Today 4 U, Chapter Two
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Today 4 U
Chapter Two: Somebody Keep Baby in the Corner
Freddie told me about how he came to this city. He visited when he was a boy from England. When he got older he moved and got a job as a singer in a band. He has been in the band, Queen, for about seven years now. I was lucky I went out here at this time, he said. Queen didn’t rehearse on Mondays. Around two-thirty he got a jacket on.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“I have to pick up Sonny from school,” Freddie said.
I looked at him, confused. “Sonny?”
“Yep,” Freddie said, “The baby of the group. He threw my jacket at me. “I took himin when his parents died in a Meth lab accident.”
“How old is he?” I asked.
“Huh? Oh... six,” he replied.
I gasped. A meth baby.
“Don’t prejudge him now,” Freddie warned, “He’s nothing like his parents. He’s smart.”
We walked outside. Freddie threw up his arms and gasped, “Don’t you love the winter?”
“No,” I said bluntly.
Freddie laughed harshly. “Poor, poor Rich Bitch.”
I mumbled as he spun around the street signs. He sang with a strong falsetto I never heard before. He yelled hi to everyone we passed and smiled from ear to ear. A true social butterfly.
After twenty minutes we made it to a small elementary school. I looked at the murals on the walls and the parents waiting for their kids. I filmed a few. A woman walked over, smiling. She hugged Freddie and yelled, “Hi! Darling! How are you?”
“Hey, dear!” Freddie exclaimed, kissing her cheek, “Meet Jade. He’s doing a documentary about... err... I guess Bohos. Jade, this is Angel Dumott Schunard. You could make a whole documentary on her and her life as a loudmouth diva with a child and a computer hacking lover.”
Angel smirked. “Oh, hush!” She hugged me, smiling. “Hello, Jade!”
I nodded and said, “Hi, Miss Shunard...”
She giggled, looking at Freddie, her bobbed hair flipping. “Did you hear, Freddie!” She showed him her hand which was full of rings. Freddie inspected each one. “Holy shit... he purposed. Are you sure he wasn’t on something when he did that?!”
Angel smacked him. “Come on! It’s true! I’m going to marry Tom Collins. Hah!”
Freddie applauded. “I didn’t know! Congrats!”
I added, “Oh, wow... congratulations. I’m sure it’ll be a lovely marriage...”
Angel corrected, “Technically, it’s not a marriage. They haven’t legalized it yet. So it’s a union... but whatever! In your face, Freddie!”
Angel pointed at him threateningly. You could tell they had a very playful relationship.
Then I made the connection. “Wait... what? Union?”
Freddie looked at me nervously. “Er... Angel’s...”
“You thought I was a girl?” Angel asked, fixing her hair. She giggled. “I’m flattered and all... but...”
“She’s a queen!” Freddie hissed, putting up his hand so Angel couldn’t see.
I screamed. “No way!”
“Yeah,” she... he... whatever said. “Sorry. I thought it was a little known... oh gosh, Freddie... you’re a little naive.”
“I know, I know,” Freddie said, “Give him awhile.
I just looked down and blushed. God I was stupid.
The doors of the school opened and a little boy ran up to Freddie. He had big eyes that seemed to penetrate me. Freddie rubbed his head. “This is Sonny.”
I bent down and said, “Hello.”
Sonny shook my hand and mumbled, “Hello.”
I felt my heart melt. He was so cute. “Don’t be scared...” I started.
Sonny hid behind Freddie. Freddie sighed. “It’s a trust thing...”
I bit my lip. “Oh.”
“Well,” Freddie said, putting his hands on his hips, “I vote we get a bite to eat so you two can meet properly.”
We nodded in agreement and followed him out of the schoolyard.
*************************************
Sonny began to warm up when I bought him a cookie at the local bakery. He began to ramble about how he loved chocolate. Sure, it wasn’t the kind of conversation I really wanted for my documentary, but it was nice to get to know the little guy.
I thought about how I had nothing on this kid. He should have been so jaded by now, but he still viewed the world like an open book and I had to respect him.
We went back to the apartment to see a man with an acoustic guitar singing, “Hey, man, got the time? It’s just a might closer before we diiiiie...”
Freddie rolled his eyes. “Will you quit it? Go home.”
“I don’t got any,” the man whispered, “Your son ‘er whatever wants to invite me.”
Freddie closed his eyes and hissed, “Fuck... well, darling, I’m afraid I’m above what my son thinks. We’re booked for the night.” He winked at me.
I watched the man’s face fall. “Oh...” he said, “Well... okay. Bye. God bless ye...”
Freddie pulled me and Sonny inside. “Jesus...”
“Why didn’t you let him in?” Sonny and I asked.
“Because we have a full house,” Freddie said, earnestly. We went into the apartment and Freddie yelled, “Who invited the junkie?!”
“...Bert,” said a boy, walking in. He had long brown hair caught in his eyes and a stickly figure with clothes hanging on him. He smiled impishly. “Sorry.”
“You’re just asking for it,” Freddie snapped.
Bert shrugged. “Whatever.”
Freddie snorted and announced to me, “Enter Robert McCracken. The scumo’deeearth thirty year old living in a twelve year old’s body. He does have a home... but he seems to come to mine and constantly overstays his welcome.”
Bert smiled. Sonny hid behind me.
A boy with greasy dark hair and similar clothes walked in. He hugged Freddie. “Hi, Daddy!”
Freddie pushed the camera at the boy. “Gerard Arthur Way. A victim of foster care. Almost eighteen years old. We met when I was at his foster home one day working on of my various odd-jobs. His parents died in a car accident. His foster family beat him. You bet yer ass I got child services on them and I got him at my place. That was a few years ago. I think I fixed him up good... aside from his Bert Baggage.”
Bert slipped on to the couch. “You just want Gee to yourself! I’m his looooooover.”
“Did you fuck?” Freddie asked.
“What?!” Bert yelled.
“Did. You. Fuck?” Freddie asked.
“Ew! No!” Bert yelled.
“Well... there you go. You know... err... Angel and Collins? Lovers.”
“They fuck?”
“Yeah. You’re just boyfriends. Okay? Go away.”
Bert kissed Gerard on the lips. “Bye!”
Bert left. Freddie grumbled, “God I hate that kid...”
I laughed. Sonny pulled on my sleeve. “Let’s play!”
I followed him to a small room with toys and pictures. Sonny smiled as he gave me an action figure. I looked at the pictures. “How many brothers and sisters do you have?”
“Two,” he said, “Davey and Gerard.”
“Davey?” I asked.
Sonny pointed to one of the many pictures he had on his wall. He pointed to a long-haired boy with red lips and perfectly lined eyes. There was something sexy about him. I couldn’t wait to meet him.
“...Okay,” Sonny said, “You’re Superman and I’m Batman!” he exclaimed.
I nodded and took the Superman toy. “Okay. I hope you don’t have any Kryptonite in that utility belt.”
*****************************************
Thanks for reading!
Today 4 U
Chapter Two: Somebody Keep Baby in the Corner
Freddie told me about how he came to this city. He visited when he was a boy from England. When he got older he moved and got a job as a singer in a band. He has been in the band, Queen, for about seven years now. I was lucky I went out here at this time, he said. Queen didn’t rehearse on Mondays. Around two-thirty he got a jacket on.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“I have to pick up Sonny from school,” Freddie said.
I looked at him, confused. “Sonny?”
“Yep,” Freddie said, “The baby of the group. He threw my jacket at me. “I took himin when his parents died in a Meth lab accident.”
“How old is he?” I asked.
“Huh? Oh... six,” he replied.
I gasped. A meth baby.
“Don’t prejudge him now,” Freddie warned, “He’s nothing like his parents. He’s smart.”
We walked outside. Freddie threw up his arms and gasped, “Don’t you love the winter?”
“No,” I said bluntly.
Freddie laughed harshly. “Poor, poor Rich Bitch.”
I mumbled as he spun around the street signs. He sang with a strong falsetto I never heard before. He yelled hi to everyone we passed and smiled from ear to ear. A true social butterfly.
After twenty minutes we made it to a small elementary school. I looked at the murals on the walls and the parents waiting for their kids. I filmed a few. A woman walked over, smiling. She hugged Freddie and yelled, “Hi! Darling! How are you?”
“Hey, dear!” Freddie exclaimed, kissing her cheek, “Meet Jade. He’s doing a documentary about... err... I guess Bohos. Jade, this is Angel Dumott Schunard. You could make a whole documentary on her and her life as a loudmouth diva with a child and a computer hacking lover.”
Angel smirked. “Oh, hush!” She hugged me, smiling. “Hello, Jade!”
I nodded and said, “Hi, Miss Shunard...”
She giggled, looking at Freddie, her bobbed hair flipping. “Did you hear, Freddie!” She showed him her hand which was full of rings. Freddie inspected each one. “Holy shit... he purposed. Are you sure he wasn’t on something when he did that?!”
Angel smacked him. “Come on! It’s true! I’m going to marry Tom Collins. Hah!”
Freddie applauded. “I didn’t know! Congrats!”
I added, “Oh, wow... congratulations. I’m sure it’ll be a lovely marriage...”
Angel corrected, “Technically, it’s not a marriage. They haven’t legalized it yet. So it’s a union... but whatever! In your face, Freddie!”
Angel pointed at him threateningly. You could tell they had a very playful relationship.
Then I made the connection. “Wait... what? Union?”
Freddie looked at me nervously. “Er... Angel’s...”
“You thought I was a girl?” Angel asked, fixing her hair. She giggled. “I’m flattered and all... but...”
“She’s a queen!” Freddie hissed, putting up his hand so Angel couldn’t see.
I screamed. “No way!”
“Yeah,” she... he... whatever said. “Sorry. I thought it was a little known... oh gosh, Freddie... you’re a little naive.”
“I know, I know,” Freddie said, “Give him awhile.
I just looked down and blushed. God I was stupid.
The doors of the school opened and a little boy ran up to Freddie. He had big eyes that seemed to penetrate me. Freddie rubbed his head. “This is Sonny.”
I bent down and said, “Hello.”
Sonny shook my hand and mumbled, “Hello.”
I felt my heart melt. He was so cute. “Don’t be scared...” I started.
Sonny hid behind Freddie. Freddie sighed. “It’s a trust thing...”
I bit my lip. “Oh.”
“Well,” Freddie said, putting his hands on his hips, “I vote we get a bite to eat so you two can meet properly.”
We nodded in agreement and followed him out of the schoolyard.
*************************************
Sonny began to warm up when I bought him a cookie at the local bakery. He began to ramble about how he loved chocolate. Sure, it wasn’t the kind of conversation I really wanted for my documentary, but it was nice to get to know the little guy.
I thought about how I had nothing on this kid. He should have been so jaded by now, but he still viewed the world like an open book and I had to respect him.
We went back to the apartment to see a man with an acoustic guitar singing, “Hey, man, got the time? It’s just a might closer before we diiiiie...”
Freddie rolled his eyes. “Will you quit it? Go home.”
“I don’t got any,” the man whispered, “Your son ‘er whatever wants to invite me.”
Freddie closed his eyes and hissed, “Fuck... well, darling, I’m afraid I’m above what my son thinks. We’re booked for the night.” He winked at me.
I watched the man’s face fall. “Oh...” he said, “Well... okay. Bye. God bless ye...”
Freddie pulled me and Sonny inside. “Jesus...”
“Why didn’t you let him in?” Sonny and I asked.
“Because we have a full house,” Freddie said, earnestly. We went into the apartment and Freddie yelled, “Who invited the junkie?!”
“...Bert,” said a boy, walking in. He had long brown hair caught in his eyes and a stickly figure with clothes hanging on him. He smiled impishly. “Sorry.”
“You’re just asking for it,” Freddie snapped.
Bert shrugged. “Whatever.”
Freddie snorted and announced to me, “Enter Robert McCracken. The scumo’deeearth thirty year old living in a twelve year old’s body. He does have a home... but he seems to come to mine and constantly overstays his welcome.”
Bert smiled. Sonny hid behind me.
A boy with greasy dark hair and similar clothes walked in. He hugged Freddie. “Hi, Daddy!”
Freddie pushed the camera at the boy. “Gerard Arthur Way. A victim of foster care. Almost eighteen years old. We met when I was at his foster home one day working on of my various odd-jobs. His parents died in a car accident. His foster family beat him. You bet yer ass I got child services on them and I got him at my place. That was a few years ago. I think I fixed him up good... aside from his Bert Baggage.”
Bert slipped on to the couch. “You just want Gee to yourself! I’m his looooooover.”
“Did you fuck?” Freddie asked.
“What?!” Bert yelled.
“Did. You. Fuck?” Freddie asked.
“Ew! No!” Bert yelled.
“Well... there you go. You know... err... Angel and Collins? Lovers.”
“They fuck?”
“Yeah. You’re just boyfriends. Okay? Go away.”
Bert kissed Gerard on the lips. “Bye!”
Bert left. Freddie grumbled, “God I hate that kid...”
I laughed. Sonny pulled on my sleeve. “Let’s play!”
I followed him to a small room with toys and pictures. Sonny smiled as he gave me an action figure. I looked at the pictures. “How many brothers and sisters do you have?”
“Two,” he said, “Davey and Gerard.”
“Davey?” I asked.
Sonny pointed to one of the many pictures he had on his wall. He pointed to a long-haired boy with red lips and perfectly lined eyes. There was something sexy about him. I couldn’t wait to meet him.
“...Okay,” Sonny said, “You’re Superman and I’m Batman!” he exclaimed.
I nodded and took the Superman toy. “Okay. I hope you don’t have any Kryptonite in that utility belt.”
*****************************************
Thanks for reading!