July 8th, 2010: Thursday
~~~~~~~
Dillon reached under his bed and pulled out first a medium black duffelbag, and then a larger blue suitcase. He rolled over and up off the floor, and flung the bags onto his bed. Where should he start? It would be wise to include warmer clothes, too. Dillon reached peak excitement levels, which caused him to momentarily space out. Just then, he remembered something important. He walked out of his room and called up the steps.
“Hey mom! Did we get sunscreen?! I think I forgot!”
“Got’cha covered!” She threw a spray can of spf 50 down to him. “What time will Tony be here? You haven’t even started packin’ yet?”
“Around ten he said!” He shouted up. “And I wasn’t lazy, I just forgot!” Dillon smiled.
“Then get yer ass movin’! It’s eight thirty!”
“W-what?! Eight thirty? But I woke up with my alarm at six! It should be six!
“Yes, you must have snoozed it too many times and fell back asleep. Dad went down to see if you were still alive. Don’t you remember?”
“Ugh… I’m a heavy sleeper, ok! If I dont sit up quick enough I’m asleep again! It’s not my fault! Shit, I’m so late!” Dillon ran back into his room but rammed into the doorframe. He heard mom snicker at the top of the steps.
“That’s what ya get for bein’ a teenager and not wantin’ to wake up! I told you to set two or three alarms! You have no excuse and you know it hahaha!”
“Very funny, ma! I’ll be ready, just you watch.” He grumbled.
“Text Tony and tell him you’ll be late! It’d rude as hell to make him wait! Idiot son!”
“Fine, but it isn’t necessary! Now lemme get ready!” Dillon shot her her a half grin.
“Men.” Mom scoffed.
That took too much time! Dillon mentally kicked himself. He should’ve just packed the night before, but he was so comfy while his parakeets and gerbils climbed all over him. They even watched a part of a Law and Order episode together, but he started to get pecked and bitten so he put the critters to bed. He didn’t even remember when he fell asleep. Must’ve been when his head hit the pillow.
Whatever the reason, it matters not. In an hour and a half, Tony would be there in the Bronco to pick him up for their trip to Wildwood, New Jersey. Just he and Tony would be at the apartment by themselves today, tomorrow, and part of Saturday. Then Saturday afternoon Kat and Brenden would come and stay until they all left Sunday evening. They had pooled their resources together to rent a three bedroom apartment for a few days. Dillon was so hyped up over it, he couldn’t stand it. A year ago, he never would have dreamed he’d ever go on a beach trip with friends. Hell, he’d never dreamed he’d have such awesome friends. It’s like Tony was the last piece to the group puzzle. Everyone liked him. He definitely didn’t act like a stuck up older guy.
It was still a surprise to him that his parents were ok with it. Dillon and the folks had discussed it at length for weeks beforehand, and they finally worked out a compromise. There were three criteria Dillon must meet, and if he met and maintained them, he could go. Firstly, Dillon needed to have at least five hundred dollars saved up in whatever form. They wanted him to work to earn it, to prove he can be responsible enough to save it up and not blow it on dumb shit. Secondly, he needed to have perfect blood sugars for the same amount of days he would be gone for in the weeks beforehand. That meant he needed to keep his sugars between eighty and one hundred fifty all day for four consecutive days. Finally, Dillon had to invite Tony to the Fourth of July, and at least one other dinner. Dillon understood the reasons behind all the criteria and found them to be reasonable.
Probably the most difficult part for him to complete, which he almost didn’t, were the perfect blood sugars. He would get so close, three, three and a half days in, but would have a random spike or dip because he miscounted a billionth of a carb. Dillon’s parents were dead serious, though. If all three criteria were not met beforehand, no trip for him. It wasn’t hard to save up the five hundred dollars, fortunately. In his neighborhood, there’s lots of kids that need to be watched and dogs that need to be walked. Also, he got the opportunity to work a few days in his tech school’s restaurant’s catering business before school let out for the summer. Now and then, their culinary class would cater events and such, and students could volunteer to work on the books. He had managed to save almost a hundred eighty dollars just from that.
The last one, surprisingly, had gone the smoothest. What Dillon thought would be a horribly uncomfortable and awkward situation turned out to be alright. Dillon invited Tony over to dinner a few weeks before the Fourth of July so he could meet just his parents. Despite the fact that Dillon was in the kitchen a large portion of the time, Tony held his own beautifully with his parents. When he came out with all the food, mom had her chin propped on her hand. She looked bored to tears as Tony and dad jabbered on excitedly about transmissions. Dillon cracked a grin and cocked an eyebrow at mom, and she just rolled her eyes.
“He’s an Aries, too! Kill me now!” She grumbled.
“Hey, Trace, even body mechanics should know this stuff! Although he seems to pick it up pretty quick. I’m impressed m’boy! You got a good head on your shoulders! Ahh, food time, Dillon?”
“What’s an Aries?” Tony asked innocently, which caused dad to crack up. Mom wasn’t amused.
“Jack, you shut it, or I’m gettin’ the skillet!” She pointed at him. “Men!” She went into the kitchen to help Dillon bring food out.
The night had gone very well from there. The food was awesome, and Dillon was happy to see Tony had thirds of most of it. Less leftovers to have to put away. They talked around the table for a couple hours, and after mom made coffee, they saw Tony off. Afterwards, Dillon’s parents sat him down, and gave him their decision on his friendship with Tony. He had been really nervous, worried they may have somehow found out about that. Every single time his parents summoned him to talk to him, he worried that that was the time they figured it out. It was stressful.
Dillon was unbelievably relieved when they both said they thought he was a great dude. Dad said Tony and Dillon reminded him of he and his buddy Scott in highschool. He had been several years older than Scott, so dad didn’t care much about his age. Mom was a bit concerned, especially because Tony was a smoker. Dad reminded her that he was as well, but Dillon wasn’t the kind of kid to fall to it. She still wasn’t sure how much she liked her kid around a twenty year old. Eventually though, she decided to give him a chance, because she liked him and he seemed to be a good enough influence.
They told Dillon that provided that July fourth went well and he met the other criteria, they’d let him go with Tony. He had already invited Tony to July fourth over at his place, which he accepted, and set to work to finish the other criteria. Dillon had been elated, and texted Tony as soon as he was alone.
Author: YassICann337
The Art of Life and Love: The First Spark Chapter 3 [mm]
Dillon had awesome parents. He loved them very dearly, and they him. This he knew as fact, but he still felt unaccepted and unloved by them at the same time. It may be that his fear of the consequences if they found out about that have affected his perception of reality. Whatever the reason, because he was afraid, he couldn’t be himself around his parents. This caused him to distance himself from them, in the hopes that he’d minimize the risk of a slip up. Dillon was sad that he had to keep them at a distance, but there would be a day when he would tell them everything.
They had seemed to figure that Dillon needed space to grow, so they didn’t restrict him much in the way of where he could go. So long as he checked in, was back before ten o’clock, and didn’t do anything dangerous or illegal. Otherwise, they stayed out of his way since he wasn’t a troublemaker. His mom was upset, however, when he wouldn’t go to church. Why attend when he didn’t buy into it? God hadn’t helped him through anything, but Dillon tried to be respectful with his parents in terms of their different views. Besides, they didn’t talk about it much. Dillon thought about what he wanted to say, then started to type out his reply.
Dillon 2:07 PM: Hey ma, just wanted to let you know I’ll be at Vinnie’s, that autobody shop on Main. Remember the friend I made at tech school I told you about? He works there so we’re gonna hang when he’s done. Should be home before dinner, if not I’ll text. Love you! Hope your day is going well! ^_^
He hit send, and refocused himself on the walk to the shop. It was quite a bit closer to his bus stop than his home is. On the way, he daydreamed about what they might do. What does ‘chill’ even mean? Not that it mattered to him. He wanted to learn about Tony as his friend, so setting didn’t matter. Dillon was definitely curious about what he had done to the Subaru without side mirrors. It was fun to watch him work. One time he even let Dillon help. Tony had him wet sand a couple door panels to smooth the primer coat so the paint stuck evenly. The smell of the shop combined with the feel of the metal as he sanded calmed him. The more he learned about body work, the more interested he became in the industry.
Up the road he saw the shop, adjusted his clothes and backpack, and ran his hand through his short sandy blonde hair. Dillon was happy he was at the point now that he didn’t get nervous when he was around Tony. Dillon genuinely enjoyed his company. As per usual, when he walked up, Tony’s garage door was wide open. The Subaru was still in really bad shape, but at least had one side mirror reattached. Tony loudly ground away at a patch of rust on the other detached side mirror. He looked up at the ceiling of the shop, and saw spools of tubes that hanged from the rafters. The air tube above Tony’s station was hooked up to the grinder he used. Dillon assumed that most of the shop’s power tools ran on compressed air. It was a lot cheaper and renewable, which was an excellent choice for a city like theirs.
As Dillon walked slowly up to Tony, he craned his neck to see up close what he was up to. He didn’t wanna scare the shit out of him while he used a power tool, so he looked for a stool to pull up. The only one he could find was a ridiculously tacky Iron Man stool. Dillon was horrified. He visited the shop fairly regularly and he never noticed it before. Was this new? Why would Tony get this? ‘Who the hell wants to park their ass on Iron Man’s face?!” Dillon shivered.
Finally Tony took his hand off the trigger for the pressurized air, and the grinder hissed as it slowed to a stop. Dillon crossed his arms and stayed totally silent as Tony took off his goggles and gloves. He was covered in black dust, probably the metal and rust he had grinded off. As he pulled a partially soiled shop towel out of his pocket, Dillon coughed loudly and dramatically. Tony started and whipped his head around.
“‘Bout time! It’s rude to keep guests waitin’, fuckhead!” Dillon scoffed, nose in the air. Tony cracked a big smile.
“How long have you been there?!”
“Like five minutes. You were intent on your grindin’ and I didn’t feel like scarin’ you while you had a power tool. Yer welcome.” Dillon gave him two thumbs up and got up to shake his hand. “Oh, and what the absolute fuck is this?” He pointed to the Iron Man stool.
“That’s my Iron Man stool, dipshit. Hahaha! You like, yes? Or are you a hater?” Tony narrowed his eyes.
“I-I mean Marvel is a’ight, I guess? Only hero I ever liked was DC’s Batman, though. But dude, why do you have this abomination of a stool?” Dillon furrowed his brow and grinned slightly.
“I’ll give you that, Batman is a good choice, but not as good a choice as Iron Man bitch. He’s modern day Batman. Gotham’s in another universe, too. Don’t diss my stool you snot!” Tony pointed at him with two fingers.
“It’s sooo tacky, man. I don’t want Iron Man eatin’ my ass out everytime I sit.” He cringed.
“Hey I needed a higher stool to use under the lifts, ok? I saw this Godly Iron Man stool at a thrift store and couldn’t resist! Look at it! It’s hand painted! That’s talent!” Tony insisted.
“Yea, I’ll admit whoever painted it was talented, but that doesn’t invalidate the fact that Iron Man’s lips are on my hole! Hehehehahaha!” He laughed at Tony’s shocked expression.
“Whatever, you millennials don’t know the classics or the finer things. Y’all just wanna be sucked into Facebook n’ shit.” He grumbled.
“Oh, yer right about that. Farmville is very addicting. It’s a problem for me. I’ve missed my bus playin’ it.”
“Damn it, I’ll admit I’m into Restaurant City myself…”
“Yooo, me too! Add me later! Actually, just friend me. At Dillon Valente. Spam-gift me ingredients, please!”
“Haha, sure you scratch my back I’ll scratch yers.” Tony winked.
Every time Tony winked at him he felt his stomach twist and his face heat up a couple degrees. He needed to be careful and keep and eye on his body language, and where he rested his gaze. Dillon knew that people could feel when someone looks at them while their back is turned. At least, he thought he read that somewhere. Regardless, he should be careful just in case. Though, luckily his nerves got better and better each time they spent time together. Dillon also made sure to keep himself ‘satisfied’ in that way, so his frustration didn’t leak out. Tony was his friend, and he was grateful. However, at times Dillon would get frustrated with the strain the friendship took on his mental state and libito. He would get over the frustration in a day or two, but it always came back.
Tony had eventually gotten back to work so he could finish up and go. He looked tired, which made sense because he always started super early. Not to mention, the fact he was here on a Saturday meant he likely had work to catch up on. To be a mechanic seemed tough, with high physical demands, just like a chef. He had seen in-shape baseball players not have the stamina or agility to keep up in a busy, crowded, chaotic kitchen. Explosive, instantaneous strength wasn’t always helpful in either industry.
Dillon felt Tony’s pain and sore muscles after a long day’s work like that. He kept Tony company while he finished up various things he had to grind and fill. They talked about this and that, and would have companionable silences when Tony had to focus on something. While Tony started to organize his work bench and clean up, Dillon remembered he wanted to ask him something.
“Hey Tony, I wanted to ask you somethin'”
“Yea kid, shoot.” Tony replied as he continued his cleanup.
“I know you moved here from Pittsburgh, but… I’m just curious why you chose to move here? Our city doesn’t exactly work very hard to attract residents, as you can tell with all the potholes. Is yer family from Pittsburgh? What’s yer last name again?” Dillon asked.
“Needed a change of scenery. Strike out on my own y’know? I lived in Pittsburgh for a couple years before I moved here, but I was born in Dresden, Tennessee.” Tony explained, still with his back to Dillon. “Oh, It’s Gerace.”
“Yea, I definitely feel ya there. I’d love a change of scenery from all the city around here. I figured you were from there when you said you repped the fuckin’ Titans. Must’a been nice down there, though.”
“Yea, it was a’ight. Nothin’ remarkable. I like it up this way. Aside from the cold. Fuck the cold.” Tony said. Dillon thought he sensed the slightest bit of hesitation.
“That’s good, we might not be the nicest hood outside Philly, but the people are usually cool, and the food is dope as hell!” Dillon said with a bright smile.
“Yea, I’m startin’ to see that. I met you after all. With my work schedule I don’t have a lot of time to make nice with the locals.” Tony said with a thin smile. “All I really got is my job, my friend Adrian that got me said job, and you.”
“Thanks man, it means a lot. Really. I always got yer back! So was it Adrian that got you to move out here? Tell me if I’m askin’ too much.” Dillon asked.
“Nah nah, yer good. Yea, I guess you could call Adrian a family friend. He lives like fifteen minutes from here. I called ‘im up and asked if he had any work for me, and he recommended me to the owner. Showed ‘im I could do the job. He hired me and I moved out here a week later.” Tony finished as he scratched his cut jawline.
“Man, you been lots of places for a twenty year old. I’m kinda jealous.” Dillon grinned.
“Yea, I’ve been movin’ around my whole life pretty much, it gets old after a while. Trust me. Don’t take stability for granted.” He responded casually.
“Hmm… Yer pretty wise, Tony. I’ll take that advice.” Dillon gave a narrow eyed grin.
“N-no shit? Haha thanks, brother.” Tony chuckled.
Something occurred to Dillon. Tony had many wise moments like these. He must have seen a lot in his travels. Dillon realized he had started to look up to Tony. He seemed like a really stand-up guy, and Dillon liked the example he set. Just a down to earth hard worker that loved his friends and all things Marvel.
Dillon had been raised as an only child, well, he did have two elder brothers. His brothers and he were seperated when his parents split. He went with dad his brothers went with mom. So for all intents and purposes, he was raised as an only child, since he was way too young to remember any of it. So to have a male figure closer to his age to look up to was new and cool to him. Tony was almost… like a brother, actually.
Tony eventually finished up his cleanup, and hit the switch to close his garage door. This shop had to have been pretty new for it to look this nice and be so modern. It was an unusual sight for Dillon, who grew up in a lower class neighborhood where everything was old and decrepit. It was around quarter after four, and there were still a couple mechanics and a receptionist there, so Tony was able to leave. A lot of times, Tony was the last one out and had to lock up. Once they were both outside, Dillon made to shake Tony’s hand. He assumed that was a good first start, and didn’t want to appear clingy. He stopped mid-handshake when Tony raised his brow.
“Yo where you goin’? C’mon s’go!” Tony smiled wide.
“Uh- yea sure!” Dillon beamed.
“I’d take you on Harley, but I don’t have a ‘Baby On Board’ sticker to slap on yer back yet. So instead, we’ll take my lovely ’94 Bronco. Her name’s Big Bertha. She’s built like a tank!” He explained excitedly. He was like a little kid when he talked about any vehicle. It was cute. Dillon didn’t miss the smartass comment about the sticker, though.
“Oh, yer real cute, fuckhead! Ahaha! So, where we be goin’?”
“I was just gunna ask you that. Any ideas? I don’t know the good spots ’round here.” He shrugged.
“Mind a bit of a drive? You ever heard of the King of Prussia mall? It’s one of the largest malls in America. It’s pretty dope- and dude! The food court! Bourbon Chicken from the Chinese place! Bitch, fuck me up!”
“Yea I was down the second you said food court haha. So how far is a “bit of a drive”?”
“Like a half hour, maybe? But it’s worth it! Think of the food! That’s what our tired bodies need, and I’m a teenager so I’m immune to fullness.” Dillon slapped his belly.
“Hahaha dude you really love your food, eh? How are you not six hundred pounds?”
“Of course I love it! I’ll eat anything that’s delicious, no matter how much! Besides, I burn a ton of it off in the kitchen, where I happen to be a chef!”
“Ain’t you one o’ dem there diabetics?” Tony asked.
“Oh fuck you hahaha yes I am and proud of it! I keep the insulin manufacturers in business with my infinite appetite.”
Tony and Dillon had their usual back and forth banter, and it was fun. Except for Tony’s insistence that Superman had any place amongst any hero lineup, Marvel or DC, ever. Loser! Around five o’clock, they arrived at the King of Prussia mall. Dillon had never been a mall person because of all the people and the ungodly prices, but the KOP mall was pretty dope. Especially around the holidays, when it had the most people and the worst prices. However, it had incredible Christmas decorations and some of the wildest food Dillon’s ever had.
As usual, it was a grand time. There was a lot of sights to see. Dillon realized it was the perfect thing for new friends to do. A giant building of potential interests and hobbies that they may share is a great way to get to know someone. Tony was drawn to places like the fucking lego store, whereas Dillon liked places like EB Games and the food court, of course. They had a heated argument in EB Games about which Final Fantasy was more popular that devolved into a near fist fight. They got kicked out because Tony can’t just admit the tenth Final Fantasy was the best and grossed more than all the others combined. What could they say? They loved their games.
Tony had chased him the rest of the way to the food court because he tried a couple times to shoot rubber bands into the crowd. Once he had finally caught up, Dillon turned around and shot him in the ear. Then after they got their food and sat down to inhale it, Tony almost fainted when Dillon took his insulin shot. Its always the manly tough guys that are deathly afraid of needles. Once they’d eaten the best meal they’d had in weeks, Dillon pulled out his phone to see if his mom had gotten back to him. It was a quarter of eight already? He swiped his phone open and saw he had two missed texts.
Kat 3:18 PM: Have fun, Dill! Be careful and be yourself. And yes, you can use me as the girl yer currently with should the need arise! You’re welcome :) <3
Dillon snorted and rolled his eyes. Of course she would always and forever read him like an open book. He felt a pang of affection for Kat. She really did have his back and cared about him and their buddies. If Kat accepted him like this, well maybe it wouldn’t be so horrible if he told the other guys, too. They might joke and pester him for it, but if Kat could so easily say they agreed with her, then they likely agree at least somewhat. However, that’s a mental debate to be held at a later date. Dillon clicked open the other text, which was from his mom.
Mom 6:34 PM: Ok sweetie thanks for lettin me know. No problem, just be home before 10. If I see you on the eight o’clock news for having your illegal drug ring exposed, I’m gonna be pissed. So behave, idiot son! Love ya kiddo<3
Dillon grinned and shook his head. The woman in his life were nuts, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Half the men in his life were nuts anyway. He shot off a quick thanks to Kat and an affirmative to his mom, and slipped his phone back in his pocket. When Dillon looked up, he saw Tony’s head turned to another table a few feet away. A blonde girl with a couple of her friends got up and left. Tony looked her up and down, then looked to Dillon and smiled.
“Sight for sore eyes, eh? It’s always the super hot ones that end up screwin’ you over, though. Heed my wise words young padawan!” Tony knocked on the table.
“Haha dude even as a wingman, you still be throwin’ that Star Wars shit in there! But regardless, I, uh I’m seein’ a gal now already.”
While Dillon had already resolved to slide out he was with a girl, it still was difficult to lie to his friend. He needed a cover, though. Especially when Tony’s eye was drawn to some dumb blonde bitch that cared nothing about him. Tony deserved more than that. He deserved someone that would love him like Dillon did. As he thought about it, he felt that still unknown emotion. It made his heart rate pick up, and he wanted to punch the girl Tony looked at with eyes like that. Jealousy! That’s it. He must control it, so he made himself smile and act normal. It wasn’t difficult anymore to fake what went on in his head.
“Oh you are! Have I seen her? You done anythin’ with her? With any girl? You got Junior Prom next year, right? Better get thinkin’!” Tony rambled off questions. Damn it, he needed to knock it off with the adorable shit.
“Haha, yes I am, yes you’ve seen her, it’s Kat, I’ve pointed her out before. No I haven’t been with anyone at all before. Yes i have prom but I don’t really care. Did I complete the survey satisfactorily?”
“Ohhh yea! She’s a cutie. I got a lotta respect for gals like her that are just themselves. And from how you talk about her, you seem pretty into her. Nice, man. I hope things work out.” He winked.
Once they had gotten up and started to make their way to the car, Dillon was able to put the green-eyed monster to sleep inside him. That type of jealousy can be incredibly risky for him to feel, especially around the object of said jealousy. As a whole though, it was really fun. Their friendship dynamic worked well. Dillon got into the Bronco with Tony, a grin on his face over the whole thing. Tony liked him and wanted to be his friend! An awesome guy like Tony thought of him as such. Luckily it was dark, so Tony wouldn’t have been able to see the blush that creeped up his face.
Around nine o’clock, they arrived back in their neck of the woods. While Dillon had to be home by ten, he wasn’t quite ready for it to end yet. Besides, he still had an hour, and they were right up the street. What could they do, though? Honestly, he was hungry again.
“Yo are you hungry again?” Dillon asked.
“Bahahaa dude! We’re gunna be best pals. Our appetites align perfectly. Wanna hit up Burger King or some shit? Maybe Wawa? I like Wawa. The name’s still weird to me.” He replied with a wide grin.
“YESS! Wawa sounds sweet. Their pancake sizzlis are off the charts delicious.”
“What’s a pancake sizzli?”
“Oh yea, I forget that Wawa ain’t everywhere. It’s like a breakfast sandwich but the bread is two pancakes. So fuckin’ good, man. Ah! ‘Fore I forget, I gotta be home by ten. We still got like an hour, though.” Dillon shrugged.
“Heheh, I wonder how many of these pancake things we can eat in an hour? No prob brother, we’ll make it in time.”
The closest Wawa was only a couple blocks up the street from Dillon’s house. Tony got three sausage, egg, and cheese pancake sizzlis, and Dillon got two. He couldn’t go too crazy or he would drive his blood sugar up, even if he compensated with more insulin. They decided to just eat in the Wawa lot. Again, Tony reacted very poorly to Dillon’s insulin shot. The second the needle was away however, he started to rapidly inhale his food again. He really was like a toddler sometimes. Tony also apparently had a big problem with bugs too, a trait that Dillon shared strongly. A week ago, there was a spider on his work bench, and he saw it and jumped a foot in the air. He refused to get within ten feet of his work bench until Dillon caught it under a cup with a piece of paper. The spider didn’t do anything, even if it was terrifying. They do a lot of good for ecosystems around the world.
Once they were done, Tony backed out to drop him off at home. Dillon was tired yes, but he had had so much fun, he didn’t want it to end. Well, it’s not like Tony wouldn’t be at his usual spot at the shop during the week. There would definitely be plenty more opportunities to hang out again. After this night, Dillon had pretty much gotten over all his nerves and reservations about Tony. He was incredibly relieved that he could finally enjoy their friendship fully. At the same time, his lack of nerves and reservations meant he had to be very astute in how he controls his outward image. Just because he wasn’t nervous and awkward around Tony didn’t mean he wanted him to find out about that. The day he found out about that, Dillon would lose a good friend, and feel what a punch to the face feels like. Not that he could blame Tony. Dillon was a sick fuck.
Tony parallel parked in front of Dillon’s townhouse and turned off the engine. The lights were on in the window, since his folks expected him inside in ten minutes. As Dillon started to check that he had his phone and his drawstring Phillies bag for his diabetic supplies, he saw Tony scratch the back of his neck. To Dillon that screamed nerves or insecurity. He had a small smile on his face, though.
“You good, guy? What’s up?”
“Huh? Haha yea man I’m more than good. I’m happy. Yer one of the very few friends I’ve ever had…” Tony’s smile faded and he looked at Dillon with a small frown. “Thank you man. You’ve given me stuff to look forward to. I appreciate it.”
Dillon was ecstatic. Not just because it was Tony that said that to him, but also because he was happy he could be that kind of friend to anybody. Tony might be a stubborn, pig-headed, unsympathetic, and indifferent fuckhead, but he had rare moments like those when he would show he had a good heart. They had their arguments, but they got over them quickly. No grudges held. It likely even strengthened their friendship in some ways. Two people of strong will are bound to get into spats. That’s just how it worked. He beamed at Tony.
“O-of course man, you don’t gotta thank me, that’s what friends are for. But… same here. I could flip everything you said right back at you. I’m really happy you permanently disfigured me with yer screwdriver.” Dillon smiled fondly and pointed to the still visible scar on his right elbow.
“Ahahaha you had to bring that up didn’t y-” Tony snorted, but was cut off when they heard a knock on Dillon’s window.
Dillon whipped his head around and saw his mom outside with a smile. She waved to Tony. It drove him nuts when his mom would do this. The few times he would make a friend, his mom would accost them with questions about their life’s story when she met them. Luckily, Dillon didn’t think she would do that this time, since it had started to get late and she had to be up for church tommorow. Naturally, she was tired. Her job had her in front of a computer screen all day or on dull conference calls. As he begrudgingly rolled the window down, he gave his mom a subdued look of ‘please don’t say some dumb shit?’ She probably didn’t even notice. His mom was unapologetically herself. She liked to have a little fun and mess with her kid now and then.
“Hey ma, told you I’d be back in time! O-oh this is Tony! We met at the tech school like I said.”
“Yes I remember! How are you Tony? I’m Tracey. Yer the mechanic at Vinnie’s, right?”
“Yes, ma’am! Came in from Pittsburgh last year.” Tony said with a thousand watt smile.
Man, this dude was charismatic. Did he really have so few friends? It’s not like Dillon can really judge, since he could turn on the charm when it was called for, too. Besides, he didn’t know Tony’s past or what he’s been through. Just because he has a nice smile doesn’t mean life was easy for him. Either way, he was good at introductions. Dillon was relieved Tony had put up with his mother’s random appearance so well. After they had talked for a few minutes with Dillon uncomfortably in between them, the conversation finally came to a close.
“Yer a nice guy Tony. Thanks for seein’ my idiot son home in one piece.” She said as she grinned and cocked an eyebrow at Dillon.
“Of course, Dill’s a good kid. Whip sharp. Good friend, too.
“Alrighty Dillon time to wrap things up ’till next time.”
“Ok. A’ight Tony, peace man.” Dillon shook is hand. “We gotta chill again, that was awesome. We get on so well! Hit me up whenever, you know where to find me.” Dillon smiled broadly at him.
“Definitely brother, count on it. I’ll take you up on that. Even though yer a shitty brat, I guess I can spare a text every blue moon.” Tony shot him a peace sign.
Dillon gave him one last wave as he rolled his window up and pulled away. When his mom and he went inside, Dillon dropped his his bags at the top of the steps and yawned loudly. He was content. It had been an action packed day. That morning, he had popped in on Tony at the shop to say hi before the bus. After, he had a kick ass day in the kitchen, although, he did spill almost three dozen raw pre-cracked eggs all over the floor. It’s not easy to clean up egg. It was stil enjoyable as a whole though. Then on the bus home, he had broken ground with his friendship with Kat, and she now knew and accepted him for that. Once Dillon got home from school, he met up with Tony again, and they had a blast the rest of the day. It was the best day Dillon had had in a long time. Perhaps things would finally look up for him.
Dillon flopped down on the couch and sighed. He really was wiped. Thank heavens he had off tommorow and could sleep in. Right as he sat down, however, his mom came from the kitchen and leaned on the wall with her arms crossed. She didn’t say anything, she just looked at him with a ghost of a smile. Dillon knew exactly what would happen next. She would grill him for info, and wring every detail out about how they met and all. Its not like she did it to suffocate him, she only did it out of curiosity. A mother like his was hard to come by. One that is there for her kid and at least tried to keep up to date and close to him. There are many kids out there that never get to experience that. Dillon confused himself sometimes. He flip-flops between affection, anger, and insecurity towards his parents. Part of adolescence, he supposed.
“What? Do I have food on my face?” Dillon said shortly. Mom smiled wider.
“Oh, nothin’. I’m just happy to see you makin’ more friends. Tony’s very nice. I’m guessin’ he’s a classmate of yers?”
“N-no, actually uh… he turned twenty last month. Sometimes he uses the shop at the school for work projects.” He replied nervously. His tongue wouldn’t allow him to lie, so he just crossed his fingers that mom wouldn’t freak.
“Twenty, huh? I have my concerns, but if yer tech school lets him in, he must be alright. He doesn’t have the appearance of a hood rat.”
“He’s really cool. He’s twenty yea, but we’ve been hangin’ and talkin’ for a month now, though I met him a bit before then.”
“No drugs and or illegal sex trafficking right?” Mom narrowed her eyes.
“Really, mom? No, we just hang. We went to the mall that’s all. When have I ever been a troublemaker?” Dillon groaned. He knew it was her job to ask, but still. Dillon sat on the edge of the couch about to get up.
“Ok, ok, just wanna make sure you aint fallin’ into a bad crowd.” She walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder to stop him. “Hey, I’m happy yer makin’ friends. Just… be careful, and know I’m here if you ever need me. You can tell us anything. We’d never stop lovin’ you.”
“… Yea. I’ll keep that in mind… Thanks.” Dillon replied softly. “Where’s dad? How was yous guys’ day?”
“Oh, you know him. He’s watchin’ his Eagles highlights from this past season he didn’t get to watch ’cause of work. And he is not happy with their performance.” She snorted.
“Heheh, it was a bloodbath. Well, tell him I said g’night. Its been a good day, but a long one, so I’m gonna go pass out. Can’t wait to sleep in tomorrow! Don’t get me up ’till like ten earliest?” Dillon asked excitedly.
“Yea yea, no later than eleven, though. You gotta take yer insulin and eat.” Mom hugged him. “Night bud. Love ya.”
“Right back at’cha.” He said quietly.
Mom went back to bed while Dillon went into the kitchen to put his insulin in the fridge. He took out his Eagles themed insulin case, and stuck the whole thing in the door. With that, he went downstairs to his room. As he entered, he saw that Mom had put all the animals to bed for him. She must have figured he’d be tired as hell when he got home. Mom had her awesome moments. It was a little thing, but it was big to Dillon.
After the day he had, he didn’t care how tired he was, he wanted a shower first. Life as a chef can be a dirty one, and he had had to clean up a ton of eggs. His room was like a den, and had a full bathroom that was one step up opposite to the entrance. He sat on the bed, and rubbed his face with his hands a few times. Like he told his mom earlier, it was a good day, but a long one, both physically and mentally. It felt like he had experienced every emotion there is today. He’s been excited, sad, scared, angry, envious, happy, and more. It was a lot for him to absorb while he also battled school, his attraction to Tony, and his lies to everyone. Dillon felt his eyes start to sting as he got in the shower. Why did he have to be cursed with that? It tainted his friendships, and made everything so complicated. How long could he keep this up for? How long can he lie to himself and everone else for? Not forever, that’s a given.
The Art of Life and Love: The First Spark Chapter 2 [mm]
SPRING
May15th, 2010: Saturday
~~~~~~~
Dillon awoke as the usual stupid Coolio song Gangsta’s Paradise blasted from his phone. Of course it meant he had to get up for stupid tech school. He wanted to sleep in on Saturdays like the rest of America! What highschool students didn’t sleep in on Saturdays? Him, apparently. As he got up, he sighed and dismissed the alarm.
While it sucked that he had to wake up so early and he might grumble about it, but he really did love tech school. It was fast paced, but once Dillon went into chef mode, it relaxed him. Just to be able to do the thing he loved for hours a day calmed him. It was an escape from everything else in life. It could get so insane in the kitchen that he had to divert all his mental energy just to keep up. At the same time, he learned a lot, experimented, tried new things, met tons of awesome people, and honed his skills and muscle. To be a chef required strength for certain tasks, and to carry heavy bulk ingredients.
Dillon went through his usual morning routine, and headed out to the bus stop after he bid his folks farewell as they started to get ready. He liked his morning routine. It was a constant, something that brought some stability to his otherwise chaotic life. Dillon started his typical walk to the bus stop, which was another constant. Although, there was a variable now. A couple random mornings a week, Dillon would wake up extra early so he could leave early and say hi to Tony. It was cool to see what his current project was. A lot of Tony’s jobs were small things that he fixed in a day or two. Things like dinged up bumpers or doors, and broken mirrors, so he worked on a different project each time.
That morning Dillon was able to leave a good twenty-five minutes earlier. Since it was Saturday, it was a hit or a miss as to whether Tony would be there. He didn’t work every Saturday. It was usually when he was busy or behind on work. Dillon still woke up Saturday mornings quite early to see if Tony’s garage was open. It was a fun start to his morning. They had a lot of fun and laughs, and they’d just hang with their coffee for ten or fifteen minutes before they started their day. Dillon was still ecstatic that he had found a new friend. At this point, that wasn’t triggered often, at least not yet, since Dillon now cared about him as a person. As he got to know him and his personality, he didn’t really care about that. Tony was awesome and Dillon was grateful for his friendship.
The shop roof was visible a few blocks away, and Dillon checked his phone for any texts. Surprisingly, he hadn’t checked it since he woke up. Tony and he had exchanged numbers the afternoon they met. They only texted here and there, but that was probably for the best. He had other things in his student and social lives to worry about. There were no missed texts, but that didn’t mean much. They were already pals. They made eachother laugh like crazy sometimes. Tony was a cool dude and a good friend.
Friends they might be, but Dillon knew he had to keep his distance. He couldn’t lose a friend because he was sick in the head with that. He could control it, but in his mind or when he was alone, it always came out. Dillon didn’t know why this attraction had gone on as long as it did. Usually, even if he knew the person, he’d get bored and move on to the next hot guy. He was a teenager, and his libido could be incredible sometimes. Dillon struggled sometimes with his attraction to Tony. It had started to make him feel guilty. This guy was Dillon’s friend, and he thought of him like that? He felt like he objectified Tony in his mind. It made Dillon feel dirty and twisted. He was disgusted with himself. Why couldn’t he be normal like other guys?
Dillon turned right off of Chestnut Street onto Main Street, and walked a couple blocks up the road towards the shop. It was a fine day. It was in the mid-seventies and party cloudy, with a nice light breeze. It started to smell like summer, and it had Dillon pumped up to go to the beach. Wildwood, New Jersey was the epitome of vacations to him. He could spend all day in the ocean. It was one of the few things that he looked forward to all year. Just the thought of summer and the beach combined with a beautiful day had him in a good mood.
As he got close enough, his heart skipped a beat when he saw Tony’s garage door open. ‘Sweet, he’s here!” Dillon thought excitedly. After he turned into the lot, he saw Tony’s head pop up over the trunk of some Subaru without a front bumper or side mirrors. The paint job had flaked off in some areas and had faded with age. It didn’t look to him like a one ot two day job. Tony smiled when he saw him approach.
“Yo Dill! Mornin’ brother! You’re early today. What’s up?” Tony shook his hand.
“Dude, ahahaha! Did you just call me Dill? I don’t go by Dill to many.” Dillon laughed with a look of mild shock.
“Yea! I heard your friend call you that at the school. So since we’re friends, I get to call you Dill, right?”
“I- sure, I guess so? Haha maybe I’ll use it more. Although, it’s also the name of an herb used to flavour pickles and salmon. It’s kinda nasty.”
“Oh shit!” Tony’s face fell.
“What? What’s wrong?” Dillon asked curiously.
“That’s why dill pickles are called dill pickles! Mind blown.”
“W-wait you- you didn’t know that? Hehehahaha! Man, everyone knows that! You been on this planet for twenty years and you just made that connect?” Dillon tried his best to not breakout in a fit of laughter.
“Whatever, I’m sorry I ain’t a dill pickle expert over here! I never heard of the herb before, ok? I just eat ’em, I don’t know what’s in ’em ‘sides cucumbers.” He said defensively.
“Fair enough. Twenty years though, tisk tisk. Imma have to school you in food!
“Ugh, can it ya’ shitty brat. Don’t you have daycare to run along to?” Tony scoffed.
“Well yea, but I have to get my weekly brat quota in by midnight tonight. Or else I might be mature!” Dillon said in horror.
“I’m glad you see what an irritant you are, heheheh.” He chuckled.
‘Exactly! Haha.”
Dillon loved their morning banter. Tony’s sense of humour was very similar to his. He could get just as raunchy and problematic in humour as Dillon was. Tony stood up as he wiped his already greasy hands on a shop towel.
“Coffee! S’go!” Tony waved Dillon in and he followed
Dillon checked his phone as he followed Tony and saw he still had fifteen minutes to get to his bus. He was already almost there, so he had a good seven minutes to chat it up. That was cool with him, though. Dillon viewed even a minute with his friends as precious, in stark contrast to two months ago, where he wanted only solitude. He may have a complicated home and social life a lot of the time, but he still loves his friends and family. Without them he surely wouldn’t have made it this far at all. Tony and Dillon went through the garage, through a set of double doors, and into what appeared to be the wait area and registers. They walked up to one of those Keurig single cup coffee makers.
It was ironic to Dillon that a place that usually had the worst coffee like an autoshop actually had some of the best coffee he’s ever had. The Keurig machine was awesome, and the variety of coffee pods they had was crazy. All the different pods were all individually placed on a rotatable wire tree that had small little wire cups all over it. Dillon wanted one. Dillon really wanted one. He was a coffee fiend, especially around midterms and finals. Probably the best of the coffee pods he’d tried was some caramel vanilla dark roast. A sixteen ounce cup of the coffee, twelve Splendas, and lots of vanilla creamer and he was set. Unfortunately, Tony had the taste of a dead sewer rat, because he only drank it black. In Dillon’s view, it’s sewer water. Only people over the age of fifty drank black coffee. It was nasty.
They talked back and forth for the last few minutes Dillon had about what they were up to that day. Dillon wanted to ask him if he wanted to hang sometime, but he nixed the idea. He decided to let things happen naturally. If Tony wanted to get to know him, he’ll be there. Dillon wouldn’t chase him. He checked his phone again, and saw he had to head out. It was a bummer, but he said his farewells and shook Tony’s hand.
Once Dillon was back outside, he put his earbuds in to listen to the radio app on his phone. Right after he hit play and was about to slide it in his pocket, he felt it vibrate twice. Kat had probably texted him that the bus showed up early, which only happened a few times a millennium. Naturally, it would happen to him today. When he hit the power button on the side of his phone to turn the screen on, Dillon raised his eyebrows. There were two texts from Tony on his screen, which he opened up while he walked.
Tony 6:53 AM: Yo man its nice hangin out with you seriously. I wanna thank you to for being my friend and noticing me i guess? Im still new round here and i appreciate it.
Tony 6:54 AM: You wanna maybe chill later today? I know im an older guy so i get it if you don’t.
Dillon cocked an eyebrow. That was quick. He had thought that the hang out stage wouldn’t happen for another couple weeks. Not that he had a single complaint. Dillon cracked a crooked smile and slid his phone back in his pocket. He’d answer him on the bus. Right then he needed to not be late to it, so he picked up his pace. Finally he saw Kat as she leaned on the stoplight pole in her purple hoodie. She didn’t look happy, which was normal for her in the morning. Usually she pepped up by the time they made it to their spot in the foyer during the week, but she could be extra grumpy on Saturdays. When he made it to her, he noticed her long auburn hair, which was usually kept down, was braided. It was odd of Kat to do anything with her hair or face. She was a hardcore tomboy and Dillon loved that about her.
“Dude… did you really braid your hair?” Dillon grinned and raised his eyebrows.
“Dont fuckin’ start Dill! It was my niece. She did it last night, and my mom told me I couldn’t take it out this morning ’cause it would “hurt her feelings”.” She said in air quotes.
“Aww you’re a good Auntie! Bet you can’t wait to be called ‘mommy’ someday, eh?” Dillon snorted.
“No, I’d feel too bad for accidentally washin’ my child with the dirty laundry.”
“Love how matter-of-factly you said that, haha.”
“Eh, I speak matter-of-factly when it’s a matter of fact, of course!”
“It’s kind of surprising you’re in the Nursing program, have I told you that? You’d probably kill someone out of shock with your ‘matter-of-facts’!” He snickered.
“Many times. At this point, I’m only doin’ it to prove you wrong! I’d only shock them into faintin’. At the most I’d get reported!” She retorted. “In awfully good mood today, aren’t oui? I’ve noticed that recently, too. Tell me on the way home.”
“What? T-tell you? How did you know?” Dillon asked nervously.
“Oh, I didn’t. You just told me! We’re talkin’ about it on the way home, k?” Kat winked at him.
Kat was too clever. He’d have to be cautious around her with what he says. If he’s not, then Kat would probably be able to easily deduce that. It annoyed him. Largely because he fell for her stupid trap. Dillon wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice. On the other hand however, would Kat even care that he was sick with that? Dillon oddly felt an urge to tell her. She was the closest thing he had to a best friend with Dominic gone. Perhaps he should learn to trust in his friends more. Kat had only ever been supportive, never judgemental. Should he do it? Should he tell her? He’d think about it. Maybe on the way home.
Just then, the bus rolled up and released a loud hiss as it stopped. The door slid open, and got stuck three-quarters of the way, like usual. They were in a city that wasn’t exactly well-to-do after all, so a lot of things that needed to be fixed wouldn’t get fixed. It may have not been the best neighborhood, but it was his home. He loved his home, even if they wouldn’t love him back if they ever found out about that.
He scanned the bus to see what his seat options were when he boarded. Kat took her usual place next to the emergency exit window halfway down the length of the bus. They very rarely sat together in the morning since they listened to their music and didn’t talk anyway. That’s another thing he loved about Kat. She wasn’t a clingy friend and needed her personal space just like him. There was no pressure for either of them to be all chummy, either. It was a simple friendship. Simple, but strong. Two qualities that Dillon needed more of in his life.
Dillon typically sat as far in the back as he could. It was an ingrained habit to avoid the bus’ camera, because on the bus home he, Kat, and some buddies would mess with the bus driver and the other students on the bus. What could he say? It was good entertainment on the way home. For example, one time Kat rolled her chapstick all the way up and flicked it from the back bus into the bus driver’s perm. She didn’t notice until the next day when she’d apparently slept on it all night. The vice principal went back to look at the camera footage, but because of the the town’s terrible mismanagement of public maintenance, the camera was broken. The broken part blocked Kat, Dillon, and the others from view. Everyone knew that they’d done it, but when confronted with the video the first time, they easily talked their way out of it. The best part was they didn’t manage to get the camera replaced for another three months. It was a grand time.
Once Dillon had claimed the second to last seat on the left, he yawned as he pulled out his phone and swiped it open. What should he say? He couldn’t just ignore it out of nerves. Tony had mentioned he moved here from Pittsburgh. Dillon had told him about the area and all about the school. Kind of like a student chaperone. Dillon could imagine how tough it could be to adapt and fit in to an unknown area. He stared at the text and scratched his chin. That second one was a doozey. Tony seemed like a confident alpha type person, yet he seemed just as nervous about Dillon’s acknowledgement as he was about Tony’s.
The fact he was worried that Dillon might turn him down because of his age warmed Dillon’s heart a bit. It felt like Tony was just as happy about their friendship as he was. The thought that Tony was worried that he’d be turned down promted Dillon to action, and he started to formulate his reply.
Dillon 7:18 AM: Haha no worries man we’ve all been new somewhere, right? I could thank you in turn. I care bout you dude you’re age means nothing to me. I’m game to hang with my friend anytime :D
Tony 7:21 AM: Sweet youre a pretty cool dude. If you wanna swing by the shop im here till 4. Chef me up somethin good!
7:22 AM: Im feelin somethin chicken!
Dillon 7:24 AM: Yea, that sounds dope! I get home around 2 since its Saturday. Haha bitch you gonna pay for it? Fine if you want chicken, go slaughter one and bring it to me de-feathered lol.
Tony 7:33 AM: Cool i look forward to it. Hey careful what you offer! Haha ttyl.
Dillon felt equal parts surprised, nervous, and elated. He wondered what they would do. He got home at around two, and Tony will be at the shop till four. That gave them a couple good hours. Or would they do something after? For now, Dillon put it out of his thoughts. He had to worry about school and that stupid talk he was supposed to have with Kat. Dillon knew that once Kat fixated on something, there was zero chance she would let it go or forget. At the same time, he felt a rush of affection for Kat. She noticed and cared enough about him to fixate on him in the first place.
The bus arrived at the tech school at almost a quarter to eight. Once Kat and he had said their farewells till that afternoon, Dillon went into chef-mode. One of his favourite modes. The typical Saturday lesson was to simply run the restaurant and kitchen, basically by themselves. Dillon thought it was a sadistic joke the teachers had invented. They got to watch a bunch of stressed student chefs go insane with the workload while they did nothing. It was really busy on Saturdays, too. The students’ families came in to the restaurant to see what their kid could do, which put even more pressure on them. Well, aside from Dillon, who was in chef-mode and immune to panic.
It was busy enough that their six hour shift had flew by. Next thing Dillon knew, the head chef warned them all they had to wrap up their current tasks and clean up. Each student got a different thing to clean every week, and with twenty-six students total, cleanup didn’t take that long. Often times they were done with time to spare, and were able to snack on the extra food. Though, Dillon had ‘sampled’ his ingredients and dishes the whole time. He was a bottomless pit and he needed the extra calories to sustain chef-mode. Dillon would eat anything delicious no matter how much, and he was proud of it. It was a terrible habit for a diabetic to have, but the allure of tasty things was too strong. So he just compensated with insulin later after he checked his blood sugar. A lot of times it was fine if he didn’t compensate, since fast paced physical work could lower his blood sugar, too. Dangerously low if he wasn’t careful.
On the way out after they had been dismissed, Dillon followed his usual procedure and shook his carpentry buddies’ hands while they walked out to the busses together. Who knew what kind of trouble they’d start today? If there would be any, since Kat wanted to play therapist. As Dillon and his buddies talked and started down the automotive corridor, he was brought back to the day he met Tony. He had been so terrified and nervous, because Tony had been in his fantasies for a while. He found him very attractive, and Tony was exactly his type. A man with a low, smooth voice, some muscle but some softness as well. Dillon was drawn to his lightly tanned skin and eyes. The thing that Dillon was most crazy about were his chest and belly. The guy dripped masculinity constantly. Tony was one of those contactor type guys with the thin beater tank tops and tan steel toe work boots. The kind that catcalls to chicks as they pass by, which Tony had actually done a couple times.
Tony’s personality was quite cocky. He had the vibe of an alpha male, and was definitely a womanizer. Dillon thought at least part of his bravado and confidence were defensive mechanisms. Tony had shown a touch of insecurity with his texts earlier that morning. That’s fine with Dillon, though. He couldn’t pry. Tony had to open up of his own accord. If he pressed him at all, he could push Tony away. Either way, that bravado and confidence still worked on the ladies. He seemed to have a new girl on his arm every week.
That thought annoyed Dillon. It made him feel things he’d never felt before. He didn’t know what it was. The fact that those random bitches that come and go like the weeks of the year get to see Tony’s personal sides drove him crazy. They get to see his most intimate parts and be so close to him. It wasn’t about the sex for Dillon, he didn’t mean his physically intimate sides. No he felt this unknown emotion when he thought about how those whores got to be so close to Tony, but didn’t care about him at all. Dillon truly cared about him as a friend, and as a person. He’d love Tony so much more, but he wouldn’t want a sick freak of a teenager. Tony would be disgusted by that. He could never find out. If he did, Dillon could kiss their friendship goodbye. This community was one that didn’t accept those with that in their ranks.
Dillon had thought he could maybe invent a girlfriend, or a girl he’s been with, to make himself seem even more normal. He had to push his ability to act to it’s brink if Dillon wanted that to remain unexposed indefinitely. At the right time he would let it slip to Tony that he had a girl he saw. It sucked to have to lie to Tony, let alone everyone else, about that. Tony was his friend but he just couldn’t confide in him. He’d have to bury what’s on his heart and consign himself to the reality that he’ll never have him like that. Dillon would have him as a good friend. That’s all he should care about, but his heart couldn’t help but be troubled over it. Could it be that Dillon felt real romantic love for Tony? No, it couldn’t be. They’d only known eachother for a month. His parents said it takes longer than that to really love someone. Dillon was merely infatuated with him. He would get over it eventually.
Dillon took a last whiff of the wonderful rubber smell in the auto corridor, and turned down the hall that led to the front exit. While Dillon half dreaded the conversation he would have with Kat, he also sort of looked forward to it. If the right opportunity presented itself, he had decided to tell Kat about that. Upon further thought, it was ridiculous that he hadn’t told her about that sooner. Kat would stick by him. That was just fact. Dillon and his buddies pushed through the double doors and headed to their bus. There was only a few busses there, since not all programs taught on Saturday. As Dillon laughed and carried on with his pals, he looked up at their bus and saw as Kat looked down at him from a seat further from the back. She winked, and his stomach twisted. Now that it was here, Dillon was nervous.
After he boarded the bus, he went straight to where Kat was and sat next to her. Of course, she had undid her braids probably right when she arrived to her classroom. Usually they would both sit as far back as they could, but it seems that she had wanted to give them some privacy today. Kat would do this if any of their friends needed to talk. She was good friends with them, and was always someone that they could lean on. Dillon felt even worse that he hadn’t just told her. Kat looked at the other guys that followed him.
“Keep it movin’, peanut gallery. Hey! Brenden, I will fuck you up, bitch!” She shouted at him when he gave her the finger.
“Yes, mother dearest, I shall honor mine parent!” Brenden retorted.
Kat shook her head and rolled her eyes. She turned around, scanned around the bus, and glanced at the bus driver as the engine started up. It surprised Dillon slightly that the bus driver still kept her perm after they had thrown that lollipop in it. Good ol’ Karen the bus driver lady. She was not a good sport, but she was fun to toy with. Yes, Dillon could be an asshole sometimes. He was a teenager, ok? It was his job. Kat turned her attention back to Dillon once she was confident they wouldn’t be heard. She still kept an eye on the ‘peanut gallery’ in the back.
“Ok, spill it Dill. What happened? Like I noted this morning, you’ve been different lately. Happier. It’s starting to creep me out, dude. I need to know so I can sabotage you if something bad happens to me. It’ll make me feel better.” Kat said casually.
“I just u-uh I-I-” Dillon stuttered. He was very nervous. He wasn’t this nervous when he told Dominic, nor throughout that day.
“Words Dill, use your words. Deep breath.”
“Y-yea um well, I made a good new friend at tech school. He ran into me and cut me with his screwdriver when he was borrowing a autobody work station.” Dillon pointed to the dark pink line on his elbow. It still wasn’t fully healed. Curse his diabetic body’s slower recovery rate.
“Ok, and? What next?! You got over a half an hour to spill everything.”
“Jeez you’re timin’ me? Ok mommy, are you gonna count to three, too? Haha.” He paused. “Uhm y’know that autobody shop on Main? The tan and gray one? Four car garage?”
“Yea yea Vinnie’s. I’ve passed it countless times. He work there? What’s his name?”
She nodded in recognition.
“H-his name’s Tony, and yea he works in the last garage farthest from the wait room. Uh, I-I don’t know, he’s a cool guy who’s talented with paintin’ and restorin’ cars n’ all.” Dillon he said with a small smile.
“Wait, you said you met him at school, right? What grade’s he in?”
“Well, actually he’s twenty and graduated ’09. Moved from Pittsburgh.” Kat gave a disgusted frown. She was a ride or die Eagles fan, too. Dillon smirked. “Don’t worry, don’t worry, he don’t rep the Steelers-”
“-Oh, thank God-”
“He reps the Titans!” Dillon announced cheerily.
“TENNESSEE?! THEY HAVE NO DEFENSE! No defense no team!”
“Thats exactly what I said to him! He has no defense! Ahaha!”
“Sounds like a nice dude. You should introduce me to him. You know I’m fuckin’ dope as hell.” She winked. “Tell me about him.”
“Surprisingly, not that far off from the peanut gallery back there. Down to earth, mostly. Kinda rough around the edges, though. He’s a cocky manly man, y’know the type. But he’s kind, even if he tries to come off cool and indifferent.” Dillon said fondly. “He’s an interesting guy.”
“Cool dude I’m happy for you! Don’t forget you’ve known me longer. When did you meet Tony?” Kat gave him a half grin.
“‘Bout a month ago, but I technically met him a while before that ’cause he almost hit me with his car, haha.” He laughed nervously.
“Hit you with his car?” She whispered incredulously.
“No, no not like that haha he cut me off turnin’ into the shop lot with a busted-ass Cadillac he was workin’ on.”
“Oh wow… he definitely is peanut gallery.”
“Where did you even get the term ‘peanut gallery’?” Dillon smirked.
“I don’t remember, but you best watch it before I lump you in with those boobs.”
She smiled fondly at the guys in the back. She had a quick temper and could really be harsh to her friends, but she really did care for them. They in turn respected her for it. They had all known eachother longer than they knew Dillon, so from an outsider’s perspective, they acted and loved eachother like siblings. Even though they could get into some nasty tiffs. They had welcomed him with open arms and he was proud and grateful to be their friends. They had a blast together, especially with good ol’ Karen. Dillon snapped back to reality when Kat said something he didn’t quite catch.
“What’s that? Sorry, I spaced for a sec.”
“Does he know how you feel?” She whispered right in his ear.
“Thought so.” Dillon frowned. “I planned to tell you during this conversation, because I figured it would veer to this subject. Damn it, am I that obvious?” He whispered, panicked.
“Dill, calm down and listen to me. I do not care who you want to love. That’s not why we’re friends. We’re friends because we care about eachother’s happiness, and because we love and support eachother for the people we are. I won’t say anything, but the peanut gallery feel the same. Trust your friends, bro.” She whispered with a grin and a glint in her eye. Amusement?
“S-so how did y-” he began
“-half the conversation about yer friend you had a smile plastered on your face. Yer eyes had that… spark. It’s almost imperceptible, so no, yer not obvious. A chick like me that’s known you for a while can pick up on things guys can’t. Plus, yer answer confirmed it for me again. 2-0 Kat! You’s are all meatheads.”
Dillon rolled his eyes. Earlier that morning he told himself he wouldn’t fall for that trap again. Kat was too much sometimes.
“So y-you don’t think anyone would notice? I-I can’t have anyone find out Kat, I can’t.”
“Dill, calm down! Nobody will find out. You look and act like any other teenaged boy. This is between us. My lips are sealed, so relax and answer my question, although the answer is clearly a given…” She said softly.
“N-no he doesn’t know and it’s gonna stay that way. He doesn’t want a sick fuck.”
“Oh stop the fuckin’ pity party. You’re not sick nor a fuck. If yer close enough to Tony to have feelings for him, do you really think he’d tell you to take a hike? If he did, do you really want someone like that? Even as a friend?” She huffed.
“Kat, you know what happens to people like me around here. It ain’t pretty!” Dillon whispered harshly.
“God, Dillon it’s not like yer puttin’ up a billboard or some shit. Not everyone has to know! You really don’t appear like that. I myself never guessed until just now.”
“Y-yea?” He huffed a laugh.
“Yea. I’m with you, man. Ya feel me?” Kat gave a crooked grin.
“Yea, I feel ya.” He smiled.
Dillon felt a lot better. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Maybe it isn’t a weakness to lean on friends for support. Perhaps it’s really a strength. That shared weight bonds people closer together. One day in the future, he knew there would be a day that he would be real with everyone, but that time unfortunately, is not now. So long as he had Tony in some capacity, he was happy. At least for now. It was a much better option to have him as a friend as opposed to not all.
After the bus dropped them off at their stop, Dillon and Kat said their farewells until Monday. Dillon started his walk home while he pulled his phone out to check the time. Seven after two. So he’d have a couple hours with Tony. Unless they chilled after he left. He wasn’t sure. On one hand, he figured a hang out with Tony after he was done for the day was a little fast paced. On the other hand, they were friends. What was wrong with that?
Just in case, Dillon texted his mom beforehand. He did not want to piss her off again, unless he wanted to clean all three bathrooms. After a moment of thought, he started to type while he walked to the shop. He wondered what Tony and he would do. Whatever they decided on, they’d have a blast.