{ #5 } Eclipse Of The Moon (MxM || 18+)

Chapter 64 - A Fight For Dominance

"Hmm... Gonna play baseball with Michael for one... then maybe read."

"Michael's your neighbor friend, right?"

"Yes. Schoolmate too."

"Cool. How about girls?" I ask, sticking my tongue out at Camden's scowl.

"Kelly and Mary might hang out with us too, but they don't like baseball, so I don't know. Oh... I think mom's back..."

"That's fine, Sony, it was nice talking to you, Buddy. You should go help her with groceries then."

"I miss you, Ronron. And Jos and Mark too. And Cammy."

"I miss you too, Buddy. Studies are a pain, but they're worth it for the future."

"Yeah... Can I talk to Cam again quick?"

"Sure. Be a good boy, Buddy. Talk soon!"

"Soon, Ronron!"

I hand the phone back to Cam, and they quickly end their conversation. My friend looks much relieved, as if he truly feared I might not want to speak to his baby brother. Sony is such an adorable little chap, why wouldn't I? I don't know when I will see him next, but he will probably have changed from the 7-year-old I knew.

* * *

I'm trying to focus on my marketing textbook and to understand that chapter about advertising, but I have been stuck on the same page for the last hour. This weekend in Boston was too short and I'm sad that I couldn't enjoy my friend any longer, but I'm so pleased with the result that it doesn't matter. We had fun, but above all, I achieved the goal I had set myself to make him open up and to guide him toward possible options that might help him with his anger management problems.

When we parted in front of the subway station, Cam promised he'd look for a therapist on Monday and to cash in the 600 bucks I left him with, and that he would even try to find a new dojo with more accommodating schedules to resume his lessons in Kungfu or whatever it was he used to do. This was more than I was asking for and even if it doesn't work in the end, I am just glad he will give a chance to my suggestion.

At least he looked more peaceful and less on edge than when I arrived, so I'm proud of this little success. Even if it doesn't work in the end, it's still worth giving it a try. Even if it means burning all my savings and working more to help Cam pay for therapy sessions, because there are no boundaries to what I would do for a person I truly love.

By the time my plane flies over Colorado, more thoughts have filled my head, and the closer I get to the West Coast, the more they relate to Ivan and the ominous feelings I had when I left. My heart keeps constricting in my chest for reasons I can't explain, getting me all edgy.

Drowning into my book helps though, and that's much better because I need to prepare for December finals. I might have been a little too greedy taking more classes than I should have this year, but I really want to buckle up my studies in three years, or at worst, keep the last one as light as possible. It means more personal work, but I know I can do this and won't regret it.

I no longer have Miss Betty's support this year, however, I have managed quite well so far. Whenever I need help explaining more highly-specialized topics, I can always count on Joshua or my classmates. My friend Lina has been a little more sluggish despite her determination to get her degree in three years too, skipping more classes than she should, so I have been the one helping her lately as opposed to last year, but I am getting a bit worried about her behavior. I will have to talk to her sometime soon and see what the problem is.

Anyway, here I am back in the warm fall of Los Angeles again, and unpleasant tingles run down my spine when I walk into the terminal hall and can't see Ivan among the crowd waiting for passengers. The last I heard of him six hours ago, just before I boarded the plane, was a text saying he would meet me at the airport as planned. As I stand aside, my eyes scan all the people coming and going in the huge hall, but no one looks familiar to me. No one that Ivan could have sent to pick me up in his place in case of a last-minute issue.