Sorry for the delay in this chapter. Summer just got away from me and I lost all track of time and I had to buy a new computer since the old one went. Here is my disclaimer. This is story is not real, any person portrayed in this story are completely fictional and any similarities are coincidental. Always practice safe sex and use condoms. This story is not a short quick read it has many details so you can get to know the guys better. And I would like to thank my awesome beta/editor Shell for helping me out giving me tips and guidelines to help better enhance the story! Again sorry for the long wait I promise chapter 4 will not take this long! So here is Chapter 3 of The Trip The Storm Fury!
Everyone in the house jumped when they heard the tree crashing to the ground. Josh and Jason quickly ran back into the house to get away from the storm, which was releasing its full force. Jason walked over to the kitchen and grabbed the flash light that was sitting on the counter.
Shane came down the stairs guiding Justin, who was still shaken up from what had just happened.
"You guys to stay here in the living room while I go turn on the generator, it should only take me a few minutes." Jason replied as he opened the door to the basement.
"Should we go and get Steve?" Mark asked.
"Leave him in the room till I get the lights on, I think he'll be okay till then," Jason replied.
While Jason was down in the basement Josh turned on the battery powered weather radio to try and find out what was going on with the storm. Initially he had trouble getting good reception but he finally did.
This is a message from the National Weather Service. The hurricane has intensified in the listening area and we advise that everyone get to the lowest level of your home or building. Please stay away from all windows and doors do to the high winds and debris. High winds could cause severe damage, downing trees and power lines. Please stay away from any power lines that are on the ground. The eye of the storm will reach the listening area around midnight EST. Stay tuned to this station for any further development of the storm.
"Holy shit! I can't imagine this getting any worse," Mark exclaimed.
"Don't say that. You know what happens in the movies when people say that, it gets a lot worse." Josh said trying to ease the tension.
It only took Jason about five minutes to get the power back on to the house. When he got back upstairs Josh relayed to him what the radio station had said about the storm.
"Why don't you guys head down stairs? I'm going to go and try and get Steve to at least come to the living room. As much shit as he is in right now I don't want anything to happen to him up there." Jason suggested.
Josh took Justin by the hand, who appeared to be retreating further inward by the minute, and carefully walked him down to the basement. He sat Justin on the couch and looked over the work Shane had done on his injuries.
"He really did a number on you; I'm sorry love. I never in a million years thought Steve would ever do a thing like that." He assured him.
Justin sat unresponsive and studied the floor. He had withdrawn so far into himself he really didn't hear a word Josh spoke to him; he started to close his eyes.
Shane moved and squatted in front of Justin, meeting his eyes, "Justin, I want you to try and stay awake for now, you hit your head hard on the bed post and I want to make sure you don't have a concussion. Do you think you can stay awake for me?"
Justin mutely nodded his head in agreement.
"Do you think he's going to be okay?" Josh asked as Shane straightened to move back to his seat.
"I think so, but as a precaution I want him to stay awake, to be sure," Shane gave his worried friend a smile for encouragement.
"Okay, I'll try and keep him awake."
As Jason descended the steps Josh noticed the look of frustration on his face.
"I take it Steve is going to be stubborn and not come down," Josh guessed.
"Nope, he told me that he didn't want to be bothered by anyone. I think he might still be a little drunk so I wasn't going to try and set him off." Jason replied as he looked over at Justin.
"Is he going to be okay?"
"Yeah we just have to try and keep him awake for a couple of hours to make sure."
"Hey Justin, do you want to watch a movie or play a game?" Mark asked as he walked over to him.
He just shook his head. Josh was really starting to worry about his little angel; he had never seen him like this before and it was starting to weigh on his heart. He knew that he had to try and help him feel better; he knew Justin's favorite TV show was the Golden Girls and they always made him laugh.
"Do you guys mind with we watched the Golden Girls, it's Justin's favorite."
"Anything to help man," Mark answered as he turned on the TV. Grateful for whatever he could do to be useful.
"I'm going to go and get Justin a change of clothes." Josh remarked and he looked at Justin's torn and bloody clothes. "Would one of you sit next to him so he feels safe?"
"I'll sit with him," Shane said as he walked over.
"I'll go make some popcorn and get some drinks and whatever other snacks we have, I'm kinda hungry." Mark suggested.
"Justin I'm going to go and get you a change of clothes from the room, Shane is going to sit here with you till I come back." He probably didn't need to repeat everything to Justin, but he wasn't showing any sign he was aware of what was going on. Josh needed him to feel safe enough to rejoin him.
Josh made his way up the stairs pondering only the now hollow blue eyes of his love. When Josh entered the room he again took notice of the mess, but this time it really hit him hard. Seeing Justin's blood on the floor was just too much for him to handle; he finally broke down and cried. He body was wracked by his tears, so hard it felt as if his lungs were going to burst.
His world up until this point had pretty much been easy enough to navigate. When he set his mind to something he accomplished it, football, academics, even girls. Now when it really mattered he was helpless. He hadn't protected his angel from Steve, he wasn't sure how to keep him away from his father, and what was he to do if the cancer succeeded; taking his love away. Josh wept for his lack of control over anything wallowing in his sense of helplessness, surrounded by the evidence of his incompetence. He had cried himself out and begun to pull himself together when Mark knocked on the door.
"Hey, snacks are ready." He announced as he opened the door, "Are you okay?" Mark asked seeing Josh's tear stained face.
"Not really." Josh said trying to stop the tears as a new crying jag threatened to overtake him.
"Why not? I mean being in hurricane is bad, but this place seems alright... and Shane says Justin should be fine," Mark sat next to Josh.
"I promised him back at the motel that no one would ever hurt him again, and now look what happened. I let him down he won't even talk to me. What if he thinks I set this whole thing up?" Logically Josh knew there was a slim possibility of that, but slightest chance Justin would think him responsible for his injuries weighed on his mind.
"Whoa, I really doubt he is thinking that. You saved him before Steve could really do anything worse. You saw the look in his eyes when he was on top of Justin; if you didn't get there when you did.....ugh I don't even want to think about it."
"But you don't get it, I made him a promise."
"What are you one of those psychics from the TV shows? You have ghosts whispering warnings in your ear? Tingles up your back when dangers lurking? No, nothing like that?" Mark's brown eyes took on their usual mischievous glint as he queried his guilt ridden friend. "None of us ever would have thought this would happen. You ran up those stairs the moment you heard a noise and you stopped Steve. You kept your word." Mark said as Josh allowed some of his guilt go. "And what did you mean by hurt him again?"
Josh sighed; he had already mentioned it so there was no use in denying it. He had only been carrying Justin's secret for little over a day and it was proving to be a difficult confidence for him to keep, "His dad, he beats him."
"I'm going to ask a question and I know I'm going to regret it but is that were that scar came from?"
"You saw the scar?" Josh's eyes widened in disbelief.
"We all saw it when he was getting outta the lake," Mark admitted. It was easier to pretend not to have seen it, especially since he was the one who had pushed Justin in the water.
"Shit, I thought I was the only one that saw it." Josh was immediately worried over how Justin would react to everyone having seen his scar. The memory of the shame in his eyes as he showed him rocked him to the core.
"No, we all did cause Steve came up to me when you guys where in the house, and asked if I saw it, but I lied and told him I didn't."
"Damn. Yeah his dad carved that into him. It's a long story and it's not my place to go and tell it." Josh looked around, intent upon completing his original errand. He moved to stand up, but Mark seemed to have something more he wanted to say.
"Um, so you and Justin are together?" Mark ventured, feeling foolish for asking the obvious.
"Yeah, is that going to be a problem for you?" Josh's emerald green eyes hardened.
"No, not a problem, not in the way you'd think. I mean this means you're gay, and Justin's gay, and apparently so is Steve. If I had a problem with gays I'd have to instantly hate three of my best friends. I'm not that big of an idiot." Mark shrugged his shoulders and paused, gathering his thoughts.
"I'm not all that good with the emotional stuff, but whatever you need let me know. Justin's downstairs and he's really hurting, not just the outside. From what you told me I kind of see why and, if Justin ever feels like telling us then it's up to him. But I hope you're not going to let him go back to his dad?"
"Hell no! Jason and I were talking about that before the tree crashed. I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to bring it up to my parents."
"Well, I would just tell them as soon as you can. You don't want to let Justin go back to his house even for a night; god only knows what his dad would do to him." Relief showed in Mark's face.
"I know but the cell phone reception out here is horrible. The only place I can get decent service is outside and I'm not going out there now."
"Maybe there's a land line here? Your parents have to know before we all come back so they can get things taken care of."
"It's not as easy as that. You see, Justin's sick. He has cancer, and the wonderful friend I am I didn't even ask what kind he has." Josh couldn't stop himself from inventorying the ways he was a not what he needed to be for Justin.
"You still need to tell your parents. Tell them that he is sick too, they need to know so they can help him."
"I know I do. I just hope Justin isn't too mad at me for telling my parents. He made me promise not to tell anyone."
"There comes a point when you have to break a promise to someone, especially when it comes to them being in danger."
Josh regarded Mark for a moment; he wasn't the 'thinker' in their group. "You're right. I'll ask Jason if there is a phone here and if not I'll have to call when the storm is over."
