NOTE: This is the fictional coming of age story of 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 of lacrosse 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 liked this installment, 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.
"What the hell were you thinking back there?" Evan demanded to know, "all we know are rock songs; we've never played any Christmas music."
"It's not too late to learn, we got two weeks. Erik and Aaron ain't got nothing going on and Mom can help us learn a handful of songs. Boo-yah, then we are golden," Jake answered, a plan already formulated in his always quick thinking mind.
"I'll do it but you got to do something for me," Evan countered.
"Sure, anything bro," Jake naturally replied as he double clutched and shifted the old Saab through its gear box.
"Jackie asked me to ask you to ask Anna to the Christmas Dance," Evan dared to ask his closeted buddy.
"Dude, NO!" was Jake's immediate reply.
"C'mon Jake, Jackie's not asking you to marry her, just take her to the dance," Jackie's boyfriend implored of his buddy.
"Anna, Anna Farhvergnugen or whatever her name is; the foreign exchange student, right?" Jake asked to make sure he had the right girl in mind.
"Anna Friergarten; yes, the foreign exchange student from Germany," Evan confirmed, "it won't kill you, just take her to the dance. Jackie and I are gonna be there; you know your wingman will never leave you."
"Promise?" as if Jake really had to question whether his wingman would leave him stranded.
"Like a rock, bro, always there." Evan answered.
"Okay, Monday morning after homeroom, I will ask her, but you and Jackie have to be there too, okay?"
"Done deal!" Evan said as they bumped fists in solidarity before going on to ask his buddy, "there's something else too Jake."
"What bro?" Jake answered as they motored back into Anne Arundel County from Baltimore.
"Why's Will Hurley got it posted on his Facebook page that he hung out with Jake G. Saturday night? What's up with that?"
Jake drew in a deep breath and started to tell Evan about the interview he did with Will Hurley for Will's project, going into detail about playing the organ at St. Michael's and then their own ride back to Jake's house where Jake relaxed long enough to ask Will some questions about being gay. And of course, Jake's parent's invited Will to stay for dinner and he did and then they just hung out at Jake's house listening to music and talking before Jake's parents got back from the surprise party for one of their neighbors.
Evan asked if they "did anything" and Jake replied of course not but then summoned most of his courage and told Evan, "I'm thinking seriously about coming out. I'll take Anna to the Christmas Dance but it's wrong for me to live a lie. I just got to know that you still got my back, that if I do this, we are still friends cause we got a state championship to win."
"Always, nothing can rip us apart Jake, you know that. I haven't told a single soul about our talk, not even Jackie. So, I understand if you don't want to go through with asking Anna to the dance, totally understand J-man. You know, I've said it before and I will always say this about you: no matter what happens, you always make or at least find the best in any situation. That's just you Jake and you are a natural at it. I'm proud to be your friend and I'll always be your wingman."
After Jake down-shifted as the Saab banked into the exit ramp he reached over with his right hand to clasp Evan's left in an awkward sideways handshake and felt Evan's clasp back equally as hard. He shrugged his shoulder high enough to catch the tear as it weeped from the corner of his eye and down his cheek in the cloth of his shirt. After a short silence and a few more shifts in the gearbox, Evan jump started the conversation, "so, did you tell Will?"
"No, just had to make sure you would be there for me first," Jake said.
"You got a plan for this?" Evan asked knowing how methodical Jake usually was.
"Not sure yet, after the holidays I suppose," Jake replied.
Pulling into the driveway at the Grimke house just before six o'clock, Annie's car was still in the driveway. Jake and Evan strode in and found their mothers enjoying a glass of red wine and the kitchen smelling of homemade lasagna. "Honey, Emma wants to know if you would like to stay for dinner, she's made enough lasagna for all of us," Annie asked Evan.
"Plus," Emma added, "apparently we all forgot it's a late west coast start for the Raven's game this week."
Evan looked at Jake then at Mrs. Grimke, "of course we'll stay, and Mom, before you ask, yes, all my homework is done for tomorrow."
Minutes later John Grimke walked in from his overtime shift on Rescue 1 and quickly changed out of his uniform after getting hugs from the rest of the Grimkes for a safe return.
Another bottle of wine was opened, dinner eaten and the men filed into the den for the kick-off off the Ravens versus Raiders as Annie and Emma cleaned up the dishes and warmed up a store-bought pie in the oven for a half-time dessert.
During the commercial breaks, Jake and Evan talked with their parents about the plan to play at Children's for the Christmas Party there in two weeks. Emma looked at John and knew they would have coach the boys into learning a few holiday songs and Annie herself was bursting with pride that Evan had volunteered to participate in such an endeavor. Their first practice would be tomorrow night in the Grimke garage.
Monday was a busy day at Severn High School. Before first bell Jake and Evan had reunited fellow Mohawks members Aaron Beecher and Erik Syms and demanded their attendance at the first rehearsal for their Christmas gig that evening. Like Evan, they were put off a little bit at the suddenness of the event but knowing that Jake and Evan were 110% committed, they felt compelled to join with their team mates to play off the field as well.
And by the end of homeroom, Jackie had heard about the band playing at the hospital and began making her own plans. Why not have The Mohawks jump in with the Show Choir and Band Ensemble to kick up the Christmas Concert a little she thought. If Jackie's boyfriend and the rest of the Mohawks were already going to be doing some holiday music, why not a little more for the whole school; after all, everybody loved the Mohawks at Severn High School.
Just after homeroom ended, Jake saw Anna Friergarten at her locker in the hall, just down from Jackie's locker and walked up to her, trying to be cool and said, "I heard you might be looking for a date to the Christmas Dance."
She turned to him just before Jackie got to her locker and with Evan a respectable distance away, she blushed a little and then smiled, answering, "Yes Jake, I'd like that," in her best, almost perfect English before finishing, "but, just so you know, I have boyfriend back in Munich."
Jake smiled from ear to ear hearing that Anna Friergarten had a boyfriend back home, figuring he was safely off the long-term emotional hook and that this might just be a one time date with Anna.
The four walked to their first period class together finalizing the plans for the dance a week from Friday night with Will Hurley watching from a distance, confused by watching what just transpired.
On their way to second period phys-ed, Evan naturally met up with Jake and started in with, "well, I hope you're happy now. Jackie wants us to do a couple of numbers at the Christmas Concert with them in the Show Choir."
"Sure, they just have to be willing to come to Children's with us for ours," Jake thought out loud.
Once in the locker room, they changed into their gym clothes with Jake looking across the aisle and seeing Will changing over there. Jake watched Will disrobe down to his tightie whities before he quickly pulled on some non-descript gym shorts and the school-issued reversible sleeveless physical education shirt.
As Jake watched and realized how attractive Will is, he felt Evan punch him on the shoulder gently from behind and whispered in Jake's ear "do you two need a moment alone?"
Evan had already finished changing and Jake was a little behind, pulling off his rugby shirt and then tee shirt, looking across the aisle and seeing Will take his own gaze as Jake finished dressing for 30 minutes of indoor volleyball. Evan slammed his locker shut louder than usual to remind Jake that he was a running bit behind saying to Jake "see you up top, bro."
Jake lingered just a little, timing the finish at his locker with Will's finish. They met in the aisle way that leads to the hall upstairs to the main gymnasium where Jake offered, "I'm sorry about how things turned out Saturday night; I didn't mean for you to get rushed out like that, it was all my fault. My parents just think that the, that our upstairs is, well, kind of private and that I shouldn't have people up there. I'm sorry if that was awkward."
"It's cool Jake, no hurt feelings here. I'm just glad we got to spend some time together; you are a pretty interesting dude," Will responded as they walked up the steps to the main gym and entered together.
"We should hang out a little more together, soon, I mean it," Jake said, offering Will a high-five.
"Um, yeah, sure Jake," Will said, a little confused as he slapped Jake's hand.