Westpoint Tales - Entangled Tales, 88 - Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen

The days of summer rolled on, long, hot, lazy days. Justin and Billy bought two surf-skis and paddles, but the first day they used them, Justin fell off his one.

He was trying to spin around the end of the wharf, out of the river and into the lagoon and he slid off and into the water. It was then that Billy realised that Justin really couldn’t swim at all – he was hopeless! He barely managed to keep his head above water, with lots of kicking and splashing, until Billy came over so that he could grab hold of his ski.

Billy was quiet and tight-lipped while he paddled across to where Justin could walk up out of the water and then he went back to retrieve the other ski and paddle. He pushed them back to the water’s edge.

Still quiet, he came up to where Justin was grinning at him.

“Whoah! That was fun my Sunny-One. You saved me, Billy. You’re my hero, my Superboy!”

“FUN??” Billy exploded at him. “That was fun was it? You’re a fucking idiot, Justin Reynolds!”

“Whoah, Billy, don’t be like that. I just fell off, no big deal.”

“No big deal?” he yelled at him. “No big deal? You could have fucking drowned, Justin. What were you doing out on the water when you can’t swim?”

“Don’t be mad, Billy. I just fell off, it won’t happen again.”

“Damm right, it won’t happen again! You’re not getting back on that thing, not until you’ve learnt to swim. How could you be so fucking stupid? You could have drowned, Justin. You could have drowned! And where would I be? I’ll tell you where I’d be – I‘d be the stupid fucking jerk who let Superboy drown. That’s where I’d be. Is that what you want?”

“No. Billy, please don’t.” Justin caught hold of him and they stood embracing on the edge of the lagoon while Billy cried on his shoulder.

“You could’ve drowned, Justin. You could’ve died!”

“No Billy. Please don’t cry. It’s okay, you saved me. You’re right, I won’t get on it again. I’ll learn to swim. Can you teach me?”

“I wouldn’t know how to.” Billy calmed down. “But Lucas could. He’s a champion swimmer and he teaches little kids’ Learn to swim classes. Lucas could teach you.”

“’Kay, I’ll ask Lucas then. It’ll be a bit embarrassing, getting in the pool with the little kids though.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Billy grinned. “Lucas will make a time for you, and I’ll come with you too.”

“But you can already swim, can’t you?”

“Yes, of course I can. But I’ll come anyway, Lucas might need a hand to control you. Besides – Superboy in Speedos, I’m not missing out on that! You’re a bloody idiot, Reynolds.”

“I am, aren’t I? But you still love me, don’t you?”

“Of course I love you.”

“Cool, because I love you, sunny.”

“Well don’t go drowning yourself then. Come on, we’re walking home now.”

“Walking? With the boards? Bugger that. Can’t we just paddle back upriver? I’ll be careful.”

“No way. We are walking. We’ll leave the boards here and go and get the car.”

“So you’re actually going to blow the cobwebs off the car? Great!”

“Shut up, Justin.”

Jonathan and Claudette caused a scandal in the town when they announced that she was pregnant, but nowhere near as much as when Jonathan and Lana came back the next day and said that she was pregnant too!

Justin congratulated both girls in their turns, but when he got Jonathan alone – he went right off at him.

“You fucking idiot, Jonathan Reynolds! How could you?”

“Just keeping up the family average, Gay-boy,” He grinned back.

“You think it’s funny, do you? Well, it’s not. You’re 15 and you’ve got two girls pregnant. Think you’re a big man do you? What about Claudette and Lana? You’ve fucked their lives up. And what about the babies? You can’t just walk away from them. What were you doing in all those Sex Education classes? Sleeping?”

“Settle down, Brother. I hate rubbers. We knew the risk we were taking and we didn’t care – none of us. I’m not walking away, how could you even think that after what happened to us? I wouldn’t do that. I’m going to be a father, Justin, and that’s cool. I want to have these babies. We’re nearly 16 too.”

“Well, whether you want to or not, you’ve done it now. They’ll be around for a long time.”

“I want them, Justin, it’s cool and I’ll be around for them. I can afford to support them, no problems.”

“That’s another thing; I hadn’t thought of that. You’ll need more than $500 a week, much more. You’d better start keeping your share of the R&R money.”

“It’s not a problem – really not. The business is doing great. We’ll just bump our share up a bit. Money is never going to be a problem.”

“All right. But you just remember, if you don’t do right by these kids, then you’re going to have a major problem. These babies will have an uncle who will make damm sure that you’re there for them!”

“Uncle Superboy? That’s cool.”

“Uncle Justin, and don’t you forget it.”

“Okay, Uncle Justin. Everything will be sweet. Aren’t you going to congratulate me?”

“No. I’ll congratulate you when they’re 21, if you’re still around.”

“I’ll be there. You can bank on that. Do I get a hug now?”

“You don’t bloody deserve it, but – okay.”

They hugged and Jonathan said over his shoulder, “Thanks, Brother. I really am happy to have these babies. I want them. Kids of our own to raise properly, not like happened to us.”

“Okay, Brother. Enjoy them. But I meant what I said too. Do it right or I’ll kick your arse.”

“I will. I love you, Justin.”

“I love you too, but I’ll still boot your backside if I have to.”

“Shut up, Justin.”

The tongues of the gossips had barely settled down when the next news came out. When the expectant mothers had scans, they were both carrying twins! Three boys and one girl. Jonathan was ecstatic. Even Justin and the grandparents were delighted, after they’d got over the shock.

When they were alone, after hearing the news of the twins, Billy said, “Just as well we can’t have babies, Sweetcheeks. With the twins in your family and the twins in mine, we’d probably have a litter.”

“We would, but they’d be so cute – a litter of little carrot-tops!

Shut up, Justin.”

The long days of summer rolled on. There was sun and surf on the beaches, beach barbeques after dark with plenty of music, and kisses and fun. Life was good, for most of them.

Crispian was busy, so busy that he barely noticed that it was summer. He’d established a new record label for Whozzat’s music – a small, independent label, with a capital ‘I’ for independent.

The CD’s would actually be made by one of the bigger companies, but only ‘on behalf of’, Crispian and Whozzat had complete control. As well as Whozzat, he intended recording Time Out and another couple of local singers, but the first record issued – Westpoint Records’ CD no. 001 – was actually by someone else.

Billy had approached Peter about recording a song for Justin’s 16th birthday. Peter played the initial recording to Crispian and they insisted on making a proper record and recording with Whozzat.

Billy was reluctant, but they were insistent and so the record was made and released. Whozzat featuring Billy M. singing ‘I Only Want To Be With You’ and also ‘Something Good’, from the Sound of Music, as a ‘B’ side. They were also featured on Whozzat’s internet down-load site.

‘Something Good’ was slow, quiet and sweet, like something that Oliver would have sung, but ‘I Only Want To Be With You’ was upbeat and powerful. It was a good song – two good songs.

Billy, somehow, managed to keep it secret from Justin and the first time he heard it was on the afternoon of his birthday. At the pre-arranged time, Billy led the mystified Justin into the TV lounge, where Jonathan, Claudette and Lana and the Grandparents were waiting.

“Hey Guys. What’s everyone doing in here? What are you up to, Sunny?”

“You’ll see. Sit down and shut up and listen and I hope you like it.” He turned on the radio, catching the end of the Sports News, and then –

“This is Robbie Keenan on West FM, your local radio. Now we’ve got something special. First of all, happy birthday to the Reynolds twins. Justin and Jonathan Reynolds are sweet 16 today. So, happy birthday to the Iceman and Superboy, this is especially for you, and it’s our hit-pic for this week too. The first ever record by our first ever local record company – on Westpoint Records, CD no.001, we have, (Ta Daah!), a song by Whozzat with guest artist Billy M., ‘I Only Want To Be With You.’

They sat quietly and listened to the sound of Billy singing.

“I don’t know what it is that makes me love you so.
I only know I never want to let you go.
‘Cause you’ve started something, and can’t you see,
And ever since we met you had this hold on me
It happens to be true – I only want to be with you. . .’

The music crashed to an end and Robbie returned. “Wow! Now that’s what I call music! I’ll tell you what, there’s a second song on this disc, let’s hear that too – a twin spin for the twin’s birthday. Once again, Whozzat with Billy M., singing ‘Something Good.’”

“Perhaps I had a wicked childhood. Perhaps I had a miserable youth,
But somewhere in my wicked miserable past, there must have been a moment of truth.
For here you are, standing there, loving me. Whether or not you should.
So somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good. . .”

The music stopped, Billy lifted the remote and switched off the radio. The eyes in the room all went to see Justin’s reaction. He sat quietly looking straight ahead at the framed print on the wall ahead of him.

Lana, tired of waiting, said, “Well, Birthday Boy, what did you think?”

They were all, even Billy, expecting him to burst into tears which was his normal reaction in moments of stress and emotion, but he didn’t. In a flat, quiet voice he said, “Right. Excuse me.” He got up and walked out of the room.

Billy just sat there, stunned. He knew that he couldn’t hope to equal Justin’s singing, but it wasn’t that bad was it? He’d wanted to do something special for Justin’s birthday and he’d done the best he could; but it looked like he’d stuffed that one up.

It was Kathleen who broke the silence. “That was beautiful, Billy. It really was, thank you. I think you’d better go and find him now.”

Billy went up to their room and, nervously, tapped on the door, opened it and looked in. Justin was sitting at the computer. He gulped, “J. . Justin?”

Without looking around, he got up from the computer chair and waved at it with one hand while he continued on the keyboard. “Sit down here, Billy. This will just take a minute.”

Billy sat down, with his hands clasped on his knees and nervously waited while Justin stood to the side and continued whatever it was that he was doing. Finally, he reached over and clicked on the mouse.

“Right. Watch this.”

He went and sat on the end of the bed behind them.

Corny instrumental music played as a video began on the screen. A boy came dancing and gyrating across the screen – a young boy, a very young boy – it was Justin!

The young Justin danced around the room and stood wriggling his little butt seductively in front of a faceless man sitting watching him. The smile on the young face faded as a large hand reached out and ripped his shirt open.

Billy sat, shocked, watching as the young boy was roughly stripped naked and thrown down on the bed. He struggled, ineffectually, but after a couple of smacks to the head, he lay back and grinned and wriggled his now naked butt.

Billy swung away from the screen and tears filled his eyes. “Justin, turn it off.”

Justin snapped at him. “Watch it! Turn around and watch it. People pay money to see this.”

Billy turned back and tried to watch the brutalization of the little Justin on the screen, but he couldn’t. His eyes were full of tears and it was just too horrible anyway. He sat hanging his head and studying his knees until the clip finished.

“Nice wasn’t it?” Justin sighed. “You want to see more? There’s lots more, hours of it. There’s fucking years of it!”

“Justin, it’s not you.”

“Of course it was me! Are you blind? That was me, getting fucked. Forced and fucked, over and over and over. You think that didn’t affect me? Well, it did! Twisted, scarred, screwed-up – that is what you got, Billy. A used and damaged fuck-up.”

“It’s not you, Justin.”

“It is!” he yelled. “I’m sorry, Billy. I’m really sorry. I should have stayed the hell away from you. You’re totally beautiful and you are perfect – almost perfect. The only thing wrong with you is the stupid fuck-up that has attached himself to you.”

“Oh, Fuck, Justin!” he cried. “You really can be stupid, can’t you? You must be screwed up! Come here and look at this – really look at this.”

He pulled him up from the bed and dragged him across to the mirror on the wall by the door. “Look at him. At them. That’s us, Justin. That was then,” he waved his hand back at the computer screen. “That was then but this is now. If anyone’s perfect around here, it’s you, Justin Reynolds. It’s certainly not me. You were forced into all that shit. I wasn’t, I went into it willingly. I did it because I was manipulated by a creep who I thought I loved. I wasn’t even raped, I did it because I was told to. I was never a porn star, I wasn’t good enough. I was just a fuck – a cheap, quick, dumb fuck!”

“Billy, don’t say that.”

“It’s true, Justin. It’s true. I’m the screwed up trash, but I love you. I really love you and I’ll always be here for you as long as you want me. I only want to be with you. I love you.”

Now the tears did flow – bigtime! Justin dropped to his knees, clutched Billy’s legs and buried his face in his waist. “Billy, oh Billy. I love you so much! I love you, Billy. I must have done something really good somewhere.”

Billy pushed down on to the floor with him and they kissed and cried all over each other. Their clothes stayed on but they pushed together and bonded closer than they ever had before.

They could have, would have, stayed there all day, but Jonathan was having none of that!

He shoved his way into the room where the two happy, teary, teens were lying wrapped together on the floor. “Come on, you two. Get up. Talk about getting down and dirty! You’ve got to come downstairs, Guys. The old place is filling up with people. Ma Carver has just arrived with all her tribe, and the Lewis’ are there too.”

“Oh no,” Justin groaned. “Tell everyone thanks but go away. We’re busy.”

“Yeah,” Billy grinned. “Tell them to leave the presents and piss off. We’re busy here.”

“Right! I can see how busy you are. Well, if you won’t come down I’m going to send everyone up here. It’ll be crowded, but this is my birthday too – our 16th and our first one together and you’re not getting out of that! You can get cleaned up and come downstairs – you’ve got 5 minutes – or the party moves up here. You’ve got all the rest of your lives to get busy. Bloody good songs, by the way, Billy. You’re awesome dude.”

Jonathan left and Justin sat up and grinned down at Billy. “Bossy Beggar, isn’t he? Comes from being the oldest I suppose. He’s right though, you are awesome dude – simply the best. Thank you for the songs, I’ll treasure them always.”

“You will? Oh good! I thought you didn’t like them. I’m not as good as you.”

“Don’t talk crap, Sunny. You’re better than I am in every way. I love the songs and I love you. But, come on, we’d better get cleaned up and get down there. We’ll get busy later.”

“We will,” Billy beamed. “Busy as bees with bums full of honey.”

“Whoah! Hold on to that thought. We’ll get back to it later. C’mon Kid, let’s go party.”

They partied until late at night. The old Adelphi Hotel was full and overflowing – literally. Lights were set up outside and the car park out the back became a dance floor. The crowd also filled the burger bar, next door, and the sidewalks under the verandahs along the front.

Whozzat set up and played for hours, while Crispian filmed, but everyone agreed that the high point of the night was when Justin and Jonathan stood up and sang to each other. They alternated, taking turns with each phrase, and then smilingly chimed in together each time on the song title – “Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen.”

After the night was over, Jonathan was in his own room, in bed alone, when Billy came and climbed into the bed with him.

“Whoah! Billy, what are you doing?”

“I’ve got one more birthday present for you, Jonathan.”

“What are you talking about? We’re not! I’m not gay, Billy.”

“I know that, Doofus. Go and sleep with your brother, he needs you tonight.”

“Really? Great! Thanks.”

Jonathan leapt out of bed, but then came back and hugged him hard. “Thanks Billy. You’re the greatest and I love you too.”

“Sure you do. Now go away and let me get some sleep.”

Jonathan left happily to go and cuddle-up and sleep with his twin.