Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2015 17:12:13 -0400 From: JAMES HEADY Subject: a Safe Place--Chapter 1 A Safe Place By James Disclaimer This story deals with sexual as well as romantic situations between teenaged males. Should you not be of the legal age to read such material, or if you're offended by this story, then please find something else to read. Also remember to donate to Nifty so that these types of stories can remain free to the public. Prologue 1 Caleb Roberts The cold wind was biting in to my face and making me wish even more for the warmth of home and of my husband's arms now more than ever. I was only a few steps away from the house as I walked from the transport van, but I was desperate to get home, as it had been a hard day at work that Friday and I was anxious for the weekend to come. Nearing the steps, I walked up them, and got out my key to unlock the door. As I opened the door, I felt the warmth from the house and it was coming at me fast and enveloping me wonderfully. I couldn't see any of the house, but I could hear the sounds from within and smell the cooking smells and I knew that I was finally home. I closed and locked the door, then walked in to the living room. "Dad!" my two boys yelled happily and ran at me. They both tried to hug me at the same time and I was able to somehow accommodate them both and we both had a group hug. "How's my boys doing today?" I asked and kissed them both on the cheek. They kissed back and we went to the couch and sat down. "It was good," Greyson said. He's the more out-going of the two. They're both twins and they both turned 13 just a few days before and I'm noticing the changes quickly. Not physical, but a sense that change for both of them and for us all is coming, the realization that soon they'll both be older and eventually be adults and not completely need Nathan and I like they used to. That causes me to have a thickness in my throat and I have to look away from them sometimes. They don't know this, because when it happens, it's when I'm looking in on them when they're asleep at night before I go to bed with my husband. "I'm glad to be out of school now," Daniel, the quietest of them said. "You don't like the new school?" I asked him. "I just have to get used to the new people I guess," he said with his head down. "I'm sure you will," I answered and hugged him. He held on for a moment, then let go. I then heard Nathan wheeling in to the room. He said hi to Greyson and Daniel, then came to me and we hugged and held it for a long moment. We then kissed softly and I excused the boys to go to their room. Our boys are Greyson Christopher Roberts and Daniel Colton Roberts. They're both identical twins and they both have black hair and emerald-green eyes and are both 5-0 and are around 120 LBs with some baby fat still left on Greyson and none on Daniel. They both had been on the streets and had been in and out of foster care since their family through them out when they were five years old. The parents were drug users as well as alcoholics who clearly didn't give a shit about their kids. While on the streets, they obviously did what they had to do to survive and when they were both ten, they found a house that wasn't used much and when a guy who owned it came upon them sleeping in the living room, he told them they could stay, but only if they did what he told them to do. What he meant was them exchanging oral sex for money and food with a few shit bag friends of his. They eventually escaped one night when the man was out and from 11 to 12 years old, they went around steeling food from garbage cans and they also would shop-lift food and were in and out of jail for it, but most of the police who would arrest them felt sorry enough that they let them go after a few hours with some money, but that was only a quick fix. Finally, Nathan my husband was at a store that they would frequent and he saw them running out the door with several hand-fulls of packaged muffins and candy bars. He went after them and Greyson the more bold of the two grabbed Nathan's hand and bit down hard and ripped the skin enough so that Nathan needed stitches. Daniel was able to get Greyson to let go and after Daniel broke down and pleaded with Greyson to let the man help, they came home with him and were introduced to me. We began the process of adopting them and once it was finalized, we also got them counseling. They of course had some lingering issues to deal with. Greyson had deep anger issues and it didn't take much to get him pissed. Mainly it was a tone of voice that would set him off, especially when Nathan or I used sarcasm which we meant as humor, but it became clear that although we would make Greyson take responsibility for the angry things he said, we knew that all the same he didn't like sarcasm and actually I didn't like it much either after I would think about something I said, or that Nathan said. Daniel's way of coping with the abuse and abandonment was to go within himself and he would only come out of his shell when music was playing and when he really began to be out and more expressive was one day when he and I were walking to the store and a car drove by blasting what sounded like some of the older Black Metal from the early 1990's. He asked me what it was and I listened for a moment while the car sat there and I recognized it as something by the Norwegian Black Metal Band called Darkthrone. I told him who the group was and when he responded to what I said, I could hear a smile in his voice for the first time ever. Long story short though, Greyson and Daniel were slow in getting recovered enough so that they could begin to lead normal lives, but they wouldn't be like other kids. They both didn't like doing things that kids their own age were doing such as video games or doing sports and they didn't have much to say about the tween type of crushes on any girls that they might have, and Nathan and I didn't push the issue either. 0000 Prologue 2 Kevin Roberts Snow and wind flew at me as I got out of my car and ran up the steps to unlock the door to mine and Cody's house. The weather for November was already cold and it felt like Winter was already upon us. The snow was bad enough that Friday that they had us on a level-2 snow emergency which meant that we had to be extra careful when we went to work that day. Cody had a position from home where he painted stuff and sold it at various shops, so he didn't have to go out in the cold that day, or most days, and I wished that I could have stayed with him that day, naked and under the covers making love over and over again and cuddling and kissing one another while the weather slammed the outside with snow and bighting winds. Cody was my life and my whole world. He and I met back when we were both 16 years old and I've loved him ever since, and even though it's 15 years later, it still feels like Yesterday and the closeness is still there when we sit and hold one another while talking when sitting in our living room or when we wildly make love in our bed and give voice to our passions, it still feels new and fresh and so sweet. Were it not for a wonderful and loving mother and meeting Caleb and I along with Nathan and Alecia, then Cody would have been at the mercy of the state and probably to this day locked away in a nursing home for people with mental and psychological disabilities. Cody has different problems with learning, at least that's how the education system looked at it. He had a child-like way about him and though he wasn't someone to get in to trouble and get in to bad behavior, that didn't mean that he couldn't be easily influenced to do dangerous things should the right kind of people have gotten ahold of him, but his mother was always there for him to see that it didn't turn out like that. To me, Cody wasn't Learning Disabled, Mentally Retarded or slow. He was just "Cody", a boy who was kinder than any words could say and who had the love of someone who believed in no labels or restrictions on that aspect of humanity or any other positive dimension to the human condition. He always enjoyed being able to run and play outside and he always loved bright sunny days. He loved being able to play with and pet dogs and cats, but I knew that he was mainly a dog person, but his one true enjoyment was a rabbit who's picture he kept on the wall above his bed when he was a kid. The rabbit had died a couple of months before he and I met and while most kids and adults would think of the death of his pet as something small and rather sad, Cody felt the emotion and the loss deeper than he or I could ever say in words. I understood, not in any sort of way in to which I could express in words, but deep within the confines of my soul I could feel some of what he felt at the loss of "Bunny Boy", which was the name of his pet. As I hung up my coat and took off my shoes and socks, I heard footsteps coming towards me. I looked up and saw Cody's beautiful and handsome face. His smile was larger and sweeter than anything I could imagine and all of the stress from that day fell away as he ran towards me and I quickly moved my shoes and socks off to the side to receive his run at me. "Kevvy!" he yelled and ran right at me throwing his arms around me and hugging me tightly. "You're home!" "Good thing I wasn't holding bags of groceries," I said laughing and holding him just as tightly. "Speaking of groceries," he began. "I ordered a surprise for dinner. I hope you don't mind. I wanted to surprise you and after dinner, I have something really special for you." "Can I have a hint?" I asked. I mean about the second thing." "No," he said trying to arrange his face in to a severe look and it forming in to a smile instead. He didn't have much in the way of anger, and what he could express as anger was mainly his hands on his hips or his mouth set in a disapproving frown. Beyond that, there wasn't much he showed in the context of anger and it showed less when he tried to fain it. "I see," I said smiling. He smiled back at me and we kissed softly, then he deepened the kiss. I stood there like that with him enjoying the contact of our lips and feeling my penis beginning to awaken. I could feel Cody's hardness and it was even harder now. We pressed against one another slowly, then he pushed against me a little harder and I moaned in to his mouth. He did the same, then the doorbell sounded. We broke the kiss and I waited for a moment so that my erection could subside. Cody was doing the same and he went to answer the door. He paid the delivery guy and then took the bags of food in to the kitchen. Laying out plates, forks, spoons and wine glasses, he came over to the bags after making sure the table was set and then turned to me. "Would you mind going to the bedroom and getting a couple of the candles?" he asked. "I forgot to get them." "Yeah," I said smiling. I went and did as he asked and once back in the doorway of the kitchen, I saw that the food was set out on the table in the middle. It was Chinese food and I smiled and went over to my lover. I sat down the candles and took him in my arms and kissed him deeply and lovingly. "That's a wonderful surprise," I said softly and kissed his lips again. "I'm so happy you like it," he said smiling from ear to ear. We sat and ate by the candle light. It was after 6:00 P.M. and it was dark as if it was 10:00 P.M. at night by this time. We talked about how one another's day went and also told each other how much we loved one another several times which I never got tired of hearing, and I know Cody felt the same way. Then after we finished dinner and then showered, we went to our bedroom and made love for the rest of the evening, then fell into deep and wonderful sleep safe and happy in one another's arms. That last part obviously was Cody's surprise, and it was a wonderful one! 0000 Caleb It was after 11:00 P.M. that Friday night by the time Nathan and I went to our room. He, Greyson, Daniel and I had dinner and watched a little TV and talked for a while. It was a joy to have that family time and it's something I look forward to in the evenings and something I'll always treasure. Eventually though, they said goodnight to us and went off to their rooms to get showered and to bed. They had their own bathroom and it was a full one. They both enjoyed it and Nathan and I had the same setup in our room. Once they were in bed, I leaned over to Nathan who was resting against the back of the couch with his arms folded behind his head. I reached out my hand and began to caress his cheek, then I began softly running my hand through his thick brown hair. He unfolded his arms and wrapped them around me. We sat like that for a long time and he was giving my hair that same treatment. I was trying to be romantic, but I was hungry for him sexually and I could tell by the way he was moaning and breathing heavily that he felt the same way. In our relationship, I was the top. We never explicitly said that we wanted it that way from the start, but our actions showed how we both felt about me topping him. We also liked it when he topped me, but something about me being inside him and my dominance over him made things deeper and more intense between us. With this thought in mind, I lowered my lips to his and began to greedily kiss him. He kissed back just as deeply and hungrily, then I began to run my hands up and under his shirt to feel his smooth back and shoulders. We were dressed in t-shirts and boxers and so there wouldn't be much to remove when we made love. I then broke the kiss and he moved his face to mine, but I put my hand on his cheek stopping him. I caressed his cheek with that hand and then wrapped my arms around him holding him tightly and moved my face just barely an inch away from his. "How are you feeling tonight?" I whispered to him. "How's the pain, do you feel up to me loving you?" In response, he took my face in his hands and pressed his sweet lips to mine. We kissed greedily, then he broke the kiss. "I feel fine tonight," he said. "I really need you! Please, make love to me tonight Caleb!" And so I did. In our room, I loved him more powerfully and intensely than before and it ended with him coming when I stroked him a few times. Once finished for both of us though, we cleaned one another up, then after I massaged his legs and feet like I've done for him all these years, he fell asleep. I lay awake with him in my arms for a long time after that. I thought about how special he is to me and how it hurts me deeply when he would suffer. Yes, we always casually use that word "suffer", but Nathan really has suffered over the many years of his life. It hurts to know that aside from a couple of different less mainstream treatments, there's not much that can be done for him. What he has won't get worse, and he won't die from it, but there's no single pill he can take to treat it, nor can he cure it permanently. We do the best we can though and that's all we can do; that's all that anyone can do. Mostly though, I was lying there thinking about when we first met all those years ago. It was the start of the best part of my life and for Nathan as well. Chapter 1 "Love children especially, for they are little angels sent by God to bring us to tenderness." Fyodor Dostoyevsky The Brothers Karamazov September—2015 Caleb I stood in the center of the bathroom that was joined to my bedroom and finished drying off. I had the first day of school that day and I was somewhat excited and nervous at the same time. I hoped that I'd make friends, but I knew that kids at times could be mean and though they can sometimes find or make up reasons to be cruel, they could especially be cruel when they encountered someone who has a disability or who is different in some way that can be noticed. Once back in my room and dressed, I made sure I had everything together, then I came out to the dining room for breakfast. I could hear my dad and mom talking and I heard plates being sat on the table. "Good morning Caleb," my dad said. "Good morning," my mom added. "Did you sleep well?" "Yeah," I replied. "Good morning to you both. Did you two sleep well last night?" "Yeah," my dad said. "I did as well," my mom added. My mom and dad are Bill and Maria Roberts. They're both in their forties and both are doctors at Sangger University Hospital. They're the best parents I've ever had the pleasure of being born to and I've always gone out of my way to show it. I also have a brother and sister, Kevin and Alicia who are the best older siblings a boy can have. I'm especially grateful to them all, as there are definitely times in which I need and have needed their love and support. I have no vision in either of my eyes. I have Glaucoma in both eyes and it was found when I was only a couple of months old. It's just something that's happened. It's given me problems and sad points in my years as a child and yet, I have deeper vision than someone with physical sight, but more on that later. I stand 5-7 inches, and I'm around 130 Lbs. I have black hair and sapphire-blue eyes. Kevin has the same hair and eye color and I know a lot of people think he's attractive. At times, I wonder if he'll ever find someone with whom he can share his life, but I know that when he's ready, he'll look and maybe even find that someone. Nathan Daniels I finished getting ready and after my shoes and socks were on, I wheeled myself out of my room and in to the dining room for breakfast. My mom had made my favorite. She made bacon, eggs, pancakes with syrup and the tea I enjoyed so much. That whole sight made me feel a little better and eased my anxiety a bit. "Thanks mom," I said wheeling up to where she was sitting and hugging her. She hugged back and then I wheeled up to the table. "You're welcome," she said. "I just figured that I'd give you this to brighten up your morning a bit." "Thanks," I responded and smiled. "Are you ready for today?" she asked looking at me intently. "No," I said. "I don't know if I can do this." "Well, you have me, and you also have Derick." Derick was my cousin and he was living in our guest cottage at the time and attending college. He was 20 years old and a while back, he had needed a place to stay and my mom let him stay in the guest cottage. He's really helped out with things around the house and as he and I got to know one another better, I noticed that he's a really good listener and he's helped me when I've had problems. That is, whenever I can feel comfortable to open up and trust people around me, but that's another story for another day. "I know," I said beginning to eat. "Thanks, I'll remember that." Caleb I put my plates and cup in the sink and rinsed them off. Alecia and Kevin did the same and then we turned to where our parents were sitting. I went to them and hugged them. "I'll see you tonight," I said. "Okay," my mom said. "Sounds good," my dad added. I love you guys," I said. "We love you too," my mom said. My dad said the same, then after Alicia and Kevin did the same, we all left the house. We all three walked that day to school together, and it was a good time. "I wonder who we're going to meet this year," Alicia said. "I'm not sure," I said. "I just hope they're not pricks and that some of them are nice." "Hey!" Alicia said in exaggerated anger. "That's not polite language in front of a lady!" "Oooo," I said pretending to be concerned. "Is her feelings hurt?" "Damn it Kevin!" she said directing this same faked anger at him. "You're supposed to be protecting me from him and his not so politically correct words!" "Yeah," Kevin replied. "There's a lot of things I'm supposed to do, but I don't." I heard him yell as she grabbed him and tackled him. "Help!" he yelled trying to sound scared. "No," I said. "I'm not involved in this one." "Bullshit Caleb," he said laughing as Alicia was obviously doing something to him to make him laugh. "She's poking her fingers in my ribs!" "Give up?" she asked. "No!" he said trying to challenge her. "No!" He said laughing harder. "I'm digging in harder," she explained to me. "Cool," I said walking closer to where their voices were emanating. "I get the audio-descriptive version!" "Okay!" Kevin yelled breathless from laughing so hard. "What do you want!" "At lunch, if they let us go off school grounds for that," Alicia said. "You have to give me half of your ice-cream if you get anything after lunch. You have to do this, especially if it's a hot fudge Sunday you get." "What!" he yelled pretending to sound pissed. "That's fucked! No!" He yelled again has she pressed down on him harder. "Excuse me?" she said pretending to be angry again. "What was that?" "Okay!" he yelled. "I'll do it!" "Thank you," she said, then let him up. That was how it was with us. Through most of our childhood, we were close, then we had some dark times, but that'll come later. We continued our walk which didn't make us late for school especially with that little diversion, seeing as how we left the house a little earlier. Soon though, we were at the school and I said goodbye to my brother and sister, and went off to get my locker number and schedule. Nathan I got out of the van and wheeled my chair down the lift and on to the pavement. Once on solid ground, I turned to the van. I stood and hugged my mom and looked at her. I was scared and still wasn't sure I could do this. "You can do it," she said as if reading my mind. "Call me if it gets too rough, but I think you'll be okay." She hugged me again and held on for a moment. After that, we separated, then I sat back down in my wheelchair and wheeled myself towards the building and inside. Caleb I sat down at one of the empty desks and put my bag on its surface. In my bag, I had a laptop which had software on it which would speak each letter I typed and it also read all the information on the screen out loud to me by way of synthetic speech. I also had an electronic note taker which was basically a blind person's version of a tablet, but with buttons that were in the same layout as the buttons on the keyboard of a braille writer. There were three keys on the left with the spacebar in the middle and three keys on the right. On the far left of the left three keys, there was a backspace key, and on the far right of the right three keys, there was a return key which put a new line or as many as the user wants just like on a computer. I also had my brailed versions of the school books and I began setting up everything. I finished with that, when I heard the door open. I then heard the door close, then I listened and expected to hear footsteps, but nothing. There was only some odd metallic sound as if something was being slid on a rough metal surface. I listened more intently and was beginning to think that it was someone in a wheelchair. I had a couple of relatives who used manual wheelchairs that had wheel rims with that same rough surface on it which would make that same sound when they would wheel it with their hands. I waited to see if the person would ask for help since I didn't want to be presumptuous. I heard the sound get closer to where my desk was and I felt to see if there was a chair next to mine and there wasn't one, but there could have been since the desk was long and big enough to fit two people. I waited and then heard the sound get right up next to my right side. "Can I sit here?" a voice said. It was a boy. I was instantly attracted to the voice. It was that typical 13 or 14-year-old sounding voice that's still got some boy, but a little more man starting to make its presents known. I tried to form words, but nothing came out. "Well?" the voice asked with a bit of edge this time. "Oh god, it's starting al-fucking-ready." I heard a soft, but noticeable thud and figured that the boy slammed his hand or more likely his fist on the arm rest of his chair. I broke myself out of my mental paralysis somehow and spoke to him. "Sorry," I said. "Yeah, there's a place right here beside me. I didn't mean to freeze up like that, I guess I have a lot on my mind for the first day." "Yeah," he said and his tone showed that he wasn't buying my apology. "I'm sure." He wheeled himself up to the empty space beside me and I moved my stuff so he could sit whatever he had on the remaining space of the desk. "I really didn't mean anything by my silence," I said and held out my hand for him to take. "I just wasn't sure who's voice was going to speak when you came in to the room. I can't see, so I have to go by my hearing, I was just trying to process everything. That's all." "Yeah," he said again, this time annoyed. "Relax, I don't need a speech." This was clearly not getting off to a good start. I tried to keep my feelings in check so I wouldn't get angry and I looked in the direction of his voice and tried to give what I hoped would be a kind look. "Okay," I began. "It is important that you know about my vision right off the bat. I wasn't trying to be long-winded, nor was I trying to give a speech. Unless you know up front about my blindness, then any further conversations we have with one another won't make a lot of sense. Anyway, I'm Caleb." "I'm Nathan," he said after letting a few seconds of silence go by. "Sorry for being bitchy. I'm just not in the best mood right now and I try not to take it out on others, and it's obviously not working right now." "Thanks," I said. "I do want to be friends and get to know you if that's alright." "Yeah," he said and for the first time since we began talking to one another, I heard a smile in his voice. "I'd like that." We shook hands and his was soft and smooth. I was definitely interested in him and hoped that he felt or eventually would feel the same about me. Kevin That morning was going by quickly and so far, people didn't have much to say to me. I was hoping that I could make some friends, but most of the kids seemed to have their groups figured out as to who they'd associate with and who they'd keep away from. I was clearly one from whom they'd keep their distance. Then as the last class came up before lunch, I saw someone walk towards me as I stood at my locker getting the books for that up-coming class. "Aww," the boy said and smiled in a cold way. This wasn't looking good. "Looks like a pretty boy. Like looking at me? Huh fag?" I felt my insides turn to ice. This wasn't the first time I was called that and the first time I was, was on a day I thought I'd die, and I tried to keep those memories locked away. "What is it fag?" the boy said and he neared me and closed the distance. He was right up in my face now just a couple of inches from me, so close that I could feel the cloth of his shirt rubbing against my exposed arm since I was wearing a short-sleeved shirt. "Come on fag, you can't talk or something?" I turned to face him and grabbed his shirt. I turned him and slammed him up against my locker. His face was pressed against the cold metal and he cried out. "What's up Bitch," I said low and threateningly to him. "Now here's what's going to happen. You talk to me again at any point as the school year goes on and if you're nice, I'll be nice. If you keep this shit up though, and you keep calling me a fag, then it's going to turn out very bad for you. You understand me?" "Let me go!" he said, but his words were mostly muffled since his mouth was pressed hard in to the metal of the locker. "I don't fucking like faggots like you!" "What's that?" I said in that same hateful tone. "That doesn't sound very kind or friendly." "Fine!" he yelled. "Now let me go!" I turned him around and held him by the shoulders. I looked directly at him and he would have looked cute, but for the hate I saw in his eyes. "Get out of here," I ordered. "Don't even think about starting anything, because I'll make it my business to know where you are at the end of the school day. I'll find you after school and take you somewhere and give you a lesson in what happens when you don't do as I say. Got it, Bitch!" "Fine!" he said. "Now get your fucking hands off me!" I did and he ran away. "Bastard!" I thought in my head. I was shaking all over and my legs were like jelly as I began walking to my next class. I was lucky it was only a few steps down the hall from my locker since I would have been late if it wasn't, due to having to take care of Mr. Cuddles just a moment ago. I hoped that that would be an isolated incident, and not a sign of things to come. Like I said before, I had a horrible experience with homophobic violence a few years ago and that period in my life was enough, it was more than enough. Caleb Lunch with Nathan went well. We ate at a small café that specialized in sandwiches and other appetizers which we both enjoyed. Once the food was ordered, we ate for a few minutes in silence, then Nathan began talking. "I was wondering if we don't have any homework, and if our parents say it's okay, if you'd like to come over to my house to spend a few hours after school today." "I'd like that," I said. We both texted our parents and luckily we both got replies back from them immediately saying that barring any homework that didn't involve both of us, we could do it. "Glad to hear that," I said. "So am I," Nathan responded. "So you were saying in the last few minutes of our last class that you have your mom, dad and a brother and sister." "Yeah," I replied. I told him all this in the last few minutes of our previous class, as the teacher let us talk for the final few minutes. "So it's just been you and your mom?" I asked. "Yeah," he said. "That's how it's been since I was four years old." "Do you ever see your father?" I asked. "I'd rather not talk about him for now," Nathan said. "I'll only say for now, that from what I do remember of him, it's best that he left and I don't really give a fuck." "I see," I responded. "We can change the subject if you want." "That'd be fine," he said. "What kind of music do you like?" I asked. "I enjoy a lot of different music, all, but Wrap. I can't take that stuff." "I feel the same way about music and Wrap especially," I replied. "So have you ever heard of groups like Nightwish or Delain?" "Yeah!" he said excitedly. "I love both of them and all the others. Do you listen to any Black Metal like Darkthrone or Mayhem?" "Both of them," I said. "I also like Dimmu Borgir and Emperor." "So do I," Nathan responded. "What do you think of the history of these groups?" I smiled. I figured that the sorted history of The Black Metal Movement, especially the second wave from the 1990's would come up between Nathan and I eventually. "Well," I began. "I don't agree with some of the homophobic areas of it, like with the first drummer killing that one guy because he was gay. I don't exactly like the fact that they burned churches, but I do think that organized religion is filth anyway." "I definitely agree with that," he said happily. "I know I know," I began. "Martin Luther King J.R. was guided by religion to do good. Then you have people like Tolstoy who through Christianity found the courage to fight authority and the abuse that can come with authority, but let's keep our heads in reality. Most people I know think that there is some sort of God or some God-like presents in their lives. Yeah, some people say he's loving, others say he'll punish you if you so much as kiss your girlfriend outside of marriage." "Yeah," Nathan said. "I see the same things. Religion might not be the problem within itself, but why do so many people who claim to be religious get so hateful when challenged on their beliefs?" "Yeah," I replied. "I mean, if people take a stand on something that can't be proven exactly, then say honestly that you're doing that, and quit trying to force us to believe things that on their surfaces are bullshit." "So do think you're an Atheist?" Nathan asked me as he looked directly at me. I could feel his eyes looking intently at me. "I'm definitely an Atheist when it comes to the typical idea of God people say they believe in," I responded. "As for that thing about God being a force that works through everyone to bring love, I don't know about that." "Yeah," Nathan added. "I'm about at that same point with it. I'm surprised though to hear you mention Tolstoy earlier. You must have some deep readers in your family. My mom reads his stuff and my cousin Derick enjoys stuff like Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky." "That's interesting," I responded. "My dad has stuff on the bookshelves of his study that's by those two authors and he also has more stuff. I've read some of Crime and Punishment, but might have to set aside more time for that, because it seems really deep." "It definitely is from what I hear," Nathan said. "So what all do you like to do when you don't have school?" I asked. "I enjoy listening to music and I do some reading," he replied. "I also hang out with my cousin a lot, at least when he's not studying for his classes, and I try to get out and make friends, but that doesn't go very well. What about you, what do you like doing?" "I enjoy the same things, listening to music and reading," I replied. "Making friends hasn't really worked for me either, but I'm hoping that changes soon. I consider you a friend." "You might want to wait for a while before you say that," Nathan said. He was trying to pass it off as a joke, but I could hear some hurt in his voice. "Just give it some time, you might come to regret knowing me, but I'll do what I can to get to know you and let you in to my life." "Well, I won't push you," I said. "I don't think I'll come to regret knowing you, but I'll be patient with you." "Thanks," he said and reached across the table and grabbed my hand holding it for a moment. The school day continued on and once school was out, Nathan and I met at my locker and texted our parents that we didn't have any homework and after I let his mom talk to my dad and mom, they agreed officially this time that we could go to his house for the afternoon and that I'd need to be home by 9:00 P.M.. Author's Notes This is a good place to stop. I know Nathan seems cold and distant, but that's going to change as the story progresses. He has reason to be this way, but he'll change as he gets to know Caleb. As for Kevin, he has a backstory and it'll be revealed soon, and damage done to him psychologically will play a part in his life as he goes forward, but he'll be alright eventually. So I hope everyone likes this new story. Everyone take care and I'll see you all in Chapter 2.