Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 05:11:27 +0000 (GMT)
From: Dan Perducci <danperducci@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: College Town (Part Ten)

College Town (Part Ten)
By Dan Perducci
danperducci@yahoo.co.uk

Where is he?

I was too numb to be afraid anymore.  What the hell was happening to me
in the past few days?

Stephanie left me and now I was caught up in something unthinkable.  I
didn't know if it was love that I was feeling or if it was a desire to
finally be sure of something.

Now that `certainty' was gone.

When I was with Garrett, I felt something real that coursed through my
veins.  When I was with Garrett, passion overtook me.

Now, he was gone.

It wasn't right that a lust-filled weekend could leave such a void.
What was most absurd was that I mourned his loss and barely gave a
moment's thought about my ex-girlfriend.

What was the matter with me?

I picked up the framed picture of Stephanie that I had on my end table
and I stared blankly at it.

I meditated and pictured Garrett instead of the girl whose image was in
my hands.

Garrett, perhaps, was my false idol.

I bit my lip and tried not to care.  If it was just a randy, experimental
fling, I should be able to move on -- right?

Wrong.

I was transfixed on the thought of locating Garrett again.

I was too paralyzed with dread of the worst to really embark on
something.

A tear fell from my eye and I heard someone at the door.  Clutching the
picture, I went to find out.

"Hi, Rachel," I said, "Come in."

She saw me return Stephanie's picture to the end table.  She must have
seen my cheek still moist from my solitary tear.

"What's the matter?  I hope that I didn't catch you at a bad time."

"No.  I was just thinking."

"Did she break up with you?  I can come back."

"No.  Stay."

"Chad.  We need to talk," she spat out.

My heart froze.  What?

"Like an idiot, I bailed Brian out.  You might already know that he..."

She paused to take a deep breath.

"hit me and he hurt Garrett.  Brian can't accept having a gay son."

"Where..."

"Garrett came back home.  I told Brian that I would kill him if he hurt
a hair on Garrett's head again.  I told him that we need to work things
out one way or another but we're not going to...Let me put it this way, I
told him that the next time the cops come over..."

She sobbed gently but continued with resoluteness.

"It would be because I kicked him around," she continued, "No father
should treat his family like that for no fucking reason."

We both sat down on my couch and she took my hand.

"We need you."

"What do you need from me?"

"We need you to be like a big brother to Garrett.  Your presence must
have done something for our boy.  He went to you when we had our fight
last night.  He needs friends at a time like this.  We -- at least I --
don't want you to try to make him straight or anything but just let him
know that..."

"He's safe?"

"Yes.," she wiped a tear from her face and looked downward.

"We may not be the best of parents and all but we're going to try."

"First off, Garrett needs to get back into school," I said.

"That's tomorrow," she replied with a steady nod.

"And you're going to have to let him," I said before taking a swallow
of mental hesitation.  It was almost grudging or fear of her reaction --
or mine.

"...hang out with this Nick kid," I finished my thought, "They are
happiest with each other and if it's just a phase, so be it."

Rachel forced a smile and whispered like she was in a confession booth.

"I sometimes didn't think much of this college town.  Their thinking is
not like mine or Brian's much of the time.  We barely made it past high
school.  But I think you may know best since you're going to be a pastor
and all."

"Trust me," I said.

TO BE CONTINUED