A Jock's Tale (BoyxBoy)

Chapter Eleven

Song is Ashes and Wine by A Fine Frenzy because it just fit the mood somehow. More of Charles to the right. Once you read this chapter you may understand.~~~~~~~~~'                                                        

                                                           Jake

When it was the next day I came to sit by Katie some more. Everyone else was there and she was asleep. I nearly walked into Daniel on my way to the cafeteria. 

“Danny’s parents just left to shower and get a change of clothes,” he said and he looked as though he hadn’t changed his clothes yet either, “I got hungry and was heading here. Danny insisted so if you want something I can get it for you.”

My mouth couldn’t form words let alone my brain to form thoughts at first.

“I’ll go up there with him and you can get me whatever,” I said and gave him a twenty before he could decline. I could read between the lines.

Danny was awake.

I didn’t apologize, stand in the door way, or say anything. I just walked in while he looked at me confused. I sat in the chair nearest to him. We didn’t say anything for a long time. Nor did I grab his hand or kiss him on the cheek. We didn’t need to. It was too soon. He turned on the TV and that was what we did until Daniel came back.

I pretended to not listen them both squabble about Daniel needing to go home and get some time for himself. I almost smiled because they were like siblings. Daniel gave in and said he would be back in a few hours. Then we went back to watching TV. I stayed even when his parents came back. His father was in the full uniform and also the older version of Danny. His mom was a petite woman maybe a year or two older than my mom. I ignored their questionable glances in my direction. Whatever it was Danny told them I didn’t hear.

It wasn’t my business. 

After those two days of crying I began to heal and so did a few others. Katie was still quieter than normal because she just lost her best friend and boyfriend. Nikko was with Katie a lot and Katie seemed to appreciate that. I would visit her about three rooms down from Danny’s to give him space. It was heartbreaking at first to see Nikko without his cousin. But when I looked at those two together I felt hope.

We can still carry on.

I also started talking to Danny again. It started off with small talk then we commented about the shows on the television. Apparently we had differences in movies. We agreed on romantic comedies and some action flicks at least. I started bringing in board games which he beat me at most of them. Checkers included so that meant he had to meet my mom.

He was looking better and this was the most time I ever spent with him. I could tell there were secrets about him though. Secrets that weren’t his to tell showed in his eye’s once in a while. I didn’t ask, he didn’t tell. We were beyond co-existing in the same room by now.

Daniel didn’t come back in a few hours like he said he would. Instead he came back with sub sandwiches for us on the third day since the shooting. Danny’s dad had to go back to base after the second day but his mom was around after five in the afternoon. I even played some of the same board games with her and… like mother like son. Heather was a whirlwind of its own nature. I could tell she refused to cry. She demanded hugs and made new friends. She stayed busy too. She was doing what she could to help the nurses run the place. 

I hung out at the hospital cafeteria with Jimmy, Marcus, and Charles when we could. Nikko stayed with Katie and Daniel stayed with Danny. I met some of Danny’s other friends that came to see him. I noticed these visits were helping him get better. I wished it could be just the same as our visits did with Katie. I hoped that she would come around soon. If anyone could do it I felt it would be Nikko.