A Long Road

Okay guys ...some type of feedback would be nice! Also i had to start this chapter a little from the last for it to make sense. Please i beg of you tell me what you think...and if you have any ideas throw them at me...i might use on! next up will be Mother and Father...but please be patient with me school is a pain. Last thing is to all my devoted readers...i appreciate your patience with my updating and i hope you like the next chapter. :)
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“Yea it made him pass out about an hour ago, as for me I can’t sleep I’m too tired.” my dad nodded his head in understanding. I grabbed a cup and poured some coffee, I sipped it slowly thinking about last night. A smile came to my face and seconds later a blush followed. My dad chuckled grabbed his jacket and bid his goodbyes. I traveled back up the stairs and laid down next to Curtis, I fell into a deep sleep staring at his beautiful face.

I woke up too the phone ringing. “Hello” I answered the phone agitated and groggy.

“Son we may have a problem. I just got a call from the police Curtis’s mom just found out that she no longer had custody and was being charged with assault and battery. She had a mental breakdown and burned the whole house down to the ground.” oh shit was my first thought.

“Ummm…what the hell? She really is nuts? They are arresting her?” I asked in my confusing state.

“Yes they are charging both her and her boy friend for assault and battery and I believe the other question goes without saying.” he said chuckling at my inability to comprend what was going on.

“Were they able to save any parts of the house?” I asked curious to see how much we would have to replace.

“I don’t know you would have to go over and see if it’s save to go in and save anything.” I nodded forgetting that he wasn’t in front of me.

“Yea okay I will wake Curtis up and tell him.” I could hear my father talking to someone in the back ground.

“Tell me what?” Curtis said rolling over.

“Hey Andy I got to go they need me on the site.” he said.

“Yea I’ll talk to you later. Bye dad.” he quickly said goodbye and closed the phone. I worried about Curtis’s reaction to his mom’s psychotic nature. When his dad left she went off the deep end, packed up all of the things that reminded her of him and burned them in the front yard for the whole world to see. I turned to look at Curtis and seen that his eyes where filled with worry. I knew losing all of his stuff would upset him, especially because there was so many things that meant more to him.

“Hey baby, your awake.” I said sliding back down next to him. I wrapped him closer to me.

“Andy, what’s up?” he asked giving me a look that said ‘no lying’. I smiled and sighed.

“Well do you want the good news or the bad news first?” I asked trying to play out a real smile.

“Ummm…Good.” I nodded.

“Well dad got a call from the police they are charging your mom and Greg for the abuse.” I kissed his forehead and he frowned.

“Okay so what’s the bad news? What did my mother do this time?” he asked knowing that more in likely the bad news also dealt with her.

“Well she kind of lost it and … umm… I don’t know how to tell you this. She burnt the house down.” Curtis jerked up and instantly hissed at the movement. Laying back down to grab his breath again.

“God damn bitch!” he said trying once again to sit up. I helped to sit up a little.

“Now before you go off, why don’t we take a ride over to the house and see the damage?” Curtis nodded and I helped him up and basically carried him down the stairs. We left for his house preparing for the worst. As I pulled up to the house I could hear the gasp that Curtis made. It looked as though only half the house was burned, there was still fireman in the yard and fire trucks around the house. As I turned off the car and went around to Curtis’s side of the car to help him out I could see one of dad’s friend’s Clark, who was a volunteer making his way to us.

“Hey Andy, what are you doing here?” he asked and I motioned towards Curtis.

“It’s his house.” he nodded.

“Oh I see, well son most of the damage seems to be contained to one bedroom on the second floor and the kitchen below it. Once the area is marked safe you can try to salvage anything you want, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be marked as unsafe to go into the second floor.” he said leading the way into the front yard. “So how’s your dad, Andy?”

“He’s good.” I said keeping my eyes on Curtis. My arm was safely wrapped around him right under his arms, in an effort to allow him to rest his weight on me.

“What happened to you?” Clark nodded at Curtis.

“My mother’s boyfriend jumped me.” Clark nodded and Curtis went back to staring at the house in shock.

“Oh, I’m assuming your talking about the woman we had to drag out of the house.” Curtis tore his head
away from the house to stare stupidly at Clark.

“What do you mean?” Curtis said flabbergasted.

“Oh we all believe that this was a vain attempt at a suicide. She refused to leave the house and it took three of us to pull her out.” he said looking a little uncomfortable. A few minutes later the chief came up to us to discuss the damage to the house. In total only minimum damage was done to the house, only the back bedroom and the kitchen took the most destruction. We both nodded knowing who’s bedroom had been burned, he allowed us to go in and scrimmage around for anything that we could salvage. I alone made my way upstairs and too the back bedroom. A few of the fireman assisted me in trying to salvage a few things from Curtis’s bedroom, but in the end most of it was damaged and in ruins. I managed to save a few picture albums in the back of the closet that had smoke and water damage, his guitar which was in a fireproof case, his jersey which was only singed and black from soot, and a few simple things that were also in the back of the closet ( the closet door was shut and basically untouched in the inside).

I made my way back down the stairs to where Clark was holding Curtis up. I almost dropped everything and ran down when I seen how much he was leaning on Curtis, but I stopped myself.

“Hey you okay?” I asked dropping the stuff into a bag that Clark handed to me.

“No not really can we go back home?” I nodded and placed my arm around him and walked him out to the car. I threw the bags into the back seat, made my way around the car nodding at Clark who waved back and made for home.

“What’s the matter?” I asked placing my hand on his knee. He shook his head and looked out the window.

“Baby? Talk to me please.” he turned towards me and squeezed the hand that I had on his knee. I relaxed a little knowing that it wasn’t his body that hurt, it was the emotional trauma of the morning that was getting to him. As I pulled into the driveway, I noticed a black SUV sitting in the driveway.

“Who’s car is that?” I asked out loud, not really expecting an answer.

“It’s my dad, will you help me to the house?” I nodded and wrapped my arm around him as he pulled himself out of the front seat. I walked in with him, completely forgetting about the albums and clothes in the back of the car.

“Dad, what are you doing here?” I heard Curtis ask.

“I had to make sure you were okay, I forced the trip earlier with the events of this morning. Curtis, I want you to come live with me. I don’t care what you want anymore you will be safer with me far away from this place.” My father stood to protest, evetentually for the second time. “No, no more about this from you. Your not his father.”

“You can’t take him.” I found myself mumbling.

“Excuse me?” his dad said turning his attention to me but before I could repeat myself Curtis addressed his father.

“No dad I won’t come live with you. I’m not having this conversation again. I don’t want to live away from my friends, my school, and my…” he trailed off, looking quickly at me.

“And your what?” Curtis’s dad exclaimed. He was red in the face and you could see that vein ready to explode, the one on the side of the neck. It was quite entertaining to watch cause I was about to make it go boom!.

“And his boyfriend.” I said stepping up to him, wrapping my arm around him.

“Your….You’re a…Oh My God! There’s no way…God.” he was speechless and was trying to process the information. He sat down on the loveseat in the living room and excepted the glass of water from my father.

“Dad, this isn’t how I wanted to tell you, but I can’t and I won’t leave Andy behind. I want to stay here.” he said taking a step forward and then huffed as the pain shot up his side. I grabbed him before he fell and helped him to the chair across the room.

“I just cant’ believe, when did this happen?” Curtis looked at me and I nodded.

“Just recently, sir. Curtis was brave enough to tell me how he feels and I won’t take that crazy weekend back for anything. That’s why you can’t take him away from me.” I said sliding in behind him on the chair. I wrapped my arms around him. It was too much to bear, the thought of losing him had me scared shitless. I felt Curtis sigh and I looked up, his dad looked down right pissed at the display in front of him. I knew what was coming next, but I didn’t think Curtis was ready to hear what he had to say.

“Before you say something I know you will regret, I beg that you take a night and allow for all of this to sink in. I also ask that you not speak of this to anyone. Both boys are continuing with football and neither of us would want for that to be ripped away from them just for who they love.” my dad said stepping in front of him. Doug nodded his head pulling his jacket off the couch and made his way over too the door. I heard a mumble of ‘I’ll call’ before the door closed. I felt Curtis shaking in my arms and I crawled out from behind him. I seen the tears in his eyes, realizing he hadn’t let one go and was furiously trying to dismiss them. Without a word to anyone I picked him and made my way up the steps.