Date: Tue, 16 May 2000 22:19:17 GMT
From: Lucky Redwood <wanna_get_lucky@hotmail.com>
Subject: Time will twll chapter 27

Her you go, latest chapter. If you haven't for some reason visited my site
yet, then why haven't you! http://www.luckys_place.homestead.com and don't
forget to mail me, wanna_get_lucky@hotmail.com

Chapter 27 - Something In The Air

"Are you all coming tonight then?"

"Uh huh. Ryan will be late, his mum's making him help with cleaning the
house, they have guests arriving tomorrow."

"You two are coming straight after school though?"

"Uh huh."

"Yeah fine. Any chance of a lift?"

"Sure, it might be a squeeze though, Conner and Sean'll both be there too."

"Well, if we can fit in then we'll be there."

"It should be fine."

"Cool. I did leave my guitar at yours last night didn't I?"

"Yeah, it was Wednesday that you took it home with you."

"OK. That's fine then."

"How's Trix by the way Danny?"

"He's doing fine, Trace and him are talking with each other. It's not
really any different from when they were going out, they just don't kiss at
all anymore. It's something else that's been getting him down lately but he
doesn't want to talk about it at all."

"That's too bad. He'd feel a hell of a lot better if he did."

"You try telling Tristan Race that James and if you can get it into his
stubborn head, then I'll give you a medal."

"He's a bit like that isn't he?"

"Too like it really, for his own good. Anyway, I've got to run I'll see you
by my car after school OK?"

"Sure see you Danny."

"See ya James, later Toby."

"Later Danny!"

*****

"Mr. Owen, you are ten minutes late. What was so important that you had to
miss ten minutes of an A-level class for it?"

"I had to speak to the careers master sir, sorry."

"I would be grateful if you didn't do it during my class in future Danny."

"Yes sir, sorry sir."

"Take your seat."

"What a fucking asshole!" Luke sniggered at my whispered comment.

"All ready for a mad party tonight then?"

"Oh yeah? Where is it?" I said back playing dumb.

"Well, you know Sean Owen? Well his brother is a bit of a dick but we're
going to his tonight." Luke thought he was being funny.

"Oh right is that the one who hangs around with that gay guy? What's his
name Luke Bentham."

"Fuck you!" It took me by surprise. He said it out loud, all the class
heard including Mr. Porter. I looked round at the stunned faces from Luke's
abrupt and silence- breaking shout. As I looked back to him he was visibly
upset by my comment.  I went bright red.

"Is there a problem with you two boy's?"

"No sir." I said timidly.

"No sir!" Echoed Luke angrily.

"Leave, both of you. I want to see you both back here at the end of class."

"Yes sir." I got up and Luke got up still looking angry. We left the room
and Luke walked off in front of me in a huff.

"What the hell was that about Luke?"

"Don't call me queer, alright?"

"Are you forgetting something here?" I was getting annoyed myself. "I am
gay remember?" I whispered to him loudly.

"You, are! I'm not! Don't call me it."

"I thought you were OK with it."

"I'm OK with you and the others being gay, I don't want people thinking I
am."

"Nobody does though!"

"Have you not noticed that when Trix and Paul found out that Scott was gay
as well as you they both asked me if I was?"

"They were joking!"

"Well it gets to me. I'm not gay, I have no problem with any of you being
gay, but I don't like people saying that I am."

"I only did because you called me a dick!"

"It's different. I just really don't like being accused of something I'm
not. I'm sorry that I shouted at you, but I've had a crap day. I really am
sorry Danny, I didn't mean any offence by it either."

"None taken I guess. I hate being accused of things I'm not too. I can
understand where you are coming from."

"Yeah, still I should have been more tactful, I really don't have a problem
with you, you know that don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Good." With that he lent forward and gave me a hug. It took me by
surprise, Luke had never been a huggy person, let alone with other guy's.

"Err, thanks."

"Don't mention it." And we walked to the common room as if nothing had
happened.

*****

"Are we ready to go then?"

"We've been waiting for you, again."

"Well, I'm here now so let's get moving. Conner, put Bound 4 Da Reload in
will you?"

"Oh, that's number one now isn't it?"

"Uh huh, mad song, with the casualty theme in it."

"That's the one."

"Good day?"

"Apart from getting thrown out of psychology."

"What? Why?"

"I made a joke that Luke didn't appreciate and he shouted, telling me to
fuck off when the room was quiet, Porter threw us out and we had to see him
at the end of the lesson."

"What did he say to you?"

"He had a go at Luke for swearing and told us that we'd have to catch up on
what we missed in class. He said how fortunate we were that he wasn't going
to take the matter any further, pompous git!"

"I never liked him."

"He gets on my fucking nerves I can tell you that much!"

"So who else is coming tonight Danny?"

"Well, once we finish rehearsing, I have to pick up Henry Johnson and Sarah
Gresham, err, Will Andy and Peter are coming, Mike West said he might come,
Ben Simmons, Helen Gough and John Baron is coming with a mate or two. Other
people too, can't think of them all though."

"Should be good, your mum really should go away more often you know."

"Only too well."

"Oh, I asked my dad about the tickets for your concert?"

"Oh yeah."

"He said that he'd do them free of charge since it's for charity."

"Really? No way! You'll have to say thanks to him for us. Oh, James? Do we
have to give him the design soon?"

"As soon as possible I should think, he'll need to get them printed."

"That should be fine. I'll give you the design we came up with to take home
with you then if that's OK?"

"Sure."

*****

"How was that?"

"A little too much bass I think."

"Yeah? We can vary the levels for that, way too much or just a bit?"

"Well, a fair bit, it stopped Toby coming through clearly. If you just turn
it down one level it should be cool."

"OK, well we won't go through it again. Well, that's it guys, we have
ourselves a concert set."

"Shall we stick one or two from the ball in too?"

"Err, we could do, which were you thinking of?"

"Blink, All The Small Things and Seahorses Love Me And Leave Me."

"Actually, what I was thinking of doing at some stage was The La's, There
She Goes.  I thought that that might be pretty cool to do."

"Yeah, I like that idea. That way we fill up more time in the concert, make
it more value for money."

"Yeah, well we can do those ones pretty easily. Tracey, oh Tracey? Can you
show Toby here the chord sequence for All The Small Things?"

"It's alright, I'm pretty sure I know it."

"Oh, OK well let's give it a spin then."

"You haven't got time Danny, you have to go and pick up Henry remember?"

"Oh shit yeah. OK, we'll try some other time then."

"Cool."

"You coming along for the ride Conner?"

"If you don't mind, I was going to stay and grab a bite to eat, I'm
starved."

"I'll come if you don't mind Danny."

"Sure, just give me a minute though Trix, I've got to get some money for
drink."

"That's fine."

*****

"You OK?"

"Yeah."

"You don't sound it."

"I'm fine, just been thinking about stuff."

"The same stuff that was bothering you the other day?"

"Yeah."

"You want to talk about it now?"

"It's kind of difficult."

"Well, you know that we can talk in confidence and everything."

"Yeah, I know. Look, Danny? I know I've been a bit of a miserable git
lately so thanks for putting up with me."

"Don't worry about it, I just wish you'd talk about it. You can't bottle
things up you know, it only makes them worse."

"It's really embarrassing too though."

"It takes a lot to phase me Trix."

"OK, well don't tell anyone, not even Conner."

"Of course not."

"I, err, I found a lump."

"Huh? What kind of lump?"

"On one of my testicles." I suddenly started feeling sick. I didn't want to
look too upset so as not to worry him any more than he already would be. I
didn't want to seem complacent about it either though.

"Fuck. You've been to the doctor I hope?"

"Yeah. I have to wait for some results, they think that they're going to
get them tomorrow. It's been fucking me up though, I've been waiting all
fucking week for them, shitting myself. I mean cancer? I'm sixteen, I can't
have cancer."

"It's probably something else."

"Yeah, well I hope it is."

"Jesus Trix! Are you OK?"

"I'm trying not to worry about it until I know, but I can't help but think
the worst."

"Well, they can treat it pretty easily nowadays can't they?"

"Yeah, but still, I don't exactly want them slicing one of my balls off!"

"No, I can understand that."

"I don't know, it's just got me pretty fucked up. I mean cancer Danny, shit
I don't want to have cancer." I heard his voice shaking, I'd never seen
Trix cry before, I was looking at the road but could tell that he was. It
nearly made me cry too.

"Hey, come on. You don't know if it is cancer yet, after tomorrow you'll
know. Your mum and dad will be there to support you and anybody else that
you chose to tell, you'll be fine."

"My mum and dad don't know."

"What?"

"I paid to go to the doctor's myself, it wasn't that much since I have my
health card."

"Your parents don't know?"

"You're the only other person who does."

"You should tell your parents Trix."

"I didn't want to. I want to find out what it is first, then I'll tell
them.  You know what my mum's like. She'd be in tears and smothering me all
the time. I want to know if it is first, then I'll tell them if it is
anything."

"I suppose. If you want somebody to be there with you tomorrow, when you go
back to the doctors I mean, then I'll be here for you OK?"

"I'd like that actually. I felt real shit when I went for the test. I'd
like to have someone there with me."

"Well, I'll take you in then, what time is your appointment?"

"Half ten, unless the doctor rings my mobile to tell me that the results
aren't in yet."

"OK. We'll leave at about ten tomorrow. I'll tell the others that you have
a friend that's lending us some lights for the concert or something and
that we have to go and pick them up."

"Where will we get the lights from then?"

"Well, we can say that there wasn't anybody at home and that he must have
forgotten we were picking them up or something."

"Yeah that's a good idea. Thanks Danny, for being there for me and
supporting me and everything."

"It's nothing, I'm honoured that you told me really, it's a pretty personal
thing."

"I know I can trust you to keep your head about it. Not get all paranoid,
you know, start making funeral arrangements and stuff?" We laughed a
little. It's amazing how people can manage to do that, make light out of a
bad situation. "Besides, I needed to tell somebody, it was getting too much
to have to be the only one knowing about it."

"Well thank you for trusting me. I'm glad that you could." We sat in
silence until we got to Henry's house. I had thoughts running through my
head. I was terrified that it was going to be cancer, I knew that I had to
put on a brave face for Trix and all, but I couldn't help but fear the
worst, I felt like crying. I couldn't begin to imagine how Trix must have
been feeling though. It upset me no end to think about losing my best
friend, I knew that I probably wouldn't even if it was cancer, but it made
me think all right!

*****

	The music was thumping, the lounge was full, everybody who was
anybody in our school was in my lounge and drunk, there was only about
three sober people in the house. I was not one of them! None of my good
friends were actually.  Normally one of us would stay sober, but tonight we
were all seriously wasted. There was empties everywhere, spillage's on the
hall carpet and the unmistakable smell of vomit in the bathroom, at least
they'd made it to the toilet on time!

	The atmosphere was superb, I think that this was the best party
that Sean and I had ever thrown. Scott and Robbie were talking to Hannah,
it made me laugh because her boyfriend Felix always got jealous when she
talked to them, which she did quite often. If only he knew that he didn't
have to worry about competing against those two. Conner was with Sean, Ryan
and James having a good laugh about something. I had seen Trace and Claire
talking in the kitchen, Kate was with Luke on the sofa, going with each
other most of the evening. Toby was somewhere around and everybody else was
dancing in the middle of the lounge floor. There must have been thirty
people at my house, in the lounge and the garden together.

"Danny? You seen Trix?"

"No, you tried the garden Paul?"

"Tried everywhere man, he's done a disappearing act." My concern began to
grow after what he had told me in the car earlier, he had been upset. I
thought that I should see if I could find him. It wasn't that easy
considering that my ability to walk had been somewhat hindered. I stumbled
out of the house into the garden and called his name, hearing no reply I
walked around the edge to see if he was anywhere there. Not finding him I
went back into the house, took a look around the lounge in case he'd come
back in there, which he hadn't so I tried the kitchen and called to see who
is in the toilet. It wasn't Trix at least, but some girl wasn't feeling too
well by the sounds of things. I made my way upstairs and checked all the
bedrooms, he wasn't in any of them, nobody was actually which surprised
me. I began to get more worried, I went back downstairs and dialled his
mobile number receiving the annoying computerised voice telling me that
"The Vodaphone you are trying to reach has not responded." I went back into
the now empty kitchen and propped myself up with the counter, thinking
about where he might have gone. I looked up as somebody came into the room,
staggering around.

"Great party Danny."

"Cheers John, you seen Trix anywhere?"

"Sorry man, no. I'll see you later yeah?" He grabbed a bud and left me
alone again. I went to get a bud for myself but found that John had taken
the last one. I was going to leave getting more so as to save some for the
next party that I had but decided against it and went to the garage to get
some. As I opened the door from the kitchen I found that the light was on
in there. Trix looked up at me in surprise, a couple of empty buds at his
feet and sitting with his guitar over his shoulder strumming away
unplugged. He saw who I was and looked back down to his guitar.

"There you are."

"Sorry, you been looking for me?"

"Yeah, I was getting worried about where you had disappeared to."

"I just needed some quiet time, sit and chill for a while you know?"

"Yeah." I grabbed a bud for Trix and myself and sat down next to him. We
opened our drinks and he took a swig and carried on strumming away. "What's
that?  Doesn't sound familiar."

"Just something I've been sort of putting together." I sat and listened for
a while.

"Sounds good. We should make something out of that."

"Yeah, we could do." We fell back into silence apart from the sounds of his
unplugged guitar twanging away.

"I know that I couldn't possibly truly know how you must be feeling Trix,
but I think that I'm just as worried for you as you are for yourself, any
of the others would be if you told them too."

	Trix looked to me. Ceasing his guitar playing, he looked as if he
had been crying, although he showed me his usual emotionless face. For
those who don't know Trix, they would assume that he was tired when he put
on the facial expression that he had on now, those who knew him better
realised that he was upset about something.

	It surprised me, he just sat there staring at me. For about ten
seconds he just looked at me. I didn't know what to do, neither of us said
anything. We just looked at each other. His eyes sort of shifted their fix
down my face and back up again. I was getting curious as to what he was
thinking about when without warning he leant forward and put his lips over
mine. I was shocked. I was more than shocked actually, I moved my head back
slightly, taken aback. Feeling Trix's lips against mine, I didn't know what
to do. When I felt his tongue slide into my mouth something in me snapped
and my confusion turned to fear. I froze, not knowing what to do. He kissed
me for about five seconds and then pulled his head back, looked at my
expression laughed and went back to strumming his guitar. My heart was
beating and my confusion was making my mind swim even more than the alcohol
was.

"What, err, how come, why did you, err, Trix?"

"You only live once hey, everything's worth a try isn't it?"

"Err, but Trix, I thought, you were, I thought that you were, straight?"

"I am."

"Then why did you, how come you did that?"

"Like I said, everything's worth a try once. I figured that you would be
the best person to try that with. I'm sorry though I should have asked
first."

"But you were disgusted by Conner and I to start with, how can you go from
being repulsed by it to wanting to try it?"

"I've grown use to it and I realise that it's only kissing, it just happens
to be between two guys instead, besides girls go with each other even
though they're not lesbians, why can't guys do the same?"

"Err, Trix, could you, err, not say"

"Oh shit Danny! You don't have to worry about me telling anyone! Besides it
was me doing it anyway, it's not as if you planned it, or even expected it
judging by the look on your face! Anyway, I speak for us both when I say
that it meant nothing sexual for either of us."

	I was still in shock, Trix had certainly changed a lot in the time
that I had known him, but I never thought that that might happen. I was
stunned.

"You freaked me out a little there you know?"

"I could tell by the look on your face. Well it was either that or I am a
SERIOUSLY good kisser!" He laughed to himself and I joined in a bit as my
mind started to resettle itself. I felt a little weird about what had just
happened though. I knew that we had both been drinking and wondered if he
ever would have done that had he been sober.

"Do you want to go back in?"

"Yeah, why not? It's getting boring in here anyway now."

*****

"Morning gorgeous." I looked to the beautiful smile of my Conner as I
opened my eyes finding him in my favourite way, lying naked with me in my
bed. I smiled back at him, cleared my throat and answered him.

"Hey babes. Been awake long?"

"A while. I thought that I should wake you up, Sean's got some bacon under,
I can smell it and don't want to miss out on a good breaky."

"Good plan. Oh shit, what time is it?"

"Half nine, why?"

"Oh, Trix and I have to go and pick up some lighting equipment from a mate
of his for our concert." I felt a pang of guilt run through me as I lied to
him, especially after what had happened last night.

"Oh, OK. What time is that then?"

"We have to leave at ten to meet this guy."

"OK, let's go down and get some food then."

"Sure I'll check that Trix is up."

*****

	We sat there in silence. Listening to the loud ticking of the clock
that was hung on the wall. It was one of those ugly brass ones, made out of
lots of tubes stuck together in a circular pattern. Some of the tubes
longer than others making a sort of star shape. It sat on the wall ticking
noisily away to itself, oblivious to the effect that it had on me, making
me more and more nervous.

	The sound of a door handle being pushed down and the squeaking of
it opening brought me out of the fixed stare that the clock had mesmerised
me into. The thick air in the horrid little brown room thinned to allow the
gentleman's voice to travel to us. After he spoke though, the room went
very cold and still it seemed to be much more appealing than than the one
we were moved to.

"Tristan? Would you like to come in?"

"Would it be OK for my friend to come in with me?"

"Of course."

	Tristan had dealt with this doctor already, he was a tall thin man,
late forties or something like that, a bald patch on his head was spreading
forward as the hair that stayed put greyed. His glasses perched on the end
of his nose as he sat opposite us on the other side of his desk. He took a
good long look at me, obviously wondering why I was here.

"I shall cut straight to the chase Tristan." Receiving a weary and fearful
nod from Trix, the man knew he was safe to continue. Trix was pale, almost
white in fact. He was sitting upright with his hands clenched tightly
together, bracing himself for his news, whatever it would be. "You do not
have cancer, or an infection of any kind." I breathed out a sigh of relief
as did Trix, we looked to each other his face alight, he was ecstatic, I
could tell. "That means that it could quite possibly be scar tissue, a
swelling because of a bruise, although it isn't anymore sensitive than
usual as you say, or that it has simply grown that way. Regardless, it is
not dangerous, you should keep your eye on it and let me know if anything
changes."

"Thanks so much doctor."

"That's OK, I won't charge you for this appointment, it was hardly worth
coming in for from your point of view, I just have a policy of not giving
out test results over the phone. So, all the best, take care and if you
have any other problems you'd like to talk about then don't hesitate to
make an appointment."

"Thank you so much doctor. You've been really great." Trix stood up and
shook his hand. The doctor and I raised out of our seats at the same time
and we shook hands as well.

"Make sure your friend stays healthy now."

"Sure, thank you doctor."

"OK, bye boys. Mrs. Newell?" And we were off.

"Fucking hell, I feel so much better now!"

"That's great fucking news Trix, see I told you you'd be fine."

"Thank fuck for that! Jesus, I don't know what I would have done if I would
have had anything there or wrong with me."

"Well you don't have to worry about that one anymore."

"Sure don't! Let's do something to celebrate."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, you wanna grab a pizza or something? My treat."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, of course. As a thank you for your moral support."

"OK then, let's eat."

Just to warn you, having given you all breaks from my cliffhangers, they
could well be creeping back in soon! He he he! So I suggest that you visit
my web site at http://www.luckys_place.homestead.com and don't forget to
mail me on, wanna_get_lucky@hotmail.com