Jake sat for a minute, then turning to Teddy said...
"Is it okay if we talk about you getting attacked? It really bothered me."
Teddy nodded assent...and thus began the healing or so Jake hoped, and so would Brian.
"Yeh, sure...Jake."
Jake sat yet another minute and then looked up at Teddy and began...the healing.
"It was bad enough when Larry got the shit kicked out of him, beat half to death or almost. Then you...and I don't know Teddy. It did something...to me. I kinda lost it I guess."
He paused and Teddy nodded.
"Too close to home maybe, but it has been gnawing at me ever since. I am just glad it wasn't worse. I've been trying and trying to ignore it, put it in the past but haven't been able to. I guess I keep thinking about Dylan and I. Are we next? Is someone out there just waiting to pounce on one or both of US?"
"Nobody would do that Jake. Everyone likes you."
"Everyone liked you too, but look at what happened."
"Yeh, I guess," came the reply, a bit pensively.
"But we are new here. You were raised here."
"But nobody knew I liked guys before Dylan came. Now EVERYONE knows. Maybe our fault cause we are really open about us, but...my point is everyone knows and they didn't before."
"You really sure?"
That brought Jake up short.
Pause...then...
"Yeh, I think."
"Nobody else but Dylan?"
Jake paused thinking about Robbie Williams.
"Nobody...well, almost."
"Almost?"
"Yeh, I had a deep crush on my best friend...but, nobody else knew. Even he didn't and still doesn't."
"You sure?"
Jake paused again...for a full minute as he sat almost gone somewhere else in his mind, thinking back over the years during which he was infused with love for Robbie.
"Yeh, pretty sure...I think."
"You might be surprised, Jake."
Jake pondered. Did he know about Larry before the attack? Pretty much, but nobody talked about him or his orientation, but everyone pretty much knew. It was just a sense if you will.
"Ok, maybe. I'll give you that."
"A lot of guys in my class in Connecticut, girls too, knew about me. We talked about it."
"YEH?" You talked about it? With your friends?"
"Sure. but it was different there. Much more open, and a lot more guys who were and pretty open about their orientation. Massachusetts, Connecticut, yeh. Don't forget. Massachusetts was one of the FIRST states to legalize same-sex marriage. The Northeast was way ahead of everyone else. Fuck, even teeny tiny itty bitty Vermont."
Jake remembered hearing about that although he was a little kid at the time.
"I knew. Jake, I knew for as long as I can remember that I liked guys. I knew Dylan did too. Kevin is a total horndog for girls and Kenny? I think Kenny will die going UH...um...uh."
Jake busted out laughing. He knew it was true. Kenny is not exactly a Rhodes scholar, and most of the time doesn't put his shoes on the right feet and doesn't notice either. Let's just say Kenny Lassiter is a super kewl guy but when they were passing out intellect, he was behind a door eating a corn dog or something. (His favorite food).
"HAHAHA. Po' Kenny. He is a super kewl twit to be sure, but..."
"LOL. Yeh, I love that bozo to death and everyone does. Guys, girls...everyone just loves Kenny...and GOD is that stupid fuck gorgeous, but brains? You can put your ear to his and hear the ocean."
"HAHAHAHAHA." Both laughed at that image and to be sure also felt a bit sad for Kenny. He is super nice unlike Kevin but...a bit of a corn dog on two legs and that when Teddy said it both of them devolved into gales of laughter.
And as they were hanging onto each other they were laughing so hard, which frankly Jake desperately needed, guess who walked up? Yep. Kenny.
"Whatcha all laughing about?"
They stopped, looked at each other and then really fell out laughing, while Kenny just stood there gawking at the display, as usual not having a clue, which of course made the whole thing even funnier which made them laugh all the harder...and finally Kenny just sat down across from them looking on which made it even worse.
"HAHAHAHA."
The notion that Kenny was sitting there without a clue...was over the top too much for Jake and Teddy. But finally, they regained control and slowly ceased except for the occasional side glances and giggle fits.
"So what's up?"
Teddy laughed first, then Jake...and then even Kenny laughed although they all knew he didn't know why and yes, that was hysterically funny all by itself.
"OH nothing..." Jake finally got out while seeing Kenny wasn't buying it.
"We are talking about being gay, Kenster."
"Oh." This was said in such a matter-of-fact tone that all of a sudden the laughing stopped. Was he just being dense as usual, or...
"OH?" Teddy said.
"Uh, yeh. Oh."
"What do you know about being gay?"
"I don't know. But just seems natural to me."
"What you mean? Jake asked.
"Some dudes are, some ain't."
"Uh, yeh."
"You know I am," Jake said.
"Yeh of course. You and Dylan."
"You are ok with that?"
"Sure why wouldn't I be?"
Both Jake and Teddy were by now fascinated with this line of thought.
"And Teddy?"
"Fuck yeh." Kenny's fave expression of course. "I've always known about Teddy. Long before I knew about Dylan."
"REALLY?" this from Teddy.
"FUCK yeh. Always."
"How did you know?"
"Fuck I don't know. Just did."
Teddy and Jake just sat there digesting that little brainfart. Really. Kenny KNEW. KNEW but said NOTHING?
"Kenny, you never said a thing."
"Wasn't my business, fuck you know?"
"You are my brother."
"I know but somethings...you know?"
"Yeh I guess."
Jake: "OK, so you knew and said nothing but did anyone else know about Teddy?"
"Hell everyone knew. No, I don't know how but they did."
"You talked with them about it?"
"I heard others talking. I usually stayed out of it."
"How come?"
"Cause he is my brother. His business not theirs."
Jake began to wonder if perhaps they might have misjudged Kenny.
"I am hungry."
"Well, go out and eat something."
"Nah, too far."
Nope, Kenny is Kenny and they started laughing again and knew. That was just a small cosmic rift and not the emergence of a brain taking shape.
Teddy knew and so did Jake that something important had just happened. They learned that Kenny is a true blue brother, and able to keep his mouth shut. Good to know stuff.
"Kenny, you are fourteen."
"You are fourteen almost fifteen."
"Sure as fuck."
"So, you like girls?"
Dead silence...
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