JUSTIN

I was leaving school when my father pulled up. I was going to ignore him, but call it stupidity, I was calling it curiosity. 

“Was there something you wanted?” I ask him

“Can we at least talk, get in and we’ll get something to eat?” He says to me. I don’t like how he’s acting.

“We can talk here, or I can meet you someplace.” I tell him.

“Justin do you have to make this harder? I just want to talk to you, I'm concerned about you.” He tells me.

“Like I said Dad, we can talk right here or you can meet me somewhere, like the mall.” I tell him.

“Justin get in the car.” He tells me. 

He really thinks I’m going to go with him? I don’t trust my father, he showed me over and over that he wasn’t going to turn back into the father that loved me.

“I’m not getting in the car. If you want to talk to me, you can do it right here, where I can scream for help.” I tell him.

Instead of leaving, Dad parks the car and gets out, walking towards me. What the hell is he up to?

“You’re still underage, I’m still your father. When I tell you to get in the car, you get in the car.” He tells me as he grabs for my arm, but I stepped back before he could touch me.

“What do you want, don’t come any closer.” I tell him when he tries to grab me again.

“I’m trying to help you. I talked to a friend and they told me that there is a place you can go, to help you get over this nonsense.” He tells me.

“Dad, I’m gay. It’s not something I need to ‘get over’, it’s who I am. If you think sending me to conversation therapy is going to change that, you’re out of your fucking mind.” I tell him.

Dad looks behind me and nods to some guys. They start walking towards me, I notice a van following them. Good luck catching me, I turn and run towards the school. The guys chasing me are trying to look inconspicuous, but they just look like out of shape old guys chasing me. Daphne was coming out of the building when I got up the stairs.

“Justin, who the hell are you running from?” Daphne asks as I pass her by.

“Dad wants me to go to a conversion camp. The idiots chasing me are trying to get me in the van.” I yell and keep going.

“Are you kidding me? Mark I need your help.” She yells.

DAPHNE

If these assholes think they are touching my best friend, they’d better think again. I swear only Craig would think up something this stupid. I wait until they are headed up the stairs and start hurling my books at the fuckers. Mark didn’t even question it, he started throwing his books at the guys. The guys try to dodge the books, but Mark apparently has a good throwing arm. I was running out of things to throw when I see a book fly past my head. I turn to see some kids from the art club Justin was in, coming to help me. The guys were almost up the stairs when a math book hit one guy in the face, he lost his footing and ended up landing on top of me. One of the teachers came outside to see what was going on.

“Ms. Roker, this guy is touching me in inappropriate places, and the other guy tried to get Justin in a van.” I tell her. I had to put the guy’s hand on my boob, you know, to make it believable.

“He told me that he wanted me and Justin to do bad things.” Mark adds pointing at the other guy. Mark is turning out to be best friend material.

“Excuse me, but you need to back away from my students, I’m calling the police.” She tells the guy who didn’t move his hand. I am so going to take ten showers.

“He’s still fondling me.” I point out and finally the fucker moves his hand.

“Ma’am, we have permission from Justin’s father to take him with us.” The other guy tells her.

“Ms. Roker, the guy told me that he wanted to touch where my parents said adults shouldn’t.” Some guy behind me tells her. Justin should buy the art club a present. 

Ms. Roker tells us to stay behind her as she calls the police. The creepy guys suddenly didn’t want to convince her to let them have Justin anymore, and take off. Ms. Roker asked Mark to get the license plate number. We gave her the plate number. Hopefully they will have to explain to the police why they were here.

 I see Craig standing there pissed. Well I’m pissed too, I had to let the perv feel me up because Craig wanted to send Justin to a prison camp. Jen is behind Craig, I hope she didn’t agree with this.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I yell at him.

“I’m trying to protect my son.” He tells me.

“So am I, from his narrow minded asshole of a father.” I tell him.

JEN

I was in the mood for some junk food today and wanted to spend time with Justin. I notice Craig standing at the bottom of stairs with school books all around him. Getting out of the car, I hear Daphne yelling at Craig. What is Craig trying to protect Justin from?

“By sending him to a place that tortures kids, because making Justin have sex with hookers is really going to change something.” Daphne yells loudly.

“What is she talking about Craig?” I ask my husband.

“I’m doing what you are too weak to do, I’m getting Justin some help.” Craig yells at me.

“Justin doesn’t need help, what is Daphne talking about?” I ask him.

“Dad thought I should go to one of the conversion camps, Mom.” Justin tells me as he walks out of the school.

“Please tell me you weren’t serious about that place, Craig. They hurt kids there. I told you what I was told about those places. ” I tell him.

“They just help the kids go down the right path. If you had been any kind of a mother you would have stopped Justin from moving in with that child molester.” He tells me.

“If you had been any kind of a father, you would have noticed Justin wasn’t around and asked where your son was before I had to tell you.” I tell him.

“I have to support this family, I assumed that you were making sure our kids weren’t doing stupid things. Don’t accuse me of not paying attention, when you lied about where Justin was.” He tells me.

“I lied because my son told me you wouldn’t stand by him. He was right, since you are trying to throw him out of our lives. I lied because I am always going to protect my children from anyone who wants to harm them, including you.” I tell him.

“You either stand with me or we’re through Jen.” He tells me.

“Well then I guess we’re through, because I will kill you before I let you send Justin anywhere.” I tell him. 

“Find a good lawyer Jen, because I refuse to support you if you stand by Justin.” He tells me.

“I’ll see you in court then, because my children mean more to me than a man who turns his back on us.” I tell him. 

Craig turns and walks away from me. I just don’t have it in me to care, he tried to hurt my son.

“Mom, I’m sorry.” Justin runs to me and wraps his arms around me. 

“Justin, it’s okay. I’m sorry for your father.” I tell him.

“Mrs Taylor, you were awesome. I’m glad Justin has you for a mom.” Daphne tells me.

I know  my marriage is going down the drain, but if he can’t love our children, I don’t want him around. It reminds me of the guy I saw in the mall, the one who told me I was more then my marriage. Wait, that’s where I remember Brian from.

EMMETT

It’s really bad when, instead of facing my roommate, I hide until he leaves for work. I think it’s time to look for a new place. 

When I came home this afternoon, Michael was sitting on the sofa waiting for me.

“Emmett, why is everyone suddenly siding with Brian?” Michael asks me.

“No one is siding with anyone. Why are you acting like an asshole?” I ask him.

“I’m not acting like an asshole, I just wanted to have a dinner with my friends and family. I wanted to have the guy in my life meet everyone.Then, when I hear what Brian convinced you guys to do, I was trying to keep you from making a mistake. Even David acts like I was the one causing everything, I wasn’t trying to ruin the night.” He tells me.

“Everything was going fine, until you started insulting everyone.” I tell him. 

“I was trying to get everyone to see they shouldn’t sacrifice their futures. Brian isn’t who I was worried about, he always comes out on top. If this company fails, he’ll be able to get another job, but Ted could lose everything, and Brian isn’t going to be there to help him.” He tells me.

“And since Vic and I are total losers anyway, it’s okay that we are following Brian?” I ask him.

“That’s not what I meant at all. You could always get your job back at Torso, and Uncle Vic was just staying home. Ted had a real job, and now he’s pining all his hopes on Brian.” He tells me.

“Michael, do yourself a favor and don’t try to make anything better, you fuck it up worse when you explain things.” I tell him.

“I just wanted one night to be about me, but instead, Ma tries to kill me, and all of you go on and on about yourselves. David was being polite asking about you, and you practically shove your business down his throat. Justin talks like he has all these plans, when being Brian’s fuck toy is all he seems to want. So instead of paying attention to me, David’s stuck listening to you guys.” He complains.

“Are you done?” I ask him.

“No, but you obviously want to say something.” Michael tells me. 

“I do, I really, really do. I want you to listen to me, pretend I'm Brian offering you his dick, because I want you to pay attention. Can you do that?” I ask him. 

“I hope it's an apology for last night.” He tells me. 

“Nope, that's something you need to do, for being a colossal asshole last night. I want to say, as a soon to be former friend, that your helpful advice and constant foot in mouth syndrome, is losing you the only people who would put up with you. Between you and Lindsay, it’s a contest as to which one of you are the winner for the asshole of the year award. I can no longer support someone who shits all over us, and instead of apologizing and meaning it, you excuse it by saying you ‘didn't mean it’ or my favorite ‘everyone misunderstood you’. Instead of grabbing David and seeing where it could lead, you chase Brian around. We are all working towards rewarding futures and you shit all over it, and call it concern. You wanted us to support you last night, but when we tried, by answering DAVID'S QUESTIONS, you rudely start in on everyone. What I want to know is, what has Justin ever done to YOU? Other than fall in love with Brian.” I ask him. 

“He’s a kid, he thinks Brian is going to give him what he wants, but you and I know what Brian is like. I was trying to save him from spending years chasing Brian and having to find out he is never going to get what he wants.” He tells me. 

“You want to know the sad part of that? You can’t acknowledge that it's not Justin who won't get what he wants, it’s you. Michael, it's time to grow up. We aren’t twenty somethings anymore, you're just about to turn thirty, but are still stuck in your fourteen year old mindset. Brian is growing up, and is going to leave you behind. If you don’t realize it yet, he wants to make a life with Justin, not you. I'm going to probably end our friendship by saying this, but I can’t continue to watch you blame everyone, instead of looking to see that you are the problem. I think you need to find a way to stop loving Brian as more than a friend. Love is supposed to be wanting the other person's happiness, not trying to ruin it.” I tell him. 

“I've... loved him… all my life, why can’t he…” Michael wipes the tears from his eyes.

“He can’t because he doesn't.” I tell him 

“I want him to, don't you see, he never even tried. If he…”

I stop him, because I can't listen to Michael’s reasoning. 

“It’s good to want things, but if you stay in the land of want, that's all you'll ever have. I want a lot of things too, but if I sit on a sofa and spin my wheels, hoping but not trying, I'll never have anything, just like you.” I tell him. 

“What am I supposed to do?” He asks me. 

“That is your problem Michael, stop trying to get us to tell you. Start making your own decisions. It’s part of growing up.” I tell him. 

“Isn’t offering advice, part of being a friend,?” He asks me. 

“It’s also standing back, so people can succeed or fail. It’s not demeaning their decisions and life, because it doesn't make YOU happy.” I tell him. I wonder if he is even listening to me. 

“I have to go, and I think it’s time for me to look for a new place. I think I stayed too long already, any longer and we might not be friends anymore.” I tell him. 

“Emmett, how can you say that?” Michael asks me. 

“I don’t like the person your becoming.” I tell him. 

“Well, I don’t like that my friends seem to be turning their backs on me. I’ve been there for all of you, listened to you cry over men, let you move in with me and it's like everyone forgets what I did.” Michael tells me. 

“How could we forget? You remind us all the fucking time.” I'm done.

BRIAN 

Marilyn was waiting for me, when Ted and I got back from meeting Eyeconics.

“Turn on your phone.” She tells me. Shit I forgot.

“Something going on?” I ask her. 

“Craig tried to ship Justin off to conversation therapy, came armed with two assholes, who were going to shove him in a van, and take off to parts unknown.” She calmly tells me.

“Is he all right?” Ted asks her.

“Thanks to Daphne and some books.” She tells us. 

“Ted, I'll be back.” I tell him, turning to go to be with Justin. 

“Stay here, Justin is on his way, with Jen.” She tells us. 

I don’t want to wait, I want to kill Craig.

“That’s why you need to stay here. Jen just kicked the asshole to the curb. Justin is fine, calm down.” She tells me. 

I hear Daphne first.

“I couldn’t believe it when the other kids started throwing books. I was starting to worry when I ran out.” Daphne tells Justin. 

“Why were you throwing them?” He asks her.

“It was in my hand.” She tells him. 

I yank Justin to me and pull him into my arms. “Are you alright?” I ask him. 

“Yeah, I wasn’t expecting it.” He whispers to me.

“I couldn’t believe it. Craig talked to me about it, and I told him no. Deb told me about those places, how could Craig think I wouldn't fight him?” Jen tells me. 

“Are we going to have to hide Justin?” I ask Marilyn. 

“No, Craig thinks threatening to divorce Jen will get her to throw Justin out of their lives. When they divorce, he decides Justin isn’t his problem anymore.” She tells me. 

“How do you know Craig told me he wanted a divorce?” Jen asks Marilyn. Good question Jen.