Ken and I Series

Ken and I - Part 43

Before you start reading, please consider making a donation to Nifty to help keep the website up and running. As an author, it's given me a forum for my story and as a reader, it's given me years of enjoyment. Let's make sure we keep it going.

I woke up early, long before my alarm was set to go off. I was surprised that I'd gotten any sleep at all; I hadn't felt this nervous in a long time. I pushed back my covers and sat up on the edge of my bed. My briefs were tented with my usual morning wood, but I ignored it. I wasn't looking forward to today.

As I got up I could see light spilling in under my bedroom door; my parents were already up and it sounded like my dad was getting ready to leave for work. I turned on my bedroom light and started going through my closet and my drawers to decide what I was going to wear. I found a pair of relatively new jeans that I laid on my bed. Rather than my usual tee-shirt, I pulled out an olive-coloured collared shirt. I wasn't exactly sure who I was trying to impress, and I certainly didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to myself. Rather than overthinking things, as had become my habit, I threw the shirt on the bed with my jeans.

I went into he bathroom and started the shower, letting the water run to heat up while I peed. I stepped out of my briefs and into the shower, letting the hot water run over me for a long time before I washed myself. I turned off the water, dried myself and then wrapped the towel around my waist before going back to my bedroom. I put on fresh underwear, clean socks and the clothes I'd laid out on my bed. I went back into the bathroom to brush my teeth and comb my hair into place. I figured this was as good as it was going to get. I grabbed my school bag and went down to the kitchen.

"You're already up."

"Yeah", I said, "couldn't sleep."

"You'll be fine", she said, "ready for some breakfast?"

"Wow, bacon and eggs on a school day?"

"Just want to send you off on a good note", Mom said.

"Afraid it'll be a disaster otherwise?"

"C'mon Martin, let's not be overly dramatic. I know this wasn't easy for you, but you'll see, it won't be that bad."

"Maybe, I guess we'll see", I said as I dug into my breakfast.

"This was just too good of an opportunity for us to pass up", she said.

"Yeah, I know, I know, I've heard this before", I said between bites, finding it hard to conceal my irritation.

I could see Mom was about to say something else, but decided to leave it alone. I knew I hadn't been making it easy for them, and there was part of me that felt bad for it, but it was my life too.

I finished my meal and got up, "Guess I'll go, no point in being late right?"

"Are you sure you don't want me going with you?"

"Definitely", I said, "no offence, but that's not the way I want to start."

"Alright then", Mom said, "if it's not too offensive, can I at least give you a hug?"

"Sure", I said as she hugged me.

I put on my shoes, threw my bag over my shoulder and walked out the door. As I walked to school I thought about how I'd gotten here.

A couple of months ago I'd come home from school to find that my world was about to change. After dinner I'd been ready to excuse myself, but my parents said they wanted to talk to me. All during the meal they'd been exchanging glances and weird smiles.

"Martin", my Dad had started, "a few weeks ago a friend of mine gave me call, you know him, John Roberts?"

I'd nodded, "Yeah."

"Well, John's a realtor, and he told me about a house that was coming on the market, and he thought that maybe your mom and I would be interested in it."

"A house? But we already have a house", I'd said.

"Yes, obviously, but the thing is that this other house is only a couple of years old, and ours, well, if we stay here much longer, we're going to have some big repairs to do."

I'd looked at both of them, "Are you telling me that we're moving?"

My mom had smiled, "We're moving!"

"When? Where?"

"The where is Greenbrook, it's a new development on the west side of the city."

"The west side ... but ... we live on the east side", I'd said as I had started processing what they were telling me.

"That's right", my Dad had said, "it's newer, it's a bigger house, and ..."

"Hang on, you're saying ... that I'm going to have to change schools?"

"Well, yes, but ..."

"But all my friends are here", I'd said, even though that was a bit of an overstatement, "everything I know is here."

"Look Martin, we know it's a big change for you, but you'll get used to it."

"And it's not like your friends can't come to visit you", Mom had added.

"Sure."

"C'mon Martin, this is exciting for all of us. You'll have a bigger room. You'll even have your own bathroom, won't that be nice?"

I'd barely heard her, "And when is all this supposed to happen?"

"Well that's the thing", my Dad had said, "John was also able to find a buyer for our house, but for it all to work out ... we move in two months."

"Two months ... but", I'd started, adding it up in my head, "... but that means we move before the end of the school year!"

"We know that's not ideal", Mom had said, "but there's a good school not far from the new house. And you're smart, we've spoken to the principal there and he doesn't think you'll have any problems being able to finish out the year there."

"Oh, well, great then", I'd said in an angry tone, "as long as you've got everything planned out for me then it's all good right? I mean, who cares how this affects me."

"That's not fair Martin, this affects all of us."

"Right. Either of you have to change jobs? Won't be able to drive to see your own friends?"

"Look Martin ...", Mom had started to say.

"May I be excused now", I'd said and stood up without waiting for an answer.

Mom had wanted to say something else, but Dad had looked at her, "Okay Martin, we can talk about this later."

I'd gone to my room, slammed the door and fallen onto my bed.

So here we we were, two months later, and I was walking to the first day of my new school. The closer I got, the less I wanted to be there. I knew how new kids were treated my school - my old school I reminded myself. And at this point in the school year who'd want to bother getting to know the new kid. I walked in the doors, avoiding any eye contact with the students that had started to mill about. I looked around to see if I could the way to the office.

"Looking for something?"

I turned to my right, "What?"

"You", a boy my age said, "you look like you're a little lost."

"Oh, uhh, I guess I was looking for the office?"

"It's this way, I can show you", he said.

"You can just point the way if you want", I said.

"No problem, my locker's in that direction anyway."

"Oh, uhh, okay."

"You new here?"

"Does it show?"

"Yeah, well, you got that fresh meat look to yah", he said and grinned.

I looked at him and couldn't help but smile for the first time in a while, "Great, that should be helpful."

"I'm Shawn", he said.

"Martin."

"Welcome to our slice of paradise", he smiled and laughed, pushing his glasses up.

"Thanks", I said, looking at my guide.

He was more or less my size, had light brown hair, brown eyes, and pair of thick rimmed black glasses. He wasn't at all bad looking.

"So, there you are, the office as promised."

"Thank you sir", I said, grinning, "your kindness will not go unnoticed."

"You can slip me a little something extra later", he said with a grin.

Before I could read too much into what he'd said, I walked into the office and gave the secretary some papers that my parents had filled out and signed. A minute later the principal introduced himself and welcomed me to the school. Between the two of them, they provided me with my class schedule and assigned me a locker.

I was about ready to find my first class when the principal told me to wait a minute.

He looked to the office door; another student had come in and was walking over towards us.

"Paul", he said, "this is Martin, he's our new student. Martin, Paul will show you to your classes and help you find your locker, his schedule is the same as yours. Any questions?"

I shook my head.

"Alright then gentlemen, off you go, don't want to be late for your first class."

We walked out of the office.

"So, hey", I said.

"Hey, welcome to paradise", he said, making a sweeping gesture with his arm.

"Paradise?" I asked, remembering what Shawn had said to me no more than ten minutes ago.

Paul grinned, "Oh yeah, we call this place our slide of paradise. Y'know, because it's just the best place ever."

"Y'know someone just said that same thing to me this morning, uhh, Shawn? Dark glasses? He helped me find the office."

"That's Shawn alright", Paul said, looked around and winked, "don't tell him I told yah, but uhm, if you play your cards right, his mom'll put out for yah."

I almost choked, "Wh ... what?"

Paul grinned, "Yeah, yeah, but don't worry, I'm sure yours'll do the same for the rest of us."

I wasn't quite sure what to say.

Paul was howling with laughter, causing other students to look and roll their eyes.

"Relax", he said, "you'll get used to us. There's me, Shawn and Tommy, we're the kings of this school y'know."

I was beginning to catch on, "Right, of course, and kings always take shit duty like showing the new peasants around?"

We both laughed and I began to think that maybe things weren't going to be so bad. I got through our morning classes without drawing too much attention; most of the kids seemed indifferent to having a new student in their classes. Other than a few looks and whispers, nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Over lunch I met Tommy, the third of Paul and Shawn's trio. The afternoon passed much as the morning had and before I knew it, it was the end of my first day of school.

Paul and I met the other two at the school doors, where we chatted a bit more on our way home. We all lived in the same general direction, with Shawn and I living the furthest away.

"So, not a bad first day", Shawn said when it was time for us to go our separate ways.

"Nah, not so bad", I said, "not nearly as bad as I was expecting I guess."

"See yah tomorrow?"

"Yeah", I said, "and thanks for, y'know."

"No problem", he said, "meet yah here tomorrow morning? We can walk together."

"That'd be great, thanks Shawn."

"Sure thing Martin."

I walked to our new house, feeling better than I had since we'd moved. I unlocked the back door and walked in; I could hear Mom downstairs by the laundry.

"Hey, I'm home", I shouted down as I took off my shoes.

She started coming up the stairs with a basket of laundry, "So? How was it?"

"Awful. Everyone hated me, said that they'd hurt me if I ever came back."

"Do they have a theatre class? Because I think you'd be wonderful with all your dramatic talent."

I started walking upstairs and Mom followed me up; I tossed my school bag into my room and Mom told me to grab my shirts from the top of the basket.

"Can I assume it wasn't as bad as you thought it was going to be?"

"I guess."

Mom had walked towards the end of the hall where their bedroom was, "What was that? Did you say that I might've been right about it not being so bad?"

"Yes, fine, it was fine okay?"

"And?"

"And what?"

"Did you make any friends?"

"Oh my god Mom", I said, "it's not kindergarten, we didn't sit in a circle and hold hands."

"No, I suppose not. The way you're acting, the kids in kindergarten would be far too mature for you."

"Ha ha Mom", I said.

"I know boys your age like to think that your parents don't know anything, but I'd like to point out that it's not true. I'm sorry that you had to leave your old school and that you have to make new friends. But continuing to be pissy and wallowing in self-pity isn't being helpful. Not to us and not to you."

"Sorry", I mumbled, knowing that I'd been acting like an ass for the last couple of months.

Mom hugged me and I let her, "I just want you to be okay, your dad and I both do."

"I know", I said, "and well, today was alright. I met a few guys that seem okay. They're kinda geeky. Y'know, like me."

"Oh Martin, that's silly, you're not a geek."

"It's okay Mom, I know what I am and I'm okay with that."

"Are you hungry? I'm just starting dinner, but there's some cookies in the pantry?"

"Thanks, that sounds good", I said and followed her downstairs.

"Oh, by the way, Ken called just before you got home. You should call him, don't you miss your friend? It sounds like he misses you."

"Yeah okay, maybe later", I said, finding the cookies and grabbing a handful before heading for the family room to veg in front of the TV for a while.

I parked myself on the couch and flipped on the TV, but I was really paying much attention.

Ken and I hadn't really talked all that much before we left. After I'd seen him with that girl, I'd pretty much given him the cold shoulder. I'd occasionally seen them together and I'd done my best to ignore them. I knew that I hadn't really had the right to be mad at him for seeing someone else. It hadn't been like I hadn't messed around with some other guys. I guess maybe I'd thought that when he'd told me he'd wanted to spend more time with me, that it was going to mean something, even though I hadn't even been sure that I'd wanted it to really mean something with him. On the way home one day he'd confronted me and asked me what was going on. I'd told him that I knew he'd lied to me the night we were supposed to have gotten together. He apologized, but said that he'd thought I'd understand especially since I had other things going on. I'd been impossible to keep the shock from my face. He'd said that he wasn't stupid, he'd seen the way that David and I'd talked at school and he'd even see me going in to David's place one time. I'd told him it didn't matter anyway since we'd be moving soon. It'd been his turn to look shocked. And that's how I'd left him.

When I'd told David I was moving he'd behaved in his usual matter of fact way, asking several questions and telling me about how some cousin of his had moved. I think he might've wanted to say more to me, but he'd typically only spoken that way when we'd been at his house. Maybe he thought it'd be easier this way rather than thinking we'd keep connected. When you were 14, a move across the city might as well have been a move across the country.

The first time Ken had called was a few weeks after we'd moved. Then again a couple of weeks later. And now a third time. There was part of me that wanted to call him back. But a bigger part of me wanted to leave it alone. Maybe this move had been for the best after all. Maybe it was a chance for me to start over without any drama over who I was with, who I liked, who liked me. Maybe the trio of Shawn, Paul and Tommy had room for one more and could become a quartet.

The End

Author's Note:

I know that maybe some of you that have been reading Ken and I aren't ready for it come to an end.

The story was, and always has been, primarily about Martin, despite the title. When I set out to write about Martin and Ken, I had no idea that I'd still be writing about them four years later. I think this part of Martin's story has been told as much as it can be, or at least far as I can tell it. Thanks to all those that have read the series and that have given me feedback and encouragement to continue.

The good news is that there is more to Martin, and this is not the end of his story altogether. I've been working on something that takes place a couple of years out from where Ken and I leaves off, as well as some other ideas that expand the "Martin Universe". There won't be much overlap with the Ken and I series, and I don't think anyone should think of the new story as a continuation, as I intend for it to be its own story, exploring other dimensions of Martin's character.

I hope that you'll give the new story a chance. I expect to release the first chapter or two of The Babysitter in another week or so. I'll look forward to hearing your comments if you'd care to share them.