Status: Completed
Love Song
Tommy
Tommy sat at the table the he has especially reserved for him and Matthew, waiting for him to show up. When Matthew was an hour late, he decided to call him. He called over and over, but Matthew never answered. He wasn’t leaving any messages, but he finally decided to leave one.
“Matthew, it’s Tommy, um maybe you forgot or maybe you couldn’t postpone your rehearsal, but I’m at Charlie’s. We were supposed to meet here. Please call me…or not…”
Tommy didn’t really know how to feel. He didn’t know why Matthew wasn’t answering his phone, but he had a feeling that it wasn’t good. So, he paid for the drink he ordered and then left. His first instinct was to drive straight to Matthew’s house, but he decided not to. He didn’t want to seem desperate.
When he went back home, he was in a bad mood. His mother didn’t say anything. His father was too busy drinking to notice. He was happy that “Tanya” was home again, but he still couldn’t kick the drinking. They were all sat at the dinner table when Tommy’s phone rang.
“You know how I feel about cell phones at the table, Tommy.”
“Mom, it’s just-“He stopped himself from saying June. “Tanya. It’s Tanya.”
“Hello?” Tommy answered.
“Tommy have you seen Matthew?”
“No.”
“Well, the band had an appointment in a studio today, to record, and he didn’t show up. He’s not answering his phone and no one is answering the door at his house. We’re worried.”
“Okay, I’ll go to his house and try.”
“Thanks, Tommy.”
Tommy got up from the table and got his keys and walked outside. Soon, his mom was out there as well.
“Tommy, where are you going?”
“Too my friend’s house,” he answered.
“Which friend?”
“Matthew,” Tommy answered again.
June showed up as well and walked up the driveway.
“Hey, you guys,” she said.
“You can’t go to Matthew’s house,” said Mrs. Brooks.
“What?” Tommy asked.
“I know what’s going on between you. I talked to him already. You’re not to see him ever again, okay?”
“You talked to Matthew behind my back?”
The three of them stood silent, until Tommy finally got into his car anyway, started the engine, and drove off.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” June asked. “Any idea at all?”
Mrs. Brooks stared at her angrily. “Of course I know what I’ve done. Why wouldn’t I? Anyway, you’re not a part of this family. What would you know?”
June shook her head and walked off. Mr. Brooks walked out.
“What’s going on?” asked Mr. Brooks. His wife stayed silent and walked back into the house.
* * *
Tommy parked in front of Matthew’s house. He knew he wouldn’t answer the door, so he just stood on the yard, and projected his voice to the window of Matthew’s room.
“Matthew!” He yelled. “Matthew, please come down! I know you’re up there!”
Tommy kept calling for a while, but there was no answered. Tommy finally gave up, but only because it was late and he didn’t want to wake the neighborhood up. He put his head down in disappointment, walked back to his car and drove off.
He didn’t want to go home, because he was furious at his mom. He remembered that some of his baseball teammates were going to get together at a teammate’s house because his parents were gone for the weekend. He got the directions to the house in a text message.
When he walked into the house, his teammates greeted him. There was a table full of alcohol bottles. Music was playing from a stereo in the living room. He could see a bunch of girls sitting in the backyard patio. All the guys were sitting around the table taking shots and talking loudly.
“Tommy! Take a shot!”
David handed him a shot of something. He didn’t know what it was, he just took it. Then he took another one and another one. He took shots until he couldn’t anymore.
“Tommy, tell me something,” started Mark.
“What?” Tommy asked.
“Jaz is your girlfriend right?”
“Yeah…so…”
“So, why don’t I ever see you out with her anymore? Why isn’t she with you right now?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“Let me ask you something…” He started again. “Are you gay?”
“What? Why would you ask that?”
“Steven heard that someone saw you at City Square with a guy and you looked pretty close.”
“Hey, don’t bring me into this,” said Steven to Mark. “But I really did hear that.”
“This is bullshit, you guys.” Tommy got up and started to leave.
His other teammates were obviously worried that he would try to drive home. So, they got one of the only sober people to follow him. It happened to be Donna.
“Hey!” She called him and he turned around.
“What?” he asked.
“You’re not going to drive home are you?”
“How else am I supposed to get home?” Tommy was starting to slur.
“You’re smashed. You can’t drive. Give me your keys.”
“How will you get home?”
“My car is here and you live only a few blocks down. I’ll walk back.”
Tommy handed her his keys and they both got into the car. As soon as she started driving, Donna couldn’t help but take her chance at asking Tommy himself. She’s the one who had gone to Steven when she was upset about seeing Tommy. She wanted to get the truth from the source.
“So…is it true?”
“Is what true?” Tommy asked.
“I saw you and Matthew together in the Square. You two looked pretty close.”
“It was you? You saw me? What have you been saying about me?”
“Nothing—I—I didn’t mean to just blurt out that I saw you to Steven. I was just so mad.”
“Why would you be mad?”
“Because I love him, okay? I love Matthew, but he never even noticed me. I had to kiss him for him to figure it out.”
“You—You kissed him?” Tommy felt a seed of jealousy in his gut.
“Yes, but he pushed me away.”
“I—I’m not gay.”
“Matthew, it’s Tommy, um maybe you forgot or maybe you couldn’t postpone your rehearsal, but I’m at Charlie’s. We were supposed to meet here. Please call me…or not…”
Tommy didn’t really know how to feel. He didn’t know why Matthew wasn’t answering his phone, but he had a feeling that it wasn’t good. So, he paid for the drink he ordered and then left. His first instinct was to drive straight to Matthew’s house, but he decided not to. He didn’t want to seem desperate.
When he went back home, he was in a bad mood. His mother didn’t say anything. His father was too busy drinking to notice. He was happy that “Tanya” was home again, but he still couldn’t kick the drinking. They were all sat at the dinner table when Tommy’s phone rang.
“You know how I feel about cell phones at the table, Tommy.”
“Mom, it’s just-“He stopped himself from saying June. “Tanya. It’s Tanya.”
“Hello?” Tommy answered.
“Tommy have you seen Matthew?”
“No.”
“Well, the band had an appointment in a studio today, to record, and he didn’t show up. He’s not answering his phone and no one is answering the door at his house. We’re worried.”
“Okay, I’ll go to his house and try.”
“Thanks, Tommy.”
Tommy got up from the table and got his keys and walked outside. Soon, his mom was out there as well.
“Tommy, where are you going?”
“Too my friend’s house,” he answered.
“Which friend?”
“Matthew,” Tommy answered again.
June showed up as well and walked up the driveway.
“Hey, you guys,” she said.
“You can’t go to Matthew’s house,” said Mrs. Brooks.
“What?” Tommy asked.
“I know what’s going on between you. I talked to him already. You’re not to see him ever again, okay?”
“You talked to Matthew behind my back?”
The three of them stood silent, until Tommy finally got into his car anyway, started the engine, and drove off.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” June asked. “Any idea at all?”
Mrs. Brooks stared at her angrily. “Of course I know what I’ve done. Why wouldn’t I? Anyway, you’re not a part of this family. What would you know?”
June shook her head and walked off. Mr. Brooks walked out.
“What’s going on?” asked Mr. Brooks. His wife stayed silent and walked back into the house.
* * *
Tommy parked in front of Matthew’s house. He knew he wouldn’t answer the door, so he just stood on the yard, and projected his voice to the window of Matthew’s room.
“Matthew!” He yelled. “Matthew, please come down! I know you’re up there!”
Tommy kept calling for a while, but there was no answered. Tommy finally gave up, but only because it was late and he didn’t want to wake the neighborhood up. He put his head down in disappointment, walked back to his car and drove off.
He didn’t want to go home, because he was furious at his mom. He remembered that some of his baseball teammates were going to get together at a teammate’s house because his parents were gone for the weekend. He got the directions to the house in a text message.
When he walked into the house, his teammates greeted him. There was a table full of alcohol bottles. Music was playing from a stereo in the living room. He could see a bunch of girls sitting in the backyard patio. All the guys were sitting around the table taking shots and talking loudly.
“Tommy! Take a shot!”
David handed him a shot of something. He didn’t know what it was, he just took it. Then he took another one and another one. He took shots until he couldn’t anymore.
“Tommy, tell me something,” started Mark.
“What?” Tommy asked.
“Jaz is your girlfriend right?”
“Yeah…so…”
“So, why don’t I ever see you out with her anymore? Why isn’t she with you right now?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“Let me ask you something…” He started again. “Are you gay?”
“What? Why would you ask that?”
“Steven heard that someone saw you at City Square with a guy and you looked pretty close.”
“Hey, don’t bring me into this,” said Steven to Mark. “But I really did hear that.”
“This is bullshit, you guys.” Tommy got up and started to leave.
His other teammates were obviously worried that he would try to drive home. So, they got one of the only sober people to follow him. It happened to be Donna.
“Hey!” She called him and he turned around.
“What?” he asked.
“You’re not going to drive home are you?”
“How else am I supposed to get home?” Tommy was starting to slur.
“You’re smashed. You can’t drive. Give me your keys.”
“How will you get home?”
“My car is here and you live only a few blocks down. I’ll walk back.”
Tommy handed her his keys and they both got into the car. As soon as she started driving, Donna couldn’t help but take her chance at asking Tommy himself. She’s the one who had gone to Steven when she was upset about seeing Tommy. She wanted to get the truth from the source.
“So…is it true?”
“Is what true?” Tommy asked.
“I saw you and Matthew together in the Square. You two looked pretty close.”
“It was you? You saw me? What have you been saying about me?”
“Nothing—I—I didn’t mean to just blurt out that I saw you to Steven. I was just so mad.”
“Why would you be mad?”
“Because I love him, okay? I love Matthew, but he never even noticed me. I had to kiss him for him to figure it out.”
“You—You kissed him?” Tommy felt a seed of jealousy in his gut.
“Yes, but he pushed me away.”
“I—I’m not gay.”