Gary stood before the house he'd only been to one other time. 24 had insisted he stay in the car and not turn the music up. He had to go inside and didn't want 21 involved in the drama. He had seen 24 storms back out with an older looking man whose hair was peppered but not receding like his friends, but just as tall, following him out yelling about him being a lazy disappointment. Gary had started to open the door, but Paul had pulled open the other door. "Don't even think about it."
Paul knew Gary could have a temper and be scary when pushed. It was rare, but he'd seen it before. He didn't have to look to know his friend was fuming. They went to iHop and Paul crashed on his moms couch that night. It was one of the few times he spent the night.
This time, Gary was by himself, a bag over his shoulder and in his usual Kevin Smith look. His trench coat and cargo shorts. Ringing the doorbell, a middle-aged brunette answered. "Ain't I see you around, chubs?"
He narrowed his eyes. "You must be, Ann." He only knew Paul's ex's name due to a drunken night's ranting.
"And, you are?" "A friend of Paul's. I'm here to talk to Doug." "Paul's dead. The guild's already been here." She spoke it without a care and Gary felt his temper spiking but he took a deep breath to steady himself.
"I would like to speak to Doug." "You better not be here to say he was gay too. He's already got a gay brother." "I know dude. And no. I brought some of his stuff, you know in case he wanted it." "We don't want that junk." He heard the same voice from awhile ago. Doug pushing Ann aside sizing up the chubby young man haunting his doorstep.
"You're his little friend he always hung out with." "Gary." He introduced himself and even held a hand out. "Right, what do you want." Opening the bag he held up the few items of Paul's he had. a tshirt, a few books and a post card from Cancun. "These were his, I thought you'd want them." "Keep that junk. My son's dead, I don't want to think about it." "What about the 500 he owed you for the Stanza?" Gary spoke as he looked up making eye contact with Doug. That got some intrest.
"You're gonna pay me for the car he totalled?" "He didn't total it, that was an accident outside his control. And yes, if it gets you to be less bitter with my dead best friend. I have the cash right now." He hadn't sold anything, it was just his paycheck from the Atomic Comic Collection Connection. Holding out the envolope the man took it and counted the money.
"Don't beleive me?" "You're one of that villian's crew. I have a right." "Cool. Now leave." Doug slammed the door in his face as Gary stood there shocked. He didn't know what he expected, but it wasn't that. He could totally see why Paul hated this man.
He walked home dejected best friendless, and now 500 bucks broker. Paul would have laughed at him for trying, but he had too. His mom was waiting at the door for his younger brother to get off the bus as Gary walked up the drive. She didn't have to ask, she could see it on his face. Grabbing her oldest around the shoulders, he pulled him in for a hug and held him close.
"It's okay, sweetie, just let it out." How lame was he, crying into his mom's shoulder while his brother got off the bus.
---
It had been nearly a year since he had last darked this door. This time he wasn't the heartbroken kid he felt he was a year ago. Now he was in shape, he was mad and he knew what he wanted.
He had left Paulie with his mom, who was still unsure how she felt about being a grandmother. She believed the story that Gary had knocked someone up and they abandoned the baby. It was better than admitting to his mom that his son was a clone of his dead best friend. Even if his mom did look at him differently now.
Gary knew he needed to be back in an hour at the latest, but this shouldn't take long. Cop knocking hard on the door. This time Doug answered. "The fuck do you want!" He yelled out, stopping when he saw the person on his doorstep.
"Who the hell are you?" The guy didn't even recognize him. Even better. Gary pulled back and swung as hard as he could into the guy's jaw. Sending him reeling back into and over the couch inside the door.
"I'm nobody. But you, your worse. How the hell could you treat him that way!" Gary's voice rose. He saw the brunette already dialing the phone. He could not afford an assault charge with Paulie with his mom. "You're so fucking lucky, dude. You had the best son in the world, and you treated him like shit. How do you get to keep going and he's dead? You stole his girlfriend!" He yelled at him, Doug already getting up, blood oozing down his face, nose very broken. He rushed at Gary, but a second swing sent him flying back again, and this time. "I hate you!" Gary yelled inside as he took off running.
He had mapped his route home before he left. Jumping a few fences and running through the small bit of woods that was between Doug's house and the suburb Gary lived in. He had to get home before news got out and get back to the cocoon before night fall. Coming in through the sliding glass door, he picked up the daiper bag and hurried up to his moms room.
"Sorry to cut this short, I gotta go, mom." She just nodded, putting Paulie in his car seat as Gary picked it up. "You take care of him, baby, and remember to love him as much as I love you." That got Gary to smile softly at his mom. "I love you too mom, even when I've been a pain in the neck, and I always will." A kiss placed on her cheek as he hurried out to the cheap car he had borrowed from another hench for the day. Time to get home before the cops got to Doug's house, since he'd have to drive past it.
Two times Gary Fischer met Doug.
Paul knew Gary could have a temper and be scary when pushed. It was rare, but he'd seen it before. He didn't have to look to know his friend was fuming. They went to iHop and Paul crashed on his moms couch that night. It was one of the few times he spent the night.
This time, Gary was by himself, a bag over his shoulder and in his usual Kevin Smith look. His trench coat and cargo shorts. Ringing the doorbell, a middle-aged brunette answered. "Ain't I see you around, chubs?"
He narrowed his eyes. "You must be, Ann." He only knew Paul's ex's name due to a drunken night's ranting.
"And, you are?"
"A friend of Paul's. I'm here to talk to Doug."
"Paul's dead. The guild's already been here." She spoke it without a care and Gary felt his temper spiking but he took a deep breath to steady himself.
"I would like to speak to Doug."
"You better not be here to say he was gay too. He's already got a gay brother."
"I know dude. And no. I brought some of his stuff, you know in case he wanted it."
"We don't want that junk." He heard the same voice from awhile ago. Doug pushing Ann aside sizing up the chubby young man haunting his doorstep.
"You're his little friend he always hung out with."
"Gary." He introduced himself and even held a hand out.
"Right, what do you want." Opening the bag he held up the few items of Paul's he had. a tshirt, a few books and a post card from Cancun.
"These were his, I thought you'd want them."
"Keep that junk. My son's dead, I don't want to think about it."
"What about the 500 he owed you for the Stanza?" Gary spoke as he looked up making eye contact with Doug. That got some intrest.
"You're gonna pay me for the car he totalled?"
"He didn't total it, that was an accident outside his control. And yes, if it gets you to be less bitter with my dead best friend. I have the cash right now." He hadn't sold anything, it was just his paycheck from the Atomic Comic Collection Connection. Holding out the envolope the man took it and counted the money.
"Don't beleive me?"
"You're one of that villian's crew. I have a right."
"Cool. Now leave." Doug slammed the door in his face as Gary stood there shocked. He didn't know what he expected, but it wasn't that. He could totally see why Paul hated this man.
He walked home dejected best friendless, and now 500 bucks broker. Paul would have laughed at him for trying, but he had too. His mom was waiting at the door for his younger brother to get off the bus as Gary walked up the drive. She didn't have to ask, she could see it on his face. Grabbing her oldest around the shoulders, he pulled him in for a hug and held him close.
"It's okay, sweetie, just let it out." How lame was he, crying into his mom's shoulder while his brother got off the bus.
---
It had been nearly a year since he had last darked this door. This time he wasn't the heartbroken kid he felt he was a year ago. Now he was in shape, he was mad and he knew what he wanted.
He had left Paulie with his mom, who was still unsure how she felt about being a grandmother. She believed the story that Gary had knocked someone up and they abandoned the baby. It was better than admitting to his mom that his son was a clone of his dead best friend. Even if his mom did look at him differently now.
Gary knew he needed to be back in an hour at the latest, but this shouldn't take long. Cop knocking hard on the door. This time Doug answered. "The fuck do you want!" He yelled out, stopping when he saw the person on his doorstep.
"Who the hell are you?" The guy didn't even recognize him. Even better. Gary pulled back and swung as hard as he could into the guy's jaw. Sending him reeling back into and over the couch inside the door.
"I'm nobody. But you, your worse. How the hell could you treat him that way!" Gary's voice rose. He saw the brunette already dialing the phone. He could not afford an assault charge with Paulie with his mom. "You're so fucking lucky, dude. You had the best son in the world, and you treated him like shit. How do you get to keep going and he's dead? You stole his girlfriend!" He yelled at him, Doug already getting up, blood oozing down his face, nose very broken. He rushed at Gary, but a second swing sent him flying back again, and this time. "I hate you!" Gary yelled inside as he took off running.
He had mapped his route home before he left. Jumping a few fences and running through the small bit of woods that was between Doug's house and the suburb Gary lived in. He had to get home before news got out and get back to the cocoon before night fall. Coming in through the sliding glass door, he picked up the daiper bag and hurried up to his moms room.
"Sorry to cut this short, I gotta go, mom." She just nodded, putting Paulie in his car seat as Gary picked it up.
"You take care of him, baby, and remember to love him as much as I love you." That got Gary to smile softly at his mom.
"I love you too mom, even when I've been a pain in the neck, and I always will." A kiss placed on her cheek as he hurried out to the cheap car he had borrowed from another hench for the day. Time to get home before the cops got to Doug's house, since he'd have to drive past it.