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A Stepbrother's Desire - Josh and Tyson 36
The journey home was not difficult. Like the last snow, the melting event was messy and the roads were sloshy. Dad and Bill came to the hospital to pick me up. Dr. Perrow indicated I should remain fairly inactive for a day or so in case of dizziness or nausea. That was fine with me. To sleep in my bed again and to take a shower! These would be so great. To smell the mix of colognes that emanate from Ty's room would be awesome.
Dad and Bill, my two dads, talked like old friends on the way home while I sat in the back. I told them of the conversation with the police who had surprised me in my hospital room that morning. I tried to run them off since I had no parents present but since I am 18, they didn't require parental guidance, so they said. In the end, it was just an accident related to the storm and there was nothing in my hospital report to indicate I was intoxicated, which I wasn't. Bill said he would contact the detectives later as the police report would be necessary for the insurance claim on the car. Mom had gone into work for a bit and Ty was in school. I brought up the subject of the car.
"What will happen to the car?" I asked.
"I don't think the insurance company is going to classify it a total loss," Bill said. "The damage is limited to the two side doors and windows. No engine damage. You were very lucky Josh. I'm not harping on you so don't get upset. But you hit that tree pretty solid on your side of the car."
"So will they be able to fix it?"
"I think so. It's at the body shop getting assessed. They are behind because of accidents incurred during the weather. It might be a while," he said, offering nothing as to my mode of transportation. It will probably fall on Ty.
"What about my stuff that was in the car?"
"Jordan gave it to your mom, there was your bag, an iPad, your phone, and a stadium blanket," Bill said. He did not mention the bottle of bourbon and I bet you anything Jordan kept that for himself, whether to add to his stash or to simply keep out of everyone's focus. Either way, he could have it for all I was concerned. He deserved something out of the deal. I know Bill was missing the bottle already so he would have something to say about it at some point. I'm prepared for that, this time.
A text bleeped up from Dad, which was kind of funny. <If he says anything about you paying a deductible, I will help you. Dont worry>. Talk about the "text of a lifetime" as my mom had put it. But it made Jordan's statement all too real. "We have Josh" and it makes me feel pretty stupid that someone always has to "have me" like I can't get along in the real world without some propping up. Well that's not true and I may have to change that persona!
Once we arrived home, I quickly got into some comfortable sweats and climbed into my bed. I flipped the small tv on to create some noise. There was actually a good movie on. Before I could get too comfortable, Bill called me down for a sandwich. He said it was all I would get to eat until Mom got home because he wasn't cooking. He then left to go to the office and check on things.
Dad and I had a good conversation where I walked him through the events of the days leading up to the crash. He laughed really hard at the scene with the old man at the motel out on the east side.
"Son, you belong to somebody and I don't want to tangle with that somebody, blah, blah, blah," I told him.
"I suspect he knew what he was talking about, Josh. Those places can get dicey. I'm glad he ran you off even though it put you back on the street," he said, shaking his head. You really did have an experience out there. Perhaps you do need a credit card, with a small availability. You will definitely need one next year."
I finished the story having described how crazy things were trying to get through the snow, having almost run into the deer. He agreed that deer are so dangerous and they were probably surprised to come across me as well. Hitting one of them could have been worse than the tree.
I got tired and Dad let me go up and lay down in my bed. When I woke, I found Ty sitting on my bed, stroking my head.
"Hey babe," I said with a little thrill.
"Hey Josh, how're you feeling?"
"I'm ok. The headaches come and go as I'm trying not to take the pain medication until I really need it. How was school?" he asked.
"Well, there was chatter about you being in an accident. All anyone knows is that you got caught out in the country and the snow overtook you. Everyone hopes you're ok."
"Cool. That doesn't sound too bad. At least they don't know what an idiot I was. I was really a stupid fuck, Ty. You know I'm sorry, right?"
"Of course but I don't want you apologizing again. Isn't that what you told me?" he asked, glad to turn the table on me.
"Yes, that's what I said." He laid down beside me and kissed me. His lips tasted so good, his warm saliva blending with mine. I felt a little weird because I didn't get a hardon.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Well, I must be responding slowly because I didn't get much of a tingle down there," I said, pointing to my crotch.
"I noticed that," Ty said.
"I'm sure it's because my head has a hole in it. Let's revisit it later if you're game," I said, with a flirty tone.
"Let"s!" he responded. "In the meantime, I have put together a skype call for a small group of us because `you know who' is dying to tell his side of the story and to hear yours."
"You mean Ricky?"
"Yep. If it's just you, me, Tristan, Jack, and Ricky, would you mind telling us and letting him tell his? It's ok if you don't want to relive it.
No, I don't mind. You're going to want to hear it at some point and yes, I would love to hear Ricky's version of events. Just so long as everyone knows I'm not bragging. I don't have any success here to broadcast."
"I think we all know that but we want to know, Josh, what you did and saw."
"What time?" I asked.
"7. After dinner."
"I went through it with Dad. Did you see him? He must be out."
"No, I think he is. But mom is making a nice dinner for us all. I'm on point to help her. She's making a big pot of spaghetti and salad and french bread."
"Yum," I said. Food like that would go a long way for me today! I had texts from my friends and I called and had a chat with Diesel. I didn't tell him there was drama leading up to the accident and he wasn't aware. It might be time to fill him in. I have so neglected that friendship. I need to bring him in. We're lifelong friends. What's he going to say that I can't combat?
Dinner was good and I was glad everyone was relaxed and not harping on the weekend. Only one or two remarks like "we didn't have much appetite while Josh was out" and "I got behind on things...". It was ok, they weren't arrows aimed at me. They were just statements of fact. There would probably be more like them and I would have to keep the demons at bay and not take them personally. I really liked how my dad and my stepdad got along and my dad seemed very comfortable seeing my mom in her new habitat. I can't say if Bill genuinely liked him but they had some engaging conversations and Bill was very sincere. No reason not to like my dad but he is a bit of a "country boy" compared to Bill. But that's why Bill is successful. Any one of his clients could be just like my dad and it was his job to solve and represent, not to judge.
Ty said we were meeting with Ricky on Skype to talk about Saturday night. Bill said he wished he could sit in on that! Dad said he agreed but this was for us, Ty and me. Dad gave Ty a pass on cleaning up after dinner and said he wanted to help mom and for us to enjoy our skype call.
I certainly put down my share of the spaghetti. It was the most awesome thing I had eaten in days and now I was so full!
Ty got his laptop booted up and signed into Skype. We sat the computer on the coffee table in the den and sat on the floor in front of it so that we could be seen at the same time, together. Within a few moments Tristan had signed on and so did Jack. It took a few minutes for Ricky because he hadn't done it before but his mom was able to get him signed on.
"Hey everybody!" he chirped. "Wow this is so cool!" he said, looking into our faces.
"You look good Ricky. This your first time?" I asked.
"Yeah and it's great. I love it!" Tristan and Jack greeted him as well.
"So Josh," said Jack, "you know we are all dying to hear about this thing but if anything is too hard for you to talk about, please don't. We aren't here to celebrate anything except you being back home safe," and I knew this was a serious statement coming from him. I felt emotional. Ty was pressing my hand down onto the carpet with his.
"It's ok, Jack. I didn't experience anything truly terrifying really, except the crash. The rest of it was pretty boring except trying to get a hotel," and I started the story from where I left the house. Ricky was the first to interrupt with a "but why didn't you" question. Tristan came in behind him with a follow up to that. I shut that down.
"Hey guys, I know there were lots of options to every decision I made but I can't sit here and justify or `second think" everything I did. Please don't ask me to do that," I suggested.
"Questions should be used for clarity going forward. Ok?" Ty offered.
"Fair enough," said Jack.
I continued the story and everyone looked terrified by the type of motel I stopped at. I did an imitation of the old guy who turned me away and they liked that. I talked about sleeping alone in the car and I gave a big shout out to the flea market place. Ty and Tristan's eyes opened wide to the thought of the place.
"Oh let's go soon. After what I learned from Mrs. Chatley, I'm ready to look for some real deals!" said Ty.
"Definitely!" said Tristan.
Ok, so back to the story. I talked about how I got out to Ricky's which he said he had been wondering about anyway. I talked about the clearing that Ty and I had stopped in once and everyone cheered causing Ty to blush. Then I walked through how I tried to get out of there with the dark and the snow. Everyone was totally silent through that part. I finished with the accident and the deer. I turned the story over to Ricky.
"Oh my God, Josh, you were just next door!" he shouted at me. "Why didn't you come here? I would have let you in!"
"Ricky, remember what we said? Don't make him explain that," Ty said.
"Yes I know. I'm sorry. I just can't believe you were camped out next door. Just so you know, I would have helped," Ricky added.
"I know you would have but I don't know if I wanted help just then," I said.
"So our damn house lost power and my mom got upset. I mean, we've lost power during thunderstorms and all and Mom doesn't freak out but with snow and ice, she gets real nervous. She can't handle the cold so well. When Jordan's mom called and asked if we had power, she said no and her sister told her she was sending Jordan out to get us. He was looking for a reason to get out in the snow anyway. He loves his 4 wheel drive.
I was fine staying home and wrapping up in my covers but it was exciting to go riding with Jordan in the snow. So he came out and it was later than we thought but we figured we would be ok riding with him. We grabbed a few things for a night or two and he helped get our things loaded up." Ricky paused the story to add, "Josh, I'm not picking or anything but it must have been that you were trying to drive while Jordan was at our house. It must have been very close timing!" he said.
"I think you're right, Ricky."
So when we left, we were driving down the road and it was pretty cool. Then we came to the hill and Jordan said `fuck someone must have lost their shit' because snow was piled up and it looked like a car had lost control and that's when my mom saw the lights over the bank. She yelled "stop Jordan there's a car down there!" Jordan hesitated about stopping saying you never know what you're going to find but he did. He stopped right in the road. He got out and told us to stay put. I got out and I walked over to the bank to see. We saw the car down there but we couldn't tell anything. It was dark except for the car lights. The car was still running. My mom yelled at me not to go down there when she saw Jordan start down the hill.
When Jordan got to the car he stopped, then lunged over some sticks and stuff and threw the door open. "It's Josh Warner! Ricky", he yelled, "it's Josh fuckin' Warner!" and my nerves just went all over the place. I didn't understand why you would be down there. I thought you were dead and I took a step and slid all the way down the hill!" My heart leapt at the thought of him rolling down another hill, especially because of me. Ty shuddered as well.
"I was ok though. I just got snow all over me. My mom came to the edge and hollered down at me to get back up there. I told her it was Josh Warner and she screamed, "Oh lord have mercy!" She was so terrified. She asked, "is he ok? Lord, let him be ok!"
Jordan was trying to talk to you and kept calling your name. You didn't respond. He went around to the side of the car that was leaning against the tree and he wasn't getting you out that way. He told me to come over and we opened the passenger door as far as it would open. I got in and unbuckled your seat belt. You had blood on your face and your neck. Your hand was shaking uncontrollably. Jordan said it was probably good that the car was running because it kept you warm. He climbed in and tried to get you out but you were heavy so I got in the backseat and helped push you over the console. I held your head so it wouldn't flop around," and Tristan did a little head roll imitation. It made us laugh but Ricky didn't like that.
"That's not funny," he said.
"Well it kind of is, after the fact, Ricky," I said.
"You were heavy as shit," said Ricky. "It was like trying to get a horse out of the car!"
"Oh he thinks he's hung like a horse, anyway," said Jack. Ricky's eye bulged at the remark causing me and Ty to laugh. My phone was beeping and I looked at it. It was a number I didn't recognize.
<Hey Josh, I hope you're ok. Heard about your accident. Just wanted to check.>
I wrote back <Hey and thanks! It's not so bad. Sorry, don't recognize the number>
"It's Brett. Got your number from someone. Sorry if i interrupted>
I thought to myself, "Oh fuck! What am I going to do with him? He is coming on pretty strong. Mention it nor mention it. I didn't know."
"When we got you out, we laid you down in the snow. We saw where your head was hurt and bleeding. Jordan told me that he was going to carry you up the hill and for me to get up there and make room in the back of the SUV. He wanted me to get a towel out of his gym bag to clean you up,. I ran up the hill and mom and I cleaned up the back and made room. He came up the hill carrying you. He looked like a giant carrying you in his arms. It was unbelievable."
I started to feel a bit of emotion. The effort all this took. The notion that the Rose family coordinated so much to save me, well, that's not something you go through everyday. Ty wrapped his arm around mine and I knew that he knew this was hard for me to hear.
"When Jordan laid you down in the back, I climbed in and pushed one of the seats down so I had some room. Jordan told me to put that towel on your head and apply light pressure. Clean you up where I could so I held the towel to your head and used another one to wipe up the blood that had dripped on you," said Ricky. "My mom had tweezers and I picked some pieces of glass out of the wound."
"You mumbled something but I couldn't tell what you said. Jordan was driving slowly down the hill and talking to my mom about what must have happened. He gave her his phone and said to text Ty that we found Josh so she sent the text to Ty. Then she called 911 and reported the accident and that we had the driver and was on the way to the hospital."
Ty jumped in, "I picked up my phone casually seeing it was Jordan and when I read the text I ran downstairs, almost tripping, and showed the phone to mom and dad. Mom pushed the call button immediately and Mrs. Rose answered and told her what they had found and the condition you were in. Mom said we would meet them at the hospital. I was told to stay home which pissed the fuck out of me but not knowing what things were, they didn't want me there at the moment," said Ty, quietly.
Everyone was nearly in tears and Ricky was sniffling.
"Whew! Damn," said Ricky. "That night was fucked up but I told you, Josh, we had you and were going to take care of you. I told you over and over again and I think you heard me. I thought you knew it was me."
"I did, Ricky. I did hear your voice but my brain didn't register it was you but I heard you. I knew I was in good hands!" and he just burst out crying. No one really knew what to say because he had probably held all that in all weekend.
"Ricky," snapped Ty. "It's all good and you were so fabulous. You really were a hero. We will never forget what you did. You don't have to cry. It's all good. See? He's here and just as hard headed as he always was!" said Ty.
"It's true, Ricky. If you hadn't come along it might have been very different so thank you!"
"From all of us," said Tristan.
I felt so tired but I could tell everyone was hanging on in case there was one more interesting detail. I didn't have anything. Ricky said he didn't and neither did Ty. It was time to close it down and we said good night to everyone. Ty and I went downstairs and the parents were sitting in the family room drinking wine.
"Hey guys," said mom. "How did that go?" she asked.
I tried to respond but I choked up and Ty spoke for me and said it was an amazing but scary story. Mom patted the sofa and told me to come over. I sat down by her and she pulled me in close. I know she wanted to say things but they had all agreed not to wear the subject out. She just stroked my head, wiping my hair down. My dad and Bill watched intently. Ty sat down on the other side and she put her other arm around him.
Being so tired, I went up to get in the bed. The pain medication made me a little drowsy. My dad followed me up and sat on my bed.
"Josh, you going to be ok?" he asked.
"Of course. It's over. I promised everyone that. We'll just take it day by day."
"That's good, Josh. Do that. Please don't let anyone get under your skin. Only you know what's going on in your head. They can't know. Maybe Ty does. It's not hard to see how much that boy cares about you. It's like you two are bound together. I didn't understand it before but I do now. If this relationship is so strong, you have to take care of each other. Wow, it's really something," he added.
"Thanks Dad. I'm glad you noticed. I wish we could just blow it out and let everyone know but I think staying discrete like Bill suggested is still the best idea."
"Agreed. You have your friends and they must be amazing kids, Josh. Keep `em close. And Josh, keep me close too. I know you live here but I'm always out there. I'm not that far away." He looked up at me hoping for me to agree and I did.
"Thanks Dad. I know and I love you for it," and I sat down beside him and let him hug me. I really hadn't had that kind of affection when I was younger. I think he was all in with me, for me.
"I'm going to head out early in the morning. I might not wake you but I'll text you later to check on you, ok? Josh, I have to tell you, seeing your mother like this, really makes me feel worse than when I walked out. She is so incredible, so strong. I really feel like she landed in the right spot. There are so many things I could have done different but still, she is so happy here."
"I know she did, as long as I don't blow it! Thanks for coming, Dad. Sorry for..."
"Don't Josh. Enough of that," he said and he got up and went into his room. I crawled into the covers, leaving my warm sweats on. I must have gone to sleep immediately.
I was asleep, enjoying my own bed when I felt Ty slip in, quietly. Maybe with my dad in the guestroom, he felt very cautious.
"Josh," he whispered.
"Hey babe, crawl in here," I said, opening the covers. He crawled in and kissed me. We kissed for a while. He reached down and felt my soft cock. Nothing was happening down there.
"Maybe it's the pain medication," Ty said, trying to make me feel better.
"It's ok, sweetie. Just lay here with me. I was afraid we would never get to do this again," and he cuddled beside me and set his phone alarm.
"Hey, are you going to tell mom about the "you know what?" Ty asked.
"Huh?"
`You know, the part that won't wake up. Your dick, silly!"
"You think I should march into mom's room and tell her my dick won't get hard when Ty tries to climb onto it? Let me picture how that plays out!" I said, trying to hold back my laughter. Ty giggled too.
"Well, I see what you mean, but you have to tell her things aren't working right. You might have brain damage after all. I'm not being funny either," he added.
"I don't know what's wrong. Maybe it's just the pain meds. I would rather find that out myself before having Dr. Perrow tell me my erection will be back soon enough!" and he giggled again.
"There is no easy way to tell anyone is there?" he asked.
"Nope, unless I tell them that it's your fault! I can tell them you rode it so hard you broke it!" and he laughed really hard at that.
"Now that is not funny JW," Ty said, playing with my dick to see if it would wake up. It didn't. I put my arm over his side and we dozed off to sleep.
Over the course of the week, I started back to school and had to deal with some backlash about how crazy I was driving in the snow. There were jokes from the team that I needed to get a big 4 wheel drive if I wanted to be like Jordan Rose. Ginny started talking to me again. I met her before Homeroom at the lockers.
"Josh, you doing ok?" she asked.
"Hey Ginn, yeah. It's all good. It was just a mess, that's all. How are you?"
"I'm better. I was pretty upset the other day. It really hurt me that you would," and I stopped her.
"Please don't say it Ginny. I was in panic mode and nothing I did made any sense, not even to me. It's over now."
"That's good. Did Jordan tell you his side of the story?" she asked.
"Well no, his cousin Ricky did. But now that you mention it, I think I need to say something to Jordan again, man to man, not like when I was propped up in a hospital bed."
"He'll respect that but don't overdo it. He's proud and won't want you harping on him, you know?"
"Yes, you are exactly right. Hell, just a head nod would speak volumes to him," I said.
"Call me later tonight. I want to hear about the other stuff, if you're willing to tell."
"You deserve that, Ginny," and feeling a burning in my face, I grabbed her arm and pulled her back to me. "Ginny, you are so awesome I don't know what to say. I really," and she stopped me.
"It's been worth every penny Josh but it's not completely over, is it? The play still goes on to the "general admission seats"," she said with a bright smile.
"Yep, you're right. I'm thinking hard on all ofthat. Need some more time, though." She waved me goodbye and headed to her homeroom.
As I proceeded through the week, life seemed to take on a "normal" rhythm. I was concerned when my parents drove out to see where I wrecked the car. They felt they should have a visual on what, where, and how. They didn't say much about it, though. There were some other things they took upon themselves that neither Ty or I was aware of, until Friday.
Mid-morning, as I was leaving Literature, Mr. Burch asked me to hang back.
"Hey Josh, how's it going?" and can I tell you how much I hate that question?
"It's all good. Thanks," I said. "I'm caught up on the reading assignment, if that's what you're wondering about," and I kind of shook my head so he wouldn't think I was being a smart-ass.
"Oh that's fine. I trust you'll get it done. What I was wondering, Josh, is do you carry your lunch or walk to school?" and he looked at me very seriously.
"Neither!" I said, not indicating what a stupid question that was.
"Excellent answer. It throws people," he said laughing. "Listen, seriously, did you bring your lunch today?"
"No, I'm eating in the cafeteria today. Why do you ask?"
"Get your lunch tray and come back up here. I would like for you to eat with me today. Is that ok?" he asked.
"Well, sure. Will they let me?"
"If anyone asks, you tell them you're coming to my class. They won't say anything. It's a good chance for us to catch up. Very necessary, Josh."
"Ok. Sure," I said, just about to die with curiosity.
I saw Ty in the hall and wanted to tell him about my lunch invite and he said he couldn't talk. He was on his way to a meeting and when lunch came, I didn't see him in the cafeteria so I got a chicken sandwich tray and headed back up to the third floor to Burch's classroom.
"Hey Josh, come on in. Take a seat," he said, opening a lunchbox and pulling out a roast beef sandwich.
"That looks good," I said.
"It's all in the mustard. Colman;s spicy mustard makes it perfecto!" and he laughed a bit. So Josh, we only have the hour so I want to get right into it. First, I want you to promise that what I say stays between you and me." I said I would keep it confidential
"Second, promise me you won't take anything personally or take offense." I again agreed, and took a bite from my sandwich.
"So Josh, I'm going to tell you that I know about things. I know about you and Ty, and before you say anything, I always suspected but I am aware now, officially."
"How do you know about it?" I asked, using "pokerface, don't panic" strategy.
"Principal Dillard informed me. He actually informed a couple of trusted teachers to be on the lookout for signs of trouble."
"Dillard? How the hell does he know?"
"I believe your parents made him aware. On the basis that it's a sensitive situation, he wants to know at the first sign of "boiling and toiling". You have to be aware that this is a common practice of his. To run a school like this, you have to have spiders monitoring the various areas of the web. Understand?"
"Well I'm not really past the fact that my parents told him but the last thing I need is him passing judgements on Ty and me based on what they said!"
"Don't underestimate Dillard. He is one of the most brilliant school principals in the state. I was so happy when I got assigned here so that I could work with him. I hope to be him one day, Josh. He won't judge. He just wants to be prepared. It's the method to his madness."
"So what do you think?" I asked.
"Josh, when I was 16, my parents were having a terrible time. The fights and tug of wars were taking a toll on me. They sent me out to the coast to stay with my aunt and my 15 year old cousin. He and I were not that close but my aunt and my mom had been so her family took me in for the summer. I thought it couldn't be so bad living at the beach. And in a short period of time, my cousin and I were thick as thieves. We ran up and down the beach barefooted during the day and hung out at the boardwalk at night. Josh, I have to tell you we developed the most intense relationship I have ever had. I was so in love with him, I couldn't breathe half the time. It was really when and where I learned about it all. Love, sex, and war, so to speak."
"Wow," I said as he took a break to eat some. I was nearly finished with my sandwich and was shocked beyond what I was angry about earlier.
"So Josh, when I say to you I have been there and I understand the nature of "sensitive" relationships, I know what I'm talking about. Not that it's the same as what you have. Kyle and I were out in a world where no one cared where we were or what we were doing and we were actually related. You on the other hand live in a world that's heavily monitored and you're not actually related so it's not identical. However, how many other people you will meet that have some experience is very limited."
"I understand. So what happened to you and Kyle?"
"Well it's a long story. I returned home at the end of the summer and my parents worked things out and it was better. Leaving Kyle was hard on both of us. Our mothers knew and they tried to help us a lot but Kyle and I grew apart. I still see him at family gatherings which are rare and I know when he walks into the room even if I can't see him but we live different lives now. It's an experience I will never forget and neither of us begrudge."
"That's cool. What about Ty and me? What do you think of that?"
"I suspected Josh because there were little signs. You know I watch the halls so often. I like to pick up on habits and routines. Learning your languages will help me be a better administrator one day. You and Ty connect more frequently than other people. He watches you when you walk away and you usually glance back. I'm not stupid, Josh. I'm a guy too!" and he laughed. I understood.
"And Josh, yes I do find so many of you to be gorgeous and adorable, and even lovable. But you should know now that I'm not about to sacrifice my career for a silly fling with a high school kid. That's not my gig so I don't want you thinking there is a deeper motive here. What I'm saying is that I am here for you. I can't solve everything but I can give guidance when it comes to common sense and my knowledge of things. Get what I'm saying?"
"Yes sir and while I feel like I should be mad at something, I'm really not. I mean my parents spilling it to Dillard has me riled but this conversation with you is actually really nice. I didn't want to like you at first and I didn't know why but you've grown on me," and he screamed out with laughter.
"Back atcha babe!" he shouted. "To say you have to grow on someone is an understatement, Josh. You can be one prickly snot when you want!" and that caused me to nearly choke out my soda.
"That's fair. I never promised to make things easy for everyone," I responded.
"That's the part that grows on us, Josh. You don't cave. You execute on your own style and standards. I suspect Ty admires that in you as well because he's certainly a challenge when he wants to be. You push and press and it makes you a bit wondrous," he said. I liked that.
"Josh, this weekend, I know you've had enough, well, I'm here should anything get out of sorts. And Principal Dillard will jump into action if things get out and anyone starts making trouble. You can be assured that his knowing makes for a much quicker response time. Just please, please, don't put yourself in any more danger. You have enough support to keep you floating comfortably for the rest of the semester. Ok?"
"Yes sir. I believe that I do. I know what happened last week and I know how I got there. I won't let it happen again. It was terrible, Mr. Burch. Really terrible."
"I know it was. I can't imagine. And hey, if we're ever having a lunch like this again, you can call me Keith. Just not in class, fair?"
"Sure, thanks Keith. You know I'm dying to hear the story of you and Kyle."
"I know but I can't relive that anymore. Our attraction was almost dangerous, so possessive. It stirs up memories that are hard to process."
Yeah, I can understand. A summer at the beach though. That sounds pretty awesome."
I bet it does. To ave that freedom of open air and no prying eyes. It was wonderful!"
"Well I will have to tell you about the night they let Ty and me into Illusions because we were just standing there. It was incredible. We had our own feeling of freedom."
"Oh lord, you will have to share that one with me for real. They just let you in?"
"Yes and they taught me not to leave drinks unattended or to let Ty out of my sight. They tried to tell us that it can all be fun but our safety was top priority. It was like, instructional, in a way but we danced and we were together. Totally together, you know?"
"That is good but please be careful. Being underage in a place like that can cause a lot of trouble."
"I suspect it was a one time thing but it was amazing."
"And your relationship with Ty, it's full blown, totally involved, committed?"
"Yep. It all started when that bully got hold of him and everything spiraled after that. But I wouldn't trade a single minute with him for anything else."
"Strong words, Josh. Strong words."
"Hey Keith, let me run something by you. This is very "sensitive," I said. Feeling comfortable with the moment, I thought I could get away with the subject.
"So, ever since the accident, I have not been able to perform," and I raised my eyebrows hoping he got the point.
"I'm sorry. Can you clarify that?"
"Well, in short, I can't get it up," and he didn't flinch.
"Ok, well that happens. Did you sustain an injury in the accident?"
"Other than my head, no. Dr. Perrow said all my reflexes were good but no matter what we try, it will not come to life. Ty is frightened and thinks I should tell my mom. I don't want to go to her right now and tell her that my dick isn't getting hard when Ty sits on me!" and Keith Burch cracked completely up.
"Then there's that! I can see your point!" he said, his eyes watering. "Damn that is a funny image. I can't wait to tell my partner that. He's a nurse! But to be serious, don't panic. I think there is an emotional trauma here that just needs to break and from what I understand, the harder you try to break an emotional trauma, the longer they last. You need to relax and do your thing everyday. Keep positive and control your temper. Something will probably happen that will replace the trauma cell and things should "pop up" once again. Does that make sense?"
"So you don't think I have brain damage?" and he nodded that he didn't. "You think the problem area just needs a "refresh" or a "reboot",, or something like it?"
"Yes, that's what I think. Others may disagree but that's how I would play for another week or two. I mean, it's not going to fall off or anything. What you might look forward to, is that when that magic day happens, it will probably be the best experience you've ever had!" and this time I cracked up.
"So a glorious mess! I like it. I like it!" The hour was up and it was time for me to return the tray. "Thank you Keith for today. You and me are on a new page and it's really cool. I really appreciate you talking to me. I feel a little lighter, in fact."
"Good, Josh. I know who your friends are and I know how they feel about you and Ty."
"Keep them close?"
"Always," he said, closing his lunchbox and putting it away.
I ran into Ty later that afternoon between classes.
"Hey! I can't wait to talk to you. You won't believe what happened!" I said. He didn't look too excited.
"I need to talk to you too but it will have to wait. I won't be home until around 5 or so, can you let mom know or I can text her." he barked
"Oh yeah, I can tell her. What's wrong?" I asked, gripping his arm, not wanting him to run off.
"Let's just say, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK!" and he trailed off. I shuddered. The reference was clever but it caused me a a familiar anxiety.
"Oh no," I thought. "Principal Dillard."