Time Will Tell

Just a quick word then this time, thanks for the responses, keep 'em flowing you know the drill wanna_get_lucky@hotmail.com

Chapter 23 - Infiltration

"So then, you want to use the school hall as a concert hall. You want to do this on a weekend night, when your school peers will usually be going out and getting drunk and smoking and generally doing what we would never allow them to do in school under any circumstances. You also want me to not put any members of staff around the hall whilst you're playing to keep an eye out for trouble. How can you expect alcohol will not be a problem, if there is an accident then the school will be at fault."

"I wouldn't put it that way myself sir, you're insinuating that there is going to be trouble, but I don't believe that there will be. I think that if we told the students that there was going to be no staff or teachers here for the concert then more would be willing to come along. I've been enquiring into having bouncers in the hall instead of teachers, that way, we can tell the students that there won't be any staff keeping an eye on them and just fail to mention that there will be bouncers instead. If anybody is seen with any alcohol then these bouncers will ask the student to leave, failing that they will be ejected bodily instead."

"OK, how much would these bouncers cost? Assuming that they are willing to do such a job. And who will pay for them?"

"We have a friend whose older brother is a bouncer, he's willing to do it on a one night charity event for free and he is asking some colleagues if they would be willing to help him."

"How many are we looking at?"

"Bouncers? Our friends brother has suggested eight and believes that he can get up to twelve for us on the night."

"All working for free?"

"All working for charity, sir."

"Danny, do you realise what you are asking for here?"

"How do you mean sir?"

"You wish to use the school hall on a weekend night, in which students shall pay to listen to you and your band play, for which I have to arrange absolutely nothing other than for somebody to open up the school and close it for you. I do not have to arrange any of my staff to keep an eye on students, instead you will have professionals doing the job and the school will not have to pay a penny."

"I think that's right sir, I can't see anything that is likely to be broken or damaged in the hall either, falling short of somebody bringing a spray can with them, which I doubt, so I can't see there being any resulting damage either sir."

"I can't see how or why I would refuse in that case. It's a good idea Danny, once you've secured your bouncers for the night and have finalised a date, let me know and I shall arrange for a key to be brought in."

"Thank you sir."

"That's OK."

I really hated our headmaster. It wasn't because of anything he had done to me, I wasn't even sure why. There was something about him that really got on my nerves though. He seemed to like me though, he'd just said that we could go ahead with this charity concert idea. The others had needed a little persuading with the exception of Trix. He had loved the idea from the second I mentioned it, he loved any idea where he was thrown into the lime light as a result, I doubt that you could get any more lime light than playing on stage to a crowd of teenagers.

"What did he say?"

"A fifteen minute long yes."

"Brilliant!"

"No, he bored me to death. If I'd have had a knife in my pocket in his office, I wouldn't be here to tell you now."

"Stop exaggerating Danny!"

"He's a boring man Trix, capital B! Boring."

"OK, I'll give you that one, come on let's go and tell the others."

"You said you had something to tell me earlier."

"I'll tell you when we're with the rest of our lot."

"Can we swing past the lunch hall first, I'm starving."

"No! You'll have to wait another five minutes or so, we'll go meet the others, I'll tell my two pieces of good news, then you can go get some grub."

"Two? So the other thing you wanted to tell me is good news too then."

"That's right Danny boy."

"Cool. Can you give me a clue before we find the others?"

"Nope!"

"Why not?"

"Because I like to see you squirm and try and figure things out that I know you never will."

"Bastard."

"Too right!"

"What are you going to say to them though?"

"I really don't know. Danny'll be pissed off and Trix will be even worse."

"Danny won't be pissed off, he might be upset that you don't want to do it any more but he won't be angry with you."

"Trix will though."

"Yeah, I can imagine Trix being. Maybe if you find a replacement for yourself they won't be as bad."

"No, I'll leave that to them. I don't want to get them stuck with somebody who they can't stand. They should choose my replacement."

"I suppose, it's not as if there aren't many guitarists in the school though! I think that just about every bloke in their school can play to some extent, they'll get someone in no time."

"Yeah, but it's hassle for them, especially with them doing this concert thing. I mean they've already started playing Danny's new songs haven't they?"

"Yeah, but you said yourself, you've only got a bare back bone of three songs, you can teach that to somebody yourself in no time."

"Yeah. Oh Kate, I just don't want to do it. I enjoyed it and everything, but it was like, you know, a one off? They're taking it so seriously and I can see it causing arguments between them, I just don't want to be a part of it when it does turn sour. Danny and Trix are really stubborn when it comes to things like this. Danny will want his songs played the way he wants them and Trix will get pissed off when he can't try them other ways."

"Why can't Trix write his own material then?"

"He wouldn't know how. He can probably improvise stuff, but couldn't write it down."

"Danny could listen to it and write it down couldn't he?"

"Yeah, but that's not how I mean it, Trix will try and change Danny's songs and get pissed off if Danny doesn't like the changes. It will get awkward I can tell, it started to happen when we were rehearsing for the ball, I couldn't take that all the time."

"Trace, get out while you still can, if you really don't want to do it."

"Yeah. Oh Shit! We were meant to meet Trix five minutes ago, come on we'll have to run."

"Where the fuck have you been?"

"Girl talk, sorry hunny!"

"OK, well firstly we got the hall for the concert, which is cool."

"Really, they let us have it?"

"Uh huh. And secondly, I got a call last night and guess who's coming to stay in Parkway on holiday for three weeks."

There was no reply. It's weird, it's as if Trix doesn't realise when his questions seem or are rhetorical and he gets upset that nobody has answered him.

"No idea Trix."

"Paul."

"Paul who?"

"Duh! Paul Ibertson. You remember? Our friend who moved to Australia?"

"Dodgy? He's coming back? Cool!"

"Yeah for a holiday, he gets here on Thursday."

"Wow, that soon?"

"Yeah, he lost all of our numbers and so couldn't let us know any sooner. Eventually he phoned his Gran and got her to look up my number in the book."

"Cool, is he staying with his Gran then?"

"Uh huh, but then only for the first week, he's staying with me for the second and was hoping that he could stay at somebody else's for the last week."

"Yeah? He can stay at mine if he wants."

"Oh can he now?" Conner turned to look at me.

"Huh?"

"Well, he's in Sean's room on the weekend."

"It won't make any difference Conner, it'll still sound like he's in the same room."

"What do you mean?" My brother was grinning I wanted to know what he was getting at. He laughed a little then started groaning like he were doing the deed.

"Shut up! We do not make that much noise, we're always careful."

"You forget Danny, I'm only down the hall from you. You do make noise trust me. I can tell that you do both try and keep quiet but it doesn't work, not usually anyway."

"Don't lie!"

"I'm not!" Everybody else was laughing their heads off, except for Conner and I.

"You can really hear?"

"Sorry."

"Oh no! That's so bad!"

"Uh huh!"

"Right well I'm buying a pair of gags on the way home!"

"Are you going to tell Paul about you two?"

"Oh yeah, he won't know will he?"

"Nope. Careful though, do you want him to?"

"I never really thought about it. I've only ever spoken to him through letters since he left and never thought of telling him because he never seemed to need to know."

"Think about it then."

"Yeah."

"OK, well who else is there then?"

"I don't know! We could settle for Hartley I suppose."

"You said your self, he's crap. Besides he'd probably get scared on stage and muck up, you know he can't stand speaking in public, he practically passed out in the presentation we did in English GCSE last year."

"Well I don't think that we should sign him off yet. We need a guitar for that concert Danny."

"There has to be somebody else. Callum plays doesn't he?"

"I don't know how good he is."

"Then we should find out."

"There is one other person."

"Who."

"OK, bear in mind that we need a guitarist, only temporary if needs be, and we have limited time to get them up to our level of rehearsals. They need to be really good and we are only looking for a guitarist, not a friend."

"What's with all this? Who have you got in mind Trix?"

"You don't like him."

"Who Trix?"

"Meyrick." I fell silent and looked at him.

"Why the fuck did you even suggest him Trix?"

"We need a guitarist."

"I can't believe that you would even consider asking to bring him near me! Let alone to my fucking house to rehearse in our band."

"Do you want to go down well in this concert or not? We need the guitar Danny, he can play, he can play damn good actually."

"No, no fucking way. NO. It's entirely out of the fucking question Trix, no!"

"You had a fight Danny, so what. Rise above it! Think about it as being for the band, not for friendship. We need to get as good as we can in time. I don't see the problem, you know how good we can be, we need him for this one time. That's all."

"Even if for one second I considered it, what makes you think he would want to be in the band."

"He already does."

"What did you just say?"

"He already does, I asked him this afternoon and he said that he thought it would make an excellent opportunity for him to apologise to you."

"I can't fucking believe this Trix! You believed him? You ASKED him? You asked him knowing I wouldn't want him and without consulting me?"

"I don't see why he wouldn't mean that he wanted to apologise. He has no reason not to and if he didn't mean it, why would he bother?"

"He's like that Trix, he'll probably act all friendly and then play shitty on his guitar on the night just to be spiteful."

"He wouldn't make an arse out of himself in public just to get at us, he needs all the friends he can get, he wouldn't have any if they thought that he was some shite player."

"I can't believe you've done this."

"Danny, I'm sorry, but I'm thinking of the band."

"Yeah, not my feelings."

"Danny don't you want to make this work?"

"Yeah, I just don't want to have to make this work with him!"

"Just ignore him if you have to."

"I will NOT have him saying anything to me, or you or anybody else. I don't want any comments from you or the others about how rude I'm being or whatever, you will accept the way I treat him or he is OUT!"

"You mean he can do it?"

"Well, you haven't left me much choice have you. I'm seriously pissed off with you for putting me in this situation though Trix. The second the concert is over, he is history and we look for a replacement."

"OK. Thank you for doing this Danny."

"Don't it's not my choice."

"OK, sorry." I was fuming. I couldn't believe that I would have to be in the same room as him again. I could imagine all sorts of bad things happening as a result of this. I didn't want him there but I had no choice now.

"He landed fifty minutes ago, what's taking so long?"

"They probably lost their suitcases or something."

"Maybe."

"Conner. You got any more wine gums there?"

"Yeah. What colour do you want?"

"Red please."

"There you go."

"You know, they should sell packets where you only get red ones in."

"They sold ones where you got only red and black for a while."

"Really? I never saw them. Danny? Should we go to the information desk or something?"

"Don't really care."

"Oh don't still pretend like you're all pissed off with me." I was!

"I am and will be until after the concert."

"Fucking hell"

"I think this might be him!"

"Shit he's changed! You sure that's him."

"Well, that's his parents and they haven't changed much, it must be him."

"Paul?"

"Hi guys"

"Wow, man! You have an Australian accent!"

"Well I've been living there for two years now, I picked up some of their accent yeah."

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Ibertson."

"Hi boys. How have you been? And who's this young man? I don't think I met you before we left."

"I'm Conner, Conner Shears. I only moved here last year so I wouldn't have met you no."

"Well, it's nice to meet you now. OK, here's the deal, good old British Airways has lost our baggage, so I was kind of hoping that you could take Paul here to get some clothes to borrow for tomorrow. Would that be OK Danny? He looks about your size now. He used to be taller than you though I seem to remember."

"I think he was. Yeah, so am I taking him to mine now then, and then to his Gran's?"

"If you could that would be fantastic!"

"It's fine, I'm just sorry that I can't give you all a lift, but I've only got a mini. You wouldn't all fit!"

"It's no problem, we'd have been taking the taxi anyway so it doesn't make much difference."

"OK, well shall we set off then?"

"Sure, lead the way mate."

"Can you say G'day mate for us?"

"I was waiting for that!"

"What's happening in Neighbours now?"

"Did you bring some vegimite?"

"This is going to be a long holiday guys."

"Things have changed! That bank used to be a post office."

"Yeah."

"So Conner, how long have you been here again, a year?"

"No, since September actually."

"You like it here?"

"Most definitely. I've met the love of my life so I'm happy as hell!"

"Yeah? Would I know her maybe?" Conner looked to me and I felt my heart beating I knew that now would probably be the best time to speak.

"Err, well last time I looked I still had a dick Paul!"

"Huh? What you going on about?"

"I'm not a she."

"What? Oh! Oh shit!" I was driving and so couldn't see his face. I didn't know his reaction properly, I could only hear him. "You mean, that you're, you and him are, oh shit."

"You OK with this Paul?"

"What? Trix, you're not too are you?"

"No. I mean does it bother you knowing about them?" Trix was getting worried now too.

"You knew about them? This is sick, I thought you had more pride than to hang around fucking queers Trix! Pull the fucking car over! NOW!"

I was starting to feel sick. I didn't know what to do. I did pull over though. As soon as I did I got out of the car and lifted the seat. My mind was swimming, I could hear Trix and Paul shouting but wasn't picking up what they were saying. Paul got out the car and began to walk off quite fast. Trix jumped out and followed him quickly. I collapsed back on to the seat and felt damn awful. I couldn't think straight and was sure that I was going to black out.

I became aware that Conner had been trying to speak to me for some time now. I snapped out of my weird little state that I had fallen into.

"I'm so sorry Danny. This is all my fault isn't it?"

"No, it was me who told him, I was going to some time whilst he was here anyway. I just guess that I never expected a reaction like that from a friend. I've been lucky so far in that nobody has reacted like Paul just did."

"What's he going to do about it?"

"I don't know. He could well have changed since I knew him two years ago. I honestly don't know though. I just hope that he doesn't go off to some other people from outside of our group and tell them."

"That's what I was worried about too."

"Oh SHIT! This could very bad for us babes."

"I think that Trix might be able to talk some sense into him."

"I fucking hope so! SHIT!"

"Hey, calm down." He grabbed my hand. He held it so tight, it was really strange how he acted as a tranquilliser for me. Just by touching my hand, he removed the stress that I felt at that moment. "If it does happen, then it can only make us closer. I won't leave you and as long as I have you standing by me throughout it, I'll be fine and happy."

"I love you so much Conner Shears. No narrow-minded wanker will ever change that, I will always stand by you. For better or for worse, in sickness and in health and all the rest of it, you can depend on me."

"I know I can. And you know that you can depend on me right?"

"Right."

"Come on then gorgeous. We should think of something to do."

"What do you suggest?"

"We could find the others."

"OK, err, Luke's place?"

"Worth a try."

"What the fuck is wrong with you man?"

"Nothing is wrong with me Trix. Danny is GAY. Right? You hang around with him and his boyfriend?"

"SO FUCKING WHAT? They are both still people. Nobody else has a problem with them."

"He lied to us too. He said he wasn't gay!"

"Oh, and you've never lied in your life?"

"That's not the point."

"It is exactly the fucking point Paul. Look, I found it weird in the beginning too. It takes some getting used to. You just have to realise that to them it is natural, they can't change. It's like you trying to eat something that you know makes you want to spew, you can't help hating it, you don't know why you do, but they can't help who they fancy or love as the case is, to them it's the same, they don't know why they like each other, and they can't help it. When you think about it for a long while, you come to realise that it isn't just like enjoying some foods or not, it's exactly the same as it happens for us and chicks, except for them it's guys."

"But it's sick."

"To us yeah, to them no. We don't have to fuck them, why should it bother you who they fuck? It's not like a disease, it ain't gunna rub off on you Paul."

"Are they gunna, you know, err, kiss in front of us?"

"I don't think they'll go within a mile of each other after the way you reacted."

"I suppose they won't."

"You seem better now."

"Huh? Yeah, well I guess what you said made sense. Oh, fuck, who am I kidding? I just got sort of shocked by it. I wasn't expecting one of my close friends to be gay you know? I don't think that I have a problem with it really, I thought about it before, you know, what if one of my friends was gay? I just didn't know what to think and I just automatically assumed this sort of macho hate gay thing, kind of like a reflex you know?"

"Yeah! I know all right!"

"Oh?"

"Danny practically took my jaw off when I had that very reflex you just described. I didn't mean it myself and we got over it."

"I actually suspected that Danny was gay all along anyway because of the stories about him a while back."

"Yeah, well they were true and he's found love."

"With this Conner kid?"

"Uh huh."

"What's he like?"

"He's a sound guy. I like him, damn good at footy too. He's in year 11 and on the first eleven. He's in our band. That's right, this is cool we have a band now, Danny, Conner, Sean and I. We had Tracey but she doesn't want to do it anymore. We got John Meyrick instead now."

"Meyrick, isn't he the one who told us about Danny in the first place?"

"Yeah, Danny hates him, but John wants to apologise. He hasn't been in a rehearsal yet, we only agreed for him to join today."

"Really? How come he's been invited to join after what he did to Danny?"

"He's the best guitar player available for our band at the moment so we need him so that we can be the best we can."

"I bet that pissed Danny off, especially if he hates him. Whose idiot idea was it for him to join then?"

"Mine!"

"Oh! Sorry. Any idea where Danny will have gone?"

"Nearest bridge after the way you acted, you can't call me the idiot man!"

"Alright, alright but we're even now then. Let's go see if we can find him shall we?"

"I think so Dodgy."

"Ah, the Dodger's back."

I got home and went in to the house. I was greeted by the sounds of guitars being strummed. I went to the garage door and opened it. I knew that Trix had invited him, but nothing could have prepared me for the way I felt when I saw him sitting there being taught the chords by Trace. He looked up at me, bruises all over his face. I didn't know what to do, or say.

"Hey." He looked at me. He had this look in his eye. Nobody else would have seen it, just me, I saw it. He was waiting for an opportunity. He was going to make himself an opportunity though, I could see it. "Danny I really wanted to apolo-"

"Cut the SHIT Meyrick. I don't want you here and I don't want to hear you pretending to apologise to me. You do what you're meant to do and leave, you play and then you leave. I don't want you in my house any second longer than you have to be."

"Yeah sure." I hated myself for doing that, it made him look like the under dog and me like a ruthless bastard, most of the others were there to see too. Sean (although I don't think his opinion would be changed that easily), Trace, Claire, Kate, Luke and Scott.

"What you doing Trace?"

"Huh? Nothing."

"I meant which song."

"Oh, err Fire, we're up to the bridge."

"You ready for us to join in and give it a go?"

"We can try, will it not sound weird without Trix playing though. And where is Trix and Dodgy?"

"I'll tell you later."

"What?"

"I'll tell you later. I don't want him having the satisfaction of knowing." I said pointing to John.

"Oh."

"We playing then?"

"What speed you going to take this at?"

"Slow for now, about half what we tried last time since he's playing it for the first time."

We practised for about half an hour, my heart certainly wasn't in it. I didn't even try actually. I did not want John Meyrick in my house, he was there looking sheepish, I knew he was beaming inside, he was weaselling his way into my group of friends. No, he wasn't even doing that, he'd been invited into it. I wanted him out. It made me angry to admit it, but he was a damn good guitarist. He could play what Tracey had learnt as well as she could in one afternoon when it took her three afternoons. I didn't speak to him once, everybody was unusually quiet as well. There was this sickeningly smug atmosphere that I could sense oozing out of Meyrick, he was in his element, slowly sneaking in on my group of friends, the safe haven that I created within them. I had gained these friends and kept them this far. I felt that John Meyrick had intentions of forcing me out of this group and taking my place amongst them. He posed a large threat to me and I believed that I would have to be very careful in how I acted with regards to him, I didn't like it, I didn't like having to be on guard within my own friends, it didn't feel right.

We finished playing and everybody went into the kitchen. John wasn't didn't come to the kitchen, he knew he wouldn't be able to so he stayed around to pack up his stuff. I was standing in the kitchen with the others as they talked and laughed and I realised that it was taking him a considerable amount of time to pack away. I went back into the garage to find out what was taking him so long only to find him sitting on an old chair that we kept in there.

"What do you think you're doing? You're meant to be gone by now, what you waiting for?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Save me any apologies John, I can see right through you, I know you wouldn't mean them. You are not here through choice OK? You are not here to make friends, to break friends, as a favour to us, as a favour to you or anything else like that. You are simply here to play your guitar, that is all. If you try anything, if I even have reason to suspect you are trying something, you are OUT. And don't you fucking test me either. You are here so that we can do this concert. After that I don't want to know you."

"That's a shame Danny."

"What are you playing at?"

"Nothing yet, I'm just testing the water. See what I can make of this arrangement. You've done a lot to help me today you know? Your friends seem to believe that I am truly sorry, bearing that in mind and the way you treated me, they may well end up feeling sorry for me before too long. Especially when I start going for the sympathy vote on the girls, girls can't resist supporting the under dog Danny. Before long you are going to ostracise yourself from this group without me even having to try."

"Get out of my house."

"OK, do you think you could shout it though, that way when I go out I can look all hurt and upset, that would help my case."

"I could get you off the band right now."

"They'd want to know why."

"I'd tell them what you'd been saying just now."

"Why would they believe you?"

"They're my friends."

"They know how unreceptive you've been to me, they wouldn't believe you, they'd think you were making it up because you didn't want me here. I mean you've lied to them before, you told them you weren't gay at first, why wouldn't you lie this time?"

"Fuck you John Meyrick, get out of my house."

"No."

"It won't work John, I won't shout at you. Get out."

"No."

"Fine I'll call the police."

"I was invited here."

"And now I'm asking you to leave."

"You have no right to, Sean let me in and you do not own the house, you have to put up with me as a guest until I choose to leave or Sean or your mum asks me to leave."

"Fine, sit here in the garage then, see if I care."

"You know you're losing don't you?"

"What?"

"You always get childish in arguments when you can tell you're losing."

"What the fuck are you on about Meyrick?"

"You say things like 'So?' and 'Fine have it your way.' In really childish ways when you're losing in an argument. It's quite amusing really."

"Whatever."

"There you go, you couldn't think of anything that would add intelligently to our argument so you just come out with some childish comment. It makes you feel as if people think you can't be bothered in the argument, but I know you haven't given in, you just can't think of anything to add anymore."

"Don't pretend like you know me John, you don't. I've changed since I was your friend."

"I do know you Danny. I've been watching you, planning my revenge. I went about it the wrong way at the ball, I realise that now, but this time I'll take my time. I can wait, all I have to do is gain their trust before I crush you and that freak of a boyfriend of yours too."

"GET OUT FUCKER!"

"That's my boy Danny. Now all I have to do is leave looking all hurt and innocent and I get the sympathy."

"Not if I can help it."

"You can't."

"Can't I? We'll see."

"Don't try to battle against my wits Danny, I'm more devious than you. Don't challenge me."

He left, walking slowly, making sure that I saw the smirk on his face for every last second that was possible. He closed the door behind him and I was left alone in the cold garage. Feeling like I wanted to scream, cry and kill all at the same time.

OK, cue the fanfare, prepare the banquet and get ready to open a new browser window! It's open and done, ready and finished. http://www.homestead.com/luckys_place is the address for my web page, brand spanking new. The links page isn't open yet and more things will be added in due course, but take a look anyway, you know you want to!