Matt
After two strong coffees, I was able to get a hold of myself, sort of. Spanish Boy had applied some ice on my eyebrow arch, the blood had stopped as well as the throbbing pain and he stuck some band aid above my eye, depositing a kiss like adults do with a hurt kid.
"There, it's all good now." he smiled.
I was so tired that I had a hard time gathering my thoughts, but I finally managed to explain.
The two barmen were shocked to learn about Mihael's accident, since they knew him.

"Man, that's pretty bad as a situation..." the customer that had helped me on the couch murmured at some point, "I wish I knew a lawyer or someone to help you... I'm only a salesman at the mall, can't do much to help..."
"Wait!" Spanish Boy suddenly shouted before running to the counter.
He climbed on it, grabbing the microphone they had under there for various announcements, as Number One cut the music, making everyone come to a halt in whatever they were doing and stare in their direction.

"Ladies and gentlemen... hum, gentlemen and gentlemen preferably..." he chuckled, "We have a problem. Most of you probably remember the sexy kitten working here a few weeks ago, aka Mello..."
A wave of whistles and approbative shouts rose among the customers, proving Mello's fame in the place. I couldn't help but smile. Mello had been an attraction here.
"Ok, listen, the sexy kitten's a bit in need of help, and so is his boyfriend, the cute redhead out there..."
Hum, I was quite uneasy when all eyes turned to me...
"Yeah yeah I know, that's a sad thing to hear that Mello's taken... but please, let's get back to the point. I'm kidding around a bit but that's serious here people." he continued shouting in the microphone, "Mello's in hospital between life and death right now, and to make it short, his life is endangered by his parents that want to bring him back to Germany although he's probably not in a state that allows such a travel. His boyfriend is in need of a lawyer, a free one that is, that can help him distrain the law to prove that it's a crazy thing to do. I know it's complicated, but we need a real helping hand now."

Spanish Boy jumped off the counter and walked to me.
"Please, look at that poor boy, he's been crying his eyes out all night, he's suffering. Is there no one here who is a lawyer or knows one? Please, people, please..."
Everyone was speaking low to each other, but there were no real reaction to the calling, except looks of pity.
"Shall I add that Mello's parents only reason for bringing him back to Germany is because they are antigay and want to separate the happy couple?"
A wave of protest rose, and suddenly someone came closer and spoke.

"I'm no lawyer but I think I can help... I mean, I'm into the Equality California association and there's probably a way to get one, there's a lot of people in there..."
I looked at the guy. He was quite tall, black hair, nicely cut, in what was left of a suit since his jacket and tie had gone. Sharp hazel eyes looked at me with sincerity, and... I began to cry again.
I was a real mess but all that was happening, the help, the support, was finally giving me the hope I had almost lost.
I stood and he handed out his hand to me, which I shook gratefully.
"My name's Jeremy." he smiled.

We talked for hours. The barmen filled me with coffee to make sure I would get back to sober before I drove again, and Jeremy explained to me that he had been a gay rights activist for as long as he had understood he was gay, and entered Equality California when he arrived here from Texas. It explained the thick accent. He had been marked by the homophobe hostility of the little town he lived in there and wanted to do something to make things change.

Around 3am I thought it was time to go home, I had difficulties to keep my eyes open. Jeremy even followed with his own car to make sure I would make it safe.

This simple encounter opened the door to all that would be following next, because I had learned something that would serve my interests better than by knocking at people's door counting on kindness: talk to people of your kind. And my actual kind was gay people. Count on a pariah part of the society to be the best fighters for their likes.

My mother called me when I was parking in front of our old building so I didn't pick up the call and climbed the stairs so she would see I was home. I hugged her and kissed her cheek, keeping her in my arms.
"Thank you for being who you are mum... Mihael's not that lucky but we'll make up for it".
She smiled, erased a tear from the corner of her eyes, and told me to sit while she went to make some coffee because she wanted to know where I had disappeared and what happened for me to look so much better.
"No coffee for me, I drank a lot already."
"So, tell me everything sweetheart." she sat beside me and put her hand on mine, eagerly waiting for me to speak.

I told her every detail, the persons I had met, the plan, what would happen in the following days, everything.
She nodded from time to time but didn't interrupt me once.
"How do you feel now?" she asked once I was done.
"Better, there is hope..."
"No, I mean, do you feel gay now? You've been elaborating plans with all those persons and they're all gay, and it's precisely the point, they feel more inclined to help you because they see you as gay too, so, do you feel gay?" she explained.
"I don't feel anything but worry, pain, the want to fight, and hope, right now, I cannot answer your question because I just don't have my mind set on that matter, it's not what's important for the moment." I didn't think it was something to be discussed now, it looked so tiny compared to the matter at hand right now!
"I'm not asking you lightly Mail, but because if you're playing on that level to gain help, it's not honest if you don't accept yourself as gay and just leave people to guess you are because you date Mihael."
"I know... but I still can't say I consider myself gay now. All I can say is that I'm engaged in a homosexual relationship. Does it make me homosexual. I don't know. I don't care now Mum, so just... let's discuss that when I've sorted the important things out ok?"
I knew that she was only trying to make sure I stayed on the right, but it was just not the right time now.
I'd deal with the devil if I had to, so playing gay even if I didn't feel I was really wasn't my problem right now.

I went to bed, and even if I felt a bit better, it didn't prevent me from crying myself to sleep.

In the morning, as planned, I met Jeremy online on MSN at 8. He was at work since it was monday morning, but he had called Equality California and they had been very prompt to help. He gave me the number of four lawyers that were members of EC, telling me to call them as soon as possible.
I didn't even need to call them all, the first replied positively to my request and I had to meet him at 10am.
I barely had time to shower and dress that I needed to get going. I thanked Jeremy and closed the connection before exiting the apartment.
It was suddenly brighter ahead of me. I knew that the counterpart of this help was that I had to subscribe to EC, but that was nothing I couldn't do. I'd clean their toilets forever if I had to.

The meeting with the lawyer was barely thirty minutes long but I guess it was already much considering he was squeezing me between two important appointments.
He confirmed that I had been clever to file a complaint and made a copy of the attestation I had. He would call the prosecuting attorney after lunch to get an overview of what was possible. He didn't promise it would work, actually, he had doubts, but he would do what he could nonetheless.

My dad came back from work not long after I was home, and we had lunch. I was watching the empty spot where Mihael had sat so often, my mum was watching, my dad was watching... it was difficult. Every moment without him was difficult.
She didn't even dare bringing the bowl of fresh cherries for dessert because of the memory of our cherry stems knotting contest the first time Mihael dined with us, at the time he had hurt his hand really badly when we had to cut the fence at Uni as a punishment for fighting on the campus.

It was so silent after lunch, only the ticking of the old living room clock marking every second resounded, and I couldn't help but focus on it. I hated it and yet it was insinuating in my mind, driving me crazy.
And it stopped. I jumped on my feet, my parents looking at me questioningly.
I went to the old wooden thing and changed the battery. Tic, toc, and again. For one second, it felt like it was a heart stopping.

Around 1pm the phone rang. My mum picked up, and I saw her face change. Both my father and me were on our feet, questioning her with our looks, but she mouthed 'it's ok' while listening to her interlocutor. Every call now would be a panic, everyone dreading the one call, the one news that we didn't want to hear.

"Can you wait a minute please, I'll ask my son." she said before turning to me, "Mail, it's the owner of the motocross circuit... he wanted to know why you didn't show up on saturday and... he asks that you pay the second part even if you didn't come because he had reserved the circuit anyway... do you want me to explain?"
I became livid. Then I broke down and cried. The date. On saturday, I should have been enjoying my first real date with Mihael. I had planned to bring him to that motocross circuit out of town and I had paid an advance to rent two sport motorcycles and we would have raced against each other and he would have won because I never rode a motorcycle and it would have been so funny, I would have been ridiculous and he would have laughed at me and...
I was devastated. I had occulted that until now, probably my mind not wanting to think about it, and I probably would have been able to go on like this if the guy from the circuit hadn't called.

My mother began crying as well so my dad took the call and explained. Of course, the owner of the circuit refused to be paid once he knew and even offered to refund me totally. But I didn't care. I was hurting so much I could hardly breathe and suddenly I passed out.

I woke up in my room feeling a needle sting my arm. My mum had called the family doctor because she was worried there was more than the last events. But except a very low blood pressure, I was fine. Kind of. He prescribed some pills, told me to rest and that was about all.
I heard him in the hallway when he said to my mum: "There's no cure for what he's going through, just make sure he eats and sleeps..."

I stayed in bed a few minutes just so my mother wouldn't worry too much, but when everyone was out of ears, I lit up my computer and connected on MSN. Jeremy was still there and it relieved me a bit to be able to talk to him. I told him about my appointment with the lawyer, and eh kind of waited with me for the lawyer's call later in the afternoon.

I was scared. Something had ticked in me, when the guy from the cross circuit had called. Like a slap in the face to make me come back to reality. Somehow, planning things, being helped by all those people... it was like being caught in their own enthusiasm, the support and understanding making me bolder, more trustful with what I wanted to do. And I was quickly drawn back to the reality of the situation: Mihael was in hospital, in danger, and I was just a grain of sand in his parents' decision. But I had to make sure that this grain of sand was able to stop the whole machine's wheels.

I searched on forums, sometimes finding posts that abounded in my direction, but only to find the total opposite. I was on a roller coaster, emotionally speaking. I know that forums are not the most trustful places for accurate informations but I needed some reassurance right now, which I wasn't finding, making my state of mind only worse.
I wanted to know if I had a chance, if I had enough time, if there had been some precedents to what I was doing.
But the goddamn internet is just a place full of wankers fighting on forums, it seems.

I smoked cigarette on cigarette, not even caring going to the window now.
It was 2pm. Did the lawyer already call the prosecutor?
I had the answer seven minutes later.

The prosecutor had clearly stated he would not take the case. But he had requested to meet me.
Damn. Did I do something wrong? Would justice backslap me finally ? I didn't understand what was going on. Had I done something that was going against the law? I didn't think so... but still, I was a bit worried when I crossed the corridors of the lawcourt a while later.