Let me hear from you sebastian_mccormick@yahoo.com

Chapter 9

"Dad I need to go to the police station. Becker is innocent. He didn't kill Marosh. It was someone else. I think Becker will know who the killer is but I need to confirm something with him. I've been such and idiot! Such an asshole to him."

I took out my cellphone and called the Hathaway's. "Papa Hathaway! It's me, Josh. Have you heard from Mark?"

"He hasn't arrived yet. Dad and I are on our way to the police station to see Becker – Papa Becker is totally innocent all he did was unlock Mark's locker."

"Yes, he is – papa report Mark missing – something is wrong he should have been over at my place an hour ago."

For once Dad drove like hell to get to the police station. I ran in and finally found the detective on the case.

"Becker is innocent! There were 500 files ftp'd to his computer – the pictures of me. I need to talk to him."

"Calm down, son. Now how do you know this?"

"A friend of mine was being blackmailed. I sent an email to the blackmailer's email on Yahoo. He downloaded a spy program I wrote and using that program I found all the pics that had been loaded onto Becker's computer, and the ftp log. Plus this." I handed him the doc I printed.

"Holy shit this guy is insane!"

"Yeah and he's free. Plus he's sworn to kill Mark. He had a vendetta against Becker. Please let me see Becker."

"Okay, follow me."

When I enter the room Becker looked up at me.

"Looks like you have one student who believes you," said the detective.

"I found these on the blackmailer's computer and a lot more. His logs show he uploaded all the pics of me to your computer at school." I handled the doc describing Jerry's murder.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," I said as I hugged him. I didn't want to tell him the rest, but I knew he had to know. I looked at him tears began spilling down my face.

"Josh, what is it?"

"He killed another boy too. A boy called Ben."

"DAMN HIM! DAMN HIM TO HELL!" he cried, "Who is he?"

"I'm don't know but he knew you," I said, "You had him expelled."

The door open and another person spoke, "They found the Hathaway kid's car."

"Where's Mark?"

"We don't know. There was a witness that saw a man carry him to another car. The witness said the man said Mark was in insulin shock and he needed to get him to the hospital. The witness thought it was weird that the man went the opposite direction to the hospital and got a partial license number. We're running it now."

"Look for Todd Green," volunteered Becker.

Five minutes later they had Todd Green's address.

"Detective, he's totally insane," voiced Becker who had been reading all the docs I had printed out, "He killed two boys – one because he thought the boy loved Josh. Now he has Mark who appears as a barrier between him and Josh. He feels that killing Mark will free Josh to love him. The only reason I wasn't killed was I went to Europe and he hated me and wanted me to suffer."

"Rushing in there with a team of people will put Mark at even a high risk of getting killed. You'll have to move your men in unnoticed..."

****

I was three blocks from Todd Green's house. I looked at Becker. I was shit scared. If I did anything wrong I knew Mark would die.

"Ok, kid you're up. Everyone is in place. Your friend is in a back room tied up you need to get Green outside."

Becker came over to me and pulled me into a hug. "Josh, you can do this. Mark will be all right," he said softly.

I nodded then pulled away.

****

"So, you're awake," the stranger said, "Well, in case you're wondering I am Death and I am getting warmed up. I told you not to ever see Josh again and you disobeyed. I have to punish you. I have to rid the evil influence you have over Josh."

There was no way I could move as my arms and legs were tied. I couldn't even move my head. I tried and felt a sharp prick on my neck.

"I should try moving your head. A little purifying solution to cleanse your soul," he laughed then suddenly stopped, "JOSH IS MINE! I WILL BREAK YOUR EVIL INFLUENCE ON HIM!"

The phone rang. He left the room. I knew I wasn't about to die. All I wanted was to see Josh. I had to trust that he was doing something because I'm sure he knows I was on my way over to his house. I don't know how I knew I just knew. Josh won't let me die.

****

"Hello, Todd?"

"Who is this?"

"It's me, Josh."

"J-Josh?" replied Todd, "How'd you get my number?"

"Todd, you should know that. I'm a hacker and Todd," I was glad he couldn't see me because I was shaking so bad, "I love you. You are the one I keep dreaming about. I thought it was Jerry. I thought it was Mark. In my dream we meet and embrace and my heart is so filled with love from you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, we have to kill Mark, he's had an evil influence over us," I said as the tears rolled down my cheeks. I was getting closer to his block.

"I was planning just that my love, I love you too Josh."

"We need to both do it – but first I want to hurt him. Is he there with you?"

"Yes, why?" he asked. I sensed a bit of anger and suspicion in his voice.

"I want to make love with you in front of him. I want him to see what real love – our love is like – it will hurt him and it will free us. Oh, please."

"Yes, yes! Oh Josh you do love me! This is so perfect!"

"Todd, is the an extension near Mark, because I want to say something to him that will hurt and I want you to hear it too," I forced a laugh, "Todd this will be so cool. You'll love it and please tell me the look on his face."

"Hold on a second, my love, where are you anyway?"

"I'm on my bike a couple of blocks from your place. You think I want to wait all day to make love," I giggled.

"Okay, the phone is up to his ear."

"Mark, this is Josh. I LAF. I LAF you know. I hope you feel the pain – You are an evil influence and soon my true love Todd will be making love in front of you so you can see what true love is."

I heard a muffled `NO' and Todd's laugh.

"That was so cool, Joshy! He's crying. It really hurt him."

I knew Mark was alive.

"DAMN! I've got a flat, but I'm only a block away. Todd?"

"Yes, my love?"

"I'm not sure exactly which house is yours?"

"4399"

Damn, I was hoping he'd come out of the house. All the houses were plainly marked.

"Todd, my love, you know I told you I dreamed about you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, in my dream I'm walking down a street and then you appear at the door. I stop and look at you and then I we run to each other and embrace and kiss passionately." I tried to sound a bit shy.

He giggled. "I see you, bye."

Todd Green appeared at the door. I stopped, dropped my bike and the phone. We ran to each other and embraced.

He started to kiss me I pulled back. "NO!" I shouted. I couldn't. Where were the cops? I heard a shot fired.

Todd looked at me and there was a moment of realization. He knew that I had duped him.

I heard someone shout, "FREEZE, this is the police" just as I felt a sharp pain. He had stabbed me. My body dropped to the ground. The police fired. There was something heavy on me. They pulled Todd Green's dead body off me. I heard Mark. I saw him. He was so beautiful. I closed my eyes.

****

I knew Josh had a plan; he seems to always have a plan. When I heard him say `I LAF' I knew he meant I Love Always Forever. I started crying for real not because of the stupid stuff he said about Todd Green but because I knew he'd save me or die trying.

I didn't really hear the shot that smashed the hypodermic needle filled with bleach. Bleach? The guy was nuts! The cops broke through the window and freed me and I ran out to Josh but when I saw him I nearly died – there was so much blood.

Becker and I rode in the ambulance with Josh. They rushed into surgery and all. Josh and Becker have the same blood type. Becker is really a cool guy. While we were waiting for news that Josh would be all right he told me about Ben and how Josh reminded him of a lot of Ben. Not looks-wise more in they way he cares about people. He thought that we made a perfect couple. I have to agree.

Ben's parents knew about Becker and their son. It was really hard for him to call Ben's parents and tell them the truth about Ben's death. He felt responsible. I know he still loves Ben. He says there will never be anyone else for him. I think he's right. He's going to spend the summer with Ben's parents. They look at him as their son-in-law.

Ben had told one lie to Tom Becker. His age. He was 16 not 15 when they had sex the first time. Ben was a hacker. He wanted it to appear like he was super smart so accessed the school's computer system and changed his records.

This whole episode of course outed us as a couple to the whole school. Nobody really cares – well nobody that's important to us.

****

Josh and Mark are known as the super geeks. Everybody knows they are a couple and they really don't hide it but at the same time they are very respectful of others, much more so than the straights in the school.

Of course we were all worried about Josh – the stab wound was less than a quarter of an inch from a major artery. Becker and Josh are best buds again. Well that figures half his blood came from Becker. Becker is now part of the `family'.

Mark and Josh still stay at one set of parents' house one week and the other set the following week even though Marosh is no longer around. I can tell they miss him a lot.

That's what I hope to cure today. It's a Saturday, Josh is sitting next to the computer while Mark works the keyboard cuz Josh is still healing. The rest of the gang, Tom, John, Gloria, Malcolm, Bret, Justin, Delsine and finally me holding a box walk into their room.

"Hey, peeps!" greeted Josh.

"Hi," we all say.

"Wassup?" asks Mark.

"Well," said Tom, "I never got to meet Marosh, but apparently he was quite a horndog and loved the ladies."

"Yeah," said Josh sadly.

I walked forward with the box.

"We found this – actually Tom found this but we all helped," I said.

The parents then crowded into the room.

"Mandy what's in the box?"

I placed it on the floor opened the lid to show the cutest little puppy. The two looked at the puppy.

"I'm told he looks like his dad. Oshmar son of Marosh, these are you new dads," said Tom.

Josh with tears streaming down his face picked up the puppy. The puppy immediately licked up the tears and Josh kissed him and laughed with joy, handed the puppy to Mark who was crying too. Josh stood up and hugged Tom and then the rest of us. Mark did the same.

They played with the puppy all afternoon. They fed him. His little belly was so fat with food that he could hardly walk.

"You'll excuse us, everyone," announces Josh, "But it's potty training time." He, Mark and Oshmar go outside to the backyard.

We could see them talking to Oshmar. So cute! Then there was another Kodak moment as Mark and Josh turn away from the window. And so did little Oshmar. Three streams of pee could be seen.

The End