I hadn't seen him at all recently. I'd been in Haven House and from what Fran said, Mike's been busy teaching kids to dance.
I called him to see if he'd like to join me at the gym. I wanted someone other than Harold with me when I went to face my demons.
I'd seen Mike naked dozens of times in art class and each time I felt the rush of excitement as if watching a lover take their clothes off for the first time.
His firm stomach muscles rippled as he tossed his shirt into the gym locker. The shape of his legs as he slid off his pants and inched on his swim trunks made me look away. The shape of his butt and back reflected in my mid. The way the light caught his hair. I turned to him and saw that slight grin of conceit he gets when he knows someone is getting turned on by his body. Even if it is someone like me. Or Harold.
"You okay?" he asked. "You look like something's on your mind."
"Not really," I said, putting on my trunks. "I just wanted to say thanks. Thanks for...helping me out."
He sat down beside me. "You ever do something as stupid as that again, I'll revive you just so I can kill you. What the hell were you thinking? If that Jack of Hearts guy hadn't been looking for you, you'd be worm food right now."
"I just tripped," I said. "I fell down. So..."
"So you thought you'd off yourself?"
Mike knocked on the top of my head with his knuckles. "Hello? Anybody there? Call me the next time you fall down."
"I tried," I said. "You weren't home."
"Then let it ring, dip shit. Anything you need, you can call me. We're friends in case you've forgotten."
Friends. I guess that is what the two of us were-- no mat1ter what happened-- friends. And suddenly I thought of that Bette Midler song and realized I'd made a gay association.
I tried to think of a good Led Zeppelin song very quickly.
