Date: Sun, 10 Oct 2010 19:40:23 -0400 From: MJ Subject: A Not So Simple Story, Chapter 1 Disclaimer: The characters and events in this story are the product of my own imagination. Similarities to people or places are simply coincidence or have produced with the approval of the individual. This story is intended to be a serial novel, not a "wham-bam, whip it out, get off quick" kinda of story. This story is focused around a gay couple, and if that offends you then you may want to move on now. Any feedback would be much appreciated (WriterSkittles@gmail.com), Flames will be used to heat my house this coming Winter. :-) So without further ado, onto the Show! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I wish my story could start like other stories of love and romance. You know what I mean : the sun rising on a new and exciting day on some town or city. The thing is, my life has never been like that; in fact, my story doesn't even start out on a day that was supposed to be anything special. My story doesn't start on the day that my mother died, it doesn't even start the day that I came out to my father and he disowned me. My story starts on a day that was supposed to be one of the happiest days of my young life. Instead it's the day where my whole life changed. (Earlier That Day) '/Ugh, I hate //public speaking so much./' I thought to myself as I paced back and forth, waiting for my introduction from the Dean of Students. "This is all for you mom," I whispered. There was a knock at the door to the Lab, and the door opened. It was Rose Morgan, head of public relations for The Morgan Humanitarian Organization, a charity focused on helping children and women who could not help themselves, my mother had set-up before she passed away 10 years ago. "Hey Aleck, It's time to snap out of your daze and start to focus. Everyone is finally settled in the main conference room." She started to say as she stepped into the room closing the door softly behind her. "I mean really who would have thought it would have started freezing rain right as the Dean was getting ready to make his remarks. I'm going to have a field day with the site planner back at the office." At the age of 29 I never thought I'd be running a charity, much less one as important to my mother as this. It helps when you're surrounded by family and people who know and care about you and the charity. To be sure, I was always happy to have my cousin close by. If nothing else I could rely on her to help keep me calm before giving speech. One of Rose's little quirks lead her to jump from one tangent to another in conversation when she'd get excited. She's not one to stay focused when her temper rises. She continued, "Can you believe the nerve of these people? I mean why is it that I can't find people who have enough common sense to check the weather forecast at the event site the morning of the event so we can make any last minute adjustments. Someone is definitely going to lose some sleep over this." I coughed, snapping her attention from her rant. "Rose, its fine, New York winters are like that, you should know, it was no better in Buffalo. Anyway, where is everybody sitting?" "Men!" She exclaimed as she rolled her eyes. Turning slightly more professional, she continued, "Well let's see here." She took outlooked at her Tablet PC and started tapping away on it. "You will have the Dean of Cornell University and various department heads and tenured faculty sitting in the two rows behind you. The Dean will be to your left and the new Dean of Humanities will be to your right." She paused only a moment to catch a breath, "by the way, you'll have to introduce him at the end of your remarks." "Aunt Linda, Grandma, and my mother are front row center, and there are members from the School's Board of Trustees on either side of them. In the second row there is the Board of Directors from the charity, and behind them are the student award winners. The rest of the crowd will include some parents and other members of the faculty," Rose finally finished. I was a little relieved to hear that the size of the group had gotten smaller when we were forced to move inside. All in all, I knew it wouldn't be too bad, I had to give speeches before larger audiences before. I guess after standing up in front of 300 people at a formal dinner fund raiser, a room of 50 doesn't seem bad at all. "Okay, got it. Where's Jason?" I asked. "Oh, your lover boy? I didn't want to upset you but I haven't seen him since we started to move everyone inside when the weather turned sour. Knowing the stunts he's pulled in the past it wouldn't surprise me if he was off cruising the campus for some 'Entertainment'. Honestly Aleck, I don't know why you keep him around, or even what you see in him." "He's really a nice guy Rose. You don't see him all the time, why are you always so harsh on him?" Rose sighed with the same annoyance she did every time we had this conversation. "We can't get into this now Aleck, we don't have the time. You're up in a minute, so pull on your jacket, say your little prayers and remember 5 minutes, tops! We have other things to do this afternoon." She said as she gave me a hug for good luck and left the room to take care of other 'responsiblities.' I think top priority involved some kind of stiff drink. I took a deep breath and left the prep room to put on my show. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Esteemed Faculty and Students. I'd like to welcome you to the new Lucretia Morgan Building of Humanities." (After the Speech) I had just finished shaking hands with the president of the Board of Directors of the Morgan Humanitarian Organization, when I felt a familiar hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Jason, my lover of seven years, standing there. "Hey! I thought you snuck out on me." I said as I reached for his hand. He pulled his hand away from mine as if it were too hot for him to touch. "Not in front of people," he hissed at me. "Oh stop acting like a child, everyone knows I'm gay." I chided as I reached for his hand again. Again he pulled away from me. I leaned in and whispered to him "Let's take this outside, Now!" I excused myself from the few people around me and made my way to the door, with Jason behind me. I made my way down one of the halls and up to the second floor of the building. Since today was the dedication ceremony and the spring term hadn't started yet the building was still empty. I entered one of the empty classrooms and waited for Jason to enter the room before closing the door. "What is your problem? Why are you acting like a homophobic dick suddenly?" I asked him, not bothering with manners. "You know I don't like people seeing me holding hands with another guy. I don't need the stigma that goes along with being gay." "You lying sack of shit! Who the hell were you screwing around with?" my voice rising with anger. "I wasn't with anyone!" he said defiantly. "Like hell you weren't, you have stains on your knees and a rip in the leg of the suit that I just bought you!" I screamed as I slapped his face. "Oh don't you dare get all high and mighty with me you arrogant priss! I'm sick of you dragging me to all of these public events, holding my hand, making me look like some little trophy fag!" He yelled back at me. "And I swear, if I have to listen to you talk about your mother one more time, I'm going to go insane." "Shut up!" I yelled getting more upset. "She's dead Aleck. She has been for 10 years! It's time for you to snap back to reality and just get over it. She's not going to come back." With that I swung a fist at Jason's face. "You fucking asshole! I never want to see you again!" I screamed as I turned around and stormed from the room. I knew Jason was screaming something at me but I didn't hear anything he was saying as I made my way back to the conference room. Before I could enter, I saw Rose, a worried look on her face. "Not now, I'm grabbing my coat and going for a drive. Don't ask, and no one from the charity is to give that cocksucker a ride home." I said as I stormed passed her. A few minutes later I was climbing into my Lexus 400h Hybrid SUV. I needed to get away from Jason I needed time to myself to think. As I was getting ready to leave the icy parking lot, I saw him step into the road in front of me. If he thought I was going to stop and give him the chance to get in this car, he was wrong! I kept driving, and in fact, started to pick up speed. Just before I would have hit him I saw him dive out of the way and straight into a snowbank. As I passed, I aimed for a puddle, covering him in a black slush. I started driving away from Cornell University, towards my home. (Back to the present) I wish I could say that my story was like all the others. It would have made things easier for me in the long run I suppose. Instead the setting is an icy road in the middle of night sometime in late January. On a night that is getting colder as the hours pass by, the freezing rain turns to snow and the snow got starts to get heavier. Somewhere on the back roads of central New York emergency lights flash and sirens blare. On the road police are running around trying to direct traffic as a paramedic gets on his radio to call for a life flight chopper. About 30 feet down an embankment; a silver Lexus SUV is overturned. The engine still running, windows shattered and the radio on loud. This is where my story really starts: suspended upside down in the driver's seat, barely clinging to life.