Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2007 23:41:39 -0800
From: firexity vee <4plexity@gmail.com>
Subject: collide part 2

Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction that describes the love between two men.  If such
is a thing that you shouldn't be reading, please exit now.

Alright, this took a while to post.  My workload has been crazy, and I
should be doing homework now, but I'm not.  Whatever, Celestia's more fun.
Anyways, I hope you guys like it.

* * *

Collide
by rexie


The next time Jacob awoke he found that he is in a hospital bed with white
bandages all over his body.  His head was also wrapped with bandages and
his nose had some sort of metal thing in it.  He could still feel the pain
from certain parts of his body but it was immensely better than before.

He looked around the room and discovered from the wall clock that it was
seven-thirty in the morning.  An IV was on his left and from it were tubes
that attached to his arm.  The door was also on his left farther along in
the room from the bed and he saw that it was slightly open.  When he looked
to his right, he realized that he was not alone.  The stranger was there,
sleeping.  He was sitting on a chair close to the bed with his head rested
on the bed itself.  Jacob felt quite glad that he was there, even though he
didn't know him.  He felt even better seeing that their hands were clasped
together.

"He's been by your side since you got here," said a voice from the door.

"Penelope!" exclaimed Jacob quietly.  Penelope was standing at the door
holding a cup of coffee in her hand.

"Hi, Jakey," she smiled and went over to hug him, "I'm glad you're awake!"

"How long was I out?" Jacob asked.

"About four days," she answered, "the party was on a Saturday and it's now
Wednesday."

"Oh... am I going to be alright?"

"Yes, the doctors said that you `amassed' a lot of bruises in your body and
your nose was broken.  They said that your head seemed to have been smashed
to a hard surface but, thankfully, no permanent damage was done, only a
mild concussion."

"So, I'm going to be fine?"

"Thanks to him," she pointed to the sleeping boy, "you were losing a lot of
blood but he rushed you to the ER and they were able to contain it."  She
looked on with curiosity at their interlocked hands and she smiled a
little.

"Wh...who is he?"

Penelope looked at him with surprise.  "Jake, this is Riley Gabriel.
Didn't you meet him at the party?"

"No, not at all.  I did see him there, though.  I didn't know he was Riley
Gabriel."

"So he was a total stranger to you?" she said, wide-eyed.

"Yes."

"He saved your life, and he's been here since Saturday, leaving only to get
clothes from his house."

"Why?"

"I don't know...I told you he was a nice guy."

"Where's my mom?"

"She's working right now at another part of the hospital.  She'll be here
this afternoon though.  She's been worried sick but she was glad that you
were going to be fine in a few weeks."  Penelope looked at the clock and
noted the time.  "Oh, I should go soon."

"Where?" Jacob asked not wanting her to leave.

"To pick up Melanie.  The three of us have been sleeping here since
Saturday but Mel had to go home last night.  She asked me to pick her up
this morning so I'll be back in a little while.  We'll be bringing
breakfast and I think you should be able to eat soon.  Is there anything
you want?"

"Hot chocolate," they both said at the same time.

Penelope laughed, "I knew it!  All right, Jakey, I'll be back as soon as I
can, okay?"

"Okay."  Penelope walked over to Jacob and kissed him on the forehead.  She
turned around and went for the door.

"I'm so glad you're awake," she said outside as she opened the door, "I'm
sure he will be, too."

Jacob looked at the boy sleeping so close to him.  He was so peaceful and
quiet.  Jacob felt that Riley was grasping his hand very firmly, as if he
wanted to hold onto him even though he was asleep.  Jacob liked having him
there but he still kept wondering why he would do so much for a stranger.
Could it be he was...?  No!  That's impossible.  Isn't it?

Jacob shifted his hand, trying to free it but Riley moved in response.  He
unconsciously moved his head in a position facing Jacob and he gripped his
hand even tighter.  Jacob lazily gazed at his slumbering face.  He looked a
bit different from the boy who was looking at him that night.  Now, since
he was resting, Riley's features were much softer, but you can tell from
his face that he was very much exhausted.

"He's beautiful," Jacob whispered.

Again, Riley stirred.  But this time he opened his eyes.  The first thing
he saw was Jacob looking dreamily at him and he suddenly sat up.  He stared
at Jacob in disbelief for a little bit then he saw his hand holding his.
Riley immediately let go and he folded his arms in a defensive stance.

"Jacob," he started, "you're awake!"  His eyes were glad but it seemed to
Jacob that Riley was trying to restrain something, like he was holding
back, somehow.

"Yea," Jacob responded.

"I'm glad," Riley said.  His voice was deep and familiar to Jacob.  It was
like he knew this person, maybe in another life.  There was a silence that
befell upon them and they just looked at each other.  Jacob, feeling
self-conscious, looked away blushing.  Little did he know was that his
blush caused Riley's insides to spasm with an unfamiliar feeling.

While looking at the clock, Jacob chose to break the silence.  "Thank you,
Riley," he said, now looking at him, "you saved my life."

Riley didn't know how to respond.  He didn't know why he did it.  He didn't
know why he was there in the hospital with this boy, wishing to have him in
his arms again and recapturing that feeling.  He didn't know so he simply
said, "You're welcome."

Another silence.  Jacob was feeling thirsty so he was looking around for
something to drink.  When he didn't find anything, he looked longingly at
the door and wondered when Penelope will be back with breakfast.

Riley watched him move.  "What's wrong?"

"I'm really thirsty.  I wonder when my friend Penelope will be back..."

"Jacob, I'm here," he said, "I'll take care of you."  Those words took
Jacob back to that night when he was in Riley's arms.  He remembered the
warmth that he felt when he was so close to him.  He remembered that he
liked it...very much.  Riley stood and walked to the door.  He looked back at
Jacob and saw that he was smiling.  His heart wrenched.  "What did you want
to drink?"

"Uh, just water, thank you, Riley."

A minute later, Riley came back and he was holding a water bottle, a
plastic cup and a straw.  "Here you go.  I had to wrestle it from a
quadriplegic just for you."  He grinned.

"No, seriously?"

"Nah, I'm joking."

Jacob chuckled and Riley thought his laugh was music to his ears.  It made
him feel good and it made him feel better that it was him that caused that
music to exist in the world.  He liked it.  He should do it more, he
thought.

Riley watched as Jacob took the cup, opened the bottle of water, poured the
water into the cup, placed the straw in and drank.  It was such a mundane
action and yet he was able to add a fluid grace to the movements.  They
weren't sudden or jerky, but smooth and coherent like a dance, except there
was no music.  Riley was mesmerized and again, his insides knotted up.

"How do you do that?" he asked.

"Do what?" said Jacob, looking curiously at this beautiful boy in front of
him.

"Your movements...they're like silk."

Jacob blushed and Riley instinctively leaned forward to try and kiss him.
He caught himself halfway through and sat at the foot of the bed instead.
"Uh...I guess it's because I like to dance."

"Yea, you are a good dancer.  I was watching you dance at the party."

"Thanks," he said quickly, blushing even more, "I didn't really know anyone
was watching."

"I wasn't the only one watching.  My friend Lucas Hart and I were on the
upper level and we saw some kids outside the dance floor watching you,
too."

Jacob froze.  He wasn't ready to talk about what happened that night but
the mention of his name made him remember the pain that he endured.  Riley
noticed the sudden change in Jacob's stature.

"What's wrong?" he asked Jacob.

"Um, nothing.  Nothing at all.  Thanks for the water, Riley."

"You're welcome, baby.  Ah...er, I mean JakeyÑJacob."  This time it was Riley
that blushed and his body shivered at his apparent slip.  Jacob looked
curiously at him and his stare made Riley turn away.  He looked flustered
but Jacob thought it was really cute.

* * *

He knew it was bound to happen.  He just didn't know that it was going to
happen the very night he wakes up.  Everyone has been avoiding the subject
of what really happened at the party and Jacob was silently thankful for
that.  But now, there was no escaping it.  He had to talk about it since
two policemen paid him a visit inquiring about the events of the party.
Jacob's mother was there, and so was Melanie.  Penelope and Riley were
having dinner at the hospital cafeteria, a fact that relieved Jacob since
he did not want Riley hearing about what happened.

"Son, we're just going to need you to make a statement as to what happened
the night of August 19 of this year," the taller man said.

"Um, it was the night of the big party that one of the popular girls in my
school hosted.  It was held at the Gabriel residence and I went there
accompanied by my friend Penelope who received the invitation.  Around ten
o'clock, I was..." he broke off.

"Honey, it's alright..." whispered his mom, the tears starting to well up in
her eyes.

"Around ten o'clock, I went to the bathroom after talking for a while with
my friend Penelope and this guy Ethan.  When I was there, someone started
banging on the door, so I figured they had to pee, right?  I opened the
door hoping to rejoin my friends when this boy blocked my way.  I tried to
move past him but he also moved to block me.  Then..." it was then that the
gravity of what happened really hit him.  Warm tears started flowing down
his cheeks and he could see that his mother was sobbing quietly behind a
handkerchief.  Melanie was looking at him, her lower lip trembling.

"Go on, Mr. Alexander," the other policeman said.

"HeÑhe pushed me...hard, and I fell to my back on the tiled floor.  The blow
to my head caused me to lose consciousness for a few moments.  But I heard
him whisper something...he...he said: `fags don't deserve to live' and...and he
just kept on hitting me.  My face, my chest, my sides...he even held my head
and banged it on the floor...I was crying and the tears burned their way down
my cheeks..."

"This could be ruled as a hate crime," the tall police said, "if we get
this guy he can be put away for ten maybe twenty years.  Son, do you know
who he was?"

"Yes..." Jacob said, between tears, "his name's Lucas Hart and he goes to my
school."

"Alright, son, we are probably going to need you to testify against this
kid and then he will be put away for a long, long time."

"But officer," he whispered, "I...I don't want to press charges."

The room itself gasped as everyone in it turned their attention to Jacob.

* * *

There was a line in the hospital cafeteria.  If there was one thing Riley
hated the most, it was waiting, for anything.  He stood there holding his
unwholesome dinner getting even more impatient as the line moved ever
slowly.  Finally, Riley and Penelope paid for their dinners and found a
table to sit.

"So, talk to me," pressed Penelope as she took a bite out of the pasta she
was having.

"What?" said Riley playing with the questionable salad on his plate.

"You saved my best friend's life," she said.

"Yea..."

"But you didn't even know who he was."

"Yea..." he said in a much lower voice.

"Riley, what's going on?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't even know, myself.  I...I don't know why I
did it.  I guess it's because it happened in my house and I felt
responsible."

"Alright, I'll buy that," she giggled, "but why did you,
Mr. Responsibility, choose to spend four nights with two girls and a
bed-ridden boy in a hospital room with a broken toilet?"

"I admit it looks like something that I wouldn't do in a million years,
but...Jacob.  I...I guess, I would like us to be...friends." he stammered.

"Now, you be careful, Riley.  Mel and I, we're very protective of our boy.
We don't just let him associate with random jocks," she laughed.

"You make it sound like I'm about to date your teenage daughter, or
something."

Penelope paused and looked reflectively at Riley.

"Aren't you?" she said.

An awkward silence suddenly arose between the two of them as Riley looked
at Penelope and at that very moment, Riley's insides screamed in panic.

* * *

Melanie and Mrs. Alexander were both sitting at either side of Jacob's bed
and they were both looking at him, asking him questions on top of questions
that Jacob was befuddled as to who exactly was speaking.

"Why aren't you pressing charges?"

"Don't you want this boy put away?"

"Do you realize that he could do it again?

"Who is this Lucas Hart?"

"Where is my coffee?" asked Mrs. Alexander as she looked frantically around
the room for the cup of coffee that she was holding.

"Jacob, why?" asked Melanie while adjusting her glasses.

"I...I just don't want to talk about it....I know for a fact that he won't
do it again and I promise," he looked at his mom, "I'll be more careful,
but for now, I don't want anyone to go to jail."

"Are you afraid that he'll be even angrier if you turn him in?" asked his
mom.

"No, not at all.  I will be carrying the mace that Uncle Larry gave me for
Christmas so he should be the one afraid of me," he smiled.

"Well, I think you're old enough to make your own decisions so I will have
to respect this one," she said.

"Thanks, mom."

"But no partying for a little bit, alright?"

"Uh, okay."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Alexander, come fall all we'll be doing is calculus
work.  They're actually quite fun and I can't wait to teach Jacob, here."
said Melanie.

"That's funny Mel," he laughed.

* * *

Riley was relieved that dinner with Penelope was finally over.  It was
mostly awkward silences between them with neither of them really talking
about what was on their minds.  The atmosphere reached such an awkward
point that Penelope actually tried to talk about what she was going to wear
to her junior prom which is a good eight months away.  They were both just
looking forward to spending time with the newly awakened Jacob.

"Hey guys, we're back," announced Penelope as they entered the room.  Jacob
looked up and smiled.

"Oh good," said Mrs. Alexander, "I have to go back to my shift."

"Mom, you've been working all day," complained Jacob, "I don't remember you
ever working both morning and night."

"Jacob, I have to," she whispered to him, "you know hospital bills aren't
cheap."

Riley heard the last thing she said and saw pain emerge in Jacob's eyes.
He probably has not thought of how expensive his week long stay in the
hospital would be, Riley thought.  Somehow, the whole situation--added to
the fact that he could afford to buy the damn hospital--broke Riley's
heart.

"Alright, I'm going to go kids," she said, "you take care of my boy, now."

"We will, Mrs. Alexander," said Penelope, "we will."

"So," started Riley after she left, "what did we miss?"

"The police came," said Melanie, looking cautiously at Jacob.

"So how long is the guy going to be put away for?" asked Penelope
excitedly, "like, how many years?"

"Zero," replied Melanie while still looking at Jacob.

"What?" said Riley, standing up, "it was a hate crime!  How could they not
charge this son-of-a-bitch?"  He walked over to Jacob's side and said,
"Don't worry Jacob, I know this great attorney, we'll get this guy if it's
the last thing I do."

"Riley," said Jacob, "please, you have done so much already."

"But don't you want this guy jailed?" piped Penelope.

This time, Melanie did not speak up and Jacob was thankful of that.

"No, I don't," he finally said.

"Wait, what?" said Riley.

"I'm not pressing charges."

"WHAT?!" yelled Penelope and Riley at the same time.  Penelope got up from
the lounge chair she was sitting on and went to the other side of Jacob's
bed.

"Jakey, you can't be serious.  I mean, this guy almost broke your skull!
Thank god he didn't.  Are you just going to let him go and allow him to do
it again?" said Penelope.

"He's not going to do it again, and if he does, I'll be more prepared.
Come on, Penn, I can take care of myself."

"But....but why are you letting him go?" said Riley.

"I...I just don't want him to go to jail.  He's just a kid like me."

"Wait, who did this anyway?" asked Riley.

Melanie finally decided to chime in, "It was Lu--"

"It was no one you knew," interrupted Jacob, "Guys, please, just drop the
subject.  You keep reminding me of the night I want to forget."

"No, no.  There's something you're not telling us, Jacob Emanuel," said
Penelope, "I know you enough to know you know something you don't want us
to know."

"That's exactly right, and I don't want you to know so can we drop it?"

"Alright," she said.

"Fine," said Riley, "let's play cards or something" Riley took out a deck
of cards and Melanie walked over to join them near the bed.

They started a game of deuces using the foot of the bed as the table.
Amidst the pleasant laughter, the occasional card-throwing, the winning,
the losing, Riley realized that he was in a place that he was truly happy.
A place where the people did not care how rich he was or how good he was at
football or how handsome he was.  He was, in a sense, home.

And for that reason alone, he was scared out of his fucking mind.

* * *

Jacob was feeling intense pain.  His whole body throbbed and he felt like
screaming except it was as if his throat was taken away.  He couldn't move,
he couldn't breathe, he couldn't speak.  What the hell was going on?  He
looked up and saw darkness.  Wait.  He saw two beautiful eyes crying and
for a long time that was all he could see.  He was just staring at the eyes
and the eyes were staring back, the tears landing hotly on Jacob's cheeks.
Jacob closed his eyes and when they opened them again, the darkness was
gone.  He was then surrounded by a warm light that he seemed to have seen
behind someone a million years ago.  There were three people with him but
because of the brightness of the light, he could not make out their faces.
he could, however, discern their shapes and to his surprise, one of them
had wings.  But suddenly, a black cloud billowed threateningly behind the
winged figure.  In a split second, the cloud has enveloped the figure and
disappeared causing the warm light to dim, dim, dim until all that was left
was darkness...and the eyes.  They weren't crying anymore.

* * *

A dream.  Jacob sat up and his hospital room was lit only by the yellow
street lamps outside the window and the white hospital light flowing
through the door that was slightly ajar.  He checked the clock illuminated
by the yellow light from outside.  12:53.  In about seven hours, he would
finally be released from the hospital.  He looked around the room and saw
three sleeping bags on the floor.  For fifteen days and to the dismay of
the nurses, his friends have been by his side and he greatly appreciated
that.  He said to himself that he possibly could not ask for more.

Jacob, suddenly, felt very thirsty.  The glass on the bedside table was
empty so he edged over to the side of the bed and felt for his slippers on
the floor.  He froze.  A heated conversation flooded through the small
opening of the door.  He heard Riley's voice and he sounded desolate.

"Baby, please understand," he pleaded.

"What I understand is that you spent a week and a half at some hospital
room with some fag when you could have been with me!" squealed a voice that
Jacob did not recognize.

"Erika, I know you're pissed but if you use that word again to describe
Jacob I am going to hit you," he said sternly.

"What?!  What is this shit?  You don't answer any of my fucking calls, or
any calls for that matter and this is how you fucking treat me?" said
Erika.

"Please, Erika, I was just looking out for the kid."

"Why?!  You barely know him!"

"Because, I'm not going to let that son of a bitch do this to him again."

Jacob's heart swelled but he tried to cover his face up with the sheets
since he felt terrible listening in to Riley and Erika's lovers' quarrel.
He tried not to listen.  He tried, and failed miserably as she was talking
really loud.

"I don't care about what some son of a bitch did to him!  I'm your
girlfriend, I should be your top priority!" she yelled.

"Ma'am this is a hospital," said a woman's voice, "now you better tone it
down or leave!"

"Don't worry," Erika huffed, "I was just leaving."

Even from inside the room, Jacob could hear Riley sigh dejectedly.  He
heard him walk away and Jacob decided to run to the hospital pantry across
the hall and grab a bottle of water for his thirst. He was momentarily very
thankful that his IV was already removed allowing him free movement all
over.  He found his slippers and hurriedly headed towards the pantry only
to see Riley on the table there drinking a cup of coffee.

"Jacob," he said surprised, "shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I woke up and just went here to get a bottle of water."

"Oh no, please don't tell me that I woke you."

"No, no!  Although, it was really hard not to hear...her," said Jacob
silently.

"I'm sorry about that.  I knew it would bother her, me staying here and
all, but I didn't expect her to barge in here and disrupt the entire
hospital."  He took a sip of his coffee.

"Riley," started Jacob carefully, "you know, if you knew she'd be mad, why
didn't you just go to her?  I'm sure I would have been fine with my
friends.  I mean, I wouldn't want to be the cause of your problems."

Riley smiled at just how wonderful this kid is sitting right in front of
him.  "To tell you the truth, I preferred to be here than with her."  He
laughed.

"That bad?" asked Jacob.

"It's worse."

"Okay, I'm not trying to incite something here, Riley, but if it's that
bad..."

"I know, I know, I should just break up with her.  I....I just don't have
the guts to break up with the most popular girl in school."

"Why?"

"The fallout."

"The what?"

Riley looked at Jacob's inquisitive eyes and grinned.  "The fallout is all
the things that can happen after a relationship.  Usually it's sad if the
two people involved really did care for each other but in our case, I know
it's going to be different."

"Different?  Different how?"

"Bad, different.  She would go around school spreading lies about me and
telling my friends shit that would drive them away from me."

"Well, if they were really your friends, they wouldn't care what she says
because they'd know that she's lying.  And if they were driven away, then
maybe you need better friends."

"You sound like a Disney movie," Riley joked.

"I have seen plenty," he grinned, "I think I'm going to go back to sleep.
I want to wake up in time for my release."

"I'll come with you," said Riley, "I'll finish my coffee there."

They walked in silence back to the room and Jacob was glad to welcome the
warmth that the electric blankets offered.  Riley sat on one of the lounge
chairs near the foot of the bed and he set his cup on the little table.
Jacob was sitting up and watching Riley get settled in his dimly lit seat.

"Hey, Riley," he said.

"Yeah?" his voice was low, relaxed and really manly.  Jacob's spine tingled
from hearing it.

"If you knew about the fallout, why did you venture in the first place?"

"Because, in the beginning it was really nice.  She was really nice.  She
would pack picnics for us and she would always light up when I came over
her house.  I would get her flowers and she would scream in excitement.
You know, stuff like that.  I really liked it."

"Hmm, must be nice to be in a relationship," pondered Jacob.

"It is," he said, "wait, you've never been in one?"

"No," Jacob replied flatly, "can you think of any other gay guys you know
in Celestia High?"

Riley stopped for a moment, trying to search his mind about some other gay
guy in Celestia.  He couldn't.  "No..." he finally said, "none at all."

"Yea, so either I really am alone or...."

"Or they're all in denial," Riley finished.

"Yes.  I don't mind it really.  I have my friends."  Jacob put on the most
amazing smile that even in the dim lighting Riley could detect.

"Don't worry, Jacob," Riley said, shaking, "you will someday make some
lucky guy the happiest guy in the world."

"Now you're sounding like some cheesy movie," Jacob laughed, "but that is
what I'm hoping for."  Jacob looked at Riley and saw that he was staring at
the lamp outside the window, deep in thought.  It seemed to him that he
would no longer be continuing their conversation so he got settled on his
bed and closed his eyes.  "Goodnight, Riley."

"Goodnight, Jacob."

"Thanks....for looking out for me."

"Y--You're welcome...."

Riley stayed up, looking at the dark figure that is Jacob under his sheets.
He didn't know how this kid could make him feel so.....so alive.  So much
that all he wants to do is wake him up just so they could still talk, just
so he could see him smile again.  Could it be?  Could it be possible that
this kid is really making him feel like never before?

Could it be that he's one of those people in denial?

* * *

To be continued.

***

Again, send any thoughts, positive or negative, to 4plexity@gmail.com, if
it's negative, please be nice.