One lifes love-the story of Brad and Bryan : Part 2

I woke up to the sound of my shower running. I looked at the clock and saw it was a little after 10. “Oh good!” I thought to myself. My dad was already gone for work, and mom would be down at the garden center. The firing squad would be delayed a little longer. I sat there a minute deciding whether or not I actually wanted to move when I heard the shower shut off. A couple minutes later stud Bryan came out of the bathroom buck ass naked and drying his hair. “Oh you’re awake” he said grinning and making no attempt to cover up. “Hey dude, my clothes are a mess. Can I borrow something?” He sort of asked while helping himself to my closet. “Nope!” I smirked. “You need to stay just like you are.” “Buck ass naked!” “Perve!” he laughed as he shook his ass my direction.

He helped himself to some of my stuff, and got dressed while I showered and threw something on myself. I caught up with him in the kitchen raiding the fridge. I noticed in the few minutes we banged around he’d downed about a gallon of water. “A little dry are we Bry…?” I smirked as he gulped another glass of water. “Oh fuck…I feel like a Battalion marched over my tongue” he laughed. Suddenly serious, “Hey thanks a lot Brad for taking such good care of me, and the note, and cleaning me up, and, and…” he trailed off. “No problem Bry…it was actually payback for the show in the car last night” I said with an evil grin. “Huh..? Ohh…Dude don’t talk about that, I was wasted” he returned.

“Listen I gotta go and let my mom know I’m alive” he said suddenly nervous and looking for an exit strategy. “I’ll catch up with you later.” He said walking toward the door. “Hey Bry?” I asked figuring it was now or never. Bryan turned at the door waiting for a question. “What?” he asked a little puzzled. “You said you loved me last night” I stated looking at the floor rather than him. Bryan slammed the door shut. “Now Look!” he said as the blood drained from his face. “Brad you’re a good friend.” “But Dude…I AM STRAIGHT!!” “Get that through your head!” he went on. “We’re not going to live happily ever after…we’re not going to pick out a china pattern…IT AIN’T HAPPENING!” “NOW DROP IT!” he yelled and then opened the door and slammed it again behind him.

I sat there stunned for a few moments. What the hell was happening? Was I just reading everything wrong? Was I trying to make something happen because I wanted it do badly? Then I realized, I hadn’t been making any moves at all? Except for touching him for 5 seconds, I hadn’t done anything. He was the one that pulled his dick out in front of me! He was the one that cuddled up against me last night! I was not instigating anything. Now I was pissed off AND confused. I was trying to figure out what I was going to do next when the phone rang. The caller ID displayed dad’s office number. “Hi dad” I said meekly as I picked up the phone. “Is he ok?” he asked rather flatly. “Yeah…he just left” I returned.

“Well then…There are 30 bags of bark mulch in the garage.” “I will be home by two or so.” “I trust you can have that spread throughout the beds in the front and side yard by the time I get home” he instructed. “If that’s not enough to do, you can move the wood pile to the back of the garage” he added. “Your mother wants to put another garden area where the wood is now.” I was already pissed over Bryan but I knew my dad saved my ass, as well as Bryan’s last night. “Yes sir…” was the only response I had. “Good” he said with embedded victory. “If you’re smart, Bryan will help you” he added. “See you at two” he said as he ended the call.

“Hey good lookin!” Bryan said as he walked into the back yard. I was pushing the wheelbarrow with the 10th load of bark mulch in it over toward the side yard. “Hey” I said quietly as I continued on. “Need any help?” he asked all full of innocence. I dropped the wheelbarrow and turn to face him. “You’re fucking right I need help!” “I’m out here because of your sorry ass”! I spewed at him. I simply turned away from him and went back to work. The smile faded from his face and he disappeared into the garage. As I began to empty the load into its destination, Bryan came around the corner with a bag on each shoulder. “Where do these go?” he asked rather quietly. I pointed out all the locations I had left and we continued to work in silence until the job was done. “We done?” he finally asked in a victorious grin. “Nope” I stated flatly and pointed to the woodpile. “Sheeiit” was his only response.

My dad walked into the yard as we we’re about half-way through the pile. “Well boys…looks pretty good back here!” he smiled as he came our direction. “Hi Mr. Calloway” was Bryans response. “Mr. Pitman” my dad began. “You’re in much better shape than the last time I saw you”. “Yeah…sorry bout that” Bryan returned sheepishly. My dad went into our age, and drinking, and driving and all the stuff parents who care usually say. Bryan and I listened as we really had no other choice. Bryan was respectful and had all the Yes’s and Sir’s in the right spots. “You boy’s have done enough for one day!” he said finally. “Why don’t you go jump in the pool or something” he added and returned to the house. “I gotta get home” Bryan said finally after my dad was in the house. “Your dad is cool you know” he added. “I know, I’m pretty lucky” I said to the ground. It was still pretty cold between the two of us. “Well I’ll catch up with you later then” he said as he left the yard.

I was picking things up when my mom showed up. “Hi honey!” she said as she came through the gate. “Oh it looks beautiful back here!” she went on. “Say there are several flats of plants in the back of my car” “Would you put them in the greenhouse please” she instructed as always. “Thank you honey!” she added. My dad came out to meet my mother and they chatted about the yard and mom’s latest idea. My mother’s cell rang and she answered as she always did. “This is Marilyn…” “Oh Hi…” “NO!!!” suddenly her faced changed to panic. “OK…” and she hung up. She turned to my father and said “TED…you need to get down to the Pitman’s…” We all knew what that meant. My father and I were out the gate in a second.

We heard it before we’d even gotten to the driveway. “DAD…I’m SORRY” I heard Bryan pleading. We got to the back gate where my dad said “Stay here” as an empty command. I ignored him and followed him through the gate. What I saw next made my blood run cold. Bryan’s dad was standing over his cowering son backhanding him several times across the face. “HOWARD!” my dad called out as he slowly walked toward them. “It was just a little beer!” “This is out of line!” he stated very quietly. Bryan covered his eye’s while his father looked down at him again. “WHAT..! You’ve been drinking?” “You little puke!” he said through gritted teeth and began another assault on Bryan using hands and feet this time. My father closed his eye’s realizing his mistake and then took about three giant leaps toward them. As Howard raised his hand for another assault, my father grabbed his wrist and spun him around. “Howard STOP!” “You’re out of control!” “You strike him one more time and I will put you DOWN!” I’d never seen such anger in my father’s eyes. Bryan’s mother was on the deck sobbing “Oh Howard…he’s just a boy!” she cried. “BRADLEY…” my father called my direction. “Take Bryan out of here NOW” he continued in a determined voice. I ran over and extended my hand out to Bryan. He was wide eyed and scared to death. He looked at his father who returned his stare with fire still in his eyes. Then he looked at my father whose eyes never left Howard while he whispered “Go on son…it’s alright”. He finally took my hand and I pulled him from the ground. He looked at his father one more time and his mouth opened to say something but nothing came out. Then we turned and walked toward the gate. My father let go of Howard’s wrist but remained a few inches from Howard’s face. As we walked away, Bryan’s father erupted again “Fine!” “You KEEP the little puke!” “I don’t want him here any more!” he spat on. “Stay away from MY house you little scum!” Bryan’s mother sobbed louder “Oh Howard!!” she wept. Bryan just closed his eyes and grabbed my arm. “Take him home” my father called back and we simply kept walking out of the yard.

We were walking slowly down the drive and my mother came running from the direction of our house. There were more people on the street now and everyone was starting at Bryan. My mother blew a gasket and started telling everyone “Go back home!” “There’s nothing to see here!” “Let the boy be!” she pleaded with tears beginning in her eyes. My father walked up about that time and placed a hand on Bryan’s shoulder. “It’s over now…let’s just go home” he stated quietly. The four of us walked down the sidewalk toward home as we saw a police car coming from the other direction. The driver looked long and hard at us but continued and stopped in front of Bryan’s house. I looked at my dad who simply mouthed “later”.

When we got home everybody was quiet. My dad whispered to me “Son…take Bryan up to your room and help him get cleaned up”. I said nothing and simply lead Bryan down the hall. He still hadn’t let go of me. When my door was closed I turned to face him. I looked at him in the eye and quietly asked “are you hurt anywhere?” He just grabbed me and buried his head in my shoulder. A moment later I could feel him shaking uncontrollably as he cried quietly. I just held him as there were simply no words to convey anything else.
When he finally did look up again, I saw the blood. His lip was bleeding a little and his eye was beginning to swell. “You need some ice” I said quietly. “I’ll be right back” and left through the door. When I got to the living room, the police were there and my dad was explaining what had happened. They wanted to talk to Bryan and my dad simply said “No…the boy’s been through enough.” “Let it go until tomorrow and I’ll help you with whatever’s necessary”. I quietly went onto the kitchen and as I passed the window, I noticed the police car in the driveway. Bryan’s father was in the back seat. I just grabbed some ice in a towel and ran back to Bryan.

When I entered my room I saw Bryan sitting on my bed. A cold chill ran down my spine. Bryan had his shirt off and there were welts and bruises forming across his chest and back. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. Bryan saw my reaction and searched around for his shirt to cover himself. “Don’t” I said quietly. “Don’t be ashamed, it’s not your fault.” He stopped but more tears started down his cheeks. I didn’t say a word as I placed the ice on Bryans face and eye. “This will be easier if you lay down” I whispered. He laid back on my bed and held the ice towel with one hand and as I sat on the edge of the bed, he placed the other hand on my leg. We just sat there quietly.