Tean laughed.He ran a hand down Jem’s thigh.
“It’s hard for me to get the whole ‘you should live with your family’ thing,” Jem said.“I mean, it’s not.Yeah, I wish that had been the case for me.But I also know you can grow up and be fine without them.I also think you’re, like, ten billion times smarter than me, so I know you’re right.”
“I’m not smarter than you.And I’m not right.I mean, in this case, I think I am.But not automatically.”
They sat like that for a while, Jem still half-curled around Tean, his face warm against Tean’s back.The house was quiet aside from the whisper of the furnace.Then, breaking the silence, came the unmistakable sound of a bag of chips being opened.
Jem groaned.“He’s going to eat everything.”
Laughing, Tean ran his hand down Jem’s thigh again, and this time, he finished it with a little pat.“Why don’t you call Ammon and talk to him about what he wants to do?Then we can talk to Daniel.”
“What if Daniel doesn’t want to go back?”
“He’s angry right now.And he’s angry because he’s hurt and because he feels like his parents are rejecting him.Maybe they just need to talk.”
Jem groaned again, but he uncurled from around Tean and got out his phone.“Pray for me,” he said as he placed the call.
“He’s still here,” Jem said in response to whatever Ammon had asked.“He says he’s not going back home because you broke into his room, violated his privacy, and made him feel like shit because he’s trying to figure himself out and playing around with makeup is part of that.He also says you’re repressed and a huge homophobe.”
“You’re at a ten,” Tean told him, “and you need to bring it down to a three.”
Jem rolled his eyes.But when Ammon finished speaking, Jem said, “I’m not the fucking referee.You guys have to actually talk to each other and figure this shit out.I’m just telling you, he blew up because he’s hurt and scared and he thinks you don’t love him because he put on some fucking eyeliner.”But maybe Jem had remembered about bringing it down to a three because he added, “So if youdolove him, maybe find a way to make sure he knows that.”
Ammon’s voice buzzed on the other end of the call.After a moment, Jem muted his phone and whispered, “Did he always talk this much?”
“Not really.I think it’s the therapy.”
“Then he needs less therapy, because this is alotof words.”
Tean patted Jem’s leg again.
“He used the word ‘consequences’ at least eight times.Oh.Nine.Oh my God, I can’t do this anymore.”Unmuting the phone, he said, “Okay, okay, okay.Yes.I get it.How about this?Daniel stays up here for a night because we’ve got to take him to Rainbow House anyway.You can both cool off.Tean will make sure he knows he’s going to have some consequences for how he acted.”
“Why do I have to tell him?”Tean asked.
Jem paused.“You heard that?Yeah, it’s hilarious.He doesn’t know he’s the strict one.Do you want to pick up the car tonight?”
“I’m not the strict one.I’m not anything.”
Jem lowered the phone long enough to say, “Didn’t you tell me one time that you’re just the ash from a bunch of dead stars, plus some blood to glue it all together?”
Face hot, Tean said, “I don’t recall saying that.”
“He told you that too?”Jem said into the phone.“Yeah, it sticks in the brain.”
“Can we focus on Daniel, please?”
“Okay, you guys come pick up the car.Yeah.Yeah.Yep.This is boring, so I’m hanging up now.”
When Jem disconnected, Tean said, “You were back at a seven.”
“He was starting in on the consequences shit again.Life is too fucking short.”
“What I believe I said was that we’re all recycled matter, everything from plants and animals to yes, stars, that has been broken down and transformed.I never said anything about blood sticking us together.”
“What about guts?Did you say anything about our guts being all gross inside us?”
It took about two seconds before Tean said, “No.”
