The story below is a work of fiction, set in the format of reality. Any resemblances to real people, alive or in the hereafter, is entirely coincidental in nature. It is not meant to accurately reflect upon persons, in towns, cities, countries, nor governmental areas, which the story is staged. If a sexual scene involving male-to-male relationships offends you, then you should not read this story. Additionally, if you are under 18 years of age, in most state and countries, you are not allowed to read this story, by law. Check with your local laws regarding such. % Sexual safety matters. Remember guys, this is fiction. In real life, use protection.
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March Meltdown 01 wriTten by T. Chase McPhee
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This past December, a snow storm was sneaking up the east coast, rain mixing with cold air, causing Kevin to remain in Jean-Claude's household. Over a few days the two talked about their past lives, Kevin revealing more facts of the `whys' he left home, going into more defined detail. Jean-Claude in turn talked about himself, the transition from college to entering his father's architect firm, his father's passing, his assuming responsibility for the group and then the ensuing years which led up to now.
Kevin did finally make it to New York City, nine days later. That phone call in December Jean-Claude made, the day after Kevin spent the night, was the vehicle used to set Kevin up in a posh apartment, worthy of the likes of a fine, 5-star hotel. He got himself a job and started making a life for himself. On weekends he took the train out of Penn Station and Jean-Claude picked him up at the train station, after his train journeyed down the Jersey coastline. Sometimes he would see Denny, sometimes Denny with another guy in tow. Then, after his wonderful weekend he solemnly took the train back to the city, even though Jean-Claude offered a ride.
Their lives seemed uneventful, except for the small things the two did together on weekends, like going to the Stone Pony to see where Bruce Springsteen used to perform or the PNC Arts Center for a Kelly Clarkson concert, of which Kevin was amazed they sat almost at Kelly's feet!
Spring seemed to be in the air by late February, heading into March. Kevin was out for the weekend and Sunday afternoon was ready to take the train home when Jean-Claude announces, "Uh-oh."
"What?" Kevin asks, coming to the window facing the Atlantic Ocean. Seeing for himself he exclaims, "Not the white stuff again!"
Right away Jean-Claude thinks ahead, "Wouldn't it be terrible if we got snowed in?"
Unlike when he thought those thoughts a few months prior, Jean-Claude was not reluctant to close the gap between his front and Kevin's back, slip his hands in between the nineteen year old's arms and ribcage, wipe the side of his face against Kevin's cheek.
"You know I have to go, J-C?" Yet Kevin made no move to do so.
"You have your boss' number with you, don't you?"
"Yeah, I've got it," Kevin replied, reading Jean-Claude's thoughts. Then, ignoring the snow falling faster Kevin switches about, facing Jean-Claude. "Look, J-C, we know... we knew this wasn't going to work out when I first came here. You're a top. I'm a top. Two tops don't mix."
Dropping his hands, standing apart from Kevin, Jean-Claude inquires, "You've met another guy, haven't you?"
"No," Kevin responds adamantly, "I haven't found another guy!" He picks up Jean-Claude's hands and places them back on his torso after stepping forwards. "I'm not ready to meet another guy. I have to make my own way in the world first, remember?"
"I remember. So, what about college?"
Kevin smirked, saying, "You asked me the same thing while we were waiting for Kelly Clarkson to come on stage?"
"I know I did. I might be ten years older than you..."
"Nine."
"Okay, nine years, but I'm not going senile!"
It made Kevin smile. "You know you're so cute when you get mad?"
Touche, Jean-Claude fights back with, "You said the same thing before Kelly came on stage, after I asked you about college?"
Kevin stalled out for a moment before saying, "Okay. So since then I've thought about college, okay J-C?"
"That's the spirit!"
"But don't get too uppity, J-C. I've got a lot of saving to do before it happens."
Jean-Claude offers, "Not if you let me help you?"
"Another Kelly Clarkson moment!" Kevin replies, throwing his arms up and walking past Jean-Claude.
He couldn't get angry at Kevin, but did voice his opinion, "You know, like me, you're not getting any younger?"
Flopping down in an easy chair, one leg over the arm, his bulge obvious even though he has tight-fitting jeans on, Kevin replies, "Just what are you getting at J-C?"
Taking up the other arm chair across the coffee table from Kevin, Jean-Claude's eyes become affixed to Kevin's crotch.
Kevin heaves the right leg off of the arm and places it parallel to his other one.
With the view closed up, Jean-Claude continues, "Yes... well, have you thought of `when' you will have enough money saved up to start college?"
"Oh maybeeeee, two years?"
"Too late."
"For what?"
"When's your birthday?"
"You know when my birthday is J-C. Remember?"
"Kelly Clarkson," Jean-Claude named the date on which he found out. "So, in June you'll be twenty years old. Two years from now you will be twenty-two. If you go on for your master's degree you'll be twenty-eight."
"Wow!" Kevin makes light of all of this, "You can design buildings and `add' too?"
"Comes with the trade," Jean-Claude replies, "but all kidding aside Kev, what I'm saying is by the time you finish school all of the girls and boys who entered college after high school will be ahead of you."
Kevin didn't see it Jean-Claude's way but there was a more important reason why he wasn't ready for college and he stated it outright, "But I have no idea what I would want to major in!"
"You have a good job at the advertising agency?"
"Oh sure," Kevin replies. Sarcastically he puts it, "I could register for Coffee and Donuts 101!"
It put a slight smile on Jean-Claude's serious face, but this wasn't a joking moment. Like Kevin had said, they've been through this and understood the lad's point of view. Seeming like beating an old subject to death, Jean-Claude says, "Well I can't push you into something you don't want to do right now."
Then looking beyond Jean-Claude, Kevin nixes the subject, "It's stopped snowing." It was a tough call, but Kevin wanted it, wanted to return to the city before tomorrow. Even though he had a shitty job at the advertising agency, it was `a job' and it payed pretty well for a starter position.
Driving to the train station, they talked about more non-serious subject matter, Jean-Claude mentioned he was a member of the Asbury Park Arts Coalition and when Kevin came out to Jersey next time they would take in an art gallery or two.
"I don't know much about art," Kevin responded to his idea.
Throwing a little humor into the matter, Jean-Claude tells, "Some of the artists will be there with their works. Some of them are pretty `hot' looking!"
"What? The picture?"
"You know what I mean!" Jean-Claude says, slapping Kevin on the knee.
"Still, I don't know anything about art except some Italian guy painting the ceiling of a church."
"The Sistine Chapel," Jean-Claude rattles off, "painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512. It's one of the most reknowned works of the High Renaissance."
"He was on drugs?"
"The `High Renaissance' is a period of time..."
"I know," Kevin smiles. "I'm not a total idiot you know?"
"I never said you were!" Then after a lull, "So, you know something of history?"
"It was kind of my favorite subject in school."
"Oh really?" Jean-Claude asks at the red light.
"Right. Probably the class I got the highest grade in. Well I was okay in English too."
Then as the light turns green, Jean-Claude zips on ahead, listening to Kevin go off on a tangent. "So you were an A' and B' student in school?"
"Yeah, but..." then a quiet moment seeped into Kevin's train of thought, "I had a real tough time maintaining even a `C' average in my senior year."
Even as Jean-Claude pulled into the train station, put the car in park, he still listened to Kevin as he poured out the sad story of his last year in high school, a devastating one in which he was ratted out by another kid of being gay, his parents not taking it well, his father's occasional abuse, the abuse of his peers, him losing his job because his boss found out, some of the same material Kevin had told before, rehashed. "If it wasn't for Mr. Pierson I think I would have lost it altogether!"
"Pierson? You didn't mention any..."
"I know. I guess I was so bent on keeping our little secret, I had buried it too far back in my mind," Kevin reported.
Killing his interest for the moment, even though not his curiosity, Jean-Claude says, "It's okay. I don't have to know all of your business Kev." He rubbed Kevin's shoulder.
"I'd like to tell you, but I think I'll miss my train."
Like every other weekend Kevin came out from the city aboard the train, to say goodbyes were like the first time. Only difference, for each it became a bit more tough.
"Call me when you get home, Kev?"
"I will," Kevin replied as he hurried off towards the train, his backpack over a shoulder.
As Jean-Claude rode home he wondered about this Pierson guy. First thing to come to mind was age. Was he in his twenties, thirties, fifties, older? What he do for Kevin which Kevin held him up on a pedestal for? Then as he entered his lonely condo, closed the door, he went to the kitchen to fetch a glass of wine. By his lonesome self he and his bottle was company for him. Reflecting on the time he's known Kevin, his mind lingered on the memories, late December when Kevin first showed up at the soup kitchen, Denny's influence in making' him be kinder to Kevin, Denny's moxie which made him take Kevin home, Denny-this and Denny-that, until he realized it wasn't Denny's fault for any of this. He owned up to the facts it's he' who wanted all this to happen and once Kevin was situated, he was thoroughly enjoying the nineteen year old's presence in his life, even though it came a weekend at a time. On his third glass or Merlot, Jean-Claude slumped down, laying his bod the lengthways of the sofa. Closing his eyes, his memories became entwined with his dreams. He hadn't even realized it when the wine glass, tabled midchest, fell over. What seemed an unhappy situation, Jean-Claude smiled in his sleep, as he pictured Kevin jumping from a vehicle of a guy he hitched with, his backpack cusioning his fall even though his balls slammed into the pavement. It wasn't the incident he was making light of, but his dream-center painted a picture of Kevin's face as he told the story. He doesn't know how long he was out, but he had covered quite a bit of territory, to the time they traveled to the Gateway Recreation Area, Jean-Claude pointing out the nude beach and how in the summer time they would come back. He laughed, even in slumber, when Kevin exclaimed, "Nude? Like we `have' to take our clothes off?" As crisp as the day Kevin said it, Jean-Claude thought how Kevin would have nothing to be ashamed about, him telling Kevin how he would be drawing crowds of dudes around them!
"Huh?" He was startled out of his sleep when the ringing phone jarred him awake. He caught the wine glass when it almost rolled off his bod. As he sat up, he felt up his stomach and chest, "Must've been off for awhile," he commented to himself when he felt dry. Forgetting about all of this, he ran to the phone. Glancing at the clock, it was past midnight. Right away he thought of Kevin, but according to the clock, Kevin should have arrived at Penn Station around seven. "Hello?" he answered. Right away Jean-Claude's voice dropped from a mezzo-soprano pitch to a bass. "What? Kevin? Is he alright? Oh my God!"
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Copyright 2009 T. Chase McPhee
This story may not be sold, nor made part of any collection, without prior consent from the author.
The more you stretch, the more you can fit in... 'spread' happiness! TCMcP.....