“The lights went out, but the chaos continued around me.” Joshua Taylor told his young grandson.
“Grandpa, this is a great story, but it isn’t true, and that kid has no clue what he is doing at the register. This waiting is killing me!” Jase Taylor was a very hyperactive 12-year-old and kept giving the boy at the cash register dirty looks. The kid at the cash register was obviously new to his job and kept messing up all the orders.
“Jase, that is what I am trying to tell you. Impatience can kill you if you are impatient with the wrong person. Listen to my story and heed my warning. Not everything is always as it seems, and not everyone is who they appear to be.” Josh looked down at his grandson and continued his story. “After the lights went out, I just tried to hide and stay out of its sight. I hid behind a big display of canned spinach. I figured I could use the cans as a weapon if it came to it. My priority was to get out of there and as far away from Sam’s Market as possible.”
Jase’s twin brother Jesse ran up to them. “Grandpa! Jase! Hey, what were you guys talking about?”
“Gramps was telling me a story from when he was our age. He says that there was a monster right here in this store!” Then Jase leaned in and whispered to his twin. “Not sure if I believe him, though!”
“Can you tell me, too, Grandpa?” Jesse asked.
I suppose I can. Now, both of you listen closely to my story. Every word is true.
Josh began telling the story all over again. “One minute, I had just been standing in the check-out line here at Sam’s Market, and the next minute, I felt like I was in a scene from a horror movie. I had been more than a little irritated with the incompetence of the young girl at the check-out counter. Still, my irritation paled compared to the boy in front of me. He had gone from grumbling under his breath to loudly hurling insults at the girl and her supervisor, who was attempting to help her. The girl kept apologizing to everyone in line, but that did not stop the boy’s insults. The girl was becoming increasingly visibly upset, and then she transformed. I could not believe what I was seeing. I just stood and watched in disbelief. In twenty minutes, I witnessed a face that could have only been described as magnificent turn into something horrid.”
“Grandpa, you’re pulling my leg. Aren’t you?” Jase was looking up at his grandfather with wide, unbelieving eyes. Jesse looked on with an expression of eager anticipation, waiting for the story to continue.
“No. Not at all. This is what really happened. Let me finish, Jase.” Josh cleared his throat and started talking again.
“Before my astonished eyes, the sweet smile of that check-out girl became a snarl of pure rage. Her calm, unblemished face twisted into that of some demonic entity. Eyes as blue as a clear summer sky became red glowing embers. Her long dark hair spiraled upward and compressed into large, sharply pointed horns. Her small frame shuddered with the force of transforming from about 5’2” to well over 7 feet tall.
As the beast that had been the girl heaved the overflowing grocery basket of the next customer in line roughly 150 feet across the store, I abandoned my cart and started backing away. The beast-girl leaped over the check-out, countered, and roared at the boy insulting her. Before he could react, the beast had grabbed him by the head with its gigantic claws. Its fingers clasped the back of his head, sinking both thumbs into his eye sockets. I heard two sickening pops as his eyes were crushed and the thumbs pushed into his brain. Before I turned away, I caught a glimpse of blood and brains dripping down both sides of what remained of the boy’s face. The creature then crushed the boy’s skull and threw his body aside. It pulled the entire check-out counter from the floor and smashed it against the nearest wall. The counter must have hit a fuse box as it crashed through the wall because there was a shower of bluish sparks, and that is when the lights went out.” Josh looked at Jase and then at Jesse. “This is where I was in the story when you ran up. Jesse. As I told your brother, I looked for a place to hide from the beast’s sight when the lights went out. I found a display of canned spinach, which I figured could double as a hiding place and a source of possible weapons if needed. My first thoughts were of trying to escape, though. I had no intention of even trying to fight that beast.”
I heard a lot of crashing and screaming in the darkness. I stayed hidden behind the canned goods. The beast roared again, and the big front window of the store shattered from the force of a large shelf being thrown through it. People started running out of the store and into the parking lot. I followed cautiously. I got to the broken front window and peered outside. Chaos. Destruction. People were running everywhere. I tried to get to where I left my bicycle, but I was knocked down by a panicked man running for his life. I rolled onto my back and looked up into the beast’s red glowing eyes.
The beast was snarling, hot drool dripping down onto my face. I thought I was going to die. The beast was crouched over me, its muzzle inches from my face. I struggled but couldn’t break free. I thought about the girl and how panicked she looked before the change. I locked eyes with the beast and started talking to it, to her. I don’t remember what I said, but the beast seemed to calm down. Then crashes and screams from behind us distracted her, and she snarled, and her mouth opened, her teeth glinting in the parking lot lights. Just when I thought the end was near, the beast’s face kinda relaxed, and then it moaned as if in pain. The beast tried to stand but fell to the ground, rolling around in agony. A few minutes later, it was the girl again.
She looked around in horror at the remains of the storefront and the chaos of the parking lot. “Oh my god! What have I done?” The girl dropped to her knees, covered her face with her hands, and started to cry.
She looked so scared and innocent…and beautiful. I got to my feet, draped my jacket over her bare shoulders, and pulled her to her feet. “Come with me. You need to get out of here before they notice you.”
She looked at me strangely, “Why would you help me? I would have killed you.”
“You didn’t kill me tho. You didn’t kill anyone. That beast did.” I walked her over to where my bike was parked. “Take my bike. Get as far away as you can.”
She touched my arm. “Thank you. I don’t even know your name. “
“My name doesn’t matter. Just take the bike and get out of here before they see us!”
She disappeared into the woods behind the store. They searched for weeks. Searched for the beast and for the girl. She’s never been caught. I hope she’s still alive.
“So, boys, that’s my story. Just remember, when you are in line and you’re feeling impatient with the clerk, the beast is still at large.”
Jase said, “Aww, gramps, you’re pulling our legs! Not one word of that story is true!” Jesse nodded in agreement with his twin. But both boys were much quieter, and they closely watched the boy at the check-out register.
Elijah finished cleaning the fireplace and went to wash up. He didn’t even get to the washbasin before he heard one of his stepbrothers yell for him.
“Eli, get back in here! You’re not done. This fireplace is a mess.” Robert yelled.
Elijah went back into the front room. “Robert, I’ve told you guys a million times, my name is Elijah, not Eli. And I cleaned that fireplace already. You jerks must have spread more ashes all over it.” Elijah yelped in pain and surprise as his other stepbrother hit him in the back of the head.
“You will not talk back to us, little brother. And your name is what we say it is. Look at you all covered in ash and soot. Your name isn’t Elijah or even Eli. Your name is CinderEli.” Edward said.
Elijah rubbed the back of his head and scowled at his stepbrothers. He didn’t bother saying anything else. He knew it was pointless. Their mother had his father wrapped around her little finger. Elijah felt like a servant and not even part of the family. He knelt and started cleaning the fireplace all over again. He nearly finished cleaning it for the second time when his stepmother rushed into the house.
“Boys! Edward! Robert! Come here at once!” She yelled. Elijah stopped what he was doing and turned around to see what was so important. His two stepbrothers returned to the room and said, almost in unison, “What is it, mother?”
“You’ve both been invited to a Royal Ball at the castle. A notice went up in the village requiring all boys of royal blood who are at least fifteen years of age to attend the Princess’s eighteenth birthday ball. It is tomorrow night. We’ll have to spend all day tomorrow getting you both ready. People say she’s looking for a suitor. She has to pick one of you!” Their mother said.
Elijah spoke up. “I’m fifteen. Will I be going to the Ball, too?”
All three laughed at him. His stepmother said, “Of course not, boy. Look at you. You’d be an embarrassment. Now be quiet and go back to your cleaning.”
Elijah was furious. He considered going to his father but knew that would do no good. He returned to work and tried to put the Ball out of his mind.
The next day, the house was a constant hive of activity. Rebecca ordered her two sons around, preparing them for the Ball that evening. Rebecca sent Elijah on numerous errands to pick up things his two stepbrothers needed. Each time she forced him to help, he got madder and madder.
The evening arrived, and Elijah watched as his father, stepmother, and two stepbrothers got in the carriage and left for the Ball. He finally allowed the tears of anger and sadness to fall from his eyes. Elijah left the house and headed straight for the clearing in the woods behind the house. At the far edge of the clearing, he found his mother’s grave. He dropped to his knees in front of her headstone and cried. “Mother, everything is horrible without you. Father has remarried, and she’s a mean and wicked lady. She has two sons, and I’m cast aside and treated as a servant. Papa won’t even help me. He does whatever she tells him to do.”
Through his tears, Elijah noticed a little blue light flickering back and forth over the headstone. It was a weird little light. It distracted him momentarily, but he continued with what he needed to tell his mother. “They are all at the Princess’s Birthday Ball, Mama. They made me stay home. I have more right to go than Robert or Edward! My whole life now is just cleaning up after them and putting up with them bullying me. I wish… well, I wish many things, but right now, I wish I could go to the Ball.”
His tears were flowing heavier now. When he first saw it, he thought it was his imagination, but the little blue light grew. Before Elijah’s astonished eyes, the blue light grew into a brightly dressed man with glowing blue wings. Elijah blinked, wiped the tears from his eyes, and looked again. The winged man was still there. “Uh… hi… who… what are you?” Elijah asked.
The man huffed. “I’m a who, not a what, Elijah. I’m your fairy godfather, and I’m here to grant your wish.”
A broad smile crossed Elijah’s face, but a suspicious frown quickly replaced it. “If you’re my fairy godfather, why wait until now? I’ve made a million wishes since my mom died. My stepbrothers have bullied and tormented me for months. Why haven’t you helped me before now?”
The fairy sighed and looked at Elijah. “I’m not allowed to guide every event in your life, but I’ve watched for a key moment to intervene. This is that key moment.” He waved his wand over Elijah.
Elijah looked down at himself and smiled at the fancy, crisply pressed black and white tuxedo. Then his suspicious frown returned when he noticed the “Hello. My name is Elijah” sticker under his left lapel. “Hey! What’s with the nametag?”
“You will be working with the caterers, serving drinks to the guests at the Ball. I’ve arranged it so they won’t notice that you aren’t their employee.” The fairy said.
Elijah’s eyes welled up with fresh tears. “Great. Some fairy godfather you are. You grant my wish to go to the Ball, but instead of sending me to dance with the Princess, you send me as a servant.”
“Elijah, you know as well as I do that a princess is not what you seek.” The fairy smiled and patted Elijah’s shoulder.
Elijah looked up at the fairy, eyes wide. Then he looked down and blushed. “That may be true, but why should I go to the ball?”
“Trust in me that I know what is best for you. It is my job, after all. More than princesses are at the Ball.” The fairy grinned.
Elijah looked up at him, the suspicion fading from his eyes. “Ok. I’m used to people looking at me as a servant anyway. I may as well be a servant at the Royal Ball, too.”
The fairy smiled. “Trust in me, Elijah. And leave the Ball before the last stroke of midnight. That’s when the enchantment will wear off.” The fairy waved his magic wand again, and Elijah disappeared.
Elijah blinked his eyes in surprise. One second, he stood in front of his mother’s grave, and the next, he was in the most massive kitchen he had ever seen. The kitchen was more extensive than his entire house! Before he had much of a chance to look around, an older man stormed up to him. The man glanced down at his nametag and then said, “You. Elijah, grab that tray of drinks and get out front. The guests are thirsty. You’re not here to gawk around at the kitchen like some dumb country farm boy. Move it!” Elijah picked up the drink tray and walked through the door and into the main ballroom.
After an hour of walking the floor handing out drinks, Elijah found himself at a stationary bar along the back wall. In between serving drinks, he watched as everyone else danced. He knew the fairy was right and didn’t want to marry a princess, but he still longed to dance at the Royal Ball.
He ducked down behind the bar every time he saw his stepbrothers. Not that they would notice him anyway. With his perfectly pressed black and white tuxedo and clean blonde hair combed back off his face, they’d never even recognize him. From off to his left, he heard someone clear their throat and a boy’s voice said, “Excuse me, Elijah, can I get a glass of ice water, please?”
Elijah turned and nearly dropped the glass he was holding. His breath caught in his chest, and his heart skipped a beat. The boy sitting at the bar smiling up at him was the most gorgeous boy that Elijah had ever seen. He had light brown hair, cut short in the back, but the bangs were long. He combed his hair to the right, and the bangs partially covered his right eye, and that was a shame because he had stunning bright blue eyes. They were a bright blue to make a cloudless summer sky jealous. Elijah set the glass he was holding down on the bar and tried to steady his nerves. “Sure thing, sir. One ice water coming up.” Elijah gave the boy a nervous smile and prepared the drink.
“Here you go, sir. Enjoy your water and enjoy the Ball.” Elijah said.
The boy shot Elijah a killer smile. The ruby-red lips and perfect dimples nearly left Elijah in a melted puddle on the floor. The boy leaned forward. “I’m only just now enjoying the Ball. It was boring me until I spotted you over here. You’re not one of the usual servants. I’d have noticed. My name is Will, by the way.” Will stuck his hand out to Elijah.
Elijah shook Will’s hand and blushed. “Pleased to meet you, Will. As you noticed from my nametag, I’m Elijah. And you’re right. This is my first time here at the Royal Castle.”
“Welcome to the castle. What do you think of it?” Will asked.
“I’ve only seen the kitchen and the ballroom, but it’s stunning,” Elijah replied.
“I’ll have to give you a private tour sometime,” Will said, winking at Elijah.
Elijah blushed a deep, bright red. “Are you the Royal Tour Guide, Will? If so, sign me up for that tour.” Elijah grinned.
Will reached over and took one of Elijah’s hands in his. “What’s with these gloves anyway? I want to feel your hand, not these stupid gloves.”
Elijah shrugged. “The Royal Family doesn’t want us, lowly servants, to touch the things that they serve to them and their guests. I was told to wear gloves all night.”
Will rolled his eyes. “That’s ridiculous. Wait…” Will squinted, looking at Elijah with intense concentration. “You don’t know who I am, do you?”
Elijah scowled. “No. Should I?”
Will gently took Elijah’s face in his hands, leaned in, and kissed him. Elijah’s eyes nearly popped out of his head in shock, but he soon recovered and kissed the younger boy back. After several minutes, Will pulled back from the short make-out session, smiling broadly. “Sorry to be so forward, but I wanted to see if you wanted that before you found out who I am. I could probably have any boy in the kingdom, but I want one who wants me, not my title or family.” Will said, looking a little sad.
“Any boy in the kingdom?” Elijah scoffed. “Just who are you? The crown prince?”
Will sighed. “I am who I said I am. I’m Will. Most people insist on calling me William, though.”
Elijah looked confused, and then his jaw dropped. “No way. You ARE the crown prince?! Oh my god. No way! But… you’re here. Talking to me. You freaking kissed me! Why aren’t you up there with your parents and sister?”
“I was. Then I saw you. Now I’m here.” Will smirked.
“I… I don’t know what to say.” Elijah blushed and looked down.
“Say you’ll take off those stupid gloves and dance with me,” Will said with a grin.
“I’m not allowed to take my gloves off by order of the Royal family, though.” Elijah laughed.
Will stood up straight and puffed out his chest. He spoke as profoundly as his fourteen-year-old vocal cords could muster. “I hereby order, by Royal Decree, that you, Elijah the Beautiful, must remove your gloves so I can feel your hand in mine.” Will burst out into a fit of giggles. “Just give me the damn gloves, cutie.”
Elijah blushed a deep red, but he smiled and took off the gloves. “Here you go, your Royal Highness.”
Will rolled his eyes and stuffed the gloves into his pocket. He took Elijah’s hand and led him out onto the dancefloor.
Elijah didn’t know how to dance, so he let Will guide his movements and soon caught on. An hour later, they were still out there, attracting more stares than any couple, except for the Princess and her chosen companion. The music slowed, and Will pulled Elijah close. Though a year younger, Will was about three inches taller than Elijah.
“You have the brightest and most beautiful green eyes I have ever seen. Brighter even than the emerald in my father’s treasury.” Will said, looking down at Elijah.
Elijah couldn’t seem to stop blushing around this boy. “Hey now, don’t even talk about pretty eyes with those beautiful baby blues of yours.” Elijah reached up and pushed the hair out of Will’s eyes. “And your hair is perfect, too.” He smiled.
“Listen, blondie, don’t get me started on perfect hair,” Will smirked.
Elijah couldn’t help but smile. “You’re gonna have like a million princesses come calling when it’s time for your Royal Ball. You’re as sweet as you are gorgeous. She’ll be a lucky girl, whoever you pick.”
Will pulled Elijah even closer and bent down close to his ear. “What makes you think I’ll pick a girl?”
Elijah looked up at him, confused. “Won’t your father make you? Royal heirs and all that?”
Will leaned in and kissed the side of Elijah’s neck. “You’re so cute but so thick-headed. We’ve been dancing in front of my parents for over an hour. They know I’ll never marry a girl. We’ve already talked about it. As the first-born son, I will be King. But I’ve already said that I will designate my sister’s children as the heirs to the throne. That’s why they’re so formal and careful with who she chooses to marry.”
Elijah’s eyes widened. “Over an hour? What time is it?”
“Time doesn’t matter when I’m with you. You fit perfectly within my arms, Elijah. I think I want to keep you around.” Will leaned in, about to kiss Elijah. Then, the clock struck the first stroke of midnight.
Elijah pulled back from Will’s embrace. “Will, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I really, really like you, but I need to go. Right now.”
Will’s face showed surprise and disappointment. “Elijah, if it’s the job, don’t worry. You’re with me. You’ll never be a servant in this castle again. Stay with me.”
Tears stung Elijah’s eyes. “It’s not that. I can’t explain right now. I need to go. I’m so sorry.” With that, Elijah turned and ran out of the castle as fast as he could.
Elijah’s sudden departure stunned Will. He wasn’t sure exactly what happened, but he was confident Elijah didn’t want to leave. He felt something was wrong and was determined to find out what. He took off at top speed after the other boy without even calling for his Royal Bodyguards.
Will couldn’t catch up to Elijah, but he kept him in sight as they passed out of the Royal Compound and into the town. Will lost count of the number of streets they passed and side streets they turned down. He nearly lost sight of Elijah but turned the last corner just in time to see him dart off the road and into a backyard. Will couldn’t find Elijah anywhere. He searched the nearby woods and other yards but couldn’t find him. Finally, Will gave up and headed home. He vowed inwardly to order the Palace Guards to perform a more thorough search of the town. He would see Elijah again if it was the last thing he did.
Elijah was even more depressed than usual. He had the absolute best night of his life last night and was now cleaning the fireplace again. He had to put Will out of his mind. He, of course, would never see the Crown Prince ever again. It was an incredible night, but that’s all it was, just one night. Just then, his stepbrothers interrupted his daydreams of Will.
“There’s a palace carriage stopping out front. Get out of here, little CinderEli. We can’t have your filth embarrassing us. Go clean the kitchen.” Robert said.
“Yeah,” Edward added. “No one wants to see dirty old CinderEli.” Both boys laughed as Elijah left the room in silence.
A loud knock on the door echoed through the house. Robert and Edward raced to the door and pulled it open. The palace guardsman looked them both up and down and asked, “Is the Lord or Mistress of the Manor at home?”
“Our stepfather is out of town on business. I’ll go get our mother at once, sir.” Edward responded, turned, and ran into the house. He returned not a minute later with his mother.
Edward stated to the guardsman. “Sir Guardsman, may I present Duchess Wainwright, Lady Rebecca.”
The guardsman entered the house, followed by a figure wrapped in a hooded cloak. The hood completely shadowed the second person’s face. The guardsman bowed to Lady Rebecca. “A pleasure to meet you, my lady.”
“How may we be of service to the Royal Guard?” Rebecca asked.
The guard took a small item from his pocket. “I have been sent out searching for a boy who left this glove behind at the Royal Ball last night. We are ordered to find the boy whose hand fits this glove.”
Robert and Edward elbowed each other to get up close to the guard. They looked expectantly back and forth between the guard and their mother. Rebecca nodded to them.
First, Robert and then Edward tried on the glove. Neither boy could even fit all their fingers into the glove. They growled in frustration and handed the glove back to the guard.
Rebecca looked sympathetically at the guard. “Sorry to waste your time. Good luck with your search.”
“Thank you, Lady Rebecca.” The guard started to turn away, but his cloaked companion grabbed his arm and whispered, “This is the manor I followed him to. Make sure there is no one else here. I have to find him!”
The guard turned back to Rebecca. “I’m sorry to bother you, my lady. Are there any other young boys in residence here? A servant? A distant relative? I have to check everyone.”
Rebecca frowned. “Well, my step-son Cin… Eli lives with us, but he did not go to the Ball. You can’t possibly be looking for him.” She scoffed.
The guard said. “Call him here at once. We’ll be on our way if the glove doesn’t fit.”
Rebecca turned and stormed off into the kitchen and returned moments later with a dirty, disheveled Elijah, covered from head to toe with cinders and soot. Elijah brushed himself off and started to walk towards the guard.
The cloaked figure stared intently at Elijah as he walked forward. Robert reached out and roughly grabbed Elijah’s arm. He asked the guard, “Are you sure you want this little soot-covered CinderEli to dirty the glove? There’s no chance that they belong to him.”
The cloaked figure leaped forward, the butt of his staff striking Robert squarely in the abdomen. Robert doubled over in pain. The cloaked figure grabbed him by the hair and bent close to Robert’s ear. “If you touch him again, you will lose the hand you touched him with.”
Edward jumped to his brother’s side. “The King will hear about this! Just who do you think you are?”
The cloaked figure reached up and lowered his hood. “Go ahead and tell my father what happened here today. While you’re at it, tell my mother that your mother ignored her order that ALL boys fifteen or over of royal blood attend the Ball.” He pointed at Elijah. “He is fifteen and the Duke’s blood heir. Yet she did not allow him to attend. Though I will say that it worked out for me that he got there independently without the need to dance with my sister.” Will smirked at Elijah as he took the glove from the guard and took the other one out of his own pocket. “Make it official. Put those stupid gloves back on. I know it’s you, though. The ash can’t hide those pretty green eyes.”
Rebecca inhaled sharply and bowed deeply to the Crown Prince. “Your Majesty, Prince William, I and my sons beg your forgiveness.” She glared at her sons, and they also bowed to the prince.
Hands shaking, Elijah put on the gloves. They fit perfectly. His stepmother and two stepbrothers were in shock.
Will smiled at Elijah. He reached up and brushed some of the soot and ash out of his hair. “Elijah, I knew from the moment I saw you that I wanted you in my life. I don’t want you staying here with these cold-hearted bullies. Come live at the castle.”
Elijah took both of Will’s hands in his. “But what would my role be there? Servant? Friend? Why would your father allow it?”
Now, Will was the one who looked nervous, with unsteady hands. He got down on one knee in front of Elijah. “I know we just met last night. I know I’m just fourteen, and you’re fifteen. I know you have absolutely no reason to say yes. Still, I am hereby officially asking you to be my betrothed. We can get married after my eighteenth birthday. What do you say?”
“Oh, Will!” Elijah gushed. He pulled William to his feet and kissed him. “Oh, yes, Will, yes! A thousand times, yes!”
The boys kissed again. Will looked over at Rebecca. “Give anything belonging to Elijah to the guard. We’ll be leaving immediately. His father is welcome to come to the castle upon his return home. You and your sons would be best served to stay at home.” He slipped an arm around Elijah’s waist and guided him to the Royal Carriage.
The guardsman exited the manor with all of Elijah’s possessions. Then, the carriage rode off into the distance towards the castle and, more importantly, towards a bright new future for Elijah and William.
Taylor stepped out of the Light. He looked around and grinned. Taylor was finally home. Most people beyond the Light found peace and contentment, but Tay only found mind-numbing boredom. He longed for an adventure. It took a lot of convincing, but Peter finally allowed Tay to leave. Everyone beyond the Light was shocked. No one could remember anyone ever willingly returning to the land before the Light. Taylor shrugged. He had never fit in anywhere else; why should he fit in there? He took one last look over his shoulder and watched the Light disappear. What now?
Tay took a closer look around and scowled for just a moment. He was exactly where he was when he entered the Light, the bottom of the big hill on Mill Town Road. Taylor shivered and had a brief flashback of the two bright lights. He sighed and started walking. Taylor had his backpack slung over his shoulder and his skateboard tucked under his arm. He knew he would be home in less than fifteen minutes. Life could be worse. Tay wondered what everyone would think when he showed up. How much had changed in the six months he had been gone? He was excited to get home to surprise his family and friends.
When he reached the top of the hill, Tay set his board down and glided down the other side. He skated all the way to the end of his driveway. As Taylor picked up his board, he noticed two teenage boys playing in his front yard. He thought they looked familiar, but he wasn’t sure who they were. Tay assumed they must be friends with his little brother Dustin. Dusty was way more popular than Tay, and it seemed like he was friends with the entire town. Taylor walked over to the two boys, who eyed him suspiciously.
“Hey, guys, where’s Dustin?” Tay asked.
“Dustin who? The only Dustin I know is our dad.” One boy said.
“No, no. Dustin Bell. He’s my little brother. We live here.” Tay pointed at the house.
The two boys looked at each other, both confused. The older boy spoke. “What are you talking about? Who are you? Dustin Bell is our dad. We live here.”
Tay’s eyebrows shot up, and then a look of intense concentration formed on his face. “That can’t be right. I’m Taylor Bell. Dustin is my younger brother. This is where we’ve lived our entire lives. Who are you guys, and why are you lying to me?”
The younger boy tapped his brother on the shoulder. “Jimmy, look at his skateboard! Look at him! He looks exactly like all the pics of Uncle….” Crash! The sound of breaking glass stopped the boys’ conversation.
“Tay? How can you be standing there? You look exactly like the night you left. Even your clothes are the same!”
Taylor looked at the older man standing behind the two teen boys. He squinted his eyes nearly shut, then opened them again. “Little Chief? Is that really you?”
The man stepped in front of the two boys. “I didn’t want to believe my eyes, but no one else has ever called me that name. How are you here, Tay? Are you a ghost?”
“I’m not a ghost. I’m back, Dusty. How… how long was I gone? It was only a few months for me.”
“Tay, you died thirty-two years ago. I was devastated. I’ve missed you so much. We all have. What’s happening, Tay? How are you here?” Tears were streaming down Dustin’s face, and his two sons were intently watching and listening.
Taylor reached out and took Dustin’s hands. “I’m back, Dusty. I’m here, but I have no idea why it was six months for me and thirty-two years here. Time must move differently over there.”
“Over where? Where have you been? We… we buried you, Tay.”
“Can we go inside the house and talk?” Tay looked at the two teenagers again. “These are your kids?”
“Yes, and yes.” Dustin put his arm around the older boy. This is Jimmy, and that is Brian. James Dustin and Brian Taylor, to be exact.”
“I’m named after you, Uncle Tay.” Brian beamed.
“That’s cool,” Taylor said. “How old are you boys?”
“I’m 14, and Jimmy is 15,” Brian answered.
“This is confusing, Uncle Taylor,” Jimmy said.
“I’ll explain it all the best I can when we get inside, Jimmy. I’m a bit confused myself.”
————————————————————————————————————
Heirs of Evil
Drake stomped back into the living room and slumped into a chair. “My father is such a jerk! He keeps sending thralls to check up on me. If he can’t come himself, I wish he’d leave me alone!”
“No! Don’t even kid around about that. We don’t need any more parents around here. It’s hard enough for us to pass ourselves off as normal without all of them around.” Billy said.
“Pass off as normal? Like your boyfriend being a dog?” Drake said, pointing at Kavak lying on his back next to Billy. “Do you rub his belly like that when you two sneak up to your room for alone time?”
Kavak spun around and snarled at Drake. He leaped off the couch, transforming into a sixteen-year-old boy in mid-leap. “I’m not a dog. I’m a werewolf. Remember? I’m the creature that is immune to your thrall. Don’t mess with me, Drake.”
“Boys! Stop it!” Becky stormed into the room, her skin tinged with green. She looked at her hands with an exasperated sigh. “Now look what you’ve done. You know that I lose control of my pigmentation when I’m angry. It would help if you boys stopped fighting. There are only two more days before Halloween. You know mom won’t let us go if we are not on our best behavior.”
Billy looked up at his twin sister. “Sorry, sis.” He turned toward Kavak and Drake. “Kav, ignore him. You know he only says things like that to get a rise out of you.”
Kavak’s bright yellow eyes faded back to a light brown as he looked at his boyfriend. He sat back on the couch, pulled his feet under him, and leaned against Billy. Kavak looked at his boyfriend with his trademark puppy dog eyes. “I’m sorry, babe. I’ll do better at controlling my temper, I promise.” He leaned close and kissed Billy.
“Ugh! Gross!” Drake groaned as he got up and left the room.
Becky smiled at her brother and Kavak. “You two are such a perfect couple.” She huffed out a laugh. “But who would have guessed that the son of a murderous clown would fall in love with a werewolf?”
“The son of a clown and a witch. You know I get my charm and good looks from our mother.”
“Well, of course you do. You’re my twin, after all.”
Billy rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, sis. Speaking of Halloween, has Junior convinced Frank to let him come with us?”
Becky sighed. “So far, so good. There are conditions, though. He wants us ALL to go and to follow Mom’s rules to the letter.” She glared at Drkae as he re-entered the room with snacks and turned on the TV.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Drake smirked. “I can follow the rules. Well,” He thought for a moment. “I can at least not get caught breaking any rules.”
Becky’s eyes glowed a bright green, and she arched an eyebrow. “You better not mess this up for us, Drake.”
Drake’s smile grew wide. “Come on, Becks, you know that Ellie loves me. She only sent the monkeys after me that once, weeks ago!”
Kavak nearly giggled. “Not many people dare to incur her wrath a second time. Those monkeys are not gentle.”
Billy rolled his eyes. Who would have thought that werewolves were scared of heights and got air sick?”
“I wasn’t scared!” Kavak retorted. “I had just eaten, and I got sick is all that happened!”
“Are you still trying to pass that scream off as a howl?” Becky giggled.
“Ugh! Shut up! All of you!” Kavak transformed back into a wolf to hide his blushing.
Billy grinned, then stood and stretched. “Come on, babe. Let’s go for a walk before bed.”
“I’ll come with you as far as the cabin. I want to check in on Junior and ensure he’s been studying for tomorrow’s math test. Talking with his dad about Halloween has stressed him out, and he sometimes forgets to study.” Becky said as she followed Billy and Kavak outside, leaving Drake alone in the living room watching TV.
The five friends strolled up the street, laughing and joking amongst themselves. This was their favorite night of the year, Halloween. One night, they could roam the streets as they were without being stared at or ridiculed. They took in all the sights and sounds the night had to offer. The oldest among them, Drake, pointed at the house they were approaching. “That looks like a good one. Let’s go.” He grinned and started walking up the path to the house.
“Drake, come on. Don’t we have enough candy already?” Becky whined, the greenish tint to her skin looking darker in the moonlit shadows under her pointed hat.
“Don’t be such a witch,” Drake smirked. “There’s no such thing as too much candy.”
“Cute witch comment, fang boy.” Becky laughed. They reached the door, and Drake knocked.
A tall woman with long blonde hair and stunning blue eyes answered the door. She looked to be in her mid to late thirties but maintained a youthful, healthy appearance. “Wow,” Drake said. “You are absolutely gorgeous.”
“Wow.” The woman replied, rolling her eyes. “You are absolutely young.”
“You’d be surprised,” Drake said. “I’m a lot older than I look.”
“What’re you seventeen instead of the fifteen that you look?” The woman said, producing a big bowl of candy.
“There’s really no need to be so rude.” Drake snarled and stepped forward.
The woman’s eyes widened with shock and maybe a touch of fear. “What are you,” The rest of whatever she was going to say died on her lips as she became lost in Drake’s eyes. His midnight blue eyes were sparkling with their own light like they only do when he used his vampiric compulsion power.
“Oh, come on, Drake, not again!” Billy moaned from the back of the group.
“Yeah, Drake, I already said we have enough candy,” Becky said.
Drake turned his head. “Shut it, Billy. You’re starting to sound just like your sister.” He rolled his eyes at Becky before turning back to the blonde woman. “Alright, lady, divvy that bowl of candy into all our bags, and when you’re done, take off all your clothes. You will answer the door naked for the rest of the night. Tell them you are dressed as the invisible woman if anyone asks.”
Billy snorted with laughter, and his sister, Becky, punched him. “Don’t encourage his disgusting misogynistic behavior, Billy!” She glared at Drake. “What the hell, Drake. Why’d you do that?”
“She was rude. Plus, it’ll be a good show for the rest of the kids that come to her door.” He laughed.
“She’ll probably get arrested for indecent exposure before the end of the night,” Becky said.
“Then it’ll be a good show for the cops. She’s one smoking hot MILF.” Drake said, walking down the path back towards the street. The others followed, never looking back at the house.
They hadn’t gone more than two houses further along the street when they heard crashing noises. Kavak stopped, sniffed the air, and listened intently.
“That wasn’t glass. I smell eggs and plaster. Probably broken lawn decorations, and someone is egging a house. Let’s check it out.” Kavak said with a toothy, wolfish grin.
Billy clapped him on the shoulder. “Sure thing, wolf boy, let’s go.” He said. Drake followed along with his two friends.
Becky spoke up before they left. “Behave, guys.” She admonished. “I’ll stay here with Junior.”
As the three friends entered the backyard, Kavak transformed into his wolf form. Drake hung back and watched as Billy and Kavak walked up unnoticed until they were right behind the three teenage boys spray-painting the side of the house. Billy’s pale white skin glistened in the moonlight, contrasted by his bright red bulbous nose. His curly blonde hair glimmered with a pale green glow. He cleared his throat. “Well, well, what do we have here, Kavak? Looks like three very naughty little boys.” He absently scratched the top of Kavak’s head while he spoke. The three boys nearly jumped out of their shoes and spun around. One spoke up.
“Jesus, dude, what the fuck? Oh, hey, cool clown make-up! Shit, that’s a big dog. You should have him on a leash.” The boy said as he and his two friends took nervous steps backward.
“He’s not a dog. He’s a wolf. Werewolf, to be more precise.” Billy’s wide smile widened unnaturally big, exposing not one but two sets of razor-sharp teeth.
One of the boys laughed nervously. “yeah, right. A werewolf. That’s hilarious. Dude, what the fuck. Those teeth look so real!” One of the other boys reached down, picked up a rock, and threw it at Kavak.
Kavak yelped, then leaped forward while transforming into a semi-human werewolf form. He had two of the three boys cornered against the house’s back deck.
Billy advanced towards the third teenager. “You’re going to wish you hadn’t tried to hurt my friend.”
“What the fuck, dude, he is a werewolf! Your teeth are really like that!” His back hit against the house, and he had nowhere else to run. He tried to scream, but when Billy’s teeth ripped open the soft flesh of his neck, his screams were silenced forever.
When Kavak smelled the fresh blood, he was momentarily distracted and turned towards Billy. Seizing the opportunity, the other two boys sprinted across the yard and onto the street, never looking back. Their safety was first on their minds, and they didn’t think twice about leaving their friend behind. However, it would be years before the image of their friend being devoured alive by a clown and a werewolf would ever leave their minds.
On the street, Becky saw two teen boys run out of the yard that her three friends had entered earlier. She grabbed Junior’s arm and was going to go investigate when the last boy in the world that she wanted to see right now stepped in front of her, Adam Robinson.
“Adam, I don’t have time for you right now. Get out of my way.” Becky snarled.
Adam stepped further into her way. “What are you going to do? Sic your big, mental boyfriend on me? You two look even more weirder in costumes than you usually do. Where are the other three members of your little freak group?”
Junior growled and stepped in between Adam and Becky. What happened next happened too quick for Becky to stop it. Junior said to Adam, “Adam. Move away. Becky asked nice.”
Adam looked up at Junior. Adam was tall, but Junior stood well over six feet tall. “Make me move, you big dummy,” Adam said.
Junior pushed Adam, and he stumbled backward a couple of steps. “You stupid freak!” Adam yelled as he swung his right fist towards Junior’s face.
Junior caught Adam’s fist in his own much larger hand. He narrowed his eyes and closed his fist. The sound of crunching bone and Adam’s screams filled the night air. Becky moved like lightning and put her hand over the two boys’ hands. “Junior, let him go! You’re crushing his hand.” She could tell she wasn’t getting through to him as she saw him clenching his fist. Adam wet himself, and his eyes rolled up in his head. Becky grabbed the front of Junior’s shirt and pulled his face down to hers. She yelled as loud as she could. “Frank Nicholas Stein, Jr.! You let go of his hand right now!”
She saw Junior’s eyes clear, and he let go of Adam’s hand. Becky knelt next to Adam as he crumpled to the ground. She got right in Adam’s face. “Adam, can you hear me?”
“Yeah, I can hear you.” He moaned. “I’m gonna call the cops on your retard boyfriend.”
“No. No, you’re not.” She said softly. Becky reached inside her silky black cape and pulled out her wand. She waved the wand over Adam’s head. Sparkly dust sprinkled out of the wand and settled onto Adam. “You will tell anyone who asks that you were chasing a younger boy. You will tell them that you tripped and fell in the road. You will tell them that a car ran over your hand. You will tell them that the car never stopped to check on you. Lastly, you will tell them that you have never had a good look at the car. Do you understand?” She stared directly into Adam’s vacant eyes.
Adam repeated every detail back to her, and then he got up and stumbled off toward the local hospital.
Becky returned to Junior and put a gentle hand on his arm. “You ok, Junior?”
“Becky, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I hurt someone again. I’m bad.” He stammered, a tear dripping down his face.
“It’s ok, big guy. He deserved it.” She reached up and brushed away his tears. “Hey, the others are coming back. Let’s go home now.” She said as her brother, Kavak, and Drake rejoined them. Then she saw her brother’s face and what was dripping from the corners of his mouth. Becky flew into a rage. She raised one fist over her head and pulled lightning from the sky. The bolt struck just in front of Billy’s feet.
“Hey, sis, what the hell!” Billy said, then shut his mouth quick when he saw his sister’s face.
She walked right up to her brother, staring at the blood dripping from his mouth. “One rule.” She shouted, her raven hair flaring behind her and her eyes gleaming red. “Dad gave us one rule before he let us come out with him.” She pointed at Drake. “One rule. Don’t eat anyone! That’s all he said. Don’t eat anyone, and I’ll let you kids go out trick or treating. I mean, what kids wouldn’t want to go trick or treating with the son of Count Dracula?! He’s the most experienced kid ever; he’s been 15 for 753 years! But no, you couldn’t follow one simple rule! Now we’re all gonna be in trouble with Mom! We’ll be lucky if she doesn’t turn us all into flying monkeys!” She glared at Drake. “Even you! Now follow me. All four of you. We’re going home right now.”
Becky led her brother and their three friends back up the street towards home.
————————————————————————————————————
The Lost Leprechaun
Liam O’Reilly closed his eyes and rolled the dice one last time. He heard the dice rattle on the pavement, and the man yelled. “Seven! Aw, sorry, kid. You lose again. Wanna try one more time?”
“Nah. I can’t. I gotta go. Maybe next week, bro.” Liam walked out of the alley with barely the fifty bucks he owed his mom for rent. Liam cursed his luck both in gambling and in life. He was twenty years old, and he lived with his mom. He barely worked at a convenience store while attending the community college. It’s no surprise that his last boyfriend walked out on him. Liam was one big hot mess.
Liam kicked an empty soda can out of his path and continued up the sidewalk. The sun was peeking out from behind the dark grey rain clouds. Shielding his eyes from the glare, Liam looked up and saw the most beautiful rainbow that he had ever seen. He stopped to admire the view, and the weirdest thing happened. The rainbow disappeared. It wasn’t like the clouds moved over the sun, causing it to disappear. Liam could swear that the rainbow flickered before it vanished like the lights sometimes do in a power outage.
Liam looked around to see if anyone else was nearby who may have seen the same thing, but he was alone in the street. He scowled, shrugged his shoulders, and started walking again. Liam barely walked another twenty yards when he spotted something shiny glittering off in the grass beside the road. He bent down and picked it up. It was a gold coin. Liam thought it must be fake, especially how his luck was running, but it looked ancient, so he slipped it into his pocket. Maybe he’d take it to the antique dealer in town and see if it was worth anything.
As he turned and headed back toward the street, Liam was again distracted, this time by the sounds of someone moaning in pain. The sounds were coming from a little further away, just at the edge of the tree line. Liam looked around again to see if anyone was nearby to help, but he was still alone. He approached the moaning sounds cautiously. Just as Liam reached the trees and stepped into the brush, Liam stumbled over a large green mound. He turned and looked closer and saw that it was, in fact, a boy about the same age as him. The boy was dressed in shades of green from head to foot. Liam might not have seen the boy if it hadn’t been for his pale white face and bright red hair.
Kneeling next to the other boy, Liam turned him over onto his back. “Hey, dude, are you ok? I could hear you all the way out by the road. It sounded like you were in pain, and to be honest, you look like you were hit by like three Mack trucks.”
“I… I’m not sure what happened. W… where am I? W… who are you?”
“Oh, dude, that sucks! It looks like your suit is not just dirty but also ripped and looks expensive!” Liam stuck out his hand. “I’m Liam. What’s your name?”
The boy looked genuinely confused. He rubbed the back of his head and blinked a few times. “I don’t know my name. Everything is fuzzy, and my head hurts.”
Liam felt the back of the other boy’s head. “Hmm. You’re not bleeding, but there is a huge bump. Plus, it sounds like you have amnesia or something. I better call an ambulance for you.” Liam took his cell phone out of his pocket.
“No! Please don’t do that. I… I’ll be ok. I’m not sure why, but I know I don’t want to go to the hospital. No doctors. I’ll be fine.” He looked pleadingly at Liam.
Liam sighed. With the look of fear in the boy’s eyes and a gut feeling of his own, Liam trusted that this boy was being honest. He looked deep into the boy’s sparkling, emerald-green eyes. He said, “I am probably being the stupidest man on earth to even ask this, but do you wanna come back to my place so you can at least get cleaned up? I can even give you some clean clothes that aren’t ripped. The way my luck has been, you’re probably a serial killer, but something tells me that you aren’t. What do ya say?”
The boy got shakily to his feet and brushed the leaves and dirt off his clothes. “Uh… sure… ok. Thank you, Liam. You are being most kind.” The boy smiled a wide, toothy smile.
It felt, to Liam, like his heart literally skipped a beat and his knees got weak. Damn, this guy was gorgeous! “Hey, it’s no problem at all. Come on. Let’s go.” Liam led the way back to the road and then to his house. “Good thing mom isn’t home.” Liam thought to himself. He unlocked the door and let his new friend into the kitchen.
“I really hate to intrude on you like this. You don’t even know me. I don’t even know me.” The boy said, taking a glass of ice water from Liam. He chugged down the whole glass of water and wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his suit jacket.
“It’s no trouble at all. Let me show you where the bathroom is so you can get out of those ripped and dirty clothes and shower. I’ll grab you some clean clothes and heat up some leftover pizza for lunch. Maybe once you’ve rested, clean, and fed, you’ll start to remember stuff.”
“I hope so. It’s very frustrating.”
“Check all your pockets when you take off your clothes. Maybe you have something with your name on it or at least something that will jog your memory.”
“That’s a good idea!” The boy started fishing through his pockets as Liam led him down the hallway.
“The bathroom is right here. The towels are under the sink. I’ll put some clothes inside the door and be in the kitchen when you’re done.”
—————————————————————-
Liam was staring out the kitchen window and flipping the coin when he heard the boy’s voice behind him. “These pants are way too short. Do you have anything else I can try?”
Turning to face his new friend, Liam nearly missed catching the coin, but he managed to grab it just before it hit the floor. The view that greeted him almost made Liam’s jaw hit the floor. He knew the guy was gorgeous, but damn. In the kitchen doorway, the guy stood there wearing nothing but a pair of Liam’s boxer briefs that were significantly tighter on him than on Liam. The guy was slim but toned. He looked like he should be modeling the underwear in a magazine instead of Liam’s kitchen.
“Liam? Did you hear me? Is everything alright?”
“Uh… yeah. Sorry. Your perfect body distracted me.” Liam blushed.
“I… oh… wow… I,” the boy smirked. “I think you’re pretty cute, too.”
“Do you… remember… if you like girls or guys?”
The smirk widened into a smile. “That’s not something you remember or don’t remember. I definitely find you sexually attractive. The problem is that I can’t remember if someone is already in my life that way.”
Still flipping the gold coin, Liam snatched it out of the air and clenched his fist around it. He nearly snarled. “I wish that you didn’t have amnesia! I mean, obviously, for your own sake, but…” He stopped in mid-sentence as the coin began to glow a bright green. The green light flared brightly and vanished as if it had never been.
The other boy blinked, stepped forward, and had to lean on the kitchen table as he nearly lost his balance. “I… you made a wish. That must be one of my coins that you have. I remember everything now. My name is Owen, and I am a leprechaun.”
Liam frowned. “I think I better take you to the hospital after all. You must have hit your head.”
Owen grinned. “You don’t believe me. I suppose, in these circumstances, I wouldn’t believe me either. May I see that coin for just a moment, please?”
Liam’s brow furrowed in concentration. “You’re not gonna run off with it, are you?’
Owen’s grin widened. “I’m dressed in only your underwear. I don’t think I’ll run far.”
Liam hesitated another moment, then handed Owen the gold coin. Owen’s eyes sparkled an even brighter green as soon as the gold touched his skin. He clutched the coin and winked at Liam. Liam was, again, almost blinded by a glowing green flash of light. When his eyes refocused, he saw Owen standing before him, fully dressed in his fancy green suit. The suit was spotless and showed no signs of rips or tears.
Liam tried to back up but was already pressed against the sink. “What? Who? How? What are you?”
“As I said, I am a leprechaun.”
“But… that doesn’t make any sense. I found you beaten up and injured on the side of the road. Where’s your pot of gold? How come you aren’t living at the end of a rainbow somewhere? Wait a minute,” Liam got a thoughtful expression on his face. “There was a rainbow just before I found you. I thought I imagined it, but it flickered and disappeared. Did that have something to do with you?”
“Yes. My rainbow lost power when my gold was stolen.”
“Stolen? Who could steal a leprechaun’s gold?”
“My stepbrother, Daulton. He turned from the leprechaun ways and is now a clurichaun. It is their ultimate mission to wipe out the leprechauns.”
“I’ve never heard of them in any of the myths. What are they?”
Owen sighed. “This is a very long story, which I am willing to tell you, but first, I must ask you a question. Will you help me find my gold?”
Liam answered immediately. “Of course, I will, but don’t you have magical powers?”
“My magic is limited without my pot of gold. I can do small things because you have that one coin. Speaking of that coin, I must tell you that you are now an even bigger target for Daulton’s wrath than I am. Once you made that wish, my gold became worthless to him until you either cast your third wish or die.”
“Great. So, now an evil leprechaun wants to kill me. Awesome.” Liam sat at the kitchen table and covered his face with his hands.
“Not a leprechaun. Daulton is a clurichaun. But, yes, if he catches you, Daulton will give you two choices. Either cast your wishes, or he will kill you. However, I can track the rest of my gold with your coin.”
“Won’t he just come to us if he’s after me? Can’t we use me as bait and set a trap?” Liam said, eyes wide with fear.
“No. I think Daulton may hide the gold because he knows that the closer I am to my gold, the stronger I will get. We need to find the gold before he finds us.”
Liam shrugged. “Lead the way.” Just before they reached the door, Liam grumbled. “It’s too bad my crappy old car isn’t working, but that’s just the way my luck has been going.”
Owen reached out and lightly touched Liam’s hand. Liam felt a warmth spread throughout his entire body; within seconds, it was gone. His eyes were wide with wonder. “What just happened? What did you do to me?”
“I improved your luck. It’s one of my powers. There are no guarantees with luck, but when chance rules your outcome, the odds of a positive outcome should be in your favor. You should try starting your car.”
“I could have used a bit of luck this morning. I lost almost all of my money.” Liam rolled his eyes.
Owen grinned. “That may be, however, you found my coin, and then you found me. Do you consider that bad luck?”
“Definitely not. It may be the best thing to ever happen to me. Well, I’m now being hunted by an evil magical creature.” They were now at Liam’s car. He opened the door and slid into the driver’s seat. “Ok, baby, start up for me.” Liam patted the steering wheel before inserting and turning the key. The engine sputtered, coughed, sputtered again, then roared to life. Liam nearly shrieked in delight. “It worked! Get in. Let’s go find your gold. Which way do we go?”
Owen slid into the passenger seat, looked at Liam, and shrugged. “It’s not an exact thing like your GPS. I have a general sense of direction, which will strengthen as we get closer. For now, I can say that it’s that way.” Owen pointed. “And beyond that, you choose which turns we take. Hopefully, your improved luck will lead us down the right path. I will know if we go too far off course.”
Liam nodded. “Ok, then, let’s do this.” He pulled out of the driveway and took a left. After several minutes of driving in silence, Liam cleared his throat. “Do you think that we’re heading in the right direction?”
“Yes. As close as these paved streets will allow.”
“Cool. So,” Liam chewed nervously on his lip for a minute. “How is it that we’re being chased by your stepbrother? And how is he a clurichaun, and you’re a leprechaun? That’s some serious family dysfunction!”
“I promised to tell you the story, and this is as good a time as any. Just make sure you continue to follow your instincts on the turns. Your luck should guide your hand.”
“Yeah, it’s almost as if I can feel the turns before seeing the streets. I got this. Tell me your story. How is a clurichaun different from a leprechaun?”
“Clurichauns are leprechauns who have lost their way and turned from the leprechaun way. They become obsessed with destroying all leprechauns, especially the one who is the focus of their transformation. The focus of Daulton’s transformation was me.”
“Was it as simple as sibling rivalry? I know that can be pretty intense and sometimes worse with step-siblings.”
“It was more than that. It was greed, jealousy, and sibling rivalry all rolled into one, coupled with a thirst for power and prestige.”
“So, what happened? What caused him to change?”
“When my mother married his father, she had her family pot of gold. It is rare among leprechauns for a female to be the Gold Keeper. The duty of maintaining the gold falls typically to the firstborn male heir. My mother had no brothers, so her father passed the gold on to her when she came of age. Daulton argued that her gold should have been transferred to his father when they married. If that happened, Daulton would have inherited the more significant sum of gold, increasing his standing in the leprechaun community.
My mother knew of Daulton’s attempts to get his hands on the gold, so she passed the gold to me as soon as I came of age. She thought that once the gold was in the hands of a male Gold Keeper, Daulton would give up his attempts to gain the gold. Unfortunately, she was wrong. When Daulton’s father supported me as Gold Keeper, Daulton became even more enraged. He magically cut ties with his family and declared me his mortal enemy. I watched in horror as my stepbrother’s bright green eyes changed to dark brown. With a snap of his fingers, his suit also changed to brown. Then he turned to me and told me that the gold would be his and he would kill anyone who tried to stop him from taking it. In a bright flash of light, he disappeared. Daulton had become a clurichaun.”
“Wow. That’s insane. All to get your gold? Wasn’t he already going to inherit his father’s gold?”
“Yes, but more gold equals more power and prestige in the leprechaun community. Daultan wanted everyone to know his name. He wanted to be a leader someday.”
Liam shrugged. “I guess I know people like that, too. What happens if you don’t get your gold back?”
“Once you are declared a Gold Keeper, your fate is tied to your gold. If he gains control of my gold, I will lose my magic. I will become human.”
Liam shrugged again. “Would that be so bad?”
————————————————————————————————————
Red Death
Charlie pulled the parka tighter around his slim body and ran through the blinding snow. He was the only one left now. Charlie didn’t see what had taken his friends; he only saw a bright red flash of light followed by screams. Screams that he knew he would never forget. That red light, could the legends be true? He pushed the thought from his mind and ran on.
Finally! He saw the soft, warm glow of the light in the cabin window. Only fifty yards more. He pushed himself to run faster. Wham! He felt something heavy slam into his back, knocking him face-first into the snow. He groggily turned over, and his eyes widened in shock and fear.
The legend was true. It made a weird kind of sense, Charlie thought. Rudolph existed, so why not his evil twin? For every beacon of hope and light in the world, a beacon of despair and darkness existed. That was what Charlie faced now.
He reached his feet and started backing away from the pawing, growling reindeer. When he thought he might escape into the cabin, the reindeer’s red nose glowed bright. Surprised by the unexpected light, Charlie raised his arms to shield his eyes. The last thing he felt was the reindeer’s razor-sharp antlers piercing his body.
Khristoff, the Red-nosed Terror of the North, had claimed yet another victim.
Aaron lay in bed staring at the ceiling. He couldn’t decide whether to go back to sleep or get ready for school. What day is it? He wasn’t sure. Aaron knew it wasn’t Sunday, but it wasn’t Tuesday either. Something felt different. Something felt wrong. Maybe his mom would know. Aaron begrudgingly got out of bed, shivering when his bare feet hit the cold floor. “Mom!” He yelled, walking into the kitchen. “Hey, mom! Is today a school day? I… I’m not sure.”
Aaron’s mother wandered into the kitchen, still in her pajamas. “I’m not sure either. I can’t remember what day it is. It feels like I should go to work, but I know it’s not Tuesday. I don’t know what to do.” She sat down at the table and stared off into space.
Aaron felt like he was walking through fog. Maybe if he concentrated enough, he could figure it out. Aaron stepped outside and looked around. All over the neighborhood, people wandered around like they didn’t know where they were or what was happening. He called over to his neighbor. “Mike! Mike! What is everyone doing? What’s happening? What day is it today?”
The other boy burst into tears and fell to his knees. “Aaron, I don’t know. Look at me. I’m half in my school uniform and half in weekend clothes. My parents are sitting in their car but haven’t left yet. They don’t know if they have work today or not.”
Aaron returned to his house and thought about everything he’d seen. The fog in his brain began to thin. Aaron went to his room and sat at his desk. Aaron opened his laptop and searched Google for “How many days are there in a week?” He found “7.” Aaron searched for the names of the days of the week. He came up with “Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday,” but that was only six. Aaron knew yesterday was Sunday. He searched for “What day comes after Sunday?” and got an error message saying that Google could not find that internet page. He researched several variations on that same question, and suddenly, his laptop screen cracked, and his laptop caught fire. Aaron ran to the kitchen for the fire extinguisher. Now, he knew something was wrong.
Aaron walked back into the kitchen. “Mom, I think there was a day between Sunday and Tuesday, but I can’t remember what it’s called. Does that sound familiar to you?”
“No! There’s nothing between… nothing… between…. nothing…nothing…” Aaron’s mother slid out of her chair onto the floor, drool dripping out of her mouth. Before he could help his mother, Aaron found himself somewhere else entirely. He wasn’t in his kitchen anymore. Aaron was in a long room, completely white, with no window or door. In front of him stood two tall, grey-skinned creatures. They looked just like pictures of aliens. Tall, slender bodies, silver almond-shaped eyes, and long fingers. Aaron stood there staring at them, unsure of what to do. One of the aliens spoke.
“Why are all you humans so displeased. We have studied you for centuries, and the most common complaint we have heard is about this day called “Monday.” We, Overlords, decided to remove Monday to see if overall human happiness improved. Your entire species fell into chaos and confusion within hours. You seem to grasp what we have done. Have you an explanation for our results?”
“Wait… what? Monday? Oh yeah! Monday! That’s it!” Aaron remembered everything now and looked up at the Overlords. “You removed Monday? I can’t even begin to understand how that’s possible or how you are possible! But if this is real and not some crazy dream, I think I may have an answer for you. You removed an entire day of the week but didn’t replace it with anything. You didn’t even move Tuesday up to fill the gap, so we all woke up, and it felt like something was missing… something was wrong. We didn’t understand. There was no Monday, but there was nothing in its place. We felt empty. We didn’t know what to do.” He spread his hands and looked at them. “You left us in an empty void of nothing.”
The Overlords considered this for a moment. “You are correct. Would it be better to move Tuesday into its place and banish Monday from your brains?”
Aaron shook his head. “No. It’s not exactly Monday that we hate; it’s just the end of the weekend. The end of fun. If Tuesday were there, we’d begin to hate Tuesday the same as we hated Monday. Just put Monday back where it belongs.”
The Overlords conferred with each other and then spoke to Aaron. “You are correct. We never considered this possibility. You are a complex species that requires much more study. The Overlord’s silver eyes flashed, and Aaron returned to his kitchen.
His mom sat at the table eating breakfast. “There you are, Aaron. Go get ready for school. I don’t know about you. Every Monday, you almost miss the bus. Hurry up. It’s an early workday for me, and I won’t be able to drive you to school. I hate Monday, too, but I have to go to work, and you have to go to school.”
Aaron smiled to himself. Everything was back to normal. His mother didn’t remember anything weird. Aaron wondered if he was the only one who would have memories of this crazy morning. “Ok, mom. I’m going. Mondays do suck, but you’re right. They’re a necessary evil.” Aaron laughed and got ready for school.
Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there was a boy named Jonah. Jonah sat in the shadow of the old oak tree and chuckled quietly. He watched the parade of prancing princesses proceed to the pond, kiss the poor frog, and then storm angrily away when nothing happened. He chuckled because he knew his best friend in the entire world, Lucas, was having yet another dreadful day. He watched until all the princesses were gone, and the frog sat alone by the pond’s edge. Jonah left his hiding spot, walked to the pond, and sat facing the poor little frog.
“No luck again today, I see, Lucas. Just how many princesses are there in the world anyway?” Jonah grinned down at the frog.
“Ribbit.” Said the frog. The frog made a face as close to annoyance as a frog’s face can get.
“Oh, yeah, sorry,” Jonah said, reaching down and touching the frog’s head.
“UGH! Thanks. That’s much better. I still can’t figure out why that only works for you. I can’t even talk to my father or brother. As far as the princesses go, there seems to be an unending supply! I wish one would finally break this spell. I’m sick of being a frog!” The frog darted its head to the side, flicked out its tongue, and caught and ate a fly.
“That’s so gross!” Jonah pretended to gag but ended up laughing.
“I know, right! But I can’t help it. It seems to be instinct for this body. This curse really sucks!” Lucas groaned.
“Why were you cursed, Luke? We’ve never talked about that. Obviously, I know you are the prince of this kingdom. Is that why she cursed you?” Jonah asked.
“Get me out of this pond for a while. Let’s go for a walk, and I’ll tell you.” Lucas said. Jonah reached over and picked up his friend. He set the frog on his left shoulder, stood, and walked onto the path into the woods.
Lucas began his story. “Even as a small child, I was a spoiled rotten brat. My dad always told me I was meant to lead our glorious kingdom, but all I wanted to do was play and have fun. Book learning and army training were boring. I avoided my duties as often as I could. Then I turned thirteen, and my mind switched from my toys to girls. Honestly, I didn’t treat the girls any better than my toys. They were princesses who were sent to woo me and win the heart of the crown prince of Lerithia, and I played silly games with their hearts, kissed them once or twice, and sent them on their way.” Lucas blushed as much as a frog can be said to blush.
“That just doesn’t sound like the Lucas that I know.” Jonah turned his head, so he was looking at Lucas. “You’ve changed so much. Cut yourself some slack. Hell, maybe being a frog has been good for you.” Jonah snickered.
“Anyway.” Lucas rolled his little froggy eyes at Jonah. “To continue my story, I was mean to many people, especially girls. One night at dinner, this old lady burst into our dining hall and pointed at me. She shouted at me about how I broke her granddaughter’s heart.” Lucas sighed. “Jonah, I couldn’t even remember what her granddaughter looked like. She drew a wand out of her cloak and pointed it at me. My father’s guards reacted, but not in time. The wand glowed, and she said, ‘Shallow Prince with much vanity, like a frog you’ll now be. No cure for you shall they find until True Love’s Kiss clears your mind. If no love finds you before eighteen, you’ll end your days with skin of green.’” Lucas sighed again. “I’m doomed, Jonah. Tomorrow is my eighteenth birthday!”
Jonah gasped and sat down on the side of the trail on an old tree stump. “Oh my god, Luke. Why didn’t you say something before? Tomorrow? Is that why your dad has been bringing in even more princesses than usual the last few weeks?”
“Yeah. My dad thinks if enough girls kiss me, one will be the right one. The trouble is, I can’t even talk to any of them like I can talk with you. How can I know if it’s true love? Do I want some silly spell to decide my future even if the curse is broken?” Lucas sounded depressed, even in his froggy voice.
Jonah wanted to reach out and comfort him so badly, but how do you hug a frog? “What kind of girl would you want it to be if you could choose?” Jonah thought he could get Lucas talking and get his mind off tomorrow.
“Someone kind and caring and compassionate. Someone who listens to me and doesn’t just want to talk about herself and her clothes. Someone… well, someone just like you, Jonah. Why can’t you be a beautiful princess?” Lucas laughed.
Now, it was Jonah’s turn to blush. “Shut up, Luke. I’m trying to help figure this out for you.” Jonah got back up and started walking back towards the pond. Suddenly, the King’s Guards burst through the trees. One scooped Lucas off Jonah’s shoulder, and two more grabbed Jonah by the arms. The one in charge said, “Aha! We’ve found you! How dare you kidnap Prince Lucas. To the dungeon with you!”
Lucas was yelling at the top of his lungs for them to unhand his friend, but all they heard was the ribbiting of a frog. Jonah proclaimed his innocence, but they wouldn’t listen and dragged him to the castle dungeons. Jonah was yelling, “You don’t understand! He’s my friend! You don’t know what’s going on. You don’t even know who I am!” The guards refused to talk to him and locked him in the dungeon.
That night and the next day passed slowly for both Lucas and Jonah. Jonah couldn’t find a way out of the dungeon. No one even came to talk to him. He was concerned and scared for his friend. He wanted to be with him, especially since it was such an important day for Lucas.
Lucas was also worried about Jonah and blamed himself for his friend getting locked in the dungeon, possibly forever. If he couldn’t break this curse and talk to his father, there would be no way to convince his dad to free Jonah. So, hoping to break the curse, Lucas stayed in his pond instead of running off to be with Jonah and submitted himself to today’s parade of princesses.
Night fell without the curse breaking. The princesses were gone, and the guards were out of sight. Lucas decided that, since he didn’t know if he’d still be able to talk to Jonah after the curse became permanent, he wanted to spend his last few hours before midnight with his best friend. He hopped out of his pond and headed for the tree line. Once in the trees, he leaped towards the castle as fast as he could. Lucas knew precisely where his dad would have locked up Jonah, and Lucas knew how he could get to him. He snuck in, undetected, through the back kitchen doors when the cooks were bringing the night’s trash out. He stayed hidden amongst the pots, pans, and brooms and finally found his chance to sneak into the cellar when a cook opened the door. From the basement, he made his way to the dungeons. He hopped right into Jonah’s cell. Jonah curled tightly into a ball and, crying, didn’t see Lucas at first. Lucas hopped over to him. “I’m here, Jonah, I’m here.”
Jonah looked up, saw Lucas was still a frog, and started crying even harder. Through his tears, he said, “No luck with the princesses again? I’m so sorry, Luke. I’m just so sorry. If that witch could see you now, maybe she’d undo the spell herself. You’re not a spoiled, arrogant brat anymore. You’re the kindest, sweetest guy I’ve ever met.”
Lucas blushed. “Thanks, Jonah. You’re a pretty great guy yourself.”
“Luke, it’s almost midnight. What’s going to happen? Will I still hear you like now?” Jonah asked.
“I don’t know. I hope so, but I don’t know. I’ve never understood why you’re the only one who hears me anyway.” Lucas said.
Jonah reached down and picked up Lucas. He stared directly into the frog’s eyes. “If this is our last conversation, I have to say this aloud for you to hear. I love you so much, Luke. More than you know. You’re my best friend in the entire world. I… If you were a boy and not a frog, I might love you even more than that.” Jonah blushed a deep, bright red. “You have an amazing soul, Lucas. I’ll love you forever.” He bent down and kissed the frog.
Electricity crackled around the boy and the frog, and purplish-colored smoke swirled around them. When the smoke cleared, Jonah was looking up into the bright, crystal blue human eyes of Prince Lucas. Lucas brought both hands up and cupped Jonah’s face between his hands. He bent down and kissed him. After he broke the kiss, Lucas smiled and said, “I love you, too, Jonah.”
——————————————————————————————————————————–
King Samuel’s night of worry over his son Lucas’s predicament was interrupted by news that a small army, led by the neighboring king, had entered his lands. King Samuel led a small force out to greet the other king. King Edmond rode out from his army and greeted King Samuel when the two armies met.
“My guards last saw my son, Prince Jonah, enter your kingdom, Samuel. He has not returned home. I’ve come looking for him. Have you or any of your people seen him?” Edmond described Jonah to Samuel. One of the King’s Guards spoke up and told his King what had happened at the pond and that he thought Jonah might be that boy. Samuel relayed that information to Edmond with his apologies, and they rode together to the castle.
The two kings walked into the dungeon, turned the corner, and saw the two boys curled up together, sound asleep in each other’s arms. Both kings were momentarily speechless, and then Samuel yelled, “Lucas! You’ve broken the spell! What happened? Why are you in the dungeon? Guards, unlock this cell at once!”
The boys, shocked by the sudden intrusion, untangled from each other’s embrace and stood up. Jonah noticed his father standing behind the other king. Lucas spoke first. “Dad!” He ran and hugged his father when the guards opened the cell door. “I hopped in here when I was still a frog. I wanted to spend my last few hours with Jonah. Then, just before midnight, he kissed me and broke the spell!”
Both kings audibly gasped and turned and looked at each other. Samuel looked back at his son. “The spell said only True Love’s Kiss could break the enchantment. Is Jonah your True Love?”
Lucas blushed and looked down. “Yes, Dad. I’m in love with Jonah, and he’s in love with me. We want to be married. You always told me that whoever broke the enchantment was the one I would marry. I couldn’t talk to you, but I heard everything you said. I want you to keep your word. I want to marry Jonah.” Lucas told his father that Jonah could hear him for the last year, and they talked for hours every evening after the princesses left. He told his father everything.
“Jonah? Son, is this what you want also?” King Edmond asked, stepping forward.
Samuel stepped aside to let Edmond to the front. Samuel spoke to Lucas, “Son, this is King Edmond from Garlandia, Prince Jonah’s father.”
Lucas’s jaw dropped, and he turned to Jonah. “Prince Jonah? You never told me!”
“It wasn’t and still isn’t the most important thing about me. I love you, not your kingdom, and I wanted the same in return. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I didn’t want it to get in the way of our friendship.” Jonah said.
“It’s fine, Jonah, I definitely understand,” Lucas said.
Jonah turned towards his father. “Dad, to answer your question. Yes. This is what I want. I know I’m just sixteen. I know you planned on me marrying some princess and having lots of babies, but I’ve never wanted those things. I didn’t know how to tell you. I’m in love with Luke. Like head over heels in love. The type of love I see between you and Mom. Please let me have this.” Jonah was looking at his father, but his hands gripped Lucas’s arm, and he leaned into the taller boy.
The two kings looked at each other and nodded in silent agreement. Samuel spoke. “I’ll put the proclamation out to the other kingdoms. The marriage of our sons, the crown princes of Lerithia and Garlandia, will take place one month from today. May fortune smile on you both and upon both our kingdoms.”
With both of their fathers and a dozen guards watching, Lucas pressed his forehead against Jonah’s and whispered: “I love you.” Jonah leaned in, and they kissed.
Every muscle ached. Sweat drenched my body. I thought only of showering and going back to the dorms to collapse on my bed. Then he appeared. Anakin Skywalker. I thought he’d tell me about my poor form in training. Boy, was I wrong.
“Hey, Kenji.” Anakin smiled and leaned in close. “I see how you look at me. Honestly, I can’t get you out of my head. I have never thought this way about a boy before. You want to hang out tonight?” He looked at me, blushing. He was as nervous as I was surprised.
“Did you ask me out on a date?” I could barely speak. My mind racing almost as fast as my heart.
“Yea. If you want to.” He looked around making sure we weren’t overheard. Anakin was biting his lower lip and staring at the floor, waiting for my response.
“Of course, I’ll go out with you, Anakin. Tell me when and where and I’ll be there.” I listened as he told me the details and I ran off to get ready. My feet barely touched the floor as I ran.
I slipped out a side door and stuck to the shadows as I made my way to our meeting place. I started to look for him, but then he appeared at my side. I jumped. “Anakin! I didn’t even hear you walk up!”
“Hey. No one saw you leave?” He looked nervous.
“No. I was cautious.” I told him.
“Come on. I know a great place down by the docks.” He led me into the city, towards the river.
We reached our destination in no time. It was small and clean, and everyone seemed very friendly. We sat at a table in the back and ordered our food. We talked. We laughed. We ate. It was the most fantastic dinner of my life. After dessert, we walked along the river with only the light of the full moon lighting our way. We’d been talking the entire night. He stopped walking, and he pulled me around to face him. “Kenji, I’ve had a great night. I like spending time with you, even more than I thought I would. Can we do this again?” He smiled at me, his emerald green eyes sparkling in the moonlight.
I reached up and touched his face. “Yea. We can do this again anytime you want.” My hand slid to the back of his neck, and I pulled his face down close to mine. His eyes closed, and I leaned in and kissed him. He kissed me back, tentatively at first but then with growing passion. His lips parted, and our tongues entwined. His hands slid down my body, and he grasped my hips, pulling me closer to him. He trailed kisses along my jawline and down to my neck. I moaned his name. “Ani, that feels so good.” His hands were now underneath my shirt, and then……
“Anakin Skywalker!” We heard the shout. Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was close, but he wasn’t in sight, yet. Anakin gave me one last kiss, and then we grudgingly parted.
Anakin looked panicked. “He can’t find us together. You must go. I’ll deal with Master Obi-Wan. I always manage to find a way out of trouble.” He grinned. “Go. Hurry. Get out of here. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“This was the best night of my life, Anakin.” I touched his hand then turned and ran off into the darkness.
Noah paced nervously on the sidewalk before finally walking into Sonya’s Flower Shop. He started looking around, but he didn’t know much about flowers. Noah had no clue what to pick out for his mom. He knew that red roses were for romance, but that was the extent of his flower knowledge. He hoped to find Sonya or at least one of her employees. A girl would know what Noah should get his mom for Valentine’s Day. He absently brushed a few stray strands of his unruly black hair out of his face and walked toward the cash register, looking for help.
Noah stopped dead in his tracks. The cashier was not a girl, but instead was the hottest guy Noah had ever seen. Even from across the room, Noah was captivated by the guy’s stunning blue eyes. Those eyes added with the neatly trimmed blonde hair and killer smile made Noah weak in the knees. He guessed the guy to be sixteen, no more than seventeen, which was perfect since Noah himself was sixteen. He composed himself, so he wouldn’t look or sound like a complete idiot and walked up to the cash register to ask for help.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Aiden spotted the guy as soon as he walked in the door. This dude was hot as hell. Aidan was glad there were no other customers in the store because there was no way he could have concentrated on anyone but this dark-haired, dark-eyed beautiful guy. Aiden chuckled softly to himself. The teen looked utterly lost in the flower shop. Was he searching for a gift for a first girlfriend, maybe? Aiden sure hoped not. If he could get a read on this guy, he wanted to ask him out. The guy started walking towards the cash register, stopped, then started walking again.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Noah took a deep breath and thought about what he wanted to say. He was always nervous when talking to new people, but this guy made him even more nervous than usual. “Uhm, excuse me, sir. I need help in picking out flowers. Is Sonya here? Or do you happen to know anything about flowers? I’ve never bought them before. I know they all mean different things and I’m just so confused on what to buy.”
Aiden grinned. “Well, you’re off to a good start in asking for help. Sonya is not here. I’m her son, Aiden. We live right upstairs, and I’ve always helped out down here, so I do know a thing or two about flowers. I’d love to help you pick some out. Who are they for? A new girlfriend?” Aiden caught himself holding his breath, waiting for an answer.
Noah blushed and couldn’t look at Aiden. “No. I don’t have a girlfriend. They’re for my mom, for Valentine’s Day. It’s been a rough year, and I wanted to get something special for her.”
“Aw, that’s sweet. I hope the year hasn’t been too rough. What flowers does your mom like?”
“Everything is starting to get a little better for both of us, I think.” He looked at Aiden finally. “Could you help me pick out something a mom would like? I honestly have no idea.” He shrugged and gave Aiden a shy smile.
“Yeah. Of course.” Aiden walked out from behind the cash register and clapped Noah on the shoulder. “Come on. Let’s look around. By the way, what’s your name?”
“Oh God. I’m so sorry. I’m Noah. Didn’t you say your name is Aiden?”
“Yeah. I’m Aiden. Pleased to meet you, Noah. Now let’s pick out some flowers.”
They walked around the little store for about fifteen minutes. Aiden showed Noah almost every flower arrangement in the shop. Finally, they narrowed down the choices, and Aiden began to engage Noah in non-flower related conversation. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around before? Are you new in town?”
“Sorta new, I guess. Me and my mom moved here from across town right after my parents got divorced.”
“Oh geez, that really sucks, Noah. I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s ok. Things were actually worse when they were together than they are right now.”
Aiden gripped Noah’s shoulder. “It must still be tough. Anyway, what school do you go to?”
“I’m still going to West Side High, but I’ll be transferring next week. A new school right in the middle of junior year. I hate that so much.” Noah’s smile instantly turned into a frown.
“Hey, I’m sorry. That sucks.” Aidan put his arm around Noah’s shoulders. “You transferring to Mystic River High?”
“Yeah. How’d you know?”
“It’s the only high school around here. It’s not bad. Kinda small.”
“I guess I’ll know one person at least. I’m sorry for getting emotional. I’m still getting used to the whole thing.”
“No worries, Noah. I’ll show you around and introduce you to my friends. You’ll know a ton of people in no time at all.”
“Thank you so much. Maybe buying flowers for my mom was a better idea than I thought.” Noah finally smiled again.
“Flowers are the answer to everything.” Aidan winked. “You pick out a college yet?”
“God, no! Still working on the applications. I don’t even know what I want to do with my life. Ugh.” Noah rolled his eyes and laughed. “I’m such a mess. Just put my picture in the dictionary next to ‘teen angst.’”
Aiden smiled and poked Noah in the ribs. “How about next to ‘teen hottie’ instead.”
Noah blushed and cleared his throat. “Uh, I’m totally not hot but thanks. Uhm, I think I’ll go with these.” He pointed at the display of tulips.
“Good choice, hottie,” Aidan smirked and winked again. “Everyone loves tulips. I’ll put in a few assorted colors, and I’ll be right back.” Aiden went into the back room then returned with an armful of tulips. “Here you go. One dozen multi-colored tulips and a nice mom appropriate vase.” His blue eyes gazed up and down Noah’s body. “You play a lot of sports?”
Noah blushed again. “I run track and cross country, and I play lacrosse. What about you? I’d guess football or maybe wrestling?” Noah tried to give a sexy smirk, but only accomplished a shy smile.
“I get my workouts around here. Lots of lugging bags of soil and fertilizer everywhere. I don’t have time for sports, but hey I do know one of the guys on the lacrosse team. Zac Simpson. He just started dating one of my best buds, Cole. It was so sweet. Their first date was on New Year’s Eve at the biggest party of the year in this town.”
“Simpson? The Simpsons that own half the town? Wow. I’m not sure if I’m more surprised that he goes to public school or that he came out while he’s playing high school sports! I..” Noah stopped what he was going to say, blushing furiously. “Any jock would get their ass beat at my old school for coming out. I mean yeah, there’s gay kids at my school, but the jocks are the ones that pick on them. They wouldn’t accept one of their own coming out.”
Aiden rolled his eyes. “Homophobia is so stupid. I do give Zac credit for coming out. The lockerroom is a different place than the classroom. His coming out does make it easier for any other gay lacrosse players to come out, though.” Aiden said with a smile.
Noah blushed even redder and walked with Aiden back to the cash register. “After I deduct the hot boy discount your total comes to $23.99.” Aiden said.
Noah smiled and handed the money to Aidan. “You don’t stop, do you?”
“Not until I get what I want.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“Here’s your change, sir. I guess this means I’ll have to let you leave now. I hope your mom loves the flowers.”
Noah glanced down at the flowers. “Hey, Aiden, you made a mistake. There’s an extra flower in here. A red rose.”
Aiden’s grin returned. He reached into the bouquet of flowers and pulled out a single red rose. “It’s not a mistake. It’s more like a question. If you don’t already have plans, would you like to go out to with me for dinner Friday night?”
“Friday is Valentine’s Day. Doesn’t a sweet-talking gorgeous guy like you already have plans?”
“No. And even if I did, you are worth canceling any other plans I might have. Noah, will you be my Valentine?”
Noah nearly jumped for joy. “Yes! Absolutely, yes! I would love to go out to dinner with you. And I’d be honored to be your Valentine.”
Noah put Aiden’s contact info into his phone and smiled. A first date and on Valentine’s Day. He hoped that would be a good omen. He left Sonya’s Flower Shop, clutching his rose close to his chest, happier than he had been in a long, long time.
Benji’s best friend, Samantha, spotted him in the hallway. “Benji! Hey, Benji, wait up!” She ran up, almost out of breath. “Hey, idiot. I wanted to catch up with you before you got to class. What are you doing on New Year’s Eve? Got a date yet?”
“No, Samantha, you know damn well I don’t. Who should I ask? This school is so close-minded it isn’t even funny. I don’t think this town realizes it’s almost 2024 and not still 1954!” Benji ran a hand through his short, jet-black hair and focused his dark brown eyes on his friend. “I wish I could go up to anyone here and ask them out without being afraid of getting beaten up, but you know how this place is, Sammie.”
“I know, sweetie. And I also know you wish you could ask out Zack Simpson. I think it might go better than you expect. I don’t have proof, but I think he plays for your team.”
“If there’s a God, he does. I gotta go, Sammie. I’ll see you at lunch.” He ran off down the hall.
Next up for Benji was algebra, his favorite class of the day. Not that he loved math, but Zack sat directly between Benji and the blackboard. He could spend the entire class pretending to pay attention, but all the while staring at Zack. The short blonde hair, the piercing blue eyes, the hot jock body. Yeah, Benji could stare at Zack for hours. After his conversation with Sammie, Benji decided to do something bold. He spent the entire class sketching Zack. Benji even wrote a poem and added it to the bottom of the picture. Benji wasn’t sure if he’d be brave enough to give it to Zack, but he drew it anyway.
++++++++++++++++++++
Benji slid into the seat next to Samantha at the otherwise empty lunch table. Sammie looked up. “Hey, Benji. You ask him yet?” She smirked and nodded towards Zack, sitting with the other lacrosse team members and a few cheerleaders.
“No. Of course not. He’s probably going out with one of those cheerleaders anyway.” Benji blushed. “I did doodle a sketch of him and write a poem.”
“Aww! Let me see.” Sammie reached for Benji’s backpack.
“Benji Kendrick, this is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen! The art and the poem are both fantastic! You have to give it to him!” Sammie nearly squealed, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.
“Oh, look, the little gay boy has a girlfriend. How sweet.” Benji glanced up and recognized Danny, one of Zack’s friends on the lacrosse team.
“Screw you, Danny.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, you sick freak?” Danny reached over and flipped Benji’s lunch tray up, the food and milk splattering all over Benji’s clothes.
Benji stood up quick and started brushing himself off. “No, Danny, I wouldn’t let you touch me even if you paid me. I’ve heard how small your dick is.”
Danny raised his fist, but someone pulled him backward, and he landed on the floor. Zack stood over Danny, looking directly at Benji. “I’m sorry my friend is a jerk, Benji. I’m sure he’s sorry. Aren’t you, Danny?”
Danny looked up at Zack. “No. And why would you defend him over me?” Danny started to stand back up.
Zack lifted one foot, put it right in the center of Danny’s chest, and pushed him back to the floor. “Stay on the floor if you can’t be nice.” A crowd was starting to form around the boys. “What he did wasn’t cool. Let me get you a new lunch.” Zack smiled the smile that made Benji fall for him in the first place.
Benji looked down and blushed, then took a deep breath and looked back up at Zack. “Why are you so nice to me. You’re a popular jock like he is. Don’t you feel the same way about me?”
“Not all jocks are bigoted jerks.”
“Hold that thought,” Benji said as he reached into his backpack. “Here. This is for you. I better give it to you now before I lose my nerve. If you decide to punch me, I understand.” Benji handed Zack the sketch.
Zack looked at the picture and read the poem, his expression blank. He glanced around the table at all his friends. Zack peered down at Danny. He reread the poem and then stared directly at Benji. “Thank Goodness! I was starting to think there weren’t any other gay guys in the entire school. Especially none that are both smoking hot and smart, too.”
Danny stared up at him incredulously. “You’re gay?”
Zack pressed down harder with his foot. “Yeah, Danny. Do you have a problem with me being on the team now?” Zack directed the question at Danny, but he glanced at each of his friends, standing around watching the drama unfold.
“No, Zack. Whatever, dude. Just get off me.”
Zack removed his foot from Danny’s chest, and the other boy got up and stormed out of the cafeteria. Zack scanned the group of his other friends, and none of them made eye contact. He focused his attention back on Benji.
“Now that that drama is out of the way, do you have any plans for New Year’s Eve? My parents always have this huge party, and I’m usually bored out of my mind. Please say you’ll go with me. I’d owe you a huge favor.”
Benji nearly melted into a puddle on the floor. He stuttered and stammered, “I… uh… I think…” He glanced helplessly at Samantha.
“No. No. No. We definitely do not have plans.” She put an arm around Benji. “He’s my best friend in the world, and I love him to pieces, but his tongue sometimes gets in its own way. This boy is trying to say he’d love to go out with you on Sunday night.”
“I am capable of speaking for myself, thank you very much. Yes, Zack, I’d love to go.”
Zack reached out his hand. “Phone, please.”
Benji handed over his phone. Zack put his contact info in, then sent himself a text from Benji’s phone. “Now you have my number, too. The party is formal. Do you own a tux?”
“No. I have a suit if that works?”
“I’ll have a tux sent to you. You look about the same size as me, but text me your sizes just in case. I’ll ensure the tux is delivered by four, and I’ll pick you up on Sunday at six. Ok?”
“You don’t have to go through that trouble, but yeah, it sounds great,”
“No trouble at all. As I said, you’ll be doing me a huge favor. I’ll see you on Sunday night.”
Benji turned to Samantha. “Oh my God! Did that just happen?”
“I know, right! Damn, boy, you’re not just going on a date with your crush. You’re going to the biggest party of the year!”
“I hated that Mystic River High was the only school open between Christmas and New Year’s, but I guess it was fate. If I hadn’t been at school today, Zack would have never asked me out!”
“I know! All the snow days we’ve had killed our Christmas break, but now it’s all worth it.”
“Should I text him beforehand or wait until Sunday?”
“He said Sunday. He’s got your number. If it were me, I’d wait for him to text.”
“You’re right. We better go. The bell rang two minutes ago.” They both hurried out of the cafeteria.
++++++++++++++++++++
.
Benji spent Friday night and the entire day Saturday driving himself and everyone around him completely insane. He was so distracted by the thought of going out with Zack on Sunday night that he could barely focus on anything else. Finally, Sunday afternoon, Samantha arrived at his house to keep him occupied until the tux came. They were watching their second movie of the afternoon, “Love, Simon.”
“I am so glad that I came out on my own terms. If I had been outed like Simon was, I don’t know how I would have handled it.”
Sammie leaned in and hugged her best friend. “I would have been right here helping you deal with it and kicking the ass of whoever outed you.”
“You’re the best, Sammie.” Benji kissed her cheek. Then the doorbell rang. Benji leaped off the couch and ran to the door. He came walking back into the living room, carrying a garment bag and smiling from ear to ear. “It’s here. This is really happening.”
“Of course, it’s happening. Now go get dressed.”
Benji stopped and pulled his phone out of his pocket. “It’s him. He asked if the tux got here and if everything was ok.” Benji quickly typed a reply text. “Alright, I’m gonna go change. Are you leaving?”
Sammie scoffed. “No. I’ll be right here to take pictures of your skinny ass in that tux. Now hurry up. You don’t want to make your boy wait.”
Benji laughed and ran off to his bedroom to change. A little while later, he walked back into the room, straightening the cummerbund and adjusting the bowtie. “Does this look right? I’ve never worn a tuxedo before.”
“Oh, Benji. You look so handsome.” She hugged him. “I don’t know how you have stayed single this long. You are going to knock his socks off. You’re gorgeous, Benji. The tuxedo is perfect, too.”
“Aww, you’re making me blush. Thank you so much. I love you, bestie.”
“I love you, too, sweetie.” The doorbell rang for the second time that evening. Benji looked at the clock. Five fifty-seven. Zack said he’d be here at six. He started to walk out of the room, but Sammie stopped him.
“Wait here. I’ll go answer the door.”
Samantha walked back into the room, followed closely by Zack. Zack stopped and stared at Benji. “Wow. You look incredible.”
“Thanks. So do you.”
“Seriously. You’re stunning. Dressing up suits you. You should do it more often.”
“Give me a reason to, handsome.” Benji tried to sound sexy, but he only pulled off shy and innocent.
“I might do that. You ready to go?”
“Yes. Let’s get this party started.” Benji grinned, and the two boys walked out the door. Sammie yelled after them, “You guys have fun tonight. Benji, text me when you get home.”
“I will, Sammie. Thanks for everything.” Benji waved to Samantha and then got into the limo.
The limousine pulled up in front of the biggest house that Benji had ever seen. “Wow. You live here?”
“Yup. Home sweet home.”
Benji’s eyes were darting everywhere, trying to take everything in at once. “Looks like there’s a lot of people here already. Has the party started?”
Zack shook his head. “No. These are all the decorators, caterers, and delivery people. The guests will start arriving around eight.”
Benji followed Zack into the house, weaving around various trucks and vans and avoiding all the workers. He glanced at all the party streamers and growing food tables as Zack led him up the stairs.
Zack pointed to a closed door as they passed, “That’s my bedroom. I can show you that later, but there’s another room I thought you might be interested in first.” Zack led him a little further down the hallway. They entered a room, and Benji’s jaw nearly fell to the floor. He felt like he was in “Beauty and the Beast.” The room was as big as four rooms in his own house. There were floor-to-ceiling bookshelves taking up most of the walls. The room had gorgeous paintings between the bookshelves and sculptures on pedestals. There was even a suit of armor standing in the far corner. Benji didn’t know what to look at first.
“This room is mind-blowing, Zack. I could spend the whole night looking at everything and be happy.”
“I’m glad you like it. I figured you would. Your poem was fantastic, and the drawing was beyond extraordinary.”
Benji walked all around the room and stopped to take a closer look at a section of books that were leather-bound gold embossed editions. “Can I pick them up?”
“Go ahead. My mom loves people to read them. These aren’t just showpieces.”
“This is my all-time favorite book, and it’s even signed by Orson Scott Card. I would kill to own this copy of “Ender’s Game,”
Zack raised both his hands up. “Please don’t kill me. I haven’t even had a chance to kiss you yet.”
Benji’s head snapped up, and he looked right at Zack. “Hm. Ok, you get to live a while longer. I’ll just kill Danny instead.”
Zack laughed. “Nah. He was a total jerk, but let’s give him until I attend practice on Wednesday. If he’s still a dick at practice, you can kill him.”
“Dammit. I guess I can wait.”
Zack’s phone beeped, and he slipped it out of his pocket to check the notification. “Text from mom. Time to head downstairs. The guests are starting to arrive. You ready for this?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be. I’m ready for a date with you, but I’m kind of nervous about the whole town being on our first date.”
“Don’t let them get to you.” Then Zack leaned in close. “And you can be sure I’ll take you on a date with only the two of us very soon.”
“In that case, I’m ready to go downstairs.”
Zack and Benji walked down the staircase together, slowly weaving through the growing crowd. Party guests stopped Zack every few feet to talk with him. Benji recognized a face here or there, but he didn’t know most of them. His family and Benji’s traveled in different circles. While Zack made small talk, Benji looked around the room. He bet that the chandelier cost more than his parent’s entire house. The whole place felt like a fairy tale setting with servers, drink tables, and decorations, and everyone dressed up so fancy. He looked down at himself and remembered that he, too, was in a tuxedo.
Zack touched his arm. “Something wrong with the tux?”
“Not at all. I can’t believe this night is happening. The party is wonderful, Zack. It’s like a Disney movie.”
“Then I guess we should dance.”
Benji took Zack’s hand and allowed himself to be pulled in close to the other boy, and they started dancing. They drew some stares, nods of approval, and even a few winks. Then Zack’s mother stepped between them. “Zachary Simpson, what do you think you are doing?” She was flushed and looked beyond angry.
Zack looked confused. “I’m dancing. What do you mean?”
“With,” She waved absently toward Benji. “This boy? Dozens of girls are waiting for you to ask them to dance, and you dance with some boy?”
Now Zack was a little flushed. “Mom, I won’t have you talking about Benji like that. I told you over a year ago that I’m gay. Why would I dance with a girl when I can dance with him?”
Isabella Simpson had a look on her face like she had smelled the worst smell in the world. “Saying you might like boys and dancing with one at my New Year’s Eve Party is totally different. I will not have you embarrass this family in front of the entire city.”
“You are the one causing the embarrassment, Mom. Not me. Look at them.” He waved his hand toward the growing crowd of guests. “I think more of them care that you are a bigot towards your own son than care about me dancing with Benji.”
“Don’t be crude, Zachary.” His mother scoffed. “And you, boy, get out of my house.” She glared at Benji.
One of the party guests, Dr. Emily Baxter, spoke up. “Isabella, I can’t tell you what to do in your own home, but if you make this boy leave, I will leave, too.” Other guests started speaking up; over half were committed to leaving if she made Benji go.
Isabella was shocked. She waved a hand toward Benji and Zack. “Do whatever you want. We’ll talk about this tomorrow.” She stormed off into another room.
Benji looked at Zack. “It’s your decision. Do you want me to leave so you can go talk to her?”
“You’re not going anywhere except back out on that dance floor. I’ll deal with my mom tomorrow. Tonight, my focus is on you.” He swept Benji back into his arms and started dancing again.
The next few hours went by in a blur. Benji was aware of the other guests, but it felt as if the world had shrunk down to him and Zack. They danced, and they talked. Benji was happier than he had ever been. Then all the TV screens switched to the iconic scene in Times Square. 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 everyone shouted Happy New Year!! Amid the yelling, streamers, and noisemakers, Benji reached out and made the first move. He took what he wanted for the first time ever. Benji pulled Zack close, cupped his face, and kissed him. Zack wrapped his arms around Benji’s waist and pulled him even closer. It was their first kiss, but they kissed like it was the last thing they would ever do. When they came up for air, they realized that most people in the room were throwing confetti in their direction. They looked around and saw much more approval than disgust. Then Zack saw his mother walking toward them, and he braced for another confrontation.
Isabella handed a bottle of champagne to her son. “For you and Benji. I know I forbade you from drinking in my house until you were of age, but I’ll make this one exception. Please take it as a peace offering. I’m still not one hundred percent on board with this, but I won’t stand in your way either.” She hugged Zack and walked back upstairs.
Zack peered over at Benji. Both boys had astonished expressions. “I’ll call that a win. Let’s go drink this champagne.”
Benji smiled the biggest smile of his life. “Maybe it will be a Happy New Year.” He pulled Zack into another kiss, and then they walked off hand in hand to enjoy the rest of the New Year’s Ball.
The sun was just coming over the horizon as Noah Blake turned off the highway. He reached up into the visor to get his sunglasses as he continued to drive east. Noah leaned back and pressed down harder on the gas pedal. Noah had been happy with his life in California, and he was dreading going home.
Home. Did he even have one now? Noah doubted that he’d ever return to California. He needed to be near his mother now with everything that she was going through. New Jersey sure wasn’t home anymore. His father made that clear five years ago. Noah shrugged. Maybe someday he’d find a home of his own. A home he chose, not a home he ran to in order to escape a home where he was no longer wanted. Noah hated returning to New Jersey. However, circumstances made it necessary.
He tried to banish all the thoughts of his family drama, and, instead, Noah’s mind drifted to all the Facebook messages from Holly Simmons. Out of some quirk of fate, his five-year high school reunion was happening tonight, his first night back in town. Noah wasn’t sure if he’d actually show up. Would Tyler be there? What about Xander? If they were there, would either of them even talk to him? Noah sighed. He’d have to face them eventually.
In a town as small as Green Haven, there would be no avoiding them. Screw it. He may as well go to the reunion and deal with his former friends all at the same time. With that decision made, Noah pulled into the parking lot of the motel, which would be his temporary home. He’d decide how to proceed with his family drama later. Noah got out of his car and walked into the motel office.
————————————————————————————————————
Tyler cursed. Why did he attend this class reunion? The last person that Ty wanted to see was the first person that caught his eye. What the hell was Noah Blake doing back in town? Tyler cursed himself and wiped away the tears that came unbidden to his eyes. He thought he was over Noah. Shouldn’t five years be long enough to heal a broken heart? Tyler wiped his eyes and turned back toward the door. He was about to make his escape when he heard someone yell his name.
“Tyler? Tyler Higgins, is that you? Get over here right now! I can’t believe you actually came!” Tyler knew who that voice belonged to before he turned around. There was no escaping now. He’d been spotted by Holly Simmons, Homecoming Queen, Head Cheerleader, Gossip Monger Extraordinaire. Tyler hung his head, sighed, and walked over to the tables reserved for the class reunion.
“Hey, Holly. Of course, I’m here. I live right down the street. You probably would have sent the football team to my house if I hadn’t shown up.” Tyler laughed.
“Oh, you! I’ve missed your sense of humor! We should hang out more.” Now go ahead and have a seat. I set up seating arrangements. You sit right over there.”
Tyler looked where she was pointing and groaned. Of course, she put him right next to Noah. “This seat is empty. Why don’t I just sit here next to you, Holly?”
“Tyler Higgins! Don’t you go messing up my seating chart already! Once dinner is over, everyone will be moving around. For now, go sit in your seat!”
Tyler raised his hands in mock surrender. “Ok. Ok. I’m going.” He smiled and hugged Holly, but he walked past his assigned chair and on up to the bar instead. Ty leaned against the bar and waved the bartender over. “Give me a double of the strongest thing you have.”
The bartender smirked. “You with the class reunion?” She asked.
“How’d you guess?” Tyler chuckled.
She nodded toward the drink she was pouring for him. “Too many ex-girlfriends in one room?”
Ty rolled his eyes. “Nope. Just one ex-boyfriend.”
“Oh, now I’m interested. The first drink is on the house. Tell me more.”
Tyler heard a voice from behind him. “Ty? Can we talk?”
With a heavy sigh, Ty said to the bartender, “As if on cue, that’s him.” He turned and, for the first time in over five years, looked up into Noah’s chocolatey brown eyes. “No. We most certainly cannot talk, Noah. If I’d known you’d be here, I wouldn’t have even shown up.”
“Fine. Go sit with your friends. I’ll leave.”
Tyler laughed despite himself. “That’s perfect, Noah. Leave. Run. That’s what you’re best at anyway, isn’t it?”
“Ty, I had to get out of that house. I had to get out of this town. I was suffocating here. It was better for everyone.”
“And you had to leave me, too, right? Why are you even here if you hate it so bad? You should have just stayed in California.”
“I… leaving you was the hardest thing that I’ve ever done, and it’s my biggest regret. You know how my dad was, Ty. He would never have accepted me, and it would have been a hundred times worse if he knew about us.”
“So, you just left? No warning? One night we were on a normal date planning for our future, and the next morning I get a goodbye text?”
“I wanted to tell you, but I just couldn’t. It’s…. It’s a long story, Ty. You deserve to know the whole thing, but not here. Maybe we can find the time, and I can tell you.”
“Screw you, Noah. You were a coward. You didn’t just break my heart: you shattered it into a billion pieces. I ran all the way to your house that morning, only to have your mom tell me that you were already gone. Why didn’t you wait for me, Noah? Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving?’
“Ty, I had to get out. I had to. I couldn’t stay one minute longer.”
Tears glistening in his eyes again, Tyler said, “You could have asked me to go with you.”
Noah’s eyes grew wide. “But… your whole family accepted you. Your life was here. You had it all planned out. You would never have left all that.”
“I would have gone with you. You should have known that.” Tyler didn’t wait for a response. He turned and walked back toward the reserved tables.
Noah started to follow after him, but a hand grabbed his arm and stopped him. “Give him a few minutes, Noah.”
Noah turned to see Xander Morris. Xan was both Noah’s and Tyler’s best friend all through school. “Hey, Xan. I should have known you’d be here if Ty was. How have you been?”
“I’ve been good. How about you? How’re things out on the west coast?”
“Eh, I’ve been better. I just moved back to town. I’m not even settled in anywhere yet. Everything is all screwed up, Xan. I didn’t even realize how bad I screwed up with him until just now.”
Xan nodded. “You made a mess of it for sure. You should have talked to him, hell you should have talked to me, too, before you just up and moved three thousand miles away and changed your phone number.”
“My dad cut my phone off as soon as I left. He cut me off from my bank accounts and everything. As soon as he found out that I’m gay, he disowned me.”
“That really sucks, Noah. I’m sorry that happened to you, but it’s actually another reason you should have stayed here. You wouldn’t have been alone. You had us.”
“I know. I’m back now, and I’m going to try and make things right with a lot of people if it’s not already too late.”
“You’re in town for more than just the reunion?”
“Yes. I’m back for good. Let’s go eat. More people than you will want to hear the answer to that question, so I may as well get it over with all at once.”
Noah took his seat next to Tyler, sitting down just as his dinner arrived. Ty barely looked at Noah all throughout the meal. Noah glanced at Tyler several times and wracked his brain, trying to think of a way to get him talking again. Quiet conversations were going on during dinner, but the conversations increased in both number and volume as people finished their meals. Leave it to Holly Simmons to turn the spotlight onto Noah.
“Noah Blake, how did we get so lucky to get you to show up? I didn’t think we’d ever see you again.” Holly said.
“It was fate, I guess. If you’d had the reunion in the summer as most other classes do, I wouldn’t have been here. I’m back in town now, so I saw no reason not to come.”
“We tried to have it in the summer. If we continued to leave it up to Jason, we wouldn’t have had it yet. Rachel and I took over and finally got it scheduled. Anyway, how long are you in town for?” Holly asked.
“Forever. I’m not settled in yet. I got back to town today, and I’m here to stay.”
That caught Tyler’s attention. He was now listening intently.
“Your parents must be overjoyed to have you back just in time for the holidays.” A girl named Alice interjected.
Noah’s expression changed from a smile to a frown in the blink of an eye. Tyler noticed Noah’s fingers nearly drumming holes into the table, a telltale sign of his anxiety. Tyler knew that his ex-boyfriend, his ex-best friend, was doing his best to stave off an anxiety attack. Tyler almost reached out a comforting hand in a reflex action, but he gritted his teeth and held back. He did continue to closely watch Noah’s body language.
“I…” Noah started to talk, then stopped. he sighed and started back up again. “I’m here for my mom. She’s in the hospital again. She might be there for a while.”
Xander and Tyler, from each side of Noah, spoke almost as one. “Is the cancer back? I thought she beat it?”
Noah kinda half smiled as he looked back and forth between his two oldest friends. “Yes, it’s back, and the doctors say it’s worse than before. It doesn’t look good.” Tyler saw Noah’s fingers drumming even faster and literally sat on his own hands to stop himself from comforting the boy who shattered his heart.
Holly spoke again. “That’s so sad, Noah. It must be a comfort to her that you’re here. Also, for your dad to have you to lean on during such a difficult time.”
“I’m not staying with my father,” Noah said, his expression dark.
“Why not?” Holly asked.
Noah looked around the table at all the people listening, all his former friends and classmates. He looked down, then he looked back up again. “My father disowned me five years ago when he found out that I’m gay. I can’t even visit my mom in the hospital if he’s there.”
Tyler sucked in a breath. He knew that it was a massive step for Noah to say that out loud and say it to so many people. And his dad found out! Tyler was extremely curious to hear that story!
Holly nearly jumped out of her seat. “I knew it!” She pointed from Noah to Tyler and back again. “The two of you were a couple back in high school, weren’t you?! I knew it!”
Noah smiled, but Ty could see that his eyes still looked sad. “Yeah, we were, but then I screwed it up.”
Holly looked like she wanted to ask more about that, but she looked at Tyler and changed her mind. She looked back at Noah and asked, “So if you’re not staying at your parent’s house, where are you living?”
“For now, I’m at the motel down on Seaside Drive.”
Tyler couldn’t stop himself this time. He put a comforting hand on Noah’s shoulder. “No. You’re not going to be living by yourself in that dump through Thanksgiving. While your mom is in the hospital, you’re coming home with me.”
Noah turned toward Tyler, his eyes glistening with tears. “Are… are you sure?”
“It doesn’t mean that you’re forgiven. Don’t read anything into it other than the fact that no one deserves to be alone on Thanksgiving, not even you.” Tyler got a wicked glint in his eye and smiled when he said those last three words.
“I can accept that. I don’t have a car yet. I returned the rental that I drove here earlier this afternoon. I took an Uber here. I was gonna go looking for cheap used cars in a day or so. Can you take me back to the motel before we go to your house?”
“Yeah.” Tyler glanced around the table. “Most people have already left. Let’s get outta here and get you settled in.” The two boys said their goodbyes to their classmates that were still there and then made their way out to Ty’s car.
Xander followed the other two out to the car and pulled Tyler aside. “Are you sure that this is a good idea, Ty?”
“No. Not at all, but I’m not letting him spend the holidays alone. Especially not with his mom in the hospital with her cancer back. We both know what he went through last time, Xan. This sounds worse, plus he doesn’t have his dad anymore either. Did you know about that?”
“No. I didn’t know about the thing with his dad or about his mom. I would have told you.”
Tyler glanced into the car and then back at Xander. “I can’t let him go through this alone. I still love him, Xan, even after what he did. I shouldn’t, but I do.”
“Be careful, Ty. I don’t want to see you get hurt even worse than you already have been.” Xander pulled Ty into a hug.
“I’ll call you tomorrow. Even if I don’t need backup or a buffer between Noah and me, maybe we can all hang out. I miss those days. The three of us had a lot of fun.”
“I won’t hold you to it, but I should be available if you call. I don’t have any plans for tomorrow. I love you, Ty. Be careful.”
“I love you, too, Xan. I’ll call you tomorrow. Good night.” Tyler got into his car and looked over at Noah. “Do you need to stop anywhere besides the motel?”
Noah raised one eyebrow and looked out of the window at the receding form of Xander. “Nope. Just the motel.”
————————————————————————————————————
It didn’t take long for Noah to pack everything he owned into a duffel bag and his backpack. “I need to stop at the front desk and make sure they save my room, and I’ll have to pay for next week’s rent,” Noah said as he locked the door.
“No. Turn in your key. You’re not coming back here. You can stay with me until you find something permanent.” Tyler said.
“Are you sure, Ty? I don’t want to impose, and you haven’t even asked your mom yet.”
“Oh, please. My mom always loved you more than she loved my brother or me.” Ty laughed.
“She did not!” Noah laughed. “Is Tommy still living there? He’s eighteen now, right?”
“Yep. Still there and almost nineteen. He’s a freshman in college now. Still, my bratty little brother, though.”
“Cool. If he doesn’t hate me, it’ll be nice to see the little squirt again.”
“I’m the only one who has a right to hate you.” Ty arched an eyebrow. “I’ll make sure everyone else behaves.”
“Can we make one more stop before we go to your house?”
“Sure. Where?”
“The grocery store. I don’t want to show up empty-handed.”
Tyler rolled his eyes. “My mom is used to you eating her out of house and home. She fed you more often than your own mom did for thirteen years. I don’t think she’ll care about a couple of weeks.”
“Things are different now, though. Let me do this.”
“One condition. I know mom wouldn’t want you to bring too much, but we’ll make it a junk food and soda run.”
“Deal. Let’s go.”
————————————————————————————————————
The two boys struggled, both with their arms full of grocery bags, as Tyler unlocked the kitchen door. He nudged the door open with his foot and flicked the light switch on. They tried to be quiet in the darkened house. Still, between the plastic grocery bags and opening and closing cupboard doors, soon enough, the boys were startled by a voice from behind them.
“As I live and breathe, that cannot be Noah Blake standing in my kitchen. I never thought his shadow would darken my doorway ever again.”
The boys spun around and saw Tyler’s mom standing in the kitchen doorway, wearing a bathrobe and slippers. She stood with her hands on her hips and an unreadable expression on her face.
“Mrs. H! It’s been a long time!”
“That it has, Noah. That it has.” Debbie Higgins’ gaze shifted from Noah over to her eldest son, but she didn’t say a word. She just arched one eyebrow.
Tyler gave his mom a shy smile, nearly blushing. “He needs a place to stay, mom. I’ll explain everything to you in the morning. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Of course not. It’s getting late. You finish up in here. Noah, darling, I’m sure you remember where the hall closet is?” She said with a gleam in her eye.
Now it was Noah’s turn to blush. Many memories were attached to that closet, including the first time Mrs. Higgins caught him and Tyler kissing. “Yes, ma’am. I remember.”
“I thought you might. Go get me a set of sheets and a blanket. I’ll pull out the couch. You can sleep there tonight.”
————————————————————————————————————
Tyler woke up to the sound of his bedroom door banging open and his younger brother jumping on his bed. “Tommy, what the hell. What time is it?”
“It’s quarter past eight, but that’s not the question that needs answering. Why is Noah sleeping on our couch?! I didn’t even know he was back in town, and I’d never dream you’d invite him over!”
“Ugh. Tommy, it’s complicated. I… I gotta explain some stuff to mom and dad. I’ll just tell you all at the same time, so I don’t have to say it three times.”
“Are you guys getting back together? He’s not in here with you, so maybe not?” Tommy was shaking his brother so he didn’t fall back to sleep.
“Get off me. Geez. Go to the kitchen. I’ll be out in a few minutes, but, no, we’re not back together.”
“I want answers, bro,” Tommy smirked. “If there are details that you don’t want to tell mom and dad, just make sure you tell me later.” Tommy laughed and left the room.
Tyler rolled his eyes at the receding form of his brother, then he got out of bed and headed to the shower.
————————————————————————————————————
As Tyler walked to the kitchen, he mentally kicked himself for taking so long to get himself ready for the day. He wasn’t going on a date. Ty had zero reasons to make himself look extra good for Noah, but that’s just what he did. Tyler picked out the perfect outfit. He paid extra attention to getting his hair just the way he wanted it. What was wrong with him? Ty spent the last five years hating Noah, and now that he had him here, and he could tell him exactly how he felt, Tyler realized that he only hated Noah so much because he was still head over heels in love with him.
Tyler walked into the kitchen and heard the conversation that he planned on having already taking place. It was just as well. The story was Noah’s to tell anyway. Tyler busied himself getting breakfast while Noah finished telling his story. Ty felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see his father standing beside him.
“I’m proud of you, son. Not many people would have done what you’ve done, inviting him over here. I have to go to work for a few hours, but I’ll be home early. If you boys go to the hospital and run into any trouble, give me a call.” Ty’s dad gave him a wink. “I’ve never liked Paul Blake, and now that I know how he’s treated his son, I like him even less.”
Ty smiled. “We’ll be ok, dad. Thanks. I love you.”
“I love you, too. See you tonight.”
Tyler grabbed a couple more slices of bacon and sat at the table. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Tyler let the three voices at the table wash over him but tuned out the conversation. He let the voices of his mom, younger brother, and Noah take him back in time to much happier memories. Ty smiled as his mind drifted back, but that didn’t last long. Whenever he tried to remember the good times with Noah, the memory of the day Noah left pushed its way to the front of his mind. Tyler relived the feeling of waking up to the goodbye text and then running as fast as he could to Noah’s house. He felt his heart break anew at the memory of Noah’s mom telling him that Noah was already gone. Tyler remembered Noah’s dad just standing in the doorway, glaring at him. He felt his eyes sting as the tears formed. Then Tyler felt someone’s hand grip his own.
Ty opened his eyes and saw his mom leaning toward him. She reached over and wiped a tear off his cheek. “You did the right thing bringing him here, son.” She looked over at Noah. “I realize that the two of you have a lot of baggage,” she looked back at Tyler. “But you made the right choice. I know it can’t be easy.”
“Thank you, mom. That means a lot.” Ty turned his head and saw Noah staring at him. “No matter how I feel about you, there’s no way that I could let you stay at that fleabag motel by yourself while your mom is in the hospital.”
“How do you feel about me, Ty? Is there any way I can ever make you understand why I left? Can I ever be forgiven?”
Tyler wiped his eyes. “I honestly don’t know how I feel about you right now, Noah. I’ve spent five years trying to hate you, but I don’t hate you. I don’t know if I am ready to forgive you either. Can we please just go to the hospital and see if we can get you in to see your mom? I’d actually like to see her, too. My dad said to call him if we have any problems getting in.”
Noah sighed. “Yeah, let’s go. I… want to talk to you about everything that happened, Ty. I want to explain, but only when you are ready to listen.”
“We’ll talk, Noah. I promise. Just not right now. Are you ready to go?” Noah nodded, and the two boys grabbed their coats and left the house.
————————————————————————————————————
Tyler led Noah through the hospital up to the third floor Nurse’s Station. Mrs. Blake was in room 327, according to the receptionist in the lobby. Noah was about to walk right to the room, but Tyler stopped him and pulled him over to the desk to talk to the nurses. Ty flashed his most charming smile at the young red-headed nurse at the desk. “Isabella! How is my most favorite nurse in the entire hospital doing today?”
Isabella rolled her eyes and laughed. “I bet you say that to all the nurses, especially the boys. Speaking of which, have you called my brother yet? I told him that I gave you his number!”
Noah suddenly became interested in the conversation as his eyes darted back and forth between Tyler and Isabella.
“You know you’re my favorite, Izzy, and no, I have not called Ozzy yet. I was busy with school, and now I have a few other things going on. I haven’t forgotten. Tell him that I’ll call while I’m home for the holidays as long as other things,” Ty’s eyes darted over to Noah before refocusing on Izzy. “don’t keep me busier than I expect.”
“You won’t be calling if I have anything to say about it,” Noah grumbled louder than he meant to.
“You don’t have anything to say about it. You gave up that right five years ago.” Tyler frowned at Noah and then turned back to Isabella. “Izzy, this is Noah. We are here to visit his mom.”
“Wait, not the Noah you told me about. I thought he moved to California.” Izzy said.
“Yep! The very same Noah. He’s back in town.”
Isabella’s eyes darted back and forth between the two boys. And you’re here together?”
Noah frowned but didn’t say anything. Ty smirked. “Yeah, we’re here together. His mom is in 327. Can you tell me if she has any visitors right now?”
Izzy pointed at Ty. “You have some explaining to do when I get you alone, mister.” She looked down at her computer screen and hit a few buttons. “There aren’t any visitor restrictions, Ty. Even if someone is in there, you guys can go in.”
Ty leaned forward and spoke in a lower tone of voice. “There’s a history of family drama. We’d rather make sure that no one else is visiting.”
“Understood.” Izzy walked down the hall and then returned. “All clear, Ty. Go right in.”
Chapter 2
Noah walked into his mom’s room, followed closely by Tyler. Cindy Blake looked up from the magazine that she had been reading, and her eyes opened wide in surprise. “Noah! I didn’t expect to see you! I didn’t even know that you knew I was in the hospital. Who’s that with you?” She peered around her son and smiled, though her face still looked sad. “Tyler Higgins. I shouldn’t be surprised. I rarely saw my own son without you at his side.”
“Not for the last five years,” Tyler said. “But, anyway, I’m so sorry to hear about the cancer, Mrs. Blake. How are you doing?”
Noah and Tyler sat on opposite sides of Cindy Blake, each holding one of her hands. “I’m doing ok. We’ve been down this road before, Tyler. I know what to expect.”
Noah kept glancing at the door. “Mom? How often does dad come to visit?”
“It depends on his work schedule. At least once or twice a day, though. Why do you ask?”
“I told him that I was coming. He said not to bother. He told me that I wasn’t welcome at the house or here at the hospital.”
Tyler spoke up. “He won’t kick you out of your mom’s room while I’m here.” Then Ty frowned and looked down. “Unless you decide to just run away again.”
“Tyler, I…”
Cindy Blake looked from one boy to the other several times then interrupted her son. “Noah, can you go see if the nurse can get me a fresh pitcher of ice water and maybe some crackers?”
“Sure thing, mom. I’ll be right back.” Noah said as he got up and walked toward the door.
“Take your time, son.”
Tyler started to follow Noah, but Cindy did not let go of his hand. She pulled him back toward the bed. “Sit down, Tyler. We need to talk.”
“What’s up, Mrs. Blake?” Ty asked as he sat back down on the bed.
“Tyler, you have to stop blaming him for leaving. If you want someone to blame, blame me.”
Ty took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “With all due respect, Mrs. Blake, he left. You didn’t. He didn’t have to leave, at least not all the way to California.”
“I don’t know how much he has told you of what happened back then, but it was bad.”
“I know his dad kicked him out, but he could have come to me. My family would have helped him. Hell, he even could have gone to Xander, but he didn’t. He went to California.”
“There was more to it than just his father kicking him out, but I will let Noah tell you about that. It’s not my place, but what I want to tell you is that after Noah and his dad had their… disagreement, he came to me asking for help. I could have stood up for my son, but I didn’t. Instead, I told him to leave. I told him that it was in everybody’s best interest if he moved as far away as possible and never looked back.”
Tyler scowled. “He still could have come to me.”
“Tyler, my husband is a highly respected police officer in a small town. I convinced my son that his leaving was also in your best interests. I’m sorry. I should have stood up to my husband. I should have protected my son.”
Tyler heard loud voices in the hall, and he listened intently. “Mrs. Blake, do you hear those voices? That’s your husband preventing your son from coming back in here to visit you. If you are truly sorry for what you did five years ago, prove it now. Fight this cancer. Stand up to your husband. Noah needs you in his life, and he needs you healthy. I’ll go out there and take him home for today, but we are coming back tomorrow. Make sure he can come in.”
Cindy Blake cocked her head to the side and stared at Tyler for a moment before she spoke. “You still love my boy, don’t you? I like you, Tyler Higgins. I always have.”
“I never stopped loving him. I don’t think I ever will. I just need to be able to trust him again.” And with that, Ty left the room.
————————————————————————————————————
Tyler stepped out into the hallway and paused a moment to take in the scene in front of him. He had been told about Noah and his father’s tension, but he still didn’t know how bad it was, and this was the first time he was witnessing it with his own eyes. Mr. Blake was standing in the middle of the hall, literally using his body to block Noah from going into the room to see his mother. Paul Blake was pointing and yelling at Noah while Noah practically cowered against the far wall. Ty steeled his nerves and strode across the hall and stood between father and son.
Paul Blake stopped in mid-sentence and sneered at Tyler. “What are you doing here? Get out of my way. I’m having a private conversation with my son.”
“It stopped being a private conversation when you started screaming in the middle of a public place.”
“It’s none of your business, boy. Now run along and take him with you. He’s not getting into that room.”
“I used to have a lot of respect for you, Mr. Blake. Both as a person and as a police officer. I never realized that you were just another mean bully. And by the way, it’s up to your wife who visits her and who doesn’t.”
Paul narrowed his eyes. “Don’t test me. If I don’t want him in there, he won’t get in there.”
“Maybe you should go talk to your wife. For now, I’ll take Noah home, but we will be coming back.”
“That embarrassment of a son has no home.”
“He may not have a home with you, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have a home. Noah is no embarrassment. He is amazing. Noah is kind, and he is compassionate, loving, and so many more things. It’s your loss that you don’t want him in your home. He has a home with me. Now and forever.” Tyler turned his back on Paul Blake, grabbed Noah’s hand, and led him down the hallway and out of the hospital.
As the boys reached Tyler’s car, Ty went to let go of Noah’s hand, but, instead, Noah pulled Ty in for a hug. “Thank you so much, Ty.”
“Anytime, Noah. No one deserves to be treated like that.”
“Did you mean what you said?”
“Every. Single. Word.” Ty grinned.
“I want to kiss you so bad right now, Ty, but I don’t want to mess up anything that we might be rebuilding.” Noah huffed out a laugh.
Tyler’s grin grew wider. “Hold onto that thought. That door isn’t open yet, but it’s not closed and locked either. Now get your cute ass in the car. We have some errands to run for my mom before we go home.”
“You think I have a cute ass?” Noah smirked.
“I’ve always thought that. To be honest, I’d say the last five years have been good to you.” Ty waggled his eyebrows and got into the car.
Noah couldn’t help but smile as he ran around the car and got into the passenger’s seat.
————————————————————————————————————
Noah and Tyler stumbled through the kitchen door, arms laden with shopping bags. Both boys were laughing as they regained their balance and set the bags down on the kitchen countertop. Debbie Higgins arched one eyebrow. “Are you boys ok? I take it that your trip went well?”
The laughter died down, and Tyler shrugged. “It could have gone better, but I think that I made an impression on Mrs. Blake.” Ty winked at his mom.
Noah threw up his hands. “Yeah, and he won’t tell me what they talked about, but, Mrs. H., you should have heard what Ty said to my dad! He was incredible!”
Tyler blushed. “I only spoke the truth.”
“Woah! What’s that smell? Pizza!” Noah yelled. “I almost forgot that you guys always have pizza the night before Thanksgiving!”
“Pizza and movies,” Tyler said. “And if we have a guest, they get to pick the movies. You should remember.” Ty smirked.
“Yes! The best two non-Christmas Christmas movies of all-time! ‘Diehard’ and ‘Gremlins’!”
Tommy walked into the kitchen. “Finally! We haven’t watched those two movies since… well, since the last time you were here, I think.”
“Why not?” Noah asked. “They should be part of the tradition by now.”
“Because you weren’t here to pick them. The movies weren’t part of the tradition. You were.” Tyler said with a frown.
Noah reached over and took Ty’s hand. “I’m here now. Let’s watch the movies.”
Tyler shrugged, but a small smile crept onto his face. “Ok. I suppose we can.”
“Great! Just like the old days.” Tommy cheered and ran into the living room to get the movies started.
As the credits began to roll on ‘Diehard,’ Tyler started to get up off the couch. He felt a weight against his left side and noticed, for the first time, that Noah was pressed right up against him. The night had been so calm and relaxing that Ty hadn’t even realized it happened, even though his own arm was wrapped around his ex-boyfriend’s shoulder. Ty smiled down at the other boy. “Hey. How long ago did this happen?”
Noah grinned. “A while ago… I don’t know how long… it… seemed right. Do you want me to move?”
Ty’s smile faded. “I…”
“You do want me to move. I can see it. Do you want me to leave?” Noah sat up and slid to the other end of the couch.
“Noah, no… I…” Tyler sighed. “I don’t know what I want, but I do know that I don’t want you to leave. I didn’t notice that you were next to me, because you’re right. It felt natural. It felt like that’s where you belong.”
“So… do you… uh… can I…” Noah started to tentatively scoot closer to Tyler.
Tyler extended his hand, and Noah took it, their fingers entwining. “Come with me. I think it’s time for that talk that I’ve been avoiding all day.”
Ty’s mom spoke up. “Do you want us to leave you boys alone in here, Tyler?”
“No, mom. We’ll go to the dining room. You guys stay and enjoy the next movie.”
“We’re not starting ‘Gremlins’ without you guys. That was always Noah’s favorite!” Tommy interjected.
“Thanks, Tommy. You’re the best.” Noah grinned.
“You guys take your time. We’ll be ok in here.” Tyler’s dad said.
“I don’t even know why we’re going into the dining room. It’s not like I’m not going to tell you guys everything anyway.” Tyler said.
Debbie Higgins gave her son ‘the look,’ “Go talk in private. I’m sure we don’t need to hear all the details. You can give us the highlights later, but only if you both want to.” She glanced at Tommy for a second. “We will all respect your privacy if there’s stuff you don’t want to share.”
“I understand, mom.” Ty nodded toward the dining room. “You ready for this, Noah?”
Noah took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yeah. I think I’ll feel a lot better after I tell you everything, and maybe then we can figure out if there can be an us in the future.”
————————————————————————————————————
The boys sat on opposite sides of the dining room table, and Tyler focused his gaze on his ex-boyfriend. “Here’s your one and only chance, Noah. Make me understand why you ripped my heart out without an explanation other than that half-assed goodbye text.”
Noah took another deep breath and began. “You know that I always felt suffocated in this town. Neither of us was truly allowed to be ourselves. Yes, your family knew about us, and Xan knew and like two others at school, but mostly we had to pretend to be best friends. I was proud to have you as a boyfriend. I wanted to shout it from the rooftops.”
“That’s more of a reason to stay, Noah, not a reason to run away.”
“I know. I know. I’m getting to that part. I… I’ve never said all of this out loud. I’ve done my best to bury my feelings for the last five years, Ty.”
“You and me both.” Tyler nearly snarled.
Noah got a sad look on his face and continued. “The night of the graduation party, after I dropped you off at home, I wasn’t ready to go home. I made the stupid decision to go back to the party. By the time I finally went home, I was pretty drunk. Yeah, I know, you would have been pissed at me for drinking and driving, so I didn’t tell you that part either.”
Tyler rolled his eyes. “You’re exactly right, but I don’t think that’s what you wanted to tell me about.”
“Well, I guess I thought I’d go ahead and unload everything while I’m at it.” Noah huffed out a laugh. “But you’re right. That wasn’t the worst thing to happen that night. I walked into my house, and my dad was still up watching tv. He got up when he heard me come into the house. I tried to get to the stairs and go right to bed, but he stopped me. He started yelling at me. He said he could smell the booze, and he said I was lucky I didn’t kill myself or anyone else. Then he gave me a dirty look and said that he hoped that I didn’t get any girls pregnant in my drunken stupor. Before I even realized what I was saying, I told him that I’d never get any girls pregnant because I was gay and in love with the most beautiful boy in the world.”
Tyler’s eyes grew wide. “You actually said that to your dad?” Then Ty blushed and cocked his head to the side. “Did you mean it? Do you really think I’m beautiful?”
“I said it. I meant it then, and I still mean it now. You are still the most beautiful boy… man… in the world.”
“So, what did he do then? I can’t imagine him taking that well.”
Noah looked down and sighed. He stared at the table and drummed his fingers faster and faster. “This is where the story gets difficult.”
Ty reached over and placed his hand over Noah’s. “You are safe here. You can tell me anything. I… I need to hear this, I think. I’ve been angry at you for so long. I need to know what happened. I need to know why you left.”
“He hit me, Ty. After I said what I said, the next thing I knew, I was lying on the floor looking up at my dad as he started kicking the crap out of me. I wasn’t sure if he was going to stop. I thought my dad was going to kill me right then and there.”
Tyler gasped in shock. “The black eye and the bruises. I remember that. You said you got in a fight with a kid from school, but you wouldn’t tell me who because you didn’t want me to go after him. Why didn’t you tell me that it was your dad?”
“He threatened to do it again if I told anyone. He said he’d hurt you, too. Ty, we couldn’t even go to the police. Hell, he is the police! They wouldn’t have believed me over him. So, I decided that I had to leave for my own safety and for yours.”
“Maybe I could have helped.” Tyler motioned toward the living room. “Maybe we could have helped. Worst case scenario, I would have gone with you. Didn’t you know that? I would have gone anywhere to be with you.” Tears started forming at the corners of Tyler’s eyes.
Noah got a pained look on his face. “I didn’t want to mess up your life. You had everything planned out. Never mind a five-year plan. You had a fifty-year plan! How could I ask you to throw that all away?”
Ty leaned in closer to Noah. Tears began to drip out of his eyes and roll down his cheeks. “You idiot! I had a fifty-year plan because of you. Living a life with you was my plan. I could have easily adapted the plan to California or anywhere else. When you left, everything fell apart. My life fell apart. I failed all my classes the first semester at college because I couldn’t concentrate on anything except wondering why you left. I dropped out of school completely and took two years off. I’m only in the middle of my sophomore year now. I loved you more than anything. I fell apart without you.” The tears were flowing faster now, and Tyler started to sob uncontrollably.
Noah leaped to his feet, rushed around the table, and pulled Ty up out of his chair. Noah wrapped his arms around Tyler and pulled him close. “Ty, I am so sorry. I… I thought I was doing the mature thing. I thought I was doing what was best for you. I thought you’d be better off without me.” Noah held Ty’s head tight against his shoulder while his other hand gently caressed the other boy’s back.
Ty melted into the hug and allowed himself to cry for the first time in five years. He lifted his head off Noah’s shoulder and looked into his eyes. “I’ve been angry with you for so long. I didn’t let myself cry over you except for that first day. It was easier to be mad. I’m still mad, but I think I understand now. You should have talked to me. We should have made that decision together just like we made all of our decisions together.”
Noah cupped Ty’s face with both hands and used his thumbs to wipe away the tears. “I am truly sorry, Ty. I know I can never apologize enough, but I want you to know that leaving you was the biggest mistake of my life and my biggest regret.”
“You have to give me time to process everything, Noah. Now that I know what happened and why you did what you did, now I can begin to understand and maybe forgive you.” Tyler’s hands had unconsciously settled on Noah’s hips as he still clung to the other boy. His eyes flicked down at Noah’s full sensuous lips before looking back up into his eyes. “You know that I always have to overthink everything.”
Noah smirked down at Ty. “Do you remember how I used to get you out of your head so you could let your heart take control?”
Ty’s eyes sparkled, and his mouth opened to speak, but before he could utter a word, Noah’s lips met his in what started as a sweet, simple kiss. Ty pulled back for a second, and their eyes met, then Ty’s hands were in Noah’s thick curly hair pulling the taller boy down into a much more passionate kiss. Ty’s lips parted, and their tongues began battling back and forth into each other’s mouths fighting for dominance. Without realizing it, Ty was sitting on the tabletop with his legs wrapped around Noah’s hips in a full-blown make-out session. Then he remembered where they were and jumped up. The two boys separated, and Ty spun around, making sure they were still alone. No one else was in the dining room. Tyler blurted out, “I… I didn’t mean for that to happen!”
Noah looked hurt. “Are you sorry that we kissed? Do you want me to leave?”
“No! Don’t be an idiot! And stop asking if I want you to leave. We still have things to figure out.” Ty wrapped his arms around Noah’s neck. “I’m not sorry that we kissed. I don’t want you to leave. Not now, not ever. Do you understand me? Don’t you dare ever leave me ever again.”
“I don’t deserve you. Not even a little bit.”
“You’re wrong. Don’t be an idiot. You deserve better than me. I should have made you feel comfortable enough to tell me anything. I should have found you after you left. I should never have given up on you… on us.”
“You had no way of knowing any of what I just told you or where I went. None of what happened is your fault. It’s all on me. And, hey, no one has called me an idiot in five years, and now you’ve done it like five times in ten minutes. I’m gonna start to believe it soon.”
“You should believe it. You’re an idiot, but I love you.” Tyler let out a big sigh. “Yeah, that feels right. I love you, Noah. I don’t think that I ever stopped loving you. That’s why I tried so hard to hate you.”
“I never stopped loving you either, Ty.” Noah leaned in, and their lips met in another fierce kiss. They broke apart and turned toward the living room when they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat.
“Get a room, you two!” It was Xander. He was standing there in the doorway, grinning like a fool. “I’ve been waiting all day to hear something. Finally, I decided not to wait for you to text me, Ty. I wanted to make sure you two weren’t murdering each other, so I texted Tommy to see if it was ok to come over. I showed up just in time to see the tongue wrestling show. I guess you’ve made up?”
Tyler blushed. “I… we’re working on it. There’s so much that we didn’t know, Xan.”
Ty’s parents and brother followed Xander into the dining room. Ty’s mom smirked at her eldest son. “Is it safe for us to come in here?”
Tyler blushed a darker shade of red. “Yeah. It’s safe. Sorry about that. Did you guys hear any of his story?”
“Bits and pieces. I always knew that Paul Blake was an arrogant jerk, but I never suspected he was abusive to his own family. You boys be safe when you go to the hospital tomorrow. Maybe all three of you should go together.”
Xander’s eyes grew wide. “Abusive?” He walked over and put a hand on Noah’s shoulder. “Can you please tell me what happened? The two of you have always been brothers to me. I want to understand. I want to help.”
“Have a seat, and I’ll tell you everything. I’m so sorry, Xan. I should have talked to you and Ty about all of this instead of running away, but just know that I’m back to stay. I want to try my best to earn forgiveness from both of you.”
While Noah began retelling his story for Xander, Tyler stepped away and walked over to his mother. “I saw the look, mom. I… I’ll be careful.”
“I know you will, son. I trust you,” She looked right into her oldest son’s eyes. “My opinion, if you want it, is that you are making the right choice. He made a mistake. He was young, and he was going through a lot. Should he have made better choices? Yes. Should he have confided in you and Xander? Yes. But he was eighteen years old and dealing with more than any teenager should have to deal with. He thought he was protecting you. I forgive him, do you?”
Tyler’s eyes were glistening with tears again. He looked from his mother to Noah and back again. “Yes. I think I do. I forgive him. I still love him, mom. I don’t think I ever stopped.” Tyler wiped his eyes and turned to see Noah and Xander standing there staring at him.
“You ok, Ty?” They said almost in unison.
“Yeah. Let’s get back to the tv. We have another movie to watch.”
“Tommy said there’s more pizza, too! I can stay, right?” Xander asked.
Mrs. Higgins shook her head. “Of course, you can stay, Xander. You are always welcome in this house.”
“Well, I’d hope so with my best friend and my,” Xan unconsciously looked at Tommy.
Tommy smirked. “And your what?”
“I… my…” Xander glanced around the room nervously.
Tyler’s eyes darted back and forth between his little brother and his best friend. “Oh! My! God! Please tell me that you two finally got together! It’s about damn time!”
Tommy stared at his brother, mouth agape. “What do you mean by finally? It just happened a couple days ago, and it was only a kiss.”
“Oh, come on! The two of you have been lusting over each other for years.” Ty laughed.
Tommy looked over at Xander and quirked one eyebrow. “Is that true?”
Xander blushed a deep scarlet. “Well… yeah… of course it is. I mean, look at you. You’re gorgeous.”
Now it was Tommy’s turn to blush. “I’m not half as hot as you. If you liked me, why didn’t you say something sooner? I’ve known you my whole life.”
“That was actually part of the problem. I mean, you’re my best friend’s little brother, but that alone wasn’t the entire issue. At first, it was your age. When I first realized that I was attracted to you, you were thirteen, and I was seventeen. The four years felt like a huge deal. Then you were dating Reed, and I was dating Kevin. Then I was in college, and you were in high school, and that didn’t feel right either.” Xander shrugged. “Now, the age difference doesn’t matter, and we’re both single. When you looked at me the way you did the other night, I knew the timing was finally right.” Xander’s smile nearly split his face in two.
“That is the absolute sweetest story I have ever heard. You two are like a Hallmark movie. Well, once you add a little spice in there.” Noah said.
“Are we sure it’s gonna be a Hallmark movie, or is it gonna be a porno?” Tyler laughed.
“Tyler Joseph Higgins, you behave yourself!” Debbie Higgins shouted.
Ty put his hands up defensively. “Go ahead and defend your baby boy. Just remember he’s eighteen, not eight!”
Tommy blushed, but he also huffed out a laugh as he took Xander’s hand and led him into the living room. “I think it’s time to start ‘Gremlins’ if anyone wants to join us!”
“Movie Night at the Higgins house never was dull!” Noah laughed as everyone followed Tommy and Xan into the other room to watch the movie.
After the movie was over, Mr. and Mrs. Higgins went to bed, and Tommy walked Xander out to his car, leaving Ty and Noah alone on the couch. Noah was, again, curled up against Tyler’s side. Noah cocked his head and looked up at Ty. “Mm. I could just stay here all night. I’m too comfy to move.” Noah yawned and laid his head back onto Tyler’s chest.
Ty smirked. “Are you sure there’s nothing I could say to get you to move?”
Noah’s eyes popped open wide. “Well, maybe there’s one or two things that could wake me up. What are you suggesting?”
Tyler sighed, but he smiled. “Nothing. Not tonight. I still need to process everything that’s happened and everything that I’ve found out.” Ty cupped Noah’s face with one hand. “There is one thing that I’m sure of. I love you, Noah Blake. I never stopped loving you. I will love you forever.” Ty leaned in, and their lips met. Noah laid back on the couch and pulled Ty down on top of him as the kiss deepened. Noah wrapped his legs around Ty’s hips and moaned. They started thrusting against each other. They heard the front door close, and they untangled from each other and sat up just as Tommy came into the room.
Tommy gave the other two boys a quizzical look. “Uhm, you guys look a little flushed. I think I’ll just go to my room. Have fun, guys!” Tommy giggled and disappeared up the stairs.
Ty shook his head and smiled at Noah. “I think that’s my cue to go to bed, too.”
Noah got a pouty look on his face. “Does that mean that I have to stay out here?”
“For tonight, yes. If you slept in my bed, we’d end up doing what we almost just did.” Ty huffed out a laugh.
“That’s the perfect reason for me to sleep in your bed, not a reason not to!”
“Give me tonight to wrap my head around all this, Noah. I’m not saying no, I’m just saying not tonight.” Ty got up and helped Noah turn the couch into a bed and then, after one last kiss, went off to his own room to sleep.
Chapter 3
Tyler woke to the sound of his bedroom door opening for the second morning in a row. He covered his face with a pillow and groaned. “Tommy, why are you waking me up again? Ugh!” When he didn’t hear his brother answer him, he uncovered his face and blinked open his eyes. His heart nearly skipped a beat or two when he saw that it wasn’t his brother. Noah stood just inside the bedroom. He was shirtless and wearing only a pair of baggy pajama pants.
“Your mom said that breakfast is almost ready. She sent me in to wake you up.” Noah said.
It only took Ty two seconds to make a decision on what he wanted. He held open his blankets and smirked. “I’m already up. Come join me.”
Noah’s mouth fell open. He gaped at Tyler’s naked body and sprang into action. He pulled the drawstring on his pajama pants and let them fall to the floor. He left the clothing behind and slid into the bed next to Tyler. “You sure about this, Ty?”
Tyler rolled over on top of Noah and looked down into his eyes. “I’m surer of this than I have been of anything in a long time.” He said and leaned in for a kiss. Noah wrapped his legs around Ty’s hips as they thrust their bodies together. Lips, tongues, and hands tried to be everywhere at once. Necks were kissed, ears were nibbled, shoulders were bitten. Noah moaned into Ty’s ear as his hands slid down Tyler’s back, finally cupping his lover’s backside, urging their bodies together. All too soon, their mutual lust erupted in twin explosions that splattered all over Noah’s body from his groin clear up to his chin. Ty collapsed onto Noah and then rolled over to lie next to him.
“That was intense and amazing,” Ty said, nearly out of breath.
That was beyond amazing. Also, it was quite surprising. I thought you needed more time to process things.”
“I was awake most of the night. I processed. When I saw you in the doorway, I decided what I wanted. I’m glad you agreed.”
“Ty, from the minute I saw you at the reunion, I knew I still felt the same way that I always have. I love you more than words could ever express.”
Ty leaned up on one elbow and bent down to kiss Noah again. “I love you, too. I know now that I never stopped.”
Noah smirked. “I want more than sex. I want it all. All the little things. All the big things. But,” Noah huffed out a laugh. “While I’m lying here completely covered in our combined love juice, I have to say that sex with you is better than anyone and everyone else combined. One thing though, next time, we need condoms and lube. I want… no I need… to have you inside me.”
Ty grinned. “I was just about to tell you the exact same thing, so I guess we will need lots of condoms and lube.”
“That works for me!” The boys quickly pulled the sheet up to cover themselves when they heard the sound of the bedroom door opening. They caught a glimpse of Tommy before he backed out of the room and pulled the door shut behind him. Tommy reopened the door, but just slightly.
“Sorry, guys! But I’m so happy for you!” Tommy laughed, then in a louder voice, they heard Tommy yell out. “I told them, mom! They said they’ll be down for breakfast in like ten minutes!”
Ty and Noah heard Ty’s mom yell from downstairs. “Tell them it’s not my fault if breakfast is cold!”
Tommy whispered into the partly open door. “You two better hurry up before mom comes up here herself.” Then the door closed, and Tommy ran back downstairs.
Noah huffed out a laugh. “Super quick shower? Obviously, I need one even if you don’t.”
“Quicker if we shower together,” Ty smirked.
“Not necessarily.” Noah grinned.
“We do need to hurry, so we best both behave.” Ty laughed.
————————————————————————————————————
When Noah and Tyler finally walked into the dining room, thankfully, everyone else was still there and still eating. Debbie raised one eyebrow as she looked at them both. “That ten minutes was closer to twenty.” She focused her gaze on Noah. “And I sent you up there to bring him down twenty minutes before that. I won’t even ask what you two were up to up there!” Then her expression softened. “Just know that I’m happy for both of you. I know from the time you were both five years old that you were meant to be friends forever. I didn’t know yet that it would be more than friends, but friendship is the bedrock of the best marriages anyway.” While she said this, she had reached over and grasped her own husband’s hand without even realizing it.
Ty’s dad interlocked his fingers with his wife’s and held up their hands for the boys to see. “What she said is true. My wife is my best friend, and that is just how it should be.”
Ty smiled broadly. “I hope we can say the same someday when we are old like you guys.” Noah tried to stifle a laugh from behind Tyler.
Debbie rolled her eyes. “Shut up and eat some breakfast.”
————————————————————————————————————
After Mr. and Mrs. Higgins left the breakfast table, Tommy brought his own dishes into the kitchen and then sat back down at the dining room table. He looked over at his brother and Noah and smirked. “You two sure are eating a lot. You guys work up an appetite this morning?”
Both boys blushed, and then Ty said. “We did at that. Why do you ask? Do you need pointers on what to do with your new boyfriend?”
Tommy grinned. “I know what I want to do with and to Xander. I don’t know if we’ve labeled ourselves boyfriends yet, though. I’ll have to pin that down.”
“You know I love you both to pieces, and I support whatever relationship that you have, but It’s also gonna be a little weird for me at first.”
“We’ll figure it out. Nothing should really change for you. He’s over here all the time anyway!” Tommy laughed.
“True. And I have my own stuff to worry about.” Ty said.
“I hope that I am not considered a worry,” Noah said.
Ty blushed and smiled. “You know what I mean. Everything is changing. Changing for the better, but changing all the same. You know it takes me a bit to adjust.”
Noah leaned over and gave Ty a soft, sweet kiss. “Take all the time you need, babe. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”
Tommy rolled his eyes and chuckled. “If you two keep up like that, I might need a barf bag!”
Tyler shook his head. “Whatever, little bro! Anyway, are we ready to head out to the hospital? Who’s going? Just me and Noah?”
“Xander mentioned wanting to go, and I’m ready anytime,” Noah said.
“If Xan is going, I’ll go, too,” Tommy said.
“We should leave soon to make sure we get back before mom is ready to serve dinner. It is Thanksgiving Day, after all. She’ll kill all of us if we’re late.” Ty said.
Tommy looked up from his phone. “Xan will be here in less than five minutes, and he said that he’ll drive.”
————————————————————————————————————
Xander, Tommy, Noah, and Tyler all walked off the third-floor elevator. Nurse Isabella noticed them and motioned for Ty to come over to the desk. She smiled at him as he approached. “First, I see that you’re still with your ex, and you look happier than I’ve seen you in a long time. Should I tell Ozzy not to expect a call?”
Ty blushed. “I am happy, and I’m not single anymore.” Tyler shrugged. “If Ozzy wanted to hang out sometime, that would still be cool, but it wouldn’t be a date.” Tyler looked thoughtful. “There are some single gay guys that I’m friends with in college. Maybe I’ll throw a New Year’s Eve party and invite them and invite you and Ozzy.”
“Can I bring my plus one?”
“Of course. The more, the merrier!”
Izzy’s expression turned serious. “The more important reason that I waved you guys over here is to tell you that Noah’s dad is in visiting his wife. I know that was a problem yesterday.”
“Thanks, Izzy. We’ll deal with it, and I promise we won’t cause too much of a scene.”
“You better not, or I’ll call your dad before I call security.”
Ty winked at Izzy, and then he turned to Noah. “Did you hear that?”
Noah sighed. “Yeah. Let’s go see what happens.”
Noah turned the corner and stepped into his mother’s room. His father looked up and glared. What are you doing here?”
Noah’s mom reached over and put a hand on her husband’s arm. “Paul, I told you that I want to see him. My son is here to visit me, not you. If you want to give up on your son, that’s your decision, not mine.”
Paul Blake looked furious. He glared down at his wife and then nearly stomped his way toward the door. Noah stepped aside, but his dad stopped right in front of him. “She may want to let you in here, but you are never setting foot in my house ever again. You left some of your trash behind when you ran off to California. It will be in the front yard tomorrow. If you don’t pick it up before Monday, the garbagemen will take it to the dump.”
Noah began to nod his head and was about to speak, but Xander stepped in front of him and looked Mr. Blake right in the eyes. “I used to defend you when the other kids in school complained about mean ole Officer Blake. I told them that you were a super cool guy and a fair cop. I spent a lot of time at your house over the years, and I’m ashamed that I never saw the truth about you. You’re nothing but a mean bully.”
Paul looked at the four boys and sneered. You’re all worthless scum. Get out of my way.” He bumped Xander with his shoulder, and he stormed down the hallway and out of sight.
After they visited with Mrs. Blake, Xander dropped the other three boys off at the Higgins house. Tommy was bummed that Xander couldn’t stay, but their relationship was brand new, and it was Thanksgiving Day. Xan already had dinner plans with his extended family. Head hanging down, Tommy followed his brother and Noah into the house.
————————————————————————————————————
Noah pushed back from the table and rubbed his stomach. “That was fantastic, Mrs. H! I’d forgotten how good a home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings could be! Even the cranberry sauce was mouth-watering.”
“Why, thank you, Noah. It’s refreshing to have someone who appreciates the time I put into cooking. I always did like you.” She winked at him. “Just for that, you get the first choice of desserts before these other animals devour it all. That is if you’re still hungry?”
“Dessert? Of course, I’m still hungry!” Noah cheered.
Pies were brought in, along with a plate of cookies, most of which were gone in the blink of an eye. Tommy helped his mom clear the table of dishes. Noah sighed and looked over at Tyler. “I guess the next thing to worry about is getting my stuff off of my parent’s front lawn.”
“How much stuff did you still have there?”
“Not a lot. If you know someone with a pickup, it would definitely be just one truck full.”
“What are you boys talking about?” Mr. Higgins asked. “Why is your stuff on the front lawn?”
“When my mom made my dad let me visit the hospital, he retaliated by saying that I could never again set foot inside his house. I didn’t leave much behind when I left five years ago, but whatever was still there is now out on the lawn. If I don’t pick it up before Monday, the trash man will.”
Mr. Higgins grumbled under his breath, cursing Paul Blake. “Noah, I can get a truck. We’ll go get your stuff tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Mr. H! You guys are the best. The only thing now is I don’t know where I’ll put it. I… have nowhere to live right now. I guess I’ll rent a storage unit.”
“You’ll do no such thing, Noah Blake.” Debbie Higgins turned to look at her husband, and unspoken words passed between them. “Bring everything here.” She said.
“Wait… what? Why?” Noah asked, confused.
“You’re going to live here as long as that’s something you want. I haven’t even talked this over with Tyler yet, so it’s really up to you boys, but I am extending the invitation. Move in here with us. The guest bedroom has loads of closet space, and we can find room for anything else that you want to bring.”
Noah was speechless, but Tyler wasn’t. He let out a whoop and leaped to his feet to hug his mom. “I have always known that I have the best mom ever, but you’ve topped everything else just now. Thank you for this, mom. I love you.” Ty turned to look at Noah.
Noah’s lips were trembling, and his eyes were wet with tears. “Ty? Do you really want me to live here? Like not a temporary thing, but actually live here? Is it really ok?”
Tyler slowly walked over to Noah and pulled him to his feet. Ty cupped Noah’s face with both hands. “Noah Samuel Blake, yes, I want you to live here. Everything my mom just said, I mean all that times infinity. If anyone told me last week that I would say this to you today, I would have called them crazy. The last couple of days have shown me why every relationship I’ve ever tried to have has failed over the last five years. You own my whole heart. You always have.”
Noah leaned forward and gently kissed Tyler. “Mm. If we weren’t in the middle of the dining room in front of your parents and brother…” He let the sentence go unfinished.
Ty returned the kiss then pulled back. “Well, now you’ve made it too obvious for us to disappear into my bedroom. We’ll have to revisit this discussion later.”
Mrs. Higgins cleared her throat. “Good idea, boys.” Then she chuckled. “And, yes, we know you are both grown adults and not teenagers anymore. We don’t care if you sleep in your own rooms or together, just for Pete’s sake, don’t be as loud as you were this morning!”
Both boys blushed deep scarlet and said almost in unison. “Sorry! We promise to be quieter!” Then Tyler added, “Unless we are home alone.” Ty’s mom rolled her eyes and laughed.
————————————————————————————————————
After the third episode of ‘Lost in Space – Season 1,’ Noah stretched and yawned. “I think it’s time for me to call it a night. Good night, everyone!” He put a hand on Tyler’s knee and squeezed gently as he stood up, then he strolled up the stairs.
“I’m pretty tired, too,” Ty said. “Good night, guys!”
Tommy laughed. “What a coincidence. Have fun, big brother!”
Ty grinned and ran up the stairs. As Ty rounded the corner, he saw Noah leaning against the wall, his red and black flannel shirt already mostly unbuttoned. Noah waggled his eyebrows. “Your place or mine?”
Tyler closed the remaining distance and grabbed the front of Noah’s shirt with both hands pulling him in. Ty pressed his body close to Noah and claimed his mouth in a hot passionate kiss. Ty pushed Noah against the wall. His lips and hands were everywhere at once. Ty kissed along Noah’s jawline and lightly nibbled on his earlobe. At the same time, his hands were busy unbuttoning and unzipping anything that needed unbuttoning or unzipping. Ty’s hands slipped beneath the waistband of Noah’s tight boxer briefs, and Noah moaned into Tyler’s ear. “Oh, God, Ty, we better move this into one of the bedrooms before we end up having sex right here in the hall.”
“My room. It’s closer.” Ty said. They were both stripping off clothes as they stumbled into Ty’s bedroom. By the time Ty closed and locked the door, Noah was naked and pulling Ty down on top of him on the bed.
Ty stared down at Noah, his eyes filled with that rare combination of love and lust. “I’ve missed you. I’ve missed us. I’ve missed this.”
Noah reached over to the bedside table and then handed the bottle of lube and a condom to Tyler. “So, have I. I hope you don’t plan on getting much sleep tonight.” Noah smirked.
Ty grinned. “We have five years to make up for. Who needs sleep?”
————————————————————————————————————
The next morning was filled with another visit to the hospital, thankfully uneventful, and the boys ran errands for Mrs. Higgins. After a quick lunch, they borrowed a pickup from one of Mr. Higgins’ friends and picked up all of Noah’s belongings from his parent’s front yard. It was mid-afternoon by the time that they collapsed onto the living room couch with their tasks for the day finally complete.
“I still can’t believe that he threw all your stuff all over the yard like that. It wasn’t even stacked.”
Noah shrugged. “I’m not surprised. That chapter of my life is over now. If I have my way, I will never see him or go near that house ever again.”
“What about when your mom gets out of the hospital?”
“We can meet at a restaurant, or she can come here. I’m not taking the chance of dealing with him in that house with no witnesses.”
“I understand completely.” Then Ty looked around and smiled. “Not to change the subject, but we are home alone right now. NO need to be quiet.”
Noah arched one eyebrow. “How long are we alone for?”
Tyler shrugged. “A couple hours. Tommy is at Xander’s house. Dad went in to work, and mom is at the mall for Black Friday sales.”
“Let’s go!” Noah said, and he began pulling off his shirt even as he ran up the stairs. Both boys were already naked within seconds after they reached Tyler’s bedroom. Ty tackled Noah down onto the bed, and they rolled around wrestling for a few minutes. Noah ended up on top of Tyler and had Ty’s hands pinned down over his head. Ty wrapped his legs around Noah’s hips and leaned up and kissed him. Noah’s lips parted, deepening the kiss as he pressed his entire body down on Tyler. Ty was thrusting his hips up and moaning into Noah’s mouth. Noah broke the kiss and looked down at Ty, and smirked. “After last night, I guess it’s my turn.” He waggled his eyebrows and thrust his hips, grinding their groins together.
“Oh hell, yes!” Ty leaned over to the nightstand, grabbed the lube and a condom, and handed them over to Noah.
“I know you always used to prefer our roles reversed… are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes. I mean, I’m sure more often than not, it will be the other way, but yeah, I want this right now. I need you inside me, Noah. I need that closeness. The bond. Let’s do this.”
————————————————————————————————————
Tyler woke up to the sound of his bedroom door slamming open and his brother jumping on his bed. “Ty! Wake up! It’s Christmas Eve morning!”
“Ugh! I’m awake! How many times have I told you not to come in here without knocking, Tommy? What if Noah and I had been doing stuff that you wouldn’t want to see us doing?” Ty tried to sound mad, but he huffed out a laugh.
“Noah is in the kitchen making breakfast. I knew you two weren’t in here having sex. Geez. Give me a little credit, big bro.”
“Why did you wake me up?”
Tommy sighed. “I need some advice.”
Tyler rolled his eyes. “I think the ship has sailed on giving you the talk. I’m sure Xander has stolen your innocence by now!”
“Oh, please. I lost my v-card to Reed Simmons. It’s not about sex, you perv. I’ve never been in a serious relationship before. I mean… Reed and I were together for over a year, but it wasn’t serious, you know what I mean?”
“Yeah, I get it. So, what’s your question, little bro? How can I help?”
“Well, it’s Christmas Eve, and it’s our one-month anniversary. What should I do?”
“If I know my bestie like I think I know my bestie, he’ll already have something planned. Let me talk to him and find out on the down-low. It would be silly if you both planned something different for the same night.” Ty thought for a second. “Flowers would be good, though.”
“Thanks, Ty! You’re the best big brother a guy could ask for.” Tommy jumped off the bed and headed toward the door.
“Oh, one thing, Tommy,” Ty said.
“Yeah, what is it?”
“Make sure you put out tonight. That’s the best anniversary gift ever!” Tyler snickered. Tommy rolled his eyes and ran out the door laughing.
————————————————————————————————————
The day of Christmas Eve went by relatively quietly for Tyler. Tommy was out with Xander, but Ty and Noah decided to spend a quiet day at home with Tyler’s parents. They’d been binging Christmas movies and snacking on fresh baked cookies and hot buttered popcorn all day long. Now, after dinner, they sat back in front of the tv and put on ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Noah leaned into Ty’s side and looked up at him. “It really is a wonderful life. Well, now it is anyway.”
Ty smiled. “It’s been quite a month.”
“I know, right? I was lost and alone when I moved back here from California. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do or where I would stay or really anything. I’m not even sure why I went to that class reunion. Boredom, I guess. I just needed to get out of that dirty motel room.” Noah huffed out a laugh.
“You never went back, except to pick up your things,” Ty smirked.
“I thought you hated me. You wouldn’t even let me talk to you at first. I was in shock when you brought me here that night.”
“The best decision I ever made. Plus, even if I did hate you, which I never did, I could not let you stay in that motel. When you came out to the entire class and then told everyone about your mom. I reacted on impulse.”
“Now, my mom is out of the hospital, and she left my dad. Her life is getting better right along with mine.”
“Mine is, too.” Ty leaned over and gave Noah a kiss. “And with that in mind, we have a tradition in this house. We each get to open one present on Christmas Eve.” Ty looked over at his mom. “Do I have to wait for Tommy to get home?”
“No. He said that he’ll be home late. You go on ahead.”
Ty grinned and walked over to the tree. He reached into the branches and pulled out a small package wrapped in red, white, and gold paper. Ty motioned for Noah to join him by the tree. Noah walked over and extended his hand to receive the gift.
Tyler reached out with his free hand and grabbed the front of Noah’s shirt. He pulled the other boy in and planted a kiss firmly on his lips. When he broke the kiss, Noah smiled. “What was that for?”
Ty grinned. “Do I need a reason to kiss the man I love?”
“Well, no, but…”
Tyler cut him short and pointed up. “Ah,” Noah said. “Mistletoe. That wasn’t there earlier. When did you put that up?”
“While you were in the kitchen helping mom with the last batch of popcorn.”
“Sneaky devil.” Noah grinned. “Can I have my present now?” Ty handed the gift over to Noah, who gleefully ripped the wrapping paper off of it. He opened the box and held up a single key. Noah looked puzzled. “What’s this go to?” He asked.
“Do you remember what we were doing last weekend?”
Noah thought for a second. “You don’t mean the condos on the beach, do you?”
“The very same. The one that you said you liked the best is ours as long as you still want to move in with me. I have until the twenty-ninth to change my mind, or I can make one phone call, and it’s officially ours. What do you think?”
“What do I think? I think that you’re freaking awesome! Yes! Of course, yes. There’s nothing I want more than to live with you.”
“You’ve been living with me for a month.” Ty huffed out a laugh.
Noah smirked. “No offense to your parents and Tommy, but this will be different, and you know it. This will be a place that is just ours.”
“That’s the plan. It’s also rent to own. If we like it well enough, it can be ours forever. It won’t just be an apartment. We can make it into our home.”
Noah took one of Ty’s hands and placed it over his heart, then he put his own hand over Tyler’s heart. “I love that you want to build a home for us, but I want you to know something. Ever since the first day I saw you way back when we were five years old, somehow even back then, I knew. My parent’s house was no longer my home. California was never my home. You are my home, Tyler. Wherever you are is where I want to be. Here. An apartment. Our new place. As long as we’re there together, it is home.”
Tears were flowing down both boys’ cheeks. Ty leaned in and gave Noah another kiss. “I love you with all my heart, Noah. I always have and I always will.”
Noah blushed and smiled. “Can I give you my gift now?”
Ty grinned and wiped the tears off his face. “You better!”
“Well, I was super nervous about this, but with the condo and the proclamations of love, it kinda boosts my confidence in your response.”
“Aw. Babe, what is it? Why would you be nervous?”
Noah smiled and pulled a small box out of his pocket, then he dropped to one knee. He opened the box and held it out toward Tyler. “Tyler Joseph Higgins, I have loved you nearly my entire life, and I will love you forever. I can’t imagine a life without you. I nearly lost you once. I never want to take that chance again. Will you marry me?”
Ty’s tears were flowing freely now, and he heard his mom squealing with glee in the background. Ty pulled Noah to his feet and kissed him. Ty’s hands ran through Noah’s hair as the kiss became passionate. Then Ty broke the kiss. He looked behind him at his parents. “Ooops. Sorry! I got carried away.” Then he looked back at Noah. “Yes! If you couldn’t figure it out, a billion times yes! Of course, I’ll marry you!”
Noah scooped Tyler up into his arms. He looked over at Ty’s parents. “Good night, Mr. and Mrs. H!” Then he carried his fiancé up the stairs and into his bedroom. He set Tyler down on the bed, and as he turned to close the door, he said, “Just think, a month ago I was almost homeless, and now I am finally home at last.”
Skylar stopped at the corner, looked around, and stepped into the alley. He fidgeted with the straps on his backpack and cursed the man for being late. Where was this guy? Skylar glanced at his watch, seven-thirty. Sky was on time; the guy was not. Finally, the man entered the alley and walked over to Skylar.
“Hey, kid, sorry I’m late. You got the money?”
“Yeah. Right here.” Sky showed the man a bundle of cash. “You got what I asked for?”
The man pulled something out of the pocket of his hoodie. They exchanged the money for the merchandise. “Kid, don’t do anything stupid. I don’t want to regret my decision to sell to you.”
Skylar scowled. “Give me a break, dude. You know you don’t care what I do. You have your money, don’t worry about anything else.”
“Whatever, kid.” The man turned and left.
Skylar shoved the bundle into the bottom of his backpack and walked the rest of the way to school.
Jack sat in the back of the classroom and watched as the new kid, Skylar, arrived not ten seconds before the last bell rang. He also watched as, once again, Nate tripped the kid, sending him sprawling down the aisle between the desks. Idiot. Bullies are such cowards, and the people that laugh and do nothing are just as bad. Jack decided that the time to act was coming soon, maybe even today.
Skylar got up off the floor and quickly sat down. He blushed furiously when almost everyone in the class laughed. Sky held his backpack in his lap and caressed the outline of his new purchase. He was tired of being the target of bullies. If no one was going to help him, then he needed to help himself. Skylar decided that the time to act was coming soon, maybe even today.
Jack was in the cafeteria, eating his lunch. He saw Skylar walking across the room, tray in hand, looking for a place to sit down. He was about to call out for Skylar when he noticed Nate walking quickly, angling straight for the boy. Jack decided that the time to act was now. He got up so fast that his chair fell over and rushed towards the other two boys.
Skylar was walking through the cafeteria just trying to find a quiet place to sit down. The next thing he knew, his lunch tray flipped up, spraying the food all over him. He looked up just in time to see Nate’s fist connect with the side of his head, knocking him down. Tears of pain and rage welled up in Sky’s eyes. He didn’t even hear what Nate was yelling at him. Unthinkingly, his hands unzipped his backpack, and he reached inside. His hand reached the bundle that he put there this morning, and he began unwrapping the cloth from around it.
Jack reached the other two just as Nate knocked Skylar to the floor. He crouched down next to Skylar. “Hey, you ok? You want me to call a teacher or the nurse?” He rested a hand on Skylar’s shoulder. “First let me get rid of this idiot.” Jack gave Skylar a reassuring smile.
Skylar was unsure what to do. No one had ever helped him before. He decided to let go of the item he was holding and see what happened. He zipped his backpack securely closed again.
Jack stood up in between Skylar and Nate. “Nate, what is your problem anyway? Are you so insecure with yourself that you have to pick on other people? Grow up.”
“Shut up and stay out of this, Jack. This is between me and the little fairy.” Nate said with a sneer on his face.
“Fairy? Name calling now, Nate? What is this? Third grade? Your bullying of him and of everyone else for that matter ends today. Unless you want to try and bully me.” Jack’s track teammates had started to gather around the boys.
“What are you a fairy, too, Jack? Sucking dick in the locker room after school?”
“Whether I am or whether I’m not, that isn’t what this is about. It’s about you trying to target someone who you think you can get away with bullying. That stops now. You can stop on your own, or I can stop you. Your choice. I almost hope you want me to stop you.”
“You know what? Screw you. Screw all of you. I’m outta here.” Nate turned and stormed off.
Jack turned and saw his friends gathered in, watching. “You guys can go finish lunch. Thanks for having my back, but I can handle jerks like Nate.” After the crowd dispersed, he knelt next to Skylar. “Hey. He hit you pretty hard. You want me to walk you to the nurse?”
“No. I’m ok. Why did you do that? No one has ever helped me before. I didn’t think anyone even cared. Usually, everyone just laughs at him.” Tears streaked down Skylar’s face, though he tried his best to make them stop.
“Hey. Stop that.” Jack reached over and brushed away Sky’s tears. “Let’s go somewhere more private.” They walked out of the cafeteria and into an empty classroom. “Skylar, I’m so sorry I never stepped in sooner. I never laughed. I… I don’t know. I should have said something to a teacher or did something sooner. I’m so sorry.”
Skylar looked up at him through fresh tears. “I’m surprised you even know my name. I loved my old school, but I hate it so much here. No one even talks to me.”
“Well, that’s gonna change, starting right now.” Jack put an arm around Skylar’s shoulders. “You’re under my protection.” They both grinned. “By the way, don’t you have a study hall with Mrs. Jamison next period?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Ditch it. Come to art class with me. I’ll have Mr. Jenkins call her and tell her he said it’s ok. I’ve seen the drawings in your notebook. You need to show them to Mr. Jenkins. You belong in art more than I do!”
“You’ve seen my doodles? I didn’t think anyone even knew I existed in this school. I’m not really that good, but I’ll come to class with you.”
“Good. Come on. Let’s go.” The two boys headed down the hall towards the art room.
The last bell rang, and all the kids ran out to either catch a bus or walk home. Skylar looked around for Jack, not seeing him, he started walking home. He was just crossing the Stormy Brook Bridge when he heard Jack yelling from behind him. “Skylar! Hey! Wait up!”
“Hey, Jack. I thought maybe you took a bus. I don’t even know where you live. I forgot to ask you which way you went home before we left art class.”
“I live on Mitchell Drive. What about you?”
“Only two streets further. Monument Street.”
“I guess we get to walk home together then.” Jack nudged Sky’s shoulder with his own.
“Jack, I need to tell you something. I know we just started talking, and we don’t really know each other very well yet, but I need to tell you this. You have to swear to me that won’t tell anyone. Not your parents, not my parents, not the police, no one! Promise me!” Skylar said, leaning against the railing of the bridge, with tears forming in his eyes.
Jack grabbed both of Sky’s hands and held them in his own. “I promise. Whatever it is, I promise. You can tell me anything, Sky.”
“I bought something this morning. It’s in my backpack. I bought it because of Nate and all the people who laugh instead of stopping him from hurting me. In the cafeteria today, I had my hand in my backpack. I had it in my hand. I was going to use it. Then, like a miracle, you showed up. I don’t know why you picked that moment to show up and help me, but if you hadn’t, I would have used it.” Skylar had slid down the railing. His head was resting on his knees, his arms wrapped around his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
Jack knelt and wrapped Skylar in his arms. “Shh, stop crying. I’m glad you told me this, and I’m glad I was there today. If that had happened, I never would have gotten a chance to meet you and talk to you. I’m sorry I didn’t get involved sooner, Sky. I’m sorry you felt so alone, but I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere. I never want you to feel alone ever again.” He took Sky’s face in his hands and made him look at him. “If you’re talking about what I think you’re talking about, what do you plan on doing with it now? Are you going to keep it?”
Skylar stood up and set his backpack on the railing. He fished the bundle out and held it in his hand. Sky looked from item in his hands to Jack and back to the bundle again. He slowly unwrapped the cloth revealing the gun that he had been carrying around all day at school. He reached over the railing and dropped the gun into the river below. He smiled as relief flooded over him. “It actually feels like a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders today. Jack, what you did for me means more than you can ever know. I’m happy for the first time since I moved here.” Skylar’s smile lit up his whole face, his bright blue eyes twinkling as he looked at Jack.
“I’m so glad you dumped that gun. If you hadn’t, I might not have done this.” Jack leaned in and kissed Skylar. Shocked, Skylar pulled back at first.
“Oh, my God. I’m sorry. I’m such an idiot. I thought you …. Oh my god….” Tears of embarrassment filled Jack’s eyes.
“Hey… hey stop. You were right. I do. You just surprised me.” Skylar grabbed the front of Jack’s shirt and pulled him close for their first real kiss.
Jack grinned from ear to ear. “For a minute I thought you were straight, and I’d ruined things already.”
“Hell no. How can I be straight when I’m around hot guys like you?” Sky teased.
Jack rolled his eyes. “I’ve created a monster.” They both laughed and continued their walk home.
Ken_W_Writer’s Stories and Poems 