chaosgoddesseris (7:55:37 PM): UPDATE THATS THE ONE!
OverTheMoooooooN (8:35:11 PM): brb
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AngelxCollins (8:35:36 PM): leaves you a message for when you get back LOVEYOU.
Froggiesrcool77 (9:05:07 PM): Louvampyer, author of That's The One, and other stories.
chaosgoddesseris (9:05:19 PM): WHICH SHALL BE UPDATED SOON RIGHT?
Blame them for the speed I typed this up in and there for how crappy it is…
AN: Some of the events of this chapter were stolen from the original script for the Rent Movie, even though the timing is a bit off for it, I know… And I just want to remind everyone that this is not a PreRent story, it is an AU… Keep that in mind…
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Angel's mother had let up quite a bit since that night when she apologized. At the moment, Angel, Collins, and Clara were sitting in the living room working on homework, or playing with dolls.
Angel looked over her shoulder and hit Collins's leg. "Hey, how many combinations of six can you get from 50?"
Collins was silent for a moment. "15,890…700. Why don't you just use your calculator?"
"It's dead. And why would I do that when I have a boyfriend who can do it in his head?" He turned around and kissed Collins quickly. "And anyways, you're cute when you have to think hard about something."
Collins scoffed playfully. "Well if it takes thinking to make this relationship going it's not gonna work. Being brain dead has its advantages."
Angel scoffed and looked to Clara. "No it doesn't."
But she just rolled her eyes and went back to her dolls. "Right Angel." She really liked Collins and tended to just go along with whatever he pointed out. If she didn't know that Angel and Collins were an everything, Angel was pretty sure that Clara would have a crush on him.
Angel shot Collins a glare but he just laughed deep in his throat and shrugged, pushing his work off his lap and leaning his head back on the couch. "Aww come on Miss. Angel. You know it's easier to just get by without really working hard."
Angel hit Collins again just as his mother came home. Collins stood up and grabbed his books, and Angel just shook his head. Ture, it had gotten better, for Angel at least. But his mom still didn't really want Collins over, or her son to be gay for that matter, and Collins still couldn't look at her without disgust, so it was pretty uneasy. He leaned to where Angel was sitting and gave him a quick kiss. "I'm gonna get going. See you tomorrow in school?"
Despite his disappointment, he smiled and nodded. "Ya, see ya."
Clara also made sure to jump up and give him a hug, and walking right past Angel's mom, Collins left the house.
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Angel normally saw Collins third period, but it wasn't until lunch that he finally saw him the next day. He was sitting on the steps in the middle of the school yard eating an apple when a very tired looking Collins plopped down beside him. "You look very un-rested."
Collins nodded and shaded his eyes from the June sun. His eyes looked tired, but her had a smile that said 'I know something you don't know'. "…What'd you do?"
Collins laughed and grabbed Angel's wrist. "Wait for it." After checking Angel's watch, Collins let go of his wrist and lay back on the steps. "We have ten minutes to go."
"To go till what?… Collins, what did you do!" But Angel could tell by the look of Collins face that he wasn't going to be telling his.
Collins just looked up at Angel from under his hand and placed his hand on his knee. "Don't worry babe. Just you wait."
Angel was about to pressure him into admitting what he had done when they heard someone call to them from across the lunch yard. "Let's keep that shit in private queers!"
He looked up to see a boy about their age that he knew from history but had never actually talked to glaring at them with a group of buddies sitting around him, tossing an apple from his lunch into the air and catching it again. Angel looked down to Collins hand on his knee, then to Collins, who remained as calm as ever.
He just chuckled and shook his head. "Why don't you mind your own business?" The boy across the yard pointed his glare at Collins and chucked the apple hard at his head, only to have it caught inches before hitting his head. Collins chuckled again and wiped the apple on the leg of his jeans and took a bite.
The boy turned his glare to his friends as they started laughing at him, but he just sat down in a huff, glaring every so often at Angel and Collins.
Angel looked to Collins with his eyes a bit wider. He gave him a questioning look. "What?... Ohh, want a bite?"
He smiled and gave Collins a quick kiss. "You're awesome you know that?"
"Cause I caught that apple?"
"You just are. I stink at standing up to people and you just do it like it's normal for people to do these things."
He shrugged. "I'm used to it."
"How are you used to it?"
Collins took a deep breath and tossed the apple core into a nearby barrel and looked to Angel, letting out the breath in a sigh. "Angel, I…."
But he was cut off when Wild Thing came over the loud speakers. Collins broke into a wide smile when every one in the yard looked up and laughed, trying to figure out how the music was playing. Their school would never do such a thing.
Angel looked to his watch. Ten minutes had passed. "Collins! What did you do!"
He laughed and shrugged, and probably would have told him if it hadn't been for the principal instantly standing over them. "Thomas Collins. Would you please come with me?"
Collins nodded and stood up, letting go of Angel's hand. "See ya later Ang."
The principal waked a step behind Collins as Angel watched them walk toward the office.
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Angel didn't see Collins for the rest of the day, not even after school, which was an oddity in it's self. He made his way to Collins after school, since his mom was home with Clara. He stopped on the porch when he heard yelling coming from inside. It didn't sound like Collins though, or his grandmother, so he just stood there for a moment, not wanting to interrupt.
"Collins, you can't start this up again! It's not fair to us, or your grandmother."
"I'm sorry! Okay? I apologized, and I said I'd pay them back! What more do you want me to do!"
"I want you to give up this radical need to stand apart from everyone phase."
"George, calm down."
"No mother, this has been going on for three years. When is he going to learn that he can't get by if he keeps pulling this shit?"
"Language!"
"Sorry Mother, but really!"
"God dad, you figure that maybe I'm not trying to stand out? Maybe this is just who I am?"
"No Collins, this isn't who you are. The son of a Republican lawyer and a military general is not a gay anarchist."
"Enough! George, I don't care if he's your son or not! You do not speak that way in my home!"
"So that's what you think dad? I'm a gay anarchist just to spite my parents fancy lives? Well my parents don't give a shit about me, so why the fuck should I care how I fit into their lives! Look! They send me half way around the globe at the first sound of trouble!"
"Thomas, watch your mouth."
"Sorry Gran, but really! If it weren't for you, where would I be, huh dad? Where would you have sent me if Gran wasn't willing to take me in?"
There was silence for a few minutes, and Angel considered walking away, but still he stood there.
"That's what I thought. I mean, all this crap happens and mom doesn't even come."
"Thomas, that's only because she had…"
"Something better to do! Something official and correct and political and not to do with her queer son! I mean, you wouldn't even have come if you weren't in a conference for the week an hour away! You're here because it was a convenient chance for you to tell me again what I screw up I am."
Angel no longer felt it was appropriate to listen, so he turned and sat on the bottom step of the porch. He really had nothing to do, so he tied and retied his shoes. It was about ten minutes before everything sounded like it had calmed down enough for Angel to feel comfortable enough to knock, which he did three times before Abuelita answered.
"Angel!" She pulled Angel into the customary 'welcome' hug. "It's so nice to see you! I feel like it's been weeks!"
Angel laughed as he was let go. "I ate dinner here two days ago Abuelita!"
"Ohh I know that, but I only have Tommy to keep me company, and he can be awful dull." She lowered her voice with a small smile for the last part. "But I'm sure you know that right Angel?"
Angel smiled and nodded. "Ohh believe me, I know."
"Fine, talk about me like I'm not in the room!" Angel turned when he heard Collins ever present laugh, remember for the first time since Abuelita's hug that there were other people in the room.
"Hey Collins." Angel and Collins smiled widely at each other, but didn't move toward each other, since who Angel was now guessing was Collins father was standing between them, looking awfully tall and foreboding him military attire with lots of pins and medals. Angel nodded at him once and his smile wavered a bit. "Hi. I like your pins."
He nodded once in return and looked to Collins, raising an eyebrow. Collins waited for him to turn around before sticking his tongue out at his father. "Dad, this is Angel. Angel, this is General Collins." He said 'general' in a very mocking tone.
His father stuck out his hand, in a very official manner. "George is fine." It didn't sound like he really meant that, but Angel smiled and took his hand none the less.
"Nice to meet you."
He didn't talk much, but simply nodded again.
There was silence for a moment before Abuelita took Angel's hand. "Why don't you come with me to the living room for a few minutes while Collins and his father finish argueing out their manliness?"
Angel nodded and walked with her to the living room, high fiving Collins as they passed behind him.
Abuelita closed the door as Angel sat on the couch, joining her a moment after. "So that's Collins dad."
"Yeah, menacing isn't he?"
Angel laughed. It was so comfortable here. "Yeah. Is everything gonna be okay?"
"Eventually. Did Collins tell you what he did?" Angel shook his head. "Ohh, well he rewired the school computers to play wild thing over the speakers, and ever time they tried to turn it off it sent ten cents to the United Negro College Fund." Even though she was trying to sound like it was a bad thing, they both broke into laughter a moment later. "But that bad thing is now he owes the school seven hundred dollars. He finally turned it off when he realized that he would have to pay them back." She let out a content sigh. "I'm so proud of my boy sometimes."
"It doesn't sound like his father is." Angel looked to the door, trying to make out what they were saying.
"Well, it's not so much that. But Thomas's parents are very… official. By the book, where as Thomas likes to make the book into paper airplanes." How perfectly stated. "They don't approve of his life style, which is why he's here actually."
"What did he do that set them off""
"Ohh… Well dear, I think I'll just let Collins tell you that when he's ready." He took Angel's hand again and pat it twice, the same way Collins did when he was trying to comfort her. Angel looked from Abuelita to the door again, her eyes just a bit wider.
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Once the door closed, Collins looked to his father with a smug smile, which he returned with a pointed glare. "Who was that?"
"Angel."
"Yes Thomas, I got that part, don't be a wise ass. Who is he?"
"Ohh don't play dumb dad, who do you think he is?"
"He seems… young."
"Don't worry dad, he's only a year younger. I wouldn't date a child." Collins scoffed at the insinuation his father seemed to me making.
"That's not what I was implying. He just seems…"
"So you –don't- like my taste in my boyfriend? Wow, there's a shocker."
His father let out a tired sigh. "Thomas, I can't believe you're still…"
Collins cut him off sharply. "…gay?"
"Not exactly what I was thinking, but you have a point." He pulled out a chair from the table and sat down. "I thought we sent you hear to get over this phase. After all that crap with Roger…"
"Don't bring him up dad! Why do you always have to go there!"
"Wasn't he the start of all this?"
Collins laughed. "The start of my gay anarchist ways?"
His father shook his head and rested his head in his palm. "Thomas, stop talking like I'm mocking you." Collins calmed his laugh and nodded once, mocking his father in the movement, but he didn't seem to catch it. "I just don't understand you Thomas."
"Well maybe that's for the better. Would life be nearly as interesting if all your kids were like Tasha?"
His father couldn't help but chuckle. "It would be a hell of a lot easier, that's for sure."
"Well dad, I'm sorry, but I'm not like you, and I'm not going to try to be like you. I've left the past in the past, where you told me too, and I'm moving on with my life. Not changing it, just moving on. And don't think I didn't catch the way you said you sent me here to straighten me out. That wasn't all about catching the science room on fire."
"Thomas…"
"Dad, I'm not talking about it anymore. Deal with the fact that I'm your son. Either accept it, or ignore it, but don't try to change it."
His father nodded once. "Fine Thomas. I'll deal with it. Don't think it's not going to take your mother and I time though."
"I'm not looking for anything from mom. She had me, her obligation is done."
"You know that's not what your mother means by anything."
Collins stared at his father blankly for a moment. "Dad, when you decided to send me to Grans, she wanted to get me shock treatment."
"I would have never let her go through with it."
"Which is why I tolerate you." Collins rolled his eyes playfully as his father reached out and ruffed his hair.
"I believe there's tolerating on both sides son."
They were both silent for a few moments before Collins looked up to his dad. "So we're back to our comfort zone?"
His father smiled. "For now… how long you think this one will last?"
"Well, it's been six months since the last one, and three since the one before that, so they're getting longer. I'd say… a year at least."
"Well, I look forward to the next argument." He reached out his hand and they shook.
"But dad, you gotta get some new material to gripe about. This 'gay anarchist' fight is getting old."
"Agreed. I'll find some new complaints about you."
"Deal."