Date: Fri, 10 May 2002 12:55:00 -0400
From: Stan Unknown <stan992001@hotmail.com>
Subject: Chapter 9 of Beating The Odds

			       Chapter Nine

"You aren't really Brian? Not my Brian?" Jim asked, as he got as close to
Brian as he could.

"I'm Snake on MSN. Are you really JimM?" Brian asked, as his eyes pleaded
with Jim's.

Jim reached through the bars and locked hands with Brian. "Yeah. And I
still love you. I'm just kind of shaken up about how we met. I thought we
would never meet face to face."

"Me either. I love you, too. But I'm telling the truth. I did go totally
out of control with my Dad. I admit that. But my Dad was trying to kill me
for being gay. He was going to slit my throat with broken glass from the
coffee table. Do you know how that feels?" Brian asked, as he tried to turn
away from Jim and walk back into his cell. Jim held onto his hands, though,
and did not let him walk away.

"I don't care. And don't try to get away from me now that I've found you. I
believe you. I make my Dad believe you too."

"No one's going to take my word over my Dad's."

"Don't give up hope yet. You've just hired the best lawyer you can get for
free. Just let me work on it for a little while."

"I know you want to be a lawyer, but this is serious, Jim."

"I know. But I have a huge advantage over anyone else you could get to help
you."

"What's that?"

"My Dad's the Chief of Police, remember? And one more thing lots more
important than that."

"What?"

"My mom is the woman he sleeps with. She supports any needy cause, and you
are going to need more support than anyone I know. If I get her on my side,
he'll do whatever she tells him to do. Now tell me everything you can
remember. Then I have to go talk to her. I'll be back as soon as I can, but
Mom can be the best thing to have happened to you in your life if I handle
this right."

                                      ******************

"You kno know, you really sh should tell yo your par parents," Bruce
stuttered.

"Bruce, you know my parents aren't like yours. They might freak and kill
me.  Or kick me out of the house. And then what would happen to me?" Neal
answered.

"You co could always co come live with me. I ha have plenty of room do down
here fo for both of us."

Neal just smiled and said, "Yeah PLENTY of room. But I don't want to lose
my parents and I'm not totally sure your parents would let me move in with
you."

"You kn know they lo love you too. Su sure they would."

"Bruce, I love you with all my heart. But I love my parents too. I just
don't want to take the chance. OK?"

"Ye yeah. You d do love me?"

Neal walked closer and took Bruce lightly into his arms, then kissed
him. He pulled back slightly as he looked Bruce in his eyes. "Yes. TOTALLY!
But you make me moving in here seem so easy. And you still won't tell Ryan
about us."

"I I kn know. I I jus just get ner nervous about that."

"You see!! You stuttering had almost stopped, just talking to me. And all I
had to do was mention Ryan and it got lots worse."

"I kn know. I a am sorry."

Neal pulled Bruce to him and hugged him tight. "I love you. I just want
what is best for you. For us! But you have to tell him. Then, we don't have
to worry about anyone while we are here. You understand?"

Bruce pulled back from the hug just as he heard footsteps coming down the
steps. They barely had time to step away from each other when Ryan ran down
the steps.

"Ca can't yo you kn knock or som something?" Bruce asked.

"Sorry. I just thought it would be fun to hang out with you and Neal for a
little while. Sorry to barge in," Ryan said, as he reversed his path and
stormed back up the steps, as he fought off tears.

"That wasn't very nice."

"I kn know. I'm sorry. I ju just can't tell him. I am sca scared he will te
tell everyone at sch school about us. I ca can't take that cha chance. For
either of us."

"I know, baby. We'll work it out, OK?"

                                      ****************

Jim walked into his Dad's office and said, "Dad, I need to go home for a
few minutes. You need anything else? I'm coming right back."

"No thanks, son. I think I have everything I need right now. Did the kid
talk to you?"

"Yeah Dad. I need to think over what he told me for a few minutes. I don't
think he's the bad kid you think he is. I think everyone is wrong about
him.  I just want to talk to Mom for a few minutes and then I'll come back
and tell you what I really think."

Jim's Dad got a hard expression on his face. "Jim, don't get your mother
involved in this, OK? This is a Police matter."

"I know Dad. I just have to get some things straight in my mind. I think
Mom can help. That's all. Ok?" Jim said as he edged closer to the door.

"Jim!"

"Dad, I've got to go. I'll be back soon, I promise. And then we can talk
all about it," Jim said, as he backed out of his Dad's office, closing the
door behind him. `Oh yeah, we are going to talk all right," he thought.

                                      ****************

Ryan ran back up to his room and slammed his door shut. `What did I expect
from them, anyway?' he thought to himself. `I can't tell them I am having
thoughts about Rob! I could never do that. So what can I do? I'm totally
screwed. I CAN'T BE GAY!!! I JUST CAN'T BE!!!' He collapsed on his bed and
buried his face into his pillow that was covered with his comforter. At
least it would soak up all his tears so no one would know.

                                      ****************

"Hi Mom," Jim said as he walked into the kitchen where she was loading the
dish washer. Goldie immediately ran up to him and demanded to be petted as
she did every time he got home. She stuck her head between his knees and he
scratched her back like he had done since she was a puppy.

"Hi Jim. Does your father need anything else?"

"No Mom. Actually, I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh, what about? Can you feed Goldie while I finish loading this?"

"Sure Mom," Jim said, as he got her bowl off the floor, filled it with dry
food and added a flavor supplement. He set it down on the floor and she
started eating like she hadn't had food in weeks.

His mom finished loading the dishwasher at almost the same time, added dish
washing detergent, and turned it on. "What do you want for dinner?" she
asked.

"Mom, I really don't care. I'm in trouble and I need your help."

"You're in trouble? Why? What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm not personally in trouble, but my relationship is in trouble. I
mean that my boy... Oh God!!! Mom, you have to know something," Jim said,
blushing fiercely. "I'm gay."

His Mom didn't say anything for several seconds. She just stared him in the
eye and tried to understand what he was feeling. "Are you sure?" she
finally asked.

"Yeah Mom. I'm totally sure. And I've fallen in love with a boy I met over
the internet. I know! I know! Things like that can never work out, but I
LOVE HIM!!! And he's in trouble."

"And you want to help him? And you want me to help him? How?"

Jim broke eye contact for a minute and shook his head to clear it. This
wasn't going at all like he thought it would. He had thought for two years
how he was going to tell his parents he was gay and had always backed out.
He was just too scared to tell them. He knew they both loved him, but he
was just scared everything wouldn't be the same after he told them the
truth.

"Uh, Mom, before I tell you all about it, you don't care if I'm gay?"

His Mom smiled at him and said, "Jim, I care. I would rather you weren't, I
can't lie to you. But you are my only child either way. And I will continue
to love you, no matter what. Both of us have kind of wondered if you were
for several years now."

"WHAT????? SHIT!! DAD KNOWS?" Jim yelled.

                                      ****************

Rob was really confused. He loved his best friend like a brother. They had
been almost constant companions for years. They had shared everything.
EVERYTHING!!! But now he felt things for Ryan he had never contemplated.

He had really enjoyed their close body contact. He had loved feeling Ryan's
erection next to his. But he knew this wasn't right. He was supposed to
fall in love with a girl and have a big family. That is what everyone was
supposed to do. You weren't supposed to fall in love with your best
friend!!!

He had told his parents that he wasn't feeling good at supper and had
retreated to his room. He just laid down in all his clothes and stared at
the ceiling. And thought. About Ryan, mostly. What was he going to do? He
couldn't tell Ryan. Ryan might hate him and out him to the whole school!

                                      *****************

"Jim, calm down. And watch your language. We're your parents. We've watched
you grow up from a tiny baby to the fine young man you are now.  We know
more about you than you think we do. We know you don't like girls very
much.  Yeah, you've had girlfriends, but none you really wanted to talk to
all of the time. We were teenagers, you know. Do you think that because we
are lots older than you are, we don't remember how we felt when we were
your age?"

"No, but..."

"But what? Your father and I fell in love during high school. First love
for both of us. Do you have any idea how many high school romances from our
class are still together?"

"No Mom, I have no idea," Jim answered, as his head was spinning about how
the conversation had changed. Shit!!! He thought he was going to be asked a
million questions when he finally told them. He thought he would be
embarrassed out of his mind. And now his Mom wasn't even talking about him
being gay!!!

"Just us. When we first fell in love, we had to be physically pulled away
from each other when we were together or even on the phone. We could talk
for hours on the phone, as long as no one needed it or wanted to keep the
line clear in case another call was coming in. But you have really never
been interested in a girl other than taking her out for a date, and usually
a double date, on a week end. And we have watched your eyes when an
attractive boy walked near you. So, yes, we had questions. We have talked
about it several times."

Jim was speechless. He really had no idea what to say. He finally said "But
you both will love me, no matter what?"

His Mom smiled at him again, and said, "No. I can't say that. You go on a
shooting rampage in your high school like we hear on the news all the time
and I think your Dad will beat your butt like he has never done in the
past.  You remember your last spanking? It was more like a switching."

Jim smiled at that. "I think so. I think I was six. Wasn't that when I took
a sparkler out on my own and lit it with matches from the kitchen? I
thought it was going to burn me so I got scared and threw it in the yard?"

"Yes. You threw it down when you thought it might burn your hand. And it
caught the grass on fire. You tried to put it out, even at six, but you
finally had to run into the house and call us. After your Dad put it out,
he made you pull off a long switch off of the bush at the end of the
driveway."

"Yeah. I definitely remember that. I knew I had to do it, and I thought
about getting a small one that wouldn't hurt so much. But he had said a big
one, and I knew I had done something really wrong. So I did what he told me
to do. And I think I remember it hurt like crazy."

"I remember too. You kicked your legs like you were running a race. You had
on shorts and he hit you on your bare legs to teach you a lesson. And you
learned it, right?" she asked, smiling at him.

Jim smiled back at her. "Yes Mam."

"And he never did it again, did he?"

"No Mam."

"And there is a very good reason behind that. You never did anything like
that again. We have always been proud of you and still are. We will always
be proud of you. Your sexuality has nothing to do with that. We love you
for who you are."

Tears started to pool in the corners of his eyes as he ran to his Mom and
hugged her tight. "Thanks for being so understanding. I love you. But I
really do need your help."

                                      ******************

"Are you sure this is the right house?"

"I looked it up, Mom. I'm sure it is," Jim answered.

"How did you look it up? There has to be lots of families with a last name
of Anderson."

"Mom, this is the right house. Please don't ask me how I know for sure."

"Jim, I'm not going to knock on that front door unless you tell me the
truth."

Jim just rolled his eyes. He knew his Mom was telling the truth. Either he
told her or she wasn't going through with his plan. "I looked it up in the
school records. Ok?"

"How could you have done that? You haven't been to school today and I don't
know if anyone is even there. School doesn't start until Monday."

`Oh God, now the shit is going to hit the fan,' Jim thought. "Mom, there
are ways around that."

"You didn't break into their computer system again, did you? JIM! YOU
PROMISED!!!!"

Jim couldn't help it. He started to giggle. "Mom, this was an emergency. I
wasn't going to change anything. And I told them what to do to keep people
like me out of their system. They just didn't act on my recommendations.
It's not my fault."

The previous year, his high school's star running back was failing a class
and wasn't going to be eligible for the game against their big rival. So
Jim had decided to help him out a little bit. He hacked into their server
and about to change a few of his grades to keep him eligible. The problem
was he had eaten some really hot cheese dip before he came up and nature
had taken its course. He had gone to his bathroom when his Dad had knocked
on his door, and when Jim hadn't answered, had come into his room and saw
what was on his computer screen. That had almost prompted the first
whipping Jim had ever received since the dreaded `switching'.

"Mom, this was read only. I didn't do anything."

"I don't care. You promised!"

"I know I did. But I've already told you I'll do anything I have to do to
help Brian. Just do this for me, PLEASE! I'll even go cut the biggest
switch I can find of the same bush and give it to Dad when he gets home if
you want me too. I'll take down my pants gladly as long as it helps
Brian. Just don't make me take off my boxers with you in the same room,
OK?" Jim asked, as he giggled a little bit. He knew how to control his Mom.

She stared at him a few seconds, and then said, "I ought to tell him what
you did."

"Tell him if you think you have to. I don't care. All I care about is
getting Brian out of jail. Mom, he's in a cell to himself right now. This
is Saturday. We have to get him out before tonight, when all the drunks are
brought in. You know what can happen to a 15 year old overnight in a jail,
don't you?"

"Yeah. Your Dad tries to make sure nothing like that can happen, but it
does sometimes. We haven't finished talking about this, young man. Come on
while I still have the courage to do this."

Jim didn't say a word. He got out of the car and followed his Mom to the
door. He also tried his best not to let a smile creep onto his face. His
Dad had been Chief of Police for 12 years now. Jim didn't remember him not
being Chief of Police. He was a tough man when he needed to be, but had
always shown Jim lots of love.

But he and his Dad both knew who ran their household. When his mother had
her mind made up, nothing would stop her. The Anderson's were in for a
surprise.

                                       ******************

"Hello?"

"Hi."

"Ryan? What's up? You got your room cleaned up?" Rob asked.

"Yeah," he lied. "You want to go see "The Lord of the Rings" and get
something to eat afterwards tonight?"

"That would be great. Let me ask Mom."

"Wait. Ask her if you can spend the night too, OK?"

"Sure, be back in a few." Ryan waited as his heart sped up. What was
happening to him? They had watched lots of movies together. They had spent
the night together so many times, he had no idea how to estimate it. Why
was this night so special? Time seemed almost suspended until Rob got back
on the phone.

"She said it was cool. What time does it start?" Rob asked.

"7:15. It's 4 now. Pack a bag a come on over now, OK?"

"Sure. Be there in a few minutes."

                                        To Be Continued

E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions or other 'constructive'
comments or advice may be sent to: stan992001@hotmail.com. All e-mails will
be answered. You can also visit the young gay guys support group I created
after my "Matt and Mike" story at www.groups.yahoo.com/group/gbct or our
web site at www.gayteensunite.org. There is a forum section there where you
can enter comments about this story for everyone to see. All comments will
also be forwarded to the eleven guys from the group that are in the story.