4Ever & a Day : The Next Generation of R5

This Pizza Tastes Like...

Romeo

I sighed. This place was so fucking loud! There were kids running around everywhere and it was so hard to keep track of Brandon. Frankie had been letting me see him a couple of times in the past few weeks. Bentley had even been watching him while she was at work, so she didn't have to pay a babysitter anymore. Then there was this fucking party. Frankie had said she was going to be here as soon as she got off work, but I know for a fact she got off an hour ago and she still wasn't here. What kind of mother missed her son's birthday?

They called over the loud speaker saying it was time for pizza and cake. So everyone gathered around the table. I had brought Harley, Moondoggie, and Ansel Diddy with me and I had brought Cameron and Embry along to help me. Then there was like ten little kids I didn't know. The parents eyed me and Bentley like they were afraid of us or didn't like the fact that we were a couple or something. Cameron and Embry however didn't care what people thought. I glanced over at them and Cameron was standing behind Embry with his around him. I wished Bentley was that affectionate in public.

As we sat down to eat pizza Brandon decided he wanted to sit in between me and Bentley. I think he loved Bentley more than me but he did spend more time with Bentley than he did with me. He smiled up at us like he was having the best time in the world. I liked seeing him happy and hated that I had missed four years of his life. Of course if Frankie had told me when she first found out I wouldn't have wanted anything to do with him. Funny how we grow up huh? It was hard to believe in a few months I would be a father of two!

"This pizza tastes like ass," Cameron announced after all the other kids had left.

"Yet you're still eating it," I said.

"Yeah Cameron likes the taste of ass, don't you?" Embry asked.

I spat my coke at him. "Not really I do it because Bentley likes it."

"How do you know what ass tastes like?" Brandon asked.

Shit! I had forgotten he was still sitting here. The party was over and still no Frankie.

"Well you see when two guys are together sometimes they..."

"STOP! We are not having this conversation with him. He's four!" I interrupted him.

"But he should know. What if he walks in on the two of you?" Cameron asked.

"So you're telling me that you're going to talk to your four-year-old child about gay sex?" Bentley asked.

"We have decided to be childless," Embry announced.

"Yeah okay good luck with that," I laughed. As much as they loved kids I didn't see that happening. They were always so good with the little ones and everyone called them to babysit. Maybe that was enough for them.

"Wait back to the ass question," Brandon said.

Bentley turned to give Brandon his dad look, "Brandon drop it."

I had to smile when Brandon turned away from Bentley and looked at the table pouting. In an effort to cheer Brandon up, Embry challenged him to a game of air hockey and the ran off to play. Bentley and Cameron started up a conversation about some book they had read and I tuned them out. I still wondered where the hell Frankie was. She had yet to show up and it was almost time to go. I had to be at work at seven and Brandon was going to need to go to bed soon.

I looked up as Frankie came stumbling towards us. When she got closer to us I could see that her eyes were dilated. I could smell the alcohol on her breath as she approached. I looked at Bentley and he nodded like he smelled it too. Cameron was watching her closely.

"Where's Brandon? We need to get home," she asked.

"Wait are you high?" Cameron asked.

"No, why the fuck would you ask me that?" Frankie got defensive quickly.

"Listen I can smell the alcohol in your breath and I can't allow you to take Brandon with you," Bentley said.

I turned and looked at Bentley. God I loved him so much right now. He was getting all parental over Brandon. I knew he was right. We couldn't allow Brandon to leave with her. She had obviously been drinking and doing God knows what when she should have been at her son's birthday party.

"Fuck you, you can't stop me from taking him anywhere," Frankie cussed loudly. "You're not his father."

"But I am and I can stop you," I spoke up.

"So now the two of you are conspiring against me and trying to take my son away from me?"

"Look Frankie no one is conspiring against you. They just want..."

"Cameron butt the fuck out!"

Cameron put his hands up. "Dude I'm just trying to help."

"You know how you can help, Cameron? Go find my son please," Frankie said sweetly as she turned to look at Cameron.

Just then Embry and Brandon came running up laughing. I had to smile hearing Brandon laugh was the best sound in the world. He was smiling ear to ear and holding Embry's hand.

"Hi mommy," Brandon said sad all of a sudden like she had sucked all the happiness from the room.

"Hi baby how was your party?" she asked.

"Good, I missed you," he said looking at the floor.

I noticed he held on tighter to Embry's hand. He had been having so much fun he hadn't noticed she didn't show up till he saw her and was reminded of it. I could tell by the look on his face this wasn't the first time she had done something like this. I was new to this whole parenting thing but I knew you didn't blow off your kid's party to go get drunk. I had to do something.

"Mommy, can I stay with daddy and Bentley tonight?" Brandon asked giving her a pleading face.

"Sure baby if you want to," she said with that overly sweet voice again.

"Yeah," he replied.

She went over and kissed him, said bye and without even telling him I love you she left. I paid the bill because she hadn't even offered and we left. All the way to the house in the car Brandon talked about what a good time he had today with his friends and how much he loved uncle Embry. I could tell the feeling was mutual. If they went through with that remaining childless shit, I'd be surprised.

Bentley ended up carrying Brandon in the house. As he put Brandon to bed, I got ready for work. I hated the way I had seen Frankie treat him over the past few weeks. She had pawned him off on us and we had had him more than she did. I wondered to myself who she pawned him off on before we came along. I went to the guest room where Brandon slept when he was here and Bentley was reading him a book.

"I'm leaving now," I said as I went into the room.

I bent down and kissed Brandon on the forehead. "Night sleep tight."

"I love you daddy," Brandon said sleepily.

Bentley tucked Brandon in and followed me into the hallway. I pulled the door to leaving it cracked just a little like Brandon liked it. Bentley looked at me and I knew what he was thinking. I knew because I was thinking the same thing.

"I love you, we'll talk about it in the morning," I said acknowledging the look.

He nodded and I kissed him goodbye.

"I love you too," he said as we pulled apart.

An ambulance pulled up just as I was clocking in at the hospital. The waiting room was packed and I could tell it was going to be a busy night here in the ER. The paramedics came rushing through the door with a body on a gurney. I glance up and there was a paramedic on top of the girl performing CPR. They took her into a room and I noticed Embry was one of the paramedics.

"Dude you don't want to go in there," he stopped me before I could go to the room.

"Why?" I said.

"It's Frankie," Embry said.