DISCLAIMER This story contains depictions of male on male, graphic sexual interactions. PSA TO ALWAYS USE A CONDOM! The characters are highschool aged and sometimes have sex, if this offends you, why are you here? This is a complete work of fiction and any similarities to persons or events is purely coincidental. Enjoy the story and any feedback is welcome.Do not post this story to any other website unless you have explicit permission from the author. All rights reserved.
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CHAPTER 2
KENNEDY
On Saturday, I got up early to clean the house. It's a pretty big house- okay it's a small mansion. And by clean the house I literally just mean my room because Marta, our maid, cleans everywhere but there. I don't blame her though, honestly. My father is a hotshot lawyer, Mom died when I was fourteen, and Nona was about the only family I ever really saw.
A few days ago, when Aspen called me cold and aloof, he wasn't wrong. I really closed myself off when Mom died. Dad immersed himself into his work and the only one who was there to help me along was Nona. I would go to her shop and cry in the back room and when she'd get a chance she'd bring me back some herbal tea and rub my back and tell me that time would heal me.
At first I didn't believe her. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't cry all the time anymore. Especially not in front of people. Sometimes I miss my mom a ton but the pain isn't as sharp and persistent. On days like today I think of her especially. It was raining outside, dark and angry looking outside. Just like the day I was pulled from class and told about her. That's a story for another time though.
I jumped when thunder cracked across the sky as I was picking up the last dirty sock from my floor. I stuffed all my clothes into my laundry basket and then into my closet. I dusted and vacuumed. When I was all done I felt very proud of myself. Then I heard the doorbell ring. Suddenly I got really nervous and I couldn't figure out why. I took a few deep breaths and then went downstairs to let Aspen into my house.
ASPEN
His house was HUGE. Like a mini-mansion in the suburbs of Cherrywick. I was honestly worried that I was in the wrong place when I pulled into the driveway. I waited patiently in the rain, the heavy patter against my umbrella was pretty and rhythmic. Finally, Kennedy opened the door. He was in a t-shirt and tight jeans with a flannel tied around his waist. He looked very handsome.
"Come in," he said. I nodded, closed my umbrella and stepped through the door into the vast foyer. It was gorgeous complete with a crystal chandelier.
"I still have your book," I smiled and held out Pride and Prejudice.
"I told you it wasn't mine," he said gruffly.
"It literally has your name written on the inside of the front cover," I poked at his name.
"Okay, it's mine," he snatched it, "I'll beat you up if you tell anyone I was reading it."
"Save your threats, Sugar, they bore me," I giggled and continued on into his house, "Give me a tour."
"Well this is the foyer," he said. Then he took me to the library and kitchen and the dining room and all three of the ground floor restrooms. Finally, we made our way up one of the two grand staircases and he showed me guest room after guest room after guest room.
"Do you guys get guests often?" I joked as he opened the door to a fourth guest room.
"No. There's not usually anyone but me here normally," he shrugged and gave a sad smile.
"That must get lonely," I observed absentmindedly as I took in the room. When I looked back at him his expression was depressed.
"You should throw a party here!" I said, "A big Halloween party! That would be a total hoot."
"A hoot?" he burst out laughing, throwing his head back like a little kid. Wiping tears from his eyes he, calmed down, "Seriously? No one would come to that. Everyone hates me."
"People don't...hate you...they just...don't understand you is all," I said carefully, "I hear you used to be a real talkative guy and then one day you just closed yourself off."
"Don't believe everything you hear," he said gruffly.
"I didn't believe that you were rude," I told him. Then I patted his arm and walked out of the guest room, "Where is your bedroom so we can get to work?"
"Aw, heck, I totally forgot to get the ivy plants from Nona," Kennedy admitted, running a hand through his hair.
"That's okay, let's just go now," I smiled, "I'll drive."
"Let me grab a jacket," he jogged down the hall and opened a door to his left. He was quick, in and out, and now he had on a black leather jacket that showed off his great biceps. We went out to my car and I started it up and headed to the floral shop.
Loves Me Loves Me Not was the flower shop on the corner of Main and Saber. There was a chalkboard out front that listed the flowers that are on sale for the day. The windows were just chocked full of potted plants and blooming flowers and pretty arrangements.
A tiny bell tinkled as we entered the storefront. There was an old woman with long graying hair tied in a braid. She had on round framed glasses and pale red lipstick. She donned a flowy trumpet sleeve top and a long layered skirt with a scarf tied around her small waist. She looked like the pinnacle of a flowerchild and I instantly liked her.
"Kennedy, my sweet! What a lovely surprise!" she came around the counter where she had been trimming stems and pulled her grandson into a big hug, "And who is this pretty little devil?"
"He's my partner, Aspen," Kennedy said, blushing at his grandmother's forwardness.
"Congratulations! I hope my grandson treats you well. Where did he take you for the first date?" she grinned.
"Nona!" Kennedy exclaimed, "First of all, I'm straight. Second of all, if I was gay, I would have introduced him as my boyfriend. Thirdly, he's my partner for a science project!"
"Oops, my bad," Nona giggled, "I shouldn't have assumed!"
"Besides, I have a boyfriend, ma'am," I laughed, "But I'm sure Kennedy would be a great choice too if he were into guys."
"Oh he would, he's a sweetheart-"
"Don't talk about me like I'm not here guys," Kennedy interrupted. I could tell he was getting frustrated.
"Sorry, Kennedy," I said, then turning to Nona, "We came to ask if you might have some ivy plants that we can use for our project."
"What are you going to do to them?" she asked, taking a step back, a worried look coming over her face.
"We'd like to see how music effects plant life. We want to set one plant in a room absolutely void of music, one in a room with constant music being played on headphones around the plant, and the third in a room where the only music it gets is sung to it," I informed her.
"That sounds like an amazing project! I think I have three little ivy plants left in the back. I was going to take them home because they didn't sell before summer was over. You kids are welcome to them," she went back behind a curtain but continued to speak, "but of course, you'll need to take good care of them. Water them, give them proper lighting- otherwise the project won't work."
"Of course, Ma'am, I wouldn't dream of treating a plant poorly. It's against my religion," I informed her.
"What's your religion?" Kennedy and Nona asked simultaneously. Now I was a little embarrassed and worried that they would judge me.
"My family is Wiccan. Has been since my great Granna converted in `68. Before that, my family was just practicing witchcraft, and not all of it good. Thankfully, Granna found a better path in magick and decided to share it with the rest of the family for the next few generations," I shared as I tugged nervously at the sweater under my rain jacket.
"That's so intriguing! I'd love to hear more about it, how about I make some tea? I've always been very interested in the occult and pagan religions," Nona admitted.
"Well, we have to go do our project now so..." Kennedy said, trailing off at the end.
"Maybe another time," I smiled genuinely at Nona, "I'll be coming back here pretty soon to get the flowers my dad wants for Samhain."
"Bye, Nona!" Kennedy kissed his grandma's cheek, took the box full of ivies and then grabbed my hand and made a beeline for the door. My car was parked down the street so once we got outside it was a little odd for Kennedy to still be holding my hand.
"I guess the rain cleared up," I said, nervously, wondering if he planned to let go of my hand.
"Yeah I guess," he replied.
"May I have my hand back?" I asked nicely.
"Oh...uh...yeah," he dropped my hand- well more like threw it, as his face turned red from blushing, "Don't...like get weird about the hand holding thing. I was just trying to spare you from Nona's constant interrogating. Then I just forgot that I was holding it."
"You don't have to explain yourself, Kennedy. I wasn't gonna get weird. I'm not worried about it at all," I giggled and watched as he smiled.
"Your hands are really soft by the way," he chuckled.
"Unlike most men, I moisturize. It's very important for skin care. I don't want to be all shriveled and wrinkly by the time I hit thirty because I didn't take care of my skin when I was young."
"My hands are always just really rough. That's probably because of football and working at the shop."
"What shop?" I asked, wondering what job he had.
"Auto Joe's," Kennedy said as he opened the passenger side door and got in.
"How long have you worked there?" I asked incredulously. You see, the Joe of Auto Joe's, was my father. I'd been in that shop a bajillion times and never seen Kennedy there once.
"About a year, now," he replied, "Why do you sound so surprised? Is it really that strange that I have a job?"
"Well, no, but my daddy owns Auto Joe's and I've never seen you in there in my whole life."
"Your dad is Joe?" he grinned real big, "That guy is like a second father to me!"
I wondered why my father never mentioned Kennedy before, "Yeah but I still don't see how I never knew you worked there."
"I've never seen you come in. Must have been just a year of really wild circumstances to keep us from seeing the other."
"I suppose that I don't go there much anymore now that I have my own car. I used to walk there every day after school but now I just drive straight home after club meetings and classes. I guess the last time I went there after school was my sophomore year, right before I turned 16."
I pulled into Kennedy's driveway and parked.
"I just think it's funny that Joe is your dad. You guys look nothing alike. He has like pitch black hair and yours is blonde," Kennedy observed as he stuck his key in the lock of the front door.
"It was my mom that had the moon blonde hair," I said, following him into the house, "But I got Daddy's eyes, so that's something."
"Where's your mom now?" he asked me as he shut the door behind me.
"She died when I was ten," I said sadly.
"I'm sorry," he said sympathetically, "Mine died when I was fourteen."
"I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, "that must have been really hard on you."
"Not much harder than it was for you to lose yours, I bet."
"It was tough," I said, remembering the nights that Cy and I would hold each other in my bed and cry until we fell asleep.
"We better get started on this project," he said, changing the subject.
"Let's."
KENNEDY
After Aspen left, I sat at the kitchen counter eating a grilled cheese sandwich and some potato chips. I was thinking about our project and how fun it was going to be. I hadn't expected to like him so much, but Aspen was a really cool guy. I couldn't explain it, but every moment with him felt familiar. I felt like I'd hung out with him a thousand times before. He didn't seem to judge me and he sure wasn't mean to me. He was just patient with me, and I think I really needed that.
I heard the front door open and some voices laughing boisterously. Dad was home, and from the sound of it, he was drunk and with a woman. She was laughing loudly at every word he said. I heard them tumbling up the stairs and then her moaning in the hall. He was never discreet about his constant womanizing but I wasn't about to listen to them having sex for the next four hours. Dad could go forever and he was always very vocal.
I grabbed my keys and bolted for the door. I decided to go out to the boxcar and just sit around and do nothing. At least there it would be quiet. When I got onto my motorcycle I got the idea to ask Aspen if he wanted to come too.
I decided that it would be stupid to ask when we'd just spent the last four hours together and I decided it was better to just go alone, so I started up my bike and drove toward the woods. The cold night air nipped across my nose as I drove into the sunset, going toward the forest. I parked my bike and stuck the keys in my pocket. I then proceeded to walk the bright trail into the darkening woods, where my haven awaited.
Back when my mom died it was the only place I found solace. Sure, it seems creepy to hang out in a boxcar where some dead body was hanging above it, but I think the spirit left this realm a long time ago. It was just quiet and peaceful and comforting now. No one ever came out this way in fear of seeing the ghost or just because they don't know how to get to it, you do have to go off the path for a bit before you even reach it.
Besides that, someone had left a couch and a table and chairs. There were candles and lanterns and a little camping stove. There was a tote full of blankets and all of it was just left by whoever used to chill out there. My older brother and sister probably. Then of course there was all the stuff I'd brought out there. My dad's old tape player and tapes, a box full of mom's old Batgirl, Wonder Woman and Flash comics. I took a big stuffed chair from the attic and a coffee table too. It's quite a place.
As I walked closer, I could hear some voices. One of them sounded like Aspen and as I got closer I recognized immediately that Leon was the other voice. Instantly I was pissed. Who gave them the right to come out here? How dare Aspen bring Leon out here? I had shown him this place out of confidence!
I burst through the bush and Aspen jumped and turned around.
"Oh! Kennedy," he smiled sweetly. Sickeningly sweet was more like it.
"What the hell do you guys think you're doing here?" I asked through clenched teeth.
"Aspen was showing me the place you took him when he skipped his last period class the other day," Leon said pompously, "I don't really like that you're convincing my boyfriend to break school policies, especially when my dad is the principal."
"Um, I can make my own decisions," Aspen said, stepping forward.
"Both of you need to leave," I growled.
"This is public land, we don't have to leave at all," Leon snarled back.
"Both of you put your dicks away and cool it," Aspen piped up, "Leon, let's go."
He grabbed his boyfriend's hand and shot me an apologetic look. I just glared until they were out of my sight. Then I rushed into the boxcar to see if they'd messed with anything but it looked like they hadn't even gone in it. I sat down on the couch, furious. Furious that Aspen had brought Leon here. Furious that I had gotten so mad about it. Furious that I had probably just ruined one of the best chances I had at friendship.
AUTHOR'S NOTE So that's chapter two! I hope you enjoyed it! I will say, it's sort of a task writing the point of view of two characters, especially when I can only really relate to one of them. I hope I did an okay job making them two separate personalities. Again I'd love some feedback and I hope to hear from you soon! Kisses! =^.^= Kit