Billy holds my face with both hands, looking deep into my eyes with concern. “Nelson, I thought something bad had happened to you. I wouldn’t know what to do if you were hurt.”
I smile, placing my finger gently on his pouted lips. “I love you too, Billy.”
He hugs me tight, giggling in relief. “Oh, baby, I love you so much!”
“What happened today? Todd told me he and his friends…”
“Todd is crazy. He had his goons knock me down and kick me until I told him the truth about last night. He told me you were his and that he was going to make you his by any means necessary. I got so scared, when I woke up in the nurses’ office, I tried to find you, but I found Jamar instead.”
Jay shakes his finger at me. “By then, I’d gathered up Bill’s clothing for the laundry and found the note in your pocket. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what was going on. When he came poundin’ at my door, I thought he was another one of Todd’s goons, and I had my mace ready, believe you me.” He laughs.
“So there I was, trying to explain that I was your secret lover through the door as quietly as possible. It was pretty embarrassing.” Billy shrugs shyly. “We looked for you all day, baby, where were you?”
“Hiding at Denny’s. They eventually found me, but then I crashed Todd’s car and now I think he may be really hurt or dead or something.”
“Oh my God.” Billy puts a hand over his mouth.
“That asshole had it coming. Don’t worry, Nels. I’m sure it was self defense.” Jay nudges me with his elbow. “So no more of that frat bullshit, right?”
“You couldn’t pay me enough, Jay. Speaking of money, I’d better get to a bank first thing in the morning.” I turn away, combing my hair back nervously.
“A bank? Why?” Billy puts a hand on my shoulder.
“Because when my old man finds out that I’m not only refusing the family tradition of Beta-Kappa-Delta, but I’m also dating the hunkiest jock in school, he’ll have a litter of penguins and cut off my bank account. I’d better get to a bank and have the joint account separated before he finds out. He’s a powerful man, and all he needs to do is make one phone call.”
“But you’re 18, aren’t you? He can’t touch that money.” Jay chimes in.
“He can if it’s a joint account in mainly his name. I need to open an account in a bank he’s never heard of and transfer the funds there before he even so much as smells trouble. He did the same thing to my brother when he came out. Poor guy.”
“Wow, no offense, but what a dickhead.” Billy crosses his arms. I merely turn to face him, smile wide and kiss him deeply. He wraps his arms around me and gladly reciprocates.
“Oh, sweet Jesus, SPARE ME!” Jay covers his eyes.
__
The car crash is all over the news this sunny and clear Saturday morning. As it turns out, Todd is in a coma, and when questioned, the two shaken but otherwise unharmed goons of his told Police that Todd crashed the car himself. It avoided having to explain that they were all trying to blackmail a local Freshman into being their sex slave. The cops wrote it up as a drunk driving accident and plan to arrest Todd if and when he comes out of the coma.
Billy stayed at my place last night, but we were considerably well behaved, for Jay’s sake. We all have a good, wholesome breakfast before heading out to my bank. We have to drive quite a ways and wait forever for an available associate to help with the transfer, but I take all sixteen thousand out right then and there, and put it into another bank manually so there’s no paper trail to follow.
Later that day, I give my little brother, Alex a call. We make plans to have dinner tonight, him and his lover, and me with mine. As for Jay, he insists that he has a test to study for on Monday. We four end up having a lovely evening out. I missed my brother more than I’d realized and it’s terrific seeing him again. He says the same about me. Alex’s lover is part owner of a small bar and restaurant chain, and he has a location not terribly far from the college. He tells me to get down there on Monday and get myself a part time job so I can start paying my own bills for a change. I agree wholeheartedly and offer to pay the bill in return.
Billy and I arrive at his dorm room late that night and spend the remainder of the early hours making love. When he falls asleep, I can’t.
Something is still weighing on my conscience. I wait until eight that morning and use Billy’s phone to make one last call.
“Hi, Dad. How are you? Look, we need to talk…”