Collateral Damage

Chapter 3

 

 

Two nurses and a doctor were trying to examine Chris in the emergency room of the hospital.

He kept pushing them away and trying to get up from the table.

"You better talk to your friend," the doctor told Jonny, "If he doesn't let us examine him, we will have to use restraints."

Jonny eyes grew wide.

"I'm sorry," he told the doctor, "He's just very upset."

"I understand," he said, sympathetically, "But he may be injured. We have to treat him if he is."

Jonny nodded and walked across the room to where Chris was putting on his shoes.

"Chris, let them look at you, okay?" he asked, putting his hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine," he said, "I have to go and see...see...if they found..."

"They will let us know when they find them," Jonny said, gently.

Chris looked up at Jonny.

"There has to be some mistake," he said, "Will is so smart. He is always so alert. And Guy...well...I know he sleeps deep, especially since he was drinking but.."

"If I go talk to the firemen will you let the doctor look at you?" Jonny asked.

"I guess so," Chris said.

Jonny looked at the doctor and nodded.

The doctor walked back to Chris and motioned for him to sit down on the examination table.

"This will only take a second," he said, as he placed his stethoscope against Chris' chest.

"I'll be back in a second," Jonny told him.

"Breathe deeply," the doctor ordered.

Chris took a deep breath and started to cough.

The doctor frowned.

"We better admit you for the night," he told Chris, "I want to make sure your lungs are clear in the morning."

"I am not staying here," Chris said.

"You can stay on your own or I will get hospital security," the doctor told him, as he was writing on the chart.

The door opened and Jonny came in.

"Well?" Chris asked, hoping for some good news.

"None of the firemen I talked to knew anything," Jonny said, "But alot of the crews are still at the site."

"They won't let me leave," Chris told him, "Will you go back there and see if you can find out anything? Maybe Guy and Will weren't even there. They could have gone out to get more beer or something."

"I guess it is possible," Jonny said.

"Try calling their cell phones,"Chris suggested.

Jonny's hopes rose when he dialed Guy's phone and he heard his voice.

But it was just a recording.

"He never went anywhere without that phone," Chris said, "If the phone is working then it must not have been in the fire."

Jonny just looked at him.

Chris was grasping at any little thing for hope.

Jonny didn't have the heart to point out to him that Will and Guy were probably dead from smoke inhalation even if the fire never reached them.

 

 

 

Chapter 4

 

 

 

Jonny walked slowly up the street and stood in front of the remains of the building.

The acrid smell of smoke and ashes filled the air.

Firemen milled mindlessly around the area carrying equipment and trying to wind up loose fire hoses.

Two firemen were standing near the entrance to the studio.

One was pointing out hotspots that still needed to be watched.

Jonny walked up to them with the intention of asking if anyone else had been found.

But something caught his eye lying on the ground between the firemen and the building.

"Oh no," Jonny gasped as he realized that it was a body bag.

The firemen heard his gasp and turned around.

One of them grabbed Jonny, while the other one quickly finished zipping up the bag.

But in the split second in between all that action, Jonny caught sight of a wisp of dark hair.

"Let me go," Jonny broke free from the fireman and slowly knelt down in front of the body bag.

"It's okay," the first fireman told the second, "Let him look. We need a positive identification anyway."

The fireman unzipped the bag gently.

Just as Jonny had feared, the wisp of dark hair that he had seen belonged to Guy.

"He's not dead, is he?" Jonny asked.

The fireman patted him on the shoulder and said, "I'm afraid so."

Jonny covered his eyes, then looked back at Guy.

He appeared to be sleeping.

There was not a mark on his handsome face.

"He's not burned or anything," Jonny said.

"No, smoke inhalation," the fireman told him, "We found him and the other one by the back door."

Jonny looked up.

"The other one? You found Will?"

The fireman nodded.

"He was still alive, barely, he had managed to open the door."

"Will's alive?" Jonny asked.

"They took him to the hospital," the fireman said, "I don't know if he will live or not."

Jonny felt some relief.

He leaned down and gently put his arms around Guy, giving him one last hug.

"I'll take care of the others for you," Jonny told him.

"Come on," the fireman said, "You really shouldn't be here."

Two ambulance drivers approached and put the body on a stretcher.

Jonny just sat on the ground and wondered how he was going to tell Chris the horrible news.

 

 

SPRING & WINTER

Chapter 4

 

 

 

 

One sunny afternoon, I was sitting in the library, flipping through some of the books my grandfather had left on his desk prior to his death. No one had moved them from their place, and I thought it was interesting how they were probably in the same position. I even found an inscription in one of them, made out to his wife.

 

“It’s odd,” said William, whom I’d forced to come along. “Your grandfather never let anyone near these books.”

 

“And here I am; leisurely looking them over?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Do you mind? Why don’t you look at one?” William shook his head, frowning, and I got nervous. “Oh...you don’t know how to read?”

 

“I know how to read, sir,” he snapped, unexpectedly.

 

“I’m sorry; I meant no offense. But I didn’t know that servants here were taught to read.” I put down the book I’d been looking at and sheepishly looked at my feet. I heard William shuffle his as he paced around the ornate mahogany desk.

 

“You’re right, sir. Most of them aren’t,” he said slowly. “My mother learned from one of her previous employers, and she taught me when I was young.”

 

I smiled and nodded, having no idea what I should say.

 

“So...what families live around here? We haven’t gotten any responses yet.”

 

William paused, thinking. “The Paltrows are by far the wealthiest...I would imagine the eldest daughter will definitely be interested in the soiree. Then there are the Harveys, a lovely family...the Cantors, The La Tours...” He paused again, his brow furrowed. “Ah!” he said loudly, a smile spreading across his face. “The Berrymans. They’re Scottish...quite an interesting batch they are. Their eldest son is just about your age, sir.”

 

“Really?” I asked nonchalantly, trying to disguise my curiosity. “Would I like him?”

 

“Yes, I suppose you two will get along.”

 

He was grinning in a way that told me he wasn’t revealing everything. But when he caught me looking at him, the grin disappeared and he cleared his throat. That’s when I realized he still didn’t quite enjoy my company.

 

“Do you think it’s pathetic that I consider you my only friend in this house? Why do you dislike me so much?”

 

He looked up at me. “Friend?” he echoed. He was shocked because of what I’d said, but I was shocked because I’d actually told him what was on my mind.

 

“Ah...”

 

“Sir, that’s...not...I... don’t think badly of you...”

 

“Please, William, I’m sorry. You may go...groom the horses, or whatever it is you want.”

 

He nodded and left quickly, and I was left to curse my wretched stupidity.

 

 

 

Collateral Damage

Chapter 5

 

 

Chris and Jonny stood by Will's bed.

Will was hooked up to all kinds of machines.

"His brain is still active they say," Chris said.

"Yeah," Jonny said.

"But he might be in a coma for a long time."

"Yeah," Jonny said.

"It's my fault you know," Chris said, wiping away one single tear.

"No it isn't," Jonny said.

"The fire marshal said it was the coffee pot that started the fire. I was making coffee and I fell asleep," Chris explained.

Jonny stared at him.

"I.....I didn't know that," he said, "I just thought it was probably Guy smoking again."

For the first time in his life, Chris looked at Jonny and saw disapproval.

"Do you hate me?" he asked.

"What?" Jonny said, sharply, "No, of course not."

"I killed Guy," Chris said, softly.

For the first time in his life, Jonny couldn't feel sorry for Chris.

He was shocked to find himself feeling anger and hatred for his best friend.

Jonny didn't know how to deal with these intense feelings.

He turned and left the room.

"Jon?" Chris followed him down the hall.

He caught up with Jonny near the nurses station and grabbed his arm.

Jonny involuntarily jerked his arm away.

"Don't touch me," he told Chris.

"I'm sorry," Chris said, "So sorry."

"That doesn't do Guy much good now, does it?" Jonny barked.

"I know," Chris said.

Jonny fidgeted a bit, moving his cap around on his head.

"I just keep thinking about how..maybe I could have got to him...and how awful it must have been for him...trying to breathe and not being able to..."

Chris was staring at him with big, sad, shocked eyes.

"And how I was just so damn worried about getting to you and saving your ass," Jonny continued.

"You should have let me die," Chris told him.

"No one should have died," Jonny said, "And if it wasn't for your damn coffee.....no one would have."

A buzzer sounded at the nurses desk.

Two nurses jumped up and ran down the hall toward Will's room.

Another nurse was on the intercom calling, "Code Blue."

Jonny and Chris just stared at each other.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 6

 

 

Jonny was sitting in his apartment all alone.

He couldn't get the images out of his head.

Guy, lying there so still and cold on the ground, while his hair barely moved in the wind.

Will, lying all askew on the hospital bed where the doctors and nurses had worked for forty minutes to get his heart started again.

And all for nothing.

He didn't want to blame Chris.

It was something that any one of them could have done.

But yet it wasn't any one of them.

He felt such surprising rage every time he thought of Chris.

His phone buzzed and he answered it absentminedly.

"Jonny," Chris said, "I am really sorry for everything. I just wanted you to know that."

"Chris, I really..." he started to say.

But he was interrupted by a loud noise.

A terrifyingly loud noise.

He knew what it was without having to think about it.

It was a gunshot.

Jonny quietly closed the phone and laid it back down on the table in front of him.

He thought about calling the authorities but he knew there was nothing they could do.

Chris was already gone.

 

Four identical coffins stood next to each other at the cemetery.

"I can't believe it," Phil said, shaking his head.

"They are all gone. Just like that." Another friend said.

"It was all just a stupid accident," another friend mused.

"But they just couldn't live without each other," Phil said.

"Once Chris was gone, we knew that Jonny would go too," the first friend said.

"I should have watched them closer," Phil said.

"There was nothing you could have done," the second friend said.

"It was wonderful while it lasted," Phil said, "They were the closest friends anyone has ever known."

"They were like shooting stars," the first friend said, "Blazing brightly for a short time and then gone."

 

The End

 

 

Stuck In A Moment

Chapter 4

 

 

 

 

Recovery was a word I became familiar with, after hearing it so many times. Dr. Harrington told me I was on a recovery path and it was important to not be afraid of taking steps back if it meant I could keep going forward afterwards.

 

I did go back and I did regress but at the end of the day, I was better and stronger.

 

Jonny told me he was afraid I would get stuck and never be the boy he befriended. I had to confess I was afraid of that too. However, to be honest, I would never be that same boy again but, as he pointed out, that was actually a good thing. It meant I was growing and developing, turning me into a better man.

 

I didn’t take compliments seriously but hearing those words out of Jonny’s mouth made me believe them.

 

We were standing at the park, ready to run for a little bit. That’s right, Jonny was running with me. Usually I would do it alone and usually he would pass the idea of running, preferring the comfort of his warm bed.

 

Despite being 6 in the morning, he decided to join me and there we were in our shirts and shorts, running through the calm, silent park, underneath the grey sky. It was such a liberating sensation and I had to close my eyes for a second to absorb every single memory of this place.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Reaching my home, I walked in, breathless and about to hit the shower when I noticed two figures sitting on my couch.

 

I entered the living room where my daughter was sitting on my ex-wife’s lap.

 

“Hey! Went for a run?” She asked me, looking up.

 

“Yeah, I did.” I answered. “What are you doing here?”

 

“I wanted to talk to you. About this.” She held up a letter, which I grabbed from her grasp. It was from my doctor’s office. I must have given him the wrong address. I mentally kicked myself for being so distracted. I didn’t want her to know I was going to a psychologist. The only people who knew that were Will, Chris, Jonny and Phil. Nobody else. And he had wanted it to stay that way. There was no point in making others worry about it.

 

“Oh, thank you for giving it to me. You could have left it in the mailbox.” I tried to avoid the subject but apparently, she wasn’t on the same page.

 

“What’s going on? Are you still depressed about the accident?” She asked me.

 

“Yeah, sort of.” I responded, shortly. I didn’t feel the same connection with her I once treasured so much. We were still good friends but our lives had only one thing linking us and that thing, or rather someone, was grabbing the books I had on the coffee table and dropping them on the floor, apparently ‘reading’ them, with her tiny hand on her chin in thought.

 

“Ohh.” She sighed, her face showing her worry. “If you need anything or if you want to talk, I’m here.”

 

My lips formed a small smile, showing my appreciation for her support. She was the first friend I made when I came to England all those years ago, so she knew me and my parents pretty well. And, in spite of everything, she was always on my side. In a way, she was like a sister to me, she was my first companion in crime, my first best friend, my first girlfriend. Now, she was the mother of my daughter but, nevertheless, she was, on top of anything else, a dear friend.

 

That was basically what she meant to me.

 

“Thank you.” I replied.

 

“Okay, I’m going now.” She said, picking up the brown-eyed, little girl that was flipping through the pages, bored, because there were no pictures, unlike her own books.

 

“Wait.” I stopped her. “Can I spend the day with her?”

 

She looked at me. “Sure. It’s good, actually, because I have work to do.”

 

So, I spent the rest of the day playing with dolls and stuffed animals, among other things.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 5

 

 

 

 

This is what I was telling Dr. Harrington the next day when he interrupted me to tell me I didn’t need more sessions. I was more than able to handle being on my own from that point on. If I wanted to, I could go once or twice a month but there was no need to see him twice a week.

 

I didn’t know how to react to that information. I was scared, relieved, hesitant, then satisfied.

 

My first instinct was to tell Chris, Will and Jonny. My second one told me to wait a few days to see if things would work out. It was hard being confident about myself again but I was on that road, step by step.

 

The final step for me was visiting my brother.

 

He was living in London now, so it was easier going to see him. He appeared at the doorway right when I parked the car in front of his small gate.

 

His eyes looked at me with such longing and warmth, I couldn’t help but smile. That day I felt a sense of weight being lifted from my shoulders. It was as if my bond with my brother became even stronger, even tighter.

 

I still wake up in the middle of the night and turn my head to see the portrait of my parents on my bedside table. I still allow a few tears to make their way down my cheeks. I still feel an irreplaceable void in my heart. I still feel the physical pain in my chest.

 

However, I still keep fighting for my life. I don’t want to get left behind on a journey that I should own. It’s the same old clichéd: it never goes away, but it does get easier to accept it. I don’t think I could ever live a day without thinking about them and I’ll never get used to not being able to see them, but I’ll get used to that idea.

 

 

At this moment, I’m leaving today’s session with Dr. Harrington. He recommended I went there only once a month now. He said I should live my life and the way to do that is to stop going to that place every week.

 

The accident was about a year ago now. I don't feel as hopeless or as useless as I did. I don't feel healed or completely over it either. I feel at peace.

 

I step out of the building and turn to my right, walking rapidly in my home’s direction when the shadow of a man catches my attention. Will.

 

“Hey!” I say, sounding surprised. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Hi, man.” Will greeted me. “What do you say we go for a run?”

 

“Now?!” I asked.

 

“Yeah, I brought you the gear.” He winked at me. In fact, he was already prepared for jogging, now that I noticed.

 

I pondered for a second. I was with my comfy jeans and I could just lose the jacket and I’d be fine running for miles. A wide grin appeared on my face. “Ready to lose a race?” And then I started sprinting in the park’s direction, Will following right behind me, yelling at me for cheating.

 

It felt good.

 

It felt really good. It reminded me of when I was a child and had no worries, no concerns, no problems. And suddenly everything seemed to lose its importance. It didn’t matter if there was more pain to come, if there were more problems awaiting.

 

No matter what I didn’t get stuck like I feared I would. I wasn’t stuck in that moment anymore.

 

 

The End

 

 

First attempt at writing Coldplay fanfic.

 

A Rush of Blood

Chapter I

 

 

 

PM to read.

 

 

A Rush of Blood

 

Chapter II

 

PM to read.

 

 

A Rush of Blood

 

Chapter III

 

 

 

Removed, PM to read.

 

 

A Rush of Blood

 

Chapter IV

 

Pm to read.

 

DP

A Rush of Blood

 

Chapter V

 

 

Removed, PM to read.

 

 

oh, look who it is! it's...

 

The Escapists

(a 'Scandalous' sequel :wacky:)

 

Part 1

 

 

 

Chris' POV

 

Summer went by so fast. Probably because it was the last summer I'll really get to enjoy. By the time next summer rolls around, I'll be settling in to the taxing world of being an adult. Luckily, I've got Jonny. He makes everything a thousand times better.

 

I realised over the summer that I'm not cut out for the type of boring lives that the adults around me seem to live. I spent a lot of time sitting around, thinking about what I could do with my future. College is definitely expected of me, though I don't know what exactly I'll study or what career path I'll choose. All I know is that I do not want to end up as a banker.

 

"Jonny, what do you want to be?" I asked one day when we were sitting by the river. The sun was beginning to set, and it spread an orange glow around the world. Jonny and I were both sitting on a small group of large rocks that edged the river. We would have to leave soon. Sometimes I wish I could just live there.

 

"I don't know."

 

"Really? I figured you'd have your life already planned out."

 

"No," he chuckled, "there are a few things that sound interesting, I suppose, but there's nothing really that pops out at me as something that I would want to spend my whole life doing. What about you?"

 

"I don't know either, but I was gonna use you as a back-up plan."

 

"Back-up plan?"

 

"Yeah, like, you're brilliant, right? So, if I don't end up being really successful at whatever it is I'm going to do, then I could just lounge around while you're out making lots of dough. 'Cause I can tell that you'll do really well, Jonny. You're brilliant."

 

The layer of orange around us was slowly transforming into a reddish-purple. Jonny was silent as he gently repositioned himself on the rocks. There was a slight awkwardness in the air.

 

"You think we'll be together for that long?"

 

"Why wouldn't we be?" I frowned. Jonny's beautiful green eyes scanned the ground for some sort of answer or distraction. I was starting to think that I should have kept my mouth shut.

 

"No reason. I just didn't know you thought about stuff like that."

 

"There's not much else to think about 'round here. And I like the idea of us... well, it sounds really cheesy, but I like the idea of us growing old together."

 

"Aw, that is cheesy." Jonny removed his eyes from the ground and looked at me. He moved as close as he could and placed a soft kiss of my cheek. My heart warmed a bit as he smiled and said, "I would love to be with you forever."

 

"We will be, right?"

 

"Of course. But... you're gonna have to get a job, even if you're not successful. I might be brilliant, but I'm not going to support the both of us by myself."

 

"Ugh, fine, I suppose I'll get a job."

 

"Don't worry, anyway. You're brilliant, too."

 

"You're just saying that because you don't want me to feel bad."

 

"Yeah, and I believe it."

 

"Then love has blinded you, dear Jonny."

 

"Is that a bad thing?"

 

"No." I rested my head on Jonny's shoulder and looked at the dark blue blanket that the sky had turned in to. I felt Jonny place his arm around me. Everything was perfect, why did it have to end? "I don't want to leave. And I don't want to go back to school."

 

"Who does?"

 

"Mmm. Can we just stay here?"

 

"Sure we can. But only for, like, ten more minutes."

 

"No, I wanna stay forever."

 

"It would be nice," he said.

 

"When we get old and stuff, we should just move here. We could build a house or something, like, right over there. Then we could just sit out here all day."

 

"Wouldn't that get boring?"

 

"No, because we would have each other. And I could never get bored of you."

 

"Good." For the next five minutes we were both silent. Despite Jonny's initial reaction to what I had said earlier, I knew that we would always be together. I could just feel it. We'd already been through so much, and made it through just fine. Anything that the world could throw at us, we could handle. God, I love him so much.

 

"Well, we should probably go now," I finally said, even though I had no desire to move at all.

 

"Yeah... but we'll see each other tomorrow."

 

"I'll miss you."

 

"I'll miss you, too." He grabbed my chin with his free hand and kissed me. "I love you, Chrissy."

 

"I love you, too, Bucky."

 

 

 

Love My Way

Chapter 1

 

 

"I'm in love," Chris said.

His brother stopped what he was doing and turned to look at him.

"I didn't even know you were dating," he said.

Chris twisted the bracelets around on his wrists.

"I'm not," he said.

His brother laughed.

"Is this like the time you were in love with Pamela Anderson?" he asked.

Chris grinned, wryly.

"No, not at all," he said, "How thoughtful of you to remember that."

"It's what brothers do, "he said, "We always remember the most embarrassing things and tease you about them later."

"Hey," Chris said, "I wasn't embarrassed. She was gorgeous."

His brother laughed.

"I think we were just all relieved that it was a girl," he said.

The temporary smile disappeared from Chris' face.

"I never was gay," he said, seriously.

"Nah. I know," his brother said, "We just liked to tease you about it."

Chris paced around the room a bit and fiddled with his cap.

"So, don't keep me in suspense," his brother told him, "Who is this person that you aren't dating but are in love with?"

Chris didn't know what to say.

He had come here with the express purpose of telling his brother this news.

But now that the time was here, he wasn't sure how to say it.

Finally, he just gathered the words together and pushed them out of his mouth.

"I'm in love with Jonny," he said, quietly.

His brother looked at him and laughed.

"That's a good one," he said.

"I'm serious," Chris said.

The smile dropped from his brother's face.

"Bullshit, Chris," he said, "That's ridiculous. I know you two have been friends forever and you are really close, but....love?"

"Yes," Chris said, nodding slowly.

"Aren't you being just a little dramatic again?" his brother asked.

"No," Chris said, "I love him."

His brother took a deep breath.

"You haven't told this to anybody else, have you?" he asked.

"No," Chris said, "I wanted to see what your reaction was first."

"Good," his brother said, "I still have a chance to talk some sense into you."

"You aren't going to change how I feel," Chris said.

 

 

 

Chapter 2

 

 

"Hey," she said, kissing Chris on the cheek, "It's been a long time."

"Not that long," he said, hugging her tightly.

"You are too busy for your sister now that you are famous," she teased him.

"Never," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"I made some tea," she said, "Sit down and tell me what's wrong."

Chris frowned at her.

"Why do you think something is wrong?" he asked.

She smirked a little and moved to the counter to check the tea.

"You've always had that same look in your eyes when something was bothering you," she said.

Chris sat down at the table as she poured the drink for them.

"I have a problem," he said.

"Ah ha, I knew it," she said, smiling, "What's troubling you, luv?"

"I'm in love," he told her.

She smiled.

"Finally!" she said, "We were starting to worry that you would never have time for a wife and a family with all that traveling you do."

"It's not like that," he said, staring into his cup.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I'm in love with Jonny," he told her.

She sat her cup down heavily.

"I see," she said.

Chris waited for her to say more, but she didn't.

"Is that all?" he asked.

"And how does he feel about you?" she asked.

"He loves me too," Chris told her.

"Ah Chris..." she shook her head and looked away.

"I was afraid of something like this. All those types of people you meet in your job."

Chris frowned.

"What types of people?" he asked, "This is my decision. No one talked me into anything."

"This is not the type of life I wanted for you," she said, "I wanted you to be happy and normal."

Chris stiffened just a little.

"I am happy," he said, "And quite normal too."

"Have you talked to someone about this?" she asked.

"Like who?"

"Like a therapist or a priest," she said.

Chris took a deep breath.

"I don't need therapy," he said, "And I don't need a priest."

"Would you just give it a try?" she asked, "Just once. For me?"

"I love you," he said, "If it will make you feel better, I will do it."

 

 

 

This is for Thalia (Twisted mind), because she is a total sweetheart. The next chapter is hers too, because this turned out a bit shorter than I'd imagined.

 

A Rush of Blood

 

Chapter VI

 

Removed. PM to read.

 

Coldplay Alphabet

 

A collection of poems about Coldplay, and my first fanfic. Criticism and compliments are encouraged. Peace out.

 

 

A is for Apple, Chris's little girl

Who was recently spotted at Walt Disney World

To get a picture of her is the paps' dream come true

But I heard Chris would tackle them before they do

Some people think it's strange to be named after a fruit

But Gwyneth loved it and didn't give a hoot

 

B is for butterflies, from LiJ

They are the new symbol for the band Coldplay

Fans like to step on them, or watch them fall

Or even collect and tape them to their walls

Whether you went to Toronto or you went to Wembley

Seeing butterfly rain leaves you delightfully trembling

 

C is for Chris, singer of the band

The pianist and harmonica-ist with obscenely big hands

He's more critical with himself than the Coldplay haters are

And I heard that once he attacked a paps' car

Other than that he's quite handsome and charming

And his flexibility is really alarming

 

 

Maybe I'll write more when I feel like it, but I KNOW I will get to N for Nappies!

SPRING & WINTER

 

Chapter 5

 

 

 

 

Never in a million years could I have prepared myself for the night I was about to go through. People began to arrive at around noon, dressed lavishly. One woman had long blond hair that was carefully curled and pinned atop her head. She wore a dress the color of the sun. Another had her dark locks done up in the same position, and wore a dress of midnight blue. I tried not to stare at them as they walked by, although I knew their beauty was something I should be enjoying. But I merely smiled politely at them and blushed horribly when they smiled back.

 

The clothing I was wearing kept scratching my skin, but I wouldn’t let myself take anything or off or move anything around. My mother was always right behind me anyway, and I knew she probably wouldn’t let me. “Christopher, go out and greet the guests.”

 

“Yes, mother,” I said quietly, taking a tentative sip of wine. She plucked it from my hands.

 

“Don’t drink unless everyone else has been served.”

 

“Yes, mother,” I said more forcefully. I frowned angrily, beginning to resent the whole situation. I wasn’t cut out for this sort of socializing.

 

“Christopher!” cried an unfamiliar voice. My spine tingled uncomfortably as I turned around. “Young Mr. Martin...you do look so much like your grandfather!”

 

“Ah... I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, Mister...?”

 

“Berryman. Rupert Berryman.” The man had dark hair that was slightly streaked with gray and fine features that were impressive for a man his age. “How are you, my boy?”

 

“I’m well, thank you. And how are you?”

 

“I’m getting by. And how are you managing, my dear?” he asked my mother.

 

She smiled gracefully and nodded. “I’m fine, Mr. Berryman.”

 

Eventually, after chatting with the Paltrows and the Harveys, I managed to get away from the main party and escape into the library. But to my shock, there were already people there. The most striking of them was the man. He had two young women on his arm, but he didn’t seem to be paying them much attention. “Excuse me,” I said curiously, knocking on the open door. The dark-haired man jumped slightly, and the women gasped.

 

He fixed me suspiciously with his dark eyes and I was taken back. But as soon as he judged me to be safe, he smiled cautiously. “Martin?”

 

I studied his pale face and a name immediately popped into my head. “Berryman?”

 

He looked oddly annoyed for a moment. “I see you met my father.” His voice was silky and flawless, and I found myself momentarily unable to speak for awe. To my surprise, I realized that I was nothing less than intimidated by him.

 

“Y-Yes, I did. Delightful man.”

 

“He is, isn’t he?” chirped one of the girls. I turned to her apologetically and inclined my head.

 

“I am sorry, miss. What is your name?”

 

“Joanna White.”

 

“Elizabeth Cantor,” said the other, introducing herself.

 

“I’m sorry, Miss Elizabeth and Miss White, could you give us a minute?” asked the young Berryman. With a jolt, I noticed that he was struggling to look at me. With the girls off to rejoin the party, he seemed to shrink. He looked at the floor and laughed shortly.

 

“I’m sorry for intruding on your library, Martin.”

 

“It’s all right,” I said, waving my hand dismissively. “And you may call me Christopher. Or Chris, if you want.”

 

“Right...Christopher. Call me Guy, then.”

 

“Fair enough.”

 

He chuckled and crossed his arms slowly across his chest.

 

For a moment, I found myself unable to look away from him, and I felt my hear t skip a beat. My God...he was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen in my life.

 

 

 

Coldplay Alphabet D-G

 

 

D is for Deodorant, Ode to, Coldplay's first song

It's a love song and rock ballad gone horribly wrong

Whether Old Spice, Degree Girl, or even Dove

Chris believes all deodorant is deserving of love

Needless to say, this ode wasn't a hit

Even Coldplay themselves thought it was shii...take mushrooms

 

E is for Everything's Not Lost, which it really isn't, thank God

Or we'd be without hope, fishing with a broken rod

"I'll be counting up my demons, hoping everything's not lost"

Those are great words to say, when all prospect is tossed

A great tune to which we can all sing along

But if you look at the setlist you'll think, "Where is the song?"

 

F is for forty-two, the number that stalks

You in the streets and in your clocks

It's on price tags, on Will's shirt, on even your wife

It's rumored to be the meaning of life

Coldplayers claim to see it everywhere

Forty-two keeps tabs on all of us, I swear

 

G is for Guy, the best looking one

He's obsessed with technology and sort of likes to run

Guy's puppet's his polar opposite--he looks as ugly as sin

But hey, that piece of wood must have some beauty within (NOT)

Berrygirls love him because they think he's hot

But he can't return love for he's actually a robot

 

 

...:facepalm: Sorry if that E is for Everything's Not Lost poem came out stiff and stupid..

The Escapists

 

Part 2

 

 

 

The one week that Jonny and I didn't spend together over the summer was when we both went on vacation with our families. He went to Spain or something, and I went to France. It was so boring. Plus, everywhere I went there was something that reminded me of him. It was only for a week, though, so it wasn't completely horrible.

 

Before we left, Jonny and I promised to bring back one souvenir for each other. I found this amazingly adorable singing bird thing in some weird French shop. It was yellow, sitting on some sort of stand, and whenever you pressed this button it would start to sing this song that I couldn't understand because it was all in French. I knew Jonny would love it, so I immediately grabbed it and ran to the check-out line. He did love it, too. When he first saw it, he looked a bit confused, but once it started singing, a huge grin spread across his face. Then he pulled something out of the bag he was carrying.

 

It was a keychain. A simple, little keychain, but it was also the most thoughtful and beautiful gift I'd ever recieved. The picture on it was of some piano keys. I had no idea why it caused such a reaction, but as I slowly grabbed it from Jonny, my eyes started to tear up.

 

"Chris, I know it's a horrible gift, but you don't have to cry," Jonny joked. I had to force myself to refrain from crying long enough to answer. It was almost pathetic.

 

"This is amazing, Jonny, I love it. I love you."

 

"Really? I mean, I'm glad you like it. There were so many other things that were nicer and more expensive, but none of them seemed right, you know? Then I saw this and... I just knew it belonged to you."

 

I felt as though I wasn't going to be able to hold back my pathetic crying any longer, so I chose to throw my arms around Jonny and bury my head in his shoulder. He warmly wrapped his arms around me in return, and after what seemed like an eternity I was finally able to spit out, "Thank you."

 

From that day on, I carried that keychain everywhere. When I went to the store with my mom, when I hung out with Jonny, even when I went to bed. It meant so much to me. So, as I stood in front of the big glass doors at the entrance to the school, I held the keychain firmly in the palm of my hand. A massive stampede of teenagers was rushing into the school, but I remained standing in my spot, rapidly scanning the crowd for my love. I looked for minutes, but I still couldn't find him. Then I heard someone call from behind.

 

"Chrissy!" the voice called. I sighed a dreaded groan, and reluctantly turned around. Sure enough, the uglies were headed in my direction.

 

"Paulie!" I threw back.

 

"How was your summer Chrissy?" Paul asked as he and Joe stopped in front of me. "Did you make lots of love to your boyfriend?"

 

"Oh, yeah, we did all sorts of nasty sexual things. Wanna hear about it?" Paul twisted his face into a disgusted mess, obviously regretting his attempt to annoy me.

 

"No."

 

"I do," Joe said. At the same time, Paul and I shot him a look. He seemed to return the same look as he added, "It was a joke."

 

"Right."

 

"Well, guys, I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got to find Jonny." With that, I bolted toward the entrance. Because of my clumsiness, I bumped into a tall figure that was also trying to make its way through the door. "Oh, sorry," I said, before I realised who I ran into. "Jonny! I've been looking for you."

 

"Well, I think you found me," he said, rubbing his arm.

 

"I did! And I'm glad, because this is all so horrible already, and I've just barely gotten into the school itself."

 

"Come on, we better get going before we're late."

 

"Are we still in the same homeroom?" I asked as we began walking.

 

"I hope so. 734?"

 

"Um... uh.. hmm..." I reached into my pocket, frantically searching for a small piece of paper. I finally found it, and prayed that the number would match as I opened the folded note. "734! Yes!"

 

"Good. Ugh, I hope you-know-who isn't in there."

 

"Eww, the uglies? I hadn't thought about that." We reached the door to room 734, and Jonny kindly let me in first. As I made my way to an empty seat, I decided that no matter what, I was going to enjoy this school year. After all, it was my last, and the year before that didn't go too well. It ended splendidly, of course, but the whole parents-being-jerks fiasco was horrible. This year, though, nothing could bring me down.

 

I threw my backpack onto the desktop, sat down, and gently placed the keychain next to my bag. Jonny sat down next to me moments later, and I anxiously watched the door, hoping that Paul and Joe wouldn't turn up.

 

"You still carry that around?" Jonny asked, pointing to the keychain.

 

"Yes," I innocently replied.

 

"It really means that much to you?"

 

"Yes."

 

"It was a horribly cheap gift."

 

"But it's from you. And I..."

 

"You...?"

 

"I feel like... like everything makes sense when I look at it. The world doesn't seem like such a big, scary place."

 

"Oh. I feel like that sometimes. When-when I'm with you."

 

"You're gonna make me cry again, Jonny."

 

"You always cry. It's more shocking when your eyes are dry." I laughed and playfully hit his arm. The smile didn't stay plastered on my face for long, though. "What's wrong?" he asked, noticing that my facial expression had changed dramatically.

 

Jonny turned around to spot the same horror that I had seen- two rather unattractive men walking into the room.

 

 

 

Coldplay Alphabet H-L

 

 

H is for Harvey, Phil's last name

Who made Coldplay successful? Phil's to blame!

He was their first manager and does crew work backstage

And yet the band pays him minimum wage

He turned Coldplay into an overnight sensation

Don't ever forget to show Phil appreciation!

 

I is for In My Place, where lines couldn't change

Where we were lost, oh yes, in a furious rage

During that song Jonny craved cake

And Chris started imitating Justin Timberlake

Also Chris developed a bit of a swagger

As he climbed up the rows to hug Noel Gallagher

 

J is for Jonny, guitarist and jazz fan

Supposedly the funniest, light hearted one in the band

A craver of cake, a phobic of sheep

No wonder he counts saxophones when he's going to sleep

Writers like to pair him with Chris all the time

In these slashy stories called lemons and limes

 

K is for Kornflake Door which Chris's house had

You can eat it when you're bankrupt, which isn't too bad

But if you hate cornflakes, or just hate doors

There are also cheese windows and fausages galore

If you're a cheese fan, or Mickey Mouse

Chris invites you to come and eat his house!

 

L is for Lhuna, which Kylie and Coldplay made

To raise funds for the people suffering from AIDS

They were dreaming of Lhuna, as the song might go

But who is this Lhuna girl? I think she's a ho...bo

Too sexy for Viva, since it caused feelings of lust

Lhuna was left on the shelf to gather dust

 

 

 

I'm not sure if all those things I wrote about Phil were true, but if you Youtube some Coldplay videos you'll find that a lot of things happened in In My Place.

 

Oh, and a lemon is a story with questionable content (euphamism ftw) and a lime is a slashy story.

This is to Thalia and to all of you who like this story, thanks for sticking with it so far!

 

A Rush of Blood

 

Chapter VII

 

 

PM to read.

 

 

I'm sorry for not posting anything lately, I've been busy... :sneaky:

And by the way, this is my first fanfcition where I uhmmm... Make people unhappy... so it might not be any good... :shifty:

 

Losing Grip(Part1)

 

 

 

The cool Winter air started to breeze into New York. No more swimming in Lakes. No more hula-hoops. No more sidewalk chalk. It brought a sudden ending to those things, but another beginning to the new things. But where did those new things start? Where was the beginning?

 

This Winter hadn't started so easily for me. I've been scared of everything ever since tragedy struck. Everyday I felt lonely. Killed; inside and out. Deep depression swept over me. I couldn't blame anyone else for what happened. No one but myself, even though it wasn't my fault.

 

There was nothing I could have done...

 

I sat there in the middle of the room, with nothing but thick glass walls. Watching the light snow slowly come to the surface of New York. I was in my Enchanted place. Inside my Enchanted place I was being nothing. I could wash out my mind in my Enchanted place, and I swore I could feel my family with me still. I could hear Apple and Moses foot steps against the floor and Gwyneth was sitting next to me. In our Enchanted place.

 

But when I got up from the cold floor, I realized they really weren't there...

 

 

 

Coldplay Alphabet--M

 

M is for Miley, who claims to like our boys

"OMG, I LAHK CHRIS, AND THOSE 3 OTHER GOYS"

She's crazy in love (but for Nick that must bite)

But she only knows Viva, and can't sing that right

When she can't go to a concert, she'll severely pout

'Cause us Coldplayers had the pleasure of booting her out :thumbsup:

 

 

Short short short shorter than I am. :(

This is for fixmechris, because she said she liked the story.

 

 

Love My Way

Chapter 3

 

"Ah Christopher," the priest said, as he entered his office, "So good to see you again."

Chris stood up and shook hands with the priest.

"It's nice to see you as well," he told the priest.

"What can I do for you?" the priest asked.

"I promised my sister I would visit you," Chris said.

"Sit....sit..." the priest directed as he sat down at his desk.

"Why did she want you to visit me?" the priest asked.

"I told her I was in love."

"That should have made her happy," the priest said.

"I told her I was in love with a man," Chris said.

"Ah," the priest said, clasping his hands together, "She didn't like that?"

Chris smiled.

"Not hardly," he said, "She told me to see a therapist or a priest. I chose you."

"I am flattered," the priest said, "Now days it is more popular to see a therapist."

"I trust you," Chris told him.

"What do you expect me to say?" the priest asked.

"I expect you to be honest with me," Chris told him.

"I can do that," the priest said.

"Is it wrong that I love another man?" Chris asked.

"According to what I have been taught, yes, it is," the priest said.

"But I can’t stop the way I feel about him,” Chris said.

“Are you sure it is love?” the priest asked.

Chris shrugged.

“As sure as a person can be about something like that,” he said.

“And how do you feel about him? Is it of a sexual nature?” the priest asked.

Chris’ eyes flew open and he blushed a bit at the brashness of the priest.

“Yes,” he admitted, “It is…but it is other stuff too.”

“Such as?” the priest asked.

“Such as I would do absolutely anything to see him smile. Such as I have stopped thinking about myself for once and only think about what his needs are. Such as I have an almost physical need to be around him. Such as I feel an incredible sense of completeness and peace with him.”

The priest smiled.

“That sounds like love to me,” he said.

“Then how can that be wrong?” Chris asked.

“I can’t tell you what to do,” the priest said, “I can only tell you that you must be able to live with the consequences of what you decide.”

“But you still don’t approve?” Chris asked.

“I am not here to approve or disapprove of how you live your life,” the priest said, “I believe that all love is a gift.”

 

 

 

Chapter 4

 

 

"So that's it then?"

"Pretty much," Chris said.

"We can't change your mind?" his sister asked.

Chris smiled.

"You don't seem to understand," Chris said, "It isn't a question of my mind. It's a question of my heart."

"This sounds like junior high school crap," his brother said, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Chris told him, "But my heart is with Jonny and that's where I must be."

"It just seems like it is so wrong," his sister said, shaking her head.

"Love can never be wrong," Chris told her.

"Love? It is twisted love if it is love," his brother said.

"Everyone has there own way of loving," Chris said, "This is love my way."

"You never did do things the easy way," his sister told him.

"This is the only way I know," Chris said.

His sister studied Chris' face for a moment.

"You do look happy," she admitted, "Happier than I have ever seen you look."

"Are you swallowing this crap?" his brother asked, looking at his sister.

"I want him to be happy," she said, "Don't you?"

"Well, of course," his brother said.

Then he looked at Chris.

"Hell stop looking at me like that," his brother said.

"Like what?" Chris asked.

"Like you always do. With those big sad eyes that remind me of a puppy."

Chris laughed.

"Come to London," he told them, "Spend some time with us. You will see."

"I'll do it," his sister said.

Chris looked expectantly to his brother.

"Oh fine," he said, "I can't fight both of you."

"When do you plan on telling mom and dad about this?" his sister asked.

Chris looked at her with a sly grin.

"I told them months ago," he said.

Then he laughed at the shocked expressions on the faces of his siblings.

"What did they say?" his sister asked.

"They didn't seem to mind. They told me I was going to have trouble with you two."

His sister and brother looked at one another.

Then they burst out laughing.

 

 

Love My Way

Chapter 5

 

 

"Well?" Jonny asked, "Did you tell them?"

Chris sat his traveling bag down in the chair and walked to Jonny.

He stood close to him and studied his face.

He looked into his brilliant green eyes and found nothing but serenity.

Chris gently touched Jonny's scraggly beard and then kissed him softly.

"Yes," he said, quietly, as he wrapped his arms around Jonny.

"What did they say?" Jonny asked, looking concerned.

"They didn't like it," Chris told him truthfully.

A look of sadness came into Jonny's eyes.

"Don't you dare look like that," Chris told him.

"I don't want to be a problem for you and your family," Jonny said.

"Listen carefully to me, Jon," Chris said speaking softly, "You are not a problem."

"But your family....." Jonny said.

"I don't like everything that they do," Chris said, "They don't have to like everything I do. Hell, they were embarrassed that I chose a career in music after all that time and money spent on college."

"What did they say? Are they still speaking to you?"

Chris took his hand and led him to the sofa. He sat down and motioned for Jonny to join him.

Jonny sat down and Chris leaned against him.

"My sister sent me to a priest," Chris told him.

"Oh no," Jonny said, "That must have been hard."

"He told me that all love is a gift," Chris explained, "And I told him that you certainly are the greatest gift anyone could hope for."

"And your brother?" Jonny asked.

"He just thought it was a joke," Chris said.

Jonny didn't say anything, but Chris felt him sigh deeply.

"I set them both straight," Chris told him.

"Yeah?" Jonny asked, trying to smile.

"I told them that you and I were together and that we were in love. They said it was a twisted sort of love."

"I'm so sorry," Jonny said.

"I told them that it was the purest form of love. That it was love my way and that they damn well better get used to it."

Jonny looked a little surprised.

"How did that go over?" he asked.

"You'll see for yourself next week," Chris said.

"What does that mean?" Jonny asked, looking terrified.

"They are coming for a visit. They want to get to know you better."

"Is that a good thing?" Jonny asked.

"That is a very good thing," Chris said, smiling.

 

The End

 

 

A Rush of Blood

 

Chapter VIII part 1

 

 

 

Removed, PM to read.

 

 

A Rush of Blood

 

Chapter VIII part 2

 

 

 

Removed, please PM to read.