by Matt Zachary
Even as he said it, though, Billy’s expression changed. Maybe everyone in their class at school knew about them, but their fathers didn’t. He didn’t worry as much about his dad because he was almost never even home. But, he wasn’t sure Stuart’s step-dad would even let them talk anymore if he found out.
“Okay,” Stuart agreed, “Let’s make tomorrow great!” He tried to sound cheerful but Billy’s words were weighing heavily on him as well.
Keeping their promise to one another, Billy and Stuart made sure to pack their last day on the cruise full of fun. They spent some time in the casino playing a cash-crane type machine, played a handful of trivia contests, one of which Stuart won, climbed the sky-ropes course, raced on the waterslides, and enjoyed the pool for the last time.
“I really am happy for you,” Jessica Leigh told both Billy and Stuart towards the end of the evening as she and one of her friends came to join them in the pool.
Billy wasn’t exactly sure if she meant it or what to contribute her quick turn-around towards, but he asked Stuart for a minute to talk to her alone. A hint of jealousy surged in Stuart’s mind, but he understood. “Yeah, take your time.” He trusted Billy, and that was all that mattered.
Billy walked Jessica Leigh to a set of lounge chairs far enough away from all the commotion before beginning. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t know about my feelings until that day,” he professed, though even he thought it sounded ridiculous.
“I had a hint,” Jessica Leigh confessed. “And, I was very angry,” she confessed. “But, I’m over it.”
Billy hoped she was telling the truth. She hadn’t been a bad girlfriend and he had never wanted to cause her any pain. As he looked into her eyes, he could tell she meant it. “What changed?” he asked.
“Well, seeing you and him...Stuart, yesterday, so in love...well, I just came around,” she answered.
Just as she did, though, Brett, one of the other students on the trip, came up behind Jessica Leigh and kissed her shoulder. “You’re not trying to steal my girlfriend back, are ya?” he asked Billy with a serious smile.
“No, no,” Billy held his hands up to show he was keeping them all to himself. He smiled at Jessica Leigh, knowing that Brett must have been a good part of why she was no longer upset with him. “You guys have fun,” he added before heading back to Stuart.
The rest of the night was spent meeting with the chaperones and going over the debarkation procedures, as well as packing their suitcases so they could leave them outside their cabins.
“I’m gonna miss this,” Stuart said.
“Well, it ain’t over yet, Sunshine,” Billy replied as he yanked Stuart onto the bed and attacked him with kisses.
Chapter 17
Everything the next day happened so fast. Before they knew it, Billy and Stuart were waking up and exiting their room and heading to their debarkation location. The had a little bit of time to spend with each other at the airport and on the plane, but in no time they were back in Billy’s jeep.
Billy purposely drove a little slower than usual as he took Stuart home. “I really had a good time this week,” he told Stuart as he moved his right hand onto Stuart’s knee.
“We can just run away together to some Caribbean island,” Stuart joked to keep from crying. He wasn’t very successful, though. As hard as he tried to keep it in, the first tear escaped his eye and rolled down his cheek.
“Hey, don’t cry,” Billy replied, almost about to cry, himself. “We’re still going to see each other this weekend, right?” he reminded Stuart. He wanted to see him sooner, but Stuart made a deal that he would stay home for the rest of the week and study for his last two finals if his step dad let him go on the cruise.
Without even realizing it, Billy found himself pulling into a parking spot at Stuart’s apartment complex. He wanted to give Stuart a kiss goodbye, but realized there were a lot of people out and about that could see and tell Stuart’s step-dad. “It’s okay,” Stuart offered, giving him permission.
Billy leaned forward and kissed Stuart, but it was more of a peck than what he really wanted to do. Still, he gave Stuart’s hand a squeeze and whispered, “I love you, Sunshine.”
“I love you too,” Stuart whispered back and winked before hesitantly turning around and dragging his suitcase towards his apartment.
Billy waited until Stuart got inside before driving off. He felt such an emptiness in his heart as he drove away. He had never experienced anything like that with Jessica Leigh or any other girl. He didn’t know love could even feel like that.
Within a few minutes, though, he was home and had a whole new set of problems. Before him was a large moving truck, several police cruisers, two black SUVs, and lots of yellow tape roping off the property.
“What’s going on here?” he yelled to the men at the doors of his house as he watched two other men carry out the library sofa.
“This area is off limits,” he was told by a stoic looking man wearing a pair of dark sunglasses and a dark suit.
“I fucking live here!” Billy yelled.
“William Marstock?” a woman called from inside the house. “Come with me, please.”
“What are you guys doing in my house?” Billy yelled, not understanding what was going on. “Where’s my dad?”
Billy sat on the stairs as the lady, who turned out to be an FBI agent, explained to him that his dad was in jail, arrested for taking bribes. “The house and all of the belongings inside of it are being confiscated,” she told him.
“What is going on here?” Billy whispered to himself. He couldn’t understand it. It had to be a dream. His dad, his home, everything was suddenly taken away from him. He wasn’t even allowed to get any of his clothes. Because he paid for his car himself, he was able to keep possession of it and the suitcase of clothes inside of it...but that’s all.
By the end of that night, Billy had undergone interviews with his dad’s lawyer at the FBI headquarters and was informed that he would be going to live with relatives nearly a thousand miles away!
To Be Continued....
The Sins
of The Father
matt zachary
Chapter 1
“What do you mean I have to go live with relatives in Alabama?” Billy Markstock turned in panic to his lawyer.
Just a few hours earlier Billy was returning home from his senior class trip, which he spent with Stuart, a guy he realized he loved. As if realizing he was in love with a guy wasn’t enough change for one week, he returned home to find FBI agents clearing out the house he grew up in. His father, an influential judge, had been arrested for several counts of bribery, and now Billy found himself in a sterile FBI interrogation room with his father’s lawyer, Mr. Mendalsen.
“You’re only seventeen, still a minor,” the stoic looking FBI agent sitting across from Billy and his lawyer announced.
“Can’t I get emancipated?” Billy asked after giving a dirty look to the FBI agent and then turning his attention back to Mr. Mendalsen.
“I’m afraid you have no means of supporting yourself,” the lawyer answered, “And, besides, by the time we could get a hearing and have you declared legal, you’d practically already be eighteen.”
Billy hung his head in despair. It was all finally sinking in. He was flat broke, and alone. He was going to have to move a thousand miles away from the only home he ever knew...a thousand miles away from Stuart. He wouldn’t be able to go to college as planned. In the blink of an eye, his entire future had been wiped away.
“It’ll be okay,” Mr. Mendalsen tried to offer, but Billy was no longer listening. His lawyer’s words just faded away in the background.
“Are we done here?” he suddenly asked with purpose. He had to go see Stuart.
As soon as the FBI agent informed Billy and his lawyer that they were free to go, Billy jumped from his seat and exited the room, not even waiting on Mr. Mendalsen.
“Billy!” Mr. Mendalsen yelled, running to catch up to the distraugh
t teenaged boy. “Your flight to Alabama is in four hours!” he said as he grabbed Billy’s arm and swung him around. “If you’re thinking about running...”
“I’m not running,” Billy answered, annoyed. “I just need to say my goodbyes. I’ll be at the airport in time,” he assured Mr. Mendalsen, but in his mind he wasn’t sure yet what he would do.
His mind was on overload as he sped down the freeway in his jeep. He was half angry and half sad. He didn’t know whether to scream or cry. “I’M COMING OVER. WE NEED TO TALK,” he texted Stuart quickly.
As he drove, he heard his phone chime several times, indicating he had incoming text replies from Stuart. He didn’t look at them though. He was almost at his destination and was having a hard enough time keeping his focus on the road.
As soon as Billy pulled into Stuart’s apartment complex, he saw Stuart sitting at the bottom of a set of steps. “Y-y-you d-didn’t answer my r-r-replies,” Stuart said, with a stutter and a worried tone.
He and Billy had only known each other for a few weeks, really. He was assigned to be Billy’s tutor to help him pass the Literature final so he’d be eligible to go on the senior class cruise. Since he and Billy had been spending time with each other, he had shed his geeky exterior and stutter and become more confident. He didn’t feel that way any longer though. Billy’s text scared him.
“I’m sorry,” Billy answered and grasped Stuart tightly. Hugging Stuart felt so good and had a calming effect on him. “Something happened,” he added without letting go of the embrace.
“Wh-what is i-i-it?” Stuart asked. He was no longer afraid that Billy was coming over to break up with him, but something was definitely wrong and he was now scared for Billy.
Billy stepped back and took a seat on the steps before beginning. As he told Stuart about all that had happened after he had returned home, Stuart just listened silently. “Well?” Billy finally asked. He wanted Stuart to say something comforting, something that would magically make everything alright.
“I don’t know what to say,” Stuart replied. It was obvious to Billy that he was as heartbroken at the news as Billy was. “I’m going to miss you,” he finally offered.
“I’m going to miss you, too,” Billy replied in a whisper as he tried hard to hold back the lump in his throat. He could feel the oncoming sting of tears welling up behind his eyes.
“We can text and talk everyday though, and we’ll get you through this together,” Stuart suggested after taking a minute to compose himself. He felt horrible, and as if his relationship with Billy had passed away, but he knew it wasn’t the time to be selfish. He had to be there for Billy.
“You promise?” Billy asked with sad eyes. He needed to believe Stuart. Stuart was the smartest person he knew and if Stuart believed everything would be okay, maybe..just maybe, he could believe it too.
“With all my heart!” Stuart answered before leaning over and giving Billy a much needed kiss.
The two sat on the steps, holding hands, and talked, doing their best to put off the inevitable goodbye. As they reminisced about their first meeting and the cruise, the laughter they displayed was only a mask for the feelings of overwhelming sadness an anxiety that they were stuffing deep down for each other’s benefit.
“I need to go,” Billy said with regret as he checked the time on his phone for the ten thousandth time. It was only two hours until his flight was to leave, and the airport was still over thirty miles away. He knew from the three unanswered phone calls that Mr. Mendalsen must be freaking out.
“Wait just a minute,” Stuart said, quickly standing up and running into his apartment. Within thirty seconds he returned with a small handful of cash. “Here...just in case,” he offered.
Billy was touched at the gesture, but he refused. “I can’t take your money,” he explained but Stuart wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.
“You need it more than I do,” Stuart countered. “Take it, please.”
Billy took the money and put it into his pocket, but was no longer to resist the tears. They freely fell from his eyes, streaking down his cheek. “I love you, and I’ll see you again soon,” he promised as he grabbed Stuart for one last hug.
“I-I’ll see you soon,” Stuart whispered back. As Billy got into his jeep and drove away he shouted, “I love you,” at the top of his lungs.
Billy watched Stuart in his rear-view mirror until he turned out of the apartment complex and was out of sight. He wiped the tears from his eyes and focused on the road ahead.
Chapter 2
“You know, you could answer the phone!” Mr. Mendalsen yelled when he spotted Billy finally step foot inside of the airport.
“I’m here,” Billy answered in a monotone voice. He knew nothing that had happened was Mr. Mendalsen’s fault, but he was the only person around to take out the frustration on. He sure couldn’t unleash his rage on his father. They hadn’t talked since before Billy’s trip and he didn’t know when they would talk next. For all involved, it shouldn’t be until he at least was able to calm down a little bit. If they had talked now, Billy would likely bite his dad’s head off. He didn’t feel sorry for his father in the least. Everything that was happening to him, Billy assumed, was his own fault. He didn’t know if his father really took bribes, but he wouldn’t put it past the man.
As they stepped up to the ticket counter, Billy suddenly realized that he left his jeep parked in the parking garage. “I need my jeep!” he announced and turned around.
“What are you talking about?!” Mr. Mendalsen cried. He had been paid a lot of money over the years to be Billy’s father’s lawyer, but he was getting stressed out. It was hard enough to work on defending Billy’s father, but on top of all of that he had to deal with the drama of a teenager. It was all starting to become a little much for him. Besides that, with Billy’s family’s assets frozen, he didn’t even know if he’d ever even get paid for the work he was doing.
“My jeep!” Billy cried. “It’s the one thing...the only thing I own, that belongs to me. I can’t fly to God-knows-where without it!”
Mr. Mendalsen thought for a minute. “I’ll have it shipped to you,” he finally promised, realizing that he had to do whatever he could to get Billy on the plane before it had left without him.
“Thank you,” Billy said but, before going through security, he asked Mr. Mendalsen about money to live on.
“Your relatives will be sent a small amount for you to live on, monthly, but it likely won’t even cover your food. You’re likely going to need to get a job,” he explained before adding, “I will, however, be taking care of your cell phone and car insurance bills for you.”
Billy was thankful that at least his father had the forethought to keep some money hidden from the government. He needed his car and his cell phone was his life-line to Stuart. Without that, he’d die.
The plane was already boarding as Billy found the gate. Before all phones would need to be put in airplane mode, he made a quick call to Stuart. Before he knew it, though, the flight attendants signaled that all electronic devices would need to be put away for take-off. “I love you,” he quickly added after apologizing that he needed to get off the phone. “I’ll call you as soon as I land.”
The flight was just under three hours, but with each passing minute Billy felt the nerves in his stomach grow. “Who where these relatives?” he wondered. “And, why have I never heard of them?”
All around Billy sat passengers excitedly talking about either why they were going to Alabama or where they had been that they were returning from. The man and lady in front of him were going to their twentieth high school reunion, while the elderly man beside him was going to visit his first grand-child. Billy tried to smile and be polite as the man showed him pictures, but his heart wasn’t in it. All around him were happy, excited people and inside all he felt was misery.
He gripped the seat’s armrest as the Captain came across the intercom with an announcement that they would be beginning their descent
. He wasn’t scared of flying, just of what was going to come after the plane had landed.
As soon as the plane was safely on the ground, Billy turned his phone back on and sent Stuart a text. Immediately, Stuart texted back which helped to calm Billy. At least he knew Stuart was there for him.
Impatiently, Billy sat and waited for the plane to pull up to the gate and eventually open its doors. Each row of people let the one before it exit and, by the time Billy’s turn came; the plane had already been at the gate for over twenty minutes.
The second he was off the plane, he dialed Stuart’s number. Talking to him was the only thing keeping Billy’s food down. He was stressed out, and getting more anxious by the minute.
“I’m here if you need me,” Stuart kept repeating through the phone, making sure it sunk through into Billy’s head.
“I know,” Billy answered as he entered the baggage claim area and looked around for whoever would be meeting him. At first, no one seemed to be there to meet anyone. Everyone he saw had just come from a plane, or was already grabbing their luggage, or embracing loved ones. As he scanned the area once more, he saw one face staring right at him. It was an older man, with worn and tanned leathery skin, white unkempt hair and a pair of overalls that covered a white but dirt-stained t-shirt. “I gotta let you go for now,” he quickly told Stuart. “I love you.”
He hoped the man staring at him wasn’t one of his relatives. He didn’t look especially happy to be there. But as he stared back, he could see the man’s resemblance to his father. The man before him was definitely his Uncle.
“Here I go,” Billy thought to himself as he stepped forward with his hand out, ready to take on his new life.
Chapter 3
“Uncle Markstock?” Billy asked, ready to shake what he assumed would be a calloused hand.