Love Is Not A Straight Line

Chapter 1 - New Year

EJ opened his eyes wide. He sat up in bed while wiping the sweat from his forehead. For several days now, the memory of Opening Night returned and was now present in all of EJ's dreams.

He sat on the edge of the bed and fixed his gaze on his hands. Slowly he moved one hand over the other, with the sensation of holding the gun in his hands again. The weapon with which he had killed those men. On one hand, EJ's mind felt guilty, the thought of those men having a family and someone waiting for them.

On the other hand, he was glad those people were no longer near Ricky and his cousin, the moment he fired that gun he had protected his boyfriend and his family from everything. The faces of those men would appear in his dreams and occasionally as he watched a dark place he would still hear that man's voice taunting Ricky.

EJ got out of bed and went to the bathroom. He washed his face and returned to his bed. He checked his phone indicating 2:00 in the morning. EJ sighed and walked to his desk. He opened his right desk drawer and pulled out an envelope. He placed it in front of him and sighed again.

The envelope was the one Mr. Correll had given her at the end of the play. In the envelope was a letter along with a brown USB. She had read the letter so many times that she knew it by heart, but not the USB. He had wondered what the USB might contain. He was tempted to look several times but refused. An idea grew in his mind about what might happen if he saw inside.

He thought several times before turning on his laptop and plugging in the USB. Although he wasn't entirely sold on the idea, he was immensely curious. When the USB was plugged in, EJ waited for it to explode or for the computer to swallow him up. Nothing happened. On his laptop screen was a folder with the name 'Elijah'.

EJ smiled and clicked. Several videos with different numbers popped up. He hesitated to open them, but the first one had a picture of Mr. Correll. He opened it and Mr. Correll began to speak.

"Hi, Elijah. I don't know when it is that you see this video or if you see it at all. But it's for sure after Opening Night. First I want to apologize to you for this whole thing. Like I told you before, you're too young for this shit" Mr. Correll's voice sounded different, he sounded concerned "And about using a gun, I'm sure you will and not because you don't listen, but because I know you do everything for the ones you love and I admire that."

EJ was speechless at this, he couldn't believe Mr. Correll was saying that.

"I hope someday I can look you in the eye again and say it all upfront. 'The Gambler' is everywhere and I have been such a coward that I have endangered everyone. You must get on with your life and keep dreaming. Take Bowen to that place you told me you are afraid of because with him you become someone different. With him, you are willing to face the impossible, Bowen loves you and you love him and that is what matters."

A smile formed on EJ's lips. It was hard for him to smile these days.

"That's all I have to say. Take good care of yourself and remember this is not the last day, we will always rise to..."

"...Fight another day," EJ said in whispers.

The video ended and EJ pressed play again. Before he knew it, he had watched it three times and it was getting harder and harder to watch. He removed the video and played the others. Many of them were about chess techniques and a lecture by a famous chess player on how to beat your opponent in three moves.

About halfway through the folder, he saw a picture of the whole team together. He clicked and the first image he saw was Diego with a skirt tied badly at the waist, his eyes made up and dancing to 'Boogie Wonderland' on a road. Around him, Vicky was trying to keep him still to paint his nails. The image flipped around and now there were Marco and Lina on the screen.