Part of this appeared in the original verison of "Part 40." It's been beefed up just a tad...enjoy!
After school on Monday I got off of the bus and knew it could be anywhere from five to fifteen minutes before Gavin and Vincent's bus showed up. The day up until then had been fairly non-eventful. I had a lot to think about, between finding out Gavin wears diapers, finding Vincent tied up and beaten blood red, knowing there was an impending spanking coming at Gavin's hand, and trying to figure out how to end Vincent's cycle of abuse - especially my part in it.
_d_a_m_n_...it is tough to be me!
The last thing I wanted to deal with was Lee, and who should be there waiting for me as I got off the bus but my "friend."
"Matt!" he yelled, walking over to me from his buddies.
"What?"
"I've been trying to find you all day."
"So?"
"I said I was sorry, man."
"Just leave me alone," I said. "Just go walk on with Kenny and the rest of them."
"Come on, Matt," he said, getting in my face. "I don't want to repeat what happened at the end of the summer, where we didn't speak for weeks, or even what happened after your birthday."
"When we couldn't even look at each other," I said coldly.
"Yeah."
"I can't trust you, Lee. I can't believe...never mind..." I shook my head. Between the stuff about Vince and Gavin, this stuff between us seemed like insignificant ancient history.
"I am so sorry about telling Tom. That was uncool of me."
"Yeah, it was."
"I need for us to stay friends," he said. "I can't explain it, but, well, I just can't."
That got my attention. I looked over at him and smirked. "Why should I believe anything you say?"
"I know, I deserve that. All I can say is that I'm sorry. I do consider you to be a good friend."
"I don't believe you, Lee," I said. "Not anymore. A good friend wouldn't have done what you did."
"You know you're my friend, dude."
"Please. You wouldn't have dared pulled that kind of superior crap with anyone else. Not with Tom, or Ken, or Nelson or anyone."
"I was stupid. I admit that, but you need to know that you are my friend, and...well...if I said anything to Tom it was because I was...well...because I was concerned about you."
"Butt _s_h_i_t_."
"How can I prove it?" he asked. He seemed so earnest, but I had been hurt and I wasn't ready to be buddy-buddy with him again this soon.
"I don't know if you can," I said, shrugging. "Trust is something that just happens. It takes awhile."
"I was thinking about it on the bus," he said, reaching into his notebook. "I know it's kind of sloppy, and please tell me if you think this is lame, but I want you to have it."
"What?" He continued to pique my curiosity.
He tore out a page from his notebook. "Here. It's an IOU."
"An IOU?" I said, looking at the paper.
"You can cash that in anytime, for any reason, and I will owe you."
"Owe me?" Sure enough - that's what it said, scrawled out hastily on the notebook page. "And you really mean this?"
"Scout's honor."
"Dude, your father threw you out of scouts back when you were still a Cub Scout."
"Oh yeah," he laughed.
"Well, you are right about something," I said, laughing.
"What?"
"It is pretty lame," I chuckled.
"Ahh, come on."
"But if you are sincere..."
"I am! I can't tell you how sincere."
"You really mean this?"
"Absolutely," he said, sticking his hand out to shake. "You have one free pass to make me your personal bitch anywhere, anytime, for anything."
I laughed...I smiled...I shook his hand.
"We're cool?"
"Of course, " I said. looking at the IOU again. "I suppose I am all about forgiveness these days."
"Awesome."
"Yeah, awesome."
"So, you have to wait for Gav, then?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Was he pretty pissed about the video game?"
"Oh yeah."
"I don't suppose you want to tell me what happened when he found out?"
"Not now."
"Cool," he said, nodding his head.
"Go ask Nelson, though, if he saw anything at the mall," I said smiling. "You might be able to piece together the rest."
"Really? Interesting," he said, smiling. "Ok, I'll see you later then, ok?"
"Sure," I said as I put the voucher away. "You not going to wait for Vince?" I asked, as he turned. They had gotten into the habit of walking up that way together.
"No...I can't...not today," he said. "Tell him I said 'hey,' ok?"
"Of course," I nodded.
Lee took a few steps towards his other friends, who were about a half block away, then he stopped and turned around. "Did he tell you?"
"Did who tell he what?" I asked.
"Vincent," he said, taking a moment to study my face, before continuing, "Did he tell you about his brother?"
"Ike? Yeah he told me about him flunking out of school," I said, smiling. "That's it. Why?"
"No reason."
"His grandparents don't like you, dude," I laughed.
"Well., what parents do?" he said back, with a _s_h_i_t_ eating grin on his face.
"True." My father was no Lee fan, that was for sure.
"Ok...well...I need to go, bye."
"Bye." That went from weird to really weird in no time at all. What the hell did that mean about Vincent telling me? I am sure that's not what Lee meant when he asked if Vincent had told me something. It seemed kind of obvious that something had happened between them; something that may have resulted in that belt strapping the day before; something to make Vince's grandparents hate Lee.
Hmmmmm...
Then, right on cue, the other bus arrived. I didn't have to wait long for Gavin to come tumbling out with the rest of his friends.
"Dude!" I yelled, waving my hands around.
"Dude!" he shouted back.
"Hey, Matt!" Vince yelled, as walked out with two of his young pals.
"Hey, Vin!" I yelled. "How's it going?" I asked as he and Gav walked towards me.
"Great! Did you have fun yesterday?"
"Ahhhh...yeah...not the word I would use, but....ok..." I said, awkwardly.
"Understood! I had fun, though...I mean, for some of it, I - I was glad you were there," Vincent said, before turning to his friends. "Guys wait for me, all right?"
"I was glad I was there too," I said to Vincent, clearing my throat. "How were your grandparents after I left?"
"They were very impressed!" Vince said, walking past me. "Where's Lee?"
"He had to go on."
"Oh...ok," he said, not registering any disappointment. "Well, see you, Cowboy!!"
"You can walk with me and Gav, dude," I said.
"No, I am going to go this way and cut through the back yards with Otto and Donnie. It's a lot quicker."
"Be careful," I said.
"Don't worry!" he laughed, winking. "The only time anyone catches me is when I want to be caught."
"Bye!"
"See you Sunday!"
"What was that about?" Gavin asked, as we started walking.
I looked at him. "I can't really tell you. I wish I could, but I'm going to try and be better about keeping secrets."
"Oh."
"Is that ok?"
"Sure," he said, smiling. "It will make me trust you even more."
I smiled - it all comes back around to trust. "So, how was your day?"
"Excellent! It was so much fun. We had a sub!"
"Anything wrong with your teacher?"
"Nah, I don't think so. I think she was just ticked off that she had to work Columbus Day this year. Supposedly they use to get that day off as a holiday, but now they don't."
"So you had a sub then?"
"Ahhhh...it was THE BEST!"
"Did you drive her nuts?" I asked.
"It was a dude, and he didn't know his ass from a hole in the wall. It was so funny."
"I'm sure you could have helped him with that."
"You know that's right!"
"You didn't do anything?"
"Of course not," he giggled. "Donnie, though, was a terror. You should have seen it. I hope the sub comes back tomorrow."
"Would you blame him if he didn't?"
Gavin laughed. "It was the bomb. It made the day fly by."
"Well, that's always good. I never have those days anymore. High School just seems to drag on and on and on."
"Don't scare me with that," he said.
"Sorry," I laughed. "It's not that bad. Personally, I can't WAIT until college. I hear it's actually easier than high school."
"No way!"
"Sure. You can choose your own classes, and when you take them, and most classes are only once a week."
"That sounds sweet," he sighed.
"So, have you started thinking about Halloween?" I asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Have you thought about what you are going to dress up as?"
"Not really," he admitted. "I usually go as a zombie or a vampire."
"You should see if Vince has some costumes you can borrow. He's got a ton of them."
"Like what?"
"Oh, name it. His grandfather use to work for some English theatre company years ago, and had all sorts of costumes left over that he gave to his daughter, and then her sons. Vince's brother, Ike, trashed a lot of them, but there are still some pretty cool things in there."
"How about you?"
"How about me, what?"
"What are you going to dress as?"
"I wasn't going to. I'm kind of old to be trick or treating."
"Bull crap!" he said. "You are coming with me, and I won't dress up unless you dress up!"
"Yes sir," I said. "We can talk about it more when I babysit you Friday."
"Yeah!"
We walked into the house.
"So, did your Dad go to the store yesterday and get some lemonade?" Gavin asked, tossing his books on the sofa in the living room.
"Yeah, finally."
"Did you ever find out where he went Saturday evening?"
"He had a date!" I said, getting out the pitcher of lemonade.
"No way!!"
"Yeah, the old man met some woman and went out on a date. First one in about three years."
"Where did they meet?" Gavin asked, grabbing an unopened package of Ritz crackers and tearing it open.
"He didn't say," I said, going through the scissors and crap drawer. "All I know is she has a couple of baby daughters."
"Where's the husband?"
"She was never married," I said, grabbing one of the rulers. "She and this guy just lived together, and they had some kids, now they are splitsville."
"Man, that is so weird," Gavin said, pouring his glass of lemonade. "Just think, dude, if your Dad is not careful you might have some little brothers or sisters."
I laughed, as I put the ruler on the table. "Can't happen. Dad's been snipped."
"He's been snipped?" Gavin said, scrunching his face. "He actually did that, and he actually told you?"
I laughed, pouring my own glass. "Yeah, and yeah."
"That is so, so weird, dude," he said, taking a gulp of the lemonade to wash away his mouth full of crackers. "I can't imagine my father telling me anything like that about him."
"Well, that's the way we are, I guess. About some things at least."
"That's cool."
"So, do you think you handle one of these?" I asked, pointing at the ruler.
Gav smiled. "I think I can figure out how one of those works."
"You want to do it now, or wait later?"
He smiled at me...I knew the answer.