Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and in no way should be considered to be about anyone in particular. Normal disclaimers apply. Mental Illness depicted in this story can be a touchy subject and suicide or suicidal tendencies do exist in real life but this story doesn't condone them. On the contrary this story shows how much better life can be, with love and the proper help and support.
Chapter Two "there's a storm a comin", (The Gift) Paramount Pictures
John's day had been a fully loaded one, so to speak, and he was ready for a complete night's sleep coming up soon. As the evening grew near he thought about calling Chris and seeing if she'd like to go out and have lunch tomorrow after Mass.
John hadn't talked to her in a while, but he was sure she'd like to get away and catch up on things. Earlier, he had heard most of her life's story in a nutshell from Tom. Mostly, he was just interested in finding out what Evan had been up to.
He wasn't sure why he was suddenly so interested in Evan, except seeing the guy in the hospital had reminded him of how much he had really missed the friendship they once had.
He was curious to see if Evan was still doing his art and what kind of success he had had. Hell ... for all he knew, Evan might be a famous artist. But then John thought that most did not BECOME famous until after they were dead, for some weird, unknown reason.
He thought it was kind of like the post office rule about stamps ... only people who are dead could be on a stamp. If you'd just found a cure for cancer you weren't going to be on a stamp 'till you were six feet under.
John guessed that's the way the post office saved itself from embarrassment or something ... he wasn't sure. It would look bad on their part if they memorialized someone on a stamp, then they went and did something really bad afterwards. They were stuck with their choice. At least when they are dead, no more surprises could pop up unexpectedly.
John took the piece of paper that Tom had given him and began dialing Chris' number and the phone began to ring.
"Hello ... John Clark, what the hell are you doing, calling me after all this time?"
"Huh ... Chris...? How did you know it was me calling?"
Chris laughed out loud at his question ... "Dang, John, you haven't changed one bit ... Duh! You HAVE heard of caller ID, haven't you?"
"Oh, shit, yeah ... well ... sorry ... you just surprised me is all. So how are you doing?"
"I can't complain ... besides wouldn't do any good anyways." Chris laughed again at her own joke. "So what are you up to, John? Last I heard, you were working for the phone company."
"Yeah, still am ... It's a good job; I like it." John said.
"So you need to talk to Scott for some COOKIES, or did you want to talk to me?" Chris cross-examined John.
"No ... no ... no; nothing like that; I don't do that stuff anymore. I actually wanted to know if you might want to meet for lunch tomorrow. I have Mass 'till 10:30 a.m., but I'm free after that. I need to talk to you about something".
"Mass? I didn't know you were Catholic."
"No, no, I'm not; I attend regularly at St. Michael Episcopalian church here in town. Started attending a couple years ago. You know ... Catholic lite is what they call it these days".
"Oh, ok ... I've heard of that church, actually have a girl friend that goes there. Sure I'd like to have lunch ... its been eons since we've seen each other. Well ... how about we meet at Sylars Café downtown at 1 p.m.? How's that sound?"
"Great, Chris ... that'll work fine ... see you then. ... Bring your husband along, too, if you want; I haven't meet him yet."
"I'm sure he won't come; besides, he can watch our daughter for me; that way we can talk without me having to pull my hair out in public." Chris laughed again at another of her own jokes.
"You're just too funny, Chris. Well, if the apple didn't fall from the tree ... I'm sure I know what you're talking about."
"Hey! You better watch it Mr. ... I was sweet and innocent when I was a kid".
"Just kiddin' ... I'll see you tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Sylars Café then ... Bye"
"Ok, John. See yeah there ... Bye".
'Well, that wasn't too hard,' John thought.
Chris always made him nervous for some reason. She was one of those people who frequently said exactly what they thought, like the valve was stuck open or something. She never sugar-coated much. That was John's remembrance of her.
John ate the rest of the pizza he had earlier, making a mental note to try to eat healthier tomorrow to make up for the crap he lazily ate today. But right now, a cold beer or two really sounded good. He thought he deserved a few after the weird day he went through.
As John slowly nursed his beer, he walked down his hallway to check out the latest project he had been working on.
He had managed, since he bought the place, to remodel his bedroom and full bath, hallway, and the living room. His latest project was the spare bedroom across from the master.
Most of the work was done except for finishing the paint and installing the new carpet. The room had all new outlets ... he even added some since not a room in his house had enough of them.
He also installed a new window, and it was finished and trimmed out. John looked around and eyed his handy work. The wall of bookshelves he built turned out nice and would make room for plenty of storage.
That particular bedroom was very important to John to get done as soon as possible, because he would be needing it for use in a couple of months. By then he was going to be having a new roommate.
Although not many knew, except for his family, John had a son from his marriage. His ex-wife, Becky, agreed that his son could come to Indiana and live full time with his daddy when he turned four.
John was excited that she had agreed to it without a court fight. She told him that a son needed his father more after he reached four years old, than he did a mother. He thought that it was more of an excuse for herself, than it was for their son.
She could go out whoring and partying around as much as she wanted to without a kid to worry about.
'I won't have to go to Georgia once a month now to see him,' John thought. 'I won't keep him a secret from everyone now that I have him home where he belongs ... with me; I won't feel guilty about the broken marriage,' John scorned himself.
'No more guilt for not being a full-time father,' John cringed. That thought alone, nearly made him feel dead inside.
' I don't care if I ever get married again, or not. As long as I have Jacob, I'll be happy.'
Slowly and proudly, John said his son's name out loud, "Jacob ... Spencer ... Clark," just to hear the echo of it in the empty room. A beaming smile grew across his face as he heard the names spoken aloud.
John had named him "Jacob," and Becky liked it, too. Spencer was Evan's middle name. He always liked the name, thought it sounded like a good, sturdy, manly name. He knew Evan would approve also. He was hoping someday they'd be good friends again and Evan could eventually be his son's godfather.
John knew how good Evan always was with kids. He had two older siblings and they had nine kids between the both of them, so he was sure Evan was used to being an uncle. They were all boys except one of the younger ones; he had a niece that John had heard about. Small town ... remember?
John was getting excited looking around his soon-to-be "son's room." He was planning on finishing it that same weekend until the storm forced him to work. He would have to wait on painting and installing carpet the next weekend.
Tom knew about Jacob, but he rarely mentioned Jacob because he knew it was a sore spot with John. Tom really was a good guy. A bit hard around the edges and a hopeless pot head, but a good friend just the same. Not as close as Evan and he were, but good buds, even so.
John finished his beer and went to get another one when the doorbell rang.
'Shit; who could that be? It's almost 9 p.m.,' John thought.
John opened the door and saw Andy standing there with a 12-pack of beer in his hands and still in his uniform.
"Hey, Andy, what's up?" John asked.
"Hey, John ... just thought I'd drop by and see if you wanted some company. I wasn't really sleepy after waking up around 1 today, so I thought you might want to pull back a few."
"Hey ... sounds good to me, but it looks like you'll have to catch up." He pointed to the beer in his own hand. "I was just on the way to the fridge for my second one when you rang the bell."
"Andy laughed and said, "That won't be a problem. Beer I can put away ... I was a Marine once; remember?"
John took the beer from Andy and put it in the fridge to keep it cold, then handed John one and got himself another, since his was already finished.
"Hey, Andy ... I didn't know you knew where I lived; I don't remember telling you the address. All I remember telling you is, I bought a fixer upper, when we chatted before. We were swapping remodeling horror stories, if I remember correct. How did you know where to find me?"
"John, I'm a Sheriff ... it's not hard for me to find out where you live, duffuss," Andy said, laughing.
'Fuck!' ... John thought ...'that's the second time today I had a damn brain fart.'
"Oh, yeah; I guess it wouldn't be hard for ya, then ... you got my Social Security number, too?" John joked.
"Naa ... just a prior background check," Andy joked back.
"I see you have your uniform on and you still got the cruiser; are you sure you should be drinking?"
"NO ... its cool. I'm off duty 'till Monday; they let me take the cruiser with me most of the time in case of an emergency, but since I planned on drinking, I'm on NO CALL. I already worked too many hours and have mandatory time off 'till Sunday night. I just didn't have time to go home and change; hell, its already 9 and I didn't want to show up too late."
"Ah, its cool ... my neighbors are all probably wondering what kind of trouble I'm in with the cruiser in my driveway."
"Hey, sorry about that."
"Hell, it's not a problem ... I'd even dare you to go turn on the lights and really give them something to gossip about," John joked. "Lets go into the living room ... one of the rooms I have finished ... and let's watch some TV, drink our beers, and relax."
"Good idea, John; hey, this looks nice in here; you did a great job."
"Thanks. It's all a work in progress, as you very well know."
"Oh, yeah, but I got a couple years ahead of you, so mine is almost done."
They chatted a while about John Doe and all the other shit they had seen that night of the storm. After a few more beers the conversation flowed easier and they found out they had more in common. Andy was in the Marines, right out of high school, and then went into law enforcement. He didn't want to make the military a career move either, after completing his first tour.
They laughed and compared notes on how much bullshit the recruiters were, and all the shit they promised that seemed to evaporate into thin air the moment they signed on the dotted line and became government property.
Andy had said that he played basketball, but come to find out, his favorite sport to watch was NFL Football. They were both Indianapolis Colts fans. They discussed Manning and the team 'till they both had a few more beers and both were slurring their speech a bit and laughing as if they'd been smokin' some pot.
Even though John was a big guy he didn't drink very often anymore. He could get a buzz going quite easily after five or six beers. Andy was around six feet tall and he obviously had a buzz going himself, so it showed he didn't drink a lot either.
John mentioned to Andy that he was in no condition to drive. And that he could leave the cruiser in the driveway 'till morning. Andy insisted that he could call a friend to come over to pick him up and yeah, he wasn't intending on driving.
John said, "Andy, you're staying here tonight, and that is that! But I need to get you some clothes to wear, 'cause it makes me uncomfortable having a buzz in front of a guy in uniform."
Andy cracked up so hard he snorted beer out his nose.
John went to his room and found a clean t-shirt and some sweats for Andy to wear. He also brought back some hangers so Andy could neatly hang up his uniform.
Have to respect the uniform ... it's a military thing ... you just don't throw it on the floor, out of respect for those who wear it or those who died in it.
John told Andy to take those to the bathroom and change, and that he would hang up the uniform on the back of the bathroom door.
After a few minutes, Andy came back out to the living room. The shirt fit ok but the sweats were too long for him. This was the first time John had seen Andy out of uniform.
Andy looked like a normal, everyday guy; except he still kept the military haircut, as did John for that matter. It was just a hard habit to break, and John always thought it was easier to maintain.
John put a new t-shirt on and a pair of shorts while Andy got another round of beers.
John felt more relaxed and comfortable with both of them in more casual clothes, and was ready for the last beer before bedtime. Andy agreed, so they slowly sipped the last one and continued talking.
John decided that he better get up and retrieve some linens for Andy while he still could walk without bumping into things. John returned with the linens and made the couch out for him to sleep on. John apologized that he didn't have a bed in the two spare bedrooms yet. They both were completely void of furniture.
Andy said that the couch was more than adequate and he'd sleep like a log, with the beer in him anyway.
John also brought a blanket just in case Andy got cold at night. You can never tell about Indiana weather in early summer.
John finished and sat back down on the lounger next to Andy's and they resumed their conversation.
Andy asked John why he wasn't remarried yet. John asked how he knew he was married and then divorced, and Andy smiled and said, "Hey, I'm a cop, remember?" John laughed and said, "Oh, yeah, I forgot the uniform isn't here now to remind me."
John explained the bad break-up and asked Andy if he'd ever been married.
Andy said, "No, I was engaged once but it didn't work out since I was away in the service." Andy frowned as he added, "... she said she couldn't wait."
Both were getting tired and Andy got up and went over to the couch and with a slight slur, said, "I've had way too many beers in too short a time, and I'm a little drunk, not that it isn't obvious or anything ... hic." John had a good buzz, too, but was still in complete control.
Andy said "Shit, I better go piss before I go to sleep or I'll be up and down all night."
John agreed and got up, too. He grabbed the empties and began carting them off to the trashcan in the kitchen, cleaned up the counter, bagged the trash and then set it in the garage where the bins were.
When John got back from the kitchen, Andy was trying to undress himself for bed. He had his shirt off and was trying to get his sweats off when both his sweat pants and his underwear came down together.
They were down to his thighs before he noticed he got his underwear, too, and John had seen him completely exposed. Andy had some hair down his stomach trailing to a full dark bush and a dick about three inches soft. He was circumcised, as was John.
John tried to look away, but it didn't really bother him much since he had showered with hundreds of guys while in the Air force.
Andy almost fell over trying to get his underwear back up. John went over and put a hand on his shoulder trying to steady him. Andy said thanks and finally managed to get undressed to his underwear and pull a sheet over him. John pulled off his shirt while he was turning off the TV and some of the lights. He left a small night-light on in case Andy had to get up in the night and piss and not kill himself falling over furniture.
Andy said, "Man, dude, I never realized how hairy you are before ... your hair is so light it's hard to see from a distance or with your shirt on.
John chuckled and said, "Everyone says that."
They said goodnight to each other and John told Andy if he got sick or needed him to just wake him up; it wouldn't be a problem. Andy said thanks and John walked off to his room leaving his door open half way in case he needed to help Andy in the night. He didn't want him to puke all over his new living room.
John got in bed and heard that the house sounded quiet and was sure that Andy had quickly gone to sleep. John slept in the nude, so he was just lying under a thin sheet. John thought it was a good time to toss one off; beer made him horny and seeing Andy exposed kinda got him thinking about sex. Not that seeing a guy naked got him hard, but nudity in general made him think of sex.
John got hard in no time and began to slowly and quietly stoke himself into a good fantasy filled oblivion. With all the beer and his fantasy filled head, John fell asleep stoking his cock, which he had done a lot of times when he was so relaxed. John lay there in his bed with his sheets down past his waist, sleeping soundly. His cock was still half hard.
Andy woke up about an hour after he fell asleep and had to piss so he got up to relieve himself in the bathroom trying to be as quiet as he could, not waking up his host. Andy found the toilet and began to let a steady steam of processed beer leave his body. Andy shook the last few drops off and continued to lightly massage himself and dwelt in the feeling.
He was horny, and seeing John with his shirt off earlier, was making his cock stiffened quickly as he thought of the sight he had seen earlier. He had been fantasizing about John for months now but had never seen him shirtless. He could not believe how horny he was; he was almost shaking, thinking how he was in John's bathroom stroking his cock. Andy pulled himself together and got brave enough to go further down the hall and peek into John's bedroom to see if he was asleep.
The lights from the street gave Andy enough glow to see fine in the darkened room. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw John sleeping nude on top of the covers like that, only covered to his knees. John was laying on his back with all of his semi hard cock in view.
Andy couldn't help but shake and stare at the nude hunk he secretly had a crush on for several months now. Andy quietly and stealthily moved closer to John's bed taking in all his glory while he slept calmly and peacefully.
Andy knelt next to John's bed to get an up close view. He knew the risks, and like a Marine, was planning his escape and/or excuse for being there if John woke up suddenly.
Andy couldn't help himself; he had to touch that beautiful cock all nestled in those blonde pubic hairs. Andy studied John's muscular hairy chest. He thought it was the most beautiful sight he'd ever laid eyes on and dreamed of someday having John on top of him rubbing his chest over his own smooth one.
Andy gently reached over and slid one finger on John's half hard cock. It twitched a little, but Andy was wanting more, so he slowly wrapped his hand around the shaft of his cock and held it softly, feeling the warmth of it. He was getting braver, seeing that John was giving no signs of movement nor any change in his breathing.
Andy dared to go farther. He slowly and softly stroked John's cock up and down its length. Quickly, it twitched and became fully hard in Andy's hand. His eyes darted to John's face to scout for a change in his breathing and found none, so he continued to stoke him.
It was a full seven or more inches, Andy calculated, and thought it was perfect. Andy took his other hand from his own cock that he was stroking himself with to lightly feel John's hairy chest. It was so soft and made Andy's cock twitch just feeling it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John
'I slowly was awakened to the feeling of someone touching me on my chest and cock. I further noticed my cock was hard as a rock.
'I tried to stay still and act like I was still asleep wondering what was happening to me, I slowly peeked out one eye to see it was Andy who was kneeling next to my bed touching me ever so gently.
'I expected he was trying to cop a feel without waking me up. I was so horny and felt the excitement that I couldn't get mad for being molested without my consent from this dude.
'Fuck! A dude was touching me erotically and I was letting him, 'cause it felt so good. "Man," I thought to myself, " I must really be horned up and in need of pussy worst than I thought to let this to go on."
'I liked Andy and didn't want us not to be friends, but fuck this was way over the line man.... But shit.... it felt so good being stroked by another hand. He was so gentle.... slightly touching my chest. It was hard for me to fake sleep much longer.
'Andy began to sit up closer 'cause I could feel him moving slowly over to me, then all of a sudden I felt warmth cover the head of my cock and my cock reacted, instantly twitching. Fuck! He was trying to give me a blowjob while I slept ... Oh, shit! ... His lips wrapped around my cock and he began to slowly slide down my shaft. Damn him ... it felt so good, too.
'I hadn't had a blowjob in months. And now I was letting a guy ... a cop, no less ... blow me while he thought I was sleeping.
'He was starting to slide up and down quicker and I knew I couldn't hold out much longer without blowing a huge load in his mouth.
'How would I fake sleeping while having an orgasm? It was all I could do now not to move or breathe heavily. I had to stop this without causing a huge fucking scene no matter how much I was enjoying it. I knew I had to do something and quick.
'I made a few pretend sleeping movements, and when I did this ... Andy quickly stopped touching me and he took his lips away from my cock. I could tell he was trying to move away quietly, so I had my chance and I made a sleep sound and then rolled over to my side, away from him, reaching down and pulling my covers up at the same time and pretended to be asleep.
'It must of worked 'cause I heard Andy slowly move out of my room and I figured he had thought he successfully dodged the bullet and went back to the couch.
'I couldn't believe what had just happened. I couldn't believe I let it happen; holy shit my new cop buddy is gay ... sucking my cock while I'm asleep.
' He didn't have that much beer.
'I had never done anything like that with other man.
'Only thing I ever did was touch Evans hard on for a few seconds while he slept, but even then it was through the material of his underwear. I felt his hard on up against my leg many mornings when we sleep together. It was no big deal ... I usually had one, too. We didn't even say anything about it, just acted normal like it was.
'My head was racing with thoughts on what to do now. "In the morning, after we would both be awake, could we just act like it never happened?"
'Would he start coming on to me now? Did I still want to be his friend now that I know he was gay?
'Fuck! ... All I can think of now is that I want to cum; but I can't risk jacking off with the possibility of him coming back in here. I don't want to confront him and make a scene. I just want to drop it and forget that it ever happened. There was no harm done, and it DID feel great ... Shit!
'Andy will just have to realize I'm not gay and accept it or move on. I tried to forget about it, and slowly, eventually, drifted back to sleep.'
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andy
'Damn, I can't believe I did that! That was so fucking stupid! I'm so glad he didn't wake up and kick my ass. I went way too far. Fuck! What was I fucking thinking? There's no way John is gay. I should just leave now, but then he would be pissed 'cause I drove with alcohol in me. I'll just wake up early and let myself out quietly and leave him a note thanking him for letting me crash for the night.
'Damn, I want to jack-off so bad, but I don't dare; if he caught me, I'd be screwed. I can't get out of my head how great it felt sucking on that perfect cock of his! His precum tasted so damn sweet. Man, I'm so fucked up for taking advantage of John, and he hasn't been anything but nice to me. I need to just forget it and go to bed and act like nothing happened. If he'd known, he would've surely kicked my ass when I was in his room.'
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John woke up about 7 a.m., like normal for a Sunday morning. Mass wasn't 'till 10:30, so he had plenty of time to get Andy up and out of the house before John would have to get cleaned up and dressed, himself. 'Damn!' John thought to himself as he remembered what happened last night.
' I know it wasn't no dream. I'm not that damn stupid.'
' I'm just gonna play it cool and act as if nothing happened. I don't need a confrontation today.'
John got up and put on some sweats and a shirt and went down the hall into the living room quietly. Andy was still there on the couch sleeping.
His sheet was kicked off and laying mostly on the floor. He was on his side and John could see his cock peeking out his boxers. He was hard like most guys are in the morning. John left the living room and went into the kitchen and began making coffee.
He purposely got dishes out loudly and banged a few pans and then shut the refrigerator loudly to see if Andy would wake up.
Andy did wake up and went into the kitchen in his boxers and a shirt, greeting John with "Good morning."
John replied the same back and asked him if he wanted some coffee and some breakfast.
Andy said that coffee was fine but that he didn't want any breakfast. John didn't either, he just wanted Andy to go as soon as possible for now; besides, he had to get ready for Mass in a couple hours and had things to do before that.
Andy got up and went to the bathroom to piss. John knocked on the bathroom door and told him he could take a shower if he wanted to. Andy said he would do it later at home, but would get dressed, then have some coffee with him in a few minutes. John told Andy there was a new toothbrush in the cabinet he could have, and went back to the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Andy came out in his uniform and sat at the table. John handed him a cup of Joe and poured himself one also and sat down, too.
Andy said it was just what he needed after a night of drinking. John agreed and asked how he slept last night on the couch.
Andy looked up at John and kind of stuttered that he didn't remember much so it must have been just fine. The conversation was going well, so both were happy not to discuss what had happened and just pretend the other didn't know.
John liked Andy but he had to rethink things for a while. After some small talk for a bit, Andy said he needed to get home and get cleaned up and ready for his shift later in the day. John thanked him for the beers and company, and Andy thanked him for his hospitality. Andy said they'd have to do something sometime. John said, "Sure," and Andy left.
Wow, John was glad that was over and he could then get a shower and relax. He went to the bathroom, stripped off, jumped into the shower, and proceeded to soap up his entire body.
John didn't just want to get clean ... he wanted to get off. He was so horned since he hadn't gotten off last night. John needed to shoot a load bad.
John slicked his hard cock up and began violently stroking it hard ... he was on a mission to cum. He thought about what had happened, but he wasn't mad. He was too horny and it only took him a few minutes to shoot one of the biggest loads he'd ever shot. John blew a torrid of cum all over the tiles in front of him.
John was panting hard. It took some time to come down and steady his breathing. Finally, after getting himself together, he got out of the shower and got dressed in his Sunday best.
Church Service came and went, and John returned home to change his clothes. He was almost sure Father Thomas was condemning him to hell for last night just by looking at him when he walked into the church. But he knew better. Father Thomas was the most openhearted man he ever knew. He never judged. He only let you guide yourself to the truth in his own peaceful and caring way. In John's eyes, he was the only true Christian he knew.
John took Father Thomas aside and asked him to give a special prayer for the John Doe that was in the hospital and briefly told him about the situation. During Prayer requests, Father Michaels announced to the congregation to hold hands and to pray together for a lost soul in the hospital. "Give him strength, guidance, and peace in his heart." Father Thomas sternly asked of God.
John was grateful, and said his own prayer for the little guy.
John had an hour before he was to meet Chris at Sylars Corner Pub and Grill. John recalled that it wasn't called that any longer. Sylars dropped the rest and added Café to be more with the times. He dressed casual in jeans and a t-shirt and was ready to leave early.
John arrived at the pub at 12:45 and got a booth that was quiet and sort of private. Sylars wasn't busy on Sundays. In Indiana you can't buy alcohol on Sundays. Only way to get a drink is to go to a place that served food and alcohol ... this was ok. As always, Indiana had some of the weirdest laws on the books. This was a State that was still ... after 40 years ... hotly debating the daylight savings rules. "Backwards" wouldn't even begin to describe Indiana to an outside person. Still, he loved living there. The pace of life just seemed to be slower and less stressful. A traffic jam in this town was when two idiots at a 4-way stop wouldn't go, 'cause they kept waving the other to go first.
John tried to put out of his mind what happened last night. It bothered him more, he thought, 'cause he enjoyed it so much. He wasn't sure if it was he was just buzzed and horny, or if it was the idea of it being "wrong" to add to it. He never had any feelings for Andy except as a friend ... he wasn't gay for crips sake. He was married / divorced and had a kid.
John turned his brain to Evan and what he wanted to say to Chris. It had to be right or she might cause a scene and start yelling at him or throw something. Chris was defiantly a drama queen at times and craved the attention.
He had so many questions, he wasn't sure if Chris would know the answers. At this point he wasn't even sure why he cared. Something about that guy in the hospital hit John and every since he couldn't stop thinking about Evan and why things turned out like they did between them.
Chris showed up about five minutes late rambling something about it being her kid's fault. She and John hugged and smiled at each other.
"Damn, John, you still be looking fine as ever," Chris said sarcastically.
"Thanks, Chris, and you don't look like a day over thirty!" John smirked" Chris stuck her tongue out at him and smiled.
"Yeah, kids do that to you," laughed Chris. She asked about Jacob and John said that he was coming home for good, in the summer, and they both agreed that that was great.
"So, John, we gonna crap in each other's hands all day, or you gonna get to the meat and potatoes of why you asked me to lunch?" Chris asked, staring into John's eyes for any clue she could read.
"What? ... I can't just have lunch and enjoy some great conversation with a fine hot babe?" John answered with his own question, and then grinned.
"Yeah, what ever ... now tell me the real reason you want to talk and buy me lunch? I bet I can guess it's about Evan, isn't it"? Chris retorted back
"Damn! All those rumors ARE true about you being a witch and all," John smirked and then chuckled.
"Of course they are ... that, and also Tom called and said you were asking about Evan," Chris said slyly.
"Damn Tom sure gets around fast. What is he these days ... The Daily Telegraph?"
"Yeah ... when he isn't whacked out on weed."
"Chris, I didn't know who else to ask about what Evan is doing with his life and what happened to him to make him leave for California so quickly. I figured if anyone knew, it would be you; you do have family connections with him."
John told her about his encounter with Evan about a year ago, and how they drifted apart their senior year. He said that he was confused about what happened to Evan, and asked if he still lived in town or why no one ever sees him around.
"I tried looking him up in the phone book but there isn't a listing for him, and his parents moved outside of town somewhere."
"Yeah, his parents moved out on Airport Road; you've probably passed it a hundred times and didn't know it's where they live."
"Where?" John asked.
"It's on the corner of Judson Road and Airport Road, east of town. It's the large two-story with the in-ground pool and the huge two-acre yard. It's really a beautiful home."
"Damn, you're right. I do know that home; it's got one of the nicest yards I've ever seen ... flowers, trees, and gardens everywhere."
"Yep, that's the one ... That's mostly Evan's handy work ... He did most of the plantings and up keep of the grounds for the last three years."
" Hey, wait a second! A year ago, Evan said he had only been back for six months! Now, what gives?" John questioned, with concern and a little anger in his voice.
"Look. Calm down and listen to me. There's a pile of crap you don't know about Evan or what he's been through since school."
"What the hell do you mean, 'been through?' He left and moved to California to be an artist and only moved back a year and a half ago, right?" John questioned.
"Look. His family has had to protect him the only way they knew how, and they kept him safe, protected him from gossip and hurt, the only way they knew how. It's not their fault. Evan is really lucky he has a close caring family or..." Chris stopped 'cause she knew she had already said too much.
"What, Chris? What aren't you telling me?" John demanded loudly.
"Hey, keep your voice down," I'll tell you what I can, but I think you need to go and see his parents and talk to them personally. But if you decide to do that, you have to make up your mind you're not gonna abandon him again, or so help me I'll..."
"Hey, wait a minute ... he pulled away from me. I didn't even know he quit school and left." John was getting angry again.
"John, just calm down and listen to me ... you care about Evan; right?"
"Of course I do, or I wouldn't be here right now asking you questions, to which I'm not getting any answers, by the way."
"All I'm saying is ... I can't tell you what you need to know. It has to come from his parents ...or from Evan, himself ... I promised them that I wouldn't say anything, and I'm not going back on my word. Evan means too much to me and I won't put him through any more pain than he has already had to endure."
"What do you mean? Has something happened to him? Is he sick or dying?" John frantically queried.
"No, he's not dying ... and that's all I can say. You need to talk to his parents and they will let you see Evan if they think it's in his best interest."
"John ... just trust me. Evan needs you. He may not know it, but he does. Promise me you'll talk to his parents and they will tell you what you need to know. I'm sure Evan may tell you the rest if he trusts you. And then, after you talk to them, if you need me to fill you in more, I will; but for now you've got to talk to them ok?"
"Ok, Chris. I will, but I hate all this secrecy shit; hell! ... he was my best bud at one time. Now its like ... he didn't even know me the last time I saw him." I'm really confused."
"John, I'm sorry ... I could've told you all this on the phone ...but ... I just thought it would have been nice to have a hot stud take me out for lunch for a change," Chris teased coyly.
"Watch it lady; you're a married woman."
"Yeah, whatever ..."
John laughed, and they ordered their lunches. He had a chef salad and water, being true to his word that he was going to eat better, and so far today, he was on track. Then, their conversation was more about her weird marriage arrangement and long quiet pauses. John thanked her for meeting him for lunch and said he'd be in touch soon; they hugged and parted ways.
John got into his truck and headed towards Airport Road.
An R.E.M. song, "Everybody Hurts," was playing on the radio. The song brought back bad memories of his divorce. "Damn slut," John thought.
At the intersection of Judson and Airport, John could see Evan's parent's house. It was a very nice place, a major upgrade from where Evan lived when he was in high school. The yard was immaculately cared for. John didn't think he'd ever seen so many flowerbeds and different kinds of floral in one place before. He just set at the 4-way stop in his truck looking at the house, trying to get up the nerve to finally find out what was going on with Evan.
John proceeded down the lane until he got to the driveway and pulled in the long blacktop drive to the house and turned off the engine. He heard the sound of a very large dog barking and wasn't about to get out of the truck before he knew it was safe. Country folk tend to have very aggressive and protective large dogs. He found that out from working in the rural parts for the phone company.
John saw a man come outside onto the large porch and recognized him as Evan's dad; they looked a lot alike in the face. John started to get out and greet Mr. Hogan, but before he got about five steps, he was immediately confronted with a huge gray and black German Shepard that had a frightening look that John didn't like.
The dog was slowly stepping between Mr. Hogan and John and was staring John down. John stopped, and Mr. Hogan commanded the dog to "heel"... immediately, the dog sat down but didn't take his eyes off John for a second.
"Don't worry about him, John, he won't bother you as long as he knows I know you and he sees you're a friend. Otherwise ... you'd already have been on the ground with your wind-pipe crushed," chuckled Mr. Hogan.
"Go ahead and make nice to him now, and he'll never forget you. The next time you come here, he'll remember you, and you won't have to worry about him. The worst you'll get is a lot of sloppy doggie-kisses and having him jumping up and greeting you. He thinks people come to see him and not us ... he's a funny one, that dog."
"I'm surprised you know who I am, Mr. hogan; it's been such a long time."
"Well, you look just like your dad used to, and we see each other at the bait shop from time to time and shoot the breeze. He's told me a lot about you; he's really proud of you, son."
"Well, that's good to hear, I guess; too bad he doesn't say it to me once in a while," John chuckled and so did Mr. Hogan.
"What brings you out here, John? Your father's ok, isn't he?"
"Yeah, he's fine, Mr. Hogan."
"John, you aren't in the military anymore, and we've known each other for most of your lives ... call me Louis."
"Thanks, Louis ... you're right; this dog is my best bud now ... what's his name?"
" 'Hey, you little shit' ... most of the time ... but officially, he's named Tyler. We got him as a pup and he's a pure bred; his mother and father were show dogs. He has all his papers. He's a smart dog, little too smart if you ask me, but he's family. Loves Evan to death."
"Speaking of Evan, that's why I'm here ... I wanted to see him but I haven't been able to find out where he lives now ... and Chris Hendricks ... um ... mean ... I guess its Higgins now ... told me to come talk to you and Mrs Hogan. We kind of lost touch and I miss him and was hoping we could get to know each other again." "His mom is in town shopping right now. She retired last year and all she does is shop for crap we don't need," chuckled Louis"
"You do the same job for thirty years and then you retire and don't know what to do with yourself ... its taken her a long time to adjust I suppose."
"Lets sit out here on the porch and talk"
"Well, John, I'm not sure how to start, but Evan isn't exactly the same person as he was when you two hung out together all the time back in school."
"Well, I guess none of us are, sir."
"Yeah, I suppose that's true, but for Evan its different he's been sick for the most part of the last seven years. But it didn't get bad 'till about three years ago. I'll try my best to explain, but I'll have you talk to his mother when she gets home shortly; she can answer any questions you have that I don't know. She is the one that takes care of anything most of the time."
John nodded, indicating his understanding.
"You see, John, its like this ... when Evan left for California, he was already getting sick, but no one knew it ... not us, and we suspect that even Evan didn't know what was happening to himself. The person who is sick is usually the last to know in most cases ... You see, John ... Evan has Schizophrenia."
End Chapter Two
When your day is long and the night, The night is yours alone, When you're sure you've had enough With this life, Well hang on Don't let yourself go, 'Cause everybody cries And everybody hurts sometimes Sometimes everything is wrong Now it's time to sing along When your days is night alone, If you feel like letting go, When you think you've had too much Of this life, Well hang on Everybody hurts Take comfort in your friends Everybody hurts Don't throw your hand Oh, no Don't throw your hand If you feel like you're alone, No, no, no, you are not alone If you're on your own in this life, The days and nights are long, When you think you've had too much Of this life to hang on Well, everybody hurts, Sometimes everybody cries And everybody hurts sometimes And everybody hurts sometimes So, hold on, hold on, hold on... (Everybody hurts... You are not alone)
"Everybody Hurts" R.E.M.
Thanks for all the comments; I hope you continue reading the story. Special thanks to Zeke CCXLI for all his help and encouragement... Hogan9944@yahoo.com
Hogan