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At the suggestion of one of the Admins, I am posting the first chapter of a story I've been working on. Never posted anything before so I would love some feedback on whether this is worth pursuing.This is not the first draft but it would not be the last one either. If the feedback indicates that I may have something worth reading, I'll then try to find an editor and/or beta readers to help give it a final polish. I hope to hear from someone some time soon. :-) Thanks! CJ Do what thy manhood bids the do, from none but self expect applause; He noblest lives and noblest dies Who makes and keeps his self-made laws. Sir Richard Francis Burton The Kasidah of Haji Abdu El-Yezdi Chapter 1: Today Thursday, 16 May 2013 César paced nervously in front of the Concourse B Security Point at Washington’s National Airport-he had never gotten used to the Reagan name on the old but extremely convenient facility. The Delta flight from Miami, carrying his son CJ, had just landed and he was not sure what to expect. Yesterday’s phone call from the boy’s mother had been short and to the point. Their kid would be on a flight to DC the next morning; the teen would explain what was going on and she expected a call from the father, the day following the youngster’s arrival. Passengers on the flight streamed down the corridor as the tall, dark haired father kept looking for his boy until the flow of people had slowed down and finally seeing a young man that had to be his kid. However, what a difference from what the boy had looked like last Thanksgiving when they had last seen each other. Walking towards him was a muscular teen who had obviously hit a growth spurt. At least four inches in the last six months and quite a few pounds of what looked as solid muscle. “CJ!” called out the smiling father. The boy lifted his gaze slightly and slowly dragged himself towards his dad. “Wow I barely recognized you buddy; How are you?” asked the older man throwing his arms around his son, pulling him into his body, wrapping him in a hug. That was all it took for the emotions to take over and the boy began sobbing in his father’s arms, while repeatedly mumbling how sorry he was. “Hey, hey! Whatever you think you have to apologize for is probably not so bad. I’m sure we can work it out. How many pieces of luggage did you check in? Let’s go get them and head home.” César Marcos Abelló, Jr. was a fairly typical teenager until two days before when the shit hit the fan at home and his life had been turned upside down. Born in Miami, the lad moved to Germany at 3½ years old, when his stepfather was transferred to Ramstein Air Base, returning to South Florida in 2009. A friendly but reserved kid, CJ made friends easily and had no problems adjusting to life back in the United States. A straight A student, the teen also participated in several athletic endeavors, both individual and team sports; his favorite activity however, was spending time with his younger brother Ritchie. The five-year age difference was never an issue and the older boy delighted in having the younger kid tag along with him. “I’m sorry dad; I swore I wasn’t going to be a pussy.” The young man adjusted his backpack and started walking towards the baggage claim area as he wiped his face with the back of his hands. “There’s one suitcase and two very large duffle bags.” “It’s okay bud, let’s get your luggage and then we can spend some time figuring out what’s going on. That’s a lot of luggage for a summer vacation; how come?” “Oh fuck! Mom didn’t tell you. She said she had talked to you and that I was going to be living with you here in DC from now on. On top of everything else going on I’m now going to be homeless!” César’s mouth hung open in complete surprise; seeing his boy’s eyes start to tear up again he put an arm around the teen’s shoulders and said; “CJ, I have no idea what’s going on but I promise you that you will never be homeless as long as I’m around, you will ALWAYS have a home here with us.“ * * * The drive from the airport to Georgetown was not long. It took just slightly over fifteen minutes: the George Washington Parkway, the Francis Scott Key Bridge across the Potomac and into the old DC neighborhood. Conversation was minimal inside the car; both men lost in their thoughts, with no mention of the large elephant in the back seat. The man kept looking over at his son marveling at the physical change in the boy. CJ was now about 5’ 10” tall and probably weighed around 175 pounds; mostly lean muscle from what he could see. The dark hair reaching down to his shirt collar, standing up all over the place on top, framed his handsome face. The kid was obviously shaving regularly as he could see the dark stubble on his chin. He was an extremely attractive young man who appeared to be older that his actual age, he had gone from being a skinny boy to stud in the span of months. The father wondered if he was sexually active and whether that was why he had been sent north. Could he have gotten in some sort of trouble with a girl? He would wait until they got home, hopefully the youngster would relax, and then they could chat about whatever had transpired back in Miami. * * * The black Escalade pulled into the driveway to the right of a large townhouse on Prospect Street; as it passed the end of the house, it angled left slightly, driving over a brick patio up to the opening garage door and pulled into the middle of the large space. To the left were two covered motorcycles and all along the back were shelves full of boxes and tools and a couple of workbenches. CJ knew that past the motorcycles, there was a door to a corridor, which led to an elevator and a door opening into the home’s first floor. The house, built back in the 19th Century, had been extensively remodeled at various times with the most recent upgrades having been made in 2010 when they had bought the place. At that time, it was gutted and completely modernized inside. The building rose three stories above street level with a rooftop terrace crowning the structure. A full sized basement was partially finished but provided plenty of space for future needs. The first floor could be reached by climbing a couple of steps from the sidewalk out front, the main staircase inside the house from the basement, the back patio or from inside the garage. A large open space greeted visitors as they walked inside; comfortable leather furniture occupied the front part of it with a wet bar, half bath and fireplace on the wall across from the stairs. Moving towards the rear, a glass-topped table, with twelve chairs around it, sat smack in the middle of the room. All the way in the back was the kitchen proper, separated from the main dining area by a cooking island with seating for four. A door, leading to a large pantry/utility room was on the side, right next to the refrigerator. Two bedrooms each with their own bathroom took up most of the second floor. A long counter top with two sinks and a mirrored wall behind was flanked by two separate sections; one contained a Jacuzzi tub and separate shower stall while the other one had a toilet and a bidet. Each bathroom was a mirror image of the other one and in between there was a small laundry room with a washer and dryer. In front of the staircase and over the main entrance was a cozy sitting area with a couple of great chairs for reading or relaxing. At the top was the master suite. A large bedroom with soaring ceiling, a bathroom with all the latest amenities and a double sized walk in closet constituted the main areas. The California King bed faced the front of the room and the northern exposure provided a soft, diffused light while the harsh brightness of the southern exposure backlit the space. In the afternoons, the balcony over the main entrance which faced the street was a wonderful place to relax and watch the world go by down on Prospect. “Hey kiddo, grab your backpack and suitcase and I’ll carry the two duffle bags. Let’s put everything up in your room now and then you can freshen up. Don’t worry about unpacking yet, we have a couple of hours before we need to worry about food so we can just hang out and catch up.” After schlepping the luggage up to the second floor, the concerned father pointed at the bathroom mentioning that there were fresh towels inside and that he would meet the young man downstairs. Once in the living room, he moved toward the bar on the side and grabbed himself a Dos Equis Amber, popped the bottle cap and had a long swig of the beer. A little early on a Thursday to start drinking but he definitely needed to relax and think clearly, so he could get to the bottom of this situation. Ten minutes later CJ walked in looking hesitant and keeping his eyes on the rich Persian rug covering most of the highly polished wood floor. The boy was definitely a looker. He was wearing the typical South Florida teenage uniform of flip-flops, cargo shorts and t-shirt. A white one with the “Big Three” on the front along with MIAMI HEAT in the old Miami Vice font and colors of pink and blue, and 2012 NBA Champions. “What can I get you to drink buddy?” asked César with a smile on his face. The boy looked down and softly asked if he could have a beer. ‘OK, something else to file away for further discussion’ though the father. However, he pulled another bottle from the refrigerator under the bar top and opened it for his son who was just taking a seat on one of the stools across from his father. “Thanks dad; don’t worry I don't have a drinking problem. I just need to calm down a little so I can talk to you”. The older man smiled again; this was one smart cookie. He would keep an eye out for any sign of trouble but decided that, for now, the alcohol conversation would not be needed. “That’s good to hear big guy. I don’t mind you having a drink now and then but until you turn 21, it’s still illegal for you to consume alcohol. Think about that whenever you decide to have one and act accordingly until then. You’re not a little kid anymore and I will not treat you as one; I’m pretty sure you’re smart enough to know what is right.” “So, you think you’re ready to fill me in on what’s going on?” CJ looked up at his dad his eyes filling up with tears again and then just blurted out “I’m gay, Rich caught me fooling around with one of his soldiers and told mom he did not want me to live in their house anymore. He said I could move in with you or go to boarding school but that he would not have a faggot living under his roof.” At that point, the waterworks began anew; the kid put his head down on the bar surface and just cried. César walked around and grabbed his son in the tightest hug he could muster. Stroking the boy’s hair the heart-broken father tried to calm the lad down. Who gave a fuck if the young man was gay? This was the 21st fucking century and his mother’s husband was acting as a troglodyte. How could anyone be so stupid and so heartless? Rich had better not show his face around any time soon or he would end up in the hospital for sure. “CJ, buddy, look at me. Look at me baby,” he said while unwrapping himself from around his son, helping him sit back on the stool. “Why don’t I dump these two beers out and get us a couple of tall glasses of cold milk and some cookies? They work best for me when I need to chill. And let’s go sit down on the couch so we can be a bit more comfortable.” “OK dad,” mumbled the boy. Trying not to display the anxiety and anger coursing through him, the father returned with the promised treats, sat next to his son and put an arm around him, slightly pulling the boy into his body. The next 90 minutes were spent trying to reassure the young man that his world had not collapsed. Yes, he would have to leave his current school and friends behind and start over again but he most definitely had a place to call home. Both their lives would be affected and they would have to adjust accordingly; but they were in this together and together they would work it all out. The continued reassurances seemed to have the proper effect on the kid. After a while the kid seemed to relax, regain his composure and take an interest in his dad’s comments about the move from South Florida to the Nation’s Capital. He had the next couple of months to get settled in and that would not be very hard considering this was not his first summer at the Georgetown brownstone. The big changes would come in late summer when he would start his 10th grade in a new High School. He would miss his friends and old school but the possibilities seemed good and the future did not seem as daunting anymore. Suddenly a deep rumble came from CJ’s midsection and both father and son started laughing. “I guess that means your stomach wants to be fed?” “Yeah, I’m a growing boy, you know?” “I can just imagine how much a growing 15 year old can eat. If you’re anything like your old man was, our food budget will definitely have to be increased. Guess I’ll have to postpone my retirement at least six months so we can afford to eat!” Their laughter intensified each time one of them would look at the other and realize the absurdity of the last portion of their conversation. As their mirth subsided, the sound of a door opening made them turn around to look at the newcomer. “Honey, I’m home for lunch. Did we get a visit from the stork this morning?” exclaimed a familiar voice in a jovial tone. ok, I'm about to hit the button and I'm kinda scared so please be gentle......it's my first time.