Graduation

[inthecloset]

Sup Y’all!
ITC is back and badder than ever!
And to kick off a new story I would like to say Kudos to my favorite stories on here, Senior Year and Touching Nick. Great stories guys!

Chapter One:


My heart was pounding as I walked into the stadium on the morning of June 4th 2004. I was walking beside my best friend Cameron and my twin sister, Alexis, who walked closely behind us.

"We made it! Graduation, can you believe it?!" Cameron said

"Are you kidding, I couldn't believe you made it through Freshmen year," I joked.

"I'm going to ignore that since this day is what we've been waiting for for 4 long years!" he said.

"Long for you," Alexis said smiling.

Cameron and I met as Freshmen in Algebra. I wasn't what you would call the "popular" type. I was smart, nice, and most of all I was gay. No one, not even my sister, knew the real me. But I was okay with that. Cameron's friends however, were not. They constantly teased me because I was scrawny and I couldn't put up much of a fight, so I played the psychological games until they started beating me up. Cameron was never aware about this though. He was completely oblivious to whatever his friends did to me.

It wasn't until before Christmas Break he figured out what was going on. I was assigned to be his tutor when his parents figured out he was failing Algebra. Every Tuesday and Thursday I went over to his house and tutored him. One of those days was a day I was beaten up on the way over to his house...




*********************




"What the Hell happened to you?!" Cameron asked.

"Nothing, it's fine," I said, wiping the blood off my lip.

"It's obviously not fine, you look like you were hit by a truck"

"Look would you just drop it? We aren't even friends, I'm just your ticket to stay on the swim team."

He had a weird expression on his face when I said this, like he cared or something.

"I'll go get you a wet cloth and an ice pack," he said, "Lay down on the couch."

Not questioning him, I did as I was told. I looked around his house and noticed a picture on his mantle with candles around it. It was a picture of a boy who looked a lot like Cameron. I walked up to it and noticed that there was a memorial pamphlet sitting next to the picture. I was about to open it when I heard Cameron drop something and I turned sharply to see him staring at me.

"I told you to lay down on the couch," he mummbled.

I looked at him closer and he had tears in his eyes.

"Who's this?" I asked pointing at the picture.

"My little brother, Jake. He was killed last month."

"Oh, Cameron, I'm so sorry."

"Just sit down and I'll clean your face up."

We spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch as he cleaned up my lip and the cuts on my face. He told me about how his little brother was playing in the neighborhood when a drunk driver came speeding around the corner and hit him. Cameron told me how guilty he felt about it for not keeping a closer eye on him. It was at that moment he shattered the image of the Heartless Jock I saw him as, and started falling for him.

Every week he and I studied on Tuesdays and talked on Thursdays. It wasn't long before he and I started hanging out at school and on weekends. His parents had to go to Boston for Christmas so he spent it with my family, which became a yearly ritual. On Saturdays he and I went to the gym where he would help me buff up so I could defend myself against his former friends. By the beginning of Sophomore year I could kick their asses without thinking twice about it. Eventually they started leaving me alone and Cameron and I became best friends who had one common goal: To graduate.



*********************



The three of us walked up to the seats that were lined up on the Football field. Alexis and I sat next to each other, while Cameron sat one row in front of us. We sat down and looked out in front of us. There was a stage with a podium, 6 seats on either side.

“Man Grad Practice Sucks,” I heard my Calculus teacher say. This made me laugh because he spent the last two weeks talking about how unnecessary the Practice was.

“Man Mr. Hoover over there is sure showing his school pride,” Cameron said.

“I’ve asked you a hundred times not to call him Hoover,” I said.

“Why not? HE SUCKS!” Cameron yelled laughing.

My tutoring helped Cameron get up to Calculus, but both of our schedules got really busy when we both got jobs. He had to drop his class after 2 months because he couldn’t keep up. After that he’s been calling my Calculus teacher, Mr. Hoover for the obvious crude double entendre.

Grad Practice dragged on for hours. It was about Noon when we got out of there. Alexis was going off to a salon to get prettied up for Graduation, and the dance afterwards, which left Cameron and I to get lunch alone.

We stopped off at a nearby Quizno’s and sat down outside. Cameron was very quiet though, which worried me considering how energized he was just a few hours ago.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing…It’s just all hitting me you know?”

“Graduating?”

“No, I’m psyched for that. It’s everything that comes after,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“Well after we graduate we have three short months before college starts. You’re going to Stanford, Alexis is going to that University 200 miles away…I’m gonna be all alone here.”

“Well you’ll be busy here man. You have work, classes, and before you know it we’ll both be home.” I told him.

“Josh, that’s really not what’s worrying me.”

“What is then?”

“I’m worried that you and I are gonna start drifting apart. You’re really the only friend I have left here…”

“Stop,” I said, cutting him off, “There is no possible way that we’re gonna drift, you’re my best friend, you’re almost my brother. You’re family to me and there’s no way I can ever let that happen.”

“Thanks buddy.”

“You’re welcome,” I said slapping him on the wrist.

I don’t think I could ever tell him why I really wouldn’t forget him. Over the past three years I’ve fallen so madly in love with him that I didn’t want to risk telling him the truth and having him flip out and run away from me. My heart couldn’t take that hit.

On the drive home, Cameron was even quieter. When we got to his house, I looked at him. I stared deep into his eyes and could tell he was in pain.

“Cam…what’s wrong?”

He said nothing…

“Are you in trouble?”

He looked down…

“You can tell me anything…”

He put his left hand on my shoulder, and his right hand on top of mine on the gearshift. I looked him in the eyes and he leaned in and kissed my cheek.

“Wha-“

“Please don’t talk…” He said.

He began to unbuckle and get out of the car. I was stunned. I didn’t know what to do. All I could think was Don’t let him leave. I got out of the car and met him at his front door.

“Cam…”

He looked at me again as I grabbed his wrist and turned him around.

“What was that?” I asked.

“What I was really worried about,” he said, with tears forming in his eyes.

I didn’t say a word. I just looked at him with my hand still on his wrist. I pulled him into me and hugged him. I whispered into his ear.

“Let’s go inside…”



*********************



There’s Chapter One guys! Tell me what you think and be brutal. Yes the back story was necessary and next chapter will be much better.

 

[pinoy-pride]

nice story, I wanted to keep on reading more damn it haha! I like your family guy quote on the bottom.....

 

[Desire]

i remember my graduation..
good times..

class of 08....

 

[upyrkilt469]

Very good opening. Am looking forward to further chapters.

 

[hardreader]

There's no reason to be brutal. It was a good strong opening. Characters and plot established. Interest built and the final touch at the end that has me writing you a note to say that I for one will certainly be cumming back to see what these two have to say and do to each other.

Thanks.

 

[inthecloset]

Hey guys, thanks for the comments!
Now for your enjoyment, here is…


Chapter Two:

Cameron quickly pulled away from me. I looked into his bright green eyes as they filled with embarrassment.

“No…no, you can’t,” he said opening the door and walking inside.

“Why n-,“ I said as he slammed the door in my face.

Why had he kissed my cheek…why did he look so ashamed…what was going on?

All I could think about all day was how his lips felt against my cheek. They felt so soft, but then again, everything about Cameron was soft. His touch, his gaze, his laugh, all made me feel warm inside. I didn’t care if he didn’t feel the same about me, but had his kiss meant he did?

At 6:30 that evening my family packed into the cars. My Mom, sister and aunts went in the minivan, and my Dad and grandparents went with me in my Mustang. My thoughts still clouded and focused on Cameron. I didn’t see him in the gym where the students gathered to walk into the football stadium together and started getting worried.

The principal walked in and motioned for us to get in our lines and follow him. We walked out of the gym and it was like everything slowed down when I saw Cameron running up to his place in line. His gorgeous brown hair was flowing in the wind, and his eyes were glowing in the sunset. Though he didn’t even glance towards me, I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. He looked stunning.

I hardly remember the whole graduation ceremony itself, only the moments afterwards, and the rest of that night.

After the last student was called the principal gave his speech and we were all dismissed. Caps went in the air as cheering filled the stadium. I went straight towards him as he started to leave and grabbed his shoulder.

“Cameron, can we please talk?” I asked.

“We have nothing to talk about, Josh,” he said, pushing my hand off of him.

“Yes we do! I wanna know why you did what you did. I wanna know what you meant by it,” I told him.

“Fine, but not here okay?” he asked.

“Fine, let’s meet back at your house in an hour.”

“Alright.”

I walked around the school alone for about 30 minutes, thinking about what I was leaving behind. I walked past the Library and thought about all the after school hours we had spent in there junior year.



*********************



“Why do we always come in here at lunch Cam?” I asked him.

“Because it’s fucking hot outside and my mom would kill me if I came home with sweat drenched clothes,” he said smiling.

“Dude you really aren’t starting this again, are you?”

“What if I am,” he said sticking his tongue out a bit with an evil grin on his face. I always thought he looked so cute when he did this and it always made me laugh a little.

“Ok, so begins another match of who has the worst mom!” I said in a dramatic whisper.

He laughed at me. “Ok, maybe I’m not starting it,” he said.

We sat down at our usual table and started eating. I pulled out my Pre-Calculus homework, and he grabbed his chemistry book out of his bag. He always made me help him with his Pre-Cal at his house to give me a chance to do it first.

“I hate you for being so smart,” he said. I laughed every time he said that.

“I’m not smart…just smarter than you,” I said elbowing him.

We both laughed a little and dove into our assignments. We were actually working very hard until Craig and his goons showed up. Craig was Cameron’s protégé in Junior High before he met me, and was also the one who constantly beat me up.

“Well look at the lovely couple doing their homework together! What’s wrong Cam, your wife not putting out?” he said pushing my head into my book.

“Why don’t you just back off asshole,” he said.

“Yeah go bother someone who has the time for your retarded attempt at an insult,” I said mocking his facial expression.

“What’d you say to me faggot?” He said as his neck started turning red.

“WHAT did you just say Mr. Hansen?!” Mrs. Lancaster, who seemed to pop up out of nowhere, screamed. “That kind of talk gets a referral to the Principal’s office!"

Cameron and I laughed to ourselves as Mrs. Lancaster dragged Craig away by the arm. He was a big muscular guy and she was a tiny, thin woman so it was a very rare sight. Craig pointed at us and mouthed the words “I’ll get you”.

“Don’t worry about him man,” Cam said as we gathered our books.

“I never do…” I said.

“He’s a stupid ass, I mean like you’re even gay…” he drifted off after that last word. It would’ve worried me if he didn’t look up and smile at me when he picked up his bag.

I just smiled and said, “Even if we were, like Hell I would be the wife.”

He punched me in the shoulder just enough to hurt a little but not hard enough to piss me off. We walked out of the Library laughing and he went off to his English class when I diverted to my History class.



*********************



As I pulled up to Cameron’s house, I felt my chest tighten and my nerves run wild. What would happen? Would we kiss? Would we fight? Would we-

“Took you long enough,” I heard a voice behind me say.

“Oh God you scared the hell out of me Cam,” I said when I saw him sitting on the bench.

“Look, I don’t know why I did what I did, it was just a spur of the moment thing. I’m just really scared of losing you and I needed to show you how I felt,” I just stared at him as he talked, “I love you Josh, and I just needed you to know that. I know you don’t feel the same way about me so I’m just gonna go inside and kill myself for being such an idiot.”

I knew there was only one thing I could do to keep him from going inside without me. I grabbed his arm and spun him around. I stared deep into his bright green eyes as he gazed into my dark blue eyes…and I kissed him

I felt his hands go behind my head as he pulled me more into him and I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled his body into mine. It felt like time stopped as everything I ever wanted was wrapped in my hands.



*********************



There you go...enjoy my boys!

 

[nufan09]

can't wait for more

 

[inthecloset]

wow you guys are fast readers. lol.

I'll work on Chapter 3 tonight...dont get too excited, I'm gonna be a different writer and give as much info before the fun actually begins.

 

[Craiger]

ITC,

What a great beginning to a story that we all would love to have happen to us. It's strange how so many of us had intense feelings for our best friend but just could not bring ourselves to express it. However, now we can live vicariously through Josh and Cameron. Thanks!

Craiger

 

[hardreader]

wow you guys are fast readers. lol.

I'll work on Chapter 3 tonight...dont get too excited, I'm gonna be a different writer and give as much info before the fun actually begins.

Take your time. Just don't let this story tapper off without finishing it. I'm just happy to know that "the fun actually begins." And for the record, I am already too excited.

 

[HenryMichigan]

I wish I had done that with my best friend after graduation. My life would had been a lot different.

 

[inthecloset]

Ok without further delay here it is….


Chapter Three:

My mind was going out of control. Cameron wasn’t pushing me away or anything. I couldn’t believe it; this was everything I had wanted for almost 4 years. It was even harder to believe that as of just a few hours ago I wasn’t a high school kid anymore.



*********************



“Happy Birthday, Josh!” Cameron yelled when I opened the door.

“Man what are you doing here? It’s 8 a.m. on a Saturday,” I said.

“It’s your freakin birthday that’s why!”

“Yeah, but 8 a.m.?”

“Yup, we gotta get started,” he said.

“Started with what?”

“Everything I have planned for your birthday. Wake up Alexis, she’s coming too.”

“Why?”

“Well she’s your twin therefore it’s her birthday too,” he laughed.

“Fine…”

I woke her up and we got ready. Cameron took us to breakfast at the local IHOP and then we drove to the nearby town to play some Lasertag and Paintball. We had lunch at a Red Robin’s, my favorite restaurant, and Cameron ordered us a big milkshake to split between the three of us. We were leaving the restaurant when I stopped Cameron.

“Ok, you need to stop. This is way too much man, you don’t need to do this for us,” I said.

“Josh, I just wanna give my two best friends the greatest 18th birthday ever,” he said.

“Yeah and it’s been great but come on now…no more,” Alexis said.

“Aight…I guess I’ll take you two home then,” he said with a smile.

We both gave him a hug and thanked him. Everything he did just made me love him even more. When we got back home I hugged him again.

“What was that for?” he asked.

“For being such a good friend for the past few years,” I said.

“Thanks,” he said smiling.

I smiled back and walked towards the front door…



*********************



Cameron opened the front door and led me inside. I never moved my hands from his waist. He pushed the door closed and turned on the lights.

“What about your parents?” I asked.

“They went to chaperone the dance…they won’t be home for hours,” he said.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” I asked.

“Been sure since you saved my life…” he said



*********************



A week before junior year ended, Cameron and I really pissed off Craig. He tried to steal Mrs. Lancaster’s final exam for her A.P. U.S. History class and Cameron saw him doing it. He ran directly to me afterwards. I was an assistant in the front office for work experience and I was able to file a full report anonymously about it. Craig was expelled from the school when the security guards caught him as he was leaving campus and searched him. They found the test in his backpack and dragged him to the principal.

The next day was pretty quiet. Everyone knew what happened but no one knew who turned Craig in. Unfortunately, Craig knew exactly who did it. I got a text from Cameron saying that his mom picked him up for a doctor’s appointment and she was letting him stay home for the rest of that day to relax a bit. I just replied with “K, see you later dummy ”.

I walked home with Alexis that day. Since Cameron wasn’t there after school, we didn’t have a ride home. We took the back way through the neighborhood to avoid any run in with Craig’s goons. When we came up to Cameron’s street, I saw Craig’s new convertible speed out of the area and I started freaking out. Alexis looked at me with fear in her eyes

I ran up to Cameron’s house and found the front door wide open with broken glass around the entrance. My heart started pounding as I took steps inside. I barely heard the glass crunching under my feet over the sound of my heart leaping out of my chest.

“Cam?” I called out.

I heard something in the back fall over and hit the floor. I ran back to Cameron’s bedroom to find the door shut, but the knob was broken and hanging out of the side. I pushed but something was pushing back. I pushed harder and noticed there was blood on the carpet. I gasped as I saw Cameron lying on the floor against the door in a torn, blood-stained white T-shirt and blood drenched shorts. His face was bruised and cut up. I saw a wooden bat lying on the floor next to him.

“CAMERON!” I yelled.

I immediately dropped down to the floor and tried to get him up. Alexis ran up and saw Cameron and took her cell phone out of her pocket and called 911. I had stopped trying to pick him up and just got him to sit upright, keeping him conscious.

“Come on Cam, stay with us,” I said over and over.

It wasn’t long till a Paramedic came inside with a stretcher. They wheeled Cameron away and took him to the closest hospital. The police showed up and started questioning us. We told them about Craig’s car leaving the area shortly before we found Cam.

I cried my eyes out that night. Not from pain but from fear that Cameron might die. It was the exact reason I didn’t have a best friend before. I knew I was prone to becoming too close with someone when I opened up to them. I became dependant on Cameron to survive.

“Josh, are you ok?” Alexis said as she knocked on the door.

“No, come in,” I said, wiping my face.

“Hey, we just got a call…Cameron is gonna be ok. It’s gonna be a long recovery but he’s gonna make it,” she said.

“Thank God,” I said. “I just keep thinking if we had taken the short way we could have been just a few minutes earlier…”

“Josh, we couldn’t have taken on all of them ourselves. We would’ve ended up just like Cameron and no one would have been along to find us in time like we were.”

- - - - -

Three days later I saw in the paper that the police had arrested Craig and his goons for armed assault. They were charged guilty and put in prison for 10 years. It took Cameron 4 months to completely heal. The hospital discharged him after a week. It was the loneliest week of my life, but everyday I was in the hospital room with him until they forced me to go home.

When Cameron was released his parents asked me to stay with him for a while. They took every precaution to avoid post-traumatic stress. Every morning and every night for the 5 days he had me stay he would say “Thanks for saving my life”…



*********************



Sorry, have to cut this one off right there boys!
Gotta keep the anticipation running!




Don't too much!


Chapter 4 should be up sometime tomorrow.

 

[inthecloset]

Sorry bout that guys...haven't had a chance to work on Chapter 4. Workin on it now though

 

[gaytxn09]

I don't mind...though I'm currently in Europe, so the timing is always a bit weird, and I always hope to see an update whenever I'm online and never bother to count backwards to check what time it is in the States. Go back home in a week though, so hopefully the timing will be back to normal then hehe. Love the story. Keep on writing. xx

 

[musicalgenius14]

Great work ITC... 3 chapters and I'm already hooked!! Keep up the great work, and Ik alot of us are looking forward to an update soon!

 

[rEStiNPeaCe]

Love the start. Can't wait for the next chapter.

 

[upyrkilt469]

Good reading. Thanks and am waiting for the next one.

 

[inthecloset]

Sorry about the delay here…But Batman was calling out to me!

Now, let’s put a smile on those faces!

Chapter 4:

Cameron pulled me into a deep and passionate kiss. He grabbed my hands off his hips and pulled me down the hallway, never breaking the kiss. He opened his door and pushed me inside onto his bed. Of all the times I stayed over here, he never slept in his bed; he always slept on the floor with me in a sleeping bag. Some mornings I would wake up early and just watch him sleeping. He looked too beautiful to touch.

I was almost afraid of what was happening between us, even though it was everything I wanted since I got to know him. There were two sides of me at that point. A side that was about to lose control and let Cameron do whatever he wanted to me, and another side that was afraid about the repercussions of what might happen.

I would never guess the next words out of his mouth…

“Josh…I can’t do this…”



*********************



“What do you mean, of course you can,” I said.

“No, I can’t face everyone after what happened,” Cameron said.

“Dude, everyone thinks you’re some kind of superman for surviving the beating you took,” I joked.

“Thanks to you though…” he said, trailing off.

“Well you know I hate the Hero title, so I kinda told people you got up and walked to the ambulance,” I said laughing.

“Well thanks. Now I’m gonna look like a pathetic attention hog walking around on crutches for 4 more weeks.”

“Haha, well…yeah you do kinda look like an asshole,” I said smiling.

“Eh, who’s the bigger loser, the one who looks like an attention craving narcissist or the one who saved him?” He joked.
“I’d have to cast my vote for the attention craving narcissist,” Alexis said as she caught up with us.

It was the first day of the school year, and being in a small town everyone had been talking about what happened to Cameron and how he put away the biggest delinquents in school. Some saw him as a hero, some saw him as a victim, but I was the only person who saw him as a survivor.

The summer had been very stressful for both of us. Both of us worked at the local video store together, but since his accident Alexis had been covering his hours. When I was working his parents were taking care of him, and when they went out of town for business related trips, Alexis and I took shifts watching over him. The second time they left town, we decided to just stay with him until they got back.

I took him to his physical therapy appointments and Alexis took care of the food. She had always been gifted in the kitchen, and I had always hoped she would become a chef someday. But she had other plans to become a lawyer. Cameron was always planning on becoming a Journalist, another thing about him that shocked the hell out of me.

I planned on becoming a Psychologist because I was always so intuitive. The only thing I had trouble with was trying to get into Stanford. It was a difficult choice to make because I would be leaving Cameron behind, but it would be the best thing I could do. When I told him, I was shocked that he was excited for me. He wasn’t mad that I would be leaving at all. As I thought about it, he and I weren’t like normal friends. We never got mad at each other, we never fought, and he was always so patient with people.

But today was different. Today, Cameron could barely face people when he knew they would look at him and either spread rumors or judge him for what happened. We walked past a group of jocks who looked at Cameron and started laughing. Then, Cameron did something that really surprised me. He got over his nerves and started acting like his old self.

“What are you laughing at Lurch? The fact that I can still kick your ass or the fact that now,” He said holding up his crutches, “I have weapons to make the beating worse?”

The guys looked like they were slapped multiple times in the face, and turned around and walked away.

“Wow looks like someone’s back,” I said.

“Yeah well, it just took a little reminder,” He laughed.

The rest of the day was a little bit easier. After people heard about Cameron’s verbal bitch-slap, they left him alone. He had to quit the swim team because he wouldn’t be recovered in time to compete. He was upset yeah, but he was dealing with it. He had to go to the local college because of it. He was in line for a major scholarship but when he had to quit it went to Jerrod Brashar, Cameron’s rival swimmer.

When I walked him home that day, Cameron begged me to stay the night again. I don’t know why he asked but he made it very clear that he needed me there. I tried to convince my parents what was going on, but it took Alexis to beg them to let her stay at a friends house that night to for them to let us both go.

That night, Cameron said his legs were feeling really sore, and they looked pretty swollen. His mom told him to sleep in his bed to keep them elevated. He looked sad because he never let me sleep alone on the floor and he felt guilty leaving me down there.

“You know I feel guilty about making you sleep on the floor right?” he said as we got back to his room.

“Yeah, it’s ok man,” I said.

“Well, I do have a big bed so if you feel lonely,” he said with a wink, “or just uncomfortable down there you can jump up here, as long as you don’t hit my legs that is.”

I wasn’t about to question his motives. I knew he felt insecure about himself, especially since his accident. I didn’t want to make him think I wouldn’t want to return his favor of keeping me company on the floor for 3 years.

“I guess I could. But you gotta promise no spooning,” I said with a smirk on my face. I wanted so badly to tell him what I really wanted him to do to me.

“Shut up, jerkoff,” he said throwing a pillow at me.

We got into the bed and turned away from each other. I was surprised at how comfortable it was and wondered how he could continuously give it up and sleep on the floor. About ten minutes later I could tell he was asleep. His breathing slowed down and his nose started whistling. I chuckled to myself and started thinking of things I would say to him in the morning about his musical nose.

My comedic thoughts were instantly interrupted when he started grunting in his sleep. The grunts turned into twitching, which eventually turned into movements. I was about to get up and go to the bathroom when he turned over. I felt his breath on my neck, and I must say it felt comforting. I was about to fall asleep when he turned back over. I decided this was my one chance and reciprocated. I turned over and put my hands near my legs. I started to move my left hand up to lift the blanket up so I could see.

I saw his ass poking out from the rest of his body. He looked really cute in his pajamas. Every fiber of my being wanted to lift my right hand up to grab it…but I couldn’t. Not only did I love everything about Cameron, but I respected him too.
Josh…you can’t do this I heard my conscious say…



*********************



“What do you mean you can’t?” I asked.

“I mean, it’s too fast. We can’t do it like this,” Cameron said.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, I respect you too much to take advantage of you like this. I want to take you on a date,” He said blushing.

“Oh, you’re so cute,” I said kissing him. “Of course I’ll go out with you.”

“Okay!” He said with a smile.

“When and where?” I asked.



*********************



Well there you go.


Chapeter 5 comin up!

 

[musicalgenius14]

aww....that's soooooo damn cute lol!

 

[upyrkilt469]

Enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next one.