Trademark 2004 Allen Aldrich, All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer: You cannot distribute this story, print it for publication, put it on another web site, display this story, nor publish it anywhere without the express written consent and permission of me. If it is in any way illegal for you to read this story in your country/state/town/village/cave/hovel w/e then stop, I take no responsibility for your actions. If your under 18, you'll probably be reading it anyway, so it'd be kind of useless for me to tell you to stop. By reading this chapter, you acknowledge you have read the full disclaimer.
Notes: Thanks to Joseph, my editor and everyone else who waited the week and a half for this chapter to get written I hope it's worth the wait. Feedback is my food and drink so write me and let me know what you think Cadoimond@yahoo.com
The disorientation left much quicker then it did the first time I tried this, but I still fell to my knees. The ringing of the phone next to me shook me back to reality. I opened my eyes and I was thrust into shock; there was a man in front of me, one I thought long ago I put out of my life. Someone who had caused me so much pain I never thought he would have the nerve to come to my house again.
"John..."
The name escaped my lips and then everything went black...
We were walking to school, we missed the bus yet again and his parents were already at work so there was no chance for a ride from them. It's not like the half-mile walk was too much for us, it gave us even more time to be ourselves. I looked over to him. He wasn't much taller then me, only 5'11. His blond hair hung just over his ears, as was the cut he and I had always gotten. His dark blue eyes showing the joyful youth, as mine betrayed me and looked down his body. He was wearing a small tank top and shorts, it was quite warm out today so we didn't need to wear much else. I looked down at his legs, the muscles there seemed odd to me; I didn't have that kind of definition. We were both 14, our birthdays only a week away; he would turn 15 before me by 3 days. Since we met at 12, we were almost inseparable. His parents took to me almost as fast as we did each other. They were so glad he finally had a friend who lived so close to him.
Once we were about four blocks from the school, I stopped him.
"John, I have to tell you something," my voice caught in my throat when he looked at me, giving me one of his signature smiles.
"Sure, what's up bud?" He was looking me right in the eyes, running a hand through his hair and somehow managing to turn his backpack around enough to bite on one of the straps.
"Umm... well, you know that Shawn kid who is always hanging all over you during gym?" I tried not to look too shocked when his features turned from a caring friend to some... almost beast after hearing the kid's name.
"Yes... what about that fag? I think if he tries to touch me today, I'm going to have to break his neck, I told him to back the fuck off last week. I can only hope he takes my advice for his sake," the fires in his eyes made me stumble and fall to my knees.
"John... I didn't know you felt that way at all... He is a bit clingy but I'm sure he only has a crush on you," we both laughed a bit as I got up and punched him in the arm, continuing our walk to school. Somewhere in the back of my head I put off telling him how I felt for him, this obviously wasn't the time. I'd never heard him use the term fag before, or talk about violence.
John was on some basketball team that his dad would always bring me to see when they had a game. I would sit there checking out all the guys, his dad sitting next to me, when he would pass by, dribbling the ball. No matter where my eyes had gone, when he came by they would instantly follow him...
Everything shifted, and then I was sitting in my living room. John was next to me and we were playing 'Perfect Dark' for N64. He always whooped my ass at games but if I had to lose, I'm glad it was always to him. I decided I would tell John how I felt on his 17th birthday. In three days he would find out how I felt, we had grown so close over the years. There was nothing we kept from each other. He had noticed I was acting weird and asked me a few times what was wrong. I couldn't tell him, not yet. The nights I had spent crying because he wasn't next to me were catching up, I couldn't act this way anymore; either he would accept me or not. If he turned me away, I didn't know what I would do. Of course he wouldn't turn me away.
He had told me he loved me before and I know it was just friend kind of love but it still made things worse for me inside. My feelings were welling up inside me to the point of tears whenever I saw him. Sometimes I would spend the night at his house and just watch him breath, wondering what it would be like to run my fingers down his chest, but I never would. Not even in his sleep; I had too much respect for him.
The day came. There was a big party at his house and he invited all his friends, I was the first one there, of course. I had spent the night over his house just to make sure of that. I was going to tell him before anyone else showed up and when his parents went to pick up some ice cream. I woke up and got out of his bed, we had shared his for years, and went to relieve my bladder. I guess I made a little more sound then I intended. He walked into the bathroom right before I flushed.
"Oh hey Allen, didn't think anyone was in here," he said as he turned to leave.
"No. John wait, we have to talk," I said as I walked out behind him.
"Sure, whatever bud just let me get business over with and you'll have me all to yourself," flashing me another wicked grin before closing the bathroom door and leaving me to my thoughts.
Time seemed to stop as I remembered growing up with John. I thought that if he was going to reject me I would want to remember as many good things about our life together as possible before he did, so I would know our friendship wasn't a waste. I heard him flush, breaking me out of my reverie as I watched the door open, John stepping out in his boxers and walking over to the chair in front of his bed. I was lying across his bed just looking at him for a few minutes.
"So, what did you want to talk with me about bud? Must be something important to spring it on my birthday," he said as one of his legs crossed the other. He was chewing on some piece of leather he got hold of, probably from his father.
"Well, you know I've been acting strange for a few days. There is a reason for it..." I let the thought hang for a minute, making sure I had his full attention. "When we met and you became my friend, I was the happiest boy in the world, I didn't know anything till your friendship... I don't think I could live without it, you've been my best friend for years. I hope what I have to say doesn't change that fact."
"Umm, you still haven't said it bud. Although whatever it is I don't think anything could come between us, you're my best bud too ya know," he said as he leaned forward in his chair, wrapping his arms around my head.
I didn't realize it but I was crying, he thought something was wrong to make me feel so weird. Little did he know.
"I love you John," I blurted out, closing my eyes "I've always loved you, ever since we met I knew I was gay. I love you," I stammered out into his ear. The next part of this was more then I expected.
"You little faggot," I was shocked when I opened my eyes to see him standing above me, tears rolling down his cheeks. He balled his fists up and raised them. I didn't know what to do; I just sat there when his fists came down on me.
I was never good at fighting, and this time it was no exception. He was beating me for at least an hour. Every time a fist came down it would hit either my chest or face. I felt my nose crunch after the first few hits. I didn't know what to do, I just sat there while he beat and beat, I must have passed out because after I felt no more I saw blackness. Only blackness.
"Allen... Oh my god John what did you do... Allen are you ok.. Allen speak to me are you ok?" I heard and I tried to move my neck, there was a shooting pain up my back. Not that the rest of my body wasn't in pain, I couldn't move my left arm or feel my fingers, my leg felt like it was torn to shreds. I knew I had a few broken ribs because it was hard to breath and I coughed up blood onto the seat of whatever car I was in. When I opened my eyes I saw John's mom driving her mini van, we were going to the hospital. I couldn't talk, my mouth wouldn't move.
There was another blur and I woke up on the floor of my house, John still sitting in front of me, not looking like he aged at all. He moved towards me, still sitting down. This was impossible, what was happening? John was in my house, sitting on a chair and gliding over to sit in front of me.
"Well, faggot, time hasn't been well for you has it?" he said as he slowly stood.
"Please.. John... Forgive me..." was all I could stammer out. Then all I could see was light; white light... from everywhere.