Indiana Summer - 5. Secrets between friends

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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Indiana Summer05: Secret Between Friends.

I watched as Billy led the horses back to the barn. It was late Sunday afternoon and we had finished our work for the day. Five days had gone by since I found the wooden box with Billy’s cutting supplies.

I had kept my distance from him since I found the box, not out of fear or anything like that but out of concern for him. I didn't know much about cutting but I had a few friends who were experienced in it. I remembered asking one of them once why he did it.

He told that when he felt something he couldn't process that he cut. The pain gave him something else to focus on, a feeling that he could understand and process.

Even though I had kept away from him physically, I thought about him almost constantly. I had watched him closely trying to decipher what feeling, what inner turmoil welled up so strongly inside him that it forced him to hurt himself just so he wouldn't have to face it or process it.

"If you stare at that barn any harder you’re going to burn a hole through it." Annie's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"I wasn't really staring at it, more like through it." I turned to see her framed in the kitchen doorway.

"The thousand yard stare, eh? You've been doing that a lot lately not to mention you've hardly said two words all week. There isn't anything wrong is there?" She asked apprehensively as I sat back on the swing.

I knew I couldn't tell Annie what had been going on inside my head or what I had found under Billy's bed, but lying to her somehow felt wrong.

"No there's nothing wrong, I just get like this every now and then. I've gone weeks’ likes this before." I was lying my ass off. I wasn't that deep a person but Billy drew my thoughts like no other person I had ever met. I wanted to figure him out, I wanted to help him in some way, but I knew he would never let me get that close.

"Well all right. Just don't stay silent for too long, I'm beginning to miss our conversations," she said with a smile as she turned to go back to the kitchen but she stopped and turned around, “Oh, I have been meaning to ask you if you've had any insight into how the blood drops came to be on your shirt?"

I only shook my head in answer and she sighed and went back to the kitchen, but I was lying again. In truth is I had given that matter a lot of thought.

The first time I wore the shirt was the same day I had experienced one of Billy's mood shifts.

When I came back to the room we shared that night Billy was sitting on his bed with his arms folded high across his chest and his knees drawn up; almost like he was trying to shield his torso from view. And I remembered that when I had tossed my clothes into the hamper that my shirt was only half way in but when I got back it had been pushed in completely. Then there was the momentarily horrified look on Billy's face when Annie had pointed them out to me.

I didn't know how or why but I knew that the blood drops were Billy's and I know they hadn't been there when he gave the shirt to me.

I slipped back into my contemplation about Billy's life, at least what I had seen of it thus far. His dad was my main suspicion.

The way he treated and talked to him was more than just harsh; in my opinion it bordered on psychological abuse. Hardly a day had gone by since I had been there that he hadn't berated or belittled him.

He always went on that Billy wasn't doing something right or that he was taking too long to do it. He complained that Billy left the horses too long in the corral and regular insults to his intelligence were commonplace. Saturday he even complained that Billy had taken too long in the shower and had held up dinner, the casserole we were eating wasn't even out of the oven yet.

His brother Seth had also piqued my interest. Both he and Annie had said that Seth had left because of William senior but neither had said why. I wondered if he left because the old man treated him like he treated Billy, if he had left because he got tired of it.
However it had happened it seemed to have hurt Billy deeply. The few times he had mentioned his brother he looked supremely sad. They must have been close to look that sad and hurt.

Even though his dad's treatment of him and the seeming resentment he carried toward him was, at least in my mind, more than enough to make a person cut there seemed to be more than that.

"Are you going tonight or what?" I had been staring at the porch so hard that I hadn't seen Billy come up from the barn.

I looked up at him for a second before answering. The look on his face alone was enough to tell me that he didn't want me there and considering I didn't like country music I decided against going.

"No. I'm tired and my back is sore from all the lifting we've done today. If you go though don't worry. I won't tell your parents." I said looking back down at the porch.

"Alright...thanks." He said as he walked into the house

                                                                  *     *     *

‘Why is he avoiding me, and why is it bothering me that he is?’ I thought silently as I sat down in the dining room.

David hadn't said more than three words to me since Tuesday that weren't related to the work we were doing. He had stopped all his attempts at conversation and seemed to have gone out of his way to keep his distance from me. He even turned down the chance to get off the farm and into town. He seemed to have finally got the message I didn't want him around, that I didn't want to be his friend.

But if I really felt all that then why did I feel so bad.

I leaned forward with my head in my hands, I hated being so confused. I didn't want David around because of the thoughts and feelings that he inadvertently brought out in me, the longing followed swiftly by bubbling shame and guilt.

But now, him not talking to me made me feel a different sort of longing. Whether it was his constant attempt at friendship that I missed or the pain I forced myself to endure when he got too close I don't know, but either way I was a freak. I either got off thinking of guys or on pain.

I didn't want either; I just wanted to be normal. I wanted a family and I didn't want to have to keep putting scars on my body.

"What are you doing in here boy and why are you holding your head?" My head snapped up at my dad's voice.

"N, nothing. We've been working hard on the barn and I'm just tired. Not sleeping too well." While my dad thought showing any sort of weakness was un-manly the berating I would get for weakness would be better than what he would do if he really knew what was with wrong me.

"Yea well your mother has been going on about that, she reckons I've been working you boys too hard. I think I've been going easy on you but you know how she goes on and on till she gets her way so it’s just easier to agree with her and get on with life. So you boys have tomorrow off to do what you want and from now on you'll have Friday and the weekend off too." My dad didn't look or sound too happy as he said this.

"Thanks Dad. A day off from that steaming barn will be a relief." I must have let a little too much emotion into my voice because the expression on my dads face changed from bitter indifference into a look of mild contempt.

"Don't go getting sappy with me William. I told you it was your mother’s idea, not mine." He said as he turned and walked out.

I climbed the stairs to my room with my head packed full of shit. David, my dad, and just generally how fucked up my head was.

‘I just need to get out for a night, dance with a couple farmers daughters and get my head on straight.’ I thought as I went through my closet for the right clothes.

I picked out a black t-shirt and an old pair of jeans that Samantha always said made my butt look good. I may have been a hick but I liked to look good.

I didn't know what to do till dinner so I sat back on my bed and twiddled my thumbs, but as I sat down my heel knocked against something sticking out from under my bed.

Bending down I saw that the corner of the wooden box I kept my cutting supplies in was sticking out from under the bed.

I pulled it out and looked at the initials carved into the top. W.D.T. Jr.; William Daniel Templeton Junior, I was named for my father. My uncle had made one for Seth and me on our thirteenth birthdays. I hated being named after my dad and I hated that I had to cut myself so the supplies and the box were perfect for each other.

I slid the box back under my bed and lay down. Some sleep before dinner would be cool.

                                                                  *     *     *

"You know David since you didn't go to town with Billy Saturday you should go with him tomorrow since you boys have the day off. I know you said that your dad only let you bring a few hundred dollars with you but you really should go get yourself a few shirts to work in." Annie said as she washed the dishes, Billy had gone upstairs and the old man was in the living room.

"That might not be such a good idea Annie." I said leaning back against the kitchen counter.

"Why not?" She asked not looking up from her sink.

"Well it's just Billy doesn’t seem too keen on being around me. He hasn't done or said anything to me, it's just the feeling I get when we’re around each other. I'm not one to push my company on someone who doesn’t want it. I just think it's best if we stay away from each other outside of work.” I know all this had to sound weird to her but it's all I could think of to keep the peace between Billy and me.

Annie finished her dishes before she answered me, by then I had already sat down at the kitchen table and she took the chair across from me.

"David I wish I could tell you that what your saying is new to my ears but its not, unfortunately," Annie looked hesitant before going on, "You see, when Billy was thirteen his brother Seth, our oldest, got into an argument with William. Seth had been awarded a full scholarship to go to school upstate and wanted to accept it, but William had other plans for him. He wanted Seth to stay here and learn how to run the farm but neither Seth nor Billy has the talent. They're not good with plants you see, never have been.

“So the argument got heated and ended up coming to blows. When it was all said and done Seth left. He stayed with some of my family till school started and after he graduated he moved out to Colorado and started his own ranch. He was always good with animals."

"What does all this have to do with Billy's attitude?" I asked even though I already had a good idea.

"Honey you may have only been here a little while but you've seen enough to have let you figure out a little bit of it," Annie had this amused smile on her face as she spoke, "Billy and Seth were very close when they were younger, even though there are six years between them. Billy was lost when Seth left. You know what it's like for boys at that age, and while he may never have admitted it Billy had a lot of questions that he couldn't bring to me and would never have brought to his father."

"William has also made things worse over the years. He turned his anger at Seth on Billy. While he has never laid a hand on him his words and actions have been enough, as you've noticed I'm sure. Since Seth left he's had a hard time getting close to people. He's afraid I think of getting close to someone and them leaving him. The friends he has are the ones he's had since he was a kid."

"Yea I guess he really wouldn't want to get friendly with me since I'll be leaving in a few months." Finally some of Billy’s attitude was starting to make sense.

"Yes and I'm sorry that I've been pushing you two together. It’s just that the second I saw you, I thought you would be different. That he might somehow warm up to you and the two of you would get to be friends, but I can see now that it's not going to happen and I'm sorry that I included you in this mess. So David, you do what you think is best and if that includes the two of you keeping away from each other while you’re here, other than work of course, then so be it. I won't say a word and I'll do what I can to get William to fix up that spare bedroom." As she spoke she rested her hand over mine. She looked relieved in a way, as if she had been dying to say all this for years.

"Thanks Annie. I just don't want me being here to make things harder on anyone than it already is." I didn't know what to tell her. For some reason she had thought that I would be able to help Billy. I wanted to but I didn't know how.

"You're not making things any harder than they were already and I for one love having you here. You’re someone to talk to other than the old ladies from the church." She gave me a small laugh as she got up and left the kitchen.

At a loss for something to do I decided to go upstairs, I knew that Billy was there but I didn't have many other choices.

Billy was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling when I came in; he glanced at me for just a second before looking back up.

"So when are you going, and how do you get out without your parents hearing you?" I asked as I sat down. This wasn't a renewed attempt at friendship, just a means to pass the time.

"I'll take the ladder outside the window around ten thirty. It's supposed to be there in case of a fire and the stairs get blocked. Seth is the one who started using it to sneak in and out of the house. He took Sam and me to our first barn dance just before he left." Billy never looked away from the ceiling as he spoke.

"From what little I've heard of Seth he sounds like a cool guy to have as an older brother. I’m an only child so the closest thing I had to a brother was an immature uncle." I had to smile at the thought of how juvenile my uncle was. An eighteen year old trapped in a forty-five year old body.

"Seth was more than just my older brother, next to Sam he was my best friend. There are six years between us but growing up that never mattered. He would always let me hangout with him and his friends. He taught me how to fish and how to ride, he even taught me to drive on the back roads out here." Though he was still staring at the ceiling as he spoke I could see that the stony look he had maintained most of the day had softened a little into a small smile.

I didn't want to push Billy into another fit of indifferent silence so I decided to stop while I was ahead.

I reached over the foot board and grabbed my mp3 player off the top of the trunk and clicked through the play list till I found a song I liked. I closed my eyes and let the music flood through my body.

I tried to keep focused on the music but my thoughts kept straying back to Billy. I didn't understand him, but I wanted to and I didn't understand that either. The more time I spent around him and the more details that surfaced about him made me want to figure him out, to help him in some way.

                                                                     *     *     *

"So what were you and the city boy talking about earlier?" William asked as I sat down with a cup of coffee at the kitchen table.

"We were just jabbering about this and that. Mostly we talked about the work he and Billy will be doing this summer, although I'm starting to question your decision to have them work together." I knew this would cause a stir with William but I had been thinking about what David had said and I was concerned about both of them.

"Why shouldn't they work together? Things will get done faster if they do." His predictable argument over time.

"Well I was just thinking, you know how difficult it’s been for Billy to make friends and get along with new people over the past few years. I just think it would be better for both of them if we kept the two of them apart as much as we can, because if you haven't noticed Billy has been increasingly distant since David got here." I knew William wasn't fussed about Billy's problem. Truth be told I didn't know if he cared much about anyone these days.

"I don't care if they get along well or not, so long as they do their work. Billy would be better off not taking up with him anyway.”

"He would be lucky if he could get to know David. He's a hard worker with good manners and a decent attitude. The only reason you don't like him is because he reminds you of his father. Joe was more irreverent and outspoken then you ever were and you never could stand that." This stung and I knew it. William never could stand the fact that he was more of a good boy then Joe.

"You're right about one thing; he does remind me of his father because he has the same wild streak. That streak is why he's here and it’s a streak that I intend to break." William said sharply as he left the room.

"Oh it’s going to be a long and difficult summer." I thought silently as I drained my coffee cup and went up to bed.

                                                                  *     *     *

"Shit, Damn it, son of a bitch." I cussed as I stumbled over yet another tree root.

I looked up at the moon for some light but it was hidden behind a mass of clouds, next time I bring a flash light.

I walked on a little ways and caught my foot under yet another tree root, as I fell forward I felt an arm reach around my chest and pull me back to my feet.

Turning around I saw it was Walker, his flashlight pointing to my chest.

As I stood up and got my bearings he scribbled a quick note and handed it to me.

"I know I should have brought a flashlight, I forgot. Why are you here, you should be setting up."

He scribbled another note and handed it to me.

"'Already done, Samantha was worried and asked me to come look for you.'" He wrote.

"Sam should know better than to get worried about me. I know these woods better than anyone." I said as we walked on. The longer we knew each other the more protective of me Samantha seemed to get.

"’I know that and so does she, but you know how she is. She’s got that little brother complex about you.’" Read his next note.

In a way Sam had a right to be protective. She may not have known what went on inside my head, but she knew the measures I took to control it.

"’It may not be my place to say, but I think she may like you in a more than just a friendly way.’" This was a note I hadn't expected. Sam and I had known one another for years and nothing like that had ever come up between us.

"You know Walker for a guy who never speaks you sure do talk a lot." I said as I crumbled the note and put it in my pocket with the others.

Walker just shrugged his shoulders and kept walking.

After about ten minutes we came to the barn. Light flooding out of the wide doors illuminated Sam's figure as she looked up and down the tree line.

"It's about time you got him here Walker. Now get up on stage, we want some music." She said as we stepped out of the dark trees and Walker rushed past us and into the barn up to a makeshift stage.

"What took you so long, and where is the asshole at?" Sam asked, tossing her arm around my waist as we walked into the barn.

"It was dark and I didn't bring a flashlight and the asshole didn't want to come." I smiled as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

"And you left him there alone? What if he tells your parents?" She asked as she pulled away a little to look up at me.

"He said he wouldn't and as much as I dislike him I have no reason not to believe him. Now are we gonna dance or what." I asked with a smile as the band started one of their best songs, and one of Sam's favorites.

Sam smiled then grabbed my hand and pulled me out onto the dance floor. The barn was so small that even though there was only about thirty or forty people we were standing dancing shoulder to shoulder.

"You would never guess that there are this many of us out here." Sam shouted over the music. She was right; almost everyone there was raised at a local farm.

As the music picked up Sam and I started to dance. She was a beautiful dancer, she moved fluidly and seductively like the music was part of her. As we danced she pressed against me, I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her close so we were dancing against each other.

"Damn girl you've got moves. Why don't you come dance over here with me?" Andrew Mason appeared out of the crowd and tried to pull Sam closer to him.

Andrew was the oldest of the three Mason brothers and had been hitting on Sam since we were in junior high.

"Get off me you fucking dog." Sam hissed loudly as she shoved hard against his chest, knocking him back on to the floor.

"One of these days girl I'm gonna get tired of you getting away from me.” Andrew said as he stood up and advanced on Sam. Before he could do anything though I put myself between them.

"Get out of my way Templeton, this don't concern you." Andrew pushed hard against me but I didn't budge. I just pushed him back a little farther.

"You want some Templeton, come on then." Andrew all but yelled as he tossed his hat to the floor.

At this, the people closest to us stopped dancing and watched. I took a step forward and felt Sam grab my shoulder.

"Don't fuck with this guy Billy. I know you can take him but if you do he'll tell your parents you've been here. That is trouble neither of us need." Sam's voice was close to my ear so only I could hear her.

"Stay away from her Andrew." I warned in a low voice as I let Sam pull me back into the crowd.

"Run off like the chicken shit you are Templeton." Andrew yelled, barely audible over the music.

"You should've let me beat the hell out of him Sam." I said once she had pulled me outside to cool off.

"And what would have happened if I had? Sure you would have beat the living shit out of him and then he would have gone to his dad who would have gone to yours who would have come to you," Sam's hands were on her hips as she spoke, "And we both know what could happened if that he did, and even if he didn't go to your folks what if he had got you in the eye or the lip? How would you explain that one to your parents?" She looked upset as she finished. I just wish I had something to tell her.

"I'm just trying to look out for you. I know how bad your dad can be, especially since Seth took off." Sam came up to me and rested her hand on my forearm, something she had never done before.

"What would I do without you for my commonsense Sam?" I asked one of our old questions.

"Probably something really stupid Billy," Sam smiled letting her hand fall from my arm," Now lets go have some fun."

Walker's band played a few more songs before taking a break and letting Chris take over for a bit.

Chris was set up with some of his dad's DJ equipment in a small corner. He lived in town and no one knew him too well except Walker. They had been good buddies since Junior high. He was the first and only person Walker ever brought to the dance.

"Alright, Alright, Alright. How are all you Hicks and Hill jacks out there doing tonight?" Chris's voice boomed through the barn.

Everyone hooted and hollered in response to Chris's question. Chris was the only kid in the barn not to be raised on a farm and was the only one that could get away with calling the lot of us Hicks and Hill jacks.

"It's good to hear you guys still have a sense of humor so here is some Summertime for summer fun." He said as Kenny Chesney started playing.

The dance went on the rest of the night without a hitch. The two of us danced to almost every song played, Sam even got up on stage and did a song with the band.

It was nearly one in the morning when Chris played the last song announcing that the party was over. As everyone started to leave Sam and I made our way up to Walker.

"Great show Walker. I think tonight was your best performance." Sam said as Walker packed up his guitar.

"It could've been better if he could do the singing. Gary is too pitchy." Chris said as he came up behind us.

"Yea Walker, when are you going to give up the vow of silence? It's been nearly three years now." Sam was always pushing Walker to talk, there were times she even refused to read his notes.

True to his habit he pulled a pen and paper out of the front pocket of his overalls and scribbled a quick note and handed it not to me or to Sam but to Chris.

"It says he'll start talking again when he can speak truthfully." Chris said and stuffed the note into his pocket.

"What the hell does that mean Walker; no one is stopping you from speaking truthfully." I let Sam rage, it was suicide to try and stop her when she got like this.

Walker again wrote out a note and handed it to Chris.

"It says he is keeping himself from speaking truthfully. It also says that you wouldn't understand even if he did tell you what he meant so stop bugging him about it. Also this conversation is over because he is coming to help me pack up my equipment, whether I like it or not." Chris looked like he wanted to protest Walkers note but he only turned around and walked back to his equipment with Walker on his heels.

"Sam why do you bug him about not talking, you know it don't do you any good. You just end up pissing yourself off." I told her as we left the barn.

"Cause eventually he is going to get so sick of me bugging him about it that he is going to blow up at me. He'll get so frustrated that he won't be able to write a readable note. One way or another I'll get him to talking before we graduate."

Even in the dark I could see the devious smile that curved Sam’s lips.

I heard footsteps behind us as we walked to the edge of the trees, looking over my shoulder I had just enough time to get out of the way as Andrew came up behind me with part of a fallen tree limb.

"What the fuck Andrew! You could have killed him with that thing." Sam yelled as I pushed her behind me.

"It wasn't your boyfriend I was aiming at bitch. I told you, I'm getting tired of you getting away from me." Andrew raised the tree limb and came at us again.

I pushed Sam further behind me and grabbed the hunk of wood as he swung at us. I twisted and pulled trying to break his grip on it but he yanked back hard and pulled it out my hand. I felt the sting of splinters as it grated across my palm.

Sam was behind me yelling for Walker and Chris as Andrew shot passed me and toward her. Before he had gone more than three steps past me I turned and grabbed his wrist and twisted it, forcing him to drop his weapon, with the other arm I reached around his throat and squeezed tight, cutting off his air.

Andrew used his free arm to elbow me in the ribs as Walker and Chris came around the corner of the barn. Losing my grip he turned and caught me square in the jaw. While Walker and Chris stood dumbstruck he came at me two more times, ignoring the pain in my side I dodged both of his shots and caught him twice in the ribs and once on the jaw before Walker stepped between us and punched him right between the eyes, breaking his nose.

Andrew howled in pain and took off through the woods.

"What the hell did you do that for, I had him!" I yelled at Walker as I clutched my side.

The minute Walker pulled out his pad and pen I wanted to hit him, but I knew he could take me.

"’He already got you twice, both of those hits are going to bruise and what happens when your dad sees them?’" Was what his note read.

"So you think I can't handle my dad either. I don't need you guys to protect me, I can handle it." I couldn't look either of them in the eye; I just stared at the ground. It was a lie, they knew it and so did I. My dad was one of the biggest parts of my life that I couldn’t handle and my friends knowing how weak that made me just made it all the worse.

I looked up as Walker took a step closer to me looking like he wanted to lay his fist across my jaw and Chris must have realized that this was something between the three of us because he turned and walked away.

"Billy we're just trying-" Sam started.

"-Trying to look out for me I know but I don't need you to. I'm not a little boy who needs protection from the monsters lurking in the dark. I live in the dark and know how to deal with the monster." For some reason I remembered the bedtime stories Seth used to tell me when I was younger. It was always about a little boy who was terrorized by a monster he couldn't get away from, only hide for a little while.

"Oh you don't need us to look out for you. You know how to deal with monsters. Does your way of dealing with the monster include taking slices out of yourself every few weeks?" Sam had dealt a low blow.

"Sam…please.” I pleaded quietly.

Walker again pulled out his pad and paper. His note this time went to Sam.

"What do I mean? I'll show you what I mean." Sam said as she crossed quickly to my side. Before I could stop her she grabbed my right arm and turned it into the moonlight, throwing the scars into sharp relief.

Walker stared at my arm in confusion; whenever he had noticed the cuts on my arms I told him they were accidents.

"I suppose he told you they were accidents. He used to say the same thing to me till I caught him with the bloody knife." Sam said and I wrenched my arm out of her grip.

Since I had known Walker I'd seen him happy, confused, and madder than a wild horse, but this was the first time I had ever seen him look upset. I swear there were tears in his eyes as he walked away.

As Walker left I rounded on Sam.

"What did you tell him for Sam? He didn't need to know."

"Yes he did, because he's your friend. Friends are supposed to look out for one another. They don't keep secrets from each other either, especially not shit like that. Maybe you should keep that in mind." Sam said before following in Walkers footsteps.

As they left I turned and stumbled into the tree.

As I wound my way through the dark I heard Walker revving the engine of his truck, he must be taking Chris home; it was the only time he risked taking his truck down the dirt trail through the woods.

I hardly noticed where I was going as I walked home. I spent so much time in the woods growing up that my feet took me where I needed to go automatically.

My thoughts were only on one thing, what Sam had said about friends keeping secrets from each other. I had been keeping the same secret all my life and I never thought it hurt anyone but me, but tonight it had hurt my two best friends.

Before I new it I was standing outside the ladder leading up to my window. I reached out for a rung but pulled back as I felt the splinters dig a little deeper into my palm.

Using just my left hand I climbed up and pushed the window open and climbed over the sill.

"You need some help?" David asked from his bed.

"No I'm fine, just a few splinters." I said crossing the room to turn on the light.

"It looks like more than a few splinters." He said pointing to my face.

I turned and looked in the mirror by the door, a bruise from Andrews hit was already rising on my jaw.

"Great, just fucking great." I sat back on my bed and tried to pull the splinters out of my palm.

"Your fingers are too blunt; you'll never get them out." David was still lying in bed, the cover pulled up to his chest with his hands behind his head.

"What do you suggest then?" I asked a bit harshly.

"I'll be right back, hold on." I watched as he pulled back the cover and left the room. He was wearing another tank top, white this time, and a pair of black shorts.

I only had to wait for a minute or two for him to get back and when he came back in he had my moms old splinter kit.

"Where did you get that?" I asked as he sat down across from me and pulled out a pair of tweezers.

"She used it on me earlier and I saw where she put it. Let me see your hand." He said holding out his own.

I held out my hand and he cradled it in his. I tried not to look at him as he worked on my palm but I couldn't ignore the heat from his skin.

"How did all this happen?" He asked pulling out another splinter.

"A guy tried to attack Sam. She's been turning him down for years and he got crazy and came at us with this big chunk of wood. I grabbed hold of it and he jerked it out of my hand." He gripped my hand a little tighter as I spoke.

"Is that what happened to your face?" He looked up from my hand and I caught his eye. The green mingled with the blue of his iris, I'd never seen eyes like that.

I looked away first. Looking in his eyes stirred something inside me, it wasn't the cold sickening feeling I normally felt; it was something different.

"Yea before Walker stepped in and broke the guys nose he caught me once on the jaw and once on the side." I stared at the floor as he bent back over my hand and pulled out the last few splinters.

"You should go wash this up and I'll take this back downstairs." He put the tweezers back in the bag and heading back downstairs.

I waited a few seconds then went to the bathroom down the hall. I washed the little puncture marks then examined the bruise. It was roughly the size of a silver dollar and was just starting to darken.

Cursing' myself for being so careless I walked back to my room.

David was already back when I opened the door, he was lying on his bed with his eyes closed and his hands back behind his head. Not daring to look at him as I did so, I started to change, pulling off my tee shirt and jeans and putting on a night shirt and a pair of shorts.

David rolled onto his side as I flicked the light off. I wanted to be close to him so bad it hurt, just to get to know him and maybe become friends. But I couldn't, not when he made me feel how he did, the thoughts that his presence seemed to stir.

I lay back on my pillow and fought the urge to reach under the bed for my cutting kit. Without pain to focus on it was harder to fight the cold, sickening feeling rising from my stomach.

Rolling over I tried to make myself as uncomfortable as possible doing my best to focus my mind on anything but David.

To be continued......
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I hope you all enjoyed the chapter; I will have more to you soon. As always I love to get your thoughts and opinions so feel free to email me at allenarcane88@yahoo.com, drop me a PM, write me a review or visit the discussion forum.

I read and respond to everything.

Discussion forum link
http://www.gayauthors.org/forums/topic/26094-indiana-summer/