Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 07:34:11 -0800 (PST)
From: torchrocket@yahoo.com
Subject: Stay with Me 1

Warnings & Legal stuff: This story contains (Or will eventually contain)
descriptions of sex between minors. If this is offensive to you, I don't
know how you got here in the first place... O.O And if you are underage,
please leave also.

The two main characters, their relatives and only their first names in the
story are real, but the story and the events within and their are not, to
the best of my knowledge. They just seemed like they would make a cute
couple :P

This story is copyrighted to the owner of torchrocket@yahoo.com

God I hate doing warnings and legal stuff... And now... *drum roll* Here's
the story! Enjoy!


			       Stay with Me

      Darkness came and Dylan lay on his bed, wide awake, with his hands
behind his head, staring up at the ceiling covered with stars from his
nightlight. He turned his head slightly and glanced at the clock: 9:20
PM. His homework, usually done by the time dinner came around, now lay
unfinished on his desk. He could not concentrate; He could not care less
about why Harper Lee chose to title the book "To Kill A Mockingbird", not
after what happened with his best friend over the weekend and in school
today.

	It was Codie's eleventh birthday. Codie and Dylan, along with their
parents, had spent a hellacious day enjoying a family outing at Six Flags.
Although not a major problem, Codie had a slight hearing impediment.  But
it was just enough to earn him a handicapped placard which enabled him and
up to 3 others to ride the rides without waiting in lines.  How many kids
would kill for the privilege?  They rode the most gut-wrenching roller
coasters over and over again, earning envious looks from many.

	"Where to next?" asked Dylan after riding Batman, his face still
flushed from the rush and excitement.

	"How `bout a ride on a park bench?  We've been riding non-stop for
the past two hours. Just for once I would like to not mark Six Flags with
the contents of my stomach."

	"Wuss.", Dylan teased playfully, giving the birthday boy an impish
grin before proceeding to prevent himself from being used as a pinata by
the younger but stronger boy.

	Unfortunately, strength is not the only thing Codie has over his
friend. Before too long, Codie caught up to Dylan and wrapped his arms
around the older boy's body, constricting his arms to the side. Codie then
proceeded to raise Dylan up off of the ground and tightened his arms.

	Ok! Ok! Sorry! Sorrrrryyyyyyy!" Dylan pretended to gasp for air,
flailing his legs.

	"Boys, cut it out!" Codie's mother, Mrs Merlando, said with a
smile, as she pointed her camera at them and snapped away with the shutter.

	Codie put down the smaller boy, who was struggling like a fish out
of water. "Ya got lucky this time, bub." Codie did his best Wolverine
impression. "Let's go to the arcades then."

	Dylan groaned. "Aw man... you're gonna play that damn shooting game
again aren't you?"

	"It's a great game!" Codie protested. "Just cuz you suck at it
doesn't mean IT does! You just ain't got the reflexes." he stated
haughtily.

	Dylan gave him a weird look. "I don't have the reflexes? Try
telling me that when we're on the dance pad."

        It's true. While Cody can play though about half the game on Time
Crisis II with one quarter, he is more than likely to trip over himself
several times on the DDR pad.

	"Whatever..." Codie shrugged as he ran towards the arcade, his
trigger finger already twitching.

	It was quite spectacular. Codie stood as far as he could without
his foot leaving the pedal, and still nailed 90% of the guys with one shot
each. Soon a crowd had gathered around him, nodding approvingly at the
obvious skill of the 11-year-old boy. However, Dylan's time to shine came
as they arrived at the DDR machine.

      "Have a death wish?" Dylan grinned evilly as he chose the song.

      Codie decided to remain silent.

      His legs moved so fast on the dance pad it was almost a blur, nailing
every step on the hardest song in heavy mode, his wispy blond hair dancing
with the rest of him on top of his head. When the song ended, applause came
from the crowd behind them. Dylan gave a sideway glance at Codie, who was
looking a little put out.

      "Man do I need to work on my reflexes..." Dylan pretended to sigh
disappointedly, a smirk still marking his face.

      "Yeah well I would do well too if I had a dance pad at home..."

      The younger boy grumbled as he trotted off the stage and headed out
of the arcade.

      Dylan's grin disappeared and he sighed for real, ignoring the still
clapping crowd and followed Codie, who was standing with his back to him on
a patch of grass.

      "Hey c'mon man, chill. It's just a stupid game." Dylan walked up to
Codie and put his hand on his shoulder.

      "I know... it's just that..." Codie shook his head, his wavy brown
hair fluttering slightly. "I wish you would one day be smart enough to not
fall for this."

      Codie grabbed Dylan's hand that was resting on his shoulder and
pulled while sticking out his leg to trip him. In less than five seconds,
Codie was sitting on top of his friend with his hands held together behind
his back.

      "Say Uncle."

      "OH! I.... OHHH...I'll get you!" Dylan barked out while he was pinned
face-down on the grassy dirt.

      "Say Uncle."

      Dylan struggled with all his might. He tried to kick Codie off of his
back, but his legs couldn't reach. He wriggled like mad and twisted his
arms, hoping to free at least one of his hands, but Codie held them
together like a giant crab pincer.

      "Codie Merlando! I will murder you in your sleep!"

      "Say Uncle!"

      Dylan sighed like a deflating balloon.

      "Uncle."

      Codie released his grip on Dylan's wrists, fully expecting a
counter-assault to take place, but nothing happened. Dylan still lay face
down on the ground, his arms at his side, unmoving.

      "What, no revenge?" Codie smirked, still sitting on his friend, who
stayed silent and motionless.

      "Dylan?" Codie leaned sideways to look at his friend's face. He saw
that Dylan's eyes were closed.

      Codie rolled his eyes. "Still an amateur..." Then he proceeded to
tickle Dylan on the side. Dylan stayed still.

      A sudden chill ran down Codie's spine. He knew that Dylan was
ticklish, and he couldn't stand being tickled on the ribs. Something was
wrong.

      "Dylan?!" Codie shook his friend, a note of panic evident in his
slightly trembling voice.

      He leapt off of the older boy and flipped his limp body onto its
back, and shook him some more.

      "DYLAN!"

      No response. If nothing else, Dylan would've at least burst into
laughter by now, delighted that he had scared his friend so. But now,
Dylan's face contained no trace of emotions of any kind. Codie picked up
his friend's wrist and felt for a pulse. He felt none.

      "Oh my God no!! Not yet!! Dylan! Stop it!!"

      Codie shook him hard. If Dylan had his eyes open, he would've seen
that Codie had tears streaming down his face. And if Dylan had worn a short
sleeve shirt, he would've felt Codie's tears falling on his arm.

      "MOM! Mrs. Kanefield!!"

      Codie sprinted towards where the two women were sitting, looking
alarmed as the boy flew towards them.

      "Whoa! Whoa! Calm down honey! What's going on? Where's Dylan?"

      Lily Merlando knelt down in front of his son, wiping some tear
streaks off of his face.

      "He's... he's... I don't know what... over there..." Codie choked out
between hiccups.

      He grabbed his mom's hand and ran back towards the patch of grass
behind the bush, dragging the two women along with him.

      Where Dylan was supposed to be is now nothing but grass. Codie looked
around wildly, but before he saw Dylan he heard his friend's familiar
voice.

      "Looking for someone?"

      Codie whipped around. Dylan was sitting on a park bench behind them,
with a broad grin almost splitting his face in half.

      "You... you FUCKING JERK!!" Codie screamed at him, a look of utmost
rage on his face.

      Mrs. Merlando looked both appalled and worried, since he knew that
Codie didn't cuss unless he's really, really pissed off. But before she had
a chance to say anything, Codie took off towards the park entrance.

      Dylan's grin vanished in less than a second. He also knew that Codie
only cussed under extreme circumstances, and this hardly constitutes as one
of them in his eyes. He gave a look at the two women standing frozen, still
a bit stunned at Codie's outburst, before taking off after him, followed
closely by the parents.

      They found Codie out in the parking lot leaning on their car. He was
looking down at his feet, sniffling once in a while. Dylan walked up to his
friend and tentatively put his hand on Codie's shoulder. "Hey man. You ok?
I'm s..."

      "Don't touch me!" Codie spat, yanking his shoulder free of Dylan's
grasp.

      "Codie!" the stern voice of his mother resounded. "Stop acting like a
little kid! You just turned eleven!"

      She turned around and faced Dylan. "Can you tell me what happened?"

      Dylan looked at Codie again, as if asking for permission to tell the
story. Codie just stood with his back turned towards them. "We were just
messin' around as usual... He got me pinned down, and I played dead. The
next thing I know he's freaking out.  I thought it was funny so I didn't do
anything about it..." he mumbled in a tender voice.

      Lily blinked. "That's it? Codie, you threw a hissy fit for this?" She
smirked, earning her a murderous look from her son. "Well, since none of us
got our hand stamped when we ran out of the gate, I guess we're heading
home early."

      The ride home was rather uneventful. Codie spent the whole trip
looking out the window with his chin propped up, and Dylan thought about
asking the younger boy if he's ok several times, but thought better. The
parents exchanged small talk with each other and tried to make the best of
the situation, but it was just not the same without the noise pollution
that usually originated from the back seat.

      After a seemingly long trip that in actuality only took around 20
minutes, they arrived at the Merlando home. Codie looked thoughtful as he
got out of the car, and before he slammed the door shut, he poked his head
in.

      "Do you mind staying over for a while?"

      Surprised, Dylan looked up at Codie's face. He noticed a gentle,
pleading look in his eyes, one that he has never encountered
before. Slightly taken back, Dylan managed to answer. "S... sure."

      Codie gave him a little smile, and shut the car door. The parents
looked at each other, and also smiled.

      "Give me a call if you want me to pick you up sweetie. Have fun."
Mrs. Kanefield said to her son, and drove off.
      "Hey man, I'm really sorry about what happened. I won't d..."

      "Forget it." Codie cut in before Dylan could finish. "My
mistake. Shouldn't have freaked out like that." Codie flashed the older boy
a quick grin. "But I've been wondering -- how did you get your pulse to
stop?"

      Now it's Dylan's turn to grin. "I was hoping you would ask that..."
Reaching into his pocket, Dylan produced 2 pairs of balled-up socks, and
waved them around in Codie's face.

      Codie blinked. "Socks? What do you... what?"

      Dylan's grin grew wider. He took of the balled up socks and stuck it
just below his armpit. Then, he put out his arm. "Feel my pulse."

      Giving Dylan a strange look, Codie wrapped his hand around his
friend's wrist and felt for a pulse.

      "I can feel it. It feels normal... except... it's... slowing down?"

      It indeed is slowing down gradually, and finally, it disappeared.
Cody snapped his hand back as if burnt. He gave Dylan a look of horror, but
noticed that Dylan was still smiling.

      "The sock blocked my artery when I squeezed my arm against my side so
it stopped the blood flow. No blood, no pulse." Dylan patted the younger
boy playfully on the head. "Any questions?"

      And that was that. The two friends headed up to Codie's room, where
they proceeded to mess around like two regular kids with nothing to worry
about... for the last time.

      "Hey, I just thought of something..." said Dylan with a mouthful of
potato chips. "What did you mean when you said `not yet' when I was playing
dead? I remember you saying that..."

      Codie, who was about to chuck a pillow at Dylan, was frozen as if in
space. He turned red and dropped the pillow, sitting back down on the
bed. "Nothing..."

      Puzzled, Dylan turned his head and saw his friend blushing. Normally,
he would've dropped it, but it was a rare occasion to see Codie
blush. Intrigued, Dylan pressed on. "C'mon, tell me man! I promise I won't
tell a soul." He put his right hand over his heart.

      Codie's heart pounded so hard in his chest he felt like it's trying
to break out. He wanted to tell him. He wanted to tell him for half a year
now, but he was scared. It was torture, every time he sees Dylan and not
being able to express how he truly feels about him. He was like a favorite
hat tangled up on the tip of a very high and frail branch: Something you
desperately want to have, but will most certainly fall trying to obtain it.

      Codie shook his head, sweat beads forming on his forehead. He
couldn't believe he let it slip out of his mouth like that. He bit his
lower lip tightly, leaving teeth marks across it, not noticing Dylan, who
walked up and sat down by him.

      "Hey man," said Dylan, making Codie jump slightly. "It's ok; you
don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

      It was no mystery to Dylan that his friend is really uncomfortable
with the topic, and the last thing he wanted to do is make him even
unhappier on his birthday.

      "I'll go get us some Pepsi."

	Codie breathed a sigh of relief. He watched as Dylan made his way
across the messy floor to the door. But was it such a good idea to just let
this hang? Now is as good a chance as ever... Besides, he might say
yes... won't know unless I try... I'm gonna do it.
	"Wait! Dylan... I... I gotta tell you something..." Codie blurted
out, his heart pounding faster than ever.

     "I... I..." Codie gripped the side of the bed so hard his knuckles
were white. "I... li... like you..." There... it was done.

	For what seemed like an eternity, Dylan stood frozen on the ground,
his gaze piercing through Codie's eyes and into his mind. Then, without
warning, he burst into laughter, under the eyes of a bewildered-looking
Codie.

"You... almost had me man!" Dylan managed to choke out between bouts of
laughter. "I know you ain't no fag!"

However, Dylan's laughter soon trailed off when he saw the look on Codie's
face, especially when he said that word.

	"Dylan... I... like you..." Codie repeated, a single tear rolling
down his cheek. It lingered for a while on his chin, before the weight of
another started its travel down to the wooden floor.

	Dylan couldn't speak. He just stared at Codie with his mouth
open. His best friend... how could his best friend be... Dylan shook his
head, his own heart now hammering against his rib cage. He glanced briefly
at his shoes, and then he turned his gaze back onto Codie. However, this
look seemed different... It seemed cold, and distant.

	"I better go." Dylan said in a voice that sent ice cubes down the
back of Codie's shirt.

        The bewildered young man ripped the door open, stepped outside and
slammed it without a backward glance, his shoes thundering on the stairs
rapidly, giving a telltale sign that he was gone. Codie didn't try to stop
him. He allowed himself to fall back onto his bed, now sobbing openly.

        His worst fear has been confirmed. He reached for Napster, a teddy
bear he had with him as long as he could remember. Over the years, Napster
has always had an uncanny ability to comfort Codie when he was sad, calming
him down.

        This time however, not even Napster could ease Codie's pain. He
clutched the bear tightly to his chest nonetheless, tears streaming down
the side of his face and soaking his pillow. He felt as if his heart was
ripped out and left on the ground to bleed when Dylan opened that door and
walked out.

        I'm such an idiot...He silently thought to himself. What did you
think was gonna happen? That he was gonna say `I like you too'? That shit
only happens in stories man... your living in real life.....REAL fucking
LIFE you dumb piece of shit!!

        Codie continued to sob hard into his pillow, eventually falling
asleep from exhaustion, somehow sleeping through the night. His mother came
by to get him for dinner, but thought better to wake him and covered her
son with a blanket.

        He had tried; He had risked himself to get that hat on the tip of
the branch, and he fell.

	Dylan didn't exactly know how he got home. There was a possibility
that he had walked, but there was also the chance that he teleported when
his front yard suddenly appeared in front of him.

        Walking into his small two-story house, Dylan headed upstairs and
directly into his room before collapsing on his own bed. He was
confused. In all of the four years they have known each other; never did
Dylan suspect in the slightest bit that his friend might be gay.

        It was such a huge shock when Codie finally expressed his feelings
towards him he really didn't know what to think or do. He knows that gays
are getting more and more tolerance these days, but such a thing did not
hold on the cruel grounds of middle school. He knew perfectly well what
some of the 8th graders would do to him if they found out that Codie was
gay.

	A knock on the door disrupted his trance. "Dylan! Dinner!"

	Dylan replied with a grunt. He really didn't feel like eating. In
fact, he didn't feel like doing anything except for going back in time and
choosing not to stay over at Codie's house. He desperately hoped that he
did not take part in the conversation that had revealed his best friend's
sexual preference.

	"Dylan? You in there?"

	Without a sound, Dylan dragged himself off of the bed and opened
the door. He paid no attention to his mother as he walked down to the
kitchen and sat at the dinner table, followed by a slightly puzzled Teresa.

	"Dylan? Are you ok, hon?" Teresa asked her son, who was silent
during most of the meal.

	"Fine." Dylan replied without looking up. A downright lie, of
course. Teresa gave a worried look at her son, but said nothing more. She
knew him well enough that if Dylan wanted to talk about something, he would
speak up first. They ate the rest of their meal in silence, Dylan eating
surprisingly little and fast.

	"I'm tired. Can I go to bed?" Dylan asked in a hollow voice.

	Now Teresa was beginning to worry. Usually Dylan, and pretty much
any other 11-year-old she was certain, asked just the opposite. She studied
her only son carefully, hoping that he would let up as to what is going
on. "Dylan, are you sure there isn't anything you want to talk about?"

	The look on Dylan's face was a definite no, so Teresa pursued the
issue no more. "Sure honey. Go oh ahead. It's a school day tomorrow
anyways. Sweet dreams." Teresa got up from her chair and gave her son a
quick peck on the forehead.

	Usually, Dylan would try scramble away frantically when his mother
tried to land a kiss on him, but this time he stood still as a
statue. "Good night" was all he muttered before trotting back upstairs to
his room.

	Teresa's eyes followed her son, the look of worry still evident in
them. She thought about calling Lily and asking her if she knew what
happened, but she respected her son's wish, which was obviously for her not
to know. She only hope that Dylan can come around one day and tell her
through his own free will.

	Dylan leaned on his door after he closed it. He took a look around
his small room. There was just enough room for one full-sized bed, a desk,
and a TV stand with his PS2 and dance pad.

        He stared at the small empty space right by his bed, just enough
for a kid's sleeping bag, where Codie had slept over countless times. Dylan
felt slightly sick.

        Has he ever groped me while I was sleeping? Has he ever kissed me?
Covering a hand over his mouth, he ran into his bathroom and proceeded to
emptying what little dinner he had into the toilet.

	Dylan collapsed onto his bed after brushing his teeth
half-heartedly, not bothering to take off his clothes. He felt
exhausted. He wasn't sure if it's from the day at Six Flags or the
revelation on his friend, or quite possibly both, but he didn't want to
think.

        He groaned at the thought of seeing Codie again in school
tomorrow. Hoping to take his mind off of his friend, he reached a hand into
his boxer shorts, gently playing with his dick as the usual images of
different girls from school flashed across his mind. Dylan sighed
pleasurably as his pecker began to harden to its almost-4-inches.

        But somehow, Codie's face kept popping into his head, and Dylan
realized with horror that his friends face was also contributing to the
rush of blood to his cock. Dylan pulled his hand out and slammed his fist
on the bed with all his might several times.

	Why Codie? WHY?! Dylan screamed in his mind, angry and confused
tears now clouding his vision. I'm not gay! I'm not a fucking queer! I'm
not!!

        Dylan sniffled into his pillow, his arms now clutching his head
tightly. At the moment, Dylan hated the boy that had been his best friend
for four years. He didn't know why, but he wished that Codie was here so he
could beat the crap out of him. He continued to cry silently into his
pillow, until eventually sleep overtook him.

	It was apparent to mostly everyone that the Dylan was trying
frantically to avoid Codie next day in school. Dylan sat down by some kid
he didn't know and refused to look up when the bus stopped at the station
near Codie's house, becoming mysteriously fascinated by a tiny rip in his
jeans.

        Codie paused briefly by Dylan's seat, a pained expression shooting
through his delicate face, before moving on to find an empty seat. Dylan
could almost feel the hurt Codie was in, but he refused to look at him as
he passed him by, remaining frighteningly still all the way until the bus
arrived at school.

	Dylan had history with Codie at second period. Normally, the two
friends would sit by each other at the back of the room, making rude
comments to keep each other and half the class entertained during
lectures. Today, Dylan hid outside by the classroom and waited for Codie to
go in first. He then proceeded to walk back inside and sat down on the seat
furthest from the younger boy.

        This caused several kids to stare curiously at the duo, one of
which was Kim, another good friend of Dylan's. There had been numerous
rumors stating that Dylan and Kim were going out, a rumor they considered
making true once, but thought that it was stupid to give in like that at
the end.

	"Hey Dyl. What's going on?" Kim went over and sat down by the empty
seat next to Dylan, dragging her backpack behind her.

	"Nothin'." Dylan replied like clockwork.

	Kim rolled her eyes. She leaned closer to Dylan, resting her elbows
on her knees. "Even I know you know that I know that's not true. What's
going on between you and Codie?"  She pressed on, tucking a lock of long
dark-blonde hair behind her ear.

	"NOTHING! Leave me alone Kimberly!" Dylan suddenly snapped back,
contorting his face. He shot a quick glance at Codie, who quickly turned
around and faced the board.

	Kim breathed in deeply and leaned back. Both surprised and annoyed
that whatever Dylan was dealing with he was taking it out on her. But then
again, this seemed serious. She realized that Dylan had not referred to her
as "Kimberly" for over a year now, and only under severe conditions would
he call her by her full first name.

        "Whatever.", she stated, half sarcastically and half
sympathetically.

	The rest of the day was a blur. Dylan tried to act normal because
he was getting sick of people asking him what's wrong. He laughed at jokes
he didn't hear, and talked as little as possible at lunchtime in the
cafeteria, where he and Codie sat at the opposite ends of the long table.

         Kim, after several more tries of getting Dylan to spill with no
avail, stopped trying, but she watched everything out of the corner of her
eye. She noticed that Codie was the one who tried to talk to Dylan, and
Dylan was the one who was avoiding him.

	Neither boy was sure how the rest of the day passed by. When the
last bell had rung, Dylan quickly headed for his locker. He swung his
locker half open when a hand came from behind him and slammed it
shut. Startled, Dylan whirled around and came face to face with the boy
he's been avoiding all day.

	"Dylan... please. I need to talk to you." Codie whispered. His eyes
looked so sad and broken they made Dylan regret having avoided him all day,
but only for a brief moment.

	"No, you don't." Replied Dylan monotonously, wrenching Codie's arm
off of his locker, and proceeded to filling his backpack with its contents.

	"Dylan..." Codie pleaded, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Just
hear me out. I know y..."

        The sentence was not finished as Dylan suddenly sprung to his
feet. Codie felt himself being shoved hard, stumbling backwards and falling
painfully on his butt.

	"DON'T TOUCH ME YOU F... you..." Dylan faltered.

        He looked around, panting, and noticed that they were the center of
attention in the crowded hallway. He still had enough decency not to call
Codie a faggot in front of all these people.
        Dylan stared down at the younger boy, now fragile-looking and
small, eyes sparkling from the tears that were to come. Without another
word, Dylan gathered up his things and ran out of the school, followed
closely by a slim figure with long hair.

	"DYLAN KANEFIELD! Get the hell back here!" came the sharp and
naturally commanding voice of Kim.

	Dylan ran a few more yards before slowing down to a rapid walk so
Kim can catch up. "What do you want?!"

	"You know perfectly well what I want Dylan. Go back there and
apologize!" Kim demanded, pointing a finger at the school entrance.

	"Why should I?!" Dylan spat, "he was too chicken to come out and
face me himself so he sent his little friend to do it for him?"  Dylan
finished with a mocking tone.

	"Oh yeah, he's a real coward alright, having the guts to tell you
how he truly feels about you." Kim replied coolly, her hazel eyes piercing
into Dylan's soul.

	Dylan jerked to a stop. He was surprised, but he didn't show
it. "How did you know about that...?" He mumbled.

	"He told me genius. I couldn't pry you open with a crowbar so I
looked for a back door. Do you know how many sacks of balls it must've
taken for him to tell you that? He was mature enough and brave enough to
let you know his deepest secret, and you reacted like a 4-year-old throwing
a tantrum. I expected better from you Dylan." Kim replied coldly.

	"OH FOR GOD SAKES!" Dylan yelled back. "This is our problem! Stay
out of our business MOM! We can handle this on our own!"

	"Yeah?" Kim clenched her teeth, trying to keep her own tempers
under control. "Like how you handled it today? Like a COWARD? Avoiding him
all day and pushing him away when he tries to communicate with you? He's
your best friend damn it! What right do you have to act like this anyways?
From what I gathered he's the gay one, not you."

	Dylan glared at Kim hatefully, wanting so much to paint her face
with bruises. But he knew Kim was right. She always was in these
matters. He knew he didn't have any right to treat his best friend like
that, but Kim didn't know the real reason why Dylan was angry. She didn't
know that Codie's revelation may have indirectly caused Dylan to discover
that he might be gay himself.

	"I... just tell Codie to go FUCK HIMSELF!!" Dylan screamed out
savagely before breaking into a full sprint to his house, leaving a
dismayed Kim standing in the dust.

	Galloping with astonishing speed, Dylan tore down the street, a few
tears whipping out of his eyes and splashing on the ground unnoticed by
anyone. He avoided eye contact with everyone he came across on the
sidewalk, almost crashing into several of them. He wanted to run forever,
to run to some place where no one can find him and stay there for the rest
of his life, but he knew better. The scene he caused with Codie projected
once again into his mind as he sniffled and ran faster, until his house
finally came into view.

	Dylan burst through the door and immediately collapsed onto the
sofa. He had never cried so hard in his entire life. His whole body wracked
with sobs as his actions towards his friends came back and flashed before
his eyes. Dylan bawled heartbreakingly for the next half hour, saturating
his sleeves and the sofa arm rest with a copious amount of tears.

        "I'm... I'm sorry Codie! Oh god I'm s... so sorry! I'm sorry..."
Dylan cried out between sobs, even though he knows that he couldn't hear
him. He continued crying gently afterwards until he fell asleep.

	Dylan was awakened by a shake on his shoulder. He fluttered open
his eyes and mumbled, not remembering where he is. He saw the face of his
mother after his eyes cleared up, and hugged her tight, tears once again
greeting his eyes, producing little wet spots on his mother's blouse.

        "Oh mom!  I'm... I'm a horrible person..." Dylan sobbed
sadly. "I..."

	"Shhh... It's ok honey, it's ok. Kim told me what happened. I have
to say, I was quite disappointed with you when I heard your reaction, but I
daresay that you realize now what the right thing to do is?"

        Teresa smoothed Dylan's hair, talking with a voice that was gentle
and stern and comforting all at the same time -- something only a mother
could achieve.

        "Now c'mon -- dinner's getting cold."

	Dylan nodded, still holding onto his mother tightly. All was going
to be well, he thought. He didn't know what to say exactly yet, but he was
certain that he will think of something before tomorrow comes.

	Dylan turned over on to his side, running his hand up and down his
colorful checkered sheets. He sighed, his mind mulling over what he was
going to say to Codie the next day. He does not deny that he finds Codie
attractive anymore, but then again, he wasn't ready to rush into such a
relationship yet. Besides, he still finds girls attractive, and no one has
to know about what he feels for Codie.

	A frantic knock on the door made Dylan jump. "Yeah?" He mumbled
back, somewhat annoyed.

	The door opened and Teresa walked in, looking serious. She waded
her way through the messy room and sat down on Dylan's bed. "Dylan, do you
know where Codie is?"

	Dylan looked at his mother, slightly confused. "Yeah, he has band
practice till 9:30. Why?"

	Teresa sighed gravely. "I just got off the phone with Codie's
mother. It seems that the band teacher has informed her that Codie did not
show up for rehearsal. She has contacted all of his other friends, but no
one has seen him after he left for practice after dinner."

	Dylan sat up from the bed, looking alarmed. "You mean he's
missing?"

	Nodding slowly, Teresa sighed again. "She called his cell phone
several times, but he did not answer."

	Dylan was out of bed in a flash.

"What are you doing?" His mother asked, looking alarmed.

	"I'm going to look for him of course!" Dylan replied as if it was
the most obvious thing in the world. He struggled a bit with his pants in
his hurry, but managed to get them on without too much trouble.

	"Do you have any idea where to look?" Teresa questioned her son, a
spark of hope evident in her voice.

	Pausing slightly, Dylan replied: "Actually, yeah, I do. But I have
to go alone."

	Teresa studied her son carefully, and she could see that Dylan was
quite confident about it. She knew that there isn't a chance that Dylan
will be persuaded to stay, so she refrained from arguing.

        "Be safe."

        "I will. Love you."

        Dylan finished pulling on a shirt, giving his mother a quick
hug. He then turned around and quickly headed down stairs and into the cool
evening, going to the one place he knew Codie would be at.

        About a year ago, Codie and Dylan accidentally discovered what
appeared to be an abandoned tree house. The ladder on the tree trunk was
concealed from the rest of the world by a layer of thick vines.

        Ever since they found this place, they had been using it as their
secret hideaway, discussing about whatever comes to mind. The tree house
has a mystical ability to make the boys relaxed and peaceful, and at the
same time reenergizing their bodies. They took an oath that neither of them
will reveal the location of the tree house under any circumstances.

	Teresa still sat on her son's bed, watching him hurry out of the
house in search of his best friend. She smiled, trusting her boy that he
will find Codie and bring him back safely. She is so very glad that her son
has realized his mistake and is now trying to make up for it. She got up
and headed down stairs into the living room, waiting patiently for the duo
to return.

	Dylan walked the eerily quiet park, scanning all sides of him
incase Codie was nearby. The sprinklers were on not too long ago, and his
shoes made squishing sounds against the soggy grass. He was in a rather
secluded section of the park, one that can only be accessed by wading
through a patch of tall grass and crawling under several tall trees. He
headed directly towards the tree house, and his heart leapt when he saw the
small figure that was Codie slumped at the bottom of the tree.

	"Should've known you'd find me", a weak Codie's voice as Dylan
edged closer. "But I really didn't think you'd care" His voice sounded
hoarse and weak. "Please don't come closer."

	Dylan stopped in his tracks, a pained expression forming on his
face when he heard Codie's remark. "Codie... I..."

	"Why are you here, Dylan?" Codie cut in before Dylan could
finish. "Apparently our four years of friendship means nothing to you when
you found out I was gay. So why bother coming looking for me?"

        Codie's voice contained the same distant and hollow tone Dylan used
before.

	"Codie... please..." Dylan called out desperately. He couldn't bear
to hear more about his hideous actions without crying again. "I came to
apologize. I'm sorry for the way I acted on Sunday and earlier today in
school. I acted like a true ass. I don't care if you're gay or not. You're
my best friend, and nothing will change that."

	If it had been possible, Codie's heart would've leapt several
inches. "Do you really mean it?" Codie's trembling voice after a brief
period of silence.

	"No matter who or what you become, one thing will always stay the
same -- our friendship." Dylan said firmly. "And I mean it."

	If Codie had been facing Dylan, Dylan could've seen the ecstatic,
tear-soaked expression on Codie's face.

        "So I guess "friends" is as far as you're willing to take our
relationship?" asked Codie tentatively after awhile, trying to hide both
the hope and joy in his voice.

	For a moment, Dylan wanted to tell Codie that he finds him
attractive too, but the moment passed quickly. "Sorry..." He mumbled,
hanging his head.

	Dylan could make up a small nod from Codie as he answered. "It's
good enough." He heard Codie mumble. Then, without warning, the younger
boy's body slid from its slumped position onto the ground, unmoving.

	Dylan's heart skipped several beats. He stood for a brief second
with his mouth open before dashing towards his friend. What he saw chilled
him to the bone and wanted to make him scream into the night.

        A hideously large gash adorned Codie's right wrist, his hand and
part of his clothing completely red from the amount of blood that rushed
out of the wound. In his left hand was a small razor. The wound looked like
it's been bleeding for not too long.

	"OH GOD! OH MY GOD!! What the fuck Codie?! Why the fuck did you do
this?! ANSWER ME!!" Dylan shook his friend hard, his panicky voice piercing
the eerie silence of the night. He saw Codie open one eye.

	"I... I thought that... that if m... my best friend couldn't accept
me f... for who I am, who in the world could?" Codie managed to gasp
out. "If only I waited for 5 more seconds..." Codie chuckled weakly before
losing consciousness.

	"NOO!! Stay with me Codie!!" Dylan screamed hysterically, tears
splashing over his friend's shirt.

        He did not know that his actions would cause such a tragedy. He
didn't dare to think about what it would feel like to have his friend's
death on his conscience. He desperately hoped that Codie was playing a joke
on him, like Dylan did at Six Flags. He would give anything for Codie to
suddenly jump up and yell "Gotcha!" while wiping the fake blood off of his
wrist. But such a thing did not happen. Everything was real.

        "Don't you fucking do this to me Codie! You are not allowed to die
without my permission, you hear? YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO!! So you better
open your eyes!!" Dylan shrieked through his tears at his unconscious
friend.

        Suddenly, Dylan realized just how much he cared for the younger
boy. The realization came on so strong it almost physically knocked Dylan
back. He realized that he really couldn't live without Codie by his side,
nor did he want to live if Codie died. With this new revelation in mind,
Dylan did the only thing that made sense to him under the circumstances. He
leaned in, and gently pressed his lips against his friend's.

	Dylan ran a hand through Codie's wavy brown hair as he tenderly
kissed his friend, a brand new feeling invading his senses like a tidal
wave. It felt like he has found what he was searching for all his short
life, his missing link. He gently swiped his tongue across the crevice
created by his friend's lips, totally lost in the new and wonderful
sensations. Then he felt Codie's lips move as he struggled kissed back
weakly.

	Snapping his head back, Dylan saw that his friend was conscious
again, but just barely. Overjoyed, Dylan had a strong urge to get back to
the kissing, but there were more important things to take care of right
now.

	"You stay with me ya hear?" Dylan said his voice quivering slightly
as he tried to hold back the urge to cry again. "You stay with me, and I'll
stay with you forever."

	All Codie could manage was a smile and a nod. Dylan wasted no more
time as he hauled Codie onto his back. Normally, the weight of the younger
but slightly bigger boy would've made him collapse, but Codie felt
surprisingly light on Dylan's shoulders as he ran full speed back to his
house, not caring a bit that a massive amount of blood was staining his
clothes. The only thing on Dylan's mind now is to get his friend back to
his house and then to the hospital as fast as he could.

	Looking back, Dylan thought it was silly how he thought that he
wasn't ready for such a relationship with Codie -- it felt like this was
what he was preparing for all his life. He held Codie tighter on his back
and ran faster despite the protest of his leg muscles, which felt like they
were on fire. He won't let Codie die. They were more than just friends now,
and what's amazing is that it all felt right.

      The next couple of hours were a blur,yet seemingly moving in slow
motion simultaneously to Dylan as Codie was rushed to the emergency room,
and his condition was stabilized after the doctors worked their magic on
him. Dylan, despite his mother's objections, spent the night by his boy,
absolutely refusing to leave the room except for bathroom breaks until he
can see Codie open his eyes again.

      Eventually, despite his best efforts, Dylan fell asleep in his chair,
his head resting on his arms which were on Codie's bed. Their mothers saw
this and couldn't help but cry silently, overjoyed that Codie was safe and
their relationship has been repaired. But little did they know just how far
the boys' relationship had gone.


				 The END!!

      ...

      Just kidding :) Thanks for reading this. This is my very first story,
and I know that I could definitely improve on a lot of things. So please
PLEASE give me feedback on what you thought of the story. I need the
feedbacks to keep the story going! They're fuel for my fingers if you will
:P

      And yeah I know there's next to zero "action" in this chapter, but I
promise that there will be a lot of it later on. Thanks again for reading
this story!!

      Please send all comments to torchrocket@yahoo.com