Just Drew

“Andrew Mason.”

Drew stopped with his foot on the bottom step of the stairway leading up to the bedrooms. He knew exactly what it meant if his dad said his name in that specific tone of voice.

“Yes sir.” He turned around to face him.

“Get in here.”

Drew’s feet were dragging as he followed his dad into the living room. Whatever this was about, it wasn’t good. The fact that his mom was sitting there, sobbing loudly, didn’t bode well either.

“Is something wrong?”

“Drew, I really hope not.” Andrew Mason was speaking in a low, measured voice, and Drew felt himself start to freak out. “I’m praying, in fact, that Tiffany was wrong about this.”

“Tiffany?”

“Yes,” his mom sobbed, “your girlfriend, Tiffany!”

“She ... uhm ... she’s not my girlfriend anymore.” Drew mumbled.

“And why is this?” As his dad approached, Drew took a few steps back.

“We just ... I don’t ...” Drew took a deep breath and faced his dad squarely. He wasn’t a little kid anymore, he was eighteen and almost done with high school. He’d managed to get a full scholarship without any support from his dad whatsoever. He didn’t need his approval and he sure as hell didn’t need to explain anything to him. “I don’t care for Tiffany. I was wasting her time by pretending to feel something for her which I didn’t – something I never have.”

“And this boy?”

Drew looked at his mom. He had a pretty good idea who she was talking about, but he just couldn’t figure how it was possible for her to know; for anyone to know. He’d told Donovan, but he wouldn’t even consider that his brother would betray him like this.

“This boy,” she repeated. “Brady. What does he have to do with all this?”

“Brady is ...” Drew started, then smiled. There was no way he was going to be ashamed of what the two of them had together. “Brady is the man I’m in love with.”

XXX

He wasn’t really surprised that he’d been kicked out of the house. What did surprise him though, was that the man hadn’t tried to hit him, but the fact that he was quite a bit taller and much bigger than his dad probably had something to do with it. Drew looked around his room for the last time and picked up the photo on his bedside table of him as a very proud six year old holding his brand new baby brother. That was the only thing he was truly sad about; having to leave his youngest brother, but Donovan was strong, much stronger than him, and he would be okay. His dad had threatened to kick Claude and Donovan out as well if he found out that Drew had gotten in touch with either one of them, and even though he wasn’t sure if the man would actually do it, he wasn’t willing to risk it, so this would be goodbye for the foreseeable future.

As he left the house, he didn’t even look back once; all he saw was Brady Hunt leaning against the fence post, waiting for him with a lopsided grin on his face.

XXX

Donovan,

I love you, hang in there.

Drew

Donovan read the note he’d found in one of his sneakers for the umpteenth time. He wasn’t sure what the hell was going on, but he had a bad feeling about this.

XXX

AN: Next up: Claude Mason.