Hey Friends! Time for the usual disclaimer. If you are not legal to view this type of content, please leave and come back when you're older. I'd love to have you still. If it male on male sex offends you this is not the place for you. How did you even end up on Nifty in the first place? Well after a while here is chapter 11 of Against All Odds. Enjoy!!
CHAPTER 11
A week had passed he thought his heart would ache less and things would return to the way things were before, but he was kidding himself. He loved Max if only he had the chance to tell him. He's called trying to apologize, leaving countless messages to Max, but none were returned. He felt empty, not motivated. Incomplete. Evan would spend more time in his room drawing what he saw outside of his window, he only left his room when he needed to eat and even then he rarely said anything to his family, he never said anything to his father. A Thursday afternoon brought overcast and a chilly bit to the air, Evan was staring out of his window as usual when there was a soft knock at his window. He ignored it at first, but then the knocking continued.
"Come in." He finally muttered. The door opened a crack and closed shut, Evan never turned around to see who had come in.
"Evvie." Dylain said softly. Evan turned around and forced a smile onto his face.
"Hey, Dyl. What's up?" Evan hoisted the small boy up onto his lap and held him close.
"Why are you sad?" Dylain asked, his light hazel eyes always stood out from the rest of the family, the look of sadness on his face could have ended years and years of intense gruesome fighting and bring light to even the darkest heart. Evan couldn't lie.
"Well Dyl, I made a mistake. I let someone go that meant a lot to me, only to realize how selfish I have truly been." Evan said he let a tear fall silently from an eye, Dylain looked into his big brothers eyes and then wrapped his arms tightly around Evans neck and hugged him.
"It will be okay." Dyl kissed him on the cheek, hopped off of Evan's lap and ran to the door. "Oh when is Maxie coming back, I liked him." Evan chuckled lightly.
"So did I buddy. So did I." Evan said, he turned his attention back towards the window and began to think some more.
Evan opened his eyes and found nothing but darkness. He felt a soft touch on his shoulder, he turned quickly not seeing anyone behind him, he nervously took a step into the darkness and heard a single sound and saw Max standing in front of him, his signature smile plastered on his face, his hand outstretched. Ever step Evan made, Max seemed to oppose, his steps were almost ghost-like. Every step and Max seemed further away until he felt the hand grasp his. Evan looked into the eyes of Max, and Max into his. Their lips seemed to auto-pilot themselves to the others yet only seconds before their lips touched, Max disappeared replaced with Christy. Poison dripping from her lips which were curled into a sinister smile, Evan tried to move but found himself immobilized, paralyzed in her grip. His lips forced against hers, his eyes beaming with horror. He looked to his left and saw a distraught Max, who only said the words. "I thought you loved me?" The words seemed to echo around the darkness until Evan shot up in his bed, his body dripping with sweat. He slowly rose and went into his bathroom and threw some cold water on his face. He sighed deeply, there wasn't any way Evan would be able to sleep after his nightmare. He looked out of his window into the night sky.
"I do love you. And I will find a way to fix this." Evan muttered softly hoping that the soft call of his voice found its way to Max. Evan picked up his sketch book and pencil and began drawing into the late hours of the night.
Evan woke up propped against the headboard of his bed, he isn't sure at what point he fell asleep. He looked to his sketch book and saw a pencil sketch of Max, he picked it up and held it close. He reached over to his bedside table and opened the drawer, he pulled out a small white box and opened it carefully. He pulled out a small gold necklace with a circular locket at the center, on the front "Love," was etched carefully into the face. Suddenly there was a knock on his door. He scrambled to hide the pendent and the sketch book.
"Just a minute." He called softly. The door opened anyway.
"Yo bro." Riley said poking his head in. "Is everything okay? You've been locked inside your house for the past week and a half. You just gonna sit here all break?"
"Um no, I just have been taking some time to figure things out." Evan said.
"Like?" Riley simply asked as he took a seat on the desk chair.
"Well, I...I did something stupid and if I try to fix it someone might get hurt and I really don't want to make this person collateral damage." Evan said trying to verbalize what was going on without too much information being given away unwillingly.
"It depends on what it's for." Riley said spinning in the chair aimlessly.
"What do you mean?" Evan asked putting his gaze upon Riley.
"I mean is it for love? Do you love this person?" Riley asked, he had stopped spinning and now was searching Evan's eyes for answers.
"Yes." Evan said, a look of revelation overcame him and he realized that this was something he was so sure of.
"Then the one you love, will be protected from anything. Don't underestimate the power of true love." Riley said.
"Since when did you become the expert?" Evan asked.
"Since I've decided I want to marry Diana. I know we're both still young. Hell, we haven't even graduated yet, but I'm so in love with her." Riley said looking hopeful. Evan stared at the floor. "Anyway bro, I just figured I'd see if you were still alive." He said getting up to leave.
"I hope I figure this out before someone gets hurt." Evan said, not meeting Riley's eyes.
"It's inevitable, someone will always get hurt." Riley said finally leaving.
Evan pulled out his phone and called Christy.
"Hey, pookie." She answered cheerfully.
"Don't call me that. I want to make something clear. I don't love you, I despise you. I love Max and I am doing this to protect him from you. You self-righteous, conniving bitch." Evan said venomously.
"Such big talk, you want this to be true, you can't stand the fact that you're a fag can you? Imagine the disappointment you would bring to your family. Don't lie. You don't love him, you are only trying to make yourself feel better. You are saving your own ass. I expect you at my house for Christmas brunch." Christy just hung up the phone. Evan felt defeated, the doubts Christy had placed in his mind were growing like weeds, rapidly and out of control. Who was he doing this for, himself or Max? Was he really that selfish? Evan looked again to the bedside table and thought hard. He remembered the pendent, the etching on the face. It was a Christmas gift for Max that Evan had ordered. "I'm so sorry." He whispered.
The rest of the weeks left in the vacation passed and things didn't seem any better. No contact from Max, even though Evan had texted him every day. Evan showed up at Christy's, knowing that he didn't want to be there and his expression showed it.
The night before school started up. Mr. Lonzo called Evan into his den.
"I see you've been lacking in applying for schools." He said sipping on his usual drink.
"Dad, I haven't been lacking. I just haven't made up my mind yet. I don't know what I want yet." Evan said desperately trying to avoid another explosive confrontation.
"What is there to make up your mind about, you are going to law school, maybe not right away but that is where you will be." Mr. Lonzo said putting a certain emphasis on the word "will". "Either way," He began. "I've taken the liberty in getting into contact with some of the football coaches from Harvard, Yale, and Columbia, just to name a few. They want to see you play in the county play-offs."
"Why are trying to decide things for me? Who told I rejoined football?" Evan said stunned.
"Well Christy called a few weeks ago." Mr. Lonzo said with a smile. "Now to answer your first question, I've told you before I know what is best for you more than you think you do. You will thank me one day when you are some big-time lawyer making thousands." Evan couldn't respond, anything said would ignite a fire fight that wouldn't end for a few weeks, he walked out of the room as silently as he had entered. Evan went to his bedroom and shut the door.
The remaining weeks passed and the semester had started again. Evan as would be usual picked Christy up from her house and gave her ride, leaving her to walk by herself. The day wore on and when lunch came around he hid out and searched for Max. He began to panic, looking back on it, he hasn't seen Max at all the entire first half of the day. His fear quickly turned into anger as he hunted down Darren. He found Darren in his usual spot behind the cafeteria tormenting some new kid, who seemed to be a freshman. His short hair and styled blond bangs, covered his hazel eyes and a tortured look.
"Darren, leave him alone." Evan said stepping behind the bully.
"Come to save another fag have you?" Darren said now turning his attention to Evan.
"Just leave him alone, or you and I are gonna have a bigger problem than what we have right now." Evan said, a fire burning behind his eyes. He looked to the kid who quickly left the area only looking back with grateful eyes.
"What do you want?" Darren said getting closer to Evan.
"Where is he? Where's Max?" Evan said as calmly as he could.
"How the fuck should I know." Darren said, his smile hid nothing but the darkest satisfaction of the thought of injury or worst to Max.
"Don't fuck with me! What the hell did you do?" Evan yelled his rage slowly coming to a boil.
"I told you I didn't do anything!" Darren shouted back, by now the commotion had grossed a number of onlookers.
"What did she have you do to him? If you did anything you both will pay, I swear on my life. When are you gonna start thinking for yourself? Or will you always have her as a puppet master?" Evan said, Darren knew he was being used and went for the cheapest shot he could find.
"Fuck you! I hope that fag finally went and offed himself." That was the only thing Darren could say before Evan finally him boiling point and charged at Darren, pinning him against the nearest dumpster and beat on him repeatedly. Riley burst from the crowd and tried to pry the two apart.
"Stop it! Evan, stop! He isn't worth expulsion. Think of Max." Riley said whispering the last sentence. Evan separated and pulled himself free and walked away pissed off. Riley held Darren back from going after him knowing full well that Darren would be hurt a lot worst. "Consider yourself lucky. Whatever you said really pissed him off, don't do it again. Or next time you won't be so lucky." Riley said, he bolted into the lightly wooded area behind the school to find Evan. After about five minutes Riley found Evan sobbing to himself quietly by a stream, Riley sat next to the boy and held him tight letting him cry into his arms.
"God I feel guilty!" Evan said through choked tears.
"For what?" Riley said softly.
"I hurt him so bad all because of my stupid pride." Evan said, he had realized what he had said and turned away from Riley.
"Max?" Riley said before continuing, Evan silence only confirmed it. "You loved him. Didn't you?"
"Fuck no. I'm not gay dude. I was just his first friend here and I let him down." Evan said trying to be as bro-like as possible.
"Evan. Don't lie to me, please. I've known you too long for you to lie to me about something that will never impact how I feel about you. I love you and accept you regardless of who you fuck or whatever. I don't care. I saw how happy you were when you were hanging out with Max, you were happier than I had ever seen you with Christy." Evan paused for a moment, afraid to make eye contact. He finally turned around with tears in his eyes.
"I loved him and I messed it up because I was afraid. I left him when he needed me most and I...just...what if what Darren said is true...what if he took his own life? I couldn't live with that guilt."
"Evan, you are jumping to a worst case scenario. Go and find him to make sure he's okay, but we need to talk about what happened back at school." Riley said in a protective yet authoritative voice. The boys embraced and Evan ran off to his car, while Riley went back to the school.
Evan drove away as quick as he could. He needed to set things right, but in the end he knew he couldn't have it all, that he was going to lose something. Riley had already shown his loyalty and proved he was going to stick by Evan. Evan pulled up to his house and as expected no one was home. He went up to his room and pulled the small box from his drawer and tucked It away in his jacket pocket. He left his house moments later and headed in Max's direction. The entire short drive thinking of ways to explain what was going on and how much he needed Max but so far nothing sufficed. He just had to do it. Evan put his car into park and walked up the walk to the front door and rang the doorbell once. After a few minutes he was ready to ring the doorbell again when, Linda opened the door wearing weans and a sweatshirt and her reading glasses.
"Hi Lin--, umm Ms. Chase. I know I am probably the last person you want to see but, I was wondering if Max was here." Tension over took Evan's body as Linda pondered over letting him see her son. She finally called out for Max and Evan let out a sigh of relief when he came bounding down the stairs with a huge smile on his face. His smile quickly faded when his eyes set on Evan at the door. Linda quietly left the two alone.
"May I?" Evan asked gesturing to the inside of the house.
"I don't see why not." Max said coldly, all those days of ignoring phone calls and texts from the boy who broke his heart helped him lock up that same heart in a fortress of ice and stone. Evan stepped inside and closed the door behind him, after a few moments Evan took the boy up in his arms and held him tight.
"I was so afraid." Evan whispered with a soft peck onto Max's cheek. With that kiss, the ice and stone that protected Max's heart melted away or broke instantaneously. Max hugged him back tighter. "Darren said something that just struck fear into me and I had to make sure."
"Don't worry, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." Max said holding him. The two enjoyed the long awaited contact, it may have been a few weeks, but to them it felt like eons. Both of them feeling content in the other's arms.
Okay so folks long awaited chapter 11 and I hope it was worth the wait, here is a little explanation on why it may take chapters like this one so long to post. Well for one thing I do work, and I do have days where I lay in bed until two in the afternoon, but when I am writing I want to be satisfied in the work that I present to you, I will not post something if I myself as the author feels like you as the reader will be cheated out of a great installment, so I will let an idea stew for a little while and then get back to writing and then when I have something going it is only a matter of time until something is brought to you. As always I love feedback, all of which so far has been positive, so please feel free to email me at aidendstories@gmail.com. I always respond.