Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2001 14:44:28 -0700 From: Alex Bright Subject: Broken Facades Chapter 21 Broken Facades By Alex Bright Chapter 21 TEARS OF LAUGHTER Justin "I'm home, Mom," I said as I quickly ran into the house and gave her a kiss. "Just...what was that for?" she asked with a stunned look. "Justin, are you feeling ok?" "Yes...I...Am.," I told her, giving her a kiss in between each word. "I couldn't be better." With a puzzled look she said, "Justin, don't think that acting like you're in a good mood is going to get you out of our talk." Before she could go on I grabbed her around the waist. "There's no need. Everything is great," I told her as I started dancing with her and spinning her around and laughing. "Are you on drugs?" she asked as a smile slowly started to emerge on her face. "I have no need for drugs. I have a beautiful Mother, a wonderful Father and great friends. Who, by the way, are coming over in ...Holy shit! Twenty minutes!" "Justin, watch your mouth...and who's coming over?" She asked me as I ran off to change. "Justin? ... Justin?" Brad "You're late." Is all I heard from the dinning room as I walked through the front door. "Brad sweetheart, why are you late? We've been waiting for you to start dinner," my mother said. "Dad, I kind of have a problem," I told him as I stopped at the entrance to the dinning room. "What happened to the car?" "How do you know something happened to the car?" As I asked him that he just looked at me for a few seconds as if I had just asked the dumbest question ever, then started serving his food. "Ok, Ok, but you have to promise not to get mad." "I wont get mad as long as you #1 tell me how the accident happened, and #2 How you got home," he said, still not looking at me as he served food for the family. "Well first, there was no accident. Someone vandalized the car pretty bad, a word scratched on the hood and a busted window. That's all. Not to worry, I filed a report with the police." "Ok," said my mother as she look at my father and asked "Then how did you get home?" "Well," I said with a smile, "I hitched a ride." "With who?" My father asked. "Me," Alisa said as she stepped from behind the wall. Suddenly spit food went flying everywhere. "Hi everybody." She said with an awkward smile Alex It was the first time I had been back in a long time. I could not bring myself here after he died as much as I loved my father. Robert Shore was so much more to me than my real father had been. After four years I had to try to make peace and deal with his death. "Hey." I said as I reached the head stone and touched it, crouching down. "It's been a long time. Well, I don't know where to start. I hope you're not mad at all the shit ... I mean stuff ... I've been doing for the past few years," I said while picking at some of the grass on the ground. "It's just I've been so angry....angry at the world...angry at the guys...and angry at you for leaving Mike and me. "When you died and Mike went away, I thought I lost everything. I lost my drive and I lost the only other person that understood me. Then the problems at school started, me trying to fit in and then the guys leaving me. I couldn't take it. I needed someone to talk to but there was nobody after Mike left. "Mike took loosing you hard, real hard. He dealt with it by leaving. I was angry with him at first, mainly for leaving me. I wanted someone to grieve with, but then I though he was your son, why would he want to grieve with me? I wasn't your son. I ...I shouldn't have expected anything, Who was I to mourn you? I was just some dumb kid you coached for five years." "And who told you that?" A voice said out of the blue. I quickly turn around to see Mike and his mother behind me. "Alexander, you were more to my husband than just some kid. He cared about all his boys, but you and Mikey ... you two were special. You were his sons." As she said this I ran over to her and hugged her and started to cry like I never cried before. "It's ok Alex, it's ok....you didn't cry at the funeral, not one bit, and neither did Mikey, at least until he got home. Then he did exactly what you;re doing now." She rocked me in my arms for a long time. Mrs. Shore placed the flowers that she had brought in front of the headstone and started to walk to her car. "I don't want to wait another four years to see you again, you hear?" "You won't. I expect to see you at the games," I said with a smile as she turned "I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'll meet you in the car Mikey." "Ok mom, I'll be there in a bit." He turned to me, "Alex, I'm sorry I..." "What do you have to be sorry about? Your dad died man, don't be." "I know ....but I should have been there for you. We could have handled better it together." "Hey, I had a lot of stuff going on at the time. I wouldn't have listened to you. Don't worry about. You're here for me now and that's what counts." "I want you to know I do care about you, you're like a little brother to me. That's the only reason why I did the things that I did." "Trust me, I know that now. I just needed a kick in the ass to realize it. Thanks bro," I said as I hugged him. "I'll see you later, and if you need anything just call," He said as I watched him walk to his car and drive away. I slowly turned around and reached into my pocket to pull out my State Championship medal, then placed it next to the headstone. "Happy Birthday....Dad." Alisa "I'll be right back. I've got to go and change," Brad said, but not before he reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. As his family and I watched him run upstairs, a sudden wave of emotion came over me ... like a part of me that had been missing had suddenly returned,. "So what's for dinner?" I asked with a smile. In the blink of an eye I was in between them as they all attempted to hug me, at which point I started to cry. I hugged everyone back and answered all of their questions until Brad came back down stairs fifteen minutes later. "Now that you're back young man, can you tell me who would want to vandalize my car?" Brad's father asked as Brad walked over to me and took my hand in his. "I'll answer that." The voice came from behind us, and we turned around to see Alex walking in through the door. Brad's mom's smile slowly disappeared as he walked over to her and gave her a kiss. "Alex, we don't know who did it for sure," I said. "Alisa, you may not know who it was, but I do. It had to be Tony," Alex said. "Who is Tony and why would he want to vandalize my car?" Brad's father asked, looking at the three of us. "Because he thinks Brad is gay," Alex said. Both of his parents looked at each other, but with less shock than I would have expected.. "Ok, well I think we should get the school administration involved now," his dad said calmly as he walked us into the living room and his mother started to walk over to his brother and sister. "Ok, Drew and Teresa. Upstairs while we talk to your brother, Alex and Alisa," she said as she rushed them up stairs. "Ah man Mom,, it's not like we didn't figure it out already," Andrew said. "WHAT!" Brad yelled as he let go of my arm. "Andrew!" his mother cried. "Oops," he said, covering his mouth with his hand. "Way to go big mouth!" Teresa said as they ran up stairs. "What did he mean by that?" Brad asked as his parents sat down and started to look at each other, then him. "Ah Brad...ah, your mother and I love you very much," his fathers said as Brad stood there and crossed his arms.. "And we will support you and love you ah....no matter what you are...I mean who you are...I mean.... Helen, your supposed to be helping me." "Bradley..."she said, then looked at her husband as she paused. By now Alex and I had figured out what was going on, and tried our best to hold back and not burst out laughing. "Bear...teddy bear, .every since you were little we knew you were special. Now we know how special you are," his mother said, standing up and walking over to him, then hugging him. "Guys, could you help me here?" he asked looking helplessly to Alex and me for help. "I'm so happy for you," she said while starting to cry. At that point both Alex and I lost it, almost falling to the floor and laughing so hard that we start crying too. "Thanks a lot guys...you're a big help." "Mom, I'm not gay." Instantly she stopped crying. "You're not?" both his dad and mom asked at the same time, while staring wide-eyed at each other. "NO...I'M ...NOT! Alisa and Alex would you please cut that out!" he yelled as we were still laughing. "But...you ...I mean you don't....I mean," his father said "What your father is trying to say is that you never went out on dates, had any friends, or showed any interest in girls for the past three years. We just thought ..." "What, that I was gay? God Mom, you and Ddad are just as bad as the kids at school. Just because someone is different or doesn't fit into society's so called normal groups doesn't give you or them the right to tell people how to act or who they should be." He was starting to look upset. "We're sorry bear," his mother said, drawing him into another hug. "Yeah Brad, we're sorry too," I told him as I walked over to him and hugged him from behind. He turned around hugged me, then kissed me deeply in front of his parents. "If I had any doubts, that just about clears them up," his dad says as his mom elbowed him in the ribs. "Ouch" "Then I take it I'm forgiven?" I asked him as we walked over to the doorway. "You bet. As long as you promise me to always tell me everything. Never hold back telling me or asking me anything, no matter how hard or painful. Promise?" "I...I ...I know who ... " "What, what is it?" he asked curiously/ "I have to tell you something..." I stepped back and just as I was about to tell him everything. I overheard Alex and his dad talking "We don't know who started the rumor, but the four of us are trying to find out." "The four?" His mother asked us as she walked over to Brad and I. "Yes we're back together. Me, Alisa, Alex and Justin," Brad said with his biggest and best smile on his face. "And I couldn't be happier. Nothing is ever going to break us up again," he said to his mother, then turned me in his arms. "Now what were you going to say?" He asked as I looked deep into his ice blue eyes. "I know..." "What? Just say it, Alisa." I know who ... I know who I want to spend the rest of my life with. You.!" His eyes start to tear up with those words, and a smile filled his face. "I want to spend it with you until I die... I love you Bradley Theodore James Westrick!" With that I kissed him like my life depended on it, because at that point it did. Without his kisses I surly would die. "Would you two please get a room?" Alex asked with a smile. "I got your room right here," Brad said as he grabbed himself. "Is their an itch down there or are you propositioning me? 'Cause if it an itch you know there's a cream that will kill what ever is growing down there." "And what if it was the other?" I asked, hanging onto Brad and smiling. "I don't think the both of you could handle it, plus once you go black you don't go back," Alex said as he threw a pillow at us and ran out the house. Justin "Justin, if you wear out my carpet it's coming out of your allowance," my mother said from the kitchen. She had been watching me pacing back and forth in front of the kitchen door for the past 20 minutes. "Why don't you just call who ever it is your waiting on to see if they have left their house?" she shouted out to me. Suddenly I saw lights coming into the driveway and ran outside. "God guys, it's 7:15," I said to them as they exited their cars, laughing and running around chasing each other in my front yard. "And hello to you to Justin." Alex says holding onto my shoulders while hiding behind me from Brad and Alisa "Grab him, Justin! He hit us with a pillow!" Alisa was laughing. "Only after Brad tried to proposition me and give me the crabs or what ever he has. That's if anything could grow down there, especially hair. .Did you know that Bear is a natural blonde?" he said as he took off running towards the house. "ALEX! You son of a bitch," Brad cried, taking off after him. Meredith "Justin! Justin!" I started to call out when suddenly the door flew open and none other than Alex Nelson came running through the door. He looked at and smiled, then ran on. >"Hey mom!" Alex said as he ran upstairs towards Justin's room. "Alex?" I was shocked, but not as shocked as when a second person ran through my door. It was Brad. "Hey Mom!' Brad shouted as he whizzed past me and headed upstairs. "Bear?" I thought I was seeing a ghost. Then Alisa came running in and past me. She suddenly stopped and turned around and quickly came back to me. "Hi Mom," she said with a smile. Then she gave me a hug and kiss and took off screaming towards Justin's room. Then Justin ran right past me, and when he went by I didn't see a 17-year-old young man but my 5-year-old little boy chasing his friends up into his room. I slowly walked over to the front door, nodding my head and smiling. As I closed the front door, I saw the images replayed over and over again, starting as 5-year-olds, then 6, 8,10 and 12 year olds. I started to cry, not tears of sadness but of happiness and joy. For the first time in four years my house was filled with kids and laughter again.