Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2014 15:02:00 -0700 (PDT) From: Eric Foster Subject: In Time part 29 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 In Time The repetitive ring only helped to build his anxiety. With each moment of silence between rings tension mounted, and for just a moment it seemed that it would never happen. Then he heard the click, followed by the voice he was waiting to hear. "Hello?" "Hey Wyatt," Alan said, his voice unsteady. "What do you want Alan?" "I wanted to say I'm sorry" "Sorry for?" Wyatt replied, a hint of annoyance underlying his tone. "Sorry for lying to my parents about having a girlfriend," Alan said as he sat down on a lawn chair on the porch outside. "It's fine, but did you at least tell them you don't have a girlfriend?" "I came out about us." "Really!?" "Yea. Well, actually, it's more like my dad guessed it and asked about us." There was a moment of silence between the two as they let the words sink in. It wasn't so much that it was astonishing once it happened, but more so that it happened in the first place. "And what did he think?" "He didn't mind actually. He just wants us to be happy." "That's what my parents said when I told them." Alan looked back into den and could see his parents watching some television show. He couldn't help but smile. "Hey Wyatt?" "Yea?" "Wanna spend the night tomorrow night?" "Yea, I'd like that," Wyatt responded in a soft voice. "So tomorrow, around 2? We could go and watch a movie and stop by that bookstore downtown?" "Definitely. I've just got to make sure my parents are ok with it." "Gotcha, just tell them to call my parents." "Ok, well I'll go tell my parents. Bye Alan." "Bye Wyatt. See you tomorrow." "See you then." Alan heard the line click and almost immediately felt the weight lift off his chest. He leaned back into the lawn chair as he took in the fact that it'd turn out all right. He let out a long sigh as he allowed the night to immerse him. The beauty of the stars, the sounds of the crickets chirping, the light fall breeze, it seemed simply amazing. The bright light awoke him. He quickly stood up and heard someone else moving through the brush and bushes. He looked around until he saw two people with a bright flashlight walking towards him. Just as he was about to turn around, he realized it was too late to run, they were already right behind him. "Jack?" Jack quickly turned around to see his parents, dressed in jackets and holding a bright flash light. "Mom? Dad?" Jack said, tears welling up in his eyes. "Oh thank God you're ok," his mom said as she ran forward to embrace her son. "How did you guys find me?" "We just had a feeling you'd be here," his father said as he walked forward to join in the embrace. "But...but I thought you guys hated me now?" Jack asked, his voice barely able to form the words. "We were wrong son. We're sorry," his dad said softly. "Really? So I can come home now?" Jack opened his eyes, but his parents were no longer there. Instead, standing a few feet in front of him, was Caleb, and an older looking man who he thought might be his father. "Actually Jack, you'll get a new home" Caleb said, a bright smile on his face. Suddenly the loud beeping of Jack's watch alarm quickly woke him. Sitting up from the tree he had slept against overnight, he looked around to see that it was early morning with the sun having just peeked over the horizon. He began to stand up, and stretched a bit as he looked around. Then the dream came back to his memory, and for a moment he wanted to cry. He could feel the tears well up again in his eyes, and finally he crouched back down, letting the tears fall as he tried to vent his emotions. Just as the last of his tears fell, he suddenly felt his stomach growl as the cold air rushed against him. Jack pulled out his wallet and checked to see how much money he had. I've got enough to last me for a bit, and maybe I could go warm up at a McDonalds for breakfast Jack grabbed his bag, brushed the leaves off himself, and began walking down the park pathway towards the exit. He looked to his right and saw a large bridge that spanned the lake, and a lot of huge houses that went down the road. Foster Drive? Hmmm, nice neighborhood Jack continued down the sidewalk, passing the houses, and again he remembered why he was there, why he was alone. Martin waited in the line at the McDonalds wondering when the lady in front of him would finish her order. He looked down at his watch. 7:28 It was still early, especially on a Saturday, but he had woken up unusually hungry and he wanted to get breakfast without waking up the house. Then another boy, who looked maybe to be a few years older than himself, got in line behind him. He had black hair, grey eyes, was dressed in sweat pants and sport clothes, and was holding a duffel bag. Martin walked up to the counter and placed his order and quickly walked to the drink machine to get his soda. Suddenly his phone began to ring. It was Alex's ringtone. "Hey Alex." "Hey, I was wondering, would it be ok if Caleb came by today? He wanted to go to the arcade with us?" "Sure, just tell Caleb to bring by some of his racing games." Martin quickly noticed the boy with the duffel bag look back at him for a moment with wide eyes. Their eyes met for only a moment, until the other boy looked away. "Ok, well stop by my house when you're ready to go." "Ok, see you then." Martin quickly hung up the phone and placed it back in his pocket as he heard the server call out his order. He quickly retrieved his bag of food and began to walk out the door. He noticed the boy with the duffel bag had grabbed a seat inside. He looked back for a moment and noticed the older boy glance at him. It was almost as if he knew him somehow, but Martin couldn't decide where or how they could have met. He looked back over the last text. It was only a single five letter word, and yet it managed to capture every bit of his attention. Sorry "Caleb, it's about time to go to hang out with your friends." Caleb quickly slid his phone back into his pocket and went down the stairs. "Ready to go son?" "I'm ready to go Dad," Caleb replied as he walked out to the garage with his father. The two got into the small black sports car, and quickly zoomed off, whizzing past the street signs and stoplights. As they drove through the town, Caleb felt his dad's hand lightly come to rest on his left shoulder. "Have you been ok lately?" Caleb leaned back into the seat a little more as he let out a sigh. "I mean, I've been fine, just....a little worried." He felt his dad's hand squeeze his shoulder a little. "What are you worried about?" Caleb sat in silence for a moment. He had already received this speech several times over; did his father really want to hear the same answer again? "About another boy dad," Caleb replied, knowing that his father had expected those words. A deep sigh punctured the silence that followed. "Dad I know..." "Son, I know you've gone through a lot recently. I know you're dealing with emotions I can't even begin to understand, and I'm amazed at your ability to handle these situations the way you have." Caleb's mouth hung open a bit as he looked back at his father. He wasn't entirely sure if he was hearing him right or not. "I know that a lot of people are trying to tell you what to do, and I know you think I'm going to do the same, but I'm not. I'll help you if you want, and I'll give you advice if you want, but son, I trust that you'll make a decision on your own and be responsible for it." Caleb let the words sink in, and for a moment, just a brief moment, he felt like he was going to cry. "Caleb! Dude, heads up!" Caleb looked over, and quickly moved sideways, just barely keeping the basketball from slamming into the side of his head. "Dude that was close. Have you been ok?" Caleb saw his teammate come up to him with a look of genuine concern. "I'm fine, I just got distracted for a moment." "A moment?" Caleb looked over at the boy again and briefly thought of an honest reply, but decided against it. "Yea, I'm fine," Caleb said as he grabbed the ball and quickly went back onto the court to continue practice. It seemed like it was only seconds later when he was in the locker room, grabbing his things to go home. He began walking down the hall, but was abruptly stopped by a hand grabbing his shoulder. "Caleb, what's been up?" Caleb turned around to see Alex standing there, his eyes carefully studying his face for a reaction. Caleb let his eyes drift down to the ground as a brief sigh escaped his lips. "I'm just concerned." "About?" Caleb looked around, ensuring no one was nearby or possibly coming down any of the halls. "The last text I got from Jack was on Friday, and now it's been a week," Caleb explained, his voice clearly becoming less stable. Alex held his hand out and lightly placed it on Caleb's shoulder, moving his fingers in a small, circular massaging pattern. He quickly put his other hand on Caleb's other shoulder and looked Caleb directly in the eye. "You need to give yourself some rest. I know you're concerned, but there isn't anything you can do. If he is ready to talk to you he will, but until then, just try to not think about it," Alex said, his eyes softening as he recognized the fear in Caleb's eyes. Caleb sighed again and leaned in until his forehead was touching Alex's. He didn't care who saw them, he needed this boy to be his protection once more, like he had always been. "Ok, maybe I can get my mind off it tonight with you and Martin at the sleepover. By the way, whose house are we staying at?" Caleb asked as he leaned back into a standing position. "Martin's place...is that ok?" Caleb gave it a moment's thought, but the previous hate simply wasn't there anymore. There wasn't reason for it. "Yea that should be fine," Caleb said as he picked his bag up and slung it over his shoulder. "Ok, how about we get on out of here?" Alex said as he grabbed his bag and began walking towards the exit with Caleb. His stomach growled again, but he knew he only had enough money for one more meal. He looked down at his sweat drenched clothing, and whatever else now clung to his body after a week of no showering. He felt the lack of sleep catching up to him, and for a few moments he began to wonder if it was time already. "Dude pass me the ball already!" Jack looked up from the tree he was sitting under to see two boys playing basketball. Their constant motion across the court and repetitive dribble of the ball made him momentarily dizzy. He felt his attention drift in and out as he remembered how it wasn't that long ago that he was like them. Jack pulled his phone out and turned it on. He looked down at the screen to see the battery life left. 1% He knew he only had enough for a few moments, but he couldn't resist it. He quickly pulled up Caleb's name from his contacts and typed out one last message. It was only one word. A few moments afterwards the phone died, and he knew that was it. There really didn't feel like much of a point left. He didn't have a home, he had lost his parents, and he wasn't certain God loved him anymore. Jack looked over at the bridge that was at the end of the park, and he wondered if just maybe. "Hey Mom." Ms. Stewart turned to look over the couch she was sitting on in the living room. "Oh, hey Jacob, hey Corey. How was school today?" "It was fine, just another day," Jacob paused for a moment, watching his mom. "Is something wrong?" "You're not one to just sit around?" Jacob said, raising his voice into a question as he walked up to where his mother was sitting. "I finished my work for the office early today, so I'm taking a break watching a movie. How about you and Corey join me?" "Sure," Jacob said as he leaped over the couch and sat towards the other end. Corey walked over and sat down in the middle. He handed Jacob one of the sodas he had grabbed from the kitchen and scooted a bit closer to Jacob. He made sure to keep a little distance though, seeing that Jacob's mom was sitting right there. "Oh by the way have you two read the email the school sent out?" "We haven't. Why, what'd it say?" Corey asked as he sat up to look over at the laptop screen. "It says one of the students has gone missing and asks if anyone has information about him," Ms. Stewart said as she handed over the laptop to the two boys. "I think his name was Jack Cheston," Ms. Stewart said, watching Corey and Jacob for a reaction. "That's really odd..." Jacob muttered as he skimmed through the email, noting the important dates. "What's odd?" Corey said looking up from the screen at Jacob. "Remember, Caleb was asking about him a while ago?" "Why was Caleb asking about him? I thought he was only in middle school?" Ms. Stewart asked, her attention perked. "Mom, I think we want to go up to our room for now," Jacob said as he got up from the couch. Ms. Stewart stared at Jacob for a few moments, but finally sighed as she turned her eyes to both boys. "If you think you might know something that could help, please, tell the police," Ms. Stewart said as she looked at Jacob and Corey. "We will Ms. Stewart, we promise," Corey replied. The two quickly turned around and walked up the stairs to Jacob's room, leaving Ms. Stewart in the living room, wondering how it all tied together. Jacob quickly shut the door behind him as he led Corey in. "Sorry I just didn't want to discuss it all in front of my mom." "Why?" Jacob paused for a moment and took in a breath. "I'm thinking that Caleb might have liked Jack." Corey sat still for a moment, letting it all sink in, his expression clearly showing his confusion. "Caleb's a 12 year old, Jack's 15, and plus I thought Jack was a super close-minded Christian?" "I know, but think about it," Jacob replied. "Alex rejected Caleb, so Caleb wanted a boyfriend. I mean, him asking me about Jack didn't make any sense, and now Jack's disappeared. What if Jack was gay and couldn't handle it? I mean why else would he be super devout than to hide his own sexuality?" Jacob continued, finally finishing his explanation. Corey just watched him, but his expression remained unchanged. "Jacob, I don't think it sounds likely. I mean maybe he's just that kind of person. And what if Caleb was just curious because he was going over to his house? Plus, didn't he just get rejected by Alex? Why would he go out with someone so soon afterwards?" Corey asked as he went over to sit down on Jacob's chair. Jacob sat down on his bed and looked up at Corey. He let his eyes drift around the floor of his room, and began to rethink his previous statement. "I guess... yea, you're right." "And why are you so concerned? He was an ass to us." Corey said, his voice becoming more acidic. "Because, I don't know. Our hurt feelings don't seem like enough to want him to go missing," Jacob replied, his eyes avoiding contact with Corey. Corey watched Jacob closely, and suddenly remembered why he had fallen for him in the first place. He got up from his seat and slowly walked over to sit down next to Jacob. He leaned in and wrapped his left arm around Jacob as he planted a light kiss on his cheek. "You really are a good person Jacob," Corey said with a loving smile as he continued to hold him closely. "So I guess we're buddies for the project, eh?" Jack shyly looked up to see a blonde haired boy standing over him, soaking in his bright smile and beautiful sky blue eyes. This was the boy who had driven his heart mad since the first day he saw him. His thoughts had only circled around him, and now he was standing right here. "Yea, I...I'm Jack," Jack said trying his best to not stutter. "I'm Nickolas. It's great to meet you," the boy said as he held his hand out for a fist bump. "It's good to meet you too," Jack responded, again trying to avoid too much eye contact. The boy continued to watch him for a few moments before he started to giggle quietly. "What?" Jack asked with a panicked look across his face. "I'm not gonna bite you," the boy said, again flashing his bright smile. "Wait...what?" Jack asked, his eyebrow raising up as he looked at the boy. "You look nervous, so I'm telling you not to worry because I don't bite," the explained, his voice seeming to resonate the very same warmth as the smile that was strewn across his face. Jack couldn't help but laugh, and he slowly felt his own comfort level increase just slightly. "Ok, but I'll only trust you for now," Jack said with a sly grin, trying to return some of the humor. "So, are you free this afternoon to maybe work on the project for a bit?" Nickolas asked as he scooted a bit closer to Jack. "I am. Do you wanna work on it at my place?" "We could, buuutttt," the boy replied, drawing out the word. "My place has got a pool, so we could go for a swim before we start," Nickolas said with a bright grin. "Well in that case, sure. I just have to call my parents and let them know before we leave school today," Jack said. "Great! To the pool!" Nickolas said raising his fist in the air, but just a bit too loudly as the class turned to look their way. "And what does the pool have to do with your American History project?" The two boys looked at the teacher and, for reasons neither could understand, burst out in laughter over what they both found to be the hilarity of the question. The teacher just rolled his eyes and walked back to the front of the room. "Come on Jack, we'll go change," Nickolas said as he ran up the stairs with Jack in tow. "Wait, I don't have a bathing suit." "What size do you wear?" "Medium." "Then we wear the same size, just borrow one of mine," Nickolas said confidently as he continued his ascent up the stairs to his room. Jack quickly followed him and stopped in the middle of the room. It seemed like a stereotypical middle schooler's room, and yet it felt uniquely like it belonged to Nickolas. He felt his heart pound at the implication that he was finally in a place he had imagined many times before. "Here you go," Nickolas said as he tossed Jack a bathing suit. "Thanks. Where is the bathroom at?" Nickolas turned around, looking at Jack with both his eyebrows raised. "You're gonna go change in the bathroom?" "Well...umm yea," Jack replied as he watched Nickolas for a reaction. "What, are you afraid I'll see your dick?" Nickolas asked nonchalantly. Jack quickly diverted his eyes, trying to think of some excuse while still maintaining a clam tone of voice. "Ummm....no I just want some privacy." "It's not a big deal. Look!" Nickolas said as he pulled his shorts and underwear down, so he was standing in nothing but his t-shirt that was too short to cover him. Jack simply stared as Nickolas reached down and even rubbed his hand across his flaccid penis. "See, it's just a penis," Nickolas said as he pulled his suit on and tied it up. "Well...I mean ok I guess," Jack responded as he quickly pulled his shorts down and pulled his bathing suit on as quickly as possible, hoping that Nickolas didn't notice his growing erection. "Ok so let's head on down now," Nickolas exclaimed as he raced past Jack towards the stairs. Jack let out a sigh of relief, assuming that Nickolas hadn't seen anything. Jack continued to scan the pages of the book, reading the sentences and trying to find anything that might relate to the project at hand. He looked over to see Nickolas busy doing the same as the two sat on Nickolas's bed trying to do research for the project. It had felt like a dream of a day: finally getting his chance to be with the boy who had his heart racing at every moment. It seemed practically surreal as he tried to keep his calm. He looked over at Nickolas who let out sigh as he closed his book. "What's up?" Jack asked. "This really sucks dude," Nickolas replied, letting out the words slowly. "Yea, the project is kind of boring," Jack agreed with an equally dissatisfied tone. "No, I don't mean that. I mean that you won't tell me," Nickolas said, making eye contact with Jack. "What do you mean?" Jack hardly had the sentence out of his mouth before he realized that he had been pushed backwards onto the bed so that he was looking up. He saw Nickolas straddling him, with his hips over his crotch and a sly smile across his face. "That you won't tell me you like me," Nickolas said calmly as he leaned down and put his hands on either side of Jack's head. "What....what do you mean?" Jack said, desperately trying to avoid eye contact and hoping that he could still lie his way out of this. "I know you've been watching me every day of class. I know that you stare at me from across the lunch room...." "That's not true!" Jack shouted, trying to interject, but his voice cracked, and he was clearly nervous. "Yes it is Jack. I asked the teacher to put us in the same group because I wanted to finally tell you this." Nickolas paused and seemed to consider whether to continue. Smiling widely, he whispered, "And besides, I know you were getting hard earlier when we were changing." Jack blushed and felt his heart rate speed up as his breaths became erratic. "And I know," Nickolas again paused for a moment as he dug around in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "I know you wrote me this confession note," Nickolas said as he held up the note in front of Jack. "It's ok Jack. Just go ahead and tell me," Nickolas said as his expression relaxed and a light smile appeared across his face. Jack knew he was caught, but he no longer had the desire or will to resist. He felt only an overwhelming sense of calm as he let the words flow out of his mouth like water in a river. "Nickolas, I like you." A wide smile spread across Nickolas' face as he leaned in and sent hormones rushing through their bodies with a kiss. At that moment, the two felt like they were on fire as their minds raced at the speed of light. "Well, I happen to like you too Jack. Maybe we could be boyfriends," Nickolas said matter-of- factly as he lightly moved his hand across Jack's face. Goosebumps spread all over Jack at the feel of his touch. "Yea," Jack replied, his voice hardly more than a whisper as Nickolas leaned in again to bring their lips together, their hearts to a race, and their minds to a state of bliss. Jack felt the last few tears fall down his cheeks, while the warmth of his face rapidly evaporated as the brisk night air rushed in. He continued to look down at the picture of the boy he used to love. He contemplated about the current boy he felt feelings for, and wondered if any of it meant anything. He wondered how it had gone from that beautiful moment to now. To this world where the darkness was physical and mental. He wondered where the love had gone. Jack got up from his sitting position from behind the bushes, leaving behind his duffel bag. He held on tightly to his cross he was wearing as he continued to walk down the path that led out of the park. It seemed as if he sensed everything around him, and yet he felt numb to the world. It didn't feel like it held any place for him. It almost felt as if he was a fish out of water, clearly not belonging in his current environment. He felt the slow and steady breaths escape his lips as he continued on over the last bits of the pathway and began to cross the basketball court. He looked to his left, and noted the bridge, and reassured himself that the height seemed appropriate. It wasn't until the third beep that he finally pulled himself out of bed. His eyes felt half closed as he walked over to his desk to silence his phone's alarm. "What did I set this....for?" Caleb asked as he felt himself grow more awake and aware of his surroundings. He looked down to see the alarm. YOUR LAST CHANCE!!! Location: OUT YOUR WINDOW Caleb at first simply stared at the alarm notice, having no clue where it could have possibly come from. He felt himself walk towards his window and glance out, at first not noticing anything unusual. Then he noted the person walking by the streetlamp on the opposite side of the street. Initially, he couldn't make out any details, but then under the light he could clearly see his face. He knew immediately who it was, and within moments he had thrown on a pair of boxers and a shirt and was heading down the hall. The night atmosphere, the cold brisk wind, and starless sky all culminated together in a way that felt appropriate for the way to end it. He could feel his heart pumping adrenaline into his veins as his breath became more and more erratic. Yet, Jack didn't care about any of this now; all that mattered was the picture in his hand, and the height of the bridge directly ahead of him. He wondered if his parents had ever really cared about him, or simply the image they had made him out to be? He wondered if love meant anything to anyone. He wondered why it had come to this, but he knew this was it. Jack wondered what it was like to be a falling leaf, and what the freedom it provided would be like. Just like all the leaves he had seen that were sent soaring so high, but always came back down, except this time, there was no rebound. Jack had finally reached the edge of the guard rail at the bridge and had just begun to pull himself over the edge when he heard it. His name was being called out by someone; slowly, steadily, but with an undeniable urgency, his name came through the darkness. Jack turned in the direction of the sound and there, under the streetlight, was Caleb running towards him. "Jack!!" Caleb was panting, running as fast as he possibly could, faster than he had ever run before. Jack only stood there, paralyzed by the array of emotions he felt simultaneously. Then he felt Caleb wrap his arms around him, holding him in a tight embrace. "Caleb....what are you doing here?" Jack said, barely managing to make it audible. "I saw you walking by from my friend's house..." Caleb suddenly became aware of his surroundings, his breath stopping in his throat as his eyes widened. "Jack...what were you about to do?" Caleb looked up at the older boy who was watching him. Jack took in a single deep breath and let out a light sigh as he brought his hand up and ran it through Caleb's hair. "I was kicked out of my house last Friday. My parents disowned me, and honestly, I haven't been happy in a long time..." Jack again felt his breath become unstable, and the tears once again flowed down his cheeks. Caleb held Jack closely. As the older boy sobbed into his shoulder, Caleb could hear him desperately trying to talk through his sobs, but he had finally broken down entirely. All the emotions, the loss, the love and hate, had come at once. "I just don't care about living if no one loves me!" Caleb slowly brought his hand up to Jack's cheek and moved him so they were looking eye to eye. "Well care about it, because I still love you." Their eyes remain fixed on each other while the moment froze in time, etched forever in their memories. Each boy could sense how the other one was broken like himself, and yet both knew why things could work for them. They shared the same world, and in this way, they were one. Caleb leaned in, as did Jack, and in a moment their lips were brought together, their skin touching. Their scent, the sound of their shared breaths, all the energy inside them, joined as the kiss passed. It was tentative, coming as the first step after years of uncertainty and brokenness, but it was a move in the right direction. Jack pulled away and looked down to see the younger boy staring back up at him, his eyes wide and his face calm. "Come with me. I'll explain it to my friends and you can stay with us for the night." "What about where I'll live?" Caleb let out a light sigh and reached out to take Jack's hand in his own. A small, but firm smile spread across the young boy's lips. "Let's just take this a step at a time." Jack carefully watched Caleb, and he knew this boy genuinely cared. He knew somehow, for the first time in as long as he could remember, that it was going to be alright. "Ok." And with that, the two walked back towards the house, to find a new home, to discover love, to start again. Authors note: Hey everyone, sorry this part took so long to get finished. But I have to be honest, it was an extremely emotional section for me, and I had recently been going through family issues that kept me from being in the mind set to work on this particular part. Anyway I hope that you guys will enjoy this part. So Jack and Caleb are together for now, but do you think either can get over their pasts to get into another relationship with each other? What do you think could happen to them in the future? So do you have any questions, comments, suggestions? Well please send them my way at EFoster447@yahoo.com I've always enjoyed getting mail from you guys and it really helped me with writing this section especially. I also need to thank my editor Mike Archer for helping me the editing and making this section flow smoothly. Anyway I really hope you guys enjoy this section and continue to read as I put out new parts. Hopefully I can get another few parts out before the summer comes along.