Disclaimer: I have no delusions about owning or holding rights over Newsies; you shouldn't either. Don't sue.
Also, any pop culture references...guess what? Don't own those either. Actually...anything that you may have heard of and/or recognized in this story is owned by someone who isn't me.
Warning:Updates may (and probably will be) slow.
This contains SLASH, in other words same sex couples. If this doesn't appeal to you, you shouldn't be here. It also contains drug use, violence, sexual situations, and may contain a(n OC) death. This story is marked for mature readers only, please treat it as such.
Pairings: Will be switching around quite a bit. If you have any preferences please let me know. They probably won't end up together unless I already planned for it to happen, but I can put in a couple flings for you if you ask nice enough
Beta'ed By: 'Tis a Tale Worth Telling and Elke fa Talia (and 'thanks' doesn't even begin to cover how much I appreciate it)
Summary of Chapter 17:
-Dutchy told his parents that Bumlets was his boyfriend
-Bumlets and Dutchy decide to look for jobs together
-Skittery and Itey tease Mush and Blink about liking each other
-Jack stays the night at Spot's and gets declared his bitch
-Bumlets and Dutchy announce to Itey and Skittery that they're going out
-Racetrack punches Spot, and Spot doesn't hesitate to punch him back
-Skittery tells Bumlets that Spot's a gang leader
-Skittery explains his new situation with Itey to Bumlets
-Itey and Skittery have a fight, and Itey decides to skip the rest of the school day
-Bumlets confides in David about what to do about Dutchy
-Spot drags Racetrack off school grounds for lunch
-David yells at Jack for abandoning the old gang back in freshman year
-Bumlets reveals Dutchy's plan to make Specs jealous to Skittery
-David drags Bumlets to his car after school
-Skittery realizes he never told Racetrack that he and Itey know about Spot's profession and that Spot knows they know
Getting Back Together Again
XVIII: Fights and Crushes
Bumlets frowned as he pulled his hand out of David's. "So … is there a reason you dragged me to your car?" His eyes brightened and he smirked a bit. "Are you getting jealous of me and Dutchy? Davy, you know I have plenty of love to go around, and I'm always open to threesomes, but … I just couldn't tear you away from Specs like that. I'm sorry. You know I would in a second if Specs and I weren't such good friends, though, right?"
David grinned back. "Sadly enough, I think the most ludicrous part of your little speech was calling Specs your friend. Seriously, I know why I hate him so much, but that doesn't explain why you seem to hate him with such a passion as well."
"Since when did the fact that you hate him become not enough of a reason? You know that whole 'the enemy of my friend is my enemy' … or something?" Bumlets shrugged. "Also, the fact that he's such an ass makes not liking him quite easy."
David bit the inside of his cheek and frowned at his feet for a while. He looked up at Bumlets before continuing, but didn't try to suppress his frown. "I don't want you to hate anyone because of me, Bumlets. I told you that I still want to be friends with Specs, and when this whole thing finally passes I really hope we will be. When we are … friends again, that is … I want you two to be friends, too. That'll never happen if you treat him like crap whenever you see him; Specs holds grudges."
"Davy, come on. You can't ask me to become friends with Specs. He's an asshole. I mean, even when he was actually my friend I could hardly stand him. Believe me; I don't hate him just because of you."
"You got along with him before, though, right? Why can't you just try again?"
Bumlets slumped slightly. "Why do I get all the hard jobs? 'Go out with Dutchy', 'Be nice to Specs' … Jesus, what's next? I'll … I'll try, okay? But I expect to get my ass kissed daily for this, got it?"
David smiled before quickly nodding. "Thanks, Bumlets. Really, you have no idea how much it means to me."
Bumlets rolled his eyes even while preening under the gratitude. "Yeah, yeah, I'm amazing. Was that all you dragged me off for? Can I go now?" he asked, already starting to turn away.
David caught his arm, obstructing his getaway. "Er … actually … that's not really why I made you walk me to my car … like … at all."
Bumlets raised his eyebrows before taking a step or two closer to David. "Oh. Um, okay. So … uh … what did you want to tell me? … Or … talk to me about? … Or … whatever …"
"I was actually worried about Itey … and Skittery …" David said. "I haven't seen Itey all day, not even at lunch. And Skittery's been acting … uh … I don't really know how to explain it … but … he's been acting … off … I guess."
Bumlets shrugged it off. "Skittery's always been a little 'off', and Itey skips all the time. It's nothing to worry about, I swear."
David crossed his arms and frowned. "How could you expect me to actually believe that? Tell me what's wrong. Do you not trust me?"
"God, no. Look, it really is nothing to worry about, okay? I just … don't want you to get involved. You're dealing with enough shit right now, and Skittery and Itey have their own fucked up way of working things out. It's best if you just kept out of it, and I know you won't if you know what's going on with them." Bumlets scrunched up his eyebrows. "Well, that, and … I don't really know what's going on either, at least … not completely. No one ever really does with those two; they're in their own universe."
"I asked because I want to help. I can decide for myself what I want to do after you tell me," David replied. "And I do not have a lot to deal with."
Bumlets raised his eyebrows at him.
"Okay, so I do have a lot to deal with." David sighed. "But everything I have to deal … I can't really deal with. I mean, Specs needs time to adjust to everything … I think. I'm not ready to tell my parents I'm gay yet, which is completely crazy. You know, before Specs freaked out I was fine with my sexual preference. Now I'm just freaking out over it all the time. I wasn't going to tell anyone because I didn't think it was any of their business. Now I decided I want people to know and I'm too afraid to do it. The whole thing really sucks."
"You're rambling again, David."
"Oh, right. I guess I kind of am. The point I'm trying to make is that I can't fix any of the stuff I have to deal with just yet. Everyone needs some time, so … I might as well help Skitts and Itey in the meantime, right?"
"They need time, too, Davy. Trust me, you don't want to get involved. Their … relationship … whatever the hell it is … it's complicated … and has absolutely no logic to it whatsoever … You won't be able to help."
David crossed his arms again. "I still want to know what's going on. Look, I know I can't make everything perfect for them, but I'd like to help where I can. And … and helping other people helps distract me from my problems, so, really, it's good all around."
"Because of you, I'm starting to make it seem like a big deal, and it's not," Bumlets complained.
"So then just tell me."
"But now it'll seem really anticlimactic."
"Bumlets."
"Look, ask Skittery or Itey, okay? I'm not a gossip queen" – he frowned at himself – "or any other type of queen … just saying for clarification's sake. Anyway, I don't think they want too many people knowing. They want things normal again, and the more people know about it, the less normal it'll seem."
David played with his fingers, looking slightly hurt. "Yeah, okay. I guess I'll talk to Skittery tomorrow, then."
"It's no offense to you. You know that, right? I …" Bumlets furrowed his brow. "Don't you need to be home? … Like, now? You're still grounded, right? You shouldn't get into any more trouble."
David smiled. "Actually, you probably won't believe this, but Sarah's covering for me. I talked to her right after school. She said she'd rush home and drag Mom and Dad out of the house for a shopping spree. That way I can say I came home on time, but no one was home.
"Yeah? That's … weird."
"I talked to her about everything the other day. She was understanding and … it was like the old days, you know?" His smile softened a bit. "It was … really nice … totally unexpected, but really nice all the same."
Bumlets smiled back. "That's great, Davy. I've always kind of had a soft spot for Sarah, actually. Are you sure I can't be nice to her instead of Specs? It'd be a lot easier for me."
"Give Specs a try. I know he can be kind of a … well … kind of a bastard, but once you get used to him … uh … I guess he's still a bastard, but you get used to it." David frowned a bit. "Okay, I guess that wasn't the most convincing argument."
Bumlets gave a small chuckle. "But Skittery can be a bastard, too, and I like him enough. I'll give Specs a try, all right? I said I would. Just … don't expect any miracles, okay? I don't know how well the whole thing will go. And I refuse to bury my beliefs just to get along with him. I'll be nicer about it – for you – but I doubt I'll be able to stop yelling at him for being an asshole."
"Try your best … and no doubting anything. I'm pretty sure I already told you that negative thoughts affect things a lot more than most people think they will. Positive thinking, okay?"
"Ah, man, this thing is a beast," Jack complimented as he swung off Spot's motorcycle. "When can I drive it again?
"Never. You're a suck ass driver," Spot told him. "You almost ran off the bridge and landed it in the river."
"Yeah, but I didn't, did I?"
"Only because I started helping you steer," Spot retorted.
"Hey, Bo- er, Sp- … er … um … Sean," Slingshot interrupted. He looked at Jack. "How much does he know?"
"Not a whole hell of a lot," Spot answered, "but I'm not hopeful that the trend will continue. He's stupid, but he's bound to notice some things. I'm waiting for him to work it out by himself."
"I really wish people would stop talking about me as if I'm not here," Jack said. "And what is it that I have to figure out for myself?"
"I think it's pretty obvious that you have to find out by yourself," Slingshot replied before looking back at Spot. "So can I talk freely in front of him? Or should we go somewhere private when I need to talk about … business?"
Jack rolled his eyes at the fact that they were still talking about him as if he wasn't right there, but he decided not to say anything this time around. They didn't really seem to take his comments to heart, so what was the point?
"Here's fine," Spot answered. "What is it?"
"Hm. Nothing of monumental importance."
Spot quirked up an eyebrow. "Monumental? Got yourself a Word-a-Day calendar?"
"Hey, now, don't make fun," Slingshot replied while he grinned. "Just because I'm a gang member doesn't mean that I have to have a failing vocabulary."
Jack's eyes widened at 'gang member'. This was a gang? It did make a certain crazy amount of sense, he supposed. He wondered how much trouble he was getting himself into by staying here. He should probably hurry up and find another place to stay. Unfortunately, he didn't even have any potential crash spots. He was running out of friends pretty quickly these days.
"So you did actually get yourself a calendar?" Spot asked as he smirked.
"Yeah, well, if it makes you feel any better, I did steal it."
Spot gave an amused silent snort. "So what is it you need to tell me?"
"Oh … right. So, I was wondering if … I could perhaps have a few bucks for cigarettes. I am dangerously below out … and people are starting to bug me for what I owe them."
"You owe people cigarettes?" Spot asked, already fishing in his pockets for some change. "So you're playing poker now? When the hell did that happen?"
Slingshot shrugged. "I started getting bored."
"Right. Whatever. This is all I have with me," Spot answered. He handed over some one-dollar bills along with a mess of coins. "If you need any more, you'll have to go around begging. Oh, and tell Stealth to write down everything he knows about France. I'll need the complete list by the end of the week."
"I'm on it."
"Oh, and take Jack with you; he's getting irritating."
Jack suppressed his urge to punch Sean. He hadn't even said anything for the last five minutes.
Itey sighed and burrowed a bit more into Mush's chest. "I seriously don't know what I would do without you, Mushie. This is so much harder than I thought it would be. Skitts and I were friends once, right? Why is it so hard to go back to how we were?"
"I … I don't think you can just go back like that," Mush said. He wrapped his arms around Itey. "You can't … I don't think you can go back to being friends. I think you have to become friends again. Does that make any sense?"
"So … we have to … what? No, sorry, I don't understand that at all."
"You've both been through too much together to go back to how you were. You need to take some time to explore what you are to each other now," Mush reiterated. He really wished they were on the couch instead of the recliner. He was pretty sure recliners weren't made to recline two people.
"For a terrifyingly naïve person, you're incredibly wise." Itey looked up a bit in order to see Mush's face. "I also appreciate how homophobic you aren't. The fact that you're holding me while I'm crying about my boyfriend dumping me? It's almost too accepting of you."
Mush shrugged. "It's no big deal. I mean, I'm constantly holding Blink for one reason or another." He smiled a bit.
"Ha!" Itey sat up on Mush's lap and grinned down at him. "I think I just got even more proof that you and Blink are hot for each other."
"What? No," Mush said quickly. "That's just how we are. It doesn't mean anything."
"Mm-hm, yeah, I'm sure that's the reason you guys are so clingy with each other. 'That's just how you are.' Of course that's all it is," Itey mocked as he rolled his eyes. "I wonder if Blink is as oblivious as you are."
"There's nothing between us but friendship, Itey … honest."
"All right, fine, you go drown in your obliviousness, but once you realize I'm right, I am going to gloat like a mad man on crack."
"Do mad men on crack really gloat?" Mush asked, drawing his eyebrows together and looking confused.
"They gloat like a stray cat that just found an old, rotting fish," Itey said confidently before deflating a bit. "Okay, that was probably one too many similes, huh? What can I say? I love the little buggers."
"I actually prefer metaphors. But they both have so many clichés; it's obnoxious. … 'As quiet as a mouse', 'sneaky like a cat', 'as sharp as a tack', 'as dull as a crayon', 'cornered like a rat' … the clichés go on and on."
"But that's not the similes' or metaphors' fault. Clichés are like a disease … or a gross, disgusting fungus. No one likes them, but they won't stop growing. Also, people tend to be lazy and stupid most of the time, so they use them out of lack of originality, the idiots."
Mush smiled, glad to be off the subject of Skittery and Blink. "Do you think the metaphors and similes feel bad because people misuse them? Or do they not mind as long as it means they're being used?"
"I don't think they like to be used at all. Have you ever been used? It sucks hardcore … Like a rhinoceros sitting on you. I'm sure the metaphors and similes would like to be their own people."
"So do you think they hate it that you just used that simile?"
Itey nodded enthusiastically. "They hate it like you hate talking about how you and Blink are actually in love with each other." He grinned. "Hey, look at that! Not only did I use a kick ass simile (again), but I also got us back on the topic that you were trying so hard to avoid."
Mush sighed. "I really don't like Blink."
"Of course you do! I am an all-knowing god. I think you should listen to me about this. Who called Bumlets on being a fag even though he kept on denying it? Uh … yes, sir, I think that might have been … um … me. People should really start paying attention when I talk."
Blink rolled his eye and tried to massage a headache out of his scalp. "Maybe people would listen to you more if you weren't such an obnoxious kid. Can we drop it, Skitts? You've been talking about Mush nonstop since we left school. It's getting annoying. No, I do not have a crush on him, but I am starting to think you might."
Skittery nodded sympathetically. "I know what you're doing. I took psychology sophomore year. You're projecting. You're saying I have a crush on Mush when, really, it's your little way of admitting that you have a crush on him. You can admit it to me directly, Blink. I promise I won't look down on you or think any less of you. People fall in love with their friends all the time. It's a common phenomenon."
Blink tried to sigh, but it somehow turned into a growl halfway through. "Please, for the love of … whatever-the-hell-could-possible-love-you, stop bringing it up. I love Mush as a friend. There's no hidden meaning there. God, why can't you just let it go?"
Skittery shook his head, still looking at Blink with pity. "You're meant to be with Mush, Blinkie-poo. I don't know why you can't seem to see it even though it's completely obvious to everyone else. I feel it's my job as your friend to give you what you want. And Mush is what you want … whether you realize that little fact or not."
"Fine," Blink snapped, at this point very tense. "You feel like talking about relationships? Let's go. Hey, I've got a great idea! Let's talk about you and Itey, and the fact that you can't seem to tell him you love him, even though you very clearly do."
"I'm hungry. Do you feel like pizza? I'll drive if you buy."
Blink grinned. It looked as if he finally found a way to get Skitts to lay off him about Mush. "You don't have a car."
"Well, yeah. I was just planning on driving yours."
"You don't have a driver's license."
"That doesn't mean I don't know how to drive, oh little chum of mine."
"Okay, I feel I need to make it clear that you are not allowed anywhere near the keys to my car."
"I don't need keys. I know how to hot wire," Skittery said proudly.
Blink sighed, and tried to massage out his headache again. "Okay, know what? You're not allowed anyway near my car."
Skittery faked a pout. "How the hell are you going to drive me to school if I can't go near your car? That's not fair."
"From now on, if you want a ride, you're going to have to put on some skates and just hang on to the back bumper. I think that's enough of a compromise. And who the hell told you I'd keep giving you rides to school? I thought it was just a one time thing."
"Itey usually drives me to school. I can't get a ride with him anymore. I can't drive myself because, again, no driver's license. My parents don't care enough about me to get me there. Dutchy and Bumlets are all over each other, and it's disgusting, so I'm not letting Bumlets drive me. You're the only friend I have left," Skittery replied, pouting for real now.
Blink closed his eye and sighed again. "If I hang out with you much longer, I'm either going to end up killing myself or going to become completely insane."
Skittery burst into a smile. "I'm an adventure."
"You know, maybe you'd have more friends if you stopped trying to scare everyone away."
"Tch." Skittery crossed his arms and started to pout again. "I don't need a lecture, Mom. Just leave me alone."
Blink rolled his eye. "I'd love to, but you're at my house. Also, do I really have to point out that you're sitting on my lap? That little fact makes it physically impossible for me to leave. You can, though."
Skittery looked hurt for no more than a few seconds before turning it into anger. "Fine. You know what? Fuck you." He jerked off of his no-longer-friend's lap, and made it halfway to the door before Blink even realized what was happening.
Blink's eye widened, and his eyebrows drew together. "Skitts? What? No. I didn't actually mean that."
But Skittery was already out the door.
Slingshot opened Spot's door and walked into his room without bothering to knock. "Hey, Boss. Jack's with Bam, so … he's relatively safe. Hunter kept trying to take him off my hands, but I thought that might be a bad idea."
"Congratulations: you can think," Spot replied, dropping the book he was reading onto the floor. "Do you want a reward for knowing that giving Hunter any type of responsibility is a bad idea? You shouldn't; I don't even like Jack. Why the hell would I care what happens to him?"
Slingshot rolled his eyes. He walked over to the couch Spot was sitting on, not hesitating to make himself comfortable. "Oh, please, that's such bullshit. Why the hell would you bring him over here if you didn't like him?"
"He's homeless and desperate. I'm thinking about getting him to join."
"Tch, get him to join? And you couldn't just ask him straight out if he had any interest in joining? That's what you did for the rest of us. What's different about him?"
Spot sighed as he mentally cursed his second-in-command's stupidity. "Maybe you can't think. I can't just ask him, because he goes to my school and has no idea who I really am. If I tell him, he'll freak out, and he'll blab to people. Therefore, I'm letting him stay here as he slowly figures it out, so that I can ask him to join without blowing my cover.
Slingshot raised his eyebrows. "Isn't this a little bit too much work for you? People are practically lining up to join; there's no need to go to extremes to find another member. You are aware of that, right?"
"When have I ever let people in my gang just because they ask? That's idiotic."
"Right, of course. Stupid me."
"I really hope you didn't come here just to talk about Jack."
"No. I wanted to thank you for that money. Hopefully, people will stop bugging me now."
Spot rolled his eyes. "What is it with you and stealing all my money, anyway? Don't you get enough?"
"Hey, I'm an expensive type of guy. I can't help that I enjoy the finer things in life."
"Like paying for dates or playing poker? Yeah, of course."
"Okay, so I'm not the most privileged kid in the world. I think I work well with what I have."
"Mm-hmm. Is there something else you want?"
"Actually, I was wondering if you could be a bit nicer to Kevin for me."
Spot silently snorted. "Your cousin? I'm already helping him with that absurd project. Why the fuck do I have to-?"
"He's having a hard time fitting in," Slingshot interrupted hurriedly. "He and Jack used to be friends, but then Kevin quit the track team. All his friends abandoned him, and he's feeling a little depressed right now. Why can't you be a little nicer to him?"
Spot rolled his eyes. "He's feeling pathetic … so what? Tell him to suck it up and not to be such a baby."
"Spot, can't you at least try to sympathize with him? He's having a hard time right now."
"I am sympathizing with him; I still don't give a fuck."
"You obviously aren't. If you were sympathizing, then you would give a fuck."
"Fine; I guess I just suck at sympathy. Now leave me alone."
Slingshot quietly growled. "You're impossible, you know that? What's wrong with giving him a chance and talking to him for a bit? You don't know … you might actually end up liking him."
"Are you on something right now? I don't like anyone, especially people I'm forced into liking. Don't tell me you're that stupid."
"You've never given anyone a chance before. You always just assume you're going to hate them. What kind of an attitude is that?"
"A realistic one."
"Only because that's what you already think. If you met someone with the intention of making friends, then-"
"Why the hell do I want to make friends? What's the point of that?"
"That's what people do! That's what life is all about!"
Spot silently snorted again. "That's absurd."
"It's not! You're … you're so difficult!"
"I definitely like you better when I'm fucking you."
Slingshot burst out laughing, all of his anger suddenly gone. "Oh, God, ain't that the truth."
Spot rolled his eyes as he watched Slingshot clutching his stomach and laughing. "That was me being coy, dumbass."
Slingshot tried his best to stop laughing, and did a fairly good job of succeeding. "I don't really think that can be considered coy, Boss. It's a little too obvious you want to …" Slingshot's eyes widened as he finally realized what was going on. "Oh! Right. Hell yeah."
Bumlets walked awkwardly around the convenience store while waiting for Dutchy. He knew that his … er … boyfriend? … fuck buddy? … his … whatever … had a … date? … meeting?
Fuck, labels were hard work.
Okay, Dutchy was hanging out with Specs. There, that was easy enough. Just avoid the labels, and all was well.
So … he knew that Dutchy was hanging out with Specs, but he had been assured it wouldn't take too long. He'd also been assured that Dutchy would meet him here … at this convenience store … without Specs.
The agreed upon time? That had passed a good twenty minutes ago.
Bumlets sighed as he contemplated the résumé forms. He was supposed to be meeting Dutchy here so they could both apply for a job. Sooo … was he just supposed to fill one out without Dutch? Did he even want a job here if his … his whatever didn't work with him? And, most importantly, when the hell did he become such a dependent boyfriend … er … pseudo-boyfriend?
He had always been in control.
Oh, yeah, that was a huge lie. Okay, so the truth? He had always been in control since everyone broke up and went their separate ways.
Honestly? He had never really hung out with the old gang much. He was there, sure, but he was part of the background. He didn't have that best friend everyone else seemed to have. Really, he just didn't … fit like everyone else did.
In other words, when everyone went off in their different directions, he wasn't nearly as broken up about it as everyone else was. And by 'everyone else,' he meant 'Itey, Skittery, and Dutchy'. They were the ones that felt left behind. And, yet again, he was the one in the background.
… Soon after that, though? Skittery corrupted Itey, and got himself a playmate to make fun of Dutchy with. Dutchy became even more of a fool with no one to defend him. And, eventually, Bumlets realized that it was his job to step up because they all needed some guidance.
Now he was asking David for advice, even though it was something he had never really done before. Everyone else in the old group used to, yes, but not him. The fact that he was doing it now was … weird.
The fact that he was feeling awkward without Dutchy around to tell him what to do? That was … terrifying.
"Whoa. Bumlets?"
Bumlets turned toward the voice. "Swifty. Uh, hey." He smiled while shifting on his feet a bit, feeling even more awkward than he had before. "What's up?"
Swifty held up the bottle of soda he had. "Got thirsty. I live, like, two minutes from here, so I just walked down. What's up with you?"
"Uh … I was supposed to meet Dutchy to fill out applications for open positions here, but … he's a bit late."
"You want to work in a convenience store? Ew. Plus, don't you have to be eighteen?"
Bumlets sighed before shrugging. "Maybe? I don't really know. Whatever."
"Pissed Dutchy stood you up?" Swifty asked with a small smile. "Yeah, I know what that's like. Listen, there's this sweet coffee shop around the corner. If you think you can drink coffee with someone you hate, I'll buy you a cup."
Bumlets gave a smile back. "I don't hate you. I just dislike you. There's a difference. I do hate coffee, though, so you might have to change your deal."
"I'll … buy you a soda and a giant cookie."
"Make it a hot chocolate and a giant cookie, and I'm all over that deal," Bumlets replied, his smile widening.
David sat in his room doing homework …er … trying to do homework. In truth, he was worrying about the French project. Was he really not going to do it? Yes, he was. He felt like he couldn't let Jack win this fight for some reason. He couldn't cave in.
On the other hand … what would his parents say when they saw his final French grade? They'd be so mad at him when they found out he had completely skipped out on doing his French project. He was already in deep trouble for the fight as it was.
"This is so fucked up," he mumbled to himself.
His eyes widened. Oh, jeez, he just said 'fuck'. Clearly Bumlets was a bad influence on him. Or was he? He did get him to stand up to Specs. Though, that got him in trouble with his parents. But, at the same time …
David sighed. He just wasn't sure what he was doing anymore. This wasn't how he was supposed to act. He liked standing up for himself, but would it always get him in this much trouble? Was there another alternative? There had to be another way to be assertive without being so rebellious. He couldn't for the life of him figure out how, though.
He heard the front door open, jerking him out of his thoughts for the time being.
"We should go out to eat … without David … because he's being punished," Sarah's muffled voice said. "In fact, we shouldn't even check on him."
David smiled to himself. It seemed as if Sarah was still trying to cover for him even though it was – he looked at the clock – already five-thirty. He had no idea his sister would do something like this for him. It was a happy surprise. No, it made him more than just happy; it made him … What was a stronger word for happy? He supposed 'ecstatic' worked pretty well.
"No, Sarah," David's dad answered back, his voice coming closer with every word. "You've spent enough of my money for this week. Keep it up, and you're going to make us broke."
"So you're going to check on David? I can do it, Dad. You should … do whatever it is you do. You want to read the paper? Because I can get you the paper."
"I'd like to check on my son, if you don't mind," David's dad said before the doorknob twisted and the door swung in.
"Hey, Dad," David greeted, turning away from his homework to face his dad and Sarah. He saw his sister visibly relax when she spotted him. It made him smile even more.
"Your mother and I are going out tomorrow, so you two are going to have to baby-sit your little brother."
Sarah straightened up, and she bounced a bit. "Ooh, can one of my friends come over?"
"Who?" their dad shot back.
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Well, I don't know; I haven't asked them yet. I think Rachel said she didn't have anything to do."
"No. She racks up the phone bill. If you want someone over, it has to be someone responsible enough to actually help you watch your brother, not distract you from it."
"What about Teresa? Can Teresa come over?"
"Last time she came over she got nail polish all over the couch. I'd really prefer it if you two would just baby-sit by yourselves."
"What if" – Sarah quickly glanced over at David – "Bumlets came over. He's responsible, right?"
Mr. Jacobs frowned. "Bumlets? You haven't talked about him in quite awhile. Alright, but if we come home to a mess, he's not going to be helping again."
"Thanks, Daddy," Sarah practically squealed before leaping on her father and giving him a hug.
David waited until his dad left and closed the door before showing his amazement. "Bumlets? Really?"
Sarah grinned. "Hey, you can never say I don't love you, little bro." She ruffled his hair a bit.
David swatted her hand away half-heartedly.
"Oh, God," Spot whispered in disbelief as he lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling.
"I really don't mind," Slingshot consoled him in a carefree voice. "Though, next time, could you tell me when I'm supposed to be imitating someone else? For a second I thought you might have been getting off on that racetrack owner. That would have been gross. He's super old and fat." He made a face as he felt bile at the back of his throat. "I think I just made myself throw up a little."
"Oh, God," Spot repeated as he covered his eyes in shame. "That didn't just happen."
"Pretty sure it did, actually," Slingshot said. "After all, I was there and heard you with perfect clarity. You definitely just yelled out 'Racetrack'."
"No, I didn't," Spot replied pitifully. "It never happened. Drop it."
Slingshot rolled his eyes before sitting next to Spot's horizontal body on the bed. "Okay, so you have a crush. It's not like it's something new. Everyone gets crushes, Bossman. And, sure, getting a crush on Racetrack of all people is a little unexpected, but at least it's not someone stupid like Hunter, right?"
"I don't … I've never had a crush on someone before, Sling," Spot confessed, looking completely lost for what may have been the first time in his life. He finally sat up, but continued looking at the ceiling for answers. "I don't get crushes; that's how it's supposed to be."
Slingshot sighed in sympathy. "Everyone gets crushes, Sean, even you. The fact that you've never had one before just means you're a late bloomer …in some respects, anyway. Look, it's fine, really. I promise I won't tell anyone, and if you really just want to act like it never happened …"
"I … have … a crush," Spot struggled to say. He hunched over, and rested his face in his hand. "This wasn't supposed to happen," he groaned. "This wasn't what I planned for. Oh, God."
"No one plans for crushes, Sean," Slingshot said before putting a hand on his boss' shoulder. "It's all just hormones and shit. And it's not like it's something you did, all right? It's just something unfortunate that happened. Just think of it like your grandmother dying or something."
"I think about him all the time." Spot mumbled his confession as he leaned into Slingshot. "And he makes me … tingle. He … makes my chest feels like it's about to explode whenever he comes near me, and I hate it. I absolutely despise the feeling. Do you think I could maybe kill him?"
"Probably not a good idea to solve all your problems by killing someone," Slingshot advised before pulling Spot into a hug and not letting him go. "It's just a crush, Sean. It's not something you have to act on if you don't want to. And it will eventually go away."
"Why do you keep calling me 'Sean'?" Spot asked with a sigh, sounding a little more like himself.
"I thought … it's supposed to help comfort you or something … I think," Slingshot replied. "I'm not really sure, but I thought it might be worth a try. Seeing you like this is seriously scaring me hella bad. It's creepier than being stuck in a room with Rambler."
"Yeah, well, I'm done now," Spot said before pulling out of Slingshot's embrace. "And … uh … if I was the type of guy to say 'thank you,' I would, but I'm not, so instead I'll just say 'if you tell anyone at all about this in any way, I'm going to kill you'."
"Well, you're welcome, then," Slingshot answered as he got off the bed and stretched. "Want to help me find my pants now? Because being naked is starting to get cold and uncomfortable."
"I think I threw them over there," Spot replied, pointing toward a corner of the room as he slipped on some boxers.
"Okay, those are totally my boxers," Slingshot claimed when he found his pants and turned to face Spot. "You can tell because they're too big and manly for you."
"Do you want to die?" Spot asked him with none of the malice the question asked for. "These are mine; you weren't even wearing boxers today."
"Oh, yeah," Slingshot said, realizing it was true as he slipped on his pants. "Okay, well, let me just find my shirt and then I'll be out of here."
"Your shirt's got cum all over it," Spot pointed out as he looked at its limp form on the bed. "Leave it here and I'll take care of it. Just grab a shirt from my closet instead."
"And Bumlets is so sweet! … For reals. He just … makes me feel so special, you know? And he does this cute little thing with his eyebrows when he's confused. You wouldn't even believe how utterly adorable it is," Dutchy said, using outrageous hand gestures in order to get his point across. He was gushing like a preteen girl with a crush on a member of one of those boy bands from the nineties. Actually, sadly enough, he was gushing like himself with a crush on a member of a boy band from the nineties. That was so not his fault, though. Nick Carter was hot; no one could deny it. Well, someone could deny it, but they'd be lying out of their ass.
"But you and Bumlets? I know you told me about it yesterday, but I was sure you were kidding around. It still seems so unbelievable. Gay men confuse the hell out of me, I swear. I mean, what's with all of them being sluts? And how does a good fashion sense mix in with it all? Hey, you think now that Bumlets is gay he'll finally realize that he has the ugliest hair in the history of existence? Seriously, it's not pretty," Specs said. He noticed that Dutchy hadn't really been listening. In fact, it looked as if he was completely dazed out. "Dutchy? Dutch. Dutchy!"
Dutchy blinked a few times, reluctantly coming out of his daydream about getting randomly jumped on the street by members of boy bands. Oh, if only that was his reality. "And he does the cutest little thing with his eyebrows."
Specs frowned and tilted his head to the side while trying to catch Dutchy's eye. "…When he's confused. Yeah, so you've told me … like, five seconds ago." He sighed. "Well, I guess it's safe to say that you were dazed out during my entire wonderfully marvelous rant, huh? What's up with you? You okay?"
Dutchy swatted a hand into the air and gave a half-hearted smile. "Who's okay? Me? Oh, definitely. I was just dreaming about … you know … Bumlets. No big deal. I do it all the time. It's who I am … As well as being the stupid and naïve one … apparently."
"Okay, so I don't really understand Gay-enese all the well (or Girl-ican, come to think of it, which I assume would have a lot of resemblance to Gay-enese), but am I correct in thinking that that actually meant 'no, I'm not okay at all'?"
Dutchy shrugged. "It's nothing … really. It's just some stupid thing Skittery said … and Bumlets, too. You don't think I'm stupid and naïve … do you? Because I'm not."
"Of course I don't think that. Did Bumlets actually tell you that you were? I understand Skittery saying it; he's a complete ass. But Bumlets … what? He agreed with him? Are you sure you want to go out with someone who insults you like that? I mean, there's friendly banter, and then there's bullying."
"I think it was supposed to be friendly banter. I probably just took it too personally."
"You shouldn't have to make up excuses for him like that! You shouldn't have to put up with that type of shit! You should talk to him. You want me to for you? I will."
"No! Don't! Specs, honestly, it's fine. That's just the way they are. They don't mean anything by it."
"Bullshit! You can't just brush it off like that! You keep doing that then they're going to keep walking all over you. You have shitty friends, Dutch, and I-"
"Alright, I'm good! That's enough!" Dutchy shouted as he shot up from his seat. "It's fine if you want to try and talk me into standing up for myself, but do not … do not insult my friends. They've already more than proven themselves by sticking around when you wouldn't."
"You can't do that to me!" Specs replied, standing up as well. "You can't just bring up a past mistake like that! I'm making up for it now, right? And the old gang was well past done before I decided to leave! I already apologized for the whole thing, anyway! It was-"
"When did you apologize?" Dutchy asked. He deflated a bit as he slowly sat back down. "You never apologized. I'm pretty positive I would remember that."
"I definitely did," Specs said, sitting down as well. "… Right?"
"You never did … I don't think." Dutchy scrunched up his face, trying to think. "No, I know I would have remembered. It would have been categorized in my brain under 'Precious Moments to Never Be Forgotten.'"
"I totally apologized. I distinctly remember it."
"I don't remember you apologizing at all, and if you had … I would've … I swear."
"But I know I did it. We were sitting alone at lunch, and-"
"We've never sat alone at lunch."
Specs blinked in confusion before realization hit and his eyes widened. "Oh, right! Skittery was always interrupting us, so I couldn't! I guess I just thought about it so much I mistakenly decided it was a real memory. Well, in that case … I'm sorry and shit … for dumping you in exchange for David."
"That was … probably one of the worst apologies I've ever been given … but it's accepted anyway."
"Great. Now that that whole gay melodrama's over I should be heading home."
"Yeah, I should go meet Bumlets," Dutchy said, looking around for a clock. "Holy shit! Is that the time? I was supposed to meet him, like, an hour ago! Holy mother-fucking fuck!" he shouted as he dropped some cash onto the table and hurried towards the door.
Specs' eyes widened, and a small smile crossed his face. "Oh! I'm totally going with you! I'd love to see an angry Bumlets who isn't directing his hatred towards me!"
"It wasn't my dog! It was my mom's!"
"Yeah, but it followed you around everywhere. I remember when he got run over by a car, and I had to go to the veterinarian's office with you. You made me stay there all night with you while you waited to make sure he was okay."
"… Only to find out that he died during surgery." Bumlets glanced down at his hot chocolate, thinking about his d-… er … his mom's dog.
Swifty sighed. "By the time we left it was … what? Five in the morning?" He smiled slightly as he quietly chuckled. "Both our parents wouldn't answer our phone calls because they had completely crashed. We ended up having to walk home together, remember?"
"It took us until noon, because you kept getting us lost." Bumlets chuckled as well, returning the smile.
"I kept getting us lost? No way. I remember everything perfectly, and you were the one in charge of directions."
"I was definitely following you. I know, because I remember repeatedly thinking that you were taking us in the opposite direction."
"Hey, how weird would it have been if we were both following each other?"
"Okay, next time we go somewhere together we clearly state who's following whom, agreed?"
"That's got my vote," Swifty replied before drifting off into a short, awkward silence. "So … uh … working in a convenience store? Can I ask about that?"
Bumlets took a sip of hot chocolate, and slowly set it back down. "Dutchy and I are supposed to be looking for jobs together." He shrugged. "The convenience store was just one of the places hiring."
"You know, a friend of my dad's owns this CD store that's looking for workers. If I put in a good word for you, he'll probably be able to put you to work by next week. I can't absolutely guarantee anything, but I don't see why he would say 'no'. The owner's really awesome; he doesn't really give a shit about anything. He's one of those happy-go-lucky types, you know? So … you want me to talk to him for you?"
"That'd be really sweet. Thanks, Swift." Bumlets smiled happily before frowning and shifting in his seat a bit. "Uh … this is probably asking a lot, but could you maybe talk to him about Dutchy, too? He needs a job more than I do."
Swifty quietly snorted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah? Well, that certainly explains why he wasn't at the convenience store to fill out an application with you." He sighed while wearing a small grin. "I'll make sure to mention him, 'kay?"
Bumlets smiled back. "So is this like a bribe to become your friend again?"
Swifty's smile dropped a bit as he shrugged. "Maybe a bit, yeah. You never stopped being my friend, dude, and that's the honest truth. Unfortunately, I guess, at some point, without even realizing it, I stopped being your friend. I'm sorry for that, and I feel like I need to prove that I still care about you. If getting you and Dutchy a job is going to help that along some, then, hell yes, I'm going to do it."
Bumlets sighed as he nodded. "Thanks, man, I mean it. It really does mean a lot, and I'm sure Dutchy will appreciate it even more than me. Can we be done with all the sappiness now? It's starting to get a little sickening."
"Sappiness is officially over," Swifty said before a long and awkward pause made itself known. "I guess there's not much else to talk about."
"Apparently we can only talk about dogs, directions, and jobs."
"And general sappiness," Swifty replied with a smile.
"Ah, yes, how true friendship is made."
"Indeed, sir. So … should we talk about your dog some more, or do you need to leave?"
"Oddly enough, I'm having a pretty good time right now. Plus" – Bumlets lifted up his hot chocolate mug – "I'm not finished yet."
Swifty gave a lopsided smile. "Thanks a lot, dude. I'm so happy that I mean that much to you. Jesus. 'Oddly enough' … That's harsh, man."
Bumlets laughed. "But I am having a good time. That's got to count for something, right?"
"It's the only reason I'm not bawling my eyes out right now." Swifty saw someone come into the coffee shop out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to look at them fully. "Hey, you were supposed to meet Dutchy, right? I think I just found him." He gave a slight jerk of his head towards the two people entering. "He hanging out a lot with Specs, then?"
Bumlets turned around in his chair to see what Swifty was talking about, and couldn't fight back a glare. "That bastard. What the hell is he doing?" he hissed.
Swifty leaned over the table a bit in order to whisper, "Bit jealous, are you?"
"Just pissed he stood me up. He has to know what time it is, but he hasn't even called me," Bumlets muttered back. "Dutchy!" he called out. "What the hell happened to meeting me, man?"
"Bumlets!" Dutchy greeted back as his eyes widened. "Hey!" He bit his lip, and gave a small shrug. "Yeah … uh … sorry. I was … I guess I just lost track of time. I was going to call but … uh …"
Bumlets rolled his eyes, not looking at all placated. "That slipped your mind, too?"
Dutchy gave his friend a forced smile. "Well, yeah, I guess that's pretty much what happened. I mean, I went to the convenience store we were supposed to meet at, but you had already left, so …"
"Looks like he left to get a date with Swifty," Specs happily piped up.
Swifty held up his hands in a pacifying gesture. "Hey, now, that's not at all what happened. I just thought it'd be nice to catch up. I'm not trying to … er … steal your man or anything, Dutchy. I swear. I'm straight, at any rate."
"Mm-hmm," Specs replied as he crossed his arms. "You know, Bumlets used to claim to be straight, too, and look at what happened to him. You can't play the 'straight' card, buddy."
"Yeah? So by your logic you must be out on a date with Dutchy, right? I mean, you're alone together, Dutchy missed meeting up with Bumlets, and even though you say you're straight, you're really gay. Is that right?" Swifty asked.
Specs smirked. "Well, no. See, when I say I'm straight, I'm actually telling the truth."
"God, you're a dick. How the fuck do people stand to be around you?"
Bumlets smiled, happy that he had Swifty on his side this time. "Now you understand why I'm so pissed Dutchy blew me off."
"I didn't blow you off!"
Swifty decided to ignore Dutchy's input. "Yeah. If I was you, I'd be plenty insulted. You know, Jack blows me off for Masson all the time, and I always have to ask myself, 'what the hell is so wrong with me that I come second to Masson?'"
Bumlets perked up even more. "Exactly! I'm so glad someone else gets it!"
"Me, too! And you tell Jack about it, and he just acts like you're crazy, because of course he doesn't like Masson more than me! Pfft! 'Of course'! As if it's so fucking obvious! And he's always trying to defend him! 'Oh, it wasn't that bad' … 'He didn't really say that'… 'He's not that much of a bastard', but it is and he did and he is! And the worst part is you know he knows it, but he just won't admit it!"
"Dutchy does the exact same thing! He always downplays Specs' asshole tendencies! It makes me wonder why I'm friends with such an idiotic person!"
"It's so absolutely awesome that you understand! And you wish you didn't have to be friends with him, because it's such crap, but at the same time you want to continue being his friend, because it's always been your job to look after him!"
"Yes! It's so annoying!"
"Bumlets!" Dutchy finally shouted as his eyes watered. He looked lost as everyone's attention turned to him. "That's really what you think of me?"
Specs glared as he grabbed a hold of Dutchy's hand. "Come on," he snapped as he pulled Dutchy back towards the door. "We're getting a coffee somewhere that doesn't serve assholes."
Bumlets felt his happiness slip away as Dutchy left without a backwards glance. "Complaining about him to someone else while he listened was probably a really bad idea. I can't believe I just did that."
"I'm sorry," Swifty replied, no longer looking all that happy either. "It's my fault; I started it."
"No, I'm the one that started it. I should have known … I shouldn't have done that to him."
"I'm the one that started in about Jack. I was just in rant mode, and I totally forgot Dutchy was here. I should have just dropped it before I started in."
Bumlets smiled slightly. "Are we really arguing about this? It's kind of stupid, don't you think?"
"Yeah." Swifty tried his best to smile and lift the mood. "So … uh … do you think Specs realizes that if they go to a coffee shop that doesn't serve assholes, he won't be allowed to get anything?"
A/N: So out of the 70-ish hits I got from my last chapter, guess how many people reviewed. Zero. I mean, ouch, readers, that's really starting to burn. Excuse me while I go get my ice pack.
Do you like this story? Then tell me. Is it just something to pass the time? Then tell me. Even if you think it sucks, and you read it just to laugh at my writing ... I still want to know. Without feedback from you guys I'm completely lost about what you want.
I'll reply to any comments, answer any questions, and even do a silly little dance if you ask politely enough. What more could you want from me?
So shape up, and start to review, okay? Otherwise I'll buy a plane ticket, fly to your house, and sing to you. Creepy, right? But that's not all, I also have the worst singing voice ever. Believe me, your ears will be bleeding by the time I'm through. Being extremely creeped out and bloody? I'm pretty sure that's not something you want.