Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:59:46 -0800 (PST) From: John Meyers <johnmeyerz36@yahoo.com> Subject: The Tragedy of Daniel and Jake-Chapter 9 The Tragedy of Daniel and Jake Chapter 9 By John Meyers Disclaimer: Alright, all of the usual disclaimers apply. This work is the property of me, and only me. If you, yes YOU, use it without my permission I will get the FBI to black bag you and take you away. This story depicts teenage males engaging in sexually related actions with eachother. If this offends you then you need serious help pertaining to why specifically your computer browser is on this website. If it is illegal to read this where you live, then you need to move. Also, if you are under eighteen, your parents, your grandparents, all aunts and uncles and other assorted relatives, the government of your country, probably most of the religous people you know, and Kermit the Frog don't want you reading this. I, on the other hand, couldn't care less. I think I'm going to change up my writing style pertaining to the POV's. It's a little difficult to change POV's and keep the train of events going smoothly, so I'll probably stop doing that so much. I may have one or two POV switches per chapter from now on, but I want to put more emphasis on the individual story, rather than the whole thing, so that's just a head's up. Now that that's out of the way, on to the story... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Danny's POV The thunder roared and rumbled outside my window, shaking the panes as rain assaulted the glass. For all intents and purposes, we may as well be Florida in the middle of hurricane season, as the next roar of thunder and CRACK of lightning gave testament to. My eyes shifted and watched the storm outside, trees bending in the wind, illuminated every other second by flash after flash of forked lightning. It doesn't make much sense, but I love this kind of weather. It always manages to spur wonderfully thought provoking conversations with myself. No, I'm not insane talking to myself all the time, it's just easier to keep track of my thoughts when their spoken aloud. Another loud round of whips and cracks of lightning yanked me out of my head for a moment. It shouldn't be too much longer. I'll give it about another fifteen seconds, I thought to myself. 15... You see I'd learned-14... in eighth grade when I-13... had a sleepover that Eli-12... couldn't stand storms.-11... He was terrified of-10... them for whatever reason-9... and at that sleepover-8... Eli had asked to sleep-7... in my bed with me.-6... I, being a good friend-5... obliged, and allowed him to sleep-4... with me. The point of-3... this being that it should-2... only be a matter of time-1... before Eli knocks on my door to-0... see if I'm awake. Three light taps sounded on my door. Right on time. I didn't have to say anything. My door creaked open and shut and footsteps made their way over to my bed. I grabbed my iPod off of my endtable and clicked the little square, illuminating Eli's face. "Hello beautiful. Couldn't sleep?" I'm sure I must have looked ghastly, painted pale by the light with my bedhead, but Eli couldn't look bad if he tried. Eli didn't have a shirt on, which did numerous things to Mini Me, his skin was pale and smooth, dusted in freckles. He smiled nervously at me, setting numerous butterflies loose in my stomach. Admittedly I hadn't been in a relationship before, but I sincerely hoped that the butterflies wouldn't fade away. "Yeah, can I sleep here? Just for tonight?" Eli and I had agreed to sleep in our own beds on a regular basis to enforce taking things slowly. It's hard as hell to know he's so close and yet so far away, and part of me wants him here, with me, every night, but I don't want to rush things. That night a week ago was the closest we'd gotten to doing anything, and like I said, while I desperately would love for us to go for round two, I just don't want to rush anything. "Yeah, of course," If I'd have checked the weather I'd have worn shorts, but as it was I was just in boxer briefs, another thing that wasn't helping Mini Me at all. I scooted over on the bed and he climbed in, pulling the covers up over him. Almost immediately it was warmer, not that my room needed much help on that front, but it was winter after all, and I held myself back, counting backwards from five million four hundred thirty two thousand one hundred twenty three(5,432,123) in odds. It was a technique I adopted to help "calm myself down" if I ever felt myself getting stirred up at inconvenient times. I think Eli noticed the conspicuous amount of space between us. "I can go back in there if you're uncomfortable," My iPod had since returned to my endtable, but I didn't have to see his face to tell he was hurt. "No, no it's not that," I scooted myself closer to him, wrapping my arms around his abdomen, soft skin warm against mine. "I'm attempting to put Mini Me to sleep as well and I didn't want to make YOU uncomfortable. I suppose it mildly backfired." "Oh," I could feel Eli's body temperature spike and instantaneously knew he was blushing. "Sorry," He laughed nervously. "You should be sorry," I joked, "at the way you affect me so," I planted a soft kiss on the back of his neck, dreading each inch of space after it was gone. "Can't afford to be sorry," He snuggled back against me, pushing his back into my chest. "It's too much fun," My lungs expanded, filling the space between our bodies and I could feel both of our hearts beating against eachother. "I see your point," And then I fell asleep. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Next morning... The stairs creaked under my weight as I went to check the news. It was 5:45 and I like the early news. When I rounded the corner I found my mom sitting on the couch with Mark, already watching it. "We don't have school today." Mark sounded absolutely overjoyed at the turn of events. "The storm knocked out power to the school and like, twenty thousand people in Garland County." Damn! "Were there any tornadoes?" It wasn't too long ago we got a bout of pretty bad tornadoes and it did a lot of damage. "None confirmed, besides, it's a little early in the year for that anyway." Mom changed the channel, turning it on some cartoon channel. "Since you don't have school, why don't we go for breakfast before I go to work? You can stop by and see Jake at the hospital." A rock dropped through my stomach, having thought about Jake. "Mom, I don't know. It's still a little awkward between us." More like a lot of awkward. "You never did tell us what you two talked about." She put her coffee mug in the sink. "And I don't care what you two said, I'm not going to let you two stop being friends over it." "Mom, we didn't stop being friends, it's just a little awkward." "Regardless, we're all going out for breakfast before my shift and YOU mister are going to sit down and fix whatever is so dang awkward that it's causing you to question going to see your friend in the hospital." Great. I hadn't thought about it like that. "Okay. Is Tyler awake?" "Not sure, can you get him ready?" "Sure. Mark, I switched your clothes over last night. You forgot." I gave him my best shit eating grin. "Your welcome." "Oh how I am forever in your debt Danny." "And don't you forget it." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- As I walked down the long, white hallway, I couldn't help but be reminded of what had happened the last time I'd came to see Jake. It had been a surprise, one that I still haven't quite got over. You see, the last time Jake and I had talked, things hadn't gone quite as expected... Two days earlier... "Hey Jake," I came in the room, knocking. "How ya doing?" I had smiled then, though I don't think I would have if I'd have known. "Hey Danny." He smiled, his eyes lighting up when he saw me, though no sooner did he do this than he look away in shame. "Is everything alright?" I sat next to the bed, leaning forward instinctively. He pulled away from me. "Yeah. Actually, I've got good news." He smiled a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "What?" "I'm not gay." He laughed and looked at me expectantly. At first I wasn't sure why he was telling me, but I figured he was looking for a smile, so that's what I gave him. It wasn't real though. "When did you discover this?" I know I shouldn't have been, but I was hurt. I had no right to be hurt. What was I expecting, in all honesty? We weren't going out, we weren't boyfriends or anything. I had no reason to be hurt, but I was. Why is he telling me now, like this, with a smile? "The other day. I thought about it, and I know I'm not gay. I can't be gay." He smiled still, but it didn't seem right. "Jake, CAN'T and AREN'T are not the same thing." I went to reach out to him, to comfort him, nothing more, and he pulled his arm back. He was still smiling, but his usually bright green eyes were darkened. "But I know I'm not. I don't feel that anymore." His tone grew urgent, like he was desperately trying to convince me, or maybe himself. "I know I'm not gay."... That was all that I cared to remember about my last visit. Even that was more than I 'wanted' to remember. I hadn't told anyone what Jake had told me, whether because I was hoping he would change his mind, or because I just couldn't bear to say it out loud. We hadn't talked since then, because I hadn't been to the hospital, and walking down the hallway now did not promise to have any better of a conversation. We approached his door and I felt my palms get sweaty. My pulse got faster and I became nauseous. My mom knocked on the door. "Come in." It was a womans voice and for a moment I was saved. If Jake's mom was here then he couldn't say anything about last time. Then the door opened and I saw the nurse messing with Jake's IV. He smiled when we all came in, but I saw it falter when he saw me. "Don't mind me, I'm just checking up on him. Oh, hi Elizabeth." My mom worked at the hospital, she was a nurse too, and apparently she knew the nurse. "Hi Ashley, I didn't know you were Jake's nurse." "Yeah. Oh, excuse me." She manuevered around us, walking out of the room. "Hey Jake, we just stopped by to see you, but if it's alright, I need to talk to Ashley about something." Jake smiled and told her it was fine. No, don't leave us alone here. She walked back through the door. "Hey Jake." Tyler walked up and gave Jake a hug. "Hey little man, I hear you and Danny have taken on some houseguests." He ruffled Tyler's hair with his unbroken arm. "Yeah, Eli and Mark are staying with us for a little while." "Oh, sounds wonderfully exciting. Make sure you beat up Mark for me." Everyone laughed, though to be honest I don't think Mark found it very funny. "I will." "So what brings you all to my near-death bed? An odd collection, don't you think?" I think he's asking about why it's all of us, Mark, Tyler, Eli, and I. But then again... "They're staying at our house. You just said that." Uh oh. "Oh yeah. Sorry. Hey guys, I need to talk to Danny... In private." The others turned and left the room. It was just us. Again. "So, I've got good news." "More good news?" He looked at me, puzzled. "What do you mean, 'more' good news?" "Last time I was here, you told me you had good news then too." "Oh. Hmm." He broke off into thought for a moment. "Anyway, guess what. I'm not gay." Wait a second. There it was, that same look. That same expectancy. "Jake, you already told me that." I went to touch his shoulder and again he pulled away. "Do you not remember?" He stared at his hands for a second, wrapped up in his thoughts before he looked at me, tears in his eyes. "No. I don't." He broke off into silence again, staring at the opposite wall. I hit the nurse call button as subtley as I could and a nurse came through the door. "Can I help you?" She smiled sweetly. "I hope so." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "So basically what's going on is that there are neurons misfiring in the synapses of his temporal lobes and these are interfering with the transfer from short-term to long-term memory," The doctor kept on, having given Jake an MRI, or a CAT scan, or whatever one they did. "What this means is that anything recent, say around the time of the crash, he's very likely to forget, not because the memories are gone, but rather because his brain doesn't store them for the long term. He probably doesn't remember you visiting earlier." The doctor took a long sigh. "It will probably take a few weeks for him to regain proper brain function. If you have any other questions, please let me know." The doctor turned and walked away, down to other patients. "I'm sure he'll be fine." It was my mom. I guess I got my reassuring attitude from her, but to be honest, things didn't feel like they would be fine. "You heard the doctor, all we need to do is let him get plenty of rest." She tried, and I give her credit for that, but I don't know. Right now I was in Jake's room, with his parents, Mark, Eli, Tyler, and my mom. He was asleep in his bed. Mom ushered us out of the room to leave Jake's parents alone with him and we headed home. Eli got his bandages off too, though I really didn't notice. His nose was still a little swollen, but the doctors said it was healing remarkably and he should be back to normal in a week or two. That was some of the only good news I've heard in a long time. When we got out to the car, I let Mark sit in the front and I sat in the back with Eli and Tyler. We didn't really talk, no one did, but on the way back our hands inched their way to eachothers, and I'll admit I felt better knowing Eli was there. He fell asleep on the way back to the house, leaning his head on my shoulder and staying like that the entire time. Hell,... It's a wonder I don't pass out to-... When I woke up we pulled into our house. I tapped Eli, telling him we were here, and he just blinked groggily and followed me into the house. It wasn't even that late, it was only seven o'clock. But then again I suppose it has been a busy day. We had stopped for dinner on the way back so we were full, and sleepy. "I'll be right back," Eli left the room, probably going to the bathroom or something. I looked around my room, thinking of something I could do. I got some basketball shorts out of my closet and changed when I saw my guitar sitting in the corner. I hadn't played it since we moved, given that I'd been incredibly busy, but right about now, I think I found something to do. I grabbed it and went over to my bed and began tuning it. When Eli walked back in he said, "I didn't know you played the guitar." He smiled and sat next to me. "I haven't played it in a while, but in theory I should still be good." I smiled my shit eating grin and played a quick series of notes from One by Metallica. "Yep, still got it." "When did you learn to play the guitar?" "When I was seven, right after I learned how to play the piano." I practiced Smoke on the Water to warm up. "You know how to play piano too?" Eli looked wide eyed. "Uh yeah," It's just the guitar and the piano. "I can play a few other instruments too." God I shouldn't have said anything. "A FEW other instruments? Which ones?" Eli just kind of shook his head like he couldn't believe me. "Well, the violin, the flute, the drums, the saxophone and trumpet. I can play the harmonica, xylophone, and triangle, but those are just for laughs." Eli's jaw had dropped. "Please don't do that. I just like music. That's always the reaction I get from people and I hate it." Eli shut his jaw. "Sorry, but come on even you have to admit that's pretty impressive." Yeah I guess, but still... "Can you play anything else?" "Nope, that's it." "Do you realize that that's TEN instruments?" "Yes, but I'm sure there is someone who can play more." I really shouldn't have said anything. "How many songs do you know?" "For what?" Gonna have to be more specific. "Guitar." He smiled and cuddled up next to me, wrapping his arms around my torso. "Quite a few, and what's gotten into you?" I laced my arm around his shoulder and he lay his head on my chest. "It's sexy that your musical. It makes you deep and sensitive and artistic." He brushed my lips with his and asked, "Can you play a song?" "Sure. Any requests?" I took my arm from around his shoulders and got ready. "Do you know any Red Hot Chili Peppers?" "Quite a bit actually." I thought of a song that wasn't too difficult but not too easy so I started playing "Can't Stop by Red Hot Chili Peppers". After the first few seconds I didn't even have to look at the guitar and I watched Eli's face light up. He actually laughed when I switched up from the intro to the faster part right before I started singing. "Can't stop addicted to the shin dig. Cop top he says I'm gonna win big! Choose not a life of imitation. Distant cousin to the reservation. Defunkt the pistol that you pay for. This punk the feeling that you stay for." I was rocking back and forth to the beat and Eli was smiling from ear to ear. "In time I want to be your best friend. Eastside love is living on the westend. Knock out but boy you better come to. Don't die you know the truth is some do. Go write you message on the pavement." Mark appeared in the doorway and smiled faintly at me. "Burnin' so bright I wonder what the wave meant. White heat is screaming in the jungle. Complete the motion if you stumble. Go ask the dust for any answers. Come back strong with fifty belly dancers." I didn't get through the whole song before Tyler came in my room and told me to do a different song. "Do Death Cab for Cutie!" He ran in my room and sat on the floor, looking at me expectantly. "Alright alright." Not the most cheerful song, but okay. I started up, swaying a little for comic effect. It may not be very cheerful, but I do really like this song. "Lo-ove of min-ne, someday yo-ou will di-ie, but I'll be close behind. I'll follow you into the dark. No blinding li-ight, or tunnels to ga-ates of white, just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark." I looked at my audience, remembering why I liked to play music as I saw their faces light up with smiles. "If Heaven and Hell decide, that they both are satisfied, illuminate the nodes on their vacancy signs. If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks, then I'll follow you into the dark." I actually played through that song and when I finished up the song I got a standing ovation by my audience. I played a few more songs, but it was getting late so Tyler went to bed and Mark headed back down stairs. He said he was going home tomorrow. Apparently his dad had been much more peeved than he'd thought. After I put everything up I decided I'd read a book. Eli was in the bathroom changing. I cuddled up on my bed and flipped open to the first page. "I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up," I read the words from across the cover of the book aloud. It had belonged to my grandpa, but he left it and a large amount of other books to me when he died. I heard a creak at my door and looked up to see Eli come back in wearing some basketball shorts, no shirt- which I will admit was MUCH more interesting than my book. "Whatcha reading?" He walked over and I scooted over so he could lay down next to me. "Walden, by Henry David Thoreau," I handed the book to him. "How old is it? It looks kinda old," Eli weighed the book in his hands and opened it up, earning a crackling sound from the old binding. "It was written in 1854. It belonged to my grandpa before he died. He left me some other books too," Eli was reading from chapter one, and looked kind of engrossed with the book. "What other books?" He didn't look up, but his mouth was moving a little, like he was reading aloud, just not aloud. "Several essay collections by Ralph Waldo Emerson, some more by Thoreau, a lot of Margaret Fuller, some Alcott; he was really interested in Transcendentalist ideas and concepts. He also left me a lot of poetry and plenty of Tolstoy, Shakespeare, Hemmingway, Poe, and... some... others..." I paused between words when I saw Eli staring at me again. "Have you read all of these?" Eli turned the page on the book and slowly went back to reading. "No, but I have read most of them. He left me over a hundred books. It'll take me forever to read all of them," I think Eli had disappeared back into the book because he was mouthing words again. I rested my head on my hand and watched him for a few minutes. He was so cute, sitting cross-legged on my bed, absorbed in the book with his mouth moving along with the words. Eventually he noticed the silence and looked at me. "I'm sorry, what?" I guess he thought I said something which just made me laugh. "I didn't say anything. I'm just watching you read," He smiled and put the book down. "Observing anything interesting?" He laid down facing me, supporting his head on his hand like I was. "Just that you're incredibly cute when you're reading," We leaned forward and caressed eachothers lips. Eli broke apart first, laughing lightly. "What?" "I'm just thinking about how odd it is that reading is a turn-on for you," He was smiling, shaking his head at me. I laid on my back, tracing circles on his arm. "Are you complaining?" I wagged my eyebrows suggestively at him. He stretched, scooting over and wrapping his arms around me. "Not. At. All." Eli said slowly, kissing me lightly. "Not at all..." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- There we go, Chapter 9. I'm sorry it was a short chapter. Please review, criticisms are welcome (But that is not an excuse to tear me a new one). Any particular thoughts or things that caught your interest? I think the next chapter will focus more on secondary characters. I'll probably reopen Jake's viewpoint in the next chapter. If the plan I have now hold up then this next chapter will cover the time in between now and Eli's birthday, which when I wrote up the characters I decided it would be on February 14th. I should have the next chapter up around Christmas, and depending on how the break shapes up I may be able to get another one up before school starts back up again. Since this may be the last story I post until Christmas, I'll just go ahead and say Merry Christmas! Review to johnmeyerz36@yahoo.com