Date: Wed, 08 May 2002 17:08:44 -0400 From: Stan Unknown Subject: Chapter 7 of Beating The Odds Chapter Seven Jim was actually enjoying his morning run. He was running 5 miles twice a day now to make sure he was in great shape when school started in another week. He was glad he had finally asked Coach Smith if he could join the cross country team at the end of last year. And he was determined to be one of the best runners at his school. He had always hated his morning run. But not today. There was a big smile on his face as he put himself through his morning workout. Brian had been on line right on time at 8:30 this morning and they had chatted for an hour before Brian had to go down for breakfast. Brian had a headache from all the liquor he had drank the night before but by throwing up, it had saved his life. And he had said the magic 4 words Jim had been hoping to hear all his life. 'I love you too'. Brian had thanked Jim over and over, but every time, Jim had insisted that the credit should go to Brian R, not him. Then Jim had said something that changed both of their lives. Jim: "Why wouldn't I do anything I could to keep you alive? I told you last night and I mean it. I love you." Snake: "You do? Are you sure? You have only known me for 4 days now." Jim: "I'm sure! I think I fell in love with you the first day. And I'll love you, even if you don't ever love me back." Snake: "But I do." Jim: "You do what?" Snake: "I love you too." That simple exchange had made both of them bond instantly and totally. And now they were boyfriends and really loved each other. Who cared if it was only an internet relationship? Love can bridge any gap, even one of hundreds, maybe thousands of miles. And they did love each other. So much, neither even got to the point of asking where each other lived. It didn't matter. What did was they now had each other. They both had someone they loved with all their heart for the first time in their lives. Jim kept thinking about Brian and all that they had said to each other while he ran. He had picked up his pace without even noticing it. He was running easier and faster than ever before. His body was just trying to compensate for how fast Jim's heart was beating. But it wasn't beating fast because of all the exercise. It was beating fast because of Brian. ****************** "Fred, you and Brian have to make up. You know what you did last night wasn't fair to him." "What? All I did was invite a friend over to talk to Brian." "You know that isn't true. You tried to force him into doing what he doesn't want to do. He isn't a little boy any more." "Grace, all I am trying to do is what I think is best for him. He was totally disrespectful last night and I'm not going to stand for that in my own house!" "Just try and work it out with him. Please!!! I think you should just let him play in the band if he really wants to." "My mind's made up on that. I think the damn band is the reason he dared to say what he did to me last night. He totally humiliated me in front of Coach Williams. And he is going to apologize for that or else." "Fred, I think you're making a big mistake." "DAMN IT GRACE, DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO IN MY OWN HOUSE. MY MIND IS MADE UP. NOW CALL HIM DOWN HERE! NOW!!" "Fred, you don't have to shout. Ok, let me go get him." ****************** When Brian woke up when his alarm went off the next morning, he was groggy and had a headache, but he also felt better than he had felt in months, years. Or was last night a dream? He got out a fresh pair of boxers and headed for his bathroom. Only then did he notice that he was fully dressed. `I guess last night wasn't a dream after all,' he thought to himself. He turned on the shower so the water would warm up and undressed completely. He saw that he still had a few stains on his clothes from when he had thrown up last night. `Hope Mom doesn't notice,` he thought. He saw the empty liquor bottle in his trash can and knew that if his Mom found it, there would be Hell to pay with his Dad. So he hurriedly walked over to his closet and stashed it where he had hidden it previously. 'I'll take it with me when I leave and throw it a trash can somewhere,` he thought. As he walked back to the bathroom, he saw 8 more sleeping pills still lying on his dresser. He took them and the envelope he had kept them in into the bathroom with him. He dumped the pills into the toilet, then tore the envelope into tiny pieces and threw them in with the pills. As he flushed the toilet and watched them disappear, he thought `I won't need them any more. I have something to live for now. Jim!` He hurriedly took his shower and put on his clean boxers. He kept his hair very short, so he didn't even need to dry it. A brisk rubbing with the towel was all it took. He got dressed quickly, dialing into the Internet as he finished. He got on line at 8:28 with two minutes to spare. Jim signed on a precisely 8:30 just like he said he would. And then he said again what Brian had been longing to hear all his life. Jim loved him. And Brian knew immediately that he loved him back. They had talked like two people who were lovers and had been forced to separate and hadn't seen each other for years. They couldn't get enough of each other. Only when Brian's Mom had called him down to breakfast had they reluctantly signed off. But not before they both told each other they loved the other. Several times. Brian had a huge smile on his face as he walked downstairs. All he could think about was Jim. All thoughts about his argument with his Dad were forgotten. He still thought about how close he had come to ending his life, but Jim had saved him. HIS Jim!! "Morning Mom, morning Dad," Brian said with a happy smile on his face. "Well, I'm glad to see you're finally in a good mood. Are you ready to apologize to the coach and I? All you have to do is apologize and I will forget EVERYTHING that happened last night with no more said." "Please Brian. Just say you're sorry and let's end all of this," his Mom pleaded. "Apologize? That's not what I'm going to say," said Brian, as a new idea formed in his mind. He knew immediately what he could say that would end all talk of him playing football forever. "WHAT? Then why do you have that smile on your face?" said Brian's Mom. "Well, Mom and Dad, I think there is something I need to tell you..." "What?" said Brian's Dad. "Mom, Dad, I'm in love and ..." His Mom interrupts and says, "That's wonderful. What's the lucky girl's name?" "Mom, please don't interrupt me. As I was saying, I'm in love and HIS name Is Jim." "HIS NAME??????????" both his Mom and Dad said at the same time. "Yes, his name is Jim," Brian said in a very `matter of fact` tone. `Now Dad sure won't want me to play football` Brian thought. "NOOOOOO!" Brian's dad screamed. "I WILL NOT HAVE A FAGGOT IN MY HOUSE!!!!" "Fred, please don't talk to Brian that way," Brian's Mom said. "Don't you get into this right now! Brian, go into the living room and wait for me there." Brian's Mind was racing. One of his worst fears was coming true. HIS DAD WAS HOMOPHOBIC! Brian's Dad stormed into the room, but his voice was under control. "Come here son. I want to have a nice, calm talk with you." Brian walked over to his father, totally unprepared for what was about to happen. "Sit down boy, we just need to talk," he says, as he mutters under his breathe `but I'll beat the shit out of you'. But Brian does not catch that. "Come on...right next to me." "Dad, I want your support in this." "Don't worry Brian, you'll definitely get something from me." Brian's Dad suddenly pushes Brian down on the sofa. Brian was not expecting this and had let his guard down. He fell off the couch and landed between the sofa and the coffee table. In one fluid motion, his Dad pulls his already unbuckled belt off his pants and doubles it over in a typical fashion for doing damage. Before Brian knows what's going on, he is hit across his jean clad butt viciously. Brian yells out and looks up at his Dad. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" he yelled, absolutely furious. "I'm teaching you to me a man. You'll become a man if I have to beat the faggot out of you." "I REALLY don't recommend you try that again!" Brian said. Brian's Dad raised his belt again, but this time Brian sensed it. Brian quickly jumped to his feet, and then moved where the glass coffee table was between them. "OOOHH a fast faggot huh? You would have been really good for the team." Brian caught his Dad off guard and wrestled the belt out of his hand. He threw it across the room, backing up as he did. He then said, "Dad, you're not going to beat me any more. I'm way too big for that now. Can't we talk this over?" Brian expected his Dad to realize he was making a mistake, but instead, his Dad charged him. Brian had tried reasoning with him, but it came down to the fact that his dad was about to hit him really hard. So he took a defensive stand and hit his dad head on, just like a football collision. They fell to the ground with Brian on top of him. Unfortunately, they fell right on top of the glass coffee table, and it shattered under their combined weight. Brian quickly jumped to his feet. His Dad was bleeding from cuts from the broken glass, but he stared with a look of hate for Brian. "I wish you had never been born, you little cock sucker. I should have killed you long ago. And now I am going to make up for my mistake." He charged Brian again. Brian was enraged by what his father had said. He had always thought his Dad didn't love him. And now he knew he had been right all this time. He didn't let his Dad get his hands on him this time. He landed a right handed punch right to his nose before he could get to him. His Dad staggered and almost fell, but kept coming. Brian hit him one more time with his left hand against his temple and he finally went down to one knee. Brian backed up, willing to stop if his dad would. But his Dad grabbed a piece of jagged glass while still on one knee and looked up at Brian. "I'm going to cut you to pieces for this, you fucking FAGGOT!!!" He started to get up and Brian knew he couldn't let that happen. So he kicked at his Dad's hand that held the piece of glass, knocking it away from him. His Dad tried to pick up another piece, and Brian lost total control of himself for the first time in his life. He used all his strength and kicked his father right in his temple. His Dad went down like he had been shot, but still struggled to get back to his feet. Brian didn't let that happen. 15 years of pent up aggression all came to the surface at the same time. His dad had gotten up on his hands and knees when Brian kicked him once in the stomach, forcing out all the air in his lungs and then one more time against his head. He went down and didn't try to get up again. All he did was moan and thrash about. Brain thought back to all the beatings he had received in his life. Some for just minor things, but the beatings were always severe and left him sore for days later. He kicked his Dad once more. And then once more. And then again. "EEEKKKKK!!! BRIAN, PLEASE STOP!!! You don't know what you're doing!" his Mom screamed, when she finally ran into the room, and tried to pull Brian away from his father. Brian was too caught up in his hatred for his father to have even noticed that his Mom had screamed. All he felt was someone pulling at him from behind. His thoughts went to the previous night when the Coach had also been there. It must be the Coach behind him! So he turned around and landed a punch to the coach's head. Only it was his Mom. She was thrown across the room and landed on her back, barely moving. "OH SHIT, OH MY FUCKING GOD! WHAT HAVE I DONE????" he yelled, as he came to his senses. Brian looked at the bloody mess that had 10 minutes earlier looked a lot like his father. He rushed over to his mother to see if she was Ok, but she wasn't moving. Neither of them were moving. What could he do? He might have killed both his parents. He did the only thing his distraught mind could think of. He ran over and called 911. ****************** "Jim, could you do me a favor when you finish your shower?" "Sure, Mom. What is it?" Jim asked. "Your father called and he forgot some paperwork he was looking at last night. It is in a folder here on the counter. Could you drive down to the station and give it to him please?" "No problem, Mom. I wanted to run down to the computer store and look at something anyway. Oh, did I show you the pictures of the new Mac music player/recorder?" "Yes Jim, I think about five or six times now," she answered, laughing. "Just making sure, Mom," Jim laughed back. "I'll take it down to Dad as soon as I'm finished, OK?" "Sure, take your time. He said it wasn't something he needed until this afternoon. And thanks honey. I'm going shopping. I'll be back later." "Bye, Mom." ******************* "Ok, Brian. Let's go over this one more time," the Sargent said. "What? I've already explained what happened a dozen times." "Yeah, well explain it again." "Brian, your story just doesn't make any sense to us. Your father is still unconscious. You mother told us all she saw was you kicking your father in the head. And then you also hit her with your fist. Tell us the truth," said the Detective. "I am telling you the truth. My Dad attacked me with his belt. All I did was try and stop him." "Why did he attack you? Are you sure you didn't attack him from behind?" the Sargent asked. "I think that makes lots more sense to me. I played high school football with your father and I don't think you could have taken him in a fair fight." "I don't care what you think. I'm telling you the truth." "You get insolent with me, and I'll lock your ass up right now!" the Sargent yelled. "Calm down Rick. Why don't you go and get us each a cup of coffee. I want to talk to Brian alone," the Detective said. Rick just glared at Brian, then got up without another word and stormed out of the interrogation room. He did get a cup of coffee, but it was in the room next door. He and one other Detective watched Detective Martin talk to Brian through the one way glass. One more case of good cop, bad cop, in action. "We found the liquor bottle right where you said it was. We didn't find any sleeping tablets." "I told you I flushed them down the toilet." "Yes, I know you did. We did find the clothes you slept in the night before. I saw the stains and also some signs that you did throw up in the tub. But that could have been from just getting drunk." "I'm telling you the truth, Detective Martin." "Why don't you call me Chris?" "Ok. I'm telling you the truth, Chris." "But I don't see why you would try and kill yourself last night just because your Dad wanted you to play football. Help me understand, Ok?" "It wasn't just that. It was a lot of things." "Brian, I have to be honest with you. I know you are leaving some things out. You either have to tell me or I'm afraid that I have to go along with Sargent French and lock you up overnight. We don't know how badly hurt your Dad is yet. You could be facing juvenile detention until you are 18 and then adult prison after that if he doesn't make it." "Oh God, he can't be hurt that badly," Brian cried, as the tears started to flow. "I didn't say he was. I was just explaining what could happen." "OK! I TOLD HIM I WAS GAY, ALRIGHT?" Brian screamed through his hands over his face. "HE WENT CRAZY AND STARTED BEATING ME!" "So you picked up something like you did last night and hit him over the head with it?" That question startled Brian. He looked up as the tears ran down his cheeks. "I told you, I didn't hit him with anything but my fists. He was the one that was going to cut me up with pieces of glass." "Yes, I remember you saying that. But is it the total truth, Brian?" "YES!!!" he screamed. "I think I had better get back in there. He looks like he could snap again," Sargent French said to the other Detective. "Keep a close eye on him. He may have to be restrained. He looks really strong." To Be Continued E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to: stan992001@hotmail.com. All e-mails will be answered. You can also visit the young gay guys support group I created after my "Matt and Mike" story at www.groups.yahoo.com/group/gbct or our web site at www.gayteensunite.org. There is a forum section there where you can enter comments about this story for everyone to see. All comments will also be forwarded to the eleven guys from the group that are in the story.