Boy Culture Page #6

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Who's he?

Oh, my, um, room partner.

Room partner?

Oh !

Hi .

Andrew!

Jill is gonna sh*t when she sees you !

She means that in a good way.

And look what ya brought with ya.

This is Jill's mother Mrs Stevens

Matthew is not gonna be happy.

Is Matthew? Jill's brother.

He got dumped last week so he is not in a good mood

So, why did Jill invite me?

Of all people.

My theory she wants to rub it in your face

how happy she is marrying a pro football player and all

Pro football player?

Well you ain't heard of him cause he technically hasn't

played yet or anything .

But he's on the payroll .

Like an alternate or something .

Those are not friends of the bride.

What are you doing?

Accepting who I am .

It feels like you're showing off.

Andrew, you seen Matthew?

No .

Glad I didn't miss that.

I know it's corny, but isn't it romantic?

I don't believe you want me to give up .

Don't spoil it.

I wonder if we'll ever be able to do this in our lifetime.

I'm glad you came.

I thought you'd be alone.

Well, I'm not.

I didn't mean it like that.

I'm glad you're with someone.

It's just--

There's Matthew.

Oh?

Where?

Hey Drew!

I missed the sh*t out of you !

You're gay?

I thought Jill announced it in the invites .

Ha ha.

B*tch, you told a lot of f***in' people.

B*tch, you tried to mack on my man .

Well baby, you can take this one.

I'm through with him .

Jill said you were funny with the sex thing .

I can put some frosting on a Dorito if you want.

Can you make it half a Dorito?

Hi. I'm Jill, the bride.

We haven't had a chance to meet.

Congratulations .

-I'm a Andrew's room-partner.

I wonder why he didn't mention you .

I don't know.

He talks about you all the time.

Really?

What does he say?

Well, just that you were still are

the love of his life.

Honey.

I know you're just trying to be nice.

But I'm over Andrew. Really.

I think it's my brother who needs comforting .

Pleasure meeting you

Hey, Uncle X.

Oh, hey Cheyenne.

This makes you my uncle, doesn't it?

I think it would be something more like

your brother-in-law

Maybe ex-brother-in-law.

Hey don't mind me.

I give up .

You win again .

I really wanted a different ending .

As long as we get an ending .

Forgive me Father I was insanely jealous.

What are you doing?

Sh*t. This isn't their rental?

It wasn't a practical decision to leave Portland without him,

but I couldn't face five hours in a car with him.

I reserved him a plane ticket

and left a message on his cell.

I'm not a total a**hole.

I hate cars.

I miss my bike.

I couldn't think of anywhere else to go.

Don't any couples just fall in love and that's that?

Very few, I suspect.

He said I could keep hustling, but it'd hurt him .

What's keeping you from quitting?

The truth is

I like it.

And that's it?

I don't know.

I think you do.

When a client pays me

it feels like a relief.

Something inside me let's go .

Do you think you could feel the same

if your were paid in feelings instead of money?

That's hard to imagine.

Maybe you should give your imagination

more of a chance.

What brought you here?

We're friends now, but don't let that stop you

from treating me like a complete slut.

If you're smart, you probably guessed

I found Gregory dead the next morning .

Every story with a charming old man ends

in a heart-tugging funeral .

Well I didn't.

That might've been easier.

Forgive me Father, I consumed more than I required .

Are you a friend of Gregory's?

A very good friend .

And you are?

Also a good friend .

He gets older, they get younger.

Renaldo?

Why yes, he talked about. But, you're dead .

I don't know what foolishness he's been up to,

but I assure you, I'm quite alive.

You're his lover?

Gregory's not gay.

At least he won't admit to it.

I don't know why he bothers keeping up the charade

after so many years .

How do you know him?

He pays me!

Gregory was one of my first friends,

a role-model for how I saw myself as an old queer.

That withered old sh*t spent months f***ing with my head

like a horny Hannibal Lecter with his sepia stories

of prehistoric teen porn.

And I fell for every word, sprung from a self-serving,

self-loathing lie to keep him in his closet.

I f***ed him because I wanted him

and I had sh*t to show for it.

This is exactly what I hate about the gay scene.

Sex for nothing.

He sounds like a psychopath .

A goddamned charming psychopath .

Wait, I'm not quite as pathetic as I should be.

There.

Much more Charlie Brown.

This is what I deserve for thinking maybe

gay men are capable of loving something other than themselves.

I'm not even sure I love myself.

I'd dump me the second something better came along.

The lesbians have it easy.

Sure they have all that dyke drama,

but it's only because they give a sh*t about each other.

F*** this.

You must be Joey.

There's this old guy here who wants to see you .

What?

Yeah, and he wants tea.

Andrew.

You don't know me.

Correct.

I'm a friend of X's .

Gregory Talbot.

The Gregory he, uh, works with?

I need .

He spoke of me?

Technically.

Why don't you put on some tea.

Please, who has tea?

Just warm up some water and I'll be fine.

I haven't been out of my rooms since Diana's memorial,

but I thought this was worth it.

Might I have a few moments of your time?

I assume it's about X?

He's very upset.

And he sent you here of all people?

I assure you, he'd disembowel me

if he were aware of my presence.

I'm listening .

I told him the story of two young men who declared

their love for each other.

They lived a long and happy life together.

How sweet.

One order of freshly microwaved tap water.

Smells delicious .

What a lovely shirt.

So energetic.

Thanks !

It was half off.

A shrewd purchase.

So do I get to listen or do I have to come up with

some excuse to give you guys privacy?

''I've got a hot date''has always worked for me.

Fine.

It was a pleasure warming your water.

So what happens with your love story?

In reality, they never declared their love

One of them was too afraid .

He would always pull away at the last moment.

He had a lot of free time and spent most of it

replaying how his life would have been had he seized a moment,

any one of a thousand,

to take his friend's hand .

Sounds like they were both afraid .

They went fifty years, a lifetime.

And being afraid became habit.

Did he ever figure out what he was afraid of?

Oh, he knew all along .

What was that?

That he might have to change.

He was afraid of losing the life he might not

be afforded if it were known he was a man who loved men .

His travels, studies .

His trust fund .

At least he lived as he pleased .

No . He changed anyway.

He's a recluse now.

He's lost it all and people talk about him none the less .

That's a f***ed up story.

How is that supposed to help me?

I wasn't aware you were in need of help .

Well how is that supposed to help X?

I'm moving out anyway.

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