Thicker Than Water - 26. Chapter 26

The boys couldn't contain their excitement for the rest of the day. Diego was also happy, but grew tired of the boys constantly recalling how Billy had spoken to the school board. Mrs. Mitchell was also pleased that Kenny wasn't expelled, but she wouldn't let go of the thought that her troubles with CPS weren't over.

Diego dropped Kenny and his mom off at their apartment and took Bryan out for lunch. They hadn't had a lot of father-son time in months and Diego missed having time with his kids. They went to a taco truck that they were fond of and got a couple of plates to go. Diego then drove them to the mall. He found a secluded spot far from the entrances.

“Why are we here?” Bryan asked, opening his to-go container.

“Just thought we could eat in silence then grab a few things for tonight.” Diego wasn't sure how to broach the subject or that Bryan was even the right person to be discussing things with. However, he asked, “What do you think of Billy Wimbish?”

It took Bryan a second to realize who his father was talking about. “Our lawyer? Um, he's been pretty cool so far. I mean, he handled Calvin and his girlfriend, and then today, kept Kenny from getting expelled.”

“True. He did do all that, but what do you think of his personality? Doesn't he come off as rude and abrasive to you?”

“I guess, but he hasn't been wrong yet, has he? Dan's mom and the superintendent were being bitches, and who knows what Calvin and what's-her-name would've done had Billy not shown up when he did. Are you regretting having him as our lawyer?”

“I'm not sure, Chico. There's something not quite right about him, and I can't put my finger on it. I can't deny that he's effective, but he seems reckless and doesn't care how he offends people. It probably doesn't matter how he talks to the security guards, the police or a school board, but it will matter to a judge, especially any judge that could take you and Caleb from me. I just hope having Billy as our lawyer isn't going to be a mistake that costs us more than money.”

Bryan unbuckled his seat belt, slid over and hugged his dad. Diego smiled and hugged Bryan back. “I love you, Dad. Nobody is going to take me and Caleb from you. I won't let it happen.”

“I love you, too, Chico. Losing you and your brother is one of my biggest fears.”

Bryan let go but stayed seated next to Diego. “Again, I won't let it happen. I'll be the worst child on earth, and Calvin will beg for you to take me and Caleb back.”

Diego laughed and asked, “Really? How do you figure that would happen?”

“I'll just have a fit like Abuela did when Uncle Ramon wrecked her car.”

“Ha! I think Amanda might have something to say when you start smashing her plates against the wall.”

“I could just drop them on the floor and refuse to clean anything up. I could also flood the bathroom the way Uncle Luis taught us.”

“You should never do anything Uncle Luis has taught you, but I get your point. You'd be worse than that kid in Home Alone.”

“Who?” Bryan asked, looking confused.

“Boy, stop making me feel old.”

“Too late,” Bryan said with a smile, before taking a bite of his street taco.

*  *  *

Caleb was upset that he didn't get to see Billy in action. Instead, they watched a really old movie called the Wizard of Oz.

“I love that movie,” Steve said. “So many happy memories from when I was a little kid.”

“It was alright,” Caleb pouted. “The CGI was pretty bad, though.”

Steve opened his mouth, but Diego stuck a bread stick in it. “Just let it go,” he said, before kissing Steve.

Mrs. Mitchell had to work again, so Steve picked up Kenny on his way to get Caleb.

“Yes, Billy was pretty cool,” Kenny added. “He came by my place before Mom went to work. Apparently, the school board is going to investigate the Superintendent. Billy said that he found other cases like mine and thinks we can sue the school for damages.”

“I think you should sue the Superintendent instead of the school district,” Diego countered. “Schools are already underfunded as it is.” He didn't want to make Billy out to be a bad guy, especially in front of Steve.

“Who's excited about the party tonight?” Steve asked, hoping to change the subject from Billy. “Trevor told me that there's a haunted maze in the gym, an undead band and plenty of junk food.”

Caleb and Kenny got even more excited, Diego was glad for the change in topic, and Bryan still wasn't thrilled with the idea of the party. While at the mall, Diego tried his best to get his son to loosen up; however, Bryan wasn't having any of it. Diego eventually gave up and decided to let things fall as they may, so long as Bryan didn't ruin anyone else's time.

*  *  *

The party started at 7pm and was to go till 10:30pm. The high school was about two and a half miles from Diego's, and Steve was the only one who had actually been to the school, having interviewed there for his upcoming job. There were several parking lots around the campus and were thankful that signs told them where to go.

The campus and building were rather small compared to the other high schools in Washington. It also had the smallest student population, which was one of the reasons Diego moved to the neighborhood. He had attended Garfield High on the other side of town and hated it. Garfield was the largest school in the district. It was also filthy, rundown and crowded. Luis had had several issues there, which lead to several stints in rehab and at least one brief sentence in juvie. Washington High, by comparison, was a paradise, though it wasn't without its issues, as well.

Steve found a spot in the staff parking lot close to a side door near the gym. An adult and two students were at the door collecting fees and handing out tickets and gift bags.

“Welcome to the QSU Halloween Bash,” one of the students said. They had a wide smile, and Diego guessed they were either a succubus or Bride of Dracula. “Here are your goody bags, and feel free to mingle. Loup-Garou will be starting at 8, and the raffle will be at 9:30. Have fun.”

Almost everyone was dressed up, including the adults, which made Diego and Steve stand out due to lack of costume. Caleb was dressed as Spiderman, making him the shortest webslinger at the party. Kenny wanted to coordinate costumes with Bryan, but Bryan said it felt rather cheesy. In reality, he didn't want to give the Barton Twins an excuse to mess with him, especially since Kenny wanted to go as Mario and Luigi. Instead, they went as vampires.

“Hey guys!” Terra called out from some nearby tables with snacks and drinks. She was dressed as the Bride of Frankenstein. Though her stilted movements were very in-character for her costume, Terra wobbled mostly due to the rather high platform shoes she wore. Bryan caught her in time as she lost some of her balance. “Thanks. These shoes will be the death of me. What happened to the Mario Bros.?”

Kenny rolled his eyes and said nothing. Irritated, Bryan said, “I thought they'd be lame at a high school party.” It was then they were passed by two girls, holding hands, dressed as Link and Zelda.

“You were saying?” Terra said smugly.

Bryan looked disgruntled, but not nearly as much as Kenny. Terra could only bring herself to laugh. Bryan looked around and saw several carnival style games and the entrance to the haunted maze. A sign by the games said the money raised was going to support the student union and a potential “Queer Ball” in the spring. Bryan left his boyfriend and Terra to play some of the games.

“Hi,” a girl said, as Bryan approached the apple bobbing station. “Which school do you go to?”

“Um, McKinley.”

“Junior high,” she smiled and nodded. “Nice. What grade?”

“8^th.”

“So, you'll be going to Washington next year, right?”

“Yep.”

“Awesome. Are you LGBTQUIA+ or an ally?”

“I'm pan.” Bryan said, not sure really how else to answer.

“Awesome sauce. I'm Becca, by the way.” She extended her hand.

“Bryan,” he replied, shaking her hand. “How about you?”

“I'm a lesbian, and I'm also the Vice President of the Queer Student Union, so I'm a major threat to the patriarchy at the school.”

“I thought Washington didn't have a lot of issues with queer kids.”

“That's relative. Compared to Florida, we're Nirvana. However, there's still work that needs to be done, including trans rights. So, Bryan, are you here with anyone?”

“Oh, I'm sorry, but I don't date lesbians.”

Becca laughed and said, “A smart ass, I see. I think you'll fit in just fine then.”

“Thanks,” he said, relaxing a little. “My boyfriend is over by the snacks talking to a friend of ours.”

“A boyfriend? I guess I'll just have to stick with girls, then, since all the good guys are gay and taken.”

“It's a shame, isn't it?”

“Nah, I really like girls too much to be disappointed. Nice meeting you, Bryan.”

“You too, Becca.” Maybe this won't be so bad, after all, Bryan thought, as he walked back to Kenny.

*  *  *

“Diego!” Ry called out as he and his husband, Charlie, came upon Diego and Steve. Steve hugged both men, as Diego shook their hands.

Diego had only met Charlie on a handful of occasions. Charlie couldn't have been more physically different than his husband. Ry was tall, athletically slim, with comb-backed black hair with a hint of gray at the temples, and a decent tan for late October. Charlie was short—barely taller than Diego—muscular, with red hair cropped in a high-n-tight style of the Marines, and was rather pale, indicative of gingers. He also had several tattoos on his arms, including the names of their children and the symbol of his military unit with the dates he served.

“Nice to see you, again, Charlie. How's Beth doing?”

Charlie sighed heavily. “Beth is Beth. She's studying medicine at Columbia, and hasn't stopped talking about how great New York is.”

“She's just a little excited,” Ry said, rolling his eyes.

“No. A little excited would be a couple of pics on Snap or Insta. She's been posting at least ten a day and won't stop blowing up my phone to brag about all these little restaurants or shops she's finding.”

“What's wrong with that?” Steve asked, chuckling. “I remember you being like that when you were little.”

“I was six,” Charlie said, annoyed. “She's in her twenties.”

“Ignore him,” Ry said, taking Charlie by the hand. “He's grumpy because he didn't get his nap.”

“You're lucky I love you,” Charlie grumbled.

“You're lucky I let you.” Ry said, kissing him on the cheek.

“Excuse me, Sirs, but there will be no sinning here. We need to protect the children.”

“Jesus Christ, Billy,” Ry said, more annoyed than amused.

Diego almost didn't recognize his lawyer. Billy was dressed in a traditional suit, but under it was clearly a fat suit. Somehow, he had on a wig and prosthetics that made him look like Pat Robertson. “I don't even know what to say,” Diego uttered, his mouth gone dry.

Billy looked down and smiled. “It was either this or Jerry Falwell.”

“Why?” Charlie asked his elder brother.

“What's more frightening to queer kids than an ultra-right wing, anti-gay conservative, who's most likely closeted. I tried convincing Trevor to go as Al Sharpton but he wasn't having it.”

A tall, slim black man came upon the crowd. “I tried talking him out of it, but you know how he is. And, I didn't want to go as Rev. Sharpton because you wanted to make out in costume.”

“That was only an added bonus,” Billy said with a smile. “Trevor, this is Diego Padilla.”

Trevor shook his head and Diego's hand. “Nice to finally meet you. Steve has told us a lot about you.”

“Nice to meet you, too, and I hope it's all good things.”

“Nothing but.” Trevor looked around the gym. His expression turned from one of happiness to concern. To Ry and Charlie, he asked, “Where are the twins?”

Ry looked around, also looking concerned. “They came in with us, I swear.”

“James! Quinton! Get your asses over here!” Charlie shouted. Most of the gym went quiet and heads turned.

In a matter of seconds, a pair of voices said in unison, “We didn't do anything.” Despite being twins, the two boys looked as different as their fathers. James was taller than his brother, had a quarterback's build, with brown hair, with natural red highlights, that was slicked back, like Ry's. He had a confidence about him that instantly drew people in. Quinton, on the other hand, was short and skinny, with longish dark brown hair that hung over his face and ears. He wore glasses and came off as nerdy and shy.

“What were you doing?” Ry asked sternly.

“We were looking at the games.” James said defensively, while maintaining eye contact.

Ry asked Quinton the same stern question. “What he said,” Quinton replied, avoiding his father's gaze.

Without a word, Ry looked back at James, who lost his resolve. He handed over a small bottle of Syrup of Ipecac. Ry cleared his throat. James pulled out a second bottle, followed by a bottle of fart spray, three small tubes of glitter, and a half-used package of firecrackers. Ry handed the contraband to Charlie and said, “You're grounded; both of you.”

“But I didn't do anything,” Quinton whined.

“You lied,” Ry said to his son. “We told you not to pull anything tonight, and look what you did, and don't tell me you were completely innocent in all of this, Quinton. As for you, James, you're grounded for a month at the very least.”

James looked very annoyed at his twin but didn't say anything, as the two walked off.

“Kids, eh?” Steve said.

“Tell me about it,” Charlie said, trying to find places to stash the evidence.

*  *  *

“Oh God,” Bryan said, as he saw the Barton Twins walking his way. Luckily, they were too busy arguing with each other to have noticed him.

“The tall one is kind of cute...for a jock,” Terra said.

“Do you need me to protect you?” Kenny asked Bryan.

“I'm not scared of them, Kenny. I just don't want to deal with their drama.”

Terra said, “Well, it looks like they've found some other people to hang with.” Sure enough, the twin met up with a few other kids from Garfield. “How about we try the haunted maze?”

“Sure,” Bryan said, hoping to get out of sight.

*  *  *

“These grab bags are kinda lame,” Kenny said, opening his. Inside a rainbow bracelet, some rainbow stickers, a Pride flag and a rainbow frosted, chocolate cupcake.

“I'm sensing a theme here,” Bryan said, putting on his own rainbow bracelet.

“What gave you that idea?”

“Call it my gaydar or something.”

“It didn't work when you were hitting on our sister,” a deep voice said from behind Bryan, who jumped and closed his eyes out of frustration. “How's it going, Mr. Sticky?”

Bryan took a deep, settling breath as he turned around. James Barton was smiling back at him. Next to him was another jock, but with short, blonde hair and an uncomfortable look on his face. “Don't call me that,” Bryan said, trying not to sound threatening, knowing it would only invite further harassment.

“Sorry,” James said. “I wasn't trying to offend you, and I'm sorry about the whole glue thing. We were just kids and all, but it wasn't a cool thing to do.”

Bryan was taken aback but thankful for the apology, nonetheless. “Thanks.”

“Gonna introduce us to your boyfriend?” James said, eyeballing Kenny. He chuckled at Kenny's shocked look. “Like your boyfriend, I also have gay dads; however, unlike your boyfriend, my gaydar is pretty on point. I'm James, by the way.”

“Kenny,” he said, as he shook James's hand. “Is that your boyfriend?” Kenny nodded towards the blonde boy.

“Him? No, but he wishes though.” James said with a laugh, and the blonde boy looked annoyed. “I'm just kidding. We're both straight but allies. My uncle supervises the Union, and Robert's sister is the VP.”

“You're sister is Becca?” Bryan asked.

“Yeah,” Robert said. “You know her?”

“We met earlier. She seems pretty cool.”

“I guess. She's pretty popular here.”

“There you are! I was—oops!” Quinton said, as he accidentally fell into Kenny knocking them both to the ground. “Shit! Sorry.”

James and Bryan helped the others get to their feet, while Robert picked up the fallen bags, handing them to their owners. James said, “Kenny, this is my very clumsy twin, Quinton, and no, we're not identical.”

“Nice to meet you,” Quinton said, helping to dust off Kenny. “Sorry again. I must have tripped over something.”

“No problem,” Kenny said, turning a bit red.

“What's up, Quinton?” Bryan said to the other Barton boy.

“Hey. Glad to see your hair grew out.”

“Not cool, Q,” David said, hoping to recover the situation.

“Sorry.”

“It's fine. You didn't know.” Bryan said.

Terra and Caleb came hurrying over to the group of boys. It didn't escape anyone's notice that James was checking out Terra. She seemed uncomfortable with his attention and said, “Your dad said it's time to go.”

Bryan looked at his watch and thought it was weird they were leaving so soon, but he was happy for the excuse to disengage from the twins. “Nice seeing you again,” Bryan said, not really meaning it.

“Yeah, you too,” James said. He introduced himself to Terra, who only responded with, “Cool,” before escorting Caleb away. Unbothered, James asked, “Is your friend seeing anyone?”

Kenny looked at the jock and said, “Don't be that guy.”

“What? Can't a guy ask?”

Kenny sighed, shook his head and walked away, with Bryan close behind.

“'Don't be that guy.' What's that supposed to mean?” James asked his brother and Robert.

“She's clearly not into you, Dude, so let it go,” Robert said. He looked at Quinton and asked, “So, why'd you run all the way over here?”

Quinton replied, “First of all, I didn't run--”

“--Trust me. He can't run,” James interjected.

“And Second,” Quinton said pointedly over his brother, “I snuck out and got that cupcake we brought.” An impish grin spread across his lips.

“Dude!” James said excitedly. “Who are we giving it to?”

“What cupcake?” Robert asked.

James replied, “We got a couple of our grandpa's boner pills, crushed one and put it in the frosting of a cupcake.” Quinton could barely contain his giggling.

“Seriously?” Robert sounded both shocked and impressed.

“Seriously,” Quinton said proudly, puffing out his flat chest. He opened his bag and said, “It's right....” He hastily rummaged through his grab bag finding nothing. “Oh no,” he said in a small voice and turned his gaze towards the exit. “Oh no.”

“Oh yeah!” James said, busting up laughing. Even Robert couldn't stop from laughing.