They didn't find Aaron at the train station, or the bus station. Hartley cursed under his breath and vehemently wished more people had cell phones. Of course since he wasn't rich anymore he probably wouldn't have one for much longer, but still.
After over an hour of searching Drew decided they'd be better off heading to the apartment to see if Aaron had turned up, or at the least to check the answering machine.
So this time Drew drove with Hartley curled up in his backseat, exhausted but unable to sleep for worry. Drew must have noticed in the rearview. "Don't worry dude. I'm sure he's fine."
"If he isn't it's my fault. I pulled that stupid stunt and then I yelled at him and then I left him alone."
"Hartley, dude, I'm sure he's fine. And when we get back you guys can have some nice, fluffy reunion time and then I'll see if we can add you to the lease. I'm kinda excited actually. With you pitching in on the rent I'll have more spare cash."
"It would be nice to live with Aaron." Hartley murmured. "Maybe there is some good in being kicked out."
"We'll help you adjust to working class life. Teach you all the secrets." Drew said cheerfully. "You'd be surprised how much mileage you can get out of a bag of frozen bagels and a case of ramen."
Most of the return journey was spent with Drew chatting good naturedly about budgeting tricks. Hartley listened, glad for the distraction, and nodded off occasionally with thoughts of a pleasant future living with Drew and Aaron. He'd never spent much time with Drew before, but he'd been very friendly on the road trip, kind of like a nurturing den mother type.
Huh. That didn't fit with Aaron's earlier reluctance to let Hartley sleep on the couch.
Hartley drifted off again, and before too much longer Drew was nudging him awake. "Hey dude, we're here. Take your keys."
"Huh? Oh, thanks."
They jogged up to the apartment, Drew over to the phone to check for messages while Hartley eyed the living room warily. There were some unfamiliar articles of clothing strewn over the couch. He was pretty sure they hadn't been there before.
Hartley pushed Aaron's bedroom door open, hoping he wasn't about to find what the contents of the living room made him expect. Sure enough, Aaron was asleep, naked and curled around a stranger. Wait a minute…not a total stranger…one of the queens from the GSA drag show.
Hartley vaguely noticed his finger nails were biting sharply into his palms. He eyed the two as his vision was slowly obscured by tears, then he bolted for the living room and the door.
"No messages…hey Hartley, are you okay?" Drew asked. Hartley ignored him in favor of retreating for his car. It was that or go back to the bedroom and beat Aaron to within an inch of his life, which wasn't a good plan. Aaron was in school through athletic scholarships, he'd win.
"Breathe Hartley, just breathe…oh hell." No job. No house. His parents had cut him off, and now his boyfriend had decided to complete the shitty cycle by cheating on him.
"Oh holy fuck. I'm living in my car." He realized. "Oh fuck. Oh fuck!"
He picked up the sound of a muffled conversation and some indications of nearby movement. When the words registered, Hartley moved slowly to lock the car doors. He wasn't interested in talking any of this over.
"Dude! You're being a prick!"
"Fuck you Drew, it's none of your business!"
"You need to talk to him you asshole! We were up all night looking for your stupid ass-he thought you were in trouble!"
"Leave it alone dude."
Drew banged on the car window. "Hartley, come on, we should talk about this!"
Hartley rolled down the window a crack. "Go away. I'm not talking." He somehow managed to croak out around a constricted throat.
"See?" Aaron said triumphantly.
"You're a douchebag and I don't want to live with you anymore! What kind of asshole cheats on his significant other the night he gets thrown out?" Drew yelled. Hartley cringed.
"What, you think this was the first time or something?" Aaron asked with a laugh. He looked right at Hartley. "I've been sleeping around the entire time we've been dating. You're a high maintenance little bitch and when you drive me insane, I-I just…you suck Hartley. This was you, not me!"
Hartley's anger shifted to raw hurt. He rolled the window back up with some difficulty since his hand was shaking and then curled into a fetal position in the driver's seat.
He looked up again when he heard a smack and a thud. Aaron was on the ground clutching his face. Drew stood over him, hands balled into fists.
"Dude!" Aaron yelled. "You fucking hit me! This is none of your business!"
"You deserved that." Drew snapped.
"Well we've got a lease so you'd damn well better ease up." Aaron returned. He picked himself up off the driveway and stalked off for the apartment. Drew gently tapped on the window.
"Hartley? You okay?"
He wiped at his face and rolled the window down a little. "I'm okay Drew. Look, we're not really friends. You don't have to screw up your relationship with your roommate over this."
Drew shook his head. "I'm sorry dude. I, I knew Aaron wasn't really into you. I shoulda told you. He kept going on about your money, like that was the best part of dating you, like he'd scored big or something. I just, like-"
"He's your roommate and I'm a stranger. It was normal." Hartley said dully. "It's okay. You don't have to worry about me."
"Well I will anyway. Hit me up sometime if you need to talk, okay?"
"Alright."
Drew went back inside. Hartley curled back into his fetal position and tried to steady his breathing, but he could hear what Aaron was saying in the apartment (he was used to filtering for his boyfriend's voice). He was making plans, apologizing for the drama, and the drag queen was insulting Hartley for being a clingy, stringy haired bitch.
"Right…" Hartley started the car and drove, even though he could barely see and his attention was more on the fading sounds from Aaron's bedroom than the road. Miraculously he managed to get himself out of range of the apartment in one piece.
He ended up heading back towards his parents' house, hoping that in a day or two his father's anger would subside enough for them to talk things out. He'd certainly had some rude awakenings, which had made him appreciate the security of his parents' protection. He'd compromise.
He didn't want to be alone.
He spent a couple nights sleeping in his car, but before he worked the nerve up to try talking to his father again he was pulled over by a police officer.
"License and registration?"
"Uh, one sec." He fumbled around for the documents. "I wasn't speeding or anything officer…why did you pull me over?"
"License and registration please."
"Kay…"
The police officer called in the information out of ear shot of the car, or so it would seem to a normal person, but Hartley was able to listen in.
"Yeah, so this is the car, huh? You kidding? What kinda dirtbag has his own kid arrested? …Geeze Rosiers, it looks like he's living in the damn thing…yeah, I know I don't need to like it, I'll bring him in…did I say I wasn't gonna?"
Hartley groaned, banging his head against the steering wheel.
Rachel Rathaway eventually talked her husband into dropping the charges, but he still wouldn't let Hartley come home, and he did take the car with him. Hartley saw them leaving the police station after he was released, and ran over to try to plead his case again.
"Mom, Dad, wait!"
"Keep walking Rachel." Osgood practically yanked her arm to get her to keep moving.
"Come on, at least talk to me! I'm sorry, okay?"
"It's too late Hartley. I meant what I said. Don't try to contact us."
"But I…I don't have anywhere to go."
"Well you should have thought of that." Osgood sneered.
Hartley watched them drive off, numb.
"One sec Joe." A gruff looking police officer said to his partner before grabbing Hartley's arm. "Hey kid, sorry, but I heard all that. Name's Chyre. If you really don't have anyplace to go, there's a shelter nearby but…I wouldn't go there if I had another choice, you get me?"
Hartley nodded. "I really don't have another choice." He didn't even have the nominal protection of his vehicle anymore.
"Alright then. I'll give you a lift."