Bryce

The Second Semester

Chapter 11 - Sunday

            After letting David out, Damon turned to his boyfriend.  Bryce looked wrung out.  After his discussions, first with Jason Todd, then with David Simpson, he was emotionally exhausted.  Damon decided that a little TLC was called for.  Stripping, he approached the bed and began to remove Bryce’s clothing.

            “I appreciate the thought, Damon, but I don’t think I have the energy,” Bryce protested.

            “Just be quiet for a change,” Damon responded.

            When he had finished completely unclothing his partner, Damon disappeared for a moment.  Then he returned naked, and led a docile Bryce into the bathroom, and into the shower stall, where he gave him a good rub down in pleasantly hot water.  He dried the both of them amidst much giggling, then led Bryce back to bed.  He crawled in with him, and cuddled until Bryce was sleeping.  Damon held him for nearly two hours, until the rumblings of both stomachs announced that it was time to get up and find some food.

            Bryce was immensely grateful to his boyfriend for his understanding and care.  They kissed several times, which interfered with their efforts to don winter clothing in order to set out to find someplace to eat.  By the time they were in the cold wind outside, they had decided to go to the little family run place a few blocks away.  On a Saturday evening, few students would be in such a place, preferring more exciting locations.  They had a quiet, but very satisfying dinner, lingering over dessert and coffee.

            On the way back to campus, Bryce fell behind as they battled the wind.  Giving in to an evil temptation, he gathered some snow from atop a parked car, packed it down, and lobbed it at his boyfriend, striking Damon behind the right ear.

            “Ow!  You ungrateful shit!  This is the thanks I get for mothering you all evening,” Damon yelled, as he began to chase Bryce.

            They were only a short distance from campus, so Bryce was able to reach the open spaces near the campus entrance before Damon caught him.  At that point, however, Damon pounced.  Bryce found himself face down in the snow, with Damon sitting on his back.

            “This seems familiar,” he commented.  “Didn’t we do something like this last semester?”

            “Yeah, but obviously you didn’t learn your lesson,” Damon replied, as he scooped up a handful of snow.  He then proceeded to tuck the snow down the neck of Bryce’s jacket, to the yelling and writhing of his partner.  It took Bryce several minutes to dislodge Damon, by which time he had snow running down his torso front and back.

            “I’d stay and get you for good, except I’m freezing,” Bryce complained.

            Damon chuckled.  “I think you’re over the blahs.”

            Not too long after, the two young men carried out the program Bryce has suspected Damon of instigating right after David left.

            On Sunday morning, Bryce and Damon met the Sandovals and David in the parking lot at St. Boniface Church, and entered with them, sitting together.  All through the Mass, Bryce had the eerie feeling that he was being watched.  Each time he looked at Damon or at David, the other guy turned away, but had obviously been observing him.  It dawned on Bryce that his profession of faith the previous day had aroused curiosity on the part of his friends.  He did not think he was doing anything differently than he had been all along, but now he was being scrutinized more carefully.

            When it came time for the sermon, everyone in this group was interested to see whether Father Payne would comment on the massive walk-out on the visiting priest the previous Sunday.  The pastor mounted the ambo, and gave his usual incomprehensible talk, but at the end he commented that we should all remember to be courteous to visitors.  That was all.  Comments among the Sandoval party favored the interpretation that the pastor simply did not know what to make of it.

            Naturally, Bryce, Damon, and the Sandoval party went out to eat together after Mass.  As they were seated at the Olive Garden, Bryce said, “If you guys don’t stop looking at me funny, you’ll have to pay for your own lunch.”

            Damon replied, “It’s not us looking at you that makes you funny.”

            Bryce attempted to assault his boyfriend, but Isobel Sandoval reproved them.  “Boys, behave.”

            “Yes, ma’am.”

            “Now,” she continued, “why have David and Damon been eying Bryce all through Mass?  I did notice it, you know.”

            David and Damon tried talking at the same time, but Mike shushed them both.  “As I understand it from what David told me, last summer Bryce went on a trip to Italy with his family, and had some kind of religious experience while in Rome.  These two crass infidels find that amusing, Right, Bryce?”

            “Pretty much,” Bryce agreed.

            “I object to ‘infidels,’” David protested.

            “And I object to ‘crass,’” Damon seconded the dissent.

            “But you boys have been, shall we say, observing Bryce more closely than before, haven’t you?” Isobel insisted.

            “I guess,” David admitted.

            “I wanted to see whether he sprouted a halo,” Damon said.

            At that, the entire table broke into laughter, as Bryce again attempted to assault his boyfriend, again without success.

            “It’s a good thing we’re in this secluded alcove,” Isobel said.  “Otherwise the management would have told us to leave long ago.  Let’s talk about something else.”

            “Like what?” David asked.

            “Well, we could talk about Kyle,” Mike said.

            “What’s so interesting about Kyle?” David responded, looking at the teenager next to him.

            Several people tried to hush Mike, but he blurted out, “Over the holidays, he knocked up his girlfriend.”

            “Damn you, Mike!” Kyle yelled.  He turned six shades of red, and attempted to get at his brother, but he was wedged in between his mother and David.

            “Kyle, language,” Isobel admonished him.

            “But Mike should not have said that,” Kyle protested.

            “No, he shouldn’t have.  David and Bryce and Damon are good friends, but they are not family.  Mike, you will apologize to your brother,” Isobel insisted.  Seeing the look in Mike’s eyes, she added, “and you will mean it.”

            David preempted him.  “My boyfriend is sometimes even crasser than Damon or I.  I apologize for him.”

            That caused some laughter, which alleviated the tensions a good deal.

            Realizing he had gone too far, Mike said, “Mom’s right, and so is David.  I went too far.  I didn’t mean to really upset you, Kyle.  I’m sorry.”  From his tone, it was clear that Mike was indeed regretting his blunder.

            Kyle muttered something, took another look at his brother, looked around the table and saw no hostility, and sighed.  “Okay, Dork.  Just remember, I’ll cash in this IOU when Kathy and I want to go out.  Uncle Mike can babysit.”

            “Seriously, Bro, you know I’ll help all I can,” Mike said.

            Damon leaned over to Bryce and commented, “That’s a lot more support than my sister Vanessa got when she turned up prego.”

            “So, you’re Uncle Damon,” Bryce smiled.

            “Not a very good uncle, I’m afraid.  Mike could give me lessons,” Damon admitted, resolving to finally write to his sister, the only one who had sent him a Christmas card.

            “Since Bryce’s religious experiences and Kyle’s ... ahem ... not so religious experiences are off the table, what shall we talk about?” David asked.

            Isobel responded, “So, you went to Italy last summer, Bryce.  I’ve never had the opportunity to travel.  Have you done much traveling?”

            “A fair amount, I guess,” Bryce answered.  “The family generally go somewhere on vacation during the summer.  It’s kind of an every other year thing.  One year abroad, like Rome last summer, and the next year something in this country, like the year before we did Williamsburg and colonial Virginia.”

            “That must be nice,” Isobel said enviously.

            “What do you do for vacations?” Bryce asked.

            “Oh ....” Isobel began, but her elder son interrupted.  “My dad is so wedded to the restaurant we never get to go anywhere,” Mike said.

            “That’s not exactly true,” Isobel came to the defense of her spouse.

            “Okay.  Here’s what we’ve done for as long as I can remember,” Mike said.  “My folks have a friend who has a cabin on the river.  Each summer, we go down there, and stay for about a week.  It’s pretty nice.  A change of pace.  Swimming, boating, you know.  But it’s not Rome, and it’s not even Williamsburg.”

            “And Dad can’t wean himself away from the restaurant for more than a day or two, so he’s not there most of the time,” Kyle added.

            “That might not be Rome, but it’s a hell of a lot better than hiding out all summer so my brother doesn’t ....”  Before completing his sentence, Damon saw Terry Sandoval looking at him with wide eyes.  He swallowed what he was about to say.  “So my brother doesn’t cause trouble,” he lamely finished, “And I apologize for the language.  I sort of got carried away.”

            “It’s a good thing we’re about finished here,” Isobel said.  “I think we’re running out of appropriate things to talk about.  I just want you all to remember the greatest crime discussed this afternoon.”

            “What’s that, Mom?  I don’t recall a crime,” Kyle incautiously asked.

            “Why, you’re making me a grandmother, and I’m not yet forty!” she exclaimed.

            Kyle turned red again, and everyone else laughed as they began to exit the restaurant.

            “Will we see you at the soup kitchen this afternoon?” Bryce asked, as they parted in the parking lot.

            “Mike and Terry will be there,” Isobel said, “but I have to put in some time at the restaurant, and Kyle is scheduled to spend some time with Kathy.”

            Kyle turned red still again.  He was getting real good at it.

            Back on campus, Bryce decided to call his mother for their weekly chat before attempting any work on his classes.  She picked up on the first ring, almost as though she were waiting for him.  They talked pleasantly for a while.  Bryce attempted to let his mother know something about his activities on campus without telling her everything.  He did not think she would really appreciate hearing about his role in the GLBT Club, for example.  When Bryce had finished, Martha insisted on talking to Damon.  She had become quite fond of her son’s boyfriend over the holidays.  It was Damon who informed her that several guys were coming to Bryce for advice, and he was taking lots of time to help them.  Martha commented that Bryce always was very helpful and considerate.

            When Damon handed his cell back to Bryce, he said, “Your mom says you always were very helpful and considerate.”

            “I swear, I’m going to bug that phone, and hold you responsible for every word you utter,” Bryce said, blushing.

            “You look a lot like Kyle.  Have you two been practicing together?” Damon teased.

            That resulted in some rough-house, followed by some tender making up.

            About quarter to four, Bryce and Damon were in the parking lot, getting into Bryce’s Mustang for the trip to the soup kitchen.  “Here,” Bryce said, tossing his cell to Damon, “call DeShawn and tell him we’re on our way.”

            Damon smiled.  He liked the cocky little guy.  That was the kind of brother he would have appreciated having.  However, he was getting no signal from DeShawn’s phone.  He tried several times, with the same result.

            “Try Malcolm,” Bryce suggested.

            Malcolm picked up on the first ring.  “Been waiting for you guys to call,” the boy said.

            “I tried ringing DeShawn, but got nothing,” Damon explained.

            “That’s cause some motherfucker smashed his cell last night,” Malcolm reported bitterly.

            “What?  What happened?  Is DeShawn okay?” Damon demanded.

            “He says he’s okay, but he don’t look it,” Malcolm stated.

            “We’re almost there,” Damon said.

            Five minutes later, they pulled up in front of the projects where DeShawn and Malcolm both lived.  DeShawn was there, but not looking very happy.  He had several bandages on his face, and was wearing the scruffy light jacket he wore before Bryce bought him a winter one.  The two youngsters crawled into the back seat.

            “What happened to you, DeShawn?” Bryce asked.

            DeShawn burst into tears.  “I’m sorry.  I’m really sorry,” he cried.

            “Sorry?  What are you sorry for?” Bryce wanted to know.

            DeShawn was crying and hiccupping such that he could not answer properly, so Malcolm took over.  “Last night, DeShawn was snooping around where some of the older guys hang out.  They caught him, and beat the shit out of him, and smashed his cell, and took his jacket and his shoes,” Malcolm reported.

            For the first time, Bryce noticed that DeShawn was wearing a torn and ratty pair of shoes.

            “Pull over,” Damon commanded.

            Bryce immediately obeyed.

            “You get up here,” Damon told Malcolm.  The boy got in the passenger seat in front, and Damon crawled into the back, and took DeShawn into his arms.  The boy was still crying.

            “I’m sorry I lost all the stuff you gave me, Bryce,” he sobbed.

            “Don’t you think about that at all,” Bryce told him.  “The important thing is, how are you?  Did they hurt you much?”

            DeShawn sniffled, but drew himself up.  “No way.  I’m tough,” he proclaimed.

            They were at the shelter, where the soup kitchen was located, by then.

            “Well, tough guy, do you want to stay out in the car with Malcolm, or come in where you can get some rest and it’s warmer?” Bryce asked.

            DeShawn looked like he did not want to detatch himself from Damon, but he drew himself up again.  “My job is to guard the car.  I’ll stay here,” he declared.

            “Stout soldier,” Damon declared, hugging the boy.

            Damon and Bryce went inside, leaving DeShawn and Malcolm in the car, with the doors locked and the heater on.

            There was the usual bustle preparing for the arrival of the needy.  As mentioned earlier, Mike Sandoval and his sister Terry also came to help out.  They worked well together for some time.  Not long before it was time to open the doors for the line of diners, however, there was a slackening of effort.  At that time, Deacon Jeffers approached the four workers.

            “You guys were at Mass at St. Boniface last Sunday, weren’t you?”

            “Yes, sir,” Bryce responded.  “Mike and his sister are regular parishioners.  I’m just a student at the University, but I come when I’m in town, and Damon is my friend, so he comes with me, even though he’s not Catholic.”

            “You were among those who walked out on Father Noonan last Sunday, weren’t you?” Deacon Jeffers asked.

            Bryce hesitated.  Was the deacon going to tell them their services were not wanted because of that protest?  But he answered, “Yes, we were.”

            “Thought so,” the deacon responded.  “I sure hope we don’t get him as our next pastor.  A lot of those who walked out, and some others, have written the Archbishop.”

            Seeing the way things were going, Mike said, “My mom wrote.  It was a pretty scorching letter.  I got to read it before she sent it off.”

            “Good, good,” the deacon said, and went back to preparing for the supper.  Bryce determined to write his own letter that evening.

            A couple of minutes later, the doors were opened, and for the next hour and a half every volunteer was kept busy in the serving line or the kitchen.  Malcolm and DeShawn came in and had their suppers separately, and went back to the car.  Around six-thirty, the line diminished to the point that the servers could take time off for their own meals, a few at a time.  By a little after seven, those on the line were told they could go home.  Mike and Terry stayed to help with the clean-up crew.

            When Bryce and Damon got back in the car, Bryce asked the boys whether they had to be back home right away.  DeShawn and Malcolm looked at each other, wondering what was up, but answered that no one really cared whether they were home or not.  Still, Bryce insisted that both call home and inform whoever answered that they would be delayed by an hour or more.  Mystified, they did so.  No one was home at Malcolm’s place, but DeShawn left a message with someone at his apartment.

            Bryce drove to a mall out by the Interstate Highway.  There, they located a store which sold cell phones, and replaced DeShawn’s instrument, encoding it with the same number as his destroyed phone.  Then, they went to a Target outlet, and replaced the jacket which had been stolen.

            DeShawn was in tears.

            “We can’t have our number one auto watcher freeze his hiney off,” Bryce proclaimed, which caused the boys to giggle.

            Then, both DeShawn and Malcolm were outfitted in the most popular brand of shoes from a store which specialized in athletic shoes.  They were in seventh heaven.  Such shoes were a symbol of status at their school and in the projects.

            Knowing that growing boys could always eat, they then visited the food court, and all four of them had some pizza and coke.

            After stuffing themselves, they all piled back in Bryce’s car, and the two youngsters were at last delivered to their home posts.

            Bryce instructed DeShawn, “From now on, you keep away from the spots where the older boys hang out, until you’re an older boy.”

            “Yes, sir,” DeShawn said, saluting like an army recruit.

            The two boys then ran into the building.

            Damon had been pretty quiet throughout this entire episode.  On the way upstairs to their rooms, however, he commented, “You might be weird, but I guess you’re okay.”

            “Glad you approve,” Bryce grinned back at him.

            Damon made a thing of looking around the top of Bryce’ head.

            “What?” Bryce asked.

            “I think maybe there is a halo there,” Damon replied.