Keeping the Tarnished (15 page)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The Run

Jared

The Louisiana heat was at an all-time high. There was absolutely no breeze, and not a single cloud in the sky. The dirt road looked as if it continued into oblivion, and for all that Jared knew, it actually did. He had never been on this particular road. The trees that lined either side of the road were beautiful and huge. The thicket at the trunks of the trees made viewing even ten feet off either side of the road nearly impossible. In fact, the road itself may have been nearly invisible from an aerial view, as many of the tree branches cascaded out high over the road, creating almost an enclosed atmosphere. The trees were like those surrounding the Everett farm, they were beautifully decorated with hanging moss, and large conk mushrooms were growing from almost each of the numerous trees.

The muggy, thick air was almost suffocating. As the rubble made crunching noises beneath Jared’s feet, the two boys continued their steady pace down the road. They had decided to run for a mile or two. This turned into an indefinite run that had lead both boys several miles from the house. The numerous insects were relentless, regardless of the fact that both of the guys were saturated in bug spray.

Jared decided against wearing a shirt, and thought his belly and chest looked disgustingly greasy, oiled in bug spray.

Johnny had on the same attire he had on while cooking breakfast. His shirt appeared soaked in sweat. Occasionally the two would run through a swarm of mosquitoes or other small swarms of insects. They would stick to their skin, as they were covered in sticky repellent.

The run was exactly what Jared needed to clear his mind and get out of the house. He kept an even pace with Johnny, and so far had not stopped for even a breather. They had been running for at least an hour. Jared felt he was physically able to run for miles and miles, and was impressed with Johnny’s ability to go stride for stride. Typically, the heat would have been a factor, but they didn’t seem to allow that to affect them today. The shade from the overhanging trees aided in keeping the sun from directly shining on them.

As they ran side by side, keeping nearly perfect pace, Jared muttered out, “Do you hear that?” The two continued for a few more seconds.

“What?” a breathless Johnny replied.

Jared stopped running suddenly, throwing his hands behind his head and inhaling deeply into his burning lungs. Sweat profusely entered his eyes, stinging them as he attempted to wipe them clean.

Johnny stopped running as well as he too placed his hands behind his head. They both stood in place for a moment before either of them spoke. “Hear what?” Johnny asked again. He was clearly out of breath as well.

“Water,” Jared said as he nodded past the trees on the right side of the road. The boys continued to catch their breath. “You wanna check it out?” Jared asked as he put his arms down by his side. He’d always been drawn to nature and random bodies of water.

“Are you crazy? We come across a gator’s nest, and it ain’t gonna be pretty.”

Jared ignored his friend’s warning and headed in the direction of the babbling water. He heard the disruption in the thicket behind him and turned to see Johnny following him. Jared wasn’t concerned with the idea of walking across an alligator nest. He had seen the animals several times throughout his life and found them less than menacing.

“Dude, you need to be watching for poison ivy,” Jared heard Johnny warn. The brush and thicket was so thick that Jared could hardly see five feet in front of him.

“There’s a clearing up here, dude,” Jared replied. He was far enough in front of Johnny that it was difficult to see his friend as he turned, looking for the other boy. He saw him continuing to forge through the endless greenery, until finally he was right behind Jared again.

“It’s gorgeous,” Jared said, staring at the large creek. The bank led into the water, which was clear, and appeared around knee deep in the center. There were thousands of river stones on the bank and in the water. It appeared as though the creek ran parallel to the road the boys had been running on.

Johnny seemed more difficult to impress as Jared searched his face for a sign of appreciation for the beautiful surroundings. Jared understood that Louisiana had random bodies of water all throughout the entire state. But this certainly wasn’t the typical swampy scene that is so highly associated with the southern state. He failed to see how his friend was unable to see the beauty of the clear creek.

“Yea, man, it’s great. I’m sure the millions of cottonmouths that live here think it’s awesome too,” Jared heard Johnny say. It didn’t stop the boy from unlacing his shoes and removing his socks.

“Dude, your panties must have crawled all up in your twat during that last mile,” Jared proclaimed loudly, smiling and looking up at Johnny from a squatted position. Johnny seemingly thought the comment was humorous as well, as he smiled and shook his head. “I’ll turn my head the other direction so you can pick ’em out if you want.” Jared was laughing quite proudly as he removed his sock.

Johnny began to chuckle too as he squatted down to take off his socks and shoes.

“I ain’t going all the way in,” Johnny said as a barefooted Jared began carefully walking down the stone covered bank to the water, feeling the soothing water encapsulate his toes.

“Hell no, dude. Running all the way back with wet boxers and shorts would be miserable,” Jared replied, as he took his first real step into the cool water. A small frog leapt from the bank and into the moving creek as Jared entered. The cover from the trees’ overhanging made it difficult for the sun to shine on the water. Millions of minnows retreated from the boy as he slowly made his way toward the center of the water. The creek was only about thirty feet across, so Jared reached his destination rather quickly.

Johnny followed Jared’s lead as he stepped into the water. “This place is pretty nice,” Johnny finally said approvingly, much to Jared’s delight.

“Yea, man, I want this in my back yard,” Jared replied as he watched Johnny reach the middle of the creek, then down the waterway. It appeared to go on forever.

“You don’t got ponds or streams on your land?” Johnny asked.

“Not on the property itself, but there’s a huge-ass pond about a three and a half miles south of the house. It’s damn near impossible to get to, and God only knows what the hell is livin’ in that thing.” Jared bent down and cupped his hands in the water. The boy stood up and splashed his face, rinsing the sweat from his irritated eyes.

“We should go check it out sometime,” Johnny suggested with curiosity in his voice.

“I guess. I hope you’re fond of ticks. Me and Pops were covered in them last time we went out there,” Jared said as he began walking toward the bank. Johnny splashed around the water with his feet and then headed toward the bank as well.

As the guys reached the bank, they sat down on the river stones and enjoyed the beautiful view. Neither of them spoke for several minutes, they simply sat silently with their feet in the water and relaxed.

“Holy shit, dude. I didn’t even see that little bastard,” Jared proclaimed as he pointed at a juvenile alligator.

Johnny leaned up and glanced at the reptile as well. The small animal had gone unnoticed in the center of the creek.

“We must have been standing right next to him,” Johnny said, smiling.

Jared felt the day seemed to have been flying by until now. The calming waters and the beautiful surroundings were therapeutic to the boy, who had had a rough week. He stood to his feet and walked up the bank. As he approached the tree line, with his back to Johnny, he pulled down the front of his shorts and began urinating on a small tree. Johnny seemed to pay no attention to Jared’s actions as he stared out at the water with his feet still soaking.

When Jared was done, he walked back to where Johnny was still sitting. “You ‘bout ready to head back?” Jared asked, standing over Johnny.

Johnny seemed to completely ignore the question.

“Johnny, dude. You about ready, it’s a long run back.” Jared kneeled down by his friend, but Johnny continued to ignore him. His mouth was slightly open as he stared off into the water. As he squatted down by Johnny, Jared reached his hand out and touched Johnny’s shoulder.

Johnny immediately sprang to his feet, looking wildly around the creek bed. “What time is it? I gotta get home, now!” Johnny yelled out as he looked hastily about. “What time is it? I need to know what time it is!”

Jared sprang to his feet as well, and was totally taken aback by Johnny’s sporadic actions.

“The fuck? I…it’s almost three,” Jared said as he stepped away from Johnny, gazing briefly at his wristwatch.

Johnny had a strange look of confusion on his face as he stared at Jared.

“Okay,” Johnny said softly as he looked at the ground with a dazed look on his face.

“Dr. Mulberry isn’t coming to the house until seven. We got plenty of time, dude,” Jared said as Johnny looked up at him. “You all right, man?”

“Yea, yea, I’m good. I just…I just lost track of time.”

Jared continued to watch his friend in an uneasy manner. The heat was becoming nearly unbearable. Even after the lengthy break in the water, the guys continued to sweat. “Dude, you might wanna take your shirt off for the run home. It’s bad out here,” Jared suggested as he walked to his socks and shoes.

“Nah, man. It’s cool.”

The boys sat down on the ground next to each other and began putting on their socks and shoes. Johnny appeared slightly embarrassed by his actions.

“So, what’s that Brian guy like?” Johnny asked while he put his socks on.

“Dr. Mulberry? He’s a cool guy. He’s black, but he was born in England, so he has a funny accent.”

Johnny appeared instantly surprised. “He’s black? Your folks got black friends?” Johnny asked as he looked at Jared with a curious expression on his face. Jared chuckled a little, but it was more out of shock than anything.

“Well, yea, man. They have all sorts of friends. He’s gay too, oh my,” Jared said sarcastically. “Mom and Pops go to dinner with him and Tracy sometimes. Tracy is his boyfriend, or husband, or whatever. I don’t know why they decided to have them over rather than get out of the house.”

“Dude, we need to run more often. It feels good to get out of the house and just run like hell,” Jared said as he rose to his feet.

“Yea man, anytime.”

Jared extended his hand to assist Johnny to his feet.

Johnny grabbed his hand and stood up. “Next time, let’s not go in the middle of the hottest day ever,” Johnny said with a smile as both boys headed for the thick brush and trees.

“Here,” Jared said, as he slid the silver watch from his wrist, handing it passively to Johnny.

“What’s this?” the teen asked, reluctantly grabbing it.

“Just so you don’t lose track of time. No biggie, I got two more,” Jared replied.

“I can’t take your watch, man. This thing is…this thing is too nice. I can’t take this.”

“Dude. It is no big deal. I got two more almost exactly like it. Let’s get the hell out of here. I’m sweatin’ my balls off out here,” Jared said, attempting to change the subject as he watched Johnny hesitantly slide the watch over his hand.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Brian

Jackson

“So, how deep was the water?” Jackson asked his son impatiently as they sat at the kitchen table. They were picking at the bountiful array of food Graye had been setting on the table.

“Where we were at it was about two feet deep at the most.” Jackson and Jared both had on nice khaki shorts and polo shirts.

“It’s probably not the smartest decision to go traipsing around ponds and creeks this time of year,” Jackson lightly scolded his son.

“You sound like Johnny. That guy was worried about gator nests, snakes, poison ivy, and just about everything else,” Jared said, smiling at his dad.

“Well, at least one of you is smart.” As soon as Jackson said this, he wished he wouldn’t have. He knew his son was extremely self-conscious about people thinking he was less than intelligent. The boy immediately looked away from his father; he was obviously a little shocked by the comment.

Guilt emerged in Jackson’s gut as he reached over and squeezed his son’s bicep. “I didn’t mean that you’re not smart, son. We both know that’s not the case. I just don’t want you boys getting hurt so far from the house.”

“I know, Pops. My bad.” Jared’s facial expression and soft tone let Jackson know that he got the point.

“You check your sack for ticks?” Jackson asked sarcastically with a smile. Both the guys started laughing.

“Jackson!” Graye snapped from the sink. She was wearing an elegant white sun dress, and her long, dark hair had been neatly straightened. “That is not appropriate table talk,” the woman scolded.

“I’m good, Pops. Not a tick anywhere.” Jared was still chuckling at his father’s crass comment.

“And stay out of the food until everyone gets here,” Graye snapped again. As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it!” little Bryce yelled from her bedroom.

Jackson heard the little girl bolt across the living room floor with Bethany in hot pursuit. He arose from the table and walked to the living room.

As Bryce opened the door the little girl developed a smile of excitement. “Brian!” the girl shrieked as she grabbed the man’s legs and hugged him.

“Bryce, darling. How are you my sweet girl?” Brian asked with a thick British accent as he picked her up in his arms. Brian was very tall, at least six foot six inches. He was completely bald, by choice, and was very slender.

“There you are. Thank you so much for coming,” Jackson said from the doorway. “Where is Tracy?” Jackson asked curiously.

“He’s actually just about to leave the office and head this way. They are right in the middle of a grant reapplication.” Brian entered the house with Bryce still in his arms.

“Ouch.” Jackson replied as he welcomed Brian in.

“Brian,” Graye said, smiling and raising her arms to extend a hug.

“Hello, gorgeous,” Brian replied as he leaned into the woman’s embrace.

Jackson believed if he were not clued in, he would probably have not realize that Brian practiced an alternative life style. Brian’s partner, Tracy, however was extremely flamboyant.

Graye wrapped her arms around both Brian and Bryce as well.

“It smells delicious,” Brian exclaimed as Jared walked in the living room from the kitchen, extending a hand to Brian. “Jared, you certainly have grown this summer,” Brian said as he shook the boy’s hand.

“Hi, Dr. Mulberry,” Jared said, smiling.

“I think that was Brian’s way of telling you you’re getting chubby,” Jackson said, smirking at his son. Jared didn’t seem to take offense to the statement, probably because there was no reason to. The boy was clearly in very good shape. He had a small amount of belly fat, but that was to be expected as his mother was a master at comfort food.

“Not at all. Jared is a healthy boy, nothing wrong with that,” Brian replied as he sat Bryce down. “Tracy said to start without him. He should be here within the hour,” Brian announced as the group headed toward the kitchen.

***

Johnny

Johnny heard the commotion from the bathroom. His hair was still a little wet, but the shorts Jared gave him fit well. As he stared at his reflection, he broke his gaze from the large mirror and looked down at his hands as they were shaking. He was extremely nervous about meeting Brian, as he was afraid the man would think he was crazy and needed to be sent away, and he wasn’t sure how the process of
getting help
actually worked. He took one last deep breath in, and then headed to the bathroom door. As he entered the hallway, the smell of the delicious food lifted his spirits. After the extensive run with Jared, he was extremely hungry, despite his nerves.

As he walked down the stairs, he experienced an almost overwhelming sense of anxiety. He felt he was acclimating rather well to the family, and he was growing attached to them more every day. The thought of something like an opinion coming between him and them was frightening to the teen. At the same time, the thought of gaining mental clarity was very exciting.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs with his hand on the rail, he drew in a deep breath and looked out at the living room, waiting for his nerves to calm prior to entering the kitchen. The large family picture on the wall above the couch was beautiful. Bryce was probably only two when the picture was taken. The rest of the family basically looked the same. Johnny wished he had a picture of his mother and Jacob. Some days he felt like he was forgetting what they looked like, especially his mother.

Standing on the staircase, Johnny could hear the family talking in the kitchen. He could hear the strong British accent from Brian. In Johnny’s mind, most all doctors seemed to have some kind of accent, so it only made sense that this man would have one too. Johnny was impressed with how the family seemed to accept everyone. The Everetts not only welcomed Brian into their house, but they were obviously extremely fond of him.

Johnny stepped off the staircase and slowly walked through the living room to the kitchen. As he appeared in the entryway, Jared saw him and greeted him by socking him in the arm. Johnny was a little shocked by how hard Jared hit him, but the hit seemed to do the boy a favor by clearing his mind rather rapidly. Both the boys started laughing at Johnny’s surprised reaction.

“You must be Johnny,” Brian said as he walked past the kitchen table to the two boys. The tall black man stuck his hand out to shake Johnny’s as the boy quickly extended his as well.

“Yes, sir. You must be Brian,” Johnny nervously replied as Brian delivered a firm handshake.

“Here, and in my office, yes. When you start school next month, you’ll have to address me as Dr. Mulberry. I’m quite conceited, and the title feeds my ego.”

Johnny was uncertain if what the man was saying was sarcastic or serious as he stared at his face.

“It was a joke,” Brian said as he began to laugh. Johnny attempted to give the man a smile and force a laugh, but felt his nerves showcasing themselves in his voice and trembling hands.

“Brian, we really don’t mind waiting on Tracy,” Graye said as she retrieved several bottles of dressing from the refrigerator.

“Absolutely not. You have a growing family and they need to be fed, as do I,” Brian said as he turned to the rest of the family, clapping his hands together loudly.

“No objections here!” Jared said, smiling as Johnny watched his friend eyeballing the mountain of food Graye had prepared. As the group gathered at the table, Johnny’s nerves began to give way to his hunger.