Ghost Busting, Chapter 3
When Terry walked into Dr. Grim's office for his next appointment, he was grinning from ear to ear and practically walking on air.
"I take it that life is going well for you," Parker commented, raising his left eyebrow.
"Yup, it's awesome! You were right about my parents' reaction when I came out. Jackson's dad was cool too. I'm not telling secrets; Jackson told me I could share this with you. We're now officially boyfriends. We want this to last forever. Do you think it's possible?"
"I do. However, that will probably take some work on the part of both of you. I'm going to give you some unsolicited advice."
"I'll take all the advice you have to give."
"Good. I feel there are several important things which will help keep you together. You always need to communicate. Say what's on your mind. But be gentle if you're talking about a habit that annoys you, or things like that.
"Be open and honest. If you do something which you fear may jeopardize your relationship, don't hide it. Confess, and be willing to face the consequences.
"Never take for granted that he knows you care. Little acts of kindness go a long way in cementing your love.
"Finally, be patient if he messes up. Don't judge him more harshly than you'd judge yourself. Hmm... Perhaps, I should modify that because you're pretty hard on yourself."
"I'm better than I used to be about that. You've taught me a lot. I know I'm not perfect and that's okay. I'm learning from my mistakes."
"And you're doing remarkably well. My caseload is getting larger, and I think I may be releasing you soon. You seem to have conquered all your problems."
"Not all of them. I'd really like it if you kept me for a while. I think Jackson is in about the same shape I am emotionally. Would you consider keeping us as a couple?"
"I would indeed. I'll talk to your parents about it and see what they think."
"Thanks!"
"So, how did your session with Parker go today?" Jackson asked. "Great! I told him about us like you said I could. He gave me advice for keeping us together."
"What did he say?"
"The usual, I guess – mostly about communicating, being honest, patient, and forgiving. It's the kind of things you do already."
"Did he say anything about loving?"
"Oh yeah. I forgot because we're already really into that!"
"Could we work on that now?" Jackson asked, licking his lips.
"Later! I just heard the garage door go up."
The boys had a few days off from school for Thanksgiving toward the end of November. Their celebration was low-key but the food which the three parents made was excellent. Vern always helped Angela in preparing for the holidays. It was even easier for everyone to have Jack in the mix. Their skills dovetailed nicely.
Back at school on Monday, time seemed to fly by. It wouldn't be long before winter break would be upon them. There would be a longer time off, and both of Terry's parents would be home a lot more as well. Jack would have to put in some days over the break. However, most elective surgeries would be postponed until later, so he would have some quality time off too.
He was still house hunting. Angela and Vern told him to take his time to find the right place to buy. They were in no hurry to see Jackson and him leave, and they were certain that Terry didn't want to change the current living arrangements.
That pair had become inseparable in the past few weeks. Some of their classmates noticed, but there were few derogatory remarks other than Dylan making an occasional aside. It bothered Jackson, but Terry assured him that Dylan was mostly hot air.
"I could take him out without breaking a sweat," he insisted. Jackson still worried about what might happen to his boyfriend if Dylan caught him alone.
When Angela's parents, Lois and John Blankenship, arrived to spend a few days with them around the holidays, the boys gave up their room and slept on the sofa-bed in the basement. It was surprisingly comfortable because it didn't have a bar running down the middle of it like the old-fashioned ones. Therefore, they didn't suffer for lack of a comfortable night's sleep. They slept in boxer shorts and T-shirts in case a family member came down unexpectedly. They were concerned about being caught in an embarrassing position. While it might put a crimp in their extracurricular activities, the extra clothing was welcome when the basement rec room cooled off at night.
The boys also felt they couldn't hold hands when their company was present. No one knew how the grandparents would react, and no one wanted to test the waters and chance generating a scene to mar the holidays. Everyone went together for the Christmas Eve service, and they all seemed to be compatible. So, the days passed pleasantly without any drama.
As soon as the grand `rents left, the boys made up their usual bed and slept nude. That was where they saw in the new year together. It was an awesome way to celebrate!
"It feels good not having to wear anything to bed," Terry remarked the next morning. "I know it's gonna get colder this winter, but I hate getting my junk strangled."
"What we need is really long T-shirts," Jackson said. "Or better yet, do you remember seeing nightshirts in the Temu add that popped up when we were searching for sexy underwear?"
"Yeah, but my mom said that's a Chinese company, and that they can get our personal info if we order from them. Dad doesn't like them because they're undercutting American jobs. I wonder if Walmart has nightshirts online. I've never seen them in their stores."
The boys did a search and found a model at Walmart called Imcute. They thought that was a clever name. Because the dimensions ran large, Terry chose a small size and Jackson a medium. They would give them to each other for a late Christmas present or something.
In the meantime, they would sleep nude when they could and keep their boxers handy to put on for going to and from the bathroom.
They decided to ask Jack to order them instead of Terry's mom, feeling like they be less embarrassed. That didn't prove to be entirely true.
"I used to have a couple of these when your mom and I were first married," Jack said. "They came in handy in cold weather when we felt romantic because we didn't have to get totally naked to, um, make love."
"Too much information, Dad!" Jackson cringed.
"Well, it's true. Have you ever wondered why your birthday is in August?"
"Jeez, Dad! We should have asked Angela to buy them."
"Perhaps but think of what you've learned by asking me."
Jackson may have initially been embarrassed, but he did appreciate being treated like an adult. He felt even closer to his sire.
Among the kids Jackson and Terry bumped into, on the first day back from vacation, was a sophomore by the name of Elliot Hinspeter. He was a transfer from City High, and it was rumored that he'd been kicked out of there for fighting. He seemed to have a chip on his shoulder. Jackson suspected it had something to do with his surname. He overheard Dylan call him "Hen's peeder." No doubt, he was trying to get under the kid's skin and put him on the defensive so he could push him around.
It was about a week later that Terry discovered more about the new kid when Jackson and he were the last ones out of the shower after gym class.
"You two act like you've got the hots for each other. I'll bet you're both queer."
"You're never gonna get very far using that kind of pickup line," Terry teased.
"Shut up, you little fucker, or I'm gonna rearrange your pretty little face."
"Ooh! You think I'm pretty. You're not too bad yourself."
Elliot was going to take a swing at Terry, but Jackson grabbed him from behind to stop him.
"Go ahead and fight me, Dodge," Elliot sneered. "You know you'll be off the wrestling team if you're caught fighting."
"Who says I'll get caught. Anyway, it might be worth it to take you out. You know I pinned you in the first match we had. How come you're here instead of wrestling for City High?"
"None of your business, loser."
"Hey Jackson, you don't have to risk being thrown off the team to defend me," Terry insisted. "I can take care of myself. I need to warn Elliot that I'm a black belt so he can't say I didn't tell him."
"Ooh, you do that Asian shit – chopping the air and making strange noises. I'm not afraid of you. Come on, give it your best shot. Better make it good because you won't get a second one," Elliot taunted.
"I don't attack anyone, but I will defend myself if I'm attacked."
"So, you're chicken-shit. Well maybe I need to teach you to respect your betters. But I know if I make the first move, your boyfriend will come after me and it'll be two against one. Just wait until I catch you alone."
With that, Elliot flipped them off and left.
"Now I'm gonna worry about you all the time. He's bound to come after you. You should have let me smack him down."
"Nope, I know wrestling means a lot to you. You can't risk that. Let me handle it. I doubt I'd be kicked out of concert choir if I got into a fight with him."
"Terry, if anything happened to you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. You mean more to me that all the matches I'll ever win."
January turned out to be quite cold and snowy. In fact, some people used their snow blowers more that month than they had the entire winter before. Jackson and Terry kept the Voss's walks and driveway clear and made a little extra money removing snow for neighbors. Mrs. Olsen next door was very thankful for their help because she was older and couldn't keep it up herself without risking a fall. The boys didn't want to take any pay for doing it, but she insisted. She also invited them in for hot chocolate and cookies to warm them up. In the process, she learned a lot about the kindhearted pair of teens.
Another unexpected benefit of winter weather was that the boys got to wear their nightshirts. It was fun to be able to simply pull them up to access each other's dicks when they felt horny in bed. At their age, it happened quite a bit.
About a month after their encounter with Elliot, Jackson had an appointment with Dr. Grim, and Terry walked home alone. He could have taken the bus, but it was an unusually warm day, and most of the snow had melted. He enjoyed the fresh air and spring-like temperatures. He'd walked about three blocks and no one else was around.
Suddenly, Elliot jumped out from behind some bushes and knocked him to the ground. Terry rolled away quickly, shedding his backpack in the process. His jacket was already stuffed into his pack, so he didn't have anything to hamper his movements.
Elliot rushed toward him, trying to land a punch on his jaw. Terry spun out of his way and gave the kid a push, using his momentum to keep him flying. That caused Elliot's anger and adrenaline to rise in response. He kept rushing at the smaller boy, only to have his energy used against him again. The last time he charged, he slipped on a residual spot of snow when Terry deflected his attack, and he flew toward the curb where he hit his head with a resounding thud. He lay there stunned, unable to move.
Terry quickly called 911 and requested an ambulance. Before it arrived, Elliot rallied and tried to get up.
"Lie still!" Terry commanded. "Something could be broken, or you might have a concussion."
Elliot didn't move. He was still dazed, and frightened that he might be severely injured.
The full complement of firetruck, squad car, and ambulance arrived almost immediately. Someone in the neighborhood had already called in to report a fight.
The officer tried to get to the bottom of the situation before Elliot was transported to the ER. It might have been a case of "he said/he said," except for the fact that the lady who called the police had witnessed it and recorded most of it on her cellphone. Terry had concentrated so completely on self-defense that he'd not realized she was there. Mrs. Hamilton's short video confirmed everything Terry told the policeman.
Angela came to the stations as quickly as she could. Terry had wanted to be interviewed immediately, but the officers were very aware that they needed to follow procedures lest a parent sue them.
The whole process took less time than he'd feared. Mrs. Hamilton's statement, along with a copy of the video she'd made, cleared things up rapidly. There would be no charges against Terry, regardless of the extent of Elliot's injuries.
On the way home, the mother and son discussed the incident.
"Well, I guess those karate lessons paid off in a big way," Angela said.
"Yeah, but I didn't mean to hurt him that bad. What if Elliot dies or ends up being a vegetable? I couldn't live with that."
"You did warn him that you were trained in the martial arts, didn't you?"
"Yup, I told him back when he harassed Jackson and me at school. Jackson wanted to defend me, but I said I could take care of myself, and I said why.
"Do you think I could go to the hospital to check on him? I'd like to tell him I'm sorry."
"I know you're worried about him, but I don't think that would be wise. If you make the statement that you're sorry, it will sound like you're taking responsibility for putting him there. His parents might take that as an admission of guilt and sue us."
"But I did put him there."
"No, he brought this on himself. His actions put him there. You are guilty of nothing! You evidently didn't even touch him after he went down and bashed his head. You're a sweet, sensitive kid who holds himself responsible for things that aren't his fault."
"Okay. You sound a lot like Parker."
"Would you like me to make an "emergency" appointment to see Dr. Grim soon?"
"Yeah, I think I would."
"Consider it done."
Naturally, much of the conversation over dinner revolved around the afternoon's fight. To a person, everyone in the household assured Terry that he was guiltless. Their support meant a lot to him.
Jackson was especially tender with his young hero after dinner. He gently helped his boyfriend get thoroughly clean in the shower. Neither of them boned up in the process. Terry felt only love. Jackson really cared for him.
"Do you want to hold Mr. Bear tonight?" Jackson asked as they crawled into bed.
"Nope, I'd rather be your teddy bear, if that's okay with you."
"Whatever you want is fine with me. I might have gotten jealous if you'd have chosen him over me."
"Don't worry; you'll always be first in my life."
At school on Monday, Terry had a feeling that people were looking at him more than usual. He realized that it might be his imagination working overtime. However, at lunchtime, he began to feel that it was true.
"Wow! I heard you put that new kid in the hospital. He's big and mean. How did you manage it?" one of the kids asked.
"Dumb luck, I guess," Terry shrugged.
"Don't believe it. Terry's a black belt," Jackson announced, proudly.
"I'm not gonna mess with you," said Connor who had just joined them.
"Really, guys, I'm a gentle person. I've never attacked anyone. I hope he isn't hurt badly. I do have the right to defend myself. I hope people like Dylan don't decide that they need to fight me like some old west gunslinger. I'm not Billy the Kid."
"I think Dylan and his crowd are going to leave you alone. He's already become wary of Elliot after they had a fight off school grounds. Since Elliot smacked him down and you took out Elliot, I'll bet he won't come near you."
"I hope you're right," Terry said. "I don't like to fight."
Terry had a 20-minute session with Dr. Grim after school. Angela had hurried out of her classroom the minute the kids were gone to drive him there. Jackson had come along for support but wouldn't say anything during the session.
Because he'd worked Terry into his heavily booked afternoon, Parker dispensed with his usual approach and cut to the chase.
"So, you have guilty conscience about taking down a bully who kept harassing you?" Parker began.
"Um, when you put it that way, I guess I shouldn't. Is this another case of letting the ghosts of my feelings cloud my judgment?"
"What do you think?" Dr. Grim replied, trying to hold his grin inside.
"Okay, I guess I can't fault myself for defending myself. I should have figured that out without wasting your time. Sorry!"
"Never apologize for seeking guidance. Helping my clients is NEVER a waste of time.
"Jackson, give him a hug and let him know he's special."
Jackson did as he was requested. Parker placed a hand on both of their shoulders.
Exiting into the waiting room, the boys were immediately confronted by Elliot who was seated in one of the chairs.
"What are you doing here, ratting on me to my shrink? Haven't you done enough?"
"Look dude, he happens to be my shrink too. Your name never came up."
"Oh," Elliot responded in a softer tone. "I guess I jumped to conclusions."
"Is this the boy who put you in the hospital?" Elliot's mother asked.
"Um, yeah."
"Young man, I hope you'll find it in your heart to forgive my son eventually. He's been in trouble for some time. I requested that he be moved to West High to get away from a bad situation at City High. That evidently hasn't improved his behavior. His next option may be reform school."
"I'd hate to see him go to Eldora. I've heard it's rough there. Is there anything to prevent it or is it a done deal?" Terry asked.
"It depends on the current charges for assaulting you, I think," Mrs. Hinspeter said. There will be a hearing in a few days. I'm really sorry he attacked you. You seem like a nice kid."
"Elliot, you may see Dr. Grim now," the receptionist said.
"I'm sorry," Elliot whispered to Terry as he turned away to go into the office.
Elliot's session with Parker began with tears. The distraught teen had finally seen that his life was spiraling out of control, and he was devastated. He'd strayed into using alcohol and pot to dull his feelings while living with his father in the western suburbs of Chicago. His dad had given up on him and sent him to live with his mother and younger siblings in Iowa City. He'd been given several chances to turn things around. Now he was facing the possibility of being sent to a state correctional facility that was a lot like jail. He bitterly regretted his past and feared his future.
"I'm so screwed up. I'm never gonna be okay. I can't see any way out of this. It's too bad I didn't die when I hit my head."
"Nope, it's good that your concussion wasn't fatal because you have a lot of life ahead of you. Things can change."
"I'm just no good!"
"You are a good kid inside," Parker insisted. "Think about something you've done recently to make someone else feel better."
"I can't. There isn't anything."
"Didn't you apologize to Terry out in the waiting room?"
"You couldn't have heard that."
"I can read lips to an extent. I'm right, aren't I?
"So, you're the kid he was in a fight with."
"Didn't he tell you?" Elliot exclaimed.
"He told me only that he'd been in a fight and had hurt someone. He didn't mention any names. When I saw your injury and your apology, I put two and two together."
"What am I gonna do? I've been bullying him, and I started the fight. He took me out and he has a reason to press charges. I'm toast."
"Perhaps not. He's a tender-hearted kid."
"Maybe he is, but I'm not worth it."
"I have a suggestion for you to improve your image, not to the world, but to yourself. For the next week, I want you to do some random acts of kindness. You might do some of them anonymously. You may be surprised at how much better you feel.
At his next regular meeting with Dr. Grim, Terry had some questions about the kid who'd bullied him recently.
"Um, Parker, I know you can't talk about other clients because of the privacy laws, but can you tell me anything about what's likely to happen to Elliot?"
"I'm aware of some things that are public knowledge and aren't covered by HIPPA. You may ask about those things. If anything comes up that's private, I'll simply not answer."
"Cool! So, is he likely to be sentenced to Eldora?"
"That hasn't been determined yet. There's a hearing scheduled for Thursday, and I'm going to be there to plead for him."
"Could I go too?"
"To give a victim statement?"
"Not exactly. I'd like to help him too. I've been watching him a lot lately. At first, I did it because I was worried that he might try to get even with me. But I've seen a change in him. Someone bumped into a timid little freshman boy last week and Elliot helped him pick up his books and stuff. The kid was about to cry, so Elliot put an arm on his shoulder and walked down the hall with him to his classroom.
"We have the same gym class, along with Jackson. He's been polite to both of us. We're all in LA too and he's been paying attention and entering into discussions. His eyes aren't red anymore. I don't think he's toking before school."
"So, you think he might be worth saving?" Parker asked.
"Yeah. I know you do. You have a soft heart."
"You've got one too!
"Now, what else is on your mind today?"
"Not a lot. You know I'm in love, and I want to thank you again for your advice about coming out to the `rents. They all love Jackson and me without any reservations. I believe that Elliot would be better if his family loved him the same way."
"You, young man, are wise beyond your years!"
Author's notes: Thanks to the loyal readers who sent words of encouragement since last posting - Ott H, Bill T, Charles G, Chandra B, Tony, Tim T, Brad W, Geoff S, Justin T, Tony C, Sam T, JLF, Frank K, Allen S, Paul F, Gordon, and Paul R.
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Thanks to David S for editing. He finds typos and missing words! He also makes valuable suggestions.
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Thanks, David
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