15 And Life To Go - 12. Chapter 12

How am I expected to be able to sleep after what I just witnessed? Jack is now sneaking off in the middle of the night to God knows where. For all I know he is trying to escape right now. I can’t say I’d hate that idea, though. It would be good riddance. My first instinct when I saw him was to go out and follow him, but that little voice in the back of my head stopped me. That really would be a stupid move. I could end up dead in the middle of the woods. I then decided that the best course of action would be to let Mark know what is going on. I doubt he could ignore the disappearances this time. Before I could get my shoes on to make the trip to Mark’s cabin, Ricky scared the shit out of me by asking, “Where ya headed?” I told him what I saw and who I planned to tell but Ricky stopped me and asked if he could tell Mark instead. That turned out to be a good idea ‘cause Jack is scared to death of Ricky. It also helps that Ricky is the only straight guy over here as well with the way Jack has been treating us gays.

By the time Ricky came back from letting Mark know, the rest of the cabin decided to find out what all the ruckus was. I explained what I saw, and Ricky told us that Mark is going to handle the situation, and he was pissed. It looks like we will no longer have to worry about that asshole. Tony was the first to breathe a sigh of relief. Not only was he worried about the revenge from the other day, he was also worried about Henry, who had to share a cabin with Jack. As it turned out, Mark had Eric, Blake, and Henry come into our cabin with their sleeping stuff while Mark waited for Jack to come back. He did not want to risk things going south and somebody getting hurt.

All nine of us were anxious for the rest of the early morning. None of us were gonna be functional for the day ahead of us with only about two hours of sleep. That didn’t keep us from staying awake, though. I wonder how this is going to play out. Will the police show up and take him away in handcuffs? That would serve the bigot right. We all tried to stay awake to find that out, but by the time the sun began to peak over the horizon not even one of us were able to keep our eyes open.

We all woke up late due to all the excitement from the morning. When we all went to step out of the cabin for our normal morning routine, we were stopped by a pair of U.S. Marshals that informed us that we are to use the facilities and go back into the cabin until they can question us about this morning. That had us all asking questions now. The marshals are the guys who chase fugitives, which meant Jack probably ran away. I felt like leaping for joy over the news. With him out of the picture, our group here is awesome and there isn’t gonna be any drama.

The Marshals tried to pump us for information, but there is very little to offer. None of us talked to him so there was no way of knowing where he would go. That seemed to frustrate the officers, but we did not care. As long as the ass hole was gone, it didn’t matter to us where he went. After getting pretty much nothing from us, the Marshal took off to search blindly for Jack.

As soon as the feds left, Mark came in to talk to us. He started by thanking us for the warning and for being mature about the entire situation all week. He then went on to say Jack never came back this morning and when his items were searched, they actually found methamphetamine. That would explain the paranoia and the crazy eyes. That didn’t settle my nerves any, though. If it was a simple escape, he’d be long gone by now, but if it is a crazy methed-up ass hole that happens to be roaming through the woods, that’s another story. He could be out there ready to pounce on any one of us. Looking around the room, I could see that I was not the only one with that thought in my head. As if he was a mind reader, Mark told us that we are to go everywhere in a group and we need to keep our eyes open.

Looking around at my bunkmates, I realized that they are just as stunned as I am. Tony looked relieved when it finally sank in that he had picked a fight with a genuine nut case and narrowly missed becoming his victim. Who knows what Jack could have been capable of when it all comes down to it? It, of course, answers many questions. One thing I never could figure out is why a person would go through such great lengths to avoid participating in something so good, like our band or simply working along with the program just to get your freedom back. I could bet a million that Jack is going to end up a career criminal with the attitude that he held here. It doesn’t get any easier than this place, and he failed miserably.

With it being Sunday, nobody really had any plans for the day outside of our mandatory worship. For once, I actually planned to attend the church service like Jeff did last week. Laughing to myself, I chalked it up to divine intervention. Apparently, God does not want me in his house just yet. I don’t blame him, really. As it is, I’m scared of just going to school there. One of these days, the lightning is going to find me. Pulling me from my daydream, Jeff snuggled up to me answering the question I didn’t even get a chance to ask.

“I talked to Mark, babe. He is going to be taking us to afternoon services at the church. I thought you might actually like to go today. What do ya think?” As Jeff was asking me, he had a cheesy little grin on his face that was impossible to say no to. I had already planned to try this church thing since last week, but Jeff just wrote it in stone with that look he gave me. I am positive that boy knows what he is doing now. He found my weakness and I'm sure he’s going to exploit it at every opportunity. I better get close to God; he is the only one that can save me now.

Now that we are all allowed to leave the cabin, we took the opportunity to head down to the lake. Ricky, Eric, and Blake led the way as the three couples of the group followed behind at our own pace. Long before we could even see the water, we heard the three straight boys splashing around in the lake having their fun. Little did we know they changed the rules up a little for us ‘less-than-straight’ boys. When we finally reached the lake, all six of us tore our shirts off, kicked away our shoes, and headed for the water’s edge. Before we could even get our toes wet, Ricky and the other two started calling us pussies and all kinds of names for no seemingly obvious reason. It wasn’t until Henry picked up Ricky’s underwear, all the while holding his nose I might add, that it dawned on us why they were jeering at us. It was time for a little skinny-dipping on a hot summer’s day. Even Jeff wasn’t shy when we all started stripping the remainder of our clothes off and jumped in.

It is hard to describe what exactly was going through my head as we played our aquatic games. Something about skinny-dipping lends itself to comradery. The closeness within the group grew ten-fold. Not a single one of us is uncomfortable in front of each other any longer, and no one really made a big deal out of the fact that our diverse clan was naked as the day we were born, or that over half of us couldn’t stop staring at each other. Let alone the fact that we were all, um, pointing to the sky, one might say.

After a while, we were all getting tired, so we all kinda split up for a while to have a little private time with our better halves. Jeff and I climbed up on the water bank and laid down in the sun for a while, simply snuggling close. We really didn’t need any ‘funny business’, just the feeling of his skin was enough to make me begin to drift to sleep. Jeff must have dozed too, because we were both woke up by Tony and Henry poking us with sticks. At first, I thought we had bugs crawling all over us, as was their intentions. As soon as I became aware and started slapping at the bugs, Henry started splashing ice-cold water from the lake all over our now sunburned skin. I can only imagine what we both looked like jumping up as we did. The little fuckers are gonna get it, this I swear…

It seemed about time for lunch judging by the sun, so we began the trek back to camp. Tony and Henry were not stupid. They walked a good fifty yards ahead of us, staying safe from the repercussions from their little prank, although I am glad they woke us up. As it is, I’m afraid of how bad we were burnt. If we stayed just a little while longer in the sun, Jeff and I would be blistered. It would really be hard to explain to Father Tim that no, we cannot sit down in church because our blistered asses from the sun…

Reaching the part of the trail where it splits off to the hut where we sometimes like to have a little fun, we were met by Casey and Brandon. They were in great spirits, as expected when someone comes from that direction. They did tell us an interesting little tidbit, however. The last people in the secret hut were Jeff and I. We did not notice anything out of ordinary and we did not leave anything in there. Casey told us that they had found fast food wrappers and a bunch of burnt up aluminum foil scattered around when they snuck off to the hut. Most of the kids walking with us were clueless, but looking at Tony I knew he knew what it meant, as well as myself. We found were Jack was sneaking off to all those times.

Meth addicts use the foil to smoke their stash. He would probably go to the hut every night and smoke his crap out there by himself in the middle of the damn woods. I bet he has not slept in a week. Add in the loneliness and being in the middle of nowhere and you end up with one crazy s.o.b. Going back to my earlier thinking, I bet that ass-hat is still out there somewhere. This is like a bad horror movie. I suggested that they tell Mark what they found. The look I got in return was priceless. The last thing they wanted to do was give up the location of our make out spot. I shrugged and told them that Mark probably already knew about the hut, but that it’s important that the cops find Jack and send him somewhere where he can get some help and get the dude far away from us. Begrudgingly, they finally agreed, but they were not happy one bit.

Lunch was uneventful, to say the least. We had burgers from a greasy little diner in town. With everything that is going on, Mark did not feel like organizing a meal, so he took the lazy way out and ordered in. Who could blame him? As hard as he tries to make sure that we are all safe and well behaved, he still could not stop Jack from causing all this trouble. I just hope he does not get into any trouble over any of this. Technically, he is our foster parent meaning this could lead to negligence charges, but it would take an over-zealous DA to think up charges like that in this case. Besides, he has nine boys that would stand behind him all the way, if that were the case.

As we shoveled the artery-clogging meat down the hatch, we informed Mark about what we had found earlier. He was disappointed to say the least, but thanked us for letting him know. He did let out a laugh when we mentioned the ‘secret’ hut, though. With an eye in the sky he asked, “Who do you think built that hut, anyway?” I assumed Brandon or Casey would know, or at least Ricky since he has been here the longest, but they were clueless. Apparently, Mark built it when he was our age to bring a much younger Mary to. As soon as Mark told us that, Mary came pulling up in her car, home from the school. Mark attempted to cover up his bout of embarrassment but he did not do a very good job. Mary instantly began to question Mark and I about his sudden blushing, but I decided to hold on to this little nugget of information just in case I ever feel the need to humiliate our leader.

Leaving the other boys to their devices, Jeff and I embarked on a little nature hike for a little bit of alone time. The events of the past day have everyone in camp on edge when all we want to do is spend time with each other. The conversation was simple at best, but talking to Jeff is always entertaining. We could be talking about nothing at all and I would still listen for hours. I can remember hearing that you know you are in good company if you enjoy each other’s silence. I imagine we would fit that bill if we ever ran out of things to talk about. Eventually our chat drifted to church, especially Jeff’s surprise that my views could have changed in just a week’s time.

“You know what, babe? I have given it a lot of thought, and I figure that church cannot hurt me at all. The worst it can do is make me a better person, so why the hell not?” I actually have no idea why I feel the need to go to church, especially today of all days. Something deep down is telling me I had better go if I know what is good for me. It’s the same damn little voice I’ve been listening to since I got here and it hasn’t been wrong yet, so I’d better listen to it. “Besides, Jeff, you’re going and there is no place I’d rather be than by your side!” That cheesy little line earned me a kiss from Jeff, who melted into a pile of mushiness. I may not be all too suave` but I have my moments. Jeff has that effect on me all too often. The look in his eyes makes all my efforts completely worth it in the end.

The entire walk back to camp Jeff continued to explain to me what to expect out of Father Tim and the rest of the congregation during the services. The entire ordeal seemed straightforward to me but I let Jeff reiterate the importance of the various rituals. He seemed to believe in all of this ‘God stuff’ so much that I didn’t want to dampen his spirit with any of my nay-say attitude. I just hope that my attendance today quashes this impending sense of doom that I feel in the pit of my stomach. The feeling has been building up since I first met Jeff and seems to be coming to a head. Between myself questioning my own existence and Jeff pretty much saving what is left of my life, I would say I have had a rather big awakening.

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Although the church itself is large as soon as we set foot inside the vestibule, the walls began to close in. Suddenly I felt inferior to everyone around me. It was not lost on me that I was severely underdressed compared to the other churchgoers. It’s not like I had a suit handy but I probably could have done better than the t-shirt and jeans that I had worn all day. Jeff didn’t inform me that I would look out of place but I think he counted it as a victory just getting me in the building. It did not help that Jeff and I were the only ones that wanted to go today. I am sure Brandon and Casey are showing Tony and Henry how they spend their Sunday worship sessions as we sit here in our pews listening to the good word.

Once I got past the initial bout of uncomfortable nervousness, I was able to keep up with the service. The message of the gospel was an easy one; “love thy neighbor”. As Father Tim delved deep into his homily explaining the concept of brotherly love, Jeff and I hung on every word. More importantly, Father Tim made it clear that there is no difference between loving thy neighbor and not hating your enemies. Hearing that I instantly felt guilty about how we all treated Jack. Of course, he had it coming, but we did not need to run him off as we did. We had no problem helping Tony even though he was just as bad. Leave it to church to allow you to see your bad habits and feel shamefaced for them.

Once the mass concluded, we slowly made our way with the rest of the parishioners to the exit where Father Tim said his goodbyes to his flock. He perked up when he seen me with Jeff. Joking around, he thanked Jeff for recruiting his friends even if it is just one at a time. He didn’t ask us to try to coerce our bunkmates here next Sunday like I thought he would. Instead, he reminded us that it only took one of us to attend to bring back the message to the rest of the camp. I decided that I would let Jeff be the messenger. He is so much better at this stuff than I am. Hell, I’m still working on getting myself to believe all this religious, -er, stuff. Bidding the few people that we knew farewell we headed back in the truck.

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The drive back was uneventful to say the least. Mark seemed like his head was lost in thought and Jeff fell asleep on my shoulder so not a word was spoken the entire ride home. It wasn’t such a bad thing, really, because it gave me a chance to think about what was said. Attending the mass left me feeling good about the world around me. I still felt unsettled at my core but at least on the surface I was glowing.

Camp was quiet just like I expected. Mary was quietly reading a book under her favorite tree while all three ‘straight’ boys tossed a football around in the clearing. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what the other four were up to. Just the thought of what the other couples were doing sent my libido into overdrive and apparently Jeff’s as well. Without wasting a single moment, Jeff and I took off down the trail to find a private little spot of our own. Figuring that the hut was occupied or way too obvious we settled on a spot closer to camp. After the fiasco when Tony seen us we had an unspoken rule that the cloths were going to stay on but that didn’t stop us from attacking each other like animals.

Within seconds, Jeff and I were rolling around in the underbrush without even caring if it were poison ivy that we were laying in. Without ever breaking eye contact Jeff expertly positioned my body on top of his own all the while making sure I could feel every movement of his hips as he grinded against me. It’s hard to remember that I am here with Jeff the shy one when he takes full control of me without ever trying. The more I could feel him through his jeans the less I cared about the rules. Slowly my inhibitions disappeared as my boyfriend tore at my cloths. For the first time, without interruption, we were able to validate our love for each other.

It didn’t take long for us both to end up lying on our backs looking towards the sun with smiles plastered on our faces. Not a word was spoken as we sat there enjoying each other’s company occasionally leaning in for a kiss. Our perfect moment was shattered, however, when Teddy came dashing through the branches and dove on top of the both of us. Looking around I didn’t spot Tony causing me to wonder what made this animal break away from his master to interrupt us. Without an answer, the feeling rose back up inside of me only this time a subtle panic formed as well. Something here didn’t make any sense. Jeff, already noticing my demeanor, pulled us both up to go find Teddy’s master hopefully all in one piece.

Attempting to rationalize Teddy’s appearance, I tried to tell myself that the pooch simply ran off from camp. As much sense as that made, neither Jeff nor me headed towards camp, instead heading the complete opposite direction towards the lake. Upon reaching the banks, nothing seemed out of place, which somehow made the feeling worse... eerie even. I swear, where there was wind and sunshine mere minutes ago, there is now dead calm. At this point in a movie time stands still and the music playing clues you in on what is about to happen. It’s all too bad that Jeff and I aren’t afforded the same liberties here in real life because we could have surely used a heads up for what came next.

Jeff heard the shouting before I did. It was obviously Tony’s voice, but we couldn’t make out what the hell he was yelling about. Neither of us wasted any time crawling up the trail leading to the top of the bluffs. Reaching the peak our hearts sank at the situation unfolding before us. A crazed-looking Jack had Tony backed against the edge while Henry pleaded with him to let him go. The gleam off the knife told everyone how serious he was. Jack was hearing no one’s pleas as he continued to blame all his problems on the man before him. Off to the side Brandon lay unconscious with Casey in hysterics circling the wounded boy.

Thinking fast, I decided that the element of surprise is our only hope in this situation. Waving my arms to get Tony’s attention, I alerted him to my plan. Tony, after realizing what I was about to do reacted in suit, getting ready to disarm the violent teen. Unfortunately, Henry never saw us and as soon as things were set in motion, he set forth on Jack as well, only he wasn’t aiming for a distraction. You could hear the air escape Jack from the force of Henry’s much smaller body plowing into his stomach. In the blink of an eye, all three boys disappeared over the edge….