Truth Behind the Lies

Review Responses:
Sekre: Thank you. Now that Randy's coming out of his shell and is no longer afraid of being seen with Shay, the awkwardness will come more from Randy getting used to 'the looks' of the locals...as you'll see here.
Nekosune: Thanks! Hopefully it won't take me 2 months but I appreciate that. I get candy too? Wow, my teeth are gonna fall out with all your treats. Oh well, slap some dentures in and keep munching! :) Well....it's late in the day, but it IS Halloween and I DID update on Halloween so....
Kelli: Yeah, I remember when my cousin was little, she talked like that so I'm winging it with this whole Jack language.
Bookworm51485: Haha, I understand your feelings on the whole children and noise thing. My maximum is 2 kids around me at one time. More than that and I'm gonna pull my hair out. Really? Did you think that? That's quite the theory. :)
Shelly: Thank you. I hope you like this one too.
Anon: Thanks, I appreciate that.
bambi4real: Don't think you need to write a whole paragraph for me. I'm grateful just for the fact that you did. I'm so sorry you lost your friend. I couldn't imagine how that must feel. And if what I wrote managed to crack a smile on your face given the circumstances, that's enough of an award for me.
maddie: Thank you. :)
doesitmatter: Yeah yay!


This chapter is just a tad bit shorter than my other chapters, but what I lack in length is made up for in the chapter's contents.

Enjoy!

Chapter Six


Same late Monday afternoon


Randy lit a cigarette as he and Shay walked down the freshly paved sidewalk of the new Plums Park. Shay pushed his new stroller in front of him. Jack lay in the seat with the visor pulled out to protect him from the sun. The child was sleep ever since they both left home, but he kept a firm grip on Moo-moo’s neck as the bear laid next to him. They passed a middle age couple who were seated on a bench. The man looked ignorant of the scene before him, until his wife nudged his side, whispering and staring at the blonde and brunette at the same time.

“Geez, do you think she could be any more obvious?” Randy asked, shaking his head.

Shay’s face reflected that of unconcern. He glanced once at the man and woman and kept waking. “You get used to it.”

“It’s aggravating. Look at them, they’re just……….staring.”

“Are you sure you want to be seen hanging out with me? Can you handle it?”

Randy frowned. “Can I handle it? You talk as if I’m about to go running with a herd of raging bulls or something.”

Shay laughed. “To me, these folk are raging bulls. Bulls with large mouths.”

Randy took a drag of his cigarette then moved it from his mouth. “You know, it sucks that you have to deal with these looks and whispers about you all the time, but I’ve got to tell you, you deal with gossip hounds way better than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

Shay shrugged his shoulders. “You learn to develop a thick skin over the years. Gossip doesn’t bother me. Only until you came into the picture and I saw that the rumors were drawing a wedge between us being friends, did it only bother me. It bothers my mother a lot though. Folks blatant treatment of us has disturbed him so bad, he wont leave the house anymore.”

Randy nodded. “I remember that in you letter. Five years, right? What about visitors? Does he talk to people who stop by?”

The brunette smirked. “Who stops by?”

“Oh. Well, what about me? Do you think he’d speak to me if I came by your house one day and you told him I was a friend of yours?”

“I really don’t know that answer. Mama has never even stepped off the front porch to get the mail in years. He’s developed um……what’s’ the word….?”

“Agoraphobia?”

“Yeah. I could try and talk to him though. See if he would agree to meeting you.” Suddenly they heard the beginnings of baby cries coming from inside the stroller. “Jack’s up.” Shay said simply before he stopped walking and made his way to the front of it. When he made a grab for the tike however, Randy stopped him.

“Let me?” When Shay nodded, Randy tossed his still half used cigarette away and leaned down and picked young Jack up and held him. “Hi, Jack. Have a good nap, buddy?” Wordlessly, Jack plugged his favorite fingers in his mouth and rested his head on the bigger blonde’s shoulder. “Guess he’s not quite finished yet.”

Shay smiled as he rubbed his son’s head tenderly. “Guess not.”

A strange feeling washed over Randy at that moment. Strange, yet very, very, very appealing. There he was standing in a park, talking with the guy he’d always hoped he would get to know better ever since he moved to Virginia, holding a child he adored more than anything. It was that perfect family he’d been dreaming about lately. Randy would want nothing more than to be a father to Jack…..I’d be a damn good father and a damn good husband. But how do you make someone want to take that step? How do you open someone’s eyes enough for them to see a real relationship? I can’t make Shay want to be in a relationship and to be honest, I wouldn’t want to. I want a willing partner and if a ‘friend’ is all he’s willing to be with me then, I’ll have to accept that……and pray that somewhere down the line, he’ll change his mind.

“Let’s get some ice-cream.” Randy stated. Agreeing, Shay pushed the now empty stroller as Randy walked next to him, holding Jack in his one arm. Little did they know that the couple who were seated on the bench was Ida Brinkford, one of the largest mouths in Plumsfield and Corrine’s best friend.

“Are you sure, hon? That doesn’t quite look like Corrine’s nephew.” Asked her husband.

“I know it’s been a while since I’d last seen Randy, but I can never forget a face. That’s him alright. But the real question is, what in the world is he doing with that Gibson boy? Are they an item now?”

“Oh I’m sure that’s not it. Certainly Randy knows the scoop on that Gibson family.”

“Unless he’s with him for a little TLC. After all, Shay is a whore. However, that still doesn’t explain why he’d dare be stupid enough as to get caught out in public with the home wrecker. People will think they’re together.”

“Think they’re together or ARE together? They both look pretty chummy to me. And Randy IS toting Shay’s baby.”

Ida reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. “Corrine needs to know about this.”

***

When Randy came up on the road to Shay’s home, it had started to rain. Not a hard rain, but it was steady and wasn’t planning on leaving anytime soon. Randy silently thanked God that it didn’t rain during their walk in the park.

He pulled into the driveway and both he and Shay immediately saw a big white van parked in the way, with words saying: St. Augustine’s Institution of Mental Health. Three large, male orderlies stood outside the open front door waiting.

“What the hell is going on here?” Shay asked frowning. He got his answer when two more orderlies pulled a highly distressed Bryant out the front door with plastic restraints around his wrists. “Mama!” Shay rushed out the car and ran in the rain to his mother, but before he could do so, one of the men grabbed at him. “Let go of me!”

Even in all the rain, Shay could still see the fresh tears cascading down Bryant’s face. “I didn’t do anything, Shay! I didn’t do anything! Why are they taking me?!”

“Get your hands off him! No one told you to come here!” Shay struggled with the strong man.

One of the head orderlies stepped away from Bryant and spoke to Shay. “Please sir, don’t make this difficult. You must calm down.”

“I don’t have to do shit! You let go of my mother, asshole! You can’t take him away from me like this!” Adrenaline pumped furiously throughout Shay’s body and unknown strength allowed him to push off the much larger man and punch him dead in the jaw, staggering him. Anger overcame Shay and his senses went haywire. He charged after the man who spoke, ready to attack him, but a fifth orderly grabbed him from behind and pressed him harshly against the side of the van. From the way his face was turned to the side, he could see his mother be placed inside the same van, the door sliding shut behind him.

The head orderly came over to the pinned Shay and spoke to him. “We were called and given direct orders from your father to take Mr. Bryant Gibson into our care. If you have any objections to that, then you’d be best talking to him. Your mother is under his care.”

“Hey, let go of him NOW!” Randy yelled as he stepped out the BMW and into the rain.

“Let him go.” The head orderly said after a moment of pausing. “We came for who we needed anyway. Lets go, guys.” Slowly letting go of the brunette, the fifth man, the head orderly and the other nurses got into the van and drove away. Shay stood with tears in his eyes while in the midst of the unyielding rain, speechless and emotional. His mother was taken away. His heart was broken. But soon his sadness turned into anger which quickly developed into blood red rage. Never had he felt so much fury boiling inside him. Behind the heavy sound of rainfall, he could hear Jack yelling and crying from inside Randy’s car. The tike never liked the hard sound of rain, especially if he was alone but he hated being alone much worse.

Randy was making his way to Shay and try to comfort him the best he could, but once he heard Jack’s frightening cries, he turned back to the car and tried to calm him.

Shay’s breathing grew heavier and heavier. He didn’t know what was happening to him. It was like he couldn’t think. He couldn’t reason………He…….wasn’t in his right mind? All he felt was hate. Extreme hate and it was directed at only one person, and with dark short hair, ragged coal mine clothes, and a trucker’s hat on, he was currently standing at the front door of the house.

“ First thing I want you to do is wipe those tears out your eyes. You’ve told me what your problems were, you’ve vented your frustrations, now its time to do somethin’ about it.” Shay wiped the tears from his eyes and with a hard glare into Larry’s eyes, he started running towards him.

Randy finally got Jack calm enough to wrap his own thin jacket over his little head and bring him out the car. But once he did, he saw the boy’s mother running towards his grandfather, tackling him back into the house. “Shay! Shay!” With Jack still in his arms, Randy chased after him.

“Son of a BITCH!” Shay yelled as he landed the first punch to his father’s face. Straddling Larry’s waist, he continued to dish out blow after blow until his father grabbed his wrist with one hand and punched him in the cheekbone with the other, dazing Shay. When his son fell off his waist, Larry quickly got up, grabbed Shay by his shirt collar and slammed him against a wall.

“You’re just as crazy as your mother. I should’ve told them to pick you up too.”

“You had no right sending mama away! You knew he didn’t want to leave home!”

“I had no choice! Your mother is a lunatic! It wouldn’t help him if he stayed here!”

“You mean you wouldn’t help him if he stayed here! You’ve been a worthless piece of shit ever since he started getting sick! You’ve done nothin’ for him! You never even speak to him! It would’ve helped mama by stayin’ here! Having people who actually care for him would help keep him sane!”

“Bryant’s a lost cause.” Larry hissed.

“And so are you.”

“And what do you think you’re gonna do about it, huh? You gonna hurt me? Throw me out the house? Well go ahead and try, cause you must be crazy too if you think you’re a match for me.”

“Well how about you try me out then?” Larry turned to the deep voice at the front door. Randy stood still as he held Jack in his arms. “Come see if I’m a match.” He set the boy down and Jack ran to his mother. Larry backed away from his son and stood glaring at Randy.

Still shaken up from his little scare in the car, Jack started the water works all over again. Shay reached down and picked up his son, cradling him under his chin.

“Get off my property before I call the police.” Larry warned.

“Fine.” Randy looked over at Shay. “Shay, you don’t have to stay here. You and Jack can stay at my house tonight if you want.” When Shay nodded, the trio walked out the house without a final word to Larry.

***


Late that night


Randy had checked who called on his house phone’s CID in the kitchen and noticed Corrine had called over a billion times. He doubted she really wanted anything, she was just one of those people who liked to call back again and again and again until someone answerd. He’d talk to her tomorrow morning. “Okay. Pull the ice pack off and let me take a look at you.” Sitting on the bed in Randy’s guest room, Shay removed the cold pack. Randy pulled up a chair infront of the young brunette and leaned in close to his face. Reaching a hand out, he slowly touched the bruised cheekbone. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy this a little.

“Is it broken?” Shay asked softly. Jack had finally went to sleep not too long ago and he didn’t want to wake up the child.

“He socked a real good one on you. You’ll be bruised for a while, but it doesn’t feel broken. If its any consolation though, Larry looks pretty bad himself.”

That got a smile out of Shay. How is it possible he looks just as beautiful with a bruise on his face? Randy didn’t notice his hand was still pressed onto Shay’s face until the younger man grabbed his hand and placed the now thawed ice pack in his palm. He got up, wearily massaging the back of his neck.

“Are you okay?” Randy asked once he noticed he heard what sounded like a choked up sigh.

Shay turned around slowly looking at his friend, choosing to shake his head ‘no’ because he knew that if he spoke a single word, he’d burst into tears. But the tears came anyway as well as the sobs once Randy walked over to Shay, wrapping his arms around him comfortingly. Shay pressed his face in close to Randy’s body, wrapping his own arms around him.

“I haven’t been held in a long time.” He whispered. “Mama would every once in a while, but mostly I was the one dishing out the hugs.”

“It’s always nice being the one held every once in a while. Its that moment where you feel as if you can shake the burdens off your shoulders for a while and just……be you, you know? And relax. If it could keep the burdens off your shoulders, I’d hold you forever.”

Shay backed away and walked back to the bed, rubbing his son’s back. “If only that were true, I’d let you.”

It can be true, Shay if you’d let it. If you’d only let me in, I could help lift that burden. I could be there for you.