Max and Josh - 13. Reunion

Disclaimer: This story includes sexual and romantic situations between consenting individuals. Any allusion to illicit or illegal activity, sexual or otherwise, is used only for enhancement of the story line and not promotion thereof. Remember AIDS, HIV and other STDs are a very real threat, please always practice safe sex.

I can prove copyright on this story so please don't copy or remove this story for personal use without my permission.
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Max and Josh 13: Reunion

Max walked swiftly with his head down, trying hard to avoid the stares from his classmates in the hall.

Frank's punch had indeed left a heavy fist sized purplish black bruise across his jaw.

The swelling had gone down over the weekend but it was still painful to open his mouth and work his jaw.

"Have you talked to him?" A small voice and a slight touch to his shoulder announced Fay's appearance.

"No, he hasn't answered any of my calls or messages. I thought about going over to try and talk to him but I don't want him to take a page out of Frank's book. You heard from Frank?" He asked Kylie who was with her.

"No, and I don't care to," She said and both Max and Fay looked disbelieving," I don't; what he did was totally uncalled for. If he hadn't hit Max then we could have all just sat down and talked it out. But no, he had to go off and acts like a fucking caveman." She said and turned away to hide the slight flow of tears.

"Don't worry you guys. They'll come around I'm sure. You know they're hurting just as much as you two are. Especially Josh." Fay added in an undertone as the three of them set off.

                                                         *         *         *

Frank was sitting at the table, staring into the dregs of left over cereal at the bottom of his bowl. He was tired and felt like shit. It had been a week since he lost it and boxed Max in the jaw. Seeing him standing there with Kylie like that awakened something in him that he never knew was there.

It had taken him a week of sleepless nights to figure it out; he was threatened by Max and his relationship with Kylie. They talked about the same things, liked the same movies, music and books, it was like two halves of the same coin and in some irrational way he was afraid of losing her to him.

But he couldn't even call Kylie his. They had been out a few times, that was it. They had never talked about being steady with each other or anything else, but somewhere along the lines he had come to think of her as his, as being with him.

He knew as soon as he was home that he had acted like a complete idiot. Max was stone cold in love Josh and even if he had been straight Max wouldn't have done anything to hurt him like that. Frank had tried to a hundred times to call Max and talk to him, to apologize and beg his forgiveness but all he could manage was dialing the first three numbers before the feeling of shame and guilt choked off the circulation to his fingers.

He had managed to get up the balls to call Kylie but the second she heard his voice she had hung up on him.

Though he hadn't talked to him, from what he understood Josh had cut off everyone, even Fay, so he knew it was pretty pointless to try and talk to him.

"If you're considering drowning yourself I suggest you get some more milk first." His dad's voice snapped him out of his misery.

Sam had just come out of the bathroom, clean shaved and crisp looking. His interview had gone well and created such euphoria in his Dad that Frank couldn't bring himself to burst the bubble with recounting his fuck up.

"I wasn't going to drown myself; I was looking for messages in the cheerios. Why are you all spiffed up, you should be in bed." Frank said forcing a smile and changing the subject.

"Yea, right. If it tells you to go on a killing spree let me know I've got a rifle in the closet. I've got a follow up interview at the factory your friend's dad runs. I'm hopeful." Sam said with a smile of his own as he made himself some cereal.

"Well good luck, old man. You’d better get this job because I've gotten used to the new you." Frank said with genuine happiness as he took his bowl to the sink.

"I'm hoping, god I'm hoping." Sam said as Frank shouldered his backpack and made for the door.

"Me too, I'll see you tonight dad, later." Frank called and waved over his shoulder.

He zipped his jacket up and stuffed his hands in the pockets to ward against the early morning chill. He had to get up an hour early everyday to catch the bus to school.

Frank hated to take the bus but it was part of the price he paid for being an idiot. The bigger part was the loss of three people he cared about.

                                                        *         *         *

"Has Fay said anything about him?" Max asked Kylie as he lay back on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Fay had taken it upon herself to try and get everyone talking again, reaching out separately to Frank and Josh.

Frank had been glad for the olive branch but refused to speak through Fay, he wanted to speak to both Max and Kylie in person.

Kylie at once refused his offer while Max never got back to him, he was too worried about getting Josh to talk to him to worry much about Frank.

"Not much no, she says he won't talk to her about much and as soon as the conversation turns to you or me he clams up completely till she changes the subject." Kylie said gently, Josh not speaking to him had put Max in a bad place.

He kept up with his daily routine but only enough to get by. The rigorous weight lifting and exercise regimen he had created and devoutly followed since he was thirteen became a thing of the past, a thick stubble coated his jaw line and chin from where he had stopped shaving, and the dark bags and puffiness of his eyes were results of little sleep, His attitude had changed too, toward everyone; he had become quiet and withdrawn in class and at home, spending increasing amounts of time alone either in his room or in the woods where he went hiking. Though no one knew he had also stopped taking his medication regularly, taking it only once ever day or every other instead of the twice daily he was suppose to.

Max sat up and looked across at her. He could hear the anxiety in her voice. He couldn't blame her; he hadn't been the guy she knew in awhile. He stood up and scrubbed a hand across his face, he hated the feeling of the sharp stubble under his fingers.

"Tell her to stop." He said staring out of the window at the growing dark.

"But why?" Kylie asked a little confused.

"It's Thursday, it's been nearly two weeks since it happened. I've seen him everyday in school, called him every night. I stood on his doorstep for two hours Monday night knocking and ringing the doorbell. Its done Kylie, we're done." Max said forcing his voice to remain hollow, holding back the pain and tear; he refused to break down in front of Kylie again, he couldn't stand listening to her say how sorry she was over and over again.

It was his fault he had lost Josh, it was always his fault when someone walked away from him; it was time he accepted it and got on with his life.

"Max you shouldn't think..." Kylie began but Max cut her off.

"You should get home Kylie. Get some rest, you've been here every evening with me; you need to relax." He said hoping his tone would keep her from arguing.

Kylie got the point; she picked up her bag and gave Max a hug, which he returned only half heartedly.

As she turned to leave Max couldn't help but soften a bit.

"You should call Frank. He's a bit of a hot head but he cares a lot about you. I'm not mad at him; I'd have done the same thing." He said and allowed a small smile to crack his stone features.

"I might do that, you should loose that beard by the way, you can't really pull off the mountain man look." She said with an equally small smile as she turned to leave.

                                                           *         *         *

Kylie sat at the stop sign at the end of the street trying to think of what to do. She knew Josh wouldn't speak to her, he had closed off to everyone but Fay, but something had to be done before Max got worse.

She turned down the street, pulling out her cell phone and head set as she did. Clipping on the ear piece before dialing Fay's number.

"Hey Fay it’s me, Kylie," She said as soon as Fay picked up, "Girl I don't know what we're gonna do but we need to do it fast; Max is miserable and only getting worse."

"OK, I've got an idea. I'm at Josh’s now. I'm going to put you on speaker and I want you to act like he's not here. I want you to say everything that’s been going on. Sell it Kylie, and really sell it."

                                                             *          *          *

Josh wiped the thick condensation from the mirrors surface with his hand. The heat from the shower had erased the tear streaks from his face but it couldn't remove the redness and puffiness from his eyes.

He tried to yank his mind away from the memory of earlier but it didn't work and as he got dressed it again played through his mind.

Fay had been to visit him that day, like so many others since he and Max..... He knew Fay and Kylie were trying to get him and Max talking again.

Josh wasn't even sure why he had dragged it out as long as he had. It had only taken him a few days to realize what an idiot he was being, and Max's several explanations on his voicemail were more than enough to convince him that he was truly acting like an idiot.

Part of it he knew was fear. He was afraid that even after all Max had done and said that they wouldn't be able to be together how the way they had been before, that the way Max felt about him would have changed. Another part, though he was reluctant to admit it, had been anger. He believed Max when he told him it was an accident that Kylie had found out about his history but it hadn't stopped him from being upset about it, couldn't help feeling a bit betrayed because she knew.

None of that mattered any more though. Being made to listen to Kylie as she described the horrible condition Max was in had shocked and forced him to think clearly.

"He's fucking miserable Fay," Kylie’s voice through the speaker phone had been clear and edged with anxiety, “He thinks it’s over between them because Josh won't answer his calls and ignored him the night he came over. You and I both know he's blaming himself for all of this. He even quit working on the PCH, said he didn't want to fuck up anyone else’s lives the way he's fucked up ours." Kylie sounded as close to tears as Josh felt as he listened to her talk.

He tried to get up and leave at this, fearing the tears and sobs he was holding back would spill out and tell Kylie that he was listening to hers and Fay's conversation, but Fay showing strength beyond her size, grabbed him by the shoulder and roughly pushed him back down onto the bed and held the open phone closer to him.

"He's saying it's his fault that Frank and I aren't talking, that Frank and Josh aren't either. He went on Saturday night about how he's wrecked all of our friendships. Fay this is messing with his head so bad that he's starting to blame himself for his dad leaving and all the horrible shit that happened in Chicago....He even said he wishes that he never came here because of all the damage this messed up fight is causing." At hearing this Josh couldn't take any more and pushed his way past Fay and left the room, tears cascading down his checks, a weak sob choking his throat.

He had sat hunched against the hallway wall for at least an hour as he listened to low, indistinguishable murmur of Fay's voice as she finished her call.

She came out of his room to find him with his head resting on his folded arms across his knees.

He couldn't bring himself to look at her as she knelt next to him and gave him a soft peck on the cheek and whispered in his ear.

"You know what to do Josh, just do it." She said before standing again and leaving Josh sitting there.

He did know what to do, he grabbed his backpack, which was already packed, and with his keys in his pocket and a note by the living room phone he left, locking the door behind him.

                                                                 *         *         *

Max cleaned his glasses on his shirt before surveying himself in the mirror. The steam from his shower still wafted around him as he ran his hand over his face and neck looking again for any stray hairs he might have missed.

He had decided after Kylie left to do his best to get back to normal, it wasn't going to be easy though; Frank and Josh had been his near constant companions since the first day they had met.

Loosing Josh...The first and only guy he had ever loved was devastating but he decided to do what he could to salvage his friendship with Frank, if Frank even wanted him around anymore.

He had done all the physical things he could think of to get back on track. Shaved the growth of whiskers off his face, made his first healthy dinner in nearly two weeks, he even refilled the seven day pill keeper with his medicine. All that was left was his mental work. He knew he shouldn't but he couldn’t stop blaming himself for everything, not just his current situation but his parents divorce, loosing his cousin Mark, even being attacked and betrayed in Chicago. In some warped way he was able to find a way to blame himself for it all.

It was an old habit he had developed after his parents divorce. When ever something bad happened in his life, even things that weren't strictly related to him, he found a way to blame himself for it.

His mother was desperate for some way of helping him but at the time couldn't afford any sort of therapy for him, but in the end she didn't need to.

One night, several years after his parents divorced, it was one of his Mother's rare days off when Max came home to find his mother on the phone to his Grandma, she was sobbing saying she couldn't figure out how to help him. She even called herself a terrible Mother because of it. That had killed Max. Until then he had stood motionless and unnoticed in the doorway but the thud of his bag and his sudden sobbing had alerted his Mother to his presence. She dropped the phone and ran over to hug him.

He cried against her saying how sorry he was for how he had been and promised to do better.

Looking back at the scene he remembered his Mother trying to tell him how sorry she was and how it wasn't his fault he was hurting; but it was his fault; that was something no one could ever say to him. He hadn't tried to be happy since his parents divorce; he was only thirteen at the time but he was sick of it all, he was filled with bitterness, sadness and hate and he clung to it, until that night.

"I'm glad you got rid of the face fuzz, it wasn't a good look for you."

The low, familiar voice from the doorway tore him away from his recollections.

Max's brain screamed at him to move toward the voice but every muscle in his body seemed paralyzed by the sudden flow of numerous emotions. Slowly Max turned around and saw Josh standing in his room, just outside of the light cast by the bathroom light, the weak, nervous smile and the way his hands fumbled at his side made Max almost smile; almost.

"You're here." Was all Max could manage as he edged passed Josh to flip on his bedroom light.

"Yea I'm here. I wanted to talk to you." Josh replied his voice low and anxious.

"You've ignored every one of my attempts to try and talk to you, to explain. Why should I listen to you?" Max's tone wasn't as mean or savage as his words implied. Instead it was low and full of fear at what Josh might have to say.

"Because you want to, because if you didn't you'd have grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and threw me out of your room by now." Josh said sounding much surer of himself than he felt.

Max stood by the door his hand still on the light switch, part of him wanted to smile and wrap his arms around Josh, no matter what he had to say; while the other part wanted to do just what Josh had suggested.

Taking Max's silence for an OK he quickly worked up his courage and started to speak.

"I'm sorry that I've been ignoring you, I shouldn't have. I'm sorry that I've caused all this. If I had been honest with you from the start about what I was feeling then none of this would have happened. Frank would have never slugged you, he and Kylie would still be talking and I wouldn't be standing here feeling so scared that I've lost the singularly best person to have ever come into my life that it's taking every bit of strength I have to keep my legs from collapsing under me and hitting my knees." Josh said, his voice faltering and as Max looked at him he could see the tremble that ran all along Josh's body.

Max stepped closer to him, subconsciously preparing to reach out and grab Josh should his resolve fail.

"What do you mean, 'being honest about what you've been feeling,'?" Max asked his voice almost imperceptible.

Josh swallowed hard and tried to ignore the sting of tears behind his eyes as he spoke.

"Among other things, I've been feeling jealous of you and Kylie." Josh knew his efforts to keep from breaking down totally made him sound like a little kid but it was either that or hit his knees.

Max was feeling confused, Josh's statement and his tone of voice contradicted each other.

"Josh what do you mean, just tell me."

"I'm trying," Josh half shouted, “I am; I just don't know how," he said again, his voice barely more then a whisper as he felt the dull throb in his knees from their impact with the floor; he wasn't even aware of having fallen.

Max was beside him in a heart beat, all thoughts of their separation and his hurt forgotten for a time as he brushed away the tears as Josh tried to explain.

"You two have so much in common. Same music, same movies, same ideas and views. You have the same religion even. You get along with each other so well, you talk about the same things and I dunno why but I was jealous of that, of the fact that you two together would be more acceptable to most in the world than the two of us.
In some way it made me think I could loose you, and when I saw you two together and heard that she found out about your history it played into all that. I shouldn't have walked out, I should have listened when you tried to talk to me, and I should have stopped Frank hitting you. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Max put all the pieces together in his head and mentally bitch slapped himself for being so blind.

He should have seen the way Josh had been acting, should have realized that with Josh's history that he could get threatened by his closeness and commonalities with Kylie.

Any anger or hurt he felt evaporated as he watched silent tears fall down Josh's face. He reached out and drew Josh close to his chest.

"God Josh, I'm sorry. I've been such a dumb ass. I should have realized; should have seen what you were feeling. I'm sorry that Kylie found out Josh, I didn't want her to, I didn't mean for it to happen.” Max explained again what he had said on Josh's voicemail.

He recounted how he had wrote about Chicago in his journal and how he had opened it that day to write more when Kylie showed up and how she had found it.

Both had stopped crying and had managed to get some control of themselves by the time Max finished his explanation.

"It still there Josh, if you want to read it, if you want to find out it's all there." Max said carefully.

Josh looked at the now dark computer screen then back at Max and shook his head.

"No, I don't want to find out that way. I'll wait, I don't care if it’s a day a week or a year; one day it won't hurt so much and you'll be able to tell me what happened. And if it never happens then it doesn't matter. I love you Max, what happened back then doesn't change that." Josh laid his hand on Max's shoulder and was rewarded with a smile.

Max raised his hand and covered Josh's.

"Promise me Josh that if you ever feel like this again, or something I do ever hurts you or makes you uncomfortable to this extent that you'll come to me, no matter what it is." Max's voice and face were serious as he spoke.

"I swear Max, I swear." Josh said mirroring Max's seriousness.

Max nodded and with a small smile reached out and drug Josh close to him, pressing their lips together in a gentle and long over due kiss.

Pulling away with a smile on his face Max asked if Josh would spend the night with him.

"I just want you in my arms again, we can do more tomorrow." Max said with another light kiss at Josh's nod.

Max stood up and pulled Josh with him. He went to shut off the light then turned to find Josh standing nervously next to his bed already skinned of his shirt and jeans.

Max couldn't help but smile at the look on Josh's face and quickly shucked his own clothes and pulled Josh onto the bed with him.

"I love you Max; more than anything." Josh whispered as they settled down against each other under Max's blankets.

"I love you too Josh." Max whispered back as Josh lay his head against his chest, his stubbly black hair ticking the underside of his chin.

Max lay quietly as he listened to Josh's breathing even out and get deepen. He knew Josh wouldn't admit it unless forced to but he knew he was still scared. He knew when he got involved with Josh that he had insecurity and inadequacy issues and even though he had overcome them somewhat that they were still there and probably always would be and were apparently worse where he was concerned.

That didn't matter though; anymore. He had let finally having Josh as his own blind him to Josh's problems. Max knew enough psychology to know he couldn't fix Josh unless Josh wanted to change, but that didn't matter anymore either. This was going to be the last time he lost Josh, this time he would pay more attention to the way Josh behaved and acted and always make sure that Josh knew he was there, that he was his; forever.

Even knowing that there were likely to be issues and pitfalls didn't dampen his determination; he had Josh back and wasn't going to let him go again, pure and simple.

* * *

Friday morning dawned cool and bright, which annoyed the hell out of Frank.

At first the conversation with Kylie the night before had lifted his spirits but when it suddenly became tirade from Kylie about how horribly he had screwed up and how foolishly he had acted had caused them to sink to a new low that he didn't even know existed

Frank had never known anyone to go into a rage the way Kylie had, for the first time since the day they met he was glad they were not in the same room. The tone of her voice cut into him like hot daggers, the hurt and anger and disappointment she expressed hurt him like nothing before had. Frank couldn't even try to defend himself or explain how he had felt when he saw her and Max together that day.

By the time she was done all he could manage was a weak voiced, 'I'm sorry', before he hung up the phone.

Frank tried in vain to use the curtains to block out more of the sunlight, the bright warm rays promised the illusion of a happy day, something that was impossible for him.

At last he gave it up as a bad job and turned his attention to getting dressed and gluing on a happy face to try and fool his dad. The only bright spot in his seclusion from his friends was the fact that his dad had gotten a new job.

The interview at the factory where Josh's dad worked hadn't gone as well as he wanted. It turned out that he didn't have the experience needed to fill the supervisor position but he had been offered a new job on one of the part production lines, he was at last working a day shift job, his pay was nearly double what he had been making and his medical benefits were much better as well.

Frank tried to let his dad's happiness and renewed outlook infect him as well but it was hopeless.

With the rift between him and his friends, a rift he had caused, he felt hollow toward everything and everyone.

Walking into the kitchen for breakfast he discovered he was alone. The note on the table explained the only ride his dad could get left an hour earlier than he needed to get there. Relieved, he made himself some cereal and sat down at the table. If he didn't know the reaction his dad would have he would have skived the day off and gone back to bed for a three day weekend.

He put his empty bowl in the sink and put on his coat for the walk to the bus stop, tucking his hands in his pockets as he went. Though it was only late September and the sun was bright in the sky, it was bitterly cold.

"Just chalk it up to my screwed up luck." He mumbled as he walked alone down the sidewalks.

                                                           *         *         *

Max woke up to the warm feeling of Josh's warm lips against his chest. In his early morning haze he let his hands drift under the covers till he found Josh's head, the now thick stubble of his re-growing hair tickling his palms and fingers, he loved that feeling.

His wandering hands found Josh's neck and Max pulled him up above the cover till he could kiss the lips that had wound a warm trail across his chest.

"I was hoping to get a little farther before you woke up." Josh murmured between Max's gentle kisses.

"What was your intended destination?" Max asked a goofy grin on his face.

Josh's answer was to slip his hand under the waist band of Max's underwear and grasp the hard flesh tenting the fabric.

The feeling of Josh's hand brought Max awake in an instant and the heavy desire to let him continue the slow stroking he started was almost overwhelming, but reluctantly he reached under the cover and pulled his hand away.

"What’s wrong? Josh asked a little uncertain.

"Nothing at all," Max said and emphasized his words with a long kiss on Josh's lips," But for our first time back together I want more than a hand job and we don't have time to do it right." Max said and pulled Josh close to him.

Josh turned his head and looked at the clock, the alarm hadn't been turned on and they only had twenty minutes to dress, eat and get to school on time.

"OK, I guess you're right." Josh said ruefully, but it didn't stop him from stealing one more kiss from Max before getting out of bed.

Josh set to getting dressed while Max slipped into the bathroom. Josh felt great, about everything; he was even looking forward to talking to Kylie and Frank as soon as he got that chance, he just wanted this estrangement to be over.

Josh had just finished buttoning his jeans and pulling on his shirt when a pair of thick muscled arms wrapped around his waist.

"Do you know how fucking delicious you look?" Max asked as he kissed Josh's neck.

"Very, I'm sure." Josh said with a laugh as he turned in Max's grip to look down at him.

"More than that." Max said and kissed Josh again before Josh pushed him away.

"Get dressed, I'll make a few pieces of toast, it’s all we have time for this morning." Josh said to Max's questioning look.

Max smiled and went to his closet for some clothes. He didn't want anything flashy and decided on a pair of dark blue jeans and a plain red pocket tee shirt.

Fully dressed with his pack across his shoulders he went down stairs to find four pieces of toast stacked next to a glass of milk and to his surprise, and horror, his medication.

"There were two in the pill keeper; I thought I would lay them out for you." Josh said completely non-paused between bites of his toast.

"When did you...how did you...?” Was all Max could stammer out.

"Long story, one for later, just take'em." Josh said with a smile.

Obediently Max popped the pills and washed them down with half the milk before reaching for his toast. He knew he was supposed to eat before taking them but he was still running off shock.

He was still stunned and silent after they finished which prompted Josh to reach out and take his hand.

"How...when?" Max asked again.

"It doesn't matter how or when Max. I've known for awhile and it’s not a big deal. I know why you didn't tell any of us and I am OK with that now too, it doesn't matter." Josh said and Max managed a weak smile.

They decided, as usual, to take Max's truck to school. Max was glad that he didn't have to hide his medicine from Josh anymore and he was very glad for the support when he told the others, another explanation that he knew was going to have to come soon.

They pulled into the student parking lot and immediately set to looking around for Kylie’s car. Finding it, Max pulled into an empty space next to it.

Kylie was standing in the chill air against her car waiting for the two of them to get out.

Max watched as Kylie and Josh stepped closer to one another and waited for one of them to speak.

Just as he was about to intervene Josh smiled and threw his arms around Kylie and pulled her into a big bear hug, even lifting her a few inches off the ground.

"You don't have to say or explain anything, its done and over with." Josh said as Kylie started to speak.

"Oh, I'm sooo happy you guys are together again, so, so, so, so happy." She said pulling them both into an awkward one armed hug.

"Yea, now we just need one more to make the trio a quintet again." Max said with what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

"I haven't seen Frank but the buses got here before I did so he may be inside." Kylie's voice was edged with an icy tone.

"Don't be like that Kylie, we all make mistakes." Josh said as the three of them started for the school.

"I KNEW IT, I JUST KNEW IT!!!!" Was all the warning they got before Fay rushed at them from out of the small crowd of students.

Fay happily jumped from person to person, nearly strangling them in her attempts to hug them, but the empty space next to Kylie where Frank usually stood brought her up short.

"Damn...I figured you guys would have already talked to Frank." Fay said, loosing some of her zeal.

"We're on our way to find him, have you see him, and what did you know?" Max asked as Fay Joined their troop.

"No, I haven't seen him, but we don't ride the same bus so that’s not unusual, and I knew that you guys would be back together today." Fay said letting a small smile curve her lips.

"How did you know that?" Josh asked and Fay looked briefly at Kylie before answering.

"Woman's intuition." She said simply but Josh had the sneaking suspicion that Kylie wasn't as in the dark about their conversation from the night before as she appeared to be, not that it mattered anymore.

Josh was glad for everything they had done to help him and Max.

Together, the four of them wandered through the halls as long as they could looking for Frank before they had to get to class.

Parting with Fay, the others made for Kylie and Josh's lockers as the two of them had Chem. class together that morning.

The site of Frank leaning against the wall opposite the lockers was a shock for all of them.

"I just wanted to talk to Kylie; I'll just leave you three alone though." Frank said, taking their nervous looks the wrong way, he turned to leave.

Before he had gone three paces both Max and Josh reached out and grabbed him by the arms, pulling him back toward them. Whatever Frank had been suspecting Max was sure it wasn't the two of them wrapping him a jumbled hug, whispering apologies then being shoved toward Kylie, who hadn't joined the impromptu group hug.

Still a bit dazed from the brief encounter with Max and Josh and very much aware that they were watching, Frank swallowed hard and started to speak; but before his lips could form words they were suddenly covered by Kylies.

Too shocked to protest and ignoring the whispered, "daaaamn", from Max and Josh he raised his hand to her waist and kissed back with all the energy he could.

Quick as it started it was over.

"That was an acceptance to your future apology, but don't even think you're off the hook", Kylie said then leaned closer to whisper in his ear, "You ever do something like that again and I will cut your balls off."

"Yes Ma'am." Frank whispered as Kylie straightened up and walked around his paralyzed form to join Josh, who was about to burst from suppressed laughter.

"Damn dude...We heard what she said...you really shouldn't cross her." Max said resting his hand on Frank's shoulder.

Max smiled as Frank looked up at him. Neither of them had to say anything, it was done and things were how they were supposed to be again.

"I don't know," Frank said as they walked away together, "I sort of like her riled up like that." Frank said with a cheesy look on his face.

                                                             *         *         *

Josh entered the newly re-powered gym alone. With Josh's warning of what would happen if she was late to class Kylie had decided that she needed to stay and talk to their chem. teacher about an assignment they had been given. He had looked for Max on his way to the gym but hadn't found him, Josh assumed that Max had stayed after class to speak to Mrs. Reeves about rejoining the PCH.

With his spirit still buoyed from making up with Max and the others not even the sight of Tom Moure amongst the other few classmates waiting in the gym could tarnish his good mood.

"Hey Mathews, word has it that your boyfriend dumped you for the rich girl. Weren't you enough of a pussy to satisfy him?" Tom shouted drawing the attention of every person in the gym.

For a second Josh was surprised that Tom had said anything but a quick scan around the room confirmed his sudden suspicion, Coach MC’cayhe was no where to be seen.

"You know Tom you might want to be careful, all that internalized homophobia and denial just might catch up to you one of these days." Josh said with a slight smirk then resumed his trek to the locker room to change as if there had been no interruption.

Before he had gone more then a few paces he felt the crushing pressure of a hand on his shoulder and before he could react he was spun around by a furious looking Tom Moure.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean fag." Tom's voice was a low angry hiss.

"It means you’re classic self hating queer. You walk around bashing and beating up every guy you even think might be gay because you can't deal with the fact that you'd rather be sucking their cocks than punching their faces." Josh had no clue if anything he was saying was true but he knew it would be a good way to humiliate Tom in front of others, even though pissing him off in his current position wasn't a smart idea either.

At Josh's words all traces of anger melted from Tom's face and his fingers went slack and allowed Josh to slip from his grip.

The sudden change scared the hell out of Josh and as he turned he had every intention of leaving the gym until he knew the coach was there to keep order. But again before he had gone more then a few steps Tom was on him again; this time delivering a punishing blow to his middle just left of his spine.

Gasping in pain and grasping his side he fell to his knees. As he knelt there he could hear the sounds of foot steps going in all directions but his attention was drawn to Tom who was standing over him, his fist raised to strike him again.

Josh tried to stand to run away but Tom tripped him and fell back on to his back. He knew he would be able to get away as Tom was advancing on him quickly so he closed his eyes and braced for another shot.

But it didn't come; Josh opened his eyes and saw Kylie and Max kneeling next to him. He smiled slightly and opened his mouth to speak but before he could his eyes focused on Tom's massive form coming up behind Max, his fist raised to catch Max off guard.

"Look out!!" Was all that he could manage.

TO BE CONTINUED....
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As always a big thanks to Rush for her tireless effort in editing.