Bayside Queens (BoyxMan)

17.

17.

CJ

It was Tuesday.

Both of us weren't speaking, sitting side by side in the doctor's office waiting room, staring at the floor. We both knew what this meant, but neither of us had said a word about it. We had just gone through the motions of getting him here, me getting off from work for a few hours, sending Topher on his first patrol, picking Quinn up at school, (he had returned to Bayside Public High School yesterday at Viola's request) then driving the silent thirty minutes to Quinn's doctor's office so he could get all his stitches removed.

I couldn't help but think about Sunday, the morning after Tommy had come over and gotten me painfully drunk. The next day I woke up with Quinn in my arms in bed, and then him in my arms in the shower, and then him in my arms as we made pancakes and he taught me Taylor Swift's dance to "Shake it Off" from her music video. It was the most fun I'd had in years. Tommy even stopped in because he had forgotten his jacket the night before, and of course he made a scene, claiming he's "never seen CJ Thomas dance in his entire life." But Quinn just laughed and forced him out the door and I was thankful for that.

Now, two days later, the nurse in the fun looking jumpsuit was calling out "Spinner Strauss," looking me dead in the eye. I jumped up a bit, not knowing how long she had been calling his name. Quinn eyed me strangely but joined me as I followed the nurse through an open examination room down a hallway to the left. She told us the doctor would be in soon, but I barely heard her, watching Quinn as he sat down on the table and I lingered in front of the closed door, wondering why the hell he used Viola's last name. So I asked him.

"What's this Spinner Strauss business?" I asked him. "Don't you have your own last name?"

He stared at me blankly, practically sinking into the hoodie he was wearing. It wasn't mine. It was that goddamn ex-boyfriend's sweatshirt, but I couldn't do anything about it. He wore it to school so I couldn't really take him home to change, no matter how annoyed I felt every time I looked at him. At least this sweatshirt fit him well.

"Viola was the one who checked me into the hospital the first time, that's why she used her last name. I don't exactly have one."

The calmness in which he told me that threw me off. Not having a last name? That only meant one thing in the foster care world. He had no idea who his parents were.

He snorted, continuing. "Doorstep baby. The only thing my supposed mother left on me was a jumper with my name embroidered on it. She left me at the Episcopal Church on Third Street, because churches are supposed to be safe havens for unwanted babies or whatever. Yeah so, that's that."

I shook my head out of sympathy, but the thing is, there were tons of kids like him at the orphanage, kids with even worse stories and situations, he wasn't special. So no one pitied him.

"Sorry Kid," I told him, only a formality. I would have loved to be a doorstep baby. That way I would have never known who my real parents were.

"No you're not. I'm not either. It's a blessing, really. Could have been a lot worse. Anyways, the whole not having a last name thing is kinda cool. It gives me this sick bad boy vibe I never would have had otherwise."

I laughed, finally relaxing for once that day. I had been on edge ever since I woke up.

"You can use mine if you want," I heard myself say casually, despite how un-casual the statement was. "My last name, I mean."

I watched Quinn's eyes widen, causing me to grow anxious. I said the wrong thing.

"Just for like school and legal purposes! That's all, kid. Don't get your panties in a wad."