Chapter Three

I managed to hitch a ride with that Billy guy; I sat in the back of his truck as he drove across the dusty roads. All Billy was doing was talking shit to some other people in the truck. The conversation ranged from food to the girls with big boobs, someone kill me now! I was trying desperately to block out the conversation but when it turned to Zach I found myself listening in.

"How did he end up with Tori?" Billy exclaimed disbelievingly

"I don't know, he doesn't deserve her though," Another guy said

"Yea the way he's been treating her just ain't right," A different person said

"It's like he doesn't want sex," Billy speculated

"Who wouldn't want some of that unless..,"

"Unless he's a fag" Bill exclaimed

That word again, I knew it was commonly used but it still got to me

The others muttered agreements

"What do you think Shaun?"

This question caught me off guard I assumed that Billy was only giving me a ride because I'm Gabe's brother, that they couldn't give two fucks about me.

"Well I don't know him or Tori very well but I think they're just going through some hard times," I told them because that's what I truly thought, Zach hasn't got the easiest life they should cut him some slack.

There was silent as what I said was being processed

"God, you really did go Hollywood... I definitely think he's a fag disgusts me," Billy said

I felt a flash of anger, as the conversation turned from bad to worse

"It's just not natural two dudes-"

"Dude don't even go there."

I swallowed hard against the narrow mindness of some people but I couldn't blame them, so many people have just been brought up this way, I thought of Zach briefly I wonder how he was brought up.

I nearly shouted for joy when I saw my house

"Thanks for the ride man," I told Billy I as ran as fast as I could away from the truck, I didn't care if I looked odd running away I needed to get away from it

Later I opened my laptop to see if I could write a bit, maybe start a new novel, I left to long a gap since my last one

"Did I really write this shit?" I asked myself as I read romantic conversations of two people deeply in love turning into distraught drabbles of a lost man...me. I got bored reading my innermost thoughts and feeling just after the break up so I started rifling through drawers and cupboards. My search was in the end successful, after an assortment of books, papers and even empty beer cans (Gabe's) I found a walkie-talkie and a DVD. I put in the DVD and sat on my bed fiddling with the controls on the walkie-talkie. Skate This by Zach and Gabe great more reminders of why I like him. The video wasn't the best entertainment so I started calling down the walkie-talkie

"Hellloooooo is anyone there?"

I started watching the DVD again smiling at the two boys having fun

"Hellloooooo Shaun!" A voice called

I jumped at the sound of the voice what the fuck?

"Who the fuck is this?" I asked looking down at the talkie

"Master does not know his own student, master is old!"

I looked back at the T.V and back down smiling when I recognised the voice

"Where did you find these?" Zach questioned

"Dude they were just lying around the house," I told him

"Man, me and Gabe used to stay up for hours on these" Zach replied

"I can't believe these go all the way to your house!" I exclaimed

"All the way to the Ghetto, they were the latest technology back then, I think your dad got them at an airport when he forgot a Christmas one year," Zach explained

Is it that hard to remember that he's not my dad I'm mean come one

"Step dad, I think I remember that year I got a talking dart board," I said remembering the joy on Gabe's face when he opened his present and happy look on my step dad's face watching Gabe play with them.

"Hey man I saw your tags around town today," I said after a moment

"Yeah,"

"Yeah looks like someone's doing their art work,"

"Well sometimes," Zach replied

I wanted to ask Zach what he meant by that but my talkie bleeped loudly

"What was that?"

"Your low in battery, man these things are ancient no wonder,"

"All right hey it was great riding today," I told him for about the tenth time today, why the hell do I keep bringing it up

"Yeah it was," Zach said

Then came a moments silence where we were both lost for words

"What are you listening to?" Zach continued

"Err nothing," I said quickly turning down the sound

"Okay well see ya," Zach said switching off his talkie

"Yeah see ya," I replied then watching the rest of the DVD

By the time I switched off the light I was beat and just wanted to curl up and forget where I was but that wasn't gonna happen now was it, I was swamped by Zach's beautiful face and all thoughts and feelings coming back that I had left here along with Zach. This was not gonna be an easy ride that's for sure.