Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2004 18:38:48 EST From: XMightbeWrongx@aol.com Subject: New Zealand: The First Step Chapter 3 (alternate version) USUAL DISCLAIMER: While this story is based on actual people the plot and story is fictional. It contains descriptions of sexual activities between teenage boys. If you are not over 18 years of age, or if you find this type of story offensive or morally wrong (why you would be here if it is, I do not know), or viewing this material is illegal where you are, then please DO NOT READ IT! Blah Blah Blah. You know the deal. I'm sure this isn't the first story you have read here at Nifty. I hope you enjoy this. Comments and Questions are greatly appreciated. Feel Free to e-mail me at xmightbewrongx@aol.com Note: This is an alternate version of chapter three. For some reason I decided to make it a little different. This is for those of you who don't want a sex story, lol. Just think of the story as a DVD and this is just an extra. One of those alternate scenes. Hope you like! New Zealand: The First Step Chapter 3 (Alternate Version) by Jonnie Darko James is sitting on his bed, wearing a white tank top and board shorts, smiling at me with that amazing smile of his. His room is pretty big. A poster of New York hangs on the wall above the head of his bed. Next to his bed sits his desk. Unlike my desk, there are a very few things on it, a notebook and model car. Next to his desk you see school and class pictures from last year. The day is coming to an end. The breathtaking sunset can bee seen out of the window, but my eyes are on something else. "Well are you going to or not?" He asks. "Yes, I just can't get over how beautiful you are." "Me too. I have been thinking about you non-stop since I saw you in the hallway at school," he says in his beautiful New Zealand accent. "Now hurry up and get changed so we can go swimming. It's bloody hot outside." He leaves the room to allow me to change. As I start changing I notice a stack of pictures and two notebooks. Curiousity gets the better of me and I decided to walk over to get a closer look. Most of the pictures contain James. James at the beach. James with a surf board. James doing some weird with his hands... It looks almost as if that picture was taken during a game of charades. What I thought were two notebooks were actually a notebook and a sketchbook. I start flipping though the sketchbook. His drawings blow me away. They obviously have a deep meaning, mostly self portraits. Three stick out to me. One of his lips sewn shut with barbed wire, one of blood trickling down from his ear, and then one him curled up in a ball, arms wrapped around his knees. The drawing is in the lower corner of the paper, leaving 90% of the paper empty. "Jon" "Hey Jon, are you ready yet?" "Yea just coming!" I yell back I take a quick glance through the notebook. Every page is filled with different writings. Some look like poems and some look like stories. I start reading. One piece of writing captures my attention. It is just one sentence but it takes up the whole page: SILENCE IS MY WORLD I stand there just staring at those words on that page. What does this all mean? The photo, the writings, the drawings... "Hey, Jon" "Jon..." "JON!!!" "JON!!! Wake up mate!" I open my eyes and look up at the person standing over me and see Lucas. I was confused, groggy. "What the hell do you want?" I said, a little too rudely. He looks at me with a little hurt in his eyes. "Mom told me to wake you up. It's almost 3pm. We are going out in an hour so you need to get ready." With that he turned around and walked out of my room, slamming my door on his way out. I didn't mean to snap at him... I was just frustrated that it was all a dream. What did the dream mean? Were those things signs of some kind? I get dressed and head downstairs. Lucas hasn't talked to me since I snapped at him. Hopefully I can make things up to him. After I had gotten up, Joanna told me we wouldn't be heading out until 5 since there were some things Graham had to finish around the house. So I decided to head next door to introduce myself to James. I made extra sure I looked good before I headed next door. As I got closer to the front door of his house, my heart started to beat faster. I rang the doorbell and nervously waited for the door to be answered. After a few moments the door was answered by a woman who I would assume was James' mother. She looked to be in her late 40s with graying hair. "Hi, Can I help you?" She said. "Yea, I'm Jon. I am staying with the Garners for a year. I saw James at Kelston yesterday but didn't get to introduce myself. Is he here?" "Oh, so you're Jon. Nice to meet you. I'm Diana Flagg. James isn't here right now, he went to the store down the street, but I will let him know you came by." "Thanks" I replied and I headed back home. Lucas must have been outside and heard my conversation, because as I walked in the house he approached me for the first time today. "It's no use." Lucas said. "What do you mean?" "It's no use trying to become boyfriends and stuff with him." "What makes you think I want him as a boyfriend? What makes you think I am even gay?" "Maybe the fact that when I came to wake you up you were moaning for James." "Oh" was all I could say. He had found me out. Should I let him know what I knew about him? I decided not to. "You wouldn't want him as a boyfriend either" Lucas continued. "What makes you think that?" "Well you would like someone you could communicate easy with, someone you could have long talks/discussions with, right?" "Sure" "You can't do that with James. He's deaf" James is deaf... damn, how will I talk to him. What can I talk to him about? My main thing is music, from playing in a band to going to concerts. What do I do? Suddenly the dream I had last night was making sense... The sewn lips, the bloody ear, the sentence. They all fit together now... "Ready to go?" Joanna says, interrupting my thoughts. I walk to the car, meeting Lucas and Graham there. We head downtown. Lucas and I had a long talk in the car. I apologized for snapping at him, and promised it wouldn't happen again. He just smiled at me and went on explaining the story behind one of his video games. As we park the car, we decide to just find a restaurant for dinner, since it is too late to shop. You won 't believe how many food options there are here. "What is everyone in the mood for?" Joanna asks. "Pizza!!" shouts Lucas as he proceeds to pull me toward a pizza place down the street. "Lucas, wait." Says Joanna with a tinge of impatience. "Jon, what do you want to eat?" Joanna continues. "I wouldn't mind something that is authentic New Zealand cuisine" I reply "How about seafood?" Graham pipes in. "There is a nice little seafood place on the harbor." "Sounds good to me," I respond "It's pretty hard to get fresh seafood in Iowa." While walking to the restaurant, I am given a tour of downtown. Downtown Auckland is a tad bigger than Des Moines. They have a few more skyscrapers poking up though the skyline. We reach Kermadec, which is right on the harbor. Very beautiful. As we walk in the door, we are shown our seats almost instantly. It is amazing. We are next to a huge window looking out at the sea. Almost looks like we are sitting on the water. "I want the lobster and caviar platter," Lucas says pointing to the most expe nsive item. "Sure," says Graham "if you're paying." "Fine," sulks Lucas "I'll just get the fish and chips" We all settle on fish and chips. When the food came out I was surprised... there were French fries on my place. Lucas sensed my confusion because he explained that chips are what they call French fries. It was 9pm when we finally got home. On the door was a note addressed to me. Jon, I was home when you came by. I just was nervous about meeting you before I could tell you a few things. I'm deaf. I really don't have any hearing friends. They all seem to be uncomfortable around me. I understand if you would rather be acquaintances than friends. I did like the shirt you were wearing yesterday. Blue square with a yellow = sign. It's the Human Rights Campaign log, correct? If you would like to be friends or more feel free to e-mail me at james@emoarts.com. That is my messenger ID too. Love, James I look out my window. I know what I'm going to do, and seeing James in his room sitting at his computer reaffirms my decision. I sign on to messenger and add James to my list. "Hey cutie" I type to him and look out the window and into James' room. I can see that he has a big smile "heya!" appears on my screen followed by a big smiley face. " Ready for school?" "Think so, especially now that I have a friend who can show me the ropes." "Yep! I can do that. What is your schedule? I proceed to tell him my schedule. To our surprise we have three classes together! We talk for hours. It is almost one in the morning when we finally decide we both should get some sleep. Now just one more thing I have to do before I go to bed. Ah! The miracles of the internet! After going to just one website I find what I am looking for: "A Concise Dictionary of New Zealand Sign Language." I click "go to checkout" and place my order for express delivery. I know already that tomorrow will be a great day! Sorry I don't have a new chapter completed. Been really busy here and having some family issues (sister got a pacemaker, dad had triple bypass surgery.) It is also getting close to midterms so school has become busy. I promise you though, that There well be a new chapter soon! Thanks for all the feedback, and please keep it up. The one way I will get chapters up sooner is if I have a lot of feedback from many people, so e-mail me!!!