Queer as Muke

1.8.3 Arq-ing Boomerang

"So what d'you think Cal Pal?" Michael asks his best friend the following morning as he pours over pictures of cars, wondering which one to get as a replacement for his written-off black Jeep.

Calum ignores him, asking "What's he doing at your place?" as he spoons cereal into his mouth, sitting at the counter of the diner. He looks and feels irritable, he didn't get a good night's sleep last night, tossing and turning all night, worried about his Mum and the extra mortgage she's taken out on the house. And the diner isn't the same without her either.

"The Jeep's always hot," Comments Michael, choosing to concentrate on the car in hand rather than Calum quizzing him over Luke. "The TT's a fuck machine but the guys who usually drive it almost always aren't."

"His dad almost beat the shit out of you," Calum carries on regardless. Michael can try to ignore him as much as he likes but he knows his oldest and bestest friend too well. He won't want some jumped up little shit staying at his apartment, not even for a night or two.

"The Boxter's sexy, if you have a little dick. What do you think?" Michael offers the photos of his short list for Calum to look at.

"What do I think? It's obviously you don't care what I think about your boy wonder. What difference does it make how I feel about your bat mobile? Why don't you get the Jeep for Monday, the Audi for Tuesday and the Boxter for Wednesday?!!"

"Hey!" Michael interjects Calum's tirade.

"While you're sitting here trying to decide what hot new car to buy, my Mum might lose her fucking house! I need to get to work." Pulling out his wallet to lay some dollars on the counter for his breakfast, Calum can't wait to get away from Michael and his self centered concerns.

"Calum," Michael puts a hand on his arm, leaning in to talk to him quietly. "If you need money..."

"No," Calum says.

"Look, I've had an amazing year..."

Calum's having none of it. "That's great," he says shortly, his face set as he gets up to put his jacket on.

"I'm offering you a fucking gift for Christ's sake!" Michael hisses, not wanting the whole Diner to hear.

"I know. I just can't accept it."

"Why?"

"Because you're always there for me. Taking care of things, fighting off the bullies at school, giving me the answers to tests and taking me to hospital the first time I got gonhorrea. It's just... this is my Mum. And this is something I have to do for her, by myself."

Kissing Michael goodbye on his cheek, Calum turns to leave, realising that the chat with Michael has given him just the clarity he needed.

~~~

"So, my Dad tried to beat up Michael and Joy almost dies in front of us. And I spent the night at Michael's. What did you do?" Luke asks, coming to the end of his round up of the weekend's events, which were plenty.

"Had veggie lasagne and read," Is all Chloe can offer as they cross the road in front of school, Luke still dressed in the outfit he went out in last night.

"Luke? Hi Chloe."

Liz is waiting by her car outside of school, Luke's school uniform, complete with blazer,  in dry cleaning wrap in her arms.

"I brought you your uniform and your books, I know you have that essay due today," She says, handing Luke's school bag to him. "You alright?"

Luke nods, "I'm fine."

"I was worried about you last night, where were you?" She asks, jogging up the steps to the main entrance, trying to keep up with him.

"Where do you think?" He asks brusquely, not wanting to have this conversation here and certainly not now.

"Luke, please wait. I want you to come home."

"After what Dad did? No way!"

"He got crazy, he didn't know what he was doing! But we can work this out, I promise."

Luke gets to the top of the stairs and turns to her, "Don't promise. Now would you please go?"

"Do you need anything?" Liz asks him, desperately wanting to help in some way.

"For you to go?"

Luke turns away from her as the bell rings for first class, leaving her standing on the top step with nothing to do.

~~~

"Morning," Joy smiles at Dave as she enters the kitchen, going over to the sink to find a cup.

"What are you doing up?" He asks, covering up the newspaper that he's just been reading.
"You're meant to be taking a nap."

"Well, nap's are brief, that's why it's a short word. Have you taken your meds?"

"Yes, I've taken my meds," He says, exasperatedly.

"What is this? Apartments for rent?" Joy asks, pulling out the newspaper that her brother is so obviously trying to hide. "Why are you looking at apartments for rent?"

"Don't get your tits in a twist!"

"I'm not selling the house if that's what you think!" She defiantly calls after him as he gets up and moves away from the table.

"Of course you're not selling the house. It's for me," He admits, turning to look at her. "I'm thinking of moving out, I'm feeling much better now. And with my Centrelink, I can afford toget a room somewhere."

"You have a room somewhere!"

Dave marvels, once again, at how Joy's voice can go up several octaves in only a few short words.

"Here!"

"I don't want you to feel obligated!" He explains, angry with himself for getting this fucking disease in the first place, before walking away.

"Obligated?" Joy runs after him, "You know you are getting this close to being punched!"

Dave wags a finger at her, "You're doctor told you not to exert yourself."

"Well fuck him!" Joy cries, her face full of frustration with her brother. "I punched you out when I was a kid and I can punch you out now!"

The two siblings look at each other, both determined not to give in to the other until something passes between them, an unseen sign, an unsaid word.

"I need some soup," Joy breaks the silence.

"Chicken Noodle," Dave tells her, moving off into the kitchen to make it, knowing what she would choose.

"You know, when you came back from Melbourne I didn't take you in because I felt obligated. I took you in because I wanted to. Hell, I'd do it again!"

"Oh yeah, let's." Dave's sarcasm is palpable. "The shit, the thrush, the CMV that was a laugh and a half."

Joy spells it out for him, only just maintaining her patience, "I mean I want you here sick and I want you here well. I'll take you any way I can get you. So I'm just going to toss this. Where's my soup? I'll serve I don't want to get rusty."

And just like that, the conversation about Dave moving out is over.