Tag: gayteen

The Little Match Boy

The Little Match Boy

Dylan shivered in the frigid wind, snow blowing all around him. He felt lucky that he still had his coat and shoes. The man who robbed him last night attempted to take those as well. Dylan woke up in time to run away, but he lost his backpack and everything in it. Three nights on his own and now he owned only the clothes on his back, three dollars and thirty-seven cents, a stick of gum, and a matchbook with three remaining matches. Pathetic. The wind and snow drove him to get up and get moving again. The cops moved him along if he stayed in one place too long anyway. He got up, brushed the snow off his clothes and walked off into the night, destination unknown.

Dylan considered the last three days of his life, while he searched for a place to crash for the night. He turned fourteen three days ago. The day began awesomely. His fourteenth birthday, a week before Christmas, everything seemed perfect to him. He thought that telling his parent would make things even better. He thought they would understand. He thought they loved him no matter what. So, with a broad grin on his face, Dylan walked into the family room and told his parents that he was gay. Their reaction shocked him. His mother burst into tears and ran out of the room. His father demanded that he stop lying and admit that he was straight. Dylan almost did just that, but he decided that he had come this far, he had to be honest with them and with himself.

Dylan’s mother returned to the room and dropped his backpack on the floor at his feet. This confused him at first, and he looked from his mother to his backpack and back again. She didn’t even look him in the eye, she just told him to leave. She didn’t want him and his sinful ways infecting his little brother. Dylan burst into tears, picked up the backpack and left the only home he had ever known.

A cry for help brought Dylan out of his memories and back into the cold reality of his new life. The sound came from an alley of to his right. He ran to the opening and looked towards the sounds. A man stood over a young boy. The boy, sprawled on the wet pavement, noticed Dylan and yelled louder. “Help! He’s stealing all my stuff! Help!”

That’s when Dylan noticed his own backpack slung over the man’s shoulder. “Hey!” Dylan yelled, running towards the man. “Give that stuff back!” The man glanced back at Dylan and then took off running. “Crap,” Dylan said. “that guy has my stuff, too.” Dylan extended his hand to the other boy to help him up. “I’m Dylan. What’s your name?”

The other boy stood up and brushed as much of the snow and dirt off himself as he could. “Thanks a lot, bro. My name is Jason, but please call me Jay.” Jay looked down at his feet. “I can’t believe he stole my shoes and my socks. I hate to think of what else may have happened if you hadn’t come. Thanks again, Dylan.” Jay wrapped his arms around himself, shaking with cold.

“Jay? Where do you live? Can I walk you back there?” Dylan asked with trepidation. Afraid that this boy, like him, may not have a home to go back to.

Jay frowned. “I ran away. My parents died in a car crash last year. I’ve been living with my aunt, but things haven’t been great. My uncle gets drunk and mean almost every night.” Jay scowled and didn’t meet Dylan’s eyes.

“Hey, I understand. No sweat, bro. No judgments from me. Do you have any other clothes, or did he get everything?” Dylan asked.

“He stole everything I had. Even my shoes and socks. I might have to try a shelter tonight, even though most are almost as dangerous as the streets.” Jay’s eyes glistened with tears, but he held firm and did not cry. “Don’t worry about me, Dylan. You look like you have as many problems as I do.”

Dylan sighed. “I guess. My parents kicked me out because I’m gay. My perfect little life blew up three days ago, on my fourteenth birthday no less. I totally misjudged my parents. My mom told me she didn’t want my sinful, disgusting ways to infect my little brother. Being gay isn’t a disease!” Dylan kicked a rock across the alley and clenched his fists. “I just don’t understand how they could do that to me. I’m their son. Aren’t they supposed to love and support me no matter what?”

“Gee, bro, I’m sorry. Yeah, that really sucks. People get so stupid about that stuff. Who you love shouldn’t matter to anyone but you. I’m only twelve, and I understand that. What’s the matter with parents?” Jay put his hand on Dylan’s shoulder to try and comfort him.

Dylan shrugged his shoulders. “Thanks, Jay. I appreciate it. I have some things I want to give you. I can’t just leave you like this. That dick took your shoes and socks for crying out loud. And it’s snowing!” Dylan sat on a nearby fire escape and took off his shoes and socks. He handed the socks to Jay and put his shoes back on. Before the boy had a chance to thank him, Dylan took off his jacket and his hoodie. He tossed the hoodie to Jay and put his coat back on. Next, he emptied his pockets and looked at his remaining belongings. He handed Jay the stick of bubblegum and one matchstick, leaving himself with three dollars and thirty-seven cents and two matches. “I hope that helps. Jay. It’s the best I can do. Kids like us got to stick together. Take care of yourself, bro.”

Jay couldn’t believe it. “Dylan, this is too much. I can’t take all this.” He lost his battle to not cry as tears streamed down his face. “This is the nicest thing anyone has done for me since my parents died. What am I supposed to do with the match though?” Through his tears, Jay smiled as he asked about the match.

Dylan just smiled. “Keep it. All of it. I don’t need it. Maybe you can start a fire somewhere with the match and warm yourself up. Take care of yourself, Jay. See you around.” Dylan turned and left the alley, taking one last look back and waving to Jay as he turned the corner.

Dylan fought his way through the wind and snow as he made his way through town. The snow pelted his face, coming down harder than ever. He walked closer to the buildings, trying to avoid the worst of the wind. He bent his head forward and attempted to walk faster. He needed to find a safe place to sleep soon, exhaustion was overtaking his body. He heard a noise and stopped. He looked all around and then noticed someone huddled in the doorway of the building he just walked past. Dylan turned and walked back to the doorway and peered in. An old man shivered, wrapping his arms around his knees, trying to stay warm. The man wore no coat, no hat, no gloves. Dylan bent down next to the man.

“Sir, are you ok? Is there somewhere you can go? It’s snowing pretty hard.” Dylan shook the man’s shoulder.

The man slowly looked up. “The shelters filled up before I got there. I’ll shelter here tonight. I’ve survived worse.” The old man tried to smile reassuringly. “What about you, son. Why are you out on such a snowy night?”

“My parents kicked me out. Then a man robbed me, so I left that place, too.   I’m looking for a new place to crash. Right now, I’m more worried about you, sir.” Dylan said.

“Don’t worry about an old man like me. I’ve survived two wars and three divorces; a little snow won’t kill me.” He tried to laugh but ended up coughing.

Dylan frowned and stood up. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around the man’s shoulders, then he handed the old man his gloves. “Take these. Don’t even try to say no. You need them more than I do.” He reached into his pocket and took out the matchbook. He ripped one of the two remaining matches out of the book and handed it to the old man. “Here, sir. Take this, too. Maybe when it stops snowing, you can light a fire.” Dylan shrugged and gave the man a half-smile.

“Thank you, son.” The man said with tears forming at the corners of his eyes. “You don’t even know how many people walked right past me tonight and none stopped except you. You may be just a boy, but you have a bigger heart than any grown man I have ever known. Take care of yourself. I will never forget you.” Holding back tears of his own, Dylan said goodnight to the old man, turned and continued with his search for a place to sleep.

Dylan barely walked two blocks before he heard another noise that stopped him in his tracks. He heard loud banging and what sounded like a baby crying from behind the supermarket. Curious and concerned, he, once again, abandoned his own quest and investigated possible trouble. Dylan turned the corner and couldn’t believe his eyes. A baby sat in a beat-up stroller, alone, beside a big green dumpster. Dylan ran up to check the condition of the baby. He barely had any clothes of his own left, he had no idea how he would keep a baby warm if no one came back for it. Just before he reached the stroller, a girl’s head appeared from inside the dumpster and shouted at him.

“Hey! You! Help! I’m stuck in here. I reached in to see if I could find any food for Olivia and me, but I slipped and fell, and now I can’t get out.” The girl said while waving over at Dylan. “Please!”

Dylan walked over to the dumpster. He stepped up on a wooden crate and reached his arm over the side of the dumpster. When he felt the girl grab on, he pulled her out. They both fell off the crate, the girl landing on top of him. She smiled down at him. “Thanks a million, doll.” She kissed his forehead and got up.

Dylan blushed and looked more closely at her. She didn’t look much older than him. Sixteen, maybe seventeen, if he had to guess. “You’re welcome. I’m Dylan. Glad I could help. Why are you out here with your baby?  I’m frozen. Your baby must be even colder.”

The girl turned towards Dylan. “I’m Natalie, and this is my son, Alexander. There’s nowhere for us to go. My mom kicked me out when I got pregnant, and Alex’s father won’t even admit he’s his son. The ignorant bastard.” Natalie’s voice held a mixture and anger, sadness and despair.

“I’m so sorry, Natalie. I’ve only been out here on the streets for three days, and I’ve already heard such horrible stories of what people do to each other. It’s overwhelming.” Dylan said.

“What’s your own sad story, Dylan? Why are you out here?” Natalie asked, placing her hand on Dylan’s arm.

“My parents kicked me out because I’m gay. They kicked me out on my fourteenth birthday no less! I… I thought my parents would love me no matter what.” He gave her a sympathetic look. “I thought they’d be cool with it, but they kicked me out with just a backpack full of stuff. And the backpack was stolen just two days later!” He shrugged.  “Other people have it worse than me. I can see that already. It’s rougher out here than you can ever imagine when you’re safe at home. I never thought about the people, the kids, out here on the streets. It really sucks.”

Natalie nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it does suck. We’ll find a way to make it, though. I’m sure you will, too. You seem very smart and strong. And the sweetest guy I’ve met in a long time.” She smirked and winked at him, causing him to blush. “Anyway, this dumpster was a bust. We’re going to look for another one. You want to join us?”

Dylan shook his head. “Nah, I’m going to keep looking for a new place to crash. Good luck with your search.” Dylan dug into his pants pocket and pulled out the contents. “Here, I know it’s just three dollars and thirty-seven cents, but I don’t know, maybe you can get baby food or something. I don’t even know how expensive that stuff is” He shrugged. “And take this match and my beanie. Find somewhere out of the snow and light a fire to get warm. Alex looks really cold.”

Natalie hugged him and kissed his cheek, eliciting yet another episode of blushing. “Thank you so much, Dylan. We’ll never forget you. Good luck with finding a place to sleep.”

Dylan turned and left. Now with empty pockets, no hat, no jacket, no hoodie, no socks, and no gloves, he walked off and continued his quest for a warm place to sleep.

Dylan’s could barely feel his face, his hands, or his feet by the time he heard the bells. The church! The church bells always sounded at midnight on Christmas Eve. Shivering uncontrollably, Dylan headed in the direction of the bells. He hoped the pastor left the church unlocked. A warm building, any warm building, filled his thoughts. Dylan saw the lights of the church at the end of the street. Just a few more yards. Then the world spun, and everything went black. Dylan collapsed into the snow.

Dylan heard a voice and felt warm hands rubbing his arms and face. “My dear boy, wake up. I need to get you into the church where it’s warm, but I’m not sure I can carry you there by myself.” The voice said. Dylan blinked his eyes, trying to open them. They felt frozen shut. Ice crusted on his eyelashes. He finally opened his eyes and stared up at the person trying to lift him out of the snow. It was a lady, maybe a little older than his mom. Her small frame struggled just to keep his upper body out of the snow while she tried to rub warmth into his arms and hands.

Dylan groaned. “Where am I? What’s happening?” Weak and disoriented, he tried to sit up. “Who are you?”

“I’ll answer all of your questions as soon as we’re inside, young man. Let’s get you out of this snow.” The lady helped him to his feet, and they walked into the church and sat in the back pew. “I am Amelia. I came here to pray, and when I left, I found you in the snow. I should be asking you the questions, but first let me get you a blanket or an old coat from the church’s donation bin.” Amelia left him sitting on the bench, lost in his thoughts. She returned a few minutes later with both a big puffy jacket and a blanket. Dylan quickly put on the coat and wrapped the blanket around himself as tightly as he could.

“Thank you so much, Amelia. I… I think you might have saved my life. My name is Dylan. I’ll tell you anything you want to know… as soon as my teeth stop chattering.” Dylan gave Amelia a half-smile and pulled the blanket even tighter around himself.

Amelia thought about taking Dylan to her house, but she didn’t want to chance taking him back out in the cold yet. She gave him the time he needed to warm up before asking him any more questions. When he felt a bit warmer, Dylan looked at Amelia and began his story. He told her everything. From his parents kicking him out to the man stealing his backpack and everything that happened to him tonight. When he finished, they both had tears streaming down their faces.

Dylan pulled back from her a little and spoke. “You seem like a church lady, just like my parents. If you want to kick me out of this church now that you know I’m gay I understand.” He sobbed. The tears now freely flowing down his cheeks.

Amelia started crying even harder. “Oh no, Dylan. Never. No one should kick anyone out of church. And you… you’re the sweetest angel I have ever met.” She reached over and wiped away his tears. “The bible I read teaches love not hate. Your parents were wrong to kick you out. You’re only fourteen! The things you’ve done amazing things tonight and I believe that God led me here to save your life as you may have saved three other lives tonight. I woke out of a sound sleep with a burning desire to come here to this church and pray. I can’t explain why. I’ll just call it a Christmas miracle. Right after the bells rang to signal Christmas, I left the church and found you face down in the snow! God doesn’t care that you’re gay. He cares that you have more love in your heart than any other person I’ve ever met. He brought me here to save you. I truly believe that. Dylan. I’m bringing you home with me tonight if that’s ok with you. We’ll talk about plans beyond that after I feed a nice big breakfast tomorrow morning. No one should ever make plans on an empty stomach.” She looked at him with questioning eyes.

“I think I’d like that, Amelia,” Dylan said, a genuine smile forming on his face for the first time in days. “Oh yeah, Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas, Dylan.” Amelia took his hand in hers, and they walked out of the church. The snow finally stopped falling, and the light of the full moon lit their way home.

Running Toward Love (Chapter 3)

Chapter 3

Leo grabbed his lunch tray and piled some food on it. Lost in thought, he wandered up to pay for his food. He heard a familiar voice behind him say, “What’s safe to eat around here? Everything at my old school tasted like salted cardboard.”

Leo turned his head and saw the boy from last night. “Ah. We meet again. Reese? Right? They have pizza almost every day, and it’s edible. I’ve got the spaghetti today. I’m hoping it’s as good as it was last year. Overall, the food isn’t great, but it’s ok.”

“Yeah, I’m Reese. Thanks for the directions last night and the culinary suggestions today. I promise I won’t only talk to you when I need help.” Reese grinned.

“That’s quite alright. You can talk to me anytime. Do you want to sit with my friend and me? He’s waiting for me over there.” Leo pointed to where Brandon was sitting.

“I would, but there’s this girl I’m supposed to meet with.”

“A girl? I suppose that is more important. Have fun.”

“No… uh… not like that.” Reese blushed. “I need to find out the details for cheer tryouts. I was on the cheer squad at my last school, and it was fun. I wanted to try and do that here, too.”

“A cheerleader. I would have guessed you for a lacrosse star.”

“I tried that, but I like cheerleading better. I also play baseball in the spring.”

Leo heard Brandon calling his name. “Sounds fun. I gotta go before my friend starts chewing on the table.” Leo laughed. “The cheerleaders usually sit over there.” He pointed across the cafeteria. “See you later, Reese.”

Reese smiled and walked where Leo pointed while Leo walked over and sat by Brandon.

“It’s about time you got here! That’s the last time I wait for you for food.” Brandon reached over and took one of the trays from Leo. “Now spill the tea. Who was that hottie you were talking to, and was he the guardian angel you hinted at this morning?”

“He is Reese. I met him last night on the beach. He’s not my angel. He’s just a new boy. Sounds like he’s trying out for the cheer squad. My angel’s name is Charlie, and he and his mom rented the cabin by the old lighthouse while exploring our glorious little town. That’s why he happened to be on the beach yesterday.”

“Wait? Exploring? Please tell me you didn’t fall for a tourist, Leo!”

“Yes, he is a tourist, but you didn’t see him. You didn’t talk to him. Bran, I haven’t thought about anyone else since the whole thing with Jazz. I planned to get through this year and maybe start over in college, but when I looked up into Charlie’s brown eyes, I fell.”

Brandon rolled his eyes. “Maybe he’s hot. Maybe he’s fun. But how long is he staying, Leo? You’re just going to get hurt again.”

“He’s staying until the end of the week, I think. Who knows what can happen between now and then. Maybe he’ll stay longer. Maybe we can do a long-distance thing. I felt a strong connection, Bran. I know he did, too.”

“We’re not done with this discussion. Spill the rest of the story. The fight with Matt and this angel saving you.” Brandon said, eating lunch and waiting for his best friend’s story.

Leo relayed to his friend all the events from the previous day between bites of his lunch. The run with his brother, the argument and fight with Matt, and finally, the rescue by Charlie. He even confided in him about the second dizzy spell at the mall. He finished by telling him about the second meeting with Charlie and the near-kiss.

“Wow. That was quite a day. I don’t think that much happened to me all summer! First off, how are you feeling today? Any dizziness or headaches. That sounds serious, bro. You gotta tell Kam or me every time it happens. Tell us even if you don’t want to tell your mom yet.” He reached over, putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“Ok. Ok. I promised Kam already. I promise to tell you, too. And I will tell my mom if it keeps happening. I’m not an idiot.” Leo rolled his eyes at Brandon.

Brandon smirked. “Now, on to the good stuff. When are you going to see your hot little tourist again?”

“Today after school. He wasn’t sure what his mom had planned. If he’s not busy, I’ll meet up with him and give him the grand tour. Maybe show him the Village and get some junk food for dinner.” Leo laughed. “Mystic Village fried dough should win him over.”

Brandon rolled his eyes. “With all the running you’ve been doing, I don’t know why you continue to put that crap in your body.”

Leo laughed. “It’s the best! It is my biggest weakness, diet-wise. I’ll just run an extra mile tomorrow. That reminds me. Aren’t you friends with Max? From the track team? Kam wants to try out, and I considered joining him.”

Brandon looked at his phone. “We have to get to class. I’ll talk to Max and find out about tryouts, then text you the details. If I don’t see you later, have fun and wish Kam good luck for me!”

The two boys put away their lunch trays and headed toward their next class.

————————————————————————————————————

The first day of senior year, finally behind him, Leo walked towards the gym to meet up with his brother and look for Max. According to multiple texts from Brandon, cross-country tryouts were held today. Now Leo was glad he skipped the morning run. Brandon said that Max would meet Leo and Kam at the track. Leo got to the gym and found Kam waiting for him. The two boys headed toward the track to look for Max. Leo spotted Max waving to him from the track infield. Max and a few other boys looked like they were doing pre-run stretching. The two brothers walked over and joined them.

“Hey, Leo! I was surprised when Bran told me you were interested in running this year. Aren’t you a senior? And is this your brother?”

“Yeah, I’m a senior. I just started running this past summer, mostly as a way of burning off anger issues.” Leo chuckled. “This is my brother Kameron. He’s a freshman, and he’s the one who suggested trying out for the team. I’m kinda along as support.”

Max stuck his hand out to both brothers. “Nice to meet both of you.” He glanced at Leo. “Running is an excellent choice for a mood enhancer, and it looks like you already have a runner’s body.” Max grinned. “Brandon mentioned track. You know we’re trying out for cross-country today, right? Indoor Track will start in November and Outdoor Track in late March.”

“Yep. We’ll try our hand at cross-country first. I prefer the long-distance stuff anyway. Little bro is the one who is looking forward to the shorter, faster events in track.”

“Ah-ha! So, Kameron is our speed demon, then?”

“Yep!” Kam laughed. “I outrun Leo all the time short distances. I’ll need to build up my endurance to run the longer races. I’ve only just started putting any effort into running.” As Kam was speaking, other boys started showing up at the track. Some were stretching, others jogging around the track to warm up before the tryouts began. Leo, Kam, and Max started running a warm-up lap. By the time they completed one lap, the coach had arrived, and everyone gathered around to listen to him speak.

Coach Stevens spoke loudly and paced back and forth in front of the boys. He was a middle-aged man but tall and incredibly fit. The coach could easily pass for forty instead of his fifty-two years. He spoke of past championships and future goals. He welcomed back current runners and thanked the new boys for attending tryouts. After his speech, Coach separated the boys into two groups. One group ran laps around the track, and the other ran around a small modified cross-country track. After each group finished, they swapped until both groups had run on both tracks.

Everything went well for Kam throughout the tryout, except for one thing. Kam decided to run a little too fast on the cross-country track, which was a failure. An epic failure, to be honest. The kind of failure that could have gone viral if only it had been caught on camera. Kam turned a corner and failed to see a giant mud puddle. By the time he finished sliding through the mud on his belly, he was covered from head to toe. Kam glanced over to the bleachers and saw that Tommy had arrived and was laughing hysterically. He also saw the new boy. The guy that Leo said he met last night. The boy was sitting by himself near the top of the bleachers, watching the tryouts.

After the tryouts, the coach pulled Kam aside and told him he would be on the JV team. He patted Kam on the back, said he expected him to do well if he trained hard, and showed the speed he showed today. He also encouraged Kam to try out for the indoor track season in November.

Kam ran over to the bleachers to fill Leo and Tommy in on what the coach said, and then they all walked back over to Max. Max made team captain, as expected. Kam made JV, and Leo made varsity. Max’s girlfriend joined the four boys as they left the track field. As they walked across the field, Leo turned back and saw Reese sitting in the bleachers. He raised a hand and waved. Reese smiled and waved back, then Leo turned and continued walking off the field.

“Becca, you remember Leo, right? This is his brother, Kameron, and,” Max trailed off, looking at Tommy.

Kam spoke up. “This is my bestie, Tommy. Nice to meet you, Becca.”

Becca walked with Leo as they headed for the school parking lot. “Leo, are you still going out with Jasper Anderson?”

“No. We broke up last year.”

“You’re better off without him, in my opinion. He’s a jerk and a stoner. You’re the one that dumped him, I hope.”

 “Yes. He was the biggest mistake of my life, and I’ve moved on from all that.”

Becca looked Leo up and down. “You’re hot. I know three or four boys and half a dozen girls who would fight to go out with you. Forget that jerk. Anyway, do you guys want to go with Max and me to get ice cream to celebrate.”

Kam answered for all three. “Definitely!”

They got to the ice cream shop, and all got their cones. Leo and Max shared stories about Brandon, wondering how they had never all hung out together. Leo noticed Kam and Tommy were whispering off in a corner booth. He thought it was strange but put it out of his head. Leo was distracted with thoughts about meeting up with Charlie later.

Becca noticed that Leo kept looking at his phone.

“Hot date later, Leo?” Becca smirked.

“Um, no. Well, sort of.” Leo blushed.

Kam yelled over. “Don’t let him fool ya. It’s a date. Loverboy can’t stop gushing about the guy.” 

“Shut up, Kam.” Leo rolled his eyes at his brother. 

Becca leaned towards Leo. “Tell me more. Is he cute?”

Leo sighed. “He’s not just cute. He’s totally dreamy. I met him out on the beach yesterday. I told him I’d text him after the cross-country tryout.” Leo said while looking at his phone again.

Becca stood up. “Well, let’s get you home then. Come on, Max, let’s go.” Becca led the way out of the shop, and they all followed. Max dropped Leo, Kam, and Tommy off and continued towards his home.

Leo was out of the car and sprinting towards the house almost before the car even stopped. He took the stairs two at a time, rushed into his room, and quickly picked out a change of clothes. He darted out of his room and into the bathroom. Leo jumped into the shower before Kam even got into the house. After the quickest shower of his life, Leo got dressed and texted Charlie to find out where he was. Leo started blow-drying his hair and did his best to make it as presentable as possible in as short a time as possible. Then, he ran out of the house. Glancing down to check for a reply from Charlie. He ran towards the fence but then thought better of it. His body was still too sore for jumping. He turned and went around and onto the beach.

He looked up and down the beach and spotted Charlie at the water’s edge. Leo walked up and stood next to the other boy, not saying anything for a minute or two. Then Leo looked over at him. “Sorry, I took so long. A guy from the team took my brother and me out for ice cream to celebrate. We both made the team. I made varsity, and Kam made JV.”

Charlie turned towards Leo, reached out, and grabbed both his hands. “That’s awesome! I’m so happy for you both!” He leaned in and hugged Leo.

Leo hugged him back before saying, “Thanks, Charlie. I’m happy that Kam and I are doing something together. I think running will be perfect for both of us.” Leo put his hand against Charlie’s face. “You’re so gorgeous, Charlie.” He smiled shyly.

Leo begrudgingly pulled his hand away from Charlie. “We better stop now, or I may decide to try for more,”

Charlie smiled. “You can try, but I’m not sure how far I’d let you get.” He winked.

Leo cleared his throat. “Anyway, what did you do today? I wouldn’t want to suggest doing the same things you already did.” Leo asked.

“We went out on a boat from the aquarium down the street and went on a whale watch. That took up a few hours. It was pretty out on the water, and we did see a few whales. Then mom went shopping, and I walked around town for a while and then came down here.” Charlie took out his phone and showed it to Leo. “Here are the pics of the whales.”

“Let’s walk this way.” Leo held out one hand until Charlie took it. Then he started walking up the beach, away from the lighthouse. “There’s a small carnival up here. It’s only here in the summer. This is the last week that it will be here until next May. There’s a Ferris wheel, a few other rides, carnival games, and junk food! Do you want to go? Have you eaten yet?”

“That sounds fun! No, I haven’t had dinner, and carnival food sounds perfect! Let’s go.” Charlie squeezed Leo’s hand tighter, looked at him, and smiled as they walked up the beach towards the carnival.

By the time they had been at the carnival for twenty minutes, Leo clutched a giant stuffed panda bear almost as big as he was.

“I can never win at these carnival games. Thanks for winning this for me, Charlie. I love him. I’m going to name him Charlie. Charlie the Panda.” Leo laughed, leaned over, and kissed Charlie on the cheek. “Let’s ride the Ferris wheel before it gets too dark so I can show you my town from up high.”

The Ferris wheel line was short, and the boys were in a seat in just a few minutes. They waited as the worker ensured they were buckled in, and then he locked the safety bar. The ride began to slowly turn, stopping and starting at first while other passengers got on or off. Leo pointed out some of his favorite spots in town when the Ferris wheel neared the top.

“One of the things I love the most is that we’re at the ocean, but just a couple miles away, we can swim and fish in the river.” He pointed off to their left. “Just past where the coastline bends in is the little spot where the town gets its name, Pebble Cove. Named that way because the beach there has more pebbles than sand. The cove is pretty, the water is great, but the beach is terrible.” Leo pointed out something different to Charlie each time the Ferris wheel went up. He showed him the Seaport Village, where the old tall wooden ships were displayed. He showed him the shops that were set up to resemble a colonial village, and he showed him many other sights.

Charlie grabbed Leo’s hand. “You really love your town, don’t you?’

Leo turned his head to face Charlie. “I do. I mean, I get annoyed by the crowds during tourist season. Most tourists are jerks who don’t care about anything but themselves. They leave trash everywhere. They drink. They fight. I’m not too fond of that part. But the actual town I do love.”

“So, you hate tourists, huh?”  Charlie huffed out a laugh.

Leo blushed. “Cute tourists with hot Australian accents are the exception to my rule.” Leo turned in the seat to face Charlie, and he leaned in. Charlie was so nervous that he was nearly shaking, but he went for it. Eighteen years was long enough to wait for his first kiss. He wasn’t about to wait one minute longer. Charlie grabbed the front of Leo’s shirt with both hands and pulled him close. Their lips met tentatively at first. Charlie’s lips parted, and Leo’s tongue darted inside. Leo leaned back against the side of the Ferris wheel car, pulling Charlie down on top of him. The seat strap dug into Charlie’s chest, so he ducked under it, freeing himself. Leo ran his hands up and down Charlie’s broad, muscular back. Charlie had one hand braced against the seat to stop himself from falling and his other hand on the back of Leo’s neck, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened.

Clang! A loud metal bang rang in both boys’ ears, and they looked up, eyes wide. The ride had stopped. Their car was at the bottom, and the metal bar swung open. The carnival worker was looking at them with a look that was half scowl and half smirk.

“Get off my Ferris wheel, you two! Take that somewhere else.” He waved off in a direction away from the ride. “And you,” he pointed at Charlie. “If I ever see you on my ride again without the safety strap, I’ll kick you off permanently!”

Charlie mumbled. “Yes, sir. Of course, sir.” Then he grabbed Leo’s hand, and the two boys ran off as fast as they could away from the Ferris wheel and the line of people standing there and watching the entire thing.

They slowed down when they turned a corner and entered a different part of the carnival. Charlie spoke up. “Hey, do you want to grab something to eat?”

“Yum! Junky carnival food sounds great!” Leo chuckled. “Let’s go find some deep-fried chicken and onion rings, and when we’re done with that, some fried dough for dessert!”

Charlie rolled his eyes at the choices but followed as Leo led the way to the food booths.

After they ate what passed for dinner, the two boys walked through the carnival midway, finishing their fried dough. Leo glanced over at Charlie and smirked. He stepped directly in front of Charlie and looked up at the taller boy, then pulled Charlie’s face down to his own. As Leo leaned in close, his tongue darted out, and he slowly licked just to the side of Charlie’s mouth on both sides, then pulled back.

“What was that for?” Charlie beamed, his eyes burning with desire.

“Powdered sugar. I love it. I didn’t want to see it go to waste.” Leo shrugged and grinned and started walking again. They were passing through the carnival games when Leo suddenly stopped.

“I want to try and win something. This looks like a fun game. You won the panda for me. Now I want to win something for you.” Leo was hugging his giant panda as he spoke.

“Awe. I’m glad you like your panda, but you don’t have to win me anything. It’s sweet of you to want to, though.” Charlie replied.

“I know I don’t have to. I want to. Now hold onto Charlie, Jr.” Leo handed the panda to Charlie. The game had six big metal milk jugs, and the object was to toss a baseball into one of the pitchers—two dollars for three baseballs. Leo won four times and traded up for the prize he wanted. Sixteen dollars later, he handed a giant stuffed dolphin to Charlie.

“A dolphin to welcome you to our little fishing town.” Leo leaned in and kissed Charlie.

“Should I name him Leo?” Charlie smirked. “Nah. I won’t copy you. Pebbles for Pebble Cove.”

“That’s perfect.”

Charlie pulled Leo close and kissed him before pulling back and looking down into his eyes. “There are too many people around right here. Let’s walk somewhere else.”

Leo’s eyes lit up, and a devilish grin spread across his face. “Absolutely brilliant plan. Let’s go!”

The two boys headed towards the carnival exit, but Leo pointed between the fence and the Ferris wheel. “Back there. Behind the Ferris wheel. No one will ever go back there.” He pulled Charlie along by their linked hands until they were just outside the reach of the carnival lights. Now, in near darkness, Leo turned and faced Charlie. He placed one hand flat against the older boy’s chest and firmly yet gently pushed him up against the fence. Leo freed his other hand from Charlie’s grasp and slowly ran both hands up Charlie’s body until his hands were at the collar of Charlie’s light blue button-down shirt. Leo pulled on the collar, forcing Charlie to bend down slightly. Leo leaned in, and the two met in an open-mouthed kiss. Charlie was older. Charlie was taller. However, Leo was in charge. Leo broke away from Charlie’s mouth and started licking and kissing Charlie’s jawline, then moving up to his ear. After nibbling on Charlie’s ear, Leo began kissing the older boy’s neck.

Leo let go of Charlie’s collar, and his hands found their way to the top button of his shirt. He unbuttoned the top button and kissed the newly exposed skin. His fingers were shaking just a bit with nerves, and he undid the next button and then the next. He kissed and licked his way down with each button he released. Lower and lower. He was halfway down Charlie’s chest when he felt the other boy run his fingers through his hair and grip the top of his head.

“Yeah. Oh my God, Leo, that’s amazing.” Charlie said as he gently applied pressure, urging Leo even lower. Leo was on his knees in front of Charlie. More buttons unbuttoned—more kissing and licking. Leo finally released the bottom button on the shirt and spread the shirt open. Leo’s tongue darted out and into Charlie’s innie belly button. Charlie moaned and gripped Leo’s head even tighter. Leo rubbed up and down the front of Charlie’s khaki board shorts, feeling just how into this Charlie really was. Charlie moaned even louder. “Leo. Oh, God, Leo. Wait. Stop.” Charlie grabbed Leo’s shirt and pulled him back to a standing position. Charlie’s eyes were glazed over with lust, and he was breathing heavily. He took a deep breath and began to speak before Leo could cause him to change his mind. “We have to stop. I want you so bad, but not here. Not now.”

“Why? Did I do something wrong?” Leo had a worried look in his eyes.

“No. Oh, God, no. Absolutely not. It’s just that I,” Charlie hesitated and blushed before speaking again. “I’ve never done anything like this before. The kiss on the Ferris Wheel was my first ever kiss.” He put his hand up to stop Leo from interrupting. “I know we’ve just met, but I want more of my firsts to be with you. Not here, though. Not in a muddy field behind the carnival where anyone could,” As if on cue, a loud noise interrupted them.

Crash! Bang! “Hey! You two! What are you doing over there?! You don’t belong back here! The carnival is closed!” A voice yelled.

Both boys nearly jumped out of their skins. Leo spun and looked towards the yelling and saw a carnival worker. The man was emptying trash into a bin and had seen the boys. Leo grabbed Charlie’s hand, and they ran off into the darkness. They ran through the exit and out onto the beach. They never even slowed until they were near the path leading to Leo’s house, where they finally stopped.

 

Running Toward Love (Chapter 2)

Chapter 2

Charlie wasn’t sure how much further they would have to walk when Leo motioned for him to turn towards the right. They walked past a couple of picnic tables and across a grassy area to a fence at the edge of the beach. “This is it. I live right over there.” Leo pointed at a house across the street. “Will I ever see you again?” Leo asked, looking directly into Charlie’s eyes.

“I sure hope so. We’ve rented that cabin until the end of the week. What are you doing tomorrow?” Charlie replied with a grin. “I’d love to hang out sometime when I’m not saving you from a maniac.”

“School starts tomorrow. I could meet up with you afterward if you want.”

“What year of school are you in?”

“I start my senior year of high school tomorrow. You said that you just graduated, right?”

“Yep! I’m so glad I can finally focus on what I want to do rather than what the school wants me to do! I would have guessed you for a college boy, too. You look about the same age as me. I’ll be nineteen next month.”

“I’ll be eighteen in two weeks, not far behind you. Anyway, I need to get home before my brother sends out a search party. Should I look for you after school tomorrow?”

“I’m not sure what my mom has planned. Give me your number, and I’ll text you when I know our plans,” Charlie said.

Leo took Charlie’s phone and put in his contact information. When he handed it back, he leaned in and gave a surprised Charlie a quick kiss on the cheek. Leo grinned at a speechless Charlie, then turned and jumped the fence and walked home without looking back.

The kiss shocked Charlie. Leo kissed him! It was just a kiss on the cheek, but still, it meant that he probably liked him! Leo flirted the whole time, but the kiss was still a surprise. Charlie’s grin nearly split his face in two as he turned and retraced his steps back to the cabin by the lighthouse.

————————————————————————————————————

Leo went across the street and into his house, where he found his brother Kam sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the door. As soon as Leo was in the house, Kam was on his feet, asking his brother question after question. “What took you so long? Are you alright? Hey, what happened to your face?”

“Kam! Stop with the questions. Let’s go to my room, and we can talk there.” Leo said as he led his brother up the stairs and into his bedroom. Leo sat at his desk and motioned for Kam to sit on the bed. “I’ll tell you everything that happened, but you have to promise not to tell anyone, Kam. Not anyone! Understand?”

“Yeah. Of course. Like always. We always keep each other’s secrets and watch each other’s backs. We’re brothers.” Kam held his fist out to his brother. Leo complied, and they bumped fists and grinned silly grins.

“Ok. Well, here it goes.” Leo told Kam about everything that had happened since they split up until Leo returned to the house. Kam listened without once interrupting. When Leo finished, Kam gave out a low whistle.

“Wow, bro. You had a busy morning after I left.”    Kam said.

“Yeah, I know, right! Scary. Awful. Amazing. Confusing. I don’t know what to feel right now!” Leo ran his fingers through his hair and slumped back into his chair.

Kam scowled, then looked at his brother. “First, we have to worry about Dad and what he will say about your bruises. He’ll flip out if you tell him it was about Jasper.”

“Hmm. Hey! I’ll tell him I went swimming after our run, and a surfboard clipped me. I’d rather he thought I was an idiot and wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings than deal with him going off about Jazz again.”

“That might work for dad, but Jasper and Matt will have to be dealt with eventually. Now, what about this boy, Charlie? Do you think you’ll see him again? Should you even bother? You said he’s a tourist just here until the end of the week.” Kam stared intently at his brother, waiting for answers.

“He’s super-hot! That hair and those eyes. Mm-hm. I sure hope I see him again. I gave him my number and asked him to text me tomorrow when he knows his plans. Yes, I know he’s a tourist, but he makes me smile. I haven’t smiled because of a boy in a long time, Kam.” Leo said with a grin. “Plus, there’s just something about him. I can’t even explain it. The connection was immediate and strong. Maybe it was him saving me from Matt, but I looked up into those dark brown eyes, and my heart skipped a beat. At that moment, I felt more for him than I ever felt in eight months with Jazz. So, yes. Yes, I plan to see him again. I hope he feels the same way! Who knows what can happen in a week? Maybe he’ll stay!” Leo spun the chair around, leaning against the back, looking at his brother.

“You just met him, and he’s a tourist. Enjoy the week, but be careful. I’ll reheat breakfast. Mom, Dad, and Allison went to the mall for last-minute school shopping. Mom said she’d take you and me later today.” Kam disappeared down the hall, and Leo gathered some clean clothes and headed towards the bathroom to shower.

After Leo’s shower, he took a good long look at himself in the mirror. The bruises looked terrible, but he could move without too much pain. Nothing felt broken. Mrs. Davis was probably right about that; thank goodness his ankle already felt better! He had Charlie to thank. Matt probably would have done even more damage if Charlie hadn’t been there to stop him. Leo quickly shook thoughts of Charlie out of his head before he became distracted, and his food got cold again. He finished in the bathroom and went downstairs to join his brother for breakfast.

————————————————————————————————————

After breakfast, the two boys entered the living room and played Xbox. After killing each other a dozen times in Call of Duty, they turned the game off. Leo started channel surfing, and Kam took out his phone and started texting. Soon, their family returned home from the mall, and Leo and Kam left with their mom. Once at the mall, their mom explicitly instructed Kam on what she expected him to buy but just handed Leo some money. They each went their separate ways to find what they needed.

Leo nearly finished shopping, thoughts of the upcoming school year clouding his mind. Thoughts of dealing with Jasper, thoughts of Charlie, all these thoughts ran through his head. His vision started spinning, and he felt himself begin to sweat. He leaned heavily onto the checkout counter.

“Sir? Are you ok? Sir?” The cashier spoke to Leo and grabbed his arm as she saw him start to lean forward. To Leo, the entire store began to spin and go dark. He lost his grip on the counter and fell to the floor. Hands grabbed him, but the voices sounded far away, and everything was dark.

Leo felt something cold and damp against his forehead, and he faintly heard someone saying his name and talking to him. He opened his eyes, and things weren’t so dark, and the spinning had slowed. He closed his eyes again, leaned back against the counter, and listened to the voice talking to him. The voice sounded familiar. Leo opened his eyes again. The spinning stopped. He blinked. The first things he saw were the EMT uniform and the stretcher. Leo groaned. He did not want to end up at the hospital. Leo wasn’t ready to tell his mom that the dizzy spells were back. He looked up, and when he saw the face of the EMT, he smiled. It was Kyle, the same EMT who had saved his life six years ago.

“Hey, Kyle. Fancy meeting you here. I hope you’re not planning on putting me on that thing.” Leo pointed at the stretcher.

“Hi, Leo. It has been a long time. Which is good, considering my line of work.” Kyle reached over and removed the cold rag from Leo’s forehead. “How are you feeling? What happened?”

“Kyle, can we move over to the bench out of the store?” Leo started to push himself up off the floor.

Kyle helped Leo to his feet and held onto his arm as they paid for Leo’s purchases. They then walked out to the bench and sat down. “So, what happened, Leo? The cashier said it looked like you got dizzy and passed out.”

Leo looked down, then looked back at Kyle. “I think it was just a bad anxiety attack. There’s been a lot on my mind lately. But I’ll be candid with you, Kyle. I’ve had a few dizzy spells and headaches. At least a couple a week. I’m a little worried.”

“Do you want me to take you to the hospital now, Leo? With your history, it’s better to be safe than sorry. It might just be anxiety, but it might be something more.” As he talked, Kyle took Leo’s blood pressure and pulse readings. “All your vitals look good, but I am happy to load you into the ambulance and take you to the hospital. Is your mom here in the mall?”

“Yeah. Mom and Kam are both here. I appreciate you looking after me again, Kyle, but I don’t want to go to the hospital. If the dizzy spells continue, I promise to tell Mom. I promise. I really do think it’s just the anxiety.” Leo told Kyle all that had been going on in his life. The breakup with Jasper, the fight with Matt, meeting Charlie, worries about school, everything.

“Wow. That is a lot. It could be the anxiety, but I’ll hold you to that promise about telling your mom if you get dizzy again. You know better than anyone how important this is. You can’t mess around when it comes to brain injuries. Please don’t make me sic Doc Danny on you! Anyway, if you’re sure you don’t want to go to the hospital, I have to get going.” Kyle stood up and rested a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “You sure you’re ok, Leo?”

“Yeah. I’m good now, Kyle. Thanks a lot. I’m glad it was you that came for me again. Spilling my guts and telling you everything probably helped more than anything else. I’m feeling much better.” Leo stood and gathered his shopping bags as Kyle said one last goodbye, tossed his medical bag onto the stretcher and left.

Leo glanced at his watch. “Damn!” He hurried off toward the mall food court, already fifteen minutes past the time his mom had said for him to be there.

————————————————————————————————————

After they got home from the mall, the boys put their things away and went to the backyard to help their dad set up for the barbecue. “What happened to you?” Leo’s dad asked him.

“I was swimming this morning after my run. I guess I drifted out too far without realizing it, and the next thing I knew, a surfboard crashed right into me. It hit my face and my ribs. I’m pretty sore, but I’m ok, Dad.” Leo said, hoping his father would believe the story.

“Hmph! Be more careful out there. You could have hurt yourself worse or hurt the surfer. Pay attention to your surroundings, Leo. Now get the food from your mother. Kam, help your brother and bring the plates out, too.” Their father said.

When the boys returned with all the food and other supplies for the barbecue, their sister, Allison, came out with them. The boys set the stuff on the picnic table, and Alli began setting it up.

“Nice shiner, big brother,” Allison said.

“Thanks,” Leo said, shaking his head and repeating what he told their father.

Alli smirked and whispered, “Matt?”

Leo sighed, shook his head, and motioned for his sister to walk with him. Once they turned the corner of the house, he said, “Come on, Alli, you know dad would freak out. Please don’t get me in trouble. Please.”

“Of course not. It would be best if you talked to Jazz, though. As much of a dick as he turned out to be, I don’t think he’d want to see you get hurt.” Allison said.

“I know. I’m sure I’ll see Jazz at school. I’ll say something to him. Maybe he’ll keep Matt away from me. I hate asking him for a favor, but maybe it’s the only way.” Leo said. “Anyway, let’s get back before Dad gets mad.”

————————————————————————————————————

After dinner, Leo told his mom he was going for a walk on the beach. As he was about to leave the house, Kam caught up to him. “Hey, Leo, want me to come with you?”

“Nah, bro. I am only going to take a walk and chill out for a bit. I’m not going too far.” Leo blushed and smiled. “Maybe just as far as the lighthouse.”

“Ah-ha! Ok, bro. Have fun! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Kam laughed.

“Well, that leaves my options wide open!” Leo clapped his brother on the shoulder, turned, and left the house. He jogged across the street and leaped over the fence onto the beach like he’d done a million times before. This time, though, he winced in pain when he landed. Mentally cursing himself for his stupidity, he turned and started walking up the beach toward the lighthouse, hoping to see Charlie.

About halfway to the lighthouse, Leo saw a lone figure standing at the water’s edge, throwing rocks into the sea. He looked close to make sure it wasn’t Matt, but it wasn’t. It was Charlie. Leo walked up behind the other boy. Leo saw a look of intense concentration on Charlie’s face, apparently lost in his thoughts and not paying attention to his surroundings. Leo leaned in close. “Hey, gorgeous. You come here often.”

Charlie jumped and spun around. “Leo! You scared the crap out of me!” Charlie clutched at his heart, took a deep breath, and then laughed. “I didn’t think I would see you again until tomorrow. How did I get so lucky?”

Leo shrugged and smiled. “I guess I wanted to see you again tonight. I can’t stay long, though. It’s already late, and tomorrow is the first day of school. Walk with me back towards my house?”

“I’m glad you came. I wanted to see you again, too. Yeah, let’s walk.” Charlie held out his hand towards Leo. Leo took Charlie’s hand, and the two walked back towards Leo’s house, hand in hand.

About halfway there, they heard someone yell from off to their right. “Hey! Hey, guys! Wait a minute!”

Leo cringed and nearly hid behind Charlie before he realized that the voice did not belong to Matt. He turned and saw a boy about his age running from the beach parking lot toward where he and Charlie stood.

The boy ran up and stopped right in front of Leo. “Thanks for waiting. I… I’m kinda lost.” The boy huffed out a laugh. “We just moved here a couple days ago, and I was out walking around the neighborhood, but now I don’t know where my street is. Can you guys send me in the right direction for Spruce Street?” The boy ran a hand through his short, sandy brown hair. He looked at Leo, but then he blushed and looked down, unable to maintain eye contact.

Leo smiled and blushed a little. This guy was cute, but Leo was standing there holding hands with Charlie. After nearly seven months of being single, he meets two cuties on the same day. What are the odds?! Leo cleared his throat. “Uh, go back through that parking lot you were just in, and then take a left. Take your first right and then another left. Spruce will be the second left. It’s actually only one street away from where I live. Welcome to the neighborhood! My name is Leo.”

“Thanks, Leo. I’m Reese. Maybe I’ll see you at school. Have a good night!” And with that, Reese turned and ran back toward the parking lot, disappearing into the growing darkness.

Leo and Charlie walked silently for a while, each casting quick glances at the other before Charlie finally cleared his throat, breaking the silence. “So, are you excited for senior year? Have you decided on a college yet?”

“Yes, for the first question, and no for the second one. I’m still not sure what I want to do with my life. Probably business management, but my dad is trying to push me into something science-related. Everything in my life is just so confusing right now. That’s why I’ve started running every morning with my brother. It’s the only time I can focus and think things through. I’m even considering trying out for cross country or track. Kam is, too. He will be a freshman this year, so this is the perfect time to get involved. They might not want a senior who has never really run before.” Leo shrugged.

“That would be so cool if you both made the team! I’m sure you can do it. Is that what you were doing on the beach this morning? Training?”

“Yeah. We were running on the beach, but I stopped to rest, and Kam went ahead. That’s why I was alone when Matt found me.”

“That dude was a jerk. I’m glad I showed up when I did.”

Before they knew it, they were at the fence across from Leo’s house. The sun was setting, and it was dusk but not dark.

“I guess this is my stop.” Leo looked up into Charlie’s dark eyes; Charlie was a good three inches taller. “I’ll see you tomorrow, I guess. I’ll text you when I get home, and you can tell me your plans.”

“That sounds great. I’ll make sure that I have some free time to meet up.” Charlie leaned in, very close to Leo.

Leo leaned back and felt his back press firmly against the fence. Charlie was so close that Leo could feel his body heat. “O-ok. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

Charlie leaned in even closer. He thought about kissing Leo, then chickened out at the last minute. Charlie wasn’t sure how far they wanted this to go, knowing he was leaving in just a few days.

Leo sighed, still looking up at Charlie. “I have to go.” He leaned in and gave the other boy a quick hug. “Good night! See you tomorrow!” This time, Leo went around the fence instead of jumping over it. He returned home as Charlie turned and started walking back towards the lighthouse, smiling like an idiot.

————————————————————————————————————

Leo rolled over and turned off his alarm clock two minutes before the alarm would have buzzed, 5:03am. He was about to get up, but then he realized that he shouldn’t run this morning, just in case. Two dizzy spells yesterday convinced him to take it easy, at least for today. Leo slung his arm over his eyes and relaxed. No running meant he didn’t need to get up and into the shower for at least another half hour. He let his mind wander over the events of the previous day. A lot happened. His morning run ended with a dizzy spell, and then there was the fight with Matt and Charlie rescuing him. Then, Charlie takes care of him at the lighthouse, the panic attack at the mall, and finally he met up with Charlie again. He thought they were about to kiss for a moment, but then it didn’t happen. Maybe next time!

Today was the first day of senior year. He supposed that he should hunt down Jasper and talk with him about Matt once he was at school. Leo didn’t want to talk with Jazz, but the harassment and fights had to stop. He also thought about possibly trying out for track and pushing Kameron into trying out. Most of all, Leo was thinking about getting through the school day, returning home, and hanging out with Charlie.

All of this replayed in Leo’s mind as he lay there in bed. He glanced at the clock again, 5:42. Time to get up and get ready for school, or as his best friend Brandon called it, prison.

————————————————————————————————————

Leo looked at the lock screen on his phone as he left Starbucks at 6:52. He still had plenty of time to catch the bus. He peered over at Kam. “You ready for your first day of high school, little bro?”

“Yeah. For sure. I mean, maybe a little nervous but excited, too. Are we still trying out for cross country or track or whatever?”

“Yeah. I think Brandon knows someone on the team. I’ll find out about tryouts and text you.”

The two brothers strolled to the bus stop and joined their neighborhood’s small group of kids. Leo spotted the new boy he met last night and waved. He was about to go over and say hi, but the bus pulled up. Then, the boy was lost in the crowd of kids. Leo sat on the bus next to his brother and looked around for the new boy, but he didn’t see him. Kam arched an eyebrow at his brother. “Who is he? Obviously, not your tourist friend since he’s on the school bus.”

“No. Just a guy I met on the beach last night. He was lost and asked for directions. He lives on Spruce Street. I guess he just moved here.”

Kam smirked. “Maybe you should rethink your tourist crush. Why bother with someone who will only be here a few days when you have a new cutie to set your sights on.”

Leo sighed. “I know Charlie is only here for a few days, but I like him, Kam. I don’t know anything about this other guy besides the fact that he just moved here. He’s probably straight. Who knows.”

“I just don’t want to see you get your heart broken again so soon after Jazz. Be careful, bro.”

“Totally. I will. We’re here. I’ll text you after I talk to Brandon. Have fun.”

————————————————————————————————————

Leo spotted Brandon in the parking lot as soon as he got off the bus. He jogged over to catch up to his friend before he reached the building. “Hey, buddy, what’s up? Didn’t see much of ya this summer. How’re things with Brett?”

Brandon clapped Leo on the back. “Great, my friend, just great. Sucks he’s going to school so far away, but I’ll still see him on weekends. The perils of dating a college boy, I guess! Now, we need to find you a boyfriend.” Brandon smirked.

Leo chuckled. “I’m kinda working on that myself.” He blushed and smiled.

“Really?” Brandon turned and looked at his friend. “Whoa! What the hell happened to you?” He said, seeing the bruises for the first time.

“Matt,” Leo said with a grimace. “I’ll tell you all about it in between classes. There’s a lot to the story. Good things and bad.”

“He needs a good ass whipping. Want me to sic Brett on him?” Brandon asked.

“No. Matt already got his ass whipped. That’s part of my story.” Leo grinned.

“You beat up Matt?” Brandon asked, surprised.

“No. Not me. My guardian angel did.” Leo grinned.

“Now, I’m interested! You better tell me the whole story! I want juicy details!” Brandon laughed. “See you at lunch.”

 

Running Toward Love (Prologue)

Prologue

Leo Kennedy hated family picnics, and the annual Memorial Day picnic at his grandparent’s house was always the worst, in his opinion. At least this year, the weather was beautiful; it was eighty-four degrees, and no clouds were in the sky. Last year, it rained, and everyone was jammed inside the house. He scanned the crowd of relatives, looking for his brother Kameron, but he didn’t see him anywhere.

Leo grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler and jumped over the porch railing, heading for the yard’s edge. He just wanted to be left alone if he couldn’t find Kam. He was about to sit down when he noticed someone else sitting alone, staring off into the distance. Leo thought momentarily, then picked up his chair and strolled over to where the man was seated. He sat down on his lawn chair next to the older man. “Hey, Uncle Kai, nice day, isn’t it?”

Kai took off his sunglasses and made a show of looking all around and behind his nephew. “You look like my nephew Leo, but he usually has two shadows close at his heels. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him by himself before.”

Leo snorted with laughter. “Jazz had to go to his family picnic, and I’m unsure where Kam went. I’m by myself, sometimes.”

“Jasper is a very close friend, isn’t he?” Kai asked with a raised eyebrow.

Leo blushed. “We’ve been best friends since the first day of kindergarten, and sophomore year is over in two weeks! So, yeah, we’re pretty close.”

“Leo, I want you to know that you can come to me any time and ask me anything. Even things that your parents may not be willing to understand.”

“I know, Uncle Kai. Thank you.” Leo squirmed in his seat and then looked back at his uncle. “Uncle Kai, how come grandma won’t even mention your friend’s name, the one that died in the war. Today is Memorial Day, a day to remember people like that. The family knew him. Shouldn’t we celebrate him most of all?”

Tears stung Kai’s eyes. “I celebrate him every single day, Leo.”

“He was your best friend, wasn’t he?”

The beginnings of a smile formed on Kai’s face. “Yes, Leo, he was my best friend.”

“Was he,” Leo hesitated, “was he more than your best friend?”

“He was much more than my best friend. He was the love of my life. He was my hero long before he was a hero to the country. He won me my freedom, then went to Kuwait and Iraq to win others their freedom.”

“What do you mean he won you your freedom? Freedom from what?”

“Freedom from your grandmother. I’m sure you can see how she is. You are a brilliant boy for sixteen, Leo. After your father moved out, your grandmother monopolized all my time. She wanted me with her always. Anytime that anyone got close, she tried to push them away. Doug was the only one who stuck by me, and it was only because of him that I managed to get out from under her thumb. That’s why she still hates him to this day, even though he’s been dead for over thirty years.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean about grandma. I love her, but she is a bit overbearing. How did he help you, though? Why does she hate him so much?”

“You say she’s overbearing? That doesn’t even describe how she was when I was your age. She had me scared of everything. Fear was my constant companion, especially the fear of change. Any change sent me into extreme anxiety attacks. Doug was the only one who could pull me out of it. By age eighteen, I knew the only way to have an everyday life was to leave this house. She tried to make me stay, but the thoughts of Doug pushed me forward through my fear. Let me tell you a story, Leo. The story of the day I finally moved out of this house. The day that Doug won his first battle and gained me my freedom.

 

The door was open, but fear held Kai in place. He needed to go through the door.  Four steps, only four steps. He just needed the courage to make his feet take those last four steps.

Fear gnawed away at Kai Kennedy’s soul, infecting almost everything in his life. Now, finally, on the verge of freedom, he was even scared of not being scared anymore. He was used to the fear. Change is what had him scared now. Change of any kind was a frightening prospect for Kai. 

Kai’s life had been almost entirely unchanged for nearly eighteen years. Kai lived with his mother. He knew his mother loved him, but it was an overbearing, jealous love. Kai’s mother craved attention. She needed all of Kai’s attention. All of Kai’s love. If he gave love or attention to anyone or anything else, it sent his mother into a rage. So, Kai gave his mother the care she needed. He didn’t go out with friends. He didn’t date or do anything except spend time with his mother. 

Kai’s thoughts returned to his present situation. The doorway. He still wasn’t any closer to it than he had been ten minutes ago. He knew a different life was waiting for him outside that door. He wanted that life, but he was scared to leave this one. It’s not that he liked his life; it’s just that he was used to it. It was comfortable. Kai smiled for a minute. The reasons he thought of as positive were the reasons Doug told him he needed to change it. It was Doug who made Kai smile. It was Doug who gave Kai the strength to consider this change. Thoughts of Doug made Kai smile again, and he stepped towards the door.

Three more steps now, and he’d be free in just three more steps.

 Kai couldn’t see through the doorway for some reason. Even though the door was open, it was just darkness where the doorway should have been, and it was the middle of the afternoon. Kai was beginning to feel lightheaded and dizzy from all the emotions raging through his heart and mind. His thoughts drifted back to his mother.

There had been plenty of good times between Kai and his mother. They had a lot of fun together over the years. He laughed when he remembered some of the family gatherings. He loved his family, especially his mom. He just wished she would let him love other people as well. When Kai gets too close to someone, his mother grows angry and tries to destroy the relationship. She would try to fill Kai’s mind with any fault she could find with the other person. If that didn’t work, she would use so much of Kai’s time doing things for her that the other person would grow tired of it and leave. The exception to this was Doug. Doug had stayed by Kai’s side through thick and thin. Doug wouldn’t allow Kai’s mother to drive him away. Kai’s mother hated Doug because of that, but Kai wouldn’t listen to her about him. The thought of his mother’s hatred of the one thing he loved angered Kai, and he took another step forward.

Two more steps now, just two more steps.   

Kai loved his mother… and hated her simultaneously, if that was possible. He loved her for all the good things she had brought into his life. She had brought him up well and taught him a lot, but she had also sheltered him from the rest of the world. Kai didn’t believe that she did it on purpose. She craved the attention and felt she deserved it. She told him she had given up much for him and expected him to do the same for her. Kai had done just that. He had been made fun of throughout school because he was so different. He was always off alone and didn’t get involved in any activities with anyone else. That was until Doug came into his life. Doug talked Kai into doing things. They weren’t terrible things, but things that a kid like Kai should have been doing all along. Things like going to Prom. That’s when Kai’s mother’s dislike of Doug became pure hatred. She could sense that Kai was drifting away from her. She tried to drive a wedge between Kai and Doug, but it was too late. Her meddling in their relationship drove Kai closer to Doug instead of the other way around. Two months later, a moving van stood packed in the driveway, filled with all of Kai’s things. Kai was moving out of his mother’s house and into his own apartment. An apartment he would share with Doug. Kai’s mother told him that she would never want to see him again if he did that. She thought that he would change his mind. He didn’t. He cried at the things his mother said to him and about him, but he felt she would reconsider after she calmed down. Her threats only made him surer of his decision. He cleared his head and came back to the present again. He took another step towards the doorway.

One more step now, only one more step.

Kai’s mother was screeching in the background. “Kai, you will be sorry if you go with him! Please don’t leave me! He won’t be there for you like I always am, Kai! You’re making a mistake! Don’t go to him!”

Just as Kai thought he couldn’t take that last step, a hand reached through the doorway. Kai smiled. He would recognize that hand anywhere. Kai could have grasped that hand and let himself be pulled through the door, but Kai knew for his own peace of mind that he needed to take the last step himself. Knowing who was on the other side and waiting for him to step through was all the help he needed. Kai took a deep breath, looked back one last time, and stepped through the doorway.

As soon as he was on the other side of the door, Kai felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders. The moment’s stress overcame him, Kai grew weak, and the world around him dimmed. Kai started to fall, but he never hit the ground. He felt himself being carried down the steps and away from the house. Kai looked up and saw the face of his best friend, his boyfriend, Doug. Kai knew he was safe. Before he allowed himself to drift off, his last thought was that his life would never be the same. Kai wasn’t scared anymore. Kai Kennedy was finally free.

 

Leo had tears streaming down his face. “Uncle Kai, that was a beautiful story, and Doug should be celebrated just for that, even if he hadn’t ever gone to war.”

Kai patted his nephew’s hand. “Thank you for saying that, Leo, but I think you know that most in this family would not agree.”

Leo blushed. “I know. It really sucks. You don’t think my dad would accept a relationship like that?”

Kai struggled to find the right words. “The look in his eyes, even today, when I mention Doug tells me that he probably wouldn’t. Times are much different now than in 1986 when I was your age. Even if you don’t feel you can tell your dad yet, there must be people you can talk to.”

Leo’s eyes grew wide. “Me? What makes you think I’m asking these questions because of me?”

Kai rolled his eyes. “I’m old, but I’m not dead. Even before we started talking today, I suspected. I see the way you and Jasper look at each other. It reminds me so much of Doug and me. Are you two, uh, are you two a couple?”

Now Leo was really blushing. “No! Nothing like that!” He shrugged. “Not yet, anyway. We have talked about it. A lot. And Uncle Kai, you’re not old!”

Kai chuckled. “At sixteen, I definitely considered fifty-three old, but thank you for saying that.”

“You’re the coolest adult I know, Uncle Kai. You’re not gonna tell anyone about me, are you?”

“Of course not. No one should ever be outed against their will by someone else. I do suggest you find someone that you trust to tell. Maybe your brother or your sister?”

“Definitely not Allison. Maybe Kam. I can trust him.”

“Speak of the devil. There he is now.”

Kam waved from the other side of the yard. Leo grinned. “I should go check on him before he gets himself into trouble. Thanks for the talk, Uncle Kai. I’m glad you know. Your friend Doug was a true hero. Happy Memorial Day!”

Kai Kennedy wiped the tears from his eyes as he watched Leo race across the yard. Tears of sadness at the memory of his lost love, but also tears of joy at the bright future he sensed for his young nephew.

CinderEli

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.

New Justyce – Episode 1

Episode 1: The Meteors

Logan Kastala’s eyes widened in fear, and he lifted his arms to try and shield his face. The car hit Logan before he had time to try to get out of the way. Everything went black, and Logan felt himself lifted off the ground. Logan’s world started to spin, and he stopped just as quickly. Logan was in total darkness. He tried to move his arms, but a soft barrier wrapped entirely around him like a blanket of feathers. Logan felt another person in the darkness with him as he struggled to move.

“Hey! What’s going on? Who’s there? What happened?” Logan asked.

The soft barrier parted, letting in the light. Logan blinked and saw a face, his friend, Obadiah. “Obie? Did you push me out of the way of that car? You have always been helping me out of tough spots lately. I can’t believe you saved me again!” Logan laughed but cut his laugh short when he got a better look at his friend. “Obie?” Logan said, backing up slowly. “What’s going on? Why do you have wings? Am I dead? Are you an angel?” Tears welled up in Logan’s eyes.

Obadiah grasped Logan’s arms. “Don’t be scared, Logan. You’re not dead. I do have wings, but I’m still the same guy you’ve come to know over the last few weeks.” He tried to give Logan a reassuring smile. “I’m still your friend.”

“Are you an angel? An alien? Something else?” Logan didn’t pull away from Obadiah, but he was visibly shaking.

“You would call me an angel. We call ourselves Seraphim. We are not religious spirits from a place called Heaven. We come from an alternate plane of existence. The doorway from our world to yours opens in what you call outer space. A long time ago, a human saw one of us coming to Earth. They saw him “descend from the Heavens,” and the myth of angels sprang up from that sighting.” Obie guided Logan into the park while they talked. They finally settled at a picnic table off by themselves.

“Why me? Why would you befriend and help me? Do other people know about you?” Logan peered around behind him, looking for Obadiah’s wings. “I can’t see your wings anymore. Where do they go?”

“The wings are always there, but you can’t always see them. As far as helping you and befriending you? I genuinely like you. I sense great and special things in your future, Logan. You will do amazing things. I’m sure of it.” Obie said.

Logan blushed. “I’m nothing special.”

“Oh, but you are. I know it.” Obadiah’s smiling face turned suddenly serious. “I may face serious consequences for revealing myself to you. You may never see me again. My father sits on the Council of Judgement, though I doubt even his influence can save me. There is something I want you to have, just in case.” Obie’s wings reappeared, and he plucked one bright silvery feather, and then the wings vanished again. Obadiah handed the feather to Logan, saying, “Keep this close. You will feel my presence when I am on Earth, and I can sense if you are in danger.”

Logan clutched the feather close to his chest. “I’m trying to wrap my head around everything. I was almost run over by a car, and then an angel saved my life. An angel who happens to be my friend. I thought you were becoming my best friend, and then you gave me a magic feather plucked from your wing and told me it’s also a danger beacon. Could things get any weirder?” Logan huffed out a laugh. “All of this is overwhelming, but I mean it when I say thank you, Obie. I need a minute to process all of this.”

Obadiah reached across the table and took one of Logan’s hands. “Everything will be ok. I promise. I sensed remarkable things for you from the first time we met.” Obie leaned across the table, staring intently into Logan’s eyes. “You are special. Special to me, but also to the entire world.”

Logan blushed. “I appreciate hearing that, but I’m not. I barely know what I’m doing from one day to the next. How am I supposed to have an important destiny? You must have me confused with someone else.” Logan huffed out a laugh.

“I could never confuse you for anyone else,” Obadiah smirked. “I can’t see your future, Logan. I can only sense that you have an important destiny. You will have to overcome many difficult challenges soon, but you will not be alone. Others will gather around you. It is important that you lead them. Remember that as the events unfold.”

“Well, that’s frightening. I am not a leader. Won’t you be around to help guide me through whatever happens?”

“If I can be here, I will be. I fear that if my actions today are known to the Council, they will call me home to face judgment.” Obie frowned, his eyes downcast.

Logan reached over and lifted Obie’s face. “Your actions today were heroic. You saved my life. You didn’t do anything wrong. They must see that.”

“We are forbidden from interacting with humans. My intentions will not matter.”

“Let me talk to them. I’ll make them understand.” Logan reached across the table and took Obadiah’s hands in his own.

“That would only make things worse. I hope I am wrong, but I may never see you again after today. Please know that it wasn’t my choice to abandon you.”

“I hope you’re wrong! I care about you, Obie. So, if I might never see you again, I better do this now.” He closed the remaining distance between them and kissed Obadiah.

A bright flash of light caused both boys to quickly pull back from the kiss. Logan grinned and said, “Wow. That kiss made the sun brighter.” But then his smile faded. Three angels stood behind Obadiah. Two of them wore shining silver armor. They grabbed Obadiah’s arms and pulled him to his feet. The third angel wore a golden suit and black tie and was obviously in charge. Logan could see their wings. The two armored angels had silver wings like Obadiah’s. The third angel had golden wings.

The angel in the suit spoke first. “Obadiah, son of Samael, I hereby place you under arrest by order of the Council of Judgement. You are to accompany me to the Council Chambers for your trial.”

Logan sprang up from his seat. “No! He didn’t do anything wrong! He saved my life! How can that be a crime?”

Abathar glared at Logan. “Your words have no bearing on the business of the Seraphim. Obadiah knows our laws. He chose to break not one but three. Forget you ever saw us. Especially forget you ever saw him.” Abathar pointed at Obadiah.

“I’ll never forget him. We’ll find a way to be together again. You can’t stop us.” Logan scowled, then looked at Obie, and his smile returned. “I’ll wait for you, Obie. No matter how long it takes.”

Abathar scoffed. “Let us be gone.” He motioned toward the other two Seraphim.

Obadiah reached out toward Logan but looked at Abathar. “Wait! I….”

He started to say more, but Logan never heard what Obadiah would say. All four angels disappeared in a flash of light. Logan waited for a while but finally gave up and went home. He hoped that Obie was telling the truth about the feather. He clutched it tight and prayed it would someday lead him to Obie.

—————————————————————————————————

The two Seraphim Law Keepers dragged Obadiah through the Council chambers and pushed him into the Judgement Seat. The Law Keepers fastened the restraints and left the room. Obie’s face contorted in rage as he turned to look at the third Seraphim. “You could have let me say goodbye to him, at least. Two more minutes would not have mattered to you, Abathar.”

“If you want mercy, speak to Zadkiel. I seek only to see you judged for your crimes against our society. Crimes which you added to just before our arrival.” A look of disappointment and disgust crossed Abathar’s face. “With these new crimes, even your father won’t be able to help you, Obadiah. You held such promise.”

Obadiah sat straight up in his chair and stared directly into Abathar’s golden yellow eyes. “I did what my heart commanded of me. If the Council considers that a crime, then so be it! I have no regrets!”

The doors at the end of the Great Hall opened, and six Seraphim entered, all with golden-hued wings. Abathar joined the other Council members. Three sat on each side of the table. The last, the High Judge, stood opposite the Judgement Seat. The High Judge, Azrael, spoke to the accused. “Obadiah, your father pleaded with the Council to show you mercy. We were inclined to accept his wishes until news of your added crimes reached us. Your crimes have tied our hands, and our decision is final.”

Obie glared at each member of the Council. His father wouldn’t even meet his gaze. He clenched his teeth and looked directly at Azrael. “I did nothing wrong. There is not one thing I did that hurt anyone here or on Earth. I saved Logan’s life and fell in love with him. He has an important destiny. I’m sure of it. Earth benefits from what I did. I committed no crimes!”

Azrael shook his head. “You know that interfering in a human’s life is not allowed. You also know that engaging in sex with a human is a crime. And just for your crime of same-sex activity, the punishment is banishment. All three of these crimes individually are serious offenses. You committed all three. We cannot ignore that.”

Obie blushed in embarrassment and anger. “I did not have sex with Logan! And besides, none of those things should be crimes. Love is not a crime. Humans are a lot like us. If we interact with them more, we can help them. They can even help us in some ways! Your views are ancient and bigoted.”

“My views are that of our people. They are the law. You kissed that human boy. If we allowed it to continue, you would have gone further. Obadiah, you know why we passed these laws. The last time a Seraphim became involved with a human, he impregnated her. The humans called it a miracle birth. They still have wars over it over two thousand years later! The Council cannot excuse your actions.” Azrael walked over to Obadiah. “Obadiah, son of Samael, you are forever banished from our kingdom. If you return, your sentence will be death.” Azrael pushed a button, signaling the Law Keepers to return. Azrael and the other six members of the Judgement Council left the room. Samael never once glanced back at his son.

Obadiah’s screams echoed throughout the Great Hall as the Law Keepers cut away his wings and dragged him to the Plains of Judgement. Obie saw his father in the crowd, “Father! They took my wings! Father! Help me!” Samael merely turned his back and walked away.

The Law Keepers opened a rift to the blackness of space above the Earth. They forced Obadiah to stand and then pushed him through the breach.

As Obadiah fell through space, his Seraphim power leaked out of the wounds on his back, mixed with his blood. The power attracted space dust and rocks that gathered around the young Seraphim like a meteor shower. Obie entered the Earth’s atmosphere as part of the most massive meteorological event ever recorded. So many rocks surrounded Obadiah that no telescope caught sight of his body at the storm’s center. The meteors, glowing with a bluish light, streaked through the warm August night sky on a collision course with a small town on the east coast of the United States. Newville, Virginia, would never be the same. The entire world was about to change forever.

————————————————————————————————–

Carl Chambers pounded his enormous fist on the table. “Full house? How do you have another hand like that, Myers?” Carl threw his cards into the air.

Rick Myers shrugged his shoulders and grinned. “Lucky night, I guess.”

“No one is that lucky,” Carl grumbled.

“I don’t know why we play. You two argue every week.” Lisa Jenson complained.

“We’re here for more than playing poker. You know that, Lisa. Now that Rick has all our money, we can get down to business. We need to tighten control of our territory. I’m sick of these wanna-be street thugs thinking they can come to my docks and rob people. If anyone is getting robbed, it’ll be by us!”

Carl jumped to his feet as his speech became more impassioned. “First, we put a stranglehold on the docks. Every business must pay! Then, we take over the rest of the city, working out street by street, block by block.” Carl nearly yelled.

“Yeah! Let’s do this! First Newville, then the world!” Rick cheered.

Carl smirked as he looked around the table at his friends. He had them all convinced of his plans. Carl was ambitious. He intended to run more than Newville Heights and the docks. Carl wanted it all. He started to speak again but was interrupted as a massive meteor smashed through the union hall roof, ending the meeting with a loud, literal bang that would change their lives forever.

——————————————————————————————————–

The central meteor hit the high school baseball field. The force of the impact left an extensive crater and rattled the windows of nearby houses. A shockwave traveled deep into the earth, awakening an ancient supernatural force. The shadow peeled itself away from the wall, sensing great power directly above. More importantly, it could smell a world full of delicious evil. Evil that the shadow was eager to devour.

The shadow drifted upwards, sliding through the cracks and crevices in the earth. The world had aged over a thousand years since the shadow was last free to roam the land. The scent of evil was nearly intoxicating. The shadow began to search for a host. The being that had awoken it would not be suitable. The shadow had waited for a long time. It could wait a little longer.

———————————————————————————————

Logan Kastala woke up screaming from the worst nightmare he ever had. In the dream, Logan felt like he had been falling for hours. Even now that he was awake, his back was in tremendous pain! The pain slowly subsided, but he still felt it. “That’s weird,” Logan thought. He could never remember a physical reaction to a dream before. Logan started drifting back to sleep until a glowing blue light caught his eye. He leaned toward his nightstand and saw that the feather that Obadiah gave him was glowing! Logan picked up the feather and felt Obie’s presence nearby. His friend was back on Earth. Logan desperately hoped Obie had not gotten into trouble with the Seraphim. He clutched the feather close and finally drifted back to sleep. Tomorrow, Logan would begin his search for Obadiah. If he had looked out the window, Logan would have seen the blue lights streaking across the night sky right over his house.

————————————————————————————————————

The boy groaned as he tried lifting his face from the mud. He was confused and disoriented by the unbearable pain in his back. It felt as if someone was ripping his muscles right off the bone. The boy could not remember feeling such pain before. As that thought crossed his mind, it occurred to him that he could not remember anything. The boy had no idea where he was, how he got there, or even who he was.

Attempting to clear his mind, the boy sat up. The pain in his back made concentration nearly impossible. He opened his eyes and wiped the wet, muddy hair out of his eyes. The cold rain that pelted his face and body helped ease the burning pain in his back just a little and helped him clear his thoughts. He was cold and wet. His clothes were torn, dirty, and smelled of smoke. The smell of smoke was thick in the air. The entire field was empty except for the fires that still smoked. The driving rain helped to put out some of the small fires.

The boy got up and stumbled off toward the one light he saw. He hoped to find help. Maybe someone might know who he was or how he got here. All the boy knew was that he needed to leave this field and escape the rain.

———————————————————————————————-

Everyone in the union hall jumped up and backed away from the glowing blue rock. Part of the ceiling collapsed, and the wall caught fire. Carl felt waves of power emanating from the stone and leaped into action. He grabbed a fire extinguisher and yelled to his friends. “Don’t just stand there! Grab the rest of the extinguishers or buckets of water. We have to put this fire out and cool this rock down. I feel like it’s important!”

“Carl is right!” Yelled Rick. “Cool that rock down and put out the fires immediately. Do not call the fire department! We have to handle this ourselves.”

As they sprayed water and chemicals on the glowing and pulsing meteor rock, the chemicals began to bubble and boil. The meteor exploded. Steam and dust completely enveloped the twelve people in the room. They started coughing as they breathed in the mist. Carl collapsed onto the floor. He looked through blurry eyes and saw his friends spread out on the floor around him.

——————————————————————————————————–

The boy stumbled away from the crater toward the light in the distance. Words and images kept flashing through his foggy mind. Tree. Road. House. Logan! He knew that Logan was important, but he did not know why. The boy crossed the street, walked through an empty parking lot, and into a dimly lit building. The doors would not open, but the boy saw a reflection of himself in the glass.

“Obadiah? Is that who I am?” He touched the face of the reflection, then drew his hand back and felt his own face. “Logan would know if that’s my name. I must find Logan.”

Obadiah turned and once more headed toward the light in the distance. The glow belonged to a house. Obadiah walked past a metal box with writing that said, “C. Justyce.” He continued past the mailbox and stood in front of the blue wooden door. Obadiah raised his hand and knocked.

A woman opened the door, and her eyes went wide with shock. “Who are you? What do you want?”

Obadiah started to speak, but dizziness overcame him, and he collapsed. Obadiah looked up at the woman with pleading eyes just before passing out. “Help me. I need to find Logan.”

When he woke, Obadiah was lying on a wooden floor near an ornate fireplace. He was still disoriented and couldn’t remember where he was. Then, the events of the night before played out in his mind. Obie had stumbled away from the muddy field and walked towards the only light in the distance, this house. He didn’t know what else to do, so Obie knocked on the door. A lady answered, and then Obadiah couldn’t remember anything after that. He must have passed out, but he couldn’t remember. When Obadiah tried to recall anything from the previous night, all that came to him was the feeling of falling from a great distance. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He also remembered that his name was Obadiah, and he recalled another name, Logan. Logan was important. Obie needed to find him, but right now, all Obie could do was lay his head down and fall back to sleep.

————————————————————————————————-

Carl struggled to roll over and push himself to a kneeling position. He felt weird. Strong, but weird. It was challenging to understand all the feelings that coursed through his body. Intense pain nearly caused him to blackout again. He noticed tan hair sprouting out on his arms and hands. His hands were growing and changing, nails turning into claws. He looked around for his friends, but the blue mist hung over the room. He tried to call out for help, but his voice sounded like a growl. Carl heard other growls answering his own, and just before he blacked out, he heard the distinctive clip-clop of hooves on the wooden floor.

 

Coming Soon – Episode 2: The Zodiac Club

 

Today is the Day

Was I working or was I home?

It doesn’t matter, I was all alone.

In a group or with a friend,

my lonely thoughts never end.

So, if you hear my silent shout,

please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Then we can be alone together,

silently shouting into the ether.

Someday maybe we’ll find our voices,

and alone together we’ll make our choices.

A choice to reach out a hand,

a nervous touch, a smile so grand.

A warm feeling that pushes lonely away,

a distant hope that maybe you’ll stay.

Then you pull me close, whisper in my ear,

I’m here to stay, please don’t fear.

A tentative smile brightens me eyes.

Today is the day that loneliness dies.

At the River

The sky glowed like brilliant fire,

His eyes burned with hot desire.

The sun set behind the river,

His touch made my skin quiver.

As we watched, he held me tight,

And the evening turned into night.

Just before we turned to go,

He pulled me close, kissed me slow.

We walked home hand in hand,

Both of us feeling oh so grand.

We reach his street and must part,

My love for him is off the chart.

He touches my face, says I love you,

I say good night, I love you too.