"Starlight Rhapsody" - Chapter 11 and Epilogue
This story begins in 1946 in Boston, Massachusetts. The author was born in 1953 and never experienced life during the time in which the story takes place.
The concept for Starlight Rhapsody was conceived as I awoke one morning. I rushed to my PC to save the idea in a text file, and wound up staying at the PC for the entire day as the first four chapters literally wrote themselves. This novel is a complete work of fiction and the characters bear no resemblance to any real persons, living or dead. The main character's Christian name was chosen because it was the name of an online friend, but the use of his name is the only characteristic they have in common. I sincerely hope you will enjoy Starlight Rhapsody. It is a story filled with love, affection, friendships, relationships, competition and jubilation, however it was written as a same-sex love story without being pornographic. I guess I was motivated to write this story because there's so little literature available that teens can read that could make a positive impression on those attempting to discover their own identities, if they suspect their attraction is to their own sex. I cannot imagine that I could have written a different story with the same commitment and dedication I have given to this one. Those wishing to communicate with me about Starlight Rhapsody can do so at junkmail01801@gmail.com. If you like this story, be sure to make a donation to http://www.nifty.org so that authors like me continue to have a place to post our work so that you may enjoy them!
"Starlight Rhapsody" - Chapter 11
Everything in the lives of the O'Reilly's and their friends remained well for several years. Winters turned to springs, and springs led to summers and the ends of the school years. During their second year with Krystal, unknown to the O'Reilly boys, a hallway existed between the dining room and the grand ballroom, which they always thought was a storage closet since the door was always closed. One day, the boys found the door open, and curiosity make them take a peek down the hallway and at the end of the hallway was an open door that led to the back of the house. As they went through the door, the sight in their eyes amazed them. What had appeared to be a patio in the back of the house had its concrete top removed to reveal a huge in-ground swimming pool, with a real concrete deck surrounding it! Krystal was outside giving a maintenance crew instructions about where to put the concrete cover during the months the pool would be used. The brothers walked out the door to assess the commotion when Krystal spotted them.
"This hasn't been used since my husband passed away," Krystal explained, "but I'm sure you young men, your friends, and (looking at Mike) Kate will enjoy it. We can even have their parents over for pool parties here and there."
"Mom, I have a question." Mike began. "When you threw that party for my birthday and others where my friends and their families were guests, you served no alcohol to the adults. I have never seen a bar anywhere in this house, or for that matter, even a bottle of wine. Why is that? The McLaughlin's have a full bar in their basement, but you don't seem to have one anywhere."
Krystal led the boys into the grand ballroom, moved over to a counter, reached under and pushed a button. A section of the wall lifted to reveal a bottle of every type of quality liquor imaginable. "Down in the basement," she began, "there is a refrigerator for beer, with taps for draught beer and against one wall in a storeroom there are racks of vintage wine bottles, many of which are irreplaceable. Once they are gone, they're gone."
"Why didn't you serve any to my friends' parents during my thirteenth birthday party?" Alex asked.
"That party was for you and your friends, and they are too young to drink," she explained. Their parents were invited so that you could leave an impression on them. Now imagine if I had served liquor and a fellow student's parents became too intoxicated to drive. Would you want one of your fellow students to wind up like you at St. Patrick's or like your parents and sister?"
"No," Alex answered. "Your reason was perfectly realistic. I just wondered if maybe you were a teetotaler."
"I don't judge people for what they do," Krystal said. They make their own choices. I rarely drink alcohol for reasons of my own, but that is my choice. Mike is of age where he can choose to drink or not to drink, and that is up to him. I would just hope that if and when he does, he does so responsibly."
"Don't worry about me, Mom," Mike said. I enjoy having a good time without a desire to drink."
"I'm sure that at some point I will try liquor, drink too much, and not want it again," Alex said, "and if the effect it has on people deprives them of being in full possession of their faculties, I don't think I'd really be interested.
"Did I go through natural childbirth twice and eclipse the experience both times?" Krystal joked. "You boys really are my sons."
The day the pool was finally ready, Krystal spent much of it outside sunning herself, but didn't go into the pool. Mike took Kate for a cruise to and from Nantasket Beach in Hull, where they enjoyed much of the day at Paragon Park and arrived home at about ten. Krystal had gone to her bedroom, and the boys were up in Alex's room in their usual state of undress. Mike came in hung up his clothes, tossed his shorts on a chair, and went in to check on the boys.
"So Alex, when are we going in your pool?" Richie asked.
Seeing Mike standing in the doorway, Alex grabbed Kyle's and Mike's hands in each of his, kicked his door open and said, "Right now!"
Alex was feeling a little resistance from Mike, and said, "Like me, you have nothing to hide!" and they played follow-the-leader out to the pool. Alex flipped two switches that bathed the deck in colored lights while underwater lights illuminated the water in the pool.
"Last one in is a rotten egg!" Alex yelled as he climbed onto the diving board before sprinting off the end and landing in the water. Mike no longer cared that he was outside and fully exposed. He followed his brother into the water with a splash. Kyle shrugged at the rest of the dry boys, ran the length of the board and landed next to Mike. One after the other, Danny, Donnie and Riche followed suit, and soon they were all splashing and swimming around without a care in the world. Krystal observed the fun the guys were having from her bedroom window and could only smile, knowing her privacy fence would shield the boys from her neighbors, if the truth be told, she agreed with Alex's philosophy that clothing is often used as camouflage to hide who a person is inside. Besides, as long as what they were doing wasn't hurting anyone, she didn't care.
When the guys had finished horsing around in the pool, Mike let them back to the house, switched off the outside lights and turned left into a pair of large changing rooms with six showers apiece, once for ladies and one for gentlemen. The boys followed him to the showers and each stood under his own showerhead to rinse off the chlorine. While showering, Richie notice something and commented to Alex.
"Hey pal," Richie began. Is it my imagination or did you grow some hair since the last time I was here?"
"Yeah," Alex said. "I guess I've started maturing."
"But it looks like in a month, you now have more than I do," Richie whined.
Mike overheard the conversation and had to contribute his two cents.
"Richie, your hair is blond. All of it. My brother's is light brown. His just shows up more than yours does because of the shade of your hair. Your hairs are probably longer and thicker than my brother's too," Mike explained, making Richie feel better.
They grabbed clean towels, dried off, and then they followed Mike downstairs, through the cellar and up the back stairs to their rooms to avoid having to walk through the house. Alex, Kyle and Danny crawled on top of Alex's bed, leaving Richie and Donny on the pull-down bed. Alex said the time in the pool had him tired, so he took Kyle in his arms, Kyle took Danny in his, then Richie followed suit by taking Donnie and the five boys fell asleep within minutes.
That summer, Krystal hosted a pool party at which Alex's friends, their families and several of her charity committee associates attended with their families. Alex was in the pool with his friends, Mike and Kate with a few of Kate's friends playing volleyball in the water when the boy spied a young lady about his age watching his every move. When he tired of the game, Alex excused himself grabbed a tray of hors d'oeuvres, brought them to the young lady and offered her some. She accepted a deviled egg, replying "Thank you.
"I'm Alex O'Reilly," he said, introducing himself.
"My name is Celia Cryan," the girl said. "You live here, huh?"
"Since I was 12," the boy said. "Where are you from?"
"Dedham," the girl answered. "We used to live in Hyde Park, which I liked better, because I could take a bus and a train and get into Boston, but where we live now, there's no way to get around except by car."
"Living here is really neat, because we can get everywhere by subway or trolley," Alex said, "except for when we need to leave the city and go to the suburbs."
"What do you do for fun around here besides throw pool parties?" Celia asked.
"Are you referring to the family or just me?" Alex queried her.
"Just you," she said.
"I study piano, which you probably think is boring, but I'm pretty good at playing. My Mom's my teacher, though," Alex answered. "I hang out with the four guys you saw me playing volleyball with, and the older guy in the game is my older brother, and the girl sitting next to him across from us is his girlfriend and my best friend's older sister."
"What do you like to do for fun?" Alex asked.
"I play a few woodwinds, like clarinet, oboe and soprano saxophone in an orchestra at my all-girls school," Celia replied. "My friend's mom takes us shopping for clothes and things, and I stay at my girlfriends' houses or they stay at mine, but it's pretty boring, really."
"What do you enjoy for music?" Alex asked.
"Oh, mostly classical, but lately my sister has been playing a lot of rhythm and blues and I rather like it," Celia said. "What do you like?"
"Definitely classical, but Mom and Mike have been playing a lot of jazz lately, and I rather like that too," Alex told her. "Jazz is rather neat, because it allows musicians the freedom to express themselves through their instruments. Would you like to go down to our music room and listen to some records?"
"Sure," Celia said.
Unknown to Alex, a pair of eyes were watching intently as Celia followed Alex inside the house. The two young people entered the music room, Alex turned on the lights told his guest to take a seat and make herself comfortable.
"What would you like to hear?" Alex asked.
"Do you have The Swan?" She asked.
"I think so," Alex said, as he pulled Camille Saint-Saens' Carnival of the Animals from the shelf. He brought the record over to the player, put it on and a harp began to play it's accompaniment to a solo violin.
"I used to play this over and over when I was little," Celia confessed. "I always found it to be very pretty and melodic."
"What else do you like?" her host asked her.
"You might have to excuse this one, but how about Stravinsky's The Firebird? She suggested. "Parts of that are very dynamic, while other parts are peaceful and serene."
"I don't think we have a recording of the complete ballet, but let me check," Alex said. He pulled out a set of excerpts and brought it over to her, saying "This is all we have."
"Can you play the Berceuse, The Infernal Dance of King Kaschei, and the Finale? Celia asked.
Alex stacked her choices on the player, and as the Berceuse played, the girl seemed lost as if in a trance. He was certainly impressed with Celia's knowledge of music. When the records had played, Alex put them away, and then Celia asked if he would play something for her at the piano.
"Are you sure you want to hear me ruin a perfectly good piece of music?" Alex joked.
"You can't be that bad," the girl claimed.
Alex played her a Bach Gavotte, and upon its completion she applauded. Seeing he had an appreciative audience, the boy played Debussy's "Clair de Lune," once again getting applause from his new friend.
"We better go back out to the pool area now," Alex said, or my other guests will think I've abandoned them!"
"OK," Celia agreed. My mom's probably wondering where I am, too."
"Are you doing anything next Saturday?" Alex asked.
"Nothing I know of now, but who knows what my mom might have me roped into," She said with a smile.
"If she doesn't, would you care to go to the movies with me, and maybe have dinner?" Alex asked. "My brother has his driver's license, so I'm sure I can get him to pick you up, especially if he and his girlfriend want to see the same movie."
"I think I'd like that," Celia said. "You're very nice, Alex. I'm glad we met."
"Me too," the boy smiled as he held the door for Celia to leave the room and then turned out the lights.
They went back out to the pool where Alex sprinted from the diving board and landed in the water near his friends. He turned around to see Celia talking with Krystal and some woman he assumed was her mother. Krystal looked for him, found him near his friends, and smiled her approval that he had met Celia.
After most of the guests had left, Kyle remained, having become somewhat of a permanent fixture in the O'Reilly home. Alex hadn't noticed, but his best friend had become very quiet and sullen. Upon going up to Alex's room, Kyle asked his friend who the girl was.
"Her name's Celia, and her mom's a friend of my mom's," Alex answered him. "She's a nice girl, likes classical music, and knows quite a bit about it. We went to the music room, played a few records, then she asked me to play her something on the piano. I asked her to go to the movies with me next Saturday."
"Alex, I'm not feeling too well. Maybe I got too much sun today or something, so I think I should go home," Kyle said.
"I can get you some aspirin or something, if you like," Alex offered.
"No, I really think I should go home. It might not be sunstroke. What if it's more serious?" Kyle said. "If it is, I'll my parents may want to take me to the doctor."
"OK, but keep me posted so I don't get too worried," Alex warned.
Kyle left Alex's house feeling like his guts had just been kicked in. He went into his house, waved at his parents, then went up to his room and cried himself to sleep. The next day, Kyle was in a state of internal conflict. He didn't want to admit to himself that his feelings, which Alex encouraged him to unlock, ran deeper for his friend than even he suspected. He felt very much alone over this, until it dawned on him there was only one person in the world who might be able to act as his sage: Mike O'Reilly. That afternoon, Mike came to pick up Kate, and Kyle told the young man he needed to talk with him. Mike asked Kyle to meet up at his house later, but Kyle insisted on talking with him upstairs in his own room. The young man told the boy he'd come up when he and Kate returned later in the afternoon. The boy walked on eggshells until he heard a knock on his door.
"Come in, Mike." Kyle said.
"Obviously something's really bothering you, or you wouldn't have made your need to talk with me seem so urgent," Mike said. "What's the matter?"
"I think I have to stay away from Alex," Kyle stated, rather affirmatively.
"Why? Did the two of you have an argument?" Mike asked, quite surprised at the boy's statement.
"No, we didn't have an argument," Kyle replied. "Alex is the reason that feelings that I had buried ever surfaced, and now I'm feeling sorry I didn't keep them buried where they were."
"Buddy, I can't try to help you if you don't tell me exactly what's going on," Mike stated.
"Your brother and I have been best friends since we first met," the boy said. "I guess I took it for granted that our friendship was what I actually thought it is, but yesterday at the pool party, I became aware for the first time that maybe I thought it was more than it is, and I can't deal with it.
"Kyle, are you telling me that you're in love with Alex?" Mike asked, looking a little puzzled.
"Yeah, that's what I'm saying," Kyle admitted. "I've held him in my arms enough times, and he's held me in his too, and I just assumed he felt the same about me as I felt about him. Yesterday, I saw him with Celia and I felt like I got my heart ripped out, and when he told me he made a date with her to go to the movies next Saturday, I just had to come home. I just couldn't look at him anymore."
"Oh Kyle, I wish I had known about this long ago," Mike said, hugging the boy. "Do you want me to have a talk with my brother?"
"No Mike!" Kyle exclaimed. "Alex can't know things are this way between us! I can't let him think I want to stand in the way of having whatever life he thinks he wants!"
"My brother has taught you well, Kyle." Mike said. "Your attitude about this, even at your own emotional expense shows that you love Alex enough to put his happiness ahead of your own. I don't know if even he knows what he wants yet. All I can suggest is that you do what you have to do to protect your heart from any further hurt, sit back and just watch what happens. Don't be a total stranger, but just don't be around him if you suspect Celia will be present. I care about my brother, but I care about you, too. Things between you and me are the same as they have always been and always will be, regardless of how things play out between you and Alex."
"Mike, you really are like a big brother to me, and you were the only person I could talk with about this," the boy said. "Somehow, I knew you would understand and not judge me for my feelings about Alex. Thanks for talking with me."
"Do you feel any better now?" Mike asked.
"A little, but the ache is still there." Kyle admitted.
"At least you got to share your pain with me, and I feel it," Mike told the boy. "I wish I could find Glinda's magic wand, wave it, and send Dorothy back to Kansas," he said, "but that only works in the movies. Chin up, kid. If anything happens I think you should know about, I'll come over and see you."
"OK," Kyle said.
Mike left, but the boy felt his whole world had been turned upside-down. He wished he could do something, but the last thing in the world he could do was tell Alex what he just told Mike.
Monday morning arrived and Alex waited around to hear something from Kyle, but Kyle didn't show up or call. Richie came over for a while to shoot some pool, then went home. The twins came over for a few hours in the late afternoon and stayed until early evening, but they went home as well. Mike was taking a few summer courses at Harvard to avoid taking them during fall and spring terms, enabling him to accelerate his graduation, and Krystal was planning another fundraiser, so Alex busied himself with practicing the piano. By Thursday, when Alex hadn't heard from Kyle, he walked to Kyle's house, was let in by Sally, went up to Kyle's room and knocked on his door.
"Yeah?" Kyle answered.
Alex entered with a smile, looked at his friend, saying "Hi! Feeling any better since Sunday?"
"Not really," Kyle said.
"Anything you want to share?" Alex asked.
"Nope." Kyle replied.
"Are you OK? Better yet, are we OK?" Alex asked, never expecting Kyle's answer.
"Alex, I need you to leave me alone for a while," his friend said. "I'll always be your friend, but right now, I'm going through something I can't talk to you about, and I just hope you can respect that. It's my issue, and I can't let it become yours."
"Why do I think this isn't a good thing?" Alex asked.
"I'll get through it, but I really need to be left alone." Kyle reiterated. "When school begins again, you can walk to school with the other guys and I'll walk by myself. I'm a big boy and I know the way to school."
"I'm sorry you can't trust me enough to tell me what's wrong," Alex said.
"Let's not go there, OK," the older boy said.
"Suit yourself," Alex replied, as he turned and left.
Alex went home and lay on his bed, trying to comprehend what could be bothering his friend, but no answers were forthcoming. He dozed off until he heard Mike enter his room, making him get up and go into his brother's room.
"What's up, Doc?" Mike asked, trying to pull off a Bugs Bunny imitation.
"Something is up, but I don't know what," Alex stated, sounding very puzzled. "Kyle's acting really weird, and basically told me he wanted me to leave him alone, pretty much for good."
"Alex, there are two sides to every story," the young man said. "Think about what might have led up to Kyle wanting you to leave him alone and see if you can find the answer within those events. There has to be some sort of explanation in there that will at least tell you something."
"I can't think of anything I did that would cause Kyle to withdraw the way he has," Alex told his brother.
"When was the last time everything was OK with the two of you?" Mike asked.
"We were fine playing volleyball Saturday in the pool," Alex remembered.
"What happened after that?" I saw Celia watching me in the pool, then when I got out, I went over to talk with her, and we ended up going to the music room to listen to records. She asked me to play something on the piano for her, so I did, and then we went back to the pool. When everyone had left but Kyle, we went up to my room, I told him about the date I made with Celia for next Saturday, Kyle said he wasn't feeling well and so he went home. That was the last time I heard from him until I walked over his house today to check on him, but he acted like he didn't want me there, so I came back here."
"There are no clues in what you just said that you think might have affected your best friend?" Mike asked.
"Nothing obvious that I can see," his brother replied.
"Then things will just have to play themselves out," Mike said. "Maybe in time, this will just blow over and be seen as a misunderstanding, or maybe it's won't, but it's up to the two of you however it ends."
Alex went back into his room, feeling that for once, Mike was of no help. Maybe he'd just have to accept that something happened to cause him to lose his best friend without ever knowing what it was.
One afternoon, for no apparent reason, Alex took the subway and trolley cars to St. Patrick's Orphanage, just to see if it had changed since Krystal took Mike and him home to live with her. He walked through the front door and spied a familiar face.
"Peter!" Alex exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Alex!" Peter yelled back. "I work here, now. Remember how that guy Mike helped you out when you had your legs in those casts? When I got out of the boys' home, I needed a job and I remembered that Mike came back here when he got out of the boys' home, so I thought I'd knock on the same door. Hey, I heard your piano teacher adopted you."
"Yes, she did," Alex admitted, "and Mike, too."
"Really?" Peter asked. "Why would she adopt a guy who was already an adult?"
"So I would have a brother," Alex explained. "Gee, it's really good to see you. Would you give an old friend a tour, for old times' sake?"
"Sure!" Peter agreed.
Peter and Alex walked through the orphanage, as Alex told his old comrade about his good fortune and insisted that he not be a stranger to the O'Reilly home, as he would be welcomed by both Krystal and Mike. Peter accepted the invitation, curious to see the lap of luxury into which his friend had fallen, although surprised that it hadn't seemed to have affected Alex at all. They reached the dining hall where Krystal's mother's piano still resided. Alex observed that someone has been taking great care of it, as the finish on the instrument still had its luxurious shine.
"Who's been polishing the cabinet on this?" Alex asked his friend.
"Who do you think?" Peter responded. "I have. When I returned to join the staff, it was full of fingerprints, a bit of dust, and a droplet here and there. I got some polish and some old rags and gave it a good cleaning, and as you can see, it looks like it did when you were here."
Alex gave his friend a hug, saying "Thanks for treating my grandmother's piano with such respect and dignity."
"Would you do me a favor?" Peter asked Alex. "Would you play that piece of music that meant so much to you when you were living here? I forget the name of it, but you used to try to play it with one finger even on that old piece of junk that got smashed up when this piano arrived."
Alex sat down and played Rachmaninoff's "Prelude in C# Minor" from memory, causing Peter's eyes to bulge out of his head that his friend had become such a talented pianist. When he finished it, he began "Clair de Lune," which also astonished the young man.
"Wow!" Peter exclaimed. "You're really good at the piano now!"
"I'm a rank amateur," Alex told Peter as he pulled out a pen and paper and used them to write down his address and telephone number. "I still have a long way to go, but I'm working on it. Look, I have to get back home, as Mom's having some influential dinner guests this evening, but here's my address and phone number. Give me a jingle and come over sometime and we'll hang out and I'll beat you at chess."
"Oh, no you won't!" Peter argued. "It is I who will beat you at chess. You'll be tipping your king in less than ten moves!" the older boy said with a grin.
Alex gave Peter a hug, whispered "In your wildest dreams," in Peter's ear, and leaving his friend and waving before making his exit.
Alexander O'Reilly felt good about reconnecting with his old orphan buddy, while a cloud of uncertainty hung over him due to Kyle's sudden change of attitude. He just shrugged because he didn't understand what upset his best friend and decided he needed to leave the situation in God's hands.
Pool parties and other social events played out frequently throughout that summer and the next, with the only significant events occurring that changed the course of Alex's life was going through puberty, going steady with Celia since the summer they met, and then earning a double-promotion at school at the end of the following school year, putting him in the same class with Kyle. There was one major change; Kyle had become inexplicably distant and began spending less and less time with Alex, who had by now had become quite the accomplished musician for his age of 16. Being that he was the youngest member of his class and now a senior, Alex had matured into a handsome but still very spirited young man. Each year, The Boston Academy held a talent show, and since he first became a student, his music instructors attempted to persuade him to become a participant, but each year Alex demurred. This year, though, an anonymous benefactor had pledged a full scholarship to New England Conservatory of Music if a musical competition could be incorporated into the talent show. This of course, interested Alex, having met the director at his 13th birthday celebration. Alex suspected that he knew who the "anonymous benefactor" might be, but kept it to himself. He signed up for the competition, auditioned, and found himself as one of eight semi-finalists. His biggest concern was Kevin McNulty, whose father was a recognized piano virtuoso who occasionally guested as a featured performer with the Boston Symphony and Boston "Pops" Orchestras under Charles Munch and Arthur Fiedler, respectively. McNulty was a bit of a snob, who refused to socialize with any students from The Boston Academy and only had a couple of remotely social friends at the school.
The month of May was a busy one, with competitions being held each Saturday of the month with two semi-finalists being dropped each week until there were only two left. The first week, Celia had accompanied Alex as he easily won his placement for the following week. After the event was over, Alex excused himself to use the boys' room, leaving Celia alone in the foyer. When Alex returned, there was his girlfriend chatting rather amicably with... Kevin McNulty. Alex snarled at his opponent, grabbing Celia and leaving the building post haste.
"Fraternizing with the enemy? Alex asked upon their departure.
"We were just talking," Celia said, not displaying knowledge of the enmity between the two boys.
"Kevin McNulty is no friend," Alex said. "Let's just get out of here."
They walked up the hill to Alex's house where Mike and Kate awaited them to drive Celia home. The following week, history repeated itself and the two pianists again won their placements for the following week, with Celia again accompanying Alex. The boy spent that week practicing until he could stand no more. On the third Saturday of May, again with Celia in attendance, the two contestants remaining for the final face-off to win the scholarship were Alex and Kevin. With this being his last chance, Alex shut himself in the music room for whatever free time he had to practice. Each boy could choose two pieces to play from a pre-selected list. Alex chose Mozart's Rondo alla Turca from his Piano Sonata #11 in A Minor and concluding with Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, while his opponent chose Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata and Charles Wildman's Swedish Rhapsody. The final leg of the competition was not to be held at The Boston Academy however, but as a free concert performed outdoors at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade on the banks of the Charles River, accompanied by The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra conducted by Arthur Fiedler. Finally the last Saturday of May arrived. Alex was eating breakfast alone at 10:00 A.M. when the doorbell rang. Alex answered the door to discover Kyle outside. He invited him to come in and offered him tea or coffee, with Kyle accepting the coffee.
"How are you?" Alex asked, sincerely.
"I'm still here," Kyle said, "but we need to talk. Look, I know tonight's a big night for you, so I came by to wish you good luck and to tell you that I will be at the Hatch Shell. I wouldn't miss this for the world, because I still consider you my friend. What has kept me away is my issue, not yours, OK?"
"Thanks," Alex replied. "I miss you, I hope you know."
"I miss you, too." Kyle said.
"I have to get my wardrobe together for tonight," Alex said. "Do you want to come upstairs while I do it?"
"No, I better be going, but I'll be at the Esplanade tonight, you can count on it," Kyle said with a weak smile.
"See you there," Alex said, walking Kyle to the door and seeing him out.
The phone rang at around noon. Alex answered and it was Celia, calling to tell him that she would not be able to join him for concert that evening, without giving a reason, only an insistence that she could not before hanging up. Alex thought it rather odd, but didn't have time to try to analyze the behavior of a teenage female with other, more important matters at hand.
It was a warm spring evening, with cherry blossoms in the air, and the sunset only an hour away when the crowd began to gather on the Esplanade lawn in front of the shell in anticipation of the concert. Unknown to the contestants, their performances were lead-ins to the first outdoor Boston "Pops" concert of the summer. The program would open with Kevin McNulty's performance of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata followed by Alex's performance of Mozart's Turkish Rondo, then Kevin would take the stage again to play Charles Wildman's Swedish Rhapsody, and Alex would conclude with Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. The judges consisted of five members of the Board of Regents at New England Conservatory, and the winner would be announced before the Boston "Pops" began their portion of the program. Krystal managed to corral a space close to the front for her son's friends, their families and several of her own guests, plus Mike and Kate. Behind them sat other students from The Boston Academy and many from the Conservatory. Even Peter Kelly was in the audience, having received a phone call from Alex.
At 7:30 P.M., opening announcements were made, the contestants introduced, and then it was announced that Kevin would play his first selection. Alex looked over at the judges who seemed bored by having to hear Beethoven's workhorse beaten into the ground again. When Keven finished to mild applause, he went over to the right hand side of the stage and Alex entered from the left. The announcer told the crowd what he would play, and the boy sat at the piano, looking at his audience as he played, and occasionally at the judges, something his opponent failed to do. Alex finished his Mozart selection to louder applause and some cheering, even noticing the judges applauding.
A 5 minute pause ensued before Kevin was returned to the stage to play Swedish Rhapsody, on which he did well, but still drew only mild audience response and again, did not look at either the audience or the judges. What Alex saw next almost caused him to fall down after hearing it announced that he would play Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. The boy saw his opponent leave the stage into the arms of none other than Celia Cryan! He thought his knees would collapse under him, but he caught himself and made his way to the piano. Sitting down, he put everything out of his mind other than Franz Liszt's music. What had just played out was not lost on Kyle however, as his position on the lawn enabled him to clearly see what Celia had done and having experienced feeling rejected by Alex told him exactly how his friend must feel.
Alex played his final selection looking between the crowd and the judges' table, maintaining eye contact with his listeners throughout his performance, which he executed perfectly. He stood up, bowed to the audience, bowed to the judges, and the applause and cheers were deafening. Even the judges gave him a standing ovation, telling the boy he had won the scholarship. After a minute or two, the Master of Ceremonies returned to announcer the winner, he called the two contestants back to flank him on either side then announced Alex the winner. Kevin McNulty left the stage feeling humiliated. Alex glanced in his direction, but Celia had vanished. Krystal, Mike, Kate, all his friends and their families surrounded Alex to congratulate him, with Alex being in tears. Only Kyle knew they were not tears of joy, and upon hugging Alex whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry. I saw what she did, and I'm here for you. I'll be at your house later."
The boy did his best to feign happiness. He knew Krystal had planned a celebration, even if he lost the scholarship and that his house would be full of people there to congratulate him on his success. The O'Reilly's got home, Alex ran to his room and Mike followed.
"Kyle told me he saw what happened with Celia," Mike said. "I'm sorry, but you couldn't have seen that coming."
"Mike, that's the first time in my life someone has hurt me," Alex sobbed. "Even the day my friends beat me up in the boys' room, it didn't hurt like this."
"It happens," Mike said, "because we trust someone who betrays us, and sometimes we don't even know when we might be betraying someone who trusted us."
"Did I betray someone?" Alex asked through his tears. "I can't imagine that I did, but can we talk about this later? I have to get downstairs and pretend that everything's fine until these people leave."
"OK, we can talk later, Mike agreed, "unless you find someone better to talk to."
"Yeah?" Alex inquired. "Who?"
"You never know," Mike said with a smile.
Alex went to join the celebration, and as he walked along the balcony, a voice yelled up, "Hey Alex! Are you going to repeat the performance you gave on your 13th birthday?"
"Only if you insist!" Alex yelled down to a grinning John McLaughlin.
Alex milled around and faked being in ecstasy at having won the scholarship so that his guests didn't know what was going on deep in his heart. Finally he spied Kyle, talking with Mike and his sister. He walked over as a tray of hors d'oeuvres was being passed around, realized he hadn't eaten, and reached for a canape. Krystal came over to ask how things were, Alex feigned a smile, and whispered in her ear "You sponsored this scholarship, didn't you?" Taken totally aback, Krystal stood away and shook her head that she had not. Her son was actually glad she hadn't. He shot her another weak smile, and she headed to mingle with other guests.
Things wound down around 10:45 P.M., and everyone had left by 11:00, except the O'Reilly's and Kyle. Alex looked at Kyle and cocked his head toward the grand staircase. The two young men ascended the stairs, entered Alex's room and closed the door. As soon as it was closed, Kyle began to speak.
"Alex, I'm so sorry that she broke your heart. I'm here for you now, because you were there for me when I didn't realize I needed you, Kyle told his friend. Looking deep into Alex's eyes, he said, "I love you Alex, from the bottom of my heart. It didn't make sense to me until Celia entered the picture, and when that happened, it forced me to admit that I've loved you for a long time."
"I know," Alex said, "and I'm sorry I broke your heart. I didn't realize why you had to stay away from me until tonight. Why didn't you tell me?"
"I couldn't," Kyle replied. "Remember, I'm still a year older than you are. I couldn't have you at only 16 thinking I was trying to influence your life for my own satisfaction. I had to give you the space you needed, no matter which way things turned out.
"Something I realized tonight in addition to that you love me is that I have always loved you too," Alex told the young man.
Alex gazed into Kyle's eyes where he clearly saw a flame of love burning and hope Kyle could see a similar one burning in his.
"I'm getting out of this suit," Alex stated. "Are you staying or going?"
"I'm never going anywhere again," Kyle replied. "Someone obviously found Glinda's magic wand and waved it, because Dorothy's back in Kansas."
Alex hung his clothes in his closet while Kyle hung his on a chair, and then walked over to Alex, looked into his eyes again, and then kissed his younger friend with every bit of sincerity he could muster, forcing Alex to come up for air.
"Can I get some more of that?" Alex asked.
Kyle smiled and replied, "All you want."
Epilogue
Alexander O'Reilly graduated from The Boston Academy at the top of his class. The New England Conservatory of Music accepted him as a student, and while he could have commuted from home via the MTA subway and buses, Krystal thought it more practical to rent him an inexpensive apartment near the campus. They found an ideal one with an eat-in kitchen, a huge living room with a baby grand piano, and a good-sized bedroom, just perfect for two. Alex and Kyle's friendship blossomed into quite a bit more, although it took no one close to them by surprise except John McLaughlin, who was disappointed that Kyle wouldn't produce an heir, so he claimed. Sally refutes this, however, maintaining that John knew his son was in love with Alex O'Reilly since Alex's thirteenth birthday celebration. Kyle did, however, start his own very successful painting business that he had to pare down to a single client: Lynch Development Corporation. To keep up with demand, Kyle had to hire his father and several of his father's friends, too. Mike finished his studies at Harvard, became a doctor, and opened a family practice on Cambridge Street just across from Massachusetts General Hospital where he had become a resident. He and his wife Kate eventually became the proud parents of sons Alexander O'Reilly II and Kyle O'Reilly, with Krystal and Sally being the doting grandmothers. Krystal O'Reilly finally accepted a date with a very persistent Judge Martin Maslow and a year later became Mrs. Maslow. Richie met and married a young lady from Stoneham named Maeve Brennan, and the Lynch twins expanded their parents' business to include commercial properties. Now known as Lynch Development Corporation, the company uses Kyle's painting company to paint all surfaces inside and outside of newly erected structures, as well as those that have undergone urban redevelopment. Both Lynch twins have remained bachelors.
Alex graduated from the New England Conservatory, having given many recitals during his years of study, and eventually was offered the opportunity to replace the retiring Ocklar Vietz as principal pianist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Upon his graduation from the conservatory, he moved back home, bringing Kyle with him, where they both occupy the same room he did when he first moved in. Krystal still maintains her wing of the house, although the music room has had several makeovers, first to high fidelity and then to stereo. One evening not long ago, the young men joined Krystal and Marty for dinner. In the middle of Krystal taking a bite of lobster, Alex announced, "Mom, Kyle and I want to adopt a son, and we want him to have the same opportunities you gave me." Krystal just smiled and swallowed before nodding her approval. Within three months of the lobster dinner, Alex and Kyle became the proud fathers of Michael John O'Reilly-McLaughlin, a nine year-old orphan at St. Patrick's Orphanage who fascinated them both by playing a perfect "Chopsticks" on Krystal's mother's donated piano. Alex thought it only proper that the legacy should continue from where it began and Kyle was in perfect agreement, and with perfection in mind, another perfect family was born. Marty Maslow passed away in 1980 from congestive heart failure. Krystal followed him into the afterlife a year later after a long illness, for which Michael O'Reilly, M.D. claimed there was no cure. Since same-sex marriage had been legally recognized in Massachusetts since May 17, 2004, Alex, at the age of sixty-eight and Kyle at the age of seventy, legalized their already perfect commitment to each other a year later to the day, while still living in the mansion on Perkins Street, making this the perfect ending to a perfect story!
The End