The Distance Between Us
By Jason Finigan

This story is completely fictional. Any similarities to any persons or events, past or present are purely coincidental. This story may contain scenes which involve sexual situations between young males. If this type of material is offensive to you, or it is not legal for you to be reading this type of material, please do not read any further. This story is copyright © 2007 by Jason. Please do not copy this story for distribution or post on any online server without the author's permission. Please send all your comments to: greywolf_0173@hotmail.com, or jasonfinigan@yahoo.com You can also visit my site at: www.jasonfinigan.net. Thanks and enjoy the story.

Chapter 3

I hate waiting. In fact, whoever invented waiting must have led a very short life as he obviously never heard of the phrase "bored to death". Josh has been gone from the computer for over half an hour now. How long does it take him to get to the store? He said he lives in a city, so he should practically live right next to a grocery store shouldn't he? Then again, in a city as large as Orlando is, I should know that that is not always the case. But I mean, come on. The city where Josh lives only has a population of just a little over one hundred fifty thousand.

Oh, hold on. I forgot the fact that he has to walk. So yeah, that will take a bit longer. Then there's the lineups at the check out counter. My own experiences at the check out is enough to tell me how long that can take. Forever.

Well, while I'm waiting, I might as well check the rest of my emails and see what I have in there. Oh boring! Would you look at this stuff? If I had a dollar for every time someone just said "I like your story" and nothing else, I'd be rich. Actually, I'd prefer it if they did send me the dollar. I'm tired of working my ass off for nothing. If they do, then maybe I can work and still live well enough not to have to worry about the minor things in life. You know, like food.

Who am I kidding. Like that's going to happen. If there is one thing about Americans that I've learned, it's that by and large, they're generally a greedy, selfish lot. I see it every day at my park. Constantly people coming in and demanding that we give them special treatment, or demanding to be allowed to ignore the rules. Like that lady with her kids who wanted them to get on the ride even though they were too short.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not classifying all Americans that way, and I do know plenty of people who are very generous with their time and even their money. Those are the people who go far in life because they think more about others than themselves. They're the ones who tip most at a restaurant, who give more to charities, who volunteer their time more readily. They're the people we should all be striving to be.

But when we have a system in place where greed and the acquisition of wealth is the driving force in a person's life, the number of selfless people willing to help others decreases with each new generation. Go ahead and find out for yourself. Tell me how many people you hear use the words: "And what's in it for me?"

Oh well. What am I to do about it? People will be people. The only thing I'm concerned with is how I treat others. No way will you catch me thinking only of myself. If there's someone who needs a helping hand, and I can give it to them, I will.

That actually reminds me of a time long ago when I had a young boyfriend. I was sixteen at the time and my boyfriend was a couple years younger than me. We met at school, though at the time I didn't pay much attention to him. The moment he came to the school, everyone started to tease him and pick on him. I never joined in, but at the same time, I never stopped it from happening, and I could have.

He was a very shy person, and kept to himself. The other kids used to call him "fag" and "sissy boy" and things like that. A couple of times I saw him come to school with a black eye, or was limping a bit. At first I tried to ignore all that was happening to him, but after a while I began to see how all the taunting and teasing was affecting him. He was hurt, and alone, and it made me stop and make me think to myself, just what the hell was I doing?

Well, the answer to that was simple. I was trying to fit in. I didn't want to admit that I was attracted to him because I was scared of how people would see me. What I saw in his eyes changed all that for me. One day I saw him getting cornered by a couple of bullies while everyone in the hall was cheering them on. I knew what I had to do, and I did it. In front of everyone, I pushed the bullies away and pulled him up off the floor, and I stood in front of them all, daring the bullies to try get past me.

Typical bullies as they are, they never did. I wasn't particularly imposing, but I did have a reputation around school as someone who didn't put up with any garbage. The crowed dispersed, and the bullies sulked off, mumbling obscenities under their breath. I was left standing alone with the boy who was soon to become my boyfriend.

His name was Noel, and while he was at first hesitant, soon he began to realize that I really did want to be his friend. That friendship grew as the weeks went on, until one evening he summoned up the courage to do the one thing I had dreamed he would. He came out to me, saying that he was gay and had fallen in love with me. We were sitting in my car at the time, stopped at an intersection with no other cars around. When I didn't say anything to him right away, he thought I was going to hurt him. His fear soon turned to shock and then to relief and happiness as I leaned over and kissed him. Wrapping his arms around me as best he could, and with tears of joy running down his face, he kissed me back. For a long time we kissed, until the both of us had to let go to catch our breath. I told him then that I was gay, and that I had also fallen in love with him.

That night, I asked him to be my boyfriend, and he said yes. From that time on we were inseparable.

The bullies at our school tried to separate us. They did everything they could think of. It didn't work. Noel and I simply fell deeper and deeper in love with each other. The rest of his school years we spent together. My parents accepted the fact that I was gay, and supported us. Noel's parents weren't so understanding, and began to verbally abuse him. Until one day his father hit him and kicked him out of the house. It was one of the happiest days of my life when Noel came to live with me and my parents. Noel's father was charged with assaulting a minor and sent to prison.

Even when I had graduated and he was still in school, I was always there for him. College life was demanding, but nothing was going to keep me away from him.

Sadly circumstances forced us apart several years later. You see, he joined the military and was eventually called to duty in the Gulf War. A few weeks later I received a letter and a package. The letter was from Noel, but the package was from the military. The package contained a letter from Noel's commanding officer, and several of Noels possessions. With trembling hands and tears in my eyes, I read the letter from Noel's commanding officer's. In it he described how several weeks after being deployed, my boyfriend was killed in action in a roadside bomb. Ever since he had joined the military, I had the fear that one day I would lose him, and now my worst fears were confirmed.

I almost didn't want to read Noel's letter, the last one he'd ever write to me. By now I was openly crying. It took me a long while to compose myself. Opening Noel's letter, which he had written just before he was sent on the mission that killed him. His last words to me were: "I love you." Even to this day the pain of losing Noel makes me weep as I lay in bed alone, hugging a pillow, and wishing just one last time that I could hold and kiss him. I still love him, and I think I always will.

As I sit here remembering Noel, I can't help but take out his letter to me, which I kept for all these years. Every year on the same day we became boyfriends I make a large meal and put out two settings on the kitchen table, complete with wine glasses and candles. I always dim the lights and put the food on the table. On each plate I place an equal amount of food then go to my chair and sit down.

I never eat any of the food, but simply stare across the table from me, remembering the good times that Noel and I shared together. Remembering the love we shared, and the commitment we made to each other. I loved no other as I did Noel, and I doubt I ever will. At exactly seven o'clock, the exact time we asked each other out all those years ago, I raise my glass of wine, and I silently spoke the same words he wrote to me at the end of his letter. "I love you."

I'm sorry. I can't talk about Noel any longer. It just hurts too much. Excuse me for a bit, I want to be alone for a little while.

* * *

I'm back. Sorry about earlier. If you've ever lost someone you love, you know what it's like. I would wish that on no one, and anyone that has, you have my deepest sympathies.

At any rate, Josh is still not back yet, so I think I'm going to follow his lead and go out to get something to eat. I don't feel like making lunch, so I'm going to go to McDonald's down the street.

If I thought it was hot out earlier, then damn I'm a wuss! I just stepped out of my nicely air conditioned trailer and now I feel as if I had stepped out into a bloody oven! There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sun was beating down on me. Forget this. Even to take a trip down the street without something to drink is suicide. Yeah, I'm going to go back in there and get my water bottle.

That's much better. Nothing like ice cold water to make things bearable out in this sun. As I said, the McDonald's is only a short distance away from my house, certainly taking me less time to get there than it does for me to get to the grocery store. No real surprise there. The closest grocery store is in the local Wal-Mart which I can only get to by bus. McDonald's is only a ten minute walk from my trailer.

Now that I think of it, I need to take a bus to get just about anywhere in this city. I would gladly live closer to my park, but those stingy old jerks at Universal don't know the meaning of fair pay. From what Josh has told me, he gets paid almost four bucks more than me an hour. Send some my way Josh. I could use it.

Ah, who am I kidding? It's not going to happen. I'm going to be stuck with this low paying job and like always I just have to make do with what I have. Speaking of which, I've got five bucks left. Just what the hell am I going to get for five bucks at a McDonald's? Even down here the food is pretty expensive. Okay, maybe not to someone who actually makes a decent wage, but on my salary and with how much I have to pay in bills, this food is expensive!

I'll just settle for a double cheeseburger and fries with a milk shake I guess. Strawberry milk shake.. Oh why do they have to smile at me when they hand me the food? They know as well as I do that they've got the crappiest job in the world, and that smile they give me is the most fake one I've ever seen. Now I could be a grump old man and tell them to knock off the smile, but I'm not that cruel. Why ruin their already miserable day with my attitude.

Some days however, I am really tempted. Like that one time the person at the counter couldn't tell the difference between a double cheeseburger and a Big Mac. Surprising? No. Not in this place. Just your typical teenager who grew up listening to Britany Spears and more worried about her nails and hair than actually learning something in school. How do they manage to graduate again? Never mind, I don't want to know. We'll just get into a discussion about the school system in the States.

Oh you want me to go into all that. Well first of all, in what other country does its schools need to have metal detectors and surveillance cameras installed? As far as I know, none. Just us. Yes, the good old United States. You know, the country which states in it's constitution that it's people's basic right to carry a gun. Oh yes, our schools are safe. They're so safe a fifteen year old can walk into a school with a gun and start shooting students and teachers just because they were teased and put down in school.

You know what I think? I think this country needs to pay more attention on it's youth rather than it's petty selfishness. We don't take care of our children. We don't teach them right from wrong. And most importantly, we don't teach them to not judge others, no matter who they are. Instead what do we do? We treat our children as property. You parents out there know what I'm talking about.

We're so busy telling our children what they can't do, or how they should act, rather than giving them encouragement when they do something we're proud of them for doing. Rather than telling them how much we love them and how proud we are of everything they do, we criticize them and put them down. We're the ones teaching our children to hate, and to judge. No one else.

Our education system isn't much better. We're really good at expelling our students, and suspending them, and forcing them to do community service. Our schools are quickly becoming prisons where our children have to slave off their sentence which doesn't end until their eighteenth birthday.

Okay, I'm sorry for that tirade, but I had to get that off my chest. It's probably because I get to see all those kids at the park on days where they're supposed to be going to school. Universal doesn't care though. All they see is the money coming into the park. If you ask me, the park should just send the kids home rather then let them in until school is over for the day.

Enough of this. I've got my meal and I'm eating it now. And if you don't mind, I'd like to eat it in peace and quiet. Josh should be back from getting his own lunch soon so I don't have much time to waste thinking about the stupid government, or the school system.

Oh man, I forgot how dry these hamburgers were. The only thing worth having is this shake. And damn it's thick as hell. I mean, I have to apply some serious suction just to get a small drop out of the straw. Alright, I heard that snickering. Get your minds out of the gutter. Yeesh.

Maybe the heat outside will melt the shake a bit and make it easier to drink.

Oh crap will you look at the time? I need to get home now, and I want to make sure I'm there when Josh logs on. The shake will have to wait, but with how fast I'm walking, I'm sure the shake is getting shook up real good.

Damn, made it home in record time. He's still not online so I should have just enough time to hop in the shower and wash away some of this sweat. I really hate sitting in that chair and sweating. And wouldn't you know it, I was right. That shake is melted. In fact, it's almost liquid now. Just give me a little bit and I'll be finished this shower in a few minutes.

That feels much better. And I love it how the air conditioner makes my skin shiver. I can actually feel the goosebumps rise as the colder air hits my skin. Normally I can't stand feeling this cold, but knowing full well that I'll be sweating in that chair soon, I'll gladly suffer the cold for now.

Ow wow! He's online! Josh just signed in. I Don't care that I'm naked right now. We both know you like it. Oh yeah, I see how you're letting your eyes wander. I may not be the leanest man alive, but I do try to keep myself in shape.

You like what you see? You like this naked body of mine? Well go ahead and take a gander. I like to keep things smooth and soft. My hair may be graying, but the rest of me doesn't look my age. You won't find a single scar on my body. And you won't find much hair either. I like to keep things trimmed.

Hey, I saw that. You are trying not to peek, but I can see you trying to glance at my groin. Well there you go! All six inches of it; uncut and hard as a rock. And why's it hard right now? Well that's because Josh is online and is using that sense of humor of his to talk dirty to me, and I find it really hot! You should see some of the things he's typing right now. Oh heck with it, go ahead and take a look.

I know for a fact that Josh is going to get a kick out of the story I sent him. It was the hottest one I had done yet. At least, I thought so. Oh what I wouldn't give to be able to see the reaction on his face when he gets to a certain part in the story. No I'm not going to tell you what it is. You'll just have to go to my website like everyone else to find out. Josh is different. I really like him.

This much I will tell you. I came three times just from writing it. That's how hot it is. Guaranteed Josh will be just as stimulated by what I wrote, and if he isn't, then he's dead, cause only a dead man wouldn't get a rise out of that.

There were a few minutes before I saw an invitation by Josh to start viewing a web cam. He had a web cam? Maybe I'll get really lucky and see him jerk off for me and cum all over the place. God that would be so hot right now. Yeah, of course I'm stroking my hard cock right now. Who wouldn't be in a situation like this?

Holy shit there he is, and he's gorgeous! His cock is so hard and I can see his pre-cum leaking from the tip of his circumcised head. It looked so delicious I could just go there and lick it all up.

And give it to me he did. I watched as his beautiful hard wet cock jerked then shoot a large rope of cum out of the end of his cock, followed by another and then another. In total I saw his cock release four strong ropes of cum, tapering off until it oozed out of the large slit.

This guy just came for me, something I had never had someone do online for me ever. And oh my God did I just call him "babe"? Yeah I did. Oh damn, I am in love with Josh. I can't deny that now. Not when we shared something this beautiful between us. Get a hold of yourself Brent. This guy's got a boyfriend. Okay sure, it's not the best relationship in the world, but you can't go butting in on it. But it is so damn hard not to. Josh is so beautiful, and he has the best personality I've ever known.