TFWMZ2_2015-03

Tales From
Wilton Manors
Zine
2 (2015-03)

Catholic School Boys In
Trouble (Part 2) Gym Class
- by Brett Butler
I made no further gains
toward my goal to go out
with Luke Roberts. Pickles
thinks I am getting too
obsessed with him. I am
starting to think he’s right. I
did steal the towel he used
in gym class after he took a
shower. Do you think that’s
weird? Well, everything is
about to change and it all
started in the worst possible
place. Gym Class! I have
no sports skills, since my
skills are in shopping, not
catching a ball. Although, I
had to forge a note, I
bought from Stevie, to get
out of class. Sister Mary
Eunice didn’t buy it and, of
course, Stevie had a no
money back policy. That
Bitch! The teams were the
shirts vs. the skins.

I prayed, please don’t let me
be a skin. Pickles looked at
me and pointed his finger in
my face, to remind me. “Girl,
you’re Jewish. The man
upstairs cannot hear you.”
Just then, I saw Luke (he was
a skin) as he took his shirt off
to reveal his eight-pack abs. I
almost fainted! “Boy, look at
the huge cross around his
neck. That boy is headed to
the priesthood,” Pickles
said. “Shut up! It’s a rumor,
God wouldn’t take that off
the market,” I said as I wiped
the drool off my chin.
Pickles and I were spared
and put on the shirt team. We
just hid in the back and acted
like we were playing, but we
would just gossip. Today I
was too busy watching Luke
build up a sweat. “Catch!”
Daniel yelled out. But, I was
too busy scanning Luke’s
body into memory for

personal use. Hey don’t
judge me, we have all done
it. “Sweetie, watch out,”
Pickles yelled out to me.
When I turned, the
basketball hit me in the head
and I was knocked out. I hit
the floor. Pickles screamed,
“I love that he is so
dramatic.” Luke ran over to
me and a little bead of sweat
from his chest hit my cheek.
My eyes opened and for a
minute there, I thought I was
dead, because Luke looked
like an angel. Luke helped
me up. “Are you ok?” he
asked. I couldn’t answer
him, because he was
shirtless and sweaty. His
sweat just touched my face
and he saved my life, I
thought to myself. Sister
Mary Eunice just looked at
us, “Walk it off Blair!”
Pickles ran over to me.
“Sweetie, are you alright?”

I put my hand on my cheek,
“Yes, he saved my life
Pickles.” Pickles replied,
“You know your bitch of an
ex did that on purpose!” I
was still dazed. “I must thank
him then.” Pickles put his
arm around me and walked
me to the locker room. By
lunchtime, I was convinced I
was on Luke’s radar. Pickles
and I ate our lunch, when
Pickles dropped his diet
Pepsi and told me, “A new
boy has transferred to
school. His name is Jordan
Marquese.” Let me tell you
about Jordan. According to
Pickles, he is a boy whore.
He was thrown out of his last
school, because he did it with
the volleyball team. Jordan
was tall, dark, and
handsome. Pickles hated
him, because they were
supposed to make out at a
party, but Jordan told

everyone that Pickles was
frigid. As Jordan came
closer to us, I could feel
Pickles’ anger begin to rise.
Jordan sat down and looked
only at me. “I can solve your
Luke Roberts’ problem.” I
smiled at him. “Tell me
more.” Pickles waved his
arm. “No, don’t get involved
with this one. He may have a
face like an angel but he has
the soul of the Devil.” Jordan
frowned. “My dear Pickles,
are you still holding that
Junior High School
grudge?” Pickles said, “Oh
girl, hold me back!” I said,
“Pickles let’s hear him out.”
Jordan smiled. I must admit
he has a killer smile. “Luke
hates me. So let’s go to the
dance together where he’ll
see you with me and he will
want to date you.” Pickles
rolled his fake green eyes.
“Sweetie, that’s not a good

idea.” I looked over at
Luke’s table as he kept
looking at us. “Maybe he has
a point Pickles, a fake date to
get Luke jealous sounds
good to me.” Jordan nodded
his head. Pickles pointed in
Jordan’s face. “What’s in it
for you, pretty boy?” Jordan
replied, “I get Luke upset,
that’s all.” I asked, “Wait,
but isn’t Luke going to be a
priest?” Jordan leaned back
in the chair. “I heard he was
kissing some dude at the
Gateway last weekend.”
Pickles took my arm and
dragged me away. “Sweetie,
this guy lies all the time. He’s
up to something.” Jordan
stood up. “Meet me at Java
Boys after school.” I noticed
Luke was looking at me
again, but so was everyone
else. Pickles never gets mad
at me, so this was a first. I
was so conflicted. I knew he

was right, but this might work. A
strawberry smoothie when Dan
came in. “First Luke, now you’r
drink from my smoothie. “I am
replied, “Please, we are going d
dear.” Daniel walked away in h
think of, was that I was really lo
down. “Sweetie I don’t want to b
news.” As soon as he said tha
checked him out. Luke Roberts
not happy to see Jordan at Java B
I grabbed Pickles’ hand. “So you
polo team?” Luke said. Time s
Kenny, the barista, stopped serv
take your losing team and make
“Yeah right!” Jordan looked at h
have a problem with that Robert
can’t wait to see you fail, that’s
to happen Roberts” Jordan came
and I mean everyone, was looki
“Your kind is not welcome here,
and looked at his reflection in t
going to the dance with me or n
Pickles, then at Jordan, then at L
I felt like I was having a General
Nathan, Levi, and Maxie. My he
him
an

t Java boys, I was on my fourth
iel, my ex teen-age drag queen,
e chasing that Jordan?” I took a
not chasing anyone.” Daniel
own a dark path these days my
is mini dress, when all I could
sing it. Pickles came in and sat
e a bitch, but that Jordan is bad
t, Jordan walked in. Everyone
walked in behind him. He was
oys. Luke got in Jordan’s face.
’re the new captain of the water
eemed to have stopped. Even
ing coffee. “Yeah I’m going to
them winners.” Luke laughed.
is cell phone and smiled. ”You
s?” Luke looked around. “I just
all.” Jordan turned. “Not going
and sat at our table. Everyone,
ng at us, but not in a good way.
” Pickles said as he fixed his hair
he napkin holder. “So, are you
ot?” Jordan asked. I looked at
uke, and then at Pickles again.
Hospital moment, the one with
ad was spinning. I had to give
answer.

Between Movements &
Ages - by G. Manson
racing frames across
dim projecting light
boxed with shine & gloss
painted over bright.
we’ll all burn away.
safe film of decay,
locked in storage, for
we’ll all burn away.
will you escort your
own predestined fate?
we’ll all burn away,
a scene much older,
but in legend stay
with luck, grow bolder
and may never fade.

Bok Choy – by Brett Butler
(Inspired by Mary
Mantione)
If you find Bok Choy in
your refrigerator, then it’s
the end of your
relationship. I saw it and I
did not know what it was. I
mean we had been together
for eighteen years. If it
weren’t covered in
chocolate, then Max would
not have eaten it. So, this
little slice of health food
raised my eyebrow, when I
gently asked, “What the
fuck is this?” He kindly
responded, “I want to eat a
little healthier.” Healthier?
I thought. I met this man at
McDonalds eating a McRib
when he was 22. He just
turned 40, and I am now in
my 50’s. Health food has
never gone into his mouth.
So, I have this fuckin’ Bok
Choy in my house now.

Well, it wasn’t long after,
that our relationship began
falling apart. Don’t get me
wrong, my friends told me
we were in trouble long
before the Bok Choy
incident. We stopped having
sex a while back and
everything, I mean
everything, he did was
getting on my last nerve.
Now I am no angel either. I
am kind of a neat freak and
he is kind of a slob. Like after
he takes a shower, he leaves
the towel on the floor, and if
I don’t pick it up, it will sit
there forever. I also do
everything for him. I make
his breakfast and pack his
lunch for work. I take care of
him when he is ill, but when
I am sick; he lets me lay in the
bed for eight hours, without
ever checking on me or
asking me if I need anything.
One time, when he did come

in and ask, it still took
another 45 minutes to get the
water I requested. I did not
see those signs, but I did see
the Bok Choy. We stopped
going out and would sit for
hours not saying a word to
each other. So I decided not
to pick up his wet towel after
his shower and to not make
his breakfast or lunch, so you
know what, he got upset and
called me a bitch. We had
been together so long. I just
wanted to save our
relationship, so I went back
to being that Stepford
boyfriend. I went back to
picking up the towel,
cooking, and even then he
made me wash his back in
the bath. One night I washed
his back and neck and
thought about fuckin’
choking him, but I kept
doing it anyway. I remember
what a lost lamb he was at 22

and now at 40 he was a
successful businessman. I
pushed him and paid for him,
to get a college degree as I
painted and sold my
paintings to make him the
spoiled Bok Choy eating
man he is today. The fighting
increased and I prayed and
prayed for guidance. The
Bok Choy finally did it for
me, so I lost it and moved
out, until my best friend
reminded me that I own the
house. Three months later I
walked into the house. It was
clean. I was expecting flies
in the air and rats running
through the house, but it was
cleaner than the way I kept it.
I ran to the bathroom
expecting to find a mountain
of towels, but there was
none. I ran to the refrigerator
and opened it only to find
even more Bok Choy. At that
point, I snapped and threw

his shit out on the lawn. I
changed the lock and moved
back in. I think I was so mad,
because he acted like a
helpless child all those years
and I thought he needed me,
but in reality maybe I was the
problem wanting to take care
of that helpless child. I did
see him at one of my art
shows and my friends all
growled at him for showing
up there. He was with an
older man, even older than
me. He looked happy, but I
felt sorry for his new
boyfriend. I am sure he is
picking up his wet, smelly
towels every day. As for me,
maybe I will find love again
or maybe not. I will keep on
painting and know if I do
start to date again and see
Bok Choy in the refrigerator
that I will have to run, run
like hell…

Writer/Publisher:
Brett Butler
Editor/Webmaster:
Eric Schleicher
talesfromwiltonmanors.weebly.com
talesfromwiltonmanors@yahoo.com
Contributors:
G. Manson
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