You Don't Know Me

Running his fingers through the silken strands of hair, Tony tried to reassure Sean. “He’s just trying to scare Janette,” he said firmly. “He’s trying to make her think he’s got some sort of power in this situation, when he knows that he’s really just fucked.” Looking down at his boyfriend, whose head was in his lap, Tony prayed that Sean would be comforted by his words. Sean had been so nervous since he had received the phone call from Janette a couple hours earlier, relaying Luke’s threats.

“What if they’re not empty threats?” Sean looked nervously up at Tony. “What if Luke intends to do something to Janette, to keep her from talking? I couldn’t live with that kind of guilt.”

Moving his hand down from Sean’s hair to stroke his face, Tony looked at him with admiration. “You are such a good person,” he said softly. “But you can’t let someone like Luke get away with what he did just because he’s tossing around threats. Janette has already told you that, hasn’t she?”

“I suppose,” Sean struggled to sit upright beside Tony on his couch. “This has just gotten so out of hand. I couldn’t stop this if I wanted to, really. With the DA as involved as she is already, they wouldn’t even need me to testify. They already have my statement. That, balanced with how determined Janette seems to be to see this through to the end…”

Putting his arm around Sean’s shoulder, Tony squeezed him comfortingly. “What Luke did was categorically wrong,” Tony’s voice was unwavering. “That’s why people like the DA and Janette, not to mention your parents, Marcus and Michelle, and me, know this has to go to trial. Luke has to be punished for what he did.”

Sighing with resignation, Sean looked into Tony’s eyes and gave him a small smile. “I guess you’re right,” he told him. “I just wish it could all be over already. It feels like it’s all I think about anymore.”

Getting a mischievous glint in his eyes, Tony put his free hand on Sean’s face. “I bet you I could make you forget about it for a little while,” he said suggestively.

Unable to stop the corners of his mouth from turning up, Sean shook his head. “Marcus and Michelle are coming over in half an hour-” he began to say as Tony captured his mouth with his own. He felt himself being pressed back onto the couch into a laying-down position while Tony covered Sean’s body with his own.

“In that case,” Tony murmured into Sean’s ear. “I have twenty five minutes to take your mind off things.” With that, Tony’s lips began teasing the soft flesh below Sean’s ear, and he heard no more protests.

-----

Later that evening, Marcus and Michelle were driving back from Sean’s apartment. “I can’t believe Luke’s making this harder than it is already for Sean,” Michelle was seething. “I swear, I could kill that man with my bare hands.”

“Get in line,” Marcus gave Michelle a small grin. “In line after Tony, after Janette, after me… He’s not exactly Mr. Popularity with anyone at school anymore, either. Except for those few losers who are willing to lie for him.”

Shaking her head, Michelle looked over at Marcus and gave him a small grin. “At least Sean has all the support in the world, right?”

“Right,” Marcus glanced over and smiled at Michelle. “He’s the real victim in this situation, and he’s surrounded by tons of people that love him, and more still that want to make sure what Luke did to him never happens again.”

Despite their encouraging words to each other, Marcus and Michelle both felt uncomfortable. From what Sean had told them, Janette has seemed truly frightened when she had called him to tell him about Luke’s phone call. He said she didn’t seem angry or upset – she just seemed scared. Knowing what Luke was capable of in the past when he had nothing to lose, neither Marcus nor Michelle wanted to think about what he might do now that he had everything to lose.

-----

“Hello, Janette?” An unfamiliar voice came over the line. “Janette, it’s Alex, but please, don’t hang up.”

Not saying anything, Janette felt her body stiffen. Alex was one of the guys who were with Luke the night he hit Sean, and he was one of the people Luke had told her was going to lie for him in court.

“Listen, just for a second, please,” Alex pleaded. “I wanted to know if there was any way I could talk to you in private. It’s about this whole court case thing…”

“There’s no need,” Janette’s voice was steely. “Luke already called me and told me everything. And I just want you to know, no matter what happens, I think you’re just as responsible for what happened as Luke is, and that’s not even getting into how disgusting you are for agreeing to lie for Luke-”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Alex’s voice was pleading. “I agree with you. Janette, I can’t deal with this guilt anymore, and there’s no way I can lie for Luke now. But the thing is, Luke’s got some dirt on me, and he’s threatening to bring it to the cops if I don’t go along with him.”

Taking a deep breath as she thought about Alex’s words, Janette decided that this did sound like something Luke would do. “What kind of dirt does he have on you?” she asked cautiously.

“It’s really embarrassing,” Alex told her. “But… well, towards the end of last semester, I went to a rave and met a girl. I ended up doing some ecstasy with her – which I paid for – and then we went back to my place. We had sex and took some pictures and stuff. The next morning, I found out that she had used a fake ID to get into the club. She was fifteen, but the only person I told was Luke. Now he’s threatening to give the girl’s name to the cops, along with some of the pictures we took that night. She’s fifteen, Janette, and I’m twenty. That’s statutory rape, not to mention distribution of narcotics to a minor.”

Biting her lip, Janette thought some more about what Alex was saying. “Why do you want to meet?” she asked suspiciously.

“I just need to talk to you about that night, face to face,” Alex told her. “I need for you to tell me some stuff about the guy that got hurt. I need to be sure that telling the truth, even if it means me having to face charges on the other shit, means something…”

“It would mean so much,” Janette told him, hope evident in her voice. “Alex, if you and I both say what really happened, along with Sean’s testimony, Luke will have to be put away.”

Letting out an audible sigh, Alex concurred. “You’re right. And hopefully, being honest in this case will give me some leniency in my own case. But Janette, will you meet me? I mean, it can be someplace public, so you don’t have to worry…”

That was the clincher for Janette. “As long as it’s someplace public,” she said, excitement at the idea of nailing Luke filling her. “Then yes, I will meet you.”

Seamus had called Janette a couple hours earlier. He had told her that he’d love to take her out, but he only had Mondays and Tuesdays free, so she was going to have to wait four days. In the meantime, Seamus had said, he would be overjoyed to have her visit him at the bar. “Do you know where Finnegan’s is?” Janette asked Alex, knowing that going to the place that Seamus worked would probably be her safest bet.

“That Irish pub and restaurant?” Alex asked. “Yeah, it’s not far from school.”

“Okay, then I’ll meet you at nine there tomorrow,” Janette told Alex. “My friend is a bartender there,” she added, just to let him know that this was a safe place for her.

“Thank you, Janette,” Alex replied. “I’ll be there at nine. But in the meantime, please don’t talk to anyone about this. I know it makes me sound like a pussy, but I need to know that what I’m giving up in terms of myself is worth it.”

“I promise I won’t,” she told him as she hung up the phone, feeling a wave of relief pass over her body. Fuck Luke! Between her testimony, and the testimony of Alex and Sean, there was no way Luke would get off. Now all she had to do was figure out an outfit that was sexy enough to keep Seamus’s interest while being basic enough to make Alex consider her a trustworthy ally.

-----

“I know you have enough shit going on in your life right now,” Peter told Marcus the next afternoon when he arrived at work. “But I really need to talk to you. Like, now.”

Sighing deeply, Marcus just nodded. Normally, he had no problem helping Peter deal with his teenage issues, but with all that was going on with Sean, Marcus really didn’t know how much he could invest into a discussion about jocks making fun of Peter for his eyeliner or his uncle telling him he should be skateboarding less and studying more. Looking around the store, he told another employee that he and Peter would be back in a few minutes. “So what’s the problem?” Marcus asked as they sat at a table in the food court, in a voice much less interested than he intended.

“No, obviously you have too much on your mind…” Peter mumbled, looking down at the table dejectedly. Instantly, Marcus felt guilty.

“No, Pete, I’m sorry,” Marcus’s voice was sincere. “I was being a dick. Please, tell me what’s up.” Marcus really did feel terrible. For all he knew, Peter’s parents could have contacted him, or one of his friends may have offered him drugs, or…

“Maura’s pregnant.”

His mouth dropping open, Marcus knew that he couldn’t force any words out. He looked at Peter, who was still staring down at the table. His face was a combination of fear, confusion and hurt. Knowing he had to be the adult in the situation, Marcus reached across the small table to put his hand on Peter’s shoulder. “Are you sure? I mean, she might just be late…”

“She’s three weeks late,” Peter looked up dejectedly. “And she’s taken, like, five tests. They all say she’s pregnant.” Tears were filling Peter’s eyes, and Marcus realized that what he was telling him was true, and at the same time, Marcus had somehow been thrust into the grown-up role.

“Didn’t you guys use condoms?” As soon as the words left his mouth, Marcus regretted them. He sounded so accusatory, so judgmental. He couldn’t help it, though. He just wasn’t ready for this at this moment. Looking at Peter, though, Marcus was overwhelmed with guilt. Of course Peter wasn’t ready for this at this moment, either. “I’m so sorry, Pete,” he told him earnestly. “I didn’t mean to sound like that…”

“We did use condoms,” Peter told him honestly, tears streaming down his face. “Every time. And we never thought any of them broke, but… well, obviously, one did, or something.”

Standing up, Marcus didn’t care that he was in the center of the food court, in the middle of the mall. He grabbed Peter’s wrist and dragged him up, pulling him into a hug. Peter held him tightly, crying with abandon. With shame, Marcus remembered holding someone else just like this five years ago. This was so much like the night that Catherine had told him she was pregnant… but this time, Marcus was going to do things right.

“Listen, Pete,” Marcus pulled away enough to look at his young friend in the eyes. “We’re going to get through this. I promise. Together, we’ll get through this. I’ll be there every step of the way.”

The gratitude and relief that passed over Peter’s expression were enough to bring tears to Marcus’s eyes. “Come on,” he put his arm over the teenager’s slumped shoulders. “Claire and Laronne can handle the store tonight. Let’s get our stuff, and we’ll go back to my place and talk about everything.”

Sniffling, Peter looked up at Marcus with admiration. “Thank… thank you…” his words were broken up by sobs. “Thank you so much, Marcus. I just don’t… don’t know… don’t know what to do.”

Gently, Marcus guided Peter from the food court and away from the prying eyes of nosy shoppers. He gathered their belongings from the store, told his employees their instructions, and led Peter to his car in the parking lot. “This is going to be tough, Pete,” he was honest as he helped the crying boy into the passenger seat. “But you’re not alone in this. I’ll never let you be alone, okay?”

Looking up with wide scared eyes, Peter nodded. “Thank you, Marcus,” he said softly, finally able to control his tears. “I don’t know what I’d do without you in my life.”

Closing the door and heading around the car, Marcus sighed. So many things were going wrong in the lives of the people he cared about most. Sometimes, Marcus just felt like a bad luck charm.

-----

“Are they sure?” Michelle’s voice was filled with concern. “I mean, they haven’t been to a doctor or anything yet, so maybe…”

Slumping down on the floor of the hallway of his apartment building, Marcus rested the phone against his shoulder. He’d been talking to Peter for nearly four hours, until the poor young boy finally passed out from exhaustion on Marcus’s bed. After calling Peter’s aunt, feeling extremely guilty for lying to the kind woman, Marcus felt like there was no other recourse but to call Michelle. “They’re not positive, but it sure sounds like it,” Marcus said with resignation. “She’s three weeks late, she’s taken four or five home pregnancy test over the past two weeks, and she’s been getting morning sickness for the past week. As much as it sucks, I’m pretty sure Maura’s pregnant.”

“Thos poor kids,” Michelle said with such sympathy, Marcus wanted nothing more than to have her next to him so he could hug her out of appreciation.

“I know,” Marcus sounded exhausted. “And with all that’s going on with Sean and Luke and Janette, I feel completely drained. And it’s only eight-thirty.”

“I’d offer to come over,” Michelle told Marcus. “But I’m going to guess that wouldn’t help much right now. Peter probably just needs you to be there for him without anyone else around.”

“Probably,” Marcus begrudgingly admitted. “But I wish you were here.”

“Well, how’s this?” Michelle’s voice wasn’t so much cheerful as helpful. “Tell Peter to bring Maura back to your apartment after school tomorrow. I’ll make an appointment at a clinic, and all four of us will go, just to make certain… the situation. After that, we can both talk to them, man to man and woman to woman.”

With appreciation evident in his voice, Marcus agreed. “I love you so much,” he said without explanation.

“And I love you,” Michelle replied tenderly. “And we’ll get through this… and Maura and Peter and Sean and Janette will all get through this. That’s why God made friends, my grandmother used to always say. She’d say, ‘God made humans capable of friendship so they would be able to make it through all the tests and pains of human life, while still coming out of it all with a smile’.”

“You’re grandmother sounds like she was a very smart woman,” Marcus told Michelle.

“And everyone tells me I have her eyes,” Michelle sounded a bit proud. “You know how you say they change colors when I’m in different moods? My mom says my grandma’s eyes used to go from the color of steel when she was mad to the color of water when she was very happy.”

“She must have been a very beautiful woman,” Marcus told Michelle gently.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

-----

Michelle couldn’t grumble much when she heard the phone ring around two in the morning. After all, she had barely been able to sleep, considering all that was happening with Sean and Peter. Still, the shrill sound of her ringer had been an uncomfortable intrusion in the silence of her bedroom. “Hello?” she grumbled into the phone.

“Michelle?” a male voice questioned. The man sounded familiar, but more importantly he sounded near frantic.

“Yes, this is Michelle,” she sat up, wide awake, in her bed. “Who’s this?”

“I’m sorry to wake you,” a familiar Irish brogue came across the line, panic evident in his voice. “I just wasn’t too sure who else to call, and Gram had your number…”

“Seamus, what is it?” Michelle was confused. “Is it Patty? Is she okay?”

“Gram’s fine,” Seamus now sounded like he was on the verge of tears. “It’s, um, you know the girl you introduced me to, Janette? Well, she came by to visit the pub tonight, but it was a really busy night… I was trying to pay attention to her, and she introduced me to some bloke, but I couldn’t remember his name…” At this point, Seamus had started full-on sobbing. “I didn’t mean to lose sight of her, I swear…”

“Seamus, what happened?” Michelle’s voice sounded much calmer than she felt. Over the past month, she had gotten to be fairly friendly with Seamus, and he definitely didn’t seem like the type who would get upset over nothing.

“I should have been watching her closer,” Seamus was outright crying now. “There were just so many bloody people in the pub… but she was acting so strange after a while… why didn’t I pay attention?”

“Seamus, what happened? Where are you?” Michelle could no longer control her own emotions.

“I’m at the hospital,” Seamus said between sobs. “I went to bring out some rubbish, and I saw her… I saw her on the ground…”

“What hospital, Seamus?” Michelle knew it was probably best to get to Seamus instead of trying to get any more pertinent information. Listening to what he told her, she told him to stay put. “I’ll be there soon, Seamus. I promise. And Seamus, you didn’t do anything wrong, I swear.”

Listening to his heaving calm some, Michelle waited until Seamus spoke again. “Please come,” Seamus begged. “I don’t know what to do.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Michelle promised once more before hanging up. As she rose from the bed to cross the room to her dresser, Michelle dialed Marcus’s number. “I know we have enough shit going on,” Michelle told him without even a hello. “But I need you to meet me at the hospital as soon as possible. Seamus just called me in shambles, something about Janette.”

After getting the address, Marcus immediately agreed. “I’ll meet you there as soon as I can,” he said without hesitation.

As Michelle dropped her phone onto the floor and grabbed a pair of jeans to pull on, she started thinking to herself. All these terrible things that had happened over the past year… all these atrocities, or terrible accidents, or… or whatever you could consider poor Maura and Peter. Would they have happened if Michelle hadn’t been around? Was she some sort of bad luck charm for the people that surrounded her?