Hey everyone and welcome to the main story! I want to thank everyone who's had the patience to stick with the prologue. I promise you that it was vital part of the story and that I felt this main part would not work alone. While I do have the main points and events planned in its entirety, I haven't decided how long it will actually be chapter wise. I don't want to rush through the story but I don't want to stuff it with so much detail that it becomes over bloated. I'm going to wing this and try to fall in to a good balance between the two. Please let me know your thoughts with that so I can adjust with each submission. The good thing for those who were disturbed by the events of the prologue is that we're past it now! I just ask that you trust the story will be having up beat sections as well as down. I truly believe that by the end of this, you will have enjoyed it and understand why I took the approach I did. Thanks again everyone and happy reading!
*****
"What the FUCK am I doing here?" I thought once again. I was starting to sound like a broken record, but I guess it was expected, considering I was completely out of my environment: our graduating class' 10 year high school reunion. It stood for everything I hated. Everyone bragging about the accomplishments that they made over the past decade in a feeble attempt to claim the title as most successful graduate when in reality, everyone was too narcissistic to actually give a shit if they weren't the victor. A perfect example of a social tango that I felt sick to witness. In reality though, it could all be described in one word: attention. Everyone, doing everything in their power to achieve that attention that they so desperately craved. I didn't understand it! I was much more satisfied to sit behind stage watching the play unfold, unnoticed, but that's just me...
My name's Luc (sounds like Luke). My actual name is Lucca (my family is Italian) which in fact is the Italian equivalent of Luke. I had made a somewhat dynamic change since graduation, both in physicality and personality. While I hadn't grown in height, I had increased my stature in size. I wouldn't consider myself muscular, but I had dedicated time to ridding myself of my skinny state. I hadn't made the transformation for reasons of appeal and attraction, but rather to give myself a boosted sense of security. The muscles I had grown felt almost like a sheet of armor to me. As far as social and personality went, I had learned that a full segregation of myself from my peers did not actually help to protect me. I had worked on allowing myself to open up just enough so that I could blend in while being able to avoid encouraging anyone from taking a closer look at me. I allowed a leak in my protective barrier that was just small enough to prevent a build up of pressure from the outside.
So there I was sitting at a chair, at an empty table, watching the play unfold, unnoticed, berating myself for giving in to attending this overrated social affair. I wasn't sure why I allowed myself to be badgered in to attending. I guess I was just so fed up with being lectured by my closest (and only) friends, Justin and Maria. I'll really wish I had asked at least one of them to tag along so that I could feel at least somewhat comfortable. I could have also used their support to help accomplish my sole reason for attending.
"What the fuck are you doing here??", a deep voice asked behind me, as if on cue from my last thought. I jumped as my adrenaline kicked. This was the moment I had been trying to mentally prepare myself for. But now that it was happening, all my resolve had caved. I felt my heart and blood begin to pump furiously as the speech I had practiced repeatedly was flushed from my mind. With a speechless and cotton dry mouth, I turned around. I sucked in a feeble attempt for air as my suspicions were confirmed. Brett was standing before me.
I was hit with a flurry of emotions now that I was face to face with him: fear, joy, anger, but deep down I knew I sensed a small flame of desire. It was nothing that I couldn't keep under control, though. None of the those emotions were the driving force behind my decision to finally face Brett.
My first thought as I looked him over was that the past 10 years had been good to him. He had the same dirty blond hair and blue-gray eyes, but it seemed a decent amount had changed aside from that. He somehow had grown even taller and larger. While not the lean senior I remember, he was still muscular but also bulky. His face had aged well, too. I could see he had developed a strong jawline that was covered under a coat of stubble. He had inconceivably become even more masculine.
I realized I'd been studying him for longer than necessary and snapped myself out of it, not wanting to give him the wrong idea. But now that I had recovered my focus and resolve, I couldn't quit decide how to start. I guess surface talk was a good way to warm up.
"Same as everyone else I guess. I wanted to see who's grown a beer gut and bald head since graduation." I said giving a small chuckle with it. That got a laugh out of him along with a large smile.
It seemed like we could talk without it being tense or awkward. That was a good sign.
"Well sorry to disappoint if you were expecting it to be me;" he said, "although I certainly don't have the physique that I did a decade ago. You, on the other hand, look amazing!" He backed is claim up with a scan up and down my body. I started to feel a slight panic as he checked me out. Shit, I needed to avoid giving him any opening to flirt with me, I thought.
"Yeah, well I wanted to make sure I'd be able to protect myself. You never know what could happen." I replied, immediately regretting the words as they fell off my lips. I hadn't meant for the comment to be the jab I'm sure he saw it as. I had decided early on that I wouldn't throw any unnecessary or immature shots in to our conversation and I'd already failed. I thought I saw a small flinch in his face, but if he was burnt by my comment, he didn't show any other signs.
"Yeah, there are times you can't really trust anyone but yourself," he answered softly while looking down at his hands, "so I think that's a good idea." I guess it had bothered him.
"Anyways, catch me up with the past ten years of your life." I said, awkwardly trying to prevent any tension from forming. If I wanted to make any accomplishments tonight, there couldn't be any uneasiness between us. "What have you been doing? What do you do for work?"
He looked up at me and I saw a flash of surprise followed by a smile that almost seemed thankful. "Well, I graduated from OSU with a Bachelor's in Business Management and Master's in Communications. I'm now VP of Public Relations in the company I've been at since graduation. What about you?"
"That seems to fit you perfectly. I couldn't really think of a better career for you." I answered with a smile. "I'm just a lowly IT grunt for a company. I do the usual stuff: delivering PCs for new employees, managing the company cell phones that are given for business trips, setting up or fixing the AV equipment that's used for meetings, and of course cleaning up the viruses people get from downloading too much porn." Brett doubled over as he laughed uncontrollably until he was in tears. I was glad to see he was relaxed because it gave me a better chance of success.
"Holy shit, I don't remember the shy boy from way back then being this funny! I wish you'd opened up more like this in high school. I could have had a lot more laughs through the years."
"I learned that I needed to stop being such a recluse, if only a little." I answered. "It lowered the chances of any one getting suspicious of me being so different. I can hide in plain sight now."
He had the same flinch on his face and I felt a twinge of guilt. I kept managing to throw dirt back in his face without the intention. I was worried that he was going to start pulling away and nervously brain stormed for other things to talk about. Before any ideas popped up though, Brett answered.
"What happened to you back then? I mean I know what happened that night of prom, but after wards you just disappeared. You didn't come back to school and didn't show up for graduation. I even went to your house but you weren't there." The look in his eyes told me that he truly was concerned. This was it, the moment I'd been spending weeks for in mental preparation. He was giving the opening needed to cross the bridge. But now that the opportunity was before me on a silver platter, I couldn't seem to get my brain or mouth to function. Could I be any more pathetic?
"I mean, you even missed your crowning, Mr Prom King!" Brett said with a grin. I gagged on the drink I'd been sipping to give myself some time to formulate a response. Are you fucking kidding me? I started panic. That was the last thing I wanted. They wouldn't have a ceremony or something for that tonight, would they? Just the thought of having to stand in front of this crowd had my heart in a frenzy.
I guess my response to this new discovery had been obvious because Brett quickly followed up with, "I was just joking! It was stupid and awful joke I made because I was starting to panic. I'm sorry, I'm real dumb ass sometimes. Maybe this isn't the best place for this discussion. Would you like to go elsewhere?"
I immediately felt my self returning to that night. Didn't he say nearly the same thing before he lead me away? I must have been an open book because I saw realization dawn on his face.
"Nothing like that I swear! We can go somewhere public that will still give us the privacy we need to have this conversation. I was thinking something like Sweet Jo's. I'm sure you still remember where it is?'
I slowly nodded. Sweet Jo's was a local diner/cafe that also served as THE place to hang out in high school. It sounded like a good idea for me. Nothing terrible could happen with so many people around, right?
"Yeah, I think that's a good idea." I finally answered. He couldn't seem to contain his relief and grin at my response.
"Great! I'll head there now and grab us a table!" Brett then turned to leave, but before walking away, he glanced over his shoulder at me. "Hey, if you decide to change your mind and not show up, I wouldn't blame you. You owe me absolutely nothing while I owe you everything. Still, I'd really love to chance to finally talk with you." With those words he headed out. Even just crossing the room, he was stopped to exchange pleasantries, which were then followed by lustful eyes. He always seemed to have some inexplicable ability to call attention to himself while maintaining a honest and good guy charm.
Was I really going to go through with this? Like Brett said, there was nothing forcing me to keep my word, but I knew I had to go. I couldn't feel at rest if I chickened out. I needed this, and I felt that Brett needed it just as severely. Justin and Mary would never have let it drop if I came back empty handed, too.
After giving my self a few minutes to breath, I stood and made my way to the parking lot. I refused to glance down the hall towards the locker room. I couldn't take any risks of ruining this chance. As I stepped out in to the cool, calming air and headed towards my Neon, I started to feel a sinking sensation. The hairs on the back of neck stuck straight out as I heard footsteps behind me. Before I even had a chance to process the situation and decide how to handle it, my hand instinctively shot out behind me, grabbing a wrist that must have been reaching out for my shoulder. My body followed it's lead in a spin, my foot circling in a low sweep. I knocked my pursuer off balance forcing his leg back with my sweeping kick. I followed by planting the same foot in front of his leg and reversed direction as I yanked on his arm with all my strength. My leg in front of his forced him to lose his grounding and I hauled him over my shoulder after grabbing the front of his shirt with my other hand. He slammed down to the ground flat on his back and an odd cough was forced out of him. I guessed that the wind had been knocked out of him so I used the opportunity to twist his arm in to a lock and plant my leg lightly against his throat to let him know I had the upper hand. I had no intention to do any more damage if it wasn't needed, but I had to assure that I was not in danger. I leaned in to see the man's face so I could have an identity. I was shocked to see that it was Max. I doubt that I was as shocked as him, however, having his ass handed to him by someone he use to beat up on a daily basis. I wouldn't lie and say it didn't feel empowering, but I certainly didn't feel any sweet taste of vengeance. I was just glad to see that my lifting and self defense training had paid off.
"Holy shit, Carisi! What the fuck is your problem!?" Max yelled. "Do you shatter a guy's tail bone and spine every time they want a word with you? Fucking hell, I won't be able to sit for a week!"
