The Tutor
Chapter 9
The Decision
Wufei felt his insides tighten with panic as he watched Duo roar down the street on his motorcycle.
"I have to go after him," he thought. Through the panic, an idea came.
He ran inside to call Darlene.
He paced restlessly as the phone rang. "Hello?" said a woman's voice, slightly hoarse.
"This is Wufei Chang," he said tentatively. "Duo's friend. I need your help."
"What happened?" her voice was tense.
"I think Duo went to try to see Solo," he said. "He took my motorcycle."
"I'll be right there," said Darlene, sounding resigned. "I had a feeling something like this would happen."
"Please hurry," said Wufei urgently, hanging up.
He ran to put on shoes and a shirt.
10 minutes later, Darlene pulled up in the driveway in Solo's car. Wufei was waiting for her impatiently.
"Get in," she said as she rolled down the window.
Wufei climbed in next to her.
"I'm sure he went to the police station," said Wufei.
Darlene nodded, focused on her driving. Her green eyes were gummy with recent bouts of grief and her short spiky black hair was disheveled.
"I'm sorry, didn't get much sleep last night," she apologized. "This is a hell of a way to get to know each other, I'm sorry."
"I am too," said Wufei quietly. He reached over and laid a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort.
Darlene flinched slightly at the unexpected contact, but then took a deep breath and allowed the touch.
"They probably won't let him see Solo, being a minor," said Darlene. "God only knows what a ruckus he'll raise." A ghost of a smile played on her lips for a fleeting second, then was gone.
"Yes," agreed Wufei. "Let's hope he keeps his head. Not being 18 yet is quite inconvenient at times."
"That's probably more true for you and Duo than most people," said Darlene.
Wufei nodded, "You can say that again." He sighed loudly and rested his head wearily in his hand.
They drove the few remaining blocks to the police station in silence.
"There's my bike," said Wufei, pointing when they arrived. "I knew he'd try to come here."
"Well, let's go inside and see what's going on," said Darlene, sliding out of the seat belt.
They quickly locked the car and entered the precinct building.
"There he is," said Wufei.
Duo sat on a bench in the containment area, his head slumped in his hands. He didn't notice as Darlene and Wufei walked up to him until Wufei spoke.
"Duo."
Duo raised bleary eyes to him. "What're you doin here?" he asked, bristling a little.
"Duo, you took my bike," said Wufei quietly, squatting down on his heels in front of the other young man.
"It's outside," Duo said indifferently. "I guess I shouldna done that, sorry."
"I understand," said Wufei. "And, I'm the one who should be apologizing to you." A long look passed between them, and then Duo looked away.
He looked up at Darlene. "They wouldn't let me see him," he said. Tears of frustration began to well up in his eyes.
"I know," said Darlene, sitting down next to him and snaking an arm around Duo's shoulders. "I'm sorry sweetie."
"Let's go home," said Wufei. "Sitting here isn't doing your brother any good. Come on, we need to talk." Wufei held out his hand.
Duo nodded dumbly. "Okay," he said softly, but he ignored Wufei's extended hand.
"Duo, we'll see him in the morning," said Darlene. "It's taking most of our savings, but I'm posting bail in the morning."
"You're staying at my house," said Wufei. "No arguments."
"Come on," said Wufei. "Get on." He gestured to his bike as they came out of the police station.
Darlene embraced Duo. "I'll be there to get you first thing in the morning. Try to get some sleep, you'll need it."
Duo sat stiffly behind Wufei on the ride back to his home.
As they pulled into the driveway, they saw Wufei's mother and grandmother had returned.
Duo looked uncertain, but Wufei grabbed his arm.
"Come in," he said. "My mom will be fine with everything."
"Are you?" asked Duo, setting his mouth in a grim line.
"Yes," said Wufei simply. "It wasn't my intention to drive you away. You just..caught me off guard."
"I don't want to be with someone who's ashamed to be with me," said Duo, looking down at his folded arms.
"I'm not ashamed of you," said Wufei. "I'm a little ashamed of myself, though."
Duo raised his eyes.
"I haven't been honest with anyone, including myself," said Wufei, swallowing nervously. "But, that's going to end right now."
He grabbed Duo and held him fiercely. Duo gasped, but after a moment, his hands came up to encircle Wufei's waist. Wufei gently kissed his lover on the forehead, then on his slightly open mouth.
"Please come in," he smiled shakily at Duo. "We're going in to talk to my mom."
"Scared?" asked Duo, with a similar smile. "
"To death," said Wufei solemnly as he tightly gripped Duo's hand.
Chapter 9
The Decision
Wufei felt his insides tighten with panic as he watched Duo roar down the street on his motorcycle.
"I have to go after him," he thought. Through the panic, an idea came.
He ran inside to call Darlene.
He paced restlessly as the phone rang. "Hello?" said a woman's voice, slightly hoarse.
"This is Wufei Chang," he said tentatively. "Duo's friend. I need your help."
"What happened?" her voice was tense.
"I think Duo went to try to see Solo," he said. "He took my motorcycle."
"I'll be right there," said Darlene, sounding resigned. "I had a feeling something like this would happen."
"Please hurry," said Wufei urgently, hanging up.
He ran to put on shoes and a shirt.
10 minutes later, Darlene pulled up in the driveway in Solo's car. Wufei was waiting for her impatiently.
"Get in," she said as she rolled down the window.
Wufei climbed in next to her.
"I'm sure he went to the police station," said Wufei.
Darlene nodded, focused on her driving. Her green eyes were gummy with recent bouts of grief and her short spiky black hair was disheveled.
"I'm sorry, didn't get much sleep last night," she apologized. "This is a hell of a way to get to know each other, I'm sorry."
"I am too," said Wufei quietly. He reached over and laid a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort.
Darlene flinched slightly at the unexpected contact, but then took a deep breath and allowed the touch.
"They probably won't let him see Solo, being a minor," said Darlene. "God only knows what a ruckus he'll raise." A ghost of a smile played on her lips for a fleeting second, then was gone.
"Yes," agreed Wufei. "Let's hope he keeps his head. Not being 18 yet is quite inconvenient at times."
"That's probably more true for you and Duo than most people," said Darlene.
Wufei nodded, "You can say that again." He sighed loudly and rested his head wearily in his hand.
They drove the few remaining blocks to the police station in silence.
"There's my bike," said Wufei, pointing when they arrived. "I knew he'd try to come here."
"Well, let's go inside and see what's going on," said Darlene, sliding out of the seat belt.
They quickly locked the car and entered the precinct building.
"There he is," said Wufei.
Duo sat on a bench in the containment area, his head slumped in his hands. He didn't notice as Darlene and Wufei walked up to him until Wufei spoke.
"Duo."
Duo raised bleary eyes to him. "What're you doin here?" he asked, bristling a little.
"Duo, you took my bike," said Wufei quietly, squatting down on his heels in front of the other young man.
"It's outside," Duo said indifferently. "I guess I shouldna done that, sorry."
"I understand," said Wufei. "And, I'm the one who should be apologizing to you." A long look passed between them, and then Duo looked away.
He looked up at Darlene. "They wouldn't let me see him," he said. Tears of frustration began to well up in his eyes.
"I know," said Darlene, sitting down next to him and snaking an arm around Duo's shoulders. "I'm sorry sweetie."
"Let's go home," said Wufei. "Sitting here isn't doing your brother any good. Come on, we need to talk." Wufei held out his hand.
Duo nodded dumbly. "Okay," he said softly, but he ignored Wufei's extended hand.
"Duo, we'll see him in the morning," said Darlene. "It's taking most of our savings, but I'm posting bail in the morning."
"You're staying at my house," said Wufei. "No arguments."
"Come on," said Wufei. "Get on." He gestured to his bike as they came out of the police station.
Darlene embraced Duo. "I'll be there to get you first thing in the morning. Try to get some sleep, you'll need it."
Duo sat stiffly behind Wufei on the ride back to his home.
As they pulled into the driveway, they saw Wufei's mother and grandmother had returned.
Duo looked uncertain, but Wufei grabbed his arm.
"Come in," he said. "My mom will be fine with everything."
"Are you?" asked Duo, setting his mouth in a grim line.
"Yes," said Wufei simply. "It wasn't my intention to drive you away. You just..caught me off guard."
"I don't want to be with someone who's ashamed to be with me," said Duo, looking down at his folded arms.
"I'm not ashamed of you," said Wufei. "I'm a little ashamed of myself, though."
Duo raised his eyes.
"I haven't been honest with anyone, including myself," said Wufei, swallowing nervously. "But, that's going to end right now."
He grabbed Duo and held him fiercely. Duo gasped, but after a moment, his hands came up to encircle Wufei's waist. Wufei gently kissed his lover on the forehead, then on his slightly open mouth.
"Please come in," he smiled shakily at Duo. "We're going in to talk to my mom."
"Scared?" asked Duo, with a similar smile. "
"To death," said Wufei solemnly as he tightly gripped Duo's hand.
