THE USUAL DISCLAIMER: If you are not of legal age to view this story please leave, I don't want you to get into trouble, come back when you're older. OR read this anyway :). If the idea between two consenting teenagers offends you what are you doing on Nifty? If none of these apply to you welcome to Against All Odds.
Well, here it is, after months of life getting in the way, and writers block I have finally finished chapter 12 of Against All Odds, I would like to thank my fans for sticking out the wait, as I told a few of my readers I will never post anything that I personally don't like, because I want you all to enjoy the hell out of my story. That being said, I give you chapter 12 of Against All Odds!
Chapter 12
They stood in the foyer of Max's house in a long missed embrace; that was for them before this moment a distant memory. As Evan clutched onto Max he inhaled his scent and traced his fingers along Max's shoulders, arms, and back. He remembered the feeling of having him in his arms. Evan looked into Max's eyes and kissed him deeply, the satisfaction only returning only when he felt Max's lips press against his. Their kiss lasted for a few seconds but felt like a lifetime, breaking the kiss Max lead Evan up the stairs with only their eyes and body language communicating the desire for closeness. Within the confines of his bedroom Max allowed his lips to reconnect with Evan's at full force, the romantics of the kiss being replaced by the primal instinct of hormones. The kissed each other with such fire and passion neither one of them was paying attention to their surroundings, knocking over a few things every now and then as they made their way across the bedroom to his bed. They shed their shirts and then resumed kissing on the bed. After a few minutes of a hardcore make out session, the boys exhaustedly shared several sweet kisses before drifting off in the arms of one another.
It was the most peaceful sleep that Evan had ever gotten since he got involved in this mess. He loved this feeling of being with Max and being so close to him. He opened his eyes and looked over at the clock `6 pm´ the clock read, the numbers bolded in a digital pattern. He looked over at Max sleeping so peacefully. He quietly moved out of the bed and put his shirt back on and made his way to the closed door. He heard the sheets ruffle.
"Where are you going?" Max asked quietly.
"Max. I'm sorry this was a mistake. We shouldn't have been together like that. I had to make sure you were okay."
"I don't understand you Evan." Max said getting out the bed and walking up to Evan. "You tell me you love me, you kiss me in a way I've never been kissed before and then you just back away from me without saying anything, and then you just show up. Can you tell me what the hell is going on?" Max said his words dripping with hurt. Evan looked into his eyes and saw a fire he's never seen before.
"I wish I could, Max. It would make things a lot easier for both of us." Evan said. He held Max's shoulder. "I wish I could fix this and just be with you, but things are so complicated for me and if you got hurt in the crossfire, I'd never live with myself. Please trust me enough to understand that I do love you and for now this is the way it has to be." Max pulled away from him and walked towards his window, the sun still setting early. Max needed to show he didn't care, he had to hide the tears the best he could. Evan walked slowly behind him and gripped his shoulders softly from behind and kissed his naked shoulder. "I'm sorry." Evan walked out of the room and shut the door behind him. Max turned to look at the door and the darkness set in on his dim room.
A few minutes later Evan arrived at his house and prepared for the lecture that his father was going to lay into him. He opened the door as quietly as he could and crept into his house. Walking pass his father's study, he held his breath. He slipped off of his shoes and walked past the kitchen.
"Evan is that you?" His mother's voice rang from the kitchen. Evan backtracked and headed into the kitchen to see his mother sitting at the table reading a magazine with a glass of wine.
"Hi mom, I'm sorry I missed dinner and didn't call." He kissed her on the cheek and began rummaging through the fridge.
"I made you a plate it's in the microwave. You should consider yourself lucky that your father isn't home or you'd be in his study with a lecture right now." She said. Evan turned on the microwave and poured himself a glass of water and sat down with his mom.
"Where is he anyway?" Evan asked.
"I don't know. Some days I don't even feel like I know him. I don't know what's going on with your father anymore. Oh by the way Christy came by looking for you."
"What did she want?"
"She said she hadn't seen you at all today. You went to school didn't you?" Mrs. Lonzo asked putting down her magazine.
"I did, but then I thought something had happened and I had to check." Evan said without trying to divulge too much information.
"I see. What is going on with you two anyway? First you're broken up and you never want to see her again, and then she's knocking on our door looking for you." She said.
"God. I wish I knew. I'm so confused with things right now. I just don't know what is going on with my life right now. I guess the stress of graduation, the rest of my life, and this thing with Christy is just weighting down on me. Figuring this out is so difficult.
"Well, my love. God will help you figure it out I am sure of it. I'm so proud of you. You've accomplished so much and you have so much going for you. Well I'm going to check on your brother and sister and then I will be going off to bed." She stood and kissed her son's forehead and left the kitchen. Evan let out a sight and went to the microwave to grab his dinner. He ate in silence and thought a little bit before cleaning up and retreating to the living room to watch some television. A few hours later Evan was woken up by the sound of the door knob rattling against the door. Evan listened closer and heard the door open and grabbed a small bronze statue for protection. He followed the noises down the hall to his father's study. Although it was dark, he could make out the silhouette fumbling around the desk. Evan walked carefully and quietly behind the stranger with the statuette poised and ready to strike. The moment before he made his move the lamp light switched on and his father wheeled around in terror, startling Evan.
"Christ, Dad? What are you doing?" Evan asked relieved.
"Don't use the Lords name in vain Evan." Mr. Lonzo said, the scent that lingered on his breath told definite signs of too much to drink, not excluding his slurred speech.
"Dad you're drunk. Let me help you up to bed." Evan said reaching out his hand to his father's arm.
"I'll be fine." Mr. Lonzo said and shrugged of his son's hand. He took a few steps and stumbled to the ground.
"No. You need the help please dad, let me help you." Evan bent over the lift his father up of the study floor.
"I don't need your damn help!" His father yelled and slapped him across the face with such force that Evan fell backwards. He grabbed the side of his face as the pressure turned into a stinging sensation. The commotion paused and Mr. Lonzo stood looking at his son on the floor clutching his face with fear in his eyes. "Evan, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it." Evan stood and ran out of the study and up the stairs as fast as he could and slammed his bedroom door. Evan fell on his bed with a few tears falling from his eyes. He heard a soft knocking at the door and just stayed put until the footsteps fell away from his door and retreated down the hall. The events of the day swirling around his head making him dizzy until the restlessness of his mind made him drift into a restless sleep.
The next morning Evan woke up and felt a slight sting on the cheek where his father had hit him the night before. He got up and went into his bathroom to do his morning steps to get ready for the day. He had a slight red tint on his cheek from where his father drunkenly slapped him the night before. He rubbed a little foundation on his face, that he used to make his face seem less oily, and covered the dark bruise. He got dressed and headed into the kitchen to grab something to eat, but he stopped short of the kitchen when he saw his father at the table drinking his coffee and reading the morning newspaper. He quickly made a detour through the front door, got in his car and left. Friday morning brought the buzz of student activity with most planning their weekend activities. He saw Max walking alone into the main building, Evan pulled into the closest student parking spot he found and parked his car. Not even two minutes had passes after he had parked his car than did Christy show up with her usual smug style.
"Hi baby. I've missed you." She moved to kiss him, but he countered allowing her to step just past his face.
"I'm not in the mood. Just leave me alone today." Evan said walking past her. He went to his first class and sat towards the back, which was very unlike him. Riley walked in a few seconds before the bell and not seeing Evan in his usual seat scanned the classroom until finding him in the back. The teacher came In and quickly ushered the students into their seats, Riley slipped into the back with Evan as the teacher began the lesson for the day.
"Hey, so where'd you disappear to after you left? Christie was trying to reach you." Riley whispered flipping through the pages of his binder and textbook.
"I was at Max's and my phone died." Evan replied, he wasn't himself, he was detached from his everyday self.
"Dude are you okay? You don't seem like yourself, and don't even try to hide it." Riley asked. Evan thought about it for a moment.
"I'm just a little tired. I didn't sleep much last night." Evan said avoiding Riley.
"You look a little flushed." Riley said reaching out his hand to get a feel of Evan's temperature. Evan moved swiftly.
"Dude what are you doing?" Evan asked a bit loudly.
"Mr. Lonzo, is there something you would like to share with the class?" The teacher said bringing attention to him and Riley.
"No ma'am. Sorry for the interruption." Evan said giving a stern look to Riley.
"Sorry about that bro. So is he okay?" Riley asked softly.
"Yea, Max was fine." Evan said quietly.
"What do you mean fine?" Riley questioned.
"I mean, he was fine until I told him we needed to keep our distance. I need to separate myself from Christy in a way that he won't get hurt. She's a vindictive bitch and I don't know what she has to gain from this." Evan said. No more words were said except for the well placed comments made by Riley at the teachers and some of the other student's expenses.
The periods passed with no sign of Christie, she wasn't waiting at his locker nor did he even see her in the halls for that matter. When the bell for lunch rang, Evan told Riley he'd catch up with the group after he had gone to the campus library to grab some books that he needed for a research paper he needed to get started on. Evan found himself browsing through numerous shelves of books of 19th Century literature and their authors. He pulled some books and found a nearby table. He opened one of them up and began flipping through the indexes and tagging various pages.
"Evan," A voice said from behind him. Evan turned around to see Max putting some books back at the nearby aisle.
"Max." Evan said a smile spreading across his face. Max walked over to where Evan was sitting. "I didn't know you were back."
"I would have told you, but like you said things are complicated." He said.
"Evan! There you are, I haven't seen you all day!" Christy said interrupting them with her loudness.
"Hi." Evan said coldly. Christy tried to steal his attention by planting small kisses on him that he avoided if he could.
"I'll leave you too alone." Max said quietly, he walked away from them and walked past the cart of books he was putting away.
"You know homecoming is coming up right?" Christy said.
"So?" Evan said coldly and turned back to the book he was notating.
"What do you mean so, this needs to be a win for us if you expect us to get back on top of the social hierarchy." She said moving to the seat next to him.
"Why is this so important for you?" Evan said shutting his book and giving her his full attention.
"This isn't about just me silly," She said with a smile so false that it could fool the best lie detector. "I want you to get your scholarship and go on to pro, and I will become your trophy wife living off of your success."
"Bullshit. This isn't about me at all. You could careless, you only care about what people will think of you when you lose your precious golden crown to Samantha Davies." Evan said walking away from her to another aisle. She quickly followed in pursuit, she followed him back to a row that was secluded. With a swiftness she pinned him against the shelf.
"Damn right this is about me. I would have fucked you over, if I didn't need you to win. Now you better start making shit believable because I need to win this, my entire reputation is on the line, and frankly so is yours. Now, I will see you during your football practice and you will kiss me, in front of everyone." She said evilly. They walked out to where Evans's other books were quietly and before she left, she turned around and gave Evan a full on kiss, that had onlookers gawking and cheering for the couple. Evan stood stunned as she turned and walked away.
A slight few tears were running down Max's face as he began putting away books in the British Literature section when he came across a book of Shakespeare's most famous passages. He flipped through and found one of his favorite Shakespearean plays, Romeo and Juliet. He loved the tale of the love that was meant to be despite every odd, including death. He read softly to himself and recited a few of Juliet's lines.
"Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo. Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Or if thou wilt not, but be sworn my love and I'll no longer be a Capulet." He whispered to himself. "Tis but thy name that is my enemy: Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's a Montague? It is nor hand nor foot, nor arm nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man. O be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose," as Max continued on he failed to notice the boy in the aisle taking interest in his reciting until he heard him chime in with him as he finished the verse. "By any other word would smell as sweet; so Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd. Retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo doff thy name" Their eyes met. "and for thy name, which is no part of thee, take all myself."
"Bravo, that was quite the performance. I feel you truly caught the gravity of Juliet's plight." The young man said. He was tall about 6'0, slender, a slightly athletic build hiding under his grey hoodie and faded blue jeans, his white skin, pinked by the cold outside. He tucked a stray loch of his brown hair behind his ear.
"Sometimes I feel like she gets me, and you weren't too bad yourself." Max said blushing slightly.
"I love Shakespeare, and Romeo and Juliet happens to be one of my favorite plays. He is an inspiration to me." The guy said moving closer to Max.
"Get out, Romeo and Juliet is probably my favorite play of all time." Max said smiling, a genuine smile warmed his body.
"Well stranger things have happened." The boy said laughing which made Max giggle. "My name is Hayden."
"Well Hayden it is very nice to meet you. I'm Max." Max introduced himself with an outstretched hand. Hayden shook it firmly and let his grasp linger a few seconds too long which Max didn't mind the heat radiating from his grip.
"Max, I hope you don't consider this too forward seeing that we've only chatted for about the last 5 minutes or so," He said, semi-shyly. Max beamed at his sense of humor. "Would you like to get coffee or something? I'd love to discuss Romeo and Juliet with someone as learned as you."
"I don't consider it forward at all, I'd be honored." Max said smiling. He took a pen from his pocket and took Hayden's hand in his and wrote down his phone number. The bell rang with no time spared to chat as they said their goodbyes and parted ways. Max grabbed his bag from behind the librarian desk and headed out into the main corridor. He felt a slight buzz in his pocket and whipped out his phone. He viewed a text from an unfamiliar number "Hey, it's Hayden this is my number so you have it. I'm looking forward to our coffee date. :)" Max grinned and saved the number, was this really a date? He thought to himself. Evan suddenly flashed through his head but the image of his face disappeared when he saw Evan meeting up with Christy and holding her hand.
There you guys have it, Against All Odds Chapter 12. This was not easy to write at all so I hope my hard work paid off. As always I love hearing feedback good, bad, or indifferent. I welcome comments and suggestions as well so please don't hesitate to email me at aidendstories@gmail.com. I think you guys are all amazing and are just as excited to see what will unfold for our star cross'd lovers. :)
Thanks guys XOXO Aiden D.