Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2007 12:53:44 -0700 (PDT) From: "ddrarrow_reborn@yahoo.com" <ddrarrow_reborn@yahoo.com> Subject: Memoirs of a Teenager Chapter Ten First of all, I would like to congratulate anyone who is reading this sentence right now. This means that you have reached the last chapter of Memoirs of a Teenager. Now all you have to do is finish this last chapter. This story (Memoirs of a Teenager) and all of its parts, components, etc., are copyright of me (ddrarrow_reborn@yahoo.com) and are not to be copied or reproduced without my permission. This story is only to be shown on the Nifty Erotic Stories Archive and if you find it somewhere else, please notify me so I will know where to send my pet swarm of bees. Violating any of the above terms will also result in me sending a swarm of bees to your location. This story is, essentially, fictional. The only real parts are probably towards the beginning of the book, which I pulled from my own past. The rest, well, I made up. (Hence the term, "fictional".) ---------- Memoirs of a Teenager Final Chapter: Chia-Like, I Shall Grow ---------- Josh stood there. His expression was indeterminable, but I didn't want to risk him making a scene. "We're leaving right now. I'm sorry Cody, but we'll explain later." I whispered. "Alright." Cody whispered back. "Sorry, Josh, but we're a bit occupied at the moment," Jake lied. "See ya later." The three of us walked off quickly without waiting for a response. We immediately made our way to the parking garage and found a somewhat deserted area. "So, what was that all about?" Cody asked. "I'll explain," Jake started. He was clearly shocked about Josh's appearance. "That kid... His name is Josh. Back when we lived in California, we were really good friends. We used to hang out all of the time, but our friendship sort of lessened once puberty came around. Suddenly, I found myself looking at boys instead of girls like most people did. One day, when Josh was over at my house, he decided to be nosy and looked at my internet history. That's when he found out that I was looking at gay porn sites. He outted me to the entire school the next day. That kid made my life absolute hell. I was thankful that he moved away within a month of that incident and I moved to another school district at about the same time. I had no idea that I would ever see him again... It's just that... That bastard ruined my life!!" Jake sank to his knees and began sobbing. I knew exactly how he felt. Josh... I never thought that he was the asshole that ruined Jake's life in California... "Jake... I... That bastard... That kid just seems to ruin everyone's lives, huh?" "You mean...?" "He's the bastard that made my life hell when I tried to come out of the closet in eighth grade..." "That's one hell of a coincidence." Cody said. This Josh kid sure is a bastard..." "You don't have to tell me twice!" Jake shouted. "David..." "Let's go to my place." I suggested. "We can cool down there." "Alright." Jake said. He was still sniffling a little bit. "I'll leave you two guys alone, alright?" Cody said. "Why?" I asked. "Well, I oughtta be going home anyways, and besides, I can see that this is something that you two should face together. I don't want to be sticking my nose in anything too personal, okay?" "Okay... Thanks, Cody." Jake said. "See ya." I said. "Peace, guys." Cody walked back towards the mall while Jake and I took the elevator downstairs to avoid Josh. The last thing we needed was another encounter with him. "Jake... It's going to be alright..." I said as I tried to soothe Jake. He was very shaken up by this experience, and I felt like he would need someone to lean on for the time being. Once the elevator doors opened, we walked outside and made our way towards my house. It would probably be no more than a ten minute walk, but time felt like it dragged on forever. I was also in shock when I saw Josh. Although I went with my instincts and walked away to avoid a confrontation, I couldn't help but feel like there was something else in his eyes. Something that wasn't of malice... I couldn't exactly pick it out, but I dismissed it, considering that I probably had nothing to gain from talking with that douchebag of a person I once knew. After what seemed like an eternity, I unlocked the front door to my house and ushered Jake and myself in. Jake sat down on the sofa, while I went into the kitchen for a drink of water. "Hey, Jake... Do you want anything to eat or drink?" I asked. "Umm... No thanks, David..." Jake replied. Seeing Josh was probably bringing back some bad memories from when he was younger... I couldn't help but feel the same way; seeing Josh also brought back some very, very bitter memories of middle school. ========== "You can just stay away from me. I don't give a fucking care about you anymore, you know that? Stay the fuck away from me, you fucking faggot." "What the hell, man! This doesn't make me any different than I was before! The only thing that's changed is your perception of me!" "Hell, I would've ran away sooner if I'd known you were a fag sooner... Now get the fuck away from me, you fairy." "Josh!! Dammit... FUCK!!!" ========== "Jake... It'll be okay... I'm here, and that bastard isn't gonna hurt us any longer, okay?" "Okay..." Jake mumbled. "Let's go upstairs. Today's been a rather tiring affair..." "But it's only 5:00..." "But I can tell that you, and I, need the sleep." Well, I didn't just need the sleep... Jake and I needed to be close; we needed to hold each other for strength... That bastard... Damn you, Josh... We went upstairs and went over to my room. I made sure to put on some soothing music, just to help us calm down and relax. 'Doo, doo... Doo doo doo... I believe in you and me...' Jake was gradually getting calmer. His sobbing was reduced to occasional hiccups and sniffles. I pulled him close to my body, and he hugged me tightly as well. The body heat between us had a strange, soothing effect... 'I'm comin' to find you, If it takes me all night... Wrong until... You make it right... And I won't forget you, At least I'll try... And run... And run... Tonight...' "David..." "Yes, Jake?" "We'll be together forever, right?" I wanted to say "yes", but there was always a part of me that was trained to look in the other direction, which made me more realistic. "...Of course, Jake. I love you too much to ever be apart from you..." But still, I could never imagine a life without Jake. Never. "David..." Jake said, before sobbing quietly again. "I love you so much... Hold me close... I need you..." "I need you too, Jake... We need each other." 'Everything... Will be alright, Everything... Will be alright, Everything... Will be alright... Everything... Will be alright, Everything... Will be alright, Everything... Will be alright...' We drifted to sleep in each others' arms. Jake's embrace was all that I wanted, all that I needed... And I had it. As long as we were together, nothing could stop us from ever drifting apart... ========== "Kyah!" "Ay-ah!" "Hwah!" "Sha!" Jake and I were training... We were at our studio, practicing Tae Kwon Do... "Jake, do you want to do a bit of sparring?" "Sure, David!" Jake's technique was very clean. Although he did not have as much experience as I did, his form and technique showed that he had great potential. While we were in the middle of a match, I saw a shadow appear from behind Jake... "Jake, watch out!!" I shouted. "...Huh!?" "Duck!!" Jake ducked, and I rolled to the side. There was a flash and a bang... The shadow had fired a gun... "Damn you, Josh..." I muttered. "Hello, faggots. I suppose you're wondering- Gha!" Jake had snuck behind Josh and struck him on the back of his head. "You fairy faggot! I'm going to get you for that!" "Jake! Run!" I barked. After Jake moved out of the way, I rushed in for a flying sidekick. The moment that I hit Josh, he began to dissipate, as if he was evaporating. "David... Thank you so much..." "No, Jake... You don't have to say that... I'll always be here..." ========== And then the doorbell rang. "...Huh?" I mumbled. The ring of the doorbell had awoken me from my dream. Jake was still cuddled against me, breathing softly. I smiled, then I peeled his arm off of my body. I made my way downstairs and took a peek through the blinds of the window next to the front door. ...Dammit... Not him, of all people... That fuckhead, Josh, still knew where I lived... "David, what's up?" Jake asked from the top of the stairs. "It's Josh. He still remembers where I live." "Fuck! Whatever you do, do not open that door!" Jake said. "Hold on..." I said. ========== "You can just stay away from me. I don't give a fucking care about you anymore, you know that? Stay the fuck away from me, you fucking faggot." ========== If he wants me to stay away, then why is he here...? I looked outside through the blinds. There was a strange change in Josh's expression. Those were not the eyes of someone out to berate another person... What the hell is going on? "Jake, there's something different in Josh's eyes. I can tell... You might not like this, but I'm going to let him in. You can hide in the spare room to your right if you want to eavesdrop on our conversation..." "Okay, David. I hope you know what you're doing..." "If he tries anything stupid, you know that I can take him." "Okay, then." Jake went into the spare room and closed the door. Our house had cruddy insulation, so he would be able to hear the conversation coming from the floor below. "Okay... Let's do this." I said to myself. I opened the door, expecting a barrage of insults, but knowing that that wouldn't be happening. "Um... Hello, David." "Hello, Josh." I was trying my best to act civil. "Do you want to step inside?" "Uh... Sure." he said. He seemed a bit shocked about my hospitality. After he stepped inside, I shut the door. "Okay..." I sighed. "What do you want with me?" I asked. "D-David... Uh... I'm... I'm..." "...Yes...?" "I'm sorry... I have to leave..." Josh opened the door and started to run. It was barely audible, but he was crying a little bit. "You can come down now, Jake." I said. "He's gone? What was that all about?" "Honestly... I don't know for sure... However... It seemed like he was trying to apologize or something. The look in his eyes was definitely one of remorse..." "Well, then... Should we go after him and resolve this?" "I think we sh-" "HELP!!! HELP ME!!! I'M BEING ATTACKED!!" "Shit! I think that's Josh!" I said. "Jake, we have to go, now!" "Alright, let's go!" We both ran out the door and towards Josh. We rounded the corner, and we saw him being attacked by three burly guys who seemed to be in their late 40's. "What's that smell..." Jake said. "Shit! It's alcohol! These guys are probably drunk." "Josh! Hold on!" I shouted. "Hey... Who's this little punk over here...?" one of the guys slurred. He showed a knife. It had little splotches of red all over it. "Shit! Jake! Grab my sticks! Hurry!" "Gotcha!" Jake ran off towards my house. It wouldn't be more than a minute before he got back with my escrima sticks in hand. "Josh! Are you alright!?" I shouted. "D... David... H-help... Me..." "Josh!! What the hell did you three do to him!?" "He got in our way and we decided to beat the bloody shit out of him, that's what..." another one of the guys slurred. "You..." Before I finished my sentence, one of the guys charged at me. I rolled out of the way and tripped him with my foot. "David!!" Jake yelled. "Catch!" Jake threw my escrima sticks at me and I caught them. "Phew... Now the score is even. Jake, call 911 and tell them to send two squad cars and an ambulance or two. Once they're on their way, help me out here, alright?" I commanded. "Alright!" Jake said. "We're gonna beat the shit out of you three, you snotty little brats. I'm gonna- Oof!" "You better watch what you say, alright?" I said as I hit the man on the elbow with one of my sticks. "We're not snotty little brats. And you should start running. The cops are on their way, and they'll be lucky if they handcuff you while you're conscious." "Hah, this punk actually thinks he can take the three of us by him- Gah!!" "Er-hem... How should I say this... Prepare yourself!" One of the men charged at me. His step was clearly off, and so was his balance. I tripped him with one of my sticks, then I rushed towards the other, who was standing by Josh. "What's this?" The third thug said. "Out of the way!" I shouted. I dashed a bit to the left and struck him on the back. I pushed him away from Josh. "Josh... An ambulance is on it's way... Hang on, alright?" "O... Okay, David... I just wanted to say how-" "No time for that, Josh. We can talk about this at the hospital." "Oh... Uhm, okay..." Josh was wounded fairly badly. He had three stab marks: one on his right arm and one on each of his legs. They weren't extremely deep, but if left alone or agitated, Josh could pass out due to blood loss. Josh and I were at one end of the block, and Jake was on the other, sandwiching the three drunk guys between us. "They'll be here in about two minutes!" Jake shouted. "Alright. Ya hear that, guys? There are gonna be some squad cars on their way. Just stay tight and they'll be here shortly." I said. "Shit! Let's get the hell out of here!" shouted one of the thugs. "Nope! You're not going anywhere!" Jake shouted. Right at that moment, the three of them tried to get away. Unfortunately, it was dark and they were drunk, and they also probably had no idea of their surroundings. They ran right into the parking lot of the pool maintenance company, effectively boxing themselves in. "David! They're getting away!" Jake shouted. "Don't worry. As long as we stay right here, they won't be going anywhere..." I said. Right at that moment, we began to hear sirens. The three drunkards were yelling and shouting, trying to get away, but still not realizing that they were trapped. Once the squad cars got there, I began to relax. A couple of paramedics hauled Josh onto a stretcher and put him in the ambulance. The three attackers were apprehended and sent off to the county jail. After a brief questioning and a few statements, Jake and I were free to go. "David, weren't you going to talk with Josh at the hospital?" Jake asked. "Uh... Yeah. Well, I can't ride in the ambulance, but the hospital is probably a thirty-minute walk from my house. I'll probably start walking there now. Hopefully the doctors can take care of his stab wounds by the time I get there. If you don't want to go, I understand." "Uhm... I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm ready to face him yet..." "It's okay, Jake. You can stay at my place in the meantime. My parents won't be home for a while; they're out on a dinner date with some of their friends." "Alright. Bye, David." "See ya, Jake." "...David?" "Yeah?" "Tell him that I would like to talk with him. Not now, but sometime in the extended future, alright?" "Sure." "Okay. Bye, David." "Bye." Jake walked towards my house, while I navigated my way to the nearest hospital, where Josh would most likely be. I was beginning to think about what I was going to say to him, and what we were going to talk about at the hospital. I was almost 100% sure that he wanted to make up for the crap he gave me in eighth grade. It was in his eyes, his expressions, his actions. Whatever we were going to talk about, I was sure that it wouldn't be hostile at all. It was about thirty minutes later when I arrived at Columbus Hospital. That was when I had remembered something. "Shit! I can't visit him at all!" I said to myself. Although there was no legal barrier (probation) keeping me from seeing him, I had no idea where Josh would be staying. In addition, I wasn't family or a close friend, so I couldn't exactly ask for his location either. I waited outside of the hospital for about five minutes, thinking of some way to get to Josh. I knew that he wanted to talk, albeit that he was a bit hesitant about it. The easiest approach would be waiting for Josh's mom to arrive and she could say that Josh and I were really good friends, but that was also the most improbable. For all I know, Josh's mom could think that I was a devil child or something. Maybe I could call his cell phone tomorrow, when he gets well enough to move a bit... No, that's not going to work either... They orderlies have probably turned it off to prevent interference with hospital machines... Or maybe they forgot about it... No, it still wouldn't work. They'd have stashed his stuff in a locker or something for safe keeping. Even if it was still on, I wouldn't be able to reach him... Crap! This isn't getting me anywhere! I can't think of any plausible way to get in contact with Josh! My thinking was beginning to frustrate me, so I got up and started walking. I probably wouldn't get lost, and if I did, the city's streets were organized in a way so that I would be able to find my way back home. Before I knew it, I was getting lost in my thoughts again, and I probably wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Somehow, I didn't get run over, but I also ended up back where my problems started. Swanson Middle School. This was where my whole ordeal started... This was where I was outted by Josh... This place brought back some horrible memories, but it also gave me a sense of... Well, I couldn't describe it, but I would probably put it somewhere around "closure", like this whole situation had come full circle. "...I should get back home... It's really getting dark now..." I said to myself. Once I got back home, Jake called his mom to pick us up and bring us back to his house. We were too exhausted to do anything much, just cuddle on the sofa in front of the TV. "So? What did you guys talk about?" Jake asked. "Well, once I got there, I realized that I had no idea where Josh would be and how I would even be able to talk with him." I said. "Oh... That's too bad..." "Yeah. Hey, your mom's here, I think. I just heard a horn." "Okay. Let's go." The rest of the night was composed of cuddling and sleeping. Jake and I were really exhausted by the day's events, and we needed some serious sleepage. Yes, I said "sleepage". English is a stupid language, so I make up my own. The next morning, I received a text message on my cell phone. 'Josh wants to talk with you' it said. I looked at the sender's number. I had no idea who it was, but the message was clear: Josh wanted to talk. Jake was still asleep, so I managed to get out of bed without waking him up and put on a fresh set of clothes. I went downstairs and asked Jake's mom if she could bring me to the hospital. She gladly obliged and I was at the hospital in a matter of minutes. "Thanks a bunch. Don't worry about waiting for me; I can walk back to my house." I said. "No problem, but what about your clothes?" Jake's mom asked. "Uh... I'll pick them up some other time, probably when Jake wakes up and wants to hang out with me." "Alright, then. Bye." "Bye." Jake's mom drove off and I walked into the hospital. I went to the receptionist and asked for Josh's room. After I got my visitor sticker, she gave me the directions to Josh's room. The walk to his room seemed like forever, but I knew that this had to be done. If not for my sake, then for Josh's. "Hey, David." Josh said weakly. "Oh... Hey, Josh. Feeling better?" "Yeah... It's amazing what science can do these days... But I should be thanking you. If you hadn't come... Well, I would've bled to death or something, right?" "Don't think about that stuff, man. So, you wanted to talk about something?" "Yeah... It's just that... I'm sorry for all of the shit I gave you back in eighth grade. I really acted like an asshole, dude. I'm so sorry, man..." "Okay. I forgive you. But why the sudden change in personality? Why do you suddenly feel the need to say sorry, after what you did in middle school?" "Honestly, I don't know. I guess I was thinking about my middle school experience and then I realized how horribly I treated you. I almost felt like puking every time I thought about how I treated you." "I see... So, where do we go from here?" "What do you mean?" "Simple. Now that this whole situation has been resolved, a few things have changed. I still want to be friends with you. I always have. What happens next, though? Do we become friends again? Or do our paths separate? What about Jake?" "Oh... I feel really bad about treating him the way I did too... If only he could forgive me. "He wants to, Josh. He's just a bit scared, that's all. One day, he will be able to forgive you. I know that." "Oh... Okay, then..." "But now, what about us?" "Honestly, I don't know. I guess we could be friends again. Just don't make it awkward or anything, alright?" "Of course. Jake would kill me if that happened." "Hahah... Yeah..." "Well, maybe I should get going-" "No! Don't leave yet!" Josh said. "Huh? Why?" I asked. "I dunno... I just want you here, that's all. I guess it's some sort of subconscious need for moral support or something." "Or you just want me here. Let's go with that." "Okay." For the next half-hour or so, I just sat in Josh's room. We talked about high school and becoming sophomores and all of that stuff. There was this girl that was really hitting on Josh; her name was Nicole. "What should I do about her?" Josh asked. "Well, if you really like her, then why don't you ask her to go out with you?" "That makes a lot of sense... I guess I'll do that, then. Thanks for the advice, man." "Yeah. Any time. Speaking of, I think I should be going home now." "Oh... Okay, then." "Bye, Josh." "Bye, David." "Hey, Josh?" "Yeah?" "One night and one more time, thanks for the memories-" I said, "Even though they weren't so great," Josh followed. "He tastes like you, only sweeter..." we sang in unison. "...Heh. I can't believe we just did that..." Josh said. "It's been a while, buddy." I said. I left his room with a huge grin on my face. Things would definitely be better now that this whole situation had been resolved. We had all matured so much; we had all grown so much; there was no more animosity; just friendship... "Thanks for the memories, Josh..." I said to myself. ---------- Memoirs of a Teenager Epilogue: Thanks For The Memories ---------- After my visit to the hospital, I went back to my house. Jake came over and we hung out, and I told him that Josh had a complete turnaround. After a couple of weeks, Josh was discharged from the hospital. We became really good friends again. The animosity that was coming from him was now completely gone. Brandan, being the stoner that he is, was busted by the police and sent of to Juvenile Detention for about two weeks. He pled no contest to one charge of possession of marijuana and was sent off with a year of probation. Jake and I grew closer as we spent more time with each other. I truly love him, and I'm pretty sure he loves me as well... Skywaves did relatively well, but nothing much outside of the local scene. This was mainly due to Alex being rather stubborn about what music he wanted to play. He, for some reason, refused to play any songs that the rest of the band members suggested. He said that "all of those songs were made after 2000 and are really emo." Afterwards, he left the band and Skywaves sort of dissipated after that. Eric and Eli were sort of like Alex's minions and kinda followed him out of Skywaves, even though they didn't want to. After Skywaves was done for, Josh and I got together and formed Four Mile Run. I was fronting the band with my guitar, Josh was on bass, our friend Hari was on guitar, and another of our friends, Miles, was on drums. Jake didn't really feel like playing with Josh since he was still a bit uncomfortable with being near him. I guess five years of memories really does a lot to a person. Four Mile Run was definitely more successful than Skywaves. We played more modern music and we even got into songwriting. We're currently in the process of making an EP to sell at our shows. Elliot, being the idiot that he is, got stabbed in a fight and died. (Yes, I know that's a bit dark, but he got what was coming to him!) Although there was a moment of silence at school, not a lot of people paid their respects to Elliot and only his family showed up at the funeral. (That's what I've heard, at least...) Alex, Jake, and I still practice our martial arts. Jake is progressing smoothly, and I think that he'll be as good as either Alex or myself, or even better than us, once he reaches our level. Cody... Well, I dunno about Cody. We didn't really see each other much outside of Ultrazone. My guess is that he came to be bi, but that's just my opinion. And that concludes this story. Or rather, as J.R.R. Tolkien expressed through Sam Gamgee, my part in this story. The End. ---------- Yay! You're done with this story! Now go pat yourself on the back or something or other. ...Eh. Feedback is to be sent to (ddrarrow_reborn@yahoo.com) and can include: comments, questions, suggestions, and/or flames. See you guys later. -DDR