Divine Punishment - 4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 

 

“Good morning, Vietnam!” Terry yelled, shaking my bed. I squinted and managed to make out the squiggly numbers on my alarm clock. 6 AM.

 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, don’t tell me you’re a morning person. There’s already one of ‘em in the house. And I can at least lock my door to keep her out, while you can just go through it, doing your Casper shit.”

 

“Well, how do you think I managed to obtain my awesome physique?”

 

“Steroids?”

 

“Ha-ha. Stop. You’re killing me.”

 

“That would be a bit redundant, don’t you think?”

 

“Yeah, yeah. You’re a regular Seinfeld. But seriously, I woke up early, ran and did a fairly thorough work-out.”

 

“And yet, by eating greasy food and lazing about, I outlived you. Take that, vegans!” I shook my fist and then pulled the cover back over my head, trying to keep the light out and hoping for at least another hour’s rest.

 

“Oh, no you don’t. Dude, I’m dead. I have nothing better to do. I’m getting you in shape. Besides, I kinda look at it as part of my responsibilities. I’m gonna turn you into a mean, lean, fighting machine.” He said, as he yanked the cover off and pulled me out of bed by the ankle.

 

“Terry, I’m the size of a 6th grader. What exactly do you think you’ll accomplish?”

 

“Well, for one thing, stamina. You were never able to outrun me in school. If nothing else, we’ll make a mean runner out of ya, so you can ditch for cover.”

 

“So, you want to perfect my cowardice?”

 

“For starters, yes. But don’t worry, we’ll get some muscle on ya, then you can maybe stand up for yourself more. It’ll give you self-confidence.”

 

“Well, you asshole, the fact that you tormented me on a daily basis and made me feel like shit is kinda the reason why I lack confidence in the first place.” I spat through gritted teeth.

 

“All in the past, my man. You have to learn to move on, don’t dwell on things you can’t change. Tomorrow’s always gonna be a better day and all that.”

 

“I…I really, REALLY hate you.”

 

“I’ll grow on you.”

 

“Yes, like a fungus, I have no doubt.”

 

“Now, put on your sweats and off we’ll go.” He said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall next to my closet.

 

“We’re both getting WAY too comfortable with me being naked around you.”

 

“Well, I’ve been around naked guys in locker rooms for years, you know? Besides, you have nothing to be ashamed of. And if it’ll make you feel better, I can get naked too…”

 

I froze in my tracks. A multitude of thoughts crossed my mind. First of all, the whole thing was creepy as hell. Yet strangely arousing. Dead or not, I’d have loved to take a gander. As I kept mentioning, the bastard was extremely handsome. But no, that was just what he wanted. It was a trap. No, I shall not show my weakness. I shall stand proud and refuse!

 

“No, no, I think that’d be too weird, what with you no longer being alive and all.”

 

Terry laughed. “Yeah, right. You’d have been more convincing had you not started drooling once I mentioned it.”

 

“I beg your pardon! I did no such thing.” I said, wiping the corner of my mouth on the back of my hand.

 

“Whatever. Your loss. Of all the guys I’ve seen, only one has me beaten in that department.”

 

“Egomaniac to the bitter end and beyond, I see…” I mumbled as I got dressed and headed downstairs, where my mom and sister stood open-mouthed and wide-eyed at my appearance at such an early hour.

 

“Honey, are you feeling alright?” mom asked.

 

“Yeah, sure.”

 

“Your room isn’t infested with giant spiders, on fire or become a giant whirlpool, sucking down the very essence of the universe?”

 

“Not that I know of.”

 

“Then…why on Earth are you up so early?”

 

“I thought I’d start exercising. You know, put in a good run in the morning.”

 

My sister spilled the milk and the box of cereal all over the kitchen floor, she was laughing so hard. If it were anyone else, I might have found her reaction offensive.

 

“Well, that’s…nice, dear.” Mom said, ignoring my sister and barely containing her own laughter. “See you soon, then. Have a good run.” She finished, chuckling. Needless to say, I was fuming when I exited the house, slamming the door as hard as I could on my way out. That’ll show ‘em!

 

“Easy there, tiger.” Terry said. “Just, you know…prove them wrong. No need for hissy fits. Start with some stretching exercises and then we’ll just jog, not outright run. You’re still a long way out from that.”

 

“I’ll show you! All of you! I’m stretched enough…”

 

“So, you put the dildo to good use, then.”

 

“AAAHHH! You’re all such jerks!” and I went off sprinting. 5 minutes later, I was sprawled out on the Mickelsons’ lawn, at the end of the block. “I’m dying. It burns! On the inside! And the outside! God, it hurts so much! Make it end.”

 

“Oh, for the love of… I see we have our work cut out for us, you little sissy.” Terry said. “Get up.”

 

“No, the grass is so soft here. I just wanna take a nap.”

 

Terry waved his hand and the sprinklers came on. That took care of my shower nicely. I hate ghost powers. But it got me moving. When I walked back into my house, both my mother and sister were laughing. I’m still not sure whether they had yet to stop laughing since I left or they just started again when they saw me hobble up the drive, soaking wet and complaining about aches and pains like an old man.

 

I managed to make my way through the rest of the morning and finally to school. Terry kept yapping the whole time, but I just started tuning him out. Maybe I could become quite adept at ignoring him after a while. Then the door to a locker swung open and smacked me in the head.

 

“Oh, no you don’t. You’re not gonna ignore me, got it?” Terry asked. I shook my head and looked around. The hallway was fairly deserted. Figures. The memorial was scheduled for 9 AM. I fully expected grief counselors and the cancellation of classes, so that the student population could deal with the great loss. Gag!

 

“Christ, you have to stop that kind of shit. First the sprinklers, now this. I thought you said you were forced to be nice to me.”

 

“Well, I’m supposed to behave, yes. But these are just friendly pranks, you know?”

 

“Well, no more. Treat me nicely or I’m lodging a formal complaint and you’ll get consumed by hellfire or whatever it is that’s supposed to occur.”

 

“Fine, fine, but I was pissed because I kept repeating myself and you weren’t paying any att…”

 

“Sharon, hey!” I yelled, running towards my friend, leaving Terry behind, no doubt to grumble. He’ll get over it.

 

“Hey, munchkin.” She proceeded to give me a big bear hug. “You okay? No more temporary insanity?”

 

“I’m great.”

 

“Good to hear. Let’s go, so we can find a good seat in the auditorium. I want to be fairly close to Natalie, see the water works.”

 

“Yeah, now that’s what I’m talking about!” Terry said, walking up to me.

 

“Some people can be so insensitive.” I said.

 

“Hey, it’ll be fun.” Terry and Sharon said almost at the same time. I never knew Sharon to be so…mean.

 

“Sharon, I didn’t peg you for one to find amusement in the situation.”

 

“Oh, Xander, you know how I feel about it. What happened to Terry was tragic and I feel bad, but Natalie’s a bitch. She’s the one person I dislike the most. You know my policy on hating people, but she is so infuriating! I definitely could learn to hate her.”

 

“Well, good to know you’re human like the rest of us.” I said, pushing open the auditorium door. The sight before me made me pause. “Well…It doesn’t look like she’s crying…”

 

Natalie was on the stage, being restrained by two of her friends, next to the remains of what looked like Terry’s smiling portrait and masses of flowers. They were all pretty much shredded and Natalie was screaming at the top of her lungs. “The fucker! I told him I was pregnant and he went ahead and got himself killed. Well, I hate him! And I’m gonna sue his father for child support!” she yelled, while being dragged off the stage.

 

“Yes, thank you very much, miss Gianni.” said Mr. Morris, the Principal. “I think we need to…err…I…Coach Willis?”

 

“Everyone, go home. No classes today. Dismissed.” The Coach concluded.

 

“Well, that was certainly interesting. And to think I wanted to skip this.” I said.

 

Sharon was speechless. Surprisingly, so was Terry. Well, he seemed really pissed, truth be told, and I was afraid he’d go apeshit on the place.

 

“Oh, Sharon, I think I should go. I need to…see a grief counselor. Yeah, that. Bye.” I ran out, not waiting for a reply, hoping that Terry would follow. He did, but he was still steaming, so I went into the nearest bathroom, hoping it would be empty. It wasn’t. Lance Mitchell and Henry Willis – yes, the fucking coach’s son – were in there, smoking. In case you haven’t guessed, they were part of Terry’s goon squad. Just fucking perfect. I tried to ran back out, but it was too late. I was caught and the two of them appeared set to inflict some pain on me, apparently in memory of Terry. Because that’s the way to honor one’s memory – a guy who had great grades, was a sporting hero and all that gets honored by continuing his bullying tradition, instead of celebrating his positive achievements. Fucking high-school!

 

“Hey, dipshit. How ‘bout one last go with your head down the toilet? Just like good ol’ Terry used to do to you.”

 

“Umm…no thanks, I think I’ll skip that, thanks.”

 

“It wasn’t really a suggestion.” Henry said, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me towards a cubicle. This was usually the part where I would start crying and begging for mercy, but dammit, I had a ghost on my side now, and that ghost was already pissed. So, next thing I know, water explodes out of two toilets and I’m talking serious, massive columns of water, the kind you usually see in a Roland Emmerich disaster flick. They slammed into Lance and Henry and gave me the opportunity to get the hell out of there as the two lay spread-eagle on the floor. As I was running, I realized I was also laughing. Can you blame me? It was exhilarating as all hell. And fucking cool. I really felt like a superhero right then. Terry made sure to bring me down to earth right away, though.

 

“That fucking bitch!” he said when we stopped in the parking lot. “How could she do that to me?”

 

“Natalie?” I asked, panting. I definitely needed to get in shape.

 

“Of course her.” He answered, slamming his fist down on Henry’s car, denting the hood. You know, one expects the whole immaterial, ‘go right through everything’ crap when it comes to ghosts, but apparently they have no trouble breaking shit when they want to. “Can you believe that crap? How can she ruin my memorial service?”

 

“Yes, the nerve of her…”

 

“I know, right? And that was such a great portrait.”

 

“And those floral arrangements…”

 

“Exactly.”

 

“So…about you being her baby’s daddy and all…”

 

“What? Oh, that. It’s total bullshit. I always used a rubber, man. She tried that shit on the night of my party, dude. Telling me how she’s carrying my baby and we should get married. Did she think I was stupid? I told her that if she doesn’t stop with the baby shit, I’m dumping her ass.”

 

“I guess your death kinda solved that issue anyway.”

 

“Yup. Wait…You don’t think…”

 

“What?”

 

“Dude, with me dead, my dad’s gonna pay her off, baby or not, just to keep her quiet.”

 

“Sad, but what’s the point?”

 

“What if she killed me?”

 

“Oh, don’t make me laugh. She’s like half your size. How exactly did she kill you? Not to mention make it look like an accident. Get over yourself, dude. No one conspired to murder you. You just got drunk and dove into the lake. The end.”

 

Terry remained thoughtful for a minute, but finally conceded the point, bowing his head. “Yeah, you’re right. But it still bugs me that I can’t remember exactly how it happened. And I guess I’m just pissed that Natalie would cause such a scene. Oh, fuck!”

 

“What now?”

 

“Christ, if she did this at school, I can’t even imagine what she’ll do at the funeral home, with my dad…”

 

Turns out, she didn’t do much, since she wasn’t allowed in. I made my way there later that evening and found Natalie struggling with two suit-wearing gorillas. Or they might have been bodyguards. Whatever. A tall, blond-haired and weary-looking man came out and pulled her aside to talk in hushed voices. I didn’t need Terry to tell me who he was. Terrence Williamson II. The old man, the tree from which the apple fell, the block from which the chip came. I didn’t stand around to eavesdrop, since that would be rude. Instead, I went inside and left Terry behind to spy on them. When he rejoined me a few minutes later, he had a somber expression.

 

“What’s wrong?” I asked a bit too loudly and a pudgy older woman in a gaudy dress shot me a displeased look. I pointed to the Bluetooth headset I was wearing and smiled apologetically. While talking on the phone in a funeral home where people are supposed to be grieving isn’t exactly the most polite thing to do, it’s still better than appearing to talk into thin air.

 

“My dad offered her 50 grand to just walk away and keep her mouth shut.”

 

“And she accepted?”

 

“No. She wanted double that. And of course dad gave it to her.”

 

“But why? I mean, if you say she wasn’t pregnant…”

 

“Simple. Avoid any potential scandal. Even with the truth on dad’s side, it doesn’t matter. You still have ‘ Dead millionaire’s son leaves pregnant girlfriend destitute’ all over the papers. My dad loved me. It’s about protecting my memory as much as it is protecting his name.”

 

“Huh.”

 

“Yeah. Come on, let’s go.”

 

“But we just got here. I thought you wanted to say bye and all.”

 

“I’m in a bad mood now, thanks to Natalie. Besides, Jordan’s not here. He’s the one I wanted to see most of all. Maybe tomorrow, at the funeral.”

 

The next day, at the funeral, things were…awkward. As I mentioned, to say that Terry and I didn’t frequent the same circles would be an understatement. So, I just hung back, trying to make myself as small as possible, but still not small enough, judging by the puzzled looks from close family and friends and the hateful stares from Terry’s goon squad. Apparently, only his close friends from school were there. Like, you know, Henry and Lance. So, I stood out like a sore thumb. I wanted to run away, but Terry was adamant about staying until he could see his body be ‘swallowed by the earth from which it came’, as he put it. Not exactly healthy, if you ask me, but no one ever does, so I just shrugged and obeyed.

 

As the priest droned on, Terry moved closer to the grave and left me alone. Soon, a tall black guy walked up next to me. Well, he had dark caramel skin, not really black. He looked about as tall as Terry. Maybe taller, perhaps 6’4”, with a swimmer’s build, from what I could tell underneath the suit he was wearing(yes, I immediately pictured him naked – can you blame me? He was hot!), short cropped dark hair and dark eyes.

 

He leaned in close to me and whispered “I don’t think I’ve seen you before and I know pretty much all of Terry’s friends. No offense, but you just don’t seem the type to fit in with his usual crowd.” He smiled a bit bitterly, but even that small smile was enough to make my stomach do summersaults.

 

“N-n-no. I‘m not really a friend. More like an acquaintance. But I felt obligated to come. I’m Xander. Xander Pryce.”

 

“Jordan Fryers. I’m Terry’s cousin.”

 

“You’re…what? But…you’re black!”

 

“Very observant.”

 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to…I love chocolate. It’s delicious. Or caramel…Crap, I’m such an idiot.”

 

Jordan chuckled. It was still reserved, trying to keep quiet, but it was heartfelt. “Don’t worry. I imagine that’s exactly what my grandfather said when he met my father.” Jordan’s expression became serious again when he mentioned his father. “My mom was uncle Terrence’s sister. And you know how it is, love knows no boundaries. My dad’s black. So, I’m a mutt.”

 

One hell of a cute mutt, I thought, but left it unsaid. One funeral for the day was quite enough. Jordan and I struck a conversation, mostly on the topic of Terry. Before we knew it, the service was over.

 

“Hey, you should come by the house, for the reception.” He said to me as we stood, the rest of the people attending moving towards the cars.

 

“No, I don’t think so. I’ve done what I came here to do.”

 

“Well, maybe I’ll see you in school then.”

 

“School? But I thought you didn’t live here.”

 

“I didn’t. But things changed. I’ll be attending your high-school from now on. So…maybe we’ll run into each other again.”

 

“I’d like that. I mean…sure. See ya.” And then I hurried off, hoping he wouldn’t see me blush.

 

“Smooth.” Terry said, grinning, as he walked up next to me.

 

“Where the hell were you?”

 

“I thought you’d like your privacy.”

 

“Very considerate of you. So, that’s your cousin?”

 

“Yep. I told you he’s hot.”

 

“Quite. But you didn’t tell me he’d be going to school with me.”

 

“I didn’t know. He’s been attending a boarding school. I don’t know what’s up.”

 

“A boarding school? And now he’s moving here? Won’t his parents miss him?”

 

Terry grew quiet for a few seconds, as we kept walking. “It’s a long story and it’s not my place to tell it.” He finally said. “Maybe he’ll tell you all about it one day.”

 

“Yeah, right. As if we’re gonna be friends.”

 

“Jordan’s not like the people I used to run with, dude. You’ll find you have far more in common than you expect.” He said, smirking.

 

“What’s that supposed to mean? Hey, don’t you walk away from me! What do you mean?”

 

“You’ll find out sooner or later…”

 

Turns out it was sooner. The next day, actually, at school. Terry turned out to be quite helpful during my math test. I have an invisible ghost who can walk around the classroom and get me the right answers. Can you guess exactly how he helped me?

Anyway, since, with Terry’s coaxing, I had decided to turn over a new leaf and I was already out to my family, I decided to drop by the Gay-Straight Alliance meeting, taking place at 2 o’clock. I was fashionably late, because I needed a few minutes to work up the courage to actually attend the meeting. Yes, turning over a new leaf and all that, but give me a break. When you’re a coward for all your life, finding courage all of a sudden isn’t an easy thing to do.

 

When I walked in, I saw about a dozen kids sitting in a circle, in the middle of the room, the desks pushed against the walls. There were two girls, the rest were guys and they were in the middle of a debate. And my eyes were immediately drawn to one guy. Even with his back to me, I immediately recognized Jordan. I glanced at Terry and he just winked at me, while I tried to keep from hyperventilating. Then I realized everyone in the room was staring at me, including Jordan, who had turned around.

 

“Umm, hey. I’m Xander.” I said.

 

“I knew it! I knew you were gay!” one guy I recognized from my English class said. Perfect.

 

“Well, hooray for your gaydar, Jackson. Now leave the poor guy alone.” A slightly effeminate kid said, gesturing for me to grab a chair and join them. “I’m Justin Hollander. I’m the President of the GSA.” He then started making introductions but, honestly, I wasn’t paying attention. I was staring at Jordan, who must’ve become uncomfortable under my scrutiny, because he scratched his head and tried to look away.

 

“Anyway, where were we?” Justin asked, as soon as the introductions were over.

 

“Monogamy.” A cute red-haired guy answered. “And why I think it’s bullshit.”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Well let me tell you something, Ryan.” Jordan began. “I don’t think it’s bullshit at all. Gays are just like any other minority. We want the same rights as the majority, to be treated the same, yet we still want to be recognized as ‘different’, and the way we perceive sex and relationships is a part of that. How does that work, exactly?

 

“The notion that, just because you’re gay, you’re not supposed to adhere to the heterosexual ‘code’ of relationships is something that has become ingrained in a lot of us. Why? Gay people – not all, of course – scoff at straight people because they’re limited in the way they view relationships, as one-on-one and all that. Why does the notion of rebellion have to exist? If you want to be treated as equals, why insist that some things just don’t apply to you?”

 

“Because that’s the way it is, man. It’s the equivalent of sitting in the front of the bus. We’re rejecting the hetero world’s rules.” Ryan replied.

 

“Oh, that is just crap. Humans inherently crave affection. And stable, one-on-one relationships provide security and affection far more than ‘open’ relationships. Now, I’m not advocating the ‘together forever’ idea. Maybe there’s an expiration date on all relationships but, as long as the one you’re in provides you with happiness, why screw it up just for the sake of sexual gratification?

 

“No one’s saying that you should stick together until death do you part, like a good little Christian, because there is always the chance that love will turn into resentment and bitterness. But as long as love is there, as long as it works, why mess with it when you come across some eye candy? Just because you’re queer and it’s expected of you not to play by the ‘straight’ rules? How does that make sense?

“Now, maybe it’s because men are generally more afraid of commitment and that’s why really long-term relationships don’t work. But I‘m not talking about that. I’m talking about ALL relationships. Even those just a few weeks or months old. If you’re with someone, then be with them for as long as there are feelings between you and let those feelings grow. Don’t let a casual fuck with the first person willing to share your bed get in the way. Monogamy for the sake of monogamy, in the absence of happiness, is pointless, as we see all the time with straight couples. But you know what else is pointless? So-called open relationships born out of the idea that gays shouldn’t act straight when it comes to sex and relationships.”

 

“Damn!” I said, as quiet descended over the room.

 

“My cousin’s smart, ain’t he?” Terry asked, beaming.

 

“Well, that’s just how I feel.” Jordan said, looking at me with a scowl on his face.

 

I shook my head and tried to reassure him. “No, I feel the same way. Really, I do.”

 

“Well, good.” Jordan smiled, while Ryan sneered at us.

 

“Well, this is a topic I feel we will never all agree on, I’m afraid. So, let’s move on.” Justin said. And move on we did, but I have no idea what we talked about, because I was back in my creepy staring at Jordan mode. This time he didn’t appear to be as unsettled by it, though, since, as soon as the meeting was over, he approached me.

 

“Hey, Xander. I was thinking…Maybe, you’d like to have dinner some time?”

 

“Ummm…”

 

“Yeah, get to know each other better. Talk. About Terry, maybe…”

 

“Yeah, Terry…” I said, grinning. “I love food. I’m surprised I don’t weigh 300 lbs, the way I eat. What I mean to say is, yes, I’d love to have dinner with you.”

 

“Tomorrow? 8 o’clock?”

 

“We’ll take care of the details tomorrow at school.”

 

“Well, for now…it’s a date.”

 

“It’s a date.” I parroted, blushing, as Jordan walked away, laughing.

 

“Aww…You are too cute for words.” Terry said in a mocking baby voice.

 

“Shut it. It’s just dinner.”

 

“And maybe a little dessert…” he said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. “You remember, I did say only one guy had me beat in terms of endowment, right? Well, that’s Jordan. God, if you play your cards right, you might not be able to walk for a week.” I gulped and Terry started laughing like a maniac. What a prick…