Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:31:04 -0500
From: K J <writenowin@gmail.com>
Subject: Finding Another Like Me: Chapter 25

This story is fiction.  Any similarity to any persons living or dead is
merely a coincidence.  If you are not allowed by law to view this material,
please do not do so. If you are under 18 years of age, please leave now.
This is a love story between two barely under the age of 18 year old boys
in high school.  If that offends you, I apologize and ask that you not read
any further.  Otherwise, enjoy.

AUTHOR"S NOTE: Hey guys. Hope you enjoy! I would like to thank my new proof
reader Ottoo for all his help and also my good friend Matt for keeping me
on track and writing. I also would like to give you guys a story
recommendation of one in the high school section I am really enjoying right
now, which is The Move. Check it out and as always feel free to write to me
at writenowin@gmail.com!!!

Champter 25

	The two voices I heard were Chris' and Ben's. I slowly inched to
the end of the wall? I peered slowly around to see Chris holding a bouquet
of flowers and Ben facing him about three feet away. I quickly took a step
back so that I could still listen, but not be seen.

	"We have nothing to talk about Ben," I heard Chris say gruffly.

	"Yes we do dude. You know we do," Ben responded.

	"Like what?"

	"Like how for the past 5 months I've been a complete dick to you!
That I have been the worst best friend anyone could ever ask for!"

	I heard Chris give a slight grunt.

	"Maybe about how I felt when I found out my best friend of almost
13 years had been lying to me," Ben continued. I could tell he was starting
to get chocked up.

	"How you felt? How you felt? Are you kidding? How about how I felt?
How I felt when I got outed by my ex girlfriend in front of everyone? How
about that? Or how about when my best friend, the kid who always claimed to
be like a brother to me, turned his back and walked out when I needed him
the most?" I heard Chris yell this, and I could make out the sound of
crying.

	There was a moment of silence.

	"I'm so sorry dude. I am so so sorry. I was horrible and I know
that. And I guess I could understand if you never forgave me, but I don't
think I could have lived with myself one more day trying to ignore you. It
hurt so bad..." Ben trailed off.

	"It hurt so bad watching you ignore me. Why dude? Honestly why?"

	"Chris honestly?" This was definitely a question.

	Chris must have nodded, because there was no response, but Ben
continued.

	 "Honestly, I was jealous dude." This comment made my mouth
drop. "I wasn't jealous in the way, like, jealous that you were dating
Kyle. But jealous in the fact that he had beat me."

	"Huh?" Chris said.

	"For the few months before I walked out on you it was like I didn't
really exist. Yeah we talked and hung out, but for most of that time you
either were with Kyle or I could tell you wanted to be with Kyle. You were
never truly my best friend and were never really there for me. Not even
those few months where you and Kyle didn't talk. Then when the pictures
came out and I found out you were dating him my world came crashing down,
because it made me think that... there was no way I would ever get my best
friend back. He was gone and there was nothing I could do about it besides
give up." I could tell Ben was tearing up saying this.

	There was another moment of silence. Then Chris spoke.

	"I'm so sorry dude. I never realized. I didn't even know I was
doing it, but now that I think back... you were right. I was being a sucky
friend, especially after that whole you and Deb situation. I was never
there for you. I'm so sorry. I'm a horrible friend."

	"We both are Chris. Don't blame yourself. We both sucked the last
few months."

	I heard Chris laugh at that comment.

	"But dude I honestly forgive you for it, because now I see how
happy you are and how amazing Kyle is. I feel bad about the way I treated
you two the way I did. After what he said to me last night..."

	"You and Kyle talked last night?" I flinched at this. `Shit!'

	Ben laughed. "Ahh not really talked. More Kyle talked and I just
sat there, but what he said was true. There wasn't a point of us throwing
away our friendship over something like this. Will you please just accept
my apology?"

	"I'll only accept yours if you accept mine," Chris said.

	Ben laughed. "Obviously broski."

	"Good because I really did miss my best friend."

	I peaked around the corner to see the two hugging. After a few
minutes, I saw them break apart and Ben take a seat on one of the lounge
chairs and said, "So what has been going on with you the last few months?"

	Chris proceeded to sit down too and catch up. I took this as a good
time to leave and let them talk for awhile.

	I decided that I probably had some time to kill before I either
tried to go see Chris again, or we just met up later somewhere on the
boat. I went up to the top deck and decided to walk around for a little
taking in the night sky on the ocean. As I walked, I slowly began to lessen
my pace to a stop as I became entranced by the beautiful site of the stars
over the water. I just stood there taking it all in.

	All of a sudden I felt someone bump into me and heard a thud as
that person stumbled to the ground. I turned to look down to see who it
was. I was surprised to see it was Paige. I instinctively put out my hand
to help her up.

	"Get that hand away from me. I don't want your homo germs on me,"
she spat.

	I ignored her statement and kept my hand outreached. I watched her
attempt to get up but stumble as the boat gave a slight rock and she fell
back to the ground. This time I stuck my hand out further not saying a word
and forced her to take it.

	I slowly lifted her back up to her feet and stared at her. She
looked at me with her eyes squinted. Finally she spoke again, "What're you
looking at?"

	I thought for a second and filtered myself from making any harsh
comments. I knew after what I had just seen from Chris and Ben that I
should try the same. "Paige, can we talk for a second?"

	"No? Why would I want to talk to a fag like you?"

	"Because, Paige, the `fag like me' didn't ever do anything to you
and neither did my boyfriend, so why are you treating us this way?"

	"Because you two are fucking disgusting!" She was yelling this.

	I decided to keep a calm tone. "What do you mean we're disgusting?
What do we do that's fucking disgusting? Being in love? Like, really, what
is it?"

	"It's wrong."

	"No it's not! I was made this way. Chris was made this way. There
is nothing wrong about it. It's natural and in our nature, and if you try
and pull the religious `it's wrong' card on me, be advised I went to
Catholic school all my life and I know the Bible like it's the back of my
hand, so whatever you quote or reference I'll know it better."

	She scowled at me. She seemed to be stuck on only one of the things
I had just said. She growled her response, "You turned Christopher. Chris
wasn't gay until he met you! He was in love with me and then you did some
faggish tricks to make him be in love with you. It's disgusting!"

	This started to aggravate me, because this was pure stupidity in
its finest, "It doesn't work that way! I'm not some evil gay witch who
casts spells on guys. We are born the way we are. It's instinct for us to
like guys just like its instinct for you to like a guys, or a guy to like a
girl. It was instinct all along for Chris; you can even ask him that if you
didn't spit in his face every time you saw him!"

	"No, you're lying!" she turned and began to walk away.

	If I had enough senses I would have let her walk away, but I
didn't. I shouted one more time after her, "Paige, hold on one second. Let
me just say one last thing."

	She turned to me and scowled. I took this as my chance to speak,
"I'm sorry. I really am sorry that you got caught in all this gay stuff. I
can tell from how angry you are that Chris must have and still does mean a
lot to you and it really hurt when you to lost him. But honestly, you need
to stop holding this against us. We never deliberately went out and tried
to hurt you. We just fell in love and everything happened. Like I said, I
am sorry and I wish that you could just remember Chris, the person you fell
in love with, and what he meant to you rather than just the bitterness you
have for him leaving you."

	With this we just stared at each other across the deck for a few
seconds and then she proceeded down the stairs.

	I just let out a sigh. This was not how I had ever wanted it to be,
but I hoped that some time she would forgive us and understand that we
never did it to hurt her. I hoped that eventually she'd stop comparing us
to the pain she must've felt for when her dad walked out on her.


	The next few days on the ship changed drastically. I didn't meet up
with Chris that night we were suppose to have our date. I found Deb and
hung out with her for awhile and then later on, when I was in bed, Chris
slipped in and just took me in his arms.

	We didn't talk about that night and what was said between me and
Paige or him and Ben. I acted like I didn't even know it happened. However,
for the next few days, Ben began to hang out with our group of friends and
go everywhere with us. I saw Chris change in personality now that Ben was
back. He was a lot happier and seemed back to how he was last summer. Even
Deb didn't mind that Ben was back and I caught them having a deep
conversation one night. A few times even Paige sat near our group during
events and refrained from making any horrible comments. I could still see
the distain for us in her eyes; however, she was treating us a little more
civilized.

	On our final night on the ship, Chris had planned for just me and
him to go out to dinner at the fancy restaurant on the middle level of the
ship.

	As we sat down and took our menus, I began to look at what I wanted
to order. A few second later I noticed that Chris had his menu out, but was
peering over it staring at me.

	I giggled, "Stop!"

	He laughed, "Nope."

	"Why not?" I whined.

	"Because you're absolutely amazing."

	I laughed. "Why do you say that?"

	"Because, Kyle, it's the truth and you don't even know how lucky I
am to have you in my life." I could see his eyes begin to water ever so
slightly.

	"Aww Chris. I feel the exac..."

	"Hold on, Kyle. I'm not done," he grabbed my hand. "Thank
you. Thank you so much."

	I gave him a quizzical look.

He smiled and laughed a little, "You think I don't know what you did?"

	I still was puzzled.

	"Kyle, I saw you the other night. Out of the corner of my eye I saw
you see me and Ben talk and I saw you not interrupt and let us have our
moment. I also know that you had talked to him and helped him build up the
courage to talk to me. And you have no idea how much that meant to me." He
squeezed my hand even harder.

	I smiled and could feel my eyes begin to water as I watched him
pour out his heart to me. He was already in a state of joyous crying with
tears dripping down his eyes.

	"I'm so lucky and I just want you to know that I am, with every
fiber of my being, totally and fully in love with you and I have no doubt
in my mind that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. No doubt. I
know I'm young saying this and I know there's time for change, but I know
in my heart that my feelings for you will never change. You cause me to be
happy when I see you. After all this time I still get butterflies in my
stomach the moment I see you. My stomach and heart due a flip. I get sweaty
palms and I clam up for just a second, then I realize that you're mine and
what I'm feeling is truly love."

	By this point, my eyes were flowing with tears and I was at a loss
for words myself. I couldn't stand it anymore. For each word he spoke I
could feel my love for him grow. I lifted my body up from my seat and
leaned over the table. With my free hand I reached over and put it around
the back of his head. I pulled him forward and in front of the whole
restaurant I just kissed him. I kissed the man of my dreams.

We finally broke apart... at the same time and both whispered, "I love
you."

AUTHOR'S END Note: writenowin@gmail.com