Plane Trip

Legal Stuff: The author(me) retains rights to and title to this story.

Note:

This story is fiction and is by no means depictive of the life of any person, place or thing. It contains no penetrative sexual acts between males YET and should only be read if it is legal to do so in your area.

Read at your own risk, okay. All names are made up and any similarities are just dumb luck.

Guys, sorry for the delay. Been busy. No sex yet but bear with me. We'll get there ;-) sooner or later. Thanks for the emails and keep 'em coming. Keep me motivated 'coz I'm a lazy writer.

The Plane Trip Chapter 2 By Fjord

I didn't tell Zack not to send me off at the airport. What I said was that my Mom was driving me there. The asshole could have at least offered to follow us there. My thoughts betray me as I inch towards my seat with several more people still in front of me. I don't think I'm getting the happy face award at this moment. He knew about my dream of flying in an airplane. I told him a gazillion times. Yeah, yeah... he did say goodbye at my room but as my best friend he should know that I fucking wanted him to be at the airport too. I am going crazy, I think. Or maybe I already am.

Why? Well, because I've changed my mind. I'm not giving up on Zack yet. Sure, he wants to be just 'buddy-buddy best friends' with me but I'm thinking of pushing him right to the edge and see if he's willing to at least give it a go. He did say that he wouldn't mind me kissing him. I curse silently as I rue the chance that I had missed. So what if he's not a virgin penis-wise but the asshole's asshole is still unknown territory. See, I'm pretty sure I'm crazy now. 100 percent psycho, I am. What am I thinking? Asshole virgin? Desperado, that's my name.

"Sir, please place your bag in this overhead compartment," the stewardess says to me as I try to move past her through the narrow aircraft aisle with my hand luggage held out in front of me. She looks pretty and has a kind smile. Her hair is cut short making her look like... a pretty boy.

"My seat is at the back... 27C...," I reply with a hint of a smile.

"It's okay... Just place it in this compartment. The back ones are already full," she says in a friendly way. I think she likes me.

"Oh...," I reply, shrug my shoulders and proceed to push my bag into the empty overhead compartment. I glance at the adjacent seat location numbers. "Row 16, remember that," I say to myself quietly.

"I'll remember that for you," a playful voice interrupted my solo conversation.

I look down and see this guy grinning at me. He looks like a teenage rock star with his jet black hair spiked in all directions. He's got cute dimples. I smile at him. I think I am staring at him too much but I can't help it. It feels like we're the only ones there. His eyes are deep blue and his lips are red and parched. I think he must be using mascara as his eyelashes are too thick and curvy. I feel like touching them.

"First flight?" he asks and I am jolted back into the noisy airplane cabin. I can't stop smiling. I have to say something witty but my brain just failed me.

"It shows?" I ask. He nods and smiles again. He's showing his front teeth with white braces. I think he's about eighteen years old like Vinny, my pasta-eating, salami-loving, cheese-chewing and really big Italian cousin. Only, this guy is hot. I mean, he's not hot as in everyone would look at him all the time but it's like when you get real close and really see him, he's stunning. I mean, look at that gorgeous face. Gosh, he's looking at me straight in the eyes. I must breathe.

And out of nowhere, I begin to compare him with Zack. I hate it when that happens.

"Can you move on to your seat, sir? I'll remind you where your bag is, okay?" the stewardess says me as she pats me kindly on the right shoulder. Reluctantly, I go forward and then when I reach my seat I stretch my neck a little to look at the cute guy and all I see is his black spiky hair. I find him interesting. I think I like him even with the braces. I sit down with a sigh, ignoring whoever it is sitting next to me and try to just think about the 'rock star' but Zack just saunters into the picture and of course, ruins everything. I give up for now. Later, I tell myself.

I am at super-duper seat number 27C. I want to recline my seat but there's a grumpy man behind me that told me not to. I'm traveling to New York from Los Angeles for the first time; and getting a good posture lesson along the way too. It figures.

As I go through all the pre-flight preparations I begin to think of Zachary again. Why is he not like me? I think of the time we slept next to each other when we were thirteen and remember him cuddling against me lots of times and we didn't do anything but that. I remember waking up holding him in my arms, cheek to cheek. I remember kissing him once while he was asleep. We never even talked about it. It was like so damn natural. I didn't even get a real harden then. I should have made my move at that time, I think, but then it might have ruined everything between us. Anyway, what I felt then were the intense feeling of having someone who loved me unconditionally and the love for someone that I would have given my life for in an instant. I still have that love inside me but now I'm wondering if it's worth it. I remember when he said that if anyone can turn him gay it would be me and I smile. But my smile lasted for a second only as I remember how his blue eyes twinkle naughtily at me when I asked, "Really?" What a question, eh? I'm gonna try to turn him gay and I'm gonna tell him tonight. I roll my eyes upwards slightly as the word, "Really...," escapes from my mouth.

"Excuse me?" the person sitting next to me, whom I was ignoring and was hoping to ignore me, too, asks. She's probably thinking of getting a new seat already.

"Sorry... I was just thinking out loud," I offer a lame apology for my lack of human courtesy without even a glance at her.

"It's okay dear... Is this your first flight?" she asks. I'm wondering if there is a big sign over my head saying, 'Be kind. It's his first flight'. I nod politely.

"Don't worry. I've been flying so many times already but I can still remember my first time. My husband and I were going to Hawaii for our honeymoon," she continues as I silently curse the ticketing officer that placed me next to 'Chatty Auntie'.

"I'm sorry, I'm making you feel uncomfortable," she says quickly as my expression went slack. Then, I begin to feel guilty. She was just trying to make me feel okay.

"No, no, go on. Tell me what happened. I just feel a bit homesick," I reply hastily. She smiles and continues to tell me how her first flight returned abruptly to LAX after one of the engines failed. I try not to show that her story was not exactly helping. At the back of my mind, I begin to think of what Zack will do if this flight actually ends up crashing into the Nevada desert or something. I bet he's gonna find out that he fucking loves me and...

"Are you okay, dear? You look a bit sick. I shouldn't have told you about the engine failure," she apologizes. "But in the end we were fine. The airplane landed safely and we went to Vegas instead. We rented a car... And my husband never flew again," she continues and suddenly laughs hysterically. I can't help but grin.

"I don't think your story would help anyone," I say with a smile.

"No, but it made you smile. Wanna know something? If I was any younger I think I would fancy you," she says and winks at me. And I can't stop the blood from rushing to the blood vessels and capillaries on my cheeks.

"Look at that," she says, "Some women spends hours in front of the mirror to get a pretty blush like that." Then she covers her mouth in mock horror. I'm looking at the magazine docket in front of me trying to figure out how to fit my body inside it. I'm so damn clueless on handling this type of situation.

"Oh dear... I've embarrassed you," she says.

"It's okay. I get that a lot from my Mom," I reply but it comes out more like a hoarse whisper.

"I've really done it this time," she says, but deep inside I know it is not the end until we touch down at JFK.

"It's okay," I say as I finally look at her eyes.

"You've got such beautiful brown eyes," she says and as I look away instinctively she grabs my hand and pats it. "I'm sorry dear, I couldn't help myself." I want to pull my hand away but I don't want to make her feel bad. I just look at her again and smile bravely. Then, I begin to notice something funny about the way I was sitting.

"The airplane has taken off, right?" I ask her. She just nods and smiles.

"It took off while I was talking to you, dear," she says. I look past her outside the airplane window and see clear evening sky and small houses and really short buildings.

"Wow...," I say softly.

I watch as the city gets smaller and smaller until there is no point in watching anymore as everything becomes just a flat piece of land. After the take-off it's just smooth sailing.

I spend most of the trip talking with Mrs. Jameson or more likely she is talking to me. After a while I begin to feel sleepy and eventually doze off while trying hard to listen politely to Mrs. Jameson or Jenna as she wants me to call her.

I wake up later when the first meal is being distributed by the cabin crew. It is already dark outside. Jenna says she understands when I apologize for sleeping.

All in all the entire trip is good. I have a good time eating rubbery meals with a knee massage for my back. Just kidding. It is not as exciting as I had imagined but nevertheless I try to enjoy every minute of it. Jenna is good company too.

It is long devirginizing trip but it's worth it.

"Can I help you with that?" A familiar voice interrupts my effort to carry my luggage off the moving carousel. The attractive boy from row 16 doesn't wait for my reply as he easily helps me do it. His hair is messed up but he manages to make it look cool to have messed up spiky hair. I almost forget to say thanks.

"Thanks..." I said breathlessly. "That was like a ton..." My luggage is heavy but it has wheels, thank God.

"What's in there? A dead body...? Just kiddin'...," the teenage rock star jokes.

I just smile at him. "Are you from here or from California?" I ask although I am almost certain he is a Yankee. He has that New York accent and pale complexion.

"I'm from here. Manhattan." He replies with a smile that makes me want to put my finger into his dimple. "Where are you goin'?"

"I'm not sure yet. My aunt is coming to get me..." I reply as I remembered that my aunt is supposed to bring a pink board with my name on it.

"Great... If you need a friend in New York, just call me. Here's my card..." He says and gives me this white name card with gold colored fancy looking borders and letters. His name is Joshua Jeffers. I quickly put it into my front pocket.

"Call me JJ or if you want to risk it, just J is good..." He adds with a smile. Gosh, those dimples just look so good on him.

"Hi... I wanted to call you No. 16 but I didn't think you'll like it," I try to crack a lame joke and he actually smiles. "I'm Jimmy Protsky... I don't have any card, sorry." I say to him and he dismisses it a slight shrug of the shoulders. I want to quickly add that my grandfather was an immigrant from Russia when I saw him raise his eyebrows but I decide not to.

"What's your phone number here in New York?" He asks. 'Is he hitting on me?' is the first thing on my already feeble mind.

I pause a second, remembering in quick flashbacks of the warnings of not talking to strangers and not accepting sweets from people in cars with dark windows etc. before telling him Aunt Megan's phone number without any further thought.

"Okay, Jimmy... nice to meet you too. I gotta go but call me okay or I'll call you..." He says and holds out his hand to shake mine. I grab his hand and feel its warmth in mine. I think I'm blushing as he lets go of my hand and steps backwards. He winks at me. Is he really flirting with me? Am I that cute?

"Okay, and thanks again for your help..." I say nervously and he gives me another smile before turning away, carrying just his knapsack and walking into the crowd.

"Bye, Just J..." I say softly as I follow his spiky black hair going further and further away. "Wow, what's my name again? Jimmy, oh yeah," I say to myself with a smile. Just J really made my day, I think happily to myself before a middle-aged man in a striped suit bumps into me, bringing me back down to earth. I say sorry but he never even looks back. "Yankees..." I swear softly.

"Jimmy! Jimmy! Over here...!" My aunt shouts excitedly as she unwittingly humiliates me in public. I feel that everyone within a square mile is now extremely interested in finding out who the poor kid with the name Jimmy on a fluorescent pink card board is. Aaargh... I run quickly towards her just to stop her from bursting a vein in her excitement to see me.

"Hi Aunt Megan..." I say as I hold out my hand to shake hers. She has long curly brown hair and a bright smile. I like her smile. She looks a bit like my Mom but younger.

"I told you on the phone to call me Maggie, kiddo. Remember...?" She replies as she grabs my offered hand, pulls me towards her and gives me a crushing hug. I blush as people around us smile, enjoying my ever increasing predicament. "You're so cute..." I think I am glowing red. Maggie takes the smaller and lighter bag and gestures for me to follow her.

We took a yellowcab to get to her home. She talks to me all the way to her apartment. I tell her about my Mom and our family in L.A. and that my Mom sends her love. I talk about my bro Kenny. I am feeling really homesick already.

"You don't remember me, do you?" Maggie asks.

"No, Aunt... I mean Maggie. Sorry..." I reply, still adjusting to calling her Maggie. She just smiles and ruffles my hair slightly. It reminds me of how Mom likes to mess my hair up whenever I get home from school. I don't know why but if Maggie kisses me on the cheek after that I will surely cry. I am a homesick boy.

I guess Maggie knows what I am feeling as she begins to talk about things other than home after that. She says that she has been painting for about ten years ever since she graduated. She decided to stay in New York because she met someone, another budding artist like her then, and fell in love with him. Before I even ask, she says that the guy had left her.

"I'm sorry..." I say sadly.

"It was for the best... He wanted a cookie cutter type of life and I wanted something more adventurous..."

"Like what?"

"Like being able to just leave for several days or weeks or months or years at a time from my home..."

"Wow, you can do that, really?"

"Yeah... in fact, I would be leaving for Chile soon. But I'll tell you about that later. Before I go, you need to get used to living in New York. Once you're ready then I'll leave you to the sharks...," Maggie says and then laughs out loudly to my distress. My Mom didn't think I was ready to be staying alone at home in LA let alone in New York. My original plan is to get a summer job, live off Aunt Megan's income and try my best to forget about Zack. Or not. I am such a messed-up boy.

"Don't worry Jimmy... You'll be fine. I'll be away for two weeks only and the neighbors will take care of you." Maggie says cheerfully. I beg to differ but keep my mouth shut.

"Does Mom know?"

"Nope, but I'll tell her when I'm in Chile," Maggie replies with a wink.

'She's gonna kill you," I say with a grin as I realize how cool my Mom's sister is. Maggie just laughs in response.

"Welcome to your home in New York..." Maggie says as she opens the door to her apartment. Her eyes twinkle as she smiles at me. I look past her inside the place and see a large living room with a big plasma TV at the far end. The off-white walls are decorated with paintings and murals. It's like a mini gallery.

"You like it?" Maggie asks and I nod excitedly in reply.

"It's... It's like a home magazine layout," I say as I go to the middle of the living room.

"Wait till you see your room, kiddo," she says and drags me and my luggage to the hallway next to the living room towards a sky blue door. She opens the door to a large bedroom with a double bed all ready for my tired body to sleep in. There's a built-in wardrobe and an attached bathroom with a bathtub. I am reminded of the lowly bathroom that I share with my brother Kenny. I miss the little twerp but my room here is well worth the trip.

"Wow..." the words slowly escapes my mouth.

"Glad you like it," Maggie says with a smile.

"Whose room is it?"

"Yours..."

"Sorry, I mean, previously..."

"It was Bryan's, the guy I told you about. Before we became lovers he was my house mate. It's a long story." Maggie replies cheerfully but I can sense her reluctance to say any more. She revealed too many details for me already, I think.

"Oh, okay... His loss my gain," I say and we both share a little laugh.

"Nowadays, this room is for my guests. I've redesigned the whole house a few times since though." Maggie added. I remember my Mom telling me about Maggie first trip to see me when I was born. I can't remember any of it though.

"Anyway, Jimmy, get settled in and take a nap if you like. You need the rest, kiddo. It was a long journey. I'll wake you up for lunch," she says and closes the door behind her.

Feeling weary, I take my clothes off slowly and stand naked close to the bed. Letting my body freefall backwards, I find myself lying naked spread-eagled on the firm but accommodating mattress.

Yes, I am feeling tired but horny so I'll do it in the shower. Don't want to make a mess.

Maggie wakes me up for lunch as she promised by knocking on the bedroom door. She tells me she called my parents to tell them of my safe arrival. She has this really big grin when I lazily shuffle into the dining room. She must really like having me here. She must be lonely or something or whatever. I can't think. We have our lunch and then soon after I start to nod off at the dining table. Maggie sends me to my room to sleep again. She says it's jetlag. I think I'm just tired because of that annoying man's kneecap. I should have just said something to the man but I'm always too accommodating. That's what my parents and counselors always told me.

It must have been another three hours before I wake up again. The wall clock shows 5:30 pm.

As I lay in bed, I look around me and notice there are no windows. Thank God I'm not claustrophobic, I think to myself. There are a lot mirrors though and there is centralized air-conditioning. I'm wearing my favorite cut-off jeans and my favorite red T-shirt (both were Zack's birthday present for me from 2 years back). I get up off the bed and suddenly see a slutty looking kid looking back at me from the body-length mirror on the wardrobe sliding door.

"Did I get up this afternoon and have lunch with Maggie in this outfit? Man, I must be tripping..." I say to myself as I shake my head from side to side in astonishment. Obviously, I have outgrown my favorite red T-shirt and favorite cut-off jeans. A street kid looking for a client is what I look like. I look sexy though. Too bad, Zack's not here to see what he's missing.

"Fuck!" I swear loudly as I remember promising to call Zack. Yes, I swear a lot but not in front of my family or teachers or the police or judges or little old ladies, so there.

I open the door and notice a note hanging at the door outer handle. Maggie won't be back till late at night and my dinner is in the fridge ready for the microwave oven at medium heat for 5 minutes.

I sigh loudly with relief that Maggie isn't around as I'm wearing the sexy red shirt that rubs against my protruding nipples. I quickly search for the phone and make the call to Zack's cell phone.

"Hello? Zack here..."

I find myself tongue-tied. I listen to him breathing.

"Hello? Is that you Jimmy?" Zack sounds a little excited.

"Yeah, it's me?"

"You just got there?"

"No, I arrived in the morning but went straight to sleep. Sorry I didn't call earlier."

"It's alright. I don't know how to say this but I kinda miss you..."

"Errm, I miss you too..." I reply shyly.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't see you at the airport," Zack says, "I wanted to but I kinda had a Laci problem. You understand right?"

"I was a little pissed off," I reply,"...but you love Laci and not me, so what can I do, huh?"

I can't believe I just said that. There is only silence at the other end. My lord, I can't believe I just said something so mean. He's gonna be so mad.

"Fuck!" He swears quietly. I love it when he talks dirty but only in my fantasy. "Jimmy, I thought we worked things out yesterday..."

"Of course we did..." I reply. It is so much easier to talk to Zack on the phone without getting freaked out of my mind. The vast North American landscape between us helps too.

"Then what was that thing about I love Laci but not you?" Zack says in irritation.

"Zack, I still love you and you know that... Of course we are still best friends. I'm just fucking jealous, that's all..." I pause, "...and I think I want to try kissing you first before really giving up on you..."

"Yeah, right... Jimmy, you've never even kissed a girl."

"I've got the whole summer to practice..."

"With whom... Your aunt... heheheh..."

"Ha ha... I met someone in the plane and I've got a phone number..."

"Really... Does it start with a 1-900...?"

"That's it I'm gonna hang up now..."

"You really want to kiss me when you get back?"

"Yeah..." I reply boldly.

"Good, then I'll have to practice kissing guys..." Zack replies cheerfully, "...don't wanna disappoint my best buddy..."

"Okay, okay... that's it... If you want to kiss a guy, I want that first kiss. Of course, you're so good looking, I'm not sure you haven't been kissed by a guy already."

"Nope. Not yet. I promise my first boy kiss will be with you..."

"Thanks for the offer but even though I'm... who I am. Shit, I can't even say it. Anyway, since I don't think I want to do anything with anybody yet, you might be my first boy kiss too... Wow... That is sooo sad..."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Jimmy. I'm a real hunk." Zack replies and I laugh out loud. I can sense Zack smiling on the other side of the phone line.

"That hunk used to be a scrawny kid wearing glasses." I say.

"You used to be a scrawny kid yourself and you turned out okay. A little less hunkier than me but girls say you're hot in a mysterious sorta way."

"I met somebody in the plane..." I say to him suddenly. I guess I want him to be jealous. It's so juvenile of me but I can't help it.

"Wow! You got over me that quick?" Zack cheerfully replies. I detected an extremely tiny amount of hesitation before his reply but decide it's just my hopeful fucked-up mind.

"His name's Joshua Jeffers." I turn the jealousy screw even tighter. The hesitation is there again.

Then he laughs out loud and I am feeling a bit confused.

"What? You don't believe me?" I ask him.

"Of course I believe you."

"Then why did you laugh?"

"I wasn't laughing at you... I was laughing at myself."

"...and why did you?" Zack is beginning to annoy me.

"I was a little jealous, okay?" Zack replies with a chuckle. "When you say his name, it's like you really like the guy."

"Yeah, I kinda like him. He gave me his card..." I'm beginning to get real nervous talking to Zack about the guy. It's weird.

"Wow. Really? He must like what he saw." Zack says and pauses for a second. "Man, we're talking like girls... Ewww."

"You started it, Mr. Macho..." I say with a giggle.

"I know and that's double ewww..." Zack says and we just crack up and laugh together like we always do.

"Are you sure you're not gay?" I say after our laughter died down.

Zack quietly answers, "Are you sure you are gay?"

"Bastard..." I reply and giggle nervously.

"Hmmm.... I always win..." Zack says with a sigh.

"Because I let you."

"We can go on like this 'til morning..."

"Okay... okay... a truce."

"I win again..."

"Because I fucking let you..."

We both laugh again and then we go silent. Maggie's gonna flip when the phone bill comes.

"Are you still mad at me?"

"Yeah, a bit... You forced me out, remember..."

"I'm sorry. I thought it was for the best," he replies. In the background, I can hear his Mom telling him to hang up because she wanted to use the phone. "Okay, Mom... I'll hang up in a minute. It's Jimmy from New York..." Zack says to her. "Sorry, Zack, gotta jet. Mom wants to use the phone."

"All right... I'll call you later..." I reply and hang up quickly before Zack can ask me for my phone number. My little plan to keep him waiting for my next call begins. Yeah, I gave my phone number to a stranger and not to my best friend. I'm full of shit, I know.

My next plan is to call Joshua Jeffers. I might even bring him to see Zack and Zack will be so fucking jealous and... Shit, gotta concentrate. Now, where's the fucking card...

"Joshua?" I ask hesitantly as my call was picked up.

"Who the fuck is this?" A deep and rough voice replies.

"Who the fuck is that?" I reply in reflex.

"I'm his manager. Who the fuck are you?"

Shit, I hang up quickly. I sit down at the soft comfortable sofa and think about the risk I had just taken. I take out the card Just J gave me and read out the header, 'Spartan Entertainment'.

The phone rings. God, I hope they don't have Caller-ID.

I pick up the phone carefully and in my best falsetto voice reply, "Hello?"

"Maggie, what's wrong with your voice? Are you okay?" It's my Mom. I am not sure what to do now so I think I will be quiet for a second and take a good deep breath.

"Mom?" Finally, I say in my real voice.

"Jimmy?"

"..." I am speechless.

"Who was that just now?"

"Me," I reply.

"That was a girl's voice. You have a girl with you there? Where's Maggie?"

"Mom, it's me," I say in falsetto and continue in my normal voice, "I was just fooling around."

"..." She is speechless.

"Mom?"

"Why were you fooling around with that voice? I was really worried just now. Is your aunt there?"

"No, she went out. I'm alone here. Just woke up. How're you and Kenny and Dad?"

"We're okay but Kenny wants to talk to you. And Zack called just now for your number in New York. Your dad's at the hospital working late again. He sends his love. Anyway I have this twitching little boy next to me who wants to talk to you. Love you, Jimmy..."

"Love you too, Mom and send my hugs to Dad," I reply before Mom passes the phone to Kenny.

"Hi Kenny. How's my little bro doing?"

"Can I come and stay with you in New York?"

"What?" I say with a laugh.

"Mom's making me do laundry and I'm just ten years old," Kenny replies and giggles as Mom tickles him, I think.

"If you come here, I'll make you do laundry too...," I say and laugh loudly.

"Not fair..."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but I miss you," Kenny replies with a sad voice.

"Miss you too, you little twerp. Look, tell Mom you can sleep in my room if you want."

"Really? Can I play Halo too?" Kenny is getting over my absence really quickly.

"Yeah, take good care of the X-box and don't tell Mom, but don't touch my PC. You're my bro but if you ever come near it, I swear I'll..."

"Okay, okay... I'm not going under your armpit again. You stink," Kenny replies with laughter. I bet he will succumb to the temptation within three days but I have encrypted every incriminating movies and photos in the hard drive so that only the FBI would be able to get to them.

We talk some more and finally Mom takes over and again tells me how much she loves me before saying goodbye.

I hang up feeling happy and homesick and wondering why Zack decided to get my number in New York. He wants to call me back probably.

The phone rings. It must be him.

"Hello? Zack, is that you?"

"Nope? It's Joshua Jeffers." Shit, wrong again. But good shit.

"Oh, hi, Joshua. It's me Jimmy Protsky," I reply while mustering as much cool as possible in my voice. "Do you have caller-ID?"

"Nope, why?"

"Oh, nothing... just wanted to know."

"Do you have one, Jimmy?"

"No," I reply quickly and say in my NY Italian mafia voice, "...just fogedaboudit..."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm just goofing around, sorry." Shit, I'm messing this up, big time.

"I just wanted to find out if you called me earlier."

"No, I didn't..."

"You can stop the act, Jimmy. We have caller-ID."

"But you just said you didn't and even if you have one I didn't call you..."

"Talk to my manager..." He replies and I wait anxiously.

"What the fuck..." His manager has taken over the phone. Shit, I'm dead.

"I'm sorry I hung up on you earlier... I... I just wanted to talk to Joshua... I'm really sorry."

"Gotcha man..." Joshua replies with a chuckle, "That was me... I really got you there."

I am mad now. I am fucking mad. I am turning red and I am gonna slam the fucking phone on that lying, cheating, good-for-nothing son of a...

"Jimmy, are you mad at me?"

Mad at him...? Mad at him?? I'm gonna pull every spiky lump of hair out of his fucking cute head.

"Hello..."

Hello...? Hello my fucking ass. I'm gonna... I'm gonna... Shit, it's so damn hard for me to stay mad at someone so cute. And it's fucking damn funny what he did to me but if I get my hands on him... I'm gonna...

"Hey, Jimmy... I'm really sorry I pulled that prank on you... Are you okay?"

Sorry...? He'll be fucking sorry when I... when I... Shit, when I kiss his fucking dry lips and touch his fucking thick eyelashes. Shit, I'm getting a hard on.

"Jimmy, are you okay?"

Okay...? Of course I'm okay. I've got me a cute boy at the other end of the line and the hard on in my jeans is mine. Hey, that rhymes, but not in a good way.

"Jimmy, I'm really worried now. Answer me... Please..."

"Joshua, you're gonna have to pay big time for doing that to me..." I say slowly after a long pause.

"Hahaha... Yesss! JJ one and JP zero..."

"Do you do this to every stranger you give your card to?"

"No... I only do it to the friendly ones... You seemed very friendly and I took a chance... Hahaha..."

"You still have to pay big time..."

"Okay, then let's meet tomorrow. I'll take you to this great pizza place... We can hang out or somethin'... I'm pretty free the whole day tomorrow."

"Oh... Okay, how do we meet?" I reply excitedly.

"On my card, there's an address of where I stay... maybe that would help..."

"Thank you, but I'm new here, so you come and get me..."

"So where do you live?"

"I... I don't know actually... I just followed my aunt... I can't even remember how I got here... Aaaargh..."

"Very funny..."

"I really don't know... And Maggie went out... I don't know any of the neighbors..."

"Is there any mail in there? Look at the mail address or something..." Joshua suggests. Damn genius, why didn't I think of that?

"Wait there and don't hang up..." I say to him. I can't believe I'm actually gonna meet the 'rock star' tomorrow. Zack said the girls think I'm hot. Maybe, Joshua's gay and he thinks I'm hot.

I see some mail and compare the addresses to confirm whether they are the same and quickly return to the phone. I tell him the address.

"Oh... That's not too far from my place... I know the joint. I've been there."

"That's great... See you tomorrow..." I say with some worry that he knows where I'm staying. Things are moving way too fast.

"Hey, Jimmy, what if I come over to your place right now?" Joshua replies. My heart rate increases and warm blood rushes to my face.

"Erm... Maggie's out and I don't think I should go out yet. I don't even have the keys."

"I can come over, right?" Joshua insists.

"Erm... I don't think you should do that yet. Maggie might flip out if she finds out."

"Then tell her..."

"She's not here. Remember...?" I say calmly without any outward sign of the irritation and uneasiness that I am feeling.

"Right, she's not there... Do you have anything for dinner?"

"Yeah, Maggie left some nukeable food in the fridge."

"Good, I'm hungry. I'm coming over now," Joshua says quickly and hangs up. I let the cordless phone roll of my hand onto the sofa as I look up the ceiling in resignation. I cover my face with my hands and close my eyes.

Shit... What am I gonna do? What the fuck am I gonna do? He seems like a good guy. Now Joshua seems to be a fucking psycho that don't know the meaning of a polite "No, don't you fucking come over." I'm not ready to meet anyone. I just had my first love telling me that he didn't love me the same way and now I have this psycho coming over. He might even be a serial rapist. Somehow, I don't think he's a criminal. He's so damn cute to be a murderer.

Wait... Why am I overreacting? Joshua Jeffers might just be a naturally friendly guy who really wants to make me feel welcome in New York or... he might be pulling my fucking leg.

I dial his number furiously and wait calmly for him to pick up the fucking phone.

"Jimmy?"

"Joshua?"

"Gotcha?" Joshua says with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I'm too easy... I know," I reply in relief and resignation.

"At least, I didn't have to call and tell you..."

"I just met you, okay. How would I know you're kidding or not? You're one weird guy..."

"So, I'll meet you tomorrow..."

"Nope, I don't think so, Joshua... I've had enough of your pranks for today. I don't think we should meet anymore."

"Good try, Jimmy. I'll see ya tomorrow," Joshua replies quickly and hangs up.

This Joshua guy is making me feel really mad and yet when I think of him I think I get this happy feeling... He's cute enough for me. He's got that curvy eyelashes. What am I thinking? I don't even know if he's gay? I know he likes me. Somehow, I feel like the girl who gets her ponytail pulled by this annoying boy who likes her but didn't know how to tell her except by being annoying.

I smile as I realize that Joshua might like me the same way. I frown as I also realize that he may be just a juvenile prankster that just met his most gullible victim in me.

I'm confused and I'm hungry. I better go nuke that dinner and then watch some TV programs with cute boy actors.

"Jimmy... Jimmy... Wake up kiddo. Time to go to bed..." Maggie's voice wakes me up as I realize that I had slept on the sofa with the TV on.

"Oh, hi Maggie. I'm sorry I slept with the TV on..."

"Shhh... It's alright. Now get to bed..."

I yawn, nod and walk groggily to the bedroom. I walk in, close the bedroom door and get into bed. As sleep overcomes my conscious mind, I remember the color red and the feeling of tightness and Maggie's grin.

TBC

If you like this story, please tell me at fyiord@yahoo.com. If you thinks it's crap then why the hell did you read all the way down here. Seriously though, if you have any constructive criticism, I'm all ears.

This is my third attempt. The other two are in High School, i.e. Heartache (completed - Jan 31 2004) and Living In A Box (unfinished - Jul 19 2003) if you haven't read them yet.