Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2012 03:12:29 +0100
From: Bobby Chester <thebobbyfish@gmail.com>
Subject: Jamie Lawrence, Chapter Eight

Jamie Lawrence - Chapter Eight

Warning

This story contains graphic description of sex acts betweens members
of the same sex. If accessing material such as this is illegal in
your country/province/state, please do not continue reading.

The characters contained within this story are entirely fictional
and should be taken as such. Any resemblance to any person(s) living
or dead is entirely coincidental.

Please remember to donate anything you can spare to Nifty. The link
to do so can be found on their homepage and on all directories.

*********************************************************************

For the American readers amongst you; This story is set in England.
The use of the word "College" refers to the institution attended by
children aged 16-19.

*********************************************************************

Jamie Lawrence - Chapter Eight

  To say that Jamie was nervous about his upcoming meal with the Carters
would have been an understatement. Frequently he would find himself giving
his reflection a pep talk, only to turn away a moment later and have his
heart rate double.

  He knew that Shane and Diane had their own trepidations about the
dinner. Their familial happiness depended on Jamie's performance as a
straight person. Given that Jamie had known that he was gay since before he
had hit puberty, he had no idea how to act like a straight guy.

  Shane consistently swore that Jamie did not need to change his behaviour,
promising him that his mannerisms were not the campest he had ever
seen. When that failed to comfort Jamie, he had sworn that any
ramifications would be dealt with without any blame being aimed at him.

  Of course, that had simply made Jamie feel worse. It was at that point
that Shane had offered the only comfort he had left in his arsenal; his
embrace. Jamie had accepted gladly and without realising that he had fallen
asleep, he found himself waking on Tuesday morning alone in his own
bed. The smell of bacon wafted up the stairs and Shane was singing 'Never
Gonna Give You Up' at the top of his lungs in the kitchen.

  Jamie stretched and smiled to himself. He felt his heart warm at the
thought that his beautiful boyfriend was downstairs cooking him
breakfast. The domesticity of it made him so unbelievably happy that he
didn't even notice the terrible quality of Shane's singing voice. He joined
in the next verse of the song as his way of announcing that he was awake.

  He slipped his feet out of his blanket and was bracing himself to get up
when Shane came bounding into the room in his pajamas. "Don't you dare get
out of that bed!" he said, brandishing a spatula like a weapon.

  Jamie put his hands up in surrender. "Don't shoot!"

  Shane wagged the spatula at Jamie. "The shooting comes AFTER breakfast."
He winked and grabbed his crotch. "And breakfast will be served in bed, so
get back in." He came over as Jamie pulled the quilt back over
himself. Shane tucked him back in and gave him a kiss on the forehead
before stroking his cheek and staring lovingly into his eyes.

  "You're going to burn the bacon," said Jamie.

  Shane's eyes widened. "Shit!" He bolted from the room, Jamie's giggles
chasing after him. From downstairs, Jamie heard him shout "It's okay! Just
well done!" Jamie giggled again. He pulled Shane's pillow up to his nose
and inhaled deeply, feeling his crotch respond.

  The morning would have been perfect if it weren't for the memory that
nagged at the bag of Jamie's mind. He still hadn't decided what to do about
the 'Matthew' situation, although it was becoming increasingly clear to him
that he needed to tell Shane. It felt to Jamie that he was making a mockery
of his own relationship in keeping the secret from the boy he claimed to
love.

  All he had to do was figure out the best way to do it. Over bacon and
eggs didn't seem appropriate, so at least he had the morning. Shane's voice
was travelling up the stairs again, this time sounding angry. "For fuck's
sake! This damn cat is going to be the death of me!" Jamie laughed
again. Sometimes his boyfriend was a walking punch line.

  "I'm sure Rosie doesn't like you all that much either," Jamie shouted out
to him. Shane came into the room carrying a tray of food, Jamie's
tortoiseshell cat clinging to the leg of his pajama bottoms. "Morning
Rosie." The cat purred softly before jumping on the bed and snuggling up
next to Jamie.

  Shane deposited the tray on the nightstand. "Oi! That's my spot you furry
little..."

  Rosie hissed at him.

  "Now, Rosie. Is that any way to talk to your new Daddy?" Jamie admonished
the cat.

  "I am not that beast's family! It just tried to kill me!"

  "She didn't mean anything by it. Now, give me my breakfast." Jamie rubbed
his hands together. He didn't often eat bacon and eggs; it took too much
effort to make and was unbelievably unhealthy. That didn't stop it tasting
amazing though. Shane perched himself on the edge of the bed and hefted
Jamie's plate over. "So what brought this on?" asked Jamie.

  "You told me I had been slacking in the romance department. I thought I
would start small. Breakfast in bed seemed like a good jumping off point."

  "Yes, very good." The pair shared a chaste kiss. Jamie was very aware
that he would have morning breath and was reluctant to share it. "Are you
not having any?"

  "Already ate." He was still giving Rosie the evil eye as he spoke. "So
what shall we do today, lover boy?"

  "Well," said Jamie around a mouthful of bacon. "I seem to recall you
promising me some shooting." He gave Shane's crotch a squeeze. "Then I
thought we could go and see my Nanna. She's in the retirement home near
Heaton Park."

  "And then it's crunch time."

  Jamie shoved Shane's shoulder. "Not helping! What if I screw up at dinner
tonight?"

  "Then my Dad will probably put me through the blender." Shane laughed at
the look on Jamie's face. "Stop worrying, baby." He stroked Jamie's
cheek. "I'll love you no matter what happens tonight. Gerald Arthur Carter
will never change that."

  Jamie felt himself relax under the loving gaze and gentle touch of his
lover. A small catch formed in his throat at Shane's promise. They shared a
passionate kiss. Pulling away, Jamie said "I'm going to brush my teeth, and
then you and I are going to have some fun in the shower."

           ----------------------------------------------

  Lots of soap suds and a couple of very vocal orgasms later, the two
meandered up the broad driveway to the Bethnall Green Retirement Home under
the beating rays of the sun. It was a rare warm day, and Shane was not
looking forward to spending it cooped up in a smelly old folks home. He
would have much preferred to go to Heaton Park and make out with Jamie on
the grass.

  Jamie walked straight to the reception desk. "We've come to see Agnes
Williams."

  Just then, a nurse walked up having spotted Jamie. "James, so good to see
you again. Come with me; I'm just on my way to check on your grandmother."

  "Thanks, Sheila. How is she?" Shane fell into step behind the pair.

  "Not much change really. Good days and bad days. She asks about you a lot
though. She forgets who WE are, but she always remembers her little James."

  Jamie had briefed Shane on his Nanna earlier. She had started to suffer
with Dementia several years earlier. She had not strictly speaking been bad
enough to warrant a care home, but given that she was also struggling with
the physical difficulties of advanced age, Beth had felt it best to place
her where she would have around the clock care.

  The trio entered room Thirty and found a wisp of a woman reading the
Daily Mail. She looked up at the three through glasses as thick as milk
bottle bottoms and her face lit up. "James! My little angel!"

  "Hi Nanna." Jamie gave her a kiss on the lips and wrapped his arms around
her skinny frame. Shane thought he could see Jamie's eyes behind his
grandmother's glasses. "This is Shane, my boyfriend."

  "Oh, how wonderful!" She clapped her frail little hands together. "How is
he in the bedroom?" she asked as if she were inquiring about the weather.

  Shane, who had been taking a sip of Coke at the exact moment she said it,
sprayed the drink around the room and started to choke. The nurse was
trying to hide her smile. Agnes and Jamie, however, were giggling their
arses off. In between convulsive coughs, Shane mused that they had the same
laugh.

  Jamie wiped a tear from his eye and patted Shane on the back a few
times. "Second to none, Nanna."

  "Well then, welcome to the family, Shane." She motioned for him to come
over and hug her. Shane obliged. He could feel the bones in her back. Shane
was not accustomed to being around the elderly. All four of his own
grandparents had died before he was born and he was finding that the
frailty of Agnes' body was making him feel very cautious, as if he would
break her if he held on too tightly.

  He released her and stepped back while the nurse attached a BP cuff to
her arm and pumped it up. "I always thought that you and that Matthew boy
would end up together." Out of the corner of his eye, Shane saw Jamie shift
uncomfortably. "I'm glad you chose this one, though. Much cuter." Agnes
gave Shane a wink.

  Nurse Sheila stood up. "All normal, Aggie. See you in a bit." Agnes
nodded and Sheila left, giving Jamie a small smile as she did.

  Shane was still wondering about Jamie's reaction at the mention of
Matthew's name, so he gently pushed the issue. "What made you think that
Matthew and Jamie would end up together, Mrs Williams?"

  Jamie's face flushed.

  "Oh, call me Aggie, or Nanna. Let's see, Matthew appeared three years
ago, about the same time I came here. I never saw James without Matthew
after that." Jamie looked like his face was on fire now. "James always had
this 'hero' look in his eye when he looked at Matthew. It was sweet really,
but I'm glad it passed. You two are a better fit."

  Agnes started to wilt into her chair. "Ooh, dear. I'm coming over all
tired." A few minutes later she was snoring softly.

  Jamie, his face still scarlet, whispered to Shane "Let's go. She'll
probably be down for a couple of hours now."

  They wandered out into the noon sun. Jamie took Shane's hand and started
to trace designs on the back of it as they walked. Shane was about to ask
the question that was burning in his mind when Jamie spoke up.

  "I need to tell you something. It's not good." Shane swallowed. All sorts
of things ran through his mind, the most frequent of which was that Jamie
was leaving him for Matthew. He tried to assure himself that it wasn't
possible. Matthew was straight, but he kept wondering about Jamie's shifty
demeanour, and the nervous fingers he was running over Shane's hand. He
could feel his throat closing as the idea of life without Jamie filled his
heart with dread.

  "When I went to Matty's house the other day, something happened between
us."

  Shane's mind was in overdrive. He couldn't bear it any longer. "Please
don't leave me!" He started to cry and gripped Jamie's hand a little
tighter.

  Jamie looked shocked. "Why the hell would I leave you? You're the love of
my life!" He stopped walking and pulled Shane around to face him.

  "But, you said something happened between you and Matthew!" said Shane,
sniffing back more tears.

  "Yes, but it was all him! He told me that he wants me to be with him and
then he kissed me. HE kissed ME. Not the other way around."

  "So, you don't want to get with him?"

  Jamie touched Shane's cheek. "Not for all the money in the world." He
kissed Shane then. The relief ran through Shane like a tidal wave. He swept
Jamie up in his arms and twirled him around.

  "Don't you bloody well scare me like that again." Shane just looked at
Jamie for a moment before something Jamie had said actually registered in
his mind. "Wait, Matthew kissed you?"

  Jamie looked pained. "Please, don't fixate on it. I only told you in the
interest of full disclosure."

  "Well, in the interest of full disclosure, did you enjoy it?"

  Jamie avoided Shane's eye. "Um, well."

  "Oh my God! You did!" Shane dropped Jamie and clapped his hand to his
forehead and started to pace in the middle of the pavement. For the second
time in two minutes, he felt like his world was falling apart.

  "What did I just tell you? I have no intentions of choosing him over you,
so enjoying a kiss is irrelevant!" Jamie grabbed both of Shane's
hands. "Yours are the only lips I want, and one little snog isn't going to
change that." Jamie grinned mischievously. "You could always kiss him
too. Even the score." He winked.

  Shane shuddered. "Me? Kiss the behemoth? You must me joking!" Jamie
nodded, laughter in his eyes. Shane sighed. "I don't suppose I can ask you
to stay away from Matthew?"

  Jamie sighed. "Maybe we should talk about this another time. Like, when
we don't have the most important dinner of our relationship looming over
our heads?"

           ----------------------------------------------

  Jamie's earlier fears about dinner being an horrific catastrophe appeared
to have been unfounded. Everything was going swimmingly. He had shaken
hands with Gerry without any comments about him being limp wristed. He had
listened attentively whilst Gerry talked about his school days and he felt
that, save for any major disasters, dinner would be a great success.

  Gerry was halfway through a story of his childhood and was flinging his
arms about the dining room in his exuberance.

  "So, anyway. I've got my hand up the mare's floozy, trying to grab onto
the foal and I can see that the stallion has gotten OUT of his enclosure,
and INTO her's! My dad's chasing after it, but of course the bloody thing
is ten times faster." He laughed to himself. "I literally JUST manage to
shift the foal into the right position when the stud crushes my left leg."

  Jamie cringed. "What did you do?"

  "The only appropriate thing. I prayed that the stallion would stay away,
gritted my teeth and tried to save the foal. Of course, after all that, the
stallion lost interest and wandered off again, and I'm there with a broken
leg."

  "And the foal?"

  "Oh, she was fine. Up and about in no time. She's still alive; I called
her Olivia." He seemed to be looking through Jamie for a moment. "Then my
Dad went and left the farm to my faggot brother. I haven't seen my horse in
nearly four years."

  "I learned to ride on Olivia," said Shane. "She's getting on a bit now;
twenty five years."

  Gerry looked a little sad. "So, Jamie. Do you have a girlfriend?" he
asked, clearly trying to change the subject.

  Jamie's stomach tightened but he answered calmly. "No, sir, no
girlfriend."

  "Good looking lad like you? You should have a string of beauties chasing
after you! Still, plenty of time when you start college. Two weeks away
isn't it?"

  "Yes sir."

  "Which one have you chosen?"

  "Bury College. It's got one of the best Modern Language programmes around
here." Jamie felt that as long as the subject stayed academic, nothing
could go wrong and he was willing to encourage this line of questioning if
it meant that he could avoid anything more personal.

  "Languages, eh? Which ones do you like?" He took a sip of wine.

  Jamie reached for his own glass which contained decaffeinated Cola. He
didn't need anything to give him any more jitters. "As long as I've passed
the right GCSE's, I want to take French and German. Probably psychology
too, since that's what my Mum does. Maybe English Lit as well." Jamie
dabbed at the corners of his mouth with his napkin.

  "Are you a big reader?" asked Gerry.

  "Gerry, darling. Stop interrogating the poor boy! You'll give him a
nervous breakdown," said Diane.

  Shane, who was sitting between Gerry and Jamie laughed quietly into his
empty plate.

  "It's alright, Diane. Yes, I do enjoy a good read, but my passion is
languages; like I said, French and German are my first choices. Eventually
I would like to teach them."

  Gerry looked impressed. "So young, and yet you've chosen such a valiant
path. I admire anyone who wants to teach today's youth! Some of the
deviants around; well, I wouldn't want to teach some of the nancy boys out
there!" He laughed. A look crossed his face as he surveyed his family and
guest as if he were waiting for a murmur of agreement.

  Diane cleared her throat and rose from her seat. "Well! It looks like
everybody's done with dinner. Shane, would you fetch the dessert while I
clear the table?"

  Jamie jumped to his feet. "Allow me!" He started to pick up the plates.

  "A gentleman as well!" Gerry sounded shocked and impressed. The truth was
that Jamie was just looking for a brief respite from the table.

  Jamie walked into the kitchen and started stacking the plates into the
dishwasher. Shane took a tub of 'Exquisite' icecream from the freezer and
started gathering the various toppings.

  "You're doing great, babe. A little longer and we'll be done." He leaned
in and kissed Jamie's cheek.

  Jamie shoved him back, hard. "What are you thinking?" he whispered. "Your
Dad could walk in."

  "I know, but..." He grabbed Jamie's arse. "These jeans don't leave much
to the imagination." He ran a hand over Jamie's crotch.

  "Yeah, yeah. Just get the damn icecream before your father comes looking
for us."

  Shane sighed dramatically. "I'd rather be eating it off your belly, but I
guess a spoon will do."

           ----------------------------------------------

  The streetlights were just beginning to flicker on as Darren rounded the
corner onto Mauldeth Road West and started heading towards number 132. He
rubbed at his nose, feeling a drop of blood there. He pulled a small bag
from his pocket and took a quick hit of coke.

  He walked to the door of the Carters' home and rang the doorbell.

           ----------------------------------------------

  Diane started to liberally scoop mint icecream into four bowls and
deposit them about the table. Shane attacked his with gusto while Gerry
started to squash his, turning it into mush.

  "Jamie dear, would you like some crushed nuts?"

  Jamie was about to respond when Shane, through a mouthful of icecream,
answered for him. "He's allergic." To anybody else, this would have been
nothing, but Jamie was on high alert. He panicked, thinking that Gerry
would read something into the fact that Shane knew this about him.

  He breathed a sigh of relief when the doorbell rang and Gerry rose to get
it. "Always during dinner." He rolled his eyes, giving Jamie a goofy wink,
much like Shane's.

  From the kitchen, Jamie, Shane and Diane could hear Gerry open the
door. "Darren, we're just in the middle of dinner."

  "This won't take long, Mr Carter. I think you need to hear this."

  Jamie and Shane exchanged a frightened look. Jamie turned to Diane who,
oblivious to the fact that Darren knew about the pair, was happily sampling
her icecream.

  "Do something!" Jamie whispered urgently. Shane bolted from his seat and
headed for the hallway.

  "What's going on?" asked Diane looking worried.

  "Are you okay son? You look agitated," said Gerry, his tone fatherly.

  "Yeah, I'm fine. Oh, look. Here's the faggot now."

  "Now Darren, I will not tolerate that in my house," said Gerry sternly.

  "What? The truth isn't allowed in this house?" Darren sounded
belligerent, and with Gerry's observation that he seemed agitated, Jamie
wondered if what Shane said about him using Cocaine was true.

  "Truth? What truth? Shane, what is he talking about?"

  "Your son's a fag. A cock sucking homo. Doesn't it just make you sick?"
He was right; Jamie felt sick. Darren sounded immensely proud of
himself. "He's even got himself a little boyfriend. Maybe you can have him
round for tea!"

  There was an odd sound permeating the air. For a moment, Jamie thought
somebody was crying, but as it got louder he realised it was Gerry
laughing. It was the hearty chuckle of a man who has never heard anything
so funny. Jamie had cause to hope.

  "I'm sorry Darren, but how can you cast aspersions on MY son? You've
barrelled down here, clearly high as a kite, and made an accusation with no
evidence." He chuckled again. "As a lawyer, if I was to try a case with you
as a witness, I would be laughed out of the court!"

  "But it's true!" Darren sounded desperate. "They made out at Prom and
then they left together."

  "Prom? Shane, isn't that the night you spent with Jenny?"

  "Mmhm." Jamie wished that Shane had sounded a little more convincing, but
it seemed to satisfy Gerry.

  "And what do you have to say here?"

  Jamie willed Shane to come good. "Dad, Darren has been using cocaine and
other stuff for over a year. He was taken into hospital after an overdose
recently. He hates me because I threatened to tell his father all about
it." Shane said all of this very quickly.

  "And what would make him say you were gay? Why not say you were doing the
drugs? Or in a gang? Why specifically this?" Jamie liked Gerry's tone. It
sounded like he had already made up his mind who to believe and was simply
clearing up a last detail. He must be a great lawyer.

  "He knows about Uncle Tom. I know you didn't want me talking about him,
but Darren WAS my best friend. Now he's claiming that I'm the one thing you
truly hate."

  "Okay, Shane. Go and finish your dessert." Shane came back into the
kitchen and sat down next to Jamie. He seemed to be shaking. "Darren. I
don't want to see you around here again. Go home and get some help."

  The door closed and locked, Gerry came back to the table. "Jamie, I'm
sorry you had to hear that. Although, I must say, I'm happy that Shane has
decided to spend his time with a good young lad like you."

  "Thank you, sir."

  "Please, call me Gerry." He sighed. "It's a shame about Darren. He seemed
like such a good kid. I guess you never really know about people until they
let you down."

           ----------------------------------------------

  Darren felt horrible as he wandered the streets of Manchester. The one
little light he had had left was his revenge on Shane, and that had just
been turned on it's head.

  He sat at a bus stop and buried his face in his hands. It was dark, and
the sky had become overcast. He had to laugh; The atmosphere was the
perfect metaphor for his soul. As he felt the darkness press in on him, he
started to cry. A light drizzle began to fall.

  "What should I do next?" he called out into the night.

  The light drizzle turned to a torrential downpour that blotted out
anything more than fifty feet away. The only thing Darren could see was St
Clare's church. He headed for the door to escape the rain.

  Inside, he paused. He remembered from his childhood that when you enter a
church, you touch yourself with Holy Water. He didn't believe in God, but
it would have been impolite not to do it.

  He made his way into the Nave and selected a pew near the back of the
church. He genuflected, which felt strange to do, and seated himself.

  A gentle voice spoke from behind him. "I'm afraid you've missed the
evening mass."

  Darren looked around and saw a man of about fifty. He was in a priest's
informal wear and bore a gentle smile. Darren made to speak, but found that
his voice was barred by tears. He felt two fall.

  "What is it, my child?" The priest took a seat.

  "I've lost everything, and it's all my fault." Darren sobbed.

  "Child, this is not true. You have your life, and you have God's love."

  "Ha! I don't believe in God." He hadn't meant to laugh, but he was so
distraught that he couldn't hold it back.

  "That's a shame, but he believes in you. Tell me, how is it you came to
be here?"

  "Honestly? The rain. I couldn't see anywhere else to take shelter."

  "So the heavens opened and erased everything but a church. A church where
a priest happened to be making his final checks for the night, just as you
came in."

  "It's just a coincidence. I could've been sitting at the next bus stop
and I would have gone into the library."

  "Who's to say that God doesn't work through coincidences? Earlier this
evening, I was thinking that I should pop down to the library to talk to a
friend of mine. Perhaps if you HAD gone to the next bus stop, I would have
decided to visit that friend after all. So given that we are both here, and
it is raining, why don't you tell me how you ruined everything?"

  So Darren did. He told the priest how he had started taking drugs. How he
had ruined his family in doing so. How he had stolen things to get money
for drugs. The horrible things he had done to his friends and family. He
finished with what he had done that afternoon at Shane's.

  The priest was a good audience. He nodded and listened patiently while
Darren cried, and yelled, and punched at his knees, all the while his face
beckoned for Darren to keep talking.

  When Darren finished, the priest simply took his hand in his own. "The
path to forgiveness is a long one, but it starts when you forgive
yourself. You are not evil, just misguided. Do you know the Lord's Prayer?"
Darren nodded. "Good. Join me."

  He took to the kneeler and indicated that Darren should do the same. They
began to recite the prayer. As they did, Darren felt a little
calmer. Perhaps it was the set ritual of it that took the necessity of
individual thought away, or maybe there was a touch of God in the prayer,
but he felt that things could get better.

  The pair said Amen and settled back onto the pew. The priest took
Darren's hand. "Go with God, my child. Know that you are loved, and that
there is always a place for you here." He kissed Darren's forehead and left
the pew. Darren sat for a moment longer, feeling stronger by the second.

           ----------------------------------------------

  "I'm so glad you were able to join us tonight, Jamie," said Gerry,
turning the car onto Jamie's street.

  "I'm so glad you drove me home. This rain is unbelievable!"

  "It DID just appear out of nowhere, didn't it!" Gerry pulled up and
yanked the handbrake up. "Before you go, I want to ask you. Did you hear
what Darren said earlier?"

  Jamie nodded. "I wouldn't believe a word of it. Darren has had some
troubles this year."

  "So you don't believe it either?"

  "No."

  Gerry seemed satisfied. He proferred a hand, which Jamie shook before
hopping out of the car. He watched Gerry pull away and bolted into his
house.

  He pulled out his phone and wrote a quick text to Shane. 'I love
you. Sleep well. x'

*********************************************************************

I hope you enjoyed this.

Any comments, questions, or even suggestions are welcome. Please feel free
to email me with your thoughts at thebobbyfish@gmail.com

Special thanks to David, and especially to Bill.

Your emails are all very welcome, and I will try to answer ever single one
of them!

Keep an eye out for Chapter Nine!