JUSTIN 

I left Brian and Ryder to make plans to have the woods cut down to put the pool and castle in. I decided to let them play together, since the press is now chasing Lindsay everywhere. I needed more paint and figured I would get all my shopping done today. Emmett wanted to look at things to redecorate his apartment with, so he came with me.

“So is Drew planning on moving in with you?” I ask him. 

“He wants to get someplace bigger, but he's going to training camp soon. I figured we could play it by ear until we feel ready to do it.” He tells me. 

“Have you had any problems with Calvin?” I ask him. 

“I heard that he moved in with Michael. Apparently when Ben paid Michael off for his part of the mortgage, Michael went on a spending spree and now can't afford the payments, so he got a roommate. Calvin called my phone and told me that he and my real friend were living together. So other than that he's left me alone.” He tells me. 

“I'm sure they'll have a great time together. From everything you've told me about Calvin, and Brian’s told me about Michael, they'll kill each other.” I tell him, pulling into the mall.

“Honey, I lived with Michael and his idea of decorating. Calvin is going to hate having action figures everywhere. He likes the whole town and country look. I'm just happy it's not me living with either of them.” He tells me. 

“At least they are leaving us alone.” I tell him. 

“I doubt it, Michael is probably just waiting for a reason he needs to talk to Brian.” He tells me. 

“Brian has been working from home, he said he gets more done. I think it’s because Michael keeps showing up at the office. Cynthia had him removed when he tried to run past her to Brian’s office. He can't seem to understand that Brian is through dealing with him.” I tell him. 

“Hey, isn't that Teddy and Blake?” Emmett asks me pointing to them.

“Want to invite them to lunch?” I ask him. 

We agree to ask, and go see them looking through some children's clothes. Emmett looks at me, wondering why.

“Hey guys, what are you doing?” Emmett asks them. 

“Hey, Blake has a client who's kids need warmer clothes. We thought we'd help them out.” Ted tells us.

“That’s so sweet, I can put some money in if you need me too.” Emmett tells him. 

“How many kids?” I ask him. 

“She has four and she's really doing well. I wanted to help because they are living off welfare.” Blake tells us. 

“I have money put aside for causes, use that Ted. Get the kids everything they need.” I tell him. 

“Justin, that's really generous of you.” Blake tells me. 

“Isn’t it. What, you have to buy all my friends?” We hear behind us.

“You have any left?” I ask Michael, smiling.

“They might be blind about you, but I don't give up on my friends even when they act like assholes.” Michael tells me. 

“The only asshole is you.” Blake sneers.

“Like I give a shit what YOU think. I stood by my friend when you left him dying. One day he's going to see you’re the one he should have kicked out of his life, not me. Brian and I would still be friends if it wasn't for Justin causing all the problems I've had with MY FRIENDS.” Michael tells Blake. 

“Michael are you ever going to figure out that you're the reason they don't want you around? Brian has absolutely no use for you. Ted can’t even remember why he thought you were a friend. Your daughter doesn’t even remember you're her father, and Ben realized you’re the biggest mistake he ever made. Where in all that do you get Justin causing your problems?” Emmett asks him.                    

“Emmett, it's a lost cause talking to him, he likes being a victim of his own making.” Ted tells Emmett. 

“Until he came along, my life was great. None of you treated me like you do now. I looked out for all of you and cared enough to tell you what you didn’t want to hear. Can't you see that Justin won't give you what I did?” He asks them. 

“Wow, is Calvin giving you lessons? I swear, that was almost like listening to him tell me that without him my life was going nowhere. You stood by and let that asshole change everything that was me. If that's your idea of being friends, I'm fine without you.” Emmett tells him. 

“Calvin was only trying to get you to see how much better your life is without all the silly crap in it. It was nice to go out and not have people stare when you show up dressed like a club boy.” Michael tells him. 

“Here's some advice, wear something that doesn't scream teenager. It's embarrassing to be seen with someone who never learned T-shirts aren't formal wear.” Emmett tells him, and walks off.

“We were going to see if you wanted to eat with us, if you want to, meet us at the restaurant.” I tell Blake, and turn to catch up to Emmett.

I knew Michael wasn’t done with me, but I refused to make Ted and Blake deal with him for me. I walk straight to the hallway going to the bathroom and wait for him to catch up. If he thinks he has anything to say then he has his chance. He smirks as he walks towards me. 

“No one to protect you from hearing what I have to say.” He sneers. 

“I'm not sure anything you say would be that big of a deal.” I tell him, shaking my head at Blake when he comes in the hall.

“You have everyone bending over backwards to kiss your ass, well I'm not going to.” He tells me. 

“You have my eternal gratitude for that.” I tell him. 

“What?” He asks me confused. 

“You kissing any part of me would make me want to peel off my skin.” I tell him. 

“That's not what I meant.” He tells me. 

“Oh, so could you do your villain bit, because I have better things to do than listen to you piss and whine that everyone's left you for greener pastures.” I tell him, waiting for him to figure out what I said.

“I'm here to make you see that you'll never keep Brian.” He tells me. 

“Okay, how are you planning to do that,  because so far all I see is you following anyone who convinces you that you have a chance with Brian. I have to ask, how much more rejection is it going to take for you to understand, all your bullshit gets you is alone?” I ask him. 

“All I see is that my life was fine until Brian married you.” He tells me. 

“I'll agree with you on that, but I had nothing to do with the bullshit that happened after you found out. You want everything, but fucked up what you did have, that was you, no one else. Brian had all his life to decide where he wanted to be and it wasn't with you, so once again, you caused your own problems. Michael, friendship doesn’t have a check and balance sheet, so you thinking that you deserve something because you were around to listen, doesn’t get you anything but what you have now. I'm not going to have Brian and my life revolve around why Michael can't give up.” I tell him. 

“You can’t get me out of Brian’s life. He knows who was there for him, and it wasn't you. I can wait for him to see that you were a mistake.” He tells me. 

“He thinks his mistake was giving in to his best friends. Look at the shit you two do. Lindsay tries to pass off a kid as Brian’s, like we wouldn’t have made her prove it. You seem to think annoying everyone gets you somewhere, yet don't seem to see that you’ve lost everything. You think telling me or was it warning me, that Brian will what?” I ask him. 

“He’ll realize I'm the one he wants. He never hid me from the people who are important to him, but it took him years to tell anyone about you. You realize that the entire time you were around, he was hanging out with me when he got away from you.” He tells me. 

“Yet he told me all about you and Lindsay and felt that you weren’t worth me meeting. I met Ted, Blake, Gus, your mother, and stepfather, all the people he feels were important, yet not you, so does that give you even a small idea of how little you mattered to him? Michael do what you want and believe what you want, but understand me, I will not play these games anymore.” I tell him walking away.

“You can’t stop me.” He tells me.

“I don’t have to, you stop yourself. I can slow you down though.” I tell him, standing at the end of the hall.

“How? You can’t hurt me.” He tells me.

“No, but my mother decided to demolish your building, so you might want to run along and pack up your shop, or your shit will end up under the rubble, kind of like your life.” I tell him smiling, and go to meet Emmett.

BRIAN

I look at the people standing outside my gate and wonder what the hell did I do in this life to deserve them. Ryder was smiling at my mother who looked warily at him.

“What do you think they want?” Ryder asks me.

“Who knows, it could be for me to support them or maybe they think I care what they think.” I tell him.

“Are you letting them in?” He asks me.

“No, I don’t want them near my kids. I wonder, if we go in do you think they’ll get a clue?” I ask.

“Brian, we need you to help us.” Claire yells from the gate.

“You need to support us.” Mom yells.

“Excuse me, but support you to do what?” Ryder yells at her.

“The press is hounding us, they think that I helped Lindsay try to defraud you.” Claire yells.

I walk to the gate and stand in front of them. They start smiling like I’m going to let them in.

“We can talk out here, because I wouldn’t want to offend you Mother. Now Claire, what caused you and John to think that helping Lindsay would get you anywhere with me?” I ask them.

“She convinced John she wanted to be with him.” She lies to me.

“Claire, I’m not helping you unless I hear the truth.” I tell her.

“Brian, all they wanted was to make you see this life is an abomination.” Mom tells me.

“And helping Lindsay was how to do that?” Ryder asks her.

“Brian could have lived the way God intended by supporting her.” She tells Ryder.

“You know I asked Brian and now I want to ask you, is there like a set of rules you follow, and another set of God’s rules?” He asks her.

“I live by the book, unlike you.” She tells me.

“Let's see, I don’t have any Gods before the big guy, and Brian doesn’t, so we follow that rule. No statues to tell him that we worship it instead, so we have that. I can’t always say I don’t take his name in vain, what about you Brian?” He asks me.

“Once in awhile, but only when Justin is being really good.” I tell him, winking.

“I don’t sit in a church on Sunday, but I think that’s okay as long as I’m not doing anything bad, um... unless you count what Ben and I were doing as bad, I thought it was marvelous. I haven’t killed anyone, but sometimes I wish I could. Do you think wanting to is bad?” He asks me.

“No, I have a few I would love to wipe off the face of the planet, but I haven’t so that should count.” I tell him.

“Brian, can you two stop messing around and let us in?” Claire asks me.

“I think I could be forgiven for not honoring my parents, because I doubt God thinks neglect and abuse makes them worthy of my honor. Don’t you think?” I ask him.

“I can concur with you on that, but dude, John and Lindsay committed adultery since Lindsay’s still married to Melanie. Mom, you better take that boy in hand.” Ryder tells her.

“John didn’t sleep with her, just helped her.” Mother tells us.

“And you think that’s okay?” Ryder asks her.

“Why did you help her, John? I really don’t see what you were getting out of this.” I ask the little shit.

“Brian, he didn’t understand what she was doing.” Claire tells me.

“I wanted the faggot to pay us, the way Lindsay said he would. Like you said Mother, he owes it to us to give us shit.” John sneers at me.

“Hey little sperm boy, you do realize that if she has the kid, you could be forced to pay child support, don’t you? Then again, you never really think things out, it might hurt the last brain cells you have left. Claire, I was all set to like you because you needed someone to, with her as your mother and an idiot for a kid. I changed my mind when I found out that you were the one who thought it would be great to blackmail your own brother. Not very sisterly of you.” Ryder tells her as we see Justin pull up behind them and get out of the car.

“Hey, would you mind getting out of my driveway?” Justin tells them.

“Not until Brian sees he should help us.” Claire tells him.

“Is this your donor family?” Justin ask me.

“I’m hoping that I was a foundling, but I don’t think I’ll get that wish.” I tell him.

“Is there some reason you people think we would do anything for you?” Justin ask them.

“We are his family and he should care what happens to us.” Mom tells him.

“Why, when you didn’t give a shit about him? Are you out of sherry and need us to get you some more, because that’s all you deserve from him.” Justin tells her.

“Mom, you should drink Vodka, no fumes.” Ryder adds.

“This is the little shit who tried to say you molested him at one time?” Justin asks me and I nod.

“Really, he thinks any gay man would want him?” Ryder asks.

“Man, I thought sperm donor was bad, but you win in the shitty family stakes Babe.” Justin tells me.

“You know me, I like to win, but it would have been a tie if Mommy Taylor hadn’t been so great.” I tell him.

“Mom loves you too Brian, she said she doesn’t see how anybody couldn’t.” Justin tells me.

“Do you know what I learned Mom and Claire? I learned that I could be loved by a real mother and sister, and that I didn’t need either of you in my life. Why not go and be happy? This faggot isn’t going to keep you out of Heaven.” I tell them.

“We aren’t leaving until you help us.” Mother tells me.

“So Mom, Ryder and I think we want to attend church. You want us to attend yours? I have all sorts of things that the good ole reverend should hear about your child raising skills.” Justin tells her.

“I want to tell about good old dad, I mean, your church likes to share about members don’t they?” Ryder tells them.

“Brian, you will call me so WE can discuss what you need to do.” Mother tells me.

“I can tell you what I’m going to do from right here. ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOTHING TO HELP ANY OF YOU.” I sneer at them.

“Claire take me home, I can’t deal with him when he’s being impossible.” Mother tells her.

“I have a suggestion, lose this address because the next time you come to my house, I’ll show up at yours and invite the whole world to hear what that house of horrors was like for my husband.” Justin tells her.

I watch as they walk to the cab, Mother gives Justin a disgusted look and gets in. John stands in front of Justin as if to scare him. I come out and walk towards the fucker, who sees me and runs to the cab. Claire stands next the cab staring at us.

“It’s not fair that my life turned out like this. If you would have helped us we wouldn’t have tried to trick you.” Claire tells me.

“God, what is it with people today, nothing is ever your fault is it?” Justin asks her.

“I had to live in that house too, and it wasn’t easy for me either.” She tells him.

“Am I supposed to feel sorry for you that you had to listen while your younger brother was being beaten? Be happy that it wasn’t you. Now get the fuck out of my neighborhood.” Justin tells her.