Millennium - 61. Chapter 61

February 14, 2000

“I’ll never get this right,” I bitched.

“You look really good,” Robbie said lovingly.

“Fuck!” I yelled, as I screwed up tying my bow tie for the third time in a row.

“Let me do it for you,” Robbie said. He stood behind me and looked in the mirror as he worked. Seeing his handsome face next to mine, feeling his body pressed up behind me, and watching his fingers fly skillfully as he tied my tie for me all but erased my crankiness. When he was finished he stood there and wrapped his arms around me. “You have never looked so handsome before.”

“Smooth talker. Let’s rip these clothes off and make love,” I said as I leaned back into him.

“We can’t do that. It might mess up our hair.”

“Do you think the reporters would notice and talk about it?” I asked playfully. There would be a bunch of celebrities at the ceremony today, and that meant there would be all the people who came along with them: reporters, paparazzi, fans, and autograph hounds. Including celebrities was making a major commitment, and I’d learned that planning for them had occupied at least half of Jacob’s time.

“They’ll be too busy trying to figure out if *NSYNC is there because they’re gay,” Robbie said cynically. “Fuckers.”

“*NSYNC will be there? They singing your song?”

“I’m not telling,” he said, grinning.

“It’s not ‘Bye Bye Bye’ is it?” I asked, feigning concern.

“Yeah right. Dumbass,” he said. “You gonna tell me what your song is?”

“Not a chance,” I said, grinning. “What about you?”

“It’s a surprise,” he said mysteriously.

“I can’t believe you managed to get Elton John to not only come to the wedding, but to sing as well!” I said enthusiastically. That was a major coup. He’d had a concert in New Mexico on the 12^th, and was due to give another one in Tucson on the 15^th, so this slotted into his schedule nicely.

“That’s Sir Elton John,” he corrected. “I’d like to take credit for that, but it wasn’t me. That’s all Stef. They’ve known each other for years.”

“I wonder if Stef slept with him.” I mused.

“Odds are good on that,” Robbie joked.

“Stef always had good things to say about him, except he noted that the guy could be kind of bitchy at times.”

Robbie snaughed. “A gay guy who is also a drama queen. Who would have thought?”

I smiled at him lovingly, and then turned to face him and give him a nice kiss. “You know, you’re breaking all the rules. You’re not supposed to see the bride before the wedding.”

“Breaking rules is something both of us do,” he said, with a slight hint of sadness in his voice. He pushed beyond it quickly, not wanting to mar this day with regrets over our past mistakes. “So you finally decided you were the bride?”

“Yep,” I said. He looked at me funny, waiting for me to tell him why. “Cody reminded me that the bride gets to kiss all the men.”

He laughed as I held him in my arms; it was such a good feeling. “I’ll have to bitch at my wedding party for forgetting that key point.”

“I’m very thorough,” I teased.

“So you’re supposed to have something borrowed, blue, old, and new, no?”

I held up my wrists, where I was wearing the tanzanite cufflinks he’d given me. “Blue. That’s my token commitment to tradition.”

“How about new?” he asked playfully, as he pulled out a woman’s garter.

I raised an eyebrow as I took it, and then smiled. I undid my pants, reached in, and wrapped it around my cock and balls like it was a cock ring. “You can take it off later.” He swallowed hard. “With your teeth.”

I was considering blowing him, right then and there, until the intercom buzzed and a familiar voice came through. “Are you almost ready? We are waiting.”

I pushed the button and spoke. “We’ll be right down, Stef.”

“Time to go,” Robbie said as he put his arm around me and guided me to the door. “This is gonna be a lot of fun.”

“It is,” I agreed. We got downstairs and spent a few minutes with everyone before the limos picked us up. I saw Will standing over by the windows, gazing out at the ocean. I could tell by his demeanor that he was a little down, so I walked up and put my arm around him, surprising him as I did.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said, but his tone said that was a lie. I looked at him long enough to make him realize I wasn’t buying it. “I wanted to be with you.”

It took me a second to figure out what he was talking about, that he was disappointed that he wasn’t in the wedding party. “You were my first choice,” I told him honestly.

He looked at me, surprised. “Really?”

“Yeah, but don’t tell anyone else that,” I said, making it a secret, and another bond between us. “If I picked you, what would your brothers think? Just because you and I have a special relationship doesn’t mean I love them any less.”

I watched him process that, and then I saw the irritation on his face, and that almost made me laugh out loud, because I’d have had that same expression. I would have been mad that I’d neglected to think of my brothers in the first place. He watched me and got that I read his mind, which irked him as much as it would have irked me, so he decided to mess with me. “I’m singing at the wedding.”

“You’re not in the program,” I said. “You must be doing something for Robbie.” That had to be it, especially since he wasn’t a very good singer. Robbie had a great voice, and so did Darius. JJ wouldn’t peel the paint off the wall, but Will couldn’t sing worth a shit. Another thing we had in common.

“Must be,” he said mysteriously with a grin, and walked off to join the others.

Stefan took his place, appearing as if by magic. “He is a son to be proud of.”

“He is. He’s upset that he’s not my best man.”

“Well that is just adorable,” Stef said.

“I need to tell you something,” I told him seriously but quietly. I knew they wanted to surprise Stef by naming the mission after our family, but I didn’t think that was entirely fair to him, especially since he’d be expected to say something. If it were me, I’d want to be prepared.

“You are going to tell me they are naming the mission after us?” He smiled at me. “I was wondering when you were going to tell me.”

I gave him a dirty look. “Well I’ve been agonizing over it for the past few days. You could have said something.”

“So could you,” he joked. We both hated it when people kept secrets from us. “But you told me in the end, and I appreciate it.” He held up his finger and I held up mine, pressing them together in our personal gesture to say ‘I love you’.

Stef and Jacob insisted on being traditional, so Robbie and I went off with our respective wedding parties. I had a blast in the limo with Jack, Claire, and Cody, all of us speculating as to how Robbie would react to the song I’d chosen for him. We got to the church and were sequestered away in our own little rooms.

“This is how it was when I got married,” Claire said. “Only Daddy was here, and he was so nervous I thought he was going to barf.” I laughed at that, at the thought of JP giving away his only daughter, completely unable to hide how that made him feel.

“It’s like mine, only we were doing shots,” Jack said, as he pulled out a flask and a shot glass and handed it to me. We all did a couple of shots, then stopped before we went beyond pleasantly buzzed into the land of obnoxiously drunk.

“They are ready for us,” Stef said as he breezed in with JP in tow. JP looked at the flask and gave us all dour looks.

“It’s my wedding day,” I said as I poured him one.

“I’m not drinking,” JP pronounced in a really bitchy tone. Stef gave him a dirty look, took the shot and downed it.

I poured another one and handed it to JP. He looked at all of us, frowning. “Come on, JP. I know you can swallow,” Cody teased. JP took the glass and downed the shot while we all laughed at him.

“Happy now?” he asked me.

“Yeah, I am,” I told him, but meaning it on a whole different level. There was a knock at the door, it flew open, and in came Elton John.

“Sir Elton John,” Stef said playfully, pretending to curtsy.

They hugged, and the singer eyed Stef with frowning affection. “You’re a pain in the ass.”

“You did not always think so,” Stef said, flirting with him.

I stepped forward and shook his hand. “Thank you so much for being here and making today even more special.”

“It’s my pleasure,” he said, as he leered at me, making me giggle like a high school girl.

“You could not handle him. He is hung like a horse,” Stef said, intervening and cracking us up.

“Right,” he said dismissively. “I better get down to my piano. Enjoy.” He breezed out of the room and we heard the clatter of multiple sets of feet as his entourage followed him.

“So you did Elton John?” I asked.

“I do not kiss and tell,” Stef said.

“You don’t have to,” I said, smiling at him. “I can read you like a book.”

“One of your more annoying traits,” Stef observed. “We must go get the rest of you in place.” He hustled the others out of the room, leaving me alone with JP.

“I have read that you have to really love someone to know how to fight with them,” JP told me.

“I guess we must really love each other,” I told him. I was smiling even as tears formed in my eyes.

“I guess we must,” he said. We drew toward each other like magnets and just hugged each other for a long time. Our hugs were always so meaningful, and this one seemed even more meaningful than normal. “I am so proud of you.”

“Thanks, Dad,” I said, with tears pouring down my face. “You were an excellent role model.”

“I think back over the years now, because that’s what old men do,” he joked. “I’ve had some hard times in my life. Losing people I love has been the hardest. I’ll never forget how you propped me up and helped me along when I lost Billy, and Roger, and Mouse.”

“You propped me up just as much,” I told him honestly.

He ignored my statement. “I don’t worry about my own mortality, because I know that if something happens to me, you’ll be here to take care of everyone.”

“If I remember correctly, you told me that was a pretty challenging job,” I joked.

“True,” he said, grinning. “I can honestly say I’ve never seen you happier than you are now. And I’ve never seen Robbie happier either. What you’ve done for him, how you’ve helped him, it’s just amazing.” And then I watched him as he went through a metamorphosis in front of me: he contorted in pain, tears flowing from his eyes, in a way I hadn’t seen since Mouse died. “I wish I could have done that for Jeff.”

I pulled him back into a hug and let him sob. “Dad, you carry all of this guilt around about Jeff. It’s been gnawing away at you for as long as I can remember. Whatever sins you think you committed there, whatever you think you did wrong; don’t you think you’ve atoned for it by now?”

“I don’t know that I ever can,” he said. “If I’d been more supportive, more loving, if I would have stayed with him and helped him like you fought for Robbie, he may still be with us today.”

“I’ve heard a lot about Jeff, especially from you, Mother, and Stef. If you want my opinion, he’d be really, really pissed off at you.” He looked up at me, horrified that I confirmed his own self-flagellation. “Not because of what you think you did wrong, but because of the guilt you drag with you. I’m curious: was he the kind of guy who would have wanted you to think of him like this?”

“It’s not like that,” he said dismissively.

“When you make statements like that, I know I’m right,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood. “Just think about this. I think he would have been much happier knowing that you went on and had a good, happy life, and that when you thought about him, you remembered and honored the great times you had, not the things that went wrong.” He looked up at me, blinking. “When Robbie and I flew back to California for the very first time, Tonto made us stop in Chicago.”

“She did?” he asked curiously.

I nodded. “She took us up to Northwestern and dragged us to the Athletic Hall of Fame and showed us Jeff’s picture. She told us that he was a good man, and that if drugs hadn’t gotten to him, we’d have been proud of him. She told Robbie to make sure that didn’t happen to him. Robbie never said anything, but I know that meant something to him, and that Jeff was both an inspiration and a warning to him. Look at Frank, and how he’s changed over the years, what a great guy he’s turned out to be. Ask him why. Robbie did. He’ll tell you he owes it to two people: you and Jeff. His life was not meaningless.”

I watched him think about what I said, and he reminded me of Will and how he’d get something and need to process it. There was a gentle knock and Stef breezed in. He took in the scene, saw JP with his face all wet with tears, and got nervous. “It is time to go, if you are ready.”

“Thank you,” JP said to me with a smile. He wiped off his face and walked up to Stef, giving him a big hug and a nice kiss. “I love you.”

Stef stared at him, shocked. “I love you too.”

“You two old men ready to help me walk down this aisle?” I asked. They gave me dirty looks and headed to the vestibule. Robbie was there with red eyes from no doubt having a tearful and emotional discussion with Frank similar to mine. I winked at him, he smiled at me, and all was right with my world. A technical geek was there to hook us up with lavalier microphones so we could talk and be heard. They began playing the Wedding March, my cue to start walking. With JP on one side and Stef on the other, I strode confidently but slowly down the aisle. At the back of the church, we’d reserved rows for some of the guys at the Mission, the ones whose behavior warranted such a privilege. Seeing them here, safe in this institution, just made me feel even warmer inside. There were people all around me, but as I looked ahead I really only saw my sons as they preceded me, and the rest of my family arrayed in the front of the church. It seemed as if I floated up to the front of the church until I finally found myself standing there with Robbie, holding his hand, both of us smiling at Father Tim.

Tim welcomed everyone to our commitment ceremony. I didn’t really pay attention to his exact words; I just heard his deep, melodic voice as he projected it through the church. I heard my name and Robbie’s name, and words about love and commitment. So far, everything had been just like a normal, heterosexual wedding, and then it changed. “Ladies and Gentlemen, your invitation said this was going to be a musical ceremony. We are honored to have with us today one of the most talented and renowned performers of our era.” That made me chuckle as I thought about all the celebrities sitting behind me who would be growling to themselves, wondering who could possibly deserve that kind of recognition, at least from them. “Sir Elton John.” The curtain on the right side of the church opened and the sounds of his piano filled the building. I really smiled now, knowing that all those grousing celebrities were sitting there humbled, being forced to agree with Tim’s assessment of him. There was thunderous applause and cheering from the back of the church, so much that Elton John waited to start singing until it died down; he just re-played the introductory refrain. It was the boys from the Mission, who got to see another gay icon, and they were showing their appreciation.

He played his Lion King epic, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”. I stood there, holding Robbie’s hand as I listened to the lyrics, which weren’t nearly as powerful as the melody that went with them.

There's a calm surrender to the rush of day
When the heat of the rolling wind can be turned away
An enchanted moment, and it sees me through
It's enough for this restless warrior just to be with you

And can you feel the love tonight
It is where we are
It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer
That we got this far
And can you feel the love tonight
How it's laid to rest
It's enough to make kings and vagabonds
Believe the very best

There's a time for everyone if they only learn
That the twisting kaleidoscope moves us all in turn
There's a rhyme and reason to the wild outdoors
When the heart of this star-crossed voyager beats in time with yours…

We’d been coached through the ceremony by Jacob, so I knew that as soon as that was done, it was time for our vows. I was supposed to say my vows first, then Robbie, then he’d play a song for me, I’d play a song for him, Tim would pronounce us committed or whatever he did, and Elton John would sing one more song. I’d labored over what to say, remembering Jacob’s admonishment to keep it relatively short, but it was only now, when I was supposed to talk, that I panicked. I looked out at the audience, and all the words I’d memorized flew out of my head. I felt myself flailing around internally, wondering what to do next, as I felt my fear soar out of control. Then I looked in front of me, at the man that I loved, who stood there smiling at me. “Tell me that you love me, that you’ll always love me and that you’ll always be there for me,” he said gently. “That’s all I need.” We’d both forgotten that we were wearing mics, so those soft words seemed to boom through the church, but it didn’t matter to me. They’d calmed me, and gotten me back on track.

“You deserve so much more,” I told him, “but I don’t think there are words to describe how I feel about you. I have loved you since I met you, almost 20 years ago. We’ve been together, even when we haven’t been, that entire time. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t spend most of my time thinking about you. When you’re with me, I feel complete, like a whole person. When you’re not, I’m like a ship on the ocean without a rudder. You are my world, you mean everything to me.” I paused to just share that moment with him, to look in his eyes deeply to make sure he knew that I meant what I said. “We’ve had a lot of pretty big highs and some pretty low lows. When times are tough, I remember the high times.” That got a snicker from some members of the audience, and from Robbie. “I think about what life would be like with someone who was calm and stable, and it almost sounds like hell. You are so exciting. You push all my boundaries, both in and out of the bedroom.” He blushed, and people laughed. “You make my life exciting and fun. You are all that I need, all I’ve ever needed, and I promise to spend what time I have left on this earth loving you, and being the best partner I can be.”

There were tears in his eyes when I finished. He swallowed hard, he was choked up, and then he turned around and grabbed something from Matt, something that looked like a science experiment. It had a heavy metal base, with a light bulb sticking up from it. He handed it to me, and I held it up above my head. A little levity at this point would be good, I decided. “I have an idea,” I joked, getting a smile from him and a laugh from the crowd. He pulled my hand down and put the contraption in front of me, and then took a similar one from Matt.

“I remember so vividly the day I met you,” he said to me. It was as if we were alone in the world after that, his words just pulled me in. “I was drawn to you like these magnets are drawn to each other.” His magnet pulled at mine, and I looked down to notice how, as they got closer, the light bulbs turned on. The closer they were, the brighter they were. “Just like them, I burn brightest and I’m happiest when I’m with you. And just like them,” he said, as he pulled his magnet away, “without you, my flame goes out, and I am a hollow shell.”

He took the magnets from me and handed them back to Matt, while I wiped a tear from my eye. He turned back and took both of my hands in his as he continued. “I’ve been through some pretty rough times in my life. Most men would have dumped me a long time ago, deciding that I had too much baggage, or because I was too high-maintenance. Not you. No matter what happens, you’re always there. Whenever something good happens, I can’t wait to tell you about it, to share it with you. And whenever something bad happens, I know that as long as I have you with me, it will be alright. I promise to be your partner, to love and support you, for the rest of my life. And know this, that wherever my soul goes when I’m done on this planet, it won’t rest until you’re there with me.”

We weren’t supposed to do anything then, but I couldn’t stop myself. I stepped forward and put my hands on his shoulders, then closed them around the back of his neck, pulling him to me and kissing him in what was probably the most loving kiss I’ve ever experienced. I kind of wondered if he’d fight me on that, since it wasn’t in the script they’d so diligently worked out, but he didn’t; he was there with me 100%. “I love you,” I told him earnestly.

“I love you too,” he replied with just as much meaning. I was surprised by all the applause, because I’d kind of forgotten that we were in front of a crowd. Robbie chose that moment to break away and walk up toward Elton John. I watched, surprised, as Darius, JJ, Will, and Matt all joined him up on the stage. “This song is for you Brad, from your partner and our sons.” I felt a presence around me as Cody, Claire, and Jack moved up next to me. Darius, JJ, and Matt stood with Robbie, clustered around a microphone, while Elton John motioned for Will to sit next to him at the piano and showed him a chord to play. I glanced sideways at Stef who just winked at me. He knew Will couldn’t sing, so he’d worked it out so he could still play a meaningful part. It only took me a few seconds to figure out the song they were singing: “500 Miles,” originally by the Proclaimers.

Robbie and Elton John started singing, doing these first verses alone:

When I wake up yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you
When I go out yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you

If I get drunk yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you
And if I haver yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's havering to you

As they approached the chorus, I was distracted by the sound of stomping feet. I looked at the church and saw the guys from the Mission march out of their pews and into the aisles, stomping their feet in time to the music as they did. When the chorus came up, they joined in and sang it with Robbie and our sons.

But I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walked 1000 miles
To fall down at your door

When the next set of verses came up, Robbie, Matt, JJ, and Darius sang them together:

When I'm working yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's working hard for you
And when the money comes in for the work I'll do
I'll pass almost every penny on to you

When I come home yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who comes back home to you
And if I grow old well I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you

Then the guys in the aisles joined in for the chorus:

But I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walked 1000 miles
To fall down at your door

When we got to the final verse and chorus, I was surprised that the music stopped. Robbie looked right at me as he belted them out solo, reminding me once again of what a great voice he had.

When I'm lonely yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man whose lonely without you
When I'm dreaming yes I know I'm gonna dream
Dream about the time when I'm with you.

But I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walked 1000 miles
To fall down at your door

When they were done, I just stood there, staring at all of them, in awe of what a great job they’d done. I felt the tears on my face, and wiped them off as best I could, while the people in the church applauded loudly and enthusiastically. Our sons and all the boys in the aisles took their seats.

I heard the first piano keys of the song I’d picked for Robbie, and turned to see the other curtain open. “Ladies and Gentlemen,” I said, “Please welcome Beyonce Knowles.” It only took a few seconds for everyone to figure out what the song was. Robbie started blushing, getting redder and redder, as she started singing “I Touch Myself,” originally by the Divinyls.

I love myself
I want you to love me
When I'm feelin' down
I want you above me
I search myself
I want you to find me
I forget myself
I want you to remind me

I don't want anybody else
When I think about you
I touch myself
I don't want anybody else
Oh no, oh no, oh no

As she started the second set of lyrics, she moved down to us and put her arm around Robbie seductively, cracking us up.

You're the one who makes me happy honey
You're the sun who makes me shine
When you're around I'm always laughing
I want to make you mine

I close my eyes
And see you before me
Think I would die

If you were to ignore me
A fool could see
Just how much I adore you
I get down on my knees
I'd do anything for you

When she sang those lines, I dropped to my knees and looked up at him, seductively licking my lips. He shook his head and blushed harder, while everyone else laughed.

I don't want anybody else
When I think about you
I touch myself
I don't want anybody else
Oh no, oh no, oh no

I love myself
I want you to love me
When I'm feelin' down
I want you above me
I search myself
I want you to find me
I forget myself
I want you to remind me

I don't want anybody else
When I think about you
I touch myself
I don't want anybody else
Oh no, oh no, oh no

When we got to the last part, which was basically just talking, I took over. I molded my body to Robbie’s and talked to him in my bedroom voice:

I want you
I don't want anybody else
And when I think about you
I touch myself
Ooh, oooh, oooooh, aaaaaah

It was a blast, because throughout the whole number she teased Robbie just enough to keep him blushing and grinning. When she was done, there was more applause. “I don’t know if I’m still gay,” Robbie said to her, making everyone laugh. Father Tim returned and stood in front of us, and that seemed to change the mood to a more serious tone.

“There is no state in this Union, or country on this globe, that recognizes the marriage of two people of the same sex,” Tim said, bringing us back to the ceremony. “A commitment ceremony like this one is the ultimate expression of love and commitment by a gay couple, their way of announcing to all the world that they love each other, and that they are partners. Let us now recognize Brad and Robbie as fully and publicly committed partners.” The guests all stood up and clapped furiously. “Whichever of you is the groom may kiss whichever of you is the bride,” Tim joked. I laughed, and then Robbie pulled me in for a deep kiss, just as meaningful as the first one.

We broke off our kiss when we heard the sounds of the final song starting. Elton John and Beyonce did a duet, reprising his 1976 hit “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.”

Don't go breaking my heart
I couldn't if I tried
Honey if I get restless
Baby you're not that kind

Don't go breaking my heart
You take the weight off me
Honey when you knocked on my door
I gave you my key

Nobody knows it
When I was down
I was your clown
Nobody knows it
Right from the start
I gave you my heart
I gave you my heart

So don't go breaking my heart
I won't go breaking your heart
Don't go breaking my heart

And nobody told us
'Cause nobody showed us
And now it's up to us, babe
I think we can make it

So don't misunderstand me
You put the light in my life
You put the sparks to the flame
I've got your heart in my sights…

We walked down the aisle as soon as it was over and headed straight into the Mission, with its big dining hall. I noticed that it had been significantly refurbished, probably just for this event. They’d set up round tables, turning it into a ballroom, and there were guys from the Mission, dressed in rented tuxedos, acting as waiters. Another way to funnel money to the Mission and to these guys: giving them a small job to do. We spent about an hour talking to our guests, and thanking them for coming, and then it was time for the next event. During that time, they’d moved all the instruments over here for more music during the reception.

Tim walked up to the podium and tapped the mike. “We’d like to ask you to indulge us as we perform one more ceremony today. A few months ago, this Mission was on the verge of closing. We were two months behind on our rent, we’d just received our eviction notice, and I was at my wits end, trying to figure out how to continue to provide the basic essentials to the cast-off youth that seek our help. I took a chance and went to see Brad Schluter, and with his help, along with the generous support of his uncle, Stefan Schluter, The Schluter Family Foundation donated enough money to put us on a solid financial footing.” His tone changed, as did his topic. “Recent studies have shown that one in five teenagers runs away from home before age 18, and 50 percent do so more than once. About 30 percent of homeless youth are exploited for sexual purposes or other forms of human trafficking within 48 hours of leaving home.” Tim paused to wipe a tear from his eyes. “We currently provide housing and shelter for over 200 homeless teenagers; most of our teenagers are gay, and don’t find a welcome anywhere else. We really are the refuge of last resort for them. The generosity of the Schluter Foundation has helped ensure that these youths will not only have a warm bed and food, but that they’ll actually have a future. That generosity deserves recognition beyond what we can give, but we will do our best. By a unanimous vote of the Board of Trustees, our mission here has been formally named The Schluter Family Mission for Homeless Teenagers. On behalf of our organization, I’d like to thank Brad and Stefan for their generosity.” Everyone applauded.

Stefan didn’t walk up to the stage, which surprised me, but instead headed over to me. He held out his hand, and almost literally dragged me up there with him. Fortunately, he did all the talking. “The work that Father Tim and his staff do here is vital. It impacts the lives of young men like Jason,” Stef said, pointing to a young man, who stood up shyly. He had brown hair, and was short and dorky. “Jason came out to his parents, and his father and brothers beat him so badly some of his bones still haven’t properly mended. One of the other boys found him curled up on the sidewalk, hurt and in pain, and brought him here. Patrick,” Stef said, pointing to another young man, who was taller and much more handsome, “was an honor student until his classmates discovered he was gay. They tortured him until he ran away from home, in Oklahoma, and had to turn tricks to survive until he got here. Now he is back in school, and is once again excelling at his studies. The young man you see behind the stage there, that is Jeff. He is my personal assistant. I found him here, working at strip clubs and supplementing that income with extracurricular activities.” Jeff looked embarrassed and blushed, but that just made him cuter. “He is a bright and talented young man that just needed a chance. I would encourage you to spend some time talking to these young men, listening to their stories, and deciding on how you can help them. They are diamonds in the rough.” There was more applause, and I just stared at Stef, impressed at what an impactful but brief presentation he’d made.

Elton John walked up on the stage then, which evidently wasn’t planned, and took the mike from Stefan in a playful way. “I’d like to do a special song for my old friend, Stefan Schluter.” He went back to his piano, started playing, and began to belt out the words to “The Bitch is Back.” It was hard to hear him over the laughter.

I was justified when I was five
Raising Cain, I spit in your eye
Times are changing, now the poor get fat
But the fever's gonna catch you when the bitch gets back

Eat meat on Friday that's alright
Even like steak on a Saturday night
I can bitch the best at your social do's
I get high in the evening sniffing pots of glue

I'm a bitch, I'm a bitch
Oh the bitch is back
Stone cold sober as a matter of fact
I can bitch, I can bitch
`Cause I'm better than you
It's the way that I move
The things that I do

I entertain by picking brains
Sell my soul by dropping names
I don't like those, my God, what's that
Oh it's full of nasty habits when the bitch gets back

When he was done, Stefan stood there with an evil grin. “Sadly Elton, I cannot sing a rebuttal. Unfortunately for you, though, I am an excellent storyteller.”

“Bloody hell,” he said, cracking everyone up.