Chapter 24

“What the hell for?” Peter demanded.

“‘Cause of the side-effects. I got a dry mouth when I took it. My vision got all blurry as well. And most of all, I don’t want to take head-shrinking pills.”

This led to a major argument between Bud, David, and Peter. Peter told Bud that if he didn’t want to take the pills for his own sake, then he ought to do so for David’s. “Don’t you think you owe him that much? Do you think it’s okay to have him worry himself over you waking up screaming every night?”

Bud just lay there, a sour and petulant expression on his face.

“I’ll tell you this much, Francis Williams. If you were my boyfriend and you were behaving like this, I’d kick your sorry black ass out of my house. But because he’s,” he pointed at David, “so devoted to you, he won’t ever do that.”

“I don’t want to take the fucking pills ‘cause they stop me from getting hard!” Bud yelled. “They rob me of what little manhood, what bit of dignity I’ve got left.”