Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2004 20:31:16 EST
From: Sidg0714@cs.com
Subject: Mall Punk: What Happened?

This is not a traditional Mall Punk chapter.  In fact no character you've
met so far appears on the story.  It does take place in Longston, NJ and
the main characters may appear in future, more traditional Mall Punk
stories.

The story is 100% fiction, while there is no sex there is talk about gay
sex between two 14 year old identical twin brothers.  So if that's not to
your taste please leave.  This is also a tale about a murder which takes
place before the story starts.

Enjoy and let me know what you think.  All comments to SidG0714@cs.com


What Happened?
By Sid G, copyright 1998, 2004

        "Hello Jimmy, I'm Dr. Wilson and."

	"Where's Joey?"

	"He's in another room here, safe and all right.  Now as I"

	"I want to talk to him."  I stared at the man in the white coat,
trying to will him to let me see my identical twin brother.  "That's all
anybody's told me for the last week and I want to see and talk to him now."

	"Look, if I get some cooperation son."

	"Don't call me that."

	"OK Jimmy, is that OK?"

	I nodded and gave him a little grin, which he returned.

	"That's better, now as I started to say I'm Dr. Wilson, the
psychiatrist appointed by the court to talk to you and your brother about
your older brother's murder.  If you help me out here I'll try and get the
two of you together."

	"How much more can I help?  I've already confessed to pulling the
trigger and Joey wasn't even there."

	"Joey says he did it and you were sleeping the whole time."

	"He's lying."

	"He says the same thing about you and I think you're both
protecting each other, holding something back.  From what everybody's told
me or the police I can't believe either one of you shot Aaron for the fun
of it."

	I stood up and walked over to the window and looked out over a
large lawn.  The doctor was right but I didn't know what to do.  Hell, I'm
only fourteen and my life's destroyed.  Either my brother or I, or probably
both of us, will end up in prison and being barely five foot and ninety
pounds end up being sex toys.  I know he won't tell me what Joey said but I
think I can figure it out.  What to do?

	"You're working for the police," I said without turning.  "How can
I trust you?  You'll just take anything I say and use it to get us worse
sentences, probably even keep us apart for the rest of our lives."  Damn, I
felt tears flowing.  Not exactly the cold-blooded killer image.

	"Didn't your lawyer, Mr. Atkins, explain that he agreed to go along
with my report?"

	I walked over to the nightstand and pulled an envelope out of the
drawer.  "Tell us?  Here's my copy of the letter he sent.  I've seen the
idiot once and all he said was he'd do the best he could.  Best he could
do.  Couldn't even arrange for us to see each other.  I don't think he'll
show up for the trial."

	"I'll talk to him about coming to talk to you, explain what's
happening.  When we met he asked the right questions, he is concerned about
you two.  He's read all the reports and even talked to your parents,
principal and teachers.  He's young but I think he'll do right by you."

	"But what about you?  This is really about how I feel about you.
Can I trust you to do the right thing?"

	"I'm here to try and understand you and why you did what you say
you did.  If I believe your story then yes it will have an impact on what
happens to you after the trial."

	"See, you'll get me and Joey executed."

	"Or get you probation and placed in a group home for problem kids."

	"We're not problem kids," I snapped back.

	"Well to most people murder is a problem."

	"It wasn't murder, it was self-defense."

      "He was sleeping on his stomach when you claim to have put two
bullets in his head."

      "Then, what's the term, justifiable homicide."

	"You know, I could buy that.  But you'll have to tell me
everything.  And it has to be the truth."

	I returned to the window.  Past the parking lot I could see a park
with a lake in the middle.  It looked so peaceful, kids playing on the
fields.  I'd never play on another field that wasn't surrounded by hundred
foot high electrified barbed wire fences.  But maybe, just maybe I could
free Joey.

      I turned and scanned the room for the hundredth time since I'd been
brought here from the police station.

	"Are we being watched or taped?  The truth please if we're going to
work this out."

	"The only tape recorder is the one I have."  He took it out of his
pocket and opened the cassette holder.  "I won't turn it on until you say
OK."

	"They say the truth shall set you free.  Now I know that's not
going to be true here."

	"Depends on what it is, if you had a good enough reason maybe we
can avoid prison for you and your brother.  I can't promise but^" his
voice trailed off.

	"Promise me this, if I tell you the truth you'll back my confession
over Joey's."

	"Did you really pull the trigger?  On your honor."

	"Yes I did.  Where do you want me to start?"

	"At the beginning would be helpful."

	"Start the tape," I waited.

      "This is Dr. Richard Wilson.  I am interviewing James Henry Singleton
regarding the murder of his brother Aaron Singleton.  The interview is
being conducted in Mr. Singleton's hospital room without anyone else
present.  Mr. Singleton, do you voluntarily consent to this interview.  You
can say no and you can have your lawyer present if you choose."

      "Can I have my brother here?"

      "I'm sorry no.  Do you consent to the interview?"

      "Yes I do."

      "Do you understand you can pause or end this interview at any time?"

      "Can we just get started?"

      "Jimmy, I need this on the record.  This is the last question."

      "I understand and consent."

      "Then please start at the beginning."

      "The trouble started fourteen years ago as of last August 8th."

	"The day you were born?"

	I nodded.  "Aaron was four and never accepted us.  A couple of
years ago we found the videotape of our third birthday party and Aaron's on
it saying, `Well the things made it another year, with any luck they wont
make another.'"

	"Could you hear any reaction from your parents?"

	"Yeah, mom reminds him he promised to be nice and dad's laughing.
But what do you expect considering they've deserted us now."

	"And Aaron's attitude never improved?"

	"Let me show you something."  I took off the T-shirt I was wearing
and stood and pointed to a four-inch scar along my left side.  The doctor
described the scar.  "This was his tenth birthday present to himself.  If
the carving knife had gone in an inch deeper I might not be standing here.
They told the emergency room I'd fallen through my window and grounded him
for a week."  I turned around and pointed to a faint scar on my back.
"That's where he `accidentally' hit me with his bicycle chain last year.
The insults, punches, abuse never stopped, for either one of us.

	`Very good Jimmy."

	"'Very good'," I screamed. "Very good!  Get out of here you
bastard."

      I continued screaming as the outer door opened and a burly aide
started coming in but Dr. Wilson waved him out as he grabbed my shoulders.
He held me till I stopped shaking.

      "No, no Jimmy.  I'm sorry.  I don't mean what he did was very good
but that the long pattern of abuse is very good for your case, especially
your folks' indifference to it.  Now do you want to take a break or are you
ready to get to the heart of the manner?"

      I took a couple of deep breaths.  "You know what I'd really like?"

      "What?"

      "A whole cold can of Coke for my self.  I promise I won't throw it at
you or through the window or anything stupid like that."

      Dr. Wilson smiled, turned the tape off and walked out the door.  I
looked at my shirt and decided against putting it back on.  It was warm in
the room and I liked the feel of the breeze from the air conditioner on my
bare skin.

      The idea of finally telling someone the truth felt good, but had me
nervous.  Could I really trust the man?  Did I have much choice if I was
going to save Joey?

      It was taking longer than I had expected for Dr. Wilson to return and
I was getting nervous when the door opened and he walked in with two cans
on a tray.

      "Sorry it took so long but all they had up here was some generic crap
so I went to the lobby and picked up some chips and stuff to go with our
sodas.  Take your pick."  He put the tray down on the table by my bed and
took one can.  He must have spent at least five dollars on snack food.  I
was beginning to like this guy.  I grabbed a bag of Reese's Pieces and the
soda and went through about a quarter of each before saying I was ready to
resume.  Dr. Wilson turned the tape back on.

      "Joey and I are totally identical.  The only differences in our
bodies are marks from outside influences.  Our grades are almost the same
in every subject; we like the same sports, bands.  Mom and Dad started
taking us clothes shopping not only separately but simultaneously so we
wouldn't pick out the same things and that didn't even work."

      I took another sip.  I knew my next sentence, but also knew his
reaction to it was critical.  His feelings might determine our destiny.  I
wondered if I could skip it, but it would come out later anyway.  I took a
deep breath and spit it out.



      "And we're both gay and we're lovers."

      I waited for a reaction but he just nodded and took another pretzel.

      "How do you feel about that?  If you've got a thing against gays then
let's end it here."

      "This is Dr. Wilson I'm going to pause the tape for a moment."  The
room fell silent while he reached over to the tape and hit the stop button.
"Do you think there's anything wrong about being gay Jimmy?  He asked.

      "No, but I know a lot of people do and that if you're one of them it
could hurt me and Joey.  If I'm going to keep trusting you I need to know
the truth."

      "Fair enough," Dr. Wilson said as he reached into his pants pocket
and pulled out his wallet.  He flipped it open and handed it to me.  I was
looking at a picture of a cute guy, probably about twenty.  "Look at the
next picture."

      I flipped the picture and there was Dr. Wilson with his arm around
the boy.  Dr. Wilson's tee shirt said, "I'm the proud parent of a gay son."
The boy was wearing a matching shirt that said, "I'm the son."

      "Does that answer you question?  Craig came out to us when he was
sixteen.  Not that it was a surprise to his mother, brother or me.  It
didn't change how much we loved him.  Not one bit."

      "You know, if my parents had been a tenth this supportive we probably
wouldn't be here.  Start the tape."

      He clicked it on.  "This is Dr. Wilson.  James Singleton has
consented to continue the interview.  Whenever your ready Jimmy."

      I nodded.  "We'd always horsed around in our room, wrestled in the
nude, stuff like that when we were little."

      "Why in the nude?"

      "A couple of times we ripped our clothes and mom got so mad it was a
natural step to avoid the problem.  A year or so ago when we started
reaching puberty things started taking an added dimension.  It started
innocently enough, comparing our bodies as each change came along.  Then as
time went on things progressed and we did more and more sexual things
together.  You don't need the details do you?

      "Did the two of you go all the way?"

      "Yes, but please?"

      "Fine, I understand," Dr. Wilson said.

      I picked the soda back up and took a long drink. "Just give me a
minute Doc.  This is harder than I figured on."

      "No problem, you take all the time you need.  I know this has been a
rough experience for you, and you're handling it well."

      "Thanks, but the hardest part is not being with Joey.  We've never
been apart this long since we were conceived.  Not to even talk to him."  I
found myself wiping a tear away.

      "I told you he's fine, I promise you'll see each other soon.  We just
have to settle this first."

      "But why?"

      "Because if the two of you are together you can work on your stories
and then we might never find out the truth."

      I thought about that and nodded.

      "Is that enough background?"

      "For now, we may need to go back and fill in details later but you
were great."

      "Thanks, that does mean a lot.  My parents never gave us many
complements.  There are times I wonder why they kept us."

      "Did they abuse you?"

      "They never beat us and I don't remember having sex with my father or
anything like that.  They fed and clothed us, just didn't love us.  I mean
look at my father, he's leading the parade for our executions."

      "Quick question before you get back to the story," the Doctor said.

      "What?"

      "Do you know the combination of the safe in your father's den?"

      I shook my head.  "Nope, Dad wouldn't give it to us, only Mom and he
knew it.  Why do you want to know?"

      "Not important.  Are you ready to get back to the story?"

      I finished the soda and smiled.  "Will you get me another when I'm
finished?"

      He laughed and I felt a twinge of regret.  Why couldn't my father
have been a little bit like him?

      "That day," I started.

      "Last Wednesday, the day of the murder?"

      "Yes.  It started like any normal school day.  Up at six, shower,
breakfast and out by seven-thirty.  Joey and I have, had a fifteen-minute
walk to school.  Nothing unusual happened on the way there but once we
crossed the street Mr. Hooligan, the principal, came and took us to the
office and everything began to fall apart."  I stopped, feeling tears
beginning to fall.  "I swear we didn't do it, Aaron put that picture on the
school's web page.  We never took pictures of ourselves having sex.
Besides neither of us know how to change the home page like that."

      "Hold it, hold it.  Take a deep breath and when you're ready take a
step back and start again."

      I took a tissue, wipe my eyes and blew my nose.  He handed me the
rest of his soda and I finished it.

      "Thanks, but that doesn't count as the extra can."

      "I know," he smiled and I returned it.  I had started talking to save
Joey but was beginning to really trust the doctor.  Maybe he could help
both of us.

      "Without saying a word they sat us in an empty office until our
parents arrived.  We whispered while we waited but couldn't figure out what
was going on.  Teacher after teacher walked by the glass walls and stared,
glared at us.  Shaking their heads.

      "Finally our parents got there but walked into Mr. Hooligan's office
without saying a word.  Fifteen minutes later Mr. Hooligan's secretary got
us and brought us into his office.  She's always a bitch but I thought she
was going to spit on us.  The first thing we saw was the computer monitor.
On the screen under the banner "Harding Middle School's Finest" was a color
picture of the two of us fucking.  On the bottom was, "If you want to join
us just cum see us in the basement boy's room."  I don't know what happened
next but I think I fainted since the next thing I knew I was sitting on the
floor with Joey kneeling over me.  The adults didn't seem to care.  They
just started yelling at us, interrogating us.  When they gave us a chance
to say anything they just called us liars.  Finally they suspended us
indefinitely and sent us home.

      "When we got there Dad made us strip and whipped our asses with his
belt."

      I had to stop at that point.  The memories were just too painful.
And the worst was yet to come.

      "When he was finished he locked us in our room.  For the first few
minutes we sat on our own beds tears flowing while we gave each other
suspicious looks. "



       "I never took any pictures Jimmy.  I swear on our love I had nothing
to do with it," Joey broke the silence.

      "Neither did I, I swear on our love too."  I got off the bed and
walked over to Joey's.  He took my hand and pulled me over and we kissed.



      When we finally broke we leaned back against the wall.

      "Then who did it?" I asked.

      "Had to be Aaron," Joey said, "but how?"

      We tried remembering the picture on the web site but it still took us
almost two hours to find the small opening almost at the top of the wall we
shared with Aaron's bedroom.  We could see the lens coming almost all the
way through.  It had a perfect view of Joey's bed and most of the floor."

      "What did you do then?"

      "Started pounding on the door, yelling for our mother to come.
Unfortunately our father came up and told us if we needed to piss we could
do it in each others mouths and it was going to be a long time before we
got out of there for any reason.  We tried telling him but he just walked
away.

      Unable to do anything else we lay down on my bed and held each other
tight.  I'd like to say it was comforting but we were both to wound up.
Somehow we fell asleep and slept until we heard knocking on the door.  It
was after three in the afternoon."



      "Hey faggots, click click.  How'd you like the picture?"

      "Aaron, you bastard, you fucking bastard." I screamed, or we both did
I'm not really sure.

	The door opened and he came in laughing hysterically.  "Now I'm
finally going to be rid of you two scum.  Dad won't let any faggots live in
his house.  The only pity is that I'm going to lose out on selling all that
kiddy porn of the two of you.  That camera's been there for six years."



	"We tried jumping him but he just hit us in our balls, laughed and
locked the door behind him.

      When we couldn't keep from pissing any more we opened the window and
did it.  Didn't even care that our neighbors could see us.  We closed the
window and started making plans to runaway that night."

      "Your bedroom is on the second floor and I didn't see anyway to climb
down.  How were you going to get out?"

      "Can't climb down but you can climb up if your limber enough.
Wouldn't have been the first time we'd gotten up on the roof, over to the
garage and down the tree when we were grounded."

      I could see Dr. Wilson running the scene through his head and then he
chuckled.  "Not bad, would have gotten you out of there but we'll discuss
the consequences of that move another time."

      Yeah, like if we ever get out of here.  We can't go home again.

      "Anyway, about seven Mom brought us some food and let us out long
enough to go to the bathroom.  We tried talking to her, but she wouldn't
listen, barely even glanced over to where the camera was when we told her
about it and Aaron's confession.  She just told us to be quiet and pray to
God for forgiveness for our wicked ways that had brought shame on the
family.  Somebody must have told her about our pissing out the window since
she left the door unlocked, which we didn't even realize till much later.

      "About ten we took turns going to the john, set the alarm for three
and went to sleep.  Joey was crying in his sleep and it woke me up about
one and I couldn't fall back to sleep.  I got angrier and angrier until it
hit me what I had to do.  I sneaked downstairs to the den and got the gun
from where my father hid it in the back of the top drawer of his filing
cabinet.  We all knew where he kept it and he'd shown us how to take the
safety off.  I crept back upstairs and into Aaron's room.  He was sleeping
on his stomach, snoring away.  I picked up a thick pillow from the floor
and put it over my gun hand.  Brought them to the back of his head and
fired twice.  Wiped my hand and the gun off on a towel he'd left on the
floor and ran downstairs, returned the gun and ran back up to my room.

      "Joey was sitting up on his bed when I entered.  I started to tell
him it was time to go but the police sirens started.  Before we could get
dressed they were in the house and we were under arrest."

      I took a deep breath.  "That's the story, the whole truth.  Now can I
see Joey?  You promised."

      "There's one problem with your story.  One detail that doesn't fit
the facts."

      "If my parents told you they were probably making it up to get us in
even more trouble."

      "Remember I asked you if you knew the combination to the safe?"

      "Yes, I said we didn't."

      "In his statement your father swears the gun was locked in the safe.
A safe he says you didn't know the combination for and he can't understand
how you got it out."

      Everything had changed in one sentence.  I must have passed out
because when I opened my eyes two nurses had joined Dr. Wilson around the
bed.

      "Are you OK Jimmy?  You gave us a scare there," Dr. Wilson said.

      "Water something to drink please."  I said as I barely nodded my
head.  "What happened?""

      "You passed out and hit your head on the bed when you fell.  No
damage to that thick skull though."

      It was another half-hour before we were alone again and I felt up to
talking.

      "Can I have the truth now Jimmy.  For your and Joey's sake."

      "Problem is I don't know if it's for Joey's sake.  But all right.
Everything I said is true until one o'clock in the morning.  I woke up not
to find Joey crying but to find him gone.  I knew he wouldn't leave without
me and I figured he'd gone to the bathroom when I heard this loud bang from
Aaron's room."

      "One?"

      "Yes, five minutes later Joey reentered the room white as a ghost and
got under his covers without even looking at me.  When I heard him sleeping
again I got up and went next door and saw blood all over Aaron's head and
the gun lying on the floor.  I figured Joey had shot him and I didn't want
him to take the fall, or at least take it alone, so I picked up the gun and
shot him again.  Ran downstairs, put the gun in the cabinet where the
police found it and got back upstairs right before they arrived."

      There was a knock on the door and when it opened Joey ran right up to
me and hugged me.  As I was hugging him I saw Detective Johansson enter the
room and signal to Dr. Wilson.  In my excitement and joy I didn't think to
ask my brother what had happened.

      "Jimmy, Joey, sit down and we can finish this up," Dr. Wilson said.

      We sat and Detective Johansson nodded at Joey.  "Joey, tell them what
happened when you went to the bathroom that morning."

      I looked over and shook my head but he just smiled.

      "I woke up having to piss bad and while it was going to be our last
night in those beds I didn't want to wet it.  I opened our door a crack and
slipped through it and went into the bathroom.  While I was on the john I
heard this bang.  I waited a couple of minutes and when I opened the
bathroom door I looked into Aaron's room.  There was blood all over him,"
he took a deep breath.  "Then I saw Mom standing over him."

      "Mom!"  I shouted.

      He nodded.  "I shut the door before she saw me and when I heard her
footsteps I went back to bed."

      "Joey finally told us this ninety minutes ago.  We went to the house
and confronted her.  She confessed to the killing but said, well forget
what she said boys," the detective said.

      "Why didn't you tell anybody this before?"  Dr. Wilson asked.

      "Until I talked to you I didn't think anyone would listen to me.
Then when Detective Johansson told me about Jimmy's fainting I decided it
was time to trust someone," Joey said.

      I barely heard this.  I knew what Mom had said.  But as I looked at
my brother, best friend and more I knew it didn't matter.  I turned back to
the men and smiled.

      "I think we'd like to be alone for a little bit, but can I have that
soda now Dr. Wilson?"

      Dr. Wilson smiled, "I'll get two son."

      This time I smiled and nodded.