Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2002 12:47:17 -0500
From: Jeff Wilson <vicioussquirrel@hotmail.com>
Subject: W.A.R Part II: Chapter 9

Better late than never!!  The Christmas rush caught up with me and I ran
around non-stop from Friday through Christmas Day.  But now that that's all
calmed down, we have a little story part to finish up.  When we left our
friends, they were in the park.  There, Billy and Brett finally stopped
toying with each other's emotions and admitted what they truly feel.  But
now that they've admitted it to each other, what's next?  Where will they
go from that defining moment?  Let's find out...


		       W.A.R. Part Two: Cold Winter

		       Chapter Nine:  Brett Watching

			      by Jeff Wilson


     The temperature had really dropped during or time outside.  I wished I
had put a hat on because I was really feeling the effects of the weather.
Brett was sniffling and coughing.  We finally made it back to my house.
You couldn't even see our footprints in the snow any more.  They had been
erased by the fresh snow.  When we walked in the door, my dad was there to
greet us.

     "Boys I was worried about you!  Where were you?  Brett I called
your...  What happened to your eye?"

     "What eye?"  Brett replied.

     "You know what I'm talking about.  How did you get a black eye?"

     "Oh, I fell."

     "I don't think so.  Billy, what happened?  Did you hit him, boy?"

     "I didn't do it!  Don't blame me.  You already punished me for
something stupid last night.  I'm not taking the fall for this one!"

     "You boys...  If your mother sees him like that she'll have a fit."

     "You act like you've never seen a boy with a black eye before Mr.
Roberts!"  Brett said cheerfully.

     "That's the problem, boy.  I've seen too many boys with black eyes
this year."

     Brett sneezed.  His nose was running something awful.  My dad told him
to go get a hot shower.  Then he told me to get some clothes out for him.
My clothes would be just about the right size for him.  Maybe the pants
would be too long, but we were basically the same body size.
  I'm taller, but Brett's a little more muscular than me, we're probably
just about the same weight.

     The phone rang while Brett was showering.  It was Dustin.  My dad gave
me the phone.

     "Hello?"  I answered.

     "Hey Billy?  It's me."

     "What do you want?"  I said, letting my anger at him show through.

     "Are you guys okay?  Did you find him?"  He sounded concerned.

     "Yeah.  You almost got us in trouble with that black eye you gave
him."

     "Yeah, well my mom wanted to know how I got a bloody nose.  I lied to
her and said my sister hit me.  I don't think she suspects anything.
Amanda always picks on me."

     "So what are we going to do now, Dustin?"  It wasn't a simple
question.

     "I don't know.  Listen, I'm super sorry about what I said out there
today.  I don't know why I did that.  I know you guys aren't gay.  I don't
know why I said that you were."

     "Do you even know what I'm mad about?"

     "You're not mad that I said you two were fucking each other?"  He
said, confused.

     "No, I'm mad because...  Oh never mind."  I said, frustrated.  I know
he just wouldn't get it.

     "Hey, listen.  Are we still friends or not?"  He asked.

     "I don't know, Dustin.  I guess we are.  But, what if I was... you
know, like that.  What would you do?  Would you treat me differently?"

     "If you were what?  Gay?  Why?  You're not, so there's no point in
answering.  But I guess if you were I'd probably... I'm talking to Billy,
mom!!  No!!  Well how am I supposed to know?  I haven't seen him all day!!
She wants to know how your mouth is."

     I thought back to the park.  "It's never been better..."

     "He says he's fine, mom!!  Anyway, I have to go.  She's taking Amanda
and me Christmas shopping today because everyone's too scared to drive on
the snowy roads but her.  I'll talk to you later!  Bye!!"  He hung up the
phone.  I guess if you can drive a school bus full of kids a little snow on
the roads is nothing.

     "So, Dustin gave Brett the black eye."  My dad said and made me jump.

     "How did you...?  Were you spying on me?"  I said angrily.

     "No.  But I figured it out when he asked if you were back yet."

     "I hate when you do that, dad.  I can't get away with anything because
you always figure out what I'm up to."

     "Maybe I should have been a detective instead of the world's greatest
electrician."  He said laughing.  "So, I guess you guys are working it out
on your own and don't need dear old dad to fix it for you."

     "I guess so.  We went to Brett's house.  I don't think his mom was too
happy that Brett told us about the rape."

     "I would think not."

     "But why?  What's the big deal?  Especially the way she described it.
She doesn't remember it at all."  I explained.

     "Well... I guess...  Well, do you remember when you had the black eye
over the summer?  How did you feel every time someone asked you about it?"

     "Mad."  I said, still kind of bitter about it.

     "Yes, and you didn't want people to treat you differently because of
it.  It's kind of the same for her.  She probably doesn't want everyone to
make a fuss out of something that she doesn't want to talk about."

     "Do you drink?"  I asked.  It was kind of changing the subject, but
I'm known for doing that.  Dad was used to it.

     "No, I gave up drinking when I met your mother.  I agreed to give up
drinking, and I wouldn't smoke around you when you were little.  But now I
smoke more around you than her."

     "Well I think you should quit."

     "Don't you start, too, boy.  Don't worry about me.  I've got more
chance of being electrocuted at work than I have of getting lung cancer.
It will take more than cigarettes to kill your old man."  He said putting
his arm around my shoulder and giving me a half hug.

     "Yeah, donuts and Mt. Dew."  I said.

     "Now come on, boy...  I'm thinner than most men my age.  Can't your
dad enjoy some sugar sometimes?"

     I shook him off me and faced him.  "Not with diabetes.  You're gonna
get sick if you don't take care of yourself.  I'm worried about you, dad.
Ever since grandma...  Well, you know..."

     "Billy...  Are you worried that something's going to happen to me?
Your grandmother was an old woman."

     "No she wasn't!  She was in her 60's.  You know that eating that stuff
and smoking cigarettes is bad and you still do it.  Why?  I love you dad.
I don't want you to die like gr...  Like grandma did.  Alright?  I don't
want something bad to happen to you."  I turned around because I was
starting to cry and I didn't want him to see.

     He turned me around, put a hand on each of my shoulders, and looked me
right in the eyes.  "Billy!  I'm only 45.  I've been dealing with sugar for
thirty-five years.  I know what I'm doing.  I'm not going to die.  You
don't have to be scared."

     "I'm not scared.  I just don't want you to get sick like grandma did."

     "Well, I married the best nurse in the world to make sure that doesn't
happen.  Okay, boy?"

     "That doesn't make me feel any better, dad."  I said as I broke away
from him and quickly wiped my eyes so he wouldn't see.

     Brett emerged wearing my clothes.  He looked a lot better in them than
I did.  His eye looked worse, though, and he was still sniffling and
sneezing.  I went to the bathroom to take my shower.

     I washed carefully and the warm water felt good as it poured down my
chest.  I cleaned myself all over and even got behind my ears!  I was
squeaky clean!  I hopped out of the shower and dried off.  When I went back
out to the living room, Brett was asleep on the couch.  My dad was out in
the kitchen.  There was a hot chocolate half empty on the coffee table in
front of Brett.  I grabbed the full cup and sat in my mom's chair.

     I drank my hot chocolate while I admired Brett's sleeping face.  I
could see that the skin around his eye was changing from deep pink to a
light purple.  He was definitely going to have a black eye.  I took the
opportunity to really take a good look at him.  I'd seen him thousands of
times, but I never really looked him like I was at that moment.  I noticed
that he had freckles for the first time.  He had a few under each eye.  If
they were there before, I hadn't noticed.  They were very light and hard to
see.  His nose was perfectly shaped.  Not too big, not too pointy or flat.
Just the perfect nose for his face.  The little scar on his right cheek was
shaped like a check mark.  You didn't really notice it unless you were
looking for it.  It was about an inch and a half.  If he ever grew a beard,
it would cover the scar right up.  I knew that it was from when he wrecked
his bike when he was ten. He had to have stitches for it because he wasn't
paying attention and crashed face first into a tree.  He never rode his
bike again after that.

     His ear drew my attention next.  His right ear was the only ear that I
could see because he was resting on his side.  I had never noticed how his
earlobe attached behind his jaw before.  I thought that was just really
neat for some reason.  He needed a haircut.  His medium brown hair was
beginning to cover up the top of his ears.  I don't like it when his hair
gets too long.  I like to see his ears and the back of his neck.  His hair
was all brown.  Not like mine which was blond and brown mixed together.  I
really hate my hair.  But Brett's was so nice.  He just needed to cut it.

     Then I noticed his lips.  The lips that had touched mine just an hour
before.  It seemed so long ago now.  I couldn't wait for the chance to
touch them again.  They had felt so soft, so moist.  Like he'd just put lip
balm on them or something.  I had never even dreamed that I'd have actually
had the guts to kiss him.  But I did it, and I liked it, and I wanted to do
it again, as often as possible.  His lips were a delicious shade of pink.
They were the most beautiful when they were smiling.  There is just
something about seeing him smile that makes me feel good.  He had been
miserable for so many months I thought I'd never see that wonderful smile
again.

     At his waist, I could see part of his belly where the sweater had been
pulled up a bit.  That soft pink flesh which was usually hidden lay exposed
beneath my clothes.  I wanted to touch that spot on his body.  That tiny
exposed bit of skin that probably no one else had ever touched before.  You
could just barely see his belly button.  That little innie that was proof
that he was his mother's son.  I wanted to touch and explore that little
mark.  When had my best friend turned into this awesome boy laying on my
couch in my clothes?

     He sneezed again and it woke him up.  He looked around the room.  Then
he saw me and smiled at me.  "It's cold in here.  Can I have a blanket or
something?"  I opened the closet and got a blanket out and laid it on top
of him.  He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward him.  He whispered.  "Tell
me I didn't dream what happened in the park today."

     "You weren't dreaming.  It really happened."

     "I love you, Billy.  Never forget it."  He said as he drifted back to
sleep.  I looked around to see if dad was still in the kitchen, then I
kissed him on the forehead.  He wriggled around a little bit and was fast
asleep.  I left him to sleep and went to help my dad.  While I was helping
him fix dinner, my thoughts never left the sleeping boy on my couch.


That wraps up Chapter Nine.  What do you think?  Looks like Billy's falling
even more in love than he was before.  The next chapter, The Christmas Eve
Party, will wrap up Cold Winter.  But W.A.R. will continue in Part Three.
I did decide on the time to set it in.  There are a lot of interesting
things to explore in the next part.  I look forward to getting into them.

Chapter Ten will be out very very soon, like tomorrow.  Then I want
comments!!  I want to know what you thought about Part Two, favorite parts,
least favorite parts, favorite characters, least favorite characters.  You
know, all that good stuff!  See you later!

     vicioussquirrel@hotmail.com