Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 23:46:00 EDT
From: GreenMeccatoon@aol.com
Subject: a hero in the hallways part three wait

This story is fictional. If you are not over the age of 18 or are opposed
to this type of material please Do Not Read It. Also this story belongs to
Green and reproductions without permission are not allowed.

Hi this is my story A Hero In The Hallways. Please tell me what you
think. Email me Greenmeccatoon@aol.com.


A Hero In The Hallways
by Green

Part three
Wait


9

He ran away from me. I ran after him but I couldn't reach him. He just got
faster. I ran until I couldn't run anymore. "Michael! I yelled. He
disappeared.

"Come John. Come for me," He yelled somewhere ahead.

I was out of breath and I was sweating. I began to cough and doubled
over. From behind somebody grabbed me.

"Got ya," the person said.

"No!" I screamed.

"John! Wake up. Wake up." I woke to see Mel standing before me. She looked
worried. "John how long have you been having nightmares?"

"I haven't. This one seemed so real. I was chasing Michael but he got away
from me. Then somebody grabbed me from behind and said gotcha."

Mel sat next to me. "I looked at your book. Why did you stop at the part
where Charlie hit you?"

"I had to take a break. It's exhausting. All the information needs to be
processed in my mind."

"Like Craig?"

"Yeah, Like Craig." I wanted to see him. I needed to apologize to him.  I
always pushed him away. He used to call every day but I never answered the
phone. Maybe he was just trying to be there for me. "I want to see him."

"Well john that is going take a lot from you."

"He's mad at me isn't he?"

"No well let's just say he's a little disappointed with you."

"I was such a jerk to him. I guess I'd be mad also."

"No honey he's not mad. When you had your accident. He was at the hospital
for days until they let him see you. When he saw that you didn't remember
him his heart broke. He went away for a while. He called you every day and
sent you letters but you never answered them. When he got back he just
wasn't the same you see. He was like a totally different person. He
wouldn't talk to any of us. Meghan had to literally break down his door to
get him to speak."

"I did this."

"Honey trust me he doesn't blame you. He understands. He just needs to
believe your there for him too."

I was overwhelmed. Every day something new. A new tidbit of information
threw my whole life out of whack. Hearing about Craig made me feel
guilty. I knew deep down I had done this.

"Do you think they like Italian food? It's the only thing I know how to
make well."

"They?" I asked.

"Yeah Meghan is bringing her boyfriend. You know you introduced them."

"Who is her boyfriend?" I asked.

"His name is Aaron."

"And how do I know him?" I asked as she smiled.

"I need to go to the store for some stuff you don't have. Like food. Do you
know where the closest market is?" she asked completely avoiding my
question. She did that quite often.

"You don't have to leave just order it from the store they deliver."

"God you are lazy. I never asked you to come with me just where the store
was."

"It's two blocks south. Just ask Randy to point you in that direction."

"Wow what a gentleman."

"I just don't feel like going out."

"It's OK John. I was just teasing ya."

After Mel left I began to think about the dream again. It felt so
real. Somehow I knew that voice. "Gotcha," It said over and over in my
mind. Why did I know that voice.

The phone rang knocking me out of my thoughts. I walked over to it.

"Hello." No one answered. I just heard hard breathing on the other
side. "Who is this?" Again no one answered. This happened at least once a
week.

I Hung up and dialed my parents number. The phone rang three times before
my father answered.

"Hello."

"Hi dad it's john."

"Hey I just saw you on TV Mom taped it. You were great."

"Thanks dad. Um I have a question to ask you," I said hoping he could give
me that answer.

"Go ahead John."

"Do you know Craig's phone number?" He was quiet for a while.

"John are you sure you are ready for that?"

"What do you mean?"  "Well he's been through a lot. I think that maybe you
should wait. Listen I know that's the last thing you want to hear but trust
me son. You do good to wait."

My father was somebody I could always trust. I knew that whatever he said
was right. "OK dad. I guess you are right."

"You know we are always here for you. Remember that."

"I know dad thanks," I said. I wanted to talk to Craig more than anything.

"Hey hows your new book coming along?"

"To tell you the truth I haven't written in a while," I said to him.

"Oh well that's OK. I think you have a lot on your plate right now. Just
ride it out and then go back and things will pour out of your mind."

"Thanks dad."

"Your welcome. Hey do you want to talk to mom?"

"No that's Wok I'll call tomorrow I have to fix up the place a little."

"Wok john I'll see ya," he said before hung up. The phone rang again.

"Hello."

"Hi john," said a cold voice on the other line.

"Who is this?"

"Don't you know?"

"Why would I know who this is," I answered nervously. It was scaring me. I
had heard from another author that they had been stalked by a fan.

"You said you started to read the book. I saw you on TV. You said that."

"Who is this?"

"Oh don't act like you don't know me John! I know you know me. Be careful I
might just come back and get you again. You ruined my life twice John. It
won't happen again."

"Helene?"

"Oh now you know me."

"You are crazy!" I yelled.

"Yeah that's what they say," She answered back.

"Helene you need help. Don't call here anymore."

"John I am close. Just a matter of time before," She never finished. Mel
had disconnected my phone. I didn't even hear her come in.

"She cant do anything john. Don't worry about her."

"I wonder how she got my number."  "She must have found it on the
Internet," She said handing me a grocery bag. "I mean she's known to be
very informed."

"That's scary."

"Hey why don't you go read and I'll fix up dinner." I walked away with a
chilling thought. "What if she really can get to me?"


10

You know, you are never really sure what you are capable of until you are
tested. I thought about that when I saw him on the ground asking me to
stop. When he hit me everything I had been holding inside concentrated and
exploded. He only hit me once before I went at it. punch after punch until
he went down. When he asked me to stop I got angrier. Every time I hit him
I tasted revenge.

"John stop please," he yelled.

"No!" I yelled before I kicked him.

"You want to fucking hit me."

"John, please stop I'm sorry," He said trying to move away. There were a
few students watching and I could see the principal heading our way with a
security guard.

"Fuck you!" I yelled louder this time before I kicked him again. I walked
away and headed out of the school.

I was angry. I wanted to kill him. I was angry with myself. I had never
been that angry in my life. I got into my car and drove to the cliff. My
cell phone was ringing but I didn't answer it. Right when I arrived at the
cliff my cell rang again it was Megan but I didn't want to talk to her. I
walked up to it and stood at the ledge. This place was my sanity.

"Hey," Craig said from behind me.

I turned towards him and broke down in his arms. "I cant take it anymore. I
cant take it." He just held me tighter and let me cry.

"I know John, It's OK I'm here."

The next day at school I was escorted to the principals office. I saw
Charlie sitting outside of his office. He had a black eye and several cuts
on his face along with a split lip. He looked like shit. He scowled at me.

"What, you want more?"

"Fuck you john." He yelled back before the security guard pulled me into
the principals office.

The principal was mad and I could tell from his face his anger was directed
directly at me. "John I do not know what to do with you. What did you
promise me?"

I just stared at his face.

"You promised me that you wouldn't fight at school again. I cant have that
in my school John. I have to suspend you. I wouldn't have done it because
it was provoked but you left the school and that's an automatic
suspension. John I really thought you were better than that. I am
disappointed."

To hear my boyfriends father say that about me hurt. I guess I let my pain
get the better of me.

"Now leave and don't come back till next week."

I glared at Charlie as I left his office. I hated him. I visualized my
hands strangling him by the neck."

I spent the next week at my house. My parents had decided that I couldn't
leave the house. Craig wasn't allowed to come over considering he was also
suspended. Megan brought my homework to me everyday after school.

My father brought me outside one afternoon after dinner. He wanted to
talk. I was nervous because my father never did this.

"John don't tell your mother but I am proud of you. I thought that just
because you were gay you couldn't defend yourself. I was afraid you would
be hurt. When your school called me to tell me you had been in a fight I
was afraid. I was ready to go bust some heads, but when I heard what you
did I was ready to cheer. I'm glad that you are a man and I am glad that
you are my son."

"Aw dad your going to make me cry."

"Well, maybe three quarters of a man," He said then laughed as he hugged
me.

"Hey."

"Your my boy and from what I hear Craig can also throw a mean punch. I
guess I really don't have to worry about you," he said and then we walked
back in. I loved my parents and things like what my father just said made
me feel like one of the luckiest guys on earth.

My mother just smiled at me when she saw me getting along with my father
like she knew I was lucky to have them. My parents were great weren't they?
I wondered how they got so cool.

On the second day of my suspension Mel came to my door. She nervously
waited until I opened the door. "Oh john," she said reaching for me but
stopped when she realized she didn't have that privilege anymore.

"What do you want Mel?"

"I came to talk."

I really didn't want to talk to her but something told me that I should.

"Why? Mel we aren't friends anymore and I don't think we can," I stopped
when I saw Michael outside. Sitting on the hood of his car crying."

"What happened?"

"I was suspended," she said uncomfortably.

"Why?"

"I tried to kill Helene."

I smiled at the thought of Mel trying to choke Helene. As much as I hated
them I had to admit that they did try to be my friends again. "Come in
Mel," I looked back to Michael and motioned him to come in.

"So why did you try to kill Helene?"

"She told Charlie about you and that guy."

My face turned red. Helene had gone too far. "His name is Craig."

"We just wanted to know if you were OK," Michael added.

"I'm OK. I can fend for myself."

"John we wanted to apologize. We want things to be the way they were."

"I accept your apology but I don't think I," I stopped when I saw Michael
about to cry again and Mel looked like she was about to break. I started to
cry and through my tears I squeezed out, "I miss you, I really do but I
cant."

Mel walked out the door. Michael just stood there looking at me. "You can't
do this john. Mel is lost. She blames herself for what you went
through. She cries herself to sleep at night because she knows what you
have to deal with."

"Michael I can't. If I do I lose," I said a little surprised at the
honesty.

"If you do you gain friends. You gain friends that would stand by
you. Friends that you will never lose again. We need you John. She needs
you."

To tell you the truth I needed them. They were real friends but the fact
that they betrayed me for selfish reasons still rung in my mind. Would I
had done the same thing if I was forced to do it? I probably would have but
the fact that they tried to make things right spoke for the type of friends
they are.

"Wait here a moment," I said as I headed out of my house. I ran down the
street where I saw Mel walking. "Mel wait up," I yelled but she just kept
on walking. I ran up until I caught up to her.

"Mel I'm sorry."

She looked up at me for a long time. "John I am poor. I'm poor. Helene told
everyone because I wouldn't help her break you and Craig up."

"It's OK Mel It's OK," I said hugging her.

"No John It's not OK. You don't understand. I have nothing I don't even
have a house. Helene made sure of that. They kicked us out and my mother
left town with some guy and left me here alone."

I wanted to go and kill Helene. "Mel you can stay with me. Does Michael
know?"

"No, he doesn't. I couldn't bring myself to tell him. He doesn't know
anything."

"You know Mel you have to let him in."

She nodded and we walked back hand in hand. "He really likes you. I can see
it in his eyes and I know you like him back."

I knew the way they looked at each other. It was the same look I gave
Craig.

She smiled "I like him John, I think I'm in love with him but with
everything that's been going on I just couldn't do anything."

"It's OK now Mel lets go tell Michael."

My parents were furious at the situation and had notified the cops about
Mel's mother. They set her up in one of the guest rooms and welcomed her
with open arms like she was their daughter. They are awesome.

My relationship with Craig couldn't be better. Deep inside I felt that
without him I was not complete. I needed to do one more thing to make it
right.

I opened the door to his office. He was on the phone but he motioned me to
sit. I waited patiently and nervously for him to finish.

"So john what can I do for you," he said coldly while reading the papers he
picked up from the desk.

"I need to speak with you about some things."

He stopped reading and looked at me. "Go ahead."

"I want to apologize for breaking that promise. I need to feel that me and
you are OK sir and not just because you are my principal but I want to
think of you as a friend and as family. You see you brought Craig back into
my life and I want to thank you for that."

He walked around to me and hugged me. "John we are OK. I already think of
you as family. Craig never smiled before you guys got together. He was
afraid of being himself because of what that school taught him. John I'm
glad you're in his life because when you are with him he is himself. He
needs you John."

"I know sir." He smiled at me and I smiled back it felt good. We were
square and it made my relationship with Craig valid.

Craig and I spent several afternoons at the cliff just enjoying the waves
hit the rocks. He would still count the time in-between wave crashes.

"Do you think we'll last for ever?" Craig asked me.

"I don't know I just hope the time we do spend together we enjoy."

He seemed to take what I said to heart and we sat in silence as the sun
set. The drive home was also silent and we kissed as we reached my house.

"Someday we'll be old and I hope we'll still be together. I hope You love
me as much as I love you."

"You know I love you. Someday that might change but at this moment that
isn't likely," I said. He nodded and then he kissed me again. I smiled as
he drove away. Life was perfect. Little did I know at that time Helene was
brewing her most vicious plot.

Michael and Mel got closer and would see each other more and more as the
weeks flew by. Craig and I were Inseparable again. Megan was like a pillar
of strength between all of us. Mel and her also got close.

The school situation was getting tougher for all of us. The dream team now
had their hands full tormenting us all except Eddie. He seemed to hold back
when they all yelled at us. They even started on Meghan. Michael seemed to
take it the hardest and not just about himself. Every time they would taunt
Mel about being poor he got angry. I would try to call him down but it was
of no use. Eventually he broke.

He would skip school or just avoid everybody and that took a toll on all of
us. Mel didn't know what to do. He would go out of his way to avoid her the
most. we would go days without talking. Mel always came home crying. I
tried to confront him about it but he said he was fine.

It came to the point where we just didn't see him anywhere but in school. I
wondered if Helene had something to do with him being like this. I saw him
sitting alone by a tree at lunch.

"Michael." I called out as I approached him.

"Hey," he answered back.

"How have you been?"

He didn't answer.

I was getting annoyed. "You Know for somebody that used guilt to get me to
be their friend again you are not doing a good job to keep up your end."

"And what is that supposed to be joke john. You don't know anything."

"How could I know if you don't tell me."

"I like her john but I can't date her. My parents know John. Helene made
sure they knew she was poor. They don't want me near somebody like that."

"What about the punk kids in your band? You hang around with them don't
you?"

"No, John I dropped out of the band."

"Then tell me Michael. Make me understand. Tell me."

He nodded as tears left his eyes. "John I'm sick. I'm dying."

The world stopped. My heart gave out. "How long have you known?"

"A couple of weeks ago. I want to be there for her John. I need to be." I
walked over to him and gave him a huge hug. "I don't want her to suffer
over me john. I don't want her to be in pain."

It could never get better could it. We would never win.


11

I walk through the school careless.  I don't care anymore. Nothing
matters. I am going to lose my best friend. I am losing a brother. Helene
couldn't be happier. She got what she wanted. I lost everything at her
hands. It got so bad that people stopped making fun of me. I am now
considered one of the invisible kids. Nobody notices me. Few even
considered me to be alive. In some way I'm not alive. Not without you." I
read the letter to myself before I put it in his locker.

Craig had left me. Helene made sure to that. It was the final step she had
to take. She had exacted her revenge. I am now nothing compared to her. She
won and I lost. I understood that and I began to believe that I deserved
it.

Between Michael and Mel I felt like a third wheel. I felt like i was
stealing the few times they had left. Who was i to do that. I took comfort
in my parents. They were very supportive and even offered to switch me into
another school district.

I looked at his locker one last time before I walked away. I wont see him
again. Helene had ambushed me. She sent Charlie to kiss me as I was waiting
for Craig at the end of the school day. He saw us and broke up with me. He
was so heartbroken I couldn't face him myself.

I walked out to the car were my parents were waiting. I was going to start
a new school the next town over. Nobody at school was informed except
mr. Peterson. Mel and Michael were the only people who knew. I saw Craig as
we drove away. He saw me then turned away.

"Don't worry honey he'll come back," My mother said. I couldn't find
comfort in her words. "I'm sure deep down he knows it's not your fault."

"I never told him about Dominique," I said to myself.

I was in a new world. In a new state of mind. I made new friends easily at
my new school. I was popular once again. This time however I didn't hide my
true self from them. They knew. I made sure of that. I however was now a
cold person. I could care less about other people and what they thought of
me.

I was never happy and I very rarely showed emotion that would suggest that
I was even approachable. I guess you could say I grew up. I survived
Helene. I survived her malicious wave of deceit and revenge. She won and
had completely erased my miserable existence from her life

I made friends with David. We shared several classes. We became good
friends. He was relentless at getting me to open up. I just couldn't it was
in the past and I had to keep it there.

I got to know his girlfriend too. Her name is Sheryl. We always hung out
together. I told them nothing as far as they were concerned I was just this
quiet gay kid that had little to say. They tried endlessly to hook me up
with some people but I was to gun shy to date right now.

"You know one day you will find a guy that will have you head over heals
and what then?" David said. "Are you going to let him get away?" If he only
knew.

"I'm just not in that state of mind," I said hoping he would change the
subject.

"Well when you think you are ready let me know. I know a few guys that are
ready to jump on your head so to speak."

Great now he was making me blush. At least he tried. Sheryl wasn't as
discreet. She always made sure I talked to the other kids in class. She
dragged me around like a rag doll from class to class making sure I knew
all the cute guys.

"John if you don't meet them then they will never know you exist," she said
as I protested.

"I don't want to date any of these guys Sheryl!"

'Nonsense everybody wants a hot date," she said dragging me to the next
guy.

I went to a party that David threw at his house. I was quickly handed a cup
of beer when I walked through the front door of his house.

"Here John you need this more than I do. Say hello to some people and
please for the life of me have some fun tonight," David said pulling me
into the house. "Hey everyone this is my good friend Jonathan. Say hello to
him and make him feel at home. If you see his cup empty please fill it," He
yelled to everybody in his house.

His house wasn't that big. I noticed when I tried to hide. He didn't have
everything I had, but that never stopped him from having a good time. His
friends all greeted me one by one. I struck a conversation with some kid I
had met before and watched as some kids tried to play a game of drunken
twister. I was enjoying myself. These people didn't come with the
pretentious bullshit that the kids from my town came with. They were just
having fun.

I was sitting on a couch a little buzzed when some kid came and sat next to
me. "Do you remember me?" he said handing me another cup of beer.

I looked closely at his face but I couldn't recognize him. "No. Am I
supposed to?"

"We used to be friends a couple of years ago. I was dropped from the pack
because I was friends with some of the skater kids. I moved here about a
year ago. It's Aaron John."

I knew who he was. He was at one time a close friend.

"Aaron wow I'm sorry I didn't recognize you."

"Yeah people never recognize you when you get better looking," he said
jokingly. "But seriously what brings you to good-ole Dave's house?"

"Well that is a long story. One that I'm not sure I'm ready to share."

"They don't know do they?"

I nodded. "I'm not sure how to tell them. I'm happy here. I can't change
that not now."

"I understand. more than you know. Trust me. I used to think that life only
consisted of what I wore, what I drove and who I talked to. That was until
I met the new love of my life. Skate boarding. Here life is different. I
don't have to go out of town to skateboard."

"I like it here," I said looking down to my cup.

"But?" He added.

"I miss them."

"Look at those people out there. They all look happy don't they?" I
nodded. "Deep inside some of them have real problems. Some of them are shit
poor but they fit in the group because they are truly good people."

"I never understood that before."

"In our old high school there is nothing to understand. That will never
change. They need to feel better than other people to give valor to their
miserable side. Do you know why they kicked me out? Or should I say why
Eddie kicked me out?"

"Because you skated with the skaters."

"Yeah that was the piece of gossip they used, but it's not the reason they
kicked me out. Eddie kicked me out because I was going to tell people that
he tried to rape me. He waited for me in the locker room after practice. He
was in the shower when i went in. He waited till I was done. And then came
up behind me. He tackled me and then tried to get on me. I felt his dick
near my ass and I panicked. I knew what he wanted. I somehow managed to
turn over and kneed him in the balls. I ran away."

"Oh my god did you tell anyone?"

"No I was too afraid. I ran home in my towel. I went straight into my
room. I just laid in bed and cried myself to sleep. The next time I went to
school they had spread that rumor. I no longer belonged. I was erased."

I told him my side of the story. He listened. I told him about meatball and
her cousin. I told him about Mel and Michael. I even told him about Craig
and me. He just listened intently as I talked. I never told anyone the
complete story. At some point David and Sheryl came in and sat by me as I
told him my story. I started to cry when I began to speak of Craig. Sheryl
held me as I told them about how long I waited for him and How I lost them.

"God I'm sorry Dave I didn't mean to ruin your party," I said a little
embarrassed.

"John honestly it's OK I'm glad you felt you could tell us about your
life."

They all smiled and waved to me as Aaron walked me to my car."Hey John
listen if you ever need anybody to talk to call me OK," he said handing me
a piece of paper with his phone number in it. "I mean it. I'd like to be a
good friend to you again."

"I will Aaron I will," I said before I got into my car. I waved at him and
drove away. It felt as If a huge weight had been lifted of my shoulder. I
had told them everything and they had understood me. They didn't walk away
they stayed and listened.

I came to realize a few things at this new school. The first is that people
could be nice. I came here thinking people were going to hate me. That they
were going to treat me the same way people treated me at the other
school. They didn't. The second thing I learned is that there is always
something unexpected around the corner. Every day here something surprises
me. Sometimes there's good things sometime there's bad things.

Aaron and I became real close. He and I were inseparable while at
school. Our friendship was easy. We knew where we both stood and we didn't
need to hide anything from one another. You could say that it was boring
but I prefer it that way.

The winter was coming. The nights were getting longer. I liked it that
way. I love the snow. When I was younger Graig and I would spend the day
sledding or having snow fights.

Aaron invited me to go up to his cabin. He had invited a few of the kids
from school including Dave and Sheryl. Aaron and I started a fire as they
started to arrive. Sheryl made hot chocolate for all of us.

"OK lets play truth or dare," Aaron shouted as we all crowded the fire.

"Who wants to go first?" I asked.

Dave sighed and volunteered. "OK truth or dare?" Aaron asked.

"Truth," Dave answered.

"OK is it true that you have a crush On John?" I began to blush and He
turned pale. "NO! I mean I don't have a crush on john," He yelled back
rather quickly. "It's your turn now Aaron. Truth or dare?" He said
forcedly."

"I choose dare."

"OK I dare you to run out in the cold naked and roll around in the snow."

Aaron quickly stood up and took of his shirt, pants and shoes quickly. He
ran out of the door we followed him to the door. "Here I almost forgot
these," He said handing me his boxer shorts. I however wasn't paying
attention to the shorts but on the massive thing between his legs. He got
down on the snow and began to roll. I was transfixed on his dick as he
turned his body left and right. Left and right. Left and right.

"John like what you see?" Sheryl whispered into my ear.

"Uh huh," I mumbled back as I began to drool.

Aaron ran back in snatching his boxers from my hand as he came back in. He
quickly dressed again and we resumed the game. Sheryl ended up admitting to
having had sex in her parents car and I ended up eating three raw eggs that
made another appearance as I threw them up.

'that's the last time I pick dare over truth," I said as Aaron held my head
up from the toilet.

"Come on wheres your sense of fun?"

"I think it went down with the flush."

"Listen I have to go to the store and get some stuff. Do you want to come
with me?"

"Sure I could use the fresh air."

As I got in his car I noticed some apprehension coming from him. He
nervously got in the car. He looked at me and quickly turned away. "Aaron
is there something wrong?" I asked. He turned to me leaned in close and
kissed me.

"Ive never kissed a guy before," Aaron said to me as we finished. "I mean
not that I didn't want to but I just couldn't until I met you," he said to
me as I woke up from the dream I was having.

"I cant believe you fell asleep in the car. That must have been a good
dream," He said to me.

"What? Why?"

"Because you have a massive hard on between your legs," He said as we
pulled into the driveway. "Hey why don't you take a minute to get adjusted
and then come in OK."

I walked up to the door and heard whispering. Somebody said my name. I
heard Sheryl say "Shut up he's right outside." I didn't like this. They
were talking about me. I burst through the door ready to bust some heads.

"Surprise!" They all yelled at me. I couldn't for words.

"Happy birthday john," said Sheryl as she hugged and kissed me.

"Happy birthday John,"a familiar voice said from behind. I turned to see
who it was. It Was Craig.