Just Starting Out
1.18 - Just Proving It
Not knowing what else to do, Kayla and John ended up showing Malcolm to the guest room. They silently resolved to all go to bed and actually deal with the situation in the morning. Before going to bed, however, Kayla and John quietly discussed the in Kayla’s bedroom.
“Why would he chose to come here, John?” Kayla whispered. “Why would he even call you in the first place? Especially after you two had such a big falling out!”
“I don’t know Kayla, I really don’t.”
Kayla sighed. “Stuff just isn’t adding up. In his call, Malcolm said that his parents were divorced and that he was alone with Nancy. But when we were watching the news last night, Nancy and Geoffrey said they were looking for him together.”
“And they hosted that prestigious Gala for Gold event everyone was talking about together too..” John muttered.
“Malcolm’s always been a bit dramatic, hasn’t he John? Do you think he could have… overreacted? Because honestly, I don’t feel right keeping this a secret. What if they’re worried? And we could stop them their worry with one phone call, but we’re here keeping a scared little boy away from his parents.”
“Little boy?” John snorted. “Malcolm’s certainly not that, Kayla.”
“He definitely acts like one,” Kayla said nonchalantly. “But I blame that on his parents more than anything, I doubt they’ve ever let him do anything without their approval.”
John shrugged.
“But, back to the matter at hand, I just think we’re going to have to question him in the morning,” Kayla said. “I can’t keep my peace of mind until I know for certain we’re protecting him from an abusive parent.”
John nodded, and the two bid each other goodnight and went back to their bedrooms.
When John got to his room, however, he sat on the side of his bed and stared into thin air. He’d seen enough during his brief stay at the Landgraab Mansion to gather that Nancy and Geoffrey were far from the best parents. But he couldn’t really explain it all to Kayla without revealing everything he hadn’t told her. And frankly, John wasn’t sure he ever wanted to.
He’d spent the last five years blocking that out. He still didn’t know exactly what happened that night, but he was sure he never wanted to. It was far too late to talk to Kayla about it anyway. He felt that him keeping something that important a secret would damage their friendship and the years of trust they’d built up.
Regardless, he knew that just dealing with Malcolm the next day would be hard enough for him. But John was confident he could manage. Once they had this all figured out, he was sure Malcolm would be out their front door before long, and then he’d never have to deal with him again. Until then, however, he just had to grin and bear it.
Come morning, John and Kayla sat across from Malcolm at the dining table as they sipped their morning coffee.
“So, Malcolm,” Kayla began. “From what I gathered, you fled here because Nancy divorced Geoffrey, and you can’t deal with her on your own?”
“You guys wouldn’t understand,” Malcolm said frantically. “She pretends to be the nicest person when she makes public appearances but she isn’t like that at all!”
“Here’s the thing, Malcolm,” John said carefully. “We were watching the news and saw that Nancy and Geoffrey are searching for you- together. Are you sure they’re really getting divorced?”
“They signed the papers in front of me!”
“Okay, okay, Malcolm,” Kayla said gently. “We believe you. But why here? You haven’t contacted either of us in, well, years. Are we really your only option? Especially after John called you a rich showoff and ruined your whole friendship?”
Malcolm looked briefly confused, but quickly recovered. “Well, as a rich showoff, I think it should be pretty easy for you two to guess that it isn’t easy for me to make or keep friends.”
“Oh…” Kayla muttered.
She hadn’t meant to offend him, but it was clear to her that she had struck a nerve.
“Well, um, if you truly have no where else to go, I suppose you can stay here as long as you need,” Kayla said gently.
John gave her an incredulous look that she missed completely.
“Thank you, Kayla, John. I really appreciate it,” Malcolm nodded.
“Could you do one thing for us, though, Malcolm?” Kayla asked.
“Anything.”
“Please call your parents and let them know you’re okay. I’ll go out and buy you a burner phone if you’re really afraid of them coming after you, but I can’t have any peace of mind until they both know you’re okay.”
Malcolm forced a smile. “Alright. I’ll do that.”
“Thank you.”
The three of them finished their breakfast in an awkward silence.
Not long after breakfast, Kayla headed out to go and get Malcolm his burner phone. That was when John decided to act.
“We need to talk, Malcolm. The spare room, so Kayla doesn’t walk in on this conversation if she gets home early.”
To John’s surprise, Malcolm didn’t argue and followed him quietly. Once in the room, John stood in front of Malcolm’s bed with his arms crossed, waiting for Malcolm to shut the door behind him. Once he did, John started talking.
“To start, Kayla knows nothing about what happened that night, and it’s going to stay that way. Understood?”
“Aw, can’t believe the honorable John Brooks is lying to his sister about something so important, so-“
“You don’t get to say shit, Malcolm. At the end of the day, you’re still a guest in this house, and I will kick you out if I have to. So, don’t you dare get smart with me.”
Malcolm didn’t have a response to that one.
“Second, I get the feeling that your parents’ divorce wasn’t the only reason you had to flee. In what little time I spent there, it was obvious to me that she was awful. And Geoffrey didn’t seem to have the ability to stand up to her in any way whatsoever. Nancy bulldozed, what she said went, and Geoffrey had no choice. So, what’s actually up, Malcolm?”
“…they, uh… they caught me watching gay porn.”
“So you’re finally starting to accept who you are?”
“Who I am?” Malcolm scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous, John! I’m straight! I was just, uh, proving that I was straight, that’s all!”
John gave Malcolm a look. “Sure, Malcolm.”
“I was!”
John sighed, and started heading towards the door. “Alright, listen Malcolm. Kayla isn’t going to let me throw you out of here easily, and that is the only reason you’re even still setting foot in the house. So, as long as you stay as far away from me as possible, I will try my best to tolerate you. Nothing more. But know that I won’t hesitate to get rid of you if you step out of line.”
Malcolm nodded quickly.
Miles away, in Oasis Springs, Nancy welcomed Mitch into her home for the second day in a row.
“Please, come into the kitchen,” she smiled. “I haven’t quite finished taking down all the decorations from the Gala yet.”
Mitch nodded and followed her inside. He sat down at the bar while Nancy went and stood in front of the fridge.
“Would you like anything?” she asked.
“Surprise me.”
Nancy walked over to her fridge and stared at what was inside. As she surveyed the contents, that was when it struck her that she couldn’t remember the last time she’d cooked. Geoffrey had been doing it for years now, and she wasn’t sure she remembered how. And she couldn’t very well call on Geoffrey anymore, he’d gathered his things and moved into a hotel room last night right after the Gala ended.
Freaking out a little, Nancy hurriedly pulled out some leftovers from the Gala spread last night.
“Hope you don’t mind leftovers!”
“Not at all,” Mitch said, helping himself to a strawberry.
Nancy sat down next to him, and looked expectantly at his face.
“Alright, the collaboration,” Mitch sighed, turning away from the food. “Here’s the thing, Nancy. You know me, and my policies. I’d love to get the government working with powerful businesses so it can gain more wealth. Money makes the world go ‘round, and all that. Here’s the thing, though. With the bad press your family has been receiving recently, it could reflect negatively on me. And we can’t have that, can we?”
“W-Well! I think that you’ll soon see that I’ve got everything under control!”
“Do you Nancy? It’s incredibly obvious to me that you don’t know how to live in your own mansion without Geoffrey around. I guess he’s out searching for your son right now, and that’s why he isn’t here cooking, but come on Nancy! How can you expect to inspire confidence in me when you’re not even confident in yourself?”
Nancy abruptly changed her demeanor and spoke to Mitch in a slow, seductive voice. “I think you’ll actually find I’m very confident, Mitch. Everyone loves a love story, how could you get bad press when you’re supporting me because we’ve fallen so very deeply in love?”
Mitch grimaced. “I don’t think so, Nancy. And you’re married!”
“Geoffrey and I got a divorce!” Nancy yelled. “I’m a free woman now, Mitch, I have money and power, what else could you want?”
“Someone not completely vile?” he suggested. “No offense, Nancy, but I could never. I know all about your first son, and I’m sure the same thing is happening to Malcolm now. And I’m not going to pretend that I’m a good person either, but that still doesn’t sit right with me.”
Nancy sat there, stunned.
“I think that concludes our business negotiations for today, hm?” Mitch said, standing up. “I’m leaving in the evening tomorrow, if you manage to track me down, you’ll have one last day to sway me. Until then, though, Nancy,” Mitch smiled.
He left the room, and Nancy heard the front door opening and closing as Mitch let himself out. Never before had Nancy been so insulted. But she needed his support. Somehow.