Stepbrother Bad Boy's Baby Boxed Set(14)

"Dunno man," I said, closing my eyes and finishing the drink. "Just.... things feel different."

Randy nodded and set his half drunk can aside. "All right Julian, let's cut the alpha macho bullshit, okay? Something happened when you went up to your father's wedding. Now, I'm not going to ask what, that's your own damn business. But whatever it is, it wasn't good for you."

"What do you mean? I mean, I haven't gotten in trouble with the cops once since coming back." It was true, with my dramatically reduced social life, me and the LAPD were on decent terms for the past month. It was kind of refreshing, knowing I could walk down the street and not worry about being arrested.

"Man, that's just an outer sign. While it's positive, it's only because you've spent the past month brooding. I mean, you're practically going emo on us here. Like I said, I'm not going to ask what it is that has you this way. You've got your demons, we all do. But you need to handle this one, before this brooding period stops, and you get self destructive on us."

"Like I haven't been the whole time you've known me?" I said, cocking my eyebrow. "You know, I'm not exactly a well adjusted individual."

"You're an *," Randy said bluntly, but he smiled as he said it, "but you're not a self destructive *. I figured you were just one of those guys whose adolescence lasted longer than a lot of other people's. You're in Los Angeles, there are guys like you all over the f*cking place. Most of you have more money than you know what to do with, or are just content living out your lives in your parents' basement playing GTA online or something. But this past month, you're on the edge of going from a self absorbed * to a self destructive *. If you do that to just yourself, I'm not overly worried. But you strike me as the type that's going to take a bunch of others with you."

"Gee, thanks," I said, crumpling the can. I sat forward to get up when Randy started talking again.

"I was only in college when it happened," he said slowly, in a contemplative voice. "I was living in Atlanta at the time, and working in a gym down there. I was young, but I struck up what I guess I could call a friendship with a guy there. We all knew who he was, I mean shit, most of us watched him on TV at least once a week. Off screen though, he seemed like the most quiet, normal guy you'd ever know. Then he got even more quiet, and he started brooding. Some of the older guys had seen him do this before, and dismissed it. They figure he'd snap out of it. Then when we found out he died, and how he took his wife and seven year old son with him, it stirred us up. Afterwards, we kept wondering why we'd overlooked the warning signs, and why we'd not done something beforehand. They said a lot of it was due to the drugs and the headshots he'd taken, but I knew regardless of the reason, he was in that cycle, and none of us did anything to stop it."

I sagged back into my chair, stunned. "Who was it?"

Randy looked at me sadly, and licked his lips. "His name was Chris Benoit."



* * *



Julian



So here I was, sitting in a dirty taxi, on my way towards Canal Street. In my head, I kept telling myself over and over just f*ck her, get it out of your system. Just f*ck her, get it out of your system. But my heart wasn't in it. I honestly didn't know what I was doing in Chicago.

"Yo buddy, you know you could have just taken the El train just as close," my taxi driver, the stereotypical Chicago white guy with a Polish look to him said from up front. "Not that I mind the fare, of course."

"Of course," I replied. "First time in Chicago, didn't want to get lost, you know?"

"Yeah, I heard that. Listen, if you got time, check out a Cubs game. I know the Cubbies are terrible, they always are, but Wrigley.... ah now that's a beauty for all time. There's nothing quite like sitting in the bleachers at Wrigley and munching on some hot dogs, especially when you've got your girl with you. You got a girl, my man?"

"Eh? No.... no girl," I replied. I looked out the window and watched as the downtown area moved closer. "No girl at all. I don't like to tie myself down."

"Shame. Well, I'd say find yourself a good Chicago girl, but there aren't too many in this town. But still, if you find one, hang onto her. Trust me on that one."

I didn't reply, and the cab driver soon let go of the conversation. About ten minutes later, he pulled up in front of a high rise and flipped his switch. "Here you go, my friend. Left Bank at K Station. Whoever you're visiting that lives here has some good money, let me tell you. I'd love to have lived here when I was younger. But I got a wife and kids now, this area's too crowded for me. The commute sucks, but I like living in the suburbs more."

"Yeah...." I said, not really listening. "Uh, how much?"

"Forty eight dollars," the cabbie said. "Pretty light traffic today."

I pulled three twenties out of my wallet and handed it over to him. "Keep the change. Thanks for the tip on the Cubs game."

"No problem. Enjoy Chicago."

I grabbed my duffel bag, an old style military model that I had used for years, and looked up at the building. Part of me wanted to just turn around and go. If I was going into a self destructive spiral, who the f*ck cared other than me? But a deeper voice, I wasn't sure if it was selfish or noble, instead said to call Krystal. I reached into my hip pocket and pulled out my phone.