Date: Fri, 1 Mar 2013 08:43:29 -0500
From: Ring Master <academygm@hotmail.com>
Subject: Disorder Chapter 6 (gay male, sci-fi/fantasy)

Author's note: Wow!  The responses I got to the last chapter were
astounding.  Not only did I know that many people were reading, but the
quality of the suggestions was amazing.  Thank you all for your support!

And oh yeah - WOW you guys seem to love Mark!

***********************************************

Disorder, part 6

Later that evening, my backpack rang.  I rifled it and found a cell phone.
It wasn't mine.  I checked the caller ID, and the call was coming from
BERNADETTE'S BACKUP CELL.  That tricky little reporter!

I answered it, of course.  "Very clever, Bernadette."

"Thank you."  I could hear the grin in her voice.  "They got my cell and
the SIM card, but the phone in your backpack was recording everything.  The
story is mostly written, from memory, but I need you to send me the
recording so I can make sure I remembered the facts correctly, and so I
have proof of my story."  She walked me through how to do that, and, in
minutes, she had the recording back.

"How did they get the phone and card?"

"I was knocked into a fountain by a biker.  It was an accident of course."

"Of course," I said.  We both knew it hadn't been an accident.

"The cyclist paid for my broken cell phone."

"How generous."  My sarcasm was dripping.  "Anyway, good thing you thought
ahead.  Thank you again for doing this."

"Thank you for giving me a breakout story."  I smiled, even though she
couldn't see.  I was starting to like this girl – she had brains and
balls.

Something bothered me, though.  "This story is going to out Shawn, isn't
it?"

"Nope.  He came out this morning when he came back to school.  I think it
was to lessen the impact and pave the way for you.  Only a few people were
nasty.  Most of them were supportive."

He did that for me?  That was beyond sweet.  It was brave and wonderful.  I
had to think of a way to pay him back.  "He's amazing," I said finally.
"If you happen to stumble on a way for me to pay him back, will you let me
know?"

"You could ask him yourself," she said.  "That phone is Lassiter's, and he
programmed a bunch of numbers into it for you."

I felt myself getting choked up.  I sniffled a little bit.  "Sorry.  I'm
getting a bit emotional.  I'm not used to all of this..." I trailed off;
not knowing what word really fit what I was feeling.

"Love?" she said.  "No one feels that kind of outpouring until they're in
need.  Then they learn how much people are really willing to do for them.
It's all very Hallmark.  Anyway, I need to finish my story, so you take
care."

"Bye Bernadette, and thank you again."

She chuckled at my tone.  "Now don't go pointing that sentimentality at me.
You already know I'm getting something out of this.  Bye Rich."  She hung
up and I snorted.  She was enjoying helping out, just as much as anyone
else.  She just wasn't going to openly admit to the warm fuzzies.  It would
crack her hard-hitting journalist façade.

I flipped to the contents page on the phone and dialed the number I really
wanted to call most.  "Hello?" came the now-familiar voice of Shawn.

"Has anyone ever told you you're the most fucking amazing person in the
world?" I asked.

He laughed.  "Not in the last twenty minutes or so.  Hey Rich.  How are you
feeling?"

"Like a normal human being, and I'll keep feeling that way for another few
days, thanks to you.  But forget about me; how are you doing?  That was a
huge step you took today.  Everything going ok?"

"Yeah.  Between Kyle, Todd, and Mark all hanging around me all day, they
pretty much let the school know they supported me and wouldn't let anyone
touch me.  Every gay kid should come out with bodyguards.  It's awesome."

I giggled.  "I'll have to remember that.  I'm coming out remotely pretty
soon, thanks to Bernadette."

"Who?" he asked.  "The only Bernadette I can think of is on the school
news...you didn't!"

"Sure did.  My mother has to be exposed if I'm going to have a shot at
getting through this.  I can't really give the story without coming out."

"So you're coming out in the school newspaper."

"Yep."  There was a long pause where he didn't speak.  "You ok, Shawn?"

"Yeah," he said.  "I thought I was being brave, coming out to my friends
and random gossips.  You're coming out to everyone at once.  You have the
biggest balls of anyone I know."

"You forget – I'm dying.  Only big moves will save me."

"True.  I keep forgetting that part.  You're just so alive and healthy to
me.  It's easy to overlook the disease.  I wish we could pass it off to
someone I don't care about."

I melted a little.  "You care about me?"

"Of course I do," he said; his tone incredulous.  "You don't care about
your friends?"

"Yes.  I just thought you were saying more, like you were having feelings
for me," I said.

"Trust me – I wish I did," he said.  "The doctor told me what you needed
to get cured for good.  If I could be that person for you, I would.  Being
in love with someone who has the capability of loving me back would be a
huge step forward in my love life."

"You gonna spill on who the mystery guy is?"

"Hell no!"  He laughed.  "No offense, Rich, but personal stuff tends to go
public around you.  You have too much attention on you right now."

I snorted. "I need the attention right now, but you're right.  Too many
people are focused on me at the moment for me to be a place for secrets.  I
was just thinking I could see if I could work some magic on your guy for
you, wing man style.  Getting you the guy of your dreams is pretty much the
only thing I can think of that's worthy enough to count as payback for
everything you've done for me."

"Aww, that's so sweet," he said earnestly, "But you really don't need to
pay me back.  Most of the help I gave you was quite...pleasant.  I liked
hanging out with you.  Kissing you was fun, and the sex was just...wow!"

I chuckled.  "I was so good I knocked you out for two days."  He laughed at
that.

"I think it would be worth trying when you're well," he said slyly.  My
penis approved of that train of thought.  I told him as much, and he
laughed again.  We kept up the small talk for several hours after that.  It
was just nice having someone to talk to who related to me.  I knew he felt
the same.

We didn't stop talking until I stared yawning.  At that point we both
agreed that sleep was probably for the best.

***

The next morning, after useless doctors and shrinks, tutors came in.  They
were actually good, and I was impressed at my mother's choices.  Both of
them were women, of course; I wouldn't have expected otherwise.  I supposed
that, when her choices counted for something, like making her appear to be
a good mother, she could be relied upon for good decision making skills.

After the tutoring session, I still had a couple of hours before school let
out and I could talk to people.  I pulled out the phone and looked at it.
I had messages.

The first was from Bernadette.  It said: PAPER RAN WITH STORY.  STUDENTS
BUZZING.  PREPARE FOR INCOMING SHITSTORM.  Good.  I needed to stir the pot.
I used the phone's internet to find out the number for the local news.  I
gave them an anonymous tip to check my school's newspaper for a huge story.

There were texts from Shawn and Kyle, asking how I was holding up, and
confirming that things were getting riled up.  I answered both of them and
moved on to the next message.  It was from Magda, saying she missed me.  I
told her that she was welcome to come over any time, but Cornelius would
never make it past the guards.

A new text came in from Bernadette: LOCAL PAPER WANTS TO RUN STORY.  I SAID
YES.

I texted her back: I GUESS I'M COMING OUT TO THE CITY NOW.

NOT TOO LATE TO BACK OUT.

I thought about it for a minute.  WE'VE COME TOO FAR TO BACK OUT NOW.  She
replied to that with a smiley.

I didn't hear from anyone else for a while, so I left my room.  I had a
small idea on how to figure out what was happening.  I walked halfway down
the stairs and sat down.  The guard looked entirely too confused at that
action.

"Are you too tired to make it all the way down here?  Do you need getting
back to bed?"

I smiled at him sweetly.  "Just wondering how things are going down here.
It's really boring up there alone."

"It's fine down here, now," he told me.

"Now?  What was going on before?"

The guard looked like he didn't know what to say.  Then he shook his head.
"Mrs. Talbaine has been yelling most of the morning – I think she was on
the phone.  She left a couple of hours ago, mad as hell."

I nodded.  "That would partially be my fault.  I gave an interview to a
reporter.  The story just ran today."

"You what?  How?  Aren't you cut off from everything?"

The guard wasn't too bright if he was admitting to holding me prisoner.
"You didn't screen my visitors well enough.  You sent a reporter up to me."

The guard went ashen.  "I'm going to be fired."

"I don't plan on telling," I told him.  "I will, however, need your help
with something.  What do you know about this disease I have?"

"It's making you do gay stuff, which is why your mom is keeping you locked
up."

"She lied to you.  I already wanted to do the gay stuff, long before I got
this disease.  The disease makes me need to act on those feelings or die.
Next week, you'll be unemployed anyway, since I'll be dead, unless you help
me live."  He looked at me skeptically.

"Are you trying to get me to have sex with you?"

I laughed.  The guy was decent looking, but not really my type.  "No,
nothing like that.  Just let your coworkers know the truth: if I die, there
is no job.  But, if my mother catches on to anything to help me, you'll be
fired, and there will also be no job.  You're all in a very tricky
position."

"So you're going to need someone to have sex with, without your mother
knowing he's here."  By the look on the guard's face, I knew he was smarter
than he let on.  He didn't believe me.  "You get everything you want if I
help you, and your mother would be paying us for nothing.  You're saying
she's completely wrong, and you're completely right.  I'm not stupid."

"What if you help me and I don't tell her you let a reporter through?" I
suggested.

"No.  I'm not going to cover up that I messed up my job by messing it up
even worse."

I nodded.  "Fair enough, and you're definitely smarter than I gave you
credit for.  However, everything I've told you is true."  I told him
everything we'd learned about the disease.  He stood there and took it
without reacting.  "My mother does not want to believe I'm gay.  Her denial
is going to kill me.  She's stubborn and thinks she can turn me straight."

"You can't cure gay," the guard said.  "Even I know that."

"Who's gay that you know personally?" I asked him.  To know that so
instinctually, a straight person had to be close to someone gay.

"My sister," he said.  "You're really gay?  It's not the disease making you
think you are?"

"You have my word on that.  I was gay before I got sick."

The guard became pensive.  "I need to think," he said.  "Why don't you go
back upstairs now.  I'll let you know if I come up with anything that will
help."

I nodded appreciatively and went to my room.

When I returned, I saw that I had a missed call and a text from the same
unknown number: GOT THIS NUMBER FROM SHAWN.  CALL WHEN YOU CAN.  No time
like the present.  Dear God, who was trying to get hold of me through my
friends?  "Hello?" the male voice said.

"Got your text," I said.  "Who am I talking to?"

"This is Mark.  Is that you, Rich?"

I felt a flood of relief that it was someone I knew and was starting to
trust, more so since he was helping Shawn come out safely.  That put him
firmly into the `ally' category.  "Yep!  What's up, Mark?"

"Not much.  I was just worried about you since the article this morning.
Just had to make sure your mother didn't kill you or something."  Did all
of the cute guys have to be sweethearts?

"I'm doing pretty well for a prisoner on death row," I told him.  "At least
I'm comfortable and my cage has some nice features."

"So you don't feel sick like you were?"

"We got it locked up, but the treatment will wear off Sunday.  Until then,
I'll feel normal.  When the treatment does wear off, I'll go back to the
way I was, but without Shawn there to keep me alive this time.  Without
him, or someone like him, my energy will fall fast, and I'll be dead within
hours."

"Can we get you the treatment somehow?"

"The article didn't mention what the treatment was?"

"If it did, I missed it.  Is it some sort of drug or device, or..."

"It's sex, Mark.  Gay sex.  I had sex with Shawn and I was better; back to
normal."

He was quiet.  "I'm going to try to think of a way to get Shawn to you," he
said, finally.  "Gay sex?  Really?"

I snorted, which then devolved into a full-fledged laugh.  The tone of
innocence in his last question was hilarious to me.  "Really truly.  It's a
medicine I really enjoy taking."

That made him bark out a laugh.  "You crack me up, Rich.  I want you fixed
up and back to normal so you can just be you more.  I get a kick out of
it."

"Then I'll definitely have to kick this, now.  Wouldn't want to disappoint
you by dying."  He chuckled at that.  "Seriously, though, after the sex,
the other guy gets knocked out for two days to recover from the energy
loss.  There needs to be a way to get the body out of the house."

"What if I got you out of there and to him?"

That idea definitely had merit.  "I'm working on getting the guards to
lighten up. Maybe I could get them to look the other way while you get me
out.  I don't think they'll agree unless I promise to only be gone for a
couple of hours."

"What time on Sunday do you need to see Shawn?" he asked.  It was such a
simple question, but it derailed our entire plan.  I hesitated.  "Rich?
You ok?"

"Yeah," I said softly.  "It's just...it's not going to work.  I don't know
what time the disease will turn back on.  I'm going to need to be with him
all day somehow."

"Hmm...," Mark said.  "I think I have something.  Lucky for you, you have a
master delinquent on your side.  Sneaking out is one of my specialties."

I chuckled.  "I hope you know what you're doing.  I'd hate for you to get
into trouble on my account."

He sniffed defiantly.  "Trouble is my playground.  Just leave everything up
to me and you'll be fine."

"I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I do feel a lot safer with you
helping me out.  I guess sometimes right and wrong don't care about rules."

"You're one of a small few who understands that."  His voice was somewhat
distant when he said that.  "Anyway, I need to go.  I have plans to set in
motion.  I really, really don't want you to die."  He trailed off at the
end.  Then the call ended from his side.  What the hell?  Cryptic much?  He
was acting like he...well, shit.  Could it be Mark?  Was he the one?  I'd
have to have him near me when the disease kicked back in to find out.

I laid back and thought about it.  Mark was sexy as hell.  I'd love for him
to take me.  But...would I be able to love him?  I got a severe case of the
butterflies thinking about him liking me that way.  He was planning some
daring rescue to smuggle me out and take me to safety, so that was a major
plus for him.  Also, he had a wicked sense of humor.  And did I mention the
sexy?

On the other hand, he was rebellious and mischievous.  Would he be able to
settle down, or would he use his subversive nature on me to get away with
things?  The thought of him sneaking around behind my back got me pissed
off, and it hadn't even happened yet.  I shook my head.  Nothing, not a
damned thing, happened, and I was already jumping to conclusions, based on
other conclusions that I had already jumped to.  I needed to calm my tits.

I tried calling Shawn to ask his opinion, but he didn't answer.  I tried
calling Magda, but she only answered long enough to tell me she was talking
to Cornelius.  That one stung.  I was dying and my best friend didn't want
to talk to me.  So much for `bros before hos'.  I sighed and went to my
desk to study.  I set the phone to silent, just as a precaution, and put it
in my pocket.  If I fell asleep, it would be hidden.

I studied for an hour and felt myself start to doze off.  It was only six
in the afternoon!  I got up and left my room.  When I got to the end of the
upstairs hallway and to the balcony, the guard – my guard – perked
up.  "Coming down?" he asked.  It was a welcome change.

"Yeah.  I need some caffeine or I'm going to pass out studying."  He nodded
and followed me to the kitchen.  I got a Code Red from the fridge and
walked back to the stairs.  When I got halfway up, I turned and sat on the
stairs.  "Does this mean that my idea to allow me guarded access to the
rest of the house is acceptable to you?  Or did you run it by my mother
first?"

"I asked my employer first," he said.  "She was impressed by how reasonable
your solution was and said yes immediately.  How did you know?"

I smiled at him.  "She's been this way my whole life.  Once I knew the
basics of what she wants in a situation, I know what's off limits and
what's ok.  It's all a matter of reading the situation and the person.  Are
you married, Mr. Guard?"

He did a double take at my abrupt change of direction.  "What does that
have to do with anything.  And it's Felix."

"Making a point, Felix.  Are you married?"

He shook his head.  "No, but I have a girlfriend."

"Is there anything you want to do that she doesn't want you to?"

"A buddy of mine wants to start hosting a poker game," he said after a
pause to think.  "My girl doesn't think I should be throwing my money away
like that."

"Then don't gamble," I said without hesitation.  "Do a game night with her
and your friends instead.  Include her and still have the fun of playing
games instead.  Everyone wins."

Felix tilted his head at me.  "That just might work, kid.  Is this how you
work the system?"

"If you want to call it that," I said.  "Basically, she just wants me
isolated from anything or anyone who might have a `gay' influence on me.
Beyond that, she doesn't really care what I do.  I've never given her cause
to."

"So you make your decisions based off of what she wants, not what she
says."

I laughed.  "There's no difference between the two.  You just have to know
what she's actually saying and implying.  That takes practice.  You
actually have to observe and listen.  It's the same for your girlfriend.
If you can learn what she wants and what she's really saying, you can have
her eating out of the palm of your hand, while making her think you're
eating out of hers."

"That sounds complicated."

"I've been practicing for fourteen years.  Just make what you want to do
make it seem like it was her idea."

He smiled at me.  It was a very warm and companionable smile.  "You're
alright, kid.  You have the same ways as your mom, but you're different
somehow.  I can't really put my finger on it."

"We have the same powers," I said, deadpanning, "but I choose to use mine
for good."

Felix burst out into laughter.  "That's it!  That's exactly what it is!"  I
chuckled with him.

The doorbell rang.  I was glad I was already presentable.  I took a sip
from my bottle as Felix opened the door.  The visitor stepped through the
door, and I sprayed my mouthful across the stairs.  It was Shawn.  I could
still tell it was him through the cheap dress, horrifying wig, and bad
makeup.  I bit my tongue.  Maybe it would work.

"I don't think so, son," Felix said.  "You didn't even stuff the bra
right."  There went that plan.  Since I didn't have to hold back any
longer, my laughter came out so strongly that my sides were hurting
immediately and tears were streaming down my face.  I fell back and nearly
rolled down the stairs.

Between gasps of air, I managed to get out: "Worst. Drag. Ever!"  Felix was
doing a great job holding it back, but I could see in his face how badly he
wanted to bust out laughing as well.

"Keep laughing, Chuckles," Shawn warned.

"I think I have a camera in my room," I said, wiping my eyes.  "Felix!
Hold him down!"  That broke the guard's resolve, and he cracked up as well.

"Both of you are on my list now," Shawn huffed.  He turned and saw a mirror
in the entryway and jumped back with a quick yell.  He dropped his head and
shook it when he realized it was him.  "Oh, Kyle is going to pay for this.
It was his idea and his handiwork."

I broke out into a new round of laughter.  "You let Kyle do that to you?
He's male...and straight!"

"And apparently blind," Felix added, which finally broke through Shawn's
anger, as he joined us in yet another round of laughter.

When he stopped laughing, Shawn said: "I'm sending him here tomorrow
dressed like a girl, just for payback."

Felix placed his hand on Shawn's shoulder gently.  "You know I can't let
you past me, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Shawn said.  He looked up to me on the stairs.  "I'm glad to
see you're ok."

"Sunday is when it all turns to shit," I told him.  "I'll be up and about
normally until then.  Felix, I think I have a raincoat in the closet there
that will cover up most of that so he can get home."  Felix nodded and
grabbed it, handing it to Shawn.  It covered up his dress, and the hood
covered his hair, but if he turned the right way, his face was still
visible.  "You ok to get home now?" I asked him.

"Yeah.  I was really hoping this would work out, though.  I wanted to hang
out with you some more."

"What about Kyle?"

"Still my best friend," Shawn said, "but it's nice having someone to talk
to who just gets it."  I nodded.

I heard my mother's car pull up.  "She's home," I said ominously.

"Ok, Felix," Shawn said, "do your thing, and make it look convincing."

Felix smiled and grabbed Shawn's raincoat by the back of the neck.  His
face shifted into mean bully guard and he ripped the door open.  He dragged
Shawn through as my mother was walking up the stairs.  He walked Shawn down
past her.  She caught a glance at his face and recoiled in horror, then
rushed up through the door.  I could just barely see Felix give Shawn a
shove into the driveway.  Shawn fell to the ground, but picked himself up
quickly and scurried away.  Felix came back up the stairs and closed the
door behind himself.

"What was that hideous thing?" my mother asked.

"Just an unwanted visitor, ma'am," Felix replied.

"Well she looked like an eighty year old clown prostitute," my mother said.
I barked a very loud laugh from my seat on the stairs.  She turned to me
and finally noticed me.  "What are you doing down here, and what in
heaven's name is so funny?"

"I was getting a drink when she got here," I said, holding up the nearly
full soda.  "And it's funny because that's exactly what she looked like."
I decided not to let on that it had been Shawn.  If she didn't know, she
wouldn't get enraged.

My mother cracked half a smile.  She rarely joked, so it always surprised
her when she was able to make someone else laugh.  She chuckled.  "Time to
scoot up to your room, young man," she told me without any of her usual
tones.  Was that good humor in her voice?  I smiled and shook my head as I
stood, then finished my way up the stairs.  I crossed the balcony and went
into the hallway, but only pretended to go into my room.  After closing the
door from the outside, I crept back to the hallway, just out of sight.

My mother's posture had slumped, and she sat in a chair usually reserved
for guests.  She rubbed her temples.  She looked exhausted.  I felt a stab
of pity for the woman. I knew why she was tired, though.  She was fighting
to be right, and it was taking everything she had out of her.  She stood
back up and took a tissue out of her purse, then dabbed her eyes.  Had she
been crying?  She walked the rest of the way across the foyer and into her
office, closing the door softly behind her.

I walked silently back to my room and let myself back into my room, making
as little noise as possible.  I set my soda on the desk with the cap
tightened on it.  Sitting on my bed in silence, I pulled my knees up to my
chest and rested my chin on them.  I sat there like that until I fell
asleep.

************************************************

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And now for the fan part.  Because there were so many good suggestions and
comments last time, now I just have a fun question.  This stems from an
actor I based Doctor (Damon) Lassiter off of.  If this were ever to be made
into a movie, the good(?) doctor would be played by Eric Roberts.  He's
older, but not ancient, and really good looking for that age.  He's also
good at playing secretive and serious.

So my question is this: who would you picture playing any (or all)
character(s), and why?

Tell me at academygm@hotmail.com

Have fun with this.