Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 01:35:07 -0500
From: Daven Pierce <daven_pierce@hotmail.com>
Subject: Strength Because of You, Chapter 5 - Broken Ties

Disclaimer: It's still the same, but I'll remind you. This is a gay story
that will contain eventual sex between males. If this offends you, find
another story. If this is illegal or can cause you harm where you are
from... HIDE IT VERY GOOD! And all the other things I forget to mention.

Copyright: Copyright 2001. This work is property of Daven, if this name is
the same as yours, more technically, it's the work of A. Parks. Get my
permission if you wish to post this on another site. Feel free to give this
story to friends. Do not distribute this work for profit.

***NOTE*** I'm gonna start a web site I think that will have my work on it.
This story and future stories and other writings will be posted there. This
story will continue to be posted in Nifty's Archive. I have a new email
address exclusively for people who write to me about my writing. It will
also be the email to use to communicate to me about the up coming site.


Strength Because of You
Chapter 5 - Broken Ties



Jason skid to an abrupt halt, roller blades kicking up dust. He looked
behind himself to see how far Josh was behind and was almost knocked over by
his brother, speeding at him like a bat out of hell. Josh grabbed him as he
flew past and they spun in an unstable circle, fighting to stay upright.

"Learn how to skate," Jason said, pushing a laughing Josh away.

"Aw, you weren't afraid you might fall, were you?" Jason didn't answer, he
plopped down on their front steps and began unfastening his roller blade
straps. Josh joined him and did the same.

"The house was clean when we left, right?" Josh asked suddenly. Jason's head
snapped up.

"Yea. It still should be unless we got evil little sprites running around
the house causing mayhem."

Jason looked up from what he was doing, his eyes followed a car riding down
the street. He didn't return to his skates until the car passed out of
sight.

"Who was it?"

Jason looked startled. He hadn't meant for Josh to notice his interest in
that car. "It was Tommy."

"A boy you like?"

"No!" Jason said hastily. He blushed. It was the truth, he didn't like
Tommy. He put his full attention back into his skates.

"Look at you blush! You 'do' like him." Josh accused.

"No I don't. Besides, Tommy and the rest of his crew are hopelessly
straight."

"Nothing wrong with that." Josh said standing up. "'I'm' hopelessly straight
after all."

Jason got up as Josh went to unlock the door, instead it swung open.

"Wait here, Jase." Josh went to go up the stairs but stopped when he saw
Jason tagging along.

"What?" Jason demanded. "I'm not letting you go up alone." Josh looked as if
he was going to argue, but nodded instead.

"Just stay behind me."

The upstairs door was unlocked too. There was no way Josh forgot to lock
both doors--one was farfetched. Josh suddenly realized what it was. A
burglar would have forced his way in; no signs of that.

"John is home." Josh stated acidly.

John was their father. Josh never called him "father" or "dad" as long as
Jason could remember. Apart from their father requiring them to address him
as "sir", Josh said he didn't deserve it. Fathers were not like John.

Josh pushed the door open and walked in. He still barred Jason from getting
ahead of him. John round a corner and gave a startled yelp. The surprise
quickly turned to anger.

"Where have you two been? The house is a mess," John barked in the faces.
There was an unpleasant aroma of liquor and garlic on his breath. The stench
was enough to make Josh--closest to him--wince.

Josh became aware of what John was talking about. From the empty beer cans,
half empty bottle of vodka, and a pizza box--not to mention filthy work
clothes and knocked over household items--it wasn't hard to figure out who
was the source of the mess.

"Wow, John." Josh said feigning awe. "This is a new personal best for you.
Only here for no more than two hours and already you have the house trashed.
Bravo!" Josh clapped.

John's hand caught him in the mouth. "Don't speak that way to me, boy!"
John's nostrils flared in anger. "Clean this place up." He walked away from
them into his room. He was disgusting. He was walking around in a muscle-tee
and boxers. Any muscles he had from before was gone now and the boxers were
stained from long use. The stench waffing from him was enough to make Josh
gag. It was hard to believe they were related, more less sons, to this
disgusting excuse for a human. Josh wiped blood away from his cut lip and
walked over to a stand. A picture of his mother stood framed on it. She was
beautiful. Gorgeous! What did she ever see in that pig? She died when Josh
was seven; Jason only five.

"Come on," Josh said. He grabbed his shoes and began pulling them on.

"Where are we going?" Jason asked.

"Hell if I know. Anywhere but here." After their feet were dressed, Josh
opened the door quietly and ushered Jason out. After Jason was through he
stepped out himself... and slammed the door closed. John had no doubt heard.
Both boys were running out, away from the house. They ran until the house
was out of view.

"Are you crazy?" Jason gasped, trying to force more air into his burning
lungs.

"He would have noticed us missing sooner or later." Josh shrugged. "Why keep
him waiting?"

The two boys walked until they were almost downtown. They crossed the street
and entered the ice-cream parlor. The parlor was pretty packed today. Josh
and Jason took the last table. They waited for a waitress to come by. How
good was that? Having ice-cream and other desserts waited on you.

A sharp intake of breath from Jason made Josh look up at him. He followed
Jason's gaze to a far table.

"Ah... Terrin Jones and a boy I don't know." Josh's eyes were full of
mischief. "Which do you like?" Jason blushed. "Or, is it both?" His blush
deepened. A waitress came to their table.

"What can I get you today, Josh?" Jaime was a plump lady. She knew them both
well from the sporadic visits. Her voice was surprisingly melodic for her
size.

"Hot Fudge Cake with vanilla ice-cream."

"And you, cutie." Jason blushed all over again. He hated when she called him
that. She knew his name of course, but had adopted calling him "cutie"
instead. One time he asked why, she said plainly, "Because you are,
sweetheart." It had also been the only time she ever called him anything
else than cutie. Josh got a big laugh out of it.

Jason had short light-brown hair that was more pain than it was worth. It
always seemed to be unruly, resisting all attempts to tame it. He was told
that was part of his charm. The other part, aside from him soft, smooth
face--the kind that was astonishingly cute, but wasn't very manly at
all--was his deep green eyes. Josh was the same in that respect--the eyes.
Though he different by hair and looks. His was the more blond than brown
type of hair. Always did as it was told, and he had the stunning handsome
look--the manly kind. Jason guessed it had something to do with Josh being
straight. He had his full share of male hormones. Either they took after
their mother completely, or John had to have looked better in his day.
Probably both since Jason couldn't see his mother being with something as
unattractive as John was now.

"Same." Jason said. Before she walked away, Josh with eyes practically
dancing mischief stopped her.

"You know what, Jaime? Have them brought over to Terrin's table. Me and Jase
are going to be over there." She nodded smiling, and then trotted off. Jason
nearly exploded.

"What are you doing?" Jason kept his voice to a fierce whisper.

"I don't know the boy with Terrin. Just being friendly." Josh said, getting
up. He made his way to Terrin's table. Jason had no choice but to follow
along; besides, his cake would be brought over there now,

"Hey, Terrin." Josh said reaching the table. "How's it going?" Terrin and
the other boy looked up startled.

"I've been a lot better." He frowned. "What happened to you, Josh?" Josh
looked confused for and moment, until he realized Terrin meant his lip.

"Skating accident." The lie came easily to his mouth. "Mind if we sit?"

"No, no--go right ahead. Hey, Jason." Terrin said, giving him a weak smile.
Jason looked up from studying the floor.

"Hey," he said, barely audible. "Hey." He repeated, louder. This was
torture! Being with one guy you liked is hard enough, but two! Terrin
scooted over and Josh sat next to him, leaving Jason to sit with the other
boy.

"So, who's your new friend?" Josh said, Mr. Conversationalist himself.

"Oh--that's right, you don't know Julian. Julian, this is Josh," he
indicated Josh, "and this here is Jason. Josh. Jason. This is Julian, he's
at our school now."

"How you doing, Jason?" Julian had his hand extended to Jason. Jason looked
panicked for a second, which went unnoticed, then promptly shook his hand.
It was like an electric jolt; touching Julian.

"So, Jason, when you going to teach your brother to skate?" Terrin joked.

Jason laughed. It was good to laugh at Josh's expense for a changed. Even
though the spilt lip was from something else. "You know, you can't teach
Josh anything." Everyone laughed.

"Did you guys order yet? Julian asked.

"Sure did. Two hot fudge cakes with vanilla ice-cream; and they need to
hurry it up. What you guys getting? Or did you already eat?"

"Banana Split and Chocolate-fudge Sundae." Julian replied. "And here they
all come now." They all eagerly looked.

Jaime was expertly balancing all four orders and making her way speedily
towards them.

"Banana Split for Julian; Chocolate-fudge Sundae for Terrin; and two Hot
Fudge Cakes, 'with' vanilla ice-cream, for Josh and our resident cutie
here." Jason blushed. He wished she hadn't said that right here. His gaze
met three grins before he immersed himself in his dessert. They all did the
same. Josh, Terrin, and Julian talked about school. Jason was quiet unless a
question was posed to him.

"You come here a lot?" Julian asked.

Which met, "Sure do. This is 'the' place," from Josh.

Throughout the conversation going on around him, Jason stole covert glances
at Terrin, but mostly Julian. It never occurred to him that if he were to
join in on the conversation, he could look at them all he wanted openly.

All too soon they were all getting up and saying goodbyes. Jason eagerly
gave parting hand-slaps. He showed Julian how to do it.

Walking home, the disappointment bubbled in Jason. It was always like that!
Regrets on what he could have done; at least made things more enjoyable from
him.

"That was horrible, Jase!" Josh stated, interrupting the previous silence.

"What?--I didn't think Terrin and Julian were horrible." Jason replied
defensively.

"Not them!--You!"

"Me? What did I do?"

Josh hit his forehead. "Oh my god, he doesn't 'know'..." Jason hated Josh's
ability to make you cross-reference yourself. He found himself scrutinizing
his actions. "My poor brother, as hard as you tried not to, you practically
raped those two with your eyes." Jason had thought no one noticed. God! Did
they notice too? "I'm positive anyone who bothered to look could tell you
are gay. Part of the problem is the way you blush around any half
decent-looking guy." Josh put his arm around Jason's shoulder and walked him
along.

"I was that bad?" Jason asked, though more to himself that for anyone else's
ear.

"Worse. Shape up if you plan to keep face tomorrow and talk to them. I know
you got it in you; you talk my ear off all the time.

Jason pushed Josh away from him. Josh stumbled away laughing.

"You know though, I think Julian could be gay too." This caught Jason's
attention.

"You do? Why?" But Josh wouldn't say anything else. He just walked along
with a silly secretive smile on his face. They walked along till their house
came into view.

Trepidation grew in Jason as they neared their house. Running away had
seemed a good thing--a 'fun' thing--before, but now, now they would have to
face John. Josh's face seemed to harbor a little worry of its own. When they
reached their porch stairs, they stopped.

Josh turned to Jason. "I want you to stay down here," he said. Jason went to
protest, but the look in Josh's eyes halted that.

"Josh. You can't just go up there. You can't take everything on your
shoulders." Jason said.

"Better me than you." Josh left Jason alone and went in the house.

Josh knew his mind was only getting to him. The hallway seemed much more
darker and foreboding that usual. He didn't hurry, yet he didn't linger
either. He would have to face John sooner or later. Might as well be now.

Josh suddenly felt weary. He was tired of it all. Tired of John. Tired of
living under these conditions. Yet he couldn't do anything about it. He
wouldn't lose his brother.

Josh pushed open the door. John was passed out on the couch. He didn't look
to be waking anytime soon. There was two empty liquor bottles on the table
by him. Josh started into the other room but stopped abruptly. Something was
different; wrong? He went over towards the couch slowly. John wasn't
snoring. John always snored.

He looked at John. Sure enough, no sounds coming from him. Then he looked
closer. He reached out a hand and touched John. Josh gasped and tripped over
the table falling backwards in his haste to get away. John wasn't breathing
and his body felt like ice. A lump formed in Josh's throat, nothing would
come out. He was dead.

Josh ran down the stairs, falling and catching himself on the railing. He
stumbled down the stairs and out the door. Jason jumped up startled at his
brother's abrupt appearance.

"What happened? Your pale!" Jason ran off the porch after his brother. Josh
crouched down and ungracefully let loose the dessert he'd eaten.

"He--he--he's d-dd-dead." Josh could barely talk.

"You killed him." Jason's voice was barely a whisper.

"No... No! Looks like the idiot drank himself to death." Josh paced around
the yard trying to think what to do. "We gotta call someone. We have to
report this. I'm not going back up there."

Josh started across the street to a neighbor's house. He knocked on the
door, rather, he banged on the door. A wild-eyes woman answered the door.

"What? Why are you banging on my door?"

"I--I need to use your phone. John is dead."

The woman's eyes became saucers. She shivered and then ushered him and Jason
in. The house was dim. Old things cluttered all the rooms, leaving only a
small pathway between the mountain of stuff. Everything looked old fashion.
Dust creeped in corners. Jason found the house spooky. Josh was too
hysterical to notice.

Josh went into the kitchen to use the phone, leaving Jason standing in the
living-room alone. The wild-eyed woman came in.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" She asked. Her voice was raspy. For some
reason, images of old movies went through his head. The horror ones were old
people gave unsuspecting kids something or another, and it ended up doing
something bad to them.

"No... thanks." Jason said, looking anywhere but at her. There was a man's
tux laid out neatly on a cushioned chair.

"You were married before?" Jason asked, just to break the looming silence.

"No. I wasn't much the marrying type." Her eyes went distant. Jason refused
to think about why she had a tux. He wished Josh would hurry up on the
phone.


::911 emergency, what's the problem?:: The voice on the phone asked.

"John is dead. You need to send... somebody. Send someone to take care of
it."

::What is the address?:: Josh gave her the address and anything else she
asked for. Then he got fed up with the questions and hung up on her. He
walked into the living-room.

"Thanks for letting me use your phone. Come on Jason." They started for the
door. Jason nearly jumped out his skin when a bony hand gripped his arm.

"Why don't you wait for them here. I'll get you refreshments." She asked in
her creepy hoarse voice. Jason was shaking and nearly passed out with relief
when Josh insisted they had to go. He nearly ran out the house before he
caught himself.

"That house is so creepy." Jason said, breathing in the fresh air like he
just had a brush with death. "Did you 'see' that?"

"See what?" Josh asked.

"What do you mean. You couldn't miss it. The house. It was all 'old'."

"I guess I didn't notice." Josh said.

"She had a tux laid on her chair."

"So, it must have been her husbands. Probably died."

"She never 'had' a husband. She said she wasn't the marrying type." Try as
he would, Jason couldn't get Josh to see anything wrong about the house. He
insisted he just didn't notice.

They waited on their porch until the guys got there. They wouldn't let Josh
go back into the house--which suited him just fine. He answer more
questions, then asked one of his own.

"What is going to happen to us?"

"We'll take you over to a close relative's house until everything get's
settled. Then we'll see what happens from there."

"We don't have a close relative. None that we know of anyway."

"Then we'll take you to a shelter until we find a relative that will take
you in."

"And if you don't?" Josh asked.

"Then you'll have to go into a foster home."

Josh shook his head and walked away. His worse fears were coming to light.
Unless they had some family they didn't know about, then they would probably
get split up. They went upstairs to pack some clothes. Josh refused to look
anywhere in the living-room. Jason figured John must have died in there.

Josh and Jason got into the back of a police car after having gave the house
keys to another officer. They officers wanted to take a look around the
house--whether suspecting foul play or something else, neither knew.

They were taken to the station to get some things sorted out. Josh gave them
all the info he knew about his family. Then answered other questions. Josh
wished they would stop all of them. He was tired of repeating the same thing
over.

After that they were taken to a nearby shelter. They would stay there until
family was found and things got taken care of. They were assured there stuff
was safely locked up and that Josh would be getting his keys back in a day
or two, but they were strictly forbidden to try and stay at the house. They
could come and go from the shelter as they pleased, though they had to
follow curfew rules and other shelter regulations. Then the officer left
them.

Josh felt uncomfortable in the shelter, like he didn't belong there. he
hoped this family affair thing would be tied up quickly, and he hoped and
prayed they had family somewhere. He wasn't going to give Jason up. He was
staying with his brother.

They were shown to a dorm. It was a room for four, with two bunk beds on
opposite walls. A closet and chest of drawers for clothing, and a shelf for
'other' things. The two boy they were sharing a room with was a tall,
heavyset brunette, with hard eyes. Despite the look he turned out to be
really cool. He had a nature than belied the rough exterior. His name was
Bobby. The other boy was somewhat shorter black boy. He had soft eyes and a
affectionate smile. His name was Isaiah. Bobby had been at the shelter for
two months already, Isaiah had been there a week. They made it their task to
welcome them and show them around the place, dropping tips about the
different people occupying the shelter. Then they went to a game room.

Josh shot pool with some of the guys. Jason went over to the ping-pong
table. He got into a game against a boy who was beating everyone. Jason was
the only willing player. The game was intense, in the end Jason won. Jason's
opponent looked shock that he had actually lost. He found out later that
Jason won first place every year at the ping-pong tournament.

Josh won fifteen dollars playing pool. He refused to play with a teammate.
By the time they were done, it was dinner time. There was a room like a
small cafeteria where they were served dinner and they ate. Josh and Jason
found a seat with Bobby and Isaiah. Some other kids joined them. Some Josh
knew from the rec room, others he learned their names and personalities.

After dinner they went to a common room and watched a movie on the big
screen, theater-like t.v. Then Josh and Jason were showed where towls and
washcloths were and they two brother hit the showers. There were six stalls
installed in this bathroom, they had to take turns here. The girls had their
own on their side of the dorms. Josh and Jason got their own first.

Josh washed his body and jerked off to the fantasy of this girl, Lana, that
was at the shelter. He roughly pounded his seven and a half incher until he
burst on the stall's wall. He cleaned himself up.

Jason had gotten himself into a fantasy about Julian after he washed. He
stroked his six inch tool sensually, losing himself in the feelings. His
mind worked in vivid detail, except where private parts on Julian were
concerned. He let out a sigh when he finally burst into the running water.

They emerged from their showers, dried and with boxers on. They shared a
knowing grin and then got busy with brushing their teeth and other bed-time
activities.

Josh and Jason returned to their room and talked. Josh said he wasn't going
to see a grief counselor, he didn't grieve that John had died. Jason didn't
either, but he pointed out that finding John dead had affected him some, and
pointed out the little clues. Josh still refused to see one.

Bobby and Isaiah came into the room. They just got done with their shower
and bed-time activities. Josh had picked the bottom bunk and Jason was on
it. Isaiah lounged on Bobby's bed so they could all talk. They stayed up
late talking. Eventually Jason fell asleep on them. Josh pushed Jason over
to the wall so he could lay down. Isaiah had returned to his own bed.

Josh was awake for a little while, while everyone slept. He could hear the
deep rhythmic breathing of the others sleeping. He was thinking about the
possibility of a family member not being found, or unwilling to take them
in. He refused to accept that him and Jason might get separated. He looked
over to where he knew his brother was lost in dream. No, he wouldn't let
them be separated from each other. He fell asleep to that thought.


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

There goes Chapter 5 - Broken Ties. Excuse the mistakes in the story, I
didn't have much time to go through and edit this. This took a while to come
out. I think I'll try to get the next chapter posted each weekend. This was
a change from following Terrin and Julian's story-line. It introduced the
promised new characters and their own conflicts. Hopefully the next chapter
will be up next weekend. I have many other things to write though. A
short-story for English, poems, essays, and other writings for scholarships.
And making plans for a theme party for class this week. Stay reading for
chapter 6. Keep reading, I'll keep writing.