Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 18:17:10 -0700 (PDT) From: Nick Spencer Subject: Family Love- Chapter Four CHARACTERS RYAN THOMAS (FORETEEN) TIMMY THOMAS (EIGHT) KEVIN THOMAS (ELEVEN) KAREN THOMAS (THIRTY-TWO) DAMON THOMAS (THIRTY-FIVE) JASON LONG (SEVENTEEN) CHAPTER FOUR RYAN WE NEED TO TALK URGENTLY. YOU KNOW WHERE, LUNCHTINE I LOVE YOU K.T. I stared again at the note that I had found in my locker this morning and I found it no less puzzling than I had when I first read it. I was sitting in our hiding spot near the eastern exit of my high school. This had become one of my favorite hiding places, especially when I wanted to fool around with someone. I had told Kevin about this spot when he had come to my school, horny as all fuck, nearly a month ago. And since then he had used it on a few occasions for himself. So, in the note when he had mentioned that I knew where, I automatically knew the place. But to say I was confused as to why he wanted to see me was a vast understatement. Kevin and I hadn't spoken in over two weeks, ever since our dad had walked in while I had my cock up Timmy's arse. I had been wrong about thinking it would only be a few days before he cooled off. He had shown no sign of letting up since he had thrown me out onto the front lawn telling me never to come back. Even though our two schools are connected, I suspected that my father had people watching Kevin to make sure we didn't interact, so I didn't take his avoidance of me to heart. However, Timmy had somehow managed to pay me a visit on a few occasions. These occasions had been at lunch when he had managed to find me at our spot, and although we mostly just talked, he refused to speak about what was going on at home. This left me slightly worried. While I knew that if my parents wanted me to come back home, they knew where I was staying, so it was easy enough for them to get in contact with me, but they had yet to make any such attempt, so I knew better then to chance crossing their paths. I had discovered first hand what my father could be like on that dreadful day. For the last two and a half weeks I had been staying with a friend whose family was very understanding, thankfully. My friend, Jason Long, had been good friends with me from the moment I had changed schools three years ago. I couldn't explain it but something about him had made me instant friends with him. Almost as soon as I met him, I told him I was gay. He had been really good about it, and he eventually revealed to me that he was pretty sure that he was, in fact, bi-sexual. While there had never been any notion of anything between Jason and me, this had made us even stronger as friends. His parents have known abut my sexuality for nearly as long as Jason; they overheard a conversation we were having, and had let me know in their own way that they were fine with it, even going so far as to suggest that they were fine if Jason and I were in fact going out. This had caused us both quite a bit of embarrassment. But it had also caused quite a few laughs. So when I had been thrown out I knew that I would go to Jason's, and as I expected, his parents welcomed me in once I told them what had happened. They had told me I could stay there as long as I needed, even if it meant forever. I appreciated this to no end, but I still wanted to resolve the issue with my dad. I looked up from the table where I was sitting, nervously, when I heard the sliding door to the room open. In all honesty our hiding place was, in fact, just an old abandoned classroom that almost seemed to have been forgotten by the school. To my knowledge it was never used, except in extreme cases. So we found it only fitting that we should be able to use it for whatever we wanted. As of yet, we hadn't been disturbed in the time we had used it. It was only now, however, as Kevin appeared in the door and he slowly entered the room, that I realised just how grateful I was that we had this room out in the middle of nowhere. As soon as the door was closed, I was at Kevin and we embraced tightly. It was a hug that I really never wanted to break. We stood there hugging for what must have been five minutes, at least, until I realised that Kevin was crying. I pulled away from him and looked at his face; I saw that he was absolutely shattered. And I knew instantly that it was about more than just seeing me. I tugged on his arm lightly to move him over to a chair and once we were both seated, he seemed to calm down a little. But not a whole lot. I wasn't quite sure how I should start the conversation, but Kevin decided to save me the hassle. "Ryan, please you've got to save him." I was speechless, what could Kevin possibly have been talking about? "Save who? What do you mean, Kev?" He started to sobbing again, and I knew that there was something bad going on. And then a possibility dawned on me. 'Was there something going on at home? Was that what he meant? Oh, God; was there something wrong with Timmy?' All these thoughts raced through my head as I waited for a response from my brother. "Did you think it was going to just end once you left the house?" He said this with such a fire in his voice that I was taken aback more than slightly. I was still confused as to what it was exactly that Kevin was talking about, but in the back of my mind I was starting to develop a picture and it was one that I didn't like at all. I decided to take a guess. I looked my younger brother straight in the eye and I said slowly, "Kevin, Dad isn't hurting you guys, is he?" I had expected him to tell me no, and call me crazy and stuff like that, or at least I had hoped that that was what he would say. But my wish just never came true. "Of course he's hurting us. After he threw you out he's never been the same again. He hits us, and I think he may have ..." Kevin just broke down and laid his head on my shoulder. I turned and fully embraced him. I had tears falling down my cheeks as well. After a few minutes Kevin calmed down a little again and he said, "I don't now what to do; I try to protect him but Dad is just to big." Then this really guilty look came across his face. "I've seen him come in late at night, grab Timmy and leave, and then Timmy comes back in like an hour, but ..." Again he paused and seemed to think about what he was saying. I couldn't breathe; my chest hurt; how could our own father do this to my brothers. How could anyone do this to their kids? I didn't know what I was going to do but I knew that I had to do something. "Kevin I'm so sorry..." I wanted to say more, but I couldn't decide what would be the best thing to say, so I just left it at that. Kevin again looked slightly annoyed. But then he just replaced it with a frown. "Ryan I don't want you to be sorry; I want you to save him." I was again confused. What did Kevin mean by, 'save him'? What did he want me to do, kill my father? Although I was certain that that wasn't it, I didn't get it. "Save him, Timmy, how am I supposed to do that?" He looked at me for a few long moments before he just came out and said, "Bro, I want you to save him; how do I want you to do it ..." He paused for a few seconds longer and looked around us and then he looked me straight in the eye and said, "... I want you to kidnap Timmy. Take him somewhere safe." My jaw was on the ground. But I realised that he was serious. I went to argue, but then the school bell rang, and we kissed. But Kevin broke the kiss and as he turned to leave he said, "Dad's going to be home all day. But Timmy will be in his room at half four ... I'll make sure the window is unlocked. I hope you come." And then he opened the door and left our hiding place. * *