Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 19:19:16 EST
From: MOoNcHiL0@aol.com
Subject: Falling in Love with a Stranger Part 6

CHAPTER 6 - A VISIT FROM AN OLD FRIEND

We got to my house after a short walk from his house. I walked inside and
found no one home. I put my things down and we stood in my kitchen for a
while in each others arms when the phone rang.

I picked up the phone and there was a weak voice muttering,
"hello...hello...Eugene?"

"Who's this?" I asked.

"Please, is Eugene there?" the caller whispered.

"Who's this?" I persisted.

"Please, I just need to talk to Eugene," he cried weakly.

"Yeah, this is Eugene, who's this?" I retorted.

"Eugene, this is Jason. I'm at a pay phone a few blocks from your
house. I'm hurt," he muttered.

"Hurt? What do you mean hurt? What's wrong?" I was concerned. "Look, just
stay there, I'll come get you."

I hung up the phone and got my keys when I realized Philip was standing
there in confusion.

"One of my friends is in trouble. We've got to get him, I think he's hurt,"
I said while heading towards the door.

"Is he alright? Should we call an ambulance?" Philip showed his genuine
concern.

I turned around and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "We just have to hurry
up."

We walked a few blocks to the pay phone and sitting on the curb was
Jason...at least I thought it was him. Whoever it was, his clothes were
torn, he had cuts all over his arms, and his head was buried in his hands.

I gently tapped his shoulder and a bruised and bloody face looked up at
me. "How the hell did no one do anything about this all this time?" I
thought.

"You alright, dude?" I asked.

Jason looked up and he managed an innocent smile. "It's worse than it
looks, don't trip," he muttered and started coughing.

Philip helped him up and I introduced them to each other.

I held onto his right shoulder and Philip carried his left shoulder and we
made it all the way back to my house.

I brought some things in my medicine cabinet and cleaned up his
cuts. Luckily, he was just cut and bruised and he didn't get any broken
bones or anything.

I sat and tended to his injuries in silence. I was a angry and I think
Philip saw it in my eyes. I'm not sure what I was mad at; the guys that did
this to Jason or Jason for not talking to me for nearly a year and out of
the blue calling me because he was hurt.

"Who did this?" I said sharply.

"I got into a fight..." he trailed off.

I didn't say another word.

Philip broke the silence after a while, "I should go home. You should take
care of him, I'll just be in the way here."

"It's alright, you won't be in the way," I said as I applied alcohol to one
of Jason's wounds.

"You and I both know that I'll only get in your way if I stay," he said
looking right into my eyes.

I got up and walked him to the door. He whispered, "I'll just see you
tomorrow, I love you."

"I love you too," I smiled. I walked him outside and he clutched me into
his arms and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I gave him another hug as I
turned around to go inside when I looked up and saw Jason standing in the
doorway with a confused look on his face.

"Did he just kiss you?" Jason asked with a look of wonder.

I didn't respond for a while. I just stood there. Finally, I muttered up
the courage and blurted everything out. "I guess you didn't know, but I'm
gay. Philip's my boyfriend."

He smiled, "I had the feeling, but I never thought you actually
were...cause you know what? I'm gay too."

My eyes grew wide and I was in shock.

"Yeah, that's what the fight was all about, some dude thought I was
stealing his boyfriend," he explained.

I was still in shock. I had known Jason since I was a kid, like 7 or 8
years old. We used to be really good friends, until he went off with his
clique of ravers and wanna-be gangbangers and I stayed behind with my
studies. We attempted to talk to each other, but he always had somewhere to
go or something to do. It came to a point where I just stopped talking to
him altogether, until now.

Honestly, I had a crush on this guy for the longest time. He was my best
friend and my big brother all rolled into one. Now, that he told me this, I
just sat there in confusing without a thing to say. I certainly didn't
think that my wishes had come true because I had gotten over him so long
ago. What was I supposed to say? How was I supposed to respond?

"Hey, uhhh...Eugene?" he finally looked up at me.

I still was staring into space and he put his hand on my arm which sent me
out of my daze. "What? What?" I finally snapped out of it.

"I always wanted to know about me, Eugene, except I didn't want to tell you
and ruin our friendship. I didn't want to risk you hating me, so I just
kept my mouth shut and stayed your best friend," he confessed.

I was kinda angry still, "well, if you didn't want to fuck up our
friendship, maybe you shouldn't have just left me for your dumbasses."

"Look, I'm sorry. What can I say? The point is, you're still here and I'm
still here. We can make it work," he pleaded.

"Make what work? What the fuck do you want to make work? You fucking don't
talk to me for a year, then one day out of the blue, you call me and say
you got the shit kicked out of you because you stole someone's boyfriend,"
I screamed.

He started to cry, "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry." The tears were streaming
down his face. He hugged me and just clutched me tightly in his arms and
sobbed into my shoulder. I was a little surprised, he was the one that
always protected me from bullies and assholes and now he's the one crying
into my shoulder.

I stood there reactionless for a while noticing Philip's bag was still on
the floor. Then, something came over me. Here Jason was, bearing his soul
to me and I stood here and bitched about my so-called pain. I moved closer
to him and just held him in my arms as he cried.

He finally looked up, his eyes were damp and red. He looked up at me and
out of nowhere, gave me a soft kiss on my lips. I pushed him away.

"Look, that can't happen," I said looking him straight in the eyes. "I'm
with Philip now and I don't want to screw things up. I mean, I love you,
but as my friend."

"I should get going," he got up.

"Come on, you're still hurt, let me fix you something to eat at least," I
said to his back.

"No, I know I shouldn't be here. I'm not gonna control myself," he said as
he walked to the door. "Goodbye, Eugene," he smiled as he walked out.

I stood there for a while and I didn't know what to do. I sat there not
knowing what to do with a million thoughts running through my head. It got
dark after a while and I finally decided to watch television.


Want to find out what happens next? Comments? E-mail me at
moonchil0@aol.com if you want to have the next chapter posted!