Pursuing Happiness by Jessie Pinkham

Author:Jessie Pinkham [Pinkham, Jessie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jessie Pinkham

Chapter Fourteen

Collin had a long day at work because some people didn’t know how to keep a meeting brief and on subject. When he finally got out he called his man. Hopefully Matt and Levi had been able to reconnect since the previous afternoon when they left Ted’s Place.

“Hey, how’s it going?”

“Pretty well. There’s such a thing as full-size bunk beds,” Matt said. “I ordered one online and it should be here Saturday.”

“That’s good. Have you eaten?”

“We just finished.”

“I’m going to pick something up. I thought maybe you could come over and hang out.” If he was in Matt’s situation, Collin would want a break and a chance to talk.

“Sure. Levi, you’ll be fine if I’m over at Collin’s, right?”

Through the phone Collin could hear Levi’s response. “Of course. I’m sixteen, not six.”

Hah. He liked this kid.

He picked up tacos from a Mexican restaurant he frequented, and before going in to his own apartment he knocked on Matt’s door. His boyfriend appeared a minute later, smiling at Collin’s arrival in a way that felt really good.

“I’ll be next door,” Matt said.

“I’ll be here,” replied Levi.

Collin fished out his keys. “How’s it going?”

“We’ve figured a few things out. He’s really anxious about high school, so we looked into options. It turns out there’s an online program he can do through the state that won’t cost anything. He’ll even get a laptop.”

“What about socializing? Want something to drink?”

“No thanks.” Matt made himself comfortable on Collin’s couch. “You’ve got to remember the environment he’s coming from. Being thrown into a standard American high school would’ve freaked me out, too. Come to think of it, it still would freak me out. Anyway, Levi is determined to get a job to help out financially. I’ve convinced him to wait at least a month to get settled in, but he can socialize that way. Maybe volunteer someplace quiet so he isn’t just thrown into a huge crowd.”

It made sense. Collin pondered while chewing a mouthful of taco, then suggested, “We have teen programs at the center.”

“That’s a good idea. There’s so much to think of. It’s pretty overwhelming. Oh, I talked to Stuart. He wasn’t thrilled to have a second person in the apartment, but once I explained the situation he said he’ll let it slide.”

Good thing. Collin couldn’t have respected a landlord who made a big deal about Levi moving in, and he wasn’t in a hurry to relocate again.

“He brought a key over this afternoon, and he’s just raising the rent by $20 a month to cover water.”

“That’s not too bad.”

“I don’t think so. It was a relief. Feeding another person is already going to stretch my budget to the max. I’ll have to use my savings instead of adding to it until Levi starts working, but I don’t care about that. Whatever it takes, I’m going to make this work. I’m not going to let Levi become one of the tragic statistics about gay teenagers kicked out by their parents.” Determination came through in his tone and the set of his chin.

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