Just Think Happy Thoughts
Ch. 9: What the...?
It was well into the afternoon when a Motorhead ringtone rang out through the boys’ suite. Danny sluggishly rolled off the end of the bed where he’d been napping and went for the cell phone in his hoodie pocket. “What do you want?”
“Well aren’t we just a fountain of cheer,” Elena chuckled from the other end of the line. “We’re getting ready to hit the road again, it’s after 4:00. Wake the others, would you?”
“Yeah, sure thing.” Danny shut his phone and slipped it back into the pocket as he put on the sweatshirt. “C’mon, assholes, wakey-wakey,” he groaned, kicking the bed and the couch. “That was the cute one. She said we’re leaving.”
Manny looked up at him groggily from the sofa, hair sticking up at odd angles. “Five more minutes…”
“Just get up, Sleeping Surly. I’m gonna piss; you wake up Iero.” The door slammed behind him as he headed into the adjoining bathroom.
With a roll of the eyes, Manny got up, smoothed down his fro, and shook Tony gently. “C’mon, T, the girls called. We’re heading out.”
“Is it time already?” Tony yawned, stretching his arms out. “Where’s D, then?”
“In the can.” A devious smirk spread across Manny’s face as his eye landed on his friend’s messenger bag. “Wanna raid his stuff?”
“What kind of question is that? Always.” Tony giggled as he rolled off the bed and dove for the bag, unbuckling it quietly. “I’ve always wondered what all he kept in this thing. The ass never takes it off.”
“Let’s see…spiral notebook…old English paper…half a turkey sandwich…” Manny narrated as he dug around inside. Suddenly, a small thick paperback book caught his eye, prompting him to bring it out. “What’s this, then?”
Tony looked it over. “Japanese comic book. I’ve never heard of a series called ‘Uke Heart’ before…” He let the graphic novel fall open to a well-thumbed page, only to have his eyes widen and his jaw drop. “What the fuck?”
“What? What is it?”
“It’s yaoi,” Tony grimaced, dropping the book with a shudder. “Danny is in possession of yaoi…”
“What the fuck is yaoi?”
The younger boy lowered his voice to a whisper. “Gay cartoon porn…”
“Danny’s reading-“
“SHH!” Tony clapped a hand over his mouth. “Dude, he’ll get so pissed if he found out we were going through his stuff. Just put it back, and we’ll pretend this didn’t happen…”
Working quickly, the book was replaced and the bag went back to its spot by the door. “What exactly does this mean?” Manny muttered, slumping back onto the sofa.
“Well, my guess is that he’s either gay or bi. I don’t know why he hasn’t told us yet, though. He knows we’d be cool with it.”
“I bet he’s just not comfortable with it himself yet. D’s probably afraid what his dad will think when he finds out his son’s a puff. I mean, you know how he-man Uncle Bob can get sometimes.”
“So? Uncle Bob wouldn’t freak out. For fuck’s sake, my dad and Uncle Gee grope each other onstage right in front of him.”
“That’s for show, dumbass, this is sincere homosexuality. There’s no telling how Uncle Bob would take it…”
He trailed off as a flush resonated from the bathroom and the door opened. “You guys better hurry up and whiz if you need to. We’ve gotta get going soon. Why are you looking at me funny?” Danny raised an eyebrow at them as he rezipped his hoodie.
“No reason,” Tony answered, sitting on the floor to put on his sneakers.
“Well aren’t we just a fountain of cheer,” Elena chuckled from the other end of the line. “We’re getting ready to hit the road again, it’s after 4:00. Wake the others, would you?”
“Yeah, sure thing.” Danny shut his phone and slipped it back into the pocket as he put on the sweatshirt. “C’mon, assholes, wakey-wakey,” he groaned, kicking the bed and the couch. “That was the cute one. She said we’re leaving.”
Manny looked up at him groggily from the sofa, hair sticking up at odd angles. “Five more minutes…”
“Just get up, Sleeping Surly. I’m gonna piss; you wake up Iero.” The door slammed behind him as he headed into the adjoining bathroom.
With a roll of the eyes, Manny got up, smoothed down his fro, and shook Tony gently. “C’mon, T, the girls called. We’re heading out.”
“Is it time already?” Tony yawned, stretching his arms out. “Where’s D, then?”
“In the can.” A devious smirk spread across Manny’s face as his eye landed on his friend’s messenger bag. “Wanna raid his stuff?”
“What kind of question is that? Always.” Tony giggled as he rolled off the bed and dove for the bag, unbuckling it quietly. “I’ve always wondered what all he kept in this thing. The ass never takes it off.”
“Let’s see…spiral notebook…old English paper…half a turkey sandwich…” Manny narrated as he dug around inside. Suddenly, a small thick paperback book caught his eye, prompting him to bring it out. “What’s this, then?”
Tony looked it over. “Japanese comic book. I’ve never heard of a series called ‘Uke Heart’ before…” He let the graphic novel fall open to a well-thumbed page, only to have his eyes widen and his jaw drop. “What the fuck?”
“What? What is it?”
“It’s yaoi,” Tony grimaced, dropping the book with a shudder. “Danny is in possession of yaoi…”
“What the fuck is yaoi?”
The younger boy lowered his voice to a whisper. “Gay cartoon porn…”
“Danny’s reading-“
“SHH!” Tony clapped a hand over his mouth. “Dude, he’ll get so pissed if he found out we were going through his stuff. Just put it back, and we’ll pretend this didn’t happen…”
Working quickly, the book was replaced and the bag went back to its spot by the door. “What exactly does this mean?” Manny muttered, slumping back onto the sofa.
“Well, my guess is that he’s either gay or bi. I don’t know why he hasn’t told us yet, though. He knows we’d be cool with it.”
“I bet he’s just not comfortable with it himself yet. D’s probably afraid what his dad will think when he finds out his son’s a puff. I mean, you know how he-man Uncle Bob can get sometimes.”
“So? Uncle Bob wouldn’t freak out. For fuck’s sake, my dad and Uncle Gee grope each other onstage right in front of him.”
“That’s for show, dumbass, this is sincere homosexuality. There’s no telling how Uncle Bob would take it…”
He trailed off as a flush resonated from the bathroom and the door opened. “You guys better hurry up and whiz if you need to. We’ve gotta get going soon. Why are you looking at me funny?” Danny raised an eyebrow at them as he rezipped his hoodie.
“No reason,” Tony answered, sitting on the floor to put on his sneakers.