CHAPTER 15
Meanwhile, things weren't looking too good on Rodney's end, either. In order to cope with the fact his crush Sammy was a bigot, he eventually hooked up with an androgynous lover named Emery at a gay bar, in hopes to put forward these feelings towards a new host. Of course however, this was especially stressful for him considering he had to hide Emery's existence from Jacob, as he couldn't imagine what he'd think if he found out something particularly LGBT was still going on with him even after being beaten. But Rodney had to be careful, as if he had Emery over, Jacob could show up at anytime and catch him in the act, and what he'd do from there, Rodney didn't dare try to imagine. With all the people killed with his own gun, it'd say a lot if he ended up being one of those casualties.
Today, Rodney was taking a risk: He was going to invite over Emery to the mansion he inherited – Although, he certainly wouldn't mention the inheriting part and all. Rodney's ego hadn't been tainted, but he was afraid if he'd be visibly tense or paranoid having Emery over, as he didn't want Emery to think he's some sort of weirdo that's constantly afraid or embarrassed to be around them.
Little did Rodney know though, this was the worst day to have Emery over. This was the day Jacob would later show up at his mansion to ask if he could play in the newest upcoming skit…
Emery pulled up in the driveway and parked his car, and walked to Rodney's door.
Rodney swallowed his pride, but reassured himself it was just Emery. To his pleasant surprise, it absolutely was, in all their glory.
"Oh Rodney! If it isn't you!" Emery greeted him. Emery Schnozz was a person similar in personality to Rodney, who typically wore a purple sweater, denim pants with a buckle, and brown boots. Their most defining trait was their rather large nose, which took up a majority of the space on their face.
Despite these absurd traits, Rodney found them all the more unique and came to appreciate these things about them. "Glad to see you, Emery!" Rodney was delighted to see them, "You're looking marvelous today, come in! Come in!"
"Gladly! Such a nice place you have.." Emery commented as they walked in.
"Heheh, glad you think so!" Rodney closed the door behind him with a grin on his face.
The two walked around for a bit having a chat before they got to the dining room.
"So how'd you get such a place like this?" Emery inquired as they walked.
Rodney gazed at his nails, "Well it certainly wasn't easy! With my sort of experience, I had to work my way up to-"
"Look, look, okay, you can just say you inherited it, that doesn't matter to me." Emery could see right through Rodney's bluffing.
"Wha..How could you tell?!" Rodney was genuinely baffled.
"I'm a very analytical person, Rodney, by the way you kept looking at your nails and elaborating, I figured you weren't going to give me a straight answer, so by that alone I immediately figured that."
"Oh...I see...And you don't think of me any differently?"
"Of course not Rodney! I like you for you and your talents, not just your possessions. I just find it very mesmerizing how big your house is, whether you inherited it or not!"
Rodney knew this was the person for him. Temporarily he had reconsidered openly expressing his feelings towards Dez again but genuinely, but with this comment alone, he had the feeling these days would be behind him.
"Why you're ever so kind! Might I direct you to the dining room!" He gently grabbed Emery's hand.
"Ohoh! Absolutely!" Said Emery, very flattered.
Rodney then led Emery by the hand to the dining room and sat them down at the table. The table was a rather large one, like something a family would sit at, and this is something Emery happened to notice.
Rodney sat across from them and noticed they were pondering. "Erm, like what you're seeing?" He inquired.
Emery looked back at him, "Have you ever had company ever since you inherited this place?"
"Well, not particularly," Rodney started to reflect on how his family felt about him, "If anything, I'm a tad distant from my own family, and well, I've never had many friends to begin with..."
"Oh dear," Replied Emery, "How did it end up that way?"
"If I had to guess, it would have to be… They just don't seem to relate to me anymore! Yes I've taken up their hobbies, but, they just don't appreciate for who I am! I've come to figure though that I've just become too good for them you know, heh heh..."
Emery just stared at him for a second. "Somehow, Rodney, you're being so vague, yet I can tell exactly what you mean by all of that."
"Huh?" Rodney clasped his hands together, "What do you mean by that?"
"From that alone, I can tell that not only does your family simply not visit you because they think you're obnoxious from your ego, but they likely think of you as such from negative stereotypes they've built up in their minds, choosing not to interact with you anymore because of that."
"Oh my god..." Rodney's jaw was dropped. He changed his emotion though into a smirk, and looked at them and said "Where'd you learn to be so smart?"
"School, for the most part." Emery replied smugly
"Oh, you!" Rodney teased, "Hehe! But, yeah, that is sort of the case on my part."
"You sound unsure of yourself," Emery analyzed, "You can be open with me, you know. Is there something bothering you?"
Rodney felt his heart beating a little faster, remembering the possibilities he didn't want to happen. He swallowed, and said "Um, no, nothing really."
"Alright then. I guess I could go on abo-"
"Actually, uh, there is sort of one thing I've been nervous about..."
"Hm? What is it?"
"Well, hopefully this doesn't sound weird or anything, but I'm worried about somebody showing up and, and...hurting me..."
"Ohh dear, has it happened to you before?"
"Well, y-yes, it has."
"My, do.. Do you mind recalling the experience?"
Rodney had been visibly upset. "I...rather not talk about it."
"I see, I'm sorry." Emery had felt terrible for Rodney.
"It's, it's okay, you didn't do anything."
"I understand Rodney." Emery got up and approached Rodney, "Would you like a hug?"
Nobody had ever asked Rodney for a hug, so this gesture made him more emotional, but almost in a happy way. He only nodded, and leaned into Emery, and the two held each other close. All was calm for a moment…
...Until the front doors of his mansion opened, and he heard an all too familiar voice.
"Rodney! Are you home?"
"Oh no!" Terror could be heard in Rodney's voice, "It's him!"
"Oh my gosh, where do we hide?"
"Just come with me!"
Rodney grabbed Emery's hand and rushed him throughout the house, but stopped dead in their tracks when they heard Jacob say "There you are! And who's that with you?"
Rodney faced Jacob in a panic, "That's! Uhh..My neighbor!"
Jacob was confused, "But Rodney, you don't have neighbors!"
"Of COURSE I do! Why, EVERYONE is your neighbor! Everybody's YOUR neighbor too!" Rodney had the most nervous grin upon his face, hoping Jacob would buy it.
"Ahh. I see." Jacob was skeptical, "And what's his name?"
"They, actually." Emery corrected him, but immediately realized they probably shouldn't have done that, especially with Rodney staring at them in such agony.
"They? Rodney, what are you doing hanging out with somebody like this?"
Rodney hesitated, "I...Know them from school!"
"Hah, nice try Rodney," Jacob crossed his arms, "Everybody knows you don't HAVE friends!"
Rodney's eyes started to well up with tears. "I..."
Emery interjected, "You fool, who says he can't make any?"
Jacob walked up to Emery, "Rodney came up to you first, didn't he?"
"As a matter of fact, he did!"
"Of course he did! He's trying to make up for the fact his last boyfriend was a bigot! I see he hasn't learned anything from last time, so just perhaps if he's expelled from my company, he just might."
"WAIT! Mr. Lenard!" Rodney halted him with tears in his eyes, "You're looking for actors, right? For the company?"
Jacob thought for a second. "Yes…?"
Rodney took a deep breath, "Here's my deal for you, Jacob. My pal Emery has a lot of experience in theater, so I tell you what: Will you just leave me be if I offer you another potential actor?"
"Hm..." Jacob thought about how difficult it might be to continue to find people outside of the art district of town. "I dunno..."
"PLUS!" Rodney interjected, "Think of the representation! That's something people hated you had a lack of!"
Jacob was intrigued by this proposal. "Hmm...Sure! Bring h-, I mean, them to my company tomorrow so I can officially hire them."
"Oh phew!" Rodney was relieved, but just a bit tense still. "Absolutely sir!"
"Oh yeah, before I go Rodney, I have you planned for a skit soon, so be there tomorrow to get your script!"
"Absolutely! Thank you again sir!"
"Right back at ya!"
After Jacob left, there was a bit of awkward silence between the two still processing what had happened.
"Um...Sorry I kind of got you hired to the studio I work for, uh, you're probably going to get used as a virtue signal, but-"
"I feel so bad for you. You think I could quit in a week and go back to, well, being with you?"
"It's really not that easy, Emery." Rodney thought about his gun. "It...isn't. I'm sorry it had to come to this."
Emery was silent for a minute, but walked over to the couch and sat down, head in their hands.
Rodney sat down beside them, "Remember all those people who went missing?"
Emery looked up at him. "You don't mean..."
Rodney looked to the hardwood floor, and swallowed his pride once again. "That day, Jacob had fired a lot of people, and he got his most loyal actor to make sure they didn't come back. It wasn't me, but the...individual had the audacity to use my gun to follow through with it. I...I hate thinking about it!"
Emery comforted him and Rodney continued to explain his situation.
Emery could only look at him in disbelief. "Wow." They said, "We're never gonna make it."
