Shut Down City

Hi, my name is Ritchie.

ME: What the hell is your problem?

I can't believe it's nearly 2:30am and I'm chasing after a normally-horned up college freshman trying to convince him to go home with me.

After Ben's little outburst, Carter had disappeared into the club, and it wasn't until the entire place had nearly emptied out that I found him.

He was sitting in front of the upstairs bar looking morbid.

ME: Can you tell me what's up besides the fact that Ben just laid into you? Keeping in mind, he laid into all of us.
CARTER: You wouldn't understand.

Things had been a little strange since Carter and I started getting...physical. We had done the fancy pants dance a few times, and now...

I was hooked.

Don't ask me what it is. Maybe it's that he's still in the closet--who doesn't love a closeted boy? It's like S&M without having to find the handcuff key in terms of the pyschology. Plus, he's got the cutest ass...

ME: Are you coming home with me?
CARTER: I don't think so.
ME: Do I have to beg or something? Do I have to buy you a lollipop or promise you can play with a kitten?
CARTER: Don't talk to me like I'm stupid.
ME: Then say something intelligent.

Carter got up off his barstool and started to leave.

ME: Look, Ben got to us all.
CARTER: Don't you get it?
ME: No! I don't!
CARTER: I love him!
ME: What?
CARTER: I love Ben! I can't handle him hating me, okay?

He walked out the door, but I was going right after him. How could he having feelings for Ben after everything that happened?

After everything he--

ME: Carter, careful!

Carter was going down the stairs to the club, and missed one--going down the rest of the flight.

I rushed down after him, but as soon as I got to the bottom, he was already unconscious.

ME: Somebody call a doctor!

A few people came running up to us. I could hear someone talking on their phone to 9-1-1. That was when part of me stopped thinking and started getting mad.

This was Ben's fault.

This was all Ben's fault.

VOICE: Hey buddy, where you going?

I knew Carter would be okay. I knew people would take care of him. And besides, it wasn't like I was his personal care-taker. It just pissed me off to think someone could treat him that way and then it turns out he's in love with him.

So I got in my car and I went looking for Ben.

And lo and behold, I found him.