Date: Sun, 23 Jun 2013 21:05:09 -0700 (PDT) From: Eric Foster Subject: In Time part 26 Disclaimer: this story contains sexual material. If you are not 18 or over, or this is not legal in your country you should not read any further. This material may offend if you find homosexual acts offensive or homosexual acts between younger boys offensive. All similarities between this story's plot line, characters, names, places, or any other item are purely coincidence. Enjoy. In Time The walls echoed as the last lines of the hymn were sung. The immaculate sounds of the choir reverberated through the pews as the organ added a perfect underlay. The sun shone through the stained glass windows and lit up the chapel in a cascade of purple, yellow, red, green and so many other colors. It was a huge chapel, over two stories high. I looked around and saw at least a hundred people there in the pews with me. I watched the pastor as he delivered his sermon, his southern accent peaking during his pronunciation. His smile was so inviting, and yet only to those who saw it as so. I watched all this and took in the sounds as my twelve year old self sat and absorbed it. It was such a beautiful sight, but beauty only implies it's aesthetically appealing. And yes it was beautiful, but emotionally, I wasn't just uneasy, I was Jack. I was lying not to only them, but also lying to myself. "Most of you who read the pamphlet are likely thinking, what's this sermon going to be about today?" the pastor said as the chapel watched him attentively Jack was one of those who did. He was in the front pew with his mother, father, younger brother, and his girlfriend Jessica. The boys wore ironed and pressed suits with plain white button downs; the girls wore dresses that were conservative in the amount of skin shown. The colorful cascade of dresses though was mellowed out by the uniformity of the men's suits. The Arizona heat filled the room causing many to resort to the meager comfort that their pamphlets provided as fans. "The title is 'Danger on the Horizon.' It's an immediate threat, and no, it's not because it's summer and the air conditioning is out," the pastor said with a smile as the congregation let out a laugh. He reached down to grab a small towel and wipe his forehead. "No, this danger is one to the family unit. It's a danger that threatens to destroy the building blocks of civilization itself. I'm referring to the threat to marriage," the pastor said, his tone changing to ominous and dark. Jack's head perked up and he suddenly found himself fully attentive as his senses came alive. "Recently in the state of Maine, a bill is moving its way through their state government, and it's getting dangerously close to being passed. This bill would allow for homosexuals to get married," the pastor said, emphasizing the last part of his sentence. He pressed his hands down to each side of the alter and leaned forward. "Folks, this is a direct threat to you and your family. God has told us very explicitly that thou shall not lie with a man as he does with a woman in Leviticus. Jesus told us marriage was between one man and one woman in the book of Matthew and even told us therefore what god had joined together, let no one separate. These senators in Maine are not just simply trying to separate this folks; they are trying to get rid of any ideals traditional marriage holds." The pastor's voice had strengthened as he gestured with his arms and lifted his hands in the air as if he were reaching out for something. "We cannot allow this. God has told us what His divine plan is, and He expects us to follow it. We cannot allow our blessed country to fall to the wicked lies spun by these sodomites. You are just as responsible for the well being of our country as any solider, politician, or anyone else," the pastor said, moving his hand across the crowd. Men and women alike could be seen nodding their heads in agreement. One of the elderly men in the back rose up and shouted "Amen!" as a few clapped. It was perfect symmetry. Jack sat and nodded his head a few times with a smile across his face. "Don't fall to the lies of a false Sheppard!" "What?" Jack asked, looking around as he tried to figure out who said that. "Is something wrong dear?" his mother asked as she leaned over to him. "Uh...no nothing. I'm fine," Jack said, leaning back, unsure of what had just happened. "Folks, today we must come to a realization that we are just as responsible to carry out God's plan as anyone else is. Yet we must also remember they are people as well, and we must love the sinner, but hate the sin. They are people who have fallen down a wicked road, but they can still be saved. Christ died for them, and he can pull them out of their horrid ways. Do not forget this brothers and sisters. If we can approach them with a kind hand and open heart, we can bring them to their senses and save them." The pastor was now less animated, and instead had grown serious, his voice almost pleading as he tried to extend his word out to the congregation. "So when you leave today, and continue your daily lives, keep this in mind. This is a threat to the definition of what a family is meant to be. You must protect your families and others from this. So support noble causes. Write letters. Tell your friends and loved ones. They can do the same and together we can stop this. But remember most, when you approach a homosexual, please be kind, and remember you must remind them of the true path to Christ. Show them the wrong in their ways, but love each of them as a person, but hate the abomination they commit. By saving them you are helping bring another soul to the Father. So please do this not only because it is right, but also because of the love and compassion you have for them as a Christian. Amen." The pastor finished, lowering his head as he uttered the last word of his sermon. "Thanks for coming along, Jessica," Jack said as he turned to look at her from the other side of the back seat. "Of course. I really like the church," Jessica said as she lightly placed her hand in Jack's. He wrapped his fingers around her gently, as a small smile appeared across his lips. "Jack, your mom and I need you to get us a few groceries at the store while we take Jessica home," Jacks' dad said. "Sure Dad, I'm happy to do that for you," Jack responded quickly. "Here's the list and thirty dollars. Bring back the change," his dad said, handing back the money and the list. "I will Dad," Jack said brightly. He quickly scanned over the list to see how much he'd have to get. Carton of Eggs, One gallon of milk, Three pound bag of rice, and a gallon of Ice cream (your choice) Jack smiled. "Thanks Dad," Jack said His dad looked back and smiled at him as he reached out to ruffle his hair a little. "No problem son. Your mom and I are proud of the hard work you've put into school and sports so far." Jack felt the love from his parents, and he felt no desire to give up this life of bliss. Nothing would change this course. "Hey Dad, I want to go and look at the ice cream," Caleb said His father was browsing over the steaks, searching for the type he wanted to get for dinner that night. "Sure son. Get some if you want it," his dad said as he pulled out one of the steaks. "Thanks Dad," Caleb said as he walked off towards the ice cream section. He came up to the refrigerated isle where names such as caramel fudge blast, chocolate cappuccino swirl, and chocolate raspberry all occupied the labels. They all sounded equally tasty and it was making Caleb's sweet tooth go wild as he tried to decide which of the flavor he would pick. "The chocolate raspberry is really good." Caleb quickly spun around to see Jack standing before him, a hand basket with some groceries in his right hand. "Oh hey Jack, what're you doing?" Caleb asked, finding it a bit odd to run into Jack at the grocery store. "Buying groceries," Jack said "In that?" Caleb asked bemused by Jacks' nice clothing. Jack looked himself over, remembering he was still wearing his Sunday clothes. "I just got back from church," Jack explained. "Oh ok. Which one?" "Telson First Baptist," Jack answered. "Oh ok," Caleb said, not entirely sure what else to say. "So have you been back to the arcade recently?" Jack asked as he moved just slightly closer to Caleb. "No, I've just been chilling at home, helping my father with shopping," Caleb said. "Oh, well you seemed pretty good at it. Do you play racing games often?" "Yea, I actually have a go-kart I like to drive around as well," Caleb said with a slight gleam in his eye, hoping, desperately hoping that he would find common ground. Wait...why...no I can't betray Alex like t- "Oh cool, I used to own one a while back. Well, hey if you ever want to come over and hang I think it'd be cool," Jack said with an inviting smile. It's just like Alex's smile... Jack then reached into the refrigerator to grab a carton of the chocolate raspberry ice cream and placed it in his handcart. Just then Caleb decided he would get a definite line of contact with Jack. "Sure, but hey can I get your number?" "Of course." The two quickly exchanged numbers and added each other's name to the contact list in their phones. Caleb sent him a quick text to make sure it worked. "Ok well..." Jack suddenly stopped to check his text messages We're waiting out front for you love mom "And there's my mom. Well I'll text you later Caleb, see ya," Jack said, waiving to him and flashing that perfect smile yet again. "See ya," Caleb said waiving to Jack. Caleb looked down at the contact on his phone and wondered where, if anywhere, this would all lead. He walked back down the aisles and eventually found his dad looking through the spices. "Hey Dad," Caleb said as he walked up to the cart. "Hey Caleb...where's the ice cream?" his father suddenly asked. "What?" Caleb asked drawing his head back a bit with a confused look on his face. "I thought you went to go get ice cream?" his dad asked, now playing the role of the confused one. Suddenly, Caleb remembered that was why he had gone over to that isle in the first place. He realized that he had completely spaced out because of Jack. "Oh, right. I'll be back with the ice cream this time," Caleb said as he quickly flew to the refrigerated isle yet again. His father watched after him and wondered what was getting to him. Caleb wasn't the type to just space out unless he had a reason to. Jack sat in the car and watched the roadway pass him by. He pulled out his phone for the fourth time. Maybe it was the fifth? He wasn't sure anymore but he looked down at it and saw Caleb's contact. He moved to the one text message he had gotten from him only minutes earlier. Thanks He simply stared at it, not even aware of his surroundings anymore. It enraptured him like nothing else ever had before. "Son, are you ok?" Suddenly Jack looked up to see his father looking back at him with a concerned look on his face. "Yea I'm fine Dad," Jack responded quickly. His father turned around as Jack stuffed the phone back in his pocket. I've got to get control of myself; this isn't going to lead to that. I won't let it lead to that. I'm not like that. Caleb finished up the last bit of his journal entry and decided to read over the last two days. The theme of Jack wasn't just present, it so prevalent that it was impossible to miss. His mind for the last 48 hours had been circling around him and nothing but him. He had forgotten about Alex almost entirely, and he wondered where this new fixation was going to lead next. It just seemed so wrong to betray Alex, his love. Yet, he knew he would never have Alex as his own, and this was blatantly clear to him. He had been told by Alex, Martin, his dad, and just about anyone else who knew, that Alex was not his to have. Yet now there was Jack. He seemed so kind, and had a ring about him. He seemed so much like Alex, but entirely different. Maybe it was because he was older. Suddenly his phone buzzed. He quickly pulled it out to check his messages. Hey Caleb, it's Jack, what're you up to? Caleb felt his heart pound and a surge of adrenaline at that moment. He quickly typed back his response Not much, listening to music in my room u? Caleb anxiously awaited his response, and in no time got one. Just playing a video game, it's a need for speed racing game. Oh that's cool I love that game series Really!? Dude you should come over sometime then and play it if you want Definitely, maybe we could hang out on Friday Yea how about 5 at my place? Totally, want me to bring over any games Yea if you want bring over--- (Three hours later) Caleb finally finished the last text he had with Jack when he said he had to go. He had found out a lot. He was a freshman at West Telson High, ran track and cross country, loved Japanese food, enjoyed all music, had turned 15 a week ago, hated being too picky, was really smart, had been born in California, and had lived here for the last seven years. There were some other specifics along the way, but it was so much info, and all of it pointed out the same repeating fact in his head: Caleb had managed to begin falling for Jack, and he knew it. He wanted to put the brakes on this right now, and get it to stop, but he couldn't. It was already dragging him in again. I can't betray Alex. I can't be betrayed again. But I have to ask, if I let you steal my heart would you accept it, cause I can't take another rejection right now.... Caleb's eyes suddenly went wide as he leaned back a little bit, and came to realize just how fragile he was right at that moment. He had finally ended the issue with Mr. Stevens but was beginning to deal with the fact that he couldn't have Alex. Could he really withstand it if he got rejected by another boy? "I think it's a bit weird," Jacob said as he walked over to the kitchen countertop. "What?" Corey asked as he looked over. He grabbed a soda from Jacob's fridge and popped it open as he turned around. "Alex, Caleb, and Martin all hanging out together, it just seemed weird yesterday." "Who's Caleb again?" Corey asked as he leaned against the counter top. "Alex's best friend, who I thought hated him now, but I guess not," Jacob said shifting his weight slightly to the left. "Is there something else about him bothering you?" Corey asked, eyeing Jacob. "Well, he asked me about Jack when he was over today for some reason," Jacob said sounding slightly dumbfounded. "Jack?" "The one in our grade." "You mean Jack Cheston, the really Christian kid on track?" "Yea him," Jacob said as he looked up at Corey. "That's odd, what'd he ask?" "Just if I knew him and what he's like," Jacob replied. "And?" "I told him the truth," Jacob said, shrugging his shoulders. "How does he know him anyway?" Corey asked as he moved over towards Jacob. "He met him at the arcade, I think, and then Jack invited him over to his house," Jacob explained as he let his eyes drift to the ground. "That's a bit strange, Caleb's in middle school right?" "Yea, he's the same grade as Martin and Alex," Jacob said as he hopped up onto the counter top. "Yea, that's kind of weird for him to invite him over. But hey, I have a better topic in mind," Corey said as he moved in between Jacob's legs. His head came up to Jacob's chest. "And what's that babe?" Jacob asked as he lightly placed his hand under Corey's chin so they were now looking eye to eye. "I was wondering about a movie this Friday?" Corey said with a slight twinkle in his eye as he leaned in for a light kiss on Jacob's lips. "I think that's an awesome idea," Jacob said, leaning back down to return the kiss. "Oh, random question. What's that site you keep going to?" Corey said looking up at Jacob. "Which one?" "Nifty I think it's called?" "Oh, just some site with stories on it, mostly erotica," Jacob responded. "You go there a lot," Corey said as he raised an eyebrow while a bemused smile came across his lips. "I'm just waiting for a story to get updated is all," Jacob explained. "Which one?" "A sci-fi called 'Starlit.' It's a good story, but the author is just really fucking slow at updating it," Jacob said a bit annoyed. "Maybe he's busy?" "I don't know, but I was thinking..."Jacob said as he moved his hand down Corey's chest, stopping just at the waistband of his jeans. "Thinking what?" Corey said placing his hand on Jacob's, moving it so just the fingertips were underneath. "My room?" "Of course," Corey said, leaning in to lightly graze his lips against Jacob's cheek. Caleb sat in class, half listening to the teacher, but in reality his mind was off in a distant place. It was only Tuesday, but already he felt as if a million or more years had gone by, and it was all because the same thought was running through his head. Jacob's words continued to ring in his ears in a piercing way that wouldn't quit. "So are you friends with him?" Caleb asked with a pleading look in his eyes. "Not really, I've just seen him around," Jacob replied. "Well, he seems like he's a cool person," Caleb said. "Yea, but he's got a pretty devout Christian side to him, and he's not really open minded," Jacob said, his eyes drifting to the right. "What'd ya mean?" "Well, when Corey and I came out, he literally made it a point to tell us that he didn't agree with our being gay. His girlfriend even told us that." "Girlfriend?" "Yea, she's super religious like him," Jacob said. "Oh..." Caleb looked away for a moment, unsure how to respond. "Why do you want to know?" "Just wondering. I had met him at the arcade and he invited me over to his house on Friday," Caleb said. But then why the dream, the text, how was it all coincidence? Caleb felt his mind rush. It just didn't seem right. It was like a cruel joke, but the worst part was that he felt himself slipping straight into it, despite realizing where the path would take him. Jack: a character who only introduced himself a few days ago, and yet already managed to present the potential to smash him. This really bothered him. He knew very well what happened when he trusted someone too much, when his guard went down, and when he thought they were a friend. This can't happen again. He felt the mental blocks starting to go up, his defenses heightening, and the wall of reclusion preparing itself for the bombardment. The soft sofa again was engulfing him, as a man who appeared to be in his early thirties sat directly across from him in the office. This man was Dr. Webb "Thanks for sending me your logs early by the way. It gave me plenty of time to read them," Dr. Webb said as he shuffled a few of the printed logs around on his clipboard. "Sure," Caleb responded. "So I noticed two things. I'll state to you what I've seen, and then I've got a question I want to ask you," Dr. Webb said, putting the clip board on the desk beside him and grabbing a pen, moving it carefully between his fingers. "Ok," Caleb said as he leaned back a little. "First, I've noticed progress that quite honestly I find amazing. Your relationship with Alex, I feel, has normalized at a rate far faster than I would have even guessed. You even said you were willing to accept that Martin and Alex are together and even admitted once you were happy for Alex. Caleb, you've done a great job so far, and you've managed to make far more progress than anyone would have expected in this short a time period," Dr. Webb said with a smile across his face. "Thanks," Caleb said nodding his head. "Now, the thing I have a question about is also what I think acted as a drive for this progress. I'm guessing you can figure out whom I'm referring to?" Dr. Webb said, his expression changing to a more serious demeanor "Jack?" "Tell me about him," Dr. Webb said, reaching over for his clipboard and getting to a new sheet of paper. "Well, I met him a few days ago at the arcade. He's in high school and he is really cool," Caleb said. "Well all that was mentioned in your logs. I guess the better question is, Why him?" "What'd ya mean?" "Why are you thinking about him, and not Alex?" Dr. Webb said in a serious voice. Caleb suddenly remembered that he had indeed forgotten Alex entirely, at least in the romantic sense. "I...I don't know, but I....I'm not sure." "Well, I think I might have the answer, and I think it's a result of several recent events," Dr. Webb said, putting his clipboard down on his knee. Caleb sat up and was now paying more direct attention. "I thought about the relationship you and Alex had back then, and I don't think you actually ever romantically loved him." "Wait what?!" Caleb cried out. "Just hear me out Caleb. Ok so there was a threat to you back in sixth grade, the threat being Mr. Stevens. Alex was a close friend at the time and became your 'shield' to keep you mentally stable, so as a result you developed an extremely close attachment to him," Dr. Webb explained, watching Caleb closely for a reaction. "This attachment though was driven by the fact that you were constantly under threat from Mr. Stevens. Even when he left he kept reminding you with the letters. So when you felt like you were going to lose your only protection source to Martin, you fought back. Yet now Mr. Stevens is no longer a threat, so for you the attachment has faded," Dr. Webb explained, noting Caleb's curious look, which resembled that of a child when he realizes the solution to a problem. "But are you saying I don't want to be friends with him anymore?" "No I'm definitely not saying that," Dr. Webb said quickly. "In fact, I'm saying that I want you two to stay friends. Clearly Alex is someone who is very important to you, and you probably do love him as a friend, if not like a family member. With more people like him around you I think it'll help you with your progress towards stabilization, and eventual recovery." "That makes sense," Caleb said, his eyes drifting to the corner of the room. "So I think that's the first reason you weren't thinking about Alex. The second one I think is because of this Jack person," Dr. Webb said as he picked up his clipboard and pen. He also shifted to a more upright position and again grew more serious. "Caleb, I get a feeling that you might like Jack." In response, Caleb simply nodded, his eyes looking away, hands fidgeting slightly in his lap. "But when I read your logs, it went from sounding excited to, well; I can best describe it as worried. Something about him is bothering you," Dr. Webb said flatly. "Well...I talked to Jacob since they both go to the same school," Caleb said quietly. Dr. Webb clicked his pen open and placed it on the first line of the paper. "And?" "Well, he told me..." Caleb's eyes drifted off, his breathing became less certain, and an almost panicked expression appeared on his face. "Told you?" "He has a girlfriend and is an anti-gay Christian," Caleb said quickly and barely audible, almost like he was confessing to some dark secret. Yet Dr. Webb heard him perfectly. He let out a sigh as he noted this down and then placed the clipboard on the desk next to him. "Caleb, you really need to think this through," Dr. Webb said. He watched Caleb as he dropped his head and stared at the ground. "I don't think I need to explain to you the chances of him being anything other than straight, and I think you probably already know the answer." "But then why did I get that text, and why was he in my dream?" Dr. Webb looked at him strangely for a moment, and then looked over at the sheets of paper on the desk next to him. He grabbed the logs from Caleb and sifted through, remembering him mentioning something about a dream and a series of texts in one of the entries. He read back through it, and then realized that it was a pretty odd coincidence. "It is a strange coincidence that you had that dream, got the text, and met him all during the same day. But again, it's a strange coincidence. I don't believe it's enough reason to pursue a relationship that would probably end up worse than just not working out." "What do you mean?" Caleb asked, finally looking up to make eye contact with Dr. Webb. "You said it yourself. He's an anti-gay Christian. I think you know what his response will be when he finds out you're attracted to him." "I'm going to burn in hell?" "I feel that'd be an apt description," Dr. Webb said solemnly. "But I'm already going over to his house tomorrow." "That's fine. I mean you can still be friends with him, but only if you can put your romantic feelings for him aside." Dr. Webb paused. "But if you feel that you can't, you might have to end it for your own sake." "But maybe he is just really closeted?" Dr. Webb again let out a sigh and placed his hands on his legs and leaned forward slightly. "Caleb, even if he is, I think that the process you'd have to go through would be far too risky for you emotionally." "What do you mean risky?" "Well, I'll be honest with you Caleb. Based on all the stuff you went through, you should be far worse off than you are now. Most people don't even begin showing signs of recovery for years, and you've already began showing signs. Granted, your case is a bit different, but still, you are emotionally fragile right now." "But I feel fine?" Caleb said, finding the statement a bit odd. "Caleb a solider doesn't come back from live combat fine. A survivor of an airplane crash doesn't come out just fine. I already know you didn't come out of what you went through fine and the emotional damage might not be apparent now, but it's there. Your emotional state is a lot like a very thin piece of glass. You can handle the day to day stresses of life, but if there is too much pressure, you might shatter. So do you really think you can handle a rejection right now, or even worse?" He paused to let his words sink in. "Caleb, it might be years before you're at a point where you're ready for any kind of a romantic relationship, and years more before you can really trust a person enough again to go further," Dr. Webb said finishing a speech that went on far longer than he had intended. Caleb looked down at the ground for a few moments and then looked back up to Dr. Webb. "I just want to things to be normal again." Caleb's voice shook as he spoke. "Things will be normal again, but you have to give this time. Like any wound, it will heal, though there will probably a scar left from this one," Dr. Webb said. He looked up at the clock and saw that their time was up for the session. "Well Caleb, until next time. Try to keep taking those logs and sending them in. It really helps me to help you ok bud?" Dr. Webb said as he got up and patted Caleb on the shoulder. "Ok," Caleb said as he walked towards the door. Dr. Webb watched him for a moment, and wondered if he should have been sterner about not getting too involved with this Jack person. He knew that if things went awry, and this Jack person had a negative reaction to Caleb, all progress that had been made might not only be ruined, but that Caleb might end up worse off than ever before. Caleb waited patiently for his father to return from wherever he was. It was Friday afternoon and Caleb had only one person on his mind; Jack. Suddenly, the sound of the door-bell pulled him out if his trance. He got up to get the door and opened it to find a large man standing there in a blue jumpsuit, looking as if he were a mechanic. "Excuse me but is one of your parents home?" "Ummm my Dad is..." "Hey I'm right here, sorry about that. Here are the keys for the Yukon, and here for the Civic," Caleb's father said as he walked up behind Caleb and handed the man the keys. "Thank you sir," the man in the jumpsuit said as he walked back to the driveway towards a tow truck. "Dad, why are the cars being taken?" Caleb asked with a slight bit of panic. "Well son, your mom and I just got the divorce finalized, and she ended up getting the cars." "Wait, are we going to lose the house too?" Caleb said, his eyes growing wide and his attention at its fullest. "No. Don't worry about that, son. She got the cars, but because I have custody of you, I got to keep most of our stuff since I'm going to be raising you," Caleb's father said as he placed his hand on his son's shoulder to provide him with some comfort. "Ok, but Dad, how are we going to get around now?" "Well, I just got back from the dealership driving how we're going to get around now," Mr. Olson said with a smile. "What are we going around town in now?" "Well first off, that huge project in Japan I invested in just paid out. Secondly, since it's just you and me, I thought we should get a car we can have some fun in," Mr. Olson said. Caleb looked visibly excited now. His hands were in fists as he jittered around like a small child. "What is it Dad?" "Well come and see," Mr. Olson said as he walked out the front door with his son. Caleb looked out to the curb, and sitting there was a black Audi TT RS with black rims that had red going around them right where the rim met the wheel. It shimmered a little in the light as Caleb gawked at it. "Whoa!" "Yea, it's a cool little car and pretty fast too. I'm also going to get a Camry for day to day stuff, but I think this is a neat little car we can enjoy. So, want to head over to your friend's house?" "Heck yea!" Caleb said as he ran towards the car and threw on his sunglasses. Jack sat in his room, pacing around, checking his watch for the time. He heard the sound of a car passing by and quickly looked out his window to see a sleek black sports car slow directly in front of his house. As soon as the car was completely stopped, he saw Caleb get out of the passenger side. He was wearing a black button down, skinny jeans, high top basketball shoes, and a pair of sunglasses. His hair shimmered in the light as he looked back to wave at the driver. The car sped off with a high pitched vroom. Wow, he must be rich Jack thought as he watched him walk up to the door. He quickly moved away from the window and waited anxiously for the door bell to ring. He almost ran up to the door and quickly threw it open to see Caleb standing before him. "Hey Jack," Caleb said as he put his hand out for a fist bump. "Hey Caleb. Nice car by the way," Jack said with a smile. "Thanks. My Dad just got it today actually." "Really?" "Yea I didn't even know he was getting it" Caleb said. "What do your parents do?" "Well my parents were both engineers, but lucked out in a giant lottery. My parents are separated though, so I live with my Dad and we just live off his investments and the winnings," Caleb explained keeping his cool. "Oh ok. Well hey; want to go to my room?" Jack asked as he began to walk to the stairs. "Sure," Caleb said, quickly following him up the stairs. The room was a decent size, furnished with a bed, desk, small TV and entertainment system, two windows, and carpet flooring. It wasn't as nice as Caleb's room, but a cozy and comfortable one nonetheless. Plus, there were several posters of rock bands, and a few with the cross on them, and one with the Ten Commandments above his bed. Caleb immediately felt a little uncomfortable. "So I'm going to go and grab us something to drink. We've got soda, juice, milk," Jack said listing off the options. For some reason Caleb suddenly found Jack's voice entrancing him. He had no clue why, but it was like...it was just like Alex. "Umm...do you have Coke?" "Yup, I'll get you one," Jack said as he walked out the door. Caleb took off his shoes and placed them near the door. He looked around the room and immediately sensed a conflicting disconnect. There was the obviously devout Christian part of Jack, with all the crosses and the bible out on his desk that was open. Yet there was another side Caleb could see. He had posters of violent video games; he saw the disk cartridges for most of them at his gaming system. He had posters of landscapes, beautiful ones. He had a disorganized room that was messy like any teens. His attitude showed a relaxed and laid back individual. His room, however, gave off a sense that two separate people lived in it. It didn't seem very stable. Caleb saw something that caught his eye. He got up and walked over to the desk where a framed photo sat. It showed Jack a bit younger, maybe 13, sitting next to another boy. The other boy had dirty blonde hair, and was about Jack's height, and appeared to be the same age. He had a bowl cut and a bright smile on his face. It seemed eerily familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Something about the way they stood together, the way they had their hands across the other's shoulders. It felt like he knew this from somewhere, but he just wasn't sure where. "Ok so what game do we want to play first?" Jack said cheerfully as walked in with two cokes. Caleb quickly turned around with the photo frame in his hand. Jack looked down and noticed this. "Sorry, I was just looking around a bit," Caleb said as he placed the photo back on the desk. "Its fine dude, you're welcome to my room completely," Jack said with a bright smile. "Thanks," Caleb said as took the soda from Jack. "So which game you want to play?" "How about a Need for Speed game?" "You're on!" Jack said with a devilish grin as the two went over to the bean bag chairs in front of the small television. The game started and the two quickly started their race. Both boys were about equally skilled, so the game became intense very quickly. Each of them leaned one way or the other as they scrunched up their faces trying to figure out what move to make next. The sides of the roads whizzed by their cars as they both tried to overtake the other. The last lap came up and both boys were neck and neck. Jack was ahead by just a few milliseconds. The finish line came approached and Caleb hit a nitrous boost, but it was already too late. Jack won by seven milliseconds. "Aww you're kidding me!" Caleb said in defeat as he fake pouted. "Its fine Caleb, most of my friends aren't even close to as good as you. You're the first person who almost beat me," Jack said as he patted Caleb on the back. "Yea well, I can still beat you at this," Caleb said as he suddenly tugged Jack's arm, bringing the older boy to the ground. Caleb quickly got on top of him and tried to pin him to the ground, but Jack had the advantage of size and managed to quickly flip around and get back on his knees. The two boys went at it and continued to wrestle, trying to bring one or the other to the ground, laughing hysterically all the way. Suddenly, Jack got the upper hand and brought Caleb down, pinning his arms above his head as he sat on his stomach. Jack looked down at Caleb, his brown eyes staring up at him. His face was illuminated with a golden glow from the setting sun, his hair lit up. Jack was enraptured by the boy, and his guard went down. Everything he said he wouldn't do, he was doing. He swore he'd keep control, but he lost it at this moment. He locked eyes with Caleb who continued to stare up at him, his breath slowing down, and his heart jumping in his chest. Was it his heart or Caleb's, or both? He wasn't sure whose, but at that moment he knew what he wanted to do. Jack began to lean down slowly, closing his eyes. Caleb looked up and saw this, and felt panicked. He didn't know what was happening. He knew Jack had a girlfriend, was anti-gay, and yet was he about to kiss him!? Caleb's answer came when his lips came in contact with Jack's. Suddenly it felt as if fireworks were going off and somewhere in the back of his mind, Caleb felt, no he knew, this was what he had been waiting for. WHAT ARE YOU DOING!! Jack flew off Caleb as if a gunshot had gone off. Caleb looked up at Jack who was in shock and backing away slowly. "Dude, I'm so, so, so sorry, please I know that was wrong, I...I don't know what came over me..." "Jack please, its fine..." Caleb said, desperately trying to calm Jack down. "No it's not fine. I just committed a horrible thing with you. I kissed you, and that's gay. That's an abomination. I'm so sorry. It's not your fault at all. Please just don't tell anyone, Caleb." Jack looked like he was on the verge of tears. "Jack, it's ok," Caleb said as he walked up and hugged Jack. Jack let Caleb embrace him, and even gave in a little as he let the warmth surround him. "Thank you Caleb. I promise I'll pray for forgiveness tonight, and hopefully one day I'll be cured." "Cured of what?" Caleb said, confused. "Um, nothing," Jack said diverting his eyes. "Jack, if you're gay, it's ok with me" Jack suddenly shivered and pulled away from Caleb. "I'm not gay. I'm just lost right now, and that's all. I just need God to get me on the right path again." "Maybe you're already on the right path?" Caleb said extending his hand out to touch Jack lightly on the shoulder. "What!?" Jack said quickly pulling away. "Don't tell me you're actually ok with what just happened?" Jack said in shock. "I didn't mind it, did I?" Caleb said, getting a defensive now taking a sterner stance. "Are you gay?" Jack asked, horrified. "Aren't you?" Caleb asked, confused by Jack's statement. "Caleb, your dad is here!" Suddenly a call came from downstairs. "Just go dude," Jack said pointing to the door. Caleb looked at Jack again, and he could see the fear, the instability. "Can we still be friends?" Caleb asked solemnly. "I don't know," Jack answered, but he didn't even look at Caleb. His eyes drifted around the room as he began to mutter to himself. Caleb looked at this boy, and knew: somewhere deep down, he wanted to be set free. "Caleb?" "Sorry, I'm coming!" Caleb said as he put on his shoes and quickly turned around down the stairs. He looked over one last time to Jack. He stood in the middle of the room, shivering slightly, his arms held up to his chest. He looked a lot like a lost and cold child. Caleb wanted to go out and hug him so badly, but he knew he wouldn't let him. "I'll text you," Caleb said as he walked out the door, leaving Jack to stand alone in his room. Jack looked over at the open bible on his desk, and then the picture frame above his desk with him and the blonde haired boy. He suddenly shook his head and looked back down at the carpet. No, no NO!! I'm a happy straight Christian boy who has a wonderful girlfriend and has no desire to commit sinful acts like that. I won't fall from God's plan. Never again. Authors note: So Caleb now might potentially be happy? What's going to happen with Jack? Do you think that the two might be happy together? Well this part contains something I feel a lot of you may have struggled with, so please if you have your own story dealing with this, I'd greatly enjoy reading about it. I know I struggled with religion and my sexuality, and it's a big reason I put it in In Time. Also if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or stories you want me to look at send them my way at EFoster447@yahoo.com I really enjoy fan mail so if you feel this deserves a line or two then please send it since it helps encourage me to keep writing. Also I have to thank my editor Mike Archer for making this part awesome. If you enjoyed this story please check out Restart on nifty.org in the gay male young friends section or my other story starlit in the gay male sci-fi section and the high school section as well. So thanks for reading the story so far.