Pavane for a Lost Boy (Or Rather, How to Survive Loss after Rejection)

Chapter Thirty-Two

It wouldn't be long until I was soon in the spacious dining room of the Kendricks family antebellum-themed mini-mansion as I was introduced to Jillian's older sister Candace (a college junior) and her boyfriend Mark, Jillian's younger brother (as well as the only boy and middle child) Ethan, and the family matriarch (and Jillian's grandmother) Endora before we all sat down to a meal of pasta salad and grilled chicken. "Demario, my family and I want to first start this off by telling you that you have our deepest sympathies regarding your late parents and siblings," Mrs. Kendricks said as a waiter silently distributed glasses of iced tea and wine (the latter for the adults). "I consider your maltreatment by your mother and you being disowned and left to fend for yourself a crime since I'm a former social worker. It's a blessing that you survived your suicide attempt and now have people who want you to heal from the past."

"Definitely," Candace hummed, nodding her head. "From what we all heard, you have hidden talents and yet got the raw end of the deal by your late mother. If you haven't heard this before, then it needs to be said: there's a special place in hell for people like your late family and your relatives who made you feel insignificant."

"Of course," I replied, pausing to take a sip of iced tea. "I've been told that alongside the reminder that I have something worth fighting for. It's something that people remind me of everyday to make sure that I start believing it."

"Then it's all the more reason for the reminder," Madame Endora commented, giving me a motherly smile. "You may not know it now, but you will in time."

"But now is the time to get down to business regarding Jillian," her son-in-law said stoically. To me, "Son, my daughter Jillian is always one to have blind ambitions and be possessive of anything that she wants to have for herself. And that includes Ryan Peavey."

"I know a little bit about their relationship," I couldn't help but reply. "Weren't they once dating or engaged at some point?"

"Engaged," Ethan said. "And that didn't last for over a year since Jillian was still a bit wild and clingy to Ryan when she felt that anyone he met- male or female, gay or straight, or even any race- was deemed a threat in her eyes. She demanded him that he spend less time with his friends- your foster brothers included- and more time with her. At one point, she even wanted him away from school and prepare himself to work for Dad."

"I wasn't going to allow that," his father added. My wife and I knew that Ryan was too good for her and even his parents believed it. We also knew that Ryan wasn't sexually attracted to her, much less any woman. So when the time came for Jillian to announce her plans to marry Ryan during school last year, it was nobody's surprise that he decided to break things off and come out of the closet. Jillian, of course, didn't take it too well and did all she could to make him see reason to change his mind: currying favor, stalking, subtle threats, and anything that she could think of. I knew that she wouldn't stop until someone else would, so I decided to send her to her relatives for the rest of summer vacation. By then, Ryan started hanging out with Hillman. Artem Hillman."

I nodded. "And I take it that this was when things started going crazy when Jillian would meet Artem for the first time," I deduced.

"Yes," Mrs. Kendricks replied. "Jillian was coolly receptive when she first met him, but still had that jealous streak because he was attractive and athletic. Ryan took Artem under his wing and soon became a known pairing throughout the neighborhoods and the school. And the more Jillian saw them together, the more upset she got. Of course, there was that fateful incident which almost ended that poor boy's life at Serenity's party that soon almost tarnished the family name."

"What happened, I'd like to know?"

A clouded look crossed over the family's faces.

Candace shuddered lightly. "Let's just say that I can never forgive my sister for stealing my antidepressants and teaming up with that little brat Theo for wanting such a sweet guy out of her way all because of her jealousy," she said lowly. "Hillman was already suffering from seizures and his near-completed transition from female to male. He almost died in that hospital bed three times."