Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2011 16:01:54 -0800 (PST)
From: Joey Young <untitledlovestory23@yahoo.com>
Subject: Untitled Love Story, Chapter 7

Usual disclaimers apply. This is a complete work of fiction.  All rights
reserved by the author. If you are underage, object to gay erotic fiction,
or it's illegal where you are, please leave now. Send all comments to Joey
Young at untitledlovestory23@yahoo.com

Author's note: To Lisa, thank you immensely. You're a ninja when it came to
my editing problems. I appreciate the time you took, to help me with this
chapter and I hope to use your help again. You were truly a reliable
resource and this chapter would've sounded bland without your input.

And I know I promised other people that I would use them as editors too,
but I forgot who you were. So, if you would like to become an editor for
these stories, just email me. It takes a great writer enough courage to ask
for help, so just email me if you're interested. Thanks.

And to all my loyal fans, I made this chapter extremely long just for
you. You are the reason I have continued writing these chapters. And every
time I log in to my e-mail account I wait in anticipation for you
e-mails. So, thank you. Oh, and I made it less sad and a little more
entertaining this time. Hope you enjoy.

-Joey Young

Untitled Love Story

Chapter 7

I awoke to a light tickle on the bridge of my nose. Someone was gliding
their finger down the length of it, trying to wake me up gently. I feebly
chased the finger away and tried to go back to sleep. It worked, but only
for a moment. After a while, they started up again. This time I groggily
opened my eyes and blinked awake in annoyance. Light streamed in from my
open curtains, blinding me with its rays. A shadowy figure lied across from
me on the small bed. There delicate hand was outstretched, holding the
sheet above us, creating a pale tent.

It was Stacey, her lovely, porcelain face rested on my pillow. The
momentary feeling of annoyance was gone, quickly replaced by sudden
warmth. Her black hair was splayed out all over the bed, like seaweed on
the beach. Her dark eyes gleamed in the pale light seeping through the
sheet. She was wearing a light blue blouse and some form fitting jeans. She
seemed comfortable on the bed next to me, and reached out to my hand,
placing it in hers.

I watched as her eyes pooled with tears and knew my mom had told her
everything. I thought I would feel angry at the betrayal, but instead I
felt some relief.  Like some of the weight had lifted off my shoulders. I
could feel the sharp sting of fresh tears start to well up in my eyes too,
but I blinked them back into my head.

"I'm sorry, Caleb," she finally said, breaking the silence.

"It's okay," I shrugged and spoke in a hoarse voice. "It's for the best."

After I said those words, I knew that was to be my crutch, whenever I
thought about Dante. I had decided it last night, while I tossed and turned
in bed. The only positive side to not dating Dante was he would never have
to bare my horrible secret. I knew it was better this way. I could hardly
even live with this secret and bringing in my family was just another rung
in the ladder.

"I really loved him," I whispered back as she pulled me into the circle of
her arms. I didn't cry though. I was beyond tears.

"Oh, Caleb," she whispered and pulled me close.

She eyed me solemnly and said, "Trudy's worried about you, Cale. She thinks
you'll go into a depression."

I smiled dismally, "I'm already past that, Stace. I'm on acceptance now."

She smiled back, and squeezed my hand with light pressure.

"We'll get through this, you'll see," she said with little optimism.

"Thanks, Stace."

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

I pulled back the sheet and glanced at the clock. It was 11:45 in the
morning. My stomach growled without my permission, and Stacey laughed.

I smiled timidly, "Yeah, I guess I am."

"Good," she said, and sat up, pulling me along with her. "Cuz, Justin and
Trudy made you something special."

I stared at her confused, "What?"

"I'm not telling," she replied with a sly grin, "get ready and you'll see."

I sighed, "Fine, but it better be food, or else I'm coming back to bed."

She laughed and shoved me to the bathroom.

"Go brush your teeth," she said as I walked through the door. "Your morning
breathe stinks."

I covered my mouth, "I thought you were supposed to be cheering me up."

She giggled and bounded out of the room. I closed the door after me and
walked to the mirror above the sink. I started the water and looked up
hesitantly to see my reflection. I groaned. My face looked awful. I had
hectic red spots all over my cheeks; my hair was a bushy mess; my eyes were
swollen from crying last night; and my face still had cuts and bruises all
over it.

I gave up on the faucet and decided to take a shower instead.  Mostly just
to wake me up, but also to wipe away the memories of last night. When I was
finished I peeked out into my room, but Stacey wasn't there. I hurriedly
tiptoed to my closet and fished around for something to wear. Ultimately, I
threw on a dark long sleeve shirt, some comfortable jeans, and my favorite
pair of converse.

Once I was presentable I slowly made my way down the stairs and limped to
the kitchen door. The moment I entered the kitchen, I was assaulted with
the smell of buttermilk, and bacon. I inhaled deeply.

The smells brought some reassurance to my morning. I looked around and saw
my mom, at the stove flipping pancakes. Justin and Stacey were at the table
chatting, until they noticed me.

"Caleb, buddy!" Justin exclaimed in brotherly affection, and got up to pat
me on the back. He guided me to the table and sat me next to Stacey.

"Good, morning," I said to all of them, making them laugh. I smiled in
confusion.

My mom turned off the stove, and grabbed the plate of pancakes from the
counter.

"Good, afternoon, is more like it," she said, while placing the pancakes on
the table.

Suddenly, I noticed the pancakes, and exclaimed in surprise, "Animal
Pancakes?!?"

My mom smiled at my excitement and served me four of them on my plate. I
forgot all about my confusion and immediately started to pour syrup on
them.  Stacey and Justin also smiled at my sudden display of
emotion. Animal pancakes were a funny way of saying blueberry pancakes. My
dad had come up with the name when he once got a pancake shaped like an
animal. So from then on we called them animal pancakes.

"Of course," my mom replied, and served Stacey and Justin, "what else, on a
beautiful sunny day?"

I smiled affectionately at my mother, "You shouldn't have."

"Nonsense," she said and waved a hand at me. "You deserve them today, so
just enjoy them."

I didn't say anything back, but instead dug in. They followed suit and
started to eat too. While I ate, or rather stuffed, my mouth, they all
started some light conversation. Justin continued to talk about the new
road improvements his dad was working on for the city. It seemed I had
interrupted their conversation earlier.  Stacey brought up the districts
that needed it more, and my mom listened with good grace.

I hardly paid attention to what they were saying. Instead I watched the
light filter in through the kitchen window. I could see the house next
door, and hear the sound of birds chirping. One flew by the window and
rested on a tree branch. Somehow, I began to think about the idea of flight
and freedom. I thought of how easy birds had it. How they could easily fly
from one place to another, feeling the sensation of freedom. The sensation
of idle wind blowing through their wings. Then I started to think about the
word freedom. The definition of it. What did freedom mean? Who was subject
to this freedom? Was I free?

Suddenly I heard the doorbell ring and was immediately startled. I looked
to my mom, but her face was a similar mask of surprise.

"Were you expecting someone?" Stacey asked mid-bite.

"No," my mom replied quietly, "I'm off work today. Besides, people usually
call."

The doorbell chimed again, making my mom get up quickly.

"I'll be back," was all she said before leaving the kitchen. Stacey and
Justin looked to me for an answer.

"Maybe it's Ed Mcmahon from Publisher's Clearinghouse," I said
indifferently and took another bite of food. Stacey rolled her eyes, while
Justin choked back a laugh.

We sat in silence for a length of a heartbeat, before my mom re-entered the
kitchen. She was no longer shocked, but rather perplexed. She looked to me,
and absently gestured to the front door.

"There's a boy, named Drew Caldwell, asking for you," she said, still
confused, "he says he wants to talk."

I abruptly choked on my pancakes, and had to down a glass of orange
juice. Stacey pounded my back, while I tried to catch my breath. Finally my
windpipe was clear enough to breath.

"Stace!" I exclaimed, before she could hit my back again, then I turned to
my mom. "He didn't say why?  Did he?"

"No," she said, her voice raising a bit, towards the end. "Caleb, what's
going on?"

Just then Stacey jumped in, "Hey, is it the same Drew Caldwell from school?
Why is he here?"

I looked to Justin for help. He was the only one that saw me with Drew. He
looked me dead on, and answered Stacey's question.

"He probably came to apologize for what happened last night," he suggested
eyeing me pointedly, "remember he use to date Alley."

"Ohhh," Stacey said instantly dejected. She settled back into her chair.

My mom looked at me, "Well aren't you going to go?"

"Umm, sure," I said getting up, and took another bite of my pancakes.

I limped out of the kitchen not bothering to turn around. I knew they were
highly suspicious of my behavior, so I remained calm, hoping to diffuse the
situation.

Drew was pacing the porch when I opened the door. He was facing away from
me, and turned at my arrival. His face blanched at my appearance, before he
formed it back into a mask of indifference.

"Hey," I greeted timidly. I closed the door behind me, and limped to the
other side of the porch away from the swing. I didn't want to be reminded
of Dante. Not now.

He watched me sit in one of my mom's woven porch chairs, before walking
over and squatting down in front of me. His forearms rested on his thighs
and his hands were clasped together. He stared up into my face, leaving me
nowhere else I could look. His mask was gone.

His eyes were tender. A deep fathomless blue, which sucked me in with its
gravitational pull. His golden hair waved gently in the breeze that ran
through the porch. His sharp nose and angular cheekbones were beautiful on
his sad face. He wore a light brown V-neck t-shirt and a pair of beige
shorts. His whole appearance gave off a soft, warm color.

"Caleb, what happened?" was all he asked, before anything else.

I sighed. I knew we were going to talk about this sooner or later.

"Alley had her brothers attack me, to teach me a lesson," I said calmly,
but his features turned hard, making his face severe with anger. I
immediately tried to soothe him, "But I'm fine. Look, see."

I gestured to my whole body, and smiled. He frowned at my nonchalance, but
his face did soften a bit.  I could tell he was still angry by the set of
his jaw, so I remained quiet.

"Caleb," he whispered, looking me in the eyes. His own dimmed with
vulnerability. "If something had happened to you, I don-"

But he broke off mid-sentence and stood up, turning away. I watched as he
walked the length of the porch, and came back again. His face half angry,
and half sad. He ran his hands over his face, like he was trying to wipe
the look off of it. Eventually he squatted in front of me again.

"Listen, I don't want to talk about what happened, or about Dante," he
said, placing his hands on my cheeks, holding it gently, "I just want to
know. Are you alright?"

I grabbed his hands and pulled them off my face. I placed them in my lap,
"I'm fine, Drew, really, I am."

His eyes tightened a little, at the placement of his hands, but he kept me
in his gaze. He stayed like that for an immeasurable moment, before
suddenly breaking into a smile. It was as bright as the sun itself. I
smiled in return, unable to help myself. He gently began to twirl my hands
with his as he started to speak.

"Do you remember the first time we met?" he asked with a hint of
amusement. He looked at our hands as he spoke.

I did remember, but I didn't know if he did. I moved my right hand to his
chin and made him look at me.

He was still smiling, but that's not all I noticed. I noticed the warmth
radiating from his body. The perpetual sun that was Drew Caldwell. I
noticed the ivory sheen of his teeth and the golden little hairs forming
around his jaw. I resisted the urge to brush his cheek and instead leaned
in, teasing him. After I had him where I wanted him, I grinned and stood
up, leaving him gaping after me.

I limped to the porch's railings and eventually he followed. I gazed out
over my lawn and thought of every Sunday, when my dad would watch me mow
the lawn. He would always insist I spent as much time outside as I
could. Even though the sickness took that away from him. I smiled at the
memory and he seemed to notice. He brushed my cheek with his free hand and
ran the other down my arm. He leaned against the railing and looked
comfortable, like he belonged there. I watched as the trailing of his
fingers left Goosebumps running over my arm, just like Dante's touch.

Stop! I chastised myself and moved out of Drew's touch. He let me go
willingly, but stayed close to my side. I turned and looked at him
again. He smiled that beautiful sunny smile again, making my palms slick
with sweat.

"I remember," I whispered and moved back to the railing, keeping a few feet
between us. "But do you remember?"

His smile became playful, "I remember everything about that day."

I laughed and attempted to hoist myself onto the railing to sit. My weak
arms only accomplished half of my attempt, so I had to stay standing. Drew
noticed my feeble effort and moved to stand in front of me.

I eyed him cautiously, but he just smiled and easily grabbed me by the
waist, hoisting me off my feet. It still amazed me, how anyone could just
easily lift me up without any difficulty. I huffed in surprise but allowed
him to rest me on the railing. His hands brushed my exposed skin beneath my
shirt, but he restrained himself and pulled away.

"Thanks," I replied with a slight blush and made myself comfortable on the
small slab of wood.

He just nodded and hopped onto the railing across from me with graceful
ease. We both sat on the same piece of wood, resting our backs on the
porch's pillars. I lifted my bad leg and rested it on the whole of the
wood, while my good leg dangled gingerly off the side. Drew grabbed the
foot on the railing and slowly pulled my shoe off. I watched as he started
to take off my socks and then gently began to rub my feet. His piercing
blue eyes watched me as I relaxed in the warm sun.

"Feel better?" he asked with a crooked grin.

I sighed, making him chuckle, "Much better."

"Good," he replied and continued to rub my feet. I closed my eyes in peace,
while I thought of the day we met.

~*~ I was supposed to wait for my mom in the banquet hall's small
library. The banquet hall wasn't really a banquet hall but more of an old
mansion left to the city. It housed four or five ballrooms that hosted
events simultaneously. My mom was at a medical convention hosting a booth
for the hospital she worked at. And there was a wedding and bar mitzvah
down the hall across from each other that same night.

The library was located between my mom's convention and the wedding, so I
waited in there. The library wasn't that well stocked. It had more
encyclopedias and textbooks then classic literature, but I didn't mind. I
always carried around a copy of The Great Gatsby. Mainly because it was
given to me by my dad, but also because I was often left alone. My mom
hadn't found the right balance for our lives yet, so at the moment our
lives were hectic.

I moved about the room and ran my fingers along the binding of books;
admiring the texture. The books lined the walls on wooden shelves. There
was an old ladder that could be moved around the room on wheels. It
reminded me of old movies where professors or detectives swung around on
it, trying to find the correct book. I smiled at the absurdity of my
thoughts.

I didn't find anything I wanted to read, so I moved to a plush leather
armchair in the corner. It was old and worn, but comfortable. It had a lamp
just above it, so I pulled the small little chain and heard it click to
life. The light pooled a few feet out, but left the rest of the room
shrouded in darkness.

I snuggled into the chair and rested my feet on a footstool. My book was
dog eared to the same page I always left it on. I opened it slowly and
started to read. The music from the wedding next door provided the perfect
white noise, while I read.

Suddenly the noise of people laughing and cheering became more pronounced
and clear. I looked up and noticed the door to the library was opening. A
bright sliver of golden light poured into the room for a split second, and
then it was gone as soon as it had come. I squinted into the shadows and
tried to see if someone was there.

"Hello?" I called out, unsure.

Just then a shadow moved across the room and made its way to my
footstool. My heart quickened with fear and I pulled my feet back into the
circle of light. The shadow froze too at my movement and stood a few feet
away in the darkness. Hesitantly it began to move again. I shrunk back into
my chair and closed my eyes. Abruptly the shadow began to chuckle lightly,
like I was amusing it.

I slowly opened my eyes and blinked them into focus. It was a boy. He
looked elegant in a black tuxedo.

His golden hair was combed back and waved slightly over his head. His face
was sharp and angular, but his lips were full and pink. I couldn't see his
eyes but could see his crooked smile. His teeth flashed like lightening in
the dark. He had his hands in his pocket and he watched me from where I
stood.

"Hi," he said in a deep silky voice, "I didn't mean to scare you."

I gradually loosened my hold on my legs and relaxed. He saw the tension
leave my body and moved to the small footstool. That's when I noticed his
piercing cerulean eyes. They blazed with intensity like the ocean just
before a storm. I caught my breath as he met my gaze. His smile widened,
showing more of his pearly whites.

"Just had to get away from the family, you know?" he said and began to
unbutton his shirt and tie.

I relaxed some more as he got comfortable and I stood up to find the light
switch.

"Why?" I asked nonchalantly while running my hands over the wall.

Suddenly I felt his hand grab mine just before I flicked the lights on. I
gasped in surprise and pulled my hand away. My mind did take into account
the rough texture of his palms.

"No," he whispered and moved his hand away too, "don't turn the lights
on. They'll find me."

"Okay," I replied quietly and walked back to my chair. He followed too and
sat on the footstool.

"It's just that my family is a little eccentric when they're drunk," he
said with a chuckle. "They try to create unnecessary situations to catch on
camera."

I curled up in the chair and rested my chin on my knees. He smiled at me
when he noticed I was listening.

"This is my older sister's wedding," he continued. "She's known the guy for
years and finally she agreed to marry him. So my parents gave her a
wedding. But lately she's been real bitchy and selfish. Normally she's cool
and fun."

I smiled and stifled a laugh. His eyes sparkled like jewels when I laughed,
but he continued.

"So, today she tells me that I got to write a speech for her," he said with
quiet contempt. "Well, I thought, no big deal right? But then she tells me
I have to write a poem instead. So then I tell her I don't write
poetry. But she gets mad and throws a tantrum. But I thought I was
right. Right?"

He looked at me for an answer but I just shrugged in confusion. He chuckled
and scooted closer.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this," he said before he began to run his
hands through his hair. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I replied and watched him pull on his hair. "I may not
understand much about families, but I know about pushy people."

I smiled at the mention of pushy people. The only person that came to mind
was Stacey. He looked up from his hands and stared at me. He watched me for
a moment before he suddenly extended a hand.

"I'm such a dick," he said apologetically. "I didn't even introduce
myself. I'm Drew. Drew Caldwell."

I grinned at him, "Caleb Pierce. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," he replied warmly and slowly slid his hand out of my grasp. "So
what are you doing in here, anyway?"

He looked around the room and took in the sight of all the books. His eyes
moved around the shelves before finally resting back on me. His blue eyes
melting with curiosity.

"I'm waiting for someone," I answered vaguely. I noticed his face fell a
little.

"Oh," he replied casually. "Your girlfriend?"

I instantly busted up laughing. His face contorted with confusion.

"What?" he asked in bewilderment.

I just shook my head still laughing. He just watched patiently as I tried
to regain my composure. Finally I calmed down enough to explain.

"No," I replied still breathless from laughing. "My mom. She's at a
convention right now."

Confusion and disappointment immediately left his face. He smiled in
understanding.

"Oh, okay," he said relieved. "Cool, so your mom's a nurse?"

"Yeah," I replied and rested back into my chair. "She's been there all
day. Her job keeps her busy a lot."

I sighed dismally and grabbed my book again. Talking about my current
predicament abruptly made me sad. I opened it to the page I was reading and
started from there again. I didn't pay attention to him and ended the
conversation. But he stayed and sat while I read; quietly reflecting.

Halfway through the page I glanced up from my book and saw that he was
watching me. He grinned crookedly when our eyes met.

"Come with me," he said with excitement and extended a hand, this time in
an open invitation.

I stared at him in confusion. I can't just leave. I don't even know
him. Besides I'm comfortable here. I don't want to go. It's quiet and
secluded. What about his family? What would they say if he didn't come
back?

"Uhh," I replied unsure. "I don't even know you."

He chuckled, "Well get to know me, come on."

He beckoned me with his hand again and started to move to the wide double
doors in the middle of the far wall. I hesitated a minute, but gradually
got up. He grinned crookedly and stepped back. I extended my hand and
wrapped it around his. His hand was warm and rough, but firm. He pulled me
after him and turned back to switch off the lamp I had used.

As soon as the light went off, the room was bathed in darkness. I shivered
despite the reassurance his hand provided. My hand tingled with his touch,
which only intensified in the dark. We moved along the bookshelves and
steered clear of the door, which opened out to the wedding.

We were about to leave through the double doors, when we heard the other
door's doorknob start to move. He stiffened with surprise and spun me
around into his chest. I huffed in shock and tried to get my bearings. I
had barely regained my balance, when he started to push me back to the
farthest wall.

My feet stumbled by I did not fall. He wedged me between two bookcases and
shoved himself on top of me.

My head hit the wall slightly.

"Ow," I whispered and tried to move my hand. He grabbed it before I could
reach my head and held it against the wall. I huffed in surprise.

"Sorry," he whispered back apologetically. "But we have to be quiet."

I didn't say anything but remained still. I was very actively aware of his
body lying on top of mine. My legs were sprawled out and he had maneuvered
himself in between them without hesitation. He had pushed his pelvis into
mine, and held me against the wall. I could feel every breathe he took and
the hard ridges of his muscular abdomen. One of my hands rested between our
chests, just above our hearts. That's when I noticed our heartbeats were
the same; frantic loud thumps.

His left hand held my right against the wall, pinning it there
momentarily. His right arm was wrapped fully around my waist holding me
from moving. I obliged willingly and didn't move a muscle. Even my breaths
were short and silent. His face was buried into the crook of my shoulder
and I could feel his warm, sweet breathe flow over the nape of my neck.  I
on the other hand had my chin resting on his shoulder and could smell his
sharp cologne, and heady masculine scent. I wanted to inhale so badly, but
the door to the library finally opened.

Golden light poured into the library, illuminating most of it. We were in
the shadows though, covered by Drew's dark tux. He stiffened when he saw
the light but kept his hold on me.

Two figures moved into the light and called out for Drew.

"Come on," one guy said, obviously drunk, "Claire said you have to sing."

They both busted up laughing. Drew huffed in anger. I moved my head and
rested it on his cheek. I could feel the little prickles of hair where he
missed when he shaved. I rubbed my cheek over his in a calming gesture. He
seemed to understand my comfort and slowly relaxed. However, his arm
tightened around my waist, drawing me closer.

"Drewww," the same guy called. "Come on, we were only joking. Let's go have
some fun."

Drew huffed again, and kept still. I didn't dare say anything. The two guys
slowly moved around in the light and groped the walls. Instantly I
understood what they were doing. They were looking for the light switch. I
squeaked in fear and craned my neck to get a better look.

"What?" Drew whispered softly and tightened his grip on me, exposing some
of my bare flesh.

"There looking for the lights," I barely whispered. "Maybe you should just
go with them. What if they found us like this?"

He pulled away and looked into my eyes. I couldn't see his face though; it
was still cast into shadows.

The hand holding my right hand moved away and reached for my cheek. He
softly caressed it before moving it away again.

"What about you?" he asked so softly that I almost missed what he said.

"I'll be fine, don't worry," I replied with a fake smile in my
voice. "Besides you have to go sing."

He groaned quietly and squeezed my waist. His hands were lightly rubbing my
exposed skin.

"No," he whispered back fiercely, "I thought we were supposed to have some
fun?"

I laughed a short shaky laugh, "You're very persistent."

He chuckled lightly too, "Naturally."

I rolled my eyes, hoping he wouldn't see it, "Fine."

I didn't know if he was smiling, but his had glided further under my
shirt. So, we waited as the two guys tried to find the light switch. The
wedding was in full swing and people were singing and laughing to the
music. The guys never found the light, either because they were to drunk or
dumb, I don't know.

Eventually they gave up and swayed back to the door.

"He's probably back at the party, anyway," the other guy slurred and
flounced through the door.

The second guy just mumbled something and staggered through the door,
slamming it behind him. The golden light left with them and so did the
sounds of the party. It was quiet and dark in the room, and all I could
hear were the sounds of our breathing.

Slowly Drew disengaged his hold on me and gradually moved back. I slumped
forward and breathed a quiet sigh of relief. I rested my hands on my knees
and calmed my beating heart. Drew chuckled and moved away to the double
doors. I finally stood up and stretched my limbs. They were stiff and
disjointed.

I joined him at the door and peered out behind his back. The hallway was
empty, but vast with space.

Maroon carpeting lined the floors and led away to the seemingly endless
hallway. He turned just then and grabbed my hand. Before I had time to
register the fact that he was touching me, he pulled me out of the room and
down the hall.

We ran over the plush carpeting, past the beautiful paintings of distant
landscapes. There were actual suits of armor lining the walls. There were
also statues of heads resting on pillars. The ceiling was held up with
large wooden arches that extended the length of the hall. The walls were
painted a light orange color that reminded me of a sunset. But all this was
lost on me as we ran through the halls.

We passed the four banquet rooms and many other doors leading off to other
rooms, before he stopped in front of a wooden arched entryway. It was an
old wooden doorway, with a brass hoop as a doorknob.

I glanced at him questioningly, but he merely smiled. He pulled the brass
hoop roughly, making his muscles bulge through his tux. The door opened
slowly with an audible creak.

I glanced around nervously, hoping nobody would hear us. He finally got the
door open and he whisked me inside. I glanced around in the dim lighting
and thought it was just a small entryway like a broom closet. But instead
of just ending at a wall, it led to stairs that stretched to another door,
a floor above us.

I heard the low thump of the door closing behind us and shivered. It was
particularly cold in this small space and the brick walls didn't help
much. He noticed my shiver and moved to my side. I assumed nobody ever came
up this way that's why it was so unnaturally cold in here. I softly rubbed
my arms and tried to get warmth back into them. Suddenly I felt a shroud of
heat rest on my shoulders. I turned and saw Drew adjusting his jacket onto
my back. He smiled when he noticed my attention. He gently grabbed my hand
and led me up the first steps.

"Come on," he said, no longer hiding his voice. "You'll love it. I know you
will."

I smiled and moved up the steps after him. When we finally got to the
second door, he easily opened it without pause. A pocket of musty air
enveloped us as we entered a circular room. I gasped at the sheer size of
it. It was circular and low, but larger than the library. It also had a
huge circular glass ceiling that looked out onto the stars. The sky was
beautiful. The sun was nearly gone and the stars were already out. I could
see the Milky Way, a few constellations, and many, many stars. I stared at
the winking lights unable to look away.

"You like it?" Drew whispered, despite us being alone.

I turned and smiled at him.

"Like it?" I asked breathlessly. "I love it."

He smiled back winningly and moved a bit closer. I turned back to the stars
and gazed at them a little longer, my neck craning back with the effort. I
heard him moving about the room, but didn't turn until he placed a hand on
my shoulder.

I turned and noticed articles of furniture and chests lining the
walls. There was a huge wardrobe off to one side, a vanity mirror next to
it, and a small bed still covered with a white sheet. I looked around and
saw that most of the stuff was covered with white sheets. I spun around
once and took in the whole room, before stopping in front of Drew.

He smiled perfectly and placed his hands on my arms. I stood still. One
hand moved to my waist and latched on to my hip. He pulled me close enough
that I could feel his breath on my lips. I gulped quietly but in this room
it sounded loud. His smile turned into a crooked grin. My heart stuttered
at the small change. It was so subtle and small, but made a huge difference
to his features. It made his already handsome face more endearing.

He drew me close and pulled my waist to his pelvis. Slowly he leaned in and
grazed his nose against mine. I sighed contently and leaned in too. His
mouth lightly grazed my lips. He moved them over mine, tempting me, before
I felt the lightest touch. His lips parted mine very softly and I could
taste his breath; very sweet, subtle like lavender. His mouth formed around
mine, making soft smacking noises. I held my breath as he opened my mouth
and slipped his tongue between my teeth.

His tongue lightly touched mine, before it suddenly began fighting with
it. I had never kissed like this before and it was all new to me. My head
swam with dizziness and I immediately realized I forgot to breathe. I
pulled away and sucked in a huge breath. I was rewarded with a hurt look on
his face.

"What, did I hurt you?" he asked concerned.

"I-forgot-to-breathe," I replied between breathes and sat on the small bed.

He smiled and moved to sit next to me on the bed. He placed a hand over my
beating heart and held it there, while I tried to catch my breath.

"You alright?" he asked with a smile in his voice.

I laughed breathlessly, "Yeah, just never kissed before."

He chuckled, "Really? Cuz, you're quite good."

I ignored his last comment and stood up.

"How did you find this place?" I asked and moved to the center of the room
again.

I clasped my hands in front of me and stretched them above my head, trying
to act casual. I slowly began to walk around the small room and grabbed
random things. I didn't hear him get up until he stood next to me. I was
holding a small music box, which was broken. The music didn't play but the
winding stick was still in front of it.

"Music box," he mused and grabbed the box from my hands.

"Doesn't work," I said as he continually opened the box. "Must be broken."

"I could fix it for you," he offered, seeing that I admired it.

"No, it's alright," I replied, then turned from his side. "You're good at
avoiding questions."

He turned and stared at me as I walked to the center of the room again. I
stared up at the sky and noticed for the first time that the moon had come
out. It was a quarter moon, but still bright. I was illuminated in the
moonlight and he stood in the shadows.

I glanced at my skin and froze in fascination. It looked like I was
illuminating the light from within me.

My skin glowed pale white; almost silver. The exact opposite of his golden
features. My hair looked darker in the light and my eyes were wide with
excitement. He stood watching me with a smile; never moving.

Finally he spoke, "I think I know you."

I smiled, "I think I know you too."

He moved around the edges of the circle of light, making me spin in
place. I caught a glimpse of myself in the vanity mirror and saw an
iridescent graceful figure bathed in bright light. I moved my arm
experimentally and saw that the figure moved fluidly. I had never been
considered graceful or fluid, but the light made me look like a wisp of
smoke.  White and moving but willowy in its arches and curves through the
air.

"Where do you think you know me from," Drew asked breaking my reverie.

I turned and noticed he was on the bed again, "From school."

He blinked in astonishment, "You go to Taylor High School?. . . What
grade?"

"Junior," I replied and sank to the floor, watching myself in the mirror as
I did so.

"Why have we never met?" he asked with an astonished grin.

"You know that old story," I said with a hard laugh and glanced at my hands
in amazement. "The masses never talk to the elites."

His smile widened and he moved from the bed to sit across from me on the
floor. He didn't come into the light, but stayed in the dark.

"Let me guess I'm the elite," he teased.

"Masses," I replied and pointed to myself. He chuckled lightly and moved
closer.

"But were in the same class," he said seriously. "We should have at least
crossed paths."

"Oh we have," I replied and folded my hands in front of me. "You just never
paid attention."

He moved even closer and finally came into the light. His face was all
shadows and sharp angles under the silver moonlight. He looked different
than I did. Like an angel who had a wicked scheme. He smiled politely and
rested his hands on mine.

"I'm sure I would have remembered you, if we met," he said tenderly. I
moved from his grip.

"Listen, let's not do this and make things complicated," I said with a
small smile. "I know for a fact you have a girlfriend. And to be honest
this would never work."

"What do you mean, 'this'?" he asked suddenly on his feet. I looked up in
surprise.

I stood up too, "This. The whole flirting thing. The secret messages passed
between us and the lingering kisses. I don't hold you accountable. This was
fun, but we both have different spheres of groups we hang with. Neither one
ever touching. So, I'm giving you a get out of jail free card. No strings
attached, promise."

"Nobody will have to know what happened here. I'll just go back to the
library and you can go back to your party. I'll forget I ever kissed you
and nobody will get hurt. I promise."

He moved about the room and ran his fingers through his hair again. I
noticed this was a nervous habit.

He paced the floor once, before stopping in front of me so sudden I jumped
in fright.

"Your serious?" he asked his face stern without humor.

"Of course," I replied and moved from the light to the door.

He followed despite the obvious conversation. I stopped mid-step and placed
a hand on his chest, noticing the hard planes of muscle.

"I'm gonna go," I whispered with a polite smile, before I patted his chest
and turned.

I barely moved a step before he pulled me back into his chest again. I
huffed in surprise, but didn't catch my breath breathe before his lips were
on mine. His kiss was urgent and passionate. This kiss was different from
the first. There was an edge to the kiss like panic and persuasiveness. I
tried to pull out but he kept his hold on my waist. I breathed deeply
through my nose, but couldn't move my lips from his. I bit bite his lip
lightly, but this only fueled his desire. He groaned deeply in the back of
his throat and latched his other hand on my leg.

This released his hold on my head, but I didn't pull away. I gave in and
kissed him back. He took that as an initiative and hooked his hand under my
thigh. He pulled my leg up and around his waist. I obliged willingly and
wrapped my other leg around him, latching on. His hands moved from my thigh
to my butt.

When he had a good hold on me from there he began walking to the bed.

He yanked the sheets of with one quick tug and revealed the soft white bed
underneath. He dropped me on it softly. I bounced on it and started to
laugh. He chuckled too and moved the blankets out of the way.

Slowly he began to take off his button up shirt. I suddenly remembered I
was wearing his jacket and started to remove it too. I got it off and
tossed it onto the floor. He got his shirt off and threw it to the floor
also. Slowly he moved to the bed and leaned down to kiss me. I wrapped my
arms around his neck and pulled him on the bed with me.

He lay next to me and twisted me on top of him, to straddle his chest. I
leaned down and kissed his chest. It was smooth and hard like marble. The
flat planes of muscle moved under my palms. I could make out every ridge of
his abs he had. I marveled at the beauty of his chest.

Suddenly he twisted over again and pinned me on the bed. I giggled at the
swiftness of his movements and lay still as his hands went to my shirt. He
pulled it up over my head and threw it onto the floor. His hands roamed
over my shoulders and chest before he slid to my waist. He quickly
unbuttoned my pants and pulled them off in one swift movement, leaving me
just in my boxers. The flimsy fabric barely hung to my groin before it was
finally exposed.

He pulled the rest of my clothes off and revealed my slender body. He
sighed and ran his hands over my skin, feeling my hips and thighs. Slowly I
moved my shaking hands to his belt buckle and gradually unclasped it. I
opened his belt and quickly unbuttoned his pants. His zipper was the
easiest part and zipped open with ease. I pulled at his pants until they
came off and tugged at his boxer briefs. His dick was very prominent
through the gray fabric. It was long and beautiful, and took me by
surprise.

I finally got his boxer briefs off and revealed the hardened shaft. I had
never seen a real one besides my own and felt slightly self-conscious. His
dick was long and thick. It curved upward in the air, away from his
balls. It was cut and veiny with a light golden bush at the base. His balls
were low and oval shaped, pink with warmth. His abs flowed smoothly to his
dick and made a V-shape near his hips. I don't know why, but that feature
always stuck with me. He moved and took off the rest of his clothes,
throwing it to the floor.

Gradually he covered us within the confines of the blankets. His body was
warm to the touch. He laid between my legs our dicks touching. He moved his
lips to mine and kissed me tenderly. His lips were warm and soft like rose
petals. He kissed me until I grew dizzy, then moved to my chin, then my
jaw, and finally to my neck. I gasped with excitement, making him move
lower to my chest.

His body slid over mine as he moved lower. His kisses trailed down my chest
to my nipples, where he tenderly kissed each one. I sighed with pleasure at
the gesture. He moved lower and kissed my belly. I squirmed a little as he
lightly kissed my bellybutton, but managed to stay still long enough for
him to move on.

His kisses trailed down my line of hair all the way to the base of my
groin. He stopped there and pulled his head up. He threw the blankets over
his head and covered himself from my view. I laughed shakily and waited to
see what he was going to do. I was about to say something when suddenly I
felt his warm mouth envelope my dick.

I gasped and pulled at the blankets. His tongue ran under my shaft and
danced around the tip. His mouth was warm and wet, running all over my
dick. He sucked on it without hesitation. He took the whole length without
pause and had me thrashing around with pleasure. I didn't move that far,
because one of his hands was placed on my chest, but just enough to show
him how much I liked it.

His other hand kept busy by massaging and cupping my sensitive balls.  The
calloused texture of his palm and soft fingers brought tingles to my skin
as he rolled them and pulled on the extra skin. His caresses incited a
drawn out moan from me, which tapered off into a whimper.  Just when I
thought my body would explode from the extreme pleasure his mouth and hand
was bringing me, one of his fingers slid over my hole and traced a circle
around the furled flesh.

His head bobbed up and down, making low sucking noises that were muffled by
the blankets. Slowly I felt the tightening of my balls and a sensation so
intense it had my back arching. I grabbed at the edge of the bed sheets and
pulled on them to keep my control. It was no use.

His throat closed around the tip of my dick and he gently tugged on it. I
groaned in ecstasy and he increased the tempo. My hands moved from the
sheets to the back of his head underneath the blankets.

I slowly pushed on him, making him bob faster.

My toes curled inward and my back arched to its highest point. I turned my
head to the side and buried it in the pillows. Drew continued to deep
throat me, but I couldn't hold out any longer. I moaned loudly into the
pillows and came into his mouth. Volleys of cum erupted from my dick, but
Drew took it all. He kept sucking until my dick finally went limp. He
sucked on it once more, getting every drop off, before he started to move
up.

He peeked through the blankets and saw me. I immediately threw my arms over
my face and closed my eyes in embarrassment.  I had never done that before,
especially in front of someone else. I remained still, not wanting to
move. My cheeks burned with the unannounced feelings I had.

"Caleb," Drew said softly and moved his arm under my head.

I turned and buried my face into his hard chest. He chuckled and titled his
head down. His hand lightly caressed my cheek, before it hooked under my
chin and pulled it up to look at him. I allowed it, but kept my gaze just
above his head. He frowned slightly and tapped my nose.

"What's wrong?" he asked. I finally looked at him and saw that he was
concerned. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, you were great," I replied, quickly apologizing. It seemed he was
self-conscious too. "I'm just a little embarrassed is all. I've never done
that before."

He laughed and pulled me into his chest. I laughed too and wrapped my arm
around his hard chest.

"You silly self-conscious boy," he said between laughs. "You don't ever
have to feel that way around me.

You're perfect."

I felt comforted instantly and rested my head on his chest. He kissed me
lightly on the forehead, making me look up at him. His eyes were still
blazing with sexual tension, reminding me that he hadn't gotten his own
release.

"Kiss me," I whispered and moved to his lips.

He obeyed willingly and parted my lips easily. His tongue entered my mouth
and thrashed around. He tasted wonderful and sweet, more than before.  A
slight tang burst on my taste buds, reiterating the fact that he had just
swallowed a mouthful of my own cum. His hand moved to my waist and hooked
around my hip. His rough calloused hands rubbed my skin with passion. He
squeezed it harshly, making me hiss in pain. But I let him continue.

His hand moved lower and roughly grabbed my thigh. His whole hand wrapped
easily around my thigh and hiked it up over his back. I felt the hard meaty
shaft of his dick lie on my inner leg. It twitched at the contact, but
remained in place. When my leg was securely wrapped around his waist he let
go and grabbed my other leg, doing the same thing.

I straddled his waist easily, which gave him time to feel me up. His hands
roamed my chest and body, before finally wrapping around behind my back. He
softly moved his hands lower, until they barely touched the top of my ass.

His kisses become more urgent and passionate, while his hands started to
knead my ass. He groaned quietly as he massaged each mound. I sighed at his
touch but kept kissing him. His lips shaped themselves around mine, before
moving to my chin and neck.

"You're so soft," he whispered into my neck, between each kiss.

I tilted my head back and let him fully explore my neck. Gradually his dick
started to leak sticky fluid. I knew he was horny, but I didn't know how to
seduce him. Clearly he wanted too, but he seemed hesitant in trying
it. Softly I pulled out of his embrace.

"Drew," I said breathlessly. He looked up. "Go ahead. I'm ready."

He blinked, "Are you sure?"

I nodded not able to speak. He watched me as I stared back into his eyes.

"Are you sure?" he asked once more with seriousness.

"I'm sure," I replied with the same tone.

"Okay," he said a little excited.

He fully pulled out of our embrace and got off the bed. He walked to his
clothes and he grabbed his pants. I sat up and pulled the blankets up
around me. It had gotten a little cooler since we'd been there.

I though errantly about how long we had been there, but pushed those
thoughts away when he turned back around.

His body was half in the moonlight and half in the shadows. He looked
amazing. His muscles were sculpted like a marble statue. He was lean and
tall, with just the right amount of muscles on each arm.

They were big, but not huge like a body builder. His sharp features were
prominent under the moonlight and his hair was bleached white. It tumbled
from his scalp and lightly touched his forehead.

He smiled crookedly and I could see that he was still hard. His dick jutted
out from his nicely formed balls. They were sagging a little between his
legs and looked full to the bursting point. The V-shape of his abs caught
my attention again, and kept it there as he walked forward.

I noticed what he held in his hand. It was a condom. I didn't think he was
this prepared.

"Wow," I breathed. "You come prepared."

He chuckled, "My uncle gave this too me today. He said the girls at the
wedding were easy."

I frowned and he saw.

"But," he amended quickly. "I have my eyes set elsewhere."

"Really?" I said with a teasing smile. "Why don't you show me?"

I grinned and beckoned him with my finger. He smiled crookedly and dove
under the blankets. He quickly pulled me under too and covered us fully
with the sheets. He fit easily between my legs and kissed me fully on the
lips. I laughed as he grabbed my sides and squeezed lightly.

He stopped for a moment and put the top of the condom wrapper in his
mouth. I lay still while he ripped the top of the wrapper off with his
teeth. He spit it out and stood up on his knees. He pulled the blankets up
with him, which covered his sight.

I grabbed the condom, "Here I got it."

I grabbed his meaty shaft for the first time and felt the sheer size of
it. It was thick and warm beneath my fingers, and hard as a rock. My heart
sputtered a bit at the size but I ignored it, hoping it wouldn't hurt. I
slowly slid the condom over his dick and took into account the length. The
condom barely made it to the base, which gave some indication to the size.

I began to feel a little nervous after I was done. My hands started to
shake a little. He moved back between my legs after I had placed the condom
on his dick. He kissed me lightly on the lips before he maneuvered his hips
to align with mine.

"Wa-wa-wait," I stuttered. "Wait, can I just get a moment."

"Sure," he said and pulled back to let me breathe. "Are you alright."

"I'm just a little scared," I whispered my voice fading. "I was all pumped
to have sex, but after I saw the size......"

I trailed off. He watched me as I started to hyperventilate. The blankets
covering us didn't help much.

Finally I couldn't take it anymore. I pulled the blankets back and breathed
cold musty air. I gasped with each breathe, trying to ventilate my lungs.

Drew uncovered himself, "We don't have to do this. I'm not pressuring you."

Gradually my voice came back, "No, were doing this. I'm just nervous. Just
try it, but be gentle."

He leaned down and kissed me on the lips, "I promise to be gentle."

I expected to feel the head of his sheathed dick to push against my hole,
so when I felt his finger, I jumped and looked into Drew's eyes. He
delivered one of his trademark smirks and brought his finger to my mouth.

I hesitated at first, confused as to why he was doing this, but soon
realized his intent.  I sucked his finger into my mouth and pulled on it
deeply.  A low growl issued from his throat and I could see his control
fracturing.  I slathered more saliva on his digit, before he pulled it out
of my mouth with a pop.

Anticipation kept my breath stored in my lungs as he disappeared under the
blankets.  He used the lubed finger and at first traced up and down my
crack over my fluttering hole.

Aching to breath, I let loose the air in my lungs and Drew simultaneously
breached me.  The pain was brief and settled into a feeling of fullness. At
a tilt of his eyebrows, I nodded and he began penetrating me with his
finger.  As much as I wanted him to explore, I just wanted his dick in me.

"Drew... please..." I said, almost whining.

He smiled and removed his finger.

I just nodded and gripped the sheets. He looked down at his dick and gently
guided it between my cheeks. I sucked in a pocket of air and held it while
he slowly moved it up and down my crack. He did this two times before
resting it right on my hole. I closed my eyes and released a shaky breathe.

"You ready?" he asked hesitantly. I just nodded and bit my lip.

He gently pulled my legs apart and opened my ass a little wider. His dick
was lightly touching my hole, which twitched with anticipation. Slowly he
applied pressure. The tip was soft and pliable when it entered, but this
didn't stop the pain.

I gasped in shock and pain as he passed the muscle of my ass. He stopped
immediately, allowing me to adjust, and remained still. I slowly opened my
eyes and tried to get used to the pain. We stayed like this for a while,
until the pain started to dull. When it did, I looked up at him and nodded
for him to keep going.

His hips moved forward an inch, but I tried to squirm away. He stopped
again. His face was torn with concern and anticipation.  Eventually the
pain dulled again. I relaxed and nodded for him to move again.

This time it hurt a little less. I understood now that I had to relax my
whole body, to get used to the intrusion.

So, experimentally I concentrated on loosening up my whole body, especially
my sphincter. Once I accomplished this I nodded again. This time he pushed
his dick all the way in, up to his pubic hairs. I sighed in
accomplishment. He sighed too and leaned down to kiss me. I kissed him
back, while he slowly moved his hips away from my ass.

His dick slipped smoothly from my butt and I felt hardly any pain, until he
moved his hips back in again. I hissed at the friction, but the condom
instantly took care of that. The pain dulled quickly and was replaced by
pure pleasure. My lips shaped themselves to his and my tongue slipped into
his mouth for the first time.

"Faster," I whispered as my ass finally became accustomed to his size.

He grunted with power and quickened his pace. The bed creaked as he
increased his tempo. The thrusts were fast, making me groan in ecstasy. I
wrapped my arms around his back and held him there while he thrust his
hips. His chest remained motionless and only his hips moved with quick
precision. He buried his head into my neck and breathed heavily into my
ear. I closed my eyes and held him there while he continued to penetrate
me.

His breathes were short and quick. They matched each thrust and the sound
of his balls slapping against my butt. After a while he began to slow down,
and make his thrusting longer and harder. He pulled almost all the way out
and then pushed back in slowly. His dick curved upward and moved along my
insides. I groaned with each plunge of his dick, and tightened my hold on
his back.

He unexpectedly grabbed my waist and flipped us over. He lay on his back
and had me straddle his lap, all while keeping his dick lodged in my ass. I
grabbed his hand from my hips and pulled them up in the air. He smiled as I
pushed them above his head and kept them there, while I kissed him. I
kissed him roughly and pulled on his bottom lip with both of mine. He
growled quietly in the back of his throat like some sexual predator, which
made me hornier, if that was possible!

I pulled away from his lips and let go of his hands. I rested mine on his
thighs and arched my back away from the bed. I slowly closed my eyes and
rested on my knees. I lifted my ass off his dick with my arms and gently
rode him. The position changed the depth of his dick in my ass and it
rubbed directly over my prostate.  Gasping at the sensation, I reveled in
the sensation and continued riding him.  He groaned at the angle his dick
was in, but didn't stop me. I threw my head back and let my mouth open with
untold pleasure. His hands held my waist as my ass slowly moved over up and
down on his hard dick.

I was too caught up with the sensuality I was receiving to notice the
embarrassing noises I was making.

We were like two wild animals in heat. I rocked my hips up and down, side
to side, making Drew moan with gratification. He seemed to appreciate my
gyrations.

Eventually he took over again, rolling me on my back. I obeyed. He moved
back between my legs and entered me again. I was used to his size by now
and enjoyed the feeling. This time he was slow and passionate. This I
learned would be 'making love' in his eyes. But I didn't mind. It was soft
and sensual.

He slowly rocked the bed back and forth, making it creak with his effort.

Even though I had already came, my dick was hard and throbbing between our
bodies.  Pre-cum was leaking from the tip, trailing sticky lines on our
stomachs.  Drew's dick massaging my prostate was bringing me closer and I
knew he was on the verge of explosion too.

He rested his head on my shoulder and made his thrusts deeper with
power. We made love for another ten minutes or so, before I felt his dick
tremble with excitement. I squeezed my ass a bit and made him gasp with
surprise. He quickly began to pick up his pace, snapping his hips and
driving his dick impossibly deeper and harder. His breathes became fast and
swift with enthusiasm. I made little sounds of contentment as his thrusts
became long and quick. I wrapped my arms around his hard back and felt his
dick twitch violently inside me.

Suddenly I heard him groan loudly and he thrust once more, this time
holding his position. His right arm wrapped around my body and pulled me to
his chest, while his left held us up. He kept his dick lodged in place as
he came deep inside of me. Each time his dick sputtered with cum he pushed
in hard, making his muscles bulge with the effort.

His voice huffed every time a volley erupted from his dick. But he kept his
hold on my body until the last of his cum was spent. Finally he loosened
his hold and gently laid me back into the mattress. The bed squeaked at the
movement. I was surprised it still stood, after what Drew put it through.

Eventually his dick slipped out of me and fell against my thigh. It was
warm and slid softly along my leg.

Drew lifted his body off of me and reached beneath the blankets to take the
condom off. One arm held him up while he did it. I heard the small noise of
it coming off, before Drew pulled it out from under the blankets. It was
almost full with his cum, but he threw it to the floor.

He turned and smiled at me, before falling to my side. He lay next to me
and lifted my head to rest on his arm. He threw the blankets around us and
pulled me close.

"You alright?" he asked as he grabbed my waist.

I turned and looked up at him, "That was amazing."

He chuckled, "I thought so too."

He lifted my chin up and kissed me on the lips, a slow lingering kiss that
made my dick jump with eagerness. Eventually he pulled away.

"We gotta go, don't we," I said and placed my hand on his hard chest.

"You said it not me," he replied and kissed me on the nose.

"Yeah," I said and sat up. "My mom's probably looking for me."

"The wedding is probably over too," he said and sat up next to me.

I gradually got up and pulled the sheets along with me. I moved to the
center of the room and stared up at the stars. The moon had fully risen to
the middle of the sky and the stars blazed with light. It had gotten chilly
and the sheets kept the cold from affecting me. I hadn't noticed he got up
until he wrapped his arms around me from behind.

"You're going to miss this aren't you?" he asked as he rested his chin on
my shoulder.

I sighed, "Yeah, it was pretty special."

He chuckled, "The sex or the view?"

"Both," I whispered back and moved his hands away. I began to gather my
clothes and moved back to the bed.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked and moved to sit next to me. He had a
sheet wrapped around his waist too, I noticed.

"Look," I said and gazed up at him. "Let's not make this complicated. Like
I said before. We live in two separate worlds that will probably never
meet. So, let's just remember this moment and move on."

He stared back at me coolly, "What if I want to keep remembering this
moment?"

"That's fine with me," I replied and slipped on my boxers beneath the
sheets. "But we can never meet again. Just in our memories."

"That's not what I meant," he said and stopped me from putting my clothes
back on.

"What do you mean then?" I asked and stared at him expectantly.

"What I mean is what if we did this on a regular basis? We could meet in
private and just have fun.

Nobody would have to know."

I deliberated for a moment. I did like the sex. And he was pretty
handsome. I stared at him for a while and saw that his face was hopeful.

"No strings attached?" I asked hesitantly, raising my eyebrows.

"No strings attached," he said solemnly and raised his hand as if he was
swearing an oath.

I laughed, "Okay, but first you have to promise me one thing."

"What?" he asked seriously and squatted to my eye level.

I locked my gaze with his, "You can never fall in love with me."

He watched to see if I was joking, before he answered.

"Deal," he said with utter confidence.

Little did he know I was continually going to the doctor's office for
chemotherapy. That was why my mom took me everywhere with her. So, the last
thing I needed was someone falling in love with me.

Especially, when I was dealing with my own crises.

"Good," I replied and pulled on my pants.

"Good," he agreed with a smile. "So, when can I see you again?"

I laughed as I pulled on my shirt, "I don't know. But I'll keep you
posted."

He chuckled and stood up next to me. He let the sheet drop and moved to
stand in front of me. I was fully clothed and he was still naked. His face
was relaxed and his eyes drooped seductively. He grabbed my waist and
pulled me close. He started to lean in, but I stopped him.

"That's another thing," I whispered urgently. "No kissing."

"What? Are you serious?" he asked in disbelief. "Come on."

"Nope. I'm not." I replied still in his grasp. "Cuz, kissing leads to
liking, liking leads to fondness, and fondness leads to love, so no
kissing."

He sighed and pulled away, "What about a good bye kiss at least."

I sighed too, "Just this once."

He grinned crookedly and leaned in. It was a short sweet butterfly kiss
that left my lips tingling with electric pulses. He pulled away and smiled
broadly.

"Don't let it get to your head," I said teasingly and moved to the mirror.

I fixed my hair and straightened my shirt, while he got dressed. Finally
when he was done he stood behind me. He was grinning ear to ear and had his
eyes resting on my face.

"What?" I asked and rubbed my hand under my nose, checking for boogers.

"You look different," he said with a smile. "Older."

I laughed, "I guess that's what sex does to virgins."

He chuckled, "You were a virgin?"

I blushed, "Shut up."

He smiled apologetically, "No, its cool. It's just that I'm your first. "

I smiled, "Yeah, you were."

He stared at me a little longer before asking, "Was it as magical as you
imagined?"

After he said this he looked down as if embarrassed. I turned and looked up
into his eyes. He smiled timidly and opened his arms. I walked into his
open embrace and snuggled into his chest.

"You were amazing," I whispered into his chest. "I'm glad you were my
first. And it was as magical as I thought it would be."

His arms slid around me and pulled me closer, "Thanks."

I slowly disengaged, "Your welcome."

I moved to the door and opened it. I stopped at the threshold and glanced
back at him one more time.

He stood in the light of the moon and was gazing up at the stars. I
smiled. What I saw was a handsome boy with golden hair, who looked dashing
in a black tuxedo.

~*~ "Caleb? Caleb?"  I slowly blinked back to reality.

I stared across from me and saw the same boy. But he had grown into a
man. His handsome face was still angular and sharp, but his face had
hardened with muscle. His golden hair was shorter, but still had that warm
luster to it. His body was lean, but had filled out nicely with muscle. He
was more masculine and fierce than the boy I remembered in that attic.

He looked back at me with a broad smile. His teeth still flashed with
brilliance.

"You alright?" he asked his voice deep and velvety. I smiled at the
question.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just thinking," I replied and wiggled my feet in his
grasp.

His smile broadened and his blue eyes flashed azure, "You were thinking
about how we first met weren't you?"

I laughed, "How did you know?"

"I was too," he replied and looked down at my feet. He was still rubbing it
between his thighs. "Your feet feel better?"

He looked up after saying this. I nodded and pulled it back. I rested it
under my thigh and sat cross- legged, with one foot dangling over the side
of the banister.

"You know that room is still there," he said as he gazed out over my
lawn. "Nobody ever knew we were up there."

I smiled at the memory. He turned then and saw me smile.

"Remember what you told me after we first made love?" he asked taking me by
surprise.

I cleared my throat, "I uh, made you promise not to fall in love with me."

He smiled, but his eyes became sad little blue jewels, "I guess I broke
that promise, didn't I?"

I looked away from his face, "I did too."

He moved then and grabbed my hand, "I never meant to cause you harm Caleb,
or make you sad. I just could never get you out of my head long enough to
forget you. And it's still like that now. Even though you're with Dante."

I gulped and slid my hand out of his, "Were not."

"What?" he asked as he scooted even closer.

"Me and Dante," I replied. "Were not together anymore."

My eyes pooled with unshed tears, but my mind quickly chastised
itself. It's for the best. We needed to protect him from our poisonous
secret. Both of them. This is something I have to do alone. To bring them
into the mix would only make my fall greater. I instantly pulled myself
together and looked away.

"I'm sorry, Caleb," he said with sincerity. I just nodded. "I'm sorry about
everything. I'm sorry for causing you pain. For breaking your heart. And
for what I keep putting you through."

I turned and looked at him, "Its fine Drew, really. I've moved on. It's for
the best. I just need to be alone right now, to work on me for a while. You
know?"

"I understand," he replied dejectedly and I knew he understood the double
meaning to my words. "But I'll always be here for you. You do know that,
right?"

"Of course," I replied grimly. He frowned when I didn't smile.

"Something else is wrong, I can tell," he said seriously.

I panicked and played dumb, "Nothing's wrong."

"Then why aren't you smiling," he asked seriously.

"There's nothing to smile about," I replied honestly.

He took that as a challenge and leaned in.

"Fine in about eight seconds I'm going to kiss you," he said and started to
move in, counting down.

"Eight, seven, six, five, four, three-"

Finally I broke out in a smile and pushed his head away, "You're dumb."

He chuckled, "It worked didn't it?"

"Shut up," I replied with a grin and plopped my other leg in his lap. "And
start rubbing my feet."

He grinned widely and started to massage my other foot.

"You know," he said after a moment of silence. "Most friends do kiss each
other, if you're into that."

I sighed, "Your incorrigible, you know that."

He kept smiling, "I'm just saying."

"Yeah, yeah keep rubbing."

We sat like that under the sun until, his phone buzzed. It was his mom; she
needed her car back for groceries. He sighed and texted her back, telling
her he was coming.

He stood up hesitantly and helped me down from the porch's banister. I
balanced on my legs and turned to say goodbye. But he merely pulled me to
his hard chest and hugged me.

"I'm always here for you, Caleb," he said with such tenderness I was on the
verge of tears. If he only knew. "Just one phone call and I'm there."

"Drew," I whispered and pulled back to look at him. He stared back
openly. "Are you going to be something else I'll have to survive?
. . . Because let me tell you right now. I'm just not up for it."

He stared at me with loving concern, "Caleb, what aren't you telling me?"

"Please," I whispered and closed my eyes, "just answer the question."

He moved then and caressed my bruised cheek. But he was gentle. I didn't
even feel his hand there.

"Caleb, I know you don't want to hear this," he said, making my eyes open
with surprise. "But I love you no matter what. Right now, you're the only
person that means anything to me, and I will do whatever it takes to keep
you in my life. Even if that means letting you go."

His sad blue jewels melted with his declaration.

"So, I won't jeopardize what we have by asking you to choose between the
life you want and me. I love you enough to give you what you want, and to
make your life as easy as possible. I won't make my presence an ordeal and
I will keep my personal emotions locked away. For you."

He finished by kissing me lightly on the forehead.

"Thank you," I whispered and pulled myself from his embrace.

"Anything. Anytime," he replied and turned to the porches steps.

"You know," I said just as he was about to take the first step. "Most
people flirt with the dangerous guy, but they actually bring home the good
guy and marry him."

He grinned crookedly, "I could be the good guy."

I smiled too, "The good guy sticks around."

"Touch‚," he chucked still grinning and waved once before leaving.

I watched as he bounded down the steps, taking two at a time. He didn't
look back until he reached his car on the side of the street. I leaned
against the porches beam and saw him stare back at me. He smiled once,
before ducking his head into his car. He drove away quietly and I watched
him disappear around the corner.

I sighed heavily and glanced up at the blue sky. Today was a beautiful
sunny day.

~*~ The rest of the week for me was an ordeal. It was like taking a
constant dose of medicine, which left my heart hurting more every day. For
one, Drew became a constant blimp on my already broken radar. He chaperoned
me everywhere, whenever he wasn't with his friends. He took the news of my
break up with grace, and did anything he could to make me smile.

He kept me occupied after school, whenever Stacey, Justin, or my mom
weren't there. He constantly offered a ride, but I thought it wasn't a good
idea and declined his offer. But if I was being honest with myself, he
actually stepped up as a friend, and that had a profound effect on his
attitude. Although I had a feeling he was using this friendship to his
advantage, I liked the new person he had become.

Dante, on the other hand, was cold and distant. He no longer sat next to us
in the cafeteria anymore. He sat with a new pack of friends he met while
trying out for the soccer team. In History class, it was awkward, because
we had to finish our research project together. He merely nodded coldly
whenever I asked him a question, or needed some reference notes. He acted
as if my presence disgusted him, and he never looked at me.

Once, our hands touched accidentally, and he instantly flinched away, like
my hands were acidic. That was a bad day. It felt like someone had knocked
the breath out of me, and left me standing in the cold.

My heart contracted with pain, but I shook it off and continued to write my
notes.

Every day I reminded myself that this was for the best. The less people
knew about my condition the better. I had kept this secret long enough, to
know the effect it would have on people if they knew. So, day after day I
glided through the school, slowly becoming numb to the world.

Friday, was a normal day. I got dressed, left my house, walked to
school. Normal.

I went to my locker, where Drew was already waiting for me, with a small
cup of coffee and a brown bag. He was wearing a blue hoodless sweater, and
some tight fitted jeans. His hair was golden brown, and curly just above
his blue eyes. I smiled at him, as he offered the warm cup. The aroma was
strong and had my mouth watering for a taste. He watched me as I slowly
sipped the coffee, and opened my locker.

"Good morning," he said and bit into a blueberry muffin.

"Morning," I replied with a yawn, "Thanks for the coffee."

I opened my locker and placed my coffee inside, while I traded the books I
needed. School had become a good distraction for me lately, so I was
meticulous in selecting the right books. I turned to look at him when I was
done. He was just finishing the last of his muffin.

"You look tired," he said his mouth full as he leaned against the side of
the lockers.

I laughed, "Yeah, midterms are next week, I'm just stressing about my
grades, aren't you?"

He smiled, but I saw the tiniest tightening of his eyes, "Yeah, sure."

He's lying, I thought as I observed his mannerisms.

"Well, don't worry I'm sure you'll do great," I said, giving him a
reassuring smile.

"Maybe," he replied with a bored smile, before suddenly perking up, "But I
could always use a personal tutor."

I rolled my eyes, "You're very persistent."

"Of course," he replied softly, and ran a hand over my arm, leaving a trail
of Goosebumps behind.

"Drew," I whispered exasperated. He quickly drew his hand away.

I grabbed my coffee from my locker, before closing it and spinning the
dial. This always happened.

Whenever we get into a good rhythm as friends, he always had to ruin it by
being intimate. I kept telling him that I'm not ready, but he never
listens.

I sipped my coffee slowly as I walked out of the main building, while Drew
followed in my footsteps. I sat at one of the benches lining the school's
gazebo, and took out the new book I was reading. It was War and Peace by
Tolstoy and it had kept my thoughts busy over the last few days. Drew sat
next to me, and absently grabbed my hand. I sighed, but allowed it.

As long as it's platonic, I thought as we sat in silence.

He played with each finger, and warmed them up in the patch of sunlight
shining from behind us. I glanced sideways at him, and saw that he had a
genuine smile on his face. His golden hair shined brightly in the sun,
creating a white halo around his face. His angular nose cast a shadow over
his sharp cheekbones, and I could see the lump of his Adam's apple from
where I sat.

Suddenly he noticed my gaze and looked up. I turned away instantly, and
buried my nose back into my book.

"Were you just watching me?" he asked, squeezing my hand lightly.

"No," I replied unconvincingly.

"Liar," he whispered in my ear, making me jump. The warmth of his breath
spread over my neck.

"Shhh, I'm reading," I replied tersely, but the bell rang contradicting
what I just said.

His hand squeezed mine once more, before he let go. I put my book away and
got up. I turned to him like I did every morning this week, ready to tell
him 'See you later.' But his face was different this time. It looked
triumphant and happy, instead of somber and resigned.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Nothing," he said shaking his head, still smiling, "You'd better get to
class."

I blinked confusedly, "Okay, see ya."

I turned around and walked to the main building for first hour. The rest of
the day was the same. The teachers droned on about their subjects. I
diligently wrote notes, trying desperately to stay awake.

Finally, lunch arrived and saved me from going brain dead with boredom. The
cafeteria was its usual chaotic storm that I maneuvered through easily. I
waited in line, holding a slice of pizza and fries. Yes, I think pizza and
fries make a good meal. My eyes wondered a bit, not really resting on
anything specific, more out of habit then necessity, when suddenly I
noticed Dante at his new table. He was talking to his new team, smiling
every now and then.

Just a quick glance, I thought to myself as I stared at him.

He was wearing a blue-gray plaid button up shirt, his reflective shades
hanging from his open collar. His hair was nicely swooped into a faux
hawk. I watched as his muscles flexed whenever he moved or took a drink. I
stared at his lips as he smiled and talked to his friends, noting the light
stubble that was constantly on his jaw. His teeth gleamed with brilliance
whenever he smiled, making my chest throb in pain.

That's it; I chastised myself and tried to look away.

As if on cue Dante's head turned and locked eyes with me, holding me in his
stare. I didn't know what to do. His hazel eyes were open and curious, not
at all cold or distant like his character suggested. I didn't know if I
should wave or smile, but the kid behind me suddenly yelled 'move',
breaking me from his stare. I blinked into reality and swayed dizzily,
before paying for my food.

Wow, I thought as a wave of vertigo washed over me, leaving black spots
dancing in front of my eyes. I shook my head clearing my vision and walked
over to the table where Justin and Stacey sat. I settled into the chair
opposite them and numbly started to eat.  I wasn't hungry, but hoped my
dizziness would subside after I ate. Stacey and Justin were talking about
plans tonight, and I tried to focus on what they were saying.

"So what do we have planned tonight?" Stacey asked, after taking a bite of
her pizza. "Or is Trudy not working?"

I looked up, realizing she was talking to me, "Oh, she is. I don't
know. What did you guys have in mind?"

"A movie?" Justin suggested, while correcting the homework Stacey just
checked for him.

"No, no movie," I replied a little too quickly. I saw their faces and
smiled timidly, "Something else?"

"Okaaay," Justin said drawing out the word, "how bout the bowling alley? I
heard they have the best pizza."

"Ooohh, I wonder if they have neon bowling," Stacey said, placing her empty
plate to the side. "I heard it's awesome."

I laughed, "Okay, I'm in. I need some awesomeness in my life."

"Cool," Justin said placing his plate on top of Stacey's and put away his
sheet of homework.

"When do you wanna go?" I asked, finishing my lunch and putting my plate
with theirs.

"I don't know, seven?" Justin said, and then looked at Stacey, "What do you
think?"

"Seven's fine," Stacey replied absently, while texting on her phone. "Hey,
I think I have something cooler than neon bowling."

"What?" I asked skeptically, knowing she would pick something outrageously
stupid, like bungee jumping or deep sea diving.

"Camille Hadley is having a party tonight," she said excitedly and put her
phone down. "And she just invited me."

"So?" Justin asked, and pushed a strand of her hair back.

"We should go," she replied, and glanced up at us. "I mean, since it's our
senior year and all."

For some reason I was in full support of Stacey's suggestion. I had only
been to one party before, but left early. And it was true, it was our
senior year. Besides, it provided a better distraction than bowling.

"Okay," I agreed making them both look at me in surprise.

"Seriously?" Stacey asked staring at me.

"Yeah," I replied trying to sound serious, "like you said, it is our senior
year. And I've never really experienced a party before."

"Huh, me and Stace go all the time," Justin said teasingly and nudged
Stacey who was smiling.

"I'll ignore that," I said still in full support. "Besides, how many more
parties do I have left?"

I smiled hoping to make them laugh, but they ignored my jib.

"Okay, it's settled then," Stacey said like she was closing a deal. "We'll
go at eight, an hour after it starts."

I nodded in agreement.

For the rest of the lunch period Stacey and Justin argued over whose car
they were taking. I stayed clear of that subject. Whoever won that argument
was my ride either way. Instead I pulled out my book again, but more as a
prop rather than actually reading it. I placed it in front of me and
pretended to read it. Eventually, lunch ended and my stomach tightened with
knots. I prepared myself for the class I had next. I followed Stacey and
Justin out, as they agreed on Stacey's Prius for our transportation
tonight.

Lousy car owners, I thought jealously and trailed them as they left the
cafeteria. All my friends had cars and I didn't have anything with wheels
to my name.

I waved to them before heading down the opposite hallway, to my least
favorite class. It was sparsely filled with students when I arrived and
most of them were talking. I took my seat in the back, preparing for the
cold shoulder. I breathed deeply and exhaled soundlessly a few times,
trying to shake my nerves.

I took out my book again, hoping it would give the impression to not bother
me. I hardly saw the text on the pages, and used the book as a prop again.

I thought absently about what I was to do for the rest of the weekend. I
had an appointment at the doctor's office Sunday, so that was something to
eat up time. The party would fill my schedule for tonight, but Saturday's
plans were still up in the air. I could reorganize my CD's, they were
pretty disorganized. I could also rearrange my room, fung shway it a
bit. Ha, I thought, fung shway. Where did I come up with these ideas? What
does that even mean? Fung, I thought as I sounded it out in my head.

Fuh-nngah. Fung Shway. Maybe I could balance my chakras in the process. I
snorted quietly to myself.

Suddenly I heard my name.

"Caleb?" a deep voiced asked, breaking my train of thought.

"Huh?" I asked and looked around not aware class had already started. I
turned to my left and saw that it was Dante who spoke to me. "Uhh, yeah? I
mean yes."

"The notes," he said pointing to my bag, "did you bring them?"

"Oh," I replied remembering the notes I printed off about the Great
Depression, "yeah, but they're a little biased, you know. They blame the
government for the problem of the econ-"

"Thanks," was all he said, quickly cutting me off. He turned back to his
desk and ignored me.

"You're welcome," I whispered, feeling a lump in my throat.

I roughly swallowed it down and started on my part of the paper. He ignored
me for the rest of the class period, and sighed impatiently when he asked a
question. When class was over, the only thing he told me was to type the
paper over the weekend. I nodded, not really wanting to talk. He sighed
again, like I annoyed him and turned. He walked away leaving me standing at
my desk.

Okay, I thought trying to control my breathing, as another wave of vertigo
came over me. This was what you wanted. Stop hyperventilating.

I tried listening to that little voice in my head and attempted to slow my
heart rate. But, just gave up and sat down. The room spun a little, as I
took my seat and I gripped the chair for support. My eyes danced in their
sockets for a while, before gradually regaining their focus. I blinked a
few times testing my sight, before I slowly rose to my feet. I kept my grip
on the edge of my desk and stood straight. I looked up and stared around
the room, hoping nobody saw what just happened.

Drew, however, was at the door waiting for me. He stood halfway in the
classroom and halfway in the hallway, like he was about to enter. He must
have seen the whole breathing scene from the doorway, I thought
fleetingly. I smiled halfheartedly at him, but he didn't smile back. He
face was clearly concerned with my little episode, but he didn't comment
until I got to the door.

"Are you okay?" he asked, grabbing my arm. His face was rigid with concern,
but I could see an underlying look of suspicion.

"I'm fine," I replied icily and pulled my arm out of his grasp a little too
quickly. I teetered on my feet feeling the sensation of falling, but
grabbed his hand before I did.

I steadied myself and walked past him to the hall. He silently walked me to
class, and I was relieved he didn't ask any more questions. Students milled
around aimlessly, while they walked to class. Some stared at Drew next to
me, but I ignored them. I was just about to enter my class, when Drew
stopped me.

He held me steadily, "Caleb, are you sure you're okay?"

I looked around, but no one was looking, "I'm alright, don't worry. I'll
see you later."

"Look, I wanted to ask you something," he said just before I walked into my
classroom.

I glanced back at him expectantly, "What?"

"Well, there's this part tonight," he said and shrugged his shoulders
timidly, like he was embarrassed. He placed his hands in his pockets. "And
I was wondering if, I don't know. You'd wanna go?"

I laughed then, and heard the bell ring.

"I'll, uh, let you know," I replied and walked into my class not waiting
for a reply.

Nobody seemed to have seen or cared about what just happened, and let me
pass to get to my desk.

The rest of the day passed without dizzy spells, and I felt relieved. I
didn't see Drew after school, but that was usual. He had practice.

Stacey and Justin were already waiting for me at my locker and drove me
home. They dropped me off at the side of the road, saying they'll be back
at seven. I waved to them as they drove off, and went inside feeling
extremely exhausted.

Today wore me out. I felt emotionally and physically drained. My head
throbbed a little as I closed the front door. It made a hollow click that
resonated throughout the entryway. My mom wasn't home. For some reason this
realization made me feel lonely. I shook off the feeling and shrugged my
bag off. I checked the answer machine and was instantly rewarded with my
mom's voice.

"Cale, honey. I'm working late tonight and will probably be back in the
morning. There's money underneath the mother hen in the kitchen for pizza,
so splurge. I'll see you in the morning, honey. Love you."

Pizza, I thought hungrily and turned off the answer machine.

I yawned and made my way into the kitchen. Sure enough there was 25 dollars
for pizza underneath the ceramic mother hen. I yawned again, and went back
into the living room, throwing my jacket onto the floor. I felt tired. I'll
order pizza later, I thought as I nestled into the couch cushions. I fished
in my pocket for my iPod and plugged my earphones into my ears. I found my
favorite playlist and listened to the songs as I drifted off for a quick
nap.

I didn't know how exhausted I was, until I abruptly woke up two hours later
feeling nauseous. I clutched my stomach, but nothing happened. I waited for
the roll of my stomach to settle down, before laying back into the soft
cushions. I yawned and rubbed my eyes, trying to wake up. I could feel the
headphones lodged in my ears and pulled them out.

I felt well rested, but somehow still remained lethargic. After a while I
sat up and rubbed my face, trying to get my blood pumping. Suddenly, I felt
moisture on my hand and pulled it away from my face. I looked at it and saw
a crimson streak running along the palm. I quickly stood up and glanced at
the couch cushions. I froze when I saw the small red stain. It seemed to
mock me as it seeped into the beige upholstery.

I could feel bile rising into my throat, but I swallowed it back. I ran to
the kitchen and turned the sink on, dousing my face in water. I roughly
scrubbed my face trying to get all the blood off. I scrubbed and scrubbed
until my face felt raw with pain. The blood ran slowly down the sink,
leaving a trail of red misty liquid in its wake.

I immediately went up to my room and got dressed, attempting to forget
about everything. Forget about Dante. Forget about my sickness. Forget
about all my problems for at least one night.

I grabbed any random shirt and tossed it on. I didn't feel like putting too
much effort into getting ready. I brushed my teeth and washed my face
again. Hoping to rub away the memories. I couldn't look in the mirror, for
fear of what I might see. Instead, I wiped my face and left the bathroom. I
grabbed a maroon hoodie from my closet and bounded down the stairs, wishing
Stacey and Justin would show up already.

They didn't of course, so I waited another twenty minutes before they
finally did. Justin honked once, signaling his arrival. I hated it when he
honked. I quickly grabbed my keys and ran out the door.

The night sky was barely leeching away the sun's rays, making the clouds
look like they were on fire. I glanced once at them before jumping in the
back of Stacey's car. It was a modern car, compared to Justin's and it made
zinging noise when it moved.

Stacey was sitting in the passenger seat. Her long black hair was piled
into a messy bun. She was wearing a long sleeve black shirt and a pair of
form fitting jeans. Half of which were covered in knee high leather
boots. She turned to look at me. Her eyes were wide and outlined in black
charcoal. She looked beautiful.

"What did your mom say?" she asked her eyes bright with excitement.

"She left a message," I replied, shrugging, "she won't be back till the
morning."

"Whew," Justin said chiming in, "I thought she was home or that you told
her."

I smiled, staring out the window, "Nope."

Stacey turned back around and started flipping through the radio. Justin
swatted her hand away. I laughed. I looked at Justin for the first time and
noticed that he was wearing a navy blue button up shirt.

His hair was long and slightly curled at the end. It was pushed behind each
ear. His shirt was long sleeved too, but whenever he playfully nudged
Stacey it would bulge with his muscles. The color also brought out his
crisp blue eyes, which contrasted with his light brown hair.

I smiled as he grabbed Stacey's hand and held it on her lap. I subtly gave
them their privacy and stared out the window. The city blurred by as we
drove down Main Street. I didn't even know where this party was at, but
felt comfortable knowing I wouldn't be alone. I looked back at them, and
frowned. Or maybe I would be alone.

Finally, we pulled up to a large one story beige house. The windows were
bright with light and I could see figures slowly moving past them. I
shuddered involuntarily. My stomach twisted in knots. This was probably my
first party and only party, and I didn't know what to do. I breathed deeply
as we parked across the street from the house.

There were other cars parked along the same street, taking up driveways and
lawns. Loud music echoed throughout the neighborhood. I couldn't understand
how the other neighbors didn't complain. I watched as people streamed
aimlessly throughout the house. Some going in. Some coming out. Each of
them however, had a plastic cup in their hand.

How clich‚, I thought as we got out of the car.

When we did I fully saw what Justin and Stacey looked like. Stacey was tall
and statuesque. The boots made her the same height as Justin, but the dark
charcoal around her eyes extinguished her beauty. Her hair had looked messy
in the car, but now looked like a complicated hairdo, that said
badass. Justin on the other hand was pulling on a leather jacket over his
navy blue shirt. He was lean and tall, looking like a total bad boy. His
long brown hair was pulled back from his face, distinguishing his bright
blue eyes.

The jacket hugged every muscle of his body and only made him more
masculine.

I stared at them feeling slightly jealous. I didn't look anything like
them. I should have put more of an effort in my clothes. In spite of this,
I quickly rearranged my expression to indifference, before they saw
me. They turned and gestured me to follow. They walked across the street
separately, but close enough to suggest intimacy. I lagged behind, aware of
Stacey's heels clicking on the pavement.

When we got to the door, Justin knocked and leaned against the door
frame. Total bad boy, I thought and smiled at both of them. I watched as a
girl answered the door and blinked with astonishment. Her mouth slightly
opened at the appearance of Justin and Stacey, before resting on me. Her
eyes hardened to a flint, when she recognized me.

Great, I thought, another fan.

Her jaw locked and she leaned against the door.

"Stacey, Justin . . . . Caleb," she greeted and said my name in disdain.
She smiled at Justin and Stacey, ignoring me. "It's been a long time. Come
in."

Her smile faded after Justin and Stacey were out of earshot.

"Listen you little freak," she hissed in my ear making me jump, "you don't
belong here. You got that."

I gulped loudly and turned to Stacey, "Maybe I should go."

The girl frowned at them, before smiling evilly at me, "What, already?"

I didn't even look at her, but said to Stacey again, "I'm gonna go wait in
the car."

She scowled at me, then flicked her hand at the girl "Nonsense, don't
listen to her. Let's just have fun alright."

I turned around, thinking the girl was still there, but she was gone. I
relaxed immediately.

"Alright?" Stacey asked again, grabbing my elbow and tagging me
along. Justin was already mingling with his basketball buddies, leaving me
and Stacey to the party.

"Alright," I agreed and let her drag me through the house.

"Let's get a drink," she suggested, and followed a couple of girls to the
back of the house.

I smiled, "Maybe later."

She laughed, "You need to get that stick out of your butt, Cale. Come on
it's a party."

I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at her and let her drag me to
the kitchen. There were a lot of people near the center of the room. I
didn't see anything until we were halfway there. In the center was a large
keg, in a tub of ice. There was a stocky muscled jock administering cups
full of beer.

I turned to Stacey and had to practically yell over the music, "I have to
be honest. I never drank before."

She laughed, her charcoaled eyes burned with animation, "Oh, I
know. Neither have I."

"Then, why-" but she interrupted me.

"Caleb, your life is practically ending within a few months.  I'm going off
to college soon, and I'm leaving everything behind. I don't know how much
time I have left with you and Justin, but all I know is that I want is to
spend it with you. . . . I'm losing my best friend," she replied and firmly
grabbed my shoulder, her eyes blazing with intensity, "And what I think we
just need right now, is a distraction. Don't you?"

I smiled back warmly, "Sure."

"Good," she said turning away suddenly. "Besides, I've always wanted to get
drunk. It could be a good learning experience for me."

"To put on your college application?" I teased, as we walked up to the guy
with the keg.

She laughed again, "Yeah, that's a good point."

They guy was already slightly drunk, I could tell. He swayed on his feet
and he slurred his words when he spoke.

"Damn Stacey, you look hot," he said, running his eyes over her body.

"Easy there big guy," I said, stepping in front of Stacey, "just fill us
up."

He face brightened with surprise, and he smiled hugely, "Caleb!?! Caleb
Pierce! Is that you?!?"

I shifted my weight nervously and glanced around, "Yeah?"

"I didn't know you partied," he replied, grabbing the cups out of my hand
and continued talking. "Man, you're a pretty cool guy, you know that."

I glanced around confused. Did he know who he was talking too?

"It's cool that you're at the party," he carried on, slurring his
words. "Me and the boys thought you moved or were dead. But I guess we were
wrong."

I smiled uneasily and looked to Stacey for help. She shrugged not knowing
what to say either.

"Well tha-" I was about to say, but the guy began again. He handed us the
cups of beer.

"Hey," he slurred and grabbed my shoulder, wrapping his arm around my
neck. I started in surprise.

Stacey giggled, but didn't offer any help. "Hey, I think you're alright. No
matter - no matter what people say."

"Uhhh, thanks?" I said, confused as he pointed off somewhere with his
finger.

"Yeah, no problem buddy," he replied and patted me on the shoulder, "no
problem."

Just then someone else came up with a cup. He patted me on the shoulder
once more and freed me from his grip. I immediately walked to Stacey. We
were about to turn and go but heard the guy yell my name.

"Hey, Caleb," he said swaying on his feet. "Were cool, right?"

Stacey smiled. I turned back and raised my hand in a wave, "Were cool."

I quickly turned before he could say anything else, and we left the
kitchen.

"That was weird, huh?" Stacey asked as she took a gulp of her beer. Her
face blanched in disgust. "Ugh, I thought beer was supposed to taste good."

I laughed and took a drink too. I shuddered in discomfort. It did taste
gross.

"I guess, it's an acquired taste, Stace," I said drinking more of the
liquid. After a few gulps my head started to feel light and buoyant. And I
didn't mind the taste that much.

"I guess," she replied, and led me to the living room.

When we entered the living room it was a swarming mess. A few guys were
playing a video game on a huge flat screen TV and everybody was watching
them. Stacey seemed to recognize a few girls from her student council and
dragged me along to talk to them. I kept drinking my beer, getting used to
the taste as Stacey and the girls blabbered on about the new teacher
representative. I glanced around the dismal living room, watching my fellow
peers make fools of themselves.

I saw a couple lying behind a couch making out beneath a blanket. It wasn't
until I noticed the way they moved that I figured out that they were having
sex. I immediately looked away, taking a huge gulp of beer, trying to
forget what I just saw. I glanced around the room and saw that there were
other people just standing around talking. Some were even dancing. I
watched as a group of guys ran room to room, spraying each other with silly
string. I also noticed a group of kids sitting around the fireplace,
smoking weed. They were all laughing and relaxing on sofa cushions, it made
me want to join them.

No, I thought. Beer is enough.

Suddenly I realized my cup was empty. My mouth felt parched. I turned to
Stacey who was also out. But before we could go back for more, Justin
showed up with three cups full of the addictive liquid.

"I thought you guys could use more," he said, handing us both a cup.

My head was foggy, but for some reason thought it felt nice.

"Thanks," I said, smiling. He stared at me and grinned.

"Your first time?" he asked, and grabbed Stacey by the waist.

I nodded and hiccupped, "Yupp."

"Me too," Stacey replied and burped, making us both laugh out loud.

Justin chuckled, but turned to Stacey and replied seriously, "Now, Stace
you stay next to me for the rest of the night, okay?"

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek, "I'm fine with that."

Eventually her lips traveled to his mouth and they started to make out. I
looked away and took another drink from my cup, hoping they would stop with
the lovey dovey or at least do it in private.

"You wanna dance?" Justin asked Stacey, making me turn back to them.

"Okay," Stacey chirped and looked at me. "You don't mind do you?"

"No," I replied, taking another drink, "you crazy kids have fun."

Justin laughed, "I'll bring her back to dance with you too, Cale."

I tipped my head, like I was taking an invisible hat off, "As you should."

He rolled his eyes and towed Stacey after him to the makeshift dance
floor. Stacey waved back excitedly. I raised my glass and winked.

Then there was one, I thought absently and took yet another drink.

I turned away from the party then and looked at the pictures lining the
walls. I didn't know this girl but from her pictures I could tell she was a
spoiled brat. The pictures transitioned from her childhood, where she was
cute and bubbly to her adolescence, where she wore bright make up and cast
her face in a continuous scowl. The pictures always had her next to some
random guy, which had me believing they were her past boyfriends. She
smiled in them, but her expression was cold and cynical, reminding me of a
shifty fox.

I turned away, no longer able to stare at this coldhearted girl. Instead I
walked back to the kitchen for another drink. I lost my way halfway there
and ended up near the back, where the rooms were. I decided to use the
bathroom first, before getting another drink. I tried a few doorknobs but
none worked until near the very end of the hall. I twisted the doorknob and
it gave way to a brightly lit bedroom. I blinked and stepped through,
seeing that the room was empty.

I hurriedly went to the bedroom's bathroom and closed the door.

I glanced at myself in the mirror and breathed deeply. I looked fine
now. No scars or bruises, but my face was slightly sallow. Only I could
tell the difference in my cheekbones. Other people probably didn't pay that
much attention to my face. My lips were reddish pink with warmth and my
eyes were wide and bright with excitement.

I stared at my face, until I heard the sound of the bedroom door
opening. Then there was a knock against the wall. I jumped in surprise and
quickly held the door. The noise continued and moved from the wall to the
squeaky bed. It protested under whoever's weight. I quickly opened the door
and tried to walk out hoping not to be seen. But fate always did have it
out for me.

The moment I walked out I was faced with a rare coincidence of meeting
someone I hadn't prepared for.

It was Dante and the girl from the theater. His hands were twined with
hers, and she squirmed in his grip. They were lying on the bed horizontally
and she had her legs wrapped around his waist.  They looked up as soon as I
opened the door and stared at me. I glanced at Dante, feeling a tear
throughout my chest. He looked at me for a split second, and looked away. I
gulped, trying to dislodge the large lump in my throat.

"Excuse me," the girl whispered softly, and got up. She quickly buttoned up
her open blouse and ran past me to the bathroom, closing the door.

"Oh, sorry," I whispered back, not sure if I really said anything. My buzz
was gone, and I felt instantly sober.

I looked around the room unsure what to do next. My chest heaved with each
heartbeat. My palms became slick with sweat. I felt the urge to run and
run. To keep running until I ended up in Mexico. My head moved around
erratically. I didn't know where to look. I didn't even know if I could
move.

Suddenly he spoke.

"I didn't want you to find out this way," he replied not looking at me. "I
had hoped to keep it private for a while, before I told you for sure."

My eyes watered, and I merely nodded.

"If it hurts you, maybe you should go," he said calmly, and sat up on the
bed.

"No, I'm fine," I whispered back, not sure if I really was. I looked at him
then and caught his gaze.

"Caleb," he whispered and moved to the edge of the bed, his shirt open a
bit.

I shook my head and held up a hand, "I'm sorry for what I said last
Saturday. I just had a lot on my plate then."

"Caleb, stop," he said sounding exasperated. I ignored him.

"I never wanted to end it that way. It was just all so complicated. And
normally that's not the way I say good bye. But if this was how it
ended. Then I'm alright with it. And you'll never have to see me cry."

I sniffed despite my words, "Because I've already cried. So go ahead. I'm
fine. My heart is already broken. And there's nothing that you could do to
me that will eve-"

"Shut up, Caleb!!" he yelled and stood up from the bed, suddenly
interrupting me. "Just shut up!! You stupid emotional boy!!! God you can
never leave well enough alone. Just go. Get out of here. Please."

My head became foggy with sadness and my buzz slowly trickled back into my
brain. I swayed on my feet. He never yelled at me before, I thought feebly.

"Umm, sure," I replied, my vision becoming blurry with tears. I sniffed and
wiped my nose.

I will not cry, I will not cry, I chanted in my head, biting my lip.

"Caleb, don't do this to yourself, just go," he said finally and looked up
at me with pity.

I sniffed once more and swiftly walked out of the room. I walked down the
hallway, feeling little ripples of anguish radiate out from my heart. I
could feel the ripples reach my fingertips and then start from the
beginning again. I found the kitchen easily this time, and walked in. There
was hardly anyone in the small room and the guy running the keg was
gone. But I needed more than light beer. I needed something stronger. I
walked to the ice bucket near the center and saw a bottle lying on the
floor next to the keg. It was full of clear liquid. I picked it up and saw
that it was half empty.

I quickly grabbed a fresh cup from the kitchen counter and left the
kitchen. I walked through the living room and out the front door, hoping to
find a secluded spot. The pathways at the front door lead to the back of
the house, where the yard was green and spacious. There were a few people
lounging around in the grass; none of them paid me any attention as I
passed.

Near the back of the yard beneath a wooden arched rosebush, was a swing
set. It was tied to a huge tree with many branches. It was small enough for
one person, so I sat down and gazed around the yard.

The wooden archway of roses blocked my view to the house, which suited me
just fine. I wanted to be alone for a while.  I turned away from the house
and lightly pushed myself in the swing. My feet barely touched the ground.

I could see the white picket fence lining the backyard, and the city
beyond. There lights twinkled like stars. Stars that weren't visible in the
city limits. I sighed sadly, but kept my emotions locked away. The bottle
and plastic cup, soon grabbed my attention.

I threw the plastic cup onto the grass, not really needing it, and opened
the bottle. I sniffed it and sneezed with the intensity of it. It was
strong, which probably meant I should drink a little at a time. I took a
tiny sip and immediately felt the sharp burn in the back of my throat. I
coughed once, before taking another drink. After a few gulps, my insides
started to warm a bit and my head started to lighten again.

I breathed deeply, feeling a sudden sense of freedom. I could smell the
beautifully sweet roses, next to me. I could also smell the clean scent of
freshly cut grass, which ran underneath my feet. I kicked off my shoes and
rested my toes on the springy ferns. I twisted the swing a few times and
let go, feeling a funny dizziness in my head that went along with my buzz.

I drank and spun. Drank and spun, for quite a while, not knowing what time
it was. I could hear the party in full swing, but was instead enjoying
myself outside. I continued to drink until whatever was left of the bottle
was gone. My body felt like a limp noodle and my head was swimming with
lucid thoughts. I felt like swinging so high, I could fly, but my legs
wouldn't cooperate enough to push me more than two feet. So, I just leaned
against the rope and thought silently.

For some reason I forgot why I got drunk. I remembered being sad about
something. Something that had my heart aching. Was it because I was sick?
No. I would have gotten high too, if that was it. No it wasn't
something. It was someone. Someone who had gotten me sad. But I couldn't
remember. I kept thinking. Did Stacey make me sad? No I don't think so. Or
was it Justin? No. Maybe it was what's his
name. David. No. Denis. No. Drew. Yes, Drew. Did Drew make me sad? I don't
remember.

Suddenly as if called on command, I saw Drew squatting in front of me. I
raised my head slowly and smiled at him.

"Hey! It's you!" I exclaimed and threw myself into his arms, making him
fall back into the grass. "You know, I was jus- I was jus thinkin bout
you."

He frowned and held my face in his hands, "Caleb are you drunk?"

I laughed, "As a skunk. Which is saying a lot considerin' a skunk can't get
drunk."

I hiccupped and rolled over laughing. He turned over and stared at me
incredulously. He picked up the bottle lying next to the swing and stood up
quickly. I stared up at him glass eyed, feeling giddy with laughter. His
body was cast in the light of a streetlamp and I got a good look at him. He
was wearing a tight fitting graphic t-shirt, which showed off his
well-defined pecs and arms. His golden hair shone dimly in the light of the
lamp, but his face was set in a disapproving scowl. His blue eyes blazed
with anger.

I tried to sit up, but failed, "Drew, are you mad at me?"

He kneeled down next to me and helped me up, sighing, "No, Cale, I'm not
mad."

I looked up, still feeling lightheaded and blurted out, "You have pretty
blue eyes."

He smiled, "Come on let's get you up."

He helped me back into the swing and kneeled next to it, holding me in
place. I rested my head against his shoulder, liking the warmth of it.

"Your warm too, like cookies," I said lucidly and sniffed his
shoulder. "Mmm . . . . Cookies."

He chuckled, "Cale, how much have you had to drink?"

"Mmm?" I asked not hearing a word he said. He chuckled again and ran his
hands through my hair.

"I don't know why I ever left you," he whispered so softly I wasn't sure if
he really said that. I turned and smiled at him.

"What?" I asked, leaning into the swings rope. His fingers glided softly
through my hair.

"Shh, just relax, sweetie," he whispered and lightly kissed me on the nose.

I listened and relaxed, my thoughts going back to my previous discussion.

"Drew, did you make me sad?" I asked trying to remember why I started to
drink. "Cuz, I can't remember. I tried, but can't"

My voice must have sounded pathetically sad, because he suddenly pulled me
up into his arms and sat down in the swing, holding me. I rested my head on
his shoulder, my hands lying in my lap. I sniffed, feeling something
running down my nose, but I didn't brush it away.

"Oh, Caleb," he said tenderly, "if I could go back and change what I
did. To make you happy again, I would."

"S'okay," I slurred, and wiped my nose, still feeling something running.

What is this, I thought confusedly.

"No, it's not," he replied somberly, "I broke you. . . I broke you and I
don't . . . I don't know how to fix you."

"S'okay," I repeated, starting to drift off. "S'okay."

The stuff continued to leak out of my nose, and no matter how much I tried
to wipe it away it kept going. I sniffed again, and rubbed my nose into his
shirt.

"Don't cry, Cale," he whispered pulling me tighter. "I promise I won't hurt
you again."

Cry, I thought dizzily, was I crying?

The liquid running out of my nose was beginning to dry and stick to my
hands and face. It was starting to crust and I tried to wipe it off. It was
too dark to see what it was, but I knew it had to come off somehow. I
rubbed my nose into his shirt again.


"Cale," he said, running his hands through my hair, before he squeezed me
tightly.

My head was starting to swim again and my vision was beginning to fill with
black spots. I blinked, trying to clear my sight, but it didn't help. My
body started to go slack and my head lolled lazily. I started to feel
lightheaded and dizzy, but he seemed to not notice.

"Cale, I love you," he whispered confidently into my hair. But I barely
heard him, before I passed out.

~*~ I awoke to the light patter of rain, hitting the roof and windows. My
eyes quickly adjusted to the dimly lit bedroom. It was cast in gray shadows
and created a peaceful atmosphere. The bed I was laying on was large and
comfortable. A queen sized, instead of my own twin sized bed. The small
difference immediately registered in my head. I sat up boldly.

"Arrgh," I moaned and clutched my head.

Wrong move, I thought as my head pounded with an unnatural headache.

I squirmed in this huge bed and slid my legs out from the heavy, blue
comforter. I sat at the edge of the bed and tried to dull the pounding in
my head. That's when I noticed my bare legs. I froze again and stretched my
right leg. It was completely bare all the way up to the calf. I clutched at
my body and noticed I was only wearing a pair of boxers and an oversized
shirt. My head swam with questions and incoherent thoughts.

Where am I? Was the first question that popped in my head as I looked
around this strange room.

The walls were painted a light blue color and had white crown molding
lining its borders. There were posters of famous baseball players and
football players plastered to every open surface. The bed was directly in
the middle of the room under a huge bay window, which had a nice view of a
backyard. The carpeting was gray and plush when I stepped on it. I saw two
doors closed off from me, but I didn't know which one was to the bathroom
or to the hallway.

I glanced at both of them and decided to take the nearest one. I moved to
the door off to my right and reached for the handle. Just as I was about to
open it, the handle twisted in my grasp. I jumped back from it and scurried
to the bed. I wasn't looking at where I was going and accidentally tripped
on a baseball glove. I glanced at the randomly placed glove.

Hey, I know that from somewhere, I thought errantly before the door to the
bathroom opened fully.

I looked up in fright and saw a tall boy stepping out. He was completely
naked except for his head, which he was drying off with a towel. I watched
as he walked towards the bed, not noticing me at all. He was tanned and
muscular, with a lean body that reminded me of someone else. I watched as
his dick swung between his legs, making soft slapping sounds when they hit
his inner thigh.

After a while he removed the towel from his face and began to rub his
groin. That's when he noticed me on the floor.

"Shit!" he exclaimed in surprise and covered his dick. I stayed where I was
and watched him suspiciously.

He had tangled bronze hair that was closely cropped and framed his
forehead. The main attribute that caught my attention was his ice blue
eyes. They were very subtle. At a first glance I thought they were grey,
but after really looking into them, I saw that they were actually blue. He
turned then and wrapped himself up. His muscles moved at the effort. I
slowly moved away too, and crawled quietly to the door.

He turned around then and saw what I was doing.

"Hey!" he growled and ran to my side, grabbing my arm before I could open
the door. "You can't leave, okay?"

He stared at me with his icy blue eyes, waiting for a response.

"Why?" I asked quietly, feeling the need too.

He sighed and roughly pulled me back to the bed. He plopped me down onto it
and squatted down to eye level. He made sure to keep his groin covered,
while he did this.

"Cuz Drew said too," he replied and gave me a weak smile. "So, I'm sorry,
but for now, you'll just have to stay put. Okay?"

I nodded. Thank god, I thought fully relieved. Drew was the one who brought
me here. I felt so much better. I relaxed then and scooted to the middle of
the bed. I wrapped my arms around my legs and rested my chin on my
knees. The boy nodded too and got up from the floor.

He went to the closet, which was already open and fished around for a set
of clothes. He chose a nice button up shirt, some black jeans, and some
sneakers, and went into the bathroom to change. He eyed me pointedly,
before he closed the door. I sighed and gazed around the room, beginning to
wonder. Is this Drew's room or the mysterious boy's room? I glanced at the
posters and decor, but still didn't know if this was Drew's house.

I sighed again and moved from my position on the mattress. I crawled to the
window above the bed and looked out at the backyard. It was still raining,
but a light patter, not a thunderstorm. I liked this kind of rain. It was
peaceful almost seductive in its nature. I watched the rain as it ran along
the glass, and left little trickles in its path. I wished so badly that I
could be out there smelling it. Listening to it as it fell onto the
grass. Suddenly the boy spoke, startling me.

"Drew should be back shortly," he said sounding almost concerned for my
well-being. "He just wanted to get you breakfast, or so he says. There's
aspirin on the bedside table if you need it."

I didn't turn, but continued to watch the rain outside. Lightening flashed
far away, but I didn't hear any thunder.

"He seems to be quite fond of you," the boy continued, musing. "It's very
. . . Sweet. Drew's usually more conceited and selfish than
that. Especially with his family."

I turned then and looked back at him. He looked different. The clothes he
had chosen fit him perfectly, which led me to believe this was his
house. He looked grown-up, not at all like a boy. His hair was short but
gelled back into a handsome do. His face was hard and lean, but boyish with
his deep dimples.

"Who are you?" I asked, moving from the window seal and sat in the middle
of the mattress again.

He laughed, "I should be asking you the same question."

His voice was deep, and musical. I wanted to just keep listening to it. So
I asked again.

"So, who are you?"

He smiled and strolled across the room to stand next to the bed, facing out
the window.

"I'm Finn," he said with a smile. "Finn Caldwell. Drew's brother."

I gulped in shock, "Drew never ment-"

Suddenly I heard the bedroom door open. It was Drew. He staggered in
carrying coffee and a plastic bag full of Styrofoam containers. He looked
handsome in my maroon hoodie. He was drenched in rain, but he looked like a
model coming back from a photo shoot for a shampoo ad. I instantly jumped
up from the bed, and ran into his full arms. Feeling for the first time
relief to see him. He chuckled at my exuberance and hugged me back.

"Did you miss me?" he whispered into my ear, making me shudder. I just
shrugged.

He chuckled again and handed me the coffee, before hoisting me up into his
arms. He squeezed me tightly before cradling me to his chest. He carried me
to his bed and sat down me down on his lap. Finn, who I forgot was there,
quietly excused himself. But not before giving Drew a contemptuous
glare. His jaw flexed with anger. For some reason, I had the strongest
sense of jealousy from him.

Drew seemed unfazed by it and pulled out a container of hot food. I watched
as Finn walked to the door, his broad shoulders stooped in dejection. He
turned then and noticed me staring after him. He smiled once, but it didn't
reach his ice blue eyes. I waved dismally at him, before he quickly left
the room.

"You okay?" Drew asked and brushed my cheek with his free hand.

I turned and smiled at him, "I'm fine. Just hungry is all."

He smiled too and opened the first container. We ate and talked. I moved
from his lap, the momentary relief of his appearance had passed. He didn't
seem to mind, but I saw the tightening of his jaw when I moved away. He
brushed it off and told me what happened last night. Apparently I had
passed out in his lap on the swing. He said I had gotten a bloody nose,
which he thought was from drinking too much. But I didn't correct him.

After I had passed out he went to find Stacey and Justin, who were looking
for me the whole time.

Stacey was plastered he told me, but Justin was able to drive home. Drew
had suggested to them that I could stay with him over night. And after much
deliberation Justin hesitantly agreed because he had Stacey to deal
with. So, Drew brought me back to his house in the cover of darkness and
put me to bed in here.

I listened with good grace, but flexed my jaw in annoyance. I would have to
talk to Justin and Stacey about friendship loyalty. Drew, however
misinterpreted my sudden tension.

"I slept on the floor, I swear," he said quickly as an afterthought, which
made me laugh.

"Good," I replied, "Cuz I wouldn't put it past you to take advantage of a
drunken person."

He grinned crookedly, "Well in that case. . ."

I shoved his arm and made him laugh, "You're a jerk."

He kept laughing, "You know you like it."

"Ha," I snorted and fell back into the bed. I stretched my arms out above
me and nestled into the soft comforter.

Drew lay out next to me, but didn't try anything, for which I was
thankful. We lay like that for a while. I listened to the rain and closed
my eyes. I didn't know what he was doing, but he was silent in reflection.

"Why did you get a bloody nose?" he suddenly asked breaking the silence.

I kept my eyes closed, knowing he was watching me.

I shrugged, "From drinking like you said."

The bed moved then and I felt his chest press into my side. I opened one
eye and glanced up at his face.

It was open and curious. I sighed.

"There just nose bleeds, Drew," I said resigned. "I get them all the
time. Don't worry."

His face quickly flickered with anger, before suddenly resting back into an
indifferent expression.

"I was hoping you wouldn't lie to me," he said calmly and scooted
closer. "Justin and Stacey said that if I wanted to know. You would tell
me. Besides I still remember your episode at school yesterday."

My face blanched in annoyance. They didn't even know how to lie. Just
another thing I had to talk to them about.

I sighed, for what felt like the millionth time. I didn't want to do
this. I wanted to keep it a secret. Ugh, I thought angrily. I turned away
from him then and curled up on my side. He scooted closer and aligned his
body to mine. I let him this time, knowing that he would pull away
eventually. Once I told him the truth.

He wrapped his arm around my chest and pulled me into him tightly. He
scooted his arm under my head and had me rest it there. I could feel his
whole body framing mine.

This feels nice; I thought distantly as I grabbed his arm and pulled it
close. He chuckled and his body moved along with him. His laugh reminded me
of sunny days. In fact, his whole aura just gave off that warm glow. The
sense of light and warmth that accompanied the sun. He was my own personal
orb of brilliance, especially on a day like today.

I felt the light brushing of his lips on my neck. He kissed me tenderly
behind the ear. This was what I wanted from the beginning. A soft,
beautiful romance. Something good books were made of. And now.

Now that I found out I'm dying, it all started coming true.  And he said
the one thing sealing my fate.

"I love you," he whispered into my ear, it was impossible to miss.

I shook then and started to cry. Why was fate so cruel, to tempt me with
two things I wanted so badly. I wanted Drew, even though it took me this
long to realize it. I wanted him in my life, as much as he wanted me in
his. I wanted to keep his warmth near me, when the entire world turned
cold. But I also wanted Dante. I wanted the protection he offered. The
strength of his arms around me, when the world was closing in on me. Most
of all I wanted their love, which was both unconditional and final. Even
though it wasn't fair to both of them, I still wanted it. But all this was
severed by a short knife, of a short life. Just like that stupid song said.

Drew was immediately startled by my tears and quietly soothed me with his
words.

"No, no, no, Caleb, sweetie," he whispered. "I didn't mean for you to say
it back. I was just swept up in the moment. Please, don't cry. I won't say
it again, I promise. Don't cry. I'm sorry."

This made me cry even more. My sobs shook the whole bed. Gently but firmly,
Drew turned me around and held me to his chest. I instantly pulled at his
shirt and buried my head into his chest. His arms softly wrapped around my
back and tightly held me. He slowly rocked back and forth, soothing me.

"Caleb, I'm sorry," he kept whispering. "I won't say it again. I
promise. Okay?"

He kissed me now and then on the head, which sparked more tears, so he
stopped doing that too.

Eventually he pulled away from his grasp and started to get up.

"Maybe I should go," he said his voice immensely sad. "I can call Stacey or
Justin . . ."

"No, no," I whispered urgently. "Please, stay."

"Caleb, why?" he asked his blue eyes melting with sadness. "I'm just
hurting you by being here. Maybe if. . "

He moved then and attempted to get off the bed.

"I need you," I whispered urgently, my tears streaming again. "I need
you. And- and you're the only one I can turn too."

He stopped, "What do you mean, Caleb? What's going on with you?"

I sat up then and curled in on myself.

"I'm dying," I whispered so quietly I thought he hadn't heard me.

But he did.

He froze just as he was about to get up. His back was turned to me. The
muscles in his neck were tight with tension.

"What did you say?" he asked, his voice shaking with uncertainty.

I didn't say anything, which made him turn around. His eyes were little
blue lakes of sadness. His lips trembled with the effort of keeping
control. His nostrils flared unconsciously as his eyebrows knitted
together. He looked like my own broken sun. The light of a shiny day began
to drain out of him.

"I'm dying," I whispered with more volume. "And I love you too."


Please send comments to untitledlovestory23@yahoo.com. And again thank you
for reading my story.

Especially you Lisa.

-Joey young