This story is a continuation of Matt Smith's (matterotica@hotmail.co.uk) fantastic story, 'Jack Hamilton Is Not A Nice Person'. I had often wondered what transpired directly after Jack storms away in the park. This was initially going to be a one-off, but while writing, I have decided to continue the tale that was left untold between Chapter 19, and the '6 Months Later' epiloge we see in Chapter 20. So, for those of you who have wondered what happened in the 6 months after Jack cut his puppet strings...here it is!
I would like to thank Matt Smith for creating the characters in the first place; and for his invaluable advice, input and suggestions which made this sequel possible. Espeically discussing his characters' motivations and psychology with me. Please read his story first if you haven't already! https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/jack-hamilton/
An additional special thanks goes out to Jasper Cooper (jax.cooper@yahoo.com) for his input, especially having to do with the kinkier stuff. (It'll come, I promise!) You can read his amazing story 'The Downfall of Nate Ramsey', the inspirtation for Jack Hamilton!, here: https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/downfall-of-nate-ramsey/
CHAPTER 2
Sept. 13th 2016 - The Day After
"GRAB HIS LEGS!" he heard Danny's voice say, in a weird hollow voice, as the boys grabbed and pinned a fully naked Jack - the jock screaming at them to stop in a piercing tone that simultaneously unnerved Bryce, yet seriously turned him on as well. The other figures had Jack pinned down on the floor of the vacant science lab, ass up. He could also hear Jack crying and begging for mercy...not that Bryce was going to show any. This was the moment he was waiting for!
"Care to do the honors?" he (thought he) heard Ben say, who was holding down Jack's left arm by sitting on it. "Teach the fucker what happens when he walks out and abandons his masters!" For some reason, it seemed like Ben's voice - while clear - was coming from within his own head.
Bryce was about to speak, but strangely he literally could not find his voice. Instead he felt himself fishing out his girthy cock.
"No lube!" called out Elliott, whose voice had an odd tinny quality to it, as if it were emanating from an old phonograph. "He thinks we were rough before? He's going to learn what rough is! Fuck blackmail....just rape the bitch like we should have a week ago!"
"Shit, Bryce", Ben added. We're in the science lab after all...I think Jacky Boy needs an anatomy lesson."
That was all the encouragement that Bryce needed. Hard wrenching sobs poured out of Jack now, but that only turned on Bryce more as he pushed his fat spongy mushroom head against Jack's rear, slapping it several times before lining it up with his victim's tight hole.
"Yeah! DO IT!" snarled Aaron, monstrously, sounding demonic. "The piece of shit almost killed me! Shit, when you're done I want sloppy seconds!"
Aaron!? There was.....something.....wrong with that. What was it, though? Bryce had a strange idea that the boy shouldn't be here right now. Something didn't compute, but oddly, as soon as he had that passing thought, it escaped him. Jack's asshole was the prime focus for Bryce, and he swore that it was winking at him....almost daring him entry. Bryce watched Jacks puffy anal ring snap shut against his cock head, and with one hard, powerful thrust, Bryce violated Jack fully and completely. Jack's screams were animalistic and almost otherworldly. After holding his entire length in the jock's body for several seconds, Bryce began to fuck him in earnest....swift, powerful thrusts. Bryce felt no pleasure, though. In fact, he felt nothing at all. No erotic feelings in his loins and - weirdly - no emotion either. He picked up the pace, slamming his rock hard thick cock in and out of Jack's ass. By now, he should be feeling SOMETHING. There was nothing, however.
"Faster!" growled Danny
"Harder!" ordered Elliott
Bryce complied. He was sweating like a pig as he SLAMMED into Jack's violated hole...their four hefty nuts banging into eachother with each violent thrust. It made no sense at all! Bryce was rock hard, yet there was still no sexual feeling! This confused and suddently angered him, which made him put every ounce of energy into his anal assault.
"Pleaseee.....Bryce! STOP! I CAN'T TAKE ANY MORE OF THIS! YOU GOTTA STOP THIS! YOU CAN STOP THIS! IT'S UP TO YOU!" came a voice from under him. It didn't sound like Jack's voice, however. It almost sounded like.......Bryce suddenly panicked; at that moment, he realized he was not able to see any of the other boy's faces! They were like faceless mannequins. He gasped and looked down. What he saw almost stopped his heart. It was not Jack who Bryce was balls-deep inside....but rather HIMSELF! The Bryce-Thing looked back at him and smiled, evilly, while the faceless figures all turned their blank heads to him at the same time.
"What.....the..." Bryce exclaimed, trying to pull out of the doppleganger. It was no use, though...the Thing's asshole clamped down hard on the scared boy's cock, trapping it within his insides. Bryce certainly felt a sensation now! Pain. The Bryce-Thing used his ass muscles to squeeze Bryce's now-violated cock.
With the tables turned, the imposter winked at Bryce. "You fucked yourself, Brycie." it said maliciously in Bryce's own voice.
"I'm sorry! I'll fix it!" Bryce screamed as he bolted up from his bed and out of his nightmare. His breath was rapid, and his heart was pounding. He had to check his penis really quick, which in reality was as flaccid as taffy. Bryce pulled his legs up and buried his face in his hands. "Things can't go on like this." he said out loud. "I have to do something!"
After dropping Ben and Elliott off at Elliott's place, last night, Bryce drove around town for a good half hour - earning even more frantic texts from his mom. Jack's words to him, "You're worse than Elliott" continued to haunt him, and made him see himself as a piece of shit. He went over every single second of his involvement, trying to self-justify and rationalize but ultimately failing. He knew Jack was right. Elliott, for all he did to Jack, loved the jock deeply, both romantically AND as a best friend. Bryce may have developed feelings for Jack along the way - sure - but INITIALLY, he set him up to hurt him! Manipulated his feelings so that Jack could have his heart broken. That was infinitely more evil than anything Elliott did, who was merely misguided in his actions. In more long term ways, raping someone's HEART was much more cruel than the physical humiliations they forced Jack to endure. The worst part is, everyone wanted and even expected Bryce to be the logical one. How could he possibly take a leadership role in this disaster, when he absolutely hated himself? ' Fuck ME', he thought bitterly about himself, as the dream was fading rapidly into the lost memories of his subconcious, sinking into those forgotten depths that dreams go, just beyond recall. 'Why should I take the leadership role?' he thought. It wasn't fair, but then again, was it any less fair then what he subjected Jack to? Bryce didn't think so, and if he had to keep a stiff upper lip in public, just for keeping up appearances, then that was at least the beginning of what he knew was going to be a lifetime penance for his actions. 'It's my cross to bear' he thought to himself, bitterly.
As Byrce checked the time and began getting ready for school, an idea struck him. They were going to run into Jack today, as uncomfortable as that notion was. It was also unavoidable. The best way to handle things at school was to get every guilty party - aside from Aaron - and confront Jack to apologize and at least attempt to explain the mistakes they made. It may not make much of a difference to Jack, as much as Bryce wished it would, but at the very least, it could potentially clear the air, and make walking the halls of Holmepoint High a little more bearable. After what happened last night, Jack may very well shun them once again and order them to leave him alone, but it was the right thing to do.
With that, Bryce got dressed, ate a quick breakfast of cornflakes and orange juice, and - putting on a fake smile, said goodbye to his parents. After getting into his car, he texted Elliott and told him to gather everyone together and meet in the lobby at 8:45am so they can discuss his plan.
Bryce could only pray that it doesn't make things any worse. It was going to be an interesting day.
.........................
'The best laid plans...', thought Bryce, shaking his head. as he, Elliott, Lincoln, and Ben stood in the street outside Jack's house, after school. Bryce's plan was a bust. As it turned out, none of the boys had seen Jack at all. Given the sheer size of Holmepoint High, that in and of itself, didn't necessarily mean anything. However, Jack normally shared a class with Elliott and Danny, but he either skipped it today, or stayed home from school entirely. After Jack's meltdown in the park last night, they were all understandably nervous about running into him, but putting their uneasiness aside, they were all very concerned about him. On top of everything else, Jack had unfriended them all on Facebook, and was ignoring their text messages and phone calls. Unsure of what state of mind he was in, Bryce had called for a meeting in the school lobby. However, since no one had seen him, they met again after school instead - which of course stirred up uncomfortable memories about another Jack-centered meeting almost two weeks ago - and it was decided that the four of them would pay him a visit at his house. Danny refused, saying that going to his house was probably not the best of ideas, and it was taking things a bit too far. "Just let it blow over", he had told Bryce in school. "I'm sure he'll come around eventually. Until then, leave him alone." Lincoln very reluctantly agreed, hoping that this would finally put the entire uncomfortable business with Jack to bed, where it belongs. In truth, he was beginning to hate these guys now, but he figured - for Jack - he would make this one last attempt to set things right, and then he was done forever.
In any case, the boy's reasoning for paying Jack a visit was two-fold. One, they wanted to check on his well-being and make sure that he was okay and not being self-destructive. If anything happened to him because of what they did to him, none of the boys could have lived with themselves. Two, to individually apologize to him for their role in the Hell they caused him this past week. The idea was that each boy would spend about an hour writing down what they wanted to say to Jack, from the heart. More than a few tear-stains pockmarked the papers they now each held in nervous quivering hands.
"So...who's going up to ring the bell?" Lincoln asked the others. It was most definitely NOT going to be him. He was going to read his apology, maybe shake hands with Jack if the boy would allow it, and never deal with this drama, or any other drama, ever again. In a selfish way, Lincoln also felt violated. This whole business was the entire reason that he was pressured into a situation where Bryce fucked him. He hated it, and could never live that down.
"I think it should be Bryce." Elliott responded to Lincoln's question.
Bryce's eyes went wide as saucers, as his mouth gaped in disbelief. "Me!? Why me!?"
"You got closer to Jack than any of us did during this whole thing." Elliott pointed out. "And....this was YOUR idea!"
"Yeah okay, but he called ME the worst! Plus, come on El, you've known him the longest." Bryce retorted.
Elliott took a few steps backwards into the street. and put his hands up protectively. "Are you SERIOUS? I'M not going up there! I'm the one he keeps attacking! I don't wanna get punched in the face again or choked!"
Ben sighed. Exasperated. "Oh, for crying out loud!" he exclaimed as he marched up the front walkway to the door, with as much resolve as he could muster.
"Wait Ben! NO! Maybe we should re-think this! It's not too late to..." Bryce started to say, but he cut himself off once Ben's finger pressed the doorbell. It was too late now, and unless they wanted to play Ding-Dong-Ditch, they had to stay put and see if Jack answered. All of the boys quickly glanced at their apology notes as if they were cramming ten seconds before a big exam. Luckily, both of Jack's parents were at work, so there wouldn't be any awkwardness as far as that was concerned. The four of them held their respective breaths, four frightened hearts skipped a few beats, and finally, after what felt like a lifetime, the door ever so slowly opened up. It wasn't Jack who stood before them, however, but his older brother Davis, and the look he shot down at Ben, and then out to the other three in the street, was anything but friendly and welcoming.
"What the Hell is this? What do you want!?" he barked at them.
"Hi Davis! Um...can...can we pul...please speak to Jack?" squeaked Ben.
"We're not here to make trouble! There's a lot we need to say to him." Elliott called from the street, who now took a few steps up until he was on the sidewalk. "We're all really sorry. None of us ever meant to...."
"Save it, Elliott!" yelled Davis who was now getting visibly livid. Elliott quickly took a few steps back - again - until he was once again on the street with Lincoln and Bryce. "I'm going to tell you this once. ALL OF YOU: Stay the FUCK away from this house! In fact Stay away from Jack PERIOD! He wants nothing to do with any of you. ESPECIALLY you!" he added, pointing and staring at Elliott.
Davis' words rocked Elliott to his core, and as he could recall even years later....a part of him died that afternoon, on the street in front of Jack's house. When he was nine years old at a picnic with his family, a hornet stung him on his eyelid. It was the most excruciating sting he ever felt in his life......until just now. Jack wasn't just angry at him. Jack hated him. HATED him! "I....I was WRONG! I ADMIT THAT!" he yelled out as he sobbed.
"Take it easy, Elliott." Bryce said to him. "Let's just go." But Elliott brushed him off
"I deleted it all like I promised you! I wanna FIX THIS! God Davis, you've known me for YEARS! OUR FAMILIES TOOK TRIPS TOGETHER! I fucked up, but you gotta know that I wouldn't ever have meant to...."
"This is not a debate, Elliott!" I said stay away from Jack and I meant it! Trust me, you don't want my parents involved! If this bullshit continues, I'm going to tell them and see to it that Jack gets a restraining order against all you pieces of shit! Now Jack didn't wanna go to the police, even though I think he should have. That can change if you clowns keep this up. Have I made myself clear yet!?" The four boys looked dejected as they nodded and gingerly bowed their heads in shame. "Now get the Hell away from our house!" With that, Davis slammed the door in Ben's face, who then promptly ran back to the street to join his friends.
"Well! That was rude and totally uncalled for!" Lincoln finally declared. "We only wanted to reach out. We didn't even get a chance to read out apologies! Mine would have brought everyone to tears....guaranteed!"
Bryce sighed. "Forget it, Lincoln. It's over. We did what we could. He really is done with us" He added.
"El, uh, are you okay?" Ben asked.
Elliott stood there just staring at Jack's house, saying nothing. Tears flowing freely down his face. Ben looked to Bryce for help, and both boys gently - but firmly - tugged on Elliott's shoulders. "Come on bud." Bryce said. "Let's get out of here before they call the cops on us. It's okay...we tried. You tried."
As they led the sobbing, shaking boy away, Elliott kept his head turned back towards the house, weeping for the best friend he hurt....the best friend he lost. None of the other boys knew it, but Elliott was, more specifically, staring at the left second floor window. Jack was looking out.....looking down on them....with a face devoid of expression.
.........................
Sept. 19th 2016 - A Week After
The fifth period bell rang out, loud and shrill at Holmepoint High School, and like the flip of a switch, the empty halls suddenly erupted in a teen-volcano of frantic students making their way to their next lesson of the day. Bryce dashed quickly out of Chemistry, took a left, and - as he had hoped - ran into Tyler, who was just making his way out of Ms. Crupi's physics class.
"Hey! Wait up Ty!" Bryce yelled out. It was now over one week after Jack left them in the park, and Bryce was at his wits end at this point. He and the others were extremely concerned. They all kept their eyes peeled for Jack in the hallways. Elliott and Danny shared a class with him, but he still hadn't been in that class at all since that fateful night either. After Davis threatened them when they went to his house, they were afraid of the consequences of digging in too deeply or obviously. Yesterday was a turning point, however. It was football practice after school, and Bryce was SURE that he would run into Jack there, naturally. He was a no-show though. Bryce had enough, and thought it was an acceptable risk to begin at LEAST asking around.
Tyler stopped in his tracks and looked back towards Bryce. Tyler Noleff was one of those awkward, strange kids that defied both classification and affiliation. Absolutely not a nerd, not exactly a geek, but by no means a jock. The lanky, tall boy with dirty blonde, slicked-back hair was certainly in a clique of one. At 17 years old, he seemed to have no close friends at all, but was casual acquaintances with just about everyone - a quality that allowed him to glide through social circles like a slippery tadpole through oily water. It was also well known that he thrived on drama.
"Hey Bryce." he greeted with all the charm of an eel. "How was chem? Was Skeletor rough on you guys today?"
"Mrs. Fleischer isn't that bad, man," Bryce responded as both boys leaned against the lockers. "She just wants lab reports done in a very specific way. Her specific way."
"Well, she almost flunked ME last year," complained Tyler, rolling his eyes.
"No kidding....you never do homework. So hey, um....listen...was Jack in Algebra with you earlier today?"
Yeahhh....he was. Whyy?" Tyler replied as he cocked his head to one side and squinted his large brown eyes.
"I haven't seen him all week! Yesterday was football practice, and he never showed up. So I thought....ah Hell, I don't know what I thought. Maybe he was, you know, ditching school or something?"
"He didn't tell you." Tyler responded; more as a statement to himself, as if to confirm something, rather than a question.
Bryce drew in a sharp breath as his heart skipped a few beats. "Tell me what?" He asked nervously.
"Well he told me yesterday that he needed a break. He also said, and - direct quote, Bryce - 'I'm keeping a low profile from a few toxic people.'....which is SO weird, ya know? When you stop to consider how odd he was acting a couple weeks ago, not to mention those faggy clothes he...decided...to wear. Wouldn't you say?" Tyler said. Strangely emphasizing the 'you'.
'Why did he say it like that?' Bryce wondered.
"But...I suppose he's trying to find himself." lectured Tyler insincerely. "You should see him now!"
"Ty, what do you mean by.....wait. Wait wait wait...back up" The strange boy was giving Bryce a headache. "If he's in school, then why hasn't he been in Elliott and Danny's class? And did he quit the team for good!?"
"How should I know? He really didn't wanna talk about it." Suddenly Tyler had what could not be called anything but a sneer on his face. "He REALLY didn't say anything to you? Oh, I could have SWORN he was as thick as thieves with you lately. You and the Gay Brigade. Helliot and BENdover....."
Bryce wanted to knock this fucker's teeth out. He seemed alright at first, until Bryce mentioned Jack. 'Not a good sign!', he thought to himself. Throughout the years, he had seen this sudden, almost bipolar, shift in Tyler a handful of times....and always when he was taking someone to task over a juicy piece of gossip that they were a part of. 'Plus...how did he know that Elliott was secrectly gay?' he thought to himself. Bryce merely swallowed his anger and stormed away towards the cafeteria, replying loudly behind him, "Not anymore, Ty! Not anymore!"
"Awwww.....trouble in paradise, eh Lice!?" Tyler catcalled up the hallway. "So tell me, King Thrushbeard....what toxic people do you suppose Jack is keeping a low profile from!!??"
Gritting his teeth, Bryce ignored the cryptic taunt as he kept walking to lunch. He had to talk to the others. And quick!
.........................
The cafeteria was absolutely packed today. Once a week, Holmepoint High offers deep-dish pizza for lunch, which was always a guaranteed hit. That day was today. Bryce bolted in the two double-doors, almost knocked into some girl who's name he was pretty sure was Athena - although she was no Greek goddess! - did a pirouette around Lenny - a skinny anime geek with long black hair parted down the middle, that made him look like a younger version of Professor Snape, and hoofed it to his usual table. Ben and Elliott were already there, looking sullen.
"Hey guys. We might have a bit of a problem. Several, actually" Bryce exclaimed as he sat down with his two friends. He didn't have much of an appetite and noticed that Ben and Elliott were also sans fare.
"Christ, what NOW?" Ben asked as he rubbed his aching temples. "Elliott and I found out some stuff, but you go first." Elliott meanwhile scowled, sneered, and slunk down into his chair. He looked awful.
"Let's wait for Lincoln. He needs to hear this too." Bryce said.
"Forget him." Ben replied. "He transferred to fifth period lunch."
"What!? Why!?"
"I guess it's because he'd rather pretend none of - THIS - ever happened." Elliott said, waving his hand around to emphasize his point. "Like he can avoid responsibility by avoiding us. Fucking Judas."
Bryce was surprised, but he couldn't place too much blame on the guy. Lincoln didn't have too much vested interest from the beginning, so it made some sort of sense that he would opt to just forget his sins and start over. It was up to him, and him alone to decide if he could live with it or not. "Well, it's too late to worry about that now. Lincoln made his choice I guess." Bryce said. "Now listen....I talked with that weirdo that Jack sometimes talks to, Tyler Noleff, so first of all, Jack HAS been in school! He's here today in fact..."
Ben interrupted him. "Let me stop you right there..."
"No wait, you gotta hear this! So..."
"We KNOW he's been here! That's what El and I wanted to tell you! We found out yesterday. We saw him after seventh period, coming out of English Lit. Apparently he got some of his classes switched, so that he could avoid us in the halls, and also....um...well..." Ben reluctantly added as he uneasily glanced over at Elliott.
"So that he wouldn't have to be in any classes with ME, okay!!?" Elliott snapped out loudly as he wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt.
"I don't understand," Bryce exclaimed, "why on Earth didn't you guys tell me this YESTERDAY!?" The other day, the boys all promised each other that they would contact the others immediately with any 'Jack News', no matter how insignificant.
Now it was Ben who scowled. "Yeah, sorry. We've been....busy." he replied curtly as he shot daggers at Elliott who grunted a response. Bryce wondered what was going on. Both boys were acting very strange.
"Anyway" said Ben who continued his story, "When we saw Jack yesterday, he was almost power-walking, and had his head down....but the way he was dressed, Bryce! Kinda like....what's the name you said, El?"
"Kurt Cobain"
"Yeah! That's it! Like Kurt Cobain. He had on these baggy torn blue jeans, and a flannel shirt. He also had his hair combed down pin straight into bangs over his eyes....I actually thought he looked hot!"
"He doesn't know who Kurt Cobain is....fucking unbelieveable", Elliott said out loud to himself, under his breath. Ben merely glanced at his boyfriend, beyond hurt and more than a little angry from being insulted.
This was an interesting turn of events, Bryce thought. 'Avoiding a few toxic people. Us!'
"I was going to run up to him and say hi, but he stopped me." Ben continued, angerly, as he pointed to Elliott rudely with his thumb in his closed fist.
Elliott snarled back, "Yeah, well...Tasselhoff Burrfoot over here wanted to merrily skip up to him, as cheerful as you please, as if the world was gumdrops and pixie dust; 'Uhh hullo Jack! Hope you've been super-duper keen! Hope you don't mind, but we polished off the beer you left us the other night...here's a twenty! And....ohhhh yeah! Sorry about that silly rapey stuff. Water under the bridge, right?....friendsies forevs?' "
"Elliott! Keep your fucking voice down man!" Bryce hissed as he saw the kids at the table closest to them glance in their direction. 'So that's what's been going on' Bryce realized. Ben and Elliott had their first fight, and it was - naturally - about Jack. That explained why they didn't text Bryce immediately yesterday with this latest news.
"You....you don't have to get sarcastic like that with me, El" Ben said. "I do have feelings, you know! And you know what else!? I don't like how you've been treating me lately. Or yourself for THAT matter!"
Elliott did indeed look like something that the cat dragged in. Disheveled was the only apt word for it. There was something else too; Bryce noticed that Elliott sort of, well....smelled bad. A cross between rank body odor and a faint whisper of stale beer. He could tell that the unique hybrid stench was emanating from Elliott, because anyone could clearly see that the boy hadn't showered in a few days. This was so unlike Elliott that Bryce doubted his own senses at first. Elliott continued to stare down Ben with crusty, bloodshot eyes. Ben took notice of this, but wisely chose to let it go. "Well..." he said, "All I know is we gotta talk to him at SOME point.....don't we?"
Elliott slapped the table hard enough to make both boys jump. "HE'S DONE WITH US BEN!" he bellowed. "He switched around his classes to avoid us, he unfriended us on Facebook, ignores us in the halls, and had his brother threaten us! AKA: NOT.....OUR....FRIEND! Get it!? Keep pushing it, and maybe he'll add a dash of harassment and stalking on top of rape, criminal sexual contact, blackmail, assault, Hell...not to MENTION..."
"That's enough! Stop it, Elliott! We get it" Bryce said. "Let's just count our lucky stars that Jack has not turned us in for ANYTHING, okay!? We do have another problem though, but first....are you guys okay??" he added knowing full well that the writing was already on the wall for these two: Their relationship was doomed. Perhaps it was from the beginning. After all, Ben and Elliott fell for each other in the midst of torturing a fellow human being. What they ultimately had was something that amounted to nothing more than some messed up inverted variation of Stockholm Syndrome. In any case, Bryce knew that, while they may or may not be consciously aware of it, there had to be some resentment for each other, each boy being a mirror into the other one, and a constant reminder of what awful things they put Jack through. 'What WE put Jack through', Bryce corrected in his head. There was also something else....'Elliott is still painfully in love with Jack. Now, maybe more than ever.'
"We're FINE", lied Elliott. "So what's this 'other problem?' Seriously...I don't know how much more of this I can take!"
"It's Tyler. He knows, El. Maybe only a little. Possibly a LOT!"
"Couldn't be!" gasped Ben. "You think Jack ratted us out to him!?"
Bryce shook his head. "It didn't seem like it. In fact, he told me that Jack didn't wanna talk about it, and I believe him. He's an odd guy though...always has been."
Ben nodded. "He disturbs me in more ways than one."
"He has that effect on people. You're not alone, trust me. I DO have a theory, though. I think it's possible he's been putting the pieces together on his own."
"I can't imagine he could...." Ben started to say, then stopped as he thought about it for a moment. "......you THINK?"
"I'm pretty sure, yeah."
"But HOW?"
"Shit, think about it. Think about how we proudly paraded Jack around school in those outfits last week..." Ben winced. A wave of nausea hit him while a sharp sting of shame welled up from within, as he remembered the things he did to Jack. "During which, we made him hang out with us," Bryce continued. "And now? Jack stopped dressing in those tight embarrassing clothes while noticeably shunning us. So....what conclusion would YOU'D come to? Plus, who knows what else Tyler was able to find out...we were not exactly subtle about what we were doing, ya know. I think Tyler might be working this all out in his head. Which is BAD! He's one of the biggest blabbermouths in the entire school!"
"I NEVER could stand that prick." Elliott explained. "Even in elementary school. Jack hated him too back then, come to think of it. He was always an instigator."
Bryce nodded, knowingly, as he proceeded to relay his encounter with Tyler. Ellipott and Ben listened with rapt attention as he told them everything. Both boys frowned at Tyler's humiliating nicknames and snarky homophobic comments. "One other weird thing," Bryce said, "while I was walking away, he called me King Brushbead or something like that."
Ben's eyes popped out, as wide as saucers. "OH SHIT!" he gasped, leaning forward. "Are you sure, Bryce? Are you sure it wasn't King Thrushbeard!?"
"Yes! That's it!" replied Bryce, remembering. "That's what it was. Why? What's that even mean?"
"SHIT!" Ben growled. "Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!" Bryce and Elliott looked at Ben with concerned confusion.
"Ben!! WHAT!?" Bryce asked.
"We're in deep fucking trouble, that's WHAT!"
"I have NO idea what you're talking about."
"King Thrushbeard!" Ben said with more than a little panic in his voice. "It's a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. It's about a mean, nasty, spoiled princess who's popular in her realm. But...see...she spends her time looking down on others. She ridicules and bullies people, including a king from another land, who she nicknames 'Thrushbeard', as an insult. Okay, anyway, so like...the king....I mean the OTHER king..."
"I assume her father?"
"Right! So he and Thrushbeard decide to make a little plan to punish her...in order to help her!!"
"Oh Fuckkkk." Bryce whispered to himself as his heart beat faster with his rapidly increasing panic. Elliott groaned and lightly thumped his head on the lunch table repeatedly. It certainly sounded like Tyler knew more than even Bryce suspected!
"So, Thrushbeard disguises himself as a beggar," Ben continued, "and the princesses' father forces her to marry him. Then...she is purposely humiliated; forced to dress in peasant clothes, made to do all kinds of increasingly degrading and humiliating tasks, she loses her status and is kicked out of the castle, and even put to work in order to make money! Is this.....starting to ring any bells to you?"
"Yeah." Bryce replied quietly. "Our funeral bells."
This was worse than he thought.
.........................
As Bryce, Ben and Elliot sat at lunch, trying to make terms with this latest worry, each boy felt like every eye in the cafeteria was upon them. To them, every student and teacher knew what they had done. It was like being caught, stuck in a naked nightmare with hundreds - thousands - of laughing faces; mocking, taunting, and accusing....and no matter how far you ran, no matter how well you hid, there were always more of those sadistic faces, seeing you at your most vulnerable. Exposed for all the world to see, and having nothing at all to use to cover up your shame.
Ben especially was fearful of the fallout for what they had done. For the past week, he felt the sword of Damocles hovering precariously over his head. There was a sharp, acute sense of dread every time he got a phone call, or the doorbell rang. Yesterday, his heart almost lept out of his chest when his mother informed him that an official looking letter arrived for him from the Holmepoint Superior Court. He was convinced that it was all over, until he finally psyched up enough nerve and resolve to open it up and saw that it was an invitation for all the honor roll freshmen to a courthouse lawn Barbeque Scholastic Social next Saturday. He tore it up and threw it away. Now, with Tyler Noleff seemingly knowing their dirty little secret, his anxiety increased ten-fold.
"I don't understand," he asked Bryce. "What's Tyler's angle here?"
Bryce just shrugged. "I really wish I knew, Ben. He's a drama-loving busy-body, but.....I just don't know."
Elliott shifted in his seat and grunted something that both boys didn't catch. Bryce suspected that he had a few beers before school this morning.
"Hey, Elliott!" called out Logan, a seventeen year old prep kid from Elliott's World History class. "Did your mother accidently throw you out with yesterday's trash this morning?"
"Leave Elliott alone," added his friend Derrick, insincerely. "He just woke up on the wrong side of a city dump!"
Both boys giggled and high-fived as they walked to the serving line.
"Assholes." Bryce said."Just ignore them."
"It's whatever." Elliott said, waving off the insults, yet noticeably turning red with either embarrassment or anger. Probably both.
"Well, uh...so I was saying, I'm not sure what Tyler's motives are, or how exactly he found us out...but he clearly did!"
Ben nodded. "King Thrushbeard...absolutely he did!"
"Right...and here's the thing. It's not just us and Lincoln, Aaron, and Danny he could destroy, but it would really hurt and embarass Jack as well, who seems to just wanna forget we exist and move on.
Ben considered this. He actually wondered something since the night that Jack refused to cooperate any longer. "Guys...uh....something else I've been....I mean, I know it may seem kinda trivial to you now, compared to everything else we gotta worry about, but...um....do you think that Jack is going to bully us again?" Ben asked barely above a whisper, with downcast eyes...briefly reverting back to the meek, powerless, scared boy that he was before this entire thing happened.
"Who the fuck cares anymore, honestly." Elliott barked as a whirlwind of the now-surreal events that transpired recently danced and sun within his mind's eye. Bryce ignored Elliott's comment.
"I don't THINK so. I was right when I figured he wouldn't go to the police, but....I'll be honest with you Ben...I don't know for sure. Jack DOES wanna forget, but does that mean he will erase everything and go back to how he was? Plus Jack hates us." Ben nodded, and dropped his head down. "There's no way to tell if the - you know - change in him is permanent or if he feels that he has something to prove again...to regain some kinda school status."
Ben thought about this. "But WHAT status? It's surely looking like he's done with football, and all those guys. What exactly does he have to prove? To ANYONE?"
"Like I said, I just don't know Ben. I don't even think Jack knows what he wants right now. I vote we just take this one step at a time. Remember...Jack could own us all, if he wanted to, so let's at least be thankful that he's showing us more mercy than we deserve, okay?"
"YOU KNOW WHAT!?" Elliott suddenly hissed, "I GOTTA GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!"
"Elliott, chill!" ".....El" his friends both exclaimed.
As he stood up, he accidently knocked over his chair, which fell to the tiled floor with an echoing crash. The entire cafeteria looked up at him, and a few giggles cackled through the teen-festooned lunchroom.
"Wait, man...don't just go..." Bryce started to say, but it was too late. By then, Elliott was already storming towards the exit. A few seconds later, he was out the door.
"He's coming apart." Bryce exclaimed, as he shook his head in frustration.
"I know! It's making me sick to see him like this, and I have NO idea how to help him! He's losing touch with, well, everything. When I went to his house last night, he wouldn't even touch me!" Ben said, lowering the volume of his voice to just above a whisper. "He was drinking beer! On a school night! I think this is killing him Bryce"
Bryce understood. He felt Elliott's pain, and just because he could hold it together a bit better amongst people, didn't mean he was anywhere in the neighborhood of "okay". 'If the others knew how I cried myself to sleep this past week' he thought bitterly. "We can be there for him, Ben. You especially. Ultimately though...he's going to have to figure out how to make peace with himself.....and forgive himself." Bryce advised. "He may NEVER be able to."
"Me either" Ben mumbled to himself.
"What's that?" Bryce asked, not hearing the boy clearly.
"Not important. So uh....anyway, I'm thinking I could go for a slice of pizza. You want? I'll buy."
"Nah, I'm good. Thanks though."
"K. If you're sure. I'll be right back." As Ben slowly walked from the table to the back of the cafeteria where the little kitchenette and food-line was, Bryce couldn't help but notice Ben covertly wipe away a few tears from his eyes.
About 45 second later, Jack entered the lunch room.
.........................
Bryce was checking his messages on his phone while waiting for Ben, and didn't see Jack walk in. Ben did, however. As he stood in the lunch line, Jack and two of the school goths, Theo and Devin, walked right behind him in line. Ben's jaw dropped. Jack didn't notice his former victim-turned-victimizer; he was distracted talking to Devin excitedly about body oils. Yesterday, Jack had began shifting to a rocker look, but to say that he took it even further today would be something of an understatement! His hair was still combed down in bangs over his eyes, but today it was dyed jet black as well! He sported ridiculously baggy black jeans which should have been left in the late 1990's, a dark gray t-shirt about two sizes too large for him with a grinning white skull on the front, and his size ten feet were clad in steel-toed Doc Martin boots. Around his neck was a black leather choker with gleaming metal spikes. Ben wouldn't have been more shocked if he woke up this morning with his nutsack stapled to the bed. Sure, it made sense that Jack would naturally seek to fill up the void in his life with a new persona once his jock facade crumbled, after all...nature abhors a vacuum....but THIS!!?? In Jack's confusion, personal self-discovery, and world rebuilding, he found refuge with the goths of all people!
There were around seven, 'Well...eight now', Ben supposed, and they had a reputation of being extremely inclusive and accepting, if a bit anti-social outside their own spooky inner-circle. Theo was seventeen years old with long black hair that, today, was tied back in a ponytail. He was dressed in a black t-shirt that said 'DON'T PISS ME OFF. I'M RUNNING OUT OF PLACES TO HIDE THE BODIES' in white comic-sans lettering, and tight black jeans that Ben noticed showed off a nice thick bulge. Out of all the goths, he was the most 'metal'. Ben didn't know much else about it, other than that he shared a couple classes with Jack. He supposed that it was Theo who recruited Jack into their dark ranks.
The other goth kid, Devin, was sixteen and had his medium-length, pin-straight, emo-styled hair bleached pure white. Today he was wearing blood red jeans - Ben didn't even know jeans came in that color! - and a black hoodie with a large rainbow pentagram on the front. Devin was known to be Wiccan and bisexual - or pan-sexual as he called himself at times. He was in Ben's phys-ED class - next period, actually - but the boy usually spent his time on the bleachers with another goth boy, Taryn. Both never getting changed for gym. Once upon a time in middle school, Ben had a slight 'hallway crush' on Devin, but ultimately realized that the two of them would have very little in common. Now it looked as if both boys had Jack in their clutches, as evidenced by his gradual 'gothification'.
As they all stood there in line, Ben's heart quickened as it was only a matter of time before Jack took notice of him. The fear Ben expressed to Bryce and Elliott just reared it's ugly head, as he asked himself a million unanswerable questions: Would Jack's old personality reassert itself? Would he torment him again, this time with the help of his little ghoulfriends? Did Jack tell them everything? Was Tyler somehow connected to this? Is THIS why Jack didn't turn them in? Favoring some Machiavellian twisted sense of 'schoolhouse justice' as payback instead?
Ben felt trapped. Hell, he WAS trapped! He began hyperventilating as the food line moved left towards the register at a snail's pace. There were four students ahead of him. Jack and he knew friends - fiends - were directly to the right of him, but Jack had yet to so much as glance at Ben...and the two of them stood less than three feet from each other! Ben could smell Jack's Adidas cologne, a scent he knew intimately well by now. He was so close to Jack, Theo and Devin that an outside observer could easily mistake Ben as part of their conversation:
"Alright then fine...so yeah....definitely go with the Frankincense oil! Fuck Balsam"
"Shut up, Devin! I wear Balsam oil!"
"Annnd THAT'S why you always smell like you just fucked a Christmas tree, Theo. Anyway Jack-O-Lantern, when you get a chance, I want you to go on YouTube and check out the video for 'Love You To Death' by Type O Negative. Fuck! It's macabre as HELL! Sooo gorgeous, like a dark fairy tale."
"For sure, Devin! I really liked their other song you showed me in your room last night. What was that called again?"
"Uh, you mean 'Wolf Moon'?"
"Yes! Man, I never heard music like this before. My older brother likes rock, like Metallica and Disturbed, but nothing like this!"
"And wait until tonight, Jack-O-Lantern!" Devin exclaimed excitedly. "I'll introduce you to some Cradle of Filth. Now, they're black-metal, and a LOT harder and heavier than Type O Negative, but I think you're ready for it. Oh, and you know what? We need to hook you up with some black nail polish. I think I may have..."
"Cradle's lame!" Theo interrupted. "And plus we gotta head to Drewcifer's place tonight. Jack can climb down your beanstalk some OTHER night." Devin groaned at this jab, but that didn't stop his face from turning red. He wasn't alone, as Jack also felt a bit flushed from Theo's comment.
"You waited all day for a chance to finally dole out that little comedic gem, didn't ya?" Devin admonished. "And, by the way.....take a REAL good listen to 'Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids' on one of those rare days were your not COMPLETELY stoned off your ever-loving ass, and tell me that Cradle of Filth is lame."
"Laaaaammmee" mocked Theo, good naturedly as he stuck his tongue out at Devin.
"NEXT!" bellowed the rotund lunch lady, as they moved. Only two students were ahead of Ben now. Jack almost looked his way, but at the last moment he became distracted by the menu that was posted on the wall above the line.
"Hey guys, if I get some tater-tots on the side, would you wanna share?" Jack asked Devin and Theo.
"Ehhh.....nah, that's alright. I'm just going to get a slice of pizza and some ice-cream" replied Theo.
"Sure! I'll share with you." Devin said.
Finally it happened! Ben audibly gasped as Jack casually looked to the left while he simultaneously flipped his freshly dyed, raven-black hair out of his eyes at the exact moment Ben was looking at him, to the right. Four eyes connected and locked into each other. What did Ben see in Jack's? Hatred? Resentment? There WAS....something, but Ben's mind could not articulate what he was seeing. was the ridicule about to start?
In Ben's mind's-eye, he could see Jack, Devin, and Theo pointing and laughing at him:
.....................................................................
'Haha! So THAT's the little shit who blackmailed you? You GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!' 'That's right, Devin! Joke is on him though....look at me now! I got you guys!' 'And what does HE have?' 'Oh, he has NOTHING, THEO! He's allllll alone' 'Hahahaha! Oh my God, the little bitch is going to cry!' 'Cry, Bensie...cry!' 'Cry!' 'CRY!!'
........................................................................
Ben panicked as he imagined the taunts and ridicule that was no doubt imminent. He couldn't think straight. He peered into Jack's ambiguous eyes for what felt like minutes, but was in actuality, only a few brief seconds, and then: "Hi Jack!" he blurted out cheerfully as if his mouth was on autopilot. God, he could kick himself for what he just did! What the Hell could he possibly have been thinking!? What's done was done, however, and there was no taking it back - there was a lot of things Ben wished he could take back as far as Jack was concerned, and this just added to the ever-growing list. Still, hopefully the ice was broken, though, and a potentially awkward situation was diffused before it could even begin. What happened next, however, would end up rocking Ben to his core for months. Of all the insults, taunts, or hateful things that Ben's overactive mind could conjure up, Jack did something far worse than the boy could have imagined.
Jack's eyes did the slightest of rolls as they disconnected from Ben's, then he turned his head around to Devin, and said, "...actually, Taryn was telling me about Cradle Of Filth JUST this morning!" Theo and Devin quickly glanced at Ben with confused, questioning stares that Ben read as '....and WHO the fuck are YOU?' Meanwhile, Jack kept prattling on, "But DAMN, guys! I should have chilled with you a long time ago. This shit is soo wicked!"
Ben couldn't help feeling that Jack passive-aggressively said that to make him feel like utter crap, and whether or not it was intentional, it worked.
"Better late than never, Jack Skellington!"
"Heeeyyy!" pouted Devin. "I thought we agreed on 'Jack-O-Lantern', Theo!"
"God, whatEVER! He can be Captain Jack Sparrow for all the fucks I care! Anyway, uh....Jack-O-LANTERN....do you wanna come to Andrew's house tonight?"
Ben noticed that Jack's face beamed at this. "Sure! Would that be THE Drewcifer?"
"The one and only! The man. The myth. The legend. He actually lives with his older brother, Mike. He's got custody of him. Drew's only fourteen, ya know."
"Mike's in COLLEGE!" Devin added.
"Yep! He's got a bunch of red wine, and we're gonna have a Hellraiser movie marathon! Maybe play some Dungeons and Dragons if there's time."
"I'm the Dungeon Master!" Devin proudly proclaimed.
"Oh Hell yeah! Absolutely count me in." Jack replied. "I've only seen the first Hellraiser, when I was...I dunno, like thirteen or something or something like that. My best friend, uh...what I mean is....my EX friend...and I rented it. I liked it. And shit, Dev.....you can be MY 'Dungeon Master' any time you want."
"Oh my GOD, Jack! Shhhhh!" replied Devin, lightly poking Jack in the ribs with his slender finger and - again - turning red, but grinning sheepishly.
That did it. Ben had more than enough of this. Having completely lost his appetite, the hurt boy stormed out of line, earning quizzical looks from Devin and Theo. Ben didn't notice, however, as he quickly walked out of the kitchenette, and back through the lunch room proper. It wasn't so much that he was snubbed - after all, he really should have expected that. It was the way Jack made him feel like a persona non grata...a non human. Worse actually. A non entity! In front of other people! Ben was ignored in life before, God knows, but never in that way before, and certainly not by someone who he had such an intense time with. Sure, Jack had every right to give Ben the cold shoulder, but there was something purposely malicious about the way it just went down. Had Jack responded with something like, 'Don't ever speak to me again, Ben', it would have still broken Ben's heart, but at least Ben could understand and accept it.
It was at that moment that Ben understood what he saw in Jack's eyes: Cold, empty, yet calculated, indifference. He would have much preferred to have been rudely insulted instead. Also, what's with those oversized clothes? Goths tend to dress rather tightly these days. Ben, being an extremely bright kid, figured it out very quickly. 'I dressed him up in those tight, slutty outfits', he thought as he made his way back to his seat. 'The baggy clothes are like....a rebellion. A FUCK YOU to last week. And to ME personally!'
Ben had no idea why, but a very shameful part of his mind was extremely pissed at Jack for this, as if it was some form of punishable insubordination. This flash of misplaced anger disturbed Ben. While it was true that he planned it all out to help Jack see and understand the error of his ways - could it be that along the way Ben found that he enjoyed controlling the older jock just a bit too much? It was over! Jack rose up and cut his own puppet strings! While Ben was understandably disappointed the night after the club when Elliott told him, Lincoln, and Bryce that Jack finally called their bluff and refused to cooperate any further, what right did Ben have for being angry? After all....hidden behind his disappointment, was there not a part of him that was secretly relieved that night?
Ben was at fault and people got hurt. Yet, putting Jack in his place turned him on, and he couldn't lie to himself about that. He, a scrawny wisp of a boy, young looking for even fifteen, owned and fucked an older jock's big hard bull-cock. Ben had to fight with himself from popping a boner as he sat back down in his seat. It was bad enough that his asshole - still somewhat stretched from using Jack for ten days - had started pulsating. God he missed sliding up and down Jack's tool! He regretted that he didn't get the chance to ride him until the bitch shot his hot jock cum deep inside Ben's....
"Ben, uh, are you okay?" Bryce asked. Bringing him back to Earth.
"What..? Yeah. Why?" Ben replied. He really needed a cold shower.
"Your face is flushed and you're sweating. And where's your pizza?"
Ben pointed to the kitchenette with a shaky finger. "Look!" he exclaimed.
Bryce had to do an honest-to-goodness double take as he laid his disbelieving eyes on Jack Hamilton, Goth-In-Progress, saunter out of the kitchenette with two of the school goth kids, and sit at the table in the far left corner of the lunchroom. Bryce knew of, but never spoke to either Theo or Devin - or any of the goths for that matter. It's not that Bryce hated them or anything. It's just that....NO ONE really talked to them. They were just THERE; part of the background, and set dressing, just like in every high school throughout the country. Aside from these guys, there was Ethan, Andrew, Taryn, and one or two others whose names escaped Bryce. The goths were never the target of the jocks - or anyone else - mostly BECAUSE they were so different and unique. No one quite knew what to make of them. Not to mention, their dark weirdness was feared a little bit throughout the school.
"Well I'll be damned!" he explained. "This is certainly a big development!" Bryce could hardly believe he was staring at Jack. He looked so different. He hoped that the confused guy was not doing drugs with his new friends. The truth was, Bryce didn't know WHAT these guys were into, and that scared Bryce a little. He still cared very deeply for Jack, and was concerned about his well-being.
"Ya THINK!?" Ben replied sarcastically. "He looks.......happy, anyway" he added, becoming serious again. "I mean, if any of those freaks can be described as 'happy', I mean."
"But what's the deal with those baggy clothes? The rest of them don't dress that way."
"I KNOW! Isn't that weird!? I guess it's like a reversal, ya know? The opposite of what we did to him. His own private resistance, I GUESS." Bryce thought he detected a slight tinge of irritation in Ben's voice, but he let it go without comment. Instead he merely nodded.
"Could very well be. And also....think about it, Ben. It's actually pretty brilliant damage control on Jack's part. He's also showing the school that the way we made him dress was just a failed phase. Like, you know what I mean? That he's been experimenting with different styles. That pretty much undoes that damage we caused to his reputation, which makes me feel a LITTLE better, anyway."
"I guess." Ben replied. "But....seriously!? GOTHIC!? Oh, I have nothing against those guys at all, aside from committing a serious fashion violation. I just mean that....well, hanging out with THEM isn't exactly what I'd call a stepping stone back to popularity! WE could have helped Jack with that if he actually gave us a chance to undo the damage we caused! I had several ideas and shit...they would have worked!"
So it wasn't Bryce's imagination. Ben was INDEED taking all of this rather personally. "Maybe that's not what he's looking for anymore" he replied as he put his concern about Ben's attitude to the side. "Shit, if it was, he wouldn't be taking a break from football. He would have told the coach the entire story, and be hailed as some savior and martyr in his crusade against the 'evil faggots' who captured him. I THINK what he wants is to be accepted. TRULY accepted into a close knit group of friends, like....." Bryce stopped short.
"Like...us?" Ben said, finishing what the other boy didn't have the heart to say.
'Except it could never BE us.' Bryce thought, trying to come to terms with it. 'Jack would forever see us as his......tormentors. So he found another misfit group LIKE US. Also, a group that pretty much accepts everyone.' He didn't share this guilty thought with Ben, however. "Something like that." he simply replied. "Did he give you any problems in line?"
Ben shrugged. "He actually didn't say a word to me. But....he.....I dunno. Just tension, I guess." Ben omitted his impulsive knee-jerk greeting to Jack, Jack's snub, and that oddly cold look in his eyes.
"Well, that's good anyway."
"You know," Ben mused, "those goth kids are very LGBTQ-friendly. That gamer-goth freshman that's in my biology class - Andrew Something - is gay. By the way, did you know he screwed around with James from the drama club over the summer, when Andrew was still only thirteen! James told me that Andrew jerked him off...with his FEET! Wicked, huh? And, I know Devin sorta from middle school. He's some sort of bi, so it's not like Jack is going to start up his homophobic crap again and risk alienating the Monster Squad. Plus...between you and me, I think he's got it bad for Devin! My worry is that he could fuck with me - with us - in other ways."
Bryce nodded. He understood where Ben was coming from, and had his own worries about Jack going on a rampage again. But now....it didn't look like that was going to happen. At least in the short term. "Yeah," he said. "But I'm honestly thinking that's not going to happen.
Ben looked back at the far corner of the overly crowded cafeteria. Jack and Devin were giggling like girls as they were playing 'ring toss'; attempting to lob tater-tots in each other's open mouths. Theo was smirking and shaking his head in a 'See what I have to deal with?' countenance. A bitter green pang of jealousy welled up in Ben.
Just then, the fourteen year old Andrew - better known among his friend's as 'Drewcifer' - walked in, and sat down at the goth table with Jack, Devin and Theo. He barely looked like a teenager, still exhibiting his 'middle school chipmunk cheeks', and a sparse spattering of freckles. He also had a naturally young boyish face complete with a button nose and a crooked smile, all of which both complemented yet stood in stark contrast to his macabre predilection. It was a very strange, yet seductive dichotomy. He had cat's eyes contact lenses on, foppish black hair that ended in dyed red tips which he had combed down over one eye, and his fingernails sported black nail polish. On his 90 pound body, he wore a dark purple 'Nightmare Before Christmas' t-shirt, black jean shorts with thick silver chains hanging down from both thighs, purple designer low-top sneakers, and long purple and black striped socks. 'He always looks like he pays special attention to footwear, and his feet in general.' Ben mused, making the rumors of his summertime footjob that much more believable.
As the goth boys - which now included Jack - laughed and chatted excitedly with each other, Ben's jealousy only kept increasing. It just wasn't fair! That care-free, close-knit friendship could of and SHOULD of been them! Instead, Elliott was becoming unhinged, Aaron was in the hospital with an uncertain future, Lincoln abandoned them, and Jack hated them. Whatever chance they all had to be a group of friends was ruined beyond repair.
'What a stupid plan!' though Ben, bitterly. 'I destroyed everyone's lives because I was afraid'
That was it.
The truth he kept even from himself since the entire thing began.
FEAR
Was that not his real reason for his evil plan against Jack in the first place...and why he was secretly angry that Jack broke free from his control? After all, what you can control cannot harm you. At what cost, though? How could he be so blind!?
"Ben....what's wrong?" Bryce asked.
At that moment, the dam broke and Ben utterly EXPLODED in tears and hard wrenching sobs, not even aware that many of the other students turned in their seats and stared. Bryce noticed, but at this moment he didn't care. He embraced the younger, broken boy in his arms, and didn't say a word to him. None were necessary. He just held him tight, and let him cry hysterically for Jack, for Elliott, and for everyone else he dragged into this mess.
Only a few of Ben's tears were for himself.
[Author's Note: Thank you guys so much for reading! I also appricate your patience for the lack of sex thus far. Trust me, it's coming, and coming in spades from Chapter 3 onwards. Before that, though, I felt it important to show the ramifications that everyone is going though, after CH 19 of the original tale. There will be payback, there will be kinky BDSM, and there will be a LOT of humiliation. Also, expect Jack and his new friends to get it on!]
If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or opinions, please email me at riveracheron101@gmail.com