“ You must be Danny.”
Danny was too intimidated to speak. He assumed this was Mitch, and he wanted to tell him his name was Dan, but he couldn't find his voice.
“ Is there anything I can get for you?”
All Danny wanted was to get around him, and head out the door. The tree wouldn't move. It just stood there leaning up against the stairwell taking up so much space. Standing on the second step, Danny still had to tilt his head up to see his face. The tree-man didn't look unkind, but he didn't have the friendly face of Antonio, the gentler slightly shorter giant. Danny felt his bladder tighten, and he realized he hadn't used the restroom since they left Florida. He wished he had remembered where TJ said the bathroom was.
“ I…I have t-to pee,” he stammered.
“ There's a bathroom around the corner to your left.”
Danny waited until Mitch stepped aside before muttering, “Thanks,” and sliding past him.
Mitch couldn't help but be amused by the nervous little pixie with bed head and a flushed face. “Oh, and, Danny, after washing up, why don't you met us in the dining room. We'll be eating shortly.” Mitch's strong voice startled Danny causing him to stumble once again.
"Damn baggy jeans," Danny muttered to himself.
"What was that?"
“ I said, yes, sir,” Danny managed to spit out before finding the bathroom and dashing in.
Danny surprised himself as he wasn't in the habit of calling anyone, 'sir.' There was just something about the man that exuded authority. Even though he worded his request as a choice, his tone clearly indicated he expected to be obeyed. After he had washed up, Danny wandered into the kitchen where he found Antonio working on the finishing touches of their spaghetti dinner.
“ Hello there. Did you rest well?”
Danny nodded. “Yes, thank you.”
“ Good, you seemed tired.”
Danny blushed. “I hadn't slept much lately.”
“ Would you like to help me stir the sauce while I drain the pasta?”
“ Okay,” Danny said, going over to the stove and peeking into the large bubbling pot. He picked up the big wooden spoon, and began to stir the contents.
“ Try it for me, and see if it needs anything?”
Danny put the spoon to his lips and gave it a taste. “It seems good to me,” he said shyly.
“ Great, then...”
“ There you are,” TJ interrupted, “I was searching all over for you.”
Danny smiled in relief at seeing TJ.
“ TJ, can you find Mitch and tell him dinner's ready?”
“ I'm on it,” he said, with a wink to Danny before turning to leave.
“ Danny, do you think you could you help me carry some things into the dining room?”
“ What should I bring in?” Danny appreciated Antonio asking him to help; it put him more at ease to have something to do.
“ How about grabbing the salad and the wine off the counter?”
“ Sure,” Danny said, beginning to relax a little.
Antonio led Danny through the double doors into the dining room. Soon everyone was seated around the table, and Danny felt less sure of himself. The atmosphere seemed a little tense. Danny never had a good appetite on a nervous stomach.
“ What's the matter, Danny? Aren't you hungry, or don't you like my cooking?” Antonio teased, trying to coax him to eat more.
“ I'm not a big eater,” Danny confessed.
He noticed the bottle of wine was opened, and everyone had a glass but him. He considered asking for one to settle his nerves, but as no one offered him any, he thought it best not to.
“ Tell us, Danny, what brings you to New York?” Antonio asked casually, to break the ice and gather information.
Danny darted his eyes over to TJ, and said rather sheepishly, “TJ does.” Antonio smiled at him, as Mitch cleared his throat to glare at TJ. The subtle reprimand wasn’t lost on Danny, and he elaborated, “TJ offered me a place to stay, and I've never been to New York, so…” Danny trailed off. “I appreciate you letting me stay here while I find a job.”
“ Weren't your parents worried about you coming to New York?” Antonio asked.
“ Um, no,” Danny replied, while twirling spaghetti he had no intention of eating. Antonio was quiet while he waited for a further response. “They haven't cared about me for a while,” he added.
Mitch cut the pretense of small talk. “Do your parents even know where you are?” he asked.
Danny blushed at the admonishing tone in Mitch's voice. “No." He stubbornly refused to disclose any more information.
“ Don't you think it’s time they did?”
“ No.”
Mitch gave the petulant boy a stern look. “I'm afraid as a minor in my house you don't really have a choice. You need to contact them.”
“ I'm not calling them,” Danny shot back.
Mitch was shocked by the boy's defiance, especially after he was so timid during their first interaction. “Unfortunately, while you are in my house, I'm responsible for you, and I'll make the decision about who gets called.”
“ Then I'll leave,” Danny protested, while standing up.
“ SIT DOWN!” Mitch growled menacingly, leaving no room for discussion.
Danny sat down with a pout, managing to appear both sullen and frightened. Satisfied that Danny wasn't going to get up again, Mitch restated in a firm voice, “As I was saying, you are in my home, and you will do as I say.”
Danny was burning from both embarrassment and anger at being scolded and ordered around. Having been on his own for a while, he wasn't used to either.
“ Now,” Mitch continued, “as I would not like to get arrested for harboring a runaway, I would appreciate it if you gave me the number for your parents, so I can ascertain whether or not you have permission to be away from home.”
“ I didn't run away. I left, and I don't have their number,” he said, with a tone of insolence.
“ Watch your attitude in my house. I will not tolerate disrespect,” Mitch said crossly.
They sat sizing each other up. Mitch was rather impressed, if not too pleased, with the tyke's boldness. For Danny's part, he wasn't sure if the large man was bluffing, but was wise enough not to call him on it.
Antonio saw things going badly and decided to intervene. “Honey, we're not trying to upset you, but we are obligated to make sure you’re safe and where you are supposed to be.”
Danny sank back in his chair and glared at TJ.
“ Sorry, kid, when I asked you to come home with me I thought you were eighteen.”
Danny lost his wind. He knew TJ was right, but he still felt betrayed. That's what he got for trusting people. “I haven't seen my father in years, and I have no idea where my mother is. She's probably with a new boyfriend by now,” he said with a huff, refusing to give up anything more personal.
“ What's the last number you remember?” Mitch pushed.
“ I don't remember any number.”
“ What about the last address?” Mitch asked, not believing him but pushing forward.
Danny sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
“ What's the address on your license?”
“ It's the address to my old girlfriend's home.”
“ Get it for me.”
Mitch waited as Danny grudgingly stood up from the table, withdrew his wallet from his back pocket, and slammed it harshly on the table across from him. Mitch eyeballed Danny until he slinked back down in his seat. Mitch picked up the tattered wallet, noted the few dollars in it, and took out his driver's license. Danny folded
his arms, refusing to give any additional detail.
“ Is this your girlfriend's current address?”
“ No.”
“ She went away to college. That's probably her parents' address,” TJ volunteered.
“ Do they have names?” Mitch questioned, not bothering to ask for a number.
Danny bit his lip; he did not want to get them involved. He had left rather abruptly, and not on the best of terms.
“ We can do this the easy way or the hard way, and believe me neither one of us wants this to go the hard way. Either way, I will find out.”
Danny caved at Mitch’s threat and shared the last bit of information he had on them excluding their phone number. Mitch handed him back his wallet minus his license.
“ Can I have that back?” Danny asked.
“ No.”
Danny rolled his eyes at Mitch's imitation of him. Mitch almost laughed at the nerve of the boy. After dinner he went into his home office to call for legal advice, and to locate a number for Danny's last address.
“ Do you want me to help with the dishes?” TJ asked Antonio.
“ No, thank you, TJ. Why don't you and Danny relax in the living room?”
Relaxing was the last thing on Danny's mind. He wanted to find out how he was going to get his license back, and leave this place before the big guy caused trouble snooping around in his business.
“ Is there a bus stop or subway close by?” Danny asked.
“ Not too far, why?”
There was a bus stop a few blocks away, but TJ wasn't ready to let Danny loose on the streets of New York, and he could tell Danny was angling to cut out.
“ How do you get around without a car?”
“ Easy, you walk, or take a bus, train or taxi.”
“ How am I supposed find my way around?”
“ I have a car, I'll drive you.”
“ Great, are you going to come to work with me, too?”
“ Listen, kid, stop your griping. I'm trying to help, and at the moment, you don't have many options.”
“ Is that oversized boyfriend of yours going to give me my license back?”
“ You're ballsy, kid. Not too many people would speak to Mitch like that.”
“ What's he going to do? Beat me up? He'd be pretty pathetic to go after someone my size. Besides, I'm just a kid, remember? He'd get arrested if he laid a hand on me,” Danny said, sporting a false bravado.
“ I wouldn't test him if I was you.”
The comment unnerved Danny more than he cared to admit. “Why, he ever hit you?”
TJ wasn't sure how to answer that question. He wasn't ready to share the full nature of their relationship. “Let's just say he's put me in my place more than a few times.”
Seeing Danny's eyes go wide, TJ softened his approach. “Don't worry. He knows his own strength, and he is not an abuser. That doesn't mean you can get away with anything. I'd advise you not to mess with him.”
Danny took time to digest TJ's advice. “What's he going to do?”
“ Hey, I didn't mean to scare you. He's not going to hurt you.”
“ No, I mean with my driver's license.”
“ Who knows. He's probably trying to figure it out himself. Things got more complicated with you being sixteen.”
“ Sorry. I bet they're pissed I'm here.”
“ It's not you they're pissed at, it's me.”
“ They didn't seem to be mad at you.”
“ Yeah, well, you missed it. I was punished when you were asleep.”
“ Punished? What do you mean punished?”
TJ hadn't meant to let that out. “I'll explain when you’re older.”
“ Whatever.”
TJ gave a patronizing smile at Danny's agitation.
“ You know, I'm not a baby. I'm the same person I was two days ago when you thought I was eighteen. Besides, I'll be seventeen soon enough.”
“ Sorry, kid, I can't seem to wrap my mind around the fact that I kissed a sixteen-year –old, even if you are almost sixteen and a half .
"What do you mean, almost ?"
"Your birthdate is November 28 th . It's only May 4 th ."
"Whatever."
"Besides, sixteen or seventeen, you're still a minor.”
Danny groaned, and TJ turned to remind him, “You brought this on yourself, kid.”
“ Fuck you, I'm not a kid! And that jolly mean giant has no right to take my license and mess around in my business.”
“ That's where you're wrong, because there is big difference between eighteen and sixteen. At eighteen you are a guest in our home. Anything less than that, and you're in our care.”
“ Bullshit! I don't need a fucking babysitter!”
“ First of all, you had better calm down and watch your mouth because that jolly mean giant won't put up with any disrespect. Second of all, you do need someone to take care of you because you haven't been doing a very good job of it on your own.”
“ How the hell would you know? Just because of those assholes? I needed a place to stay. Even if I had enough money, I'm not old enough to sign a lease.” After his outburst Danny let his anger wane, and admitted almost inaudibly, “I didn't know they were like that.”
“ That's my point exactly. You're not in a position to be on your own, and it leaves you vulnerable to assholes like that. Not to mention, if you weren't so naïve, you wouldn't have trusted those perverts in the first place. I picked up on it the minute I laid eyes on them. Why do you think I was watching out for you all night?”
Danny was hurt by that admission. It felt like a sucker punch to the gut. He had hoped that TJ was watching him because he liked him, not because he saw him as some stupid kid who couldn't take care of himself. More than his ego, his sense of security was bruised. Deep down he feared that he was just a hopeless child; and if he couldn't take care of himself, then no one would.
TJ hadn't wanted to tell the kid all that. He hated to see the pain of insecurity on his face, but he was resisting help, and needed to hear the truth.
“ I don't care. I'm not going back home even if there is a home for me to go to. As soon as I get my license back, I'm leaving.”
“ No you're not.”
“ Who's going to stop me?”
“ I am.”
Danny sat back and glowered at TJ. “You can't watch me twenty-four seven,” he challenged.
“ Listen, kid, if you truly do not have a home to go back to or anybody searching for you, then you have nothing to be worried about. Let Mitch and Antonio find that out for themselves, and then you can stay here.”
“ What makes you think I want to stay here?”
“ Where the hell else are you going to go? Like you said, you can't even sign a lease.”
“ Mitch doesn't want me here, and I'm not going to some stupid foster care agency.”
“ I know Mitch better than you do. He's not going to put you in any institution. Just sit tight, and we'll figure it out.”
Danny didn't know what to make of TJ. He went from hating the arrogant bastard to being on the brink of falling in love with him. He had never felt as safe and cared for as the night TJ held him in his arms. His instincts told him to trust TJ; but as of late, his instincts had been failing him.
TJ was pleased when Danny's rancor died down and he sat speechless. He picked up the remote, turned on the television, and sat back on the couch as if to say that was the end of the discussion. Danny sank down further into the couch and stared at the TV, not really watching it.
He soon felt oddly comfortable, and wondered if this was what it felt like to have a brother. After an argument, did you just sit back as if nothing happened?
*****
Mitch eventually got a hold of Danny's ex-girlfriend's parents. The Allen's confirmed that Danny was with them for close to a year. They liked the boy, and were worried about him. When he had first moved in he was drinking too much and a little unruly. But, he had stopped when he was told it was a stipulation of his staying there. Other than that, he was a fairly easy houseguest. Their daughter, who was two years older, seemed to be good for him. It was disheartening when Danny left with no forwarding address.
“ What do you know about his parents?” Mitch asked Mr. Allen.
“ Not much. He hardly mentioned them the whole time he was with us. They never even called to check up on him.”
“ Do you have any idea where they're living?”
“ No. His parents divorced when he was young, and his mother moved around a lot. I don't think he's seen his father in years.”
“ Is there any family that you know of who would be interested in the boy?”
“ I doubt it. When he turned sixteen nobody from his family called or came to see him. I never saw his parents the whole time he was with us. I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I'd rather he not contact my daughter. She was heartbroken when he left, and she is only now starting to accept that he's gone.”
“ I understand. I appreciate your time.”
“ Of course. Tell Daniel we wish him well.”
After they said their goodbyes, Mitch contacted social services in both Florida and New York, and quickly found out that no one was too willing to invest their time in the welfare of an older teen. A caseworker had explained that Danny was at a 'funny' age. Not quite old enough to be given adult rights, but too old to be forced into state custody. Unless he was involved in illegal activities, or being abused, there were few services that would take him in against his will. He was in a type of limbo until he turned eighteen. If Danny wanted to stay with them, and they were willing to take him in, social services wouldn't interfere. They suggested that Mitch contact the police if he was interested in finding out if he was wanted. They weren't too encouraging either, suggesting that investigating the whereabouts of a sixteen-year-old runaway across state lines would not be high on anyone's priority list. That wasn't good enough for Mitch who was disgusted by a social welfare system that would let a child like Danny fend for himself.
Bringing Home Danny Page 11