Date: Sat, 9 May 2015 07:32:45 +0000 (UTC) From: Eric Foster Subject: In Time part 30 Disclaimer: this story contains sexual material. If you are not 18 or over, or this is not legal in your country you should not read any further. This material may offend if you find homosexual acts offensive or homosexual acts between younger boys offensive. All similarities between this story's plot line, characters, names, places, or any other item are purely coincidence In Time The light from the sun streamed in through the slatted window shades. This light manifested itself onto the boy's eyelids, and soon he began to open them. He looked out onto the scenery of an unfamiliar living room with dark brown leather seating and an entertainment system to his left. He pulled himself up from his seat and looked around for a moment. He felt a sense of drowsiness as his eyelids tried to close themselves again. The unrelenting night made it difficult to sleep. The emotions kept him at bay as he wrestled with the turmoil that occupied him. He rose up for a few moments, only to feel his legs weaken at his attempt to stand. Jack finally managed to stand and walked towards a seat at what appeared to be a dining room table. He sat down making some attempt to process all that had gone on only a few hours ago. It seemed almost surreal, like he had woken from a nightmare. "So would you like something to eat or drink?" Jack snapped up in surprise having not heard anyone enter the room. A tall man with blond hair and blue eyes stood. He looked to be in his late thirties or early forties. He reached to grab a mug from a cabinet and began brewing some coffee. "I'm fine thank you" Jack said trying to avoid eye contact. "So before I ask anything else, what's your name?" Jack looked up to make eye contact with the man. "I'm Jack Cheston" he said weakly, barely aware of what was going on. "So I don't know you, and I'm not entirely sure why you're here either" The man said as he sat down at the table across from Jack. "Umm, I'm sort of friends with Caleb..." "You'd have to be pretty good friends considering he brought you into our home at 2:30 in the morning unannounced" Jack felt his cheeks turn red as the embarrassment rushed through him. He wondered if maybe it was too late to just get up and leave. He didn't have any obligation to be here. He continued to remain silent, unsure what to say. "I don't mean to come off as being critical, really" The man set his mug down and leaned back some, changing the atmosphere to a more casual feel "but I still want to know what happened, and what's going to happen" That was a good question that Jack was wondering himself. "Caleb saw me about to do something really stupid last night, and he kept me from doing it" Jack said, the gravity of his words conveying over to the man. "Should we call your parents?" The man asked, his look and voice significantly softer now. "They won't care, they kicked me out" The man watched Jack for a few moments, as he sat back up placing the mug of coffee back down on the table. "And why was that?" Jack remained silent, not able to muster up the words he couldn't even admit to himself yet. It was all happening way too fast for him to comprehend. He simply looked down at the table. The man noticed and motioned his hands outward in a "let's move on" motion. "If you're not ready to talk about it yet that's fine. For now let's figure out where you're going from here" "Umm..." Jack paused. He didn't have any clue where he'd go from here. "Do you have any relatives that would take you in?" "I don't think so" Jack remembering how all his relatives shared the same extreme view of his parents. "Even for a few days, just to help you figure things out?" "I don't even think they would admit I'm alive anymore" Jack crossed his arms, feeling his chest tighten. He couldn't cry, not in front of this man he just met a few minutes earlier. The man reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well let's figure it out later, but for now how about we lighten the subject. Do you want something to eat since breakfast is about to be served?" "Sure, and thank you" Jack said, a small smile appearing on his lips as he stood. He followed the man into the kitchen. The man then proceeded to get out cooking utensils and various food products and began getting breakfast. "So Jack where do you go to school?" The man said, the pan sizzling as he placed some bacon onto it. "I'm a freshman at West Telson High school" Jack replied, uncrossing his arms, feeling more comfortable. "Oh" The man's face lit up "my son is a freshman there as well. Maybe you know him, his name's Corey" The man said as he stirred the bacon around. "Actually..." Jack paused remembering the remarks he had made towards him and Jacob "Yeah I do" He said sheepishly trying to not look the man in the face anymore. "Are you on track over there? I think I've heard about you from Alex a few times?" "Is your other son Alex?" "Oh, no he's a friend of my other son Martin." "Okay, but yeah I'm on track there..." Jack wasn't certain though considering he had been missing for a week. Suddenly they heard footsteps entering into the kitchen. Two boys that looked to be Caleb's age entered the room. One looked like a younger version of the man he was just talking to except with shoulder length straight hair. The other had very dirty blonde hair with blue eyes. He assumed this one was Alex. "Hey Mr. Danny" The other one said, he looked over towards Jack and nodded. "Alex, Martin, good to see you've actually woken up, breakfast will be served in just a few minutes" Mr. Danny said. "Okay" Martin said as the two boys walked towards the den and sat down. Yet he noticed the other one, who he assumed was Alex, look back at him, a puzzled look on his face. Jack wasn't sure why but he looked familiar. Finally they heard another set of footsteps walk in. This time a women, who he assumed was Mrs. Danny walked in, with Caleb in tow. Caleb immediately walked to Jack and gave him a quick hug. "I'm glad you're okay Jack" Caleb said with a hopeful smile. "Wait you're Jack?" The two looked over to see Alex standing nearby with an accusatory look on his face. "Yes I am." Jack said almost more as a question than a statement. "Do you know him Alex? He said he's on track so you've probably met at a meet before." Alex continued to look at Jack, almost with spite. Then he looked down to Caleb, a look Jack could read like an open book. He picked up on the anger. He wondered if this was the best place to have ended up after all the hurt he had caused. "Excuse me but what's your name again?" Jack looked up to see Mrs. Danny standing across the kitchen island, a tablet in her hand as she browsed through some emails. "Jack Cheston" The women looked down at her screen and her eyes went wide for a bit. She then motioned towards her husband who then took a look as well. He nearly dropped the plate he was holding as his eyes also went wide. "Jack, how long ago did your parents kick you out?" Mr. Danny asked. Jack shook, trying to keep himself stable. His emotions still raged in him, and he could feel the pain welling up, but he refused to let this happen now. "A week ago" Mr. and Mrs. Danny shared a look. Mrs. Danny placed her tablet on the counter and walked over towards Jack. "Jack, we need to call your parents and tell them where you're at. I'm sure they are worried sick" Jack couldn't help but let out a single laugh. "They don't care enough, and they won't take me back" "How can you be sure about that?" "Because they'd rather me be dead than have a son who's gay" Jack said, his eyes suddenly going wide. His breath caught in his throat. He hadn't even intended to say it, but it came out anyway. He felt tears well up in his eyes, and he did his best to control them. He quickly wiped them away, trying to do anything he could to not be seen like this. "I'm sorry, I just...It's been a rough night" Jack forced a smile trying to lighten the atmosphere. Yet he knew all eyes were on him. "Well, until things are figured out you can stay with us, but we need to contact the authorities about you. They'll need to know you've been found" Mrs. Danny said as she reached her hand out and placed it on his shoulder. "You're safe now Jack, and we'll do our best to help you we promise" Jack simply nodded trying to wipe away the tears that kept forming despite his best efforts. "Thank you so much Mrs. Danny" Mrs. Danny looked at Jack for a moment, until a smile formed on her face. She let her head fall back as she let out a small laugh. "My husband prefers to be called Mr. Danny. Our last name is actually Lee" Mrs. Lee said, giving her husband a look, who then shrugged in response. "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't realize that" Jack said, trying to hide his embarrassment. "It's fine, how about you sit down and join us for breakfast" Ms. Lee said as she sat down at the table. Jack sat down, but he still felt awkward. He didn't know anyone here, and everyone seemed to have preconceptions of pity or hate towards him. The only person he could feel any comfort with was Caleb, and even that felt weird to him. There was still a three year age difference. Jack placed some food on his plate and kept his eyes down as he ate, trying to avoid any forced conversation. "So boys when's the next big game?" Caleb looked up quickly to respond. "It's supposed be next Friday, so we've got a lot of practice this week" Caleb said digging back into his food. "Ah, any tricks up your sleeve team captain?" "Maybe, we'll see" Caleb said with a mischievous grin "I'd have to have Alex for a few of the roles though to get it to work" Caleb finished looking towards Alex with a bright smile. "I'd be glad to help also" Martin quickly said, moving into Caleb's line of view. "Of course" Caleb said, though his smile faltered just a little. Jack watched all this happen, trying to figure out things, but the tensions and friendships were hard to distinguish. He sensed though there was far more going on than what appeared at the surface. "Caleb, is your stuff packed?" "Yes Mrs. Lee, when's my dad supposed to be here?" "He said around 10:30 so we've got half an hour" Mrs. Lee said as she took another sip of her coffee. "Jack, you'll come back with us" Caleb said with sincerity. "Umm...but I don't want to be a burden. I'll figure something..." "Until then just stay with us" Caleb said, his face stern but caring. "Okay, but does your dad know yet?" "I'll call him after breakfast" Caleb said as he took a bite of the eggs. Soon after the group finished their food and bused their plates. Mr. and Mrs. Lee went upstairs to get dressed in more formal clothes for the day. Caleb stepped out to call his dad, and Martin went upstairs to grab his laptop briefly leaving Jack and Alex alone. The moment they were out of earshot Alex quickly turned towards him. "Don't hurt him" Alex said with a penetrating glare. "What...?" Jack said, taken aback by the sudden hostility. "Caleb likes you, and I know that you could easily hurt him again." "Again?" "You kissed him and then kept sending him those confusing messages right?" Jack kept quiet, not sure how to respond or what to say to remedy this. He did these things, but he had changed and he knew it would be different. "I've changed, I won't hurt him." Alex continued to glare at him, finally letting out a sigh of disgust as he turned around to face the den's television. "I hope he does what's best and leaves you" Alex said, not even turning around. "What are you talking about!? You don't even..." Before he could finish his sentence Martin came running in with his laptop in hand. "I'm back" He quickly stopped and looked around the room. Jack with an aggressive stance towards Alex. Alex with a sour look and crossed arms. He stood for a few moments, trying to decipher the situation. "Um....is everything okay?" Martin asked before moving forward. "Yeah it's fine" Alex quickly said with a reassuring smile. Jack watched the two sit down and get close. He sensed he wasn't wanted and walked towards the entryway. He saw Caleb standing there with a small, but confident smile. "What?" Jack asked, mimicking Caleb's smile. "I told my dad about what's going on. You'll stay with us until things are figured out with the CPS" Caleb said as he took a few steps closer towards Jack. Jack reached out to touch Caleb lightly on the shoulder. "Caleb, I'm so sorry" Jack said trying to keep control of his emotions. Caleb took him into a tight embrace and the two held each other for a few moments, trying to reconcile the emotions that raged inside them like hurricanes. "It's okay Jack. We can make this right" Caleb said looking up into the older boys eyes. He reached up and lightly moved his hand across his cheek. "It's going take time" Jack said nervously as he blushed from the feeling of the touch. "It'll take both of us time" Caleb said The two continued to share a gaze until they heard footsteps coming from the stairs. They quickly separated and looked away, their blushing faces betraying it all. "So, you two better get ready, Caleb's dad will be here soon" Mr. Lee said as he walked past them. Caleb looked over towards Jack with a small smile. "Let's go" Caleb said grabbing Jack's hand and heading towards the den. Alex sat with his head leaning on Martin's shoulder. The two continued to sift through the web, looking for funny YouTube videos or Reddit posts. Martin stopped browsing for a minute and closed his laptop. "What's up?" Alex asked as he sat up. "That's what I was going to ask you" Martin said as he leaned back against the couch. "What'd you mean?" "Why were you so angry at Jack?" Martin asked, crossing his arms. Alex's face grew darker as his eyes moved to the couch. "He hurt Caleb, and he's dangerous for him. I don't want to see Caleb get hurt again." "How did he hurt Caleb?" "He kissed him, and then tried to say he wasn't gay and convert him. He pisses me off" Alex said with a "humph" as he moved a bit further from Martin. "But he just said he was gay this morning?" Alex turned to face Martin, a serious look on his face. "He's still dangerous. What if he decides he was wrong? What if he does that and hurts Caleb again!?" Alex asked with emphasis. Martin kept an unchanging face as he evaluated the situation. He simply watched Alex silently until it bothered Alex. "What?" Alex asked with venom in his voice "Do you think it's really that big of a deal?" Alex's eyes went wide as he leaned in with an angry look. "Do you even get what Caleb's been through?! Do you even care?" Martin, taken aback by the sudden reaction, slid further back on the couch. "I do care, but I also think you're overacting" "What?" Martin moved closer and placed a hand on Alex's thigh. "I know you care about Caleb, but you've got to let him do his thing. Otherwise you're acting just like he was a month ago" Martin said, a hint of annoyance underlying his tone. Alex took a breath and calmed himself. He still didn't like Jack being close, but he knew Martin was right. "Okay, I'll leave it be for now" Martin raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms over his chest. "For now?" "If he starts hurting Caleb again" Alex's complexion grew dark again "I'll protect Caleb" Martin could sense the underlying tone with protect, and he knew what it meant. But for now it was the best he could do with Alex. He quickly scooted up to Alex and pulled his head back onto his chest. Alex could hear Martin's heart beat and relaxed again. "Let's just watch some Scrubs" Martin said as he pulled up another episode online "Okay" Alex said wrapping his arm around Martin's waist using his other hand to hold hands with Martin. Jack walked into the house with Caleb. It was very large and modern in design, nothing like the ranch style home he lived in. "Caleb, take Jack up to the guest bedroom and help him get settled in" Mr. Olson said coming up behind the two. "Okay dad" Caleb as he led Jack up the stairs. They walked down a hall with several doors on it, coming to the second on the right. "Your room is right next to mine" Caleb said, opening the door to the room. Jack walked into the spacious bed room. It was a little bigger than his own and very well furnished. It lacked any personal touches though and felt like a hotel room more than any one person's bed room. "Thanks Caleb" Jack said as he turned around. Caleb had shut the door and took a few steps towards Jack until he was only a few inches from him. Jack set his duffle bag down on the floor. Caleb pulled him into a hug, with Jack returning the embrace. There weren't any words exchanged, just soft breathes as the two tried to make sense of their own emotions. After a few minutes Caleb pulled away, but still remained close. A small, but gentle smile upon his face. "I'm glad you're here" "I'm very thankful I'm here" Jack said, feeling a calmness wash over him. Caleb took a sniff, his nose scrunching up some as a bemused smile came upon his face. "What?" Jack asked, an eyebrow raised. "The shower is over there" Caleb said pointing to a door in the right corner. Jack looked back, and then turned around to face Caleb again. "Do I really stink that bad?" "Since you haven't showered for over a week, yeah" Caleb said, his voice oozing with humor. Jack couldn't help but laugh some, as he picked up his duffel bag and set it on the dresser. "When you're done we'll go get lunch somewhere" Caleb said as he turned around and headed to the door. He stopped just short and turned around, his hand on the handle. Jack watched him for a few moments. Their eyes locked on each other's. Caleb smiled and then opened the door and walked out. Jack sat down at the end of the bed, trying to process everything. It was then his emotions overwhelmed him and began crying. Every bit of emotion he had locked away over the past week came out. The realization that he was dead to his family, it washed over him. As the tears slowed, a thought came to mind. He looked around the room and remembered where he was. He was safe and cared for. Jack swallowed hard and stood up and let out a sigh. He turned and looked out the window overlooking what eventually became desert. Thoughts of home, of the past, it all felt like a nightmare, but it was indeed reality. He wondered what his new reality would bring. Mr. Olson got up and walked to the door. He opened it to find a slender short women dressed in a black business suit. "Mr. Olson I'm Katlien West" She extended her hand. Mr. Olson reached out and shook it. "Hi Katlien, please come in" Mr. Olson said as he let her walk past. The two walked down the entryway to the den. Mr. Oslon sat on the couch, with Katlien sitting down on a recliner next to it. She turned to face Mr. Oslon as she pulled out a notepad and papers from her satchel. "So I've had a discussion with Jack's parents and relatives" Mr. Oslon nodded to continue. She looked down at her papers and held out a pen. "Unfortunately none of them were willing to take Jack in after they found out why. Actually several weren't even willing to acknowledge his existence" Katlien said in a concerned tone. "So what does that mean for Jack?" Mr. Olson asked, now on the edge of his chair. "It means he'd have to move into a foster home with a foster family." Katlien said as she flipped through her notes. "Were you able to find him one here?" Katlien let out a sigh as she placed her clipboard down on the table. "He's a lot older than most kids who are looking for foster homes. He's also got a lot of emotional trauma, and I really tried to find him one close" "Where did you find him one?" "The closest I could find in state was Roswell" Katlien said, her gaze shifting down to the table. "Roswell? That's at least 4 and a half hours south. He'll have to give up everything" Mr. Oslon stated gripping his chair tighter. "It's the best we could do without putting him into a state orphanage" Katlien said defensively. Mr. Oslon sat back and took a breath as he tried to calm his emotions. "When would he have to leave?" "In three days. We need to get final confirmations from his biological parents, and confirm his foster parents are okay with it." Katlien said picking back up her notepad. "So nothings been confirmed yet?" "Not yet, but it will be soon enough" Katlien said. Mr. Oslon leaned back and thought for a few moments. The situation felt all too familiar. He knew what he had to do. "Katlien, what if someone else stepped up to be his foster parent?" Katlien shifted her attention, with curious eyes, to Mr. Olson. "What are you implying?" "What if I said I'd be his legal guardian?" "We'd have to conduct a background check, and home study, but if you pass all that it'd be preferable that he stay here" Katlien said scribbling down notes on her note pad. Mr. Oslon remained silent for a few moments, considering the situation at hand. "Would you be willing to do this Mr. Oslon?" "Yes, but only if Jack wants to stay here" Mr. Oslon said, sitting up. "Then I'd be happy to discuss his options with him" Katlien said. "Let me call him down then" Mr. Oslon said standing up. Jack fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat as he looked around the unfamiliar den with the social worker. He looked up to the smiling women and extended his hand in greeting. "Jack" He said as he shook her hand. "I'm Ms. West, it's good to meet you Jack" Ms. West said with a smile as she pulled out her pen and notepad. Jack leaned back some in his seat but continued to keep his arms crossed around his stomach, "Jack I talked to your relatives..." "None of them wanted me" Jack said lowly. Ms. West let out a small sigh as she looked up from her notes. "Unfortunately no, so we had to see what options we had for you" Ms. West placed her notepad down on the table. "The first option is a foster family down in Roswell who is willing to take you in" Ms. West said taking out a picture showing a family with a single kid. "They'd be willing to adopt me, knowing..." Jack's sentence faded off as he looked at the family in the picture. "Yes they would, it was one of the criteria we had when searching for a possible family. However there is a second option" Ms. West said as she took the photo and placed it back in her satchel. "Mr. Oslon has expressed he'd be willing to take you in and be your legal guardian" Ms. West said with a small smile. Jack's eyes went wide as he shot up in his seat. "Caleb's dad?" "He said he would, but only if you wanted to. He said he understood if staying here made you uncomfortable" Ms. West said, watching Jack for a reaction. His mind raced, and adrenaline coursed in his veins. He knew he wanted to say yes right on the spot, but he also wondered if he would be too much of a burden. It felt surreal as he tried to decide what made sense anymore. "I understand this is a big decision Jack, and I'll let you take your time..." "No!" Jack took a breath and settled down "I want to stay here, I mean the other family seems nice, but I just...I'd rather be here" Jack said looking down at the table. Ms. West nodded in response and placed her notepad and pen in her satchel. "Okay then, I'll review it with my boss and we'll get everything squared away" Ms. West said standing up. Jack stood up to and noticed Mr. Oslon and Caleb coming from another room. "Mr. Oslon, we'll stay in touch" Ms. West said extending her hand. "Thank you Katlien, we really appreciate this" Mr. Oslon said as he showed Ms. West out. He returned, where Jack stood in disbelief. He looked over at Caleb, a large bright smile strewn across his face. Mr. Oslon with a warm smile as he reached out to place his hand on Jack's shoulder. "We're glad you'll be here with us Jack" Mr. Oslon said. "You guys really want me....even after everything?" Jack said, breathless with wide eyes. "We just want you to be happy" Caleb said as he stepped up to give Jack a tight embrace. Jack couldn't handle it anymore and began to break down his tears flowing freely. He tried to wipe them away but they kept coming. He never thought he'd find a family that'd love him unconditionally. He never once thought that he could be happy as who he was. He was once certain his only escape was a dark bridge and the cold water below. Yet here they were, his new family, with open arms. "Thank you" Jack managed to say in between his sobs. Mr. Oslon and Caleb wrapped their arms around Jack as he let the emotions run. For once maybe he could be happy again. The red and orange sunlight spread across the dark green lawn as the sun neared the edge of the horizon. Jack looked down at his new shirt and jeans, both picked out by Caleb who thought Jack would look good in them. He leaned back some in the chair as he heard the back door slide open. He waited a few moments before Caleb pulled a seat up next to him and reached over to hold his hand as they sat on the porch. Jack tensed some and started to pull his hand away before Caleb reached over and held it there. "My dad doesn't mind, and he went to get stuff for dinner anyway" Caleb said softly. Jack relaxed and started to run his thumb across the back of Caleb's hand. "It was really nice of your dad to take me shopping today. You guys didn't have to do that though. Ms. West is bringing my stuff over Monday" Jack said, looking over at Caleb. "Well we want you to feel at home. I mean this is your home" Caleb paused for a few moments until a large smile appeared on his lips "it's our home." Jack looked over, his eyes illuminated by the setting sun. His hair softly moving in the late evening breeze. He could feel a sense of calm that he hadn't felt in a very long time. Jack took a breath in and slowly let it out. Jack leaned over, and for the third time, kissed Caleb. It was soft and short, but it set both of their minds ablaze. "I want to be with you, but I want to take it slow" Jack said, lightly squeezing Caleb's hand. "I understand, and I want to take it slow to. I went though some really rough stuff recently too, so I know how you feel" Jack looked over, a curious look on his face. Caleb noticed this and shifted his gaze down to the cement tiles below. "I don't really wanna talk about it now. I'll tell you, but not now. Now we just rest for a while" Caleb said. The two sat and continued to watch the sun set. Then, after a few minutes of silently sitting Jack could feel Caleb's soft hair on his shoulder and his head lightly pressing against him. Jack reached over with his free hand and ran his fingers through his hair. It felt like silk against his hands. He took a breath in, the scent of grass and distant desert sand filled the air. He let his mind wander off as he thought about how lucky he was. Jack looked down at the younger boy against his arm and leaned down to place his nose softly on his hair. He took in a breath and felt Caleb shake against him. He couldn't imagine a better feeling than this. "I love you Jack" came the soft voice. A small smile came across Jack's lips. "I love you to Caleb". Authors Note: Hey everyone, so long time no see eh? I really apologize for having abandoned this story for so long. I got caught up with college, family issues, personal issues that I've had to sift through. In particular being diagnosed with Bipolar type II. That kind of took a toll on me and really drained my energy since I'd fallen into a depressive episode. None the less I should be good in the future now that I'm getting it treated so hopefully everything will work out. Anyway, so in all likely hood I'm going to condense a lot of the storyline and try to wrap this up. I don't want to drag it out more than it needs. I've got one more major event to cover, and after that I've got two chapters to end it. Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed this installment and I really like your feedback so please feel free to email me at EFoster447@yahoo.com . So if you've got questions comments, or suggestions pleases send them my way. Thanks guys, you've all helped me develop my craft and make me a better author because of it.