^ Now updated for your reading pleasure ;)

Sticks and Stones

Chapter 1

 

 

 

 

Catherine loved to answer the phone.

She was turning into a typical little female in that respect.

Chris and Jonny had started calling the house a few times a day just to give her the thrill of answering.

Jonny would talk in funny accents that made her laugh.

Chris would usually sing her some little song that he made up on the spur of the moment.

So when the phone rang it was usually a good bet that it was one of them.

Catherine would answer the phone and then start giggling as she listened.

That is until one night.

She answered the phone and there was no laughter.

Guy was sitting in the floor playing cars with Matthew.

Fab was reading a magazine.

Catherine came walking to Fab and handed him the phone.

"Here, daddy," she said, looking at him with scared eyes.

Then she went and sat down in the floor and leaned against Guy.

Guy and Fab exchanged worried looks.

No one knew this number.

Family and friends would have called on their cell phones if anything was wrong.

"Hello?" Fab said, into the phone.

His jaw tensed up and he turned a little pale.

"Who was it, honey?" Guy asked, Catherine.

"I don't know," she said, "somebody with a funny voice."

He could tell she was scared.

He kissed her on the head and rubbed her back.

"It's alright," he said, "Just a wrong number or something."

Fab stood up and walked away.

Guy noticed he was clenching and unclenching his fist.

Then Guy heard him slam the phone down hard.

"Hey," he told Catherine, "How about some cookies?"

"Something's wrong, isn't it?" She asked.

"Cookie..." Matthew said.

"Why would you say that?" Guy asked her.

"You never let us have cookies at night," She told him.

"Maybe I am letting you have cookies just because I love you," he said, smiling at her.

"Okay," she said, standing up and running to the kitchen.

Fab was standing with both hands on the counter, looking down.

"What is it?" Guy asked, running a hand up his back.

"I'll tell you later," he said.

 

 

 

Chapter 2

 

 

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Guy asked.

"Don't let the kids here you," Fab told him.

Guy walked to the door of the bedroom and closed it.

"They were both asleep," he told Fab.

"Is that all that the bastard said?" Guy asked.

"Yeah, he said we were going to hell and that perverts like us aren't welcome around here."

"I thought all that kind of stuff was behind us," Guy said.

"What should we do?" Fab asked.

"Nothing," Guy said, sitting down beside him on the bed, "It was just a stupid idiot with too much time on his hands."

"I hope you are right," Fab said.

Guy took his hand and kissed it.

"Or maybe just some kids looking for a thrill."

"It didn't sound like a kid," Fab said, "It sounded like a real threat."

"Do you want to call the police?" Guy asked.

Fab shrugged.

"They can't really do anything," he said.

They were both silent for a few minutes.

"How much do you think he said to Catherine?" Guy asked.

"I don't know. Did she say anything to you about it?"

"No," Guy told him, "I could just tell she was scared."

Fab stood up and paced back and forth.

"I'd like to find the son-of-a-bitch," he said, hatefully, "How dare he scare a little girl. How dare he scare our little girl."

He put a hand to his face and rubbed his eyes.

Guy stood up and went to him.

"I'm sure it was just a one time thing," he said, placing his hand on Fab's neck.

Fab looked at him with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that kind of shit," Guy told him.

"It's nothing to me," he said, "It just pisses me off."

"You are cute when you get all protective," Guy said.

"I would do anything to keep the three of you safe," Fab told him.

"I know," Guy said, "As I would for you and the kids."

"I'm going to check on the kids," Fab said, "I don't like having them at the other end of the hall."

"I'll go with you," Guy said.

 

 

Sticks and Stones

Chapter 3

 

 

"Everything okay this morning, honey?" Guy asked Catherine.

"Yep," she said, as she finished drinking her milk.

"Get your books. I'll drive you to school today."

"Really?" she asked, smiling.

She didn't like to ride the bus because she said it was too boring.

They drove in silence for a short time.

Guy took the long way to school.

He wanted to be sure she was okay.

"You are quiet this morning," he told her.

She didn't answer.

"Can I ask you a question?" she said.

"Of course you can, sweetie," he told her.

"What's a pervert?" she asked.

Guy's heart sank into his stomach.

So the bastard on the phone had said something to her after all.

He regained his composure and tried to think what to tell her.

"Where did you here that word?" he asked, "Last night? On the phone?"

She nodded, silently.

"It's not a nice word," he told her, "Like all those other words that we don't say."

"Then why did the person on the phone say you are one?" she asked.

Guy didn't know what to tell her.

"That person was just mistaken," he said.

"That's what I thought," she said, "You and daddy aren't bad people."

"You have to remember sometimes people use words without knowing what they really mean," he said.

"That's why I always ask you what a word means," she told him, "You are the smartest person in the world."

They were coming up on the school.

He stopped a block away.

"Listen to me," he said, "You don't have to worry about adult things like this."

"Okay," she said, "I won't if you say so."

"Give me a hug," he told her.

She wriggled out of her seat belt and hugged him tightly.

"I love you, Catherine," he said, with an extra squeeze.

"I love you too, dad." she told him.

"I'll pick you up after school," he told her.

"Good," she said, "No boring bus ride."

 

 

A Rush of Blood

 

Chapter IX

 

 

 

Removed, please PM to read.

 

 

Sticks and Stones

Chapter 4

 

 

 

 

Guy and Fab both woke up when they heard the shattering of glass.

Fab jumped out of bed and ran down the hall to Catherine and Matthew.

He was relieved to see that they were both still sleeping peacefully.

Guy had grabbed a cricket bat that sat beside their bed in case it was an intruder.

But it wasn't an intruder.

"Someone threw a brick through the window," Guy said, as Fab came back from the kids rooms.

"What?" Fab asked, with wide eyes, "Why?"

"Here," Guy handed him the note that was wrapped around the brick.

"Get out of our neighborhood before someone gets hurt," Fab read.

"Where are you going?" he asked, as Guy walked away.

"I'm going to get Catherine and Matthew," Guy told him, "They are sleeping with us for the rest of the night."

Guy scooped up Matthew and Fab picked up Catherine.

"What are we doing?" she asked, sleepily.

"You are going to sleep with us," Fab told her.

"That's good," she said, smiling, "I like it when we do that."

"Go back to sleep," he told her.

 

The kids were settled in their bed and sleeping quietly.

"What are we going to do?" Fab asked Guy.

"Leave, I guess," he said, "If you agree."

"Yeah, I think that is best. If it was just us, I might say stay, but I'm not risking Catherine and Matthew."

"Okay," Guy said, "Tomorrow we move to a hotel. Then we will start looking for another house."

"What about Catherine's school?" Fab asked.

"I don't feel safe with her there," Guy told him.

"I don't either," Fab said.

"She will miss her friends," Guy said, "She won't understand why she isn't going to school."

"I hate the fact that we are hurting them," Fab said, looking at Catherine and Matthew.

"Hey," Guy grabbed him by the arm, "It isn't us that is doing this," he said.

"I know," Fab said, "I just feel so helpless right now."

"I love you," Guy told him, "And no one is going to tell me that is wrong. No one is going to tell me that the two of us being together and having a family is wrong. Especially not some narrow-minded asshole."

“You are my hero,” Fab told him, “Do you know that?”

“I’m just a guy who loves his family and is determined to keep them safe,” Guy said.

“And that makes you a hero to me,” Fab told him.

 

 

Sticks and Stones

Chapter 5

 

 

Guy, Will, Jonny and Chris were sitting in the kitchen of the condo that Guy and Fab had rented.

They were having a beer and playing poker.

Guy looked up when Fab came walking in dangling his car keys.

"What's up?" Guy asked.

"We forgot Catherine's doll. I have to go get it."

"What?" Guy asked, with a frown, "We brought every doll we could find."

Fab laughed.

"Apparently, we didn't bring them all. She says she can't sleep without it."

"We can just go get it in the morning," Guy said.

"She's had enough to deal with today," Fab said, "I would like her to feel safe here."

Guy stood up.

"I'll go with you," he said, drinking the last from his bottle.

Fab laughed.

"Why?" he asked, "I am a big boy. Stay here with your friends. It will only take a few minutes."

Guy looked at him.

He really wanted to go with him.

But he had promised him a few months ago that he wouldn't hover.

It was possible that Fab just wanted a few minutes time by himself to collect his thoughts.

"Okay," Guy finally said, "But you have your phone, right?"

Fab leaned forward and gave him a long, deep kiss.

"Yes, dad." he said, in a mocking way, "I'll be fine."

 

"What time is is?" Guy asked again.

"Ten-fifteen," Chris said, looking at his watch.

"I've never seen you with a watch," Jonny said.

"It's new," Chris told him, "It lights up and everything."

Guy was tapping his fingers on the table.

"Why don't you call him if you are so worried?" Will asked, as he shuffled a deck of cards.

Guy thought it over.

"No," he said, "I'll leave him alone. It's only been half an hour."

Will dealt the cards and they were half way through a hand of five card stud when Guy threw his cards on the table and walked out of the room.

The other three looked at each other.

"He is right to worry," Chris said.

"It has been awhile," Will agreed.

Guy was back in an instant.

"No answer," he said, "I'm going to check on him. Will one of you stay here with the kids?"

"I'll stay," Chris said.

"Me too," Jonny said.

"I'll go with you," Will told him, "Just in case."

 

 

 

Chapter 6

 

 

As they drove up to the house everything appeared fine.

Every light in the house was on.

"He must have been having a hard time finding that doll," Guy said, nervously.

"Hey!" Guy called as they walked into the house.

It was eerily quiet.

Guy walked down the hall to Catherine's room.

It was just as they had left it.

"Sweetie? Are you here!" he called out, walking into Matthew's room.

It was in perfect condition.

"Guy, come here," Will said.

His voice was shaky and it scared Guy.

The back door stood open and there was blood on the floor.

"Oh no," Guy said, backing slowly away from the door.

Will was already on his phone calling the police.

"Oh shit," Guy said, feeling like he was going to throw up, "Did they take him somewhere?"

He grabbed Will by the shirt.

"Where is he?" he asked in a desperate voice.

"Try to calm down, "Will said, "Let's check the other rooms."

"You're right," Guy said, letting go of Will.

He ran down the hall to their bedroom.

It was a disaster area.

Furniture was tossed everywhere.

Red paint was all over the walls.

Terrible graffiti was painted over that.

There was more blood on the floor.

Guy followed the trail of blood to the bathroom.

Fab lay on his side in the bathtub as if he were asleep.

Blood covered one side of his blue t-shirt and his face and arms showed huge purple bruises.

Will heard Guy scream.

"Don't move him," Will said, but Guy was already trying to pick him up.

"Oh God, he's so cold," Guy was saying.

Fab's eyes fluttered as Guy put his arms around him.

"Guy," he said, "I knew you would come."

"It's okay," Guy told him, "You are going to be fine."

"I know," he said, "You are here now."

 

 

Sticks and Stones

Chapter 7

 

 

 

 

"What did the doctor say?" Will asked.

"He's okay. He had several stab wounds but none of them were deep. And....."

Guy's voice shook and he stopped talking.

Will reached out and hugged him.

Guy leaned on him and cried.

"I'm sorry," he said, after a few minutes.

"Don't be," Will told him, "This is a terrible thing."

"The doctor says he can go home in the morning," Guy said.

"What did the police say?" Will asked.

"Not much. They are still at the house. There was one detective trying to get a description of the bastards who did this, but Fab doesn't know much.

They were apparently trashing the place when he walked in and caught them. They were wearing hoods over their faces."

"You were right to get out of there," Will said.

"Did you call Chris and Jonny? Are the kids okay?"

"Everything is fine. Kids are asleep," Will said.

"I guess Catherine didn't need that doll after all," Guy said.

"He's a good father," Will said, smiling, "I would have just told her to forget about the doll."

Guy smiled, slightly.

"He's the best father anyone could have," he said.

 

"How does something like this happen in the 21st century?" Chris asked Jonny.

Jonny just shook his head.

"I don't know," he answered.

"Are people really so completely intolerant and stupid?"

"It happens all the time," Jonny said.

"I guess," Chris told him,"I guess you never think about it that much until it happens to someone you care about."

"I'm scared for Catherine and Matthew," Jonny told him.

"Why?" Chris asked.

"Because they are so young, yet everywhere they go there will be people like this. People who tell them that their parents are evil or..or something worse. And they won't understand why. They don't see a difference. All they know is that their parents are wonderful people."

"That's what will keep them grounded," Chris said, "The fact that they love their parents."

"That's alot of pressure," Jonny said, shaking his head, "I hope they can handle it."

"I feel sorry for the person who angers Catherine," Chris said, laughing.

Jonny laughed too.

"She is a little spitfire. She can take care of herself. But Matthew....Matthew is very quiet and fragile...like Guy. I do worry about him."

"They will always have us too," Chris said.

"Yeah," Jonny agreed ,"We will always be there for them."

 

 

 

Chapter 8

 

 

 

Chris and Jonny looked up as Will, Guy and Fab came in.

Fab eased himself down into the sofa.

"I'm okay," he said, as the others all looked at him.

Catherine and Matthew came running into the room.

"You have bruises everywhere," she said, looking at Fab.

Fab smiled at her.

"Daddy was clumsy and fell down," he said.

"I do that all the time," she told him,"See?"

She held up her knee and pointed to a patch of scraped skin.

"If you give me a hug I would feel better," he told her.

She ran over and jumped in his lap.

Fab grimaced at the pain.

But he kissed her on the head and said, "I feel better already."

"Hug," Matthew said, holding his arms up to Fab.

Fab looked up at Guy.

Guy picked up Matthew and sat him gingerly in Fab's lap.

Matthew hugged him tightly too.

"That's good," he told them both.

Guy could see that Fab was really hurting.

"Okay," he said, clapping his hands, "That's enough. Let's let him rest."

"Let's go ride the elevator again," Jonny told them.

"They love that damn thing," Guy said, laughing, "Especially since one side is glass."

As soon as they were out of the room, Fab's face fell.

"You are very pale," Guy told him.

"Will you help me up so that I can go lie down?" he asked Guy.

Guy helped him down the hall and to the bedroom.

Then he eased him down onto the bed.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked, smoothing a strand of hair out of his eyes.

"Lie here with me for awhile, please," Fab said.

Guy eased down beside him as gently as he could.

"Thank you for going to check on me," Fab told him.

"I just had a bad feeling," Guy told him, "I just knew you were in trouble."

Fab looked at him with tired eyes.

"I love you," he said.

"Rest," Guy told him, kissing him gently on the mouth, "Just rest."

Fab closed his eyes and was soon asleep.

Guy just laid there with his hand on Fab's chest and felt him breathing.

 

 

Sticks and Stones

Chapter 9

 

 

 

 

"What do you think?" Guy asked Catherine.

"That's a lot of stairs," she said, looking at the staircase in the new house.

"Why can't we get an elevator?"

The others all laughed at her.

"You liked the big gate out front, didn't you?" Fab asked.

"That was great," she said.

"There might be another surprise for you out back too," Guy told her.

"What?" she started to run through the house.

Fab caught her by the collar.

"Not so fast," he told her, "You have to close your eyes for it to be a true surprise."

She squealed and slapped her hands over both eyes.

"You too, Matthew," he said.

Matthew covered his eyes with his little hands.

"You aren't peaking are you?" Guy asked.

"No," Matthew said.

"Maybe," Catherine said.

"Everything ready?" Guy asked Will.

Will nodded.

"Lets go," Fab said, as he picked up Matthew.

Guy picked up Catherine.

"Can I look yet?" she asked.

"No," he said, tickling her.

They walked out the back door, across the deck and beyond the pool.

"Okay," he told them, "You can look now."

"A horse!!" Catherine squealed as Guy put her down.

"Two horses," Fab told her, "One for you and one for Matthew."

"Horse," Matthew said, as Fab held him up to one horse for him to pet.

"I've always wanted one," she said, walking up to the horse and petting the animal on the nose.

"Can I ride him?" she asked.

"Not yet. You need lessons first," Guy told her.

She looked at him and wrinkled her nose.

"Lessons? I've seen it thousands of time on t.v. It doesn't look that hard."

"She thinks she can do anything," Chris said to Jonny.

"She probably can." Jonny said, laughing.

 

The End

 

 

Losing Grip (Part 1)

 

 

 

 

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...

 

 

 

 

 

New Part:

 

Losing Grip (Part 2)

 

 

 

 

I sat on the couch, wrapped in a cozy blanket and feeling frozen by the winter air, which was lurking inside my home. Jonny rushed out of my kitchen with 2 cups of steaming hot tea. He handed one to me.

 

"Thank-you, Jonny." I said softly as I quickly sipped it. As I did, I burnt my tongue, but I didn't even care. It was the least I had to worry about.

 

"No problem. Why don't we watch some TV and just relax?"

 

I didn't answer but passed him the remote. "Tell me when to stop..." Jonny said as he clicked through the Channels. There was almost nothing on TV, but then something caught my eye;

 

There were no survivors of the crash and... Jonny clicked to the next channel.

 

"Wait!" I almost shouted at him. Jonny quickly flipped back to the News Channel.

 

"On the plane was Gwyneth Paltrow, wife of Chris Martin who is lead singer of the band 'Coldplay', and their two children, Moses and Apple Martin. Sadly all three of them died as the plane caught on fire and crashed into the Pacific..."

 

Jonny turned off the TV and I just continued to stare at it. Like it would bring everything back if I did so. I could feel tears start to form in my eyes and I uncontrollably started to cry.

 

I felt Jonny's arms wrap around me, forming a tight hug, "Chris, it's alright. You will get through this. I'll do anything I can to help you. Anything." Now I felt the promise in Jonny's heart, he was so close to me.

 

I know I will get through this.

 

 

 

Sorry I haven't been writing much...Alright here we go.

 

Coldplay Alphabet N-Q

 

 

N is for Nappies, Coldplay's evil twin

They like to shake it and show lots of skin

They're the opposite of Coldplay--they rap and they curse!

But they're so awesome even when they try to sound worse

Ever since May 14, we've heard nary a Nappies track

So what are you waiting for, come and bring them back!

 

O is for Ortheistic, or alltheistic as it's spelled

Chris's word for believing in everything-- be it heaven or Taco Bell

From birds to Beyonce, from sunsets to Simon,

Chris cherishes all--even my rhymin'

Sure, he's the guy who believes Greek mythology,

But be glad he's not part of the Church of Scientology

 

P is for Parachutes, their first CD

Back when each member wore a plain white tee

In terms of production, it was no Violet Hill

But it's simple yet haunting, lovely and chill

Parachutes has songs that are honest and clever

And features Coldplay's shortest song ever

 

Q is for Queen Gwyneth, married to King Chris

She's a stylish award-grabbing Hollywood actress!

Who would've thunk that she'd marry some guy

With his mind on his music and his head in the sky

They're rarely seen in public with each other

Heck, Chris is seen more often with his brother!

 

 

...The Parachutes poem is more of a tribute to the album rather than making fun of it. ISH NOT FUNNEH

 

Oh my gosh I just wrote 2 poems in one go that centered around Chris :( Not good not good.

unfortunately, boring chapters exist in life. :\

The Escapists

 

Part 3

 

 

 

"You know what?" Jonny began, turning back around to face me. "Forget them."

 

"Gladly." Since Paul and Joe had arrived a tad late, there were only two free seats open, both on opposite sides of the room. Serves them right. Unfortunately, one of those seats was in front of Jonny. I kept my eye on the two of them as Paul forcefully pushed Joe out of the way and ran to the empty seat by Jonny.

 

"Heh, this is gonna be a great year," he snickered as he threw himself into the seat, nearly tipping the desk over.

 

"Smooth move, Miller," Jonny laughed.

 

"Oh, shut up, Buckland. At least I'm not as clumsy as your boyfriend." Right on cue, the pencil I had been messing with flew out of my hand and into the back of the head of the girl who was sitting in front of me. I apologized profusely and grabbed the pencil out of her hair, but she didn't say anything. Actually, I think her hair was so thick that she was completely oblivious to what had just occurred. Regardless, life carried on.

 

"Touché."

 

"OK, everyone," the teacher called. "My name is Mr. Adams, and you all have the pleasure of having me as your homeroom teacher for you final year of school. Lucky you."

 

"Not as lucky as Chrissy, eh!" Joe shouted, recieving several chuckles from the class.

 

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'm going to assume it's inappropriate, and I'm going to ask that you never do that again. Anyway, you guys should be familiar with all this homeroom stuff, lockers and schedules and such. Ah, with the exception of Miss Roberts here," he added, gesturing to a girl in the front row, "who I think you should all welcome, as she is our new exchange student from America."

 

The students all began to chatter, welcoming this new girl and commenting in amazement at there being an American in the room. Meanwhile, the new girl was sinking into her chair.

 

"Would you like to tell us a bit about yourself?" She slowly looked up at the teacher, then stood up and turned to face the rest of the class.

 

"My name is Genieva... Roberts, and, um... well, I'm from America... New York, actually..."

 

"The city?" Mr. Adams asked.

 

"No, just the state. I live in Albany, which is a few hours north."

 

"How interesting."

 

"It's not really that interesting."

 

"Hmm, don't we all feel that way about our homes?"

 

"I guess so." It was quite obvious from her stance and nervous fidgeting that she was growing rather tired of standing in front of us. "Well, uh... that's about it."

 

"OK, thank you, Genieva. You can take a seat, now." She quickly collapsed into her seat as Mr. Adams began going over routine things, which I only half paid attention to. I felt kinda bad for her; she seemed so shy. In fact, it almost reminded me of another person I met the year before, who was also new and shy.

 

"We should at least say 'hi' to her, don't you think?" Jonny asked me as we stood up from our seats, preparing to go to our next classes. "I mean, I know what it's like to be new and stuff, it's hard. But it helps to have a friend," he smiled at me.

 

"Yeah, definitely. Come on." I ran over to Genieva's desk, which she was still sitting in, and Jonny soon followed. "Excuse me, Genieva?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"I'm Chris." I extended my hand to her, and she hesitantly shook it. "And this is Jonny."

 

"Hi."

 

"Nice to meet you," she said.

 

"He's a looker all right, but you'll have to find your own. He's mine."

 

"Aw, really? That's cute."

 

"I'm glad you think so," Jonny replied. "Not everyone does."

 

"Well, if I was from the South, it might be a different story."

 

"Good thing you're not, then," I said. "Listen, you should sit with us in lunch. We can all get to know each other better."

 

"Yeah, that sounds great."

 

 

 

Losing Grip (Part 1)

 

 

 

 

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...

 

 

 

 

Losing Grip (Part 2)

 

 

 

 

I sat on the couch, wrapped in a cozy blanket and feeling frozen by the winter air, which was lurking inside my home. Jonny rushed out of my kitchen with 2 cups of steaming hot tea. He handed one to me.

 

"Thank-you, Jonny." I said softly as I quickly sipped it. As I did, I burnt my tongue, but I didn't even care. It was the least I had to worry about.

 

"No problem. Why don't we watch some TV and just relax?"

 

I didn't answer but passed him the remote. "Tell me when to stop..." Jonny said as he clicked through the Channels. There was almost nothing on TV, but then something caught my eye;

 

There were no survivors of the crash and... Jonny clicked to the next channel.

 

"Wait!" I almost shouted at him. Jonny quickly flipped back to the News Channel.

 

"On the plane was Gwyneth Paltrow, wife of Chris Martin who is lead singer of the band 'Coldplay', and their two children, Moses and Apple Martin. Sadly all three of them died as the plane caught on fire and crashed into the Pacific..."

 

Jonny turned off the TV and I just continued to stare at it. Like it would bring everything back if I did so. I could feel tears start to form in my eyes and I uncontrollably started to cry.

 

I felt Jonny's arms wrap around me, forming a tight hug, "Chris, it's alright. You will get through this. I'll do anything I can to help you. Anything." Now I felt the promise in Jonny's heart, he was so close to me.

 

I know I will get through this.

 

 

 

 

 

New Part:

 

 

Losing Grip (Part 3)

 

 

 

 

I opened my eyes, finding myself awake on an airplane. What was going on?

 

I looked out the window beside me. Around the plane was massive white clouds and a deep blue sky with beautiful rays of sunshine. I looked to my side just to see my wife, Gwyneth, with a bright white smile, and she kissed me on the cheek. I felt so confused. I opened my mouth to ask about what was going on, but not a peep came out. So I tried to move, but I had no control over myself. It was as if I was forbidden.

 

Something was wrong.

 

I smelt smoke coming from ahead. Then I saw it, and it filled the area until all I could see was the thick black smoke hovering all over the plane. I coughed and closed my eyes, hoping it was all a nightmare. Suddenly I heard screams and I was flung all the ways back into my seat and loud siren-like noises rung in my head. I tried to break free from my loss of control, so I could run freely away from this cruel nightmare and I screamed as if I was a victim of a bloody murder scene.

 

I squeezed my eyes shut and all the screaming suddenly stopped and I heard nothing. It felt like a pause in time. So I opened my eyes again and the black emptiness turned into the flaming airplane. I felt the plane tipping down and the flames roared in my ears, along with the screams of the passengers.

 

I looked out the window watching as we quickly approached the pacific ocean. As soon as we were ready to hit the waves, everything went black.

 

***

 

My eyes flung open and I screamed as loud as I possibly could. I fell off of my bed onto the wooden floor. I quickly shuffled up, realizing it was all just a dream. A nightmare. I store down at my bed with the imprint of me and pools of sweat in it.

 

I looked at myself, covered in so much sweat, and breathing heavily. It looked as if I just finished a concert, again. I removed my clothing and quickly jumped into the shower, to help rinse my mind off.

 

What an exciting week it has been.

 

 

 

 

No Regrets

 

 

Chapter 1

 

 

Jonny was sitting on the bench in the park on a sunny day watching some kids play with a soccer ball.

It was a lovely day after a month of cold bone-chillling rain.

Spring was on its' way and everything seemed to be coming alive again.

The trees were just beginning to show their tiny little leaf buds.

The squirrels were chattering loudly to one another across the branches.

Some early crocus and tulips were poking their colorful blooms up from the brown earth.

New life was everywhere.

"How ironic," Jonny thought to himself.

The start of all this rebirth and all these new chances, just as the doctor told him that he was dying.

 

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

That was the four words that have leaped out of the doctors' mouth at Jonny.

He hadn't been feeling well for quite some time.

He had been tired and irritable and losing weight.

He unfortunately just attributed all those symptoms to the grueling tour schedule that the band had just finished.

Even so, it wasn't supposed to happen like this.

The doctor said that he most likely contracted the disease when he was a teen-ager and was involved in a terrible auto crash.

Jonny spent six weeks in the hospital and almost lost a kidney. At that time he was given many pints of blood just to keep him alive.

And like usual, the insidious disease had shown no symptoms for all the intervening years.

Now that the symptoms were becoming apparent, it was almost too late for treatment.

Sure there were some drugs to take. But those drugs were usually administered to keep the disease inactive.

Once the disease became active, there wasn't many options.

Jonny looked around the park.

He had been lucky enough to have a good life.

It wasn't dying that concerned him so much.

That he could deal with.

The thing that was weighing so heavily on his mind was that he had to share the news with the rest of the band.

He knew they would support him and help in any way possible.

But then there was Chris.

God, he had no idea how he was going to tell him.

The fact that he was dying would be hard enough.

What was eating at Jonny's heart and soul was that he had also exposed Chris.

And now he had to ask Chris to get tested.

 

 

Gather 'round little children and you shall learn

That writing poems can make your stomach churn

 

jk jk I actually like writing poems!

 

Coldplay Alphabet S-T

 

 

R is for Roadie 42, an excellent source

Of what Coldplay's up to during their tours

He keeps a tour diary, updates it each day

With love and pics of the puppets at a cafe

After a year of touring, we still wonder why

We don't know the identity of this mysterious guy

 

S is for Satriani, a self-absorbed diva

Who angrily claimed he wrote Coldplay's own Viva!

But he took it from Stevens, who took it from his mother,

Who took it from some guy who took it from another...

Satriani has screamed, and cried, and cursed

It won't change that I wrote Viva la Vida first.

 

 

A big :kiss: to whoever gives me a good subject for the U poem. ;)

One Day Like This

~Prologue~

 

 

Emily was a girl with a plan. And not just any plan. The best of plans. Well, maybe not the best, but where she lacked in creativity she made up for in determination. While other fans might be able to come up with truly elaborate schemes to get to their idols, they would never actually muster up the courage to act on them. Emily was different. She made plans with the intent to follow through. And that is exactly what she did on the night of the Toronto concert.

 

She had it all worked out. When the band made their run after the show, she'd grab Guy by the arm and pull him aside. At first she thought she'd simply kiss him or something and then let him walk away in shock or fear or whatever. But she understood that she would never achieve her goal of getting close to Guy if she did that. She just wanted to take him aside for a few minutes to show him what she was like as a person, and then she'd let him decide if she was worth spending time with or was just another psycho fan girl that should be carefully avoided. All she wanted was a conversation. She never expected things to turn out the way they had.

 

One Day Like This

Chapter 1

 

 

Emily had been waiting outside the back doors for over half an hour. It was ridiculous for her to have come so early, she knew when these concerts ended. She had been there since 10:30. But she was so nervous that she just couldn't sit still. She had been pacing back and forth in her hotel room replaying everything she wanted to say to him in her head. Eventually, the small enclosed room simply drove her to insanity and she had to get up and really walk. After walking the 5 blocks it took to reach the stadium, she finally felt her head clear, and she began to relax.

 

I can do this. I know I can. I will do this.

 

She repeated these words over and over in her head. There was no way she was backing out now. Not after all she had put into this. All the time, the preparation, the research. Just no way. She was going to have a conversation with Guy Berryman, and she was going to have it tonight.

 

***********************************************

 

After what felt like an eternity, she finally heard the first notes of Life In Technicolor ii from inside the giant building. And she felt her heart begin to speed up.

Almost time , she thought nervously.

 

Before she knew it, the last note was played, and by the way the crowd was cheering, Coldplay had taken their bows and were heading out to the cars that awaited them. When she heard the doors opening, her hands started shaking.

 

Pull yourself together! Her subconscious screamed at her.

 

Then all of a sudden, she saw them jog out of the doors, laughing and joking and quite sweaty. She felt like she was going to pass out. But she pinched herself-hard- and stepped out of the shadows as Guy, who was last in the line, jogged up to where he was at a point where he was within touching distance. Unfortunately, she had forgotten to factor in the fact that Guy did not have super owl night vision into her plan. Guy collided into Emily and they both collapsed in a heap on the sidewalk.

 

"Shit", muttered Guy."Shit". "What the hell's the matter with you?" he lashed out angrily.

 

Damn it! Why did I do that? He already hates me now! Great. Way to think ahead Emily.

 

But as Guy sat up to see the face of the person he had collided with, she saw his expression soften.

 

"Oh hey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't...I shouldn't have yelled like that. Here, let me help you up."

 

He reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her up to a standing position. She noticed with surprise how large his hand was, and how strong. She didn't expect it to be that strong.

 

"Are you hurt at all?". His tone was heavy with concern. Emily managed to stutter out a weak "no". His expression turned serious.

 

"Are you sure?" He clearly didn't believe her.

 

"Yeah, I'm alright ." She spoke with more assurance this time, and that seemed to convince him.

 

"Hey...um....again, I'm sorry for being rude before, but you really gave me a shock". He chuckled.

 

"So, I'm guessing you're a diehard fan, and you really want my autograph or something?"

 

"Yeah, I am a fan. But I didn't come here for an autograph. I came here for a conversation."

 

"A.....conversation?", questioned Guy, clearly puzzled.

 

Well that was unexpected , he mused to himself.

 

"Yeah. I want to just talk with you for a bit, if that's alright?" Although she had asked a question, she was slowly regaining her confidence and her tone proved it.

 

"Um.....sure, what do you want to talk about?" Guy was clearly still puzzled.

 

"Well, for starters, what do you feel while you're playing on stage? What's it like for you?"

 

"Heh. It's a pretty amazing feeling, but I don't know if I could really describe it for you." He shrugged, scratching his head.

 

"OK next question. I mean...if you don't mind?" she asked. He nodded, and she proceeded to ask him more questions on various subjects, that Guy happily answered, until he felt his phone vibrate. Pulling it out of his back pocket, he read it and frowned.

 

"What does it say?"

 

"They're wondering where I am." He sighed in frustration.

 

Why did everyone around him feel the need to act like his mother?

 

He was actually a little surprised at his own irritation. They had a right to want to know what the heck he was doing. But the girl really intrigued him, and he didn't like the thought of having to leave. He wanted her to keep asking him questions. But even more so, he wanted to ask some questions of his own.

 

"Oh. So you have to go now?" She sounded like she was trying not to seem disappointed.

 

"Well, no I don't have to. As a matter of fact, I'm enjoying this little question and answer bit very much. I'll just tell them that I'll be back later."

 

"Oh you don't have to....." But Guy had already sent the message.

 

"Hey, it's getting kind of late isn't it? Why don't we get out here? We can go to my place." "If that's OK." he quickly added.

 

"Sure". She tried hard now to let her excitement show.

 

They walked around to the front of the building and hailed a taxi. "5334 Main Street" Guy told the driver.

 

"Ladies first" he said, opening the door with an exaggerated gesture. Guy climbed after Emily, and by the little car light in the backseat really saw her face for the first time. She had amazingly green eyes, and fiery orange hair. It was so stunning he was surprised he hadn't noticed it in the dark. As his eyes took in the profile of her face, his heart started to beat faster. She was......beautiful. He found the word to be too bland to describe her, but used it anyway out of lack of a better one. Emily looked up, clearly wondering why he was staring blankly.

 

"Hey man, close the door already!" shouted the driver , clearly irritated.

 

Guy snapped out of his trance, quickly mumbling an apology and shutting the door with a bang. Emily laughed.

 

"Hey, can I ask you a question? Just one."

 

"Sure, ask anything you want."

 

"Well don't get all interested. It's not a good question. I just want to know what your name is."

 

"Oh. OH. How stupid of me not to have mentioned it." She laughed again, this time out of embarassment.

 

"No, I should have asked earlier."

 

"It's Emily."

 

Emily.....Emily. Guy thought he could get used to saying it.

 

 

The Escapists

 

Part 4

 

 

 

"Chris, you have to eat something," Jonny said, shoving a plate of disgusting looking... well, I'm not even sure what it was. My first thought was to vomit, but my stomach was empty and I thought it more polite to just push the plate away.

 

"Yeah, I know. I just don't want any of that nasty stuff."

 

"Well... can I get you something else, then? I don't want you to, like, die of starvation or anything."

 

"Aww," I squeaked. Jonny just looked so helpless, it was adorable. "You're too much sometimes, you know that? You don't have to worry about me, I'm not gonna starve if you don't feed me. And I can feed myself."

 

"Oh, I know, but I can't help it." Jonny stared at his disgusting plate and started fidgeting. As much as I felt like I should hate the whole being treated like a little kid thing, I absolutely loved Jonny's concern. It made me all warm and fuzzy on the inside to see him care so much.

 

"Fine, you can go get me some chips or something."

 

"OK, I'll be right back," he said, hopping to his feet and zooming off.

 

"Does he always do that?" Genieva asked. I almost forgot that she was sitting with us. In fact, I did forget, and when she spoke I nearly died of shock.

 

"Oh! Uh... not always," I said, trying to brush off my obvious fright. "But I don't really mind."

 

"You two are really great together."

 

"Well, thank you."

 

"How long have you been dating?"

 

"It's a bit complicated. We started dating, like, ten months ago, but it only lasted a few weeks because parents who are hateful got involved, and then a mess of things happened... we wrote a story about it. I mean, I wrote most of it, which is why it's a horrible story, but it was our story... anyway, a couple of months ago we decided to show those parents who's boss."

 

"I assume it all worked out?"

 

"It did, yeah. I'm really glad it did."

 

"Do you love him?"

 

"With all my heart. And some of my other body parts- uh... that wasn't supposed to be dirty, or anything, it just came out completely wrong." Why don't I think before I speak? "What I meant was, yes, I love him more than I could ever love anything, so my heart can not provide enough love, and I therefore have to take some from my, like... ears... I'm just gonna shut up now."

 

"Might be a good idea," she laughed. "I know what you mean, though. Well, not like I have any experience in that area, but I understand what you're trying to say."

 

"Good, because I'm always afraid that I'm just constantly rambling."

 

"You do ramble."

 

"I'm working on it," I said as Jonny returned. He placed a plate of chips in front of me, grabbing a few first and then sitting back down. "Right, Jonny?"

 

"Right what?" he asked as he shoved the chips in his mouth.

 

"I'm working on my rambling."

 

"Working on increasing it, yeah."

 

"Maybe that's what I should do. Just become a politician or something. Those guys are always rambling on and on. I could be a total pro without any effort."

 

"Hmm, it could actually work. I, on the other hand, have definitely figured out what I'm gonna be."

 

"What?"

 

"Male stripper."

 

"Really?"

 

"No, I just wanted to see your reaction. To be honest, it was a little less surprised than I thought it would be, and more... interested."

 

"Hey, if you wanna be a stripper, I'm not gonna stop you."

 

"Is this really the impression you want to make on our new American friend?" I really needed to stop forgetting that Genieva was there.

 

"Too late now," she said, "impression's already been made."

 

"And?"

 

"Well, Jonny's nice. A little overprotective, but he just cares a lot. Chris, you're a crazy sex-obsessed neurotic. Basically, normal."

 

"Really, you think I'm normal?"

 

"Where I come from, at least. Maybe just a teaspoon more of hyper, but other than that, you're not so different."

 

"So, if I went to America, I'd fit in?"

 

"For the most part," she replied. "Except the hyper thing, and that accent."

 

"Hmm... Jonny?" I asked, turning to face him.

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Let's not go to America ever. I don't really want to fit in."

 

"That's fine with me, I don't really want to stick out," he said.

 

"Perfect." I was getting hungry, so I decided that it was high time to start eating those chips. I grabbed the biggest handful I could manage, and tried to eat them all at once. It didn't really work out too well, but I'm sure it was amusing to watch me try. "Genieva, can I ask you something? You know, since you're American and all."

 

"Sure," she said.

 

"Why do you call them french fries? That doesn't seem to make much sense to me."

 

"Um, because... yeah."

 

"Oh, see, now it makes sense. And hey, with answers like that, you could be a politician, too."

 

 

 

 

 

I am revising the R poem because it's only fair to include AROBTTH in this whole fanfic. And thank you Gigi for reminding me I have to write a U2 poem!

 

Coldplay Alphabet R*, U-V

 

 

R is for Rush of Blood to the Head

It reminds you that you're not yet dead

Chock full of emotional soft rock songs

It appears that Coldplay can do nothing wrong

If you're feeling emo, or just plain old depressed

Listen to this album--it'll take care of all the rest

 

U is for U2, the band that's in a frenzy

Since Coldplay came along, they've been sick with envy

U2 tries to outdo their albums, outdo their ad,

Outdo their charity, but they can't. It makes Bono MAD

From Chris's view it's the other way around

So he calls himself Crono and worships U2's ground

 

V is for Viva la Vida, a foreign album land

Where castles are made of salt and sand!

Where foxes are gods, where you're lost but not found

There are ghosts in the sea, and your feet don't touch the ground

It might as well be an acid trip that I am describing

'Cause crazy Viva is what all our haters are jibing

 

No Regrets

Chapter 2

 

 

Jonny's phone buzzed as he sat on the bench.

He looked at the number and saw that it was Chris returning his call.

"Hey," he said, trying to keep the sadness and fear out of his voice.

"Hey!" Chris said, excitedly, "Where are you!!! I just got the most fantastic idea!!"

"That's good," Jonny said, quietly, his voice starting to shake a bit.

"Well, get over here!!" Chris said.

Jonny could practically see Chris jumping around the room with his brilliant blue eyes sparkling.

His mouth twitching with excitement.

His left hand swooping through the air as he tried to explain his elaborate thought process.

Chris was always so full of enthusiasm and just a general excitement for life.

Jonnys' stomach ached at the thought that Chris might be sick too.

"I can't make it over there right now," Jonny said, quietly.

"What's wrong?" Chris asked, all the excitement completely gone from his voice and replaced by concern.

Jonny never refused him anything and the weird tone when he spoke scared Chris just a little.

"I'm in the park," Jonny said, "Near that old tree...you know the one."

"Yeah," Chris said, "The one where we carved our initals..."

"That's the one," Jonny said, "Can you come over here?"

"Yes," Chris said, "I will be there soon."

Jonny smiled to himself.

That was so Chris-like.

Never any questions about why or how.

Never excuses about being too busy or too tired.

Whenever Jonny needed or wanted anything, Chris was always there for him.

It had been like that practically since the day they met.

"Thanks," Jonny said.

"Jon...." Chris said, quietly, "Whatever is wrong.....It will be okay."

Jonny closed his phone and slipped it into his pocket.

He swallowed hard and tried to blink the tears back from his eyes, but a few escaped and trickled down his cheeks.

Jonny wasn't a religious man.

He believed in God just like everyone else he knew, but he never spent alot of time on church or prayer.

He just always figured that whatever was going to happen, was going to happen and there wasn't much anyone could do about it.

A person just had to learn to accept what happened and go on with their life.

But as he sat there on that bench he uttered a small prayer.

"Please, don't let Chris be sick," he said, "Please just let him be okay. I can accept the fact that I am dying. I just can't accept it if I know he is too."

 

 

 

Chapter 3

 

 

He didn't sleep around or use drugs.

As a matter of fact, he had only even smoked marijuana once or twice and that was just a simple lark.

He hadn't even smoked it enough to get high.

And as for sleeping around.....well...Chris was the only person he had been close to in more than fifteen years.

And he knew it was the same way for Chris too.

They never talked about their feelings for one another.

It was just a generally accepted fact between the two of them that they were each other's true love.

Their relationship had only turned physical on a few occasions.

Jonny thought back to the first time.

 

FLASHBACK

 

Chris was sitting at his worn out piano, scribbling lyrics on the edge of a copy of the London Times.

Jonny was lying on the ragged old sofa, just quietly reading.

It had been six months since they decided to rent an apartment together to save money so they could make a demo tape.

Chris slammed his pencil down on the piano so hard that it broke in half.

"Fuck!' he said loudly.

"What's wrong?" Jonny asked, looking up from his book.

Chris, sat holding his head in his hands.

"I can't write anything decent," he said, dejectedly, "It is too damn quiet in here."

Jonny put down his book and walked over to where Chris sat.

He put a reassuring hand on Chris' arm and he could feel how tense he was.

"Here," Jonny said, "You are too wound up. Let me rub your shoulders for you."

Jonny put both hands on Chris' shoulders and began to massage them.

He could feel Chris relax under his touch.

"That feels fantastic," Chris said, dropping his head a little and closing his eyes.

Jonny surprised himself by noticing how soft and smooth Chris' skin was.

Before he knew what he was doing, Jonny was kissing Chris on the neck.

He felt Chris stiffen a little.

"Did you just kiss me?" Chris asked.

Jonny was embarrassed and didn't know what to say. So he just told the truth.

"Yes, I did," he said, waiting for Chris to throw a fit.

"Do it again," Chris said, "Please. It felt really good."

Five minutes later they were sitting on the piano bench, arms around each other, shirts discarded, mouths locked together...kissing passionately.

That was as far as they went that day.

A week later....it was a different story.

 

 

No Regrets

Chapter 4

 

 

Jonny felt warm lips kiss him on the ear and a warm hand run down his neck.

"Hello luv," Chris said, sliding onto the bench beside him.

Jonny's stomach did a little happy cartwheel and his knees felt weak even though he was sitting down. He always felt like that when he was near Chris.

Chris folded his long lean legs up onto the bench and sat facing Jonny.

"What's the trouble?" he asked, reaching over to rub Jonny on the arm.

Jonny looked at him. He looked into the face of the person who meant more to him than anyone else in the world.

Chris was looking at him, expectantly, with large, curious gorgeous eyes. He looked so innocent and so very young.

Jonny felt like just crawling into Chris' arms and collapsing for about a hundred years. But he knew he couldn't do that.

Instead, he gripped the wooden bench seat harder and gritted his teeth.

"Jon?" Chris asked, looking very worried, "Tell me what's wrong."

"I have to tell you something..." Jonny began. His throat was dry and he barely croaked out the words. It sounded as if they were coming from the mouth of a stranger.

"Something not so good," Jonny finished.

The happy look vanished completely from Chris' face and Jonny saw his jaw tighten up.

"Okay," Chris said, softly, "I am listening. I am ready for whatever it is."

Jonny looked at Chris. He knew there was no way Chris could be ready to hear what he had to say. So he just blurted it out all in one sentence.

"I am sick. And you might be too," he said quickly.

Chris' eyebrows moved up and down like they always did when he was thinking or when he was confused.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"A blood transfusion....when I was a kid," Jonny said. He knew that it made sense in his head when he said it, but he didn't know if Chris understood.

The knowledge suddenly dawned on Chris and he bit his lip hard. A tiny little drop of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Jonny..." he said, breathlessly, "You don't mean.......you don't mean...." he didn't finish but he dropped his head into his hands.

"I'm so sorry, Chris," Jonny said, in a whisper, running a hand through Chris' soft short curly hair.

"If I had had any idea at all.........I ......we.....never," Jonny said.

Chris lifted his head and looked at Jonny. His eyes were full of tears.

"Is that what you think I am worried about?" he asked, "I'm not worried about me."

Chris threw both arms around Jonny's neck and held on tight.

"I can't lose you," he kept saying over and over, "I just can't lose you."

 

 

SPRING & WINTER

Chapter 6

 

 

 

 

I woke up slowly, and it was all because of the light from the open windows shining in on the living room. If it had been dark outside, I would have continued to sleep and probably stayed the whole day on the couch. But someone had thrown open the curtains and begun loudly straightening the furniture. I blearily raised my head, looking around to see where the noises were coming from.

 

“Good morning, sir.”

 

“What time is it?” I choked out.

 

“Nine in the morning.”

 

“What happened?”

 

“After everyone left, you came back in and...slept.”

 

“Oh...” I murmured, rubbing my head. I sighed and tried to swing my legs down, and then realized that someone had wrapped me up in a blanket. My vision swam as I untangled myself, and I wondered who had taken the time to tuck in the edges. “Whose is this?” I asked as I finally managed to fold up the heavy thing.

 

“It’s your mother’s, sir. She put it over you last night.”

 

“My mother...” I began, keeping my voice low, “...Is not that kind.” William kept silent and merely went about putting things back in their proper positions. “Did you do it?” I asked awkwardly, feeling my stomach turn nervously.

 

He grimaced, but apparently, servants couldn’t keep up a lie for very long. “You were shivering,” he defended. “I couldn’t simply ignore you, sir; you’re the master of the house. If you die of cold, I suppose I’ll be out of a job.”

 

“Yes. Well...thank you.”

 

Before he could answer, a young girl ran breathlessly into the room; tears running down her face. “Sir! The cook has fainted in the kitchen, and we cannot wake her up! You have to do something!” she cried hysterically. My years as a physician hadn’t left me; I was up in one moment and running down the hallway in another. At first I wondered why the hell William was following me, looking terrified, until I remembered that the cook was his mother. Oh, god.

 

By the time I reached the smoky-smelling kitchen, I was out of breath. I pushed past the small crowd that had gathered around the prone form of the cook and dropped down beside her. She was thinner than I had would have expected for a woman of her position, and didn’t look so old. But as I placed my fingers on her neck, feeling for a heartbeat, I found that there wasn’t one. Giving up quickly on finding a pulse there, I pressed my ear against her chest. Again nothing.

 

“Hand me a mirror,” I commanded shakily. “Or a...a piece of silverware.” I held out my hand, and a spoon was placed quickly in my palm. I held it above her nose and mouth, and when I pulled it back, it hadn’t fogged.

 

“Sir?” I heard the other man yell.

 

“William,” I choked out, forcing myself to look at him. He ignored me and clutched his mother’s hand.

 

“Aren’t you going to do something?”

 

“William...” I repeated, touching his shoulder. “She’s dead.” He shrugged off my hand and shook his head.

 

“No, she’s not.”

 

“I’m sorry...” I whispered. Then I gasped as he grabbed the front of my shirt and shook me, hard.

 

“Do something!” he cried, forcing me onto my back. “She can’t be dead!” His face was barely mere inches from mine, and I could see straight into his dark, tear-filled eyes.

 

I swallowed and tried to keep calm, but I wasn’t angry. I’d seen his reaction many, many times before, and I felt nothing but helplessness. “I am sorry, my friend,” I said quietly. “I can’t do anything more for her.” He finally seemed to understand, or at least he let me go.

 

The other servants were huddled around each other, shocked. William leaned away from me, looking at his mother, and I pushed myself back up. I didn’t know what had caused the poor woman’s sudden death, but it must have been something she’d unknowingly carried within her for her entire life. I also had no idea what to do, but I figured that calling in Jonathan would be a good start.

 

I watched William as he lifted his mother’s body gingerly into his arms and attempt to stand up with her.

 

Why did this have to happen now?

 

 

 

No Regrets

Chapter 5

 

 

"Promise me that you will see a doctor," Jonny told Chris.

Chris didn't answer.

They were lying cuddled up together on the tiny twin bed in Jonny's apartment.

Jonny sat up and looked at Chris.

"Promise me, dammit," he said.

"Why?" Chris asked, "What's the point?"

Jonny grabbed Chris, held him down hard and shook him.

"Stop being an ass," he said, "It's too late for me. But not for you."

"Don't be angry with me, Jon," Chris said, in a voice so quiet and so sad that Jonny let him go and moved away.

Jonny sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I just want you to be okay."

Chris tugged on Jonny's arm.

"Come back here and lay with me," he said, "Just put your arms around me for a little while."

Jonny looked back at Chris, lying on his side, with one hand under his cheek.

"God, I do love you so very much," he told him.

Chris smiled weakly.

"I know," he said, "And I love you. So if you want me to get tested, then I will."

Jonny lay back down, resting his head on the same pillow as Chris.

Chris moved over and put his head on Jonny's shoulder.

"Sorry it's so bony," Jonny told him, "I've been losing weight like crazy."

Chris took Jonny's hand and intertwined his long fingers with Jonny's.

"How long?" Chris asked.

"There's no way to tell for sure," Jonny said, "But it probably will only be a matter of months."

"And just how am I supposed to live the rest of my life without you?" Chris asked, with a husky voice.

"You are supposed to have a nice long happy life. Get a wife. Maybe have some kids. Write some more great songs and some lousy ones that Will hates. Keep Guy from drinking himself to death."

"I don't want to do any of that without you," Chris said.

Jonny laughed.

"Don't be a fool," he said, "Don't you know that where ever and whatever I become when I die doesn't matter. I will always be with you."

"I really hate you for breaking my heart like this," Chris said, softly.

"I know," Jonny said, "I hate you for making me fall so deeply in love with you."

Chris sat up and looked at Jonny.

"Can we.....be together....?" he asked.

Jonny nodded.

"Yes," he said, "The doctor said as long as we are careful."

"Then that's what I want," Chris told him, "Just to be with you again."

 

 

it's not a very long chapter, but... oh well. :P

The Escapists

 

Part 5

 

 

 

Jonny's POV

 

Every Friday, Chris and I watch a movie. Most of the time we just stay at either one of our houses, because there's hardly anything good in theaters. This was one of those Fridays, and we were rested comfortably on the couch in my living room. I was sitting in the middle seat, and Chris was laying with his head on the armrest and his legs stretched out on top of mine. I didn't mind.

 

We chose to watch Back to the Future, because, really, who doesn't love Back to the Future? I'm not a total enthusiast like Chris is, but it definitely is a fantastic movie.

 

"Sometimes I wish I was Michael J. Fox," Chris mused. "Or I wish I at least had a vest like that."

 

"I don't know if you could pull off a vest."

 

"Hmm, good point. Probably not."

 

"It's OK, though, because I'm sure he wouldn't look half as good as you do if he grew an afro."

 

"Hey, it's not an afro! And I'm getting my hair cut soon, I promise."

 

"Yeah, yeah. Not soon enough, though."

 

After an hour or so into the movie, I was starting to get a bit tired. I couldn't stop yawning, and every time I blinked I had to force my eyelids to open back up.

 

I looked to my right. Chris's left cheek was pressed against his shoulder, and his eyes were closed. I should have shut off the movie and woken him up. He looked too beautiful, though, with his lovely curls resting on his head, and his mouth partially open. Instead, I shifted my legs slightly under his, and laid down in the small space between him and the back of the couch. His chest made a rather nice pillow, and soon enough I found myself drifting to sleep to the sound of his heartbeat lullaby. A few minutes later, I heard someone walk into the room.

 

"Oh, they're both asleep... Yeah, and they look so peaceful, I don't really want to wake them up... it wouldn't hurt to have Chris stay the night, would it? We can send him right back over first thing tomorrow, if you like... It's no problem... Ha, yeah, well you can tell him to shove it..." The footsteps started again, and slowly my mum's voice faded away. I didn't exactly realise it then, in my half-awake state, but she is one of the kindest people on this planet. Not only did she manage to get permission for Chris to sleep over, but she also let us sleep on the couch all intertwined. As the rhythmic beating pounded in my ear and the dark of unconsciousness leaked it's way into my head, I could only think one thing: everything was perfect. So perfect.

 

-----------------

 

Chris's POV

 

Everything was dark. There was some sort of weight on my chest, but I couldn't tell what it was, because my eyes were closed. I slowly opened them to find that Jonny was practically sleeping on top of me. His head was on my chest, and his left arm was wrapped around my stomach. It was a nice way to wake up.

 

Then the light hit me, and I realised it was morning. I had fallen asleep at some point the night before, and no one woke me up and sent me home. I wondered if my mum had worried at all. Maybe she had called to ask where I was... but then why was I still at Jonny's?

 

As puzzling as it was, I decided not to worry much about it for the moment. Sometimes you just need to live in the moment. So, I ran my hand through Jonny's soft, short hair and thought about how terrifyingly lucky I was. Lucky to have someone so handsome physically and mentally, with a great head of hair and a sweet, gentle personality. Lucky to have someone who could not only stand to be around me for long periods of time, but even loved me back. Lucky to have someone who always smelled like clean laundry. I love that smell.

 

And like all good stories, that was the last time that things were absolutely great. Perfect, even. Just me and Jonny, together without having to worry about anything. So close without fearing any consequences. Things went downhill from there. And it just kept getting worse and worse.

 

 

 

No Regrets

Chapter 6

 

 

Jonny sat waiting.

He was waiting for Chris to come home from his appointment with the doctor.

They knew that it would take at least forty-eight hours before any results would be ready.

Jonny hoped that maybe the doctor just might say something positive.

Something to give them a little hope that Chris would be okay.

Jonny looked around his apartment.

He still lived in the same tiny place that he and Chris had once shared.

Jonny looked at the fireplace that was tucked into one corner of the little bedroom.

And he remembered back to the first time he and Chris had slept together.

 

FLASHBACK

 

It was just about a week after they had first spent all those hours kissing on the piano bench.

They never talked about what happened. The next day it was business as usual. At first Jonny was relieved, but then he felt a little sad. But he figured it was all for the best anyway. It wasn't like they were a couple or anything.

Winter came early that year and the little apartment was a freezing box. Chris appeared at Jonny's door wrapped in a blanket.

"I'm freezing," he told Jonny, "You have a fireplace at least. Can I sleep in here?"

"Sure," Jonny told him, "You can have the bed and I'll take the floor."

"That's crazy," Chris told him.

"Well, we can't have you getting sick, can we?" Jonny asked, "You know how sensitive your voice can be."

"There's room enough for both of us here," Chris said, pointing at the tiny bed.

Jonny took a deep breath.

"Okay," he said, "But no snoring. I need my beauty sleep."

Chris laughed at him and curled up into a little ball to sleep.

Fifteen minutes later, Jonny was wide awake. His pulse was racing and his heart was about to leap out of his chest.

He slid out of the bed and onto the floor. He knew he would never get to sleep being that close to Chris.

"That won't do any good," Chris told him.

"What are you talking about?" Jonny asked, "You are supposed to be asleep."

"Just because you are down on the floor won't stop you from thinking about what you are thinking about," Chris said.

"How do you know what I am thinking about?" Jonny asked.

Chris joined him on the floor.

"Because I am thinking about it too," he said.

Jonny swallowed hard.

"This is a bad idea," he said.

Chris leaned forward and put his arms around Jonny's neck.

"I don't think we can stop it from happening," he said, softly.

"I can't stop thinking about how soft your lips look," Jonny said, "I think I am going crackers."

Chris ran a hand down Jonny's cheek and then sat up. He slowly pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it into a corner.

"You are going to freeze like that," Jonny told him nervously.

Chris smiled slyly.

"Oh, I don't think so," he said.

"Why are you making this so hard for me?" Jonny asked.

"Why don't you just shut up and kiss me?" Chris said, his eyes so warm and gentle.

They reached for one another at the same time. Jonny, pulling Chris down to the floor.

 

Jonny heard footsteps in the hall that tore him away from that lovely memory and brought him back to the unpleasant truth of today.

"Well?" Jonny asked, standing up, when Chris came in, "What did the doctor say?"

"Now we wait," Chris said.

 

 

No Regrets

Chapter 7

 

 

"Do you need anything else?" Chris asked Jonny as he placed the cool cloth across his forehead.

"No," Jonny said, closing his eyes, "I am sure I will feel better in a bit."

"Did you take one of those pills the doctor gave you for nausea?" Chris asked.

Jonny nodded without opening his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Jonny said, "I know we were going to go out and so something fun today."

Chris leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.

"Screw that," he said, "We need to talk anyway."

Jonny squirmed and tired to get comfortable.

"I am tired of talking," he said, "All these pointless words don't change anything."

Chris sat down on the side of the bed.

"We need to decide when you are going to tell Guy and Will about this," he said, quietly.

"I can't do it," Jonny said, "I don't want to see that look on their faces."

Chris rubbed his hands together nervously.

"They have to be told," he said, "It's not right that they don't know."

Jonny sighed heavily.

"Then I'll have three people hovering over me all the time, instead of just you. That will be suffocating."

Chris stood up. Jonny could tell by the look on his face that his feelings were hurt. And when Chris was hurt, he would usually lash out.

"Fuck you," he said, quietly, "I am just trying to help because I don't know what else to do. I have to do something to keep from losing my mind. So what are you waiting for...go ahead and die."

Then he turned and left the room. Jonny heard the front door of the apartment slam hard as Chris left.

 

Jonny expected Chris to come back later that day.

But he didn't.

He expected Chris to call or send him a text message.

But he didn't.

The next day, it was the same.

No contact at all with Chris.

And that was the day that Chris was supposed to get his results from the blood test.

Jonny was desperate to know if the result was positive or negative.

But he didn't dare call Chris. He wasn't sure he was ready to know the answer.

A positive result wasn't a death sentence as it once had been. There were lots of kinds of drugs and treatments.

Even with a positive result, Chris could live a normal life.

That's what Jonny kept telling himself over and over.

And he waited and waited.