Welcome back, everyone. Before we begin I must make a small correction to something I wrote at the beginning of Chapter 10. I said we had heard the last of Alan Bradley. Well, let me correct that by saying that we have not heard the last of Alan Bradley, as we will soon see.
So, on with the show.
This story deals with adult themes, primarily same-gender sexual relations. Such relations have their basis in love and commitment, rather than sex for the sake of sex alone. In some cases they will use protection; at other times they will not. You and I should always use protection because we do not live in the world of fiction.
If you are offended the idea of homosexuality or if you are under the age of consent or if you reside in an area where such things are considered illegal or immoral, then you should seek entertainment elsewhere.
Comments may be directed to the author at thornado5@netscape.net
This story is copyright 2004 by Mike Williams. All rights reserved. Thou shalt not steal.
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A Thousand Rainbows by Mike Williams
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The days that followed were filled with activity, getting the house ready for the the Beckers and the other Thanksgiving preparations. On Wednesday the headmaster of Bridgewater Academy sent as message to the music lab and informed Mr. Cabelli that he wanted to see Jason and Josh in his office right away.
The music professor relayed the headmaster's request to the boys, who only gave each other a puzzled look. They shrugged and zipped up their backpacks, and left the classroom, making their way to administration building. They arrived in the outer office, where they straightened their neckties and made certain they were sufficiently presentable.
Mr. Walker's personal secretary greeted them as they entered. "Good morning. You would be the Connor boys."
"Yes, ma'am," the twins replied.
"Headmaster Walker is expecting you. Please come with me." She got up from her desk and led the boys into the headmaster's inner office. Jason and Josh thought it must have been very important that they would immediately ushered into the headmaster's office.
The headmaster of Bridgewater Academy for more than 20 years, John Walker was a distinguished-looking man in his late 50's with silver hair and eyes as dark as coal. And yet those eyes were alive with a fire and a passion for education and for this particular institution. His office seemed to take up the length of the building, with a desk at one end and a sitting area with large fireplace at the other. Above the fireplace was a large portrait of the school's first headmaster. The walls were decorated with photographs of daily life around the school.
The secretary announced the twins. "Jason and Josh Connor to see you, sir."
"Thank you, Mary." The headmaster was seated near the fireplace and rose from his wingback chair as the boys entered the spacious office. He greeted the twins with a warm smile. "Come in, boys; I'd like you to meet someone."
"Thank you, sir," the boys said.
A middle-age woman occupied another wingback chair. Jack Miller, the captain of the rodeo team, occupied a rocking chair by the woman's side near the fireplace. The headmaster walked to a point directly in front of the fireplace, where he remained standing. "Gentlemen, I believe you already know Jack Miller of our senior class. Now, I'd like you to meet Mrs. Janet Miller, Jack's and Paul's mother. Mrs. Miller, Jason and Josh Connor."
The woman smiled at the twins. There was that same smile they had seen the night Paul had delivered pizza to their house. There was no mistaking that this was Paul's mother.
"Pleased to meet you, ma'am." Jason offered his hand.
"And you, Jason." Her voice was pleasant.
"A pleasure, ma'am." Josh offered his hand.
"Josh, I'm delighted to meet you both at last."
"Why don't you boys take a seat?" The headmaster resumed his char and indicated a loveseat between the two wingback chairs. "I suppose you're both wondering why I've asked to see you this morning. I'll let Mrs. Miller explain."
"Thank you, Mr. Walker." She then directed her comments to the twins. "I know we've never met. Paul mentioned your names after he made a delivery to your home last weekend. Apparently he also knows your father, the man who runs the photo studio. Paul wants you both to know that he is recovering very nicely at the hospital. He's been moved from critical care to a private room. And he's wants to see you both as soon as possible."
Jason and Josh looked at each other, sharing a silent communication, then turned back to Mrs. Miller, smiling.
"Thank you, ma'am. We are very concerned about Paul ..." Jason began.
"... And we're relieved to hear that he's making good progress," Josh finished.
"But why would he want to see us?" Jason asked.
Again Josh finished the thought. "After all, he's a junior, and we're just freshmen. It's not like we have the same circle of friends."
Janet thought about her answer for a moment. "I don't know. Do you, Jack?"
For the first time Jack Miller spoke up. "I don't know either, Mom. Paul and I haven't had much chance to talk." The he directed his comments to the twins. "But Paul seems to think it's important. He did tell me that much. How about I give you guys a ride to the hospital after school?"
"But only if you call your father first to let him know where you'll be," the Headmaster interjected. "You can use the phone on my desk."
"Thank you, Mr. Walker," Jason said as he rose to make the call.
"And thank you, Mrs. Miller," Josh said. Then he turned to Jack. "Does this mean we get to ride in the `Deathtrap'?"
Mr. Walker chuckled. Jack Miller drove the ugliest pick-up in the school's parking lot. Even the license plate read DTH TRP.
Mrs. Miller smiled. "It's a wonder that it runs at all. I can't imagine what holds it together."
Jack was quick to defend his beloved pick-up. "Mom, I think we owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Walker here. Thanks to his leadership, Bridgewater Academy has a first-rate automotive shop program."
Janet smiled at her eldest son. "Jack Miller, you didn't just kiss the blarney stone; you stuck it in your back pocket and walked off with it."
"Well, Mrs. Miller, the more he attends our automotive shop class, the better prepared to cure whatever may befall his beloved `Deathtrap'. As long as it can carry him to school each day, we'll all be happy."
"Thank you, Mr. Walker," Jack said and smiled smugly at his mother. Then he turned his attention to Josh. "And yes, Josh, you and Jason get to ride in the `Deathtrap' ... right up in the front seat."
"Cool." Josh beamed. He and his brother would be the envy of the entire freshman class.
"Just make sure you and your brother wear your seatbelts," Mrs. Miller warned. "We don't call it `Deathtrap' for nothing."
At that moment Jason returned to the group. "Our dad is OK with everything, as long as we can catch a ride home after we visit Paul."
"Not a problem, Jason," Jack assured him.
"Then it's settled." The headmaster was about to end the meeting.
"Just one other thing, Mr. Walker," Mrs. Miller interjected. "We've received a lot of calls from Paul's friends, asking about him and when he can have visitors. And I'm beginning to realize what a large circle of friends he has here at Bridgewater Academy. We appreciate everyone's best wishes. But Paul wants to keep the visitors to a minimum, if at all possible."
"I understand, Mrs. Miller," Mr. Walker assured her. Then he turned to the twins. "So maybe it's best if you two keep this quiet."
"Yes, sir," the boys responded in unison.
The meeting was concluded. "If that's all then, you boys are free until your next period. And thank you, Mrs. Miller, for coming in today. It's been a pleasure seeing you again. If there is anything we can do for you, please feel free to call."
Janet rose from the wingback chair as Josh, Jack and the headmaster rose from theirs. "Thank you so much for seeing me, Mr. Walker." She offered her hand, which Mr. Walker accepted with a gracious smile. The headmaster shook the hands of his other guests and escorted them out of his office.
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At long last the school day came to an end, and the twins were waiting impatiently in the parking lot. As soon as everyone was safely belted into the `Deathtrap', Jack removed his tie and unbuttoned the top three buttons of his dress shirt, opening it halfway down his chest. The twins made no move to do the same, but they both noticed Jack's well-defined chest, the result of his work with the horses and the school's rodeo team.
"I don't know how you guys can stand to wear a tie all day long." He took a deep breath. "Whew, I can breathe again."
For the first time Jason and Josh noticed that Jack was wearing cowboy boots. The twins smiled. "We're OK, Jack," Jason said. "Maybe by the time we're seniors ..."
"... We'll feel the same as you," Josh finished the thought.
Jack remembered what Paul had told him the previous Friday night after work, about the twins he had met and how they finished each other's sentences. He found himself getting dizzy just as Paul had. He smiled and began to understand why Paul was so captivated by these two freshmen.
With the twist of a key the `Deathtrap' roared to life. Jack's smile became one of pride in the vehicle he had rescued from a salvage yard and nursed back to health. "Hang on, guys! The ride is just starting."
"Aye, aye, captain!" the twins saluted.
Jack laughed as he eased the pick-up out of the parking lot and onto the street.
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For all the hype surrounding the pick-up's nickname the twins didn't really expect Jack to perform any theatrics as they drove through the town. The conversation with light with the boys commenting on the rodeo team's winning streak. Jack was impressed with the fact that they had attended most of the team's events over the previous three years and remembered the team's best moments.
Jack expertly parked the `Deathtrap' in the hospital's parking lot, and the three made their way through the hallways and up to the third floor. Paul's door was open, and he was propped up in his bed reading a history textbook. He looked up and saw the twins with his brother.
"Hey, bro, look what I found wandering around the hallways," Jack said as he ushered Jason and Josh into the room.
Even though his jaw was wired shut, Paul grinned as the saw the twins. Maybe it was a new light in his eyes, but his smile was just as captivating as they had remembered it from just a few days earlier.
"Hey, Jack. Hi, guys," Paul greeted them. "Pardon me if I don't get up; I'm still kinda sore. Come on in and pull up a chair."
It hurt them all to see Bridgewater Academy's starting quarterback laid up in a hospital bed. Paul seemed to be taking it in his stride. He knew the hazards of a rough game like football, just as Jack understood the dangers of rodeo. But they both thrived on the rush.
The twins were almost speechless. "Hi, Paul" Jason stammered.
"We're glad to see you're getting better so fast," Josh finished the thought.
Paul turned to his brother. "Jack, I really appreciate you bringing the guys down here. Um, could you give us a few minutes, please?"
Jack seemed only slightly taken aback. "Uh, sure, no problem, guy. I'll just go check the oil on the `Deathtrap'." He leaned in to give his brother a hug. "I love you, Paul," he whispered. "I'll see you later tonight."
"I love you too, Jack," Paul replied.
Jack left the room and closed the door on his way out. Paul continued to stare at the door for a moment, barely breathing.
"Paul?" Josh said softly.
The quarterback looked at the teenager seated next to his bed, then back to the closed door. Softly he said, "I was just thinking what my life would be like if Jack was suddenly taken from my family. We've grown up together, and we've just taken each other for granted for these years." He turned to face the twins. "And then I meet you guys, and in just the few minutes I talked to you the other night ... something started me thinking."
The twins looked at each other, the back at Paul. "How so?" Jason asked.
"I've never known any twins before," Paul replied. "You guys are brothers just like Jack and me."
"But we know each other so well ..." Jason began.
"... We can finish each other's sentences," Josh said. "It takes some practice."
Paul smiled and shook his head. "Yeah." Then his smile faded. "And yet I know so little about my own brother."
Jason and Josh look at each other, sharing a silent communication, then back to Paul.
"Well, speaking as a twin, I can tell you ..." Jason began.
"... There are days when I'd really like to get rid of ..." Josh continued.
Then the two turned to each other, pointed and said in unison, "HIS UGLY BUTT!!"
Paul was doing his best to keep from laughing for fear of destroying all the work the surgeons had done on him. Jason and Josh turned back to the quarterback with big grins.
"Please," he begged, holding his stomach where Randy Carter had placed a few powerful punches.. "Please don't make me laugh. Oh, god ... oh, god, it hurts!"
"OK," Jason said. "We'll behave ourselves."
"Promise," Josh said.
Paul took a deep breath and regained his composure. "Thanks, guys. After all I've been through since Saturday, I guess I needed a good laugh. I've had a lot on my mind. But that's not why I asked for you two to come see me. I wonder if you guys could do me a great big favor."
The twins were delighted that their football hero would entrust them with such an important mission. "Just name it," Jason said.
Paul paused before continuing. "I need to get a message to Tyler Garrison. I need to talk to him. I would have asked Mom or Jack, but we gotta keep this quiet. Please don't tell Jack or anybody. Can you do that for me, please?"
"Is tomorrow too soon?" Jason asked.
Josh looked at his brother. "Jason," he began. "How are we gonna get anywhere near Tyler Garrison? He only hangs out with his swim-team buds."
Jason smiled at the perplexed Josh. "Dear brother, you forget: We're twins. We're cute." He paused for effect. "We're irresistible."
"Oh, yeah, we are," Josh smiled innocently and turned back to Paul. "So, is tomorrow too soon?"
Again Paul had to fight to keep his laughter under control. Eventually he was successful. "I will owe you guys forever if you do this. But please, let's just keep it between us."
Once again the twins looked at each other with looks of concern on their faces, then back at Paul. "Can we ask you a personal question, Paul?" Jason asked.
They know, Paul thought. He looked at one freshman, then the other. He nodded.
Josh glanced at his brother, then looked back at Paul, who was looking down at his lap, preparing himself for the question he knew would be asked sooner or later.
"Do have feelings for Tyler?" Josh ventured to ask quietly.
Paul looked out the window, staring into space. He took a deep breath and hesitated before answering. "I have had feelings for Tyler ever since we were freshmen at Bridgewater. But he seems to have this wall around him. That's why I did that photo series of him for the Shoot-out last year. I was trying to get just a little closer." Paul hung his head before continuing. "I guess that was a pretty stupid scheme."
"We saw the photos," Jason said. "And we were really impressed."
"And we weren't the only ones," Josh continued. "A lot of people saw your work, including Tyler."
Paul looked up in surprise. "Tyler saw the exhibit? Judging by the way he acted while we were shooting, I would have thought he didn't care one way or the other."
Josh glanced back at this brother for a moment, then turned back to Paul. "Of course he saw the exhibit. And my dad would say that you both did your jobs really well. Him, as the model giving the impression that he was just going on with his life, not letting the camera get in his way ..."
This time it was Jason who finished the thought. "... And you, as the photographer for letting him just live his life, not letting the camera get in the way."
A faint smile appeared at the corners of Paul's lips. "I never thought of it like that. Well, now that the football season is over for me, I guess I'll be spending more time with the photography club."
"That's the spirit," Jason encouraged as he rose from his chair and walked to the far side of the bed. "Now, you should be ready to receive visitors about three o'clock tomorrow afternoon."
"You're sure that won't interfere with the soap operas and talkshows and other events on your social calendar?" Josh teased.
"If I wasn't so sore," Paul replied, "I'd throw this pillow at you."
Josh rose from his chair. "That's the quarterback we all know and love, always ready to practice throwing passes."
They both leaned in to give their hero a hug. Paul was surprised at first, but accepted the hugs graciously. "Thank you," he whispered through his wired jaw, as he blinked away a tear.
Jason and Josh rose and gave Paul the Bridgewater Academy power salute. Paul's smile widened to a big grin. "Thanks for coming to see me. You guys are something special."
Jason returned the smile as they made their way to the door. "Yeah, we know."
"Remember, three o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Don't be late," Josh chided as they exited the room.
Paul settled back in his hospital bed, the smile still on his face. He looked around the room. Somehow all the flowers sent by friends and well-wishers seemed a little more colorful; the sun seemed a little brighter outside his window. Tomorrow, he thought, he would keep the promise he made to Alan Bradley, he would tell Tyler how he felt.
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to be continued in Chapter 14