Say You Love Me

Say You Love Me Chapter Eighteen

Jessie's Point of View

Oh, this was so wrong. On so many different levels...not the least of which was my being Gay. I had been put through the ordeal of rubbing suntan lotion onto Victoria's nearly nude body for the last half an hour. After ten minutes, Josh had made up an excuse, that he needed to go to the bathroom. The lucky bastard got off scot free! Brad, Gabriel and Stacy were in the pool and here I was with my hands caressing Vickie's back...ugh.

Vickie: "Mhmm yeah...lower, lower..."

Good grief...If I went any lower they'd hold us up for gross public indecency...if I didn't pass out first. Vickie started giggling at something.

"What's so funny?", I asked.

Vickie: "Look at those guys over at our right.."

"Yeah, what about 'em?"

Vickie: "They are just so jealous of you right now...can't blame 'em though. Which guy in his right mind would want to miss out on alla this?"

I clutched at a feeble strand of hope.

"Well, why don't you go call 'em over so I can go into the pool?"

Vickie: "Nuh uh...you ain't getting away that easy. Besides, none of them are anywhere near as cute as you."

I did feel some level of joy in hearing that. Hey, if you got it, flaunt it! I think I might have blushed.

Vickie: "Ooh..sweetie, you have hands from heaven...mhmm...too bad Josh can't do this as good as you..running off when duty calls. Probably off chasing some bikini bitch."

Or a beach boi...I snickered.

Vickie: "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing.."

Vickie: "So let's talk."

"About what?"

Vickie: "Like what you've been doing these last few years. Gosh, you were always so shy, I was surprised that you actually decided to go with us today."

"Yeah...well. It seemed like fun."

Sure wasn't fun with me giving her a massage though.

Vickie: "Of course it's fun. You have your hands all up over what a lot of guys would just die for.."

Yay for me...still...I had better not act so unenthusiastic..

"Hell yeah.."

Okay, maybe a little too enthusiastic...

Vickie: "You know I have always had the hugest crush on you and Josh..."

That I knew. I could still remember her chasing us at Christmas with mistletoe ( The source of several nightmares where she actually caught me ) ...I knew why I always ran... I never did get why Josh did the same though...until now anyways...another facet of our lives that finally made sense. Whenever she hugged us, her hands would start on our backs, and would travel further and further down south too. She continued...

Vickie: "Well, since he obviously doesn't feel for me that way..."

A guy not liking her that way? Since when did she let that stop her?

Vickie: "And took off to find God knows what...and you stayed with me to do the do...I guess I know where I should be focussing my attention now huh?"

Oh hell no! She did not just say that! I had to get out of there quick before she went on and said something else that could-

Vickie: "So...let's talk...about you...and me."

Before she said something like that.

"There's nothing much to really talk about. I-there isn't really anything interesting about me..."

I was hoping to shift the conversation. Did absolutley nothing about it though.

Vickie: "So, it's really true that you've never had a girlfriend?"

Somebody shoot me...please...

"Well...no.."

Vickie: "Oh don't kid me! You mean to say you've never-"

"No...okay! I've never had a girlfriend!"

I couldn't believe I said it like that. Quite loudly too. I mean she kept asking like it was the eighth wonder of the world or something. Several people around the pool glanced at me when I said it and my cheeks burned red with shame. I hated being put on the spot.

Vickie: "Okay sweetie...I believe you. I can see why you're so frustrated about it. It isn't something that I'd be proud of..."

No...of course she wouldn't.

Vickie: "Good thing I'm here to set this horrible state of affairs right eh?"

What could I say? I certainly couldn't think of anything appropriate except...

"I gotta go to the bathroom...'

Vickie: "What is with you boys' bladders?! Josh said the same thing half an hour ago...you better come back...legs next! I know you wouldn't want to miss out on that..."

I tried desperately to get the image out of my head whilst making a beeline in the direction of the men's room. I met up with Josh on the way. He was at the bar. I went over too, I was sorta thirsty. I took a virgin pina colada and sat down.

"Some friend, leaving me back there with Vickie, all alone..." , I whispered.

Josh: "What took you so long? How did you escape?"

"I told her the same thing you did...that I had to go to the bathroom..."

Josh: "Lame...but it works. She probably thinks that you got so hot over her, you had to go do something about it."

The way he was grinning.

"Don't joke about it!", another fierce whisper.

"She thinks you went to chase, and I quote, a Bikini Bitch!", I continued.

He spat out his drink laughing...

"And because of you leaving me, she thinks you don't like her the way she likes you."

Josh: "So, it's true, no big deal."

"Yes, Big deal. Now she says she's going to focus her attention on me...can you believe it? And I have a boyfriend too and-"

Too much too fast...by the look on his face, I figured to slow the pace of my mouth quite a bit.

Josh: "Yeah...I can see...why you'd be uspet...so what do you say we have some fun?"

"The rest of the guys are in the pool but if I go back there Vickie is going to force me to...touch her..and I'll have to cuz it'll look weird if I don't wanna do it, and act as grossed out as I feel and-"

Josh: "So...a big old place like this has to have a few kicks somewhere else...so..whaddya say?"

I didn't plan on spending my entire day massaging some stuck up girl's body, even if she was my friend. I came here under the impression that it could be fun. Vickie was having fun sunbathing and having the men craving her. Stacy was having fun gawking at Gabriel. Brad was having fun playing around in the water with them like a nine year old...and here we were, stuck in hiding from the insatiable Vickie. I wished that Brad would have come and rescued me from her clutches, and I saw him look at me sympathetically a few times. But I also knew how weird it would look though. Trapped... Hell yeah, I was all for it.

"Hell yeah. Stacy practically conned us to come over here so she could satisfy her hormones...we might as well get something out of it."

Josh: "Well, let's hit the rides then!"

And we did. My favorite was "The Wet And Wild". It was this zany rollercoaster that was skimming over a pool and every now and then it went under the water line, thoroughly covering us from head to toe with water. Not to mention the loop-da-loops.. We went on that like four times just for he hell of it until Josh said he felt as if he had to hurl. Then we went into the Aquaria. It was this huge, dimly lit, domeshaped building dedicated to sea-life and such. It was entertaining for a while. Especially watching some of the people there trying to get it on in the dark. When we went out we saw another of the park's big attractions. The Mermaids' Harem and the Merman's Den....We couldn't get in anyway...even if we wanted to. We were too young. Besides, with us being in the closet...we'd have to go to the ultra icky Mermaids' Harem. They were basically underwater strip shows...they already wore so little clothing, that left oh so little to the imagination...what else did they have to hide?

Josh: "It sure gives a whole new meaning to term...FISH doesn't it? The Mermaids' Harem...ugh.."

I cracked up...

"Well, it should be fitting...I heard 'it'...you know...(I blushed) smells like rancid fish..."

We both had a laugh at that.

Josh: "I cannot believe you clam up at the thought of pussy like that! You can't even say the word "pussy" without blushing."

"Hey! I'm not exactly fond of thinking or talking about it you know...For a gay guy, you sure seem comfortable having it on the tip of your tongue."

He caught my double meaning.

Josh: "Oh fuck...why do you always have to be so goddamned witty?!"

"It's cuz I'm so much smarter than you...either that or it's cuz you're so much dumber than me...take your pick."

Josh: "I'm being dissed by a blonde...I've reached rock bottom.."

He swung a playful punch at me and we went on our way to see what else Atlantis had to offer.

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I don't know exactly how it happened. It all started out so innocent and harmless too. But it just did.. One minute, we were just roughing it around, you know. Like guys do. And then the next... Just a little harmless rough and tumble, in one of the secluded back pools. The others were so full of people who we so didn't like the looks of. They were a pretty drunken and wild crowd, and Josh had the idea that some of 'em were peeing in the pool too. So when we stumbled across an empty pool, with no one in the vicinity, we were like,Oh yeah! It looked unused too. Probably no one saw it from behind all of the bushes and what not. So we dove in and had a real fun time having a water fight. It reminded me of the times we used to have when we were younger. We both were pretty much addicted to water.

Then we started dunking each other under the water, trying to see who could keep the other under longer. He was the muscled up jock. No way I could win, no matter how much I struggled. We were all out wrestling in the pool, and it was getting a bit rough I admit. But it wasn't as if we were fighting...it was all in good fun. Somehow, I had managed to gain the upper hand. Probably because I started moving a little faster, and Josh simply would not have it. When he finally caught me, he yanked down my swimming trunks, and when I bent down to pull them back up, he ducked me under a little too forcefully for comfort. I went under, without even getting to inhale a fresh breath. I felt my head collide with the stone side of the pool. A sharp pain seared in my back of my head, and then it all went black...

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Josh's Point of View

I was a little bummed about spending the day at Atlantis. Especially with Vickie and her making me massage her with suntan lotion. As if that wasn't enough, some horny old woman in the corner was giving me the eye ever since I walked into the arena. I seriously thought they shouldn't just stop at having a minimum age limit to enter, but a maximum age limit too. I mean, God...it can't be legal for an old bat like her to be showing so much skin. She could give Donatella Versachi a run for her money. If my eyes saw much more of her flabby body...I just might have become impotent. That and Vickie's constant pointers on how to massage her ass right were getting to me. So I just said that I had to go to the bathroom and left the arena. Didn't even go near to the bathroom either. I went to the bar instead...mourning over what a loss the day was. The rest of them seemed to be having fun enough. Well, except for Jessie...poor dude was stuck without the courage to deny Vickie. But I knew he couldn't keep at it for long. I was right, because a half hour later, when I looked up, I saw him heading over my way, with a slightly annoyed look on his face.

We talked for a bit. Apparently vickie thought I ran off skirt chasin- well bikini chasing. Not a girl in here was wearing anything more than a thong. And now Vickie had the notion of staking claim on him. I took solace knowing that she had even less of a chance with him than I did. My chances with him were pretty slim...for now. He was sulking at how totally NOT fun this day looked to be shaping up. I figured hey, why should all the straights have all the fun? Especially when one of them's idea of fun, was making two in the closet gay boys her personal masseuses. So I asked if he wanted to go explore around. I really didn't know what he'd say. But when he agreed, my heart skipped a beat. I would have him all to myself. Without even having Stacy around too. Well, at least that was one good thing Gabriel Carpenter was doing. Don't get me wrong. I love Stacy, but she had the way of being everywhere Jessie was. I hardly got to spend alone time with him without her around. Maybe if she weren't around so much growing up, I might have had the courage to do something about the way I felt about Jessie. Anyhow, we took off for the rides, and had a swell go at it.

We went to the Aquaria, and had a nice few laughs outside the Mermaid's Harem. We explored a little more after that and we came upon an empty pool. Okay, granted it was a small one. But at least it was empty. No drunken people in it doing God alone knew what. It was well hidden by some topiary shrubs and it was different from the others. This one was covered with stone, to make it look more natural I suppose. Anyhow, we were only too ready to dive in. everyone else was having their fun...and soon we were playing around in the pool. I admit, for me, roughing it with Jessie was more than a game. I was constantly aroused since we set foot in the arena. He was wearing nothing more than bathing trunks, like I was. The sight of his body had me hard as a rock. I wanted so badly to touch him, caress him. But I knew he wouldn't let me have my way with him. He made it painfully clear earlier that he had a "boyfriend". I might not have been able to touch him sensually, but when we rough played, the mere fact that I was touching him, having such intimate contact, was an outlet. He's not keen about people touching him. I knew that...he's not really a touchy-feely kinda guy. Shy as hell. And the fact that he'd let me touch him, even if was just a game to him...well, it just made the feelings I had for him even stronger.

I was being a little rough, I know. But he didn't seem to mind. We were dunking each other under the water, and I was winning. I knew there was no way he could possibly overpower me, so I decided to let him win for a while. God knows I wouldn't have wanted him to grow tired of the game and end it. After a while though, I wanted to touch him again and I yanked down his trunks and while he was busy dealing with that, I chucked him under. Looking back on it, I wish I never used that much force. I forget my own strength sometimes, and he's not exactly a musclebound powerhouse himself. Sure as hell not scrawny or anything. He has a nice medium build, with a sleek swimmer's body. He stayed under so long, I thought he was trying a sneak attack on me or something. Maybe he was going to pull my trunks down to surprise me! I wouldn't have minded that at all. But after a while, he still didn't surface. To my horror, I saw a tinge of red color the water. I dove down and saw him slumped motionless at the bottom of the pool, his head bleeding. I grabbed him and pulled him upwards and got him out of the pool, cursing myself for being so rough and praying that he was going to be okay. I checked to see if he was breathing and flipped when he wasn't. I lost it. I started screaming for someone to call the paramedics. I started CPR, thanking God that my parents made me take first aid. He coughed weakly, and he started to breath laboriously. He wasn't even what I could call near conscious. And the forced way he was breathing got me even more scared.

I got fuckin' mad when I saw that no one had bothered to call a paramedic, despite the fact that I'm sure that someone had to have heard me. There were people just behind the shrubbery after all. Probably too busy doing whatever the hell it is drunken idiots do. I picked him up and was about to run with him to the arena where we had left the others, when I saw Brad and Gabriel running up to us. We must have been gone so long, they went around looking. Gabriel had an unreadable look on his face. I was so fucked up in the head, if he made one homophobic comment about me carrying Jessie like that I would have messed him up so bad that Stacy would never forgive me. I mean from a distance it probably looked like...you know. Brad saw me and forged ahead of Gabriel.

Brad: "What the hell?!"

"We-were just playing around in the pool-and I pushed him a little too hard and-", I explained what had happened.

I saw his face just morph with anger.

Brad: "You did this? What the fuck is wrong with you?! Can't you see how much bigger you are than him?!"

I would have gotten mad in return. But he was right. It was my fault, and I knew it. I deserved him yelling at me. I deserved a lot more.

"I-didn't mean to..."

Brad: "Is he breathing?"

"Barely...I did CPR and he started to, but he was under for a while. We have to get him to a hospital..."

Brad: "Here, just give him to me.."

I didn't want to..but he was the one with the car.

Gabriel: "I'll go get the girls."

And he ran off to fetch Vickie and Stacy. I still clutched Jessie.

"You better go start up the car. Ill hold him. You have to drive anyway.."

He nodded and we rushed out into the car park. Within seconds we were heading to the emergency ward of St. Michael's.

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Brad's Point of View

I was in an emotional whirlwind. I felt a mixture of guilt for not following him when he left our arena. Maybe if I went with him...I felt pissed at Josh for being so rough with him. Playing around like that in a pool...dunking each other under. Was he such a fool that he couldn't pull his punches? I know I shouldn't have spoken to him the way I did. It was just seeing Jessie unconscious, struggling to merely breathe that did it to me. I know he wouldn't have done anything to hurt Jess on purpose. They were like brothers. So close that even Jessie confessing to being gay, didn't seem to bother him. I'd apologise, as soon as I worked up the nerve to. We were all there, at St. Michael's Emergency Ward. Stacy was crying uncontrollably, while Gabriel attempted to console her. Victoria was sitting in a chair holding her head in her hands, not much better off than Stacy. I had to call Jessie's folks. Josh was too torn up to do anything. When the doctors took Jessie, he went outside, for a breather I suppose.

I heard Jessie's mom break down when I told her why I was calling. Then I heard his dad asking her what was wrong. They talked back and forth for a while. His dad was trying to calm her down. Then he said that they'd meet us at St. Michael's. I looked into the room from the glass pane on the door. I could see them hooking him up to all sorts of medical tech. I had to struggle to hold back the tears. I couldn't break down...not there. He didn't even want to go to Atlantis in the first place, and when he had actually started having fun this shit had to happen. I went back to where the others were and took a seat. The doctors had been with Jessie in the emergency room for an hour and a half. We didn't even get so much as an explanation of how he was doing or exactly how serious his condition was. I'm sure the bitches thought we were the typical wild group of teenagers, off doing wild stuff on a weekend when this happened. The look in the lead doctor's eyes told us that.

Vickie: "I wish I didn't think up Atlantis..."

Stacy: "I all but dragged him along...he didn't want to come.."

Gabriel: "Come on...shhh...it's not your fault..he and Josh shouldn't have been playing around like that in a pool..."

The nerve of him!

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!"

Gabriel: "Look bro, I just meant that they should have thought about-"

"You know what? Just save it.."

Vickie: "Gabriel...just don't okay. This is not the time for I told you so's...alright?"

Just then one of the doctors came out of the room and passed right by us. I got up and asked him about Jessie.

Doctor: "I'm sorry, but I'm not at liberty to discuss that with you. When this young man's parents arrive-"

Vickie: "What the hell are you talking about? Who the fuck do you think brought him in?!"

I was about to join in too.

Stacy: "Victoria, cool it! Listen sir...we're not his kin or anything, but we're his friends. We love him like family...so please..we won't go in or anything. We just want to know what's wrong with him. Please.."

The guy seemed to mull it over. He looked at us and sighed.

Doctor: "Okay, here's the thing...he has a hell of a contusion. Looks like it was caused by a violent blow to the head, by a blunt object."

"It must have been when Josh chucked him under. He hit his head on the stone..."

Doctor: "Yes, well...that's the least of our worries I'm afraid. We had to suction out the fluid from his lungs...he must have been under for a while. He's breathing a little easier now. His breathing is still weak, but at least he's doing it on his own..without a respirator."

Gabriel: "So...he's going to be okay? Right..?"

"Doc?"

Doctor: "When someone's brain is starved of oxygen for extended periods...brain damage can result...he's unconscious...floating in and out of it. I think he might slip into a coma, but at this stage it's impossible to say anything with certainty. It depends on how hard he fights.."

I was grateful I had a seat to sit back down in.

"And we can't go in and see him?"

Doctor: "No, not right now and not without the permission of his parents."

Just then...

Jessie's Dad: "I'm his father...where's my son?"

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Josh's Point of View

I felt like shit. I couldn't even stand to be in the room with the rest of the guys. I just couldn't take the anxious atmospere in there so I went outside, for some air. I knew it had to be serious. I knew all about Oxygen deprivation...first aider, remember? I didn't need some doctor to explain it to me. What if he didn't make it? It would mean that I'd killed him...the one person I loved above all others. What would everyone think of me? I was musing outside of the ward, near the car park. The emergency ward is ground level, so incoming patients don't have to be put through trasnport to up a few storeys. A lot quicker. The carpark is virtually linked to the building too, so you could just run in...it was an emergency ward after all. I heard a car pull up, but didn't pay any attention as I sat on the bench. Cars pulling up was a regular thing here.

When I heard a familiar voice...a woman's voice calling my name, that got my attention. I looked up and saw Jessie's parents running towards me. They had the indescribable looks on their faces that any parent worth their salt would have in such a situation. I shifted my eyes downwards, they were tearing up again. I couldn't face them. Not after what I did. I didn't even know how they'd react.

Jessie's Mom: "Josh, honey, how bad is he?"

"I d-don't know Mrs. Lawrence...the doctors were still inside with him when I came out."

Jessie's Dad: "Let's go inside, quick.."

Brad must have not told them exactly what-who caused it.

"I can't..."

Jessie's Dad: "What? Why?... the doctors giving you kids a hard time? Don't worry, they'll ease up. We're his parents."

"No...it's cuz I'm the one who...did it to him..but it was an accident I swear..I'd never do something like that on purpose.."

I explained to them what had happened. His mom pulled me into a comforting hug and kept saying it wasn't my fault. His dad left us to go inside the Emergency Ward.

Jessie's Mom: "Josh...come on dear. You know we'd never blame you. You and Jessie grew up like brothers...you know he wouldn't stand for you thinking such things.."

Gotta hand it to his mom. She made me feel somewhat better. Having his parents holding it against me was my second greatest fear. Having him holding it against me was my first. She made me promise to go inside with her, saying she wasn't setting a foot inside until I did. That woman definitely knew how to bargain...we headed inside..

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Brad's Point of View

After Jessie's dad came in, the doctors didn't hassle us anymore about wanting to go in to see Jessie or anything. I wanted nothing more than to go see him for myself. I hadn't really had the chance to since I saw Josh carrying him into my car. They opened up the doors and we all went in. They had him hooked up to an IV tube (Intravenous-Feeding). His golden glow had faded to a very pale shade. They said it was from the shock and oxygen deprivation. I walked over to have a closer look. His eyes weren't exactly open, they were like three quarters closed, and they had a glazed look in them. This was all very rough on me. Yes, the obvious reason was because the guy I loved was almost in a virtual coma, but also because I never was in a situation like that before. I never was so close to death. All four of my grandparents were still alive and were as healthy as ever, with no sign of impending demise, my great grandparents had kicked it before I was even born, so obviously I didn't know them, and there hadn't been a death in the family since before I was born...but this was my first real experience with dealing with stuff like this. Jessie's dad walked over and gave me a pat on the back...I knew he was trying to tell me "everything's going to be okay". But how could he expect me to believe it when the look on his face proved that he didn't believe it either? Vickie and Gabriel were sitting at the side of the room and Stacy walked up to the bed. She started talking to him. I was confused...

Stacy: "Some doctors say that they can hear you at times when they're in-"

"He's not in a coma yet Stace...the doctors said he was coming in and out of it."

Jessie's Dad: "He's...cold. What can we do about getting it warmed up in here? Hospital air conditioning...always too damned cold." He went looking for a thermostat. He probably couldn't bear to see too much more just then...I saw the look on his face.

Stacy: "Hey sweetie...you better wake up cuz if you don't, I'm staking claim on your hot boyfriend here..."

I smiled sadly. Yeah, I knew that she was aware of our relationship. Jessie told me that she was a smart girl, and with her knowing that he was gay for a while, and my sudden interest in him...she pieced it together.

The door opened and his mom and dad came in together with Josh. They came up to the bedside and his mom burst into tears, bending down to kiss him on his forehead. His dad and Stacy held her to steady her while I went to take a seat and try to contain myself. I wasn't planning on tearing up in public. Josh was by himself in the corner. I figured then was as good a time as any to apologise to him about the what I said to him. I motioned him over, but he didn't respond. After being such a dick, I guess I couldn't blame the guy. So I got up and walked over to him. He had his face to the ground.

"Listen, Josh...about what I said earlier...I didn't mean it like that..it was just at the time, with the panic and all..."

Josh: "Don't sweat it man...it's cool. I-I know you didn't tell his 'rents exactly how it happened when you called them, and thanks for covering for me. I couldn't not tell them though...they were clueless at first..."

"It's nothing...so why don't you go see him?"

He smiled weakly and went to join Vickie and Gabriel who were just getting up. I figured he was holding back because of what I'd said earlier. I found myself actually praying. Something I hadn't done since I was a little kid... I guess I was more afraid than I was willing to admit, even to myself.

Jessie's Dad: "Kids, it's getting late. I think you guys should go home. Your parents are expecting you home and such. I bet none of you even thought about calling them."

Stacy: "It's okay Mr. Lawrence...we can stay and.."

Jessie's Mom: "No dear...you're all tired and don't even have a change of clothes or anything. The doctors told us he's stabilising..go home and rest. We'll call you if...when he wakes up. You can come back tomorrow if you want."

They grudgingly agreed. Stacy and Vickie gave him a last kiss and left with Gabriel. He'd take them home. I wanted to stay...Josh hadn't moved an inch either.

Jessie's Dad: "That goes for you boys too."

Josh: "We can stay, really it's no big deal..."

Jessie's Mom: "Josh, you know how your mom has been after you went missing...she wouldn't like it, even under these circumstances. Brad, could you give him a lift home?"

"Yeah, sure. Here, Josh, take the keys, I gotta go to the bathroom for a sec."

I walked out of the room with him, and as soon as I was sure he was outside, I went back into the room, kissed Jessie goodnight, and told him I'd be back first thing in the morning. It was then that the tears came hard and fast. I felt helpless and weak for letting it show. Men weren't supposed to break down like that. I choked it back. His mom hugged me, and they told me how lucky was to have someone like me loving him, and I left them there to spend the night with him. I left my cellphone number for them to call me at the first sign of any change.

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I didn't get any sleep that night. I probably looked a mess. I hadn't called my parents or anything to tell them where I was, and when I got home and they saw my mood, they thought I was in some sort of trouble or something. I looked that shaken up.

Mom: "Brad, where have you been?! You were supposed to come home since six o' clock! It's nearly ten.."

Dad: "Laura, will you cut the kid some slack? He's seventeen for Christ's sake..Ten o' clock is early"

Mom: "Being seventeen is no excuse for doing as one wishes.."

I figured I owed them, well...mom, and explanation.

"You know we went out to Atlantis today...me and my friends right? See-"

Mom: "Well, yes..but until the night? I hope you didn't do anything wild and frivolous with those friends of yours. Never did like the company you keep and-"

"No..Mom, I meant with new friends. Well one of them had an accident and hit his head in the pool and almost drowned, and n-now he's unconscious in St. Michael's. I had to carry him to the hospital. The doctors don't even know if he'll slip into an all out coma."

Mom: "Oh my God! I'm so sorry to hear that...I can only imagine what that poor boy's parents must be going through. But honey, couldn't you have called?"

"I'm sorry mom...everything was just so...so uncertain and panicky. You know?"

Dad: "It's okay son. I always tell her she's too paranoid."

Mom: "Austin! It's my job to be paranoid. I'm a parent...it's the job description. And with the young people today...Lord..."

That's my mom for you. Always going on about the young people today. I sometimes wished she'd have a little more faith in me and my conscience. Okay, granted, I haven't exactly been a model kid growing up. She always used to talk about my attitude. I will confess. I was more scared of my mom than my dad. Especially if she found out about Jessie and me. She wasn't a bad person really. She was just ultra-conservative and traditional and she could be bigoted at times. She was such a perfectionist too. Real nitpicking attitude.

Dad: "Why don't you go up to bed Brad...haven't seen you look this tired since...can't remember when."

"Yeah..I want to go to the hospital tomorrow morning.."

Dad: "Is this kid anyone from the neighborhood? Someone we know or anything..?"

Well, we did live in a close nit neighborhood. Due to my extreme paranoia, which I no doubt inherited from mom's side of the family, I had neglected to tell them anything at all about Jessie. The less they knew the better. I know my parents had to at least know his 'rents. We had a small neighborhood. That, and when we were outted and caught by Jessie's rents, his dad had asked if I was Austin's kid...And my past reputation meant that a lot of parents in the neighborhood knew mine.

"Uh...you know the Lawrences?"

Mom: "Oh my...Julia.."

Dad: "And Hayden.."

"How do you know them?"

Mom: "Oh honestly Brad! This is a small neighborhood. If you did the neighborhood bar-b-cues and get togethers with the rest of us, and realised that us old-ah- mature...people have a social life too...His mother is in my book club and his father happens to be the lawyer that took care of a few legal matters for us."

So that was how Jessie's dad knew mine...

Dad: "Gosh..it's Justin or Jensen or-"

"It's Jessie...Justin is the Parker's kid, and I've never heard of a Jensen.."

Mom: "I'm coming with you tomorrow Brad. We have to be good neighbors and pull together in times like this. At least I don't have to drag you along as it happens to be your friend. It's about time you settled down and acted responsibly. Maybe this might put you in better stead with the rest of the neighbors. After all those years of...well...less than optimal behavior...being a good samaritan might help in compensating for some of that."

Whatever..

"I'm just going to go to my room...", I left them downstairs. I could still hear them talking though.

Dad: "Why do you always have to bring up the past Laura? Won't you let by-gones be by-gones?"

Mom: "Those who do not heed the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them..you never did your duty to that boy. Spare the rod and spoil the child..."

Dad: "You are being too rough on him. The boy is trying. Don't you see how he's changed lately? I swear, I've been wondering what the deal is. His grades are improving, he comes home on time. We don't get anymore reports from the school...and he seems...happy for once. Change takes time.."

I love you dad...

Mom: "I know that...maybe you're right. Maybe I have been a tad too harsh. It's just that...I know his potential..."

Okay mom, I forgive you...this time.

I went into my room and just dropped onto the bed. Good samaritan...thinking about personal reputation when someone was in a hospital bed struggling to regain consciousness. I always knew she was ashamed of me and my behavior growing up. What the hell would she say if she knew...? I wasn't trying to be a good samaritan. I wasn't thinking about sucking up to become the neighborhood's Golden Boy. Hell, I wasn't even thinking of being a friend...it was much more than that. It was because I loved him, in a way that I was sure she would never be able to understand.

Dad: "Hey..you okay?"

I looked up.

"Not really.."

Dad: "I don't think I've ever seen you like this. Must be a hell of a friend huh?"

"Yeah...he is."

Dad: "I know it's gotta be tough, with you never having to deal with anything like death or sickn-"

"H-he's not gonna die...he won't..", I looked away for fear that he'd see the look on my face.

Dad: "Well, get some rest son..."

"Yeah, dad."

Please God...please..

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Okay as usual, you can email at phoenix_587@yahoo.com or birdofflame_587@yahoo.com

Or if you're at my group you can post there. All the feedback is great. Thanks...and Deeze...I bet you're just off your rocker now huh? Lol..