Common Misconceptions
Chapter 2
Authors Note: This story is a work of fiction. Any similarities to anyone are merely a coincidence. This is a story involving sexual activates between two adult males. If that offends you, or you are under the age of 18 please leave now. Please enjoy the story. This is my first try at writing so all comments and criticisms are welcome, just email me at james5508@gmail.com.
About a hundred and twenty miles north of the twin cities of Urbana and Champaign, where Justin was feverishly working in order to get enough money to live on while attending the University of Illinois, as he would not be able to work as much, or at least he hoped, lay the first outer suburbs of America's third largest city, Chicago.
But beyond the poor, slummy area's of Chicago's south side and traveling through the city proper and into the luxurious and wealthy north side, comes into view the wonderfully built houses of many decades past.
Here the ease of luxury seems at the forefront of all the homes and people here, except in that of an older stately home, with a hint of the art deco style so poplar eighty years ago. Here in this home was the hustle of a very large family, on the verge of losing another one of its members.
Ryan stood at the foot of his bed, looking down at all the suitcases that his mother had laid out for him. `Was she seriously thinking that I'd take this much shit down with me!?!' Ryan thought to himself. He sat nervously back on his bed. He would be leaving for Urbana tomorrow morning, the first time that he had ever left home for a serious amount of time.
A sharp knock at his door brought Ryan out of his daydream, and before he even had a chance to ask who it was his little brother followed closely by his mother bounded into the room, an unfortunate trait of all members of his family.
The little boy made right for Ryan and jumped right up into his lap, causing Ryan to fall back on the bed.
"What was that for Conner?" Ryan asked trying hard to stifle his laughter as Conner put his arms around Ryan's neck.
"Mama says you're leaving tomorrow, and I don't want you to go, I. . . I'll miss you too much!" Conner said, strengthening his grip on his older brother.
"Ryan what have you been doing all day?" His mother asked him while surveying the empty suitcases lying all over his bedroom floor. "I brought these up for you so you could pack, not just let them sit around here empty all day, and Conner let go of Ryan so he can get to work."
Ryan quickly stood up, expecting Conner to just let go of him like he would usually do, but he continued to hang on, practically choking poor Ryan. "Whoa little bro, calm down will ya!" Ryan grabbed his brother under the arms and set him down on the bed, which caused their mother to focus her attention on them instead of the empty suitcases.
"I don't want you to go Ry! I want you to stay here and play with me!" Conner said as he was climbing up on top of the bed.
"Conner calm down!" His mother snapped, she was usually not this easily upset, and Ryan knew it was because he was leaving tomorrow. She usually got very emotional when her children would leave for school, as Ryan knew well after seeing three of his other siblings leave, of course he was going the furthest away, even though it was only two hours from there.
"It's okay Conner," Ryan soothed as he bent down to become eye level with his younger brother, "You know that I won't be that far way, just like two hours away. I can come up and visit anytime, and maybe you can come down to campus to visit me. How does that sound?"
Conner didn't say anything in response, but just gave a low mumble. This little exchange greatly impressed and cooled down Michelle Davis, who just simply walked over and picked up her youngest child.
"Now, now Conner, everything's going to be okay, now I have an idea," At this she paused pulling Conner from her, and allowing his face to look at hers. His face lit up with confusion, yet with a simple knowing look, as if he knew that he would be able to do something that he normally would not be allowed to do. "Now why don't you go downstairs and have some cookies or something like that and watch cartoons, and in a hour or so you can go shopping with me and Ryan.
At this latest suggestion, Ryan, who was now looking over his closet thinking of the most important things to bring along with him, turned quickly to face his mother and brother, who had a very wide grin plastered all over his face.
"BUT MOM," Ryan began to say, but his mother cut him off.
"Now Ryan, Conner is going to miss you a lot when you are gone, I would think that you would be at least able to do this one little thing for him, but if I'm wrong . . ."
She didn't even have to finish the sentence, if there was one thing that his mother was good at it was making her children feel guilty, and she was especially accomplished at it. Ryan knew when he had been defeated, and let out a lout groan and said, "But he better not. . . " Ryan did not have time to finish his thought has Conner run from his mother to him, and wrapped his arms around Ryan's thighs.
"We are going to have so much fun today Ry!" And he gave a small grin to his brother before running out of the room and down to the kitchen where his treats lie.
"Come on mom, can we hurry up please!!" Ryan grumbled to his mother who was window shopping at all the stores inside the mall.
"Just hold on a sec, I think that these things would look absolutely fantastic on your sister." And she walked into the store. It was a recuing theme, every time he had to go shopping with his mother she ended up dragging him into almost every store getting things for other members of his family. And by this time Ryan just wanted to get this damn shopping trip over as fast as possible, so he went along with his mother, deciding it was easier to do whatever she wanted to do.
After an hour of shopping for clothes, which he thought was one of the most horrible experiences anyone could ever go through, and carrying so many different bags that he thought he was going to fall over at any moment, his mother announced, "Okay, I think that probably is enough for today." Ryan thought no other words could ever sound so sweet as those did at that moment.
"Were to next mama?!?" Connor asked jumping up and down in the middle of the mall. "Well," Their mother replied, "We have to go get Ryan's new computer."
These were the words that Ryan was looking forward to the most, because it was the only reason that he agreed to go shopping in the first place. Although his parents were very well off, they never spoiled any of their children, always teaching them that people have to work hard for their money and possessions.
"Finally!" Ryan said, as he began setting down all the packages, and stretching out his body before picking them back up this time with help from his mother and brother.
"Okay, you lead the way." His mother said to him, and Ryan took off down to the opposite end of the mall and stopped right in front of the large Apple Store.
"Jeeze, could you pick a further spot?" His mother rasped as she caught up with her sons, Conner had quickly ran along with Ryan.
"Yeah, we coulda gone downtown, but I thought this was faster." Ryan said while he began to enter the store, and before he could even make his way over to the laptops, he was ambushed by a shitload of salesmen, all wanting to know what they could help him with. When he was finally able to say, "Laptops" all but one of them groaned and turned around.
"So, what kind of notebook are you looking for sir?" A young man asked. He was short with blond hair, and a manner of speaking that obviously pointed out the fact that he was gay. Ryan froze, but luck saved him when his mother came around and said, "He needs a new computer for college."
"Oh, sure, just right over here." He said and making, at least Ryan thought so, exaggerated hand motions over to the far corner.
They walked silently over to the corner, and when they got close enough the salesman began, "So you need this for school right?"
"Uhhh, yeah." Ryan replied softly, being around more flamboyant types of people always seemed to make him nervous, and especially so if he was with either one of his parents.
"So will you use it mostly for school work, or will there be other uses for it to?" The young man asked, glancing between Ryan and his mother.
"Um, I guess it will be mostly for school stuff, you know, but I guess I'll want to do other stuff on it like movies and other personal stuff too, ya know."
"Of coarse sir," The man replied and turning his back to them quickly walked over to a self which contained about ten different notebooks, most of them looking about the same, with maybe some difference in size between them, and turning back to them motioned them over, "Here we have the most common types of notebooks, the Macbook, and the MacBook Pro," Waving his arm over the group of computers right in front of them.
"And they are good for school work and internet and things like that?" His mother asked, which brought about an award winning speech by the young man about all the things that they can do, and evidently they can do everything, edit movies, pictures, songs, incredible memory, and performance. Ryan knew that most of this was just normal sales talk to get him to buy it, his mother seemed to be believing every word.
He really liked the MacBook Pro, but at two thousand dollars, he knew when he came into the store that it would be a challenge to get his mother to agree to it, but when he looked at his mother in the middle of the sales pitch he could not believe had caught up in all of it she was. And he knew well that she did not understand hardly any of it, scarcely less than he himself understood.
"Well," his mother said as soon as the lengthy speech ended, "I think that this one looks like the one for you, Ryan." She walked over and began to analysis the computer up close.
"Yes I think that the Pro would be a very good choice for you sir." The man said, walking close behind Ryan and slightly rubbing up against him, causing Ryan to jump a little, but the salesman quickly went over to where his mother was standing, still looking over the computer.
Ryan froze in air for the second time that afternoon and after gaining control of himself, walked over to where the other two were. "Yeah, this is the one I was talking to you about mom."
"So you like it that much Ryan?" His mother asked turning and facing him.
"This one can do everything that I want it to do, way better than that old one that I got now." He said, quickly looking between the computer, his mother, and the salesman.
"Then its agreed," his mother said quickly, "And we will get all the programs that you talked about earlier too," she said to the man.
"Right away ma'am, sir." And he turned around and walked into a back area where he got a new copy of the notebook and brought it back out front, "If you'll just follow me to the register."
"Ryan, go get Conner, I'll go pay for this stuff."
"Okay, I'll go get Con, and thank you mom." Ryan said sheepishly.
"No thanks necessary baby, I just want the best for you, now go on and get you'll brother." And she gave him a big kiss on his cheek, causing red lipstick to smear his face. "Oh, I'll get that for you Ryan," And she reached into her purse and grabbed a handkerchief and brought it up to her mouth, which caused Ryan's eyes to bug out.
"NO WAY MOM!" Ryan said in a harsh whisper, and quickly started to rub his hand on his cheek while he was turning away. His mother began to laugh as she made her way to the check out counter.
After getting the computer all wrapped and ready to go, she told Ryan that he should get the computer first and she would take the rest of the packages out to their car. Once she had Conner, she began marching towards the exit of the mall, leaving Ryan alone in the store.
Once he had the box securely under his arm and the bag of programming in the other, he began to exit the store, but not before passing the young salesman one more time. The salesman walked behind Ryan and said softly enough so no one else would hear him, "Just relax stud muffin!"
Ryan almost dropped the computer on the ground.
"Mom you said you wouldn't cry!" Ryan said, as he stood in the front hallway of his home.
"I know, I know, and I'm trying, but my baby, going to school so far away."
"Now, now, Michelle, calm down, after all he isn't going that far away." His father's deep voice rang out, bring Ryan back to the present. The three of them were all alone in the very large home, the rest of siblings were either back in school, or not there.
"Yeah, mom, its only like two hours away, and I'll be back for thanksgiving, in like only three months and then I'll be back for Christmas."
"I know, it's just that I've never been good at saying good bye!" And she let out a small sob.
"Oh mom," and Justin wrapped her in a powerful hug, his much larger frame almost crushing her, "I'll be just fine, I promise that I'll call all the time."
"You better young man!" His mother seemed to quickly gain control of her emotions, "I want to hear from you all the time, and so does you father, right dear."
"That's right honey," His father said as he walked up to his son and gave him a hug, quietly putting a couple twenties in his son's hand that was farthest away from his wife, "Just be safe okay?"
"I will dad," Ryan said before quietly adding, "And thanks." His father just smiled at him.
"Now be sure and drive safe, and call me as soon as you get down there." His mother said, walking over to him and giving him another hug. "And here take this."
It was a plain white envelope, "um, okay, what is it?"
"It's just some extra money, I know how hard it is being in college, but for gods sake don't go blow it on something stupid!" She said in a whisper so that her husband would not hear it, but no such luck. Robert Davis might have been a few years older than she was, but that did not mean that his hearing was out, and he gave a small chuckle before saying goodbye to Ryan one more time.
To Ryan time seemed to be continually accelerating despite his attempts to stop it, and when it was time to finally head out to his car he could barley manage his composer, he felt like he would start crying at any moment. Leaving was so much harder than he could ever possibly imagine.
His parents walked him to his car, and he thought that they had to be the most caring, loving parents in the entire world. They were both in their early fifties, but looked like they could be in their mid-forties. His mom was about five six, but his dad was more his own height, around six two. Ryan thought that he looked a lot like his father, both were tall and built, but Ryan's hair was dirty blond like that of his mother and he had her bright blue eyes, much different from his fathers dark features.
"Now remember, work hard, study hard, but don't forget to have fun, these are the best years of your life." His mother said, while his father just stood right behind her.
"I will mom."
"And if you just so happen to meet a nice girl down there don't you dare hesitate for a moment to bring her back up here okay?"
Instead of replying to his mother, he just gave her a soft smile, and opened the drivers seat door to his car. "And don't forget to call, I'll be waiting be the phone all day."
"I won't." Ryan said quietly, "Um, I guess I should be going now." He looked down at the grass at his parents feet.
"Bye-bye Ryan," His mother said at the same time his father said, "See you soon."
Ryan got into his car and started it up before backing onto the quiet suburban street. He gave one last look at his parents, waving them goodbye, before he hit the gas and drove down the street. In his rear view mirror he saw his parents get smaller and smaller in the drive way before they disappeared.
As he drove along busy interstate highways, he remembered the heartbreaking moments the night before when his entire family gathered over at his parent's house for a final goodbye, nor could he forget the reaction of Conner, right before the little boy got on the bus for school. Ryan had to bribe the little boy by letting him play in his older brothers room, something Conner was never normally allowed to do, and by promising that Conner could come and visit him whenever their parents would allow it.
But the one thing that remained in Ryan's head the longest was one of the last things his mother said to him, "And if you just so happen to meet a nice girl."
A lone tear escaped his eye, and rolled silently down his cheek.