Life's Struggles - 10. Truth Comes Around

Brody was heading to see Principal Waters in his office because he needed a note for his history teacher after forgetting his project at home. He was so angry with himself after working so hard on it, he’d made a diorama of the battle of Gettysburg. So angry in fact that he’d missed the two police cars and one undercover car at the entrance of the administration office. Although due to the declining neighborhood where the school was situated it wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility that the police weren’t at the school at least once a week.

The door to the office was opening so Brody stepped out of the way to wait until it was clear but unfortunately heard the tail end of the conversation. The sound of his guardian and principal’s pained voice had him in full eavesdropping mode.

“Thank you, detective. You have the full support of the school and its staff. When will you be arresting the offenders?”

“Ooh, somebody’s in trouble,” Brody whispered to himself with amusement.

“No, thank you Mr. Waters. We’ll be here tomorrow morning once we obtain the proper warrants, their parents will be notified once they’ve been arrested.” The detective said.

Wow, Brody wondered what the hell had happened.

“Also, it might be a good idea to keep Levi Waters and Brody Grecco away from the school tomorrow until the offenders have been apprehended. No need for them to suffer through any further trauma be it physical or mental.”

“We can’t thank you enough, detective, and you officers.”

“We’re just sorry the boys had to go through this at all. If Jason Kepple, Mark Garner, or Thomas Skrodski do not appear in homeroom tomorrow please give us a call. We’ll pick them up at their houses. Mr. Cranson will be arrested tonight as you requested, to not arouse the attention of the juvenile.”

What the hell? Brody moved swiftly and angrily as fast as his legs would take him. The bell rang out indicating lunch. Lunch. Lunch with Levi, he had to get to Levi at the cafeteria. He was going to kill those fucktards for hurting his Levi and he was gonna make sure they didn’t go anywhere near his boyfriend.

“I will kill them,” Brody muttered barging his way through a line of mean girls.

“Hey, watch it. Fag!” The queen bee yelled.

Brody doubled back getting in her face.

“If I didn’t have more important people to see I might consider wasting a snarky remark to such a rich uptight condescending bitch. However, screw you and your pack of breeders.” Brody flipped the group the one-fingered-salute and rushed off.

Fleeing the mean girls he made a beeline for the cafeteria, Cody catching up with him.

“Hey, Brody where’s the fire, dude? You look like you’re about to murder somebody. What’s going on?”

“Grrr, I know who hurt Levi,” Brody said menacingly, “I’m gonna fucking kill them, Cody.” He looked at his friend or brother or friend. He didn’t know didn’t care about the title. The kid was a brother to him and that’s all that mattered.

Cody grabbed him by the arm pulling angry panting Brody to a stop.

“What are you going to do, Brody? Let’s find dad or pop, Brent even. How did you find out? Who was it? Why did they do it?” Cody asked in rapid-fire watching his friends face.

“I don’t know why, Cody, and I don’t give a shit they’re going down.” He angrily pulled his arm out of Cody’s clutches and stormed into the cafeteria. Cody worried about his brothers as he ran off to find one of their dads or Brent and Derek.

“The detective said Coach Cranson put Jason Kepple up to it if he wanted to get team captain–“ Kyle was explaining to Brent and Teddy who was in his office when Cody burst through his Dad’s office door.

“Dad. Dad. You gotta… Brody is gonna kick the shit outta those assholes,” Cody rambled, “He’s storming through the cafeteria right now.”

Kyle looked up in surprise, “What’s happening Cody?” He had no idea what his son was talking about. “Who’s doing what?”

“I’m not sure he says he knows about who hurt Levi,” Cody said taking a deep breath, “he’s going to kill them dad, you have to stop him. He’s going to end up in jail, dad. Hurry!” Cody fled the room to get back to the cafeteria.

Brent tore off out of the office hot on Cody’s trail as Kyle dialed the detective’s number which was listed on his business card. As Cody and he entered the cafeteria a crowd had formed over by the vending machines. Brent moved through the crowd dispersing the rowdy teenagers. Once he reached the inner circle of kids, he spotted Brody who had a teenager – who had a good six inches of height on himself – suspended by his letterman jacket in the air cursing at the teen. “Brody put Jason down!” Brent shouted which only got a grunt from the teen. “Brody, stop it you’re bleeding kid!” He shouted yet again, this time Brody did break his hold, and Brody slumped against the vending machine.

Teddy grabbed the Kepple kid by the collar placing handcuffs on him, while watching the bloody knife which now laid on the floor. “Brody, stay awake son,” Teddy stated calmly, his years in the military have given him an almost icy calmness when faced in stressful situations. Movement caught Teddy in his peripheral vision, “Hey don’t touch that!” he yelled at a kid who went to grab the knife. The kid freaked turning to leave, Teddy pushed Jason to the floor. “Don’t move,” he growled as he saw Blu coming through the crowd pushing kids out of the way. “Blu, grab that kid.”

Brent had placed pressure on Brody’s wounded arm with one hand as he called over his portable radio stating he needed an ambulance along with police in the cafeteria.

“ETA three minutes,” Derek’s voice came back over the radio. “Principal en route.”

“Copy,” Brent answered with authority. “Brody, stay with me buddy. Where’s Levi?” he asked concerned as the kid was nowhere to be seen.

“Don’t know. He’s…” Brody said dazedly.

“Shit, come on kid. Where is Levi? Stay awake, Brody.” Brent stated glancing down at the pool of blood that had formed on the floor. “Goddammit!” Brent growled takin off his sweater to help stop the bleeding.

“Blu! Where are you?” No answer. “Blu?”

“Yep, yep, I’m here. Shit, Brody, baby boy,” he said dropping to his knees next to the boy. “What the hell?”

“Hold this tight, okay. Don’t let up, the paramedics are almost here. Levi’s missing, just stay here and keep Brody awake.” Brent stood watching Blu for a few moments, he could see the anguish and heartbreak already written all over the man’s face. Brent gave him his dues though he was mildly calm on the exterior keeping it together.

“Go find Levi, Brent. We’re fine, we’re going to be fine,” Blu said almost breathlessly concentrating wholly on one of the kids he loved most in the world. Why do people keep hurting his family? He didn’t understand it.

“Go,” Teddy told Brent.

Brent stalked down the hall looking and listening for any signs of the teenager. Spartan’s muffled growl echoed from within the restroom nearest the cafeteria. As he entered the bathroom, Spartan had a kid by the crotch backed tight up against the toilet stall door. “I told you to quit pushing me,” Levi stated with a bloody lip to Thomas Skrodski who was a bulky kid who wore a leather jacket and had a huge chain dangling from his pocket which was attached to his wallet. The kids grunted responses to Levi, due to the fact if he talked the kid's voice seemed to invoke a primal instinct from Spartan to protect Levi.

“Get your fucking dog off me, asshole. Your dead Waters, ya hear me?” Thomas said angrily through gritted teeth, as Spartan growled thrashing his head about while holding onto the kid’s crotch.

“Ha, yeah right. You don’t look real threatening right now. It’s hard to take you seriously,” Levi’s eyes darted down to where Spartan held Thomas, he chuckled. “Oh my god, did you just piss yourself?”

“Tell the dog to fuck off!” the guy yelled at Levi.

Brent had a hard time maintaining his composure from the door, “Levi, are you okay?” He asked as he smirked at Thomas’s situation.

Levi wiped his lip with the back of his hand, “I’ll be fine. I suppose you want Spartan to let him go now?” Spartan now had the boy covered in a slimy coat of drool from his crotch down his right inner thigh.

“Yeah, buddy. You have to.” Brent smirked.

“Spartan, lay,” Levi commanded, his dog let go of the kids soiled crotch laying directly in front of the defiant teenager.

“Don’t move a muscle,” he pointed threateningly to the kid then spoke into his radio, “Simba, cafeteria bathroom with Huey, need EMT, not urgent.”

“Copy that, EMT en route, Mufasa has Louie in sight he was finding Dewey,” Derek stated, “Scar out.”

Levi looked at their close family friend and scratched his head at the weird Disney names flying about. “Okay, I’m assuming I’m Huey? But who in the world is everybody else?”

Smirking Brent got back on the radio, “Confirm Louie and Dewey safe and unharmed, any word on Thumper?”

Teddy’s voice rumbled over the radio, “Do we really need ‘Lion King’ nicknames? And Thumper is safely tucked away in art class.”

“Just be glad Blu is Pumbaa and not you, Mufasa,” Brent snickered while he imagined the grumbling coming from the boss man.

“I thought Blu is Scrooge McDuck?” Derek asked.

“He is, just giving the old lion hell,” Brent replied.

“Medics are taking Prince Charming to hospital, Donald Duck is waiting at the tank for Huey,” Mufasa called over the radio.

“Copy, we need EMT and officer in cafeteria bathroom asap.” Brent quickly glanced at Levi clearing his throat. “Levi, um… you’re supposed to meet your dad at the Escalade, I can’t leave this kid or waste time to get into specifics at the moment.”

*****

The car ride to the hospital hectic and hurried, Levi was frantic as the car came to a halt in the hospital parking lot. As soon as the motor stopped the father and son along with Spartan rushed inside the Emergency Room entrance.

“Brody Grecco was brought in by ambulance. I’m Kyle Waters, Detective Melbourne said to come here,” Kyle rattled off while Levi scratched Spartan’s ear.

The receptionist typed some information into the computer, “Hmm.” Typing yet some more she looked up, “Oh, yes. He’s in the trauma bay, somebody will be out to get you shortly.” She smiled and politely helped the next person in the waiting room.

“What am I gonna do if I lose him Dad?” Levi asked worriedly. Spartan nuzzled his master’s hand, “Brody got hurt because of me.”

Kyle texted Blu quickly to let them know where they were at the moment and the little information they had obtained at this point. “Levi, Brody didn’t get hurt because of you and you’re not losing him. Just calm down, I’m sure he’ll be okay.

A doctor came out a short time later and explained that Brody had gotten some stitches and received an IV to replace some of the fluids he lost but they could come back to see him. The doctor directed them to Brody’s curtained off area.

Once Levi had seen Brody was awake with his arm bandaged up in a sling, he made his way over to his boyfriend, “Hi, Babe.” He said to the boy he loved.

Brody offered a goofy smile, evidentally the pain medications were really good. “Hi, Baby.”

Levi smacked Brody’s good arm, “Don’t you ever scare me again. What the hell Brody? I can’t live without you. What were you thinking? Oh, that’s right you weren’t thinking.” Levi grumbled, cursed, ranted, and raved from all of his insecurities of late. The second the adrenalin wore off the boy dropped onto the bed next to the love of his life sobbing.

Brody stroked his boyfriend's hair gently with a grin on his face. Levi’s red and puffy gaze met his loves and hiccupped. “Why are you grinning?”

“So pretty,” he now smiled at Levi sweeping the hair out of his eyes, “you need a haircut.” Brody sighed. “Pretty eyes.” He bent down gently pecking a kiss to Levi’s nose. “Pretty nose,” kissed his lips, “very f–“

“Okay,” Levi sat up quickly giving his dad a sheepish look. “Obviously you’re enjoying the medication,” he said with a sad smile.

*****

Almost a week had passed since the incident at the school, finally, the weekend had arrived. “Oh, I overheard one of the chicks which hung around with those four goons. Supposedly, Thomas can’t have kids from Spartan playing ball with his crotch,” Cody said with a shrug at the dinner table stuffing a French fry in his mouth.

“Bro, I’m just glad they all got locked up and Brody is okay,” Levi stated and the rest of the family nodded in agreement.

“I just can’t believe that the coach instigated all of it,” Blu said while moving food around his plate losing his appetite. “I hope they throw the book at him.”

Kyle nodded placing his burger down, “Mmm, good burger, Babe. Sage did you speak to your brother for me?”

Sage smiled brushing his wild hair out of his eyes, “Val, said the contract he had with the school district he is at was only temporary. He’s looking forward to coming in for an interview with you.”

*****

Time had come for Blu’s birthday, Lincoln and Sage took charge of coordinating with the other kids the surprise birthday party. Kyle’s responsibility had been herding Blu off and keeping him out shopping.

“Kaleb, I hear you new nickname from the security guys is Rafiki,” Sage chuckled thinking back to the day he learned of everybody’s nicknames.

“No, way. I’m clearly Simba!” he said indignantly.

“No you’re not,” the entire room chorused.

Sage laughed at Kaleb who smirked, “Shut up Zazu, at least I’m not some damn talking bird.”

Brent entered the room hearing the end of the bantering. “Hey, Dopey, Sleepy, shut the hell up. Anyone seen Grumpy?”

Lincoln smiled, “I made Pop go shopping with Dad, turn about is fair play n’ all that shit. He shouldn’t have forced the DMV on me.”

Kaleb and Sage both gasped then talking over the top of each other arguing which one was Dopey.

“Sleepy?” Sage shrugged his shoulders, “I can live with that, and Kaleb is a bit Dopey.”

“Hey!” Kaleb exclaimed, “If I’m dopey how do you explain your love of that one?” he pointed to Lincoln.

“Oh my god. It’s like a freakin’ kindergarten in here.” Brent threw his hands in the air. “Seriously guys, where’s Blu?”

The group all turned facing Brent, “Shopping!”

Sage smirked, “Lincoln got him to return one crib and twenty cases of toddler diapers that weren’t needed at the moment.”

“Well, instead of sitting around here bitching about ya nail polish how ‘bout we get things set up before people start arriving. Yeah?” Brent left the room grumbling. “Dumbasses. Fucking circus.”

“Wow. That time of the month?” Sage joked to Brent, “I could set you up with Val.”

Brent walked into the room backward-looking over his shoulder at Sage, “I don’t do the woman.”

Sage belly laughed, “I’m pretty sure if you call my brother a woman he might beat the shit out of you. He’s a little taller than me and really bulked up from the gym from training for sports.”

“Really?” Brent asked intrigued, not that he was a lover of setups but a nice go around with a pretty buff boy might do the trick. “Do you have a photo of said tall bulked up sports boy?”

Sage gave Brent a strange look, “I don’t carry a picture of my brother around, that’s just weird. If ya want to see what he looks like go on Facebook and search Valerian West.”

Brent’s entire demeanor changed, his jaw ticked and his eyes went hard like steel. “Your brother is Valerian West?” his tone harsh and angry.

“Ya. Why?” Sage chucked some of the cold cuts on the platter fanning them out.

“No thanks,” Brent stalked angrily out of the kitchen while everyone else swapped glances at the complete turn around from the security guy. They knew he could be stern when needed, but never had they ever seen any kind of temper or fury from the guy.

Cody talked their littlest brother into messing with Brent. Jonathan found the man outside hanging the few exterior birthday banners.

“Brent and Val k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love. Second, comes marriage. Uh, then comes the babysitting in the carriage,” Jonathan ran out of words to sing so he smiled at the man.

*****

As Kyle and Blu returned from their shopping trip the pair spotted birthday balloons attached to the mailbox and a homemade banner that read ‘Happy Birthday Pop’ hanging over the covered porch.

“Aw, that’s so cute!” Kyle said with his hand over his heart. Blu, however, glared at his husband then around at all the cars parked in the surrounding area of their house.

“Fuck, really?” he admonished Kyle.

“What? The kids wanted to do something special for you,” Kyle took Blu’s hand smiling at him, “I think it’s a sweet gesture.”

Looking at the ground, Blu toed at the grass feeling like an ass. “I guess,” he sighed. He put on a happy face and followed his husband pulling to the house.

Jonathan opened the front door smiling, “Poppy you see the banner we made? It has each of hands on it.”

“I did, thank you, baby boy.” Blu crouched down hugging Jonathan tightly. “Thank you, it’s wonderful,” he whispered into the boy's ear. “It’s very special.”

“Mhmm,” the boy nodded, “An’ Brent was kissin’ Sage’s brother, an’ they’re getting’ married. Oh, and Brent says Uncle Kaleb is Dopey.”

“Uncle Kaleb is Dopey!” Blu said a little confused.

“I gotta go,” Brent's deep voice said as he fled the house alone.

As Blu watched Brent flee the house like it was on fire, the fleabag of Bella’s started clawing at his leg.

“Fucking Ninja cat!” Blu griped swatting at the miserable animal. “Cody,” he yelled, “come and get your sister's cat before it becomes tomorrow's entrée.”

Cody saunters up eyeing Scarlett, “I don’t think she’ll make much Chinese, so I guess we are ordering out tomorrow.” He said while picking the cat up.

“The next person going to California is taking that freakin’ thing with them. Let Bella look after the hellcat.”

“Poppy she’s just lonely,” Jonathan said. “She needs another kitty to play with.”

“Aww, so naïve my beautiful boy. That fur-casted skeleton is the bride of Satan sent here to torture me,” Blu said sweetly while thinking of forty-seven different ways to feed the thing to Khan or Spartan. Nobody has to know.

“Why are you smiling like that?” Jonathan asked his pop.

“Huh? Oh, just happy with the party, little man. You guys did a great job. Now, how ‘bout you and me go and greet some of the guests. I see Captain Reardon and his wife. You haven’t met them yet. You’ll love them,” Blu told his son grabbing his hand as they made their way through the Birthday wishing crowd.

As Blu and Jonathan entered the backyard the birthday cake candles were lit, there had to have been seventy or more of the things on it. When lit the older kids chuckled and thought of what a fire hazard their Pop’s cake was. And then the crowd broke out singing “Happy Birthday.”

Jonathan finished singing, “You smell like a monkey, and look like one too.”

“Brat,” Blu mumbled with a smile, “help me blow these out will ya?”

Jonathan nodded, “I’ll help since you’re gonna be a GrandPop you need help.” He sucked in a deep breath and puffed the air out at the candles. Everyone applauded and congratulated the pair once the fire was out. “Happy Birthday, poppy.” Jonathan hugged his pop around the waist tightly.

“Thank you.” Blu returning the hug just as enthusiastically.

Kaleb shouted out to the crowd, “I know Blu is almost elderly now,” he chuckled at himself. “For those that have to watch their sugar intake like the ‘old fella’ I made a sugar free cake. That just leaves more of the white-chocolate raspberry-filled one for us.”

Kasey wandered up pulling a twenty from his pocket holding it out to Blu, “You going into a nursing home soon? You need an allowance for the hard candies to suck on.”

“You little,” Blu started stomping his foot as if to run after the kid, Kasey hoofed it as quickly as possible waving the twenty around.

“You can have it; if you can catch me, old man,” Kasey teased slowing to let Blu catch up then fleeing out of arm's length again. The guests watched as Blu ran around the yard looking like he was herding chickens while Kasey evaded his grasp every time.

“Give up!” Kyle yelled while belly laughing, “You’re never gonna catch him baby, just come and have a beer, and later I’ll make ya feel better.”

“Dad! Dad! Pop!” Lincoln shot up out of Sage’s embrace, his voice panicked. He looked around, turned around, put his phone on the chair, turned again, grabbed his phone back. “Dad!”

Kyle flew to his son who looked like he was just turning in circles swatting at an insect.

“What’s wrong?”

“The… it’s… he’s… coming… now… right now…” Lincoln’s flustered appearance also mirrored by Sage who was also at a loss of words.

“Who is coming?” Kyle asked a little confused, it seemed everyone had arrived at the party just fine.

Sage grabbed Link’s cell thrusting it into Kyle’s hands, then embracing his boyfriend.

“Blu!” Kyle yelled excitedly. “Put the cat in a carrier, we’re off to California.”