Disclaimer:
The following story is about the development of a fully consensual and loving relationship between a man and a pre-adolescent boy. At some point through the story's progression, there will be a graphic display of sexual acts between the man and the boy meant to show the natural progression and development of an intimate and caring relationship. If the topic of man/boy sex offends you, or if this material is illegal in your place or residence, or if you are under legal age, please leave now.
Any similarities between the characters in this story and any persons living and/or dead is purely a coincidence.
This story is protected under the nifty archives license agreement, and the author (me!) releases the right for nifty and nifty alone to post it on the internet. Please do not post this story anywhere else without my consent or knowledge.
Dear readers,
I don't even know where to start with an apology for how long it has taken me to write this chapter. Yes, work and a busy life has been in the way, but it just seems like an inadequate excuse. The only thing I can really come up with is that I am nearing the climax of the story (which will be the next chapter), and I am very worried about getting it right.
Once again, in retrospect, I should have written this story to completion, then posted the second draft to nifty, but... like many other authors here, I think I wanted to get the emails, and the feedback sooner than the second draft. To those of you who have emailed me, please know I am very appreciative, even if I wasn't able to respond.
So anyways, this chapter serves as the "prelude" to the next chapter, the climax (finally, I know). Then, sadly, the story comes to an end with chapter 19. I have made a commitment (to Owen, my roommate) that I will get this story done by November this year, so hopefully that isn't too long of a wait.
I am also thinking of writing an epilogue, not really meant to be a great contribution to the plot, but will hopefully be fun in "other" ways J
Once again, please know that your feedback is greatly appreciated at thelittlepianistjosh@gmail.com
Sincerely,
Josh Chambers
1
"Hey, watch where you're goin', retard!" some eighth grader yelled after Josh mistakenly barreled straight into his chest. Josh however, was out of sight before the much bigger kid had a chance of pushing him back. Josh's focus was straight on the door at the end of the hall, and he wasn't going to let anything stop him from getting there.
Almost from the moment he jumped out of his mother's car, when the weight of her temperament - both accusing and remorseful - was lifted, he felt like he could finally think straight again. After everything that had happened that morning, Josh knew that the time he had was very short. He had to find Steven. He had to tell him... he had to inform him of everything that had happened. The doctor, the police, and what he had heard his mother tell the officers before they left.
"The sooner that man is behind bars, the better off this whole world will be."
Those harsh words still plagued his ears. Sickening, like there was a leech trying to burrow into his skull, paralyzing him with a feeling of complete helplessness. Josh shook his head. He was not going to let himself to surrender to those feelings, surrender to that lie, not after everything they had both been through. Now, with the doorway to Steven's classroom only feet away, he might finally be able to do something to prevent what his mother said from coming true.
Josh had to slam on the brakes hard to keep himself from slamming into a group of chattering girls that had entered the room before him. Josh's eyes swept across the entire room in search of his music teacher, knowing that Steven could sometimes roam about, talking to students between classes. Even if he was talking to another student, he would always give Josh a quick smile, or nod. This time, however, instead of Steven's gentle and reassuring presence, the substitute stood in his place. The very same substitute that had been there the last time Steven was gone. Luckily, she was busy peering down through her thick wide spectacles at a stack of papers and didn't give Josh's abrupt entrance any notice.
As soon as Josh caught sight of the substitute, he felt the wind rush out of him like someone had punched him in the stomach. His mind started racing a million miles an hour, thinking of every possible terrible thing that might have gone wrong to explain why Steven was not in his classroom. His mind would have continued to race, eating away at his resolve and keeping him locked in place if it hadn't been for Will, who must have entered the room right behind him.
"Hey Josh, where've you been this morning? I've been trying to catch up with you all day."
If Josh hadn't been so wrapped up in his own thoughts, he might have noticed that Will was a little out of breath as well.
"I needed to tell you... my family is going out of town for a few days, out to California, and I'm going with them. So, there won't be any practices for the rest of the week, ok?" Will said.
If anything Will had said registered, Josh did not show it on his face. It was still creased with lines of worry and panic.
"Hey Josh... are you okay dude? You look like someone who just found out their dog died or some-"
Josh didn't let him finish the sentence. He didn't have time to explain what was happening, not to Will or anyone else. "I'm sorry, I gotta go," Josh said, pushing past Will, leaving his mouth hanging open.
Again Josh was running, this time right back to the front of the school where he had come in. As he passed, it seemed the remaining kids in the hall knew to steer clear of him, like they could somehow tell by the urgency of his walk, or the look in his eyes, that they should not bother him. He was glad of it too, because he didn't know if he could stand anything else getting in the way of seeing Steven before he totally lost it.
"Where's Steven?" Josh asked, even more out of breath than he was before. "You have'ta tell me where he is!"
The secretary sitting behind the desk openly stared at him, like some crazy person had just strode in. "You mean Mr. Mc-"
"Steven!" Josh almost screamed at her. He didn't care anymore if other people heard him call his teacher by his first name. He didn't care what anyone thought anymore.
The secretary cleared her voice, coughing into her hand, pausing a bit before she continued. "Mr. McNealy is-" Before she could continue, the principle had come around.
"Josh, please... I need you to calm down a little," the principal said, walking around the secretary's desk, closing the office door before coming closer. "Can you please take a seat for me?" She asked, motioning to an office chair against the window.
Josh shook his head violently, backing directly away from the approaching woman. "No! Tell me where Steven is! What, did you do to him?"
Despite Josh's reaction, the principle's face remained calm. "Josh... I know this must be hard for you. I can't even imagine what you have been through, what horrendous things that man must have done to you. I... I feel personally responsible for what's happened. If I hadn't agreed to let him teach you privately... then maybe this whole thing could have been avoided."
The principal tried to take another step closer, but Josh shook his head furiously. "How can you say that about him? Steven was the nicest teacher in the world to me, better than any other teacher in the school! He taught me how to play well in the band, and he taught me... I wouldn't be able to play the piano nearly as good if it wasn't for him. He didn't do anything wrong to me, he didn't do anything! Now tell me where he is! What did you do with my teacher?"
The principal kept edging closer, finally causing Josh to bump into another desk. She was finally able to squat down in front of him and look at him directly at eye level, gently placing her hand on his heaving shoulders. "Mr. McNealy can no longer be your teacher honey. I know this must be so hard for you to understand. I have no idea what this man has told you to convince you the things he's done were okay, but what he's done to you is very wrong. He has abused you Josh. I just... I feel like all of this could have been avoided had I paid a little more attention. I'm so sorry it had to turn out this way for you honey."
Listening to those words, in that maddeningly sympathetic tone she used, trying to assuage feelings inside of him that she knew absolutely nothing about, made Josh's blood begin to boil. Once again he was being talked down to like he was a little kid that was incapable of understanding what was happening. But he understood, far better than she ever would.
"Steven isn't like that! You have no idea how I feel about him, and how he feels about me. He would never do anything bad to me. Not in a million years!" Josh shouted, throwing the principle's hand aside.
"I know that's what he wants you to think honey, but he's wrong. He's lying to you, only so he can keep taking advantage of you. You have to let go of him, so he can stop hurting you." The principle said, her voice still frustratingly soothing. But if it was quelling she was after, she failed miserably.
"No, you're the one who's wrong about him. You're the one who's lying!" Josh screamed out.
If that's what the principle thought of Steven, if they were firing him because they believed the same thing his mother believed, and everything his mother said, then he'd had enough of this school. He wasn't going to listen to it anymore. In one swift movement, Josh hefted his backpack over his head, still heavy with all his schoolbooks and homework inside, and threw it at the computer sitting at the secretary's desk. Both the monitor and the CPU flew off the desk, along with his backpack, crashing onto the floor next to the secretary's chair with a horrible smashing sound. For many moments everyone in the office could only stand there watching in suspended disbelief at what had just happened.
Josh breathed in short, sharp gasps. If they had any thoughts that he was just going to take this without doing anything, and behave like a good kid should, then the broken computer scattered across the floor should have dispelled those thoughts beyond any doubt. He wasn't just going to let them do whatever they wanted to Steven. They were the ones who were wrong. They were the ones who didn't understand.
Without another word, Josh gave the principle another stare of pure hatred, and then ran out of the office, opening and slamming the door behind him as hard as he could. Again Josh was on the run, this time his steps fueled more by white hot anger than worry. He still had to find Steven, and he knew now that his time was shorter now than he ever realized.
He had to find Steven, and hopefully... the both of them together... could figure a way out of this nightmare.
2
Josh sighed with great relief when Steven's house finally came into view. Thankfully, it didn't look any different than it normally did, at least on the outside. Seeing that, and not some wreck that the police might have made it like he had seen in numerous movies, he dared to let himself hope that he still had a little bit of time left.
Josh ran the rest of the way to Steven's door and knocked on it franticly. "C'mon, answer the door. You gotta answer the door."
Josh was about to knock again when he heard a quiet voice answer him from the other side.
"Josh... you... you shouldn't be here right now. You shouldn't.... I'm not allowed to see you anymore. Your mother... the police... It would be best if... it would be best if you just went home. I'm... so sorry. I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am."
Though Steven had spoken in barely more than a whisper, Josh could hear the shakiness in his voice. He could tell there was no conviction in his words, and a sense of loss akin to what he had been feeling ever since he had left the police station. But not all was lost, Steven was still here. His mother, and the police may have talked to him, but he was still here. That meant they still had time.
"I know the things my mother's been saying, and it's not true! You didn't do anything to me that I didn't want. You didn't do anything wrong! My mother just hates you. She's always hated you, because... because I stayed over here so much and never waited until forever for her to come home every night! My mother's just a liar! She doesn't know anything. She thinks you did a whole bunch of stuff to me, and lied to me and hurt me. But she's the one that's lying! I know you care for me a lot, much more than my stupid mother does!" Josh yelled, some of it coming out so quickly and hotly it left him breathless and trembling.
"I... can't even begin to guess how you must be feeling right now. I know it all must be so confusing to you. Everything is supposed to be so nice and simple... when you are a kid, and I have gone and made it all very complicated for you, because of my own selfish desires. I have placed such a heavy burden on your shoulders, one I never should have put there if I truly cared about you."
Josh paused for a few moments, waiting for his nerves to cool a bit before answering. "It's not your fault. I asked you about all that stuff. I did things... to make you talk. It's my fault you told me the things you did. I was... I wanted to know, because I could tell... I could tell something was wrong. I could tell how much you cared about me, and I know you wanted to tell me something, but you couldn't, because... because you were scared."
Josh took another big breath. "Well, you don't have to be scared any more. Now I know, and I don't care! I know you want to... do sex things with me, but I know you don't want to hurt me. My mom is wrong. Everyone is wrong! They just don't understand! They don't understand how much you love me, and how much I... how much I love you back!"
Tears started to flow, forming several big wet lines down his reddened cheeks. "So c'mon. Let me in already! We can figure something out, I know we can," Josh said, pounding at the door again.
Josh waited, for what seemed like eternity, staring at that door, willing it with every shred of his being to open. Even though Steven was sympathetic of what he was going through, what Steven had to be going through was far worse. For a brief period of time, he contemplated what it may have been like if he hadn't pushed Steven so hard to reveal his secret, and if any of this would be happening, but then remembered why he had done it and he knew it couldn't have been another way. Josh cared about Steven more than anything, and he knew that with that secret hovering above Steven's head, they never would have been able to get closer.
With a newfound source of resolve, Josh made to pound on the door again, but before his fist could hit the polished oak, Steven opened the door.
"Josh... I..."
Josh didn't even give him time to finish. He leapt straight into Steven's arms, hugging him fiercely, causing Steven to heave out any remaining air he had left in his lungs. Eventually, Josh felt that hug returned, Steven's arms propping him up so that they were at eye level. When Josh drew back a little and looked into Steven's face, he could see that it was just as tear stricken as his was. Steven must have also been crying on the other side of the door as well, probably feeling some of the same feelings. Josh thought about drawing in closer, to give Steven a kiss, but something told him the time was not right for that, and instead nestled his head into Steven's shoulder. Steven started slowly rocking him back and fourth, whispering quiet words of apology into his ear.
The hug however, as comforting as it might have been, was not to last. Eventually, Josh began to look around the house, and noticed things where not how they should have been. Boxes where set out next to the stairs. Pictures that normally hung from the wall were now on the floor. Though it didn't look like he was very far into it, it looked like Steven was beginning to pack things up, like he was moving away.
Josh felt the bile in the back of his throat begin to work itself into his mouth, forcing him to take several large swallows. The sight was almost as painful as watching someone who was ripping out his guts and throwing them callously on the floor. He scrambled out of Steven's arms, trying hard to keep his warbling stomach under control.
"You're moving?!" Josh screeched, feeling a whole new set of tears begging to form. Any sense of calm and hopefulness he had before had flown straight out of his head.
"Josh... I know how this must-" Steven began again, but he couldn't finish.
Josh shook his head desperately, all the color drained from his face. "NO! You're NOT going to move away! I'm NOT going to let you go!"
Josh backed a few more feet away from this unbelievable situation. Steven had sunk to his knees, burying his head in his hands.
"Josh... they've already taken my job. You're mother, she's threatened to..." But Steven couldn't continue over his tears.
Josh shook his head fiercely, raking his fingers through his hair, his eyes shining crazily. "No... this isn't happening... I can't let this happen. My mom... I hate my mom for doing this to us! I've got to stop her! I've got to do something... anything!"
If Steven had heard those words, there was no sign in his crumpled up body that he did.
"I'm going to think of something, okay? I'll figure something out. My mom can't get away with this. She can't make you move away, and she can't make me stop seeing you. I'm going to stop her, you'll see. I'm going to stop her no matter what it takes!" Josh yelled hotly.
Though Steven did not immediately raise his head, he knew it would only be a matter of time before he rose up in an effort to calm him down. But Josh didn't want to be calmed down. He was through with being calm. He had tried to do things so no one would get mad, but now he knew that could never be possible, not with his mom acting the way she was. He had to do something about her, something that he knew Steven would object to. There wasn't a choice now. Seeing Steven on the floor like he was, like someone had punched him hard in the gut, he knew he had to act now and there wasn't time to wait.
Painfully, Josh ripped his sight away from Steven, bolting out of the open door. He didn't look back, nor even slow down, until Steven's house was around the block and almost out of sight. Something however caused him to swivel back on his heals, a deep feeling in his gut that told him he needed to observe something important.
A police car had pulled up Steven's driveway, and two police officers where walking up to his door, which Josh had just left standing open. A sickening fear shot through Josh's body. If he had stayed there even a moment longer, it would have been too late. The police would have caught him and there would have been nothing he could do. The police would have probably arrested both him and Steven right there, and this time they would make him confess what Steven had done. Then everything really would be over, and Steven would be in jail for the rest of his life, just like his mother wanted.
His mother... his mother... his mother. With the same kind of reckless abandon he had torn out of Steven's house, he tore out his wallet. There was a picture of his mother in there, several pictures in fact. The first one had come with the wallet on his birthday, and the rest had come later. Every singe one was of her, with that same smiling face she always wore. At some point, he had found that smile comforting. Now he had discovered what that smile truly meant. Now he could see its hypocrisy, its shallowness, its deceptiveness, and its hidden cruelty as plain as day.
With hardly any effort at all, Josh tore through the pictures, ripping each one to shreds, letting them scatter over the road with the wind. Once it was done and his wallet left empty, he somehow felt... liberated, like he was now free from the iron hand that guided his life with a vice-like grip. The feeling was incredible, breathing into him a whole new strength that he didn't even know he had. He could make things right, he was sure of it now.
He turned and ran again, as fast as he could, and didn't let up for a second. Time was very short now, very short if he was going to do something to stop this. He was going to stop it, of that he was sure. All there was left to do now was figure out how.
3
When Steven heard Josh's voice from outside the door, then opened it for him, taking in the sight of the boy, with his hair all disheveled and his clothes in complete disarray, looking like he was almost as much of a wreck as he was; it had shaken him down to his very core. But when he had seen the look in Josh's eyes when the boy noticed the state his house was in... it was more than he could stand.
It made him feel sick to his stomach how much he must be hurting the poor boy, almost to the point where he thought that maybe his mother was right in keeping her son away from him. It was never Steven's intent to cause Josh pain. The mere thought of it was enough to make him want to wretch. And the pain that had shown clearly on his face as he witnessed the product of his mother's demands, it had been enough to bring him to his knees. It had even been enough, it seemed, to mute down everything Josh had said afterwards to something barely audible. But Steven had heard it, even if he couldn't immediately react to it. Unfortunately, by the time he was finally able to put his shattered thoughts back together, the boy had run out.
Something deep down inside him was telling him that he had just made a grievous error. He should have made more of an effort to keep himself together, if not for his sake, then at least for Josh's. The boy's last words had seemed so frantic... it sounded like he... might really do something drastic.
With a sense of urgency spawned by Josh's wild behavior, Steven got to his feet and made for the door, but he stopped dead in his tracks. A police car had pulled up in his driveway. Any thoughts of giving chase after Josh were swept away as the two policemen swept up to his door. With the door standing wide open, they did not even bother to knock, and came straight in.
"Left the door open I see? Figure we would be here to come check on your progress, or did you think you would leave it open in case your little boy lover would come running in for you?" The younger of the two officers said with a look of disgust.
The older, officer Warren, who Steven had already met this morning down at the station, gave the younger officer a reprimanding look, and then turned to face Steven with an equal look of disgust. "We have come to inform you that Miss Chambers' restraining order has been modified to include that you not be allowed residence in any county in which she is currently residing with her son. We have been made aware that you had made plans to move in with your parents. As your parents still live within the county, you would still be violating the terms of the restraining order."
Steven groaned inwardly. He still couldn't believe the speed in which Josh's mother had moved. The very next day after she had picked him up, the police already had him on the phone and down to the station. The day after that, he had found out about the restraining order, and got a call from the principal (on the weekend none-the-less), that he take an indefinite leave of absence until the situation was resolved. By the tone of her voice however, he knew there would be no hope of getting his job back. In the scope of less than three days, his entire life had been turned inside out and upside down. Now the cops were here to make sure that he wasn't only whipped and broken, but broken into little pieces that couldn't even live anywhere near the boy he loved. Steven very nearly felt like going to his knees again, and maybe landing on top of something sharp on the way.
"We also want to remind you, Mr. McNealy, that you have not as of yet been charged with any crime. A court summons will be issued to you after the police reports are filed. We suggest you take this time to consider hiring a good attorney." The officer said in a voice heavy enough to weigh down an elephant.
During officer Warren's little speech, the other took the liberty of walking around the living room, pushing things over Steven had been trying to organize. One painting sitting against the wall, an abstract that depicted faceless boys running through a meadow, the officer leaned over and coughed up some phlegm, letting it streak on top of the canvas.
"Yeah, good luck with that. Who would want to represent some sick pedophile fuck who likes raping little boys? God, people like you make me want to puke. How many kids in your class did you really bang anyways? You perverts like a good variety don't you? Can't keep your hands off any of the kiddies, can you? I bet that little blond-haired piano boy's pants weren't the only ones you had your filthy hands in, was it?" The younger officer taunted, kicking over another painting.
Part of Steven wanted to scream at him as loudly as he could at the man, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. People like him couldn't be reasoned with, not ever. Even though those words made the blood boil inside his veins, what upset him even more was the fact officer Warren didn't say a single word. He didn't even flinch when the younger officer knocked over the lamp that had been setting on the end table, shattering the light bulb inside it.
"Oops, pardon my butterfingers," the officer snickered.
"Also," Officer Warren started after waiting for the younger officer to straighten up, "As we told you before, if young Joshua Chambers does show himself here, you are to turn him back home and call the station. We just got a call from the school informing us the boy had a small outburst in the office and might be on his way here. Have you seen him at all in the past half-hour?"
Steven ground his teeth and tightened his fists. After everything they just said, they wanted him to tell them whether or not he had seen Josh? As they were clearly demonstrating, the only thing they wanted to do was make his life a living hell, so why would they even think that he would be even remotely inclined to do them any favors? Still... at the same time... Josh had been here, and he had looked like he had run from something. The boy's frenzy had definitely been as heightened as his own, and if the people in the school office had witnessed that, there was no wonder they had sent officers to his house.
Then there was what Josh had said right before running out. I'm going to stop her, you'll see. I'm going to stop her no matter what it takes! Though the words had barely registered the fist time Josh had said them, now they would not stop ringing though his head. Remembering again the urgency he had felt before the cops came in, his mind settled on what had to be done.
Though the words wanted to stick in his throat to the point where he had to spit them out, Steven responded to Officer Warren's question. "Yes. He was here, but only for a few moments. He was very upset." Steven's voice suddenly changed, until it sounded almost pleading. "Officer, I'm very worried about him. I think he's going to do something... something drastic. We have to do something to stop him!"
Steven made a motion to get across the living room, just to get a peek out the door, but the younger officer held his arm up, blocking his path. "Why don't you just cool your heels, take a seat, and start from the beginning." The officer said, slamming him into a nearby easy chair.
Steven felt his frustration bubble up inside of him again, threatening to claw itself from inside him, ripping out of his chest if he didn't do something now. Josh could be anywhere right now. HE could really be in trouble, and in need of his help.
"Tell us what the boy said to you before he ran off," Officer Warren said.
Steven's mind scrambled to find the right words. He knew anything he said could be horribly misconstrued, not only to negatively affect himself, but Josh as well. Everything Josh had said, it had all focused around his mother. I hate my mom for doing this to us! Steven shook his head, trying to mute out Josh's panicked voice before it tore him apart with worry. He knew he had to choose his words very carefully.
"He... didn't say much really. Josh said... well... he said he enjoyed our time together, and he was upset at what his mother was doing," Steven said in a low voice.
"Oh yeah, I'm sure he did. I'm sure he couldn't wait to get his clothes off for you so you could satisfy your perverted desires," the younger officer's voice was thick with hatred. "Why do I have a hard time believing that that's what the boy actually said? Honestly, I'm surprised the boy would even come here at all, considering the foul things you did to him. If I were him, the only time I would want to see you again would be behind bars. Either that or you managed to twist his mind so completely that he will do anything you say. You child molesting fucks are good at that shit, aren't you? Manipulating innocent children into doing what you want, even thinking what you want. It's so easy to convince a kid to have sex with you, isn't it? I mean, after all, you're so much bigger than them, and you're their teacher to boot. I'm sure that little boy would do anything you asked him to."
Steven just wished this could be over with. It was only getting worse. He knew saying something would be a mistake. But what was he supposed to do?
"Listen, I know you don't believe me, but I'm really worried about Josh. I think... I think he may do something... he may get into some trouble. We have to find him!" Steven tried to get up, but the officer pushed him back down again.
"Why don't you just sit tight Mr. McNealy," the younger officer said in a condescending tone. "We'll find your little boy for you, not that you'll ever be seeing him again. Why don't you just keep your pants on pedo man, and stay out of the boy's."
Officer Warren made a slight jerking gesture with this head, signaling the other officer to follow him out. "It's time for us to be going now. Remember, if that boy comes back, you are not to let him into this house, and you are to call us immediately. Failure to do so, and we will arrest you for violating the terms of the restraining order, and our explicit instructions. Good day to you."
Unlike Josh, and his abrupt sprint out of the house, the officers stamped out, and banged the solid oak door shut on the way. Steven leaned forward in his seat, expelling out a long breath. He didn't even look back up at the door until he was sure the police car had pulled out of his driveway.
Part of him had actually thought the officer's were going to stay with him and try to catch the boy if he came back here, but he realized that was not their true intent. They may have wanted to find the boy, but they also wanted to come here to make his life hell. He knew that younger officer, whose name he never even caught, was having the time of his life harassing him, and even though Officer Warren hid it far better, he enjoyed it as well.
Steven tried to release the vice like grasp of his fists while pushing himself out of the chair. The officer's were not what mattered now. What mattered was finding Josh. He felt that it was vitally important, and he didn't trust the cops to look in any of the right places. The problem was, he didn't really know where to look either, but he knew without a doubt that he had to.