Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2016 16:30:05 -0500
From: CJ Abello <cjabello1997@gmail.com>
Subject: CJ: Autumn: Chapter 17: New York City Serenade

CJ: Autumn: Chapter 16: Wreck on the Highway

This is a work of fiction set in the real world. Certain living individuals
make appearances in the story; all other characters and the events in which
they all participate are the creation of the author. Any resemblance of the
fictional characters to actual individuals is purely coincidental.



Friday, 8 November 2013

"That... was... fucking... sick!" CJ hitched his overnight bag up on his
shoulder and jumped onto the arrivals platform at New York City's Penn
Station.

"Calm down, mate. You're going to smack somebody with your luggage." JP
grinned at Cesar and Brett. "I think your boy liked the choo-choo ride."

"Fucking A! I never want to fly again. I'll take the train instead." They
had boarded Amtrak's Acela Express at Union Station in DC,
mid-afternoon. The train ride had been smooth, and they'd arrived in the
City as scheduled, right before seven.

Tom looked around at the signs, worry on his face. A smile crossed his lips
as his gaze settled on a sign for McDonald's. "Come on, the boys were
scheduled to arrive five minutes ago. I don't want to keep them waiting."

"Yeah! Let's go! I can't wait to meet my cousins." CJ's phone pinged,
indicating a text message.  He looked at the screen, slowed down his pace,
and smiled. "We're okay, Uncle Tom. Their train just pulled in."

Brett laughed and elbowed Cesar. "They text CJ instead of their dad. I
think I see how the weekend's gonna go. The four of us are along for the
ride so we can pay."

"We also need tour guides, Papa. None of us have been to New York City
before."

X X X

CJ stared up at the building on the corner of Lexington Avenue before
turning his gaze to the man holding the door to the lobby open for
them. "You and Papa been here before, right, Dad?"

"Yeah, we've borrowed the place from Doc a few times in the past." Cesar
extended his hand to shake the one offered by the uniformed man. "Theo,
good to see you again."

"Welcome back, Mr. Abello. Captain Davenport. I was pleased to hear you're
now part owners.  Welcome to the one-three-six family." The numbers the man
referred to were the street address of the building.

"Thanks. I think we may be visiting somewhat more frequently from now on."
Cesar placed his arm around CJ's shoulders; looking back to make sure the
rest of the group had followed him inside. "Theo, this is my son, CJ. He's
living with me and Brett in Washington now, so he'll be up here with us
whenever we visit. This is his first time in Manhattan."

"Welcome to the Big Apple, young man. If you need anything when you're
here, and your dad or the Captain aren't around, you let me or one of the
other doormen know. Okay?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

"Theo, that's JP Smith," said Brett pointing at Pope. "The tall guy's his
husband, Tom Kennedy.  They're our best friends. The other two young ones
are Tom's sons, Bradley and Patrick. We're all here through Monday. And I'm
sure you'll be seeing all of them again in the future."

"Only if you come back before Christmas, Captain Davenport," replied the
friendly older man.  "I'm retiring then. I'll introduce you to my son while
you're visiting. He's now part of the crew working here."

X X X

"Wow! This place's huge. It's nothing like the tiny little apartments
everyone told me were normal in New York." Bradley's comment elicited a
chuckle from Brett who was holding the door open for the group to enter.

"Drop your bags in the big room on the left, boys. We'll give you a quick
tour and figure out sleeping arrangements in a minute." Cesar motioned for
Tom and JP to follow him. "The place has three bedrooms. You two get the
best one in the place. The master bedroom opens up to the terrace."

"Mate, shouldn't you and Brett get that one?"

"Nah. That's going to be Doc's whenever we're all in town at the same
time. He already has clothes stored in the closet from before. We're
planning on doing the same in the one across the hallway from it. Each trip
we'll leave behind most of what we bring. Those two rooms have their own
bathrooms."

"What about CJ and my two boys?"

"CJ gets the other bedroom assigned to him, so he can store stuff he wants
to leave here. We see him using the place over the next few years even more
than we will." Brett was opening the curtains in front of the glass door
leading to the aforementioned terrace. "Although with Chipper now in the
picture, we may make some changes to the place and or the furniture.  We're
sure he'll want to come up whenever we do so he can see his sister. The two
boys may end up sharing."

A blast of chilly air hit them when JP slid open the door to the
outside. "You can see the bloody Park from here! This weekend was a
brilliant idea. Thank you, guys."

"Our pleasure," replied Cesar walking outside. "We've been looking forward
to this. Having the four of you along makes it even better."

"Hey, Pops, Uncle Cesar." Bradley had stepped out to the terrace from the
doors in the living room, followed by Paddy and CJ. "This place rocks!
Thank you so much for inviting us down."

"Yeah, Dad." CJ was leaning slightly over the railing, looking around the
partition separating the outdoor space from the apartment next door. "I had
the guys put their bags in the bedroom you told me was mine. We saw a lot
of blankets and pillows in one closet. I think the three of us will rough
it and forget the bed and the sofa. We're gonna camp out in the big room
with the fireplace."

X X X

While the boys cleaned up a bit and changed, Cesar looked through the
kitchen, making a list of things to buy at the supermarket. They would be
eating most meals out, and since the place wasn't permanently occupied,
fresh items such as milk, juice, and fruits had to be purchased each time
they visited. D'Angostino, a family-owned supermarket chain, had a store on
Lexington which they could stop at after dinner, or first thing in the
morning.

"Let's go, men. I'm starving!" barked out Brett, holding the door to the
apartment open.

"Sir, yes, sir!" snapped CJ in response. "Looks like you're giving the
orders now, Captain."

Paddy looked slightly surprised and gave his new friend a questioning
look. "Do you always call your dad Sir and Captain?"

"No, he doesn't." Cesar locked the front door as the rest of the gang piled
into the elevator.  "The two of them are a real pain in the ass most of the
time. CJ's just giving Brett a hard time."

"Oh, okay. Our grandfather always insisted on us calling him sir. I was
wondering if it was the same way with you."

"That's 'cause your grandfather's an asshole and--"

"Tom!" The sharp interruption made the cop look at his husband. "Come on,
mate. Give it a break. Leave the old man out of it this weekend. We're here
to enjoy ourselves."

"You're right. Sorry, guys."

"It's okay, Dad. Remember, I told you to relax." Bradley was looking back
at his father. He and CJ had stopped on the sidewalk waiting for the crowd
to exit the building. "So, what's the plan?  Uncle Brett's not the only one
who's hungry."

"Dallas Bar-B-Que. I forget the street, but it's just a few blocks down on
Third Avenue," replied Cesar. "Time for your first lesson on life in New
York, boys. If you ever need to get back here on your own, walking or in a
cab, you want to look for the corner of Lexington Avenue and East 75th
Street. Just say Lex and Seventy-fifth to a cabby, he'll get you here. I
would avoid buses and the subway until you have a good feel for the city."

"Dad, does that mean you might dump us somewhere so the four of you can go
out and chase some New York boys?" CJ's innocent expression didn't seem to
fool anyone.

"Asshole!" said Brett.

"Bloody, impertinent twerp!" put in JP.

"Yuck!" added Paddy.

Bradley looked at his brother walking next to him. "Yuck? What's that
supposed to mean, Paddy?"

"Fuck you, Brad! I told you to stop calling me Paddy. That's a gay name!"

X X X

Patrick's outburst caused everyone to remain quiet while they walked
towards the restaurant.  Being the Friday night of a three day weekend
meant the place was crowded. They had time to kill before a large enough
table became available. The four adults went inside to get Margaritas for
themselves and sodas for the boys. Brad pulled his brother aside, speaking
to him quietly while waiting for their father's name to be called. Both had
serious expressions while whispering to each other; the older brother
looked furious. CJ took it all in quietly, watching the cars zoom by and
the crowds jostle each other on the streets. He knew he'd talk to them
later that night.

Conversation resumed once they all sat, but the group was somewhat
tentative when speaking to Tom's youngest. CJ and Bradley talked non-stop
to each other and to the adults. JP placed a hand on his husband's arm once
or twice while shaking his head. Paddy ate quietly. When they pushed their
chairs away, and Brett signaled for the waiter to bring their bill, the
table resembled an ossuary. Although the conversations were cordial, while
strolling back to their building, there was still a certain tenseness in
the air.

X X X

"Okay. Out with it dickhead. What the hell's wrong with you?" Bradley
growled at his brother.  They'd returned to the apartment and had all sat
around working out their plans for the next day, before the adults had
eventually gone to their rooms. CJ and the two Kennedy boys stripped to
underwear and t-shirts, arranged blankets and pillows on the floor, and
turned on the TV.

"Fuck you! Leave me alone. I already told you to stop using that name, but
you keep doing it."

"Well, asshole, you may need to keep reminding me for a while. But did you
have to say Paddy's a gay name the way you did? Did you forget who the fuck
we're with? I'm sorry, CJ.  Please forgive my little brother's
homophobia. I may have to kick his ass before the weekend is over."

"Screw you, Brad. Just try it and I'll show you I'm stronger than you. Even
if you're taller."

"Maybe nobody beats anyone up? The hospital is right down the street, but
I'd rather spend my time sightseeing." CJ's comment made the brothers
chuckle. "Do you have a problem with the rest of us being gay, Patrick?"

"No! Thanks for calling me Patrick. It's just that..." The boy averted his
gaze, staring at the TV screen for a second, before looking down at his
hands. "The guys on the hockey team have been giving me a hard time about
Dad being gay."

"They what? When did this shit start?" The anger in Bradley's tone was
unmistakable. "Who the fuck and what have they been saying?"

"Chill, Brad. Let your brother tell us what's happening before you start
planning anyone's murder." CJ's comment once again made the brothers
chuckle.

"Our dear cousin who plays on the same team I do." Patrick looked as his
brother. "He started it. He told everyone you and I came to visit Dad and
Pops. And that with a name like Paddy I was probably a fag too."

"That asshole! Just wait until we're back home in Boston. I'll deal with
him."

"I kinda did already. Last practice I checked him real hard. Chipped two of
his teeth. I'm sure I'll get shit from asshole grandpa. But the problem is
a few others have started calling me Faggy Paddy. I can't beat them all
up."

"You can't. But I can do something. I can talk to the coach. He won't be
happy with his players calling you names. His daughter is in my year, and I
know she's a lesbian. Her parents know too, and they're cool with her."

X X X

"What you doing, babe?"

Brett, sitting up in bed fiddling with his phone, watched his husband slip
his thumbs beneath the waistband of his jeans and slip them off together
with his boxer briefs. "Right now drooling, looking at you get
naked. Before that, I was checking out the app I downloaded for the subway
and bus systems."

"Tell CJ to download it in case we get separated at some point. What do you
think of Paddy?"

"Ugh! Not sure. He seemed to calm down after Brad talked to him. CJ
whispered to me he would deal with the kid tonight."

"If anyone can do something, our boy is it. I feel bad for Tom. He was
definitely confused about what to do. I think he's scared of trying to
discipline them in any way."

"Wouldn't you be? We've had CJ for six months and I still fucked it up. The
man's almost certainly terrified of driving them away."

"Well, at least Bradley jumped in and handled it. But I'm curious as hell
about what's going on."

"What's going on right now, big guy, is my dick's getting hard. This is our
first night in the apartment as owners. We need to celebrate. Turn off the
light and get in here."



Saturday, 9 November 2013

Cesar and Brett begged off, heading to the supermarket to stock up on some
basics instead.  Paddy wanted to sleep in. JP and Tom told them they wanted
to stay with the young boy and talk to him. With nobody else interested, CJ
and Bradley bundled up as best they could and headed off to Central Park
for a morning jog. They mapped a route which took them around The Lake, the
Jacquie Onassis Reservoir, and behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
before returning them to the apartment.

The boys returned to find Tom sitting on a couch, his arm around Patrick,
the kid leaning against his body. The other three men where in the kitchen
drinking coffee, preparing breakfast. The two runners said hello, went to
CJ's room to get clothes out of their bags, and then went to different
bathrooms to shower. By the time they returned, dressed for the day, there
was a platter of scrambled eggs with vegetables, fresh bagels, and cartons
of juice on the dining table. CJ grabbed a cup of coffee in the kitchen,
while Bradley fixed himself a cup of tea, as Brett started dishing out the
food.

X X X

"Jarhead, stop talking so much and pay attention," said Cesar grabbing his
husband's elbow and pulling him close. "You almost ran into that
muscle-bound gym bunny."

The Marine glanced back at the guy he'd nearly walked into, a smile forming
on his lips. "What makes you think I wasn't paying attention?"

"Asshole!"

"Ready for your first New York City subway ride?" Brett rested his arm on
CJ's shoulders as they took the steps down to the platform.

"Sure thing, Papa. How long's the ride?"

"We're headed down to Battery Park, at the southern tip of the island,"
replied Cesar, staking a spot next to the boy on the other side from
Brett. "It'll be some thirty minutes."

"How come we're not visiting Ellis Island too, Uncle Cesar?" asked Bradley.

JP stood opposite of the other men as they waited for the train to
arrive. "We want to show the three of you kids as much as possible. Ellis
Island's the type of place we could spend most of the day at."

"There'll be other trips to New York," added Tom. "We can visit the museum
there in the future."

"Are we gonna climb to the top?" Patrick had been somewhat quiet the entire
morning. He'd kept himself near his father the entire time, often
initiating frequent physical contact, which caused Tom to smile. "I wanna
see where Magneto strapped Rogue to his machine."

"You're such a dork, cuz." CJ bumped fists with Bradley who joined him in
laughing at the younger kid. The boisterous boys were drowned out by the
rumble of the approaching train.  "But... I guess I'm just as bad, I wanna
see the same thing!"

"Did you know the mutants in the X-Men series are meant to represent gays
and lesbians?"  Cesar's question brought the boys' laughter to a stop.

"Waddaya mean, Dad?"

"The premise of people being born different, and being discriminated
against because of those differences, is a parable for how gays and
lesbians are seen by many."

"You mean a parable like in the bible, Uncle Cesar?"

"That's right, Patrick. The comics and movies are based on the struggle of
the mutants to fit in.  Bryan Singer, the director of most of the movies,
is gay--so is Sir Ian McKellen who plays Magneto. They've both said the
characters' battle to be accepted is a reference to the fight by gay men
and women for equal rights."

"Cool! I'll have to watch the movies again when I get back to
Washington. What do you think, Papa? An X-Men marathon next weekend?"

"Fuck yeah!" The group's laughter echoed through the noisy subway car,
making some of the other passengers look up at them and smile, something
which took place more than once during the ride.

"Come on, mates. We get off at the next stop. We have a ferry to catch and
a crown to climb."

X X X

"As the only one in this group not born in the country, I have to say that
was an incredible experience." JP had acted as excited as the boys had
during their tour.

"Was it your first time visiting the Statue, Pops?" Bradley appeared
somewhat surprised at Pope's comment. "How long have you been living in the
States?"

"Yep. First time ever. I think... yeah, ten years. See, I came to study and
went to the University of California at Berkley for four years--that's when
I first met Brett. After graduation, I returned to Oz for a while. I came
back in 2007 to work at the Embassy, and the year after I met your father."

"Did you know Papa Brett and Uncle JP dated while they were in college?"
asked CJ with a mischievous look. "I've asked them if they--"

"Oookaaay," interrupted Cesar. "You guys want a picture with the bull?"
After disembarking from the ferry, they had taken Broadway heading north,
and were approaching the bronze statue which was an icon of the financial
district.

Patrick, who had remained close to Tom during their visit to Liberty
Island, looked up at his father. "Is this Wall Street, Dad?"

"The actual street's up ahead," replied Tom. "I think we need to detour
before we get to it, because of all the construction around the World Trade
Center. We can go there if you want.  Maybe take pictures in front of the
New York Stock Exchange building."

X X X

The sky was clear of clouds, a bright, cheery blue in sharp contrast to the
somber mood of the visitors to the memorial.  The cold wind blew leaves
around the two black granite pools created on the footprints of the World
Trade Center Towers. The seven men stood in silence. They stared at the
names inscribed around the outside of the two squares, of the near three
thousand people murdered in New York, Pennsylvania, and the District of
Columbia, on September 11, 2001.

"Fifty fellow cops died that day. Doing their jobs. Helping people." Tom
stopped, his body wracked by sobs, tears flowing freely down his
face. While a few other visitors dabbed at their eyes, his sons wrapped
their arms around him. "I'm sorry."

"For what? For being human? For showing emotions? Mate, when I was told
you'd been shot I thought the world had come to an end. I couldn't conceive
of a life without you. Wanna talk tears?"

"The bastards changed the world that day." Brett, standing behind CJ, put
his hands on the boy's shoulders, and pulled him against his body. "While I
was deployed overseas, I thought of what they did to our country every
day. Sometimes, it was the one thing which kept me focused. Anger and
revenge can be powerful motivators."

"I watched a special on the History Channel about it." Patrick's voice was
soft as he spoke.  "They showed the planes hitting the buildings. I don't
understand why anyone would want to kill themselves and all those people by
doing that."

"Misguided religious feelings, mate."

"The worst part was when they showed a bunch of Palestinians, even kids my
age, dancing in the street. Celebrating. I wish all those fuckers would
drop dead."

X X X

"Anyone know what the concretosaurus is gonna be?" asked Bradley, pointing
with his hot dog towards a construction site near to the memorial.

CJ rolled his eyes, taking a sip from his soda. They'd decided to get food
from one of the numerous street vendors in the area instead of going to a
restaurant. They had plans for an early dinner later on. "Concretosaurus,
cuz?"

"Yeah. Those things look like the ribs of a prehistoric monster."

"Show some respect, Bradley. You're looking at the future World Trade
Center PATH Transportation Hub, designed by Santiago Calatrava."

"Say what? How the fuck you know this shit, CJ? And who the hell is this
Santiago Calawhatever guy?"

"Ca la tra va. I got a long dissertation on it last month when I was in
Chicago. My cousin Randy's studying architecture. When he heard I was
coming to New York, he told me all about it. I need to take some pictures
for him."

"Okay, let's hear it."

"Man, it's going to be one of the great public buildings in the United
States. Calatrava is a world famous architect and engineer from Spain. His
designs are sick. This one's created a lot of controversy because of its
cost, delays, and because some people think he was more interested in the
beauty of it than in being practical. Same shit has happened with any large
public building in history. Those ribs are sorta his design signature. He's
used similar things in other buildings.  When finished, it'll resemble the
wings of a bird on the outside. Inside, it'll be flooded with natural
light."

"Shit," mumbled Cesar so softly it was barely audible.

"What did you say, Dad?"

"Nothing, bud. It's starting to sink in. The realization you're really not
going to follow in my footsteps, go to the University of Florida, and study
accounting."

"Ha!"

X X X

Brett stopped and waited for CJ and Bradley to catch up to the rest of the
group. The boys had lagged a few steps behind, lost in conversation. "I'm
getting cold and tired from all the walking, guys. Maybe we should go into
one of these stores, warm up a bit, and do a little shopping?"

"Sure, Papa. Where?"

"Let's try Schott's. This is a new location they opened for their 100th
Anniversary. Your dad and I haven't been here yet."

"What's the big deal with this place? Wait. Did you say Schott?"

"Ah, Grasshopper...."

"Papa! You're fucking kidding me!"

"What's Schott?" asked Patrick.

"Schott has been making jackets for the past hundred years and still
manufacture them in the USA, Patrick." Cesar replied. "They make bomber
jackets, pea coats, letter jackets, and of course the Perfecto!"

"Oh shit! To quote my friend Harley: I think I just jizzed a little. Guys,
the Perfecto is this incredibly ultra-magnificent, out-of-this-world,
coolest-ever motorcycle jacket. The dads own them. They promised to buy me
one when I moved to Washington. I'd forgotten about it. We're going to get
me one today? Fucking A! This rocks! I love you, dads. You're the best!"

"See, Tom? All you need to do is surprise them with a new toy now and
then. They're putty in your hand afterwards."

"Sure, Emperor, but this new toy's almost a grand, ain't it? What happened
to a new set of Legos?"

"I gave mine to Ritchie. Hey, didn't you say something about your jackets
being made famous in a movie?"

"Marlon Brando, 1953, The Wild Ones. Maybe we can find it and watch it
tonight. We could forget our dinner plans and order pizza," Brett
suggested.

"Mmm, pizza." Cesar accompanied his remark with an exaggerated licking of
his lips.

"Now you sound like Homer, Biodad."

"Biodad? What the fuck?"

"I was telling Brad Papa Brett was officially adopting me some time
soon. It got me thinking I should just call him Dad. It'd be confusing to
call you both the same thing, and since you're my biological father..."

X X X

"Sean!" CJ threw his arms around the man, hugging him hard.

"Damn, boy! So great to see you again. Is that a banana in your pocket, or
are you just happy to see me?"

"Shut up! Don't be a dick." The kid took a step back, motioning for the
other guys to catch up to him. "Sean, these are Tom's sons. The good
looking one is Patrick. The one with weird hair like yours is Brad."

"Fuck you, CJ. You're just jealous 'cause us gingers are way sexier. Hi,
Sean."

"Hey, guys. Nice to meet you both." Sean bumped fists with the two boys and
then extended his hand to the four adults for shaking. "Welcome to my
hometown, gentlemen."

"Thanks, mate. I'm glad you were free for dinner tonight."

"My pleasure. I have a client later tonight. We're going to some sort of
high class party. But not until midnight."

"You have to work on a Saturday night? That sucks." Patrick's remark made
the guys from DC chuckle. "What? What did I say?"

"I'll explain later, cuz. Can we go inside? I'm cold. And I'm hungry."

"Let's go. I still can't figure out why you people insisted on meeting in
Little Italy. There's much better Italian food elsewhere in the city."

"It's a tourist thing, Sean." Cesar replied. "It was either this or
Chinatown. I flipped a coin."

"Oh, Cesar, by the way. Here's a key to your apartment. Doc gave it to me
to use the weekend he was here and I forgot to return it."

"Why don't you keep it?" Cesar put his arm around Sean's shoulders as they
followed the rest of the group into the restaurant. "We trust you, you're
on the permanent guest list, and if you ever need the place in an
emergency..."

X X X

Returning to the apartment, the kids had each taken a bathroom to shower
off the dirt from an entire day of wandering around New York. The four men
had stayed outside on the balcony, having a drink and smoking cigars, until
the boys were finished. Rubbing their hands together, trying to warm up
after the time spent outside, they said good night to their sons, reminding
them they planned on leaving the apartment early the next morning, and
called it a night.

"CJ, why did everyone start laughing when I asked about Sean?" Patrick sat
on the floor with the other two boys; all dressed alike in sweatpants and
t-shirts, sipping hot cocoa.

"Ummm. Sean's an escort. And he also works in movies," replied CJ trying to
think of how to best explain the situation to the younger boy.

"He's an actor?"

"Not really, cuz. He makes porn. Both gay and straight."

"Oh... Oh my god, you mean he's like a prostitute?"

CJ tried not to spill his drink as he started laughing. "Bingo! But he's
not like out on the street or anything like that. He's expensive. I've
traded emails with him and asked him some questions.  Like this guy he was
meeting tonight to go to a party? He'll probably pay Sean at least a
thousand bucks for the night."

"That's disgusting! How can you be friends with someone like him?"

"First, he's not hurting anyone with what he does. Second, it's not up to
us to judge him. Third, he's a hell of a nice guy. Let me tell you what
happened with Uncle Matt this past summer..."



Sunday, 10 November 2013

After stuffing themselves full of pancakes at a diner near the apartment,
the men had walked down Fifth Avenue, looking into shop windows, enjoying
the sights and sounds of the city.  Following their visit to Rockefeller
Center, and some shopping at the NBC Experience store, they'd headed
further south to the Empire State Building. The iconic 103-story
skyscraper-- completed in 1931--was the world's tallest building until
1970, when the north tower of the World Trade Center was topped
out. Following the destruction of the twin towers in 2001, it was once
again the tallest building in New York City.

CJ had enjoyed the visit to Rockefeller Center. He loved how the gilded
statue of Prometheus silently stood guard in front of the building, while
the throng of tourists and locals contributed to the cacophony created by
the constant traffic on Fifth Avenue. The view from the Top of the Rock
observatory was good, but it didn't compare to what he was looking at now.

"Damn! What a great view." They were on the eighty-sixth floor, outdoors
observation deck, following a brief visit to the much smaller and enclosed
one on the one hundred second floor.

"That's the Chrysler Building, right?" He pointed at the gleaming metal
crown of the structure a few blocks away.

"You got it, bud. And across the river is Queens." Brett returned CJ's
phone after snapping a picture of the boy with the classic Art Deco
structure behind him.

"Ummm. They named the place after you and Biodad?"

"Asshole! And stop with the Biodad shit. Call him Dad. I love being Papa."

X X X

"This was a great idea, Pops." Bradley spoke with his mouth full, after
taking a bite from his Pastrami Reuben. They had stopped at a deli for
take-out sandwiches, walked over to Times Square, and sat on the steps in
front of the giant lighted billboards to eat. "The sandwich is the
shit. Not sure about the Dr. Brown Celery soda though."

"It's an acquired taste, mate." JP was sitting on the other side of Patrick
who was as close to Tom as he could be. Cesar, Brett, and CJ were a couple
of steps above them. "I can't believe you never had gherkins before."

"Nope, but I'm loving them. They kinda remind me of Patrick's little
pickle."

"Fuck you, Brad." Patrick hissed at his brother. "And stop talking about
that kind of thing in public. It's not nice."

"Go get yourself a sense of humor, little brother. Stop being such a--"

"Bradley! Please." Tom placed an arm around his youngest boy while looking
at the older one.  "How 'bout we give Patrick a little break. I'd like both
of you to enjoy the trip. Okay?"

"Sure, Dad. Sorry, Patrick. Can I ask a question? How come we're going to
see The Lion King?  Isn't that like a story for little kids?"

"Not the Broadway production," said Brett from behind them.

"We wanted to catch a play so you kids could say you'd been to a show on
Broadway," added Cesar. "I didn't think something real serious was right
for a Sunday afternoon, and I was able to get great seats for this
one. I've seen it a couple of times. You guys are going to enjoy
yourselves."

X X X

"I'll get it!" shouted CJ as he walked towards the door of the
apartment. Brett and JP were in the kitchen, opening up containers of Thai
food delivery. Cesar and Bradley were stacking plates and eating utensils
on the dining table, while Tom and Patrick sat close together on the couch
watching SportsCenter on ESPN. "Theo said it was them when he called."

When he opened the door, there stood a lanky kid about his own height, with
floppy brown hair parted on the side and covering up most of his
forehead. He recognized Chipper from his Facebook pictures. Next to him was
a pretty girl who looked a little older and had to be his sister
Cristina. Behind them an older blonde lady smiled nervously.

"Hi Susana, good to see you. It's been a couple of years." Cesar had walked
up behind his son without the boy noticing, placed a hand on his shoulder,
and gently moved him to the side so their visitors could enter the
apartment. "Please come in and meet the guys."

"That's a great shirt, bro. I recognize it. Ben Cohen was wearing it in the
picture you posted with that other dude after your school rally." Chipper
was pointing at the StandUp Against Bullying t- shirt CJ was wearing.

"Thank you, Cesar. I brought a little something as an apology for barging
in during your vacation." The woman handed over a bag containing half a
dozen bottles. "I hope you enjoy wine. These are from one of the best
vineyards in Argentina.  The company I work for distributes them in North
America."

"Hey, Chipper. Come on, let's go talk to Bradley and Patrick while the old
people do their stuff."  CJ motioned for the boy's sister to follow
them. "Cristina, you should come with us, you don't want to be bored."

"Mate, don't be such an impertinent twerp. You just met these people." The
other adults had joined the visitors in the foyer. "You and I are going to
get along, Susana. My family owns vineyards back in Australia. I'm JP, and
this is my husband Tom. The kids are Bradley and Patrick, his sons."

"I love the one you're wearing." CJ indicated the black t-shirt worn by
Chipper. "Chrysler Building is my favorite one so far in New York. What's
the Global Citizen Festival?" The shirt had an old-style postcard design on
it with the aforementioned structure in the center.

"Oh wow, a fellow citizen from the Southern Hemisphere who knows about
wine." Susana followed the men into the main living room. "Thank you again
for inviting us over. I've been so worried about Chipper moving on his own,
I keep having doubts about it. I wanted to meet your son. I think I heard
they'll be going to school together? And also your friends, since I gather
you're all part of a close knit group."

"Entirely understandable, ma'am." Tom sat on an armchair across from the
woman. "We will all be around to keep an eye on the kid when he moves in
with Doc."

"Global Citizen is an organization working to end extreme poverty in the
world, CJ." Cristina was following the four boys as they moved towards the
second living area in the apartment.  "They held a large music festival in
Central Park back in September and that's where the shirt came from."

"Wish I'd been there. Sounds like a great thing. And I would have loved to
get one of those shirts."

"Hey! Wanna trade?" asked Chipper excitedly. "I can get another one and I'd
love to have one like yours."

"Hell yeah!" CJ was already pulling his shirt over his head. "I've got a
couple more like this one back home."

"Guys! Come on," the redheaded boy was shaking his head in
disbelief. "There's a lady present."

"Bah! It's only my sister..."

"Well, I guess I'll just have to sit with Brad since he's a gentleman."
Cristina smiled at the kid from Boston whose freckles suddenly seemed to
merge into one crimson patch covering his entire face.

X X X

"I want to call this meeting of Kids With Gay Fathers to order." Bradley's
joke brought laughter from CJ and Chipper, and a frown from his brother.

"That's not funny, Brad."

"What? It's the truth. All four of us have a gay father. Hell, once his
adoption's legal, CJ will have two."

"It's still not funny."

"Why's that, Patrick?" asked Chipper. His mother had agreed to let him
spend the night with the other boys. He would be taking a cab home the next
day when the out-of-towners headed to the train station.

"I don't know. I just don't think it's something to brag about. I mean, I
don't want to make a big deal out of it. And I don't want kids at school to
find out. I don't need them to give me a hard time"

"Too late for that with me," put in CJ. "My entire school knows I'm gay, my
friends all know I have two dads, and my best bud likes them so much he
wants to move in with us."

"Me too. I mean my friends all know my dad's gay. It's not a big deal."
Chipper stretched his legs out and leaned back on his elbows. "No one would
even think about giving me a hard time."

"But don't you go to a religious school?" Patrick hugged the cushion he
held to his chest a little tighter.

"Yeah. So? If anyone ever even thought of saying anything they would get in
big trouble. And not so much with the school, with the other students."

"What do you mean?"

"Look, I'm on the basketball team--Junior Varsity, not the big guys. Last
year, the captain of the senior team started this program where we all took
part in making a video about accepting gay students. All these straight
jocks pledged not to make fun of gay kids, to treat everyone the same, and
not to put up with anyone being bullied."

"For real?"

"Yeah. I'll give you a link to watch it on YouTube.  Most of the guys also
made individual ones and posted them on line.  The whole thing got picked
up by a foundation and the Straight Up: Love is Louder campaign is
expanding nationally."

"Fucking A! That's awesome, bro. You and I are gonna do something like it
next semester when you get to Washington." CJ had stood up and was walking
around the room, his enthusiasm evident. "I can't wait for you to meet my
buds!"

X X X

"So, what do you think?" mumbled Cesar while brushing his teeth.

"Ha! Tonight I'm ready for you. You're asking about Chipper. Right?"

"Jarhead, your powers of deduction are truly amazing. Of course I'm asking
about Chipper."  Cesar finished up in the bathroom, turned off the light,
and moved towards his side of the bed.

"I think that's one great kid. I hope he and CJ get tight, they'll be good
for each other. Going to the same school and living so close means they'll
see plenty of one another."

"Not to say anything of who he's living with. I think Doc's making the
right decision by taking him in. Matt will be a good influence on the kid."

"You mean like you and I have been on CJ?"

"Sure, go ahead and take credit for our boy. Asshole. CJ's special. And I'm
not just saying it because he's my son. The way he's dealt with his world
being turned upside down is nothing short of amazing."

"Yeah. The kid has great instincts. The way he's reacted to the situations
he's found himself in shows you he's not going to back away from a
challenge."

"Ready to get back home tomorrow?"

"I guess. But I'm going to miss this place. We have to start coming up more
often. This city always leaves me energized. The people, the sights, the
smells, the sounds... I love how they create a New York City serenade."


---------- Copyright 2015 CJ Abello Edited by: Mann Ramblings

I'd enjoy hearing what you think. Please e-mail me at:
cjabello1997@gmail.com

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 Global Citizen : https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/


 Straight Up: Love is Louder : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebT7SIKFCRA