Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 16:44:12 -0500
From: mchalejamie@emailaccount.com
Subject: Reese and Me 27 - The Dark and the Light

Reese and Me 27 - The Dark and the Light
February 11, 2003

Written by Jamie McHale

Warning - This story contains sexual content of a homosexual nature.

Note - This story is the property of the writer.  Any copying in part or
in whole of this document is prohibited.  The story is completely
fictional and does not involve any real people.

Please EMAIL me with all your comments.
mchalejamie@emailaccount.com
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Reese and Me 27 - The Dark and the Light

    Jake85 says: hey sexybitch!

    PS2boi says: lol     wasup?

    Jake85 says: u didnt wait after school ...

    PS2boi says: naw    was talkin to a couple ppl

    Jake85 says: oh yeh ...  u stayin over tonight?

    PS2boi says: of course

    Jake85 says: wicked .... when u comin?

    PS2boi says: in a bit, i gotta go out for a little first, kay?

    Jake85 says: yeh okay ...

    PS2boi says: so im headin out

    Jake85 says: yeh ... k ... love u

    PS2boi says: love u 2

    With that, Reese had signed off.  I spent several seconds staring at
his 'off-line' screen-name.  I sighed, wondering where he was headed.
After finally collecting myself, I decided it was probably best that I
didn't know.

    A week had passed since Reese's close encounter with the toilet, and
we'd barely spoken of it.  I hadn't been surprised when he informed me
that he'd 'blacked-out' for most of the party.  I still couldn't believe
how intoxicated he'd been.  I'd had to care for him in that state before,
however it had never been so extreme.  I would be lying if I said that it
didn't bother me to have to see him in such a position, but I could deal
with it.  Everybody drinks, I told myself.  I could easily have been in
the exact state as he.

    I rose from my computer chair, making my way toward the couch.
There, I sat, flipping channels.  Fifteen minutes passed, and then the
phone began to ring.  As it was Friday night, and as usual, my parents
were not at home, I recognized my responsibility to answer.  Groaning, I
got up and picked up the cordless which had been sitting on the desk.
Situating the phone next to my face, I returned to my seat.

    "Hello?"

    "Hey."  I didn't recognize the voice.

    "Yeah?  Who is this?" I asked, being rather direct about it.

    "Jake, it's Cory."

    I was completely dumbfounded.  "Hey, Cory," I began, unsure of what
to say, "What's up?"

    "I thought ...  I thought I needed to call you," he stammered,
obviously distraught.

    "What's wrong?" I demanded, immediately concerned.  It occurred to me
that something could be wrong with Chase.  I came forward in my seat,
nervously awaiting Cory's response.

    "Chase is fucked, man," Cory said, "I think he needs to talk to you.
Or someone.  I can't do it anymore."

    "What?  What do you mean?"

    "He's talkin crazy shit, Jake."

    "Fuck," I uttered, "Where are you?"

    "I just left his place.  I dunno ... I figured I should call you cuz
you two go back and stuff."

    I sighed hard, "Okay, I'll head over."

    "Thanks man," he said, still quite upset.  "I dunno what else to do."

    "Yeah," I replied, "Okay, I'm gonna go now."

    "Kay, bye."

    I hung up, instantly jumping off the sofa.  I'd forgotten about my
plans with Reese.  I'd forgotten about everything.  What had Cory meant
by, 'talkin crazy shit?'  Was Chase suicidal?!  Oh my god, I thought,
rushing up the stairs for the foyer.  I threw on some shoes and was out
the door.  My heart rate increasing by the second, I quickly climbed into
the Cherokee and turned my key in the ignition.  Burning rubber into the
road, I slammed the shifter into 'drive' and sped away.

    ********

    As the Jeep inched slowly into the vacant driveway, a creeping,
deathlike calm was sweeping through my otherwise tense body.  Chase's
large home was dark; there was no sign of inside illumination.  As I
brought the vehicle to a dead stop, I realized that I wasn't going to
like what I might discover inside.  With that thought, a set of nearly
overwhelming shivers went rip-roaring up my spine.  My panic had been
replaced by fear.  I almost didn't want to enter the house, but I was
well aware of my innate obligation to do so.

    I sucked in a deep breath, killing the Jeep's engine.  After climbing
out into the silent night, I began slowly for the open garage doors.  My
hands quivering, I realized just how scared I was.  I couldn't place the
source.  What exactly was I afraid that I would find?  I shook a mess of
twisted and terrifying imagery from my over-engaged mind, continuing into
the black and empty atmosphere of the garage.

    I reached the door.  It was half-open, the heavy metalic door
swinging ever so slightly in the hard breeze emanating from a large fan
sitting on the floor of the dark porch.  I could barely see it, but the
loud blusterings of air could almost be heard from the end of the long
driveway.

    Breathing hard, I pushed open the door, and stepped into the house.
Now, there was no going back.

    Immediately, I had been emersed in the deep blackness of the home.  I
shuddered, searching for a light switch on the walls around me.  Having
scanned all over, I could not locate any switches.  After a short time, I
gave up, turning to enter the kitchen.  This room was equally dark,
however some light from the street was available through a few mid-size
windows above the sink.  I did not look for any switches in this room,
instead I turned for the entryway to the livingroom.

    My level of fright was steadily increasing as I stood at the edge of
the livingroom, peering in.  Matching the rest of the house, the large
room was blanketed in darkness.  My breathing still heavy, I turned away,
heading into the hallway.

    The entire home seemed to ooze fear.  My tension was on the rise, as
though the walls generated it as I passed.  I could still barely see, and
there was still no indication as to Chase's location.  Just then, I
called out, "Chase?"

    My voice echoed slightly in the tight corridor.  I stood, awaiting a
response for nearly a minute.  It seemed like a lifetime, but I carried
on, slowly making my way into Chase's bedroom.  It was the final room in
the blackened hallway, and I was relieved when I realized that I was
aware of the location of his light switch on the wall.  Taking in another
deep breath, I reached over with my left hand and touched the wall.
Blindly, I scanned the wall for the switch with my hand.  Before I could
locate it, however, I felt two hands clasp around my shoulders from
behind.  I let out a silent yelp in absolute terror and shock.  I froze.
My mind, my body, everything.  From the shadows behind me, the unseen
attacker forced my paralized body forward, tossing me to the hard floor.
Panicked, and still in shock, I threw my hands out in front of me as I
crashed onto the bedroom floor.  I whipped around as the lights came on,
revealing my attacker as Chase.

    "Chase!" I uttered, unsure of what I was feeling.  I was relieved
that it was him, however I was terrified by the blank expression on his
face.  Absolutely terrified.

    "What are you doing here?" he said, the lack of emotion in both his
face and tone, quite frightening.

    "I ..." I stammered, obviously revealing to him how scared I was.  "I
came to check on you.  See you.  Talk to you."

    Chase sighed, moving toward me.  Still, he was expression-less.  He
put out his right hand, offering to help me up from the floor.  I
accepted.

    "Chase," I began, unsure of just how to place my question.  "Why'd
you push me just now?"

    "Thought you were Cory."

    My mind in a state where information couldn't be processed quickly
enough, I was not certain how to take his answer.  Was he abusive to
Cory?  Or vice-versa?  "You okay?"

    He didn't reply.  After I was able to get past Chase's bleak
expression, I took in his appearance.  I'd never seen him like that - his
longish hair was wet with sweat, and in a tangled mess.  He was wearing
only a white wife-beater and boxers.  Both were obviously damp from a
heavy sweat.

    "Chase," I said, taking a step toward him.  To my surprise, he backed
away.  I sighed under my breath, putting my arms out to give him a hug,
however he continued to avoid me.  "What the hell's wrong with you?" I
demanded, beginning to tense up again.  I suppose I may have been a tad
harsh, but I didn't understand his defensize reactions to me.

    "Get outta here, Jake," Chase finally said.  His face now revealed
some emotion.  It was sadness.

    "Why?" I asked, still approaching him.  At that point, I had backed
him all the way into the hallway.  "Just stop for a second, okay?  I'm
not gonna hurt you."

    "You've already hurt me enough," he muttered, his head down.  Even in
the darkness, I could see that his eyes were beginning to tear up.  It
was as though someone had drove a knife deep into my soul.

    I came forward again, grabbing him with both hands.  With or without
his immediate consent, I was going to give him a hug.  Pulling him close
to me, I wrapped my arms around his tall shoulders and brought his head
down into my chest.  Poor Chase, I thought.  Was this all my fault?

    "Kay," I began, rubbing the back of his head as he sobbed into my
shirt.  "Let's go back to my place, we'll hang out for a bit."  I was
well aware of the fact that Reese would more than likely be showing up at
my place at some point, however I feared leaving Chase alone.  I couldn't
begin to imagine the extent of his hurt, and I needed for someone to be
with him constantly.  If Cory wasn't going to do it, then I was.

    I received no argument from Chase, and after a few more moments of
holding him against me, we proceeded toward the front door.  Chase still
seemed apprehensive as we slowly made our way down the dark driveway for
the Cherokee.  He continued to follow, however.

    Once we were well on our way down the street, I turned to my
passenger.  "What happened tonight, Chase?"

    He paused for a few moments, staring blankly out the passenger-side
window.  "I dunno, a fight."

    "Must have been bad," I remarked, continually turning back to him.  I
was attempting to gauge his reactions as I probed the events of his
evening.  The last thing I needed was for him to get upset.  "You wanna
talk about it?  Usually helps."

    "No," was his plain response.

    I wasn't altogether satisfied with that.  There were still too many
unanswered questions.  Why had he pushed me?  What had caused him to
become so agitated?  I had never seen Chase that way, and it bothered
me.  "Come on," I began, "I've called on you a lot to talk out my shit."

    "I'm fine," Chase said, finally turning his eyes on me.  "And I don't
wanna talk about it."

    My emotions were finally settling, and I began to ponder Reese's
location.  After my ordeal with Chase, I was surprised that I was still
able to worry about anything else.  Tyring to shake my desire to drive by
Brian's house, I approached an intersection.  I knew if I turned left, it
would take a few extra minutes to get back to my place.  However, the
longer route provided a glimpse of Brian's home.  I wasn't so interested
in the house itself, but the driveway.  I didn't know how I would react
to discovering Reese's car there.  But, I knew that my need to know would
itch and itch at me if I turned right instead of left.

    Sighing, I hit the left signal lights, pulling into the turning
lane.  It was green, so I proceeded through the turn.  Chase was still
silent, however I could sense that he was well aware of my intentions.
It didn't seem to bother him, though.  He kept his mouth shut as I
reduced my speed to nearly 10 miles per hour, leaning across my seat to
scan Brian's driveway.  To my relief, there was no sign of Reese's
vehicle.  However, as we pulled away, Chase reacted to something he saw.

    "What the fuck?!" he cried, sitting on the edge of his seat.  He was
still staring back at Brian's.

    "What?" I demanded, turning to him, "What is it?"

    "That's Cory's car!" he screamed, completely enraged.

    My heart jumped into my throat.  I knew what would happen next.

    "Stop the car!  Go back!" Chase ordered, hair-splitting rage written
all over his face.

    "Chase," I began, attempting to reason with him.  "I don't wanna ..."

    "I don't give a fuck!" he hollered, cutting me off.  Then, he opened
the passenger-side door.  The vehicle was still in motion, and at a
regular speed.

    "Close the fucking door!" I cried, my hands digging into the steering
wheel.

    "Fuck you!  Stop the fuckin car, or I'll jump right out!"

    "Chase!" I screamed, panicking.  To my horror, his body was already
half-way out of the Jeep.  Instinctively, I brought the vehicle to a
complete, while abrupt, stop on the side of the road.  Before I could
even switch into 'park,' Chase was running at full speed back down the
street toward Brian's.

    "Shit!" I muttered, realizing my obligation to pursue.  I was pretty
certain as to the reason Cory was present at Brian's.  They were likely
getting high together.  Chase had been quite aware of Cory's drug use,
but I was unsure as to what his reaction would be upon actually
discovering his boyfriend in the act.  Judging by Chase's extreme
overeaction however, I wondered if something else could be going on.  Was
Cory cheating?  It was a frightening thought, and I knew Chase was likely
to go insane if that was the case.

    After exiting the Jeep, I began my pursuit of Chase.  This was a
difficult task, as he'd been a champion of track and field.  I kept up as
well as possible, however Chase had reached Brian's front door long
before I could.  He'd rung the doorbell, but there was still no answer by
the time I was at his side.

    "Chase," I shouted, taking a final step toward him.  He was livid,
and I didn't know if I could talk him down.  "What is it you think you're
gonna accomplish here?"

    He gave no reply.  Ignoring my presence, he stood, awaiting the
enivitable.  Just then, the door swung open.  And there stood, the
infamous, Brian Hendrick.  As always, even though it was the furthest
thing from my mind, he looked adorable.  He'd altered his appearance
substantially since the previous summer, when we had dated.  His hair was
now dyed something of a dark purple.

    "Woah," uttered Brian, leaning against the door-frame.  "Jake."  I
couldn't decide whether it was nostalgia on his face, or a kind of
disturbed pleasure.  It still bothered me that he was hanging around with
Reese, and I wondered if he considered it some type of game.  Then again,
it could have just been that they enjoyed a pleasant, mutual friendship,
and I had absolutely nothing to do with it.

    "Where's Cory?!" cried a desperate Chase, taking an offensive step in
Brian's direction.  Brian made no attempt to protect himself.  It was
then when I noticed how relaxed he appeared.  I quickly scanned his
eyes.  Their movement was slowed, and were obviously glossy and
redenned.  He was high.

    "Shhhhhhh," Brian replied, sticking his index in front of his tight
lips.  Mischieviously, he grinned, turning his eyes back on me.  Still, I
couldn't place what he was tyring to communicate.  "My parents are home."

    Chase let out what can only be labelled as a 'grunt.'  "Where the
fuck is he?!"

    "Kay," Brian sighed, "He's downstairs."

    With that, Chase began to move past Brian in the doorway.
Immediately, Brian side-stepped to stop him.  "I told you," he said,
still smiling.  "My parents are home."

    "Bri," I interjected, "He's really gotta talk to Cory."  I couldn't
believe what had just come out of my mouth.  I called him, 'Bri.'

    "Alright," Brian said, staring at me once again.  "I'll go get
him.  Stay here."  Then, he disappeared into the house.  I was still
kicking myself for calling him Bri.

    "I can't fuckin believe this!" Chase cried, driving his fist into the
brick wall beside the door.  He'd hit it hard, and as I suspected, he was
bleeding.

    That's helpful, I thought, wondering if I should even be present
there.  For one thing, I wasn't in the habit of becomming involved in
other people's relationships.  Reason number two for not being there,
though, had to do with Brian.  I had made it a point to avoid contact
with him.  It was almost the same situation with Chase.  Whenever I came
into contact with these two individuals, old feelings and emotions began
to brew inside of me.  And I didn't like it.  I was SO in love with
Reese, and these distractions were not welcomed.

    After we'd waited nearly five minutes, Brian re-emerged from his
home.  Following close behind, was Cory.

    Immediately, Chase came forward.  "Cory," he said, desperation in his
cracking voice.  "Can we talk?"  It was striking how quickly his utter
rage had been diluted by hurt.

    "What about?" was Cory's reply.  He appeared unscathed by their
earlier session of fighting.  However, I guessed that he was likely
already under the influence of drugs.

    "I need ta talk to you," whimpered Chase, gesturing for his boyfriend
to follow him down the driveway.  Cory seemed hesitant.  Not scared, but
hesitant.

    After a slight pause, Cory began down the driveway.  Chase was not
far behind, and almost instantly, they were arguing.  I found myself
standing there on the stoop, alone with Brian.

    "What's up with you, Jake?" Brian asked, staring me down from the
open doorway.

    I didn't want to answer him, but I did.  "Not much," I sighed.

    Suddenly, Brian approached me, coming within what could only be
called intimate distance.  He shut the door behind him, smiling.  What
was behind that grin?

    "You wanna come in?" he giggled, "I got some solid weed."

    I decided there was nothing more than stupidity behind his smile.  He
was quite impaired.  "Naw, I'm good."  Detecting the scent of marijuana
on his clothes, I took a step back.  Gently, he touched my arm.  "Brian,"
I groaned, making eye contact with him again.  His gaze was almost
paralyzing.  I wondered if he had tried this on Reese.  The thought made
me sick to my stomach.

    "Missing ya!" he cried, apparently ignoring my apprehensions.  He
laughed again, brushing back his purple hair.

    I sighed aloud, the sudden urge to confront him on the topic of Reese
overwhelming me.  I could still hear Chase and Cory fighting, and I was
reminded of my purpose.  I wasn't there to start my own confrontation.  I
was there to stop one from going too far.

    Still though, I couldn't just let this go.  "Brian," I began, my
upper body stiffening.  "Why the hell do you gotta pull this routine with
me everytime we see each other?"

    "I dunno," was his simple answer.  To my discomfort, he was still
clinging to my arm.  "I'm not gettin it anywhere else."

    I was relieved to hear that.  At least I knew he wasn't messing
around with Reese.  I hadn't ever believed that was a possibility anyway,
but this was my solemn confirmation.

    We stood there in that unpleasant and awkward situation for several
minutes until he spoke once again.  What he said, I couldn't believe.
"You still love me?"

    I felt my face twist up, "What the fuck?!"

    Not surprisingly, Brian meerely laughed again, releasing my arm and
turning away.  I was still stunned as he returned to the doorway,
re-entering his house.

    Shaking my head, I continued to watch the growing battle before me.
Chase was now screaming, and Cory appeared to be crying.  I was reminded
of past fights with Reese.  It seemed that Chase and Cory were headed for
a record-breaker, however.  It pained me intensely to witness Chase in
that state.

    "Fuck!" emerged from Chase's shaking lips at a pitch and tone that
seemed to shake my eardrums.  Afterwhich, he abandoned Cory in the
driveway to turn and stalk away.

    I swore under my breath, beginning down the lawn.  "Chase!" I
shouted, "Where you goin?"  He did not respond.

    Concerned, I stopped to check on Cory.  Still crying, his head
was hanging low.  "You gonna be okay, Cor?"

    He lifted his face, "I dunno."

    I realized that Chase was getting away, so I decided to hurry up and
pursue.  "It'll be cool tomorrow or something, man.  He just really needs
to cool down."  I knew nothing I said would make any difference, but I
was worried for him as well.  "I gotta go catch him, so I'll talk to you
later."

    Cory nodded in accordance - my signal to jet.

    I ran through the night, shouting over and over for Chase to stop,
but it was no use.  He'd gotten a massive head-start, and there was no
chance that I would catch-up on foot.  Then, it occured to me that I
should run and grab the Jeep.  Having sprinted to reach the side of my
vehicle, I breathlessly climbed in and pulled a U-turn in order to
'chase' Chase.

    ********

    It was nearly midnight by the time I pulled into my driveway.  I
hadn't been able to locate Chase, even having gone back to check his
place.  His parents, who had arrived home an hour earlier, had not seen
him.  I was now becomming increasingly fatigued, and my urgent concern
for Chase was fading.  I needed sleep.

    Slipping out of the vehicle, I quickly turned to check for Reese's
car.  There it was, sitting peacefully in his driveway.  I decided that
my first priority was to give him a call.  Growing anxious to see my man,
I hurried up the long driveway for my house.  I entered the foyer,
quietly making my way downstairs, so as not to wake my sleeping parents.

    Stepping into the dark rec room, I instinctively hit the wall switch,
activating a set of dim lamps across the room.  It was enough light
however, to see that a figure was seated quite comfortably on the far
sofa.  I smiled as I realized that it was Reese.

    "Baby," escaped my mouth.  I was so glad to finally see him.  "You
wouldn't believe the night I've had."

    "Oh yeah," he replied, rising from the couch to approach me.  "I've
been waiting here for a while."  Arriving in front of me, he pulled me
into a long kiss.  I melted.

    "Where'd you go?" he asked.

    I opened my eyes, gazing at him.  "I'll tell you all about it in the
morning, kay?"

    "Sure," he agreed, smiling slightly.  "Well, I think you probly
figured I was gonna be out all night drinkin or something."

    There was something drastically different about him.  He seemed to be
completely in line with me.  Not that Reese and I didn't get along most
of the time, but it was different that night.  I couldn't explain it,
yet.

    "Yeah," I said, "I didn't know, and there was some shit going down
and I had to help someone out.  But, like I said, I'll tell you all about
it in the morning.  I don't even wanna think about it anymore tonight."

    "That's cool," he whispered, leaning in for another kiss.  I held him
tight against my body.  This felt so great after the night I'd had.
"Jake," Reese began, pulling away from me momentarily.  "After we talked,
I went out and got something I've been wanting to get for a long time."
My heart skipped a beat.  I knew he was having a difficult time with
whatever he wanted to say.  I looked down at his hands, they were
trembling.  Without thinking, I gently touched the side of his face.

    "What's going on, baby?" I asked, already in suspense.

    "I wanna give you something," he said, producing a small metallic box
from his pants pocket.  Just then, I felt as though time had stopped.
This was my one absolutely perfect moment.  Slowly, Reese opened the box,
revealing a gold ring.  "I wanna ..." he choked.  "I wanna spend the rest
of my life with you, Jake."
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