Copyright © 2026 by Julien Gregg
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The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.
FOUTEEN
I healed. It took a while, but I did heal. I also started writing. I started with an outline. It was a story about a toxic family that destroys itself. I told Adam that I didn't need a lot of research for this one. I wrote after doing assignments. I wrote on weekends. I took breaks to spend time with Dustin, and I took breaks to talk with Kevin. He asked me if I thought I'd be able to publish when I was finished. I told him we'd see. I went to dances with Thalia, and I hung out with The Five. I spent time doing projects for classes, ran experiments for Advanced Chemistry. I even spent some time with the baseball team.
"What are you writing about?" Thalia asked at the Halloween Dance.
"A toxic family that destroys itself with secrets and lies," I said.
"Wow," she said. "What are you basing it on?"
"My own family," I said. "My mother was a money hungry woman who sacrificed her children for a man to give her a steady income. My uncle was a minister who raped preteen boys and tried to intimidate them so they wouldn't testify against him. My family gave me all of the plot points to write about. I'm just telling the story of a family who destroys itself in this way."
"I can't wait to read it," she said.
"When I get it finished, I'll create a copy just for you," I said.
Kevin complained that I was always writing. I told him that I had a good idea and it was flowing. I told him that I was sorry if he felt left out, but this is what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to write. I wrote seven chapters between the back to school dance and the Halloween dance. Then I wrote six more before Winter Break. I boxed the computer and took it home with me. While we were there, I wrote. I took breaks to spend time with my family, and watch movies or play games. I spent times with Dustin, having dinner at his mother's at least twice a week. I told her that I was writing a novel. She laughed and said I was fourteen. She wanted to know exactly what I had to write about. I just smiled.
For Christmas I had many gifts for everyone. I had a watch for Dustin and a tie-dyed sweatshirt that he wanted. For Kevin I had tied-dyed t-shirts and a sweatshirt. I got him new shoes that he liked. For April I got makeup, jewelry, and a tie-dyed sweatshirt. For Richard I got stuff that he could use. I got him a tie-dyed sweatshirt like the rest of them, but I got him a journal to write in. I got him things that he could use for Little Killian. For Killian I got stuffed toys. He now had the entire forest of animals stuffed and plush. He loved them.
Grandpa was in the grips of dementia. It was finally happening. The virus in his heart was taken care of, but he didn't know who any of us were anymore. I didn't tell my siblings that dementia kills. I just spent a little time each day sitting with him. He seemed to like that. I wrote as well. Grandma asked me what I was writing, and I explained it to her. She said that sounded like a best selling novel but not one she'd like to read. I told her I understood. It wasn't going to be the normal for me either.
I finished the book before we went back to school. I packed up the computer and took it back to school with me. We took the train and I had to be very careful with my boxes. When we got back to school I took the computer to my room first. Then I went back for my footlocker. I unpacked and put the computer back on the desk. I printed the book twice. I used a binder to put Thalia's copy in. I gave it to her at the Phoenix Club. I printed the first five chapters and put them in large envelopes and sent them to agents. I didn't know how long it would take for them to get back to me. I put it out of my mind, spent time with my boyfriend, my twin, my best friend, and The Five. I hung out in the Phoenix Club. Thalia told me she was still reading, but it was beautifully written. We went to the Sweetheart's Dance and were voted Prince and Princess of the dance. We got crowns. I put mine in a box in the bottom of my closet. Then there was the outing for The Five. We went to see a movie and out for ice cream. Robby asked about the book. I told him I hadn't heard anything yet.
It was a month before I got the first letter. The Peedmont Agency took me on as a client. I sent the rest of the book to them. They went shopping for a publisher. Sunrise Publishing paid me seven hundred fifty thousand dollars in advance and published the book. By the time we were playing baseball, they sent me a box with twenty-five copies. I passed them out to The Five and certain professors. I kept one and gave one to Kevin. I even saved copies for Grandma and Jason.
I started to work on a new book. This was about time travel. I knew all about that already. I just wrote about a guy who was traveling to different points in his own lifetime trying to fix things that went wrong. I wrote a bad character who was traveling through time trying to stop him. I called it "Time Jump". My agent was really excited about the chapters I sent her. She loved this one. She said that the last was good, but it was just mean. I told her it was a reflection of something. This one was pure fun. She agreed.
We played the championship game again at Wrigley Field. We won by three runs. We celebrated with the Chicago Cubs. Varsity did not make state that year. We went back to trophies and baseball cards. Then we were released. I took my computer home with me for the summer. I worked on the book in the evenings. I spent my days with Dustin and Ryan. Grandma loved the signed book I gave her. Jason was astounded by it. He said he'd been wanting to write a book for a while, but he hadn't started yet. I told him to get started and when he was done I'd introduce him to my agent. He laughed.
For our birthday, Grandma bought me a brand new printer that went with my computer. It was faster than my old one. I thanked her. She got Kevin a computer of his own. This was the Commodore 64. He was happy with it. It played games mostly. We had a good birthday, and I finished "Time Jump" two days after the party. I sent it to Sarah, my agent. She said she'd shop. The success of "Toxic" made it into a bidding war for "Time Jump". She called me and told me that she was in a bidding war with Random House and Sunrise. In the end Sunrise paid me ten million for five more books in four years. I was astounded. So was Grandma. Jason started to write his book on the history of Janus. He did a lot of research into the town.
"You'll be a senior when you go back to school," he said to me when I was over there spending time with Ryan.
"Yes," I said. "I'm going to take a year off between the academy and college. I want to write my third book."
"What about Kevin?" he asked.
"Kevin and Dustin are both taking a year off," I said. "We're calling it the gap year."
"Your other friends are all right with that?" Jason asked.
"They couldn't care less," I said. "My education is my own, not theirs."
"Okay," he said. "I won't try to stop you. Besides, you write very good books. What are you going to write this time?"
"I'm going to write about a haunted town," I said.
"Jumping genres again?" he asked.
"I don't want to be put in a box," I said. "I write whatever comes to mind when it comes to mind. It isn't always going to be drama or science fiction. It's going to be whatever it is."
"I get it," he said. "I liked 'Time Jump' very much."
"Thank you," I said. "I had a lot of fun writing that one."
"I could tell," he said. "The first was good, but the second was better."
"I know," I said.
"I can't believe you write books," Ryan said. "I can barely write my name."
"You don't need to write more than your name," I said, smiling at him. "You just play games with me."
"All right," he said. "I'm very happy that you want to spend time with me."
"Aren't the others spending time with you?" I asked.
"They are, but not as much as you," he said.
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," I said. "I'll talk to them about it if you want me to."
"No," he said. "I want them to want to spend time with me."
"I get it," I said. "I spend time with you because I love you."
"I love you, too," he said, smiling.
I didn't say anything to my siblings about spending more time with Ryan. They had to have their own relationships with him. I spent time with him because I enjoyed it. I spent a lot of time that summer with Dustin, too. He started to come with me to spend time with Ryan. Dustin was patient with him and genuinely liked him. I was happy about that. Dustin and I were getting closer as well. We started talking about moving in together, getting married, raising a family. I liked all of that. I loved Dustin more than I'd ever loved anyone in my entire life.
"Ryan seems happy enough," he said when we were in his car, headed for Grandma's.
"He loves it when any of us spend time with him," I said. "I spend a lot of time with him, but my siblings don't. They come now and then, but he told me they're only there with him sometimes. I'm the one who visits with him all of the time. I go three times a week."
"And it shows," he said. "Ryan's eyes follow you all over the house when you're there. He really loves you, Killian."
"I know," I said. It was doing a number on me. I'd always wanted him to be a loving father. It took a brain tumor and brain damage to make him one, but he finally was. "I'm going to hate leaving him to go back to school."
"Yeah, that's going to suck," he said. "But it's our senior year. We'll graduate at the end of it. And we're taking a gap year."
"Robby wasn't thrilled to hear it," I said.
"Robby will get over it," he said. "Pug, too."
"Yeah," I said. "Thalia said she understands, but she really wanted us to go to college together. She said that Chad is pledging Alpha Beta Omega."
"Are we?" he asked.
"Not unless you want to," I said. "I want to buy a house close to campus and live there for four years."
"Then that's what we'll do," he said. "You can write better that way. What are you working on now?"
"I'm putting an outline together for a haunted town," I said. "I can't decide if it will be actual ghosts or just secrets and legends."
"I like the idea of this one," he said. "If I can make a recommendation."
"Of course you can," I said.
"Have it be legends at first and then a few ghosts to make the legends true," he said.
"That sounds good, actually," I said, smiling at him. "I may do that. So far what I have is a skeptic who writes books to debunk ghost stories and haunted houses. He's going to come to town and do research into all of the hauntings and legends in the town. Then I'm going to scare the shit out of him."
"I like the sound of that," he said. "I can't wait to read it."
"Well, I'm only outlining it now," I said. "I'll write it a bit later. It's the first of the five books I promised Sunrise Publishing for the ten million dollars."
"I still can't believe that you got ten million on top of the money you already had," he said.
"Does it bother you?" I asked.
"Not in the slightest," he said. "But before we get married, I want to sign a prenuptial agreement."
"What? Why?" I asked.
"So no one can say I am with you for the money," he said. "I'm serious, Killian."
"Dustin, people are going to say a lot of things about us in the future," I said. "I don't care what they say, because we'll know the truth. I don't want a prenup. I want us to love each other and be together. The money can help both of us. You want to be an accountant. Be one. I need you to take care of my money. I don't think you'll take it and run. You love me. I can see it when you look at me, feel it when you touch me, and understand it when I make love to you. Dustin, you are my heart."
He was quiet for a while after that. He looked straight ahead, and I didn't realize he was crying until he pulled up in front of Grandma's house. When I realized it, I told him to drive. Just to drive and get us away from everyone for a bit. He drove us to the river. We parked in the lot and headed for the dock. I held his hand. There was no one around, but I didn't care about that. He was mine and everyone needed to know it.
"Killian," he said. "No one has ever made me feel the way that you do. I wake up in the morning, and the first thing I think about is you. When I go to bed, the last thing I think about before I go to sleep is you. I love you more than you will ever know. You make me feel ten foot tall and bullet proof. You make me happy in ways that I'm surprised about when it happens. You have this way of looking at me that makes me feel like the most important person in the world. You touch me, and I feel you like I've never felt anything before. When we make love it's magical. I can't believe how well we connect. You think of me all of the time. You're always asking me what I want to do, and what I want to do with my life. You never mention money, and you never mention hardship. I know that we'll make it. I'm not worried about losing you. I'm worried about what people will say when the time comes about the money that you have. I have nothing. I have only me."
"Dustin, you are everything," I said. "Without the money, I'd still be the richest person in the world because I have you. You have no idea just how valuable you are to me. Without you, my life would have a darkness that I'd never be able to fill. There's never going to be anyone else for me. It's you. You are my heart, my world. You are the one I can't wait to see in the morning. You are the one that I hope is happy when I go to sleep. I love you like no one will ever love anyone else in the world."
"You really don't care what people say?" he asked, turning to face me.
"Fuck them," I said. I pointed to his chest. "They don't live in here." Then I pointed to his head. "Don't give them space in there. It isn't worth it. You are a wonderful guy. Don't let them ruin that. They're just haters that have to make everyone miserable because they're miserable. Don't let them make you miserable. You have me, and we're going to have a wonderful life together. I'm going to love you until the day that I die."
"When you say it that way I believe it," he said. "So, no prenup?"
"No prenup," I said. "We're going to be fine. Haters can hate all they want, but they don't live in my thoughts or my head. They shouldn't live in yours either."
"Okay," he said. "I love you."
"I love you, too," I said. "Now, what do you say we go spend some time with my grandparents?"
"That sounds good," he said. "Your grandma loves me."
"That she does," I said with a smile.
"How is your grandfather?" he asked.
"They put a hospital bed in the living room," I said sadly. "He's in it more than he's out of it. He doesn't remember anyone. Grandma cries when she thinks no one is paying attention. They've been married for so long."
"He's not long for the world, you know that, don't you?" he asked gently.
"Of course, I know that," I said. "It's what's tearing at my heart."
"Let's go," he said.
We got back to my grandma's house and I went inside with Dustin. I sat beside Grandpa's bed and helped him with his snack. He looked at me for a long moment. Then he took my hand and sat up. "Killian," he said, and I beamed.
"I'm here with you, Grandpa," I said. "I love you."
"I love you, too," he said. "Where is Bonnie?"
"She's right here, Grandpa," I said as I took Grandma's hand. She was crying.
"Phillip," she said as she sat down.
"Bonnie," he said. "I love you."
"I love you, too, Sweetheart," she said. "I always have and I always will."
"Okay," he said. Then he was gone.
"Phillip?" she asked, shaking him. "Oh, Phillip."
I put my hand on her shoulder, and she looked at me with tear stained eyes. She hugged me and sobbed against me. I let her. Dustin was crying. April was crying. Kevin was staring at us with a look of pure misery on his face. I held my grandmother and let her sob. Richard came out of his room and asked what happened. He looked at Grandpa and said a long no. He fell to his knees. He put his hand on Grandpa's shoulder and cried silently.
Mary called the coroner. She told us that they were coming. I thanked her. "Killian, what am I going to do without him?" Grandma sobbed.
"Grandma, I'm here for you. We all are," I said. "You are not alone."
"I know it," she said. "I didn't think this would happen so soon."
"I know," I said. "I felt that I had to get here today to be with him."
"Oh, Killian," she said and sobbed some more.
Things happened very fast after that. The coroner came and the people from the funeral home came. They cleaned him up. Grandma allowed me to take her to the kitchen while they did this. Everyone was in the kitchen while they worked. They had papers for Grandma to sign. She signed them and cried. They took my grandfather away, and closed the door. I held Grandma's hand. She wasn't sobbing anymore. She was still crying, but she wasn't sobbing.
"There are papers I need," she said. "Richard, go into my bedroom and get the floral box out of the top of the closet, please."
"Okay," he said. He went and got it and brought it back. He placed it in front of her.
She opened the box and began to take out papers. She didn't say anything. She just put the papers on the table. They were insurance papers and power of attorney papers. She picked up the phone and called the insurance company. She told them that Phillip Patterson was dead, that he had died of natural causes brought upon by dementia. She answered questions and told them that she'd have the death certificate soon. She wanted to activate the policy.
Then she called the church and told the minister that Grandpa was dead. She said that they'd already paid for the funeral. It just had to happen. "Yes," she said. "I've paid for the burial. It's in the family plot at Grasyon Memorial Park."
I sat there and listened to her tell the right people that Grandpa was dead. She called her sister, who she hadn't spoken to in years. She called my aunt Dianna. She called Jason and told him that Grandpa was gone. He came and brought Ryan. Ryan hugged me. Then he hugged my grandmother. He told her he was so sorry. She held him for a long moment and then let him go. Dianna arrived later that evening with my cousins, Blake and Brady. They were upset that they hadn't been here much to see their grandparents. That was Nick's fault. He was in prison now. Dianna hugged me and told me she was sorry for my loss. I hugged her back and told her she was still my aunt Dianna. She hugged me again.
"Blake and Brady will be going to Maxwell Academy next year," she said. "I'm told that you're going to be a senior."
"Yes," I said. "Kevin and I both will graduate in May."
"That's remarkable," she said. "Blake is going to be a freshman and Brady will be a sophomore."
"They'll be in good hands," I said, smiling. "Maxwell Academy is the best school."
"They're excited but nervous," she said. "They've never been away from me."
"Well, for this year, I'll look out for them," I said.
"Thank you, Killian," she said.
We went to the funeral and I sat with my grandma. Richard, Kevin, and April sat with us. The minister was good. He talked about my grandfather as if he knew him. He might have. They had gone to this church all of their lives. He read scripture that was relevant and none that was not. He talked about Heaven and that Grandpa was with relatives, loved ones who had gone before him. I didn't believe that, but I didn't say anything. When the funeral was over, we went to the cemetery. They had a graveside service for him. We didn't throw dirt on the coffin. We laid roses on it. Grandma cried the whole time. She gripped my hand.
We stayed there until he was lowered into the ground. Then we went to the convention center for dinner. People had brought food for this event. Mary was there with her husband, Dave. She hugged my grandmother and whispered something in her ear. Then we ate, but I wasn't all that hungry. Dustin sat with me, and I noticed that Thalia, Chad, Robby, Pug, and Alex were there for the funeral and the dinner. Robby hugged me. He said he was so damned sorry for my loss.
I told him that the last thing I had said to my grandfather was that I loved him. He hugged me again. Gina and David came and hugged me. They talked to my grandmother. Robby and Pug sat down with us. Pug asked me how I was holding up. I told him I had my moments. He took my hand and squeezed. "We're here for you, Killian," he said.
"Thank you," I said.
They said the same for Kevin, and he hugged them both and thanked them for coming. Thalia came and hugged me. I shook Chad's hand. He told me he was sorry for my loss. He told me he'd read my book, and I had talent. I told him that Sunrise sure seemed to think so. He laughed at that. He told me that he'd never heard of an author being paid ten millions for five books. He said he knew I was good, but he didn't know I was that good. I told him to read "Time Jump". He said Thalia had a copy and he'd borrow hers. I nodded.
After the dinner we all went home. Robby, Pug, Thalia, Chad, and Alex came to pay their final respects. They had to get back on the road to the airport. Thalia and Chad were going back to Texas. Alex was going to Indiana, and Robby and Pug were going to Chicago. I hugged each of them and told them I'd see them in less than a month. Well, not Robby and Pug. They were already in classes in Arizona. I'd see them in two years. Robby expressed that he wished I'd go to college without a gap year, but I told him I had books to write. I had to have time to write them. He nodded. He said I was an author, and he loved my books. I told him I'd put him on the list for early release copies. He smiled at that.
They left, and it was just family. Grandma went to bed. The four of us sat with Dustin and Gina and talked about Grandpa. We cried and we laughed. We told stories about Grandpa before the downfall. It got late and we all went to bed. Dustin went home with his mother. I lay in the bed beside Kevin and thought about all that had happened. I hadn't been changing things too much. Things were happening on their own. I didn't know what to think about how they were happening. I just sighed and went to sleep.
The next day I started to pack for the trip back to Maxwell Academy. This would be my final year. Then I'd take a year off to write before going to college. My friends weren't happy about it, but this was my life and I had to live it. Kevin packed. He said the summer had gone by so quickly. I told him that next year would go by very quickly, too. He shook his head. We went in for breakfast. Mary served biscuits and gravy with sausage. Grandma was there. She looked lost for the most part.
"You boys all packed?" she asked.
"Yes, Grandma," I said, smiling at her.
"This is your senior year," she said. "It shocks me when I think about it. You're fifteen years old. You guys just breezed right through high school."
"Yes," I said. "We didn't really have a choice in the matter."
"No, you didn't," she said. "You're still taking a year off between the academy and college?"
"Yes," I said. "I want to finish my book and possibly write another."
"You're so talented," she said with a smile. "Kevin, what are you going to do for the year?"
"I'm going to hang out with Ryan and Jason," he said. "I'll play games with Ryan and the like."
"You're all very patient with Ryan," she said.
"We love him," I said.
"I know you do," she said. "It's strange how life works. You two are advanced in intelligence and education, Ryan had a brain tumor. It's just strange how life works."
"Grandma, are you all right?" I asked.
"I'm fine, Killian," she said, smiling. "Philip and I had a wonderful life. I'm sad that he's gone, but I'm happy that we got to say goodbye."
"Yes, that was absolutely amazing," I said.
"He's gone to a better place," she said. "That's how I get through this. I have to think of it that way."
"Yes," I said. "It's much the way that I'm getting through this. You and Grandpa are the best parents I've had."
"Oh, Killian," she said with tears in her eyes. "You kids suffered for so long, and I suspected, but your mother lied for him. I'm so sorry that we didn't step in sooner."
"Grandma, you couldn't have," I said. "You're right that Mother lied for him. She lied to the school when they asked questions. She lied to the doctor, but he wasn't fooled for long. When I told him what was happening, it was like he'd been waiting for one of us to say something. He knew exactly which medical reports to pull to back it up. He called Social Services."
"You shouldn't have had to go to a doctor to tell the truth," she said. "We should have stepped in."
"Grandma, don't do that to yourself," I said, taking her hand. "You got us at just the right time. Kevin and I have had this amazing education, we're graduating at the end of this coming year. That's because of you, Grandma. If you hadn't taken us when you did, none of this would be happening."
"But Killian, it was Social Services that sent you to Maxwell Academy, not me," she said.
"You agreed to it," I said. "They wouldn't have sent us there if you hadn't agreed to it."
"They wouldn't have let me have you if I hadn't agreed to it," she said.
"Well, you agreed for whatever reason," I said. "Because of that, we went to Maxwell Academy, and I have a boy who loves me, Grandma. I'm loved."
"Of course, you're loved, Killian," she said, getting up to wrap her arms around me. She held me tight. "You're loved by so many people. You just don't know it."
"I meant romantic love, Grandma," I said. "He loves me."
"I know he does, sweetheart," she said. "You love him, too. I can see it when you look at him, or the way you light up when he calls. Killian, they'll say you're too young, but what do they know about anything? You and Dustin have a relationship that it takes adults years to cultivate. Treasure him and never let him go."
"I'm never letting him go," I said, hugging her again.
"I will admit that I was surprised by the amount of love between you," she said. "I've watched you together. You're like magnets. He moves and you move, you move and he moves. You're constantly aware of him when he's around, and it's the same way for him as well. It's much like the love that I shared with Philip. I see the two of you and I smile. It warms my heart to see such love between you. You, who suffered so much more than the others made me worry that maybe they had crippled something within you. You put that fear to rest when you introduced me to Dustin. I saw it then, probably before the two of you even knew what it was. I saw it. Gina sees it. It's the reason that we don't place restrictions on the two of you."
"Grandma," I said. "I thought that I would be alone for the rest of my life. I don't trust people. I can't afford to. People hurt or disappoint you all of the time. When I found Dustin, I thought I had a best friend. But the bond we share turned out to be something that surprised me. I have a best friend. His name is Adam and he lives in Chicago. We became best friends because his father beat the living crap out of him. He didn't believe that Adam was his son. Even after a paternity test told him he was his son he refused to believe. He beat Adam severely and is in jail for it now. Adam is like a kindred spirit. Dustin is the center of my universe when it comes to love. I'm so happy to have found him, and I can't tell you how shocked, amazed, and happy he makes me."
"Oh, Killian," she said. "Your intelligence lets you express yourself in ways that some adults can never achieve. You just voiced my worry when you said that you thought you would be alone for the rest of your life. I was worried about that. I know that you don't trust people. It shows in so many ways. You keep adults at arm's length until they prove to you that they can be trusted. I've seen it with Jason, with Gina, and with every adult in your world that I have seen you interact with. You're not dismissive. That's not what I'm saying. You just keep a watchful eye on them, waiting for them show you what you're afraid of. That makes me sad. I hope that you can get past this some how."
"I didn't realize that I was doing that," I said, thinking that I needed self reflection. "It's not a conscious decision. I was just hurt by the very people who were supposed to protect me. It taught me a dangerous lesson. Adults and authority figures are not to be trusted. I can't help it."
"I know that," she said. "You trust people when they show you that you can. It took a while for you to trust Jason, and he understood that it was that he was another authority figure thrust into your life without your consent. He understands you more than you think."
"Jason is a force of nature," I said with a smile. "He's the father I never had, the brother that I need at times, and the friend that is steady and sure. He took Ryan in when he needed a place, and that told me all that I needed to know about Jason."
"He showed you he could be trusted," she said.
"Exactly," I said with a smile. "Ryan, well I had never been around him in my life. I'd seen him a time or two, but that wasn't enough to go on. I knew that he didn't want children. He told us that at the hearing. I also know that a brain tumor changed all of that. It completely changed Ryan's personality. I don't like that he's skittish and unsure of himself, but that's likely to be the way he is for the rest of his life. I love this version of him."
"You have nothing to fear from this version of Ryan Flynn," she said. "He's like a big child now."
"Yes," I said with a smile. I felt warm in my heart when I thought of the Ryan Flynn of today.
"Well, I've got to get to bed," she said. "Thank you for talking with me, Killian."
"Grandma, I'll talk with you any time you want," I said. "I love you."
"I love you so much," she said with a smile. "Goodnight, Killian."
"Goodnight, Grandma," I said.
The next day the packing ramped up. We only had one more day before we'd be on the train. This time our cousins would be on the train with us. I didn't know what to think of that. Dustin said it didn't matter to him. We hung out with Grandma and Gina all day. Kevin was off with some of his Janus friends. He said that he would miss them while he was in school. I didn't understand it, but he'd made friends with the boys we used to play baseball with.
"Are you boys ready to go back to school?" Gina asked.
"We're packed and ready," Dustin said. "I'm looking forward to my senior year."
"You'll all be seniors this year," Grandma said. "It doesn't seem right."
"I know exactly what you mean," Gina said. "It seems like just yesterday I was taking him to his first day of kindergarten."
"Well, for me it's a bit different," Grandma said. "Killian and Kevin are fifteen years old. They should have a few years to go yet."
"Well, Dustin is only sixteen," Gina said. "He's graduating early as well."
"Yes," she said. "They're all very intelligent."
"Maxwell Academy did that," Gina said. "The way they live there has taught them responsibility. I don't worry about Dustin so much anymore. Now that he and Killian are together I always know where he is."
"They have the type of relationship that others strive for and never find," Grandma said.
"Yes," Gina said. "I look at them, and I see such love. It's beautiful. It will upset a lot of people, but the world is changing every day."
"Yes," Grandma said. "They can get married now."
"That shocked me," Gina said. "The Supreme Court ruled on a lot of things that shocked me. They not only have the right to marry, it's the same as any other marriage with the same rules and privileges."
"I know," Grandma said with a smile. "The United States is progressive. I wasn't sure it would ever happen with the way the country was. Then the AIDS virus changed the way everyone looked at homosexuals. It galvanized the Gay Community and changed the way they looked at love and relationships. If they hadn't been pushing for same-sex marriage, the Supreme Court would never have stepped in."
"You're so right," she said. "I just can't believe it happened."
I had to admit that I was shocked as well. Not that it happened at all. That part didn't shock me. That it had happened in nineteen eighty-seven is what shocked me. The political climate in the US wasn't what it was supposed to be. We didn't have a republican in office and hadn't since Reagan. No, Anthony Scorpethy was a democrat, and he was a progressive democrat. That was a term that was born in this timeline. Progressive Democrats fought for civil rights across the board, they pushed green energy, and they constantly tried to pass laws that made life better for everyone. It was a beautiful system. I was shocked by it, but I loved it.
I had also given a lot of thought to time travel and what had really sent me back not once but twice. It was researching my home town that put me on the path that I'm on with thought about it. Janus is the God of beginning, endings, transitions, doorways, and time. He is almost always shown with two faces, one in the front and one in the back. It's the picture of him on the sign that welcomes you to the city. I thought that if any God in existence could send me and Adam back in time it would be Janus. It made sense. I was almost sure that it was Janus that sent us both back in time to right what was wrong in our lives. It gave me pause when changing things to make my life better. I wasn't changing anything now. The biggest changes I was making was writing books. I even gave the God Janus a role in the haunted town book.
I was still outlining that book. It was a massive undertaking, and a little intimidating. I knew I could write it, but could I do it right? Would it be a good book? These worries circulated through my mind along with everything else. I had to get it together. I had books to write to fulfill the contract that had been signed with Sunrise Publishing. I also figured it was time that I choose a genre. If I was going to make an honest choice, it would be horror and suspense. I liked to read those kinds of books, and it seemed that I was able to write them as well. If my research was any indication. I had a strong outline and I was ready to start writing. Kevin would be upset, and Dustin would be patient. Adam would help in any way that he could.
The next morning, we were on the train at five o'clock. We were tired and slept most of the way to Chicago. There were no trips to the club car for breakfast. We arrived at the station and Coach picked us up. He told us he was happy to see us. We told him we were happy to see him, too. We got to Maxwell and unpacked. Then we went to breakfast. They were still serving it when we got in there. We were members of The Five so we got double portions. That morning, I needed the double portions.
"Who are the new members of The Five?" Kevin asked as we sat at the table.
"I have no idea," I said. "We'll find out when everyone gets here."
"Everyone should be arriving," Dustin said. "Classes start Monday."
"Well, it's only Thursday," I said. "They have all weekend to arrive."
"They'll probably be freshman," Kevin said.
"It would make sense," I said. "They'd be members of The Five for the four years that they're here."
We ate our breakfast and then headed to the Phoenix Club. There weren't a lot of people there. I did notice that John Finnigan, one of the baseball players was in a heated discussion with another boy that I didn't know. I paid no attention to that. Thalia was sitting at a table with April, so I went to them. Dustin and Kevin followed us. We sat down and I smiled at Thalia. She told me she'd read my book over the summer and loved it. She asked what I was working on now.
"I'm writing about a haunted town," I said. "Well, I'm ready to write it. I have the outline all the way to the ending. I'm going to start with the lore, you know, the legends about the town. My main character is a skeptic who investigates supposed hauntings and debunks them. I plan to put him on the path of debunking this one only to be scared to death by what he finds in the end. So the first part of the book will just be eerie events taking place while he researches the legends and stories of the town. This entire town is said to be haunted by many ghosts. It was a gold rush town in the early days, and many people were killed in various places in the town. I plan to have the legends revolve around those that were killed and where they were killed. In the end I want my skeptic to be a believer."
"That sounds amazing," Thalia said. "I can't wait to read that one."
"When are you planning to write it?" Dustin asked.
"As time allows," I said. "I'm not gunning to get it done. I might have some strategy sessions with Adam, and you can sit in on those, too. I value your opinion."
"Thank you," he said with a smile. "You get hyper focused when you write."
"Boy does he," Kevin said. "I had to force him to spend time with me last year."
"Well, I'll try to do better this year," I said. "But I'm itching to write this one."
Classes began and we found out who the other two members of The Five were. Blake Patterson, my cousin was one of them. The other was a boy named Aubrey Miller. He had blond hair and brown eyes. He was physically fit from baseball, he told me. I told him he couldn't play here until he was a sophomore. He said he knew that. They had intramural stuff, too. I knew that the freshman played ball on their own. Coach encouraged it.
Blake wasn't shocked to find out about me and Dustin or Kevin and Alex. He wasn't shocked about anything. He said that growing up with his father had been the shock of his life. Nothing else would phase him. I laughed at that. I did really well in my classes, and the professors were happy to have me in their classes. I began to notice that a handful of boys were always together, and they didn't look happy. I wondered what was going on, but I didn't ask them about it. Instead I went to the Back to School dance with Thalia.
"Have you seen the posters for the talent show?" she asked at the dance.
"I have," I said. "I thought about singing in the show."
"That would be wonderful, but I wanted to talk to you about something else," she said.
"Okay, shoot," I said with a smile.
"My dance instructor will be here in a week," she said. "She wants me to pick a boy who can dance to learn the Tango for the talent show. She'd teach you the Tango. We've danced together for years. What do you say?"
"I say I'll give it my best shot," I said with a smile.
"Thank you, Killian," she said, smiling. "This means a lot to me."
"Then we'll do it," I said.
I met Elaine Morchavitch the next day. She was an older woman with graying dark hair. She kept it in he braid behind her head. She taught me to Tango very quickly. It was a dance that I thought I could get the hang of. Then she taught me the lifts and flips. I had to lift Thalia and then flip her. These took time. I got the lifts. It was the flip that I had trouble with. Elaine was patient and guided us through everything. Then she had me go to get my hair cut. I didn't like it, but I did it. They cut it shorter than I liked. It was parted to the left severely. They had shaved the sides and back and faded the back so there was no line. Then I was fitted for a tuxedo. It was just the pants, shirt, and bow tie. The pants were tailored to fit me. They were a bit tighter than I liked my pants. The shoes were patent leather and comfortable. The bow tie was bright Fire Engine Red.
I dressed in the outfit the night of the talent show. Jason, Gina, David, Grandma, Richard, and Ryan were in the audience. We had to wait for the freshman boys and girls and then the couples, then we waited for the sophomores and the juniors. Finally it was our turn. We walked out onto the dark stage. The spotlight found us as the music started. We danced very close together a lot. I spun her around and dipped her. The crowd cheered this. Then we went through the first lift. They cheered this, too. The dance continued to the second lift. This was a more complicated lift, and the audience cheered it. Then I flipped her over my shoulder and she landed on her feet behind me. Her hands were on my shoulders. I turned and dipped her and we were very close as if we were about to kiss then the song ended and light lights came on. The crowd was screaming. Thalia smiled at me.
"That was amazing," I said. "I had so much fun."
"Dancing can be fun, but it's a lot of work," she said. "Elaine is upset that this is my last year with her."
"Why?" I asked.
"I'm going to college, and I'm not studying dance," she said with a smile. "I'm studying computer science."
"You and Chad both?" I asked.
"Yes," she said. "We'll be there a year before you, Dustin, and Kevin arrive."
"Yeah," I said. "I'm taking the year off to write."
"I understand," she said. "I'll miss you until you get there. Are you guys going to live in the dorm?"
"No," I said. "I'm buying a house for all of us to live in."
"That sounds good," she said. "Chad and I are getting an apartment off-campus."
"Well, at least you'll finally be together," I said with a smile.
"That's the idea," she said.
They announced the winners of the talent show. The Freshman male winner was Andrew Franklin. I didn't know him. He'd done a stand-up comedy routine. The freshman girl was Tanya Hennings. She'd done magic. The freshman couple was none other than April and Jesse. I smiled at this. I hadn't known they were even competing. April had said nothing. The sophomore male was Peter Faulkner. I didn't know him either. The sophomore girl was Olivia Messing. She had done a stand-up routine. The couple was Roger Kemp and Athena Morganson. They had danced as well. Then it was time for the seniors. The senior male was Charlie Belfast. He'd done acrobatics. The senior female was Anita Morgan. She'd done tap dance. Then they announced the couple. It was me and Thalia. She squealed in excitement. We came out on stage to collect our trophies. Then they announced the winners of the talent show itself. That was me and Thalia again. We got another trophy apiece. They had a reception in the dining room for families and students from the contest.
"You guys were beautiful," Ryan said when he saw me. I hugged him.
"Thanks, Dad," I said.
"You really were remarkable," said Grandma. She had tears in her eyes. "You won the whole thing."
"Yes, we did," I said with a smile.
"You danced," Gina said. "You looked amazing out there."
"Thank you," I said. "We worked hard on it."
"I could tell," she said.
"Killian," Elaine said. "You move in a way that was meant for dance. Please tell me there is a future for you in dance."
"I'm sorry, Elaine," I said, smiling. "I'm a writer. That's my passion, and I'm good at it."
"Yes," she said. "I read your book, 'Time Jump'. I thoroughly enjoyed it."
"Thank you," I said.
"Well, if I can't entice you to dance, I'll leave you alone," she said. "Write more books."
"Yes, Ma'am," I said with a smile.
There was food and drink. I met Thalia's mother and father. They told me it was nice to meet the boy in the pictures. I smiled at that. They were both very nice, but they were a bit restrained. Thalia told me that they were just like that. I put it out of my mind. Everyone stayed until eleven. Then they all started to leave. Those of us that were in the show all went to shower and go to bed. I was smiling as I hit the showers. When I got to the room I shared with Kevin he commented on the dance.
"You and Thalia make a great team," he said.
"Thank you," I said. "I'm surprised you didn't enter the contest."
"I'm not a contest sort of guy," he said. "I like history, and I'm good with it."
"What do you want to do with your life, Kevin?" I asked.
"I want to be a teacher," he said. "I know they don't make much money, but I have money. I want to teach."
"Then teach," I said. "Any idea where?"
"Where are you going to end up?" he asked.
"Probably back in Janus," I said. "It's my home, and I can write from anywhere."
"What about Dustin?" he asked.
"He's fine with it," I said. "He's going to be my accountant. He doesn't need a firm for that. He'll make sure my money is safe."
"You have your life planned out, don't you?" he asked.
"Parts of it," I said. "I know I'm going to marry Dustin, and I'm going to write."
"I envy you of the writing," he said. "If I could, I'd write, too."
"You can't do it?" I asked.
"I can't get into the flow," he said. "I tried. It went nowhere. I want to teach History."
"Talk to Professor Watson," I said. "He'll get you on track."
"Would you be very angry if I taught here?" he asked.
"No," I said. "You have to live your life, Kevin. We'd see each other during summers."
"I'd come home for holidays and such, too," he said.
"Do what you want to do with your life," I said. "I can't dictate what you do."
"Thanks, Killian," he said. "I was very worried about how this conversation would go."
"You should never worry about a conversation with me," I said. "You're my twin, the other half of me. That doesn't mean that you have to blindly follow where I lead. You have to live your life just like I have to live mine. We'll come together when we need to."
"Yeah," he said. "I'm going to marry Alex."
"I thought you might," I said. "I like Alex."
"Good," he said. "I like Dustin."
"Good," I said. "It would be hell if we didn't like each other's significant other."
"Yes, it would," he said. "Did Richard talk to you?"
"No," I said. "He talked to Ryan all night, why?"
"He's got another girlfriend," he said. "You know he's in classes at the community college."
"Yeah," I said. "He's planning to go to school at the University of Illinois when he graduates from community college."
"Yeah," he said. "He's got a girlfriend again."
"I know about that," I said. "Grandma told me."
"We'll meet her when we go home for the summer," he said.
"We're not going home for summer, Kevin," I said with a smile. "We're going home for a year."
"It's going to be strange to be there when we should have been at school," he said. "Are you sure about this year off?"
"You don't have to take a year off if you don't want to," I said.
"I might not," he said. "It'll just be strange to be at school when you're not there."
"If you go to Link like we planned, you'll be three hours away from me," I said. "I can visit you, and you can come to Janus to visit me."
"Yeah," he said. "I'm tired now."
"Then let's go to bed," I said.
The next morning we were in church. We had Sunday brunch when we got back to campus. Blake asked a lot of questions about church. I told him that it was a nondenominational church. You just go there and celebrate God. He liked that. Blake wasn't a bad boy. He was actually pretty funny when he got to know you. He talked about his life in his home town, and how upset he was with his father. I told him that I understood a bit about that. He nodded. He asked me about me and Dustin. Then he asked me how I knew I was gay. I told him that I knew it from a young age. When puberty hit it was confirmed for me. I only thought of boys. He said he thought he might be gay. I hugged him and told him it wasn't the end of the world.
He hung out with me, Dustin and Adam that day. Jake was hanging out with his roommate. We put together model cars and painted them. Blake proved to be very good at it. Adam and Dustin liked him. He seemed to like them. We had a good day. We had dinner together that night. The Five sat at their table. I talked to Blake about the classes he was taking. He told me his schedule. He was taking Spanish instead of French, because he'd taken Spanish at his other school. I nodded at this. I told him that when he was a junior and senior to pay attention to the classes that he took. Several would give him college credits. He liked the sound of that.
Then I hung out with my boyfriend for a while. We were in my room, making out on my bunk. Kevin was with Alex. I had to really think about what life would be like without Kevin. He'd be alive and in the world, so that part would be all right, but I was so used to having him around all of the time. I wondered how I'd feel with him in school when I wasn't. I told Dustin that Kevin was going to college in the fall. He said that didn't surprise him. I told him that he wanted to teach history and had expressed the desire to teach here at Maxwell Academy.
"Professor Pritchard is retiring after this school year," Dustin said. "He told me when I got here for the semester. Professor Watson is going to be the new head master."
"That's great," I said. "I'm happy for Professor Watson."
"You know he's not married," he said. "He has no family."
"That's sad," I said. "Everyone needs people they belong to."
"I'm surprised you see it that way," he said. "With the way you were raised it would make sense if you wanted nothing to do with family."
"It bonded me and my siblings in ways that I still don't understand," I said. "Kevin and I were super close. We're growing apart now, and that's sad, but it had to happen."
"Yeah," he said. "He has his life and you have yours. They're going to go down very different paths."
"I know that," I said. "I'm getting myself ready for life without Kevin around all of the time."
"Well, you'll have him for the summer," he said.
"Look at us, discussing summer when winter hasn't happened yet," I laughed.
"It's coming sooner than you think," he said. "We're almost to Halloween."
"I know," I said. "Thalia told me her dress color and I was shocked that it's October. I mean we took quarter finals and got the grades, but I just didn't think about it. This year is moving fast."
"It is," he said. "Then they're going to want to know what we want to be when we grow up."
"I know," I laughed. "I know what I'm going to be. So do you."
"Yes, I do," he said with a smile. "I'll be fine just working on your account."
"I'm hoping so," I said. "The last thing I want is for you to be bored."
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