3.
Climbing into the car, Peter sat back in his seat, drew a deep breath and let it out slowly through pursed lips. Sat quietly for a moment or two before he had plastered a smile on his face and turned to Leon, sitting similarly staring straight out of the windscreen.
"So, how was your day Hubby? Have a nice little catch-up?"
"It's changed in there," the boy said quietly. Didn't look at Peter, "The house, it's… it's gotten stronger. They've got form now"
"Oh, I hear ya," Peter sighed, jammed the keys into the ignition, "That place is like a sinkhole for bad juju. Felt it myself, and I can't even do the ooky-spooky thing"
"The husband didn't shoot the maid, y'know" he said, "It was her – that woman. She killed them both. The maid's under that summerhouse thing in the yard"
"I knew she was creepy" Peter shuddered a little, reached over and took Leon's hand again, "You okay? You look kinda shook up"
"I'm fine. Thanks for bringing me – I, I won't come back again"
"That bad huh?"
"Yeah"
Leon was quiet for a while as they pulled out of the street before he had finally continued
"Did you do OK with Crazy Lady?"
"Oh yeah, she thinks I'm the girl and I met my Evil Twin Double. I think he's probably gonna kill himself or someone else pretty soon. Great day, do it again any time"
Leon chuckled a little at that. Noticed that Peter still had hold of his hand, resting it over the gearstick as if they were both driving. Looked at their joined hands and smiled softly.
"Thanks for being my Hubby today" he smiled shyly, "You know I'd never make a move on you for real, right? I mean you're cute as anything, but you don't go that way. I get that"
Giving Leon a strange look, Peter nodded, smiled at him sweetly and comfortingly
"Dude, It's cool. Just because you like guys doesn't mean I think you're gonna jump me because I'm a guy. I get that you like me, and I'm flattered. But you respect both me and Angie way too much to make things hard for any of us. That being said though - " he reached over and patted Leon's prominent belly, "If I did go for guys, I'd like 'em chunky"
He winked, gave Leon a wide grin. They both laughed comfortably. Drove on for a while before Peter had spotted a drive-thru and immediately turned in
"Don't know about you but I could eat a horse" he said, "You hungry?"
"I could eat. As always. You got the munchies dude? You stink of weed"
"And how do you know what that smells like?"
Leon looked a little embarrassed, before he had realised Peter was kidding and returned his grin.
"Your Evil Twin, huh?" he asked, "What was he like?"
"Terrifying." Peter answered quickly, "Just…. Lost, man. Like I could have been if I hadn't had the good people I needed around me. It was horrible, like looking at a me that might have happened if I was furious and twisted up inside. I never want to see anything like that again"
He hadn't been willing to elaborate. They sat in the car and ate their burgers, drove on to the motel they had taken for the night. Made the journey back to Westchester leaving just after dawn the next morning and tried to forget what they had both seen and experienced in that house yet again. Peter forget to cancel his subscription to the Los Angeles Times, and was nauseated but unsurprised when a month later he had seen that horribly familiar face in a story yet again. This time a yearbook picture, but posted above a headline about a massacre at a school. He cancelled the paper the same day, burned that copy. Spent all the time he could with his friends and tried never to think about the boy who had his face, but that nobody had been able to save.