The Dotted Line

Hi, my name is Hank.

ME: Are you nervous?
DAVIS: I don't get nervous. I'm Davis.

We're sitting in Davis' lawyer's office. The owner of Prisms is seated across the table.

MICK: I can't believe you're doing this to me, Davis.
DAVIS: It's just business, Mick.
MICK: After all these years--
DAVIS: Slice is a classy establishment. It brings something to the city. To the gay community here. Prisms is what this town THINKS gay life is like here. I want to change that.
MICK: You want to kill your competition.
DAVIS: That's your opinion.
MICK: You sound like our old mayor.

Davis asked me along in case Mick brought some goons to rough him up, but it was pretty clear this guy is a broken man.

After getting a few investors onboard, Davis is ready to buy Prisms and tear the place down.

DAVIS: Time to sign, Mick.
MICK: Everybody in this town is going to want your head on a plate for this.
DAVIS: Won't be the first time. Now sign.

Mick took the pen, and with one signature--

MICK: Done.

--John Davis just shut down Prisms.

The Inbox

Hi, my name is Ritchie.

ADAM: Hey Ritchie.

This is my new semi-roommate.

ME: Hello Adam.

Joey moved back in, and he brought Adam with him.

I could kick, scream, and shout, but Joey is convinced that I set fire to my club and he has evidence that could definitely make it look that way, so for the time being, I have to suck it up.

At least, on the surface.

ME: Hey, my laptop is broken. Do you think I could use Joey's?
ADAM: Um, I don't know. He gets picky about that.
ME: Well, I'll use it right in front of you. I just need to check my Facebook.
ADAM: Uh, okay. I guess if you're going to use it right here.

I sat down next to Adam.

Come on, Joey, I thought. Be the little slimy heartbreaker I know you can be.

ME: Okay--
ADAM: Um, you're on Joey's Facebook.
ME: You're right. I should--Oops, I'm in his Sent box.
ADAM: Ritchie, stop.
ME: Is this a message to Davis?
ADAM: You need to--Wait, let me see that.

Look at that. Joey was telling Davis that he misses him.

ADAM: He slapped him across the face!
ME: Maybe he's into that sort of thing.
ADAM: Hey!
ME: Yeah, I guess I would know. The walls in this place are so thin and--

The door to the apartment opened, and Joey walked in.

ME: Hi Joey.
JOEY: What are you two doing?
ADAM: Looking at your slutty messages to Davis.

Well, what do you know?

I missed having roommates after all.

Mark It Down

Hi, my name is Billy.

KURT: You know, changing the floor is a lot better when you can have sex halfway through it.

My boyfriend, Kurt, and I were the last ones left in the store we work at. Needless to say, we had a little fun on the discard pile.

ME: That was cool.
KURT: Just cool?
ME: Cool is pinnacle for me. Nobody gets 'cool' from me.
KURT: And I got a 'cool?'
ME: Yup.
KURT: Amazing. Anyone else ever get a 'cool?'

Jeremy.

ME: Uh...nope.
KURT: Awesome.

Kurt is really sensitive when it comes to Jeremy. He knows that we meant a lot to each other, and he worries that he won't live up to the hype.

To be honest, sometimes I worry about it too.

KURT: So, I want to talk to you about something.
ME: No, I do not think we can, in good faith, redistribute that sweater after--
KURT: No, it's about us.

Oh boy.

KURT: Look, being in that explosion really changed things for me. I have a whole new outlook on life now. I want to seize it. I want to embrace it.
ME: You want to eat sushi in land-locked states?
KURT: Huh?
ME: That was...a joke.

A Jeremy joke.

KURT: I want to get married.

WHAT?!

ME: Kurt--
KURT: I know, it's crazy. We haven't known each other that long, but I love you.
ME: I...

I don't--

ME: I love you, too.
KURT: So--let's do this? Right?

If he had just asked, I could have said 'No.' But the way he said, 'Right?'

It was like--

ME: Sure.

It was just like that.

Looks like I'm getting married.

We Can Work It Out

Hi, my name is Nathan.

ME: I'm transferring...again.

I gathered all the RIC kids together to tell them that I decided to go back to Ocean State College.

Things weren't working out.

You know, what with the dinner party orgies and the possible homicides and all.

VALERIE: But Nathan, you're one of the family now. You can't just leave.
ALEX: The last guy who left wound up in pieces.
ME: You mean emotional, metaphorical pieces?
ALEX: Yeah, let's go with that.

I figured they would be a little averse to me going like this, which is why I called for back-up.

ME: Guys, I want you to meet my friends.

Jackson, Jeremy, and Paige walked into the Little Theater, where I was having my farewell party.

ME: They'll be helping me leave.
KRISTINA: Oh, you're that tranny, Jeremy!
JEREMY: That was a lie.
KRISTINA: A lie? You lied?
JEREMY: Yes, I'm a liar. I am not, however, a tranny.
JAMES: Damn!

Everybody looked at James.

JAMES: I'm just very accepting of people being different...in a sexual way...

Okay, time to go.

ME: Look, this has really been...an experience, but I just don't think I fit in here.
HAYLEY: Do you want to make out before you leave?
ME: I'm going to say 'No.'
PAIGE: I'll make out with you if there any straight boys here it would entice.
ALL: No!
ME: You two making out would just be very, very wrong.

Adi came up to me.

ADI: I'll be sad to see you go.
ME: We were never going to sleep together.
ADI: In that case, who wants to go to Subway with me?

Doug burst into the room.

DOUG: They just posted the cast list for the musical!
ME: Great. Have fun everybody. Jeremy can you--
DOUG: Nathan, you got the lead.

Silence.

ME: You know...maybe I'm being too rash here.
JACKSON: Nathan, what are you--
ME: Back off, Jackson. Didn't you hear him? I have a lead. A LEAD!
JEREMY: These people are insane!
VALERIE: We're mainly slutty.
ME: I'm staying.
PAIGE: Can I transfer here too?

I know, I know, but don't judge me.

I realize that it's better to be a small fish in a--

You know what? Screw the fish.

I'm a lead in a musical.

Life is sweet.

A Perfect Match

Hi, my name is Joey.

RITCHIE: Look who's back.

I needed to see Ritchie.

ME: I need to move back in with you.
RITCHIE: What's the matter? Not enjoying dorm life with Adam?
ME: I need my own place. I can't move back in with my family.
RITCHIE: Then you better figure something out.
ME: I already have.

I threw down my smoking gun.

RITCHIE: Matches? Sorry Joey, I gave up smoking.
ME: Was that before or after you set your club on fire?

His face fell. I had him.

ME: You dropped these matches at the club the night of the explosion. I picked it up. How much do you want to bet the match they found outside the boiler room that set off the explosion has your finger prints on it? Now if someone were to suggest it to the police--
RITCHIE: Why would I light my own club on fire?
ME: For the insurance money. I guess you didn't think it was going to cause that gas mane to blow. You were hoping there'd be more time for all of us to get out. Now Carter's dead and I think you should pay.

I started to walk towards the door, but he stopped me--

Of course.

RITCHIE: You can move back in here.
ME: Rent free?
RITCHIE: Are you out of--

I held up the matches.

RITCHIE: Fine.
ME: Adam's moving in too.

He looked like I punched him in the gut.

ME: You're right. Dorm life isn't for me.

I walked out.

Wow. It feels good being a bitch.

Don't Mess with the Family

Hi, my name is Jackson.

VOICE: If you move, I'll shoot you.

I'm staying in my room.

There was a knock on the door of the apartment, and Jeremy went to see who it was. Paige is out for the night with friends, and our mom is out shopping, which means she'll be back in three days.

I heard a commotion in the hallway, and when I hobbled out of my sick bed and over to the door, I looked out and saw some guy standing over Jeremy holding a gun.

Immediately, I thought to bumrush him, but with my leg still in a cast from the explosion, I wouldn't be able to do much damage.

Instead, I closed the door, and tried to figure out what I could do.

Buzz, Buzz...

Thank God for cell phones.

I picked it up, went into the closet, shut the door, and answered it.

ME: Hello?
BEN: Jackson?
ME: Ben, there's someone--
BEN: It's Taylor.
ME: The crazy guy from L.A.?

He told me all about Taylor, but he told me that he was--

BEN: He's not dead.
ME: CLEARLY!
BEN: Is Jeremy okay?
ME: He's got a gun pointed at him. Other than that, he's great.
BEN: I'll be there in a little bit. Just keep him there until--

BANG! BANG!

ME: Oh my God.
BEN: Jackson, what was that?
ME: I think he shot Jeremy.
BEN: WHAT?
ME: I have to see--
BEN: Jackson, don't!

I couldn't hide anymore. I had to try to do something.

As soon as I got into the hallway, I saw what had happened.

There was Taylor, down on the ground, with his hands over his head. There was Jeremy a few feet from him, holding Taylor's own gun at him.

And there was Paige, with the gun still pointed at the wall--a wall with two new bullet holes in it.

ME: Paige?!?!
PAIGE: Every girl needs a handgun.
ME: I thought you were out with--
PAIGE: The club was boring. So I came home. Who's this?

Thank God Rhode Island doesn't have much of a Tuesday night club scene.

The Gingerbread Man

Hi, my name is Ben.

ME: Hello, this is Ben.

The past has finally found me.

TAYLOR'S VOICE: Hello Ben.

Taylor...

-- LOS ANGELES, LAST YEAR --

I had no idea when I went down there that he was into...

TAYLOR: Film.

...Film.

TAYLOR: I want you to be my new star, Benny Boy.

I wasn't interested, but when I tried walking out on him--

TAYLOR: And what about that little tape we made?

He had gotten us on tape--the first night I went out there.

TAYLOR: I'd hate for that to get out.

So I hung around, but he agreed to let me wait before I starred in my first big movie.

In the meantime, we did other stuff.

Mostly coke.

TAYLOR: Good to know you're not as prude as you look, Ben.

Then one night, we did too much.

...or rather, Taylor did too much...

We were out by his pool and he passed out.

...Right on the side of the pool.

One little kick--

SPLASH

--And he was facedown floating.

And I ran.

-- PROVIDENCE, TODAY --

ME: What do you want?
TAYLOR: I want to have a little meeting with you.
ME: No chance.
TAYLOR: Are you sure? What about our little--
ME: Release the video. I don't care. You're not going to blackmail me.
TAYLOR: And what about your friends? Do you think I could blackmail them?

What was he--

TAYLOR: Eli, for example.

That's why he went on that date with Eli.

TAYLOR: And those unreleased movies your friend Carter did.
ME: You sick--
TAYLOR: I'd hate to tarnish his memory.

He had me. I didn't want him embarrassing Carter. When he was alive, I wouldn't have cared, but the kid should rest in peace.

ME: Where do you want to meet?
TAYLOR: How about in your boyfriend's bedroom? That's where I am now.

Silence.

ME: What are you--
TAYLOR: Hey, I had to have a back-up plan in case the tapes didn't work. Your boy fell for the old, 'I'm here to check the pipes' trick. Can you believe it? Then again, I am a cute twenty-something guy. I do tend to slip in wherever I want.
ME: Leave Jackson alone. He's--
TAYLOR: Jackson? Why that naughty boy. He told me his name was Jeremy. I'm going to have to punish him for that.

He doesn't even realize Jackson is in the bedroom.

He's got both of them.

TAYLOR: See you when you get here, Benny Boy.

And he hung up.

Looks like Taylor and I were finally going to settle up our old debts.