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NINE
I hung out with Dustin a lot that break. Kevin was off with a friend I didn't know he had in Janus. It turned out to be Alex. I wasn't sure what I thought about him and Alex hanging out, but there was nothing I could do about it. I'd be accepting like a good brother. Richard had a few things to say about Kevin hanging out with Alex. He didn't like that Kevin wasn't in the basement with us to watch movies. But then he was and Alex came with him.
"I owe you an apology," Alex said to me when we were all sitting in the basement. "My dad really did a number on my head. It isn't an excuse, it's an explanation. I was in a bad place and I wanted Kevin to myself. I know that was wrong, and I can't fix it, but I can do better in the future. I'm sorry for leaving The Five and treating you all like shit. We're seniors now, and we're going to graduate at the end of the year. Killian, you and I used to be friends. I hope that we can be again."
"I know a little something about parents doing a number on your head," I said. "I accept your explanation and apology. Just show up, Alex. Kevin is a great guy, but you can't revolve your life around him. Be part of the group. We'll hang out with you. You don't need Kevin to be a part of the group. If you and Kevin want to try your relationship again that's great. Just don't make the same mistakes or you'll lose him again."
That was all that was said about it that day. We watched movies. Grandma was making pies and cookies. She told me that Uncle Nick and his family were coming for Christmas. This would be the first time any of us had seen Nick since we were really little. I had no objection to Nick and his family coming to Christmas. I didn't know enough about him to worry about it. We went back to watching movies. When they were over I had Richard take me Christmas shopping. I had to buy for Blake and Brady, Nick's sons. I bought Nick a really nice Bible. I knew he liked to play minister I didn't know if he was successful at that or not. For Dianna I got a nice tennis bracelet with actual diamonds. I had them all gift wrapped. I got the boys video games and had them gift wrapped.
"What about Dustin and Kevin?" Richard asked as I collected my packages and paid for them.
"I already have everyone else," I said. "I'm reacting to Grandma telling me that Nick and his family will be here."
"Okay," Richard said. "I'm not buying them anything. I don't exactly like Nick."
"I don't remember him," I said.
"Well, you're not going to like him," he said. "Trust me."
"I do," I said. We went back to the house.
Nick, Dianna, Blake and Brady arrived in Janus later that day. They checked into the hotel. They came to dinner at Grandma's. She seemed happy enough to have them in the house. I didn't think anything of it. Nick asked us questions about our lives and was shocked that we were seniors at fifteen years old. Grandma told him that Kevin and I were very smart and very mature. He looked at us but said nothing. Grandma asked Bale and Brady about school. They told her that they both played baseball. She smiled at this.
"You go to Maxwell Academy, right?" Dianna asked me.
"Yes," I said. "We've been going there for almost three years."
"It's a boarding school, isn't it?" Nick asked.
"Yes," I said. "We live in a dorm with all of the athletes."
"Do you go to church at Maxwell?" he asked.
"Yes, we go to the local church not far from campus," I said.
"Okay," he said. "At least you have God in your life."
"You go to school with all boys," Dianna said. "How do you interact with girls?"
"We have the Phoenix Club at school," I said. "It's a club we share with Worthington Prep. That's the girls' version of Maxwell Academy. They're owned by the same company. We see the girls at the club. There are professors there from both schools to keep an eye on us."
"Mom has sent me pictures of you boys at dances," Nick said. "Killian, I see you with a pretty young woman in every picture. Kevin, I see you with different girls in most of your pictures. Haven't picked one?"
"No," he said. "I have a boyfriend."
"What?" he asked, like he hadn't heard him.
"I have a boyfriend," Kevin said. "His name is Alex. He lives down the street."
"You allow this?" Nick asked Grandma.
"Nick," she sighed. "You live in a world where it is more accepted than you think."
"It's an abomination," he said heatedly. "What about you, Killian? Are you as vile as your twin?"
"Now that's enough," Grandma said. "You are in my house, Nick. Don't you dare attack the twins."
"I think it might be a good idea that we spend as much time with Jason as we can this break," I said. I got up and Kevin stood as well.
"Where do you think you're going," Nick demanded.
"You are not our father," I said. "You are our uncle, and you seem to have a problem with us. So in the interest of keeping the peace, we're leaving."
"Killian, you don't have to leave," Grandma said.
"Grandma, this is for the best," I said. "I don't want to sit at the same table with Nick. Come on, Kevin."
"You're just going to let them walk out the door?" Nick bellowed.
"You're an ass, Nick," Grandma said.
We walked to Jason's house and he let us in. He said my grandmother had called him and told him we were on our way and why. He looked at us with pity in his eyes. We didn't need pity. What we needed was a place where Nick wasn't. We sat at the table. They were having dinner. Sarah said she'd cooked enough to two more because she'd been expecting us. She told me that she remembered Nick from high school. He'd been a year or two ahead of her, but she remembered enough to know that Kevin and I wouldn't want to be around him.
We talked about nothing important other than the coming baby. Jason said they were looking at houses on the other side of town. I said I understood that they needed more room. He said that they wanted at least a three bedroom house. I told him about the house my grandmother had lived in until she died. Ryan was dead, and so was Justin. The house was owned by the bank, and they were wanting to sell. He said he'd look into it and thanked me for the information.
When we got home that night, Nick was gone. I went to the basement and picked up all of the movies and stuff my cousins had left out. They were messy boys. I got it all cleaned up and dishes back upstairs. Grandma hugged me and told me she was sorry about what Nick had said. I told her he hadn't said much to me. Kevin and I watched movies in the basement for the rest of the night. When we went to bed I was so tired from the emotional day that I fell straight to sleep.
The next morning I got another shock. I went to the breakfast table and there was Nick. He looked at me but said nothing. Kevin came in a few minutes later from the basement. Nick asked Grandma why we didn't share a room anymore. She told him that we were growing up. He laughed and said that I probably couldn't condone Kevin's life style. I just shook my head. I wasn't saying a word to him unless I had to. I looked at Grandma and she put her head down.
"So, Killian, what do you have to say about your brother's sexuality?" Nick asked me.
"It's his life," I said. "It's between him and God. What should I have to say about it?"
"Well, it's wrong," he said.
"I get that you believe that," I said. I didn't say more.
"Mother, why do you let Kevin do what he's doing?" Nick asked. There was no malice in his voice this time.
"Because he's his own person," she said. "He's very mature for his age, and I don't see him very often anymore. So what if he has a boyfriend. I like Alex. He's a good boy."
"You've met the boy who turned your grandson into a degenerate?" Nick asked.
"We're going to have to agree to disagree on this, Nick," she said. "You ran Kevin and Killian out of here yesterday. That won't happen again. This is their home. You're in their home now. You will show respect or you will leave."
"Fine," he sighed. "But I don't want my sons alone with Kevin."
"That's fine," she said. Then she turned to me. "Dustin called for you."
"Thank you," I said. I got up and went to the phone. I called him. He asked if he could come over, and I said that my uncle Nick and his family were in town and I didn't want to subject him to them. He said he understood and then asked if I would come over there. I said I'd be right over.
I cleaned up the dishes that I used, told Kevin I was going to Dustin's. He said he was going to Alex's. I hugged and kissed my grandmother. Nick watched as Kevin did the same thing. We walked out of the kitchen and out of the house. We went in separate directions. I went to Dustin's and he went to Alex's. Gina was really interested in all that I had to say about Nick. I told her that he started in on Kevin last night and we went to Jason's. Grandma had told him that wouldn't happen again. He was in our home and would show respect.
"Something about this doesn't sit well with me," she said. "Nick doesn't sound like a good person."
"He's not," I said. "I remember now why he stayed away for so long. We're the sinners in the family according to him."
"That's awful," she said. "Why did he come for this holiday?"
"I don't know," I said. "But I'm about to throw a fit I think."
"You? A fit?" she laughed.
"You haven't seen anything until I do it," I said with a smile.
"What kind of fit?" she asked.
"The one where I put a minister in his place about the Bible," I said.
"I'd like to see that one," she said.
"Come to our house tomorrow and you'll see it happen before your very eyes," I said with a smile.
She and David came to the house for dinner that night. Nick and Dianna were there with the boys. Dustin sat beside me. He smiled at me and I smiled back. I didn't kiss him, but I thought about it. We took our seats, and Grandma sat down. Mary served everyone and then left the house. She looked nervous. I smiled at her and thanked her for the food. She smiled back, but it was gone quickly as she looked at Nick. Then she got out of there.
"So what brings everyone over for dinner tonight?" Grandma asked. She looked nervous, too.
"David and I wanted to meet Nick," Gina said. "Of course Dustin wanted to be with Killian."
"Be with him?" Nick asked.
"Well, he's his boyfriend after all," Gina said. Grandma winced.
"So, you're a filthy homosexual, too?" Nick demanded.
"I'm not filthy, Nick," I said. "I showered this morning."
Gina and David laughed at that. Nick gave them a dark look, which made them laugh harder. Grandma looked at me with a hopeful expression. Kevin looked angry, but Richard looked pissed off. I had to stop this before Richard got into it with Nick. He glared at me and pointed his fork at me. I simply sat there and let him gather his thoughts. It took a while. I sat there, hoping my older brother wouldn't say a word. It was hard to sit there and wait.
"It says in the Bible," he said.
"Where?" I demanded. "I've read that Bible from cover to cover, and the only ones who mention homosexuality at all are those who never met Jesus. He never said anything about homosexuality."
"Sodom and Gomorrah," he said.
"Were destroyed because the people were wicked," I said. "The raped and pillaged and turned their backs on God. That's not homosexuality, Nick. That's perversion."
"Homosexuality is a perversion," he snapped.
"You're so stupid if you believe that," I said. "Homosexuality is about love pure and simple. It's loving a member of your own sex. There's no perversion involved. We love each other like any other couple. We don't ask you to accept us, Nick. We do demand that you respect us. You are in my house. You are eating my food. You call me an a filthy homosexual in my own home."
"This isn't your home," he snapped. "It's my mother's."
"Not anymore," Grandma said. "The house is in Jason's name so that he can put it in Killian and Kevin's name when the time comes."
"What are you talking about?" Nick asked.
"When I die," she said.
"Are you dying?" he snapped.
"Not today," she said. "But I do agree with Killian. You are not in your own home. You need to respect the people in the home you're in or leave, Nick. I've already told you I won't stand for what you say and do."
"I'm a minister," he said, puffing his chest.
"Not anymore," said Brady as he looked at his face. "You haven't been a minister since they caught you in your car with Mark Bateman."
"What do you know about that?" demanded Nick.
"It's all over school," Brady said. "All they talk about is the fact that you got caught with you dick in Mark's throat. You were higher than a kite on cocaine and you were raping Mark. It all came out in school. The boys that you and your church friends have something on and how you all rape them all of the time."
"I am not a homosexual," snapped Nick.
"No," I said, not keeping the disgust out of my voice. "You're a Pedophile."
"That's sick," Richard said. He glared at Nick. "You are a pedophile and you have the gall to come into the house where we live and insult the twins for being in loving relationships with boys their own age? You're sickening and stupid. Grandma, I don't want Nick here. I have a child to protect."
"You stupid little fuck," Nick said.
"That's it," Grandma said. "Get out, Nick. You are no longer my son. You are not welcome here. Get out."
He got up and stormed out. Dianna watched him go. She looked at my grandmother and apologized for what her husband said. Then she said he wouldn't be her husband much longer. They'd come there to escape the talk for a while. She'd already filed for divorce and full custody of the boys. She was moving to Quincy to live with her sister. The boys were going to go to Maxwell Academy. Kevin and I looked at each other.
"Dianne, how did you live through this?" Grandma asked. "Where is Nick going to go? He's not moving in with me."
"He planned to move here, but with Killian and Kevin both have boyfriends, boys I think it's great that you have found love, but he won't live here with them," she said. "I've already called all of the churches and sent them the newspapers from our town to make sure he isn't involved with the churches in Janus. I'm sorry, but I can't have him doing that to other boys."
"Dianne, you've done nothing wrong," Grandma said. "You are welcome here any time you want to visit. He isn't welcome anymore. I can't have a son who is a predator."
"I'm sorry bringing that up, Grandma," Brady said. "I just couldn't let him tear into Killian and Kevin with all of that bullshit when he's been doing this for two years."
"Brady, I'm glad you told us the truth," Grandma said. "You didn't ruin anything. Nick did. Your father is a disowned as of now. I won't let him in my house because of what he's done. I have teenagers in my house that I have to protect, and he's a predator who might try it with them."
"He would," said Blake. "He raped my best friend. His parents are pressing charges. The District Attorney has the evidence and they're going to put him in prison. I told my best friend that we were going to Janus. So they're looking for him."
The next thing that happened was a good thing. Jason got the house that my grandmother had lived in. Her oldest son had built it just for her. He was dead now, having gone to prison for murder and was knifed in prison. He hadn't survived the shank to the liver. The entire Flynn family was gone. Richard, Kevin, April and I were the only Flynn's still alive. We helped Jason and Sarah move into their house. We were moving boxes in when Nick showed up. He grabbed me and slammed me against the wall. Sarah tried to pull him off of me, but he elbowed her in the stomach and knocked her down. She screamed in pain. Jason came running, but it was too late. Nick was punching my face. Jason called the authorities and an ambulance for Sarah.
Nick was arrested and they quickly ran his name and found that he was wanted in Aurora for criminal sexual assault of a minor there were six counts. Now he was being charged with felony assault of a minor for what he'd done to me. I was taken to the hospital. I had cuts and bruises from his fists, but nothing was broken. It was a miracle. However, Sarah wasn't so lucky. She went into labor because of the elbow to her stomach. The baby was born dead. Jason was a wreck. Nick was charged with murder of an unborn fetus. It was a dark day. Sarah cried. I went to see her and I told her how sorry I was. She looked at my face and cried. She told me it wasn't my fault. She asked why he had done it. I didn't know. I told her so.
Jason went to his trial. He told me that he didn't even put up much of a fight. The boys testified against him. The district attorney was seeking life in prison for his crimes. He got it. Nick was processed and taken to jail. Dianne got her divorce and full custody of her sons. Grandma was beside herself. Jason took Sarah home to the new house. I was fawned over because of my black eyes. Christmas that year was somber. Jason, Sarah, and Grace came. They were putting on a brave face for Grace. Gina, David, and Alex's aunts came along with Alex and Dustin. Grandma welcomed them all. There were presents for everyone. I took the present I'd bought for Nick and put it in my room.
Later, after the gifts had been exchanged, we sat around and talked. Jason told us that he and Sarah were going to try again. Little Killian had breathed one short breath before he died. It did a number on me to see his little casket. They put him in Jason's family plots and his name was on the headstone. His name was Killian Kevin Osgood. It was hard for me to see my name on a tombstone. I didn't say anything to anyone.
The bruises hadn't faded when I got back to Maxwell Academy. Professor Pritchard took me into his office and asked me what had happened. I told him all about Nick and what he had done. He told me that he was sorry that this had happened to me. I told him that it wasn't the first time. I told him all about Hank and what he'd done to me, Kevin, Richard, and April. He told me he was so sorry for the life I'd lived. I told him that it was all over.
"I want you to know that coming here to Maxwell Academy has been the single most amazing thing that has ever happened to me," I said. "Here I made friends, and I excelled. Kevin is doing well. You have no idea what it was like for us to be stuck in Janus Junior High for that year before we came here."
I told him about our treatment at the school. He shook his head. He told me that I was the shining example of recovery after abuse. He was proud of my accomplishments and he told me that Kevin and I were a joy to have at Maxwell. I told him that we were planning to got to Saguaro University in Osage, Arizona. He told me that we'd be accepted. He told me that they were already talking about a baseball scholarship for Kevin. He said that they'd talked about it for me, but he'd heard that I'd turned it down. I told him that I didn't plan to play baseball after Maxwell. I told him that I wanted to help my team make the state championships again this year and let that be the shining memory of my baseball days. He said it was sad, because I had real talent on the field.
In Government, I wrote a report on child abuse, the aftermath, and the laws in the state of Illinois for the abusers. It was a fifty page paper. I had sited my research points, and Professor Grant had given me an A. He also gave me one hundred points for the subject matter. I told him that I was a survivor of child abuse. He told me that he'd talked with Professor Pritchard about all of that. He told me he was so proud of the young man I'd become. He was proud of the fact that he'd had a hand in shaping the young man I was today. I told him that he was my favorite professor, and I was going to miss him when I graduated.
Dustin spent every night in our room. Alex spent a lot of nights in our room as well. Kevin and Alex were going strong, but Alex sought me out to hang out with from time to time. We left campus with the coach and went to movies and had ice cream. I told him that he was a better friend this time around. He laughed and told me that he finally had his head on straight. I told him that Brady and Blake were on campus. He said he knew that. They were both in Durant House with him.
I went to the Sweetheart's Dance with Thalia that February. She was beautiful in her red and black gown. She told me that I looked amazing in my tux. We posed for pictures, and I bought three sets and gave her one. She thanked me. We sat and talked about college. She assured me that she and Chad would be at Saguaro. She said that Chad was rushing a fraternity because he was a legacy. I told her that I might do the same thing. I wasn't a legacy, but I thought the fraternity experience might be right up my ally. She laughed.
We danced and had punch and cake. They voted us the Sweetheart King and Queen again. We danced the dance of the King and Queen and then the night went back to normal. They were putting together a year book this year and a lot of the pictures that they took at dances and movie nights were going to be in the year book. They took pictures at the Phoenix Club as well. Thalia and I were photographed a lot. We called each other a lot, too. She was a very good friend to me.
Baseball season started and our team was undefeated very quickly. We were the former junior varsity team. Now we were varsity, and we were letting them know that we meant business. I played harder than I'd ever played before. So did Kevin. We were the stars of the team. Many of my teammates were shocked that I had turned down the baseball scholarship. Kevin was Saguaro University's Golden Boy of Baseball. It came with ten thousand dollars and a Ford F 150 that for a year he couldn't drive. Saguaro also paid their athletes every month. I wasn't going to be one of their athletes. At least I didn't think I was going to be.
"You have to play baseball with me," Kevin said. "You've already said you're going to rush a fraternity. I'm not doing that. I want us to have something that we do together."
He convinced me. I alerted Saguaro that I would play baseball. They gave me the scholarship. I wasn't the golden boy, but I got a full ride. Grandma was thrilled. Jason was thrilled, and I was thrilled to know that Sarah was pregnant again. I called her to congratulate her. Then Prom happened. Thalia and I were the favorites for Prom King and Queen. We didn't care. We had boxes full of crowns and plaques. I paid for Thalia to have her hair and nails done for Prom. Kevin thought that was going too far. Thalia looked amazing. Her dark hair was pulled up and cascaded down the back in ringlets. Her makeup was professionally done. Her blue eyes sparkled as she smiled at me when I picked her up in the limo at Worthington.
"This is Prom night," she said. "Killian, we made it."
"We sure did," I said. "You tell Danny that I can't wait to hang out with him."
"He's pledging Alpha Beta Omega," she said. "He's a legacy."
"Yeah, you'd said that," I said. "Dustin and I are pledging the same fraternity."
"I'm pledging Omega Beta Zeta," she said. "It's the sister sorority of Alpha Beta Omega."
"Well, we know where we'll live," I laughed. "You look so beautiful tonight, Thalia. Thank you for being my date and for being my friend."
"Killian, you are one of the best friends I've ever had," she said. "You never take liberties, you're always there when I need to talk, and you always buy me a packet of pictures. Danny can't wait to hang out with you. I've told him all about your business idea. We both want to help."
"There are places for both of you in my company," I said. "The company name is Flynn Enterprises. The store name is Flynn Electronics."
"That's amazing," she said. "You told me that your father thought the Flynn family was cursed. You're breaking that curse."
"Yeah," I said.
"So what's going on in your home town?" she asked.
"Sarah is pregnant again," I said with a smile. "This is the first time since little Killian died."
"That was so sad," she said. "I sent flowers to the funeral. I was in Texas and couldn't get a flight in time to be there."
"That's all right," I said. "We know you meant to be there, Thalia. Living so far apart makes it difficult sometimes."
"We won't be living so far apart next year," she said with a smile. "We'll be across the street from each other."
"Yeah," I said with a smile. "I'm looking forward to that."
"You and Kevin will be the youngest there," she said.
"Not really," I said. "There's a kid that's thirteen who will be in classes with us."
"Oh, wow," she said. "That's really something."
"Yeah," I said.
"Thank you for taking me to this dinner," she said. "I feel like all we've done is talk, but our empty plates tell me that we enjoyed the meal."
"Yeah, we've done a fair amount of talking," I said. "I always like to talk to you."
"I like talking to you, too," she said.
I paid the bill, and we got back in the limo. They were holding Prom at the Regent Hotel. We were in the ball room. We posed for pictures, and I bought three sets. They'd hand them out at the end of the night. We danced and had a ball. They did vote us King and Queen. We had to have our picture taken on our thrones. Then we danced and cameras flashed. We had a great time. Kevin had a great time with his date, and Dustin had a great time with his. Alex was dateless, but he said he had a great time.
I said goodnight to Thalia and went back to Maxwell. I had a baseball game to play the next day. We got a good night's sleep and then had practice in the morning. These were the playoffs, and we were matched against the Rock Island Rocks. We played three games and beat them by one run in the first and second, and by two runs in the third. We were going to state for the last time. I was excited. Kevin was excited, and so was Dustin.
We practiced hard, and got on the bus for Wrigley Field the day of the championship game with determination. We played the Carbondale Terriers and the game was close. In the fifth inning they had a grand slam. We answered it with two grand slams in the sixth inning. They had another in the seventh inning. Then we scored runs but there were no more grand slams. We stole bases and had a ball. By the bottom of the ninth inning, we scored four home runs and won the game by two runs. The stands went insane. I had scored the last home run, so they had me on their shoulders as they walked me to the dugout. Coach was beside himself. He hugged me.
In the locker room we celebrated with the Chicago Cubs. We had a great time, but Coach herded us to the busses. We were loud and obnoxious on the way back to school. We still had graduation to get through. I was valedictorian. We had our caps and gowns. The whole family was there in the stands that night. They held graduation on the football field. I took the stage and gave my speech. The whole place grew quiet as I began to speak.
"Fellow graduates, Professors, Parents, and Staff," I said. "It has been a very challenging three years that I've spent here at Maxwell Academy. They have been some of the best years of my life. There was The Five, and I'm so proud to have been a member since its inception. Then there were the classes. I loved my classes and most of my professors. I came to this school at a young age, and they showed me what life was really about. I want to thank my fellow graduates for making my scholastic career here at Maxwell both memorable and the happiest of my life.
"But now we've come to the time when they want an answer about what we want to be when we grow up," I continued. "Some of us are off to college, and some of us are entering the work force in one way or another. I know that with the time we spent here at Maxwell Academy we'll shine no matter what we're doing. We had classes in life and so much more. We learned lessons from each other just as much as from Professors. We learned about friendship, and about love. We learned about hardship and about perseverance. We learned to stand tall. So, stand tall, graduates. The world is at our fingertips. Take the next step with confidence. We've done it. We've reached the end of our time here at the academy. It's time to be who we were meant to be. Thank you and congratulations!"
The applause was deafening. I took my seat next to Kevin and he patted me on the back. We waited until our names were called and then we collected our diplomas. We posed for pictures for both Jason and Grandma. Richard took pictures, too. We went to dinner with the family. Gina and David and Alex's aunts joined us for the dinner. We had a lot of fun at that dinner. We promised to hang out all summer and be with each other.
When we got back to Janus, I handed out pictures from the Sweetheart's Dance and Prom. I also had baseball cards for everyone. Kevin did the same thing. Dustin gave me pictures from his stack and I gave him pictures from mine. We had the yearbooks that they put together. They were signed by our professors with words of encouragement and well wishes. Grandma loved that Thalia and I seemed to be the stars of the book. She said that Thalia was a nice girl, and she was so happy that she'd met her.
We spent a little time with Jason. Sarah had given birth to twin boys. She was so happy, but she looked tired. I took one and Kevin held the other one. We were told that they were named Chris and Kevin. I was told that I was holding Chris. I rubbed his belly and smiled at him. We sat there for half the day playing with the babies. Grace came between us and watched us. I told her that she was a big sister. She smiled and patted both of them.
When we left, we promised to come and make dinner for Sarah. She laughed at that and told us that she'd look forward to that. We went back home and Richard was on a date. April was watching Phillip. We played with him on the floor and April sat on the couch. Grandma was out buying stuff that we didn't know about. April said she was going to buy stuff but did not tell her what she was buying. I walked to the yarn store and bought a bunch of yarn. Then I went home and started to make blankets. I made two that were the same. They were blue and yellow. They were ripples and I did them fast. I had bought very soft yarn that was thick. The blankets took little time to make. Then I made a pink and yellow one for Grace. I didn't want her to feel left out. When I was done with them I put them in a bag that I'd take to Jason's when we went to cook.
Grandma had come back with a bunch of stuff. It was all for the boys though. She said she thought of them as her great grand babies. I laughed at that and told her that I felt like they were my little brothers. She smiled. I told her that we were going over to Jason's to cook for Sarah. She thought that was a good idea. I took the bag with my blankets and Kevin carried the bags that Grandma bought for them and we went to Jason's. He now lived closer to us.
"These are so cute," Sarah said when I showed her the blankets. I told her to wash them with fabric softener and they'd be very soft.
Then I went to the kitchen and started to cook. Jason had set out pork chops to thaw. I worked on those as Kevin peeled potatoes. I found two cans of corn and get them out of the pantry. The kitchen had yellow painted walls with a back splash with rust colored tiles. The same tiles were on the floor. The table in the kitchen was small. There was a bigger one in the dining room. I put the pork chops in a pan and drizzled them with salt, pepper, and basil. Then I put them in the oven. I cut the potatoes into small cubes. Then I put them in water and turned in on high to let them boil. I located a potato masher and a mixer. I opened the two cans of corn and put them in a pan on the back of the stove on low. Then I found dinner rolls that were just bake and serve. I brushed them with butter and a few drops of honey. Then I put those in the oven when the pork chops were almost done.
I drained the potatoes and turned up the corn. Then I used the potato masher on them. When they were mashed, I put milk, butter, salt, and pepper in them. I used the mixer to make them fluffy. Then I pulled the pork chops out and put them on plates. I cut one into bite sized pieces for Grace, gave her some mashed potatoes and a bit of corn. I started to take plates to the dining room. Jason and Sarah were in there feeding the boys bottles. I put plates in front of them.
Then we were sitting there eating and having a ball. Sarah told me I was a good cook. I told her that what I cooked was easy. We spent the evening with them. We changed diapers and played with toys. Then we hugged them both, kissed the kids, and walked home. Grandma was waiting for us. She asked what we cooked. Kevin told her that I had done all of the cooking. He had just peeled potatoes. She laughed at that. I told her it was pork chops, mashed potatoes, corn, and dinner rolls that were bake and serve. She smiled.
"You boys astound me at times," she said. "I know that you're both out of school and will be going to college, and I'm going to miss you more and more."
"Grandma, we'll come home for Christmas and summer," I said. "It won't be much different. We'll just fly in instead of taking the train."
"You make it sound so easy," she said with a smile.
"It is," I said.
"You're moving to Los Angeles when you graduate?" she asked.
"That's the plan," I said. "We're going to ask that you put this house in Richard's name. Jason and Sarah are giving their old house to April."
"That's awesome," she said. "I was wondering how we were going to help April."
"You never have to worry about her," I said. "We'll take care of her."
"From Los Angeles?" she asked.
"We'll fly back to see her all of the time," I said. "We won't ever be out of their lives completely, Grandma. We're siblings, and we love each other."
"That's so much different than my two children," she said. "Your mom and Nick hated each other."
"Well, we're not like that," I said. "We love each other."
Richard came home and brought Ann with him. He told us that he'd asked her to marry him and she'd accepted. We were thrilled for him. No, she wasn't pregnant. Grandma had asked that one. We got started planning the wedding. Ann had no parents. She'd grown up in foster homes. We told her we had her. We asked her colors, and she told us gold and crimson. I told her we'd get on it. We spent a fortune on flowers, and decorations for the church. I paid for the decorations at the church. Kevin was paying for the reception. We bought her a wedding dress and had Richard and his friends fitted for tuxes. She had three bridesmaids and a maid of honor. We got them matching dresses that were tasteful and could be worn again at other functions.
The wedding was held in a non denominational church. The minister had known Ann her whole life. Richard was all smiles the day of the wedding. We got him ready and left his with his groomsman. We sat in the audience to watch him get married. They said their vows, exchanged rings, and kissed when the minister said he could kiss his bride. Then he announced them as Mr. and Mrs. Richard Flynn. We threw bird seed at them as they left the church. A limo took them to the convention center where the reception was held. Kevin had gone all out. The cake was beautiful, and the food was great. Richard and Ann had a good time. There was a DJ and a music machine. We all danced. I finally danced with Dustin to slow songs. No one said a word about it. Kevin danced with Alex.
Kevin and I paid for their honeymoon in Orlando. They went to theme parks and had a great time. When they came back we saw pictures. They had taken Phillip with them and had a ball with him. Ann hadn't been pregnant when they got married but two months after the honeymoon she learned that she was. She was happy. Richard was thrilled, and Grandma was beside herself with joy. Things were looking up for us. Soon we'd be in Osage, but we weren't thinking about that.
We went to cookouts and had a great time all summer. For our sixteenth birthday we had a party in the back yard. Robby, Pug, Thalia, and Chad came to the party. Grandma bought me a truck like Kevin's. I told her that meant we'd drive to Osage. She wasn't sure she liked that idea, but there was nothing to say about it. A few days later we held Dustin's seventeenth birthday in Grandma's back yard. Everyone came, and we had a great day. Gina complained that this meant it was getting closer to time for us to leave for college. I told her that we had a little while yet. It was only July. Classes didn't start until September.
But the summer went on. We had cookouts and little get togethers. Robby and Pug came again and we hung out at The Family Fun Center. They were going drive back to school with us. Grandma felt better about it when she heard that. On the day that we were leaving, Grandma, Richard, and April made it hard for me and Kevin to actually leave. Gina and David made it hard for Dustin to leave. We did get on the road and drove for twenty-four hours to Osage, Arizona.
The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.
NINE
I hung out with Dustin a lot that break. Kevin was off with a friend I didn't know he had in Janus. It turned out to be Alex. I wasn't sure what I thought about him and Alex hanging out, but there was nothing I could do about it. I'd be accepting like a good brother. Richard had a few things to say about Kevin hanging out with Alex. He didn't like that Kevin wasn't in the basement with us to watch movies. But then he was and Alex came with him.
"I owe you an apology," Alex said to me when we were all sitting in the basement. "My dad really did a number on my head. It isn't an excuse, it's an explanation. I was in a bad place and I wanted Kevin to myself. I know that was wrong, and I can't fix it, but I can do better in the future. I'm sorry for leaving The Five and treating you all like shit. We're seniors now, and we're going to graduate at the end of the year. Killian, you and I used to be friends. I hope that we can be again."
"I know a little something about parents doing a number on your head," I said. "I accept your explanation and apology. Just show up, Alex. Kevin is a great guy, but you can't revolve your life around him. Be part of the group. We'll hang out with you. You don't need Kevin to be a part of the group. If you and Kevin want to try your relationship again that's great. Just don't make the same mistakes or you'll lose him again."
That was all that was said about it that day. We watched movies. Grandma was making pies and cookies. She told me that Uncle Nick and his family were coming for Christmas. This would be the first time any of us had seen Nick since we were really little. I had no objection to Nick and his family coming to Christmas. I didn't know enough about him to worry about it. We went back to watching movies. When they were over I had Richard take me Christmas shopping. I had to buy for Blake and Brady, Nick's sons. I bought Nick a really nice Bible. I knew he liked to play minister I didn't know if he was successful at that or not. For Dianna I got a nice tennis bracelet with actual diamonds. I had them all gift wrapped. I got the boys video games and had them gift wrapped.
"What about Dustin and Kevin?" Richard asked as I collected my packages and paid for them.
"I already have everyone else," I said. "I'm reacting to Grandma telling me that Nick and his family will be here."
"Okay," Richard said. "I'm not buying them anything. I don't exactly like Nick."
"I don't remember him," I said.
"Well, you're not going to like him," he said. "Trust me."
"I do," I said. We went back to the house.
Nick, Dianna, Blake and Brady arrived in Janus later that day. They checked into the hotel. They came to dinner at Grandma's. She seemed happy enough to have them in the house. I didn't think anything of it. Nick asked us questions about our lives and was shocked that we were seniors at fifteen years old. Grandma told him that Kevin and I were very smart and very mature. He looked at us but said nothing. Grandma asked Bale and Brady about school. They told her that they both played baseball. She smiled at this.
"You go to Maxwell Academy, right?" Dianna asked me.
"Yes," I said. "We've been going there for almost three years."
"It's a boarding school, isn't it?" Nick asked.
"Yes," I said. "We live in a dorm with all of the athletes."
"Do you go to church at Maxwell?" he asked.
"Yes, we go to the local church not far from campus," I said.
"Okay," he said. "At least you have God in your life."
"You go to school with all boys," Dianna said. "How do you interact with girls?"
"We have the Phoenix Club at school," I said. "It's a club we share with Worthington Prep. That's the girls' version of Maxwell Academy. They're owned by the same company. We see the girls at the club. There are professors there from both schools to keep an eye on us."
"Mom has sent me pictures of you boys at dances," Nick said. "Killian, I see you with a pretty young woman in every picture. Kevin, I see you with different girls in most of your pictures. Haven't picked one?"
"No," he said. "I have a boyfriend."
"What?" he asked, like he hadn't heard him.
"I have a boyfriend," Kevin said. "His name is Alex. He lives down the street."
"You allow this?" Nick asked Grandma.
"Nick," she sighed. "You live in a world where it is more accepted than you think."
"It's an abomination," he said heatedly. "What about you, Killian? Are you as vile as your twin?"
"Now that's enough," Grandma said. "You are in my house, Nick. Don't you dare attack the twins."
"I think it might be a good idea that we spend as much time with Jason as we can this break," I said. I got up and Kevin stood as well.
"Where do you think you're going," Nick demanded.
"You are not our father," I said. "You are our uncle, and you seem to have a problem with us. So in the interest of keeping the peace, we're leaving."
"Killian, you don't have to leave," Grandma said.
"Grandma, this is for the best," I said. "I don't want to sit at the same table with Nick. Come on, Kevin."
"You're just going to let them walk out the door?" Nick bellowed.
"You're an ass, Nick," Grandma said.
We walked to Jason's house and he let us in. He said my grandmother had called him and told him we were on our way and why. He looked at us with pity in his eyes. We didn't need pity. What we needed was a place where Nick wasn't. We sat at the table. They were having dinner. Sarah said she'd cooked enough to two more because she'd been expecting us. She told me that she remembered Nick from high school. He'd been a year or two ahead of her, but she remembered enough to know that Kevin and I wouldn't want to be around him.
We talked about nothing important other than the coming baby. Jason said they were looking at houses on the other side of town. I said I understood that they needed more room. He said that they wanted at least a three bedroom house. I told him about the house my grandmother had lived in until she died. Ryan was dead, and so was Justin. The house was owned by the bank, and they were wanting to sell. He said he'd look into it and thanked me for the information.
When we got home that night, Nick was gone. I went to the basement and picked up all of the movies and stuff my cousins had left out. They were messy boys. I got it all cleaned up and dishes back upstairs. Grandma hugged me and told me she was sorry about what Nick had said. I told her he hadn't said much to me. Kevin and I watched movies in the basement for the rest of the night. When we went to bed I was so tired from the emotional day that I fell straight to sleep.
The next morning I got another shock. I went to the breakfast table and there was Nick. He looked at me but said nothing. Kevin came in a few minutes later from the basement. Nick asked Grandma why we didn't share a room anymore. She told him that we were growing up. He laughed and said that I probably couldn't condone Kevin's life style. I just shook my head. I wasn't saying a word to him unless I had to. I looked at Grandma and she put her head down.
"So, Killian, what do you have to say about your brother's sexuality?" Nick asked me.
"It's his life," I said. "It's between him and God. What should I have to say about it?"
"Well, it's wrong," he said.
"I get that you believe that," I said. I didn't say more.
"Mother, why do you let Kevin do what he's doing?" Nick asked. There was no malice in his voice this time.
"Because he's his own person," she said. "He's very mature for his age, and I don't see him very often anymore. So what if he has a boyfriend. I like Alex. He's a good boy."
"You've met the boy who turned your grandson into a degenerate?" Nick asked.
"We're going to have to agree to disagree on this, Nick," she said. "You ran Kevin and Killian out of here yesterday. That won't happen again. This is their home. You're in their home now. You will show respect or you will leave."
"Fine," he sighed. "But I don't want my sons alone with Kevin."
"That's fine," she said. Then she turned to me. "Dustin called for you."
"Thank you," I said. I got up and went to the phone. I called him. He asked if he could come over, and I said that my uncle Nick and his family were in town and I didn't want to subject him to them. He said he understood and then asked if I would come over there. I said I'd be right over.
I cleaned up the dishes that I used, told Kevin I was going to Dustin's. He said he was going to Alex's. I hugged and kissed my grandmother. Nick watched as Kevin did the same thing. We walked out of the kitchen and out of the house. We went in separate directions. I went to Dustin's and he went to Alex's. Gina was really interested in all that I had to say about Nick. I told her that he started in on Kevin last night and we went to Jason's. Grandma had told him that wouldn't happen again. He was in our home and would show respect.
"Something about this doesn't sit well with me," she said. "Nick doesn't sound like a good person."
"He's not," I said. "I remember now why he stayed away for so long. We're the sinners in the family according to him."
"That's awful," she said. "Why did he come for this holiday?"
"I don't know," I said. "But I'm about to throw a fit I think."
"You? A fit?" she laughed.
"You haven't seen anything until I do it," I said with a smile.
"What kind of fit?" she asked.
"The one where I put a minister in his place about the Bible," I said.
"I'd like to see that one," she said.
"Come to our house tomorrow and you'll see it happen before your very eyes," I said with a smile.
She and David came to the house for dinner that night. Nick and Dianna were there with the boys. Dustin sat beside me. He smiled at me and I smiled back. I didn't kiss him, but I thought about it. We took our seats, and Grandma sat down. Mary served everyone and then left the house. She looked nervous. I smiled at her and thanked her for the food. She smiled back, but it was gone quickly as she looked at Nick. Then she got out of there.
"So what brings everyone over for dinner tonight?" Grandma asked. She looked nervous, too.
"David and I wanted to meet Nick," Gina said. "Of course Dustin wanted to be with Killian."
"Be with him?" Nick asked.
"Well, he's his boyfriend after all," Gina said. Grandma winced.
"So, you're a filthy homosexual, too?" Nick demanded.
"I'm not filthy, Nick," I said. "I showered this morning."
Gina and David laughed at that. Nick gave them a dark look, which made them laugh harder. Grandma looked at me with a hopeful expression. Kevin looked angry, but Richard looked pissed off. I had to stop this before Richard got into it with Nick. He glared at me and pointed his fork at me. I simply sat there and let him gather his thoughts. It took a while. I sat there, hoping my older brother wouldn't say a word. It was hard to sit there and wait.
"It says in the Bible," he said.
"Where?" I demanded. "I've read that Bible from cover to cover, and the only ones who mention homosexuality at all are those who never met Jesus. He never said anything about homosexuality."
"Sodom and Gomorrah," he said.
"Were destroyed because the people were wicked," I said. "The raped and pillaged and turned their backs on God. That's not homosexuality, Nick. That's perversion."
"Homosexuality is a perversion," he snapped.
"You're so stupid if you believe that," I said. "Homosexuality is about love pure and simple. It's loving a member of your own sex. There's no perversion involved. We love each other like any other couple. We don't ask you to accept us, Nick. We do demand that you respect us. You are in my house. You are eating my food. You call me an a filthy homosexual in my own home."
"This isn't your home," he snapped. "It's my mother's."
"Not anymore," Grandma said. "The house is in Jason's name so that he can put it in Killian and Kevin's name when the time comes."
"What are you talking about?" Nick asked.
"When I die," she said.
"Are you dying?" he snapped.
"Not today," she said. "But I do agree with Killian. You are not in your own home. You need to respect the people in the home you're in or leave, Nick. I've already told you I won't stand for what you say and do."
"I'm a minister," he said, puffing his chest.
"Not anymore," said Brady as he looked at his face. "You haven't been a minister since they caught you in your car with Mark Bateman."
"What do you know about that?" demanded Nick.
"It's all over school," Brady said. "All they talk about is the fact that you got caught with you dick in Mark's throat. You were higher than a kite on cocaine and you were raping Mark. It all came out in school. The boys that you and your church friends have something on and how you all rape them all of the time."
"I am not a homosexual," snapped Nick.
"No," I said, not keeping the disgust out of my voice. "You're a Pedophile."
"That's sick," Richard said. He glared at Nick. "You are a pedophile and you have the gall to come into the house where we live and insult the twins for being in loving relationships with boys their own age? You're sickening and stupid. Grandma, I don't want Nick here. I have a child to protect."
"You stupid little fuck," Nick said.
"That's it," Grandma said. "Get out, Nick. You are no longer my son. You are not welcome here. Get out."
He got up and stormed out. Dianna watched him go. She looked at my grandmother and apologized for what her husband said. Then she said he wouldn't be her husband much longer. They'd come there to escape the talk for a while. She'd already filed for divorce and full custody of the boys. She was moving to Quincy to live with her sister. The boys were going to go to Maxwell Academy. Kevin and I looked at each other.
"Dianne, how did you live through this?" Grandma asked. "Where is Nick going to go? He's not moving in with me."
"He planned to move here, but with Killian and Kevin both have boyfriends, boys I think it's great that you have found love, but he won't live here with them," she said. "I've already called all of the churches and sent them the newspapers from our town to make sure he isn't involved with the churches in Janus. I'm sorry, but I can't have him doing that to other boys."
"Dianne, you've done nothing wrong," Grandma said. "You are welcome here any time you want to visit. He isn't welcome anymore. I can't have a son who is a predator."
"I'm sorry bringing that up, Grandma," Brady said. "I just couldn't let him tear into Killian and Kevin with all of that bullshit when he's been doing this for two years."
"Brady, I'm glad you told us the truth," Grandma said. "You didn't ruin anything. Nick did. Your father is a disowned as of now. I won't let him in my house because of what he's done. I have teenagers in my house that I have to protect, and he's a predator who might try it with them."
"He would," said Blake. "He raped my best friend. His parents are pressing charges. The District Attorney has the evidence and they're going to put him in prison. I told my best friend that we were going to Janus. So they're looking for him."
The next thing that happened was a good thing. Jason got the house that my grandmother had lived in. Her oldest son had built it just for her. He was dead now, having gone to prison for murder and was knifed in prison. He hadn't survived the shank to the liver. The entire Flynn family was gone. Richard, Kevin, April and I were the only Flynn's still alive. We helped Jason and Sarah move into their house. We were moving boxes in when Nick showed up. He grabbed me and slammed me against the wall. Sarah tried to pull him off of me, but he elbowed her in the stomach and knocked her down. She screamed in pain. Jason came running, but it was too late. Nick was punching my face. Jason called the authorities and an ambulance for Sarah.
Nick was arrested and they quickly ran his name and found that he was wanted in Aurora for criminal sexual assault of a minor there were six counts. Now he was being charged with felony assault of a minor for what he'd done to me. I was taken to the hospital. I had cuts and bruises from his fists, but nothing was broken. It was a miracle. However, Sarah wasn't so lucky. She went into labor because of the elbow to her stomach. The baby was born dead. Jason was a wreck. Nick was charged with murder of an unborn fetus. It was a dark day. Sarah cried. I went to see her and I told her how sorry I was. She looked at my face and cried. She told me it wasn't my fault. She asked why he had done it. I didn't know. I told her so.
Jason went to his trial. He told me that he didn't even put up much of a fight. The boys testified against him. The district attorney was seeking life in prison for his crimes. He got it. Nick was processed and taken to jail. Dianne got her divorce and full custody of her sons. Grandma was beside herself. Jason took Sarah home to the new house. I was fawned over because of my black eyes. Christmas that year was somber. Jason, Sarah, and Grace came. They were putting on a brave face for Grace. Gina, David, and Alex's aunts came along with Alex and Dustin. Grandma welcomed them all. There were presents for everyone. I took the present I'd bought for Nick and put it in my room.
Later, after the gifts had been exchanged, we sat around and talked. Jason told us that he and Sarah were going to try again. Little Killian had breathed one short breath before he died. It did a number on me to see his little casket. They put him in Jason's family plots and his name was on the headstone. His name was Killian Kevin Osgood. It was hard for me to see my name on a tombstone. I didn't say anything to anyone.
The bruises hadn't faded when I got back to Maxwell Academy. Professor Pritchard took me into his office and asked me what had happened. I told him all about Nick and what he had done. He told me that he was sorry that this had happened to me. I told him that it wasn't the first time. I told him all about Hank and what he'd done to me, Kevin, Richard, and April. He told me he was so sorry for the life I'd lived. I told him that it was all over.
"I want you to know that coming here to Maxwell Academy has been the single most amazing thing that has ever happened to me," I said. "Here I made friends, and I excelled. Kevin is doing well. You have no idea what it was like for us to be stuck in Janus Junior High for that year before we came here."
I told him about our treatment at the school. He shook his head. He told me that I was the shining example of recovery after abuse. He was proud of my accomplishments and he told me that Kevin and I were a joy to have at Maxwell. I told him that we were planning to got to Saguaro University in Osage, Arizona. He told me that we'd be accepted. He told me that they were already talking about a baseball scholarship for Kevin. He said that they'd talked about it for me, but he'd heard that I'd turned it down. I told him that I didn't plan to play baseball after Maxwell. I told him that I wanted to help my team make the state championships again this year and let that be the shining memory of my baseball days. He said it was sad, because I had real talent on the field.
In Government, I wrote a report on child abuse, the aftermath, and the laws in the state of Illinois for the abusers. It was a fifty page paper. I had sited my research points, and Professor Grant had given me an A. He also gave me one hundred points for the subject matter. I told him that I was a survivor of child abuse. He told me that he'd talked with Professor Pritchard about all of that. He told me he was so proud of the young man I'd become. He was proud of the fact that he'd had a hand in shaping the young man I was today. I told him that he was my favorite professor, and I was going to miss him when I graduated.
Dustin spent every night in our room. Alex spent a lot of nights in our room as well. Kevin and Alex were going strong, but Alex sought me out to hang out with from time to time. We left campus with the coach and went to movies and had ice cream. I told him that he was a better friend this time around. He laughed and told me that he finally had his head on straight. I told him that Brady and Blake were on campus. He said he knew that. They were both in Durant House with him.
I went to the Sweetheart's Dance with Thalia that February. She was beautiful in her red and black gown. She told me that I looked amazing in my tux. We posed for pictures, and I bought three sets and gave her one. She thanked me. We sat and talked about college. She assured me that she and Chad would be at Saguaro. She said that Chad was rushing a fraternity because he was a legacy. I told her that I might do the same thing. I wasn't a legacy, but I thought the fraternity experience might be right up my ally. She laughed.
We danced and had punch and cake. They voted us the Sweetheart King and Queen again. We danced the dance of the King and Queen and then the night went back to normal. They were putting together a year book this year and a lot of the pictures that they took at dances and movie nights were going to be in the year book. They took pictures at the Phoenix Club as well. Thalia and I were photographed a lot. We called each other a lot, too. She was a very good friend to me.
Baseball season started and our team was undefeated very quickly. We were the former junior varsity team. Now we were varsity, and we were letting them know that we meant business. I played harder than I'd ever played before. So did Kevin. We were the stars of the team. Many of my teammates were shocked that I had turned down the baseball scholarship. Kevin was Saguaro University's Golden Boy of Baseball. It came with ten thousand dollars and a Ford F 150 that for a year he couldn't drive. Saguaro also paid their athletes every month. I wasn't going to be one of their athletes. At least I didn't think I was going to be.
"You have to play baseball with me," Kevin said. "You've already said you're going to rush a fraternity. I'm not doing that. I want us to have something that we do together."
He convinced me. I alerted Saguaro that I would play baseball. They gave me the scholarship. I wasn't the golden boy, but I got a full ride. Grandma was thrilled. Jason was thrilled, and I was thrilled to know that Sarah was pregnant again. I called her to congratulate her. Then Prom happened. Thalia and I were the favorites for Prom King and Queen. We didn't care. We had boxes full of crowns and plaques. I paid for Thalia to have her hair and nails done for Prom. Kevin thought that was going too far. Thalia looked amazing. Her dark hair was pulled up and cascaded down the back in ringlets. Her makeup was professionally done. Her blue eyes sparkled as she smiled at me when I picked her up in the limo at Worthington.
"This is Prom night," she said. "Killian, we made it."
"We sure did," I said. "You tell Danny that I can't wait to hang out with him."
"He's pledging Alpha Beta Omega," she said. "He's a legacy."
"Yeah, you'd said that," I said. "Dustin and I are pledging the same fraternity."
"I'm pledging Omega Beta Zeta," she said. "It's the sister sorority of Alpha Beta Omega."
"Well, we know where we'll live," I laughed. "You look so beautiful tonight, Thalia. Thank you for being my date and for being my friend."
"Killian, you are one of the best friends I've ever had," she said. "You never take liberties, you're always there when I need to talk, and you always buy me a packet of pictures. Danny can't wait to hang out with you. I've told him all about your business idea. We both want to help."
"There are places for both of you in my company," I said. "The company name is Flynn Enterprises. The store name is Flynn Electronics."
"That's amazing," she said. "You told me that your father thought the Flynn family was cursed. You're breaking that curse."
"Yeah," I said.
"So what's going on in your home town?" she asked.
"Sarah is pregnant again," I said with a smile. "This is the first time since little Killian died."
"That was so sad," she said. "I sent flowers to the funeral. I was in Texas and couldn't get a flight in time to be there."
"That's all right," I said. "We know you meant to be there, Thalia. Living so far apart makes it difficult sometimes."
"We won't be living so far apart next year," she said with a smile. "We'll be across the street from each other."
"Yeah," I said with a smile. "I'm looking forward to that."
"You and Kevin will be the youngest there," she said.
"Not really," I said. "There's a kid that's thirteen who will be in classes with us."
"Oh, wow," she said. "That's really something."
"Yeah," I said.
"Thank you for taking me to this dinner," she said. "I feel like all we've done is talk, but our empty plates tell me that we enjoyed the meal."
"Yeah, we've done a fair amount of talking," I said. "I always like to talk to you."
"I like talking to you, too," she said.
I paid the bill, and we got back in the limo. They were holding Prom at the Regent Hotel. We were in the ball room. We posed for pictures, and I bought three sets. They'd hand them out at the end of the night. We danced and had a ball. They did vote us King and Queen. We had to have our picture taken on our thrones. Then we danced and cameras flashed. We had a great time. Kevin had a great time with his date, and Dustin had a great time with his. Alex was dateless, but he said he had a great time.
I said goodnight to Thalia and went back to Maxwell. I had a baseball game to play the next day. We got a good night's sleep and then had practice in the morning. These were the playoffs, and we were matched against the Rock Island Rocks. We played three games and beat them by one run in the first and second, and by two runs in the third. We were going to state for the last time. I was excited. Kevin was excited, and so was Dustin.
We practiced hard, and got on the bus for Wrigley Field the day of the championship game with determination. We played the Carbondale Terriers and the game was close. In the fifth inning they had a grand slam. We answered it with two grand slams in the sixth inning. They had another in the seventh inning. Then we scored runs but there were no more grand slams. We stole bases and had a ball. By the bottom of the ninth inning, we scored four home runs and won the game by two runs. The stands went insane. I had scored the last home run, so they had me on their shoulders as they walked me to the dugout. Coach was beside himself. He hugged me.
In the locker room we celebrated with the Chicago Cubs. We had a great time, but Coach herded us to the busses. We were loud and obnoxious on the way back to school. We still had graduation to get through. I was valedictorian. We had our caps and gowns. The whole family was there in the stands that night. They held graduation on the football field. I took the stage and gave my speech. The whole place grew quiet as I began to speak.
"Fellow graduates, Professors, Parents, and Staff," I said. "It has been a very challenging three years that I've spent here at Maxwell Academy. They have been some of the best years of my life. There was The Five, and I'm so proud to have been a member since its inception. Then there were the classes. I loved my classes and most of my professors. I came to this school at a young age, and they showed me what life was really about. I want to thank my fellow graduates for making my scholastic career here at Maxwell both memorable and the happiest of my life.
"But now we've come to the time when they want an answer about what we want to be when we grow up," I continued. "Some of us are off to college, and some of us are entering the work force in one way or another. I know that with the time we spent here at Maxwell Academy we'll shine no matter what we're doing. We had classes in life and so much more. We learned lessons from each other just as much as from Professors. We learned about friendship, and about love. We learned about hardship and about perseverance. We learned to stand tall. So, stand tall, graduates. The world is at our fingertips. Take the next step with confidence. We've done it. We've reached the end of our time here at the academy. It's time to be who we were meant to be. Thank you and congratulations!"
The applause was deafening. I took my seat next to Kevin and he patted me on the back. We waited until our names were called and then we collected our diplomas. We posed for pictures for both Jason and Grandma. Richard took pictures, too. We went to dinner with the family. Gina and David and Alex's aunts joined us for the dinner. We had a lot of fun at that dinner. We promised to hang out all summer and be with each other.
When we got back to Janus, I handed out pictures from the Sweetheart's Dance and Prom. I also had baseball cards for everyone. Kevin did the same thing. Dustin gave me pictures from his stack and I gave him pictures from mine. We had the yearbooks that they put together. They were signed by our professors with words of encouragement and well wishes. Grandma loved that Thalia and I seemed to be the stars of the book. She said that Thalia was a nice girl, and she was so happy that she'd met her.
We spent a little time with Jason. Sarah had given birth to twin boys. She was so happy, but she looked tired. I took one and Kevin held the other one. We were told that they were named Chris and Kevin. I was told that I was holding Chris. I rubbed his belly and smiled at him. We sat there for half the day playing with the babies. Grace came between us and watched us. I told her that she was a big sister. She smiled and patted both of them.
When we left, we promised to come and make dinner for Sarah. She laughed at that and told us that she'd look forward to that. We went back home and Richard was on a date. April was watching Phillip. We played with him on the floor and April sat on the couch. Grandma was out buying stuff that we didn't know about. April said she was going to buy stuff but did not tell her what she was buying. I walked to the yarn store and bought a bunch of yarn. Then I went home and started to make blankets. I made two that were the same. They were blue and yellow. They were ripples and I did them fast. I had bought very soft yarn that was thick. The blankets took little time to make. Then I made a pink and yellow one for Grace. I didn't want her to feel left out. When I was done with them I put them in a bag that I'd take to Jason's when we went to cook.
Grandma had come back with a bunch of stuff. It was all for the boys though. She said she thought of them as her great grand babies. I laughed at that and told her that I felt like they were my little brothers. She smiled. I told her that we were going over to Jason's to cook for Sarah. She thought that was a good idea. I took the bag with my blankets and Kevin carried the bags that Grandma bought for them and we went to Jason's. He now lived closer to us.
"These are so cute," Sarah said when I showed her the blankets. I told her to wash them with fabric softener and they'd be very soft.
Then I went to the kitchen and started to cook. Jason had set out pork chops to thaw. I worked on those as Kevin peeled potatoes. I found two cans of corn and get them out of the pantry. The kitchen had yellow painted walls with a back splash with rust colored tiles. The same tiles were on the floor. The table in the kitchen was small. There was a bigger one in the dining room. I put the pork chops in a pan and drizzled them with salt, pepper, and basil. Then I put them in the oven. I cut the potatoes into small cubes. Then I put them in water and turned in on high to let them boil. I located a potato masher and a mixer. I opened the two cans of corn and put them in a pan on the back of the stove on low. Then I found dinner rolls that were just bake and serve. I brushed them with butter and a few drops of honey. Then I put those in the oven when the pork chops were almost done.
I drained the potatoes and turned up the corn. Then I used the potato masher on them. When they were mashed, I put milk, butter, salt, and pepper in them. I used the mixer to make them fluffy. Then I pulled the pork chops out and put them on plates. I cut one into bite sized pieces for Grace, gave her some mashed potatoes and a bit of corn. I started to take plates to the dining room. Jason and Sarah were in there feeding the boys bottles. I put plates in front of them.
Then we were sitting there eating and having a ball. Sarah told me I was a good cook. I told her that what I cooked was easy. We spent the evening with them. We changed diapers and played with toys. Then we hugged them both, kissed the kids, and walked home. Grandma was waiting for us. She asked what we cooked. Kevin told her that I had done all of the cooking. He had just peeled potatoes. She laughed at that. I told her it was pork chops, mashed potatoes, corn, and dinner rolls that were bake and serve. She smiled.
"You boys astound me at times," she said. "I know that you're both out of school and will be going to college, and I'm going to miss you more and more."
"Grandma, we'll come home for Christmas and summer," I said. "It won't be much different. We'll just fly in instead of taking the train."
"You make it sound so easy," she said with a smile.
"It is," I said.
"You're moving to Los Angeles when you graduate?" she asked.
"That's the plan," I said. "We're going to ask that you put this house in Richard's name. Jason and Sarah are giving their old house to April."
"That's awesome," she said. "I was wondering how we were going to help April."
"You never have to worry about her," I said. "We'll take care of her."
"From Los Angeles?" she asked.
"We'll fly back to see her all of the time," I said. "We won't ever be out of their lives completely, Grandma. We're siblings, and we love each other."
"That's so much different than my two children," she said. "Your mom and Nick hated each other."
"Well, we're not like that," I said. "We love each other."
Richard came home and brought Ann with him. He told us that he'd asked her to marry him and she'd accepted. We were thrilled for him. No, she wasn't pregnant. Grandma had asked that one. We got started planning the wedding. Ann had no parents. She'd grown up in foster homes. We told her we had her. We asked her colors, and she told us gold and crimson. I told her we'd get on it. We spent a fortune on flowers, and decorations for the church. I paid for the decorations at the church. Kevin was paying for the reception. We bought her a wedding dress and had Richard and his friends fitted for tuxes. She had three bridesmaids and a maid of honor. We got them matching dresses that were tasteful and could be worn again at other functions.
The wedding was held in a non denominational church. The minister had known Ann her whole life. Richard was all smiles the day of the wedding. We got him ready and left his with his groomsman. We sat in the audience to watch him get married. They said their vows, exchanged rings, and kissed when the minister said he could kiss his bride. Then he announced them as Mr. and Mrs. Richard Flynn. We threw bird seed at them as they left the church. A limo took them to the convention center where the reception was held. Kevin had gone all out. The cake was beautiful, and the food was great. Richard and Ann had a good time. There was a DJ and a music machine. We all danced. I finally danced with Dustin to slow songs. No one said a word about it. Kevin danced with Alex.
Kevin and I paid for their honeymoon in Orlando. They went to theme parks and had a great time. When they came back we saw pictures. They had taken Phillip with them and had a ball with him. Ann hadn't been pregnant when they got married but two months after the honeymoon she learned that she was. She was happy. Richard was thrilled, and Grandma was beside herself with joy. Things were looking up for us. Soon we'd be in Osage, but we weren't thinking about that.
We went to cookouts and had a great time all summer. For our sixteenth birthday we had a party in the back yard. Robby, Pug, Thalia, and Chad came to the party. Grandma bought me a truck like Kevin's. I told her that meant we'd drive to Osage. She wasn't sure she liked that idea, but there was nothing to say about it. A few days later we held Dustin's seventeenth birthday in Grandma's back yard. Everyone came, and we had a great day. Gina complained that this meant it was getting closer to time for us to leave for college. I told her that we had a little while yet. It was only July. Classes didn't start until September.
But the summer went on. We had cookouts and little get togethers. Robby and Pug came again and we hung out at The Family Fun Center. They were going drive back to school with us. Grandma felt better about it when she heard that. On the day that we were leaving, Grandma, Richard, and April made it hard for me and Kevin to actually leave. Gina and David made it hard for Dustin to leave. We did get on the road and drove for twenty-four hours to Osage, Arizona.
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