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Author's Chapter Notes:

This is where you see Emmett so unlike himself so be warned before you read it.

BRIAN 

 

Justin kept giving me strange looks when I didn’t answer the constant ringing of my phone. 

 

“Is there some reason you're not answering?” He asks, as it goes off again.

 

“It's just Michael, I'm sure he's already driving Cynthia crazy.” I tell him. 

 

“Why not tell him to stop?” Justin asks, handing me a cup of coffee.

 

“It's just makes him call more.” I tell him. 

 

“Most people call like that when it's an emergency.” He pointed out. 

 

“They aren't all Michael, I'm sure Deb, his mother, is calling because I haven't answered Michael.” I tell him. 

 

“You mean he inherited his crazy.” Justin tells me. 

 

“Deb’s just really involved in Michael’s life.” I tell him.

 

“There's involved, and then there's helping stalk someone. Which all those calls scream.” He tells me, kissing me and heading to his car. 

 

I waited until I got in my car to answer, I guess Michael and Deb think killing my phone's battery is a way to make me answer.

 

“You know, you had Michael worried you were dead, Asshole.” Deb tells me. 

 

“Why, when I told everyone I would be busy out of town?” I ask, irritated.

 

“He just wanted to check on you. Which answering your phone would have solved.” She tells me. 

 

“I figured I was a grown-up, so I didn’t need to report in to mother.” I tell her. 

 

“You can’t expect us to not worry, when you disappeared like that.” She tells me. 

 

“Lindsay had a way to contact me, but only if it was an emergency, which Michael seems to think a hangnail is.” I tell her. 

 

“Well get your ass to the diner before he drives Ted crazy.” She tells me. 

 

“I have a meeting that Ted better get his ass to, so breakfast isn't in the cards.” I tell her. 

 

“You can spare a minute from your scheduled trick to talk to your best friend.” She tells me sarcastically.

 

“Bye.” I hang up, as she tells me not to.

 

I wasn’t going to listen to the Novotny duet today. I wanted to just enjoy my life a little longer. This was going to have Michael in a tailspin, since he's spent the last four months bitching about the blond twink and well, all of the males unfortunate enough to have Ben as a teacher.

 

I parked and prepared myself for Cynthia, who really doesn’t like Michael. It only took the rolling of her eyes to tell me that Kinnetik phone lines had been ringing all morning.

 

“I almost quit.” She tells me handing me the pile of messages.

 

“Any of these business?” I ask her. 

 

“No, I figured I'd save you having to find the four in the pile of thirty, so I placed them on your desk.” She tells me, as I drop the ones in my hand in the garbage can.

 

We walked into the conference room to start the staff meeting. I wasn’t happy when Ted showed up late, but really not surprised by it. After getting updates, I asked Ted to meet me in my office.

 

“Sorry, but Michael threatened to show up here.” He tells me. 

 

“Which isn’t an excuse for letting employees think you can show up when you feel like it.” I tell him. 

 

“So I should have let Michael come here and disrupt everyone?” He asks. 

 

“You should have told Michael that it wouldn’t be a wise decision to show up, and come to work on time.” I tell him.

 

“I wanted to, but you know he will just end up calling here, I was trying to make today easier.” Ted tells me.

 

“He's already made more than twenty calls, check Cynthia’s trash there’s a pile.” I tell him.

 

“He’s been asking why you were out of town.” He tells me.

 

“Which is my business and not yours, Emmett’s, or Michael’s. Don’t make me regret trusting you by asking me things that Michael wanted you to.” I tell him.

 

“You’ve never keep secrets from Michael.” He reminds me.

 

“I’m not now, I just don’t feel that I should have to tell everyone everything that I do.” I tell him.

 

I was walking by Ted’s office when I realized that Ted didn’t get what I told him.

 

“Michael, I don’t know… I’m not in the mood to be unemployed because you want to know where Brian was…” He looked up at me. “I have to go, no don’t come here… Michael he’s busy right now… Michael this not the time for this… I’ll tell him.” He hangs up. “He said you need to call him.” He tells me.

 

“I don’t answer to Michael and I’m sure Blake feels the same way, isn’t that the reason he broke it off with you?” I ask him.

 

I told Cynthia just to take messages and not put Michael through, because I didn’t have time to listen to what a shitty friend I was for not answering his calls. Justin called and left a message, which I realized I forgot to mention that his calls were to be sent straight to me.

 

“Justin calls and I don’t care what I’m doing, you put him through.” I tell her.

 

“He told me not to disturb you, since you told him you’d be busy. He left a number for a business who wanted to schedule a meeting with us.” She tells me.

 

“He didn’t say anything else?” I ask her.

 

“Yes, that the reason he called was because Lasiter Apparel mentioned that they couldn’t get through this morning. Are we contracting out some of our work to J&D Designs?” She asks.

 

“Not right now, but possibly in the future, especially if I keep having to explain what I want more than once. Justin’s a personal friend and I want all his calls sent to me. I’ll deal with Michael causing potential clients to look elsewhere.” I tell her.

 

After that conversation, looking out to see Michael sitting on my car was not a good thing for him.

 

“I came here to make my best friend remember I exist.” He tells me.

 

“Right now, I’m considering tossing your ass into traffic. Do you realize that I have fucking clients who need to be able to call me, but couldn’t get through because you were burning up all my phones?” I ask him.

 

“Then answer and I wouldn’t be doing it.” He tells me.

 

“Not a problem, because I’m going to have your numbers blocked from Kinnetik if it continues.” I tell him.

 

“Look, Ma’s expecting us for dinner, so let’s go.” He tells me, acting as if I didn’t say anything.

 

“I have plans, so have fun with Deb.” I tell him.

 

“No you don’t, you’ve been gone all week and it’s time you spent time with the gang.” He tells me.

 

“I’m sure you guys can have fun without me.” I tell him, pulling him off my car.

 

“At least give me a ride.” He tells me.

 

“Since Ted is going with you, ride with him. I made plans to be somewhere.” I tell him.

 

“Like it matters to you if the trick has to wait.” He tells me.

 

“You better catch Ted if you want a ride.” I tell him unlocking my door.

 

“Why, when you could take me?” He asks me.

 

“Because I’m not.” I tell him getting in and starting my car. I waved as I drove off.

 

JUSTIN

 

Brian called and I asked him if he would mind just eating at my house tonight. I just wanted a quiet night. I called in an order at my friend Reese’s restaurant, and left early to pick it up. Reese and I ended up talking a lot longer than I expected, so when Brian called to tell me he was on his way, I told him to meet me at the restaurant, Reese offered us the private dining room.

 

“So this is the restaurant that started your business?” He asks me.

 

 

“Yep, Daphne and I kept telling Reese that he needed to share his genius in the kitchen, so when he did, he asked us to design the logo.” I tell him.

 

“Where is Daphne tonight?” He asks me.

 

“Her boyfriend is visiting, so I doubt I’ll see her much except for work.” I tell him.

 

“I wanted to see if you would mind if Gus stayed with us at your house next weekend.” He tells me.

 

“It’s fine, but why not your loft?” I ask him.

 

“My friends tend to not understand that when I have Gus, I don’t have time to entertain them.” He tells me.

 

When we were done eating Brian and I walked out to the cars, I kissed him and told him I would meet him at my house.

 

BRIAN

 

I got in my car to leave when I saw Emmett staring at Justin’s car and then at me. I got back out and waited for Emmett to walk to me.

 

“You know you’ve done some real winners in the past, but none of us are going to accept this one.” He tells me.

 

“Why would that be Emmy Lou?” I ask.

 

“That kid doesn’t understand boundaries, that he’s suddenly with you doesn’t make the shit he did to Ben right.” He tell me.

 

“The only thing Justin is guilty of, was attending school.” I tell him. 

 

“That's not what we were told.” He tells me. 

 

“Michael telling you what he assumed, doesn’t make it true.” I tell him. 

 

“Well Ben wasn't denying it.” He tells me. 

 

“Or confirming it either, he just seems to enjoy Michael being jealous.” I tell him. 

 

“Ben isn't like that.” He tells me. 

 

“Then ask him to get off the fence and tell you the truth, because Justin doesn’t need anymore drama from them.” I tell him.

 

“You actually know the cheap trick’s name?” He asks me sarcastically.

 

“I know my boyfriend's name, and I know if you ever say that kind of shit in front of him, you're not welcome in my life.” I tell him. 

 

“Brian are you being serious?” He asks, looking at me like he's never seen me before.

 

“I'm just explaining how little you'll matter to me if you hurt Justin.” I tell him, getting in my car. 

 

“You realize Michael isn’t going to like this?” He asks. 

 

“I don’t care.” I tell him backing up to leave.

 

EMMETT

 

“Brian in a relationship? That wasn't something I saw coming. I'm not sure what to do, I mean do I warn Deb and Michael? Should I just stay the hell out of it? I mean he had a point, Ben hasn't really said anything one way or the other about the whole thing.” I tell Blake.

 

“Is there some reason you wanted to come to the rehab to talk?” Blake asks, confused.

 

“I needed to tell someone and you do the confidentiality thing.” I tell him. 

 

“Emmett, you do get that I'm a drug abuse counselor?” He asks. 

 

“It's just I know I'd say something if I didn't get this out.” I tell him. 

 

“Because I'm not part of the group, you told me?” He asks. 

 

“Blake are you ever going to talk to Ted?” I ask him, which was really why I came.

 

“I don’t see anything changing, so why go back to the same problem. 

 He can’t seem to tell Michael that his problems aren’t more important than our relationship.” Blake tells me.

 

“He loves you.” I tell him.

 

“I’d love to believe that, but the fact that Michael shows up and all of you take off, really doesn’t show me he loves me. The fact that all of you are single really doesn’t surprise me, because Michael goes out of his way to show anyone not in the gang that we aren’t wanted. Of course, the fact that Michael is in a relationship is fine, but no one else can be.” He tells me.

 

“Which brings me back to Brian dating the guy that hit on Ben.” I tell him.

 

“Why  would you need to worry about it? Does it means you’re going to decide to ruining Brian’s relationship, the way Michael ruined Ted’s, because that's all telling anyone would do.” He tells me.

 

“It’s not all Michael’s fault. You could have talk to Ted.” I tell him.

 

“I didn’t say it was, but having him remind me that I was around only because Ted wanted it, didn’t make it better. All of you, except Brian, barely acknowledge me, and now you’re here like you didn’t treat me like shit too. It makes me wonder why you want me to get back with Ted.” He tells me.

 

“It’s just hard for me to get past that you once left Ted, not knowing if he was dying.” I tell him, feeling like an asshole for the way I’ve been treating him.

 

“The only person whose opinion mattered was Ted’s, but I got tired of being everyone’s whipping boy. I got tired of Michael saying shit and you and Ted laughing when it wasn’t funny. I got tired of my past being the only thing that mattered to all of you. So I decided to get the hell out before I needed Crystal to make it bearable to be with the man I love. I got away from the Michael ‘mean girl society’, and I’m just not willing to put myself back in a position where I would need to be at the rehab because I relapsed.” He tells me.

 

“I never realized that we were that bad.” I tell him.

 

“You were, I won’t sugar coat it, because I don’t see the point in treating you the way you all treat Michael. While I will most likely always love Ted, I don’t like the person Michael brings out in him. And I hate the person you are when you and Michael join forces.” He tells me.

 

“I guess I was wrong to bother you.” I tell him, getting up to leave.

 

“If it keeps you from screwing over Brian, I would rather you bother me. I know the position this guy is about to be in with this group. He’s about to take away Michael’s own form of Crystal, which to Michael is worse than my almost killing Ted. I just hope the guy is stronger than I was.” Blake tells me.

 

“You make it sound like we're villains.” I tell him.

 

“No, just the henchman for the real villain in this story.” Blake tells me.

 

I wandered around the street, not liking how Blake described us. I mean, for me it was that Blake hurt Ted at one time, but does that excuse the fact that I never defended Blake when Michael said something?  Blake didn’t slam the door in my face when I showed up really just shows the kind of person he is, when Michael would have made us beg to be forgiven. It's eye opening to hear from someone how he sees our behavior. He's right instead of just assuming Michael told the truth, maybe it was time to find out the truth. Brian is going to need all the help he can get when Deb and Michael find out who Brian’s seeing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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