Beyond Salvation
By Mark Peters
Chapter Twelve
After I arrived at school the next morning and parked the car, which mum had once again insisted I take, I went straight to Hollywood’s office and even though he hadn’t arrived as yet, I waited for him there.
I had tossed and turned throughout the night as Merry’s words stayed with me. She was right; there was no telling what might happen, or what some of the other guys might do, if things did change at school. Dallas had for so long been the Alpha male in our year at school; but what might happen if he now came out and sided with me? Would he still retain that role, or would there be a shift in the power base and someone else – Timmy for instance – might usurp him.
Maybe I was once again being overly dramatic, which I was often prone to do, but to me it sounded like a reasonable question to ask.
Hollywood showed up at his office a few minutes after I had arrived there and seemed surprised to see me.
‘You said to come see you anytime,’ I said to him. ‘Have you got five minutes?’
‘Of course,’ he said. ‘We missed you yesterday afternoon. Everything alright?’
‘Not entirely,’ I answered truthfully, then I sat down and relayed everything to him that I could recall from the previous day, as he sat at his desk with his hands held together in front of him, his fingers barely touching.
When I had finished he thought for a few moments, then leant forward in his chair, as if he were going to whisper or talk very softly.
‘I think,’ he began, ‘that giving Dallas some time is a good idea. It’s just very unfortunate that his father has taken that position, although not entirely unexpected. This is still a relatively small rural town and people in these types of towns tend to be very old-fashioned or conservative.’
‘Ain’t that the truth!’ I exclaimed.
He smiled.
‘As for what might happen when Dallas returns to school, well, I understand what you are saying, but in my short experience in schools I would tend to think that Dallas’ role is unlikely to change much, if at all. If someone like Timmy were to call him out over his support of a student that was seen by them as being a weakling – no offence meant, JJ – then most of the pack would still follow Dallas, I think. At least until such times as Timmy might be able to assert some sort of authority, like beating Dallas in a fight or something . . . and just between you and me, I think Dallas would kick Timmy’s ass even if he were on crutches and had one arm tied behind his back!’
‘The pack will follow the leader until such times as the leader physically loses control, then?’
‘Something like that. The Law of the Jungle, if you will.’
‘I hope you’re right.’
‘I don’t think you have anything to worry about, JJ, and if anything worrying did happen, just remember that you have a whole team of people around you who are looking out for you and supporting you. We’ve got your back.’
‘That’s nice to know. Thanks.’
‘Now, I think you have a class to get to, don’t you?’
* * *
Day two back at school was a whole heap easier than the first one, with everyone quickly slipping back into our old routines. I fielded questions left, right and centre once more, but by the end of the day everyone appeared to know all about our days spent in the wild. No doubt Dallas would still cop the same interrogation when he returned, especially from his own circle of friends, but at least I would be able to give him the heads up on what to expect.
The next morning – day three – I drove to school once more and things were much the same as the previous day. Life goes on.
Dallas phoned me that night and said he’d now had his foot put in a cast and if things were okay in the morning then he would be returning to school then.
‘That’s great to hear,’ I told him. ‘How are things with your father?’
‘Same old, same old,’ he replied.
‘Are you okay?’
‘About as okay as I can be. Anyhow, it sounds like he’s just pulled up, so I better go. Hopefully I’ll see you tomorrow,’ he replied, then before I could reply he disconnected. Obviously he didn’t want to be caught by his father while talking to me.
I drove to school again the next morning and parked along the driveway where most students parked, then got out of the car. Just as I was doing so I saw Dallas’ mother drive in through the gates, before eventually pulling up just near my car.
There were no smiles from Dallas. He had his usual determined look on his face, obviously ready to face what I knew would be a daunting day for him.
‘Good morning, JJ,’ his mother said when Dallas had opened his door.
‘Good morning, Mrs P.,’ I replied cheerily. ‘How’s the patient today?’
‘Grumpy,’ she answered.
‘He’ll get over it.’
Dallas swung his legs out of the car and pulled himself to his feet, before closing the door and waving his mother goodbye.
‘So, how are we going to play this? And we better be quick about working it out as your pack is about to arrive,’ I asked him quietly once he had closed the car door and was safely on his feet with his crutches. I nodded in the direction of some of his friends who were rapidly approaching.
‘I know it sounds mean, but I don’t think you should be starting to hang with me just yet. People are bound to think it weird, even after what we’ve been through.’
‘I agree.’
‘So, if I don’t appear all buddy-buddy today, you’ll understand?’
‘Of course, just like I hope you’ll understand when I tell everyone that you’re an ungrateful, arrogant, son-of-a-bitch jock and we fought all the time we were out there!’ I added.
For a moment he just blinked at me, but then he broke out into a smile before saying, ‘That sounds like a plan. You’d better go now otherwise you might get eaten alive.’
‘Are you going to be okay?’
‘Sure,’ he cooed. ‘Can’t you see that all my friends are coming? I’ll catch you later, eh? Oh, hey, can you give me a lift home this afternoon so we can spend some time alone?’
‘I think I’d like that,’ I replied. ‘I’ll get a message to you today about where I’ll pick you up.’
‘How?’
‘Pete, Merry or Hollywood, they’ll all pass it along for me,’ I said over my shoulder as I walked away.
When I glanced back after I had left him he was surrounded by his gang, which included Timmy, who was eyeing me with some venom as I walked away.
‘What did the fag want?’ I heard him clearly say.
I stopped and stared back at him, making sure he knew that I had heard.
Dallas looked from him to me and back again, then gave me an almost imperceptible shake of the head, as if trying to tell me to let it go.
‘He was just asking about how my leg was,’ Dallas replied. ‘Anyhow, what do you care? You never even came to check on me in hospital. And if it wasn’t for your fucking stupidity I wouldn’t be in this mess now, would I? I figure you owe me and JJ big time, if anything.’
‘Did he try it on with you while you were out there? The boys all reckon he would have loved to get his hands on that hot ass of yours!’
‘What the fuck are you doing calling my ass hot, Timmy?’ Dallas cried out, punching Timmy in the shoulder as he did so. ‘Maybe it’s you I should be worried about instead of him?’
‘What? Fuck off! He’s the homo!’
‘But you’re the one who thinks my ass is hot! How the fuck do you explain that? Something isn’t quite adding up here!’
‘But . . .’
By this time Pete and Merry had arrived, hand in hand as they always seemed to be these days, and they just caught the tail end of the conversation.
‘Just forget about it,’ Dallas said in the end. ‘You don’t have to worry about JJ, he’s harmless. You can’t honestly think that anything could ever happen between me and him, could you? If you do, then you’re a bigger nutcase than I ever thought you were!’
Merry glanced at me sideways when Dallas had said that, but remained silent. Even I had to admit that the last comment had stung, but nothing more was said. As we turned and walked away from them I glanced back at them once more. Dallas was avoiding looking at me, while Timmy was sneering at me.
If only the poor dumb fuck knew the whole truth, I thought to myself.
‘Have I missed something?’ Merry asked once we were a safe distance away.
‘No sister, everything is cool,’ I replied, though I was still smarting at that last comment by Dallas and the fact that he wouldn’t look at me after he had said it. Was there something that I had missed, I wondered?
Throughout the day I had to put up with Timmy’s sneer and Dallas not meeting my eyes every time we met, which was far too often for my liking. At lunch time I managed to convince Pete to slip Dallas a piece of paper for me, on which I had scribbled a note explaining my plans for our afternoon rendezvous.
Merry had brought Pete up to speed on everything that had been going on and, while he had been a little stand-offish at first, pouting a little over what was happening between Dallas and me, I think because it would be him that would be missing out, he had soon warmed up to the new situation.
‘So, you finally managed to land him?’ he whispered to me when we went to the toilets together at one stage and Merry was no longer clinging to him like a limpet mine.
‘Yeah,’ I replied, a little unsure of how he might react, although certainly not expecting any fireworks or anything like that.
‘I’m happy for you,’ Pete replied. ‘You deserve to be happy.’
‘Thanks. That means a lot to me. You’re not mad at me or anything?’
‘Mad at you? Hell no! Like I keep telling you, I owe you big time, truly!’
* * *
There was a gardener’s workshop at the back of the school, facing onto the street behind the school, and that was where I asked Dallas to meet me. It was easy enough to get to and I told him to make it there by half an hour after school had finished. I would drive around for a few blocks then come and stop there. All he had to do was to be waiting.
When the afternoon bell rang my plan sprang into action. While his mates all headed home or caught their buses, Dallas headed for the school offices, having told them all that he needed to see the principal. From there it was straight out through the back of the building and a short walk . . . or should that be hobble . . . to the path that led to the gardener’s workshop.
When I came past twenty minutes later there was no sign of him, but on my next pass he was there waiting, as requested.
I pulled up beside him and reached across and opened the door for him to get in then as soon as he was safely inside, crutches and all, I pulled out and headed for his place.
‘That was a pretty cool plan,’ he said to me as we cruised along.
‘All a part of the service,’ I replied with a smile.
When we reached his house I drove the car up the driveway and parked on the edge of the gravel space outside the garage, making sure I left enough room in case someone else came home, which Dallas assured me wouldn't be happening until at least five-thirty anyhow.
Dallas let us in through the back door of the house, into what was an alcove between the kitchen and the laundry. He dumped his school bag inside the back door then went to the kitchen, where he retrieved some juice from the refrigerator, before pouring two glasses, then handing one to me.
He was beginning to handle his crutches with ease, managing to negotiate his way around things without any major problems, but he was still hobbling and moving somewhat awkwardly on his foot.
'How long have you got to have that on?' I asked him, pointing at the plaster cast.
'At least four weeks, the doc said. But maybe longer. It just depends on how it goes,' he replied.
'Just wait till it starts itching inside it. It'll drive you crazy,' I said, remembering all too well the agony of breaking my arm once when I was younger.
'So they tell me. Right now though, there's another itch I think I need to scratch,' he said, with a playful glint in his eye.
'Is that right?'
He was leaning back against the kitchen bench, just in front of the sink and with his crutches propped up against it beside him. I swallowed the last of my juice and then crossed the floor to stand directly in front of him, reaching around him to place my glass in the sink.
Other than at the hospital, this was the first opportunity that we’d had to be alone together and I was fairly sure that neither of us wanted to waste it.
‘Do you think you can help me?’ he asked, while gently grabbing the front of my school shirt and pulling me closer to him.
‘I think I might be able to do that,’ I replied. I slipped my hands around his waist and leaned into him. He was grinning at me in way that I found quite irresistible, so I leaned forward and placed my lips over his, pushing my tongue out through my lips as I did so and forcing him to open his mouth and permit my invasion.
‘Mmmm,’ he moaned as I did so, while at the same time our bodies started moving against one another, allowing us to feel each other’s growing excitement.
‘We probably should take this someplace else,’ I whispered to him when we finally came up for air.
‘My bedroom?’ he suggested.
‘No place better,’ I replied.
Pushing myself off him I stood back while he reached for his crutches, then led the way down the hall and into his room, which was dominated by a large double bed, unmade, yet totally inviting. We stood there looking at each other, both staring at the unmistakeable bulges in our school pants. There was no grinning or childish smiling, this time we were serious. We both knew what we wanted and now, together in the house, there was nothing that was going to stop us.
I reached out with my hand and brushed it over the growing tent in his pants, before then taking hold of him and feeling the hardness and size of him, while he reached out and did the same. This was new territory for us, being the first time that we had gone this far, but I felt sure that it wouldn’t be stopping here.
‘What if someone comes home early?’ I whispered.
‘They won’t,’ he replied with confidence. ‘I told you, they both work until at least five-thirty. That gives us nearly two hours.’
‘We can do a lot of catching up in two hours,’ I suggested.
‘Yes. We certainly can,’ he said as he reached for my shirt and started pulling it from the confines of my school pants, before then pulling it over my head and tossing it on the floor. I reached out for his shirt and did the same to him, pulling it off and dropping it behind me.
For a few moments I gazed at his body, at the muscle and definition that excited me, as well as the remnants of his bruises, over which I gently ran my fingers.
‘How are the broken ribs?’ I asked.
‘Sore, but not too bad. I just need to take things steady.’
‘And you think having sex is taking things steady?’
‘Depends on how far we go,’ he said with a devilish smile.
We fumbled with each other’s pants and soon had them down around our ankles, leaving only our shorts, which were literally struggling to contain what they held within.
Dropping to my knees I nuzzled my face against the satin of his shorts, running my face back and forth and deliberately moving his cock around inside them.
‘Oh Jesus, you’re such a prick teaser!’ he whispered hoarsely. Before he had time to say anything else though, I grabbed hold of each side of his shorts and tugged them down, freeing the monster within and allowing it to slip straight into my mouth, all the way down to where it was resting against the back of my throat.
After bobbing up and down on him a few times I sat back, looking up at his face, which was clearly in raptures.
‘You like that, eh?’ I asked.
‘Please . . . don’t stop,’ he begged.
Standing up in front of him again I said, ‘All in good time. How about you lie back and let me get the rest of your gear off, then you can have whatever you want to have.’
Without another word he sat back on his bed while I knelt down and pulled off the one shoe he was wearing, then struggled with his pants and shorts, before eventually managing to get them off over the cast on his foot.
Quickly I shucked my own shoes and the rest of my clothes, then gently pushed him back onto the bed, while spreading his knees apart and crouching down in front of him and taking hold of his manhood once more and tenderly lick the engorged head of his cock.
‘Wait up,’ he said to me. ‘We both need to do this.’
‘Sixty-nine?’ to which he nodded, then started scooting back across his bed a little, while I stood up and got onto the bed as well, manipulating myself into a position where we could both enjoy the experience.
When I took hold of him once more he did the same, then said, ‘You know that I haven’t really done any of this before?’
‘That’s okay. You just follow my lead and we’ll both enjoy it.’
‘All right,’ he replied, then as I went back down on him he did the same to me. When I rolled my tongue around the head of his cock he did the same for me. When I cupped his balls in my hands and tugged gently, he did the same for me.
We worked on each other steadily for about half an hour, both obviously enjoying the experience, but shortly afterwards I stopped suddenly.
‘What’s wrong?’ Dallas asked. ‘Was it something I did?’
‘No, babe. I just thought I heard a noise or something,’ I replied.
We both listened for a minute then both shook our heads.
‘Must have been your imagination,’ he said to me, before diving back onto my cock.
‘Must have been,’ I answered, then returned the favour.
But a few moments later, however, our world was torn apart when we heard footsteps, followed by someone saying; ‘Jesus Fucking Christ! Now it’s even happening in my own fucking house!’
We both jumped at the sudden intrusion, with me slipping off the side of the bed and cowering down behind it, trying to cover myself up as best I could. It was Dallas’ father and the rage and anger in his face was unmistakable.
‘What the fuck did I tell you, Dallas? And Joel . . . I think you should leave. Right fucking now!’ he hissed.
I looked from Dallas to his father and back again. Dallas had managed to pull a sheet over himself and they were now glaring at each other. I thought for a moment that this would be the time when Dallas finally stood up to his father, but in the end it wasn’t to be, as Dallas eventually looked away, ashamed and defeated, sitting there naked and broken.
‘Dallas?’ I pleaded, hoping he would do something or say something, hoping he would stand up for himself . . . and for me, but there was no answer forthcoming, nor did he even look my way. He simply looked down at his feet, with tears slowly starting to trickle down his cheeks.
Obviously he wasn’t the man that I had hoped he was, otherwise he would have said something to his father, I was sure. Or was I expecting too much, being too critical, I wondered?
‘Joel,’ his father said once more. ‘Please get your things and go. You are no longer welcome in this house.’ Then he turned on his heels and left the room.
‘Dallas?’ I pleaded once more. ‘Please say something for fuck’s sake.’
Slowly he raised his head and looked at me, then slowly shook it.
‘I’m sorry. Please just go,’ he whispered, then turned away and rolled onto his side, almost curling up into a ball.
I was shattered. My dreams. My hopes. My everything. They were gone in an instant; then, not wanting to prolong the agony any further I scampered around the bed and picked up my clothes and quickly pulled them on, before casting one last sad look at Dallas and heading for the door.
I had no desire to spend any more time in this place than I needed to, so I ran down the hall and straight out the back door, glancing sideways into the kitchen as I went and seeing Dallas’ father standing there leaning against the bench, his arms folded in front of him and his face as bright as a beetroot. I didn’t stop, I just ran to my car and jumped in and started it, then slammed it into reverse and backed down the driveway and out onto the street just as fast as I could.
I don’t remember the drive home at all, apart from feeling the tears that were flowing freely from my face, then the next thing I knew I was pulling up outside our own garage and running for the house, then running inside and slamming the bedroom door behind me.
I dived face down onto my bed then grabbed the pillow and pulled it across my head, with all full intentions of remaining holed up in here forever.
Like I think I’d said once before; Fuck Dallas and fuck the lot of them!
* * *
It was about an hour later when there was a soft knock at the door, then I heard a familiar voice ask, ‘Can I come in?’
‘Fuck off! You told me to leave, remember?’ I replied.
‘JJ . . . we need to talk. Please?’
I pretended I didn’t hear that.
‘Joel?’
More silence. Fuck him, I thought. When was he going to grow some balls?
I heard the door knob turn and the door squeak open an inch, then a little further. I rolled over to face the door, just as Dallas opened it all the way up and came into my room, supported by his crutches.
He stood there for a moment, looking composed and as gorgeous as ever, even allowing for what had just happened and the fact he was unable to stand without support, then turned and closed the door behind him, but not before I caught a glimpse of my parents hovering, looking concerned.
There were just the two of us here in the room, though. You could have heard a pin drop.
‘What happened? And what do you want now?’ I asked him, edging myself back on the bed as I did so, as if trying to get away from him, until my back was touching the wall and I had nowhere else to go.
‘We had it out after you left,’ he said. ‘It happened just as mum came home, and now he . . . he’s left us, at least until things can get sorted. I asked mum to drive me over here so we could get things sorted as well.’
‘I’m sorry that happened,’ I said to him, though secretly thrilled that he had finally grown that set of balls I had always hoped he would.
Slowly he started hobbling toward me, then stopped by my bed and sat down on the edge of it. His face seemed different somehow, then I realised what it was; his eyes were still red, but that usual determined expression of his was gone. He looked calm, yet I knew that steely resolve of his wouldn’t be far from the surface, otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to make it this far.
‘No, it’s me who is sorry, JJ. That should never have happened. I should have never let you get in that position. I know I’ve been unfair to you lately and I probably don’t deserve to even be allowed in here. I don’t blame you for telling me to get the fuck out just now, but . . . but I’m not going,’ he said.
‘Is that right?’
‘Yes. Because you know just as well as I do that that’s not what should happen, and nor is it what you actually want to happen.’
‘Really? And just what is it that should happen?’ I demanded.
Turning toward me he placed one hand on the wall above me and the other flat on the bed, then leant down toward me, his face inching closer and closer to mine until I could feel his hot breath on my cheek and see the glint in his eye. For a brief moment I felt as if I should have shrunk back away from him, not wanting to go down a path that would surely only lead to more heartache, but I was powerless.
‘I’m sorry I’ve been such an asshole towards you lately. I know that I should have stood up for you . . . for us . . . this afternoon. Can you forgive me?’ he whispered, then without any further delay he placed his lips over mine, ever so gently, before pulling back and studying me once more.
‘Is that supposed to make everything alright?’ I asked him.
‘No,’ he replied. ‘What it is supposed to do is show that things have changed. That I have changed. That what happened in the past is just that . . . in the past . . . and from this point forward things between us will be different.’
‘You know that you can’t just fuck me around, then expect to give me a kiss and magically make things okay again. I’m not that easy!’
‘No.’
Almost without thinking I brought up my hand and cupped his cheek, letting my thumb slide across it a few times, feeling his warmth. He cupped a hand over mine and kissed my palm, before allowing me to slip my fingers around behind his head and pull him toward me once more.
Our lips meet yet again, only this time it was more than just a gentle touch. There was passion involved, with our tongues eagerly probing each other’s mouths, fighting against each other. His hands cradled my head as he kissed me, while mine slid down his firm arms and then his body, feeling the muscle as they went, before eventually resting in his lap, rubbing against the hardness I could feel beneath his school pants once more.
Thoughts and feelings that I believed would never again surface were now flashing back through my mind. I had wanted this for so long, but after this afternoon I had almost resigned myself to it never happening again. Now all of a sudden the game had changed once more and those same feelings, which I thought I would never have the opportunity to express were bubbling frantically to the surface, gasping for breath and scrambling to get out.
‘So, where do we go from here?’ I asked him when we finally came up for air.
‘I . . . I’m not sure,’ he answered. ‘All I know is that I don’t want to push you away again. I’m so sorry for what has happened. Since we came back from beyond Salvation, and especially after this afternoon, I know I’ve changed. I owe you more than I can ever possibly repay.’
‘We’ve had this conversation before, haven’t we? I don’t want you to be here because you think you owe me,’ I said to him. ‘I want you to be here because you want me in your life, because you have feelings for me other than guilt, or gratitude because I pulled you from that river. I want you to be here because you want me for who I am, and not just as the court jester, as if I were something for you to play with.’
‘I care about you, JJ. I always have. I just never knew how to express that. This time I intend to do whatever it takes to hang onto you. I don’t care what my father says anymore; it’s you I care about now. I don’t care if I end up penniless and unemployed . . . if I’m with you that is all that will matter.’
‘So, no more treating me, and everyone else, like shit?’ I asked.
‘No. Never again,’ he replied.
‘No more siding with your jock pals when they start raggin’ me out or others like me?’
‘No, they’re history. If they start that they’ll have me to answer to.’
‘What about your father . . . your University fees and stuff?’
‘I told him he can shove it. I don’t care about that anymore. He told me I could pack my bags and get out any time I felt like it . . . but mum turned the tables on him and told him if anyone was leaving it would be him, so he did. At least for now, anyway. All I care about now is being with you, so no matter what happens, that’s my priority.’
‘And living on fresh air, sunshine and love?’ I asked him.
‘If that’s what we have to do,’ he said with a laugh. I smiled up at him, thinking that maybe he finally had changed.
‘And what about when your dad comes back? What happens then? I’m sure you would be able to stay here if you need to. My folks would understand,’ I said to him.
‘It won’t come to that. But you’re welcome back at our house again now, regardless of whether he’s there or what he thinks!’
‘Well, that’s something.’
‘But there’s something that I want you to do for me though, if you would,’ he added.
‘And what’s that?’
‘I want you to be you again. I want you to be the boy I fell in love with all those years ago, but was too damned scared to ever tell him.’ Then picking up some of my hair between his fingers he added, ‘Like I suggested to you out there in the mountains, lose this fake persona with the long hair and heavy metal tee’s. If I wanted a chick I’d hook up with one. You don’t need to do this anymore. If it’s time for me to man up, it’s about time that you were finally honest with yourself too.’
I grinned at him.
‘Can I at least keep the nipple rings?’ I asked.
Grinning, he slipped his hand up under my shirt and gave the ring through my right nipple a gentle tug. Right on cue I felt my cock respond. It was like the two body parts were hard wired to each other and whatever happened to one would always be felt by the other. Dallas felt the electricity course through me and smiled.
‘Well, maybe one of them,’ he smirked. ‘What do you think of the idea of letting me keep the other one? For as long as I have that we will be bound together always.’
‘Oh, yeah! I think I can live with that,’ I replied, before pulling him back into a long and passionate kiss, fully aware of where this was going to lead us.
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