- that’s true. But more importantly, Brian didn’t like that Michael seemed to be treated like a trophy instead of a person. Yet, he didn’t do anything to break them up like Debbie thought.

"It was more of Brian trying to give Michael reasons to stand up for himself, whereas he’d never had to do that before; Brian or Deb always did it for him. He was trying to give the Michael we all thought we knew, a way to direct his own life. Now we all know that Michael was really the puppet master behind all of the drama of that time; scheming and manipulating, while trying to rewrite his and Brian's history to include jealousy over Michael's boyfriend. What a load of crocodile shit! He didn’t want David, not really. What he actually wanted was for Brian to pay attention to him, instead of the twink Brian couldn’t let go of. Sadly, it worked for awhile.”

“I guess that’s what happened with me as well?”

“I hate to say it, Ben, but to an extent, yes. If Michael could have the Brian we all know and loath at times, mixed with your qualities as a faithful man in love with him, Michael would have been the happiest gay boy that ever lived. The way I see it, the only man who could ever bring Brian to the gates of monogamy is Justin Taylor. Fortunately for gay PA, neither one of them are ready for that. So whether that ever happens or not, the lot of us are lucky. We get to watch the ongoing soap opera of the King of Liberty and the youngest King of Babylon.”

“So you think they’re back together, too?”

“Honey, after what I saw last night it’s only a matter of time, if they aren’t already. With the constant revelations of Michael and Lindsay’s duplicity, they are going to be driven together more and more, since Brian is still able to make business-related decisions for Justin if he’s unavailable. It’s how Mel and Ted started looking into the whole Rage business in the first place. Brian felt that something wasn’t quite right, after a comment Lindsay made. So he asked Mel and Ted to do some fact-finding.”

“And what they found was that two crabs in a bucket joined forces to keep a certain young one from climbing higher than they ever would.”

I had to think about that metaphor, which took me back to my childhood in Hazelhurst. But yeah, it was completely accurate. I remember when we went to visit my aunt in Louisiana the first time and she took us crabbing. She was making a seafood gumbo, which turned out to be to die for. Which reminds me, I really need to call Aunt Rachel and get that recipe.

But anyway, I remember seeing the underwater trap filled to the brim with crabs. The gentlemen asked Aunt Rachel if he wanted her to dump them for her. At first I was confused, until she said yes. They brought out this huge- well huge in my eyes at the tender age of eight anyway- crate that seemed large enough to hide a body. Standing on a ladder, the man dumped all the crabs in along with a second crate, saying that he would like her to make a pot for him and his wife too.

She agreed and he gave her those for free. What caught my eyes was that as soon as one almost got free, a claw from one of the others would drag it back down. I thought it was a game they were playing, but now I see it differently. And it makes me incredibly sad that I do. Anytime Justin would seem to be doing better than Michael and/or Lindsay, they would start throwing roadblocks at him.

If he and Brian seemed to come to an understanding about anything, they would start injecting their opinions and passive-aggressive reminders about who Brian is and what or who he should be doing. I’ve often wondered if they really even loved Brian at all, the way they have always purported to. Or was it just the idea of him, or his mystique that they really loved? I mean, shouldn’t you want the person you love to be happy? Shouldn’t you want what’s best for them, even if it doesn’t necessarily line up with what you, as their friend, think they should do?

That’s what made Teddy and I call it quits. We didn’t want to end up like we were beginning to see Michael and Lindsay as… didn’t want to be those crabs in a bucket. 

“Yeah, that’s what they found, Ben. That’s what they found and ultimately why Teddy and I knew we couldn’t make it. We didn’t want to become them. Besides, with Brian starting Kinnetik, Ted will be all kinds of busy as I will be with HoneyGrass. It just seemed better to end it before we self-destructed.”

He nodded. “Well in the meantime, if you need a place to stay, Hunter and I have extra rooms. We only take up three rooms so there is an extra bedroom and a space that can be used as an office.”

“Why did you buy such a big house?”

“Michael and I had been talking about moving. With Rage taking off, and between my writing career and professorship, it seemed like the apartment was getting…”

“Overcrowded, and you wanted to up your status as a professor instead of living with the professional party boys. It’s okay, you can say it.” I laugh at his chagrined expression.

“Yeah. A few of my students saw me coming out of the building a few times. Plus Michael and I had just signed the papers. Fortunately, Ted was able to reverse it during the cooling off period, and I was able to keep the house. Plus Hunter’s adoption had just gone through. So all of this is really happening at a fortuitous time for me. So will you be moving in?”

It was time that I took my own chances. Besides, seeing hunky Ben around the house until I could find my own eye candy couldn’t hurt. A gay boy definitely needs his fantasies fed and what better way, I ask you? “Surely! But first, we need to find me a laptop and a filing cabinet. Living with Michael has given me an itch for cleanliness. That boy… between Debbie and I, it was almost round the clock cleaning!”

Ben laughs as he helps me pack up my things. As we’re on our way out of Starbucks, he turns to me and says, “I’m really glad that you agreed, Em. Not just for the help with the mortgage but because…”

I knew what he was trying to tell me. He would have been lonely, even with a precocious teenager underfoot. “I know Ben, so you don’t have to say anything. It will be nice to cook for someone else. So consider yourselves my guinea pigs!”

“That’ll work!” We laugh, and continue our conversation on the way to the electronics store. Watch out geeks! The Hunky Professor and his Dazzling Diva roommate are on the prowl… for computers, but still….  

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ADLS

BRIAN

I knew the minute they entered the room that it spelled trouble. But nothing, and no one, could have prepared me for just how much.

“Brian, Justin, I’d like you to meet District Attorney, Annette Donnelly and Assistant District Attorney, Garrett Dickerson. They will be prosecuting the cases against Ethan and Michael respectively. Well, that is if there is going to be one…”

“What do you mean if? With all the evidence, I can’t see that there wouldn’t be one,” Jennifer asks the question, just as I’m about to.

“Well… you know what… I think I’ll let the DA’s office answer all your questions, especially since I’m Justin’s attorney in this matter. But I’ll jump in as necessary to clear things up, okay?”

Looking at Annette Donnelly, she would be the last person I would ever think to be a tough-as-nails attorney. Even as a gay man- or especially because of it- I can appreciate a beautiful woman when I see her. She looks more like a supermodel gracing runways, instead of a law-book worm who has probably spent more time inside of a library and courtroom than anywhere else. Judging by the faraway look in Justin’s eyes, I’m gathering he is having the same visceral reaction to the aesthetic-phenomena we’re beholding. Although the twat will want to paint her.

“So Mr. Taylor, Mr. Kinney, we’ve received Ethan Gold’s statement and I have to say, even I’m surprised by the details of it. He states that although he knows he’s not going to be absolved of his part in this mess, he didn’t want his co-conspirators to go unpunished, simply by throwing him under the proverbial bus.”

I nodded. “Ah, the ‘No honor among thieves’ theory. You know, I never took Ian for having a brain that wasn’t located below the waist.”

“Ian?”

“Brian, behave,” Justin tells me, before addressing Ms. Donnelly. “He takes great pleasure in mispronouncing Ethan’s name. You say he gave a full accounting of the situation?”

“Yes and…”

“And?” Both he and I question at the same time. What the hell more could there be?

She clears her throat. “Some of this may be inappropriate for young audiences…” she says, eyeing Molly.

“Oh please, Ms. Donnelly. I just caught my supposedly homophobic father in bed with another man this morning. I doubt anything you have to say will make much of an impression or impact on me after that.”

“Molly!” Justin and Jennifer scold her in that WASP tone they have both perfected.

“Well, what else could shock me more, I ask you! Besides, what about what I’ve said is a lie? You can’t possibly imagine the horror of the smell and sight of…” She shivers as she defends herself, and I’m hard-pressed not to laugh. God, she really is a miniature Justin. Precocious and outspoken; a total risk to Jennifer’s sanity! It’s going to be fun to watch her continue to grow up.

“Fine, Mollusk. You can stay, but mind your manners and remember that nothing discussed here can be spoken about outside of here. It can jeopardize my case. Do you think you can handle that?”

“Of course, I can! I’m not a loudmouthed baby, Jester! Although, had I mentioned what I knew about you and Hobbs, what happened might not have,” she says quietly. Her eyes filled then. “I kept your secret, but that one costs too much.”

Justin crossed the room over to her, gathering her in his arms. “I know, Molly. But look at the bright side... I’m still here, kicking life in the ass everyday. I have a career I love…”

“And a man you love?”

Justin and I both look at each other in shock. Out of the mouths of babes! He clears his throat. “Yeah, that too! But most importantly, I have ‘me’ again. I still have some healing to do for myself Mollusk- both physically and emotionally- but…”

“Don’t worry, Jester. As soon as this is all over, you’ll be able to really fix things with Brian. You have to! He cares too much about you, and fuck what you heard from the others... he does!”

“Molly! Language!” Justin and Jennifer scold the crying girl, but this time there was no heat in it.

“I apologize. I’m just so angry that it’s all come to this because of those two idiots, who can’t take the hint that they aren’t as important as Justin. I hope they go to jail or at the very least, go away permanently.”

Annette clears her throat. “That’s why I’m here, Molly… to see that they get what’s coming to them all, but within the scope of the law. Just like God, the law can take care of people far better than you or I personally can.”

“Except where Chris Hobbs was concerned,” she mutters darkly.

“Oh, he’ll be taken care of, too. Which brings me to that ‘and’ thing that I mentioned a little bit ago. Mr. Kinney…”

“Brian please… The only time I stand on formalities is within my business dealings.”

“Duly noted... Brian. And you all may call me Annette, unless we’re within my office or the courtroom. So Brian, how much do you remember about the robbery of your loft?”

“Enough to be grateful that I insured everything in there, including my suits. Outside of clothes being a passion of mine, my suits also constituted a business expense. The only exception was Justin’s stuff, but he hadn’t been there long enough. Why?”

“I know that Justin took off to New York after you threw him out. I also know that you brought him back, so don’t worry, that’s not going to be an issue. However, I need to know a few things about that time.”

“Okay, I’ll do my best to remember. And whatever I can’t, the twat here usually can. Up until recently, Justin was missing about six weeks of his memory. But since this happened prior to him asking me to his pr... prom, he should still have that intact. Am I right, Sunshine?”

The smile he aims at me tells me that he is remembering New York very, very well. “Yes, I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to fill in quite a few blanks.”

“Behave, Sunshine.” I smile at him, before turning back to the District Attorney. “So what new information do you have about the robbery?”

“According to Mr. Gold, Michael and Lindsay arranged for it to happen.”

“You’re shitting me, right?”

“Brian! Language!”

“Sorry, Mother Taylor. But you have to admit it’s pretty damn surprising.”

“Really Darling, it isn’t,” she answers me. “I told you at lunch the other week that nothing about the two of them surprises me anymore. I can’t figure out why it would surprise you. It was obvious to me that they were willing to do anything to separate Justin from you. Didn’t you say that the police said it wasn’t a forced break in?”

“That’s true. When I got home, the door was unlocked. In fact, it was open.”

“And Justin, you said that you remembered putting the alarm code on when you left?” Jenn asks.

“Yeah. Brian had the code changed just the week before to Gus’ birthday, which is also the night we met. He said that having the alarm code changed would ensure there was no way he would forget the night his 'personal ticking timebomb' was born.”

“Did you give the new code to Michael and Lindsay?” Annette asks me.

“I figured since they had a key, why shouldn’t they have the new code as well. I mean if Justin had it, why not them, right?”

Annette nods. “Justin, do you remember what time you left the loft that day?”

Daphne answers, “Justin and I left the loft at about ten after one, give or take a minute or two. He was due at Molly’s birthday party at one-thirty, but had decided to go a bit later. He wanted to be still in time to cut the cake, so he and I went to the Diner first, before I drove him to his mom’s.” 

I forgot she was there earlier that day. In fact, it was the day I'd officially met Justin's fag hag, and the young lady I've often referred to as my woman, in my head. It didn't even dawn on me to ask her if she remembered the events leading up to the break-in. Even if Justin had initially forgotten to set the alarm, no doubt the ever-observant, Daphne Chanders, would have reminded him.   

“According to the alarm company records that we were able to pull this morning, the code 9190 was pressed in at 1:12pm. Did you and Justin go back to the loft for any reason, Ms…”

“Chanders. Daphne Chanders, but you can just call me Daphne. And no, Justin and I never went back to the loft. After we left the Diner, Justin decided to do a quick sketch of Molly, since he couldn’t afford anything major for her birthday. Craig had blocked all access to Justin's accounts. We found that out when Justin went to try and withdraw his money at First National, but the card wouldn’t work. When we went in, we were told that Justin couldn’t access it without the approval of Craig Taylor. So we all know how that conversation would have gone, now don’t we?”

I file that particular information away for later use, before turning back to Annette. “So what you’re saying is that my alarm was deactivated?”

“Yes, at 1:45 pm.”

“Oh my God! The phone call!” Jennifer bursts out, causing all of us to look at her sideways. She shakes herself and closes her eyes. But when she opens them, I don’t think I have ever seen such a pissed off expression on her face as I do right then. “Debbie called me. Apparently, Lindsay was looking for Justin to babysit Gus for some reason or another. Melanie had gone to some conference that was being given by her firm for the day and Lindsay needed to step out for awhile. Debbie couldn’t do it because she was working, and Lindsay said she couldn’t find you, Brian. When I confirmed that Justin had just arrived, Lindsay had Debbie tell me that it was okay, not to bother Justin; that it was her hope that Gus would remain asleep while Lindsay took care of her business. That fucking BITCH!”

“Language, Mother Taylor!” I scolded, with a smirk on my face.

“Apologies. But in retrospect, it was as if she was confirming Justin’s whereabouts so they could set him up.”

I look at the blond in question, once more sorry that I had continuously put Michael and Lindsay’s conniving asses ahead of him. “Sadly, it worked then. It was just easier to blame Justin. I remember Michael saying that I was wrong, but he had this smugly-satisfied look on his face as Justin left. I didn’t pick up on what it meant since I was still so fucking pissed that my privacy had been invaded to such a degree. Then Lindsay came over later that day after ‘hearing what happened’ and berated me for kicking him out. Now, I can’t tell if she was upset because he was no longer around to cast the blame on, or if she was truly happy that he was gone.”

“Well according to Mr. Gold, it was a mixture of both,” Annette confirms.

“So where does Hobbs fit into this?” Justin asks.

“Ethan states that Michael told him what was going on during that time. It was his way of helping Ethan to make the decision to help them split the two of you up. Michael told Ethan that his mother was always handing him shit for the way he was constantly treating Justin, specifically because Justin was being bullied by Hobbs and his cronies."

"So Ethan knew about Hobbs and the incident that led to the bashing all this time?"

Annette shook her head. "It was unclear just when he'd found out, but apparently the story was told to him at some point."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "That explains Ethan's nonchalance about that episode of your life to some degree, doesn't it Justin? If Michael told Ethan any part of what happened, you can rest assured that he wouldn't have made it sound like it was a big deal. Lindsay, on the hand, would have turned you into some sort of charity case."

Justin nodded, and said nothing, but I know exactly what he's feeling. A mixture of anger, sadness, and a bone-deep hurt at the way his life was being continuously trampled on. All I want to do is apologize, and go back to make things right for him. I really want a do-over, but that isn't the way life is set up. I take his hand in mine as Annette continues filling in the blanks for us.

"So Ethan also stated that Michael had gone down to the school to find your arch enemies, offering them a way to make your life even more hellish while saving his best friend from your 'evil' ways. Although Michael hired them, Lindsay’s job was not only to let them in, but to hire the movers. Does Everston Moving and Storage ring a bell for any of you?”

Mel nods. “Lindsay and I have an account there, but it’s only one unit. I remember paying the bill and complaining that they had increased their normal fee by twenty-five percent. When I told Lindsay that we should look for another place to store everything until we could figure what we wanted to sell or keep, she told me it was ridiculous to go through all the expense of moving it only to have to go through it again at some later date.”

“Yes, Everston had increased their fee earlier last year. But it was only by ten percent. The extra twenty-five you were paying was for an additional storage unit. According to the original contract you signed, any increase would have been offset by acquiring another storage unit,” the man, Garrett said. Annette looks at him puzzled for a moment, before he laughs. “Remember the phone call I made just before coming in here? My sister-in-law, Joy, bought the place about a year ago from her uncle, who wanted to retire. He sold it to her for a discounted rate so she took the excess and is having everything computerized, including the ‘grandfather’ contracts which Ms. Marcus’ account is under. Luckily for all of us, the company she hired to do so is not only fast, but very efficient. She’s been planning on expanding the business, and gave them a deadline to have everything completed within a year. They are ahead of schedule by a little shy of two months. So long story short, she was able to pull the records from home, where I called her. They should be at the office by now, Annette.”

“Mel, is your fax working?” Annette asks her.

“Yes, and it’s always on since it’s a separate phone line.”   

Daphne exclaims, “Fuck! That bitch is too fucking slick!”

“Language, Daphne,” Mother Taylor responds, and we all have to laugh at how automatic it is. But Justin sobers quickly… is he remembering more?

“Oh my God! The locker… Daphne, do you remember?”

She nods. While I knew about the burned locker and what that had really cost Justin, I couldn’t figure out why Michael would have anything to do with this. As if she heard the thoughts going through my head, Daphne answered him.

“Yeah, Justin. I remember," she whispers sadly, before addressing me directly. "Brian, Justin was trying to graduate earlier. The locker didn’t only contain all of his sketchbooks and the acceptance letters to both PIFA and Carnegie Mellon’s Accelerated Degree Programs. It also held all of Justin’s final projects, and a copy of the study materials he and I compiled to get out of high school six months earlier. We were supposed to turn it all in by that Friday. The fire happened on Wednesday morning. He wanted me to still do it, but I couldn’t leave him to brave St. James by himself. It would have taken Justin another six months just to redo all of what he’d lost in that locker fire, so we decided to stick it out.”

“Justin, why didn’t you tell me?” Jennifer asks him.

“We weren’t exactly on the most sure footing, Mom. Besides, there was no point beyond letting you know about the fire, and I didn’t even have a chance to do that. Debbie did. Outside of Daphne, the only other people who knew of my plans were Deb and Vic. By deduction, while she was lecturing Michael about being a bitchy bastard to me, she must have let it slip that I was looking to graduate early. Brian was up for the Adman of the Year, and was looking to move to New York. I guess this was Michael’s way of ensuring that, even though Brian was able to move on, I would be stuck here. What’s funny is that Brian and I had never even talked about that possibility. In fact, he was prepared to leave me behind to meet some know-nothing kid, like Ethan.”

“So now Justin, given all this new information, how much restitution are you going to request?”

I sat silently, watching the wheels in his little blond head turning. For as much as he looks like an angel, Justin Taylor is anything but. He can be sneaky and vindictive when he’s hellbent on revenge. I know what I would do if I was in his situation, but it will be interesting to see if Justin will take it as far as I would. And I’m not disappointed when he answers.

“Burn them. They deliberately gave Chris Hobbs the ammunition to nearly ruin my life, and all because Brian didn’t want them the way he wanted me. Whatever you do to Ethan makes me no nevermind. But from Michael, I want everything. The rest of my money; the store and ALL its contents; the rights to all things Rage and now the fucking house, too!”

“The house?” Annette asks.

“Yeah. His mother signed her house over to him so that he wouldn’t be homeless, while trying to give me my money back. But that was never Michael’s intention. Nothing that would have benefited me would have been at the forefront of Michael’s mind, hence the reason for the embezzlement in the first place. No, Michael would have happily seen me homeless, and having to sell my ass for a decent meal. So I want everything! Plus, if I’m not mistaken, he could still get jail time?”

“Yes. Aside from the embezzlement charge, he will be charged as an accessory to the unlawful entry of Brian's loft. Although the actual perpertrators of the crime will see the bulk of the time handed down, he still knew what they were planning and hired the guys to do the job. That makes him a co-conspirator.”

“Then there, it's a just punishment and he'll certainly still have more than what he intended for me. Let him have three hots and a cot while sitting in jail, watching me make a true success of myself using his dream of Rage. I can’t think of anything better to do to him. You can use everything that rightfully belongs to me, and everything he's going to give me as a carrot to dangle for less jail time. Either way, he's going to do time, am I right?”

“Justin, this isn’t like you. It’s more like…” Mel began, but was cut off by my laughter.

“No, Mel. Make no mistake. This is Justin. I would have at least left Michael the house and the opportunity to resume his job at the Big Q.”

“Sorry Mel, but I’m all out of compassion. Been there, tried that, bought the t-shirt, sent a postcard, and got kicked in my ass for my trouble. They fucked with my life! They almost COST me my life!”

“You mean Brian?” Mel asked, just as Justin jumped up out of his seat, and began to pace the floor.

He reminded me of a caged lion, unsure of whether to pounce, run, or jump. His growl when he spoke was incredibly calm, which usually means that everyone should duck and run for cover. I didn't have time to warn everyone of it, before Justin addressed Mel's question. “No Mel, I mean my fucking life! Chris Hobbs didn’t just start with the harassment; it had been ongoing. The fight in the locker room; the threats; everything! He’d been escalating long before he set my locker on fire. It’s why I was hellbent on graduating early.

"It wasn’t that I was afraid of the coward, who hid behind his reputation as the captain of the football team. It’s that I knew that eventually it was going to come down to either him or me. Unfortunately, the crack of a bat against my skull took care of that decision, didn’t it? I would have been out of there long before prom had it not been for Michael and Lindsay’s machinations. I want them to pay with their lives, like I almost had to pay with mine!” Justin broke down then, and I was at his side in seconds.

Gathering him up, I look at each of them. “I don’t care what you have to do, but you heard him.”

“But Brian… are you sure? You not only run the risk of losing Michael and Lindsay, but Debbie. You know she’s not going to take this well at all,” Mel reminds me. Ordinarily, I would tell her to fuck off, but I can honestly see the concern in her eyes. I don’t know exactly what she knows about my childhood, but I can tell that she’s sincere in questioning my judgement right now.

“Mel, a lot of what Michael and Lindsay have been able to do to Justin is my own fault. With Lindsay, I can honestly say that I was blind to that Mother Earth exterior she presents to the world. But with Michael, I overlooked a lot. He constantly put me in the middle of my bo-bo--boyfriend and best friend. By my inaction, it gave Michael license to keep fucking Justin over. Michael’s involvement with Ethan would have had me, at least, telling Justin in private, that he may have been a bit too harsh. But his involvement with Chris Hobbs and his cronies… well the Michael I once considered a friend just became dead to me!”

And with that ending statement, I leave the house with Justin….