Free Auld Lang Syne by Judith Ivie Page A

Charlie knows. That’s it, isn’t it?”
    I gaped at the amazing, insightful woman I had completely underestimated once again.
    “Close your mouth. You look like a beached fish,” she instructed.
    I was sure she was right and struggled to straighten out my features. “You know Duane is gay? But you just said you thought Charlie and Duane were quarreling over a girl last night.”
    “I didn’t really say that, but I implied it, and I’m sorry about that. I was going along with Duane’s cover, the public persona he’s cultivated so carefully since the boys were in middle school and the hormones started surging.”
    “You knew way back then, but Charlie didn’t?”
    “Oh, sure,” she said as casually as if she were discussing the weather. “It’s something J.D. and I have known forever, but it wasn’t our place to fill Charlie in. Kids don’t always pick up on these things right away, but we knew Duane would tell Charlie when he was ready. I guess that was last night, huh?”
    “Yes, and he sure picked his moment, right there in front of a gymnasium full of teenagers.” I grimaced, imagining the scene.
    “He told Charlie in front of a bunch of other kids?”
    “Not exactly. Apparently, Duane thought Charlie was already aware of his gender preference and drew the wrong conclusion when Charlie agreed to go with him to the dance last night.”
    Understanding dawned in Strutter’s eyes. “Oh, no.”
    “Oh, yes. There they were, laughing and talking with a group of their friends, when the first slow song of the evening started up. The girls were all giggly, hoping one or the other of the boys would choose them, you know.”
    “What happened?” Strutter asked, already knowing the answer.
    I gulped. “Duane asked Charlie to dance.”
    We stared at each other, trying to picture the sheer awfulness of the moment. Then we burst out laughing.
    “Oh, my god,” Strutter howled. “My poor baby.”

 
 
    After dinner that evening Armando and I sat in front of a dying fire as I filled him in on Charlie’s dilemma. Gracie watched the flickering light, her eyes dreamy and far away. “If anything, this reinforces my opinion that high school may be an okay experience for some kids, but if it really turns out to be the best part of their lives, that’s pretty sad. Most of us suffer the most hurtful situations we will ever experience. I do not understand people’s ceaseless quest to relive those years, however much time has elapsed.” I looked at him curiously. “So tell me your deepest, darkest high school humiliation. You’ve never said.”
    He smiled. “I was in the seminary, remember?” Armando had studied for the priesthood for several years in Colombia.
    “Ah, yes, until you realized that you really, really liked girls,” I teased him. “Very convenient. You probably saved yourself enormous emotional damage.”
    “Postponed, would be a better word,” he corrected but did not elaborate. I already knew a good deal about the baggage he carried around, so he didn’t need to. “Still, I had some very good friends in Colombia, and I do wonder what has become of them.”
    “You could probably find out if you made a Facebook page for yourself and put out the word, but frankly, I don’t want to be that accessible. It feels dangerous to me, or at least potentially awkward. As sure as I’m sitting here, the one person I never wanted to hear from again would find me and want to get together.” I made a face.
    “The one person? Who would that person be?” Armando asked. He stroked the back of my hand absently, and Gracie narrowed her eyes in jealousy. I had my uses, such as filling her food dish regularly, but Armando was her special person, and it annoyed her when his attention shifted to me.
    I thought about his question. “I don’t know right at the moment, but I’m sure there’s one out there somewhere. Or two. I’ve made peace with most of the villains in my past, but there must be a couple