This story is a continuation of Matt Smith's (matterotica@hotmail.co.uk) fantastic story, 'Jack Hamilton Is Not A Nice Person'. I had often wondered what transpired directly after Jack storms away in the park. This was initially going to be a one-off, but while writing, I have decided to continue the tale that was left untold between Chapter 19, and the '6 Months Later' epiloge we see in Chapter 20. So, for those of you who have wondered what happened in the 6 months after Jack cut his puppet strings...here it is!
I would like to thank Matt Smith for creating the characters in the first place; and for his invaluable advice, input and suggestions which made this sequel possible. Espeically discussing his characters' motivations and psychology with me. Please read his story first if you haven't already! https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/jack-hamilton/
An additional special thanks goes out to Jasper Cooper (jax.cooper@yahoo.com) for his input, especially having to do with the kinkier stuff. (It'll come, I promise!) You can read his amazing story 'The Downfall of Nate Ramsey', the inspirtation for Jack Hamilton!, here: https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/downfall-of-nate-ramsey/
CHAPTER 5.5
At just past 11:30pm, as Bryce was driving towards the border of Holmepoint Heights and Cliffwood Beach, Oliver and Hunter, two thirteen year old boys who just came back from hanging with their friend Taylor, were walking past Jack's house on their way to their respective homes over on Elwynn Drive. It was late, and as it was, their parents were going to flip out when they got home, as evidenced by the frantic text messages each boy received for the past hour and a half. They didn't care. All in all, it was a decent night of videogaming. Hunter was especially looking forward to the release of the new Zelda game, 'Breath of the Wild' for Nintendo's next console, the 'NX', which - if online rumors were to be believed - would ultimately be called the 'Nintendo Switch'. As they walked, both boys were talking about the exciting possibilities, and how it was supposedly going to be some sort of hybrid console.
"So, a handheld AND a regular system!?" Hunter exclaimed. "How the Hell can that even work!?" "Shit, I dunno man! Maybe some kinda casting thing or HDMI?" Oliver replied, half-interested at this point. While he loved videogames as much as any red-blooded American teenager, he didn't share Hunter's single-minded obsession over it. In truth, since they were ten, Oliver tried in vain to get Hunter into more active hobbies, like biking and basketball.
"Well, alls I know is if this shit comes out by Christmas, it's going to be at the top of my list, I can guaran-damn-tee that, Olly! " As Hunter kept talking about the same thing he was drooling over all evening, Oliver noticed a crumpled up wad of paper in the gutter in front of 108 Wood Thrush Lane.
"Hold up..." he said, as he reached down and picked up the balled-up piece of notebook paper, flattened it out and began to read it to himself.
"What the Hell is it?" Hunter asked as he peaked over Oliver's shoulder in order to get a better look. "It's not a list of cheat-codes, so you probably wouldn't care!" Oliver teased, as he swung his arm out so they could both read it together. "It's a letter. It looks like it's some kinda apology or something..." As it began to drizzle a little, both boys stood there in the cooling rain, silently reading and becoming engrossed in the little slice of life that was written before their eyes:
'Jack.....when we all talked about this earlier, I asked to go last. First of all, thank you so much for listening to everyone. I promise you they meant everything they said. As I read these words to you right now, I imagine you are standing at your doorway looking down on me. I think that's actually appropriate given everything that I did to you. In fact, I wouldn't have it any other way. In fact, if one day we become friends again, I would expect you to look down on me for the rest of my pathetic life. You know Jack, in a way, as I write this out and as I stand before you now...I realize to myself how stupid this is! Nothing I can say here to you now or ever could even begin to make up a fraction of what I put you through. To say I regret it is the understatement of the century.
Do you remember when we were ten years old? Your parents took us to that state park up in Virginia. Remember? The first day there when we went kayaking, Davis tipped over! Remember how we all laughed and had that "KEEP THE TIP! "JUST THE TIP" inside joke? We used that for years! I still think of it to this day and smile! I hope sometimes you do too. The other important thing I remember about that trip was that night in the tent. After you told me that ghost story about the man with the hook, we promised eachother that no matter what we would be friends for life. REMEMBER? That no matter what, we would always be there for eachother.
Yeah well...I'm pretty sure I ruined that. I do not deserve your friendship. I don't deserve to be looked at as a human by you. And yet....I love you, Jack. I KNOW you used to love me! That alone is the only reason I am fighting for us now. Only because there must be some spark left within you, even still. That letter that you were always afraid to give me that you showed me yesterday....it tears me up, Jack! DON'T YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAND! I RUINED EVERYTHING BECAUSE I HATED MYSELF! ALL YOU DID WAS LOOK OUT FOR ME AND HAVE MY BACK AND FOR WHAT? Only to have me abuse you and treat you like shit this past week? If you haven't slammed the door in my face by now, please understand that when I agreed to participate, I thought it would make you like me sexually or something! I know I said to you in the car that there was anger and a part of me hated you, and I DID tell myself that...I THOUGHT I did, yet I loved you at the same time. I don't know how else to explain it, and honestly I don't know what I could have been thinking! Maybe love and hate are the same things, but it was never ever you that I hated. I know that now. I hated MYSELF. I would see the way you treated gay people like Ben, and thought 'That could easily be me if I told you how I felt about you'. So initially I took it out on you. But mostly...as we continued what we were doing to you, I had hoped that you would see me the way I always saw YOU. It turns out that you DID always see me like that and I ruined it. That's karma and I deserve that. Now none of what I am saying makes what I did to you okay! I am not sitting here justifying my crimes, and yes I KNOW they were crimes. All I am doing is telling you WHY I did what I did, if it even matters to you at this point.
All I want is your friendship again. Even if you go back to being a bully. I do not care if you abuse me every single day for the rest of my life. Hit me, humiliate me, treat me like the garbage I know I am. Bully gay people...I don't care Jack! All I want is YOU in my life, and if you accept me, forget even trying to change you or make you a better person...I will support you and never say a word! Now I didn't let these other guys read this part, and this is the first time they are hearing it, so listen...Bryce, Ben, Lincoln.....I know this may sound harsh, but understand that Jack means everything to me, and I won't go against him again no matter who he is or what he becomes. Not even for you, Ben. I'm sorry. There's a chance that once I am done reading this, ALL OF YOU may walk away from me and leave me to be alone for the rest of my life. Ben, if you want to break up with me right now, that's fine. I deserve that. We, and that means ALL OF US, need to make this up to Jack in some way... Jack...I personally will undo every aspect of damage I caused you. Forget the deal we made, and forget the handshake. You don't need to be there for me. If it's the last thing I ever do in my pathetic life, I will see you become captain again. Together, we can make you more popular than you ever were. Especially if Bryce helps me with that as well. If I have to find some way to threaten the coach, or go to the principal, I will. Give me a CHANCE to make this right, and I will not only regain your status FOR you, I will do it at the cost of my self respect. I love you Jack, and I am so so sorry for what I did to you. For what we all did to you. Understand this: You did NOTHING wrong, okay? We did.'
"Oh......wow!" Hunter explained, as they both finished reading the letter. "That's fuckin intense! Who is this Jack?" "Beats me, but what the HELL did these guys do to him!?" Oliver explained as he covertly wiped a tear from his eye. He was a sensitive kid, and unbeknownst to his friends, secretly had a crush on Hunter. Not that he ever had the guts to tell him. Still, how many sleepless nights did he lay awake in bed thinking about his best friend? How many times did his heart drop in his stomach every time Hunter called the other team "fags!" when playing 'Call of Duty'?
"I don't know but they definitely are a bunch of homos, huh? I heard it's always drama, drama, drama with THOSE people. Anyway, come on....we gotta both get home! Tomorrow the guys wanna make me captain of the 'Halo' club! at school" Hunter said excitedly as he re-crumbled the letter and kicked it down the gutter drain. "Heh...yeah! I guess it is. At least WE will never have to deal with any of that stupid crap!" Oliver explained, putting on a facade of a smile. Tonight he would cry himself to sleep, both for himself and for the unknown letter writer, and for Jack...whoever that might be. To think...he almost had the courage tonight to tell Hunter how he felt about him, but he pushed that out of his mind. He knew now that day would never come.
As Oliver and Hunter walked down Wood Thrush Lane, Elliott's letter slowly floated away down the sewer, amongst the collective waste of all the residents of Holmepoint Heights. It would never see the light of day again, nor be viewed upon by human eyes. There it would remain, in the company of ratkind.
[Author's Note: I won't be doing this too often, but I wanted a little mini-chapter to tell this part of the tale, seeing how I didn't think it fit right in Chapter 6, nor anywhere in Chapter 5. Just basically a further peak into Elliott's psyche. As far as Chapter 6 is concerned, it's coming! Work is being done on it almost daily. It's a pretty epic one, and as such is taking a bit longer than I initally hoped. Also, it has a guest contributer! The one and only Jasper Cooper, of 'Nate Ramsey' fame. His story was the direct inspiration for 'Jack Hamilton, so we all come full circle in Chapter 6. I am extremely honored to work with him. In fact, he laid out the entire plot for chapter 6, so you guys have him to thank for what will soon be coming. It will also be my kinkiest chapter thus far! :) I hope you guys are liking this sequel as much as I am enjoying work on it. It could not have happened without Jasper and Matt's input, advice, and suggestions. It's as much their story as it is mine.]
If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or opinions, please email me at riveracheron101@gmail.com