Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 09:18:37 -0000
From: Jamie <virus@dial.pipex.com>
Subject: Shadows-in-the-Curtains Chapter 2

Same stuff - don't read this is u r underage or u don't like reading stories
of love between two boys.

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Bright sunlight spiralled through the small oval window and cast its sharp
rays on the balls of my eyelids. With a slight flutter they were opened and
I looked about me.

	Sitting in the bay of a small plane, I found that I had been moved from the
helicopter whilst I slept. The interior, when scanned, revealed that I was
in the rear of my Father's plane -- on the Queen's Flight. Various noises
were coming from the cockpit and only the blank metal door prevented me from
seeing what was happening. I decided that it was time to find out exactly
what was going on and I rose to stagger to the cockpit.

	The morning light hit me full on as I opened the door, and I immediately
shielded myself from it. Reaching up to the jump seat I fumbled about until
I located the pair of sunglasses that were always kept in the black leather
pouch above the headrest. Slipping them on, my eyes focused and I saw that
Dexter had turned in his seat, to the right of a strange man I had never
seen before and inquired how I was feeling.

	`Yeah, much better thanks.' I said. `Bit of a headache though. Where are
we?' My hand flew to my head and I steadied myself as a small dizzy spell
came over me.

	`Just flying over Greenland. We'll turn when we get into Canada Airspace
and then we're all set to touch down at Washington Dulles in about three
hours.' The man in the seat beside Dexter turned and I was staring at a man
with greying features and a slightly balding head. His accent identified him
as East-Coast American, probably from Rhode Island or Massachusetts. Then I
saw his face properly as he lifted his head and flashed a smile at me.

	`Ambassador Roberts!' He chuckled as I finally identified him, and
playfully rebuked me for not doing so earlier. It was Jay's Dad. `What are
you doing here?'

	He explained that he had heard about what had happened when Dexter
telephoned to arrange everything last night. Deciding that it would be
quicker if he flew me himself, as he was in the country. He helped me out of
the helicopter last night, when I was out for the count, and carried me to
the jet. Making me comfortable in one of the seats, he and Dexter prepared
to fly me to Virginia.

	I couldn't wait until we reached America again, and I would be free from
both my estranged parents and the crazed man who had taken it into his mind
that I would taste nice for supper. Why had he come after me? Was it
something that I had done to him? I was only fourteen; there was nothing I
could have done. Anyway it didn't matter anymore; I was going to be with Jay
again. Hopefully it would not be for such a short space of time as the last
meeting we had.

	`Alex, you okay?' The voice seemed distant. Dexter had turned around from
the controls again and was looking at me with worry in his eyes.

	`Yeah, I'm fine.' I said, although deep down I knew that it wasn't true. I
had felt terrible ever since the attack. `I just need to go and lie down for
a bit.' I excused myself from the forum of questions that I knew would
follow. I needed to save that until I was at Jay's, with him sitting next to
me.

	Why did I have to fall in love with someone that didn't even live in the
same country as me? It had always been the bane of my existence that things
often fell just outside my grasp. For most of my life it had been my Father
that I had missed out on. Usually the excuse was that it was too busy at the
office. Since he ran the Lord Chancellor's Department, I knew that he could
easily hand over a few jobs occasionally to the six thousand civil servants
who constantly ran around after him, clearing up every politician's mess for
them.

	With Jay it would be different. I have decided to tell him. Last night I
wasn't exactly sure about it, but now I was clear on what would happen.
Before I had to answer any questions about the attack, Jay would know the
truth.

Suddenly I remembered and drew my hand across my forehead. The blood had
dried and with a small scab forming, I felt much better than having it as a
seeping wound. Checking my arm, I saw that it had not entirely healed as
yet. It wouldn't heal for a long time, and I had been told that I would
always have a scar down the upper part of the flesh. Always having a
reminder of last night was not the most appealing thing in the world, but at
least it was better than being dead.

Sitting back, I fell again into a deep sleep. The plane continued on its
journey and soon landed on the soft tarmac of Washington. The runway was
bathed in a soft light as we touched down and the doors flew open to allow
me to step down into the small hanger.

As I came out of the plane and jumped down to the floor, a hand fell across
my shoulder and it made me jump. Giving an involuntary yelp I turned to see
who had surprised me. Jay was rolling with laughter on the floor of the
hanger. There were tears at the corner of his eyes as he giggled at the fool
I had just made of myself.

`You really are a doofus, you know that.' Jay was howling with laughter and
I punched him in the arm. He pulled me into a hug and led me to the car that
was waiting for us both. Climbing into the soft leather seats, we were
joined by Dexter and Jay's Dad.

Dexter pulled out a mobile phone and started to bark some commands into it
as soon as we had pulled out of the hanger. Ambassador Ray Roberts began to
involve both of us in conversation. This was short as laughing had become
painful for me, and made shooting pains rifle through my arm.

After finishing what he was doing, Dexter joined in the conversation and the
journey went quickly. Soon we were pulling into the large drive of the
Roberts's house. We crunched along the gravel as it turned into a half
circle up to the front door.

Stepping out of the car, I saw the tall green door swing back on its hinges
and Mrs Roberts rushed out and swept me up in her arms. There was a moment
for which I had to decide whether to be polite and endure the excruciating
pain that was emanating from my arm, which was now throbbing with the
discomfort of being held in a tight grasp, or to say something and risk
hurting my godmother's feelings. I chose the former and just smiled as she
welcomed me to America.

Buried in her shoulder was somehow comforting. This woman who I had not
spoken to for four years had accepted me back as if I was her own son. When
my Mother and Ray were busy, I had gone everywhere with her and Jay. For the
first few years of my life it was her who had pushed me around in a
double-stroller with her son, while the rest of my family were too busy to
look after me. This was, of course, understandable, but not to a boy of
three who wanted to see his Mom once in a while. She did try her best to
come home when she could, but most nights I had the pleasure of staying with
her, Ray and Jay at the American Embassy.

`Hey, Aunt Kate.' I said smiling as she finally released me from that
python-like grip. The pain in my arm had begun to subside, and as my
suitcase went past me, carried by Ray, Jay came up behind me and slapped me
hard on the back.

`Kid, get inside outta the sun. You'll give yourself sunstroke!' He pointed
at the marble-floored hallway and pushed me towards it playfully.

He had always called me `kid' ever since we could talk, `Alex' became more
common when we started our teenage years. However, whenever I was in trouble
I always became `Alexander' with him. It was a way of showing how he felt at
the time, and was quite a good one, because it showed me exactly what type
of mood he was in. Now, he was obviously in a good one and after I had been
ushered into the kitchen, where I was fed with a large spread of roast
chicken and salad, I realised that it was time for us to sort out my little
problem.

I excused myself from the table and asked Jay if he would come with me to
help me do some unpacking. This was received with appreciative glances all
round, as it was thought that I might be somewhat difficult after the ordeal
that I had been put through last night. I had, however, assured them that I
was quite alright even though this was slightly further from the truth than
I myself could accept. Being with Jay eased the pain more, but I still had
to face up to telling him about myself. Now seemed like the best time.

We made our way up the stairs, and as we reached the landing a ritual fight
had begun. It was met with small giggles and eventually Jay pushed me
against the door that was to lead into my bedroom. The door had been left
partially ajar, and so I fell backwards as it opened on me.

Jay's face fell as he heard me shout. Finding me in a heap on the floor of
my bedroom his expression was one of anguish. As soon as I had assured him
that I was okay, he smiled again. I began to wonder how good it would feel
if those lips were pressed against mine, and his hands were at the back of
my head. I shook off the thought. I needed to suppress the feelings and tell
him the truth about what I felt before I took it any further and perhaps
ruined what I had built up over the past fourteen years.

We both went into the room and I laid the suitcase flat on the bed,
unzipping the metal to throw it open. Jay came over to help and I passed him
a few clothes, which he hung up in the wardrobe to the right of the bed. It
was a walk-in affair that was not as popular in the UK. For this reason I
had rarely seen them other than here. Jay tossed his blond hair as he
walked. His tight jeans did not do anything to hide the contours of his cute
body, and I found myself thinking about kissing him again. I mentally
slapped myself and broached the subject that I needed to talk to him about.

`Er...Jay?' I asked cautiously.

He replied and I had to say something now. But no matter how hard I tried to
say it I couldn't. What would happen if he didn't accept me? If he told
someone my life would become as worthless as shit. Royalty is not gay. It
has never openly happened before, and I sure as hell wasn't prepared for it.

`Jay, I need to tell you something.' He saw that I wasn't joking anymore,
and that my smile had long since faded. When tears appeared in the corner of
my eyes he came over and put his arm around mine. Sitting next to me on the
bed, he handed me a tissue from his jeans pocket.

`I don't know how to say this.' His grip tightened on my shoulder and I felt
safe with him. `Jay...I'm...well...' My voice had begun to fail me again. `I can't
say this...it's too hard.' Jay seemed to understand and turned to look at me.
Pushing the empty suitcase from the bed he took my hand and sat me facing
him, swinging his legs onto the soft bedspread.

`Take your time, Alex.' He coaxed me to tell him. `Come on, I'm your best
friend. You can tell me anything you want to, you know I'd never tell
anybody.'

For the first time, I noticed that he had picked up a slight American accent
to accompany his living conditions. Even though his family was American, he
had spent most of his life in England. Most of that English life was spent
with either me sleeping at the foot of his bed, or him sleeping at the foot
of mine. We had become practically inseparable since we had reached the age
of three.

I knew this may be true with everything else, but not with this simple fact.
It was something that could destroy lifelong friendships. Pull yourself
together, Alex. I needed to tell him, or I would be miserable every time I
saw him. Looking up, I found that he was still looking at me. My hands
pulled away from his as I blurted out the problem that had consumed me for
so long.

`Jay, I'm gay.'

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