Chapter 24 Order in the House
Mustang,
You crack me up with your whole “what a coincidence” that you watch “All My Children!” Is that what strikers do—on and off the field? Swoop in for the score?
I like AMC’s Mateo and Haley storyline as well, but, honestly, Mateo’s not my type. Not that I’ll be dating anyone in the near future. I’m still on house arrest, plus my dad’s not jazzed about this “gay thing,” as he calls it.
Augbergine is more elegant than “eggplant.” Eggplant is a shade of purple, but so much more sophisticated, with its red and black tones. Anyway, I’m partial to it, but maybe because I’m vegetarian.
Any soccer updates?
You asked about my favorite graphic artist. Here are a few hints. He was American. He tied another artist for most covers of the “Saturday Evening Post” (322). But he also had over 80 covers of “Colliers” as well. And he was gay.
Solve that riddle and maybe I’ll let you see some of my work.
Your friend,
Adam
Wednesday, September 20, 1995
Colton’s little extortion letter lit up the GM. As in all-hands-on-deck EMERGENCY MEETING, which sucked, because they had all been focused on their upcoming Fall Break field trip to the Gayborhood.
They were in the clubhouse. William sat in the overstuffed chair, rubbing his temples. The drama level was high—even by GM standards.
“Okay, dahlings!” William sighed. “Options 1 and 2 are off the table. Not another word about them. We’re not sacrificing any members.”
Option 1 involved the scenario where Paul complied with Colton’s demand and wrote the letter to the dean accusing Matt of having made sexual advances against him, in which case Matt would be expelled.
Option 2: Sayonara Paul, which would be the consequence if Paul refused Option 1 and Colton’s toady, Mike, wrote his letter to the dean accusing Paul of improper sexual advances against him.
No one had seriously advocated for either option.
“I vote for Option 3,” Paul said, his eyes tear-stained, his face pale. He was guilt-ridden for having brought this plague upon them. “It—”
“—I swear to God,” Josh interrupted, “if the next words out of your mouth involve chess, I’ll throttle you with my bare hands.”
Option 3 imagined turning the tables on Colton, beating him at his own sneaky game by having Paul write a letter to the dean accusing Mike of having made sexual advances against him. The idea was to accuse Mike before he could accuse Paul, discrediting him, thus thwarting Colton.
“I second Option 3,” said Jake, who, to Matt’s disappointment, was not wearing his sexy blue high tops. No cut-off jeans either.
Matt sat on the couch, arms crossed, brooding. “Option 4 makes more sense.” That option involved his vigilante beat down of Colton. Lure the guy off campus. Hurt him good. Let him know that if he persisted, there would be a second, even more painful encounter.
Evan’s thick, Gallic eyebrows furled, then unfurled. “I hate to admit it,” he said, “but Option 4 has some merit. Maybe it’s time we considered violence.”
“Violence is the last resort of the incompetent,” Paul sneered.
“Says who?” Matt asked. “Seems like it worked pretty well on D-Day!”
“Issac Asimov wrote it,” Paul said. “In his Foundation trilogy. You should read it. One of the best science fiction series ever! Of course, now there are seven books, so technically it’s no longer a trilogy, although everyone still calls it one.
It should be, though—a trilogy. The last four books messed everything up… ”
Matt tuned out Paul’s musings. He had surprised himself by arguing for violence. It worried him that the idea continued to haunt him, creeping into his thoughts unbidden, whispering seductively. Vigilante justice was his father’s style—not his.
Matt would never forget the night his father had tossed the baseball bat into the back seat of their car. Told him to buckle up. The stony, silent drive to the little wooded park. Sitting there, waiting for the youth pastor to arrive.
Matt’s dad had ambushed the youth pastor on the trail as he walked his dog.
There had been terror in the youth pastor’s eyes as he handed the dog’s leash to Matt, watched him secure the leash to a tree.
The dog had hunched there, shivering in fear.
Matt had wanted no part of the ugliness. Wanted to sit with the dog, comforting it. His dad ordered him to stand and watch.
Matt had been unable to bear the youth’s pastor’s cries for mercy, for forgiveness, for help. Matt begged his father to stop.
“You want this to stop?” Matt’s dad had asked him.
Matt had nodded. Snot and tears streamed down his face.
Matt’s dad had held the bat out to his son. Offered him a “Sophie’s Choice.” “This will end only after you’ve delivered three solid hits yourself. Otherwise, I keep going.”
Matt had refused. Watched while his dad rained down fresh blows on the youth pastor’s body.
Eventually, Matt had accepted the bat as the only way to end the attack. Felt its weight in his hands. Swung it down, but tempered its force, trying to convince his dad of his sincerity but sparing the youth pastor the full brunt of the blow.
No dice.
It had continued until Matt got it right. Three blows that counted.
He had vomited from the sheer gore and terror. Wet himself. Hated his dad for turning him into a monster. Hated himself for letting it happen.
Now, Matt worried that the violence had infected him like a virus, lying dormant, waiting for this moment to manifest itself.”
“Option 3 won’t work,” William said. “I know how Colton thinks. Trust me, dahlings. Even if Paul gets to the dean first, Colton will still have Mike make his accusation against Paul. The most likely outcome is that the dean will believe Mike and expel Paul. Mike is vice president of SGA. More importantly, he’s Colton’s toady, and the dean knows that.
Alternatively, the dean will expel them both.
Either way, Paul will be gone. Colton is perfectly willing to risk Mike’s expulsion.
Loyalty is not a word in his vocabulary. ”
“Option 4 then?” Evan asked.
William shook his head. “It pains me to say it, dahlings, but Paul is right. Violence is… not a sophisticated solution. No offense Matthew.”
Matt shrugged.
“Colton doesn’t know that the GM exists,” William continued. “He thinks he’s been picking off lone gays here and there—like shooting ducks in a barrel.”
Harley stopped binge-eating cookies. “And?”
“And we’ll use that against him,” William said.
“We’re going with Option 5.” He turned to Paul.
“I want you to contact Colton. Pretend to be willing to write the letter denouncing Matt, but insist on a one-on-one meeting. Tell him you’ll give him the letter only after you hear his assurances that he’ll leave you alone thereafter. ”
“Then what happens?” Kevin asked.
“Leave that to me,” William said. “Leave that to me.”