Date: Tue, 22 May 2001 12:55:27 +0100 From: Jamie <virus@dial.pipex.com> Subject: Shadows in the Curtains - part 4 CHAPTER 4 Dedicated to Ciaran, who has been with me forever. Disclaimer: its a gay site. If you want to be here, good. If you don't want to be here, don't. If you shouldn't be here and you know the answer to that; don't. The author, his editor and the website, will not accept responsibilities of your actions; either before you read this, or after. We don't consider this story pornography. This story is educational. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- 'Alex! Alex, Wake up!' My Mother's voice cut through the veil of sleep. I lifted the lids of my eyes and felt the sheets around me. They were drenched with a cold sweat that was still pouring from my shivering body. I tried to make sense of it all and then t hit me - a dream. All of it was a dream. My Mother saw the confused look of horror and relief cross my brow and she pulled me closer and began to rock back and forth. 'Are you okay, kiddo?' She began sotto voce. Her touch was soft and warm, it had comforted me many times, and this was no different. I started to cry steadily. 'It was so real.' My voice was no higher than a whisper; I couldn't produce a louder noise. Then the realisation suddenly hit me. Everything that had happened was dreamt. That means that I was never a prince and Tremblant had never existed. However, by far the worst was that fact that I didn't have Jay anymore. Pulling free from my Mother I saw that it was still dark outside and glanced at the clock. It was four in the morning. To early to get up, so I settled back to sleep. Mum just sat on the corner of the bed and looked at me. However, after a few minutes with my eyes tightly shut she left me to sleep. But I couldn't sleep - not here, not now. I was still too confused about what had happened. Every detail was vivid and emancipated in such detail. How could it all have been a dream? So if I wasn't a prince, who was I? Slipping back into my drab life had become almost a chore that I would do every night. These nightmares were occurring more and more frequently. Almost all the time they included Jay. He was my best friend and had been ever since I had moved here to Rhode Island from London five years ago. We would go everywhere together, and people would always ask where the other was if we were alone for any reason. He helped during the adjustment from English to America. It was hard for a "spoilt rich kid" to suddenly be dropped into the life of public school. No matter what the problem was, however, he was there. I knew that I had feelings for him. More than a friend should have for a friend. It was definitely developing into a sexual love now. I thought of Jay with his blond hair that was.well I shouldn't really say cute should I? But that is exactly how I found it. Everything about him made me go weak at the knees, especially the way that he would bite his bottom lips and curl it into a grin when he was concentrating. I've found myself staring at him during lessons when he does that and then the sharp snap of a teachers rasp wakes me from my reverie. As my vague differentiation between philios and eros love was coming clearer the sunlight flooded over the bed sheets and soon crept up to my eyes. Another look at the alarm clock told me that it was near enough time to get up. Slipping out of bed, I crossed the sunlit room and snatched up a pair of trousers from the wardrobe. After matching them with a T-Shirt and trainers I opened my door and came out onto the landing. No one else seemed to be awake yet. Then I heard it come down the hall and bowl me over. I fell to the floor with a crash and when I recovered found my little brother sitting astride me looking down with a menacing grin. 'Hey Dan, you wanna get off me now?' I asked, in a I'm-not-in-the-mood this morning kind of voice. I struggled to get up, but this eleven-year-old was strong. His full weight was upon me and it wasn't hard to keep me pinned to the floor. 'Daniel!' Thank god, I was saved. My Mum came out from her room with a bath robe on and spotted us in a tangle on the floor. Dan quickly resumed a standing position and flashed her a cute grin. His big blue eyes and silly smile could always get him what he wanted. Coupled with his small frame and silky blond hair, I didn't wonder why. I finally made it to the bathroom and once my teeth were brushed and a quick shower had been taken I trudged downstairs for another day. I had only left her ten minutes ago, but my Mum was already in the kitchen dishing out toast onto plates. She was fully dressed and ready to go to work. 'Get that down you fast, Alex.' She indicated the toast. 'I've got a staff meeting this morning and I can't be late.' This was one of the only things I disliked about my Mum. The reason we had moved to Rhode Island was that she had got a better job here. Unfortunately, that job happened to be Head of Mathematics at our school and it could be embarrassing sometimes. Math was the biggest department in the whole high school - encompassing Physics, Math and Computer Science. Why they just called it Math was a mystery to me. The problem with this was that being son to a math teacher I happened to be quite good at math. For this reason I had skipped the eighth grade and had joined the high school a year early. I got teased a lot because of this, and I didn't like it one bit. I mean, okay so what if I can do a subject well, I was yanked out from all my friends, who are still at Junior High, and placed with a group of people who I don't even know. Some of my classes were taken with sophomores and people much older than me. I supposed I got used to being the baby in the class. However, one thing did brighten me up as I entered the gates that first morning of high school. Jay had also skipped a year and was here early too. We weren't always in the same classes - he was really good at the arts whereas I was good at sciences. So most of his day was filled with history, literature, languages; mine were all calc, geometry, advanced physics etc. But it was still nice to be with at least one person I knew. 'Alex! Car! Now!' Mum was getting real agitated this morning. Maybe it was something in the water. I didn't really want to argue with her when she was in this mood and so I moved quickly. Grabbing my bag from its peg behind the kitchen door I fled to the car and got in. Dan walked past me and sidled down the road to his own school, sticking his tongue out at me. I relaxed and rested my head against the back of the seat happy to be free from my nightmare. Suddenly the car engine roared into life and I was shook forward as we pulled out of the drive. My surprised look seemed to trigger something in my Mum and she began to waffle on about Newton's First Law was the reason for me being thrown forward as the stationary object A (the car) began to move. 'Mum! I know that. You just caught me off guard.' She wasn't deterred and continued in her explanation. I just lay back and closed my eyes. Mum was okay, but she could get annoying when she went into one of these moods. I suppose this was why I had skipped a year. I knew it all because she would never shut up. Learning parrot-fashion. It was not something that I relished. At last we pulled into the school car park and ground to a halt by my Mum's marked spot. She was busy sorting out something in her handbag and so I jumped out while I had the chance. 'See you in.' She began as the door shut behind me. '.Physics, honey.' Jay was waiting for me at the gate of the school and we went in together. He looked so good propped up against the blue post that held the large metal object in place. The sun was reflecting in his hair and it was shining with the radiance of Adonis. I completely forgot myself for a second and began to just stare at him. I quickly pulled free, but he shot me a quizzical look. 'Man, you look on edge today. Whassup?' Jay, as usual, could see right through me. I wondered if he could see everything. I suppose if he could then he wouldn't be talking to me right now so I faked it. 'Er.yeah, my Mum was bitching about Newton again.' I guess this was partially true. Jay seemed to accept it. However, I didn't know for how long I could keep covering up by using my Mum. 'Bummer, dude.' He made his reply as we entered the main doors and crashed straight into my Mum, who was coming the other way. The few papers that she was carrying fell to the floor and she was not pleased. Jay immediately bent and retrieved them with a careful hand and returned the to her. 'Sorry, Dr Williams.' Jay quickly made his apology, she smiled at him and muttered something as she gave me an evil glare and continued to hurry to the common room. Jay studied my expression. He quickly came to the conclusion that I hoped he would, and be steered away from asking about the nightmare. Whatever it was I was not looking forward to today. I had three classes with my Mum - calc, trig and intermediate physics. At least Jay would be in physics with me. We always had fun in that class, but the others would be a drag. 'She had daggers out for you.' He grinned and carried on up the stairs to our homeroom. I jogged up quickly and arrived beside him. All thoughts of last night fell from my mind and my face broke into a grin too. 'Guess so. Maybe she noticed that I haven't done the physics homework for her class.' I began to giggle as Jay laughed, murmured something about needing help with some math and pulled me into homeroom. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- Sorry it's been so long, but that's part four. Chris told me it was about time I wrote another installment. Hopefully they should be out sooner next time. This is a fictional story, but if u want to read something true try chris-and-jamie, the true story of Chris and I which is also here in the young-friends section. Constructive comment or suggestions to virus@dial.pipex.com or IM jam0015.