Chapters 7-9

Adjustments

It's late June and Brendan is finding a comfortable rhythm to his new life. Work at The Colonel's, his fix-it jobs in the garage, and he's even paying a little for room and board. Uncle Sean refers to him as independent to a fault. 

Jeremy talks Brendan into joining him at Liam's Trough, one of Uncle Sean's bars. Scott works there and gets them in, even though Brendan is underage and has no ID. Brendan doesn't like the place. Trying too hard to be Irish so only seems American. Scott sends over drinks but Brendan doesn't want any. Jeremy talks about family all over and going to Israel, soon. A drunk tries to get Brendan to sing Danny Boy and becomes belligerent when he refuses. Jeremy uses Aikido moves to force the man to the floor and Uncle Sean throws the guy out. He tells Brendan to leave, too; that he shouldn't be there. Brendan gets a hint Scott may have been causing trouble.

Then after a day of dirty repairs and taking a cool shower, the B-Girls barge into his room, catching him naked, and insist he tell them about the name tattooed on his arm. Memories good and bad slash into him, nearly driving him into hysterics. He tells the girls to leave but they say it's their home and he's just a guest, so he slams into the bathroom and bolts the door to keep from hurting them. Aunt Mari hears the commotion and orders the girls downstairs, but Brendan refuses to leave the bathroom; he just stays crouched down by the door, his mind all over the place.

He drifts until near dark and grows cold, so takes a hot shower, his memories more blank than pleasant, then dresses, goes downstairs and tells the family he cannot live there. The girls pretend to be sorry then realize he means to leave. Aunt Mari argues against it and offers to let him live in the pool house, angering Scott; he had wanted it even though he's about to leave for college. The door has locks and blinds and curtains will be added. Brendan finally agrees.

Celebration

Brendan settles into the pool house, which is furnished with a day bed, bean bag chairs, table, lamp and kitchenette, and it has an attic and opening to the roof to climb out. He vows to keep the furnishings light. He also gets the combination to the side gate to use as his own entrance. The B-Girls try to sneak in but he won't let them.

Soon after is the Fourth of July. Brendan is working at The Colonel's and has a panic attack, thanks to the fireworks and gunfire all over the city. He hides under the bar until Rocky coaxes him out, and talks to him. Todd gives him a valium and drives him home after work. Nothing is said to the family about his freakout. Through the rest of July and August, he and Scott laze around the pool, sometimes joined by Jeremy before he leaves for Israel. Jeremy's learning Mandarin Chinese and already has college level classes under his belt. 

Brendan regains his rhythm, which now includes walking home after work since Todd has started seeing a girl in Jersey Village. One night he's approaches him and a guy named Wayne asks if he wants to go to a party in Pasadena. Girls and pot promised. He considers it but refuses because he's carrying a fan someone threw out.

Not long after, he learns the guy who asked him was Elmer Wayne Henley and David Brooks was driving the car. They planned to take him to Dean Corll's home to be raped and murdered. Brendan tries to understand what almost happened and how anyone could so easily help kill innocent kids, some of whom they knew, which leads him to seeing parallels to what happened in N Ireland, with his friend, Billy, helping attack Eamonn at Burntollet Bridge. Control is behind much of it, and luck is all that protects you.

The B-Girls

Brandi and Bernadette make nice and take Brendan on as a project, reworking his look and his clothes. They argue over whether or not he looks like David Cassidy or Bobby Sherman. They talk him into buying a WW2 bomber jacket at a second hand store, despite the heat, and coerce him into learning how ice skate, all the while sniping at each other. He allows it because it distracts him from his deeper thoughts...and finds he likes the skating. He feels free doing it.

Then mid-August, a couple days before he leaves, Scott and Brendan are drifting in the pool, discussing the serial killings. Scott has a lot of pseudo-psychological ideas as to why it happened, while Brendan keeps his thoughts about it to himself. He learns about the draconian sodomy laws in force and thinks of how Danny was abused by Father Demian. He knows monsters are everywhere.

Then Scott tells Brendan he and Jeremy have snuck into gay bars because they're easier to get into and sometimes were orally serviced. He suggests Brendan join him in going to one that night. "My one chance to take a virgin...one who's never been to a gay bar." Brendan is wary but thinks, Joanna would have gone, so agrees.