Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:43:51 -0700 From: Dalton Norris Subject: Unplanned happenings Chapters 8-18 So, I have decided since I don't like keeping my story in suspense, and since submitting the chapters one by one, days apart is a bit annoying, for this section, I am throwing in chapters 8-18. A whole 10 chapters! All for you guys! Usual disclaimers apply. Unplannedhappenings.wordpress.com (my story blog. Updated semiregularly. Lot's of chapters.) Dnorris190@gmail.com (email of course) Thanks guys. -Dalton Chapter 8: Ty's Morning Salute I awoke the next morning with a sense of strangeness beating down on my face. It got light here early in Arizona and I always have my blinds open, but I closed them last night. I didn't want Ben watching me while I slept. Things were uneasy now. The morning was the usual. I had my breakfast of cereal and I got ready for school. I couldn't get the thought of him saying, "So you probably hate me then," out of my head. I could never hate Ben. He was too great of a guy for me to hate him. After I finished prepping for school, I ventured out to wait for my bus. Since there were no benches to sit on, I just sat on the ground and waiting. Ben ended up showing up soon too. We looked at each other but neither of us said a word. The bus rolled up eventually and as the first two people on the bus, we got our pick of seats. I sat in the back corner like I usually do and he sat in the elementary section of the bus. We rode the bus ride in silence. Hardly anyone was ever on the bus in the morning since their parents could drop them off on their way to work. We got to the school with minutes to spare. The bell ended up ringing as soon as we stepped inside and we hurried off to biology. Mrs. Jefferson was there to welcome us each into the classroom individually, and told us to look at the board for the new seating chart. She put me right next to Ben. Half way through the lecture on the rules, Ben excused himself to go use the bathroom. Fifteen minutes elapsed and Mrs. Jefferson sent me out to look for him. "Out of everyone she could have chose to look for that dweeb, she had to choose me. What do I look like? That kid's babysitter?" I grumbled as I trudged down the hall, not really looking for him. "I said I don't have a gift for you!" Ben cried in the distance. I perked my head and I knew that he was in trouble. I started to run around the winding hallways, to search for Ben. I kept hearing him scream and cry. Then suddenly, it stopped. I skidded to a halt outside of the boys' bathroom. I saw a bulky guy, around 6'1" running out of the bathroom. I couldn't think of anything except to save Ben. I sprinted into the bathroom, and I saw Ben, lying bloody on the floor, knocked out. I kneeled down to him and I grabbed some paper towels, and I placed his head on my lap, and called for help. Chapter 9: Two Destinies Meet "Dude, wake up," a voice called to me while shaking my body. I groaned. "Dude, come on back to earth," he called again. I slowly began to stir. I blinked once, then twice, and once again. I felt my head in a cushion of some sort. My vision was slowly starting to come back to me. The profile of the boy who was holding me came into focus. He looked like an angel; the light above him formed a halo around him. "Ta, Ty. What are you doing here?" I asked slowly, still in a daze. "Shhh," he whispered as he put his finger on my lips, "You're going to be okay. You're safe now. I've got you. I'm going to go get you help." "Please Ty, don't. Please don't leave," I pleaded. I was almost in tears. I waited to see what he would do. He didn't move again. He stayed sitting with my head resting on his lap. We stayed like that for minutes until at last our nirvana was ended abruptly. I guess Mrs. Jefferson must have gotten worried about us because she sent another kid into the bathroom to look for us. Ty was alerted first and quickly looked up. "Finally someone shows up. Quick go get help," Ty ordered at the boy in the doorway. The boy ran off and emerged later with a two school security guards and Mrs. Jefferson. There wasn't any lack of screaming and squealing. Almost immediately Mrs. Jefferson pushed Ty away and helped the security guards pick me up. "What happened here?" she asked in a commanding tone, glaring at Ty. "I don't know. I saw a guy running out of the bathroom, and I heard Ben screaming. When I got here, Ben was on the ground," Ty explained, staying calm and collected. "Oh my. Ty, can you take Ben to the nurse's office? I have a class to settle," Mrs. Jefferson stated, looking at him. "I told you. I didn't do anything," he said with eyes of fire. The security guards rushed over and quickly detained Mrs. Jefferson. "It would be wise to go with the officers Ben. They will want to know what will happen to you, and I'm sure they want me to tell my side of the story as well. Isn't that right?" he asked sarcastically towards the security guards. "That would be helpful, yes," one of the security guards said. "Alright. Here is how it is going to go down. One of you should take Mrs. Jefferson to the office or wherever you are going to take her. The other one of you should help me bring Ben to the nurses' office and do with me as you must to get the witness statements. Any questions?" Ty directed. He was taking charge. He vocalized everything firmly and smooth. To my shock, the guards listened to him. Like directed, one of the guards took Mrs. Jefferson away from us, while the other one helped Ty escort me to the nurses office. I slowly stood up. It hurt. My bones were feeble and my skin was bruised. I slowly trudged along the cement trail to the nurses' office. "Can't imagine what is going to happen. I didn't get a good look at my assailant's face, so he is probably going to walk free. Mrs. Jefferson probably won't be teaching us anymore after she almost injured Ty. Ty might get in trouble for stopping Mrs. Jefferson, but I am not sure. All I know is that I didn't want Ty to suffer for helping me and defending himself." I thought to myself as I watched the ground. The painful walk was a quick one. It didn't take long to stroll through the desert heat in midsummer, over a field and into the office doors. I was greeted with the cool ac air as I emerged into the nurses' office. I was quickly overwhelmed with the familiar scent of illness. My eyes remained glued to the floor. I felt one set of hands let go of me. I could tell by the shoes that the security guard had gone off to talk to the nurse about what had happened. Ty ushered me down into a cushioned seat. "Hey dude, how are you doing?" Ty asked me whilst he placed himself next to me. "I've been better," I joked, trying to hide the pain and fear I was feeling. "You're safe now. I may not know what happened amidst the confusion of today, but I want you to know that you are safe," he attempted to reassure me by placing his hand on my still sore back. "Ty. I have a question," I stated with my eyes now lifted and staring into his. "Yeah dude. What is it?" Ty asked, puzzled. "Even after I told you I was gay, you are still being my friend and being helpful. Why?" I inquired. "Why am I even asking this question? Why can't I just keep my mouth shut?" I asked myself. There was a long pause in the bustle of the nurses' office. I was worried that I asked him too much. Soon a loquacious voice broke the silence. "Oh my word. What happened to you, you poor little boy?" the nurse bellowed as she rushed over to Ben. I began explaining my story to her. I could tell that she wasn't happy with the events that unfolded prior. She was on the verge of tears, I could tell. I didn't like it. I don't want a stranger to feel sorry for me. While I was telling my story, I became aware of the lack of people in the nurses' office. Ty had left with the security guard. "I hope he'll be alright," I thought to myself. There wasn't a surplus of sick students in here either. In fact, I was practically alone. I felt abandoned. I didn't have the support of Ty anymore and no one I knew was here. "I guess that it is better that my friends aren't here. They would probably make fun of me if they saw me now." "Ben hun, can you come over here?" a nurse called to me as she patted an examining bed. Without a verbal response, I trudged over to the table with my head held down. "Where does it hurt?" she inquired. "Everywhere," I moaned. "Well immediately, I can tell that nothing is broken. You managed to get here so that is a pretty good sign. I am going to call your father right now. I would like him to be here with you. I'll be right back," she stated as she walked to her private office and called my dad. I sat there alone on the bed, unsure of what to think of. "I hope Ty is doing alright. I hope I'm alright," I thought to myself as I sat in silence. It didn't take long till I heard a chime ring. Our nurses' office had a bell on the door to alert the nurse when someone would come in. I perked my head up. It was Ty. "Hey dude. How's it going," he waltzed in casually. "I've been better. She doesn't think that I have any broken bones, but she's calling my dad. I'm probably going to be heading home early today. What about you? How did the thing go?" I responded, eager to learn what had unfolded whilst I was trapped in this mausoleum. "Hardly anything. They just asked what I saw, and if I was sure that I didn't see the guys face who ran out of the bathroom. You know, nothing serious, but I'm pretty sure Mrs. Jefferson thinks that it's my fault though. I might switch out, just to be safe," Ty responded while shrugging his shoulders. "Oh," I stated grimly. "What's the matter?" he asked as he sauntered over to the bed I was on. "Well if you switch, then we won't be in the same biology class," I muttered while looking away from him. "Don't worry about it Ben. She'll probably forget all about it. I don't think we need to worry about switching," he tried to reassure me by placing his arm around my shoulder. "Ouch," I whispered. I was in pain everywhere. Every minor touch or movement hurt me more and more. He quickly released his grasp. "I'm sorry," he stated, avoiding further physical contact, "I didn't mean to hurt you." "It's alright dude. I know you didn't mean it," I attempted to reassure him. We stayed in silence for a few moments till the nurse walked in again. She immediately walked over to me, ignoring Ty completely. "Well, your dad will be here in a few minutes so we can talk a few things over," she stated. It wasn't till she was finished that she noticed Ty waiting amongst the chairs. "And what can I do for you today you little sweetie pie?" she asked him in a fake southern accent. "You can make Ben get better," he stated, putting his concerns for himself aside. "I wonder why he said that. Does he actually care for me?" I thought to myself. "I'll do my best, hun," the nurse replied to Ty's statement. She then left the room to go do something in her office. "So dude, are you going home or staying?" I peeped. "I have to stay. My mom is down town Phoenix working. I would have no way to get home till the buses come," he shrugged off. He seemed sad that he had to stay, but he was more concerned for me. "Maybe my dad can take you home. We are neighbors after all," I joked. Ty didn't laugh. "I wish I could, but school policy won't let me. I can't leave alone and I can't leave with someone else's parents," Ty stated coldly. I could tell that it was killing him inside. Or was I just imagining it? "That sucks. I really wanted you to come with me," I whispered lowly so that only he could hear me. "I'll tell you what. How about I come over right afterschool to see how you are doing?" Ty offered with a slight smile. "Only if you want to come. I don't want to force you over," I shyly replied. "It won't be a problem. I'll be happy to come over," Ty insisted. He then started looking around in a panic. "What's up dude? Why are you frantically looking?" I asked, curious about his behavior. "Where are our backpacks?" he asked, still frantic. "Oh crap. I think they are still in Mrs. Jefferson's room," I stated in shock. "Why is he thinking of backpacks at a time like this?" "I'll be right back dude. I'm going to go grab our things," he stated as he dashed out the door. "Ty, wait!" I called to him, but I was too late. He was already gone. I was left alone in the nurses' office. "What should I do now?" I thought as I lay down upon the bed in the nurses' office. It didn't take long for the nurse to come back out of her office after she heard the bell chime. "Who was that?" She inquired dumbfounded. I perked my head towards her direction. "Ty just went to go grab our bags from our class. He should be back soon," I informed her. "Oh. Okay. I wonder what's keeping your father. He should be here by now, shouldn't he?" She asked rhetorically as she walked back into her office. I glanced at the clock. Almost an hour had elapsed since she called my dad. We only live 5 minutes away."She's right. He should be here by now. What's taking him so long?"I pondered to myself deep in thought. "Did something happen to him?" I began to worry. I let out a muffled cry. "Please. Please let him be safe." My sobs grew louder and more frightening. Minute by minute I became more frightful for what happened to my dad. I heard a chime and I lifted my head up, lifting my tears. I had hoped that it was my dad. Much to my disappointment, it was Ty. He quickly dropped our bags and rushed over to me when he saw me crying. He said nothing. He sat next to me and pulled me into a deep hug. My pain had been subdued with fear, and I wept into Ty's shoulder. Chapter 10 I felt safe in Ty's arms. In his arms, I felt like nothing could hurt me. Suddenly, I heard another chime of the office door, but I didn't care who was there. I just wanted this hug to last. Ty must have decided that the hug had gone on long enough and broke it. I wiped my eyes, and I looked up to see my dad standing in the door way. "Dad! Thank god you're okay!" I exclaimed as I ran to give him a hug. I was so happy that he was alive. I don't know why I was freaking out, but all that mattered now is that my dad was safe. "Oh Mr.Wilkins, I am glad you made it. I am sure Ben is eager to get home to rest," the nurse stated, walking towards my dad. "Please Miss, it's John. And I think that I should take my son home now. He looks like he had a rough day," my dad spoke. I couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen with Ty. I feel bad about leaving him here. "And what of Ty? Will you be taking him home as well?" the nurse spoke again. My dad faced to look at Ty, "Would you like a ride home? I believe we have a few things we need to talk about." "Yes John, I believe that we do have some things to talk about," Ty stated calmly. We walked out of the office, and my dad signed us both out. We walked out the front entrance of the school and entered my dad's '97 pickup. "Sorry Ty, but it's only a 2 seater. So you can either have Ben sit on your lap, or ride in the back," my dad stated nonchalantly and winked at me. I couldn't help but blush. "Was my dad trying to hook me up?" "I don't have a problem with Ben sitting on my lap, that is, if he doesn't mind," Ty calmly stated in reply. "Oh my god! This can't be happening can it? Am I really going to get to ride on Ty's lap?" I pinched myself to make sure that this wasn't a dream. It wasn't. Chapter 11: Too Good to be True We loaded up into my dad's truck. I crawled onto Ty's lap, and relaxed. I leant back against his soft, yet strong stomach. I notched my head into the crook between his neck and the seat. I felt his arms warp around my, and his hands stop on my stomach. He held me onto him during the drive home. How time moves quickly when you want a moment to last forever, since we now arrived at my house. My dad was the first one out of the truck, and he left to go unlock the front door. I didn't want to move, but then Ty spoke, "Hey dude, we should probably go inside." He had long since released his grip on me, and I sluggishly slid off of his lap. We began the quick journey to the front door, where my dad was waiting for us. We all walked in together, and Ben led me to the couches. "Can I offer you something to drink Ty? We have lemonade, tea, some coke, water, milk, almost anything you can think of," my dad offered him. "Some lemonade would be lovely John," Ty stated in response. I couldn't believe how calm Ty was. Usually when I have to talk to my friends parents, I shake in fear and call them sir or ma'am, yet Ty was confident. We plopped down onto the loveseat together. We didn't have much room so our legs and arms were touching. My dad walked to us in the living room with two glasses of lemonade. He passed one to me and one to Ty. "So, which one of you are going to tell me why my boy is all bruised up?" my dad asked, getting down to business. "Ben, I think you should," Ty stated towards me. "But, but, why me?" I asked, not wishing to be on the spot. "Because you were there for the beginning. I wasn't." "He does have a point," I thought to myself. "Alright. I guess I'll try to tell the story." I began to retell the story to my father. He started with the face of a thousand sorrows, but as the story went on, he became happier since he knew that Ty saved me. He was still shocked about what happened, I could tell, but I shrugged it off. My dad then walked over to Ty. "Ty, I owe you so much right now for saving my boy's life. You will always have a place in this family," he stated, as he reached down and gave Ty a giant hug. I could tell that my dad was crying. He never cried before. I could also here Ty release a little cry. I went and leaned into the hug, and we all wrapped our arms around each other. I started to cry as well. Soon our hug broke and my father said that he had to be getting back to work. "Ah ha! So that's why it took so long for him to get to the school! Why didn't I think of that?" I thought to myself, proud that I found an explanation. My dad left Ty and me alone in the house. We heard the locking of the doorknob. We sat on the loveseat together. Now that we were alone, I decided to muster up the courage to ask Ty a dire question. "Ty. Can I ask you something?" Ty looked shocked at the suddenness of the question, but he stated, "Sure dude. Go ahead." "Yesterday, you got scared when I told you that I was gay. But today, you saved my life. Why? Why did you do that? If you hate me for being gay, then why waste your time on me?" I asked urgently. I wanted to know. I wanted to know why he did the things he did for me. Ty took a few seconds to answer. I feared that I was too direct. My heart started pounding more and more, with each moment of waiting. "Ben. I never said that I hated you. What you said yesterday, just caught me by surprise. I have been questioning myself for a little bit, and wondering who I am. I still don't know who I am. I am confused in every sense of the word. I don't know if I am gay or bisexual, but what I do know is that, ever since I laid eyes on you, I have been having an attraction for you. At first I thought it was nothing, but then I kept wondering what is that I was feeling. I wanted to be straight. I couldn't stand the idea of being gay, but today I realized that I don't care what a label means. What matters is that I love you. When I heard you screaming and wailing, I began to panic. If I had known that the guy who left the bathroom was your attacker, he would be dead. I don't want to see you hurt. It pains me too much." Ty moved away from me and sat there. You could hear a pin drop in this deathly silence. "Ty. I don't know what to say. I love you. I always have. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you. I want to be with you Ty!" I cried out. I went forward to clamp him into a hug, and he returned the gesture. I knew that our lives would be different from that point on. Chapter 12: Rude Awakenings "Where are our backpacks?" I asked, looking around the room at a frantic pace. My backpack had belonged to my father who was an ex marine. It was the only thing I had left of him, and I couldn't lose it. "Oh crap. I think they are still in Mrs. Jefferson's room," Ben stated in reply. "I'll be right back dude. I'm going to go grab our things," I stated. Before he could reply, I was out the door, dashing towards the biology room. I quietly ran through the building and once I got to the classroom, I saw all of my classmates just hanging out and talking to each other. Knowing them, they probably would have started making rumors about Ben and what he was doing away for so long. I grabbed his stuff and mine, and I was about to slip away undetected, but Trinity had to see me. "Hey Ty! Hold up!" she half called and half demanded. "What was taking you guys so long and where is Mrs. Jefferson?" "Well Mrs. Jefferson is currently in the company of the police. Ben was being beat up in the bathroom, and I had to take him to the nurse and talk to the police. Any more questions? Nope. Good. See you all later." With that I made my leave, and slinked my way back towards the Nurses' office. I went back to the office as fast as the wind could carry me, and stepped into the Nurses' office and was greeted by the familiar chime. The Nurses' office was always my least favorite place to be. It reminded me too much about death. I heard a muffled cry and noticed that Ben was crying. I did not say a word. Instead I rushed over to him and pulled him into a very tight hug to let him know that I would always be there for him. It pained me to see him in distress. A chime shattered the silence. Ben looked up to see his dad walking in, and he broke the hug and dashed over to his dad and gave him a tight hug. I decided that I would let them be together and sit alone and in silence. I tuned out the adult voices until I heard the nurse say my name. "And what of Ty? Will you be taking him home as well?" asked the Nurse in a get-rid-of-him attitude. John shifted his attention towards me and asked, "Would you like a ride home? I believe we have a few things we need to talk about." "Yes. I would like to talk to him. I have to tell him about how I feel about his son's safety. I have to tell him that I love his son. I have to tell him that I wanted to get revenge on the attacker, but how? How can I tell him, a total strange how I feel?" I asked myself before I finally uttered, "Yes John, I believe that we do have some things to talk about." Chapter 13 "Sorry Ty, but it's only a 2 seater. So you can either have Ben sit on your lap, or ride in the back," John stated. The idea of riding in the back where there would be no safety bothered me, yet I know it would have been either Ben or me in the back, so I simply stated, "I don't have a problem with Ben sitting on my lap, that is, if he doesn't mind." I could almost swear that I saw John wink at his son, but I decided that I should just let it be and not bother with it. I slowly climbed into the '97 pickup first. Then I helped Ben get settled onto my lap. I could tell that he loved sitting on me. He leaned against my chest and let out a sigh. I wrapped my arms around his waist and started thinking, "Is this what is supposed to happen? Am I supposed to fall in love with a boy, after knowing him for two days? Can I love a boy? No. It can't be. I'm straight for Christ's sake! I'm not gay!" We road in silence. I could feel our heartbeats intertwined in ease. After about 5 minutes, we pulled up to their house. His dad rose from the truck and left to go unlock the front door. I dropped my arms from Ben's waist, hoping that it would be a strong enough hint to make him get up and move, but he didn't. , "Hey dude, we should probably go inside." I stated, wishing to be released from this section of the rollercoaster of self confusion. "Can I offer you something to drink Ty? We have lemonade, tea, some coke, water, milk, almost anything you can think of," John offered me as we walked into the great room. "Some lemonade would be lovely John," I stated calmly, wishing to just get this over with. Ben led me to the living room and we sat together on the loveseat. Ben kept getting closer to me, but I shrugged it off. John soon walked in with two glasses of lemonade, and passed them to each of us. It was clear that John wanted to get straight to the point. "So, which one of you are going to tell me why my boy is all bruised up?" my dad asked, getting down to business. An awkward silence consumed us, until I finally said "Ben, I think you should." "But, but, why me?" He asked, stuttering. I could tell that he didn't really know what to say or how to explain it to his father. "Because you were there for the beginning. I wasn't." "Alright. I guess I'll try to tell the story." Ben started to tell his father about everything that happened today. I watched John's face carefully. He was becoming overrun with emotions. I could tell that he felt sorrow for his son. I could tell that he was angry and the assailant. I could tell that he loved his son very much. Suddenly John shifted his attention towards me. "Ty, I owe you so much right now for saving my boy's life. You will always have a place in this family," he stated, as he reached down and gripped me into a giant embrace. I could tell that John was tearing up. I couldn't help but cry. His hug reminded me of something I never got as a kid. My father never hugged me, so right now, John was the closest thing I had. I started to cry along side of him, and Ben came up and wrapped his arms around his father and me. He started crying, thinking about how fortunate he was. John suddenly broke the group hug and told us that he had to go to work, and he left Ben and me alone. We sat together on the loveseat, still touching. Ben spoke and broke the silence. "Ty. Can I ask you something?" His question shocked me and scared me. I couldn't tell what he was going to ask, so I stated, "Sure dude. Go ahead." "Yesterday, you got scared when I told you that I was gay. But today, you saved my life. Why? Why did you do that? If you hate me for being gay, then why waste your time on me?" Ben asked, prodding for any answer. "What do I tell him? Ben, I love you. I always have? I'm straight, not gay? I don't know! I'm too confused!" I yelled into my head. I needed time to think. I finally started to speak, "Ben. I never said that I hated you. What you said yesterday just caught me by surprise. I have been questioning myself for a little bit, and wondering who I am. I still don't know who I am. I am confused in every sense of the word. I don't know if I am gay or bisexual, but what I do know is that, ever since I laid eyes on you, I have been having an attraction for you. At first I thought it was nothing, but then I kept wondering what is that I was feeling. I wanted to be straight. I couldn't stand the idea of being gay, but today I realized that I don't care what a label means. What matters is that I love you. When I heard you screaming and wailing, I began to panic. If I had known that the guy who left the bathroom was your attacker, he would be dead. I don't want to see you hurt. It pains me too much." I moved away from Ben. It was getting awkward. "I'm such an idiot! I never should have told Ben that!" I yelled to myself. An odd silence enraptured my thoughts. Ben, being the one who felt responsible stated, "Ty. I don't know what to say. I love you. I always have. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you. I want to be with you Ty!" From that moment on, I could tell that my life was going to change. Chapter 14 Several days passed until Ben managed to return to school. Ty had of course gone back after the first day of being gone. However, every day after school, Ty would show up to Ben's house to watch over him while his dad was at work. Since it was still the beginning of school, there wasn't much school work or homework to do, but every day, Ty would pick up Ben's homework and take it to his house. Since then, they haven't said much else about their love, but Ben was sure that rumors were flying around the school. It was the morning of Monday, on the 2nd week of school. Ben had finally recovered from his attack enough to start going to school. Ty had stayed the night, for his mom was working late, and John didn't want him being home. The sun rose above the horizon, and filtered into the bedroom where Ben and Ty were sharing a bed. John had walked into the room, to wake the boys up, and saw them lying in each other's arms. "Come on boys, it's time to get up and get ready for school. Breakfast is on its way. Get showered up and come downstairs when you're ready," he spoke, gently but demandingly. "Urg," both of the boys groaned as they slowly stirred to life. "Morning babe. How'd you sleep?" Ty asked as he stared into Ben's crystalline eyes, arms still wrapped around Ben. "Great, since I'm waking up next to you," Ben stated in reply, "But I guess we should get up to get ready to go." "Yeah. You're probably right. I should head over to my house to grab some clothes and say hello to my mom," Ty stated, as he rose from the bed. "Yeah okay. I guess I'll see you a little bit later then," Ben sadly stated, as he also rose from the bed. "Don't worry, I'll be back as soon as I can," Ty stated as he ran out the bedroom door. Chapter 15: Come on Mom Ty left Ben's house in a hurry. He wanted to get back there to spend more time with Ben. He dashed up his driveway, barely avoiding his mom's car. He went up the front door, clicked it open, and stepped inside the house. "And where were you last night?" Ty's mom asked coldly as he walked into the great room. "I was at Ben's house mom!" Ty snapped back at her. She walked into the great room with her arms snaked together. "Did I say you could stay the night at Ben's house?" she asked rhetorically. "No. You didn't, but you're never home to ask. You are always at that job of yours," Ty stated in response. "Hey! That job puts food on the table, a roof over your head, and clothes on your back! And you are going to complain that I don't spend enough time with you? You selfish brat!" "I never said that you didn't spend enough time with me. My point was that you are never around to ask the questions," Ty countered. "Just who is this Ben person? Obviously he is a bad influence on you. You used to be such a nice boy, but now you are just a selfish boy who owns the world and everything around him!" She snapped back. "You don't know him mom! Ben isn't causing this, you are!" Ty shouted to her, as he stormed past her, and up to his room. He slammed his door closed. "Stupid mom! Thinking she knows Ben! What's her problem anyway?" He yelled at himself as he started packing up a couple outfits to last him a few days. After his bags were packed, he walked down the stairs leading to the kitchen and living room combo? "Where do you think you're going?" his mom asked sharply. "To Ben's," Ty stated as he left his house. We solemnly walked down the concrete drive, holding back his tears. We walked next door to Ben's house and knocked on the door. Once, then twice. Chapter 16 Ben was upstairs in his room, after stepping out of his shower, when he heard a couple knocks on the door. He called down to his dad and asked him to open the door. He was up in the room and he heard his dad open the door. "Hey Ty. What's wrong my boy?" Ben heard his father say. Ben, shocked by what his dad say, ran out of his room and onto the loft which over looked the front entryway. Ben looked down and saw his dad hugging Ty. He could see that Ty was crying, and hurried down the stairs to see what was wrong. "Ty, what's wrong?" Ben questioned as he pushed his dad out of the way, and pulled Ty into a hug. John led them into the living room to talk things over. Ty started to relay the story when a sudden knock came at the door. John went to answer it so the boys could talk it over. John strolled through the main foyer and opened up the white door to see the sight of Ty's mother. "Where the hell is my boy!" she half asked, and half demanded. "Ah. You must be Ty's mom? Is that correct? Hello my name is John, I am Ben's father," he introduced himself to her. "I don't care what your name is! I am taking my son back with me right now!" she screamed as she tried to enter the house. "I think you should calm down before you do something that you might regret later," John stated, not budging. "I think that you should let my boy go before I report you to the authorities for kidnapping." "I think that you should calm down before I report you to the authorities for child neglect, breaking and entering, and abuse," John stated, making his intention clear. "Do you know who I am! I am Margret William! A state respected defense attorney! If you think that you will get to keep my child, then you are very well mistaken!" The boys, upturned by the noise coming from the great room, found their way to the front door to see what was going on, hand in hand. "Mom, what are you doing here?" Ty asked shocked. The mom saw the two boys holding hands. "Oh! So that's why you are staying over here. You're a fag aren't you? And Ben is your butt buddy! Isn't that right!" she yelled towards Ty. She then shifted her attention to John. "I'm sorry for wasting your time John. Ty is nothing to me anymore. I hope you won't mind taking care of that fag of a boy for me." Ty sunk to his knees and started crying. "Margret, I would be happy to watch Ty until you can change your bigoted ways. Good day!" John yelled as he slammed the door shut. He turned around and saw Ty on the ground, being held by Ben. "So I know this is a dumb question to ask, but are you guys still going to school today?" The silence was overwhelming until Ty spoke, "Yeah. I'll go. I need to get my mind off of this morning for a little bit." "Alright Ty. I'll go too then, but until then, I think we need to get ready to go," Ben stated, motioning to his towel. The rest of the morning was uneventful. Ty took his shower and got dressed, while Ben went to get dressed and grab some breakfast. Chapter 17 Soon they were both ready and marched out the door and climbed into the '97 pickup truck. Once again Ben road on Ty's lap for the ride. They didn't mind, and they road in silence. As they pulled up to the school, Ben thought that other kids were noticed that he was on Ty's lap. "Oh great. They are probably going to start spreading rumors about us all over the place," Ben thought. "Don't worry about it dude," Ty stated, trying to reassure Ben. He could tell that Ben was scared about what others would think. They stepped out of the truck in front of the school, and a group of Ty's friends noticed that Ben was on Ty's lap before they could get out of the truck, and they waited for Ty and Ben to get out so they could question them. "Yo Ty, my main man! Wazzup?" asked one of the vultures who were hounding the truck, ignoring Ben all together. "Nothing much. What about you guys?" Ty asked nonchalantly. "What was with that dweeb on your lap in that beat out, piece of shit truck?" another one of the boys asked. "He's my friend Ben. Something came up, and I had to get a ride with him. Any questions?" Ty asked, wanting to get this confrontation over with. "Nah man. It's cool. Catch you later," the first boy spoke as they walked off. Ben and Ty strolled through the courtyard of their high school. For obvious reasons, they avoided holding hands. They were 20 minutes early to the school, so they walked to the hallway of their first class, Biology. The hallway was in the back of the last building of school, so hardly anyone came down the hallway. The boys felt comfortable and alone enough to sit by each other, and rest their heads on each other's shoulders and hold hands. They say in quiet for a while until Ben finally spoke, "Ty, are you embarrassed by me?" Ty was shocked by this question. "What do you mean?" "Well earlier you didn't say anything to those guys that we are dating." "Ben. It's not that I'm embarrassed by you. I just don't want people to know that we are together yet, or gay for that matter." "Yeah. I guess you're right. I don't think I am ready for that either. I guess I am okay with our secret relationship for now." Just then, the cackle of girls waltzed down the hall, and saw Ty and Ben snuggled up together. "Oh my god! Ty! You're gay?" the girls cried out together. Ty and Ben just looked at each other and gave each other a well-that-was-quick look. Ty spoke up and stated, "Yes. And in case you couldn't tell, I'm dating Ben." "Oh em gee Ty. You can do so much better that that nobody. You're hot and you are dating that ugly dude? Gross!" the girls wailed together. Ty's look turned sour, and Ben looked like he was about to cry. "Shut up you blonde bitches! I don't care what you say! I love Ben and that's all that matters. Tell anyone you want. Make me unpopular. I don't care. I don't need fake friends when I have a love," Ty stated coldly to the girls. "Whatever Ty. You're going to be a fun challenge to convert to be straight. You will be mine Ty!" Jessica, the stereotypical blonde-who-won't-take-no-for-an-answer-cheerleader squealed. Just then, the bell rang and the girls went inside, knowing that they lost and didn't need to say anything else. Ben and Ty were silent as the girls walked in. Then Ben spoke up. "Did you really mean it Ty?" "Of course I did." Chapter 18 The two strolled into the classroom at the same time, ignoring the smirks by the blonde chicks. They saw a new teacher sitting at Mrs. Jefferson's desk. He looked to be a young teacher, inexperienced. She glanced over at them, acknowledging their presence. As they were taking their seats, Ty found a note waiting for him at his desk. "You will be mine Ty, Love Jessica" Ty read. After he finished, he crumpled the note up and threw it into the trash. He then looked over at Jessica. "No I won't," he stated coldly Ben leaned over towards Ty and asked, "What did the note say?" "It was nothing. Just Jessica being the blonde she is." At this point the new teacher had walked over to the two boys and started to introduce himself. "Hello young man. I don't believe we've been introduced. I am Mr. Kennedy, and I will be your new biology teacher. I don't know if you heard, but Mrs. Jefferson quit on the fact that she was too old to deal with high school fights. So here I am. What is your name?" he asked Ben. "Ben sir." "Well Ben, it's good to meet you and glad to see you showed up today." With that Mr. Kennedy let the boys be, and he went to the front to get class started. "Alright class. Happy Monday. Today we will start talking about diffusion of water and solvents into cells. To start the unit off, we will begin by watching a video about how cells absorb different materials. I won't lie. It's not the most interesting video, but I believe it goes over the material very well. Alright so sit back, take everything off your desks and enjoy the movie." With that, the movie was started, and various whispers were heard around the room. Ty looked around and noticed that everyone was whispering in chains and looking at him and Ben. Ben however was watching the movie the whole time and didn't notice what was going on. Suddenly, Kyle, a football player stood up in the middle of the classroom and yelled, "Everyone, listen up! Ben and Ty are butt-buddies!" He pointed directly at the boys. Everyone shifted their eyes at the boys. They didn't know what to do. "Those two are queers! They don't even have the balls to fight back! No wonder they're queers! They'll never get girlfriends! Even if they wanted them!" Kyle called again. "That is enough Kyle!" Mr. Kennedy hollered. Ben suddenly stood up on his chair and he started shouting in return, "Shut the fuck up Kyle! So you think that I actually care what you think? Ha! Don't make me laugh. You are nothing Kyle. So what if I like Ty? Is that any of your business? No it's not. So mind your own fucking business and shut the fuck up!" Ben climbed off of the desk and stood in the aisle of desks that Kyle was in. The class was silent, and the movie had been paused. No one dared to speak, until Kyle uttered, "You're still a fruit." The class erupted into laughter. "And you are scum who has play football to let go of his anger because let's face it, your parents are ashamed of you," Ben countered. He started to walk back towards his desk, his back facing Kyle. Kyle quickly rummaged through his bag and pulled out a gun. "Fuck you Ben!" He screamed and squeezed the trigger. Ty had seen the gun being pulled, and leaped out of his chair. Time seemed as if it were on slow motion while Ty was dashing over to Ben. Ty quickly outstretched his body and shoved Ben out of the way of the bullet. However, during the jump, the bullet had pierced through Ty's stomach, and crimson blood splattered across the room.