The Trip Ch. 02

"Justin that was truly amazing! I'm sorry I shot so much into your mouth."

"I told you to. I wanted you to." Justin said with a smile.

They decided that they had better get dressed and join the guys so no one would think anything was going. They spent most of the afternoon hanging out on the dock talking and relaxing in the warm Virginia air.

It was about 5:30 when Justin told the guys that he was going to start dinner and that he didn't need anyone to help. Twenty minutes later Justin came out and started the grill and when it was ready he threw on his special burgers. Soon the guys could smell the wonderful smells coming from the grill. On the gill was corn on the cob, sweet potatoes, cheese filled hot dogs, and baked beans on the side burner. When everything was ready he walked down to the dock and told his friends that dinner was ready; as everyone ate no one spoke a single word, the food was so good and delicious.

"Damn Justin what's in these burgers? They are so good and juicy!" Jason said as he took another burger.

"Now if I told you then it wouldn't be a secret would it." Justin laughed.

"Did you guys hear anything about the hurricane?" Mark asked.

"The last thing I heard it's going to head out to sea and the most we might get are some clouds tomorrow." Shane replied.

"Okay good. I don't want anything to spoil this weekend." Steve said as he got up from the table.

"Justin since you cooked we can clean up. I think it's only fair." Josh remarked as he got up.

Justin did not argue with that since he was tired from cooking and the earlier activities. He decided to give his mom a call and check in. But when he called his dad answered the phone.

"Hi dad, I was calling to let mom know I made it to Cedar Lake. It is really nice here." Justin offered.

"Well, I guess, fairies like nature."

He did not know why but the comment irked him so much, he often heard worse.

"I recall you spend a lot of time in nature on those hunting trips."

His father sputtered on the other end of the phone.

"What did you just say to me? Never mind, I should have never let you go on that trip. You just keep your sissy mouth shut or there will be hell to pay. Do you understand me?"

Josh's words came to mind, and slipped out before Justin could stop them.

"How would you know if I did say something?"

"You keep your goddamned gay mouth shut! You understand me, or I'll shut it for you permanently! Keep mouthing off and I won't pay for that surgery. Why waste my money on a worthless cocksucking faggot? Paying something for nothing is a bad investment slut boy. But I might, since legally you're my son and it would be a pain dealing with your mother. But remember I don't have to do shit, so keep your mouth shut." He hung up the phone before Justin could respond.

Justin just sat there and thought maybe it would be better if he didn't get the surgery and let the cancer take over his body. Sometimes he wished he was never adopted and that he would have been better off in Ireland as an orphan. He decided to go back to the house and see what the guys were up to; he needed to get things off his mind.

When Justin walked in the door Josh knew that something was wrong but didn't want to say anything in front of the other guys. They all decided to play a few rounds of poker to pass the time. After they got into the game Justin forgot all about the phone call from his dad. They had played for a few hours when Jason told them that he was going to take a shower and get ready for bed.

"Do you want to go take a walk down by the lake?" Josh asked as he cleaned up the cards.

"If you want to we can." Justin replied.

"Okay just let me tell Shane that we are going for a walk."

They walked down to the lake and the mountain air had settled in and it was a little chilly. Josh went over to the edge of the water and stuck his foot in. He told Justin that it was warmer than the air and it felt good.

"Do you want to go in? You don't have to go in deep." Josh said as he took off his shoes.

Josh could see the look of hesitation in Justin's eyes.

"I'll stay right by your side if you want me to?"

"If you promise to and don't try anything funny."

"I wouldn't do that, I know you're not fond of the water."

"Okay, just be patient with me."

They stripped quickly. Josh took Justin by the hand and led him to the water. Josh felt Justin pull back when he got to the water's edge. He reassured Justin that he was going to be right by his side the entire time, and they would not go any further than he was comfortable with. Justin entered that water and he felt it was a lot warmer than the air around him; it kind of felt nice. They were about twenty feet out and about waist deep when Josh started to feel that Justin was trembling, he decided that it was far enough. He asked Justin if he wanted to go back to shore but Justin told him that he just wasn't used to being this far out. They stood there in the water looking at all the stars in the sky; Josh couldn't help but wonder how anyone could hurt someone as sweet and caring as Justin.

Back home the stars weren't visible due to the lights from Atlantic City and Philadelphia, but out there in the Virginia Mountains there were no lights from any city to drown out the stars. Josh looked over at Justin and noticed that he had a small smile on his face.

"What's that smile for?"

"It is so peaceful and quiet out here, it makes me want to stay forever."

They stood out in the lake for another twenty minutes talking and looking up at the stars when Justin let out a little yawn. Josh suggested they head to bed for the night. When they got back to the house the only one who was still up was Shane. They said their goodnights and headed up the stairs to their bedroom. After they got changed for bed Josh walked over to the deck doors and opened them up. The moon was shining so brightly over the lake that he could see everything; it was an amazing sight. He turned around to tell Justin to come and take a look but Justin had already fallen asleep. He softly closed the doors; turned off the lights and slid under the covers, he knew that he was falling in love with Justin. He leaned over and gently kissed Justin on the forehead and pulled him close to his body. He knew that from that point on he always wanted to have Justin sleeping next to him.

When Josh woke up he found it odd that the sun was not shining through the windows. He slowly slipped out of bed, so as not to disturb Justin, and walked over to the window, it was very cloudy and there was a slight wind. He got dressed and walked downstairs to see the other guys sitting at the kitchen table and they didn't look happy.

"What's with the looks on your faces?" Josh asked as he sat with them.

"Well we have a problem." Jason replied.

"What kind of problem?"

"That hurricane that was supposed to stay in the Atlantic Ocean changed its course and is now heading right for us."

At that moment Justin came down the stairs and heard what Jason had said. His heart jumped because he has never gone through a hurricane before. He took a seat next to Josh.

"When is this hurricane going to hit us?" Justin asked.

"According to the weather station we are really going to feel it around eleven." Shane replied.

"That's only two hours away! What do you think we should do?"

"That's what we have to figure out. We have to decide if we're going to stay here and ride it out or try and make it home." Jason replied.

"I think we should hit the road and haul ass home!" Steve exclaimed as he went to get some coffee.

"You really think that's a good idea?" Justin asked.

"Hell yeah I do!" He snapped back.

"Dude calm down, there's no reason to snap at him like that! He only asked a simple question!" Josh barked back.

"More like a stupid question! I've been through a hurricane before and they are nothing to laugh at!"

"Steve, sit down and take a friggin' chill pill, you're just wasting time getting all worked up!" Jason yelled back.

"Justin, do you think we should stay here?" Shane asked.

"Well, you said that the hurricane is going to be here within two hours. We still have to pack up and close up the place, which could take an hour or so. Then we still have to drive to the interstate which is about an hour north east of here, so that puts us right around the two hour limit just when the hurricane is going to get bad."

"Justin has a very good point here. What would happen if we got caught out in the storm? The weather man said it's going to be one of the worst hurricanes to hit Virginia." Shane replied.

"Well I think it's a stupid idea! Let's just sit here like sitting ducks; we're out in the middle of nowhere, miles from the nearest hospital. And what would you know about hurricanes, you came from Texas." Steve said as he glared at Justin.

"You are right I've never been through a hurricane, but I've seen and been through more fucking tornados than you could ever imagine!" Justin snapped at him.

"Okay, let's not waste time fighting, we need to figure out what we are going to do and do it now. I agree with Justin." Shane replied as he tried to ease the tension.

"He's right, staying here is going to be our best bet. My parents have this place stocked full of canned goods, bottled water, and a whole house generator. There are enough supplies to last over a week here if need be." Jason said as he looked out the window.

"But what if something happens and we need to get help, or get out of here?" Steve asked.

"We have the boat. We can go down the river to the General store and catch the main road there."

"Okay, then it's settled, we stay here and ride out the storm." Josh replied.

"Now the only things we don't have are batteries for the flash lights and food like milk, eggs, and bread. We usually bring them up with us when we stay here, but since we were only coming for a few days I didn't buy a lot." Jason pointed out.

"Okay, then let's hit the store. How far away is the supermarket?" Shane asked.

"It's about twenty minutes from here." Jason replied.

"What about that general store? It's right down the road and I doubt it's going to be mobbed like the supermarket is going to be." Justin reasoned.

"You're right, it's better if we go to the general store and get what we need. Would you and Josh mind going?" Jason asked.

Josh and Justin both agreed that they would run to the general store while the rest of them got the house ready for the storm. While driving down the road the wind had started to pick up, and when they arrived at the store it began to rain. Before they went in Justin decided to call home and let his mother know that they were going to stay and ride out the storm. She told him that it was a smart move staying there, she also told him to try and keep in contact as much as he could.

When they entered the store they each went their own way to get as much as they could in the least amount of time. They got every size battery they could think of, they got four gallons of milk, three dozen eggs, a large container of oat meal, and of course some junk food too. After they paid for everything they headed outside to the car. When they stepped outside they noticed it was very warm and humid, the wind had also picked up.

"I have to admit to something, when you snapped back at Steve like that it really turned me on. Is that wrong?" Josh said with a little laugh.

"No. But I shouldn't have done that, he is your best friend and I shouldn't have talked to him like that." Justin replied as he put the last bag in the car.

"Steve and I've been friends since the 1st grade, but in the past few years we've kind of drifted apart for some reason. And it wouldn't matter, he still had no right to talk to you the way he did, it was downright disrespectful."

"Thanks for sticking up for me." Justin said as he leaned over and kissed Josh.

When they arrived back at the house the guys were trying to finish up getting loose objects put away, nailed down, and tied up before the brunt of the storm hit. They brought everything in and decided to move the cars near the clearing by the lake; just in case a tree fell it wouldn't smash the cars. Immediately after they finished locking and securing all the windows the sky opened up, it started raining buckets of water and the wind really kicked up. They could feel the old lake house creak and moan from the force of the wind, the tall mighty trees seemed to bend and sway like tooth picks, and the once calm and gentle lake looked like the roaring ocean.

The guys decided to retreat to the basement were there was a pool table, 52" flat screen TV, tons of DVD's, and game systems. They kept themselves busy for most of the morning and being in the basement they really didn't hear the storm raging around them. It was around 2:30 when Justin told Josh that he was a little tired and wanted to go lay down for a little.

"Are you feeling okay?" Josh asked concern showing on his face.

"Yeah, I'm just getting a little tired; I need to lay down for a bit."

"Do you want me to come up there with you?"

"No stay here and have fun with everyone, I'll be okay." Justin assured him.

When Justin walked up to the bedroom he could really get a good view of the lake looking through the spaces between the boards over the window. It was really rough. He had never seen a lake with so many white caps and tall waves. It was very humid in the bedroom so he deiced to take off his shirt and lay on top of the covers for better relief. Before long the roaring of the wind and the rain hitting the windows carried Justin off to a deep sleep.

It was the sound of the bedroom door closing that woke him from his slumber, and when he opened his eyes he noticed Steve was standing in the doorway; it startled Justin and he quickly got up and put his shirt back on.

"What's up? Is everything okay?" Justin asked trying to hide the worry in his voice.

"What's that on your back?"

"What was what?"

"I saw something on your back, some kind of words."

"There is nothing on my back; you must have seen a shadow." Justin said as he walked towards the door.

"I'm not stupid I saw something back there and I want to see what it is!" Steve demanded as he blocked Justin from getting past the door.

"I told you it's nothing!" Justin said trying to sound forceful.

But Steve wasn't buying it for one second; he wanted to see what was back there. He grabbed Justin's left wrist as he tried to reach for the door and twisted him around and pulled up on his arm forcing him to bend over and fall to his knees. He grabbed the bottom of Justin's shirt and ripped it up exposing the words that were engraved into his skin.

"I always knew you were a cock sucker!" Steve said as he jerked Justin back to his feet.

"Let go that's my bad arm; you're fucking hurting me!" Justin cried out in pain.

"I thought you faggots liked pain!" Steve said as he pushed Justin hard.

Steve was very athletic, being on most of the sports teams at school, and was a lot stronger than Justin. When he pushed him he went flying across the room and fell over the night stand next to the bed. Justin came down on it with a horrible crash, breaking the lamp and smashing his face on the bed post. Blood started to pour out of Justin's mouth as he stumbled to get up, but Steve pushed him back to the floor, got on top of him, and grabbed him by his shirt.

"I'm going to beat the fucking piss outta you!"

"Please just let me go!" Justin begged as tears streamed down his face.

The very moment Steve was about to lay into him the bedroom door flew open and Josh charged at Steve, knocking him off of Justin. Josh cocked his fist back and intending to knock the shit out of Steve when Jason grabbed his hand and stopped him.

"Josh don't!" Jason yelled.

"I'm going to break his face for hurting Justin!" He bellowed.

"Go ahead and protect your little cock sucking slut!" Steve barked back.

"What are you talking about?!"

"I saw what was carved into his skin 'faggot slut'. What, you have him suck your cock for you? Is that why you're so protective of him? Because he's your dirty little slut!"

"Get him the fuck outta here before I lose it!" Josh ordered.

Jason dragged Steve out of the room and took him back to his bedroom. He stayed there to make sure he didn't try and come back. Josh went over to his beloved, who was crying and shaking uncontrollably on the floor. He knelt down next to Justin to try and help him up, but Justin flinched and backed away. It broke his heart when Justin did that; he almost broke down in tears himself.

"Justin, it's okay love. It's me, it's over." Josh said as he tried to reach for Justin's hand again.

Justin finally reached out and took Josh's hand; Josh helped him up and walked him to the bathroom. When they got to the bathroom Josh sat Justin down on the toilet and started to clean the blood from his face and the cut above his eye. He noticed that Justin had split his lip open and warned him that it was going to sting when he cleaned it. Justin nodded mutely. He retreated into himself, the way he always did when he was hurt. Shame over being unable to protect himself warred with the joy over being safe; Josh had defended him.

Shane and Mark walked into the bathroom and asked if there was anything they could to help. Josh asked them if they could sit with Justin while he went to go get some ice for Justin's head. Before he went back to the kitchen he stopped off and knocked on the door to where Steve and Jason where.

"It's open." Jason said.

"I want to talk to Steve." Josh replied as he closed the door.

"Can I trust that you're not going to kill him?" Jason asked.

"Yeah, I'm not going to kill him."

"Okay, if you need anything I'll be in ear shot." Jason replied as he closed the door.

"What's your fucking problem?! I should beat your ass like you did to Justin! What would make you do that to him?! He didn't do anything to you!"

Steve just sat there and looked into Josh's eyes.

"I asked you a question and I want an answer!" Josh said raising his voice.

"I don't owe you shit, leave me alone!"

"You owe me a reason as to why you did that; you could have killed him back there."

"Maybe that's what I was trying to do." Steve said as he tried to stand up.

"Have you been drinking?" Josh said he could clearly see Steve having trouble standing up.

"And what if I have, you're not my mother!"

"I can believe you were drinking. Why would you say you wanted to kill him? What did he ever do to you?"

"He took away my best friend! That's what the little bastard did! We were so close, so tight before he came into the picture! We used to do everything together, then all of a sudden this new kid comes around and you drop me like a pile of bricks. We never hang out anymore and trying to get you to go anywhere without him is like pulling teeth! I joined the football team just to spend time with you!"

"Why didn't you say something to me? If you felt that way you should have told me instead of keeping it bottled up, and then hurting someone who did nothing to you!"

"And I guess I should've told you that I've been in love with you since we were kids!"

"What do you mean in love with me? I think that's the alcohol talking."

"No Joshua, you heard it right, I'm gay. I hate the fact that you spend all your time with him and when I saw the way you've been looking at him I knew that you were falling for him and I knew that I don't have a chance in hell!"

"I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything, just leave me alone!" Steve said as tears began to fill his eyes.

"I'll leave you alone for now, but when you're stupid ass sobers up we have a lot more to talk about!"

"Whatever."