Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 11:18:21 -0800 (PST)
From: Virtual Insanity <virtualinsanity78@yahoo.com>
Subject: Wade & Chris 12

The saga continues....but only for awhile.

If you are 18+ this is legal for you to read, etc.

Check me out at http://virtualinsanity.jeanessa.com and e-mail me with your
thoughts.

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			Part Twelve

	Christian sat across from Kiesha and Reggie in the Pizza King,
munching quietly on a slice of pepperoni and willing himself to stay calm.
He was certain that Wade should have been done with Tiffany at least two
hours before and called him to meet up.  As the time passed, he grew more
and more nervous, more and more anxious of what might have happened.

	What if Tiffany went ballistic and told Wade's parents?  How would
Wade react to that?  There were so many questions that Christian had in his
head, so many what ifs and what scared him the most was that underneath it
all, he doubted Wade.  What kind of relationship was built on doubt?

	He listened to Reggie and Lakiesha squabble with a half-smile, his
mind retracing everything that had gone on over the past few months.  Wade
back in his life was almost unbelieveable.  Who would believe that the
hottest guy at West High was willing to give up everything to be with him?
Christian certainly wouldn't.

	Still, Wade had been surprisingly consistent since they were
together.  Not one time had he failed Christian, even when it came down to
deciding to be open about their relationship.  It was hard, but they were
going to go through with it.

	Now, it was time for Christian to be consistent.  If it took Wade a
year to straighten things out with his family, then he would stand by his
side and wait.  What was the rush?  He willed his heart to steady itself
and his blood to slow down in his veins.  He was going to be patient and
steady and solid if it killed him.

	"Reggie, that's gross," Kiesha said, grinning at Christian's big
goon of a cousin.  "Eat the fucking pizza, don't inhale it."

	"You might think you control me, woman," Reggie said, continuing to
munch noisily.  "But I eat the way I eat."

	She gave him a look and then turned to look at Christian.  When she
saw the look on his face, she gave him a soft smile.

	"He'll call," she told Christian.  "Just give him a little time."

	"That's just what I was telling myself," Christian said with a
smile.  "I just feel so anxious for some reason.  I can't figure it out.
Do you think maybe he lost your cell number?"

	"No," Kiesha said emphatically.  "You wrote it in like ten places.
He'll remember and he'll call.  So, stop worrying. I swear, you're worse
than me."

	"I wanna know who this guy is," Reggie said suddenly. "I get to
hear all about him, but I don't know who he is.  That's not fair."

	"Whoever said life was fair, sweetie?" Kiesha quipped back quickly.

	"Nobody did, but I've been real good with all the other stuff you
guys have told me," Reggie pointed out.  "I haven't even hinted to your mom
that you're gay."

	"My mom knows that I'm gay, dufus," Christian informed him.  "She's
the reason why you and Kiesha never run out of condoms.  She gives me my
own stock pile."

	"Oh."

	"Don't stress Christian out, Reg," Kiesha said quietly.  "He'll
tell you when he's ready."

	"Come on, Chris," Reggie said quietly.  "I promise I won't tell
anybody."

	"Promises, promises," Christian said and went back to nibbling at
his pizza.

	"God, I've never seen you eat like this," Kiesha said.  "What could
be so bad?  What could happen?"

	"Maybe she convinced him to try to be straight," Christian said,
fearfully.  "She's very pretty."

	"And maybe a dragon will fly out of my ass, the boy is gay, Chris,"
Kiesha said between bites.  "I'm sorry.  I know you think that you're
scared and everything, but you have him locked.  He is completely in love
with you.  I will even say - and never mention this again - that I was
wrong when I told you not to let him back into your life.  I mean, everyday
you are glowing from how much love this guy shows you.  You have never been
so happy and, really, if you weren't my best friend and if I wasn't
completely gaga with Reg right now, I would kill you."

	"You're right," Christian said with a small smile.

	Kiesha's cell phone rang and Christian tensed, effectively pushing
everything out of his mind .  He listened with bated breath as she answered
the call.

	"It's for you," Kiesha said quietly and passed the phone to
Christian.  He happily reached for it.

	"Hello."

	"Chris, baby, I need you t-to come right now," Wade's voice was
wobbly and terrible.  Christian's heart accelerated drastically.

	"What's going on?" Christian asked, forcing himself to sound calm.
"Where are you?"

	"Metro Hospital downtown," Wade said and Christian could hear the
sound of cars in the background.

	"Are you okay?" Christian asked, terrible visions floating around
in his mind.

	"No," Wade said and began to cry.  Christian stood up in the booth,
scared and drawing the eyes of everyone around him.

	"Did something happen, are you hurt?" Christian asked.

	"No, I'm not...I'm not hurt, Chris, it's Jon," Wade said.  "Jon
shot himself in the head.  Shannon died on the freeway...and Jon shot
himself in the head at my house.  I'm at the hospital.  Just come, baby, I
need you so...so bad right now."

	"Ten minutes and I'm there," Christian said, already moving towards
the door.  "I'm there, okay?"

	"Okay," Wade said and hung up.  Christian took off for the parking
lot with Kiesha and Reggie fast at his heels.

			        ***

	Wade stood in the middle of the waiting room, willing himself to be
calm.  He was the one that had managed to be calm while everyone else went
crazy around him and he was feeling ragged around the edges.

	There was no word on Jon's condition.  His parents had come
streaming into the waiting room, completely wrecked and disbelieving that
their son had shot himself.  Wade had done the comforting and the calming
while they went loudly crazy around him.

	Tiffany was little help, comforting people between her own
outbursts of tears and even looking at her was painful because Jon's blood
was spattered all over her peasant blouse and blonde hair.

	Wade had given in a few minutes before and gone outside to call
Christian.  He didn't care who saw.  He needed Christian.

	Moments later, his own father and mother came into the waiting
room, eyes searching the room frantically for a sight of him.  When they
saw him standing there, looking haggard and blood-splattered, their relief
was tangible.

	"Oh, thank God, Wade," his mom said as she made her way to him,
wrapping her arms around him.  "We were worried sick."

	"I'm okay," he somehow managed to say.

	"How is he?" his father asked authoritatively and Wade shook his
head.

	"We don't know," Wade answered.  "He's being operated on.  It can't
be good."

	And Wade's father took charge, the way he had always done, quietly
hailinf a nurse for more information, sending Tiffany to get a carafe of
water from the cafeteria and marshalling a hospital volunteer into the task
of gathering blankets for the long night ahead of them.

	No one could even talk about food, but Wade's father had already
called in to his secretary and given her the task of bring sandwiches and
coffee down to the hospital.

	By the time his father was done, the room was humming in perfect
order...  grievers to the left and workers to the right.  Wade stood in a
corner, taking in the quiet order silently.

	Then there was a commotion at the door and Wade looked up and saw
Christian make his way into the room, shrouded by his cousin Reggie and
Lakiesha.  Wade felt a momentary panic at the thought of his father two
feet away, then he looked into Christian's eyes.  Those blue eyes...and
Wade broke down, half-staggering across the room.

	Christian, who had paused cautiously at the sight of Wade's
parents, made for Wade, who was stumbling towards him.  He caught Wade up
in his arms and held him strongly, carefully.

	Wade bawled into Christian's shoulder and Christian tightened his
grip on him, whispering encouragement into Wade's ear.  The shock of seeing
his best friend shoot himself, thoroughly set in and Wade held on to
Christian as if he were a life raft, afraid to let go.  Jon's last
statement reverbated through his head.  Wade pulled back a little and
looked at Christian after a moment.

	"There was nothing I could do, I swear, I was so scared," Wade
said, almost defensively.  "I would have done anything if I could."

	"It's not your fault, Wade," Christian told him.  "Don't even think
that.  You did everything you could, I know it."

	"I just wanted to stop him," Wade said, the tears still falling
down.  "I just wanted to save him."

	"And you would have if you could," Christian told him.  "I know
that you would do anything for him."

	Wade nodded and unconsciously leaned in to kiss Christian.  Their
lips locked and the room fell silent, even the grieving stopped long enough
to take in the sight of them, pressed so close together that nothing could
wedge between them and a kiss full of so much passion that there was no
denying what they were to each other.

	"Wade Harrison is your boyfriend?" Reggie asked, shocked into
speaking and Lakiesha hit him in the arm hard to make him shut up.

	"Yeah," Wade said, still holding Christian.  "I'm his boyfriend."

	And just like that, they were out.

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Finally!  More to come real soon.