Ch 23 - Mistakes

With his hands in the pockets of his hooded jacket Chad leaned back against the building with his head down and one foot against the wall.  He looked haggard and miserable as he stood there with a lollipop in his mouth. 

Spencer had spotted him from a distance and pulled to the curb.  Chad had sounded desperate on the phone and deeply saddened as if someone had died.  They looked to each other and Chad pushed away from the building and walked to Spencer’s car where he got in on the passenger side but didn’t speak even as he buckled his seat belt and Spencer pulled into traffic. 

“So, are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Spencer asked.

“Well, do you remember how I told you about that guy at work?”

“The one who called you fire crotch,” Spencer answered.

“Exactly, well, I punched him.  He had it coming.  He was on me, like literally, over my shoulder.  He was really getting to me and he knew it.  I shoved him away and he shoved back.  He wanted it.  I just hit him and he went down.  I don’t think he expected that, to go down so easily.  I think he’s going to sue the department.”

“Really?”

Chad nodded.

“I’ve been suspended and maybe I’ll be fired.  There’s a union and some of the guys are on my side as witnesses but it’s so frustrating.”

“Do you even want to go back?”

“What?  What are you saying?”

“I just, I mean, it seems like you didn’t really enjoy it, being a cop.  I mean your wife said the guys were kind of assholes and you didn’t get along with them and I mean I never heard you really talk about liking it.  You liked the idea of it but being a cop, dealing with your coworkers.”

“I’m too sober for this,” Chad said.

“Me too,” Spencer said.  “How about a night of drinking?  You call Lucy and I’ll call the guys.”

Minutes later they were back at the apartment building where Spencer parked in the guest area and they were headed up to the guys’ apartment.  Lucy was there in the hallway playing a game on her phone.

“I managed to find a sitter,” she said.  “I kind of had feeling, a hope, this might happen.”

Spencer walked to the door, unlocked it with his key, and opened it.  Inside he was surprised at the sight of Walter and Bobby in the kitchen.

Walter stood in his diaper at the kitchen counter.  Bobby was beside him in a matching one.  They were making vodka and orange juice screwdrivers.

Chad stepped into the apartment and looked to the young men who looked back over their shoulders and smiled.

“It’s a party thing,” Spencer said.

“Sorry I didn’t get the notice or I would have worn my onesie,” Chad said.

“Really?” Spencer asked.

“No, I don’t have a onesie.  I sleep naked.”

Spencer looked away to the padded, covered asses of the two young men, cleared his throat and coughed.

“We’re going out for a drink,” Spencer said.  “It’s kind of an emergency.  Chad might get fired from his job.”

“Who all is going?” Walter asked.

“Me, Darrell, Chad, Josh, and Lucy... uh, Triston is going to stay here and I guess Bobby is staying too.”

Walter shrugged his shoulders.

“Hey, look I’m sorry, really it’s an emergency thing, but, I got you a present,” Spencer said. 

He opened his satchel bag and pulled out a wrapped, small gift which he gave to Walter who immediately opened it to find a small, thin but ornate book.

“Leaves of Grass?” Walter asked.

“Walt Whitman,” Spencer said.  “Super gay, lots of writing about naked young men and vulnerability.”

“Thanks,” Walter said.

“No problem,” Spencer said. 

Walter added it to the pile of birthday cards he had received from each of the guys, his parents, and friends.  It wasn’t long before the four of them were leaving, taking with them for a moment all of the energy from the room.  Walter looked down to his drink, to Bobby, and then to Triston.

“Hey, we can still have fun,” Triston said.

“Yeah, no problem,” Walter said.  I should be used to this by now, he thought.

Hours later, Walter was on his stomach staring up at the television.  Beside him Bobby was on his back also trying to watch but clearly more intoxicated.  Triston sat in on the couch behind them focused on the screen as well.  They were all in a warm, dark comfort.  A now familiar jazz style theme song played from the speakers.

“I don’t know how I let you talk me into wearing this thing,” Bobby said. 

“I dared you,” Walter said.

“I mean it’s kind of like thick briefs.  They cover all of the same areas but it’s different.”

“You can take it off if you want,” Walter said.

“No, I’m okay,” Walter said.  “I’m drunk enough I might just pee in it.  It’ll make it easier.”

“Well, I’m not cleaning it up,” Triston said.

“I’ll help you,” Walter replied.

There was a commotion in the hallway, laughter and stumbling.  Darrell’s voice, then Chad, Spencer, Josh, and Lucy.  They got to the door and Triston let out a sigh as he searched for the remote control.  He found it just in time to pause the show before they burst through the doorway.  Darrell was the only sober one.  They turned on the lights further breaking the illusion, the common feeling.

Spencer, Josh, and Darrell went to the kitchen while Chad and Lucy made their way into the living room where she helped him to the couch then sat beside him, between him and Triston.  She looked to the two young men who stared back at her.  She saw their diapers and smiled.

“I want to have another child one of these days,” she said.