Just his luck - 4. Chapter 4

“Youknow, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me.” Theo said as they walkedto Info Tech together one day.

“Stop,you’re making me blush.” Toni said playfully twirling his hair which was nowthe exact same length as Theo’s.

“I’mserious; before I met you I was practically nobody here.”

Theosaid hanging down his head.

“Comehere,” Toni said pulling Theo closer by placing an arm around his shoulder.“We’re best friends now, inseparable, besides these kids at Mauko High had noidea what they were ignoring.” Toni said kissing Theo on the cheek. It wasn’t abnormal to the kids to see Theoand Toni being so affectionate with each other. The girls thought it was adorable and the guys view it as just anotherform of manly affection, you know the way jocks patted each other’s ass duringa game. To Theo however, it showed justhow much Toni loved him. After that firstnight at Toni’s house there wasn’t any other form of sexual advancement onToni’s part and Theo was definitely too shy to make any move himself. He wanted Toni intimately but then he thoughtabout how it would affect their friendship and decided it was better to settlefor the occasional kisses rather than ruining what they did have.

“Geta room,” Judy said from behind them.

“Whatthe fuck are you doing here?” Toni asked as Judy caught up with them.

“Can’tI hang out with my big brother and his sexy best friend?” Judy asked running afinger down the tight red pant Theo was wearing.

“Wehave a class now Judes.” Theo said

“Iknow. I was only kidding. I need Dad’ssignature on this permission slip, I’d have asked mom but you how she feelabout me playing soccer.” Judy said handing Toni the paper. He quickly read it through and signed B.Caparelli, perfect replica of his father’s signature.

“Thankslover boy,” Judy said before sprinting off down the corridor in the directionshe had come from.

“That’sillegal,” Toni said in a matter-of-factly way.

“Soare a lot of other things we’ve done.” Toni replied with one of his flirtatioussmiles.

“Youcould get in a lot of trouble for that, and Judy too.”

“Onlyif someone saw me do it, otherwise you can’t tell the difference. Besides, Daddoesn’t care and Mom would only flip out because she’s afraid Judy is followingin Micah’s footsteps.”

“Youmean with the soccer thing?”

“NoI mean being a lesbian,” Toni said chuckling. “But Judy just enjoys clowningaround and doing things that boys are really good at. She insists on provingthat guys aren’t better than girls. Shelikes boys but only if they’re the rough kind.”

“Yourfamily is weird,”

“Nowonder you fit right in, come on we’re late again.”

œ œ œ œ œ

Thebell rang and awoken Toni from the most beautiful dream he’d had in a longwhile. Of course it included sex, butthis time he was doing it with his true love and another guy. Theo was happyand it was like they had a sort of arrangement which permitted them both to bepolygamous.

“I’mglad to see you’re not dead Mr. Caparelli,” the history teacher said as Tonistretched and began packing up his books.

“I’msorry Ms. McIntosh but your class is rather a perfect place for a quickie.”Tonisaid smiling politely as he left the class. It was the end of another school day. He was looking forward to going home and jerking off to pictures of somehot guy on a gay porn site. When he gotto Theo’s class it was still in session so he waited patiently since he had totake him home first. He watched as Theoconcentrated hard on sketching the apple on the table in the centre of theroom.

“Mr.Jackson, your artwork has become very atrocious.” Mr. Montague said removingTheo’s sketch pad from the board and slowly began to scan through it. The teacher’s face went from mere disgust toextreme disgust before he handed back the pad to Theo. “Alright ladies and gentlemen, we’ll finishthis tomorrow.” Mr. Montague said dismissing the class. Theo was amongst the first batch of studentsto exit the room and the only one out of the entire class who looked likesomeone had just died.

“Cheerup Jackson,” Toni said. He alwaysaddressed Theo by his surname when they were at school. “I’m sure it’s not as bad as that twat madeit out to be.”

“He’sright, maybe I should just give up. Imean I don’t know why I didn’t just quit after the 9^th grade like Ihad planned.”

“Here,let me see it.” Toni said as they approached his car.

“Whatdo you know about art anyway?” Theo said handing the sketch pad to Theo andwaiting for him to disable the alarm.

“Whatdoes Toni know about art?”Judy asked surprising Theo as he didn’t know she wasalready inside. She sounded personally offended that Theo would ask such aquestion. “Have you seen the designs in Toni’s room?”

“Yea,so?”

“So?You tell him Toni I can’t bear his ignorance.” Judy said climbing into the backas they got in.

“Itwas a long time ago; I was like ten or twelve I can’t—”

“Hewas eleven, when he painted the one with the thugs. If he’d ever show you the picture of Dad’sfriends you’d see that it’s an exact replica.” Judy said sounding very smug ofher brother.

“Youpaint?”

“Hedraws, sculpts and paints, Dad made us all do it but Toni was the only one whoever showed true talent. That’s when weall became aware that he was queer, he fell in love with the teacher and gaveup on art after he died.”

“AlrightCNN,” Toni said tossing the sketch pad at Judy.

“Isthat true?”

“She’slike a bad journalist Theo, always exaggerating the truth.” Toni said startingthe engine.

“Inever tell lies Theo, you should definitely come over right now and see hisstuff.” Judy said.

Theyarrived at the Carter’s Estate in record time as Toni broke all the stop signs,a few red lights and disregarded the speed limit all together.

“Howcome you didn’t tell me?” Theo asked as they got out of the car in the garage andJudy disappeared through the door that led inside.

“Comeon we’re not going that way,” Toni said taking Theo’s hand as he began tofollow Judy. They walked out of thegarage and followed the garden path which led them to just beneath Toni’sbalcony. The entire house was painted inwhite with black diamond designs. Theo watched as Toni walked up to a minidiamond said his name and the wall slid to the side revealing a secret passage.

“Cool,”Theo said as he followed Toni inside and watched as the door closed behindthem.

“Thisone leads to my room,” Toni said as they stopped at a staircase a few feet awayfrom where they entered. “There are others further down that leads to the otherbedroom.”

“Wow,”Theo said as Toni took his hand once more and led him a few paces down and intoa dark room. He flipped a switch and theroom came to life revealing several drawings and paintings and a sculpture of aman in his mid-twenties.

“Iwould have kept them in my room and about the house but I hate sad memories.” Toni said.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

“Theseare amazing,” Theo said touching the canvas of a portrait of a naked woman witha cigar in her hand.

“Ohthat one’s not mine.” Toni said

“Whoseis it?” Theo asked still admiring the complexity of the lines which made up thepiece. “Wait a minute this kinda looks like one of Bella le Donna pieces,what’s it called ‘The Masculine Woman’,”

“Yupthat’s it.” Toni said watching as Theo’s eye widen.

“Thismust have cost a fortune. Why isn’t it in the house?”

“Let’sjust say that Bella prefers to look at other people’s stuff and not her own.”Toni said smiling slyly.

“Whatdo you mean; do you know Bella le Donna? What am I saying no one knows thewoman, or man?”

“WellI do, she gave birth to me.” Toni said moving to Theo’s side

“Getoutta here, are you telling me that the Caparellis aren’t your real family?”Theo asked a look of pure surprise on his face.

“Nohe means I’m Bella le Donna,” Angela said from the entrance of the room theywere in.

Thenext thing Theo saw was Toni leaning over him with a panicked look on his face.

“Whathappened?” Theo asked slowly trying to sit up.

“Younearly gave us a fucking heart attack,” Judy said from somewhere in the room.

“Ifainted? But—“Theo began then stopped as he saw Toni’s mother. “Bella leDonna!”

“Youmake it sound like a swear word,” Angie said laughing. “Only around here and to everyone really I’mknown as Angela Caparelli.”

“Yourworks are famous, you are famous.”

“Bellais honey,” Angie replied touching her cool hand to Theo’s cheek. “Now dinner isat seven and you’re staying this time.” She said with the same adorable smilebefore leaving the room.

“Arethere any other secrets I don’t know about?” Theo asked they were in Toni’sroom and a part of the rug was open. Judy went to close it as Theo stared at it in confusion.

“Trapdoor,remember?” Toni said. After it wasclosed, it was completely obscured and invisible to anyone who didn’t knowabout it.

“Rightso are there?”

“Arethere what?” Toni asked going to his drawer with the secret stash of drugs.

“Anymore secrets, I mean next time I might not faint, I might drop dead.”

“Don’ttalk like that Theo.” Toni said in an almost inaudible voice. The thought of Theo dying was painful tothink about.

“Thefamily owns an escort service slash gun-drug operation. You’re the only outsider who doesn’t work forDad that knows about it.” Judy said. “And it had better stay that way if youvalue your life.”

“JesusChrist Judes,” Toni said moving quickly to Theo’s side as he became as pale asa sheet of paper. “Breathe Theo, deepbreaths,” Toni said but Theo just started laughing hysterically. “Great,” Tonisaid throwing his hands up in the air. “Get some water,” he instructed Judythen threw the water into Theo’s face. He gasped for air then looked at Toni, his senses slowly returning tonormal.

“I’dask if that’s it but I honestly don’t think I wanna know.” Theo said lookingfrom Toni’s panic stricken face to Judy’s slightly amused one.

“Sheshouldn’t have told you that, but just remember no matter what you knownothing.”

“Haveone of this; it’ll make you feel better.” Judy said tossing Theo a packet ofcolored pills.

“What’sthis?”

“E,”

“No,he’s not ready for that yet, and didn’t I tell you not to take them to schoolwhat if someone mistook it for sweets or took one by accident?”

“Wouldn’tbe my fault, besides I’m not that careless,” Judy said as Toni took a vile fromhis bag-pack. He removed the cork whichhad a mini scoop which Toni used to scoop up a bit of the cocaine and thensnorted. He then handed it to Theo whodid the same. Almost immediately Theoexperienced an extremely elevated mood, a euphoric feeling same over him and hefelt almost invincible.

“Howdo you feel?” Toni asked

“LikeI’m King of the fucking world,” Theo said laughing as he stretched out his armsand fell unto the bed pulling Toni down with him.

“Wellas much as I’d love to get high with you guys, I’ve got home work to do.” Judysaid making her way to the door.

“OkJudy,” Theo said chuckling. “Hey, where are you going?” Theo asked as Toni gotup

“I’mclosing the door,” Toni said returning to the bed. He removed his clothes so that he was onlywhere his underpants and then helped Theo to do the same.

“Doesn’tthis affect you?”

“Onlya little, I’d have to up the dosage to get your kinda high though, and I don’twanna get addicted. I’ve been doing thissince I was nine you know,”

“That’spretty young,” Theo said as Toni lie next to him on the bed.

“Notif you’re a Caparelli. Mom is the only one, well her and Teddy, who doesn’t dohardcore drugs. My uncle Adam startedwhen he was seven and there’s nothing wrong with him.”

“Youtook this to school?” Theo asked holding the vile to his chest.

“It’sthe only way I can stand History or Literature for that matter,” Toni said staringat the ceiling.

“AndI thought I was your motivation in Lit, class.” Theo said turning unto his sideso that he could look at Theo without straining his neck.

“Youare but this helps me not to think about jumping you in the classroom.” Tonisaid as Theo laughed and lay on his chest.

“Whyhaven’t you fucked me yet?” Theo askedsurprising both himself and Toni.

“It’snot that I don’t want to,”

“That’sa relief, I thought maybe I had lost my appeal” Theo sighed.

“Naw,feel that,” Toni said placing Theo’s hand on his hard penis. “It’s like this everytime I’m close to you or even think about you.”

“Thenwhy?”

“BecauseI love you and I don’t wanna lose you. All is well when we’re fucking but what happens after? I mean things aregonna get awkward and I don’t wanna jeopardize our friendship.”

“Ithought about that too,” Theo said kissing the back of Toni’s hand which wasinterlocked with his.

“I’drather have you in my life for all eternity as a friend than lose you a weekafter sex.”

“Aweek?” Theo asked.

“Isuck at relationships, either that or people are always expecting toomuch. The longest I’ve been in arelationship was like 2 years and that was with my Art teacher Salvito when Iwas about thirteen.”

“Soyou always knew you were gay?”

“I’mnot gay, I just fuck whomever I’m attracted to, the gender or sex doesn’tmatter to me.”

“Spokenlike a justified and confused bi-sexual.”Theo said laughing

“Othersmay call me a pan-sexual.” Toni said pulling Theo onto his body and ticklinghim. They played and laughed like thatfor awhile until Theo could feel the substance wearing out of his system.

“Comeon, it’s time to for dinner.”