Chapter 7
by Dan Kirk
“Boys, you better get a move on if you want some of this food mom’s cooking!” Dad’s voice, and his fist banging on the door woke me up the next morning and I started with surprise. Sometime during the night, the arm’s length between us had disappeared, and my arms were wrapped around Davey, who had his back to me. My morning erection was sticking out the top of my underwear, and it was nestled tightly against Davey’s back, where he could probably feel it as he stirred.
With flaming cheeks, I pushed myself back a bit from him, but didn’t remove my arms from around him. He was shifting now, and I wondered if I could casually move my hands down from his chest and feel his own morning erection, and part of me wanted to do that, but I knew it was not time for that yet.Still, it was nice having him in my arms.
“We’re getting up, dad!” I called out and my father moved off.To my surprise, Davey started chuckling and actually leaned back against me, although he arched his back so it wouldn’t come into contact with my erection.
“Good morning.” I whispered to him, and he started laughing harder.“What’s so funny?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Davey whispered and turned sideways so he could look at my face.There was a broad smile on his.“Marcie would have a coronary if she walked in now, and your dad probably would too. Thanks though.I hope it’s not too freaky for you waking up like this.I had a nightmare and the next thing I knew you were hugging me and it just…”
“I’m not freaked out.” I assured him and he arched an eyebrow with a semi-familiar leer on his face.
“Really, what about if I did this?” He said before leaning forward like he was going to kiss me.I pulled back and slapped his chest, causing him to push my hands away and they ended up on his belly.
“Dude, what the fuck is this?” I asked, slapping his belly and he frowned before defensively pushing my hands away.
“I know I need to lose weight.” He grumbled. “It’s just tough you know, working in a fucking fast food place and never really having all that much time for a real meal, and Nanny’s always pushing food at me as if that’ll make the world better and I don’t have any time for exercise.”
“Bullshit.” I said firmly, sitting up enough to rest my head on my right hand while looking at him sternly. “We’ll make time.I tell you what, I usually run three times a week in the mornings. You and I will meet at the school an hour before school starts and go running.”
“You want me to give up an hour of sleep?” Davey said with a startled look.“Do you know how little sleep I get as it is?I can’t even crawl into bed until after Nanny and Papa finish watching the news. Then it’s another thirty minutes before they finish locking up, setting the alarms and actually get into bed.”
“I thought you couldn’t go home if it was after eleven-thirty and they’re still up?” I exclaimed in confusion and he frowned.
“Nanny would try to sneak me in, but if I’m not back yet, Papa gets up five minutes early and turns on the alarm.” Davey answered. “She doesn’t know the code and he won’t tell anyone else at all, and he’s the type that would wait for the police to show up and have them haul me off.”
“Sometimes I don’t get your grandfather at all.” I said, full well being able to imagine Pete doing that if he was pissed enough.
“Yeah, well, enough of that.” Davey said with false cheerfulness.“Whatever your mom’s cooking sure smells good.”
“I’ve got dibs on the shower.” I said with a smile as I hopped out of bed.Davey just stretched before laying back down, and I couldn’t help but smile as I noticed him pulling my pillow to him when he thought I’d left the room.
Mom had delivered Davey’s clean clothes while I was in the shower and he was already dressed as I entered with nothing but a towel around my waist.He blushed before stammering out that he’d be in the dining room, and I smirked to myself. Davey was such a contradiction, fluctuating between being flirty with me and embarrassed about being caught looking at me.Since we’d probably be leaving soon after breakfast, I dressed in an old pair of jeans and equally old shirt that was only a little tight, but it did show off my chest fairly well. Davey was wearing the clothes he’d worn to school yesterday, although they were freshly cleaned by mom.
“You young men mind if I go along with you?” Dad asked as we ate the pancakes, sausage, bacon, and eggs that mom had cooked. “I was once a fair hand with cars.”
“Sure.” Davey said after looking at me for approval.If Dad wanted to help, I wasn’t going to argue.He was definitely better than me when it came to cars.
“Good, after we finish here I’ll get my tools.” Dad said and Davey breathed a sigh of relief.
“I was worried I might have to ask my father for help.” He said in answer to dad’s questioning look. “When I wrecked mom’s car after getting my license he had to help me fix the rear axle I bent.”
“Don’t worry about that.” Dad said firmly, but there was a gentle smile on his face that seemed to encourage Davey.
“I appreciate all the help you’re giving me.” Davey said politely, but the undertones in his voice showed how much he meant every word.
“It’s nothing.” Mom said with a smile. “Besides, if it’s keeping Brian out of trouble, it’s all to the good.”
“Hey!” I protested, but she was already laughing
with
dad.When breakfast was done, we headed
out and dad followed us in his car after loading it with some tools. Davey kept up an easy monologue for a while,
talking about a friend of his from
“What the hell?” Davey asked as we pulled into the parking lot of the McDonald’s.Like all the employees he parked near the back, and as we pulled into the spot next to his car, I could see why he was upset.Both tires on this side were flat, and more than likely the other two were as well, which we learned after getting out of the car and looking at the other side. Dad pulled up behind us, and was looking at the car with a grim expression while Davey fingered the slit edge of the rear driver’s side tire.Someone had done a good job slitting his tires, and a rage built in my gut as I took a good guess as to who was responsible.
“I’m going to fucking kill her.” I said in a very loud voice while a slender, older woman in a manager’s uniform walked out of the restaurant.
“Brian, watch your language!” Dad said sharply as Davey stood up and turned around.His eyes were moist, and his lower lip quivered. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and comfort him, but I knew that this was not the place or the time.
“How am I going to pay for this?” Davey moaned softly.“Jenny’s psychotherapist needs to be paid and I have to make the car payment and I could barely scrounge up enough for a starter and…”
“David?” The female manager asked in a worried tone.“I’m sorry David, I tried calling your house to tell you this morning when I came in but they said you were over at a friend’s.”
“I… my car wouldn’t start last night and Brian picked me up.” Davey said in a weak voice. He shook his head slightly as she moved to stand next to him.“Janice, the tires were fine when I left last night.”
“They were fine when the closers left.” Janice said in a worried tone.“I don’t understand why someone would do this, you’re the sweetest boy here.”
“It wasn’t someone from the restaurant.” I said through gritted teeth and Davey looked up at me with a worried look.
“She wouldn’t do this, would she?” He asked and his lower lip started quivering again.“Why would she do this to me?”
“Why do you think Marcie did this, Brian?” Dad asked in a low, quiet tone that was still filled with fatherly command.
“She saw us last night when we were pulling out of the restaurant, and she gave us both a dirty look.” I said, not wanting to get into the part about her going down on Spencer. Had she gotten him to do it?In a selfish way I hoped it had been him and not – not Trevor or Brandon.
“So you think she’d take her anger out on David?” Dad said with a questioning tone.“That doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
“Who is this Marcie?” Janice asked coldly.
“Brian’s ex-girlfriend.” Davey said softly.
“What would she have against you?” Janice asked him.
“It’s not so much Davey directly as anyone she sees me with.” I explained what I thought was her reasoning. Yeah, I was calming down, but I was still pissed. While I seriously doubted Brandon or Trevor might say something to her about my interest in Davey, I was seriously regretting having ever shared that with them. “She’s a vindictive bi–woman.”
“If she ever comes into my restaurant, I want you to point her out to me, you hear me David?” Janice said vehemently. “I want to throw her out on her ass and never let her back in here.”
“Thanks, Janice.” Davey said with a slight chuckle that faded away as he looked back at his car.That was when I noticed that dad wasn’t by us anymore, but was at the payphone near the entrance.
“It’s not a problem, David, and I want you to take the day off to get this fixed.” She said firmly and Davey started to protest.
“I can’t, I’m going to need the money more now that I have to pay for all this!”He protested vehemently.
“I’m paying you for the day as long as you keep your mouth shut about me being anything other than a cranky old witch, you hear me?” She said in a tone that brooked no argument. He sighed before swallowing glumly and looking at her for a long moment.
“Thank you.” He said softly and she patted him on the back before heading back inside.Davey turned to look at the car again, and his shoulders started to shake again. Damn appearances to hell, I decided and stepped up beside him, putting an arm over his shoulder and pulling him in tight for a one-armed hug.
“I’m supposed to be the one who helps people, not the one getting help.” Davey muttered bitterly.
“This isn’t your fault.” I told him softly. “I’m sorry she did this and I want to help fix it, okay?”
“I’ll figure something out.” Davey muttered.
“Davey, I bear some responsibility for this.” I said firmly.“Let me pay my part, please.”
“I’ve called a tow-truck.” Dad said as he approached us again. I looked up from Davey’s car to see him nodding in approval at my comforting Davey.
“I’ll pay for it, Mr. B.” Davey said and a fleeting smile crossed my lips at the fond shortening of my father’s last name that he’d used in the last timeline, first as Mr. B and then as Dad B as time went by.
“You’ll do no such thing.” Dad said in a voice that jerked Davey’s head up.
“But it’s my car and…” Davey started to protest and Dad held up a hand to stop him from going any further.
“David, I’m going to ask you a few questions and I want you to answer them honestly, okay?” Dad asked in a softer tone. “If, after I’m done asking them, you still don’t want my help that will be that, okay?”
“Okay.” Davey said sullenly.
“What do you do with most of your paycheck?” Dad asked, already knowing the answer.
“Most of it goes to help Mom and Jenny.” Davey answered. “I make my car payments, insurance, gas and all that with the rest.”
“You’ve told me that before, so it was just a warm-up.” Dad said.“Now, here’s the important question, if you have to pay for tires and the repairs to your car, how is that going to affect the rest of your family?”
“Jenny will have to miss a few sessions, and she’s just starting to make real progress.” Davey said with a frown. “I’ll end up behind on the car payments too, and since Nanny co-signed the loan she’ll have to make them up until I can pay her back and that’ll make it more difficult to stay in the city, even with your help, while mom has her surgery.”
“Would you object to me helping out your sister, your mother, or your grandmother?” Dad asked and I smiled at where he was going with this.It was like he knew Davey almost as well as I did, and it was just the right argument to use. I should have thought of this first, what with how well I knew Davey’s stubborn pride.
“No.” Davey said with a heavy sigh.
“Then think of it as helping you help them.” Dad said gently and Davey nodded.
“Thank you, Mr. Breckenridge.” He said to my father.
“You’re a good young man, David.” Dad said firmly, staring into Davey’s eyes.“Don’t let life’s little challenges bow you down, and don’t refuse help freely offered with no strings attached.”
“I’ll pay you back, I promise.” Davey said firmly.
“How about you pay me back some other way than money?” Dad asked.
“Like what?” Davey asked as a tow-truck pulled into the parking lot.
“Let me think on that for a while.” Dad asked him. “I promise, we’ll work something out, but I don’t want to take needed cash away from your family.”
“As long as we can work something out.” Davey said stubbornly and Dad reached out his hand for them to shake on it. As the tow-truck driver got out, I dropped my arm from around Davey’s shoulders, and he straightened up a bit as Dad went to talk to the driver.
“I never should have called you for help last night.” Davey sighed softly, more to himself than to me, and I knew what he was saying.He wasn’t blaming me, he was blaming himself.
“You’re right.” I said firmly and he looked up in surprise.“If you hadn’t called me you’d have not had your tires slashed.I’m sorry.”
“That’s not what I meant!” Davey protested, but when he saw me smiling he stopped and started chuckling. “Okay, I get your point.”
“Good, don’t forget it again.” I said as sternly as I could.
“Brian you need to move your car for the driver to get David’s car on the flatbed.” Dad said to me as he finished talking with the beefy truck driver.“David, you’ve got the day off, and I’m going to head over to the garage with the tow-truck to get things started.It’s a good thing I know one that’s open today.If they can’t get it done today, Brian will drive you around to where you need to go for the weekend since he bears some obligation based on what he thinks happened. If you want to spend the night again, you’re more than welcome.I do suggest you stop by your house to let your family know you’re okay, though.”
“We can do that first.” I said with a smile before Davey could protest.He took one look at my father’s face and slowly nodded his agreement.
“Good, now Brian, here’s your allowance for the week, have fun with it.” Dad said, handing me another wad of cash, and I knew it wasn’t my allowance.Breaking all conventions of being a teenager, I hugged my father there in plain view of anyone driving by, and he patted me on the back before pushing me off towards my mustang. Davey stuck his hand out and my dad pulled him in for a hug too.Unlike me, Davey stayed in the hug a bit longer, soaking up the affection my father was so freely offering, and he was almost smiling when he got into the car. He’d handed Dad the keys to his car before getting into mine.
“So, we’re off!” I said in high spirits,
pretending not to
notice how he looked back at his car with a worried look before I
pulled onto
McHenry and headed south towards Ceres.
Davey sat quietly for most of the drive, brooding most likely
about his
car and I knew enough not to bother him as I turned onto
“You need to take Whitmore.” Davey said softly and I nodded.He then spoke only to give me directions, which I followed without telling him I knew where his grandparents lived.I’d been to both their houses in the last timeline, and both his mother’s parents and his father’s mother had lived in their houses until they’d died in the last timeline. They were right around the corner from each other, and I had never appreciated how rough that must have been in this timeline, when the two sides of his family blamed each other for the problems associated with Davey’s father.
If I remembered it correctly, and I was certain I did, Grandma Jones blamed Davey’s mother for having Davey’s father arrested. Davey’s mother rightly blamed his father for what he’d done to Jenny.She’d pressed charges so that Jenny could get help from the state for her counseling but that had only lasted a year and now Davey was helping to make the payments for the continued counseling.
Davey’s grandparents’ home was the same ugly dark green I remembered it being in this timeframe, and I recognized his mother’s RX-7 parked in front of it, plus the large brown Buick his grandmother drove, as well as the large light-brown van that was his grandfather’s. I parked in by his mother’s car, and got out with him.
“You sure about having me over for the weekend?” Davey asked me.“I’ve got to work tomorrow too.”
“It won’t be a problem.” I assured him. “We can work on our history project later.”
“Okay.” Davey said and then he paused before the sidewalk that led up to the house.There was a frown on his face.“I should warn you, it’s barely ten in the morning and my grandmother and mother usually lounge around in their nightgowns until around noon.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to embarrass you at school.” I assured him with a laugh, remembering a few times we’d come over here in the last timeline to find his grandmother still in her furry pink housecoat at two in the afternoon on Saturdays.He chuckled for a moment before getting his brooding look back and we headed up to the door.The fact that Davey didn’t have a key to the door wasn’t really a surprise considering his grandfather’s attitude, but I wondered how a person could call anyplace a home when he didn’t have the keys to get inside.
“You’re home!” Monta Barrow, Davey’s grandmother said after Davey had rung the doorbell.Sure enough she was wearing her fuzzy pink robe.She looked slightly embarrassed when she saw me standing behind Davey. “Who is this?”
“Nanny, this is my friend, Brian Breckenridge.” Davey said softly.“Brian, this is my grandmother, Monta Barrow.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Barrow.” I said politely and she smiled slightly.
“I wish I’d known you were bringing company, Davey!” She chided him in a loving tone. “I’m just lounging here in my robe having a cup of coffee!Come in, boys. It’s nice to meet you, Brian.”
The house was exactly as I remembered it being, with the kitchen immediately off to the right and a short entryway leading off to the right towards the living room and a hallway down the left leading to the bedrooms and bathrooms.Right at the end of the entryway was a big mirror running from floor to ceiling, and I was struck by how young I looked in the reflection. Every time I saw myself, I was reminded at how young I looked when just a short while ago I had looked far older than Davey’s grandmother.
“Are you boys hungry?” She asked as she led us through the kitchen towards the attached dining room where Davey’s mother was sipping a cup of hot tea, wearinga black velvet robe with red piping.Her brown curly hair was slightly matted and her eyes had a pinched look to them, probably from pain, as Davey introduced us.
“No thanks, Nanny, Brian’s mom made breakfast for us a few hours ago.” Davey answered his grandmother’s question.
“What’s wrong with your car?” Davey’s mother said shortly, and I realized it was more from the fact that she was having trouble breathing than from anger.Davey might not have realized that from the defensive look on his face.
“The starter’s gone bad on it.” Davey said, and when he said nothing about the tires, I took the hint and decided not to mention them.“It’s being fixed.”
“Oh great, how are we going to afford that?” His mother moaned and I was amazed at how different she was than the self-confident, always calm and prepared woman I’d known in the last timeline.
“Brian’s father is paying for it.” Davey said weakly.“He’s loaning me the money.”
“The same man who is helping us with a place to stay in the city?” Nanny asked as she sat down with her cup of coffee. Davey and I both sat at the large oval table as well.
“Yes, the same man.” Davey said softly.
“Your father is truly a Christian man.” Nanny said to me and it was hard not to laugh.Dad hadn’t set foot inside a church in years, but I understood her sentiment.
“Why would he do that?” Davey’s mom asked. “What’s in it for him?”
“I’ll pay him back, it’s just a loan.” Davey said, stretching the truth just a bit, but from the way his mother relaxed slightly I got the feeling it was the right thing to say.
“Aren’t you supposed to be at work in a little bit?” His mother asked him sharply, and I began to wonder at the deep differences she was showing.It was almost like she was going out of her way to find things wrong with Davey, and that worried me more than anything.Maybe it was just the pain she was in right now.
“Janice gave me the day off, with pay.” Davey said defensively, his face clouding over.
“I asked Davey if we could use the time to work on our history project some more.” I said, jumping into the fray when she opened her mouth to say something.It was probably going to be something scathing from the look on her face, but she looked at me with cloudy eyes, as if seeking to find something wrong with what I said.
“Who is this?” A familiar gruff voice asked from the kitchen and I looked up to see Davey’s grandfather standing near the coffee pot, pouring himself a cup of coffee.He was dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt and had a grumpy look on his face.
“This is one of Davey’s friends.” Nanny answered in a knowing tone of voice.I stood up and took a few steps towards him with my hand held out as he looked me up and down.
“My name is Brian Breckenridge, Mr. Barrow.” I said in a polite voice, shaking his hand firmly as he squeezed mine in a testing manner.He looked me in the eyes for a long moment before letting a grunt.
“A sight better than that other boy Davey brought around a couple of weeks ago.” He harrumphed before releasing my hand and sitting down at the head of the table.“What’s wrong with that stupid car of yours now, Davey?”
“Starter’s out, Papa.” Davey said.
“You going to want my help to fix it?” He asked as if the notion was a noxious idea, but I was pretty sure I saw a glint of something deep in his eyes.
“Um, Brian’s dad is having it worked on.” Davey said.“He’s loaning me the money to fix it and I’ll pay him back.”
“See that you do, boy.” Papa said gruffly, and while there was a hint of disappointment in his eyes, I could see there was also a grudging respect.Was it respect because Davey had found a solution to the problem without having to get help? That would fit the Pete Barrow I’d known before.
“I will, Papa.” Davey said plaintively, getting a frown from the old man.
“What’s your father do, young man?” Pete asked me directly and I smiled.
“He’s a manager at Union Bank in
“I think I know him.” Pete said with a shake of his head.“You’ve got his eyebrows if it’s him that I remember.”
“You know him.” I said with a slight laugh and he nodded his head.The man always did make me a little nervous.“Have you been fishing lately?I saw your boat around the side of the house.”
“It’s too damn cold right now.” He grunted. “You fish?”
“A little.” I admitted honestly. “Dad and I usually try to make it up for a camping trip during the spring at least once a year.”
“I’ll have to invite him the next time I go.” Pete said as if it was a burden, but I could see a little gleam in his eye. “Kind of in the way of thanking him for his helping the family.Maybe we’ll drag you two boys with us.”
“I…” Davey started to try backing out from the look on his face, but my stomping on his foot stopped him cold.
“That’d be nice, Mr. Barrow.” I said calmly, ignoring the glare from Davey.“I’m sure my dad would like to do that.”
“Good.” He said with a nod before getting up from his seat.“You boys going to hang around here today or what?”
“We’ve got a history project to work on for school, sir.” I said and he looked at me for a long moment.
“You better make sure he puts some effort into it.” Pete said with a scowl.“If he wants to get into college he’s going to have to work harder at his books than he has been.”
“We will.” I said while Davey scowl returned.
“Good, then it’s been nice meeting you.” Pete said before taking his coffee with him into the living room where he used the patio sliding door to get into the back yard.Davey was staring at me like I was a demon or something, and his grandmother and mother were also looking at me like they’d never seen someone like me before.It was then that I realized why I’d liked Pete so much.He reminded me so much of Davey when Davey got older, although Davey was never quite as gruff.
“So how long will you be gone, Davey?” His mother asked him after a long silence while everyone stared at me.It seemed that, with Pete’s approval of Davey going to study at my house, the matter was settled.
“Um, I have to work early in the afternoon tomorrow and Brian’s offered to give me a ride, so I was going to ask if I could stay over at his place tonight.” Davey said softly.
“What’ll you do if your car’s not fixed by Monday?” His grandmother asked.“I’ve got to take your mother to the city for a doctor’s appointment Monday, and she’s got to go for more tests here in town for most of Tuesday.”
“I can either pick him up or drop him off here, or he can stay at our place until his car is fixed.” I spoke up before Davey could answer.“My parents said it was okay.They understand how tough things are right now, and that your first priority has to be getting ready for your surgery.”
“That’s mighty kind of your folks.” Monta Barrow
said with a
smile.“Shantill’s mother is going to be
staying here while I run
“You will call, won’t you, Davey?” His mother asked in a worried tone, and Davey got up to hug her tightly.
“It’s only for a day or two, Mom.” Davey said softly.“Everything’s going to be fine. The doc’s going to do this surgery and you’re going to feel better than you have in years.”
“I hope so.” She said softly, all the edge of anger gone from her voice as they hugged.There were tears in my eyes, and I remembered how devoted Davey had been to his mother.Despite the anger that often flared between them, they’d been close, almost as if their bickering and arguing was a glue that bound them together.
“I better get some clothes.” Davey said softly, breaking the hug and looking over at me with a hint of a sarcastic smile. “Let me show you my ‘room’, Brian.”
“Okay” I said while noticing the look of hurt that went across his grandmother’s face.She gave me a wan smile as I stood up and followed Davey down into the ‘family room’.It was really just a step down from the dining room.A big-screen projection television dominated the far end of the room, and we walked behind the two armchairs and around the couch where a twin bed was stuffed up against the far wall.A stereo sat on a speaker, although the large headphones attested to the fact that music was rarely ever played over the speaker.A dresser stood against the wall, and to the immediate right were the sliding doors that hid the washer and dryer.My heart went out to Davey at the total lack of privacy, since we could hear his mother and grandmother talking in quiet but urgent tones in the dining room.
“Welcome to my little corner of paradise.” Davey said softly in a voice that dripped with sarcasm.He pulled out a paper bag from a corner since he’d left his duffel bag at my house, and began to open the drawers of the small dresser and pulled out some clothes.“How much should I pack?”
“Enough for today and tomorrow, at least.” I said. “Your uniform’s still at the house.”
“That’s right.” He said as he pulled out a couple pairs of frayed underwear, some socks with holes in them, and a pair of jeans and two shirts that had seen better days.He put them in the bag, folded the top over and smiled.“Well, I’m ready.”
“Let’s head out.” I said as nicely as I could. The feelings running through me were mixed at best.Part of me felt really bad for him having to live like this, but another part of me remembered the look of hurt in his grandmother’s face and I felt bad for her.
“If he hadn’t done this to Jenny then poor Davey wouldn’t have to live like this.” Monta was saying and I winced slightly.
“Oh yes, it’s all his fault.” Davey’s voice dripped sarcasm and anger and I tried to look away so I wouldn’t see the look of hurt on his mother’s face.“It’s not like he was the one who told me we were going on a vacation for a few days when we were really leaving forever and didn’t even give me the chance to say goodbye to my friends.”
“David Ray Jones Jr., how dare you say that?” His grandmother fumed. “Your mother did the right thing getting you away from that beast of a man!I should have made her do it years ago when I saw him beat you.”
“He didn’t beat me.” Davey shot back angrily and I wondered if there was anything I could say to calm this situation down. It made me decidedly uncomfortable to be stuck like this, torn between the hurt I knew Davey felt and the pain I saw in the eyes of the two women.There was nothing I needed to do, though, as the sound of a baby crying came from the back of the house.
“Now look what you’ve done!” Davey’s mother complained as Monta got up and hurried back into the house, muttering about Davey waking up the baby.
“Then maybe it’s good I’ll be gone until tomorrow at least.” Davey said sourly.His face did soften as his mother looked hurt, though.“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, Davey.” His mother said softly and the look of hurt faded a bit from her face.
“It was nice to meet you, ma’am.” I said softly, and she returned my smile briefly before nodding.
“Let’s get going.” Davey said in a voice that was
so
conflicted with emotion that I couldn’t quite place all of them. I followed him out of the house and we
got
into the car before I drove off, heading back up to
As much as I wanted to comfort him, I also knew that a part of the problem was more than his family’s actions towards him, but his reactions to the situation they were in, and I would have to think about that.Anyone in his situation would be torn and conflicted, as he obviously was, and I wondered how best to help him.Well, being a good friend was always a good start to any situation like this, and I would always be the best friend any Davey Jones could ask for in life.
