The Screen House
Saturday 6/26/99 @ 1:30 AM
Zack was parking the car. He had gone out with Shelley for a movie
and a pizza, then they started talking and lost track of the time. Just
being with Shelley made him feel good. She had the greatest pair of
dimples. The perfume she had on made his head spin. Looking up at the
house, he saw the light was on in his bedroom. Must be Bart and Will
still up. Mom said that Will was spending the night. It been forever
since he's been over.
He decided it was too hot out to go up there, he'd go crash in the
screen house out back. 'That way Bart could talk to Will without
worrying about me listening in.' More than once he's stayed out there,
the coach was lumpy but not uncomfortable, and there was always a breeze
to cool you off. This way his mom and dad wouldn't know what time he got
home, which was also an advantage. During the summer, half the time you
could find him and/or Bart sleeping there.
Quietly opening the door, as to not disturb the silence of the
night, he walks into the screen house. Shit, what's that. 'Seems that
Bart had the same idea.' He and Will were sleeping on their sleeping
bags. Will was a good kid. As his eyes became adjusted to the light, he
saw that Bart had his arm draped over Will's chest and Will was holding
it in his sleep. 'It's Will. It's got to be Will.' For almost two weeks
now, he's been wondering who Bart was talking about when he said he was
in love. They looked so peaceful.
They're lucky mom or dad didn't find them. Got to get Bart to move
over. He knelt down next to the pair of them, and started to gently
shake Bart's shoulder, whispering "Bart. Bart wake up."
Bart still slept on. But Will felt Bart's arm move. In a
semiconscious state, the one just before waking up, he knew Bart's arm
was holding him. It felt so good. "Bart, come on wake up." Will's eyes
opened instantly and saw that Zack was trying to wake up Bart. Will must
have made some sort of movement, because Zack turned to look at him.
Zack knew he was awake. Fuck!
Zack asked quietly, "It's you isn't it?"
Will's heart seemed to stop, and he couldn't breathe. There he was
with Bart's arm resting on his chest, and he was holding on to it. Zack
knew the score. He figured he might as well face it all. "Yeah, Zack,
it's me." Well, it was finally out. It's up to Zack now.
Zack, sat there for a short time, letting it all sink in. Bart and
Will, Will and Bart. Bart had practically told him its was Will. "Will
knows, he's the only one I told." It's all making sense. Bart never lied
about Will, just used the truth creatively. "Did Bart tell you about, me
finding out?"
"Yeah." not wanting to volunteer any extra information.
"Do you know how he feels about you?" This was rapidly becoming one
of the hardest conversations Zack has ever had.
"Yeah. Same way I feel about him." Will said defiantly, then he
figured it was time that Bart woke up. Will didn't want to say anymore
to Zack. "Bart, wake up. Bart."
Bart's eyes opened up and the first thing he saw was Will's face.
Even in the dark he could tell something was wrong. Turning his head,
Zack came into view. "Aw, shit."
Zack whispered to him, "Hi Bart." He didn't know what else to say.
"Came in here to crash on the coach. Didn't know you guys were out
here."
Zack knew that what he said now was going to make or break his and
Bart's truce. "You're lucky mom and dad, didn't find you first. You'd be
in deep shit. Bart, you and Will are just going to have to be more
careful."
"We weren't doing anything. We were jus sleepin." Oh shit! He said
'you and Will'. Quickly turning back to Will, he could tell it was all
over. It didn't make any difference now. Still, staring at Will, he was
going to try one more time, "Zack, it's not what it seems" Not being
able to sit there and watch Bart floundering, Will broke in, "Bart, I
told him."
"Why Will? We coulda made up something. He didn't have to find
out." The desperation in Bart's voice, made Zack feel like shit. Zack
stood up and walked to the door. Without turning around, he didn't want
either of them to see the tears in his eyes, he said with as much
control as he could muster. "Bart, don't worry. It's not like that. You
just have to watch out." He couldn't get anything else out without it
catching in his throat. Then he walked out the screen door into the
moonlight.
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