Notice:

The contents of this story is purely fictional not based on real life happenings in my life or anyone elses. All names are fictional. The content matter of this story may contain intances of love and sex between males teenagers. It also contain some content of violence. If this is not what you like reading or it is illegal for you to read this material because of age or laws go somewhere else. This story is copyrighted by it's owner and may not be copied or published elsewhere without the owners permission.

Author's note:

Well, it was great hearing from so many people. So I guess I will continuing the story. Hopefully on a timely basis. Life has a way of interrupting things sometimes and I am planning on going back to school...weird!

My problem with that is I am one of those people that has self taught himself from almost the getgo so I have to get over the barrier of thinking that I probably know more than ninty-nine point 99 percent of the students and in some cases more than the professor. For example to get a certificate I have to do a Photoshop class - Well, I've been doing Photoshop for years and although not an expert I am definitely not a newbie. I'm only mentioning this as it (school may interfer with my writing).

Well, this chapter ends with another cliff hanger. HA-HA HA-HA!! But don't worry what happens is not really bad unless you are Taylor.

My thanks again to Jordan for his editing.

If you like the story let me know...please. If you don't it may be a long time till the next chapter is posted...that's not blackmail...it's coersion. HAHAHAHAHA!

Sam Lakes

samlakes86 at yahoo.com

Blackmail

by Sam Lakes

Copyright © 2007 All Rights Reserved

Chapter Three

Taylor rushed to the bloody and crumpled body of Julian lying on the floor.

Julian moaned.

“Don’t move. I’m going to call 911.”

“No,” Julian said weakly, “No, it’s not as bad as it looks. I’ll be fine. Just need a hot bath and all.”

“Julian, you’re bleeding. You may have internal injuries.”

“No. Please don’t call anyone.” Julian saw his wallet on the floor. “Fucking bitch! I hate her! She took my money! I was going to buy popcorn and stuff!”

“Who?”

“Karen, my fucking bitch whore of a mother of mine,” he spat. “Help me up.”

“Dude, I really think you shouldn’t move until the paramedics get here.”

“No! Please Taylor, don’t call anyone. Just help me up. She’s not strong enough to break anything…just makes me black and blue.”

Taylor helped him sit up.

“What’s that on your chest?” asked Taylor.

Julian looked down at his chest. He quickly tried to cover up the words written across his chest in lipstick but it was too late Taylor had already seen the two words “DYE FAG”. He saw the horrified look on Taylor’s face. His arms fell to his sides. There was no use trying to hide what Taylor had already seen. The humiliation he felt was too much. Maybe he could take an overdose of drugs or something. He figured his mom had some hidden somewhere.

Tears started welling up in his eyes. He couldn’t even look at Taylor. Knowing that was the end of any friendship with Taylor he spoke, “You better go now. Getting beat up isn’t exactly new to me. Don’t worry about tutoring me. I’m sixteen I can quit school. No need for you to be associated with a fag. Believe me you’d loose your friends.”

Taylor stood there not knowing what to do. He wanted to say something to let Julian know he wasn’t alone. Why couldn’t he tell him how he felt?

Before Taylor could say any words Julian stood up, “GO ON GO! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!” he yelled angrily at Taylor. His whole body hurt, the pain was almost too much to bear, but the pain of loosing Taylor hurt more as his eyes swelled with tears.

Taylor turned to leave, took two steps, stopped and turned back to face Julian.

“No. No, I’m not going to leave you, Julian. For once in my life I’m going to do what I know is right and you are right for me. For months you’ve been my secret crush,” Taylor blushed. “And just because that bitch is anti-American and can’t spell is her problem,” he added with a slightly wry smile.

Julian’s bottom lips began to quiver. Had he heard right? He closed his eyes. Was this a nightmare or a wonderful dream? Then he felt Taylor’s arms gently wrap around him. Slowly he wrapped his own arms around Taylor and rested his head against Taylor. Tears were falling from the two of them. Neither said anything – there was no need.

They stood there for an undeterminable amount of time with Taylor occasionally giving Julian light kisses on his cheek and neck.

“I need to get cleaned up,” spoke Julian softly not really wanting to leave the safety of Taylor’s arms.

“Okay, should I wait in the living room?”

“Why don’t you wait in my room?”

Taylor nodded as Julian headed to the bathroom.

Taylor noticed Julian’s room was sparsely furnished. There was a twin size bed, a card table and a chair, but what really got his attention were the pictures on the wall. When he first looked at them he thought they were framed paintings but that was an optical illusion. The frames were painted, as were the pictures on the walls.

There was no doubt in Taylor’s mind as to what they were paintings of – they were all scenes from ‘Lord of the Rings’. He recognized them but they were all missing any of the characters. They were just the scenery except one which caught his eye because the picture was painted so that it looked like the frame was hanging wrong and it made you want to straighten it out. It was a picture of Gandalf the White.

Taylor was so engrossed in looking at the picture of Gandalf that he didn’t hear Julian enter the room.

“So, what do you think?” asked Julian.

“Dude they ’re incredible.”

“Do you like the way I painted the frame slightly crooked? Sometimes I wish I hadn’t done that cuz I keep thinking I need to straighten it out.”

“Yeah,” Taylor said in awe.

“Mom hates them,” Julian laughed, “She tells me I’m a shitty fag wannabe artist. I used to have pictures from Star Wars but she got pissed and painted over the walls with gray paint. So, then I painted these. I didn’t have money for canvas or frames so I just painted on the walls. I know she’ll paint over these someday. I was pissed at first when she painted over my Star Wars pictures but then I thought what the fuck, gives me more practice and I was getting tired at looking at Darth Vader fighting Luke Skywaker.”

Julian gingerly slipped on a long-sleeve shirt which hid the bruises Taylor could see on his arms and back. His face didn’t look too bruised at all although his left eye was puffy. “See I clean up pretty good. Thanks to mom being a makeup freak and I being a decent makeup artist – bruises gone! Just don’t kiss me on this side.”

Taylor stared at Julian.

“What?”

“How can you stand there and pretend everything is alright?”

“It’s not as bad as you think –realistically, I’m fifteen. I’m small for my age. I’m a pretty boy and I’m gay. How long do you think it would be before I got raped or gang-banged in one of the state facilities. Hell, it would probably be the case worker that got to me first. So, I get beat up every now and then – it’s the price that I have to pay and at least my mom ain’t gonna abuse me sexually. I’d love to runway – live on my own but there again I’m fifteen. I can’t support myself and go to school working at Mickey D’s. I wanna go to art school. In order to do that I have to graduate from high school.”

“Anyway, you said we were going to the movies – sorry I can’t buy the popcorn and stuff.”

Taylor gently kissed Julian and they left.

****

“Dude while I get the popcorn and stuff why don’t you go grab us some good seats,” said Taylor.

“Okay,” smiled Julian and he left to find seats.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder as he was standing in line. He turned to see Matt.

“Hey dude, good to see ya,” said Matt, “Got rid of the retard huh?”

Taylor’s temper rose but he quickly quelled it, “Ya know what he’s not a retard. He’s really cool. And I didn’t dump him. He’s getting us some seats while I get the soda and popcorn.”

“Whatcha seein’?”

“Eragon.”

“Dude that’s great! We’re seeing it too.”

“Hey, Taylor, I thought you had other plans,” said Diane.

“Well, they changed. You know me – shit happens,” said Taylor. This was the one thing he didn’t want to happen he wanted to be alone with Julian and this was fucking things up.

Taylor ordered a large popcorn and a large drink.

“Oh, are we sharing?” asked Diane.

“You don’t drink regular soda, so no,” answered Taylor a bit curtly.

She looked a bit hurt.

“Gimme a medium diet,” Taylor added.


“Thanks, babe,” she cooed.

Julian had secured two center seats in the center of the theater. Whenever he got the chance to see a movie he always chose a center seat in the center because you get the best view of the picture.

Taylor spotted Julian and started going up the steps.

“Where you going Taylor?” asked Diane.

“Julian got me a seat.”

The only rows that weren’t filled were the first and second rows.

“Taylor, that Julian Cotswold, he’s gay,” said Suzie.

“Yeah, well, he hasn’t hit on me,” said Taylor as a cowardly defense of Julian, “He’s cool. I’ve been tutoring him. You should see his paintings they are awesome.”

“Well, tell him to come and sit with us,” voiced Matt.
 
Julian saw Taylor and his friends enter the theater. He only had the two seats and was hoping Taylor would leave his friends but as he saw the way Diane was clinging to Taylor he knew that wouldn’t happen and when he gave the drink and popcorn to her it was confirmed.

“Hey, Julian, I meet some friends while I was getting popcorn. Come sit with us,” Taylor said from the aisle.

“You go ahead. I’m fine here. I don’t like sitting in the front like that it ruins the perspective.”

“Dude, come on. I’ve got popcorn and stuff.”

“No, you go on. I’ll be fine,” said Julian. All the stuff Taylor had said about loving him was just a lie. He was hurt but tried not to show it.

“Taylor, come on,” yelled Matt.

 “Go,” said Julian with a slightly raised voice.
 
Not wanting to create a scene Taylor turned and walked down to his friends. He hated every step but he wasn’t ready to loose his popularity. He knew Suzie would make a big to do out of it if he sat with Julian.

As the lights dimmed and the previews started Julian got up and left the theater.

Suzie looked back to see him coming down and then turn and leave the theater. She nudged Diane, “The fag left,” she whispered.

After the show, standing outside of the Cineplex, Taylor looked for Julian.

“If you’re looking for Julian he left right after the show started,” said Diane.

“Why didn’t you say something,” said Taylor with an edge to his voice.

“God, Taylor he’s a little faggot. You should be happy he left. I saw the look he has when he looks at you. He is so disgusting,” said Suzie.

Taylor temper flared, “You know what’s disgusting Suzie? You are. You’re nothing but a skaggy ho. The only reason Matt goes with you, is that you put out!”

“Hey, dude! Watch what you’re saying,” said Matt in defense of Suzie.

“Fuck you, Matt. I can’t count the number of times you’ve told me what a great fuck she is.”

Matt swung and his fist smashed into Taylor’s face knocking Taylor on his ass.

Taylor looked up at Matt’s horrified face.

“Dude, I didn’t mean it,” apologized Matt.

Taylor stood up glaring at Matt and then turned and walked away.

Matt started after him but Diane grabbed his arm saying, “Let him go cool off! I think he’s got a problem he needs to sort out.”

****

It took Julian an hour and a half to walk home. He knew the only reason Taylor hadn’t sat with him was because of what that girl said. He could read lips and she’d commented to Taylor that he was gay. He knew that that was the reason Taylor didn’t sit with him.

He’d cried most of the way. He was depressed and lonely again. He didn’t hate Taylor but what Taylor had done really hurt. He couldn’t stand feeling the way he did. There was only one way that he knew to handle his sadness. When he entered his house he went straight to the basement and gathered the things he needed and return to his room.

He knew it would be days before his mom returned. Of course she’d be pleased with what he was going to do. Striping his clothes off, he folded them and placed them in the dirty clothes hamper and carried the clothes hamper to the laundry room.

Returning in only his boxers to his room he folded up the card table and set it outside his room. He needed the chair to stand on. Carefully he spread the plastic drop clothes on the floor. He knew what he was going to be doing was going to be messy and didn’t want any mess to get on the floor. Finally, he had everything organized.

He took a deep breath – he never thought that he’d be doing this but he felt the need to do something.  He moved his chair stepped up on it. “Yeah, this will work,” he muttered to himself.

***

Taylor sat in his car. His jaw hurt something fierce. “I’m such a fuck up. Julian probably hates me. GOD! I should have sat with him. He’s the only person I’ve ever felt comfortable enough with to be me. I just wish we could go away some place where nobody knows us and nobody cares about us.”

The next day Taylor’s parents insisted that he spend the weekend with them at his uncle’s house in Cleveland. It wasn’t that he didn’t like his uncle and his cousins, it was that he wanted to go over to Julian’s to see if he could make things up. By the time they got back home on Sunday it was too late.

Monday at school he avoided Matt. He’d see Matt approaching and he’d turn and get lost in the crowd. They normally spent lunch together and today Taylor opted for the school library instead. He was sitting at a table with his head resting on his folded arms wondering if Julian would turn up for their tutoring. He hadn’t seen him all day.

“Hey,” said a soft girl’s voice.

Taylor looked up and saw Diane sitting opposite him.

“You’re right, Suzie is a ho,” she said softly, “She told me Julian left and I guess I was jealous so I didn’t say anything. He’s really cute and if you’re not going to be with me then he’s a good choice.”

The tear that ran down Taylor’s cheek before he wiped it away confirmed her suspicions. Taylor was gay.

She reached across the table and gave his arm a squeeze, “Babe, it’s okay. I guess I’ve known for a while – you’ve never made a move on me. Of course I would have slapped you hard if you had but you never did.”

“He probably hates me,” Taylor said sadly.

“I don’t think so. He’s hurt but the way he looked at you – it wasn’t the way someone looks when its hate.”

“Do you hate me?”

“No, I feel a little hurt, a little jealous of Julian but I’ll get over it. Besides, Matt dumped Suzie and maybe there’s hope for me there.”

“Yeah, prolly is.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, he was always ragging on me about having such a beautiful girlfriend even if she didn’t put out,” smiled Taylor.

Lunch was over and Taylor left the library. It worried him that he hadn’t seen Julian all day.

“Mrs. Graves is Julian absent today? I haven’t seen him and just wondered?”

“Let me check, Taylor,” she replied and a few moments later she said, “Yes, he’s been reported absent. We’ve called his home number but it’s a non-working number. He’s probably got a cold or something.”

“Thank you.” Taylor left the office for his car and drove to Julian’s home worrying all the way. When he got there he knocked on the door but there was no reply. He turned the door knob and the door opened.

“Julian?” he called out as he walked into the house and down the hallway to Julian’s room. As he looked into the room he was surprised, “Omigod, Julian WHY?”


Hey, see - bet you wonder what Taylor saw -hmmm guess you'll have to wait till next posting. In the next chapter you'll find out and we'll see how things start to happen.

samlakes86@yahoo.com