Monday, back at school, word spread quickly about everything, except me and
Tawny, surprisingly. I threw great parties, people said. There was drugs,
alcohol, and orgies, complete with lesbians. When word managed to traveled
that Mona Spinowoski and Larry Beale were dead after being at my party,
everyone calmed down about my "party-throwing skills". Stupid people.
The principal made an announcement about it at the end of first period, clearing some of the outlandish rumors that had already begun about how they died. School then became solemn and mellow. People that never even talked to them before were acting like they were their best friends, and people I'd never seen before were crying about it. I knew it would happen like that. I hated it. Some people gave me and Louis a hard time, blaming us for them dying, and they had never even known them. Louis wasn't taking it very well.
I ignored everything and tried to go about my day normally, while Tawny didn't acknowledge my existence. I tried to talk to her that day at lunch, but she blew me off again. She just turned and walked away when I tried to get her attention.
The day crept by. Tuesday was Mona's funeral, and Wednesday was Larry's. If anyone was absent those days it would be excused. I was going to miss those days, thus ruining my perfect attendance for this year. Fuck that.
School ended, and I met Louis and Twitty in the parking lot at my Jeep. "Where's Tawny?" I asked, "Does she need a ride? I'd be glad to give her one."
"She's staying after for some art something." Twitty told me.
"Oh..."
"Just get in, man, and let's go home." Louis said, moving up the passenger's seat so that his friend could get in the back.
"You still mad?" He asked getting in.
"I'm not mad." My brother got in and slammed the door.
I sighed, and started to drive. "What's the matter Louis?"
"Oh...I dunno...my girlfriend's in love with my sister, and I'm being blamed for people dying after my sister's party."
"She's not in love with me, she just likes me, and I don't think she does anymore, and there's no reason for you to listen to stupid people. It's not either of our faults."
Before Louis could say anything else, Twitty said, "Did Donnie leave?"
"Yeah. Yesterday morning." I answered him.
"Good." He said quietly.
"Good? Do you have a problem with my brother, dude? Is that why you haven't come over?" Louis turned around and looked at him.
"No, Louis...it's nothing. I was just wondering."
"Why'd you say 'good' then?"
"I didn't. I said...uh...food. I'm really hungry, man."
"Don't lie to me, Twitty."
"Stop! Both of you!" I yelled, slowing down, "Is that Tawny?" She was walking down the sidewalk toward her house.
"She lied to me about the art thing..." Twitty said, sadly.
"She lied to me a lot...she told me she loved me."
I slowed down and drove along next to her. Louis' window was down, "Tawny?"
She kept walking like she hadn't heard me.
"Tawny?!"
"Just forget her, Ren." Louis mumbled.
"No. I don't want to." I took a deep breath, "Tawny! Talk to me!"
She turned, "No. I don't want to."
"Why'd you lie to me?" Twitty asked from the back.
She didn't answer, and kept walking.
"Why'd you lie to me, Tawny?!" Louis yelled, "Why'd you do that to me?!" He'd lost his temper.
"Louis, stop!" I pressed the gas, and sped away from her, mad at her and also trying to stop Louis from being a jerk. She could get run over, walking that close to the road. That was disgusting to think about. "Louis, maybe it was something that you did to her that made her not like you like that anymore."
"No, it was you. You always blamed me for your boyfriend problems, but it's not like any of them broke up with you for me!" He opened his door and got out before I'd completely stopped in front of our house.
I turned the car off, and got out with my stuff. He was storming up to the front door, "Louis!"
"I'm telling mom and dad when they get home!"
"Telling them what?!" I went after him.
"About you and Tawny!" He slammed the door.
I froze in my spot. He couldn't do that. That was wrong. I'd never done anything to him that was like what he was going to do. He couldn't do that to me. He just couldn't. He annoyed the hell out of me, and now he was going to tell my parents something that he had no right to tell them.
"Ren? Could you let me out?" Twitty asked, a little distraught from still being in the backseat.
I stomped back and moved my seat up for him, "Talk Louis out of telling my parents, and I'll do anything."
"He probably won't even do it. He's just got a lot on his mind, and it's...making him pissy. He'll get over it. He always gets over stuff real fast, you know that."
"Yeah...I hope so..." I grabbed my book bag, and we started up to the house. I turned the doorknob to go in and it didn't turn. It was locked. Louis had locked me and his best friend out of the house. "Oh hell."
"What's wrong?"
"The door's locked." I put my hands on my hips and glared at the door like I could force it open somehow. "Run around back and go in. I'll go try the garage door incase the back is locked."
"Alright." He dropped his bag, and ran around the house.
I sat my bag down and then walk to the garage and opened it. Then headed for the door. Locked. "Louis!" I screamed. "I'll kill you when I get inside!"
Twitty walked into the garage with his hand in his pocket, looking down, "Please tell me that that door's unlocked."
"I can't! I'd be lying to you!" I went back around to the front, very angry, knowing that the back had been locked as well. Louis had run to every door and locked them. I sat on the front steps, and ran my hands through my hair in frustration.
Twitty sat next to me, "Your parents'll be kinda mad at him if they find us here, won't they?"
"Yeah...he hasn't done any crap like this in a long time."
"Then he'll have more of a reason to tell them cus he'll be in trouble, and he'll want you in trouble too..."
He was right. "God! This sucks!"
"He won't even let me in...he's all mad cus he thinks I hate Donnie..."
"Do you hate Donnie?"
"No...I dunno. I can't tell him though, especially now...he'd freak..."
"I didn't know that one party could screw so much up..." I sighed.
Twitty sighed too, "Ren, why don't you have keys to your house?"
"I do, but they're in my room because we leave the doors unlocked."
"Oh...I guess I should know that because I come over here so often...I guess I never noticed. Aren't your parents afraid someone'll rob you?"
"Not during the day. We lock them at the night and when we're afraid Beans'll show up, but locks don't seem to stop him."
"That's it!" He yelled triumphantly.
I raised an eyebrow, "Huh?"
"We can get Beans to do whatever he does to get in your house and he can unlock the door for us!" He stood up.
"Yeah! Go find him, quick! It's hot out here."
"I'll be right back with Beans." He jumped off the porch, and ran through the woods to find Beans' house.
I continued to sit on the porch and wait, resting my chin in my hands. It seemed like it was taking Twitty an awfully long time, and I hoped he'd get back in time for us to get in and talk Louis out of telling my parents about me. My eyes wandered out to the road, and I spotted Tawny, walking by to go to her own house. She didn't even glance toward me or anything. "Tawny!"
She kept walking. I got up and jogged toward the end of our driveway, "Tawny, please listen to me."
"You wouldn't listen to me."
I ran across the road and walked beside her, "I'm sorry...I-"
"Too late."
I stopped abruptly, and she continued walking. I reached out with one arm. I think to grab a hold of her and keep her from leaving, but I ended up just standing there with my arm extended. "But..."
"Ren! I got him! I got Beans!"
I looked back toward my house and crossed the street, then went to join Twitty and Beans at the porch. I'd never been so happy to see him before. If Louis did tell my parents I could say he was lying and it wouldn't be too far from the truth. Tawny hated me, and it wasn't like we were gonna hook up now or anything like that. There was nothing for my parents to worry about pertaining to me and my sexuality. "Ok Beans, get into my house and unlock the front door."
He crossed his stumpy arms, and grinned, "What do I get for it?"
"What do you want?"
"Bacon."
That wasn't too hard. "Fine. You get in and let us in, and I'll cook some bacon."
"Ok. Both of you close your eyes."
"Why, dude?" Twitty asked him, curiously.
"Because I said so. No shutting eyes, and no unlocking door. I can't have people knowing my ways."
I closed my eyes and then put my hand over them. I felt Beans turning me around, and I followed his lead without argument.
"Twitty, are your eyes shut?"
"Yep."
"Stop standing there and come in! I want bacon!"
That was fast. We both turned. Beans was standing in the open front door. I got my stuff then went into the house, "Louis!"
"I want bacon!" Beans yelled at me.
"Louis, why'd you do that, man?!" Twitty ran up the stairs.
Beans latched into my leg, "Get me bacon or I'm never letting go!"
I groaned, and tried to go to the kitchen, but I couldn't with the mass amount of weight attached to my right leg, "Get off of me so I can move."
"If you don't cook me some bacon then you'll be sorry." He released his grip and got up.
"I'm going to cook your bacon right now!" I threw my stuff onto the couch and went into the kitchen. I found some thawed bacon in the refrigerator. Beans watched in silence as I got out a pan and some grease, and began to cook a few slices. I finished quickly, threw the pieces on a plate, then sat the plate on the table. I then ran up the stairs to Louis' room. I pushed open the door with a lot of force, "Louis, what do you think our parents are going to do if they find out that you locked me out of the house?"
"They'll forget about it real fast cus I'll tell them that you're gay."
"Louis, man-" Twitty tried to say.
"Shut up, Twitty!"
"Alright, Louis...if I don't tell them that you locked us out, will you not tell them about me?"
He sighed, and flopped back on his bed, "Sure, but...if you tell them about anything remotely wrong that I do, then know that they'll know about you within seconds."
He was going to blackmail me now. That was peachy. "Fine."
"Kids, we're home!" Mom yelled from downstairs. "We brought Chinese!"
The principal made an announcement about it at the end of first period, clearing some of the outlandish rumors that had already begun about how they died. School then became solemn and mellow. People that never even talked to them before were acting like they were their best friends, and people I'd never seen before were crying about it. I knew it would happen like that. I hated it. Some people gave me and Louis a hard time, blaming us for them dying, and they had never even known them. Louis wasn't taking it very well.
I ignored everything and tried to go about my day normally, while Tawny didn't acknowledge my existence. I tried to talk to her that day at lunch, but she blew me off again. She just turned and walked away when I tried to get her attention.
The day crept by. Tuesday was Mona's funeral, and Wednesday was Larry's. If anyone was absent those days it would be excused. I was going to miss those days, thus ruining my perfect attendance for this year. Fuck that.
School ended, and I met Louis and Twitty in the parking lot at my Jeep. "Where's Tawny?" I asked, "Does she need a ride? I'd be glad to give her one."
"She's staying after for some art something." Twitty told me.
"Oh..."
"Just get in, man, and let's go home." Louis said, moving up the passenger's seat so that his friend could get in the back.
"You still mad?" He asked getting in.
"I'm not mad." My brother got in and slammed the door.
I sighed, and started to drive. "What's the matter Louis?"
"Oh...I dunno...my girlfriend's in love with my sister, and I'm being blamed for people dying after my sister's party."
"She's not in love with me, she just likes me, and I don't think she does anymore, and there's no reason for you to listen to stupid people. It's not either of our faults."
Before Louis could say anything else, Twitty said, "Did Donnie leave?"
"Yeah. Yesterday morning." I answered him.
"Good." He said quietly.
"Good? Do you have a problem with my brother, dude? Is that why you haven't come over?" Louis turned around and looked at him.
"No, Louis...it's nothing. I was just wondering."
"Why'd you say 'good' then?"
"I didn't. I said...uh...food. I'm really hungry, man."
"Don't lie to me, Twitty."
"Stop! Both of you!" I yelled, slowing down, "Is that Tawny?" She was walking down the sidewalk toward her house.
"She lied to me about the art thing..." Twitty said, sadly.
"She lied to me a lot...she told me she loved me."
I slowed down and drove along next to her. Louis' window was down, "Tawny?"
She kept walking like she hadn't heard me.
"Tawny?!"
"Just forget her, Ren." Louis mumbled.
"No. I don't want to." I took a deep breath, "Tawny! Talk to me!"
She turned, "No. I don't want to."
"Why'd you lie to me?" Twitty asked from the back.
She didn't answer, and kept walking.
"Why'd you lie to me, Tawny?!" Louis yelled, "Why'd you do that to me?!" He'd lost his temper.
"Louis, stop!" I pressed the gas, and sped away from her, mad at her and also trying to stop Louis from being a jerk. She could get run over, walking that close to the road. That was disgusting to think about. "Louis, maybe it was something that you did to her that made her not like you like that anymore."
"No, it was you. You always blamed me for your boyfriend problems, but it's not like any of them broke up with you for me!" He opened his door and got out before I'd completely stopped in front of our house.
I turned the car off, and got out with my stuff. He was storming up to the front door, "Louis!"
"I'm telling mom and dad when they get home!"
"Telling them what?!" I went after him.
"About you and Tawny!" He slammed the door.
I froze in my spot. He couldn't do that. That was wrong. I'd never done anything to him that was like what he was going to do. He couldn't do that to me. He just couldn't. He annoyed the hell out of me, and now he was going to tell my parents something that he had no right to tell them.
"Ren? Could you let me out?" Twitty asked, a little distraught from still being in the backseat.
I stomped back and moved my seat up for him, "Talk Louis out of telling my parents, and I'll do anything."
"He probably won't even do it. He's just got a lot on his mind, and it's...making him pissy. He'll get over it. He always gets over stuff real fast, you know that."
"Yeah...I hope so..." I grabbed my book bag, and we started up to the house. I turned the doorknob to go in and it didn't turn. It was locked. Louis had locked me and his best friend out of the house. "Oh hell."
"What's wrong?"
"The door's locked." I put my hands on my hips and glared at the door like I could force it open somehow. "Run around back and go in. I'll go try the garage door incase the back is locked."
"Alright." He dropped his bag, and ran around the house.
I sat my bag down and then walk to the garage and opened it. Then headed for the door. Locked. "Louis!" I screamed. "I'll kill you when I get inside!"
Twitty walked into the garage with his hand in his pocket, looking down, "Please tell me that that door's unlocked."
"I can't! I'd be lying to you!" I went back around to the front, very angry, knowing that the back had been locked as well. Louis had run to every door and locked them. I sat on the front steps, and ran my hands through my hair in frustration.
Twitty sat next to me, "Your parents'll be kinda mad at him if they find us here, won't they?"
"Yeah...he hasn't done any crap like this in a long time."
"Then he'll have more of a reason to tell them cus he'll be in trouble, and he'll want you in trouble too..."
He was right. "God! This sucks!"
"He won't even let me in...he's all mad cus he thinks I hate Donnie..."
"Do you hate Donnie?"
"No...I dunno. I can't tell him though, especially now...he'd freak..."
"I didn't know that one party could screw so much up..." I sighed.
Twitty sighed too, "Ren, why don't you have keys to your house?"
"I do, but they're in my room because we leave the doors unlocked."
"Oh...I guess I should know that because I come over here so often...I guess I never noticed. Aren't your parents afraid someone'll rob you?"
"Not during the day. We lock them at the night and when we're afraid Beans'll show up, but locks don't seem to stop him."
"That's it!" He yelled triumphantly.
I raised an eyebrow, "Huh?"
"We can get Beans to do whatever he does to get in your house and he can unlock the door for us!" He stood up.
"Yeah! Go find him, quick! It's hot out here."
"I'll be right back with Beans." He jumped off the porch, and ran through the woods to find Beans' house.
I continued to sit on the porch and wait, resting my chin in my hands. It seemed like it was taking Twitty an awfully long time, and I hoped he'd get back in time for us to get in and talk Louis out of telling my parents about me. My eyes wandered out to the road, and I spotted Tawny, walking by to go to her own house. She didn't even glance toward me or anything. "Tawny!"
She kept walking. I got up and jogged toward the end of our driveway, "Tawny, please listen to me."
"You wouldn't listen to me."
I ran across the road and walked beside her, "I'm sorry...I-"
"Too late."
I stopped abruptly, and she continued walking. I reached out with one arm. I think to grab a hold of her and keep her from leaving, but I ended up just standing there with my arm extended. "But..."
"Ren! I got him! I got Beans!"
I looked back toward my house and crossed the street, then went to join Twitty and Beans at the porch. I'd never been so happy to see him before. If Louis did tell my parents I could say he was lying and it wouldn't be too far from the truth. Tawny hated me, and it wasn't like we were gonna hook up now or anything like that. There was nothing for my parents to worry about pertaining to me and my sexuality. "Ok Beans, get into my house and unlock the front door."
He crossed his stumpy arms, and grinned, "What do I get for it?"
"What do you want?"
"Bacon."
That wasn't too hard. "Fine. You get in and let us in, and I'll cook some bacon."
"Ok. Both of you close your eyes."
"Why, dude?" Twitty asked him, curiously.
"Because I said so. No shutting eyes, and no unlocking door. I can't have people knowing my ways."
I closed my eyes and then put my hand over them. I felt Beans turning me around, and I followed his lead without argument.
"Twitty, are your eyes shut?"
"Yep."
"Stop standing there and come in! I want bacon!"
That was fast. We both turned. Beans was standing in the open front door. I got my stuff then went into the house, "Louis!"
"I want bacon!" Beans yelled at me.
"Louis, why'd you do that, man?!" Twitty ran up the stairs.
Beans latched into my leg, "Get me bacon or I'm never letting go!"
I groaned, and tried to go to the kitchen, but I couldn't with the mass amount of weight attached to my right leg, "Get off of me so I can move."
"If you don't cook me some bacon then you'll be sorry." He released his grip and got up.
"I'm going to cook your bacon right now!" I threw my stuff onto the couch and went into the kitchen. I found some thawed bacon in the refrigerator. Beans watched in silence as I got out a pan and some grease, and began to cook a few slices. I finished quickly, threw the pieces on a plate, then sat the plate on the table. I then ran up the stairs to Louis' room. I pushed open the door with a lot of force, "Louis, what do you think our parents are going to do if they find out that you locked me out of the house?"
"They'll forget about it real fast cus I'll tell them that you're gay."
"Louis, man-" Twitty tried to say.
"Shut up, Twitty!"
"Alright, Louis...if I don't tell them that you locked us out, will you not tell them about me?"
He sighed, and flopped back on his bed, "Sure, but...if you tell them about anything remotely wrong that I do, then know that they'll know about you within seconds."
He was going to blackmail me now. That was peachy. "Fine."
"Kids, we're home!" Mom yelled from downstairs. "We brought Chinese!"