A Different Kind of Love, chapter 11
"Who, me?" asked Zach, looking at Tre in confusion.
"Yes...I'm sorry Zach but Tre seems to want to refer to you as 'it'" Mike scowled at Tre, who got up and started to make nachos.
"Hey Mike...DO YOU LIKE CHEEEEEEEEESE?!" Tre yelled and squirted Mike in the face with mustard. Mike dove on Tre and started to wrestle him for the mustard. Billie Joe sat down next to Zach on the couch.
"You can have dinner with us if you want Zach, I'll have you home by six. Promise. We have an hour. Do you like nachos?" asked Billie Joe.
"IT'S NOT CHEESE MIKE! IT'S MUSTARD! IT'S MUSTARD! I'M SORRY!" yelled Tre. Zach and Billie saw a fountain of mustard squirt up past the kitchen bench top.
Zach laughed.
"Yeah...I like nachos. I don't want to go home. This is a really nice feeling...being here...with you guys...I dunno what it is...but when I think of home...it's like, there's this fog at the back of my head and it feels like it's choking me..." Zach finished. Billie Joe noticed that Zach always looked into his eyes. He admired him for that. Billie Joe found it difficult to look directly into peoples eyes, for fear of vulnerability. But with Zach's eyes, Billie couldn't look away.
Billie Joe continued to look into Zach's life, and saw he needed a family. But what was Billie? He didn't have a very good track record...partying, depression, drugs and a reputation for rebellion. Not really father material. And he knew if he told the courts, and Zach's dad won custody of him again, or if Zach went home with his father knowing word was out...he was as good as dead. And supposed he didn't...what happened to Zach then? Foster family after foster family? Billie Joe felt tears stinging his eyes. He kept looking at Zach.
He really loved him. He really, really loved him. He wanted to take care of this boy he met half hour ago for the rest of his life.
"What's wrong?" asked Zach, sitting up and hugging Billie.
"N-nothing..." Billie Joe replied, and hugged Zach back. He never wanted to let go. Ever.
"NOW THERE IS NO MUSTARD TRE! ARE YOU HAPPY?! NO MUSTARD!" screamed Mike, throwing the empty squeeze bottle onto the counter top. They both emerged, covered in mustard. Tre threw himself on the floor and started to throw a tantrum.
"WAAAAAA! AAAAAA HAAA HAAA WAAAA!" screeched Tre. Billie Joe lifted Zach and carried him to the kitchen counter. He sat Zach on the surface, and kissed his forehead gently. Zach waited to feel numb and scared and the touch of Billie's lips...but it never came. Zach watched Billie taking the nachos out of the microwave. Why did he feel so safe with him?
"Yes...I'm sorry Zach but Tre seems to want to refer to you as 'it'" Mike scowled at Tre, who got up and started to make nachos.
"Hey Mike...DO YOU LIKE CHEEEEEEEEESE?!" Tre yelled and squirted Mike in the face with mustard. Mike dove on Tre and started to wrestle him for the mustard. Billie Joe sat down next to Zach on the couch.
"You can have dinner with us if you want Zach, I'll have you home by six. Promise. We have an hour. Do you like nachos?" asked Billie Joe.
"IT'S NOT CHEESE MIKE! IT'S MUSTARD! IT'S MUSTARD! I'M SORRY!" yelled Tre. Zach and Billie saw a fountain of mustard squirt up past the kitchen bench top.
Zach laughed.
"Yeah...I like nachos. I don't want to go home. This is a really nice feeling...being here...with you guys...I dunno what it is...but when I think of home...it's like, there's this fog at the back of my head and it feels like it's choking me..." Zach finished. Billie Joe noticed that Zach always looked into his eyes. He admired him for that. Billie Joe found it difficult to look directly into peoples eyes, for fear of vulnerability. But with Zach's eyes, Billie couldn't look away.
Billie Joe continued to look into Zach's life, and saw he needed a family. But what was Billie? He didn't have a very good track record...partying, depression, drugs and a reputation for rebellion. Not really father material. And he knew if he told the courts, and Zach's dad won custody of him again, or if Zach went home with his father knowing word was out...he was as good as dead. And supposed he didn't...what happened to Zach then? Foster family after foster family? Billie Joe felt tears stinging his eyes. He kept looking at Zach.
He really loved him. He really, really loved him. He wanted to take care of this boy he met half hour ago for the rest of his life.
"What's wrong?" asked Zach, sitting up and hugging Billie.
"N-nothing..." Billie Joe replied, and hugged Zach back. He never wanted to let go. Ever.
"NOW THERE IS NO MUSTARD TRE! ARE YOU HAPPY?! NO MUSTARD!" screamed Mike, throwing the empty squeeze bottle onto the counter top. They both emerged, covered in mustard. Tre threw himself on the floor and started to throw a tantrum.
"WAAAAAA! AAAAAA HAAA HAAA WAAAA!" screeched Tre. Billie Joe lifted Zach and carried him to the kitchen counter. He sat Zach on the surface, and kissed his forehead gently. Zach waited to feel numb and scared and the touch of Billie's lips...but it never came. Zach watched Billie taking the nachos out of the microwave. Why did he feel so safe with him?
