**** This chapter may
contain triggers connected to physical abuse.
There is not actual abuse taking place in this chapter.
Warning:
This story does not contain any sex. None of the characters are based on
real people nor are they meant to resemble any living or dead people.
Let me know
what you think of the story by emailing me at Hnstskr4@aol.com
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thank everyone who has emailed. I also want to thank those who have read
the story. It means a lot hearing from you. Please continue reading! There
is a lot more to come. I own all rights to this story.
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Copyright ©2010-2020
Blake's Saga
Book IV
Chapter 10
Bruises
This story
takes place four months in the past. We
join this tale as it unfolds. Blake and
Rick met inside Ian's classroom while Blake's dad was involved in a
meeting. Rick had been keeping a secret
from everyone around him. It's been kept
under wraps for a long time, but Rick is ready to spill his guts. He thought that something terrible would
happen if anyone found out about it.
"Blake, I
need your help."
Rick's voice
is shaky, which tells his friend that whatever he is about to say is
important. He can see the fear in Rick's
eyes.
"Blake,
I...need to show you something."
Rick lifts his
shirt, and Blake sees bruises across his friend's lower back. Blake doesn't need Rick to tell him where the
bruises came from; the mystery is who did it to him.
"Who did
that you?"
Blake
notices that his friend is avoiding looking at Blake's eyes. Rick can hardly get the words out of his
mouth.
"My...my
step-dad, he gets mad and hits me.
Rick said
it, somehow he said it. He didn't know if he could get words out, but
the words did come out. Rick's eyes are
starting to get wet.
"Blake, I
need your help."
Blake hugs his friend just as Ian is coming
into the room.
***
Ian isn't
sure what he walked in on, but Ian gets concerned when he sees Rick's wet eyes. Seeing his dad, Blake broke the hug, and he
knew that Ian could help Rick or get Trace to help out. Ian sits down at his desk and then looks at
Rick and Blake.
"Boys, what
is going on?"
Rick doesn't
want to show Ian his back, but Blake knows that his dad will help his friend
get help. Blake and Ian can see the
teen's fear. Blake whispers to his
friend.
"Come on;
you already know that you can trust him."
Rick pulls
up his shirt. Ian asks questions to Rick
that Blake had asked him. The teacher
wasted no time in calling CPS. Rick's
anxiety is building in his chest. He's
afraid that his dad will find out about this and take out his anger against his
son. It's something that the older guy
is good at doing. I can't believe that
Ian would do this for him. He isn't
aware that Ian is required to do this, but Ian does it because he cares about
his students. Ian stays on the phone
with CPS until they hang up with him and then turns to his son's friends.
"Rick, I am
sorry about having to report it to CPS, but I have to, BUT I promise you, we
are going to get you help. Starting
keeping you out of harm's way. I have to
stop by Mr. DeSoto's office before we go home."
Ian opens up
his home to the young man, at least until CPS steps in and finds him a new
place to live. They leave the classroom
and head off towards DeSoto's office. He
has Blake and Rick sit in the office lobby while he goes in to speak with Mr.
DeSoto.
"I had to
call CPS for Rick Jennings. He has
bruises across his lower back, and they look like the marks from a belt."
Mr. DeSoto
is troubled over the news; hearing stuff like this always makes him sad. He likes to think that his staff does an
incredible job supporting kids who need extra support or help. Rick deserves their support.
"I know that
Rick and your son are friends; maybe it would be best if he stays with him
until things get settled. I'll contact
CPS about it and get things set up. If
there are any issues, then they can deal with it. Have you called the police?"
Ian had not
called the police yet, because he figured he could get them from the
house. It isn't, and he told CPS that he
would call from home, and they were okay with that taking place. Still, there were concerns, but Ian being who
he is, plowed through the issues.
"I have not
called the police, but I figured that I would call from the house. Is that okay with you? I need to pass it by Trace, and it's easier
to do it from home anyway. If it's okay,
I'll get everyone home."
Mr. DeSoto
nodded his head and sent them on their way.
***
With
permission from the boss, Rick, Blake, and Ian head off to Ian and Blake's
house. Back at work, Mr. DeSoto is
making sure that anything that he can do for Rick is being done. Back with Ian and crew as they are turning
into the driveway. When the crew gets into the house, Rick and
Blake go up to the teen's bedroom, while Ian gets on the phone with the police.
"Good
afternoon Tylerville Police department; how can I
assist you today?"
The lady
answering the phone is very polite and friendly. Ian begins to wonder if he should have called
from school.
"Hi, my name
is Ian Richards; one of my son's friends confided in my son that his step-dad
was physically abusing him. He showed my
son his lower back, which has several strange bruises on his back. I'm a
teacher at the high school that the young man attends, and I already called CPS
from school, and I apologize for not calling while I was at school; I wanted to
get my son and him to the house he might be more relaxed. Sorry, I'm not making much sense right
now. Kind of upset!"
He sounds
upset, and she understands. She is also
very aware of who she is speaking with, so she smiles as she records his
information.
"Can I have
your address, please, Mr. Richards?"
Ian gave her
the address. It wasn't long before her
voice was heard over the patrol cars' radios, Trace's included. He responds right away, along with his
partner. Another squad car arrives at
the house, too; this is the car that will conduct the investigation. Trace replied to ensure that his son is
okay. The responding officer doesn't
have a partner, so Trace's partner will be assisting him in the
investigation. Trace opens the door, and
in walks the other officers.
"Where are
the boys?"
Trace asks
his husband.
"They are
upstairs in Blake's room. Should I have
them come downstairs?"
Ian asks, wanting to do whatever he can do to make their lives easier.
"Would the
victim be more comfortable with your son around?"
The
investigating officer asks because he wants the teen to be as relaxed as he can
be under the circumstances. Trace
answers right away.
"I think he
would prefer to have my son around for it as much as possible. There might be parts that we don't want him
to hear, but I think we could do the interview down here in the living
room. What do you think?"
Trace asks
his husband.
"Yeah, I
think that would be okay."
Trace heads
upstairs to get the teens. He knocks on
the door to Blake's room, which is open, which makes Trace smile. Blake has been asked to keep the door open
when he has friends over just as a precaution.
"Blake,
Rick, we need you guys downstairs, please."
Blake looks
at his dad. Blake can tell that this
isn't about having Rick in his room.
They start heading for the stairs.
"I think
they are here to talk to you"
Blake
whispers to Rick. Trace pauses and turns
to look at the young men.
"We are
Rick, and I want you to know that Ian and I are here for you, buddy."
Trace pats
his friend on the back, and then they head downstairs. When they reach the bottom of the stairs,
Rick pauses when he sees two more officers.
The one doing the investigation speaks with Trace's partner, points to
Rick, and then Trace nods his head. It's
as if they all share one brain.
"Why don't
you go sit the couch, guys? We need to
ask Rick a bunch of questions. Blake, if you get uncomfortable, you can step
away, okay?"
Trace says
to the guy, that is when Blake surprises his dad.
"No, Dad, I
am going to stay right here with Rick."
He flat out
told Trace what he was going to do. They
went to the couch and sat facing the officers.
Ian wanted to stay close enough that he could hear what was going on but
be out of the way.
"Hi, I'm
Officer Lee. I wish we were meeting
under different circumstances, but I need to ask you some questions about what
happened. We can take breaks if need be, but I need to know everything that's
happened, okay, Rick?"
Officer Lee
is one of the best at this end of the job.
He has two kids, and he's been where Rick is at now once upon a time in
his youth.
"My dad and
mom break up, and my mom remarried a jerk.
He's doesn't want to be a dad just like my birth father. At first, things were fine, and then he
started getting mean. He would punish me
for no reason; it seemed like. Mom would
step in on occasion and put a stop to it, and things would be okay. I would step out of line, and he would start
up again. Mom told him that time outs
work best, but he wouldn't listen. Eventually,
he lost his job, and that is when things went to crap. He...drinking...Mom left him because of it, but
then they got back together. He just got
angrier. He went from being loud to
hitting me. When I wouldn't listen to
him, he gets his "Enforcer"; his belt. He's
smart most of the time and gets me in places that it wouldn't be visible. This time though, I had...had it. I...I...couldn't take it. I had to get out."
The officers
seem concerned. It's written all over
their faces. It's not just a concern;
it's a worry.
"Rick, is
your step-dad hitting your mom?"
Rick's eyes
are wet. He looks at Blake and then at
the officers.
"I...I...don't
know. If he does..."
Rick starts
to cry, and it continues for a couple of minutes. He remembers hearing his
mother's cries as his step-father laid into her for standing up for him. Over the years, he's done his best to drown
out the pain as best he can, even if it means taking it out on others.
"...he does,
he does hit her."
The words
fly out of his mouth as more tears come down his face. Officer Lee looks at the teen's face and
hands him a tissue to wipe his tears.
"It's okay
to let it out."
Getting up
from the chair he was sitting in, Officer Lee gets up and hugs the teen. What happened next surprised Ian, just a
little. Rick wrapped his arms around the
officer's chest. It helped ease the pain
to know that others cared enough to be here listening to him.
"He...he hits
her, and he hits me. He hits me."
Breaking the
hug, Rick gets out his phone and brings up pictures. Tons of pictures show bruises and black eyes
given to him by his step-dad. He lifted
his shirt to expose what looked like his dad had whipped the belt across his
step-son's lower back. The bruise isn't
even noticeable.
"Rick, I
need to see more of the bruises. Do you
want to go into another room for this?"
Officer Lee
is shocked as Rick dropped his jeans right there in the living room. There is more than one bruise. One of the bruises wraps around his upper
thigh and coils around his lower leg.
These bruises are going yellowish to brown, but the one on his lower
back is reddish, which means it's fresh.
It's like his dad used that belt like a whip. Ian turns his back and walks into the kitchen
where he can hide his tears. Blake walks
up and takes his friend's hand.
"Sorry,
Blake, but you have to walk from Rick for a few minutes. We need to take pictures for evidence."
If there was
any doubt that Rick might have been lying, the bruises have erased all the
doubt.
Trace's
partner opens the camera bag and takes out the camera. He gets pictures of each bruise from
different angles. Rick hates it, but the
look in his friend's eyes tells him that it's a minor inconvenience. His dad will be arrested, and hopefully, his
mom will be free from the darkness.
While the pictures are being taken, Trace looks at the young man.
"Can I see
your phone?"
Just as the
words come out of his mouth, Officer Lee looks at the other officer, who nods
his head.
"Okay, Rick,
you can pull up your jeans and put your shirt on for us.
Rick pulls
up his jeans and like every day, and the bruises are now hidden from everyone's eyes,
but not their hearts or minds. Rick points
to his phone in Trace's hands.
"Will that
help?"
As much as
it might help, they have all the evidence that they need.
"We have all
the evidence we need right now."
Officer Lee
holds up his voice recorder and the camera, and then he says.
"I think you're dad is going away for a long time."
Ian comes
out of the kitchen with the phone in hand.
He whispers in Trace's ear and then walks away
"You'll stay
here for the night that way; we know you won't be hurt again."
Trace says,
looking at the scared teen standing there in his living room. Trace walks over
to Officer Lee, and they whisper with each other. After speaking with Officer Lee, Trace comes
back to Rick.
"Do you mind
if we keep sit down in the officer and send your pictures to the police
station?"
Rick nods
his head, and he follows Trace and the other officers to the office in the
office. With Rick's help, they send all
the pictures that provide evidence of abuse carried out by the teen's
step-father. When it's down, Trace hands
the phone back to Rick.
"Why don't
you have Blake show you where the guest bedroom is at?"
Rick nods
his head, but he would rather stay in Blake's room when it boils right down it.
Rick leaves the officers to talk, and he goes to find Blake. Blake is sitting on the couch where Rick had
left him when he went upstairs.
"Blake, your
dad wants you to put me in the guest bedroom?
But do you think he would be okay with me sleeping in your room? I can sleep in your sleeping bag.":
Rick asks
his friend. Blake walks upstairs, and instead of going to Ian. He marches right into his father's
office. The three officers are standing
around when Blake knocks on the door.
Trace looks towards the door.
"Blake, did
you need something?"
Blake nods
his head and then looks his dad in the eyes.
"Dad, can we
talk?"
Trace looks
at his son's eyes.
"I'll be
right back, guys."
Trace exits
the office and heads towards the first available room. He turns back towards his son and beckons him
to the room. When Blake enters the room,
Trace gets serious for a second.
"Can I help
you, Blake?"
Trace asks
his son.
"I know you
told Rick that he could sleep in the guest bedroom, but it would be okay if he
slept in my room?"
Trace is a
little upset with his son, but it fades pretty quickly. He knows his son, and he knows that his son
wouldn't be asking if Blake didn't have a good reason for asking.
"Go ahead,
love you, son."
Blake goes
into his room and sets the place up for his friend, then he goes downstairs and
invites his friend up to his room. They
stay in the room until it's time for dinner.
***
That night
in their room, Ian is sitting in bed, wondering if there is something that they
could do for Rick.
"Trace, what
do you think we should do about Rick?"
Trace wasn't
paying much attention to his husband because he's reading on his e-reader.
"Trace, did
you hear me?"
It's typical
of Trace to block out everything while reading.
"Sorry, you
know how I get when I am reading?"
Ian knows
exactly what his husband is like when he reads.
It doesn't matter if he is reading a physical book or an e-book. He could block out even the cries of an
infant. Ian has seen that happen on
multiple occasions when they are over at a family member's house or the house
of a friend.
"What should
we do about Rick?"
Trace stares at his husband. Ian would
do anything for his students. It's a
trait he shares with many teachers.
"Well, we
don't have room to take him in, so I don't know what you want to do. I mean, we can't afford to move again. If you feel strongly about taking Rick in, we
could always buy a new bed and move it into Blake's room. Otherwise, we could donate something to help
Rick out."
Ian listens
to his husband and carefully consider Trace's words. He wishes that they could do more, but Trace
is right. It doesn't make sense to take
on another child. Trace considers the
situation and thinks about ways that he might be able to give Rick a fighting
chance. He picks up the phone and goes
about giving the teen a fighting chance.
He knows someone who can help him out, and he knows a co-worker who is
ready for a foster child to enter the life of his little family.
***
The next day
at school, Blake and Rick are sitting in the class listening to the
teacher. Rick gets called down to the
office. Blake can see his
nervousness. It's been a while since
Rick has been in the office for anything.
When he gets in the office, a man in a suit stands up and escorts Rick
into the conference room that sits between the nurse's office and Mr. DeSoto's
office. They spend an hour in there
talking about abuse and what was going to happen in the future. Rick cries a few times as they are talking,
but the man comforts him, and when he is done, Rick sits up and is ready for
the next step in this visit. He tells
Rick that police are in the process of arresting his father. Rick's mother is going into hiding. When asked if Rick would be joining his
mother in hiding, he is told no. Rick is
scared and is showing his fears by the tears coming down his face. He's also informed that he has a home. The CPS worker tells Rick to stay in the
room, and he'll be right back. As he
leaves, Rick's heart drops, and he begins crying. A few minutes later, the worker returns, and
with him is Trace's partner, Stephen Burke, and his wife. Rick's eyes get huge, and he looks at Officer
Burke.
"Are...are you
my new parents?"
Officer
Burke and his wife, Chloe, smile at Rick.
"Yeah, Trace
called in a favor at CPS, and here we are. We aren't exactly your new parents;
more like temporary parents. Still,
while you are with us, we're going to do our best to be great parents."
Officer
Burke says as he reaches out his hand to shake the young man's hands. Chloe walks right up to Rick and hugs
him. A student who works as an office
assistant brings in Rick's supplies from his locker. He then gets a special visit from Mr. DeSoto.
"Rick, I
have a standing policy that when something like this happens, that I let the
student go home as soon as they can, so they can get settled in at their new
home. Also, I have notified all your
teachers that they should excuse your homework for the next few days. You'll also be excused from school for a
couple of days. Enjoy! Mr. and Mrs. Burke, Rick is a great young
man."
Mr. DeSoto
gives Rick a big hug and then shakes Stephen's and Chloe's hands before leaving
school. They have one more stop
compliments of Rick's mom. She permitted
them to use the key to get Rick's belongings.
They stop by the house, and Rick, Stephen, and Chloe pack up Rick's
room. It takes a couple of hours, but
eventually, the place is packed and ready to go.
***
While Rick's
dad is off at work and not suspecting that anything is wrong, the police pick
up his wife help her pack a few items before going to one of the emergency
shelters in the area. What Rick doesn't
know is that she isn't planning on reuniting with her son. She wants a clean break. After she has left the house, then it's
Rick's turn to get inside the house and get started on what could be the best
decision that has ever been made in his life.
Course, he's not the one making it, but it's going to work out great for
him in the end. Rick has set up his
bedroom the way he wants to. Officer Burke is perfectly okay with that because
every kid deserves a chance to make his room all his own. He deserves that, doesn't he?
***
Meanwhile, something truly unique
happens while Blake is in school, and Rick is beginning to settle in his new
home. The police are honing in on Rick's
step-dad. They know where he is at and are just about ready to strike. Trace is in on the arrest. He wanted to make sure that this guy was
going to get put away. Trace is riding
alone today because Officer Burke is at home with Rick. They pull into the store's parking lot that
the abuser works at and make their way into the store. A group of officers
heads behind the store in case the goon tries to flee. They also have a dog with them. Those officers ask to speak with the store
manager and find out where their man is working. Finding out that information, they head to
that department. Instead of embarrassing
the man, they walk him out and then make the arrest outside. Everything is by the book, which makes Trace
extremely happy. He wants to smile but
doesn't because, in his mind, that would be unprofessional. Rick's step-dad is handcuffed, put into the
patrol car, and then is taken off to jail to await sentencing.
***
Meanwhile, at home after school,
Blake is worried sick about his friend. Course, he doesn't know about Rick's
new foster parents. Blake tries to dig
information out of Trace and out of Ian, but neither man is about to give out
information that might be wrong. Blake
is writing quietly in his room. Collin
comes into the room to help his brother feel better. Before entering the room, Collin drew Blake a
card, hoping it would cheer him up.
"Blake, I made you something."
Collin smiles as he hands his brother
his card. Blake smiles and hugs his
little brother.
"Thanks, little brother!"
Collin is happy that his brother
smiled because of the card. For a little bit, Blake forgets about Rick while he
plays with Collin.
***
Rick is considering himself pretty
blessed at the moment. Sure, his mom
isn't with him, and he does miss her, but he knows that his foster dad's
co-workers will bring in his step-dad. He
heard it all on Officer Burke's police radio.
Trace even texted his partner that he thought it would be good to let
Rick know that the guy was in cuffs. Stephen Burke was sitting near Rick when the
radio went off, and judging by the smile on his foster son's face, the kid knew
what had happened.
"Guess I don't need to tell you what
just happened, huh?"
Stephen said to Rick.
"Nah, my step-dad just got his for
abusing my mom and me."
Rick balled up his fist and slammed
it into his other hand. He also gave
Stephen a high five. His foster mom is
busy making planning for this evening with Trace. It feels too good to be true, but Rick is
glad that it's happening. Chloe comes
into the room from the dining room.
"Trace wants to know if we want to do
taco bar or pizza at his house tonight?"
Stephen shrugs his shoulders and then
looks at Rick.
"What do you think?"
Rick didn't have to think about it.
"Pizza would be cool."
Rick is also excited to share his
good fortune with Blake.
"I will let him know that we decided
on pizza."
Chloe responded as she went back to
the dining room. Stephen glanced at Rick
and wondered what the teen's life was like outside of the abuse. His step-dad and mom both worked, but it was
enough to scrape by barely, so there were times when things got a little
rough. He didn't have some of the nice
things that Rick, Ryan, or Riley had, but that was okay at school. He was just
one of the guys, which made all the difference in the world.
***
At dinner, the two families
celebrated Rick's new life. Rick still
doesn't know about his mom's decision, but once things settle down a bit, Chloe
and Stephen will sit down with him and talk.
In the meantime, there is enough pizza to feed three large
families. Ian and Trace have seen the
boys eat pizza, and they also didn't know who else Blake would invite over for
dinner. It ended up just being their
family and Burke's. After dinner, Blake
and Rick headed upstairs. Rick seemed a
little nervous. Curious over why his
friend was acting this way, Blake asked what was up.
"I've wanted to tell you something,
Blake. I just didn't know how to tell
you. I'm bi."
Blake is surprised by Rick's
announcement, but he isn't phased at all.
"So I know
some guys who are bi lean towards guys or girls, which way do you think..."
Rick doesn't let his friend finish
the statement.
"I could be happy with both, but for
right now, I think I'd like a girlfriend.
I don't want to spring liking guys on the Burke's."
Blake laughs a little at his friend's
comment.
"Do you know who Mr. Burke's partner
is on the police force?"
Rick shrugs his shoulders.
"My dad, yeah, he works with a gay
guy, and he is over at the house for dinner at least twice a month, sometimes
more. They even have date nights
together. So yeah, I don't think you
liking guys would be a problem with them."
"You...you don't?"
Blake smiled and then patted his
friend on the back.
"I think they would be cool with
it. Ian told me that Stephen is the
closest thing I have to a godfather, as I am going to get. If they ever have a kid, I've been told that
I should plan to have a little cousin. I
mean, you're my friend but know I don't know, do you want me to call you,
cousin?"
Rick thought it over. Would it be so bad to have Blake and Collin
as cousins? It wouldn't, and it might
even come with perks because if Blake and Collin are cousins, that would make
Ian and Trace his uncles. Rick already
gets talked to by Ian whenever his grades slip a bit.
"Yeah, I could get used to that, but
it isn't going to be forever, just while I am at the Burke's."
Two guys shake hands, and then Blake
wants to ask one last question.
"Rick, are you going to tell Stephen
and Chloe? What about the other guys?"
Rick is finally doing something that
is taking a thousand pounds off his shoulders.
"Yeah, will you go down with me to do
that?"
Blake smiles at his friend and pats
his back again for good measure.
"You know that I got your back."
Together, the two teens head
downstairs so Rick can come out to the adults.
He has a case of nerves, but having Blake here is helping. The adults have moved into the family room,
and they're busy watching a superhero movie.
"Can you guys pause the movies for a
few minutes?"
Blake asks, so Ian picks up the
remote and pauses the movie.
"What is going on, bud?"
Trace says to Blake. I was hoping
that this news is good and not another bombshell that will ruin the evening.
"Rick has something that he wants to
say. Go head, Rick!"
Blake puts a hand upon his friend's
shoulder.
"Everyone, I'm...I'm a little nervous
in case you can't tell. I don't know
why, because I know Trace and Ian are pretty cool for adults, but I...need to say
this."
Rick takes a deep breath and then
another when he realizes there are six pairs of eyes all on him. Sure Blake has
already heard the news, but at the moment, it's not changing the fact that he's
sweating just a little.
"I'm bi."
Rick somehow finds the strength to
stand just a little bit taller with the words out of his mouth. Trace and Ian are a bit taken back after all;
this is the same kid that earlier this school year was bullying their son for
being gay, but they quickly let it go and give Rick hugs for being brave.
"You know Rick; it's not going to
change things at home. I'm glad you
trust us enough to tell speak up. Chloe, we need to make sure he meets your
brother."
Stephen said to his teen. Chloe gets
up and hugs her foster kid. He didn't have a brother or sister in the LGBT+
community, but his wife has a brother who is gay and lives in another
city.
"Thanks, everyone!"
Rick says as Chloe looks at him.
"Rick, is it okay if I call my
brother real quick?
I want to tell him the good news about everything."
Stephen turns to her real quick.
"Honey, maybe that is something best-done
face to face and not by a text."
Stephen just thinks that Rick should
be the one to speak up unless he decides otherwise. With the announcement out
of the way, the families get back to watching the movie. Rick is sitting in the back seat on the way
home, thinking things over when Stephen breaks the silence.
"Rick, it's okay with us if you bring
a boyfriend or a girlfriend home, but they aren't allowed up in the bedroom,
okay? It a rule that Chloe and I decided
on after we got married that our kids would have to follow, so as long as you
live with us, we want you to abide by that rule."
Rick thinks it over for a second and
realizes that it's not such a bad rule.
"Not a problem!"
Stephen and Chloe feel like a
possible battle has just been avoided.
For Rick, it a sign that this placement just might work. He would have been able to do whatever he
wanted at home as long as his step-dad wasn't home. Luckily, Rick has turned himself around and
isn't about to cause Burke any significant headaches.
***
Blake heads downstairs to color
around his parents. He's hoping to get
the strength to talk about Rick's announcement.
Something has been bugging him.
He's been coloring for ten minutes when he stops and looks at his dads.
"You guys know that I'm okay with
Rick being bi, right?"
Trace and Ian stare at their oldest
son. They are a little surprised that
Blake is even asked this question.
"Blake, we know that you are fine
with Rick being bi, but why did you even ask that question?"
Trace asks as he looks at his son. Blake has to think before he speaks.
"I...was just wondering why Rick was bullying me for being gay
if he was bi?"
Ian isn't sure how to answer his son's question, and Trace
isn't exactly sure how to answer either.
Still, they don't want to ignore the question. Collin is sitting on the floor, playing,
totally ignoring his brother and his dads.
"Not sure how to answer this question, other then to say that
sometimes, we hate ourselves and that hate makes us act out sometimes, hurting
us and others."
Ian explains, and Trace agrees with his husband. Blake
accepts what Ian said and takes it to heart.
"I can't imagine hating yourself just because you are gay or
bi. It just seems wrong."
Blake says out loud.
Trace and Ian don't get it either, but it's happened, and they've seen
it first hand.
They hated it then because it was aimed at them, and they hated it when
Blake went through it.
"Blake, I suggest that we just support Rick and let the past
be the past."
Blake isn't about to abandon a friend, even a friend who hurt
him. Rick is going to have Blake as a
friend for life. There may be sadness in
Rick's life, but it's all good.
***
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