Jacob lay the pamphlets on the bed beside him. What did he have to lose? He would lose Seth. If he went through with the program, he and Seth would be over. It would be for the best. Perhaps he could even go back to his relationship with Sarah. She would understand his situation better than anyone, and could help him through it.
He had promised Seth he didn’t want to leave. He had told Seth he was ready…
But that was before. Everything was different now. Jacob thought he had been prepared for his father’s reaction. He thought he had imagined the worst. It was the look in his mother’s eyes that did it. She had always supported him, had always been there for him when he needed her. The sadness and disappointment in her eyes drilled through him.
But Seth…
Jacob fell back on his bed as the door shut behind Sarah. He studied the patterns in the old paint on the ceiling.They were going to the championships. They would have another chance, and Middleton wouldn’t be there to get in their way. Jacob chuckled at the irony of Ethan being the reason they would get to go. If that could work out, perhaps everything else would turn out fine as well. Perhaps he didn’t really have to choose.Just because he went into a program didn’t mean he would have to change. He could go through the motions his parents wanted for him and live his own life once he was free. Perhaps Seth would even wait for him. Things could go back to the way they were. What would it hurt for them to believe the program had worked?What if the program did work? Jacob shut his eyes
“What is your boyfriend’s name?” the paramedic asked Jacob.The shock of having someone else say that out loud shook Jacob from his trance. The blond paramedic who had allowed him into the ambulance was sitting across from him with a clipboard while a second paramedic continued to administer emergency aid to Seth. As the sirens blared, the ambulance rumbled over the pavement. “Huh?” Jacob said, dimly as he looked up into the paramedic’s face.“Your boyfriend-” she motioned to Seth on the gurney, “-what’s his name?”“Seth. Seth Thompson,” Jacob said.She scribbled the name on her clipboard. “How old is he?”“Eighteen.” Jacob s
Beep.Beep.Beep.The rise and fall of the electrocardiogram signaled Seth’s beating heart.Jacob and Mark sat in silence on opposite sides of the bed. Both watched Seth’s peaceful face as his chest slowly rose and fell with each breath.Beep.Beep.Beep.Jacob’s own heart beat in double time. He wanted to say something. He wanted to apologize again, but Mark wouldn’t hear it. Mark had already told him more than once that it wasn’t his fault; that he had nothing to apologize for, but Jacob still couldn’t make himself believe it. The only reason Seth
Stale, musky air met Jacob when he pushed through the doors to the locker room. He was early, as usual, having bolted from class as soon as the bell rang. Most of the rest of the team would take a break before heading for the locker rooms, but not Jacob. Calm washed over him as he breathed the familiar scent. He felt at home. So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours. So much had changed. He had missed this room, this smell, this familiarity.He found his locker and dialed in the combination. His uniform was still there. He pulled his shirt over his head and slipped the jersey on. Number 33. Kobe’s number in high school. Small details seemed to matter more when you realized how short life could be.Jacob was tying his shoes when the rest of the team rolled into the locker room, echoing chatter off the walls. Jacob looked up, but they
Jacob pushed through the doors of the long-term ward at West Valley Medical center. Seth was in the back corner of a communal room with a curtain pulled around his bed, creating a private space roughly the size of Jacob’s bedroom at home. Not at home. He couldn’t go back there. He didn’t have a home anymore. He had slept in Seth’s bed, at Seth’s house, for the last few nights.Seth had been moved to the long-term ward after twenty-four hours of observation for complications of his surgery.Seth lay on the hospital bed, as still as the dead except for the slow rise and fall of his chest. He wore a mask with tubes connected to a beeping tower of computers. Sensor wires sprouted from a mesh cap pulled down over Seth’s trademark curls and connected to another computer. On the monitor, several lines ticked zigzags across the
The gym was cacophonous as the team trotted to the court for the first huddle. The announcer called the names for the starting line-up for Preston over the noise of the crowd, while James gave last moment notes to the team.“Remember, Jacob will be on the weak side. I will dribble for a pick and roll. Charlie, I want you under the strong-side basket. If Jacob is blocked, I’ll pass to you for a jump shot. If I can’t get it to either of you, Bret will be in the paint, and we’ll relay the ball to one of you.”With a shout of “Forge!” the team broke off and lined up for the announcer’s call.On the court, Charlie stood in the center facing Preston’s number fourteen, a seven foot tall slender kid, named Chet Harper. The referee blew the whistle, and both C
Happy Ramadan, Passover, and Easter to all who celebrate! Because of the holiday, I did not have time to complete a chapter this weekend, and I apologize! But worry not, there will be another chapter soon. We are rounding the last bend. This coming weekend, I will be out of town for the memorial of my partner's grandmother. It has been a rough few weeks for us. I will do my best to get a chapter up as soon as I can. Thank you for sticking with me, even though I am slow to update. All of my love, Blair
Jacob rolled over and fumbled with his phone to stop the blaring alarm. It was in the wrong place. The table beside his bed was too low. As the fog of sleep faded, he remembered why. This wasn’t his room, or side table, or bed. This was Seth’s room. Jacob grabbed Seth’s pillow and pulled it over his face, inhaling Seth’s familiar and calming scent. He ached to be able to roll over and bury his face in Seth’s curls. It was Saturday, but he was up early because it was game day two of the state championships. They had not gone out to celebrate their win versus Preston last night. One win was pointless if they couldn’t win them all. They had agreed as a team to save their celebrations for when they won the final game.Today, they were playing the Century Diamondbacks from Pocatello. They were a good team. They even had one player scouted to the University of Kentucky a couple of years back. Jacob heard that that player was already being courted by the NBA. Century didn’t have that playe