Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 05:01:09 -0700
From: Mike <thornado5@netscape.net>
Subject: A Thousand Rainbows 13

Welcome back, everyone. Before we begin I must make a small correction to
something I wrote at the beginning of Chapter 10. I said we had heard the
last of Alan Bradley. Well, let me correct that by saying that we have not
heard the last of Alan Bradley, as we will soon see.

So, on with the show.

This story deals with adult themes, primarily same-gender sexual relations.
Such relations have their basis in love and commitment, rather than sex for
the sake of sex alone. In some cases they will use protection; at other
times they will not. You and I should always use protection because we do
not live in the world of fiction.

If you are offended the idea of homosexuality or if you are under the age
of consent or if you reside in an area where such things are considered
illegal or immoral, then you should seek entertainment elsewhere.

Comments may be directed to the author at thornado5@netscape.net

This story is copyright 2004 by Mike Williams. All rights reserved. Thou
shalt not steal.

-0-

A Thousand Rainbows by Mike Williams

- 13 -

The days that followed were filled with activity, getting the house ready
for the the Beckers and the other Thanksgiving preparations. On Wednesday
the headmaster of Bridgewater Academy sent as message to the music lab and
informed Mr. Cabelli that he wanted to see Jason and Josh in his office
right away.

The music professor relayed the headmaster's request to the boys, who only
gave each other a puzzled look. They shrugged and zipped up their
backpacks, and left the classroom, making their way to administration
building. They arrived in the outer office, where they straightened their
neckties and made certain they were sufficiently presentable.

Mr. Walker's personal secretary greeted them as they entered. "Good
morning. You would be the Connor boys."

"Yes, ma'am," the twins replied.

"Headmaster Walker is expecting you. Please come with me." She got up from
her desk and led the boys into the headmaster's inner office. Jason and
Josh thought it must have been very important that they would immediately
ushered into the headmaster's office.

The headmaster of Bridgewater Academy for more than 20 years, John Walker
was a distinguished-looking man in his late 50's with silver hair and eyes
as dark as coal. And yet those eyes were alive with a fire and a passion
for education and for this particular institution. His office seemed to
take up the length of the building, with a desk at one end and a sitting
area with large fireplace at the other. Above the fireplace was a large
portrait of the school's first headmaster. The walls were decorated with
photographs of daily life around the school.

The secretary announced the twins. "Jason and Josh Connor to see you, sir."

"Thank you, Mary." The headmaster was seated near the fireplace and rose
from his wingback chair as the boys entered the spacious office. He greeted
the twins with a warm smile. "Come in, boys; I'd like you to meet someone."

"Thank you, sir," the boys said.

A middle-age woman occupied another wingback chair. Jack Miller, the
captain of the rodeo team, occupied a rocking chair by the woman's side
near the fireplace. The headmaster walked to a point directly in front of
the fireplace, where he remained standing.  "Gentlemen, I believe you
already know Jack Miller of our senior class. Now, I'd like you to meet
Mrs. Janet Miller, Jack's and Paul's mother. Mrs. Miller, Jason and Josh
Connor."

The woman smiled at the twins. There was that same smile they had seen the
night Paul had delivered pizza to their house. There was no mistaking that
this was Paul's mother.

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am." Jason offered his hand.

"And you, Jason." Her voice was pleasant.

"A pleasure, ma'am." Josh offered his hand.

"Josh, I'm delighted to meet you both at last."

"Why don't you boys take a seat?" The headmaster resumed his char and
indicated a loveseat between the two wingback chairs. "I suppose you're
both wondering why I've asked to see you this morning. I'll let Mrs. Miller
explain."

"Thank you, Mr. Walker." She then directed her comments to the twins. "I
know we've never met. Paul mentioned your names after he made a delivery to
your home last weekend.  Apparently he also knows your father, the man who
runs the photo studio. Paul wants you both to know that he is recovering
very nicely at the hospital. He's been moved from critical care to a
private room. And he's wants to see you both as soon as possible."

Jason and Josh looked at each other, sharing a silent communication, then
turned back to Mrs. Miller, smiling.

"Thank you, ma'am. We are very concerned about Paul ..." Jason began.

"... And we're relieved to hear that he's making good progress," Josh
finished.

"But why would he want to see us?" Jason asked.

Again Josh finished the thought. "After all, he's a junior, and we're just
freshmen. It's not like we have the same circle of friends."

Janet thought about her answer for a moment. "I don't know. Do you, Jack?"

For the first time Jack Miller spoke up. "I don't know either, Mom. Paul
and I haven't had much chance to talk." The he directed his comments to the
twins. "But Paul seems to think it's important. He did tell me that
much. How about I give you guys a ride to the hospital after school?"

"But only if you call your father first to let him know where you'll be,"
the Headmaster interjected. "You can use the phone on my desk."

"Thank you, Mr. Walker," Jason said as he rose to make the call.

"And thank you, Mrs. Miller," Josh said. Then he turned to Jack. "Does this
mean we get to ride in the `Deathtrap'?"

Mr. Walker chuckled. Jack Miller drove the ugliest pick-up in the school's
parking lot. Even the license plate read DTH TRP.

Mrs. Miller smiled. "It's a wonder that it runs at all. I can't imagine
what holds it together."

Jack was quick to defend his beloved pick-up. "Mom, I think we owe a debt
of gratitude to Mr. Walker here. Thanks to his leadership, Bridgewater
Academy has a first-rate automotive shop program."

Janet smiled at her eldest son. "Jack Miller, you didn't just kiss the
blarney stone; you stuck it in your back pocket and walked off with it."

"Well, Mrs. Miller, the more he attends our automotive shop class, the
better prepared to cure whatever may befall his beloved `Deathtrap'. As
long as it can carry him to school each day, we'll all be happy."

"Thank you, Mr. Walker," Jack said and smiled smugly at his mother. Then he
turned his attention to Josh. "And yes, Josh, you and Jason get to ride in
the `Deathtrap' ... right up in the front seat."

"Cool." Josh beamed. He and his brother would be the envy of the entire
freshman class.

"Just make sure you and your brother wear your seatbelts," Mrs. Miller
warned. "We don't call it `Deathtrap' for nothing."

At that moment Jason returned to the group. "Our dad is OK with everything,
as long as we can catch a ride home after we visit Paul."

"Not a problem, Jason," Jack assured him.

"Then it's settled." The headmaster was about to end the meeting.

"Just one other thing, Mr. Walker," Mrs. Miller interjected. "We've
received a lot of calls from Paul's friends, asking about him and when he
can have visitors. And I'm beginning to realize what a large circle of
friends he has here at Bridgewater Academy. We appreciate everyone's best
wishes. But Paul wants to keep the visitors to a minimum, if at all
possible."

"I understand, Mrs. Miller," Mr. Walker assured her. Then he turned to the
twins. "So maybe it's best if you two keep this quiet."

"Yes, sir," the boys responded in unison.

The meeting was concluded. "If that's all then, you boys are free until
your next period. And thank you, Mrs. Miller, for coming in today. It's
been a pleasure seeing you again. If there is anything we can do for you,
please feel free to call."

Janet rose from the wingback chair as Josh, Jack and the headmaster rose
from theirs.  "Thank you so much for seeing me, Mr. Walker." She offered
her hand, which Mr. Walker accepted with a gracious smile. The headmaster
shook the hands of his other guests and escorted them out of his office.

-0-

At long last the school day came to an end, and the twins were waiting
impatiently in the parking lot. As soon as everyone was safely belted into
the `Deathtrap', Jack removed his tie and unbuttoned the top three buttons
of his dress shirt, opening it halfway down his chest. The twins made no
move to do the same, but they both noticed Jack's well-defined chest, the
result of his work with the horses and the school's rodeo team.

"I don't know how you guys can stand to wear a tie all day long." He took a
deep breath.  "Whew, I can breathe again."

For the first time Jason and Josh noticed that Jack was wearing cowboy
boots. The twins smiled. "We're OK, Jack," Jason said. "Maybe by the time
we're seniors ..."

"... We'll feel the same as you," Josh finished the thought.

Jack remembered what Paul had told him the previous Friday night after
work, about the twins he had met and how they finished each other's
sentences. He found himself getting dizzy just as Paul had. He smiled and
began to understand why Paul was so captivated by these two freshmen.

With the twist of a key the `Deathtrap' roared to life. Jack's smile became
one of pride in the vehicle he had rescued from a salvage yard and nursed
back to health. "Hang on, guys!  The ride is just starting."

"Aye, aye, captain!" the twins saluted.

Jack laughed as he eased the pick-up out of the parking lot and onto the
street.

-0-

For all the hype surrounding the pick-up's nickname the twins didn't really
expect Jack to perform any theatrics as they drove through the town. The
conversation with light with the boys commenting on the rodeo team's
winning streak. Jack was impressed with the fact that they had attended
most of the team's events over the previous three years and remembered the
team's best moments.

Jack expertly parked the `Deathtrap' in the hospital's parking lot, and the
three made their way through the hallways and up to the third floor. Paul's
door was open, and he was propped up in his bed reading a history
textbook. He looked up and saw the twins with his brother.

"Hey, bro, look what I found wandering around the hallways," Jack said as
he ushered Jason and Josh into the room.

Even though his jaw was wired shut, Paul grinned as the saw the
twins. Maybe it was a new light in his eyes, but his smile was just as
captivating as they had remembered it from just a few days earlier.

"Hey, Jack. Hi, guys," Paul greeted them. "Pardon me if I don't get up; I'm
still kinda sore.  Come on in and pull up a chair."

It hurt them all to see Bridgewater Academy's starting quarterback laid up
in a hospital bed. Paul seemed to be taking it in his stride. He knew the
hazards of a rough game like football, just as Jack understood the dangers
of rodeo. But they both thrived on the rush.

The twins were almost speechless. "Hi, Paul" Jason stammered.

"We're glad to see you're getting better so fast," Josh finished the
thought.

Paul turned to his brother. "Jack, I really appreciate you bringing the
guys down here. Um, could you give us a few minutes, please?"

Jack seemed only slightly taken aback. "Uh, sure, no problem, guy. I'll
just go check the oil on the `Deathtrap'." He leaned in to give his brother
a hug. "I love you, Paul," he whispered.  "I'll see you later tonight."

"I love you too, Jack," Paul replied.

Jack left the room and closed the door on his way out. Paul continued to
stare at the door for a moment, barely breathing.

"Paul?" Josh said softly.

The quarterback looked at the teenager seated next to his bed, then back to
the closed door. Softly he said, "I was just thinking what my life would be
like if Jack was suddenly taken from my family. We've grown up together,
and we've just taken each other for granted for these years." He turned to
face the twins. "And then I meet you guys, and in just the few minutes I
talked to you the other night ... something started me thinking."

The twins looked at each other, the back at Paul. "How so?" Jason asked.

"I've never known any twins before," Paul replied. "You guys are brothers
just like Jack and me."

"But we know each other so well ..." Jason began.

"... We can finish each other's sentences," Josh said. "It takes some
practice."

Paul smiled and shook his head. "Yeah." Then his smile faded. "And yet I
know so little about my own brother."

Jason and Josh look at each other, sharing a silent communication, then
back to Paul.

"Well, speaking as a twin, I can tell you ..." Jason began.

"... There are days when I'd really like to get rid of ..." Josh continued.

Then the two turned to each other, pointed and said in unison, "HIS UGLY
BUTT!!"

Paul was doing his best to keep from laughing for fear of destroying all
the work the surgeons had done on him. Jason and Josh turned back to the
quarterback with big grins.

"Please," he begged, holding his stomach where Randy Carter had placed a
few powerful punches.. "Please don't make me laugh. Oh, god ... oh, god, it
hurts!"

"OK," Jason said. "We'll behave ourselves."

"Promise," Josh said.

Paul took a deep breath and regained his composure. "Thanks, guys. After
all I've been through since Saturday, I guess I needed a good laugh. I've
had a lot on my mind. But that's not why I asked for you two to come see
me. I wonder if you guys could do me a great big favor."

The twins were delighted that their football hero would entrust them with
such an important mission. "Just name it," Jason said.

Paul paused before continuing. "I need to get a message to Tyler
Garrison. I need to talk to him. I would have asked Mom or Jack, but we
gotta keep this quiet. Please don't tell Jack or anybody. Can you do that
for me, please?"

"Is tomorrow too soon?" Jason asked.

Josh looked at his brother. "Jason," he began. "How are we gonna get
anywhere near Tyler Garrison? He only hangs out with his swim-team buds."

Jason smiled at the perplexed Josh. "Dear brother, you forget: We're
twins. We're cute."  He paused for effect. "We're irresistible."

"Oh, yeah, we are," Josh smiled innocently and turned back to Paul. "So, is
tomorrow too soon?"

Again Paul had to fight to keep his laughter under control. Eventually he
was successful. "I will owe you guys forever if you do this. But please,
let's just keep it between us."

Once again the twins looked at each other with looks of concern on their
faces, then back at Paul. "Can we ask you a personal question, Paul?" Jason
asked.

They know, Paul thought. He looked at one freshman, then the other. He
nodded.

Josh glanced at his brother, then looked back at Paul, who was looking down
at his lap, preparing himself for the question he knew would be asked
sooner or later.

"Do have feelings for Tyler?" Josh ventured to ask quietly.

Paul looked out the window, staring into space. He took a deep breath and
hesitated before answering. "I have had feelings for Tyler ever since we
were freshmen at Bridgewater. But he seems to have this wall around
him. That's why I did that photo series of him for the Shoot-out last
year. I was trying to get just a little closer." Paul hung his head before
continuing. "I guess that was a pretty stupid scheme."

"We saw the photos," Jason said. "And we were really impressed."

"And we weren't the only ones," Josh continued. "A lot of people saw your
work, including Tyler."

Paul looked up in surprise. "Tyler saw the exhibit? Judging by the way he
acted while we were shooting, I would have thought he didn't care one way
or the other."

Josh glanced back at this brother for a moment, then turned back to
Paul. "Of course he saw the exhibit. And my dad would say that you both did
your jobs really well. Him, as the model giving the impression that he was
just going on with his life, not letting the camera get in his way ..."

This time it was Jason who finished the thought. "... And you, as the
photographer for letting him just live his life, not letting the camera get
in the way."

A faint smile appeared at the corners of Paul's lips. "I never thought of
it like that. Well, now that the football season is over for me, I guess
I'll be spending more time with the photography club."

"That's the spirit," Jason encouraged as he rose from his chair and walked
to the far side of the bed. "Now, you should be ready to receive visitors
about three o'clock tomorrow afternoon."

"You're sure that won't interfere with the soap operas and talkshows and
other events on your social calendar?" Josh teased.

"If I wasn't so sore," Paul replied, "I'd throw this pillow at you."

Josh rose from his chair. "That's the quarterback we all know and love,
always ready to practice throwing passes."

They both leaned in to give their hero a hug. Paul was surprised at first,
but accepted the hugs graciously. "Thank you," he whispered through his
wired jaw, as he blinked away a tear.

Jason and Josh rose and gave Paul the Bridgewater Academy power
salute. Paul's smile widened to a big grin. "Thanks for coming to see
me. You guys are something special."

Jason returned the smile as they made their way to the door. "Yeah, we
know."

"Remember, three o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Don't be late," Josh chided as
they exited the room.

Paul settled back in his hospital bed, the smile still on his face. He
looked around the room. Somehow all the flowers sent by friends and
well-wishers seemed a little more colorful; the sun seemed a little
brighter outside his window. Tomorrow, he thought, he would keep the
promise he made to Alan Bradley, he would tell Tyler how he felt.

-0-

to be continued in Chapter 14