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.
SEVEN
March came faster than I expected. Before I knew it we were trying out for the baseball team. Coach Dave fielded two teams and had us play each other. He kept changing people out of the positions they wanted to play and into new ones where they did better. I stayed at short stop, but Kevin moved to first base. Dustin remained on second base, and Alex remained in center field. We had a good game, and it was fun. When it was over we were told which part of the bleachers to sit on. Then he did the same for the varsity team. Robby made it. I didn't know any of the others other than Reggie who was on the Honor Code. He made it.
"Okay," said Coach Dave, a fortyish man who stood at six feet tall with dark hair and grey eyes. He was physically fit and wore a uniform for the Maxwell Academy Sentinels. "If you're sitting in the middle bleachers, I thank you for trying out but have to say it's a no." Twenty kids got up and left the field. Some were angry but most just left. "If you're sitting on the right side, you're going to play another game in a second against the boys on the left side." That was us.
He went on to talk about practices, weight training, running, and being on time. He told us that if our grades suffered we'd be off the team anyway. He had us hit the field and we played a game. It was a tight game, and both teams were really good. We beat them five to two though. Coach Dave said he'd found his JV team. We were happy. Then it was the move to Athens House. The sophomore floor was twenty boys light when it was over. Kevin and I had a room on the second floor of Athens house. This one had bunk beds, and cream colored walls. There was blue carpet on the floor. I think the shade they call it is cornflower blue. We put our clothes and stuff away and then went to the common room. Here we met Dustin, Alex, and some of Kevin's friends. Matt Watson made the team, but barely. He was telling me that he needed to start working out with us and running if it killed him.
We added him to the group. He did all right with working out, but running was not his strong point. We had our first home game Saturday, March fifth at six o'clock on the new athletic field. We played the Brighton Academy Soldiers. They were a good team, but we beat them six to four. Our fans went insane when I scored the winning run. We had snacks in the cafeteria, and everyone was talking about us. We played an away game the next week. We won that one seven to four. We had a streak going by game three where we won twelve to seven in the top of the ninth inning. We beat the Leland Prep Sharks sixteen to thirteen a few weeks later. Then we played the top team in the league. That was the Morgan Park Mustangs. It was a close game but we won by one run.
As the playoffs began we were paired against the Morgan Park Mustangs. We played three games and beat them by one run in the first, two runs in the second, and five runs in the third. We were going to the State Championships. We learned that we would play at Wrigley Field, and I about lost my shit. We had practices one after the other. Coach Dave wanted us in top form. Jason, Sarah, Richard, Cheryl, April, and Jesse were coming to the game. We found out a week later that we were playing Carbondale Terriers.
"We're playing at Wriggly Field," Kevin said the morning of the game.
"I know that," I said. "You know the entire varsity team will be in the stands for this one?"
"It sucks that they didn't make it to state," Kevin said. "Robby was pissed off about it."
"He sure was," I said. "But he'll be there to cheer on me, you, Dustin, Alex, and Pug."
"Yes, he will be," he said. "Have your heard anything out of Jason?"
"I haven't heard anything from anyone," I said. "We play the game tonight, come back to Athens House for trophies and baseball cards. Then we can go home for the summer."
"Yeah," he said. "I'm ready to play."
"Me, too," I said.
They took us to the charter busses two hours later. We sat in our seats based on our position. I sat with Dustin. He was excited, and I was excited. Everyone was excited. When we got there, we met the Chicago Cubs. I grinned from ear to ear as I met player after player. They told us to knock them dead. We promised to do our best. We took the field as the home team, and our fans went insane. We got to our positions and threw the ball from person to person. Then the Terriers took the field and the other side of the park went insane. They practiced swinging bats. They were up to bat for the top of the first inning. Play got under way. We struck the first one out. The second one foul tipped but finally swung and missed. He was out. The third smacked the ball to center field. Alex had it. Then we were up to bat.
Pug batted first, and smacked the ball to the back field wall. He made it to second. Then Dustin was up and he did the same thing. Pug came home and Dustin made it to third base. Kevin was up, and he smacked the ball out of the park for a two run home run. Our fans went insane. I stepped up to the plate and smacked the ball out of the park again. They went nuts again. The score was four to nothing Sentinels. We made to base a few times after that, but they tagged the runner who tried to steel second, forcing the player on second base to run for third. He made it by the skin of his teeth. Then the struck two of us out and we returned to the outfield.
They got their shit together this time and hit the ball to center field, making it to first base. The second batter hit the ball, nearly taking Matt's head off. He made it to first and the guy on first went to second before the ball was back in the pitcher's glove. Matt struck the next two out. The third smacked the ball out of the park. The score was four to three Sentinels. He struck the next one out and we went back to bat. Pug batted first again. He smacked the ball to the backfield wall again. He made it to second. Then Dustin hit the ball right down the foul line and made it to second, Pug came home. Kevin was up, but he didn't hit a home run this time. It bounced off the backfield wall at center field. He made it to second. Dustin was on third. I came up to bat. I didn't swing at the first pitch as it was low and inside. The second was a high fastball. The third was right down the middle, and I smacked it with all I had. I heard the crowd start screaming before I knew it had left the park. I jogged around the bases. Four more runs. The score was eight to three Sentinels.
They got two more runs in the next inning. We got one. Score went to nine to four. Then they didn't score a single run in the fifth inning. We scored two. Eleven to four for the score. The score stayed the same until the top of the ninth inning. That's when they called it. We had won State! We ran onto the field and jumped into each other, smacking ourselves against fellow players. We celebrated on the field for a bit. Then we made to the locker room. Here were the Chicago Cubs. They doused us with water and shook our hands, patted us on the back, and basically helped us party in the locker room. Coach Dave was smiling. We had to return to the field to shake hands with the Terriers and accept the trophy. We did that. Then we were bussed back to school where we had another party in the cafeteria. They gave us soda and snacks. The varsity team was there with us. They patted us on the backs. Robby hugged me. He grabbed Pug and lifted him off his feet. This was Pug's last year as JV. He was going varsity next year. I looked at Adam Hawn and smiled. He smiled really big. We'd won State and brought home the trophy. It went in the display case in front of the gymnasium connected to Athens House.
We slept that night out of sheer exhaustion. The next morning we were fed a pancake breakfast with sausage. Then we were in the athletic room. They called each name and handed them a smaller trophy and a packet of baseball cards. Then we were seated and they awarded a few trophies of their own. I got the hatrick trophy. Kevin got the home run trophy. Adam got the stolen base trophy, and Matt got the pitching trophy. Then we were released. We went to the van that Jason had rented to come to the game. We climbed in the back with our bags.
I got the shock of a lifetime when we got to Grandma's. Cheryl was living with Richard in Grandma's house, and she was six months pregnant! Richard was going to be a father. They were getting married. Grandma was all for it. She told us that Richard had made his bed and now he would lie in it. I didn't know what to think of this. Cheryl was happy to meet me and Kevin. She told us that she was afraid that she might be having twins, but the doctor showed her that there was one little boy in there. So it was a boy.
"I hope he looks like Richard," she said. "He's so good looking."
"I can't believe you're pregnant," I said.
"I couldn't believe it either," she said. "I must have taken a dozen tests before I told Richard."
"Well, that baby will come in a few months," Grandma said. "You two ready to get married?"
"We're getting married at city hall Monday," Cheryl said.
"Welcome to the family," I said.
"Thank you," she said, smiling. "Which one are you?"
"I'm Killian," I said. "You're having a boy. I guess I'll make a blanket for the little guy."
"You can sew?" she asked.
"Yes, but I was thinking crochet," I said. "Grandma can we go get some yarn and stuff tomorrow?"
"Sure, Killian," she said. She handed me a peach tea.
Kevin was still standing there staring at Cheryl like she was a ghost. I finally nudged him. "Congratulations," he finally said. "I'm Kevin."
"Obviously," she laughed. "Thank you."
"Did you need something, Cheryl?" Grandma asked.
"Are there any of my cherry drinks left?" she asked.
"There are three of them," Grandma said, opening the fridge. She handed one to Cheryl. "You're supposed to be on bed rest."
"Well, I wanted to meet the twins," she said.
"All the same, you need to go back to bed," she said. "Richard could have come and got your drink."
Cheryl accepted the drink and walked slowly back to the bedroom. Richard came in with our bags and saw her out of bed. He put our bags down in the living room and went to Cheryl. I could hear him telling her to stay in bed. I went and got my bag and took it to my room. Kevin took his downstairs. I wondered why, but I didn't say anything. If he wanted his own room, who was I to tell him he couldn't have it? I grabbed my baseball cards. I went back to the kitchen. I gave Grandma two of them. She cackled when she saw them.
"Killian they look just like real baseball cards," she said.
"They made them at Maxwell," I said. "I have a few trophies, too."
"Isn't that just all?" she asked. "What are the trophies for?"
"One is for winning at State," I said.
"You won?" she asked, grinning. "Killian, that's wonderful. Why did Kevin take his bag downstairs?"
"I don't know," I said. "You'll have to ask him."
He came back upstairs and gave Grandma two of his baseball cards. She took them and put them with mine. Then she sat at the table. She looked at Kevin until he put his head down. He told her that he wanted his own room, and they had moved the bed over to the other side of the basement, and he had one of those plastic zipper closets. He was all set up over there. She asked if he had discussed it with me. He said he hadn't but he was about to.
"If you want your own bedroom I'm okay with it," I said. "I don't know what brought this on, but I'm okay with it."
"Good," he said. "What brought it on was Dustin staying and Alex staying," he said. "We need our own rooms."
"When you say it that way, I agree with you," I said.
"You're not mad?" he asked.
"Not in the slightest," I said. "I'll get that big bed all to myself."
"You won't have it all to yourself," he said. "The dog sleeps with you every night when you're here."
"That's true," I said. "Did you take all of your stuff out of the bedroom?"
"I did," he said. "I did that when we were here over winter break."
"Okay," I said.
He got up and went back downstairs. I got two shocks when I came home. Cheryl was very pregnant with my first nephew, and Kevin wanted his own room. We were starting to grow apart a bit. I wasn't sure what I thought about that. At least he was alive. I kept telling myself that. I went to my room and spread my stuff around the room. I put my trophies on the dresser, and I put my clothes away. The closet was empty. He'd really moved his stuff. I hung my shirts and pants up. I put my socks and underwear in the dresser. I moved some things around. Then I just sat on my bed. I didn't understand why everything had to change. I had gotten used to things the way they were. Now Richard was going to be a father, and Kevin wanted his own room.
I got up and went to Richard's room. I congratulated him. He smiled. I told him I was going to crochet him a baby blanket and build him a crib. There were the remnants of one in the basement. I just needed to get some wood, a mattress, and some wood glue and I'd have one in no time. He thanked me. I went to the kitchen and had pumpkin bars with Grandma. She asked what I really thought about Kevin wanting his own room.
"Changes," I said. "Life is full of them."
"That's true," she said. "I want to ring your brother's neck, but at least he knows he has to marry that girl."
"I'm not sure what to think about all of that," I said. "Richard went from one extreme to the other so quickly."
"I know," she said. "He's still going to church. She was going with him, but the doctor put her on bed rest. So, she can't go. He goes to church with me."
"That's good," I said. "At least you know the type of church he's going to."
"The minister there refused to marry them," she said. "He said that it happened too fast. They haven't even known each other a year."
"That's true," I said. "I can't believe this has happened, but I guess I better start to believe it. That baby will be here before I know it."
"That's very true," she said.
I took Binx outside so he could do his business. I collected it and put it in the trash can beside the house. Then I took him in and gave him some water. He licked my hand. Some things remained the same. Binx was still my dog. My first night alone in the bed was a bit long. It took me a while to fall asleep. The dog must have known I was struggling because he scooted up in the bed until he was beside me. I cuddled him and went to sleep.
The next day, after breakfast, Grandma took me to the Yarn Barn. We got six skeins of baby yarn in blue and six in white. Then I had her take me to the hobby store. I got the wood that I needed. It was already shaped and sanded. I got the paint and the wood glue. I even got the baby mattress. She asked what I was doing, and I told her I was fixing the crib in the basement for the baby. She thought that was a great idea. She told me that it had been Richard's crib when he was a baby. I thought that was fitting.
When we got home I started on the blanket. I sat in the living room and started to stitch. I did a ripple and I did it fast. I was pretty good at this, having taught myself with videos on the internet in the future. I had about nine rows on it when Grandma told me it was time for lunch. I folded it up and put it in the bag the yarn was in. I stored that in my room. Then I went to the kitchen to have lunch. Richard came and got a plate for Cheryl. He grabbed one of her drinks. He said he'd have to go and get more of them soon.
After lunch, I went back to working on the blanket. I got nine more rows on it before Grandma surprised me by getting yarn out of the hall closet and starting another ripple. This was green and yellow. The baby would have a few blankets. She wasn't as fast as me, but she was no slouch. I had the blanket done by dinner time. I took it downstairs and put it in the washer with fabric softener. I put the washer on rinse and let it do its thing. Then I went up to dinner. Richard came again to get a plate for Cheryl. I ate my tenderloin and ate my fries. I drank a peach tea.
Then I put the blanket in the dryer with a dryer sheet. When it was done, I folded it and took it to Cheryl. She was thrilled with it. She couldn't believe that I'd done it so fast. I left her to start working on the crib. I went downstairs and got the old one. I took the sides off and inspected the base. It looked all right. It just needed sides and a mattress that didn't crumble when you touched it. I glued the sides on and painted it a very light blue. Then I sat it on the ping pong table to dry.
"Killian, are you mad at me or something?" Kevin asked when I came back from the gaming section of the basement.
"No," I said. "I've been working on the baby blanket. I finished it, so I put the crib together and painted it."
"Okay," he said. "You just haven't said anything to me today."
"Sorry," I said. "I got kind of hyper focused."
"Okay," he said. "Want to go get movies?"
"You can ask Grandma, and I'll go with you if she says she'll take us," I said. "Where's April?"
"At Missy's," he said. "I asked at dinner."
I went back upstairs. I told Richard that I had finished the crib for the baby and it was drying after I painted it. I told him he'd have it in his room by the end of the night. He thanked me over and over again for doing it for him. I said it was for the baby. He laughed. He told me he was still shocked that he was going to be a father. I told him that made two of us. He laughed. I went into the living room. Grandma was getting her purse. She was taking us to get movies. We bought three. We took them home, made popcorn, grabbed drinks and went to the basement. Before I knew it Alex was in the basement with us. I smiled at him. We watched the movie about witches. It was pretty good. The second movie was about a group of kids who had mental powers and the havoc they created. It was a good movie. The third was all about a boy and his dad working on restoring an old car. The boy got an award for a poem he wrote at school, and his father didn't like that. They grew apart, but when the father died he left the car to his son. It was sad.
I went up to bed after that. I took the dog out before we went to bed, but I went to bed. Alex spent the night with Kevin. I slept with the dog. The next day, Kevin and Alex left in the morning and didn't come back all day. I went to the vacant lot and got my third shock. Cole was living with Jason and Sarah. He told me that his parents didn't like that he was gay. Jason and Sarah took him in. They were also expecting their first child. I was excited for Jason, but I played baseball. Several asked where my twin was, and I told them I didn't know. They commented that we were usually together. I said we were growing up. We had a good game. We beat the other team five to four. I went back to the house after that.
"Killian, what is going on?" Grandma asked. "You and Kevin are spending no time together."
"We watched movies together last night," I said. "He's with his boyfriend, Grandma."
"That doesn't mean he can just ditch you," she said. "What's going through his mind? First, he wants his own bedroom, then he leaves for the day without a word to you."
"Grandma, we're growing up," I said. "In a little more than a month, we'll be fourteen years old. Kevin and I are fine. We're just not spending so much time together anymore. You have to understand that when we were here before we were all we had. Richard and April had their friends to hang out with. They weren't around us a lot. We didn't have friends to hang out with, so we hung out with each other. Now it's different. Alex lives here now. Kevin will want to spend time with him. He's not neglecting me. My boyfriend will be here closer to my birthday. In fact all of my friends will be here closer to my birthday. Kevin's friends are all coming. We have different friends. Some of them overlap, but most do not. We're being individuals."
"Okay, if you say so," she said. "It just makes me sad to see the bond that you two had slipping."
"It was bound to happen," I said. "We are growing up and drifting slightly. It isn't a permanent thing. We spend a lot of time together, Grandma. It just doesn't seem like it."
I went down and inspected the crib. It was dry. I put the mattress in it and took it upstairs. Cheryl loved it. Richard said it was amazing. I just smiled at him. I went back to the living room and sat down. I didn't know what to do without Kevin at first. Then I had Grandma take me back to the Yarn Barn. I got six skeins of regular weight blue yarn, six skeins of regular weight white yarn, and six skeins of regular weight light blue yarn. Then we went home and I started to make Granny Squares. I made so many in each color. I made them bigger than usual, and sewed them together with a yarn needle. I kept making squares. Grandma worked on her baby blanket while she watched me. I had a bunch of squares sewed together by lunch time. I ate in the kitchen with Grandma and April. Then I went back to the blanket. I had stacks of squares done. I sewed a bunch of them together, and the blanket began to take shape. I stitched more squares until I was out of yarn. Then I sewed them together and made a big blanket. I took it downstairs and put it in the washer with fabric softener. I put it on rinse and let it go. When it was spun out I put it in the dryer with a dryer sheet. When that was done, I folded it and took it to my room. I put it in the end of my bed. Then I took the dog outside.
When I came in they were taking Cheryl to the hospital. I didn't know what was going on, but she looked really pale and kept complaining that she was cold. I sat in the living room and cleaned up my yarn mess. I put it all back in the bag. I just had pieces, so I'd throw them away. I wanted to get more yarn and make more blankets. It was a way to pass the time. Grandma called just before dinner and told me that the baby had been born. Cheryl had died. I was shocked. She said she'd had sepsis, but the baby was healthy. He was five pounds and four ounces. He was tiny and would have to stay in the hospital for a bit. I didn't know how to get in touch with Kevin. I called Alex's house and Kevin was there. I gave him the news about Cheryl and the baby. He and Alex came to the house and sat with me in the living room. Mary was beside herself. She put dinner on the table and then she left. We went in and ate dinner.
Grandma came home looking tired. She ate and then she called Cheryl's parents. They were devastated. Grandma was planning the funeral. She said that Cheryl's funeral would be at Our Lady of Sorrow Funeral Home. It was where we'd had Grandpa's funeral. She would be buried in the family plot. The funeral was two days later. Richard was in attendance, but he looked like a shell of himself. They had gotten married and then she died. I put my hand on his shoulder and he hugged me. He cried. He said he didn't want her to die. I asked about the baby. He said he was cute. He was naming him Phillip Killian Flynn. I was touched.
Cheryl's parents were there. They talked to Richard about Cheryl. They wanted to see their grandson. After the funeral Richard took them to the hospital to see Phillip. They said he was beautiful. Kevin and I rode with Grandma and went to see the baby. He looked like Richard. Cheryl had gotten her wish. We went home, and Alex stayed with us. We sat in the basement and watched cable television. Kevin asked me how I was feeling. I said shocked. I had just met her, so I wasn't attached. I felt sorry for her, and I felt sorry for Richard.
Before I knew it the baby came home, and Richard had his hands full. Dustin, Robby, and Pug showed up. So did Matt Watson. We had our birthday party at the Family Fun Center. Richard was there. Mary had the baby. We had cake and ice cream. We opened gifts. I got a lot of stuff. I got metal darts with plastic tips and green flags from Robby. From Pug I got stuff for baseball. From Dustin I got a necklace with the letters D and K in gold suspended from the chain. I put it on. From Jason and Sarah I got a watch like Jason's. Kevin got one of those, too. From Grandma I got a huge bag of yarn in various colors. I thanked her. Kevin made out like a bandit, too. We got all sorts of things for our birthday. Richard had gotten us movies.
We played games and had a good time. We'd be back here in three days for Dustin's party. His mom and uncle were coming for that one. I'd meet them for the first time. We sat in a booth and had pizza. Dustin asked about me and Kevin. I told him that Kevin was really involved in his relationship with Alex. I said that we spent very little time together now. He said that was sad. I told him it would change when we got back to school. He said that was a long time to wait. Then Kevin and Alex joined us. They talked about going to the batting cages and out for ice cream. They asked if we wanted to come. I told them that Robby and Pug would be here. They'd already rented a hotel room. They were staying for Dustin's birthday.
Kevin said they could come too. I told him I'd talk to them. Then they got up and left us again. I told Dustin that it was always like this now. Kevin would sit down and tell me what he wanted to do, ask me to come along, and then leave again. He said that it was probably Alex. I said I didn't know what it was. I just hung out with Dustin for the party. My grandmother noticed what was going on and had a private word with Kevin. Kevin told her that Alex didn't want to hang out with both of us all of the time. She said that he should make some time to spend with his twin.
I walked away after that. If he didn't want to spend time with me, I wasn't going to force him into it. I hung out with Dustin and he hung out with Alex. I didn't like that Alex thought he had to separate us to hang out with Kevin. I was going to say something to Alex about it eventually. I was just waiting for the right moment. Dustin and I played air hockey and then we gathered my presents and Richard drove us back to the house. We hung out in my room, and Kevin and Alex didn't come to the house. Kevin came to drop off his presents and then left again. I just laid on my bed with Dustin in my arms. We talked about what we'd do when school started. I told him that was a little more than a month away. I told him that he'd be back with his mother in Nebraska by that time. He told me not to remind him. He said he was ready for college already. I laughed.
"This blanket is cool," he said. "Were you going for he American Flag?"
"Yes," I said. "I thought it would be cool to give it to Professor Grant."
"That's a good idea, but don't you make blankets for yourself?" he asked.
"I'm going to out of the yarn my grandmother bought me for my birthday," I said. "I've got enough of three colors to do a blanket."
"What colors are they?" he asked.
"Blue, green, and black," I said. "Green is my favorite color. Black and green go together really well. I might just make it black and green. I was adding blue because it's Kevin's favorite color. He's not around much anymore, so I'll just make it about me."
"Okay," he said. "You're more upset about Kevin not being around than I thought."
"I'm upset about it," I said. "But I'll get over it soon. Kevin needs to realize that he's damaging the bond we share and by the time he wants to rely on it, it won't be there anymore."
We went to Richard's room and I held Phillip. He was a cute baby who cooed and seemed happy. Richard said he loved him so much it was scary. I told him he was supposed to. Richard asked about Kevin, and I told him that Alex was taking up his time and didn't want to hang with both of us. He said that wasn't good. I told him it was what it was. We had dinner and Grandma was angry. She said that Kevin was staying with Alex, and she was about to put a stop to it. I told her to let him go. She looked at me and went from angry to sad. I told her I had Dustin here for now. I was fine.
The next day we went to the gym to the batting cages. We each had our own box, and we batted for a while. Then we went for ice cream. Alex couldn't figure out why I was dismissive of him, but I wasn't about to tell him there. Dustin and I talked to each other. I included Robby and Pug in my conversation but not Kevin and Alex. If he didn't want to hang out with both of us, he couldn't hang out with me. I was done. We left the ice cream parlor and Alex went home. Kevin came home with us. He sat in the basement with us while I worked on the blanket. He asked where the blue was. I told him I wasn't adding blue to the blanket. I did Mile a Minute strips in green and black. I sewed them together and kept going until I had enough to cover a king sized bed. Then I put it in the washing machine with fabric softener. I let it do it's thing. Then I put it in the dryer with a dryer strip. When it was dry, I took it upstairs and made my bed with it. Dustin said it looked cool.
We watched movies that I got for my birthday. Kevin watched them with us. We included him. He said he noticed that I was being distant with Alex. I told him I was a bit upset with Alex, and would discuss it with him when the time was right. He said he understood. We went back to watching movies. The next day, Dustin and I went to play baseball in the vacant lot. We had a good time. We went for pizza with Cole and Mark Hennings. We had an all right time.
Back at the house I started a second blanket. This was blue and black. I made Mile a Minute strips and sewed them together. When it was big enough for a double bed I put it in the washer. Then I dried it and took it over and put it on Kevin's bed. I went back to other side of the basement, and Dustin and I watched cable. Then Robby and Pug were with us and we played video games. I was at a loss without my twin, but he was with Alex. Robby commented on how much of a non friend Alex had been all the time he'd been in town. I told him it was like this all summer. He said that Alex needed a reality check. He was more than Kevin's boyfriend.
We had Dustin's birthday, and they came. They even had gifts for him. I got him a watch like the one that Kevin and I wore. He had a cake, and I got to meet his mom and uncle. Dustin looked a lot like his uncle. I learned that this was his father's brother, and his mother was an only child. She was a tall woman with long dark hair and brown eyes, but they weren't the same shade of brown as her son's. His were like his uncle's. John Flox was a good looking older man, and a glimpse of where Dustin's looks might go in the future. I was happy to meet them both. His mother, Tanya told me that I was the boy that was keeping her son away from her, but she smiled.
John told me that he thought we made a cute couple. It didn't take long before I figured out that John was gay. He loved his nephew, and he really seemed to like me. They were both really friendly. Kevin came to me and asked me if I was mad at Alex. I told him the entire Five was mad at Alex, and we'd deal with him when we were ready. He told me that Alex didn't want to be part of The Five anymore. I told him to tell Alex that he had to discuss that with the school. It shocked me, but not really. Alex went all Kevin all of the time. I told Dustin, Robby and Pug about what Alex was saying. They each said that they wouldn't be sad to see him go.
When the party was over, Kevin came home with us. So did Tanya and John. They were taking Dustin back to Nebraska with them in the morning. I had a long make out session with my boyfriend that night. We didn't have sex because his mother and uncle were in the house. Tanya asked me about crochet, and I told her that I learned it at Maxwell Academy. She said I was good at it. I told her I was now working on a blanket for Dustin. I'd have it when we got back to school.
Dustin and his family left for Nebraska the next morning. I was sad to see him go, but I understood that his mother and uncle wanted to spend time with him. Robby and Pug went back to Michigan, and I was alone for a few days. Then Kevin started to stay home more than ever. I asked him about it, and he said that he and Alex were having problems. He said that Alex was trying to keep Kevin all to himself, and he wasn't down for that. They were arguing a lot, and Alex was giving ultimatums. I told him I was sorry to hear that. He said he wasn't really all that upset about it if he was honest. He wasn't in love, so it wasn't a problem.
I had Kevin at home a lot more. He thanked me for the blanket, and I told him that it wasn't right that I made one for me and not one for him. He smiled at this. He told me he was sorry for the division and he'd never let a boy or girl come between us again. I nodded at this. We watched movies on cable and I worked on another blanket. This was Dustin's. It was red and black. Kevin watched me for a bit and then asked me about the blanket. I told him it was for Dustin and I would take it to school with us when we left.
He asked me if I had known that Cole was living with Jason and Sarah. I told him I did know that. I had played baseball in the vacant lot a time or two. He said he'd like to play, too. We did that the next day and everyone was thrilled to have the home run twins on their team. Cole asked if we were coming to Jason's any time soon. He said that Jason missed us. I told him we'd be there tomorrow. He smiled at this. Play got underway. We had a good time at the game that day. When it was over Cole asked me if Dustin was my boyfriend, and I said he was. He nodded. Then we left.
Grandma was thrilled that me and Kevin were hanging out again. I told her that the problem had been Alex. Kevin told her that he'd broken up with Alex. He said he was too controlling, and he didn't like being controlled. I just smiled. He asked me when Dustin was coming back. I said probably not until next summer. He told me we'd see him at school. School wasn't that far off. We had less than a month to go. We hung out with Richard and Phillip a lot. Richard liked that. April started to spend more time at home. She loved that the four of us were back together. I made Richard a blanket and then I made one for April. Grandma finished her blanket for Phillip. He now had three blankets.
When we got ready to go back to school, Jason drove us. He said that he'd missed us over the summer. I told him that we'd spend more time with him next summer. He smiled at this. Back at Maxwell, we were in our room when Dustin came to see us. He said that Alex was depressed. Kevin told him he didn't care if he was depressed. It wasn't his problem anymore. I gave Dustin his blanket, and he kissed me. Then he was gone, and we were alone.
Alex talked to Professor Grant and Pritchard about leaving The Five. We got a new boy who was a freshman. His name was Andy Melford. He was a straight A student and planned to play baseball. We told him to work out and run with us. He said he would. We spent time the first semester getting to know Andy. He was a good boy who liked cars. We used one of our The Five Outings to go to a car show and let him go hog wild. He got information about each car. He had pamphlets for each. There were fifteen cars in the show. We went for ice cream, and he said it was nice having friends that he could count on. The other kids didn't seem to like him much because he was on scholarship. We told him it didn't matter one way or the other to us. He was one of us, and that was all that was important.
Being our Junior Year we were allowed to pick classes again, but four of them carried college credit. Government, Advanced Chemistry, Trigonometry, and Computer Programming. They all carried college credit so the classes were a bit harder. For the free report in Government I wrote a paper on HIV and the Aids virus and steps the government were taking to treat the disease and take care of the infected. I used a lot of reference points and sited several in the report. I thought it was good report, and I turned it in with hope.
It caused quite a conversation in class. Professor Grant told the class that several of the free reports were very good. One was stellar. That was mine. He said that I had written a very good report about the AIDS virus and it had a lot of really good information in it. Aaron Sears said, "Figures he'd write a fag report."
"Fifty points from Mr. Sears," Grant said.
"Well, come on," he said. "He and his little boyfriend are making out all over the school. It just figures that he'd write a report about the very disease they're going to get."
"Fifty points again," Grant said.
"Careful Professor," Aaron said. "You don't want to end up like Thiphet."
"Fifty points from Mr. Sears," said Grant. "Killian, if you're not planning to write an incident report, I will."
"I'm working on it, Professor," I said.
"Fifty points to Killian Flynn," he said.
"That's not fair," said Aaron.
"Do you want me to take every point you have?" Professor Grant asked.
Aaron shut his mouth. I wrote out everything he'd said. I passed out witness statements to the classroom. Even Professor Grant took one. I went to my next class. I didn't like Aaron Sears. At least his roommate Adam Hawn had kept his mouth shut. He wasn't all that bad. Aaron was the problem. But if my incident report was accepted, he wouldn't be at Maxwell very much longer. I collected the witness statements in the cafeteria. Aaron threatened to kick my faggot ass for me. I added that to the incident report and the table he was sitting at accepted witness reports and filled them out. Then they handed them back to me. I smirked at him and walked back to lunch line. I got my hamburgers and french fries and juice and headed to the table for The Five.
"What's Aaron's damage today?" Robby asked.
"He accused me of writing a fag paper in Government," I said. "He said that Dustin and I make out all over the school, and that I wrote a report about the very disease we'll both contract. Then he told me he'd beat my faggot ass."
"Well, isn't he sweet?" Pug laughed. "That your incident report?"
"Yeah," I said. "I'm dropping it off after lunch."
"Good," he said. "Take care of this quickly."
"I will," I said.
"We don't make out all over campus," Dustin said. "We wait to do that in private."
"You're gay?" Andy asked.
"Is it a problem for you?" I asked.
"Not really," he said. "I've got two moms."
"Okay then," Dustin said.
"We're all gay, Andy," Robby said. "Pug and I are together and Dustin and Killian are together."
"Okay," he said. "I think it's cool. What does this Aaron Sears have against you guys?"
"He's a nasty bigot," I said. "He needs to be taken down a peg."
After lunch I turned in my incident report and all of the witness statements. I was told that they would inform me when the trial was to be. I went to class. When I got back to my room after classes that day Tom Messing came to the door. He told me that the trial was tomorrow and he told me he'd tell the witnesses. I thanked him and went about my day. We sat in our room and talked about Aaron. Kevin wanted to know what his problem was. I told him that I had written a report on the AIDS virus and steps the government were taking to keep the public safe. He whistled through his teeth. Then I told him what Aaron had said in class. I told him that he had threatened to beat my fagot ass for me after class. He said that the Honor Code would expel him for that. I told him I knew that.
At dinner we didn't see Aaron. He wasn't in the cafeteria. We had our dinner and talked back and forth about the next outing for The Five. Andy had questions about that. We told him that Robby drove us to the batting cages so we could work on our swing. Then we went for ice cream. He said he was looking forward to it. Robby asked about the trial for Aaron, and I said it was tomorrow. He said that was good. We couldn't have a bigot in school with us. He'd be expelled and we could go back to normal.
That night, Kevin told me that he wanted a girlfriend. I told him to talk to Thalia about that. Find a respectable girl, be her date for dances and talk to her. Find out if her goals matched his and figure out if she'd make a good girlfriend. He said that was a plan. We sat and did homework. I got mine done and lay on my bed for a bit. Dustin came in and joined me. We cuddled on the top bunk while Kevin did his homework. Dustin asked me what we'd been up to, and I said homework. He said he'd gotten his done a little bit ago. I told him I was done. Kevin was still working, so we had to be quiet.
The next day at the trial, Aaron was there, but so were his parents. I suppose it made sense. If he was found guilty he would be expelled. They had to be there to take him home. The Honor Code called the room to order. They talked to Aaron about his behavior, his words, and his actions. They listened to all that he had to say. Then they went over the witness statements. They talked about the fact that one of them was from a professor. They told him that I had filed this grievance for bullying. That was a severe charge, and if they found him guilty he'd be expelled. He said he understood.
They talked to three witnesses, one of which was Professor Grant. In the end they talked to me and then they went to confer. They came back, glanced at Professor Pritchard, and announced their verdict. They found him guilty of extreme bullying. He was expelled. They gave him and his parents two hours and cautioned them all to not talk to the students. Adam Hawn was in the art room for two hours. He wanted nothing to do with Aaron as he was leaving. We went back to our rooms.
The Five was in my room other than Andy who wasn't in Athens House. They talked about what had happened and told me that I had done the right thing. I told them I knew I had. Aaron Sears was a nasty bigot that couldn't stay at Maxwell. We weren't safe with him around. They had two hours to get him out of here. We talked about The Phoenix Club on Saturday. I told them that Kevin wanted a girlfriend. They said The Phoenix Club was where to find one.
"You'll find a good girl if you stick to Thalia," I said. "That's what you need is a good girl who can accept your brother's sexuality and his partner. Don't find another bigot."
"I would never date a bigot," he said. "But I will find the right girl for me."
On Saturday he talked to a Thalia approved girl named Amy Lister. She was a pretty girl with long blond hair that lay in ringlets over her shoulders. Her blue eyes were happy and vibrant. She really seemed to like Kevin and sat with him the whole night. Thalia told me that she had been looking for a boyfriend and finding none had become discouraged. She wanted to boyfriend for her Worthington Days, a boy that wouldn't pressure her for sex and would be there for her at dances. I told her that Kevin was that boy. She smiled.
We had the Halloween Dance and Kevin was there with Amy. Thalia and I sat with them at the table. Then we danced. People were having a good time. Kevin seemed to be happy enough. They danced and they had punch and cake. Then the dance was over and I kissed Thalia's cheek. We went back to our room and changed out of our tuxes. Then we went to bed. The next day we hung out in The Phoenix Lounge. I talked to Thalia more about my business idea, and she said that was right up her ally. She said that she was the star of the computer programming class, and she wanted to be a part of my business plan. She said that Chad, her boyfriend would be interested as well. We talked about it for the whole three hours we were at the club. I was liking what she was saying. I told her that she was part of the plan now, and she was happy.
I talked to Kevin about it, and he thought it was a great idea. He asked when I wanted to start. I told him that we'd have to wait until after college. That wasn't far off. He said he was looking forward to college. I was too, if I was honest. I loved it at Maxwell Academy, but I was eager to get my life started. Dustin came and spent the night with us. We were respectful and didn't touch each other sexually with Kevin below us.
Sunday we went to Church. Andy loved it. We sat in the pew and sang with the congregation and responded in scripture and prayer. Then we went to lunch at Maxwell. Andy had many questions about The Five and all that we stood for. I told him that we were good kids who played baseball and shined on tests and got privileges like no mansion duty. He liked that. I told him that he'd be a member of The Five for the entire time he was at Maxwell. He liked the sound of that.
Robby told us that he had early acceptance at Saguaro University in Arizona. I told him we were all going there. He smiled at this. Of course I told him and Pug that they were part of my business plan. Pug was really good with electronics. He could build a circuit board like nothing. Robby was good at that, too. He was also good at programming. We talked about the business plan and what their roles would be. Dustin was involved, too. He was going to handle the money. Kevin and I would be the founders. We would come up with tech. They liked the sound of that.
We went home for Winter Break, and Dustin promised to be in Janus after Christmas. I told him we'd come and get him. Little Phillip was crawling when we got home. Binx was happy to see me, and I took him outside to do his business. Then I was back in the house, and Grandma was fussing over us. We'd grown again, and nothing fit. She told us she had to take us shopping. We laughed at that. Then Mary put food on the table, and we ate. We were happy to be among Richard and April. She had news of her own. She and Jesse were going to be in a talent show at Radison. Jesse was learning to dance. I laughed at t his, because I couldn't reconcile the kid with the man I knew from the future.
We hung out in the basement, went shopping for clothes and got a whole new wardrobe. We got new movies, too. I was happy. This was the way things were supposed to be. Richard and I were mending our relationship, and April and Kevin were spending a lot of time together. She usually divided her time between us, but she was focusing on Kevin this time, and they talked about Amy. April expressed the desire to meet her. Kevin said he'd work on that. She was amazed when he told her that Amy had two moms, and lived with them in Indiana.
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