NOTE: A couple of more chapters before Jake's graduation! This is the fictional coming of age story about Jake Grimke as he matures through high school, into college and eventually into adulthood in the Baltimore, Maryland region. It contains and embraces accurate representations of life in Baltimore and its suburbs; Maryland's traditional sport and the career path a firefighter might follow in his profession. All of the characters in this story are fictional and resemblance to any one person whether dead or alive is purely coincidental. If you are enjoying this series, please send me some feed back; I got a rough idea where this is headed but I am always open to some suggestions. Needless to say, if you are offended by handsome athletic young men growing up gay and the obstacles they will encounter as well their personal triumphs, you should use the BACK button on your browser forthwith.
"Wow, Jake Grimke, how the hell are you, dude?" Bryant said with a big outstretched hand to shake, "What are you doing here?"
"Hey Bryant, it's great to see you again, been a long, long time since camp," Jake said, gripping Bryant's hand firmly, "Just checking out Port Deposit; Hopkins, huh?"
"Yeah, just about to finish my sophmore year, working on a biomedical engineering degree," the Blue Jays attack man said, "I graduated from here a few years ago, always come back for the Rising Sun game; it's the big rivalry up here in the sticks. Do you know Jose here?"
"We've met," Jake said, offering his hand to Jose who almost looked offended.
"Really, just a hand shake?" Jose asked almost sarcastically, trying unsuccessfully to force a frown as he opened his arms to embrace Jake.
Jake walked one step into his arms without any question and felt Jose's arms wrap around him for the first time, hearing Jose say in his ear just for him to hear, "I've wanted to do this since Christmas, Jake."
"Me too Jose, me too," Jake cooed back in Jose's ear not wanting to let go but not wanting to make a scene as the final horn sounded ending the game.
Jose turned to Bryant and said, "Jake here is the one I've been talking your ear off about all semester. He and his band played the best Christmas concert I ever heard at Children's."
"He's a hell of a lacrosse player too, not that you follow stick ball that much my Fiji friend," Bryant said, "I was lucky that I got to watch Jake not only grow into the game at camp, but mature and excel at it. Summer after summer, Jake just got better; he's a very dedicated and exceptional athlete, just like you in your soccer years here, Jose."
Jake blushed as Bryant heaped on the praise and then wondered what else Bryant may have shared with Jose about what happened at lacrosse camp when Jake was only 14 and Bryant was closer to 17 or 18. Jake could only hope that what happened at lacrosse camp stayed at camp as the rest of the spectators began walking towards their cars.
Jake and Jose were positively glowing just being in each other's company as everybody streamed past the trio. The remaining Mohawks also walked passed them, and Trooper Marsh, with Evan catching Jake's eye just enough to smile acknowledging that Jake was completely enthralled in the moment and was apparently hearing what he wanted to hear from Jose. Jake watched them pass as they strode towards the parking lot and saw all three raise their left hands with their thumbs aimed skyward.
Minutes later, just before 6 pm as the three were discussing Jake's plans for Charlottesville, the Iphone in his pocket vibrated and Jake slid it out, a text from Evan, "Have fun, we are all going home in the war-wagon. Call me. A&4VR"
Jake texted back, "K, A&4VR"
Jake and Jose walked slowly and closely in front of Bryant as the fans began to thin, now crowding the parking lot exit trying to get out. Jose laid out his schedule for the rest of the month, "my finals start in about two weeks and I plan on doing some summer school to get a jump on the fall."
"We got a two more games left, I think we are headed to the state championship if we keep playing hard, throw in finals and graduation and then Senior Week in Ocean City," Jake answered ticking off the next few weeks as they got to the Saab and Bryant's beat up Toyota pick up.
Jose smiled, "ah, Senior Week, it's not all that, at least in my book it wasn't."
Bryant chimed in, "We're playing Syracuse tomorrow, big game for us and coach has us on curfew so I have to get going back to B-more. Jose, you want a ride to your house with me or you think you can bum a ride with Jake here?"
"I think I will be good Bry," Jose said with a flash of his smile.
"Jake, it's been wonderful to see you again, maybe I'll be seeing more of you," said Bryant, opening his arms for a hug, "I'm expecting big things out of you, on and off the field, got it?"
Not only was it a hug from an older, bigger and wiser brother-figure it also signaled a hand-off, from Jose's old friend to his new one, "I won't let you down," Jake promised.
He hugged Jose, "call me later buddy."
The sun was dropping fast as Jose and Jake leaned against the Saab's rear bumper, "Hungry?"
"Sure am, what's good here?" Jake replied.
"You like cheese steak?" Jose probed, "I know a place that has the best for miles around."
"Sounds good; tell me where to go," Jake said as they sat down in the Saab with its top still down.
Jose gave directions and as soon as they found a parking space in the crammed lot of Pizza Palace, Jake pulled out his cell phone to call home and explain where he was and what he was doing. Needless to say, he got the nth degree minus one from Emma along with the usual maternal warning about being careful and to call if he needed anything.
At the counter, Jose turned to Jake, "what do you like?"
Jake pondered for a minute before saying, "I don't know, what do you recommend?"
"Two super cheese steaks, EBH plus FO's, big basket of onion rings and lots of ketchup, couple of sodas," he told the perky girl behind the counter.
"Sure Jose, how you been," she asked.
"Everything is good, finishing up my freshman year at Hopkins," Jose told her, "this is Jake, a friend of mine, Jake, this is Jeanie Foltz, she's a cheerleader from Port Deposit."
"Hey Jeanie, nice to meet you, how are you tonight?" Jake said and then asking either for the answer, "what is EBH plus FO's?"
"Everything but hots plus fried onions," Jeanie explained.
As they waited for their cheese steaks and onion rings in a booth, Jeanie brought them their sodas. Both rambled on about their upcoming school plans, Jose working hard at Hopkins while Jake announced that he signed a Letter of Acceptance for a partial lacrosse scholarship at his father's alma mater, the University of Virginia. Jose reminded Jake that even though his family was in Port Deposit, Baltimore was quickly becoming his hometown and that they should plan to see each other more once Jake graduates and Jose was done with finals.
Long after they devoured their dinner and after a few refills of their drinks by Jeanie, they kept talking about growing up Grimke and Valdez, each telling a story while the other listened intently. Both just wanted to be in each other's company a little longer until Jose reached across the table and grabbed Jake's wrist and looked at his watch and said, "hate to do this but I got to start thinking about calling it a night; I've been on the go since sun up and I still haven't checked in with my parents yet and I don't want to get them all worried. Would you be a gentleman and drive me home, please?"
"I'd like that Jose, I'd like that a lot," Jake said not wanting their night to end either but knowing that the door was wide open for a future.
Jake followed the directions Jose gave to his home, pointing out the landmarks that Jake should look for and a short cut back to Interstate 95. Once off the main road, the Saab's tires gently crunched over the crushed gravel driveway leading up to the old 2-1/2 story balloon frame house with its wrap-around porch. With his left hand on Jake's right hand on top of the shifter, Jose said, "This is good, kill the lights."
Jake's left hand reached for the headlight knob and with two clicks, they were in almost total darkness except for the thousands of stars over their heads. Jose, with his left hand still on Jake's and his right on the door handle said, "You better call me or I just might send Bryant to clean your clock when the Blue Jays play the Cavaliers."
"I promise, I got your digits, I'll be in touch, I promise," Jake said.
Jose let go of the door handle long enough to lean over and plant a big soft wet kiss on Jake's lips, "until we meet again, it can only be sooner, right."
"Much sooner I'm sure, I'll do my part." Jake said with a huge smile as he watched Jose bound from the car and walk up to the front door of his home and let himself in before turning to wave and watch Jake back out the driveway.
As soon as the earpiece was planted in his ear, Jake began dialing. First home, letting his parents know he was on his way, probably be in just after midnight. Then Evan, giving him some details about dinner with Jose and to follow up on the plans made enroute to Port Deposit for The Mohawks full scale rehearsal in the Grimke garage later on Saturday. The last call was to Will to talk more intimately about his dinner with Jose and how hard his heart was pounding in his chest.
Evan and Will both had known about Jake pining for Jose since the Christmas concert at Children's in December, Evan only heard the PG-rated version while Will had heard some pretty R-Rated if not XXX musings about what Jake would like to do with Jose. And while Will had hoped at one point that Jake's obsession with Jose would wane, it never did and seeing how Jake reacted to being with Jose confirmed in Will's heart that they were destined to just be friends which was just fine for Will Hurley right now.
Evelyn dropped off Erik around three o'clock on Saturday, a few hours before John Grimke came home from a day tour at Rescue 1 at the famed Steadman Station of the Baltimore Fire Department. Evan arrived next, bringing Jackie and Anna just before Aaron and Shelia got to the Grimke's. Will had been there since noontime, talking with Jake, mostly about Jose but also about their final plans for the concert as Jake and Emma finished prepping for the post-rehearsal backyard barbecue.
"We are a go for 8 pm on June 14," Will said to Jake, "Miss Birdsong has conspired with faculty and staff to make this as much of a workable surprise as possible. I'll start sending out the flash-mob messaging to the student body from the lacrosse game."
"What if the whole flash-mob thing fizzles?" Jake asked.
"Confidence is high it won't, Jake Grimke," Will said, hijacking one Jake's lines.
"So, you got the play list pared down?" was Jake's follow up question.
"Yeah, it goes something like this, in no particular order," Will began reciting, "Van Halen's "Right Now", "What Is Life" by George Harrison, "Sing" from Chemical Romance, "I Don't Care" by Fallout Boy, "Clocks," which I just added after last Sunday and "What a Wonderful World It Would Be" for Miss Birdsong."
"Anna still wants to do a song," Will reminded Jake.
"Yeah?" Jake asked, "Like what?"
"It's called "I Wish I Had an Angel" by some European band," Will started to explain.
"In German?" Jake asked.
"Nah, it's in English. I found it on YouTube, kind of a cool song, I think you guys will like doing the guitar parts with Erik banging hard on the drums. I downloaded it onto my IoPd and if we can get your speakers out to the garage, I think you guys can pick up the chords after listening to it a few times."
"Yeah, that's easy to do," Jake said, "so, are we doing any Springsteen for Coach Dase?"
"Evan wants to do "No Surrender" and maybe another one," Will said finishing up their conversation as the Mohawks began arriving.
For almost two hours, The Mohawks practiced their play list, tweaking the chords and who would sing each melody while the rest would harmonize. It took a few tries but they were able to play a decent cover of the Anna's song and before they finished out with "No Surrender." After that, it was time for a break as John Grimke tended the grill and Emma finished setting the picnic table on the deck with all the plates and food.
Jackie's parents as well as Evan's mom were in attendance also at the Grimke barbecue, all of them proud of their close knit relationship having watched their children mature into semi-responsible and respectable teenage leaders at Severn High School.
After dinner, they went through the play list one more time, building on their confidence gained from the earlier rehearsals as well the knowledge that just like on the lacrosse field, they could count on each other to back each other up as needed. There would be one more rehearsal each Saturday between now and the concert and as the seniors went from practice mode to impromptu house party mode with all the parents there, Jackie and Evan approached Jake.
"We need your help wingman," Evan started.
"And since you can keep a secret pretty well," Jackie followed.
"Uh-oh, where is this going?" Jake wondered out loud.
"Dieter, Anna's boyfriend from Germany, wants to come for graduation and prom but wants to surprise her," Evan started laying the ground work.
"That's a cool plan," Jake said, "I can sit on it `til we graduate."
Jackie started explaining the logistics, "he needs a place to stay, a ride from the airport and all that stuff, you think your parents would help out?"
"Hell yeah, Mom loves doing that kind of thing," Jake said, "and Dad will go along with it since it makes her happy. What's one more mouth to feed for a night or two here; that happens once a week or more here, right wingman?"
Jackie continued, "I'll have him email you all his flight info and stuff, he's really excited about coming to the U.S."
"I knew we could count on you wingman," Evan said, raising his fist for the bump, "always and forever."
"Always and forever, bro," Jake said reflexively bumping back.
Evan leaned over to Jackie and gave her a kiss, "see, told you Jake would come through."
Jackie broke the kiss and made a fist, "always and forever Jake."