School was out and the fourth of July was just around the corner. Matt opted to work in the garage with Joe, rather than getting a summer job elsewhere. Even if it didn't pay much money, it didn't matter. Being with Joe was reward in itself. The garage was busy and Joe had taught Matt a lot. There were a few jobs he could handle on his own. It was over dinner that Joe announced he had entered an amateur motorcycle race in Indianapolis and would be taking a leave of absence from now until the race in August.
Matt instantly volunteered himself to be on Joe's maintenance team but Joe shut him down, stating that he was needed around the garage because they'd be one man short. It was his mom's casual attitude towards the announcement that let Matt know they had discussed Joe's departure already. That meant that Joe had planned this for quite some time.
Matt wasn't stupid. He knew things had changed between him and Joe since their trip. After nearly getting caught by Andy and Lloyd, Joe had become more and more distant. He kept putting Matt off, saying that when school was out and he didn't have to concentrate on his studies, they could spend more time together. Matt had wanted so desperately to believe it, that he went along with Joe's wishes, only occasionally making love when absolutely no one was around.
Now here was the truth staring him right in the face. Joe wanted nothing more to do with him. He was probably disgusted with himself and Matt for allowing the relationship to take place. He knew Joe hated scenes so Matt pretended to be okay with the decision. Joe was leaving after the holiday and Matt decided not to stand in his way. As the weekend approached before Joe's departure, Matt kept himself busy in the garage. In his spare time he started hanging out with Kristin, a troubled girl he met near the end of the school year. Matt wasn't really interested in her but she was a bit adventurous and fun to be around. Since she was cool, he confided in her that he was gay and had just broken up with his boyfriend. He didn't mention that his boyfriend was also his brother.
The night before Joe was to leave, Kristin convinced Matt to go to a party at a friend's house with her. Claire was totally against it. She didn't like the girl. She told Matt that Kristin wasn't his type. Matt smirked and thought about telling her how right she was. When he told Kristin that he couldn't go, she teased him for being a nerd and challenged him to come to the party anyway. She insisted there was someone there she wanted him to meet. Matt wasn't going to defy his mom, but Joe was still giving him the cold shoulder and barely said goodnight before he went to bed, knowing he was leaving him behind for the summer and possibly forever.
Matt didn't press the issue. Deep down he was hurt by Joe's actions but if his older brother didn't want him anymore, he wasn't going to grovel and beg to be loved. It was after eleven when Claire finally went to her room for the night. Matt called Kristin to see if she'd left for the party. Naturally she teased him for that, letting him know that she never arrived at a party early. He agreed to meet her around twelve. He managed to slip out unnoticed. When they got to house, music could be heard about a block away. Kristin borrowed her father's car which basically meant she took it without permission. Once there, she introduced him to a cute guy with silky blond hair that framed his face. His name was Silent Jim. Kristin explained that he rarely talked, that's how he got his name. It was later in the back seat of Kristin's car that Matt found out Jim spoke volumes with his tongue, his hands and other parts of his anatomy. He allowed the boy to lick, touch and fuck away every trace of Joe.
Kristin was too drunk to drive so Matt brought his new best friends home with him and snuck them into his room. Kristin made herself comfortable on the floor, curled up on the mattress Jim and Matt managed to slide off his bed without waking the household. Matt and Jim crawled between the two sheets that covered the box spring and curled up together. Matt set his alarm to go off around six. It was nearly five in the morning when they got in. It was the frenzied yelling of Claire that woke him around seven. When he peeled his eyes open, Joe and Claire were standing in his room. Claire was pulling Kristin up by her arm.
Matt didn't know what all the fuss was about. He was in his bed and Kristin was on the floor. It was perfectly innocent. That's when he felt the warm naked body pressed tightly against his own and saw the look of disgust and disappointment on Joe's face. Of all the times for Jim to speak, Matt knew this was not the best time.
"Morning Matt," Jim yawned. "What's going on?"
The fallout from the mornings events left Matt banished to his room. Matt had never heard his mother yell so much. It was hard to figure out which parts of the mornings events ticked her off the most; finding out he was gay or that he disobeyed her and snuck out to a party. Parents were called and more yelling was done when Jim and Kristin's fathers showed up.
Matt spent the rest of the morning in his room. He could here his mom crying and talking to Joe about him. By noon he emerged only to shower and get something to eat. When he entered the kitchen, Claire began yelling all over again.
"What if Andy had seen you like that?" She hollered. "What kind of example are you setting for him?"
Joe sat there letting her yell. Matt decided against food and returned to his room. It was an hour later before Joe knocked on the door.
"Come in," Matt said.
"Can we talk?" Joe's tone was cold.
Matt nodded.
"If this was some sort of ploy to get me to stay, it accomplished just the opposite."
Matt bit his lip forcing back tears. He hadn't done this to make Joe stay. He'd done it because Joe had hurt him. Jim was cute but he wasn't Joe.
"You have no idea how much trouble you've caused because of this. Claire wants you out of here. She wants me to take you with me for the summer."
Matt would have been happy to have heard the same news a week earlier but Joe's tone told him his former lover wasn't happy about it at all.
"Everything I'm doing was for you Matt. If we continue down the path we're going, we'll only get hurt. I made a choice to leave you to your life and you ruined it. Your mom doesn't trust you and she's confused about what she saw this morning."
Matt couldn't think of anything to say so he just sat there, letting Joe dress him down.
"Thanks to you, I've had to postpone my trip by a day. Pack your things. I've agreed to take you with me for Claire's sake but know this; nothing will be the same between us again. We leave in the morning."
With that, Joe slammed the door. The one thing he'd wished for since Joe made his announcement was coming true and it was a bitter victory. He'd spend the summer with the man he loved; a man who now hated him.