This is a work of fiction. The author retains all rights. Reproductions are not allowed without the authors consent.
There are no explicit sexual acts contained in this work, it is a story of love and the strong bonds shared between two guys.
This is the first story I have submitted. I would love to hear from you (I have received a lot of emails so keep sending them, and if you haven't already, I really want to know how I'm doing; I just love reading support mail!) so email me on exuinoxneo@hotmail.com and be honest with what you think (but not brutally!). You can even email me if you have any questions - which readers outside of Australia may wish to do as you may not understand the meaning of some slang words. Enjoy.
SEVEN
Life has a funny way of turning your world upside down, and especially at just the moment when you think everything is working out really well. I could live with a few twists and turns here and there but too many at once would be way more than I could handle. How is it possible that in the midst of such turmoil I was able to find a single source of happiness? The implications of what had happened last night was pushed to the back of my mind, it was almost as if I refused to contemplate what they may mean. All I wanted to do was see how things were going to turn out, I was exploring things I never imagined was possible and I couldn't allow my fear of the consequences get in the way. I know that to some, where I was going may be a path of sin, but I wasn't a religious person; hell is only what you make it.
The sky outside was clear and the wind was not as frantic as yesterday, it was a pleasant change from the recent bad weather. I literally bounced into the kitchen where Aunt Jen and Julie were quietly chatting. The look of depression on my sister's face dropped me back down to reality.
"I'm really sorry that I allowed all this to happen," I apologised to Julie as I sat down.
"It's not your fault March," Julie said, "You're not responsible for something someone else did."
"That's right," Aunt Jen agreed, "That boy took advantage of your kindness, there was nothing you could do, so don't beat yourself over it."
"I just don't understand why this would happen to us," I said to myself.
"The only thing we can do, dear," Aunt Jen said, "Is to learn from our experiences."
"But what are we supposed to learn from this?" Julie asked, speaking my mind exactly.
"Honey," Aunt Jen said, "That's what we must all find out for ourselves, it's what will make us better people."
"Still," Julie said, "We'll probably never see the jewellery again, it's probably in the hands of some filthy heroin dealer."
Trying to hide a smile I said, "Maybe, but we were insured for them."
Julie's head whipped up in shock as she looked at me and asked, "What? Since when did we have insurance?"
"Since a few months ago, I forgot to tell you about it and I didn't get a chance to let you know last night because you were already in bed by the time I got home," I replied, "But I talked to mum about it and she's going to make the claim when she has some free time, so we'll be getting a pretty big payout for the stolen jewellery."
"That's great," Julie said her face beaming with excitement for a moment before her face fell into a slight frown. "It still doesn't change the fact we'll never see the heirlooms again."
"No it doesn't," I said smiling again, "But mum had them evaluated and I'm telling you we're gonna get a payout on the far end of a five digit figure, maybe more."
"You're kidding!" Julie said in shock again, "I can't believe it! Do you know what we could do with that money?"
I nodded, "We could get this house fixed up and more."
Aunt Jen was staring at me as we talked, she said, "March dear, I can't help but noticing that you aren't as upset as your sister this morning, did something else happen last night?"
I felt my cheeks redden as I remembered. I said, "Uh, no Aunt Jen, nothing much, I just went to . . . I went to Edric's house and talked to him for a bit."
Aunt Jen studied me as I sat playing with the tablecloth. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable, I felt as though she knew exactly what happened, but how could she?
"Aunt Jen, would you stop that?!" I said finally.
"Stop what dear?" Aunt Jen said innocently.
"Stop looking at me like that!" I told her, "It's creeping me out."
"And why would it make you uncomfortable dear?" She asked with a grin on her face. If I didn't know her as well as I did, I would almost say it was a knowing grin.
"Okay," Julie said confused, "Am I missing something here."
"No you're not," I said, "Aunt Jen is just teasing me again."
"March, you know I would never do that to you," Aunt Jen said convincingly.
"There you go again!" I said in a playful sulk, "Stop patronising me!"
Aunt Jen chuckled, she said, "Okay dear, you're so easy to tease."
"I don't get it," Julie said, "You're all talking another language to me."
"You should be used to that by now," I joked.
"You're so funny March," Julie said sarcastically.
"Yeah, I know," I said, "It's part of my charm."
Julie pretended to vomit and Aunt Jen raised an eyebrow.
"Don't even start," I said to Aunt Jen, "Not a word."
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said pretending to be confused, "Would you care to explain it to me."
"You see," Julie said, "Even Aunt Jen doesn't understand you sometimes."
Aunt Jen and I both looked at Julie. She knew something had happened and was trying to get me to spill the beans. She could try all she wanted, but even I wasn't completely sure what had happened, I was just happy to ride the waves at the moment until I could figure it out.
Julie pouted, she said, "Okay, I give up, you're both crazy."
I laughed and said, "I have to go to uni now, I'm gonna pick up Edric first."
"Can you put some petrol in the car while you have it?" Julie asked.
I sighed, put my hand out and said, "Money?"
She handed the petrol money and the keys to my outstretched hand and I put them in my pocket.
"I'll see you all later then," I said to Aunt Jen and Julie as I prepared to leave.
"Bye," Julie said.
Aunt Jen had a grin on her face, she said, "See you dear."
I drove off and stopped at a petrol station to refuel so I wouldn't forget later. It was a good thing that Edric's house was on the way to uni so it wasn't inconvenient to drop past, but even if he lived on the other side of town I would still have picked him up because I was just the kind of person who would go out of my way to do things for people.
As I neared his house I noticed an old black ute at the front. A man came out of the house and I recognised him as Edric's brother. I had only seen him on several occasions because he worked afternoon shifts, though I never talked to him. He seemed like the kind of person who kept to himself and didn't bother exchanging pleasantries. He was probably on his way to work now. Most afternoon shifts started around this time. I stepped out of the car and gave him a polite smile and a nod.
"Hi," I said trying not to sound nervous. This guy was big and he could probably easily intimidate anyone he came across.
He looked at me while he walked to his car without blinking. The way he stared at me was more of a glare, and before he opened his car door he sneered at me with pure hatred. I almost took a step back; it was a shock to receive that kind of greeting from someone who didn't know you. He opened his car door and threw something in the passenger seat. I realised it was a baseball bat, I didn't notice before because he was carrying it behind his arm and I was more intent on looking at his face. He drove off in a squeal of burning rubber, leaving me standing there confused at what just happened.
I shook my head and started off towards the house. Some things weren't worth dwelling upon. When I reached the porch, I rapped on the door and strangely the door opened inwards marginally from the slight force. I sensed something wasn't right as my heart began to beat faster.
I pushed the door open further and called out uneasily, "Edric?"
Nothing. The house was quiet.
"Edric?" I called out again, louder this time.
Still nothing. The slight wind that blew earlier had died down and even the sounds of nearby traffic appeared to have ceased. Everything was eerily quiet. Everything but the pounding of my heart that seemed louder than thunder.
I stepped inside the house cautiously. I didn't like entering someone's house uninvited, but Edric was supposed to be home and it wasn't like him to leave the house if he knew I was going to be coming.
"Edric?" I said again, a hint of fear entering my voice, "Are you there?"
No answer.
I checked the lounge room. It was empty. He wasn't in his bedroom either.
The kitchen was at the back, I walked there hurriedly and slowed down as I neared. The open doorway didn't show anything out of place I could see a pot boiling on the stove but when I looked on the ground my heart almost stopped. I could see smudges of red on the kitchen tiles near a pool of liquid equally as red. I ran into the kitchen and almost fell over when I came to a stop. The image that greeted me would forever be burned in my memory. My breath caught in my throat and a strangled cry escaped my mouth.
Lying on the floor in pool of blood was Edric. His body lay in an awkward position and his head looked like it took a heavy beating. There was a large gash on one side of his head and his face was swollen on the other side.
I took my shirt off without thought and knelt down next to him. Tears blurred my vision as I gently raised his head up to wrap my shirt around the gash. I struggled to blink the tears away so I could see what I was doing but still they came, silently dripping down onto Edric's face. I could feel his blood seeping through the fabric of my jeans as I knelt there. My hands were covered in the dark liquid. It was warm; the residue of its heat still remained.
"Oh God no, oh God no," I could hear myself muttering over and over again but I wasn't aware that the words were coming out of my mouth.
Edric opened his eyes then, and in a weak voice he struggled to speak, "March?"
"Shhh," I said. A giggle escaped from me like it would a madman in a straight jacket, I felt like I was watching everything from a distance, "Don't say anything, I'm going to call the ambulance, try to stay with me now."
I put his head down with a tenderness I thought I couldn't manage. I was reacting unusually well considering the sea of fear that roiled inside me. Picking up the phone on the kitchen bench nearby I dialled triple zero.
An automated voice on the other end spoke, "To speak to the police, press one, to speak to an ambulance operator, press two -."
I quickly pressed two. Another automated voice, "We will be with you shortly, please hold while an ambulance operator becomes available -."
"Fuck!" I yelled out with frustration. It felt like an eternity before someone picked up the line and when I finally heard a voice on the other end, the greatest sense of relief overwhelmed me.
"Emergency ambulance service, can I help you?"
"Thank God," I said, my words were running into each other while I tried to speak as fast as I could, "You have to come here quick, my friend is hurt badly and he has lost a lot of blood, please, you have to hurry."
"Okay stay calm," the operator said soothingly, "Where are you?"
I gave her the address. She said, "We'll dispatch an ambulance as soon as we can, the important thing is that you try and stop the bleeding, and don't move him"
"Yes, yes, I've done that," I said hurriedly, "Please, please get here as soon as you can."
I hung up leaving a bloody print on the handset and returned to Edric. His eyes were still open but his breathing was erratic. I knelt down next to him again, put one hand under his head and held his hand with the other.
"I thought you weren't going to come," Edric said, he was forcing the words out even though it was painful for him to do so.
I smiled in an attempt to appear nonchalant but it was far from the worried concern I really felt. I said, "I'm here now, don't talk, save your strength."
"A neighbour saw us last night," Edric said and coughed, blood seeped from the corners of his mouth. Dread suddenly gripped my heart. I was afraid that he was bleeding internally. And of what he was going to say next. He continued, weaker this time, "They told my brother, we argued, he . . . did this."
Anger surged within me, my pulse raced and I fought to keep my feelings under control. Instead I said, "Shhh, don't try to explain, just stay with me now."
Edric squeezed my hand weakly. I smiled but my mouth quivered at the corners. He took a deep painful breath, closed his eyes and went limp as he fell unconscious.
"Edric!" I cried out, "Edric, wake up, please wake up, come on wake up!"
New tears formed as I cried kneeling beside him. Pain flared within my chest and throbbed relentlessly. I drew my breath in great racking sobs. The tears streamed down my cheeks as I whimpered Edric's name over and over again. In the distance the wailing of an ambulance siren grew louder as it drew nearer. I didn't notice though, my world had already fallen to pieces once, and again now, for the second time.