Rich Boy: Awakening - 10. Chapter 10

“I’m sorry, Jeremy.” Michael said into the cell phone with a smile to the fat man sitting on the desk chair in my room. Mr. Brantree was looking around the room while Michael was talking on the phone for the sixth time in the last fifteen minutes. He just hoped the man didn’t look too closely at the large plasma television on the wall. Stacy, or maybe it was Elizabeth, had cast the illusion of his television on the wall, but it wouldn’t hold up to scrutiny, even by a mundane. “I’m in the middle of something right now and can’t really talk. How about you come over after dinner though? We should be done by eight. Okay, see you then.”

“Hmmph.” The man grumbled as Michael shut the phone. Part of him was glad that he’d worn one of his nicer t-shirts today. It was a smoke-gray shirt with black piping on the collars and short sleeves, and a tribal design on the right side. He’d also worn jeans today, a nice darker pair and very expensive. With the black motorcycle boots, Michael knew he made a good image.

“Sorry about that.” He apologized with a smile. “How about I turn the phone off?”

“That would be good.” The man agreed. “As I was saying, I am here for a surprise inspection ordered by Judge Thompson who is overseeing the case of your family’s estate. I am an officer of the court, and my report will be read by the Judge himself. You are not under oath, but you should be sure to tell me the truth, and be as expressive and honest in your answers as you can. This report will carry important weight with the judge as he reviews the facts in evidence.”

“I understand, Mr. Brantree.” Michael assured him with another smile. “I appreciate his honor taking the expense, and the time, of sending a trusted assistant out here. You can be assured I will be as helpful as possible.”

“Yes, well that’s good to hear.” The man harrumphed. “Now, if we are not interrupted again, we can get down to business. You seem to have made quite a few friends out here.”

“I have found people out here to be very nice.” H stated. “I miss seeing some of the friends at my old school, but the new ones I am making out here more than make up for that.”

“Yes, well, why aren’t you at your old school?” The man asked with a frown. “Was it a matter of money? Was your Aunt unable to afford for you to attend?”

“Oh no, it had very little to do with money.” Michael answered. “Even if Aunt Elizabeth was unable to pay the tuition up front, the school would have offered to wait for payment until the issues around the Estate were handled.”

“Then why are you here instead of at the school you have attended since you were twelve?” The man asked with a frown. “Your Uncle has filed papers with the court stating that you should be at that school. According to his filing, all Sinclairs have attended that school for the last five generations.”

“My family attorney, and I, are worried about my Uncle’s legal shenanigans.” Michael said with a shrug and a slight frown. “Frankly, my Uncle is capable of anything, and I do not trust him to not attempt to use my presence in Virginia, and his residency there to create a custody fight in a Virginia court. It is better for me to remain here in Arizona until all legal issues are fully resolved.”

“Is that decision yours or your Aunt’s?” Brantree asked suspiciously.

“Mine.” He said firmly. “If I wanted to be in Virginia at school right now, I would be.”

“So your Aunt allows you to do what you want?”

“I wish.” Michael chuckled. “No, I have the same curfew as Jamie and Richie have, I am expected at family dinner every night unless I obtain permission otherwise beforehand. They make sure I do my homework, and that I check in with them if I’m out for more than a few hours. Frankly, it’s more than I ever dealt with when my parents were alive, but I guess it is understandable. I rarely saw my parents, even during the summer. Most of the time I had one of their employees looking out for me. Elizabeth and Stacy are much more hands-on in their approach to parenting.”

“Does that make you uncomfortable?” Brantree asked after making a few notes.

“Having two women in a relationship and living in their house?” Michael asked. “No, it doesn’t make me uncomfortable. They’re very conservative around me when it comes to public displays of affection, and their room is upstairs. They rarely come down here, and only enter my room after knocking.”

“You don’t like your Uncle, do you?” Brantree asked.

“No.” Michael answered with a frown. “Then again, I’ve never really met him. My father and he were involved in a feud since before I was born. I know my father made every effort to make sure if something ever happened to him and my mother that my Uncle would not gain legal custody of me, or access to the family fortunes.”

“Why is that?” Brantree was taking furious notes, and since the man was a mundane, Michael reached out very lightly with his mind to read the man’s surface thoughts. The Judge is not going to like this. Sinclair is an important contributor.

“My father did something that my Uncle did not appreciate.” I said with a shrug. “I never really learned the details, but I understood that my Uncle had sworn to get him back for that if it was the last thing he did. The one time I ever saw my Uncle in person was at the home of my paternal grandparents. My Uncle threatened that I would meet with an unfortunate accident before I ever inherited a single penny of the family fortune. That was three years ago, and I think he was just exaggerating in his anger, but why should I take that risk?”

“You think you are in danger from your Uncle?” Brantree actually snorted. “Do you understand he is an important religious figure in this country?”

“He is a man, with a man’s weaknesses.” He replied and Brantree frowned. “The fact is, that my parents made the arrangements that were being executed until the courts intervened. There is bad blood between my father and his brother. I would rather carry out my father’s wishes than risk the good graces of my Uncle who has expressed a dislike for me. Even were his threats that night empty, it is clear he would not have my best interests at heart. My Aunt, for all of the disgrace her choices have brought to her family, is an honest person who could care less for my family’s fortune. She will execute her duties until the terms of the will are carried out, and then gladly wash her hands of my affairs. Until then she will execute them faithfully.”

“I see.” Brantree was really frowning now. No, he will not like this at all. I might have to adjust this before he reads it.

“Mr. Brantree, I want to be blunt with you at this time.” Michael stated, leaning forward slightly in his chair. “It is my understanding that your boss, the honorable Judge was elected to the office he holds.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Brantree was nervous now.

“It is also my understanding that my Uncle was a major contributor to that campaign.” Michael continued and a bead of sweat appeared on his forehead. “Now, so far we have not filed for a change of venue because of that conflict of interest. We do not believe it is necessary. After all, Judge Thompson has a very honorable record. Elected officials must always be concerned about the next election. Please, assure the Judge for me that any negative consequences the Judge might face in the next election because he gave an honest ruling will be countered on his behalf. He should not fear my Uncle, or ruling against him.”

“The Judge is not influenced by campaign contributions.” Brantree was furious, which Michael had expected.

“Then there is nothing to worry about.” Michael smiled, and left anything else unsaid. “Besides, no matter the ruling, I always have the option of filing with the court to be declared a legal adult. Certainly I am capable of passing the standards for such a ruling, and in the matters of direct inheritance, it is clear I am the sole heir of the Sinclair fortunes. I believe the issue before the court is my guardianship.”

“You could do that, yes.” Brantree said very cautiously. “Why haven’t you?”

“I trust my Aunt.” He said with a shrug. “If there is no need for me to assume adult responsibilities, I would prefer not to until I am an adult. Life is to be enjoyed, and once I am an adult, with adult responsibilities, I will not be able to do many of the things I can do now. Take tonight for instance. I will have dinner with my cousins, and my Aunt and her partner. We’ll talk about my day at school, and their experiences through the day. Then a new friend of mine will come over for a few hours and help me with something.”

“You have homework you need help with already?” There was disbelief in the man’s tone.

“No, actually I’ve joined the school’s wrestling team.” Michael smiled again. “At the boarding school I did fairly well at wrestling, but the school did not have a wrestling team. This school does, and so I am able to do something I only dreamed of before. Jeremy has been on the team for several years and is going to help me practice.”

“I see.” The man said, scribbling a few more notes. “I believe this is enough for today. I will be at your school tomorrow to speak with your teachers and staff there. If you need to contact the court, here is my card.”

“Thank you sir.” Michael smiled as the man beat a hasty retreat from the room. Then he turned his phone back on and wondered if he had time for a swim before dinner.

He had just finished changing into a pair of Speedos when the illusion of the television on his wall vanished, and there was a knock at the door. “Come in!” He called out, and grinned when Elizabeth entered, shaking her head. There was a smile on her face, though.

“Stacy is disappointed in you.” Elizabeth said with a chuckle. “She checked the mind of that Brantree before he left and you didn’t even tamper with him a little bit!”

“She’s always telling me magic is not the answer for every problem.” Michael replied with a shrug. “Was the illusion yours?”

“Yes.” Elizabeth chuckled. “I didn’t want to chance him knowing what you brought down with you from the estate, and wondering why a big plasma wall television was missing.”

“Very thoughtful of you.” Michael smiled.

“Yes, well, I hope the interview went well?” She asked with a tilt of her head. “I might have insisted in having a lawyer present, or being present myself but I was fairly sure you could handle him on your own, and without resorting to magic.”

“As well as can be expected.” Michael shrugged.

“Randall Smythe has informed me that the good Judge is being backed into a corner.” She explained with a vicious smile. “On paper, our case is just too strong. This little visit was probably a last-ditch effort to find something they can use to rule in your Uncle’s favor without it being overturned on appeal. The Appeals Court that would hear the case is actually fairly neutral as far as we can tell. They do not have elections to worry about, and they are far more likely to rule based on the merits.”

“It sounds like making judges elected was a big mistake.” Michael laughed and she shook her head.

“It depends on if you’re the one the elected judge is beholden to for his next election or not.” She said with a chuckle. “Most of the time, judicial elections are low-key affairs. Unless there’s some major case that is causing outrage, the electorate could care less about who is sitting as a judge. That’s why money make such a big difference. A single big donor can be enough to keep a judge being re-elected for life without any major problems. It’s actually less corrupt to just have an elected official appoint them. Usually even the more corrupt judges that get appointed even out after a few years and focus most of their attention on actually deciding cases by their merits.”

“Wow, I expected you to be all pro-democracy and the like.” Michael laughed.

“Sometimes democracy is little more than the rule of the mob.” She shook her head. “Which, I guess is something we can always discuss over dinner.”

“Oh great.” Michael moaned before laughing.

“It looks like you were planning on going swimming before dinner.” She said.

“Yes.” Michael admitted. Well, he was standing in front of her wearing nothing but a Speedo.

“I’ll let you go relax.” She said and then left the room. Michael sighed and headed out to the pool, unsurprised to find Richie in the pool, swimming laps. In the far south, he could make out the now-familiar dust clouds and quickly judged it would be a good hour before the pre-monsoon dust storms hit. That left a good thirty minutes for him to swim laps alongside Richie. He got in the pool, and easily matched his pace with Richie, who sent a brief mental acknowledgement of Michael’s presence.

Richie’s presence near him was best described as being ‘soothing’. There was just something about the apprentice Healer that calmed those around him. He had the feeling of steadiness that Stacy had, except his was a gentler presence than her bedrock steadfastness. Often when it was just Michael and Richie, they never spoke any words to each other, mental or by voice. Rather they just seemed to enjoy the presence of the other near them. It was almost like they were sharing comfort by osmosis, just letting it soak into them.

“The storm’s almost here.” Richie’s voice broke the trance-like state that Michael had fallen into, and he stopped swimming to stand next to Richie. Sure enough, the wind was picking up, and the first dirt particles were already floating in the air.

“You’re right.” Michael agreed, and they moved together to exit the pool. Everything about him was relaxed now, after spending so much time near Richie. His muscles told him they’d been working out, but it was a nice, gentle burn instead of pain from overexertion. As soon as both of them were out of the pool, Richie raised an eyebrow and extended a silent offer to Michael. That surprised him, since Richie had never offered like this before. Without hesitating though, he accepted and met the tendril of thought/power that Richie was extending to him.

Most of the time when he linked with someone, there was a physical snap that he could feel as they came together. Even with Jamie, with whom he linked without even thinking about it. They almost always linked as soon as they were in touch with each other, or even standing near one another. Still, there was always that ‘snap’ that happened with the link manifested. With Richie though, it was like diving into a pool of water, suddenly being embraced by the water, having it slide over him, being one with it.

Richie’s amusement as he reflected on their linking filled him with vibrations of enjoyment and laughter, and Michael found he was laughing aloud as well. He understood now why words were often unnecessary with Richie. The Healer was more sensitive to emotions, maybe because of his focus on healing, and for him, it was emotions that were important. He took as much enjoyment, and relaxation, as Michael did just from being close to one another.

Richie could have led their linked powers to cast the spell for the pool, but instead he showed it to Michael from his memory, and that was another clear statement without words. The spell was Light, and Stacy might have refused to teach Michael any of that magic, but Richie had not made that promise, and he did not believe mages were limited by these paths. Older mages seemed to be certain of that, but Richie and Jamie weren’t, and they weren’t going to isolate Michael based on the superstitions of their elders. No words were necessary either, from Michael. Instead it was just necessary for him to fumble his way through the spell, and fumble he did. Its convolutions were tricky, and very different for him. He knew from Richie that this was an easy spell for the healer, but it seemed far more complicated to Michael. Still, the spell was done and the pool water was now protected from contamination by the storm.

“Not bad.” Richie smiled and they went inside just as the first of the real dust storm hit. Michael left Richie at his room, and went towards his own room to take a shower before dinner. As he showered, Michael reflected on his first few days of school, and realized that deep down he was happy. His life before had been fairly sterile, almost like he’d been living in black and white and now he was living a life in full, living color.

“You seem cheerful tonight.” Stacy said as they ate dinner. It was just the six of them, with Brandon sitting next to him, Richie and Jamie across from them, and the two women at the ends of the table.

“I realized something a little bit ago.” Michael said, and he told them about his reflections on his life.

“I’m glad to hear that.” Elizabeth said with a genuine smile on her face. “You should know, we’re happy to have you here as well, both of you.”

“Thank you.” Michael said her genuine smile with one of his own, and he enjoyed the feeling of warmth and belonging that welled up in him. Inside his mind, inside the crystal sphere, the geas was sulking he could tell, and that only made him happier instead of feeling dread as he usually did when he thought of one day having to integrate with the inky blackness that was inside the sphere.

Jeremy showed up a few minutes after Michael had helped Jamie finish cleaning up the plates and other mess from dinner. He’d never had to do chores before coming here, and the housekeeper that came three times a week took care of the things like dusting and laundry, but he found he didn’t mind doing things like clearing away the plates. Jeremy looked soaked to the bone since the Monsoons were still dropping water on the desert, and Michael frowned as he realized there wasn’t a car parked out front.

“You’re soaked!” Michael said with a little bit of alarm. “Where did you park?”

“I don’t have a car.” Jeremy actually blushed a little.

“Well, get in here.” Michael said firmly. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have picked you up. How did you get here?”

“I took the bus.” Jeremy said with a frown. “The nearest stop is about a mile from here. I have to leave by nine too, or I won’t get there in time to make the last bus.”

“Screw that, I’ll drive you home.” Michael said firmly.

“I don’t know.” Jeremy frowned. “I’ve never ridden on a bike before.”

“I have a car too.” Michael frowned. Jeremy’s clothes were soaked, but he was almost the same size as him. Yes, that would work. “Come with me.”

Michael took him into his room, and got out a towel as well as a pair of shorts and a nice brown t-shirt. Jeremy tried to refuse, but Michael pretty much pushed the clothes at him as well as the towel and pointed him towards the bathroom. Jeremy emerged looking a little less wet, and wearing Michael’s clothes.

“Just leave your stuff in the hamper in the bathroom and I’ll give them back to you at school.” Michael told him, overriding any protests he might have.

“You don’t have to do this.” Jeremy growled. “I’m not a fucking charity case.”

“Who said you were?” Michael growled right back. “You’re a friend, right? Friends help friends, right?”

“I guess.” Jeremy shrugged.

“So, you were going to show me some moves, right?” Michael said in order to change the subject.

“Yeah, you’re kind of sloppy with some of the holds.” Jeremy said and he relaxed a trifle bit. There was plenty of room for them to go through the moves as long as they didn’t get too carried away. As Jeremy walked him through things step by step, and they practiced the moves, he found he was enjoying Jeremy’s company. The dark-haired guy was different than many of the other students at school that he’d met so far.

For one thing, there was more depth to him than many of the other students. Josh and Tom were always complaining about their families, but Jeremy had very little to say on the subject after they stopped practicing wrestling and started chatting. They were sprawled on the floor of Michael’s room, looking out the windows as the storm raged outside. There was a wonderful view of the city, with the clouds and rain pouring down on it, and occasionally a blast of lightning and thunder.

“Is it true your family died in a thunderstorm?” Jeremy asked after a particularly large triple-fork of lightning hit the ground in the distance, and thunder rattled the windows fourteen seconds later.

“Yes.” Michael said without any emotion in his voice.

“You must hate storms like this, then.” Jeremy said softly.

“Not really.” Michael said and realized he didn’t really hate, or fear storms. He knew the storm that had killed his family, and nearly him, had been mage-caused.

“Why not?” Jeremy asked. “Don’t you miss them?”

“Not really.” Michael said, and he found himself telling Jeremy a very edited synopsis of his home life.

“Oh.” Jeremy said when he was finished. “You know, I think I’d rather take my home life than the shit you go through.”

“What’s wrong with your home life?” Michael asked and wondered if he’d gone to far too soon when Jeremy winced slightly.

“I live in Cactus Shade.” Jeremy said with a frown.

“I don’t know it.” Michael said with a shrug.

“It’s a trailer park on the edge of the school district.” Jeremy supplied. “When they formed the district, a bunch of the parents wanted to exclude it, because they didn’t want their kids associating with the riff-raff from the trailer park.”

“Oh.” Michael said and then he frowned. “You don’t seem to be treated too badly at school.”

“I can wrestle.” Jeremy said with a shrug. “That makes up for a bit. I don’t have a lot of friends though. Not like you. There’s two or three of us from the trailer park that go to school, but I’m the oldest. We all kind of stick together, you know.”

“Oh.” Michael said again. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Jeremy actually chuckled. “After hearing your story I realized I’d rather live in a trailer park. My parents both work a lot, but we’ve got a nice trailer and I’ve got my own bedroom. My brothers have to share a room, but they don’t mind, really.”

“How many brothers do you have?” Michael asked.

“Three, they’re triplets.” Jeremy smiled. “They’re holy terrors too. They’re in the eighth grade so they’ll be freshmen next year when we’re Seniors and they’re already planning on how they’re going to terrorize the school. They’re identical too, but I have no problems telling them apart.”

“They sound like fun.” Michael laughed.

“They are, when they’re not being a pain in the ass.” Jeremy said with a slight frown. “Mom and Dad have to work hard, though, to keep us all fed and a roof over our heads. They won’t let me work, though. They say they want me to enjoy life while I can.”

“They’ve got their priorities right.” Michael said with approval for these parents he’d never met. They sounded so different, so caring, from many of the parents that had more money and a lot less sense.

“Yeah, they’re right, but it still sucks because they’d have to work a lot less if I was bringing in some money.” Jeremy continued. “It’s why I don’t have a car, but you know, if I can get a wrestling scholarship they won’t have to spend the money they’ve saved up for me to go to college.”

“Sounds like you’ve got things planned out too.” Michael said with a grin.

“Yeah, well, you have to think about these things, you know?” Jeremy said. “Wow, did you see that?”

“Yes, it was impressive.” Michael agreed, having seen the multiple blasts of lightning that had attracted Jeremy’s attention. He also sensed the boy wanted to change the subject.

“So, you got a girlfriend yet?” Jeremy asked him before the silence could grow oppressive. He hadn’t realized that Michael had taken the opportunity to enter his mind and cast a few wards. Michael had decided that he did want Jeremy to be a friend, and was taking precautions so Jeremy couldn’t be used against him by his Uncle, or any other mage. When he did it, he was careful and didn’t read any of Jeremy’s thoughts. He wanted to get to know the guy the regular way.

“I told you at school, no.” Michael laughed, checking the wards he’d just set. Yes, they would warn him if any mage tried to do something to Jeremy’s mind.

“So, are you gay?” Jeremy asked, and then looked slightly afraid. “I’m sorry, that’s no question to ask.”

“Yes, I am, although I don’t want it spread around.” Michael took a risk, well it wasn’t really a risk. If Jeremy freaked out, he could always fix it if he had to, but he hoped he wouldn’t.

“Wow.” Jeremy said with a surprised expression. “I’ve never known anyone who wasn’t a geek that would just admit it like that. Aren’t you afraid I’m going to tell everyone?”

“I think I know you well enough already to be able to trust you.” Michael said casually, although he felt like he was so tense he was vibrating.

“That’s cool.” Jeremy grinned. “You can trust me, you know.”

“I know.” Michael agreed. “Like I said, a few other people know, but I’m not ready for everyone to know. Besides, I may like guys, but I’ve got this huge family fortune and legacy to think of. I’ll probably end up getting married, having at least one kid and all that.”

“Why?” Jeremy asked with a frown. “I mean, it’s not like fifty years ago where you had to do that. You’ve got money right? Hire some girl to carry your kid for you.”

“I wish it were that simple.” Michael said with a grin and proceeded to try to explain the conservative aspects of being part of old blood in this country. He was just finishing up when there was a knock on the door. “Come in!”

“It’s getting late, Michael.” Stacy said with a friendly smile from the doorway. “Unless your friend is staying the night, he’d better head home.”

“Crap, I missed the bus.” Jeremy said with a start as he looked at the clock on the computer desk.

“I told you, I’m driving you home.” Michael said with a growl and Jeremy nodded. “Thanks, Mom.”

“You’re welcome, son.” Stacy said with a smile and only then did he realize that he’d called her ‘mom’. She didn’t seem to mind, and Michael found he didn’t regret it as she closed the door behind her.

“Look, I’ll get changed into my things and…” Jeremy started to say, but shut up when Michael gave him a glare.

“I don’t tell any schmuck off the streets all the things I told you tonight.” Michael said in a half-growl. “Now, if wearing the clothes of a fag makes you uncomfortable, that’s one thing…”

“No, it’s not that at all.” Jeremy said with a frown. “I don’t take charity.”

“Dude, are you or are you not my friend?” Michael demanded sharply.

“I hope I am.” Jeremy said fearfully.

“Then, wear the clothes.” Michael said firmly. “Let me drive you home, and don’t fucking complain because it’s not charity. Charity would be me giving your family a million fucking dollars.”

“We wouldn’t take it…” Jeremy said flatly.

“I wouldn’t offer it.” Michael growled. “If you wanted it, I don’t know if we’d be friends, but you don’t want charity and I don’t want friends who hang around because of what I can buy for them. Frankly, I’ve never had to deal with it before, but half those girls giving me their numbers at school only have one thing on their damn little minds and it’s dollar signs. Hell, half the guys that try to talk to me have the same thing in mind. You don’t.”

“How can you tell that?” Jeremy asked with real curiosity and Michael barely stopped himself from blurting out the truth.

“It’s their eyes.” Michael growled. “Greed always shows. You, I think you were more worried that I might be good enough to crush your hopes of getting the championship and getting a scholarship, but I only know that after talking with you tonight.”

“You’re right.” Jeremy frowned, and he blushed. “I thought if I worked out with you more, I’d learn your moves and be able to come out on top. Maybe I’m not as good a person as you were thinking.”

“Hell, if that’s what you were thinking, you’re the right type of friend for me.” Michael said with a grin.

“Huh?” Jeremy was confused.

“Let’s talk as I drive you home.” Michael said, and led the way out to his car. It was a pale blue BMW, and he had to put up the top because of the rain, but Jeremy whistled appreciatively over the car.

“I like this better than that motorcycle.” Jeremy said as they got in and Michael used the remote to open the garage door.

“It’s okay.” Michael shrugged. Like the bike, the car could only fit two people, and he realized as many friends as he was collecting he might need a vehicle that could accommodate more people. Well, he could always rent a limo if he occasionally needed something bigger.

“So, what did you mean earlier, about my being the right type of friend?” Jeremy asked.

“Being here is like a holiday for me.” Michael said carefully as he pulled out of the garage and began heading down the hill. He drove slowly, mostly because he wasn’t sure how long it would take to get to Jeremy’s trailer, and he wanted time to talk. “Living life here is idyllic, in a way. My Aunt and her family, most of their friends, they’re good, honest people. Life isn’t full of the plots and maneuvering that I grew up with. The thing is, once I’m a legal adult, and I finish school, that is the world I will have to live in and deal with on a regular basis. Unless I want to turn over the family fortune to my Uncle or someone like him, and that would not be a good thing.”

“I’ll take your word on that.” Jeremy said.

“You, you’re a good guy.” Michael said. “I can tell that. You wouldn’t have told me what you were thinking if you weren’t, but you’re also able to think that way. That is how the people I will have to deal with think all the time.”

“Oh.” Jeremy frowned. “You know, I’ve been thinking about what I want to study in college.”

“Yes?” Michael asked.

“Don’t laugh.” Jeremy said slowly. “Turn right at the base of the hill.”

“Okay.” Michael said.

“Yeah, well, I think I want to go to law school, you know.” Jeremy said.

“Why?” Michael asked.

“Lawyers can make a lot of money.” Jeremy said carefully. “Don’t get me wrong, my parents are good people, but they don’t make a lot of money and I want to have more than they do right now. Maybe, if I make enough money, when they retire I can make sure they have a comfortable life, kind of pay them back for everything they’ve done for me.”

“That’s a good way of thinking of things.” Michael agreed.

“Yeah, well I want to go into corporate law.” Jeremy continued. “From what I’ve been able to learn, they make good money doing that, and well, I kind of like the intrigue of it all. Part of me likes all that kind of stuff. Kind of twisted eh? I know I’m basically a good guy, but I like all that devious shit they pull.”

“I like it.” Michael said with a chuckle. “How about a little deal?”

“What kind of deal?” Jeremy said cautiously as he gave some more directions.

“I’m going to compete against you for the next two years for all I’m worth in wrestling.” Michael said firmly. “I may just blow your chance of getting a scholarship, and just because you’re my friend I won’t hold back.”

“I wouldn’t want it any other way.” Jeremy said with a laugh as the trailer park came into sight. He gave Michael some more directions for once they were inside the park, and Michael waited until he was stopped in front of the trailer before continuing. He wanted to meet Jeremy’s eyes for this, and he couldn’t do that while driving.

“Here’s the deal.” Michael said quietly when their eyes were meeting. He noticed that Jeremy had the nicest hazel eyes, eyes that it would be easy to get lost in. “You’ll help me with wrestling, and I’ll help you out as well. We compete, and we do our best, no matter what. You win, and you get your scholarship, I’ll be right there cheering you on. If you don’t get your scholarship because of me, you’ll be right there cheering me on, because my part of the deal is that no matter what, you’re going to college, and you’re going to law school. I’ll loan you the money if you need it, on one condition.”

“What’s that?” Jeremy’s voice was guarded.

“You’ll work for me.” Michael said firmly, and he let a grin slip onto his face. “I figure after we’ve known each other all those years, we’ll know we can trust each other. You’re probably going to make a good attorney; I hope you do because my family will always need a damn good attorney or two. When you finish law school, you’ll start out working under some senior attorneys, moving up the ranks as they retire or go elsewhere. You won’t leave though. You’ll work for me, and I’ll make sure you’re paid damn well. Before you argue, I’ll be paying you not just for your skills but for your loyalty as well. Believe me, you’ll earn every red penny you ever get, but you’ll make plenty of them.”

“What if I get the scholarship and don’t need your money?” Jeremy asked with narrowed eyes.

“Then I’ll have to offer you even more money to come work for me.” Michael smiled even wider and was pleased Jeremy hadn’t turned down the offer outright. “There’s no way in hell I’m letting someone I can trust go without fighting to keep them.”

“Deal.” Jeremy said, holding out his hand. They shook, and smiled at each other before Jeremy got out of the car and headed inside the trailer. Michael could just make out three identical faces staring out a window at the car, and smiled to himself. From what he could see, they were cute boys, and would probably be heartbreakers in a few years. As he pulled out of the trailer park, he was whistling again, feeling good inside.

Life couldn’t be better.