The late summer turned into fall and then of course the leaves began turning and the weather began turning cooler, and Jake and Dylan commenced to begin what was obviously a very very close and very loving relationship.
It just seemed to sorta happen one night as they lay in bed and almost asleep. Suddenly Dylan leaned around Jake just enough to be able to kiss his neck, and did. He had his arms around Jake and then turned him and began to kiss him in earnest. Jake gave in immediately, and so it began.
Jake was estatic and so was Dylan and pretty soon there wasn't much of anyone around who didn't pick up on what was going on including both sets of parents. Everyone seemed happy for them and it was definitely a happy time of a new beginning. Dylan's parents had caught on early that Dylan was less than happy about the move from Connecticut so were really grateful for him finding Jake. They liked Jake a lot and so...
Then one day in late fall while taking a walk in the woods next to Jake's parents' property, he yelled at Dylan and broke into a run. He had heard a strange sound and after running to look discovered it was the almost dead body of one of their classmates, Larry McGraw. They leaned over the body checking for vitals as Dylan pulled out his cell and called 911.
He seemed to be still breathing but barely and had obviously been beaten to a pulp by someone or several someone's at this point unknown. Pretty quick they heard sirens and then an ambulance and a sheriffs deputy arrived to Jake and Dylan's relief.
Larry had always been more than a bit of a loner, and a total nerd. Tall, thin as a rail, bookish, and with very effeminate mannerisms. Nobody knew him well and nobody was sure of his orientation but everyone kinda assumed he was gay.
Now this. Jake and Dylan watched as the paramedics worked on him, and then loaded him into the ambulance and left. The deputy got what they knew from them which obviously wasn't much and then he also left. Jake thought to himself that he just hoped that one day he would be able to put the sound of moaning out of his head, but knew that was gonna take awhile. He said nothing to Dylan.
Finding Larry as they did really hit Dylan and Jake was visibly shaken. Neither of them wanted to continue taking their walk in the woods now and so they went back to the house where Ann was walking out.
"What was with the ambulance, guys?" Dylan told her what they had found and she turned white.
"Oh God. What a shame. I wonder if his mother knows," and Jake said they didn't know and they went inside where Ann proceeded to call Larry's mother.
Jake and Dylan sat near Ann as she called Larry's mother and from what they could tell she hadn't heard about her son yet. Ann told her she would come to the hospital and meet her there, and the boys then knew it would be a long and sad weekend for all of them...and away they went to the nearby hospital.
Larry's mother Margaret had been a client of Ann's when she sued her abusive husband for divorce and custody. Ann was by training a criminal prosecutor but hated spouse abuse and took the case pro bono. She had kept in touch with Margaret ever since.
They all sat huddled in the waiting room near the triage center where they were working on Larry and for hours nobody knew much of anything and barely breathed in hopes that would help. But had no idea if anything would at that point.
Finally, a doctor came out to them about 1am and told them what he knew. It was not good news, Larry had been badly beaten and was in critical condition...but he asserted that since Larry had made it this far that was a hopeful sign.
The boys found an unoccupied room to bed down for the night and Ann took Margaret back to her house to get some needed sleep. It was indeed going to be a long weekend.
Jake was the far more impacted by the sad discovery and its aftermath but Dylan was also.
"God I hope he makes it," and Dylan replied he did too...and then the sleep both needed overtook them and they slept like babies until morning when Ann found them and woke them up.
"Hey, you bozo's...You gonna sleep your life away?"
A bit of much needed humor amidst the sadness.
Jake and Dylan both scoffed but got up and headed to the room's bathroom to make as much of their faces do wondrous things as they could and then they joined Ann and Margaret. Jake's dad Rob and Dylan's parents had also joined them.
Ann said: "What we know guys is that Larry is hanging on and holding his own. Just a matter of time now," and everyone nodded and then Dylan and Jake decided to do breakfast duty especially for Margaret.
The weekend came and went in pretty much sad fashion, but by Sunday night Larry seemed to be rallying and they were all told to go home and get some rest...there was nothing more to do here as the doctors had Larry sedated and he would be unconcious for a day or so.
Monday morning came as usual, but finding Jake and Dylan trying hard to keep from going to school. Jake especially just didn't think he could. Dylan was trying to cheer him up but to no avail. Ann came upstairs and lent her efforts in support of Dylan and finally they convinced Jake school was the best option. He wasn't all that convinced but finally...
They drove to school in silence, and walked into school the same way, neither knowing what to say. Jake and Dylan were now in a very loving and romantic relationship...deeply in love with each other but both of them also knew what had just happened to Larry...AND WHY.
HE WAS ASSUMED TO BE GAY, and so this was pure and not so simple a hate crime. That scared the bejeesus out of Jake and bothered Dylan too although he was bound and determined it was NOT going to drive he and Jake apart no matter what. That was that.
Just before noon, Dylan went to see his guidance counselor and then the principal. He asked to be able to address the entire student body about Larry and Doug the counselor was all for it, and Rudy the principal was a bit less so but agreed.
They decided that 2:30 would be a good time and Dylan nodded and went back to the cafeteria and Jake who was fiddling with his food but not really eating any of it. Dylan started trying to get him to eat, offering forkfuls of the le cafeteria de skuul...mess du jour but it was tough going and he understood as his stomach was still not doing so well either.
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