Subject: Misunderstood, Chapter 24 (Gay Adult/Youth) MISUNDERSTOOD By Wes Leigh This is a work of fiction intended solely for the entertainment of my readers; any resemblance to any real people or places is purely coincidental. This story is the property of the author and is protected by copyright laws. The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author’s consent. If you enjoy this story, please support the Nifty archives today with a thoughtful donation by visiting fty/. Chapter Twenty-Four The ride down to Amarillo was utter hell. Neither one talked the entire way, fearing where the conversation would lead. Blue stared out the window as they drove into Amarillo, seeing buildings he vaguely remembered. He pointed from time to time, guiding Gray as he drove them to the neighborhood where Blue had grown up. “Right here is fine,” Blue finally said. “The house is just at the end of the block. I can walk the rest of the way.” Gray pulled over and stopped. He wanted to say goodbye, but he couldn’t get the words out no matter how hard he tried, so he said nothing at all. Blue opened the door and slid out, closing it gently behind him. He didn’t trust himself to look back at Gray, so he hoisted his backpack onto one shoulder and began walking slowly down the sidewalk. When Blue never looked back, Gray put the pickup in gear and made a u-turn in the middle of the street. It was better this way, he decided, a blessing in disguise actually. “Yeah,” he whispered, “keep telling yourself that until you begin to believe it.” Gray glanced in the rear-view mirror and saw Blue getting farther away with each step. Crying unashamedly, Gray started the drive back home to Oklahoma. As expected, the drive home was just a deeper level of hell. *** Blue felt anticipation building with each step he took. What would it be like to hug his mother again? Would she cry and hold him to her chest? Would she talk about how tall he had grown and worry about how thin he was? Would King remember him after being away for 3 years? Would he jump up and lick him all over, or would he whine and lay on the ground at Blue’s feet? How would his dad respond? Would he yell at him? Would he demand to know where he’d been and then shout at him for making them worry so much? Blue’s heart was a tangled mess of emotions: fear, excitement, worry, anticipation. He began walking faster and faster. Soon he was trotting, running the last few yards and coming to a sliding stop on the corner of his family’s front yard. He dropped his backpack off his shoulder and let it fall to the ground. There it was. His house. After so many long years away, it hadn’t changed at all. Blue had changed. He hoped his mom and dad had changed. King … well, he hoped King was just the same as always. Time to find out, he reckoned. He hoisted the backpack by the straps and walked up to the front door. Should he knock? Or ring the doorbell? Or just go in? The door swung open when he was still a few feet away. His mother came out and stopped, staring at him, her eyes filling with tears. Blue stopped and waited. She walked up slowly and reached out her hands, taking Blue into her arms and pulling him into a tight but gentle hug. “Welcome home, baby. Welcome home.” *** Gray was half an hour from home when his cell phone went off. He glanced at the name, grimaced, and sighed. Her timing was amazing, as always. He wanted to talk to her. Just not at this very moment, when he was so devastated about Blue. The only problem was he couldn’t pick and choose when they talked. He tapped the answer icon and sadly muttered, “Hello, Jess.” “We don’t talk for two months and that’s as much excitement as you can muster?” “Sorry. It’s just not a good time for me, Jess.” “Why? What’s going on, Gray?” He shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it, Jess. Personal issues. That’s all it is. And you and I don’t get to talk that often, so I’d rather hear how things are going for you.” “Great, actually. They asked me to head the Sudan mission. We’re behind schedule, of course, so I’m working 80-hour weeks trying to organize the next airlift. And as usual, we’re short the volunteers we need, so I’m busier than the only whore in a three-saloon town.” Gray laughed. “You haven’t changed a bit, Jess.” “Why should I? I’m perfect the way I am.” Laughing, she added, “I have to tell you, Gray, taking a job with the Red Cross may have been good for my soul, but it’s been hell on my body. I’m freakin’ exhausted!” “I’m proud of you, Jess. How much longer are you going to stick with it?” She sighed. “As long as I can. There are so many places where we’re needed. But to be honest, Gray, I’m not sure I can do this much longer. I’ll go as long as I can, but this job wears you out.” “When you’re ready to retire, you can work for me.” She laughed. “I thought you had a helper. That young guy. What’s his name?” “Blue.” “Yeah. Blue. What happened to him?” “He had to go home to his family.” The sorrow in Gray’s voice was painfully evident. Of course, the ever-perceptive Jess noticed. “Ah. Hmmm. Interesting.” “What? What’s interesting?” “Nothing, Gray. Nothing at all.” “Jess, I know you better than that. Something’s on your mind.” “And that’s where it’s gonna stay, sweet cheeks.” There was really nothing Jessica could do, not when she was a continent away and rarely able to find time to talk to Gray. As much as she hated to admit it, this was one time he’d have to sort out his love life on his own. Gray missed Jess. So very much. She could be a royal pain in the ass, but she had been his best friend … until Blue came along. Now that Blue was gone, he found himself missing Jess all over again. “If you were here, I would make you talk. It might take an hour or so, but I would eventually drag it out of you.” “You underestimate my stamina.” She laughed, then added, “I’m sorry we can’t talk more often, Gray. I promise I’ll try harder in the future.” “No, Jess. That wouldn’t be right. Your job is important. I can’t pull you away from your responsibilities.” “Hush, silly. You’re important to me. I’ll make time for a call before we leave for Sudan, probably in the next day or so. Once we’re down there, I don’t know when I’ll get another chance to talk.” “Okay. I’ll look forward to it.” Shouting voices called out Jessica’s name. She growled and said, “I gotta run, Gray. More emergencies to handle. Take care of yourself, okay?” “Yeah. You too, Jess.” Gray disconnected the call with a deep sigh. No Blue. No Jess. It was a good thing he had the dogs. Being alone sucked so bad. *** Blue sat at the kitchen table, eating an enormous slice of pecan pie with two large scoops of vanilla ice cream. King stretched out under the table, using Blue’s feet as a pillow. Blue absent-mindedly batman escort stroked the dog’s warm cheek, recalling with delight how the dog had greeted him. Just as King had done countless times whenever Blue returned home after school, the big dog had taken one look at Blue, trotted over, sat down, and stared up at Blue, waiting for his master to kneel down and throw his arms around his loyal pet. They had hugged for five minutes, Blue soaking the dog’s coat with tears of joy, King soaking his master’s neck with long, wet laps of his rough tongue. All was forgiven. Love was restored. Blue’s mom hadn’t fussed over him all that much. She had simply guided him to his bedroom and suggested he empty his backpack on the bed and put all his stuff away before joining her in the kitchen for a snack. Once he’d put everything up, he had returned to the kitchen to see his mom spooning ice cream onto a plate of steaming hot pie. “Five scoops or six?” she had asked with a grin. Blue had chuckled and replied, “Two’ll do me fine, mom.” Then she had busied herself preparing dinner while Blue enjoyed his afternoon snack. “Your father will be home soon. He had a few pressing business matters to finish up.” Dayna Wright bit her tongue, not saying what she wanted to blurt out about her husband. The boy had been missing for THREE YEARS, and Alan knew Andrew would be coming home today, yet he still insisted on going in to work. He OWNED the blasted store! He couldn’t have had someone watch it for one day? To be here when his own son returned home? She swallowed her anger and took out a can of crescent rolls, taking out a bit of her frustration on the packaging by smacking it extra hard on the edge of the counter to break the seal. She loved Alan Wright with all her heart and was devoted to him, but he could be so incredibly obstinate! It just made her furious some days. Dayna checked the roast. It was almost done. Maybe half an hour more. The potatoes and carrots were still firm but should be tender about the time the roast was ready. She rolled up the crescents and placed them on a baking sheet, then covered it all with plastic wrap and slid it into the refrigerator. Nothing more to be done, she turned and sat down at the table. “How’s the pie, Andrew?” Blue was startled. He hadn’t been called by that name for so long, it made him feel like a little boy again. A memory suddenly flashed through his mind. Running through the back yard. Holding his arms out and making airplane noises as he circled the swing set and trees. Hearing his dad shout, “Andrew! Settle down! Stop acting like a child.” “Andrew? Andrew?” Blue jumped and blinked. “Oh, sorry, Mom. The pie’s fantastic. Delicious. And so’s the ice cream.” Mom hadn’t changed one bit, Blue could tell. She still worried over him. Still fussed. Still spoiled him in little ways that made it clear she adored him. And yet, there was one change in his mom, in her face actually. Her eyes were different. Anxious and afraid. Worry lines spread out from them as she stared at Blue. Guess I’ll have to get used to being called Andrew now, he told himself. Andrew Gabriel Wright when he was in trouble and deserved all three names. He stifled a giggle and finished off the last bite of pie. Dayna smiled as she studied her son, proud and yet concerned. The boy was thin, but looked strong and healthy. He had grown more than a foot taller, and his face was somehow more mature. Her little boy was gone, and in his place, a young man sat before her. She hadn’t expected that. Which was silly, of course. Naturally the boy would have grown more mature in the time he’d been gone. And that made her heart ache. A mother should never miss a single day in her child’s life. Never again, she promised herself. Never, ever again. They both heard a car pull up in the driveway and the garage door cranking open. Dayna smiled, nervously. “Your dad’s home.” She took Blue’s plate and fork off the table and carried it to the sink. Blue scooted his chair back, disturbing King. Blue stood up and faced the door that led to the garage. King stood up and walked in front of Blue, sitting down with his back to his master. As with most dogs, King sensed the apprehension in the room, so he positioned himself between his human and any danger that might come. *** Alan Wright turned off the car and sat there, deep in thought. The boy was back. After dishonoring his parents in every way possible, he was back. Alan grunted. Now, it seemed, they were simply expected to pretend nothing had happened and go back to being one big, happy family. Dayna had made it abundantly clear that there were to be no questions about where Andrew had been all this time or how he made it back home. Well, he’d humor Dayna for now. She was a dear wife, absolutely devoted and everything a man could want, but she was also weak, in Alan’s opinion. She couldn’t see how she had spoiled Andrew over the years, making him a sissy and–worse yet–a homosexual. Alan ground his teeth in frustration. It was an embarrassing stain on his otherwise successful life. Building a flourishing furniture store from the ground up. Earning the respect of the town. Establishing a reputation as a good Catholic husband and father. Only to have a son who … who … who did what he did. Alan couldn’t speak the words. It was an abomination. He couldn’t stay out here in the garage all night. He opened the car door, got out, and firmly closed it. Squaring his shoulders, he did what he’d done so many times before, accepting his responsibility to God and his family. Time to begin fixing the situation. He walked to the door leading into the house and turned the knob. Pulling the door open, he saw Andrew standing there in the kitchen. Taller. Thinner. More mature somehow. But still his boy. His heart skipped a beat and he almost allowed his emotions to get the better of him, but he took firm control of his thoughts and walked into the room. “Hello, son. You’ve grown.” “Yes, sir.” “You look fit. Stronger.” “Yes, sir. I am.” “Good. That’s good.” Alan turned to Dayna and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll just take a quick shower and change clothes. We had a large shipment of sofas this afternoon. We were short-handed, so I had to help them unload the truck.” Turning to Blue, he said, “Could have used your help, Andrew. Maybe you’d like a part-time job working at the store?” Blue nodded. “Sure, Dad. I can do that.” “Good. I’ll make it happen, ” Alan stated. Dayna smiled tentatively. “We’re having roast for dinner, dear.” “That’s good. Very good. I’ll get cleaned up then.” And Alan left for the master bedroom. Blue remained standing beside the kitchen table until his father disappeared down the hallway. Kneeling down, Blue hugged King to his chest, refusing to cry. He didn’t bayburt escort care, not one little bit, that his dad hadn’t hugged him. Not one fucking bit. *** “The roast was delicious, Dayna, as usual.” “Yeah, Mom. Very tasty.” Dayna forced herself to smile. “Thank you. I’m glad you liked it.” Dinner had been awkward to say the least, with very little conversation, and what little there was had been artificial and strained. “Another roll, Andrew?” “Sure.” She passed the last crescent roll to her son, watching Alan’s eyes flick over Andrew, evaluating, appraising. He’s your son, she wanted to say, not a piece of new merchandise. But she held her tongue. Alan dropped his napkin onto his plate and checked his watch. “Well, if we get ready now, we should be able to make confession before the evening Mass.” Turning to the boy, Alan said, “Your mother and I have been attending Saturday night Mass. Of course, most of our friends still attend Sunday morning Mass, so we go then as well, but we find it beneficial to attend both. I’m certain you will too.” Dayna cleared her throat and added, “I bought you some nice clothes, Andrew. I had to guess at some of the sizes, but I think they’ll fit you reasonably well.” Blue sighed acceptance. Some things hadn’t changed at all. “Sure, Mom. I’ll go change.” *** Mass went just about the way Blue expected it to go. Familiar rituals. Nothing much changed, except there was a new priest, Father Soto. He seemed nice enough, shaking Blue’s hand after the service. Father Soto didn’t even blink an eye when Alan Wright said, “This is our son, Andrew Gabriel. He’s decided to come home. I’m hoping we can get him back into the Church quickly.” Father Soto smiled pleasantly and said, “Welcome, my son. I see you were named for a great disciple and an archangel as well. That’s certainly gives you quite a lot to live up to, doesn’t it?” Blue thought he detected a mischievous gleam in the priest’s eye. “I’m pretty sure I ain’t no angel,” Blue said, smiling. Dayna rolled her eyes to the sky, exasperated with Blue’s poor grammar. Alan gritted his teeth. But Father Soto grinned at Blue and replied, “I’m absolutely sure none of us are angels!” He patted Blue on the shoulder and said, “You are most welcome here, Andrew. Please come again.” Blue did come back the next morning, although it wasn’t exactly his choice. His mother put together a small but hearty breakfast which they ate quickly before getting dressed in even fancier clothes and heading off to the Sunday morning Mass. His father shook hands with dozens of equally well-dressed individuals, introducing them to Blue one after another. Business owners. City Councilors. The Mayor. And even a Senator. Blue didn’t even try to remember all the names. There was no point in that. He just tried to stand up straight and be polite and remember to never say ain’t. Father Soto was there too. He nodded at Blue and smiled. Blue shook hands with the rich and powerful until his fingers felt crushed. Why did these guys think they had to see how hard they could mash your hand? And did they really think he was `quite the handsome fellow’ they kept saying he was? If one more person proclaimed how he had his dad’s looks but his mom’s eyes, he thought he’d run screaming out of the church. Finally the torture ended, and they climbed into the car. Dayna turned in her seat to look back at Blue. “You were very polite and respectful, Andrew. Don’t you agree, Alan.” Alan grunted and mumbled, “Yes. Yes, he was.” Turning the key in the ignition, Alan started the car and backed out of the parking spot. “Senator Dearborn invited us to his fund raiser next Thursday. Do you have anything planned?” “No, dear. Nothing I can think of.” “Good. Good. I’ll take off work that day. It’s a good cause.” “Yes, dear,” Dayna replied, thinking to herself, no days off when Andrew came home but we’ll take a day off for the Senator. Alan was oblivious. “The Andersons invited us to join them for lunch at Roberto’s.” Alan glanced in the rear-view mirror. “Do you like Mexican food, Andrew?” “Yes, Dad,” Blue replied, thinking to himself, I always have and you should have known that. Alan was still oblivious. *** Lunch was good. Blue had missed eating at Roberto’s. It had always been one of his favorite restaurants. He particularly loved their chips and green chile salsa at the beginning of the meal and the fluffy sopapillas at the end. You couldn’t beat it. The Andersons were nice enough. They were the neighbors from across the street, but he didn’t remember them all that well. Like the Wrights, the Andersons also had an only child, a son named Dallas. Blue remembered Dallas from middle school. He sure had changed. Although he still had the same red hair, bright green eyes, and a light dusting of freckles across his face, Dallas was now tall and muscular, with bulging biceps that stretched the material of the white dress shirt he wore. At first they were nervous around each other, but Dallas warmed up quickly, actually taking time to talk to Blue throughout the meal. He invited Blue to come over any time, reminding him that they had a pool–it was the perfect time of year for that–and a hot tub that they used pretty much year-round. The hot tub was great for soaking sore muscles, which Dallas often needed when getting off work. Blue asked where he worked and was surprised to learn that he was employed by Alan Wright in the store warehouse, making deliveries, and assembling furniture when needed. That was when Blue’s father interrupted, mentioning that he wanted Blue to start helping at the store also, while it was still summer vacation. “Dallas can show Andrew around. Mentor him.” Dallas flashed Blue a friendly grin, promising to do just that. Blue wasn’t sure what to think. Dallas acted like he didn’t remember all the crazy stuff that had happened in middle school, which was just fine, as far as Blue was concerned. Those were events he’d rather forget, so he sure as hell wasn’t going to remind Dallas. Blue smiled nervously at Dallas as he poured honey onto a sopapilla and took a big bite of the fluffy treat. *** The cell phone rang only once before Gray’s voice eagerly answered, “Hi, champ.” Blue mumbled, “Hey, my dude.” “How’s it going so far?” “Good. About what I expected really.” Blue didn’t feel much like explaining. It was kind of depressing to think home wasn’t all he’d hoped it would be, but still–despite the disappointments–some things about it were turning out okay. Blue decided to change the subject. “How was the drive back to Oklahoma?” “Good. About what I expected,” Gray replied, not wanting to admit how miserable he’d been driving away and leaving Blue behind. He kept telling himself to be positive, for Blue’s sake, and he was determined to do just that. Silence bebek escort dominated the call. Neither one knew what to say. Blue surprised them both when he admitted, “I miss you already, Gray.” “I miss you too,” Gray sighed. “Something horrible.” More awkward silence. Then Blue snickered. “Maybe you could move in with my family. I could ask Mom to fix up the guest bedroom for ya’.” “I’m sure that would go over just great. Where would the dogs sleep?” Blue giggled. “Crash and Caleb can sleep with me and King. You can keep Amber and Junior in your room.” “I’ll have to think about it. They seem to like the farm a lot. Couldn’t keep Crash out of the lake today. He’s confident he’s gonna catch those ducks.” Blue laughed. “Do the other dogs like swimmin’ too?” “Amber does. Caleb does every now and then, but mostly he stands on the dock and barks. Junior won’t go in at all. Too much effort, I guess.” “He’s a real lazy bones, that dog.” “Yeah.” Blue stared at the ceiling, smiling. Somehow it made everything better to talk to Gray. He wished they were in the same room, hugging and kissing and … other stuff. Blue’s cock began to harden. Damn, he really missed Gray. Rolling over onto his stomach, Blue snickered and said, “Gray, I want to send you a picture of me in my room.” Gray snorted. “Keep it clean, you rascal.” Blue smirked. “It’ll just be me on my bed … and showing you something long and hard.” “Don’t you dare.” Blue laughed. “Give me a minute, okay?” Gray shouted into his phone, “Blue, don’t!” But the call had disconnected. A few seconds later, Gray’s phone chimed, indicating he had a text message with an attached file. Gray opened the message and saw a selfie of Blue, sitting on a bed, grinning madly with his middle finger extended toward the camera. Gray shook his head and laughed. He texted back: A text came back. Gray texted. Blue: Gray: Blue: Then, . Gray sent a final text reply. Blue read the text and then closed the messaging app. Why did it feel so good to have someone call him Blue instead of Andrew? *** Working with Dallas Anderson at the furniture store was fun, Blue had to admit. The older teen was friendly from day one, taking Blue under his wing and teaching Blue everything there was to learn about being a warehouse worker/furniture assembler/janitor/store go-fer. “What’s a go-fer?” Blue asked, when Dallas mentioned it was one of his main duties. “Well,” Dallas explained with a laugh, “when anybody needs something, they yell for you to come running and then you `go for’ it!” Blue thought about that and then laughed. “I get it. Go-fer’s go for whatever nobody else feels like goin’ for.” “That’s about the size of it,” Dallas agreed. Assembling furniture was one thing Blue really enjoyed. Dallas was patient, showing Blue how to use all the tools they kept in the warehouse, helping Blue to put together beds, dressers, recliners, and all the various tables and what-not’s that had to be unboxed and then fabricated before they could go out onto the floor of the store. It was fun but exhausting work. Some days, after a few hours of hard work, the sweaty teens returned home to change into swimsuits and soak for an hour in the Andersons’ hot tub. Blue noticed that Dallas’ freckles were even darker and more prevalent across his pale shoulders and chest. Dallas was well built, very muscular, with hefty pecs and rippled abs. Although Dallas had no hair to speak of on his chest, Blue noticed a rust-colored treasure trail leading from Dallas’ belly button down inside Dallas’ swim trunks. His pubes must be as red as his eyebrows and armpits, Blue decided. Interesting. *** The phone call connected. “Hey there, rascal.” “Hey there, my dude. What’cha doin’?” “Sitting on the dock, soaking my feet in the lake, watching the dogs chase the ducks.” Giggles. “They catch anything yet?” Chuckling. “Of course not. The ducks are too damned smart. And how about you? What are you doing?” “Hangin’ out in my room. Lettin’ my sore body take a much-deserved break.” “Oh? Been working you that hard at the furniture store?” “Damn straight, they are. Workin’ me harder than a red-headed stepchild and payin’ with nothin’ but grits and cold gravy.” Hearty laughter. “Oh, my God, Blue. Some days, I don’t know where you come up with this stuff.” More giggles. “What can I say? I’m a regular stand-up comedian.” “You’re a regular goof ball.” “You’re a fuddy-duddy, old dude who don’t know how to appreciate fine humor.” “I appreciate your humor, champ. You always know how to pick up my spirits.” “Yeah, I’m pretty darn good at that.” “So. Seriously. How’s everything? You enjoying working for your dad?” “Well, yeah, I suppose. I mean, my dad is treatin’ me just like any other employee, not like his son, or anything. No special treatment.” “Hmmmm, I see. Well, that’s good, I suppose.” “Yep. Dad treats Dallas better’n me, to be honest. `Cause he’s been there longer, I suppose.” “Dallas?” “Oh, yeah. He’s … ummm … he’s 17. Lives across the street from us. His family goes to our church, and he’s been workin’ for Dad for a while now. Sometimes I think Dad likes him better’n me.” “That’s not cool, Blue.” “Nah, it’s okay, my dude. Dallas is nice to me. He’s a good guy, and he’s kinda hot.” “Oh? Is that a fact?” Giggling again. “Did I say that out loud?” “Tell me more about this Dallas guy.” “What’dya wanna know?” “He’s 17. He’s hot. What else?” “He’s got red hair and green eyes and freckles and a nice body. Okay? Happy now?” “Blue! Are you crushing on this dude?” “Hell no! Can’t a guy notice when another guy is hot without everybody makin’ a federal case out of it?” “Who’s making a federal case out of it? Just asking a simple question. Are you crushing on him?” “What if I am?” “Well, if you are, then my next question would be: Is he interested in you the same way?” Whispering. “I don’t know, Gray. He’s friendly enough, but how do I know if he wants to do something more with me? How do I find out?” “Hold on a second. Who are you, and what did you do with Blue? What happened to the sexy stud who seduced me in my own bedroom? Where’d you put the guy who taught me everything I know about sex?” “I am so fuckin’ embarrassed right now, my dude.” Chuckling. “Don’t be. Just be yourself, champ. If he’s interested, he’ll let you know.” “Are you mad?” “Why would I be mad?” “That I might be interested in another guy?” A short wait, then, “I’m not mad.” “You sure?” “Positive. Blue, I love you and I’ll always love you. That means I care about what’s best for you. If this guy is good for you, if it’s meant to be, I promise you this, I’ll be in your corner the entire way.” A long pause. Sniffling. “I’ll never find anyone like you, Gray.” “You don’t know that, Blue.” “I ain’t sure I wanna find anyone else.” A very long pause. “I have to go now, Blue. Ummmm … the dogs … they’re barking at something up at the barn. I better go check on them.” “Okay.” “Bye, Blue.” “Goodbye, Gray.” The end of MISUNDERSTOOD, Chapter Twenty-Four