See Me - 22. Chapter 22: Never Forget

Sailor drove down the street until he came upon a house and Emry waved towards it and he slowed down and pulled into the drive way and put the car into park, shutting it off. He leaned back and looked at the house, it was small, but a nice house regardless. "Well, I'd say you moved up just a little bit."

"Yeah, till my mom gets out of rehab and my dad has to end his fling." Emry grabbed his bag. "Kind of makes me wonder how Mr. Stet..." He paused. "Uh...how Brett feels about it." He pushed the passenger side door open and climbed out.

Sailor got out and shoved his keys into his pocket and he followed Emry to the door and walked in after him, dropping his own bag by the door along side Emry's and he looked into the living room from the small foyer area.

"Dad I'm uh...well...here." Emry called out as he headed into the living room and saw his dad hang up the phone and he looked rather troubled. "What's wrong?" He looked between his dad and then over at Brett who sat on the couch next to him.

"Emry..." Cedric looked up. "Uh...I guess I have to tell you now. I told your mother that I'm filing for divorce." He looked up. "Lana doesn't want to be home, I have you and...I'm not going to put you through..." He sighed. "No, I'm sorry."

Emry sat down in a near by chair. "What? You're rambling."

Cedric nodded. "Trying to sugar coat it..." He looked up. "Truth of the matter is that...Brett and I want to be together, we decided we don't want us to end."

Emry slowly nodded. "I see..." He held a hand up when Brett went to speak. "You don't need to defend yourself...I'm not Jessica's biggest fan anyway." He shrugged. "I'm not upset...actually just curious and..only time will answer my curiousity." He stood up and grabbed Sailor's hand and pulled him off down the hall.

Brett's eyebrows lifted. "Didn't go too bad, I didn't think it would." He looked towards the hall. "Uh...it's the last door on the right!" He called out.

"Oddly...I knew he wouldn't hate it...I was still just nervous." Cedric said. "I've never had a relationship with a man before, I've messed around...but that's it."

Emry walked to the room he was directed to and he pulled Sailor inside and closed the door. "Oh my god..."

Sailor's eyebrows lifted. "Now you're going to melt down?"

"No.." He looked over at Sailor. "I'm just...trying to imagine what a family with two dads is like..." He grinned. "It's kind of twilight zone at the moment, it's so weird and...I don't think it's quite settled in my mind yet." He walked over and climbed onto the bed, sitting down.

"I think it would be special." He smiled and walked over and pulled each of Emry's shoes off.

"Oh...that sensation." Emry laid back. "When someone peels your socks off after wearing them all day..." He looked up when Sailor started pulling his socks off. "It's like a ticklish yet good sensation."

He grabbed Emry's other foot and slowly peeled at the sock, dragging his fingers along the bottom of his foot. "That nice?" He asked, pulling the last sock off and tossing it aside.

"Yeah." He nodded and pushed himself up on his elbows and watched Sailor sit on the edge of the bed. "I have a lot of little weird sensations, sometimes I like it when my neck and the back of my head are rubbed...but the touch has to be very light, like a feather."

"Remind me to give you a massage one day, full body....so I can find each and every one of these little spots." He shifted and laid towards his side, propping himself up on a single elbow, staring back at Emry.

"I know a few...but you might find more." Emry shook his head and he laid back, staring up at Sailor. "My life just changed...this is going to be my house, my room...and two dads..."

"Well, it's preferable that you are always in a place where people are kind to you. I know you said your mom was awful and...thankfully I haven't had to see it, I would hate to."

Emry nodded. "Doesn't mean shes gone, she might try to play nice to keep getting my medications but...won't be so easy when it's not her house." He shrugged. "And then she'll probably give up when she realizes shes not going to get it, wouldn't surprise me."

"Well, if she does...she is pretty outnumbered." He looked at Emry and then laid back on the bed and he stared up at the ceiling in thought. "So...how does an afternoon, being lazy, watching movies until tonight sound?"

He grinned and looked over at him. "Doesn't sound like a bad idea, find a good movie channel." He rolled over and crawled to lay properly on the bed, letting his head fall back against the pillow as Sailor retrieved the remote to the television and started filing through the guide for something good to watch.

Liam headed towards the door when he heard the bell ring and he sighed, exhausted from the day for some reason or another. He opened the door and was surprised to find that it was Justin, of all people, standing on the other side. His eyebrows lifted in a questioning gaze.

"You're probably wondering why I am here." Justin slowly nodded. "To be honest...I just wanted to talk. Is it a good time?"

"Parents are at a business party.." Liam stepped aside. "So, it's just me, not a bad time." He paused. "Although, I am wondering why you are here."

"For...relational reasons." Justin walked inside and turned around as Liam shut the door. "Emry broke it off with you...and now Dolph is gone...and I couldn't help but to think about how you ended up so out of the loop, now I kind of feel that way too."

Liam leaned back against the door and crossed his arms. "Emry didn't break it off with me exactly." He said, a pause followed. "More like it was an odd parting of ways, mostly because of me, after Asia told basically everyone about...what happened to me and then the fact that Emry is so young." He shook his head. "Maybe I used legalities as an excuse but I just felt like we shouldn't be..."

"You felt like you shouldn't be." Justin nodded. "But what do you want?" He asked, curiously.

"Truth be told, I'm not sure. I am not Merit and...I don't have an attachment to Emry, rather it's more the opposite. After it came out...I thought about our encounter and felt like I used him, it just all felt wrong after that."

"I'm sorry Asia had to do that." Justin looked down. "It wasn't like I was her best friend, I was more accepted because Miki wanted it that way."

Liam nodded. "Not your fault." He pushed away from the door and headed into the living room and took a seat on the couch. "Have a seat.."

Justin turned and followed him and took a seat in a near by chair and he rested his elbows on the arms and clasped his hands together. "Would you think I was a bad person if I said I was glad that someone was finally not wrapped up in him?"

"I would think you were human and jealousy is a common human emotion." He held up a hand. "No offense."

"None taken." He shook his head. "I just don't get it, at one point he was no one."

"Justin...I see things, being out of a crowd, it makes you more observant. The only person from before that really has any interest in him is Merit, the rest are all new comers, like that one guy that got in Merit's face, not sure of his name. Thing is...these are new comers, not people who seen who Emry used to be to everyone."

"And then there is Asia." Justin said. "I mean, I'm not just talking about that kind of interested, friendship is included in this spectrum I speak of."

Liam slowly nodded. "I don't think Asia and Emry are as close as you'd think. My opinion is that they are simply in a place where their lives and their paths cross and mingle." He leaned forward. "Why such a fixation?"

Justin shrugged. "Dolph was my friend first, before he even met Emry, and then after Emry strayed away, he became my boyfriend, yet he crushed on Emry from the moment he met him and then I come to find out..." He shook his head. "Things were still there."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Liam said. "Though, you were sitting at lunch with another guy, what about him?"

"He was just some guy that came up to me." Justin shrugged. "Really seemed like he wanted to connect with me, I guess I shouldn't have been...well, weird. I'm just dealing with Dolph and everything."

"I think maybe you should let things go, that is pretty much what I did and...it hasn't really gotten me anywhere but at least I have some peace of mind, I'm relatively content."

He tilted his head and looked at Liam. "I can tell, you don't like being lonely."

"Who does?" He shook his head and sat back in the couch and he crossed his arms over his stomach. "Honestly...I have a lot of anger inside of me and...I don't know where it came from, I just feel a lot of bitter anger."

"So much for content." Justin shifted slightly and he looked out of the window. "Don't you just want to escape this town?"

"I want to escape Texas, and it's ironic that Mexico is connected to it, a complete escape." Liam grinned briefly. "Truth be told, I would like to experience life in a real city."

Justin looked over at him and he slowly nodded. "It's a nice thought." He sighed and pushed himself up. "I guess I should...head off." He gestured towards the door and after a nod from Liam, he made his way out through the small foyer and out the front door.

Emry headed through the automatic sliding doors that lead into the emergency room, wondering if he would be able to do this. He walked over to the receptionists desk and slightly leaned forward on folded arms. "Excuse me?"

"Yes?" The woman looked up.

"I was wondering if you could page a nurse, his name is Christian, and I really need to see him. Tell him it's Emry and ask him if he'll go on break with me. Can you?"

The woman nodded and grabbed the phone and dialed a few numbers. "This is the front desk, is Christian available?" The woman went quiet.

Emry stared at her and lightly tapped the tip of his shoe against the floor, trying to wait patiently.

"Yes, this is the front desk. I have a young man out here who wants to see you." She paused and looked at Emry. "He wants to know where you want to meet?"

"Tell him the cafeteria." Emry said.

"He said the cafeteria." The woman paused yet again and then hung up. "He's taking break, said he will be there."

"Thanks." Emry slightly smiled and then headed off down a hall that lead to the main lobby of the hospital, he knew the halls pretty well given how many times he had been hospitalized.

He turned a corner and made it into the lobby and then headed across to the cafeteria that was just off from the lobby, beside a small gift shop. He headed over to the nearest table, wanting to make sure Christian could find him. He sat down and leaned back and he looked around, at least it was pretty vacant.

It was about ten minutes before Christian emerged from the halls and headed across the lobby and he spotted Emry and walked over to his table, a smile appeared. "Lunch date? Where is the fancy lunch?"

Emry looked up and a small smile appeared. "No lunch, I guess we could get some food."

Christian sat down across from him and he nodded. "Maybe, but first I am curious about why you wanted to see me." He paused and shook his head. "Not that it's a problem, I guess I'm kind of in that whole 'get down to business' kind of mood."

"Perfectly perfect." Emry grinned for a second and then he took in a breath. "So, you were really kind to me while I was here." He tilted his head. "Is that just typically you or..did you genuinely like me?"

Christian chuckled. "That is typically me, but it's genuine. I don't fake kindness and yes I do like you."

He looked at Christian. "Okay...the reason I ask is because I'm about to make you a proposition and...if you want to say no, that is okay, I just hope you like me enough not to turn me into the police."

He looked at Emry and his eyebrows lifted. "What is it?"

"Okay, it's kind of complicated but...the first guy I kissed, well, I broke it off with him and in response to that, he forced himself back together with his ex girlfriend as a way to torture himself, they had sex and now she is pregnant." He held up a finger. "Here's the catch, she had sex with another guy when she caught me and him together."

Christian slowly nodded. "Could we tag these people with names?"

"The guy I kissed is Merit and his forced girlfriend is Siera. The other guy she slept with is Kane..."

"Wait, Kane? As in the same one that pulled that robbery?"

Emry nodded. "Yes, so obviously this all happened before that." He sighed. "Anyway, she has told Merit that it's his kid and only a few of us know that it could be Kane's baby."

"I'm following." Christian nodded.

"So, my friend Asia wants to out it that Siera slept with another guy, with Kane. I want the same thing, here is the deal, though...I don't want Merit to be burdened with a child all because he made a dumb mistake. So, Asia plans to beat this guy up, his name is Athen, and...basically I want to know if you could steal his blood sample, enough to use his blood as Merit's and his own so that it comes back a double negative."

"You mean a DNA test." Christian paused. "Okay, but if the girl slept with Kane, wouldn't she want his blood?"

"Asia recorded the sex and...well, my sister recorded herself having sex with Athen, and we have a friend that can mix Athen's vocals with Siera's. That would be Asia's evidence..." He looked up. "I guess it's possible, it makes sense, and then there would be a possibility that Kane would come out a positive.

"Woah." Christian interrupted. "But this girl will know she didn't have sex with Athen."

"So, what? It would be her word against the recording, what she thinks is a non issue to the plan. So, if it goes right, she may be pressured into a DNA test between Athen and Merit to prove the truth."

Christian tried to hold back the urge to chuckle. "And what if she has all three of them tested? Three negatives?"

"I never said this plan didn't have it's risk. One case scenario, they think there is a fourth guy no one knows about. Siera will look like a manipulative liar." Emry shrugged. "Worst case scenario, Athen isn't tested at all, it's a circumstantial gamble."

Christian slowly nodded. "True, what exactly was your plan?"

"Asia would beat Athen up and then we'll get him to the ER and you could get vials of his blood, tell him it's samples so that if they ever need blood donated in an emergency situation, he could be a called candidate." He paused. "Wait...how common is it to use blood? I just realized they do the mouth swab."

"You said there were risks, this is clearly a gamble. Sometimes a blood test is used, I would guess it depends on the people involved and the doctor." Christian shook his head. "You should leave it alone, it's not your mistake to fix."

"But it is my fault that he was hurt and wanted to hurt himself more." Emry sighed.

Christian stared at him in a moment of very deep thought. "You know, there is something about you that just makes me want to care too much."

"It's because I'm basically a late bloomer and I still have that innocent thing going on." Emry shook his head.

"I still think this plan is way too messy. This Asia girl...if she were to stay with him, she could make sure he never questions another staff member about the blood sample donation, right?" Christian shook his head.

"She could and would, here is what is really in it for you. Asia can pay you ten thousand dollars..." Emry shrugged. "I know this plan mostly relies on how Athen reacts to the recording, it probably would be a failed gamble."

"Right, she was the girl that caught that other girls killer, I saw her on the news, she made all that money." Christian said.

"Right, except that it turned out to be the wrong guy, but she already had the money before he was exonerated." Emry clasped his hands together.

Christian lightly chuckled. "I wonder how many noticed she gave her aunt Jackie the middle finger."

"She did?" Emry slowly grinned.

"Real quick, then she waved at the camera." He shook his head.

Emry looked up. "Okay, we have two options. Going through with this in the hopes that Athen goes along with the test, who cares what they know, so long as Merit is cleared."

Christian looked up. "The fact that he didn't have sex with her and they both know it, chances are he won't go along."

"That is true, I was just assuming in hope that he would." Emry sighed in frustration. "I have to think this through more."

"My advice, don't even do it...but if you feel you must, I'll help, I could use the money too, but I have to feel completely safe." He sat back in his seat.

Emry looked up. "Use my blood, I'll admit myself to the ER. Just take the blood from me. I will most certainly come up negative, just slap Merit's tag onto my vial, no need to involve Athen, I'll just come in with another friend who 'saved' me. Then if it comes back double negative, there could be an unknown third guy for all they know."

"And Siera would be a lone liar." He nodded "Won't your friend be mad if she can't expose the recording?"

"She can just expose Kane, I don't think she cares about the guy, it's Siera she hates." Emry said. "Though, I wanted to sattle Athen with the kid because he hurt me, though, I have no idea what I was thinking, obviously there is going to be resistance to taking the test."

"That is an option, do me a favor and give it a lot of thought first. Either way, I'll snag a syringe and some vials." Christian then stood up. "I need to get back to work."

"Thanks for not freaking out on me." Emry looked up at Christian.

"Well, we're just talking about doing something, I'm hoping you will decide not to, but if you have to, I will help, I'd rather help myself then let you risk going to another nurse or a doctor who would probably freak on you."

"That's why I came to you...I just knew I could trust you." Emry smiled. "But, okay..."

"Wait." Christian extended his hand out. "Phone?"

Emry gave his phone to Christian and waited while he put himself into the contacts and then he took his phone back. "I'll call you later and you can get my number." Emry stood up.

"Okay, sounds good." He nodded and headed off and away from the table to travel back to the emergency room, knowing there were probably another stack of patients to look after by now.

And from around the corner and through the entrance to the cafeteria came a hazel eyed, blonde girl, that looked like she was wearing a thousand dollars. Wavy hair cascaded her face and went just past her shoulders, mostly hiding those white hoop diamond earrings that glistened off the light that hit them. Pink gloss, eyeliner, mascara, and silver eye shadow, all used to perfection.

Black and pink platform stiletto's tapped against the floor as she walked in wearing a black mesh double ruffle micro mini skirt and a black and pink alabama crop top and a simple, small, white purse was strapped to her shoulder, across her midsection and it rested on the opposite hip.

A blue diamond belly button ring along with a white diamond ring on her finger, and a group of silver bracelets on one wrist, all shined in the bright light that washed the cafeteria. She smiled to those she walked by and then her eyes brightened when she spotted Maiten sitting at a table with Athen, being new, she didn't know him.

"Maiten!" Nicole walked around the table and down the length. "I told you I was coming!"

Maiten looked up and a bright smile appeared and he stood up. "You did. How was your trip?"

"Oh, baby...I love flying among the clouds." She grabbed Maiten by his shoulders and gave a simple peck to each cheek and let him go. Her eyes shifted towards Athen and she placed a hand on her hip. "So, the classic football star, right?" She grinned.

Athen's eyes slightly widened. "Uh...yeah, that is what my letterman jacket is for." He nodded. "I'm Athen." He reached a hand out.

Nicole laughed and sat down and she grabbed him by his outstretched arm and pulled him closer. "I don't do handshakes...maybe more personal greetings will come, if I like you." She let him go and eased back.

Maiten moved around and sat on the opposite side of Nicole. "This is my friend Nicole, we met a long while back.."

"Greece was beautiful..." She turned her head and looked over at Maiten. "I'd live there for the rest of my life if I could." She looked at Athen, her smile remaining. "Male version of Athena...creative, I like it."

"How'd you know? Could of been Nathan without an N." Maiten looked at each of them.

"Lucky guess? Besides...it was how he made the E sound, it was different from an A within the name Nathan, subtle difference." She reached into her purse and pulled out a piece of pink bubblegum and unwrapped it and tossed it into her mouth.

Emry headed into the cafeteria and quickly spotted Asia near the door. "Asia...we need to talk." He said as he reached her.

Asia's gaze was focused on Nicole and her eyes slightly narrowed. "I'm not queen for a month and someone walks in and steals my thunder..."

Emry looked over and saw Athen and Maiten with the new girl. "Hey...at least shes prettier than Siera..She glows...like natural air brush..." He smiled at Asia. "Might actually get along with her."

"Well, I am digging her jewelry...that doesn't look like cheap shit. And she greeted Maiten with that double cheek kiss thing, that's a very wealthy gesture...and him being a foreign exchange student, they had to meet out of the country." Asia shook her head.

Emry slowly nodded. "Very observant." He stepped in front of her to block Nicole from her view. "Look, the paternity plan has been altered. Athen is out of it."

She blinked and looked at Emry. "Why? I thought you wanted revenge on him."

"That was until I realized it was a gamble, Siera and Athen know they didn't sleep together, she won't see a need to test him and he won't see a need to do it anyway. So, you expose Siera and Kane, Merit's false result will come from my blood, I found a nurse willing to do it, and it's safer this way."

Asia slowly grinned. "Yeah and if they ever figure it out...it's your evidence in that vial."

"It won't come out, they won't even question it." Emry said.

"Unless the kid was fortunate enough to come out human and not blow up bitch." She quietly laughed. "Then it would look just like Merit."

"If it's even his, the bitch about this plan is that we will never know." Emry frowned.

"Yeah you will, when your nurse person switches the vials, take Merit's real blood and have it tested." Asia crossed her arms. "Not sure how you'll sneak away the babies DNA, especially when it hasn't blown the bitch up yet."

"Like I said, we'll never know." Emry looked around. "How is Miki?"

"They put her in a medically induced coma, she made it through surgery okay...but that is all I really know." Asia said, feeling the missing space that Miki used to occupy as her sidekick. "Until then...I think we need to investigate that girl."

Emry looked around and his gaze traveled to Nicole again and a thoughtful look appeared. "You know...I think I saw her on television somewhere."

"Go on, we're building a profile here." She nudged Emry's shoulder.

"It was some reality TV show, maybe Real World or something..the girl I saw looked just like her...and she said she was a model."

Asia's eyes widened. "Now it all makes sense...she is loaded." A grin appeared. "The opposite of Siera, middle class cheerleader who will probably never leave. That girl over there is a walking ATM...and high access."

"High access?" Emry looked at Asia.

"Well, it depends on how great of a model she is...and how deep shes into the world of the riches, she could be a low profile Paris Hilton, all the perks with none of the burdens." She walked around Emry and turned to face him. "I'm talking about the clubs...and possibly all access pass to the VIP, my friend."

"And you think shes going to get you into all of it? How can you even think about going to party without Miki?" Emry asked.

"That's a bummer...but Miki isn't a weak bitch, she'll wake up, and when she does, I am going to get that girl to get together the best welcome home party for her." Asia turned around. "Although, it might not be at home."

Emry nodded. "Well, I should go...Sailor is probably going to be upset I didn't wait outside class, he's really protective, feels nice, like I'm some ones world."

Asia slowly nodded. "A real bad bitch makes themselves every ones world." She shook her head. "I'll be seeing you." She then headed off and made her way through the tables as she crossed the cafeteria.

Emry watched Asia take off like a person on a mission as she headed right towards Nicole. He sighed and turned around and headed right back out of the cafeteria, not sure how this plan was going to work, but he would make it happen.

Merit came from around the corner, having left the library and he was headed towards the court yard, he seemed to be in an incredible amount of thought and he almost looked troubled by how his eyes were shifted down to the floor in a moment of what might look like lost confidence. However as he looked up, he stopped.

Emry was heading down the hall, away from the cafeteria and that was when he looked up and spotted Merit. His steps slowed and he stopped, the two standing several feet away from each other. Emry tucked his hands into the pockets of his sky blue hoodie.

"Hey..." Merit said, making the first move to break the ice as he walked closer until he came within a normal distance of Emry.

"How are things?" Emry asked, quite simply.

"I'm not to sure." Merit said, then went into more detail. "Siera's parents are pressuring her to get an abortion."

Emry's eyebrows lifted and for a second, his eyes widened as if a new idea had come to mind, but it was an idea that quickly became a passing thought. "Did you get chased with a shot gun?"

"Siera didn't want me there, she had me on the phone, though. Had the phone in her pocket so I could hear." Merit shrugged. "Part of me feels like I should be incredibly relieved and then part of me thinks that it's wrong on so many levels, it is my kid."

Don't be so sure about that. Another passing thought, though mentally vocalized. "That has to be really confusing for you. I mean, not being ready for a kid and everything that comes with it but not wanting to do something bad."

"Yeah, it is." Merit nodded. "Though it is her decision in the end." He shook his head. "How are you?"

Emry shrugged. "Just hanging around, a lot of things have changed so quick, my dad hooking up with Mr. Stetson, breaking it off with my mom, can't say that bothers me, we get to live in Brett's house, an upgrade from a trailer."

"Really? I didn't know..." Merit crossed his arms. "So, how do you feel about it? Aside from the upgrade." The hint of a smile appeared.

"Wondering what life with two dad's will feel like, I haven't really gotten a feel for it yet, but I'm not upset at all, obviously."

"And what about that territorial beast of a boyfriend? How is that going?" Merit asked.

"Don't call him a beast, makes me think of a guy who's built like a wrestler or something, he's more perfectly proportioned than that." Emry rolled his eyes. "And you know, maybe I like that he's so territorial and jealous? Makes a person feel really wanted."

Merit nearly scoffed at the last thing Emry said. "Most people like that aren't being that way because they want you, they are being that way because they see you as something that belongs to them and it would be an embarrassment if they didn't keep things in order, keep you in order."

"Yeah, okay...and if it gets bad, I'll deal with it. He is the way he is, territorial, maybe jealous, but I'm not scared of him, he wouldn't hit me, if that is what you were trying to imply."

Merit stared at him. "Maybe that's where I was going with it, that sort of thing is progressive, it starts small, possessiveness and jealousy...and then it builds, the control intensifies and the water starts to boil."

"How do you know so much about relationships like that?" Emry asked. "I mean, okay obviously you know what an abusive relationship looks like, but you sound like you're speaking on a more personal level."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you sound like it's coming from experience." Emry said.

"Well, little fact to be known, my parents did separate at one time when I was younger. My mom met another man while my dad rented out an apartment and it was because that man got that way, in that order, then my parents got back together."

"It brought them back together?"

Merit nodded. "My dad stepped in and after the guy was out of the picture, their problems just became less, not wanting to let anything get in the way. My dad was mostly upset by how often she went away for modeling jobs, not because he didn't want her to pursue it, but they were growing apart because of it."

"And that's why your mom doesn't get out much." Emry said, in observation. "She just seems like the type that stays at home a lot."

"Yeah, she does, it's part of how they are keeping it from happening again. She might do three or four shoots a year, tops, and only ones that pay good money." Merit explained.

"Well, I should probably get going." Emry looked up, not entirely sure of what else to say to him.

Merit was quiet for several moments and as Emry started to walk around, he turned and gently grabbed hold of his arm. "Emry..." He stared at him and his gaze practically communicated a thousand words of love, but with an incredible amount of sadness and longing.

Emry turned around and he looked at Merit and he could see all the emotion just from his gaze, he even noticed the way Merit's eyes were watering up with tears threatening to fall.

"Speaking of going..." He let go of Emry's arm. "I won't see you after today, with Christmas break...my parents are taking Siera and her parents on a vacation in the hopes of trying to stop them from letting Siera have the abortion, to change their minds."

"And you're going." Emry slowly nodded.

"I was just hoping that...maybe I might have something to look forward to next year." He took a deep breath. "I want to ask you to ask me to stay, I want to beg you for that...but at the same time..I can't be selfish."

"Because of the baby." Emry looked down. "I don't know what the new year will bring, I wish I could make you a promise like that...but honestly.." He trailed off as his voice started to crack up.

"Honestly what?" Merit stepped closer. "You love me too, I can tell...I know that you do and..I just want to be with you."

"Merit..." Emry looked down. "As I think about things right now, everything. I thought about that conversation you had with your dad." He looked up. "Maybe he was right about everything that he said, maybe I'm just not ready to really be in love."

"I don't understand, I mean, you're with Sailor..." He paused. "Unless you don't really love him."

"Sailor doesn't plan to go to college...at least not any time soon, he has the means to survive until I'm ready to start life. If I am with you...I have to follow you, and you go to college, and I have to follow your life because mine isn't ready to be decided."

Merit shook his head. "I'm not fully understanding." He said, feeling as if his heart could shatter into a million pieces if it didn't work out.

"I'm not ready for the world, I'm not ready to change my entire life...and especially after everything that has happened." He shook his head. "Life for me is supposed to be simple and innocent and safe and secure. It's supposed to be okay and...I don't feel okay."

Merit finally understood what Emry meant and he realized that everything his father told him was true. "I can't argue with you on that, maybe I should of known better, maybe I should of never..."

"Don't say that." Emry looked up, tears now falling down his face. "Meeting you...up until this moment, that is one regret that I don't have, even if the ending hurts." He shook his head. "We have to let each other go...and you have to make your life and not stop for me."

"I have to make my life...and you..." Merit shook his head, not knowing how to express his thoughts, he could feel the pain in his throat, he wanted to cry and yet he didn't want to let Emry see him like that, he didn't want to appear weak.

"I have to stay behind and...just...be a kid...because that is what I am.." He looked up at Merit. "I won't fit into your world and you will no longer fit into mine." He took a deep breath. "So...given this, to make it easier, I'm going to live with Lana. She is moving to Georgia with a friend she made."

"I don't want that." Merit shook his head. "I don't want you gone."

"I already bought the bus ticket." Emry took Merit's hand and pulled it up to his chest. "I'll never forget that first night with you, as special as it is to me...for once, someone finally saw me, you saw me...and you still see me."

Merit's face tensed up in a pained expression, wanting to burst into tears in that moment. "I saw you...and I always will see you."

"No.." Emry shook his head. "You will go on and I'll keep the memory close to me." Merit might have still been able to hold some sort of composure, but he was feeling the need to cry growing stronger and he did not want some kind of an attack to ruin what could be their last moment together.

"I'm going tonight." Emry confessed. "Sailor doesn't know, he won't know...and I just hope that when I come back next year, maybe I can start to have a normal life, and when the time comes, when it's time for me to really meet the world, I can make sure it starts right for me."

Merit didn't know what to say, he felt as if the second he opened his mouth, he would lose all control. He understood, Emry needed all the same opportunities that he had and Merit wasn't going to rob him of having the choice to create his own future and the time he needed to prepare for it. "Maybe one day?"

Emry stared at him and then he slowly nodded. "Maybe one day..." He stepped closer and he leaned up and lightly kissed Merit, gentle and soft. He eased back as a pained expression appeared. "Thank you...for seeing me."

He watched Emry walk away and it was only a moment later that he felt something against his chest. He looked down and reached into the pocket of his shirt and he pulled out the flash drive, his expression of pain quickly turned into confusion and by the time he looked back up, Emry was gone.

It all felt so final for them both, two hearts breaking when the truth of everything finally came to the surface, but it wasn't final, not to Merit, and he would have hope that one day life would lead them back to each other, once it was Emry's time to be seen, not just by him, but by his future, right when he reached the edge, and until then, Merit knew he would be building his bridge to cross over into the world, and Emry would blossom, and Merit knew it would be beautiful, just as beautiful as him.

But what he knew more than anything, the story wasn't over, he thought about this as he looked down at the flash drive.