KIDZ

Chapter 6

“Yo, Shopkeep,” Brian said as he walked into the comic store.

“Hey, Brian,” Michael said with a smile for his old friend. “What are you doing here?”

“Can’t I pay you a visit and check out how you’re doing?” Brian asked.

“Aw, you still care,” Michael grinned.

“Always have, always will.”

Michael smiled and then stood on his tiptoes to kiss Brian’s cheek.

“That’s better,” Brian said with a smirk.

“Hi, Mr. Novotny,” Richie said as he came through the door of the comic store. He was carrying a garment bag and was accompanied by Candy.

“Hey, I’ve told you, I’m Michael. That’s what you should call me,” Michael said gently.

“Sure, Mr.…Michael,” Richie replied. “It just sounds funny to call you that when…”

“When I’m just a little bit older than you?” Michael asked with a wink at Brian who merely shook his head at the shenanigans of his friend.

“Um…is JR here?” Richie asked, quickly changing the subject.

“She’s on her way. She called just before Brian came in,” Michael explained.

“I brought her graduation dress for a final fitting. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Michael said to the boy. “I can’t wait to see it. You do such great things with prom dresses; I hope this one is just as good.”

Richie grinned at the praise just as the bell above the door heralded JR’s arrival.

“Oooh,” she gushed when she saw Richie, “did you bring the dress?”

“Yep.”

“Daddy, can I try it on in the office?”

“Only if you come out and show us,” Michael replied with a smile for his daughter.

“Deal,” JR said as she grabbed Richie’s hand and pulled him and the garment bag into the office where they promptly closed the door.

“Michael, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about,” Candy said seriously.

“I should be going,” Brian stated thinking this might be something private that he wasn’t supposed to hear.

“It’s okay, Brian,” Candy said quickly. “It’s about Rage, and you are Rage.”

“Yeah, and I want your opinion on JR’s dress,” Michael informed Brian.

“How did I get saddled with so many fashion challenged friends?” Brian asked shaking his head, but he was secretly pleased that Michael wanted his opinion.

“You’re just lucky, that’s all,” Michael snapped back with a grin. “So what do you want to talk about, Candy?”

“I have an idea for a new character in Rage.”

“You do?”

“Yep, and it’s based on Richie.”

“Richie?”

“Yes, a good guy with super powers unique to him/her,” Candy explained. “I want the character to be ambiguous as to male or female, but extremely beautiful as either one. His/her power would involve making time freeze for those who look at her when she is dressed to a tee. She also can fire off silken threads that bind her onlookers while they are mesmerized with her appearance.”

“Hm, interesting,” Michael said slowly as he thought about the ideas that Candy had just proposed. “And she’s on the side of good?”

“Yes, she would use her powers in time of trouble to slow down a bad situation and incapacitate the bad guys.”

“I like it,” Michael said.

“Will she know Rage?” Brian asked.

“Not initially,” Candy continued. “I thought maybe she could be at a party where Rage was when some robbers or something break in, and she uses her power to stop them. Then she and Rage become friends. He can call on her if he needs help.”

“I think the concept still needs some refining,” Michael said thoughtfully. “How can she only affect the bad guys? Wouldn’t her beauty affect the good guys too?”

“Oh, fuck!” Candy said as her face fell when she realized Michael was right.

“Maybe she wears or carries a ring or a piece of jewelry that magnifies her powers,” Brian suggested. “She could turn it on or off at will.”

“Not bad,” Michael said encouragingly.

“Listen to me creating a fucking comic book character,” Brian said in disbelief.

“You know you enjoyed that,” Michael laughed making Brian smile. “I think this has real possibilities, Candy. Run it past Lacy and Justin when you get the chance. Working up this new character can be your summer project.”

“Wow!” Candy replied. “I thought I’d get shot down.”

“Not when you have a good idea,” Michael informed her.

“What are you going to call him…her?” Brian asked.

“I haven’t figured it out yet,” Candy told them. “The name needs to be able to apply to a male or a female. It should relate to her powers. And it needs to be simple but capture the idea of what she is.”

“Neither clearly male or female, stunningly beautiful dressed either as a man or a woman, and able to shoot silken threads to bind her enemies,” Brian enumerated the qualities of this proposed character. “You’ve got your work cut out for you.”

“You’re the word master. I thought you’d come up with something in a flash,” Michael threw in.

“I could but it wouldn’t be what you want.”

“How do you know?”

“Believe me, I know,” Brian said emphatically. He had hoped a great name would pop into his head, but anything he had thought of so far fell into the decidedly lame category.

“Daddy,” JR called as the door to the office opened a crack, “are you ready?”

“Always ready for you, honeybun,” Michael called back.

The door to the office opened wide and JR strode out dressed in the turquoise sundress. A sash of the same color of cream as the flowers cinched her tiny waist and hung down the back of the dress. Narrow straps could be seen just under the matching shrug. Her feet wore cream colored sandals and a barrette of the same color held her hair up at the back of her head.

“Wow!” Michael said. “You look … wonderful!”

“Good enough to be the star of the show,” Brian agreed.

“Richie, it’s … magnificent,” Candy gushed.

“Thanks,” Richie said shyly. “I think it turned out really good.”

“You have talent, my lad,” Brian said clapping Richie lightly on the back.

“Even if I like to cross-dress?” Richie asked with a chuckle. He was so pleased by everyone’s reaction to his work.

“Hm, cross dress,” Brian said slowly. “You should call her Crossfyre with a ‘y’,” he stated. “My work here is done. See you at graduation,” he called as he exited the comic shop while everyone merely stared after him.

 

*****
 

“Daddy?” Bree called out to her father as she skipped into the sun porch. Justin was putting the finishing touches on his latest painting. This one was of a man in a cherry-picker working on some overhead electric lines along the highway.

“Yes, sweetheart.” Justin was trying to make an effort to pay more attention to Bree when he was painting.

“Tomorrow is my last day of school and I want to make a special card for Mrs. Trent. She was really nice to me when Gamma Joan died,” Bree said softly. Thinking about her grandmother still made Bree sad. Justin immediately put down his paintbrush.

“Oh sweetheart,” he said as he knelt down in front of his daughter. “Of course we can make a special card for your teacher. Go get your supplies and let’s see what we can come up with. Okay?”

“Thank you, Daddy!” Bree threw her arms around her father’s neck before going to her craft box to get the things she would need to make her card.

“And what did you ladies do today?” Brian teased when he got home from Pittsburgh hours later. He found Bree and Justin in the kitchen; delightful aromas filled the air. Brian had just enough time to put down his briefcase then catch his little blond whirlwind when she flung herself into his arms.

“We’re cooking dinner, Dada!” Bree announced.

“I can see that,” Brian said as he stood, lifting Bree then pecking Justin’s lips over Bree’s shoulders. “And what else did you do today?”

“Daddy and I made a special card for Mrs. Trent. Tomorrow’s my last day of school. And Daddy let me bake cookies for the whole class!”

“He did? And did you and Daddy bake enough for us too?” Brian asked with a smile. He received sunny smiles from both his blonds. It was rare when Brian actually showed interest in cookies.

“We made enough for all of us,” Justin assured his spouse then pointed to the counter. There was one large box tied with a bright pink ribbon that Bree was going to bring to school. And then there was a large plastic container filled with a variety of cookies.

“We are going to eat real food first, right, Sunshine?” Brian asked.

“Yes, there’s real food,” Justin said with a shake of his head. “Go and change, dinner’s almost ready. Bree, let Dada go so you can set the table in the porch.”

“Yes, dear.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

Brian and Bree heard and obeyed. Justin smirked at their antics then concentrated on getting dinner ready for his family.

 

*****
 

“You look beautiful, honeybun,” Michael said proudly, as JR came down the stairs dressed in her graduation outfit.

“Thanks, Daddy,” JR responded with a big smile. “I hate to cover it up with those ugly graduation robes.”

“It’s only for a little while,” Ben reminded her. “And you do look wonderful.”

“Thanks,” she said giving him a kiss on the cheek when she reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Are you ready to go?”

“I think so,” JR replied to her father.

“You don’t sound very sure,” Michael said with a frown.

“It’s like the … end of … something,” JR said uncertainly.

“It’s the end of high school and the beginning of the rest of your life,” Ben said with an understanding smile.

“I guess.”

“Is something wrong, JR?”

“I’m worried about Curtis,” JR slowly admitted after a moment.

“Why are you worried?” Michael asked.

“He’s pretty nervous about being valedictorian. A lot of the students have been at the school for their whole high school time, and they kind of resent Curtis.”

“Because Curtis is a relative newcomer, at least in their tiny world,” Ben supplied. JR nodded.

“And black,” Michael added.

“And the son of two gay men,” Ben threw in.

“Yeah, all of that,” JR agreed.

“Honey,” Ben said placing his hands on JR’s shoulders and turning her to look into his eyes.

“Yes.”

“Curtis is going to do just fine. We’re all going to be there to support him.”

“I know, but…”

“Curtis is a smart kid,” Michael stated. “I’m sure he’ll handle his speech and the whole graduation with his own inimitable style.”

“I hope so,” JR said biting her bottom lip. “And since when do you use words like inimitable?”

“Since I’ve been hanging around with your other dad who happens to be the smartest man on the planet.” Michael stood on his toes and pecked Ben’s cheek.

“Thanks for that lovely compliment,” Ben said, “but I’m hardly the smartest man around.” Michael shook his head and smiled at his brilliant husband. “Let’s get going so we’re not late for Curtis’ … and your big moment,” Ben said ushering them towards the door.

 

*****
 

“When is Curtis going to speak?” Bree asked with a yawn. She had been sitting in this stupid chair forever, and all these people had made boring speeches, and she was sorry she had come. She laid her head against Brian`s arm and yawned again.

“It shouldn’t be too much longer,” Brian assured her as he moved around in his uncomfortable seat. “My fucking ass is numb,” he muttered.

“Mine too, Dada,” Bree agreed.

“Sh, you two,” Justin whispered as they heard Curtis’ name being announced and saw their friend walk to the middle of the stage.

“Here we go,” Brian said with a sigh of relief.

Curtis approached the microphone and cleared his throat. “I know graduation speeches are supposed to be about the future and what we all have to look forward to,” Curtis began. “But I need to talk about the past before I talk about the future.”

There was a pause as the audience waited expectantly.

“Most of you know that I have two fathers who adopted me when I was at the lowest point of my whole life.”

There were a few snickers and mumbled comments, but also a round of applause led by JR. Curtis smiled at her.

“My speech is about how people come into our lives when we most need them. Sometimes we think they’re there to pester us or make our lives a living hell or break our hearts. I’m sure all of you have a parent or a teacher or a relative or even a girl or boyfriend who fits that description.” That produced a round of chuckles from many of the tormented and/or broken hearted teenagers in the audience. “But I believe people are sent to us to teach us lessons that will enrich our lives, or at the very least help us gain new perspectives about ourselves and why we`re here on this earth.”

Many of the students shifted uneasily in their chairs at Curtis’ words. They weren`t sure where Curtis was going with this speech. Many of them had not been very nice to Curtis, although few made any overt comments about him and his lifestyle anymore. They couldn’t help but wonder if this might be payback. He wouldn’t start naming names, would he?

“We can learn from the people we cross paths with or we can ignore them … or sometimes we choose to harass them and hurt them.” Curtis looked at Justin as he said this. Justin’s reassuring smile helped Curtis continue. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have many people teach me valuable lessons during my life. I’ve also had others who chose to be rude and confrontational. I’d like to forgive the not so nice people today, and acknowledge the ones who have made a big and positive impact on my life. They’re the ones who deserve the recognition.”

The audience seemed to relax when Curtis said that. He continued:

“My grandfather who passed away a number of years ago taught me to be brave and strong. He was a firefighter, and a wonderful man. My dads taught me to be confident and capable. They took me in when I had no home and no future at all. At first I resisted them, but I soon learned that they could love unconditionally, and that’s what they did with me. I owe them so much. I think most of us take out parents for granted. That’s a big mistake. I’d like all of you to take a moment to think about everything they do for you. You might be surprised at how much there is to thank them for.”

There was a big round of applause for that, led by many parents who were happy to hear a teenager state such a thing on their behalf.

“My parents also taught me to love animals, and I will probably be working my way towards a veterinary degree in the future.”

There was a genuine round of applause for Curtis and his life path. Many students nodded their approval as did lots of the parents in attendance.

“There are some other people who gave me a break when I least deserved it. One of them is a man who could have chosen to have me arrested, and if he had, I don’t know what my life would have been. I do know it wouldn’t be what it is today. I might even be dead.”

A hush fell over the audience at Curtis’ admission.

“This man is here today … I’m happy to say.”

Brian groaned. The last thing he wanted was to be singled out, and he knew that it was he Curtis was talking about.

“I’m not going to call this man by name, because I know he wouldn’t like that. But I do want to thank him publicly, as I have in private. He already knows how much I appreciate what he did for me.”

Brian smiled slightly and sat up straighter in his seat. Justin squeezed his hand.

“There’s also a little girl here today, who welcomed me into her family. I’ve never seen such a huge dysfunctional family in all my life!” The audience exploded with laughter. “But … I wouldn’t have them be any other way. I love them all, and I’m so happy to have them in my life.”

Hearty applause greeted these words.

“I also want to acknowledge the friends I’ve made here at Allegheny High. Some of you will remain friends for life, others will move on to different friendships as the years pass. Cherish those who are your friends. They make life worthwhile. And if you are lucky enough to have a very special friend like I do…” Curtis found JR amongst the graduates and stared into her beautiful eyes. She blushed and smiled back. “Then count yourself very, very lucky.”

The graduates applauded heartily.

“I want to end by saying that as we head off to jobs, university or community college, or maybe an apprenticeship program, whatever path we choose, we’re going to meet people who have the potential to change our lives. Give them a chance, and you may be surprised by the results. I’m very proud to have been selected as valedictorian, and I hope my words have meant something to you all as you set out on the next segment of your life’s path.”

Students, faculty, parents and guests all stood and applauded Curtis. He seemed overwhelmed by the reaction, knowing that he had merely spoken from his heart. It was good to know that people responded so well.

 

*****
 

When Curtis and JR emerged from returning their caps and gowns, the family was waiting for them.

“We are so proud of you, Curtis,” Raphael said pulling his son into a warm hug.

Hector nodded in agreement and whispered, “So proud,” when he got his turn for a hug.

“Wasn’t Curtis’ speech wonderful?” JR gushed proudly as she hugged her own family.

“It was just wonderful, Curtis,” Lindsay assured him as she kissed his cheek and then her daughter’s.

“I was in your speech, wasn’t I?” Bree asked proudly.

“Yes you were,” Curtis replied. “I’ll never forget your card and your welcome to the family.”

“I love you, Curtis,” Bree said genuinely as the boy hugged her.

“Backatcha, Miss Briana,” Curtis said with a big grin.

“I think it was a lovely graduation,” Melanie said shaking Curtis’ hand. “You did a fine job, young man.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“I vote for lunch,” Brian stated. “Some place with soft chairs. He rubbed his butt to demonstrate why.

“Very soft,” Bree responded rubbing her own little bum.

The family chuckled as they headed for cars to drive to their graduation luncheon at Pappagano’s.
 

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