Scene 2: A New Live...
Joshua's POV:
Joshua McClendon opened up his eyes and he was lying in bed, fully-clothed, except for his shoes and jacket. He was in bed and this was definitely his bedroom. He looked around, trying to focus his sleep-laden eyes on his surrounding. How did he end up here? He could not remember walking home. The last thing he remembered was standing on the snow recalling bittersweet past events, his last few hours with Scott, and... Ouch! His head hurt, throbbing painfully.
"You're finally conscious, Joshie."
Joshua was startled by the voice because he lived alone ever since Scott passed away and there should not be another man in this house other than himself. He quickly rubbed his eyes, and looked at the source of the voice. He was startled.
"Scott!"
"Kyle Jamieson, Scott's older brother, the one and only sibling he had. He never told you about me, eh?"
"He did, but he only had a few pictures of you, and those were your old pictures."
"I am not that old, for God's sake. I am only two years older than either of you."
"Fine, but the question is what are you doing in my house? Where the fuck was you when Scott died last year? Without any of his immediate family by his side at that!" Joshua could feel his anger rising up, and could not stop himself. Scratch that! He did not want to curb his temper.
"I did not know about his death because I was not home. I hadn't been home for years. I was kicked out of the house by the `rents for being gay. I got the news about Scott's death through his high school friends." Kyle's eyes misted over with tears, but he held them back, unwilling to cry in front of this stranger, who once was his brother's lover.
Joshua felt slightly guilty over his unwarranted outburst, and arose from the bed, walking towards Kyle, who was on the verge of crying. He pulled the older boy into his arms, and held him tightly as the dam finally exploded.
"God! I lost my brother, and I didn't even know till last week. If I had known, I would have come to see him, just for that one fucking chance to say goodbye." Kyle continued to sob uncontrollably on Joshua's shoulder. Joshua whispered soothing words in his ears and rubbed his back gently. After a while, the tears slowed, and Kyle pulled back a little.
"Sorry, I couldn't stop myself." Kyle smiled sheepishly.
"That's alright, Kyle. Are you feeling better now?" Joshua asked, and the concern was apparent in his voice.
"Yeah, thanks, Joshie." Kyle smiled a little wider.
"Good, care to answer a few questions?"
"Sure, shoot."
"First off, why did you keep calling me "Joshie"? No one, other than Scott, had ever called me that. Secondly, how did you know my name and where I live, and lastly, how did you know where I was last night, and then proceeded to bring me home last night?"
"I don't know why I called you "Joshie." I only know that your name is Joshua McClendon. The people in this town said that you and Scott were inseparable, and were two of the nicest people ever. I just felt right about calling you "Joshie." If you are uncomfortable with that, I can call you "Josh" or "Joshua," or something else." Kyle explained.
"No, it's fine. You remind me a lot of Scott. You guys could pass as twins." Joshua's eyes misted a little over the memory.
"I wouldn't know about that. I was kicked out from home when Scott was only 14 years old. I had been living with a friend of mine since then, and his parents had been kind enough to provide for me. They are my adopted parents now. My parents would not let me near Scott, and when I tried to talk to him in school, I was served with a restraining order."
"I am sorry to hear that, Kyle. That must be difficult."
"Thanks, Joshie." The silence stretched on between them. Both men were looking down on their feet, lost in thoughts. Kyle continued his explanation after a few extended seconds of silence. "Hmm...as for the second question, that was easy. I talked to a few people in the neighborhood, and everyone knows you, and Scott. In this small town, everyone knows everybody else. You fit their description perfectly: 5'11, about 175 lbs, brown hair and eyes, and the most important part, the tattoo of a smiling angel on your right arm."
"Oh, you meant to say that you stripped off my jacket to make sure that I was the right person before saving me?"
"No, I would have saved you even if you are not the one I am looking for. It's just my luck that I found you; and yours too."
"What do you mean?"
"You almost fell down head first to the ground when I noticed you, and I rushed forward in time to break your fall. Have you been drinking or something?"
"No, I was thinking about...things," Joshua replied with slight hesitation.
"You meant to say Scott."
"Yeah."
"That's alright. Everyone needs to grief, but you should have been more careful. Nobody else was on the street so late last night. Nobody would have seen you fall, and you could have frozen to death."
"Maybe that's what I want," the words left his mouth before he realized what he was saying.
"That is stupid, and you know it. Scott must be blind and stupid to fall for someone as weak as you."
"SHUT UP! You don't have the right to judge Scott the way you did."
"Maybe, but one thing is for sure: you're weak, and you're a coward."
"If you're raring for a fight, you'll soon get one from me."
"Bring it on!"
The two men stared at each other for minutes, and neither moved an inch. The tension grew, but it was broken by the sound of the telephone ringing. Joshua picked up the phone, still glaring at Kyle, neither conceding defeat.
"Hello! Mum, what's up?" He listened for a while, and continued, "Yeah, I'm great. Dinner tonight? Sure. Alright then, I'll see you guys later." He hung up.
"I am leaving now. I am not wasting my time to fight a little boy like you. Grow up!" That did it for Joshua, and they began to wrestle on the floor, each punching the other blindly. Kyle was clearly stronger than Joshua, and had him pinned to the ground in no time at all.
"Now, listen, Joshie. I am not going to beat you up because you're obviously still grieving for my brother and you're not thinking with your full capacity. You need to understand that I am very disappointed in you because Scott would never want you to die the way you could have died last night," Kyle shouted at Joshua, who was struggling to break free.
"Shut up! I don't need your lecture," Joshua shouted back. He wanted to cry, remembering Scott's final words, but not in front of Kyle, who was still a stranger to him, even though he was Scott's older brother.
"Joshie, stop struggling!" Kyle barked more fiercely, but with a hint of sadness, and that prompted Joshua to stop any movement. "Joshie, the reason I'm here is because of my dreams. Will you care to listen?"
"Let me go first."
"Oh, sorry."
"That's alright. What dreams are you talking about?"
"Dreams of Scott. He said he missed you, and he wanted me to see you and take good care of you." Joshua wanted to cry upon hearing that, but he regained his composure real quick.
"I guess you did. Thanks for last night. I'm sorry for losing my temper a moment ago, but I'm not sorry for hitting you. You deserve those punches for being such a judgmental jerk," Joshua said, smiling a little.
"I'm sorry too for being so judgmental, and I am sorry for hitting you back, but damn you're really strong for a little boy. Want me to rub some ointment on those wounds?" Kyle teased.
"I'm not a baby, Kyle. I can take care of myself." They both laughed.
After a while, silence enveloped them, and they were both at a loss for words. For Joshua, it felt really good to be laughing with someone else after such a long time. He had not laughed so hard for quite some time now. Kyle had enjoyed talking to this younger man, and laughing together was a real pleasure.
"Kyle, I am going to my parents' house for Christmas dinner. You want to come along?"
"Are you sure about that? I mean, it's Christmas dinner, after all, and I don't want to intrude."
"Nonsense, Kyle. You're family too. You're Scott's brother, remember?"
"Don't be a smart ass. If you're sure about dinner, I will be more than glad to accept the invitation."
"I'm sure, Kyle. Where are you living right now?"
"At a motel near the church."
"Pack up your things because you are going to live with me. I have a spare bedroom. My parents had purchased this house for me and Scott when we made a commitment to each other at a private ceremony. It was not legalized, unfortunately, but it meant a lot to Scott and me."
"I understand. Your parents must be damn rich though."
"You can say that, but I am not a rich brat by any standards. I am working for my dad's company, but I am starting with the entry-level wage, just like everyone else."
"That's cool."
"Yeah..." Another silence ensued. They were both running out of conversational topics.
"So you're..."
"Do you want to..."
They smiled at each other, and Kyle told Joshua to go ahead with what he wanted to say.
"Oh, I was just going to ask if you wanted to bring your stuff over right now."
"That's fine. You're not busy or anything, are you?"
"Nah, I am not. Let's go now."
They drove Joshua's car to the motel, and along the way, Kyle explained that he knew of Joshua's home address from the wallet in his pocket, and carried him all the way home. He had to ask for directions from a boy working in the 24-hour store, however. Joshua was very touched hearing that, and thanked Kyle again and again.
"Stop thanking me. I could have robbed your wallet, you know?"
"But you didn't, and I am thankful that you got to me before anyone else did."
"That's alright."
After getting his stuff from the motel and checking out, they returned home, mostly in silence.
"Joshie, aren't you going to ask me for my ID or something?" Kyle asked suddenly.
"Why? To prove that you're Scott's brother?" Joshua hazarded a guess.
"Yeah."
"I don't have to. I have the feeling that you're telling the truth, and you look very similar to Scott. You're probably 6'2, a couple inches taller than Scott, and you weigh slightly more than he did when he was still healthy, about 185 lbs, and you have black eyes, black hair, and the same tanned complexion."
"You're very trusting, aren't you?"
"I am, and that is not good, I know. Scott told me so, but ironically, that's what he loved about me. He described me as innocent and free, and those were the two things he noticed about me the first time we met, but he said that my eyes looked kind of sad and hurting. He gave me the nickname "Dying Angel." It was very melodramatic though," Joshua smiled at the memory.
"It sure is, but it's true. I did see the pained expression in your eyes before you fainted, and I would have given you the same nickname."
"..." Joshua remained quiet, and they were both lost in their own thoughts.