Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
18 Weeks of Twoey - 77. Week Eleven Sunday, November 16, 2014: Reaction
Gossip is what no one claims to like, but everybody enjoys
- Joseph Conrad
***
Tommy
I cannot fucking believe my brother got abducted and beaten up! Why would anyone want to do that to him? What the hell was he doing way over on Teasdale Street and on his old bike? I know it was the kid who looks like my brother, but it’s my brother’s body! And now he looks like shit! He’s got casts on and all these machines around him. There’s even a tube coming out of his dick that has some sort of gauge on it. What the hell are they monitoring, how often he pees? Jesus! I can tell he’s in a lot of pain too.
Yesterday, they only let me in a couple of times and then just to stay for a minute. I told him I was standing guard to protect him. I doubt he heard me though.
When Dad and I got home last night, mother was gone. Liz said she wasn’t here when she came home at 5. The weird thing is Gary’s mom saw her leave in the afternoon and figured she was on her way to the hospital. Where the hell did she go? Who drove her? Last night I figured she was probably praying for David with those fucking Church Wives. They’re always looking for a way to fuck with my brother. But she never came home.
Dad called Aunt Sarah last night. I can only vaguely remember Aunt Sarah, but I remember she was nice. Anyway, she’s here now. She drove in this morning, and she made us breakfast. I was surprised to see Greg come over for breakfast too. That didn’t make any sense until a bit later.
Most of the morning Dad and Aunt Sarah did a lot of quiet talking. They didn’t make us go to church either.
All morning there were these incoming phone calls too, which was a bit weird. Usually the only phone calls on Sunday are outgoing, from my mother to all her gossip pals as she prepares dinner. I couldn't figure these new ones out. Dad took them all. The only thing I could tell from overhearing is they seem to be from lawyers. Lawyers?
Anyway, I convinced Dad to take me to the hospital with him today.
Let me tell you, it wasn’t easy.
First, he tried to get me to go somewhere with Greg and Liz. It’s when I realized why Greg was here. It was all part of a plot. My father is shitting unbelievable sometimes!
No fucking way was I not gonna be by my brother! I started to raise holy hell, until Aunt Sarah told my father I should go to the hospital.
I knew I liked her.
Twoey
It was nice having Mike and Alan stay over last night. It calmed me down and gave me strength. Mike has been really supportive. This thing has been like a crusade with him from the minute he found out. It was the day I broke down over the phone. I think he rather admires David, and I can detect his concern. Alan has been great too. I think I gave up on him too fast last spring when Mike was being cold. I assumed he and Mike were together in avoiding me, but he told me he thought I was avoiding him for some reason.
I remember feeling so alone, suddenly being without Mike. Now I wonder if maybe I pushed away all my other friends thinking Mike told them all about me being gay. God, I was really fucked up.
Mom made us a nice breakfast and we consulted the bus schedule. Mike and Alan checked with their parents and they got permission to stay until after supper. I think Mike is worried about me too. I know this is hitting me hard, but I’m strong now. I can handle anything. Well, almost anything. If my angel had died, I don’t think I could have handled it. I don’t know what I would have done.
I was debating whether or not to text Tommy. I know the kid doesn’t like me for some reason, but we’re both worried about his brother. I got sidetracked when things changed.
Gary called me around noon. He said the gossip wires made newspapers unnecessary in Daleville. Would you believe they actually arrested the guys who did that to David already! Gary said it had to be some kind of record for the Daleville Police Department.
Then things drifted into the unbelievable zone. The guy they arrested was a teacher in our school! In fact he was David's social teacher until he and David had a big fight ending up with David being transferred to another class!
When I explained it to him, Alan said, “WOW tough school! Argue with a teacher and he beats you up!”
But we certainly knew there was more to it. They arrested the Burch guy and a couple high school kids on the spot, when they rescued David. Gary said the police broke into a building owned by a religious group. I bet it belonged to that pastor David was going to blackmail. So right away I could see this was all connected. They were going to eliminate David. Gary didn’t say, so I don’t know if his pastor is in jail, but if he's not, David is still not safe!
I figured after Mike and Alan left, or maybe tomorrow, I’d call Sam. He has so many contacts, he might know something about the pastor. Then I decided to wait until tomorrow. It’ll give everything a chance to settle down a little. Maybe Sam will know more then too.
Sam
A little before noon, Gary called me with the news of Burch's arrest, which surprised even me. Not the quick arrest, but the fact it was Burch. I knew three were arrested where they found David. I figured they were church people.
“Sam, I know you have a lot of contacts. Do any of your sources know what happened?”
“A neighbor over on Teasdale Street witnessed the abduction, called the police and gave the van’s description. The cops quickly found it belonged to some religious youth group. When they arrived at the group’s little building, they spotted the van parked at the side. They broke in to find three people with bats and David on the floor, being badly beaten. I think they arrived just in time.”
“But how did they go from its description to knowing who owned the van?”
“I don't know Gary.” (Little white lie.)
With the arrests, I wasn’t sure what to do with the picture in David’s manila envelope. I could anonymously send it to that pastor and threaten to release it. But what would I ask for in return? I could give it to David’s father and let him sort out what to do with his wife and the pastor. At the least, it would free David from the church. Or I could wait for David to heal a little and ask him what to do.
Frankly, with the church’s involvement in the youth group, things might be getting a little uncomfortable for that pastor already. It might be better to wait a couple days to see what’s happening.
Later in the day, I contacted my friend again. He told me Burch and the two boys were taken away to the county seat by the sheriff. I guess the local cops are pretty relieved to get this out of their hands. The lockup here isn’t much. They only use it for drunks and such. There’s no real judge in town anyway.
I asked him about the church connection. He said it was a current investigation and he couldn’t comment. So at least they are investigating the creepy little church.
Matty
There was no Chuck sleepover last night. When he heard David was hurt, he said he didn't want to be able to feel good. Then today I heard they arrested Burch, of all people. I texted Chuck right away to help lift his mood. I guess we'll have to wait for next weekend to advance to the next step in the sexucation of Chuck.
Yesterday I made a quick change of plans and Martin stayed with me. Maybe it’s time for Matty to settle down. Mark’s gonna be into girls pretty soon, probably Curt too. Cory is really gay like me but seems to be spending more time with that Randy Foels kid. It wouldn’t surprised me if they become a couple pretty soon. In a few short months, Matty could be all alone!
If Martin would only stop pretending he has a straight side, I could easily confine my attentions to him alone. We get along well together and Martin satisfies me in every way. I think he’s the only guy who’s won my 10 rating so consistently. Yep, Martin-Matty would be a powerful team. I’ll have to check the drug store for extra strength condoms though. God, I’m still tingling today!
Gary
I called Tommy before I went to bed, asking for a report on David. He told me he regained consciousness early today and talked to the police. Then he was out again. I guess he drifts in and out of sleep cuz of the pain killers. He’s still in ICU, but most of his injuries are broken and cracked bones and a mild concussion.
According to Tommy, the reason he’s still in there is because they’re worried about internal organ injury. He told me those assholes hit David with fucking baseball bats! I better never be alone near those guys, cuz I’ll kill them.
He explained if there’s no internal injuries, the doctors expected him to be in a regular room in a couple days. I can’t wait to be able to visit my best friend. I hope the David-look has returned to his eyes. I pray whatever was causing his weird behavior is over now. I have this scary feeling it’s all related to that fucking church, and not his mother at all, like I thought.
Then Tommy said David won't have to worry about money to go to college because the lawyers were lining up to sue Burch's ass! He also said his mother sort of disappeared and his Aunt is living with him! I wonder if his father discovered she was having the affair David told me about, and threw her out.
Alex
OMG I’m going crazy! I’m wandering around the house crying. Even Megan came over to calm me down. I can’t find out how badly he’s hurt, or even how it happened. I mean the gossip wire is full of weird shit. One was his church people beat him up. Another was the report of a drug deal gone bad and some gang trying to silence him. In Daleville? You can’t believe any of that crap.
The thing is, nobody knows for sure why it happened. The only certain thing is David was hurt bad and is in the hospital. I don’t even know any of his friends. I have no one to call and find out anything. So I’m taking it out on my carpet by pacing and crying. Even Randy came over, but he doesn’t know any more than the rest of us.
He left to visit his friend Cory hoping to get something out of him.
What could he possibly squeeze out of Cory?
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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