Rescue Me

By:  Chantal

 

It was a cold November day in the city of New York.

 

A lonesome boy sat huddled on a bench, rocking himself from side to side, trying to keep warm in the freezing bleak wind. It was only the beginning of winter, how was he ever going to survive another winter in this fucking freezing city? Maybe he should move to California. It was not like he had a lot of stuff to move, it would take two seconds to get his shit together. But where was he going to get the money from? He sighed and looked up slightly from where his head rested on top of his knees. He watched the people that rushed passed him with mild interest as they stared back at him in disgust or maybe pity. He wasn’t sure, didn’t care really. He was sure he didn’t look all that promising and the small backpack that sat beside him, holding just a few possessions, certainly screamed homeless.

 

His fingers were starting to go numb and he was shivering more and more telling him it was time to move again. He stood slowly, stretching his aching muscles from sitting in the cold for so long. As he brought his arms back down, he wrapped them around his body, clutching his jacket to his chest to prevent the bleak wind from attacking his body. He pulled his hat further over his ears before picking up his backpack.

 

He was grateful he’d found that hat, it kept his ears warm and then he felt warmer throughout his whole body. When his head was cold, the rest of his body was too and the hat prevented that. The jacket he’d stolen protected him as well but he felt so guilty for having it. He hated steeling, it was always his last resort because he always felt so guilty and ashamed when he did it. He despised himself when he betrayed the nice lady in that store because she’d helped him so kindly despite the way he looked and he’d mislead her with his charming smile. He felt awful but then again he had to survive here outside and without a jacket he would soon freeze to death. He’d almost frozen to death last winter when he was inexperienced and didn’t know what the New York cold could do to your body but he’d learned fast during the past year and when the last mild fall day passed he’d wasted no time getting a jacket that would get him through the winter. That would keep him warm till at least March, till the somewhat sunny spring days would return and ease his battle to survive.

 

He wrapped his arms tighter around his body, with the backpack in between, to keep the heat close to his body and to create a cocoon of warm air. His head was ducked into his jack and the hat closed it off, only leaving a pair of baby blue eyes for the people passing by to see.

 

The blue eyes that had once sparkled with joy when he played basketball outside with his friends.

 

Or when he received a good mark in English class; his favorite subject.

 

Or when he and his mother baked cookies together when it was Christmas or on a regular Sunday just to spoil her baby boy.

 

But that was all in the past and his blue eyes no longer sparkled, they no longer held the happiness he’d once felt. That had vanished and a weary, dull pain had taken over his eyes from living on the streets of New York for so long.  

 

***

 

Another young boy sat on a bench, totally abandoned and you could see by his posture that the boy was miserable. His knees where drawn up to his chest, his arms tightly wrapped around them and his head was hidden in between his knees and his chest, looking for safety.

 

Despite the freezing cold day this boy didn’t seem to notice or to care. He was numb from the pain in his heart that he didn’t feel the cold attacking his body. It was there but he didn’t feel it. He probably should because the sweater and the flimsy jacket he was wearing did nothing to protect him.

 

Maybe he didn’t care whether he lived or died.

 

No one cared, so why should he?

 

***

 

He stopped living when he got the awful news.

 

The news that changed his life forever.

 

The news he wished he’d never gotten.

 

His parents had died in a car crash.

 

He’d been in school when he got called out of the class.

 

“Joshua Chasez, the principal wants to talk to you” his geography teacher had told him calmly after the man got a message from another teacher that had walked in moments earlier. Josh felt his cheeks flush as everyone turned to stare at him. He nervously scraped his throat.

 

“Now?” he asked a little fearful for the reason of this call.

 

The teacher nodded, “Yes right away”

 

Josh glanced around briefly as some of his classmates started to whisper and whistle impressed that the shy kid, who hardly ever got in trouble had to report to the principal.

 

“Why?” he asked, glancing back at his teacher.

 

“Mr. Stewart will tell you that. Go on he’s waiting for you” the teacher urged him and Josh got up slowly, his legs were somewhat shaking. He just couldn’t help it, he hated it when everyone stared at him and he knew they were all staring now. He made his way to the door as quickly as possible and burst out the door. As he made his way to the principal’s office his nerves increased with every step; what had he done wrong?

 

Was he in trouble?

 

What could have happened?

 

All kind of scenarios went through his head from accidentally tripping the 7^th grader yesterday to dropping his plate at lunch when Brad shoved him. When he finally reached his destination he was stiff with nerves. He took a deep breath and swiped his sweaty hands over his pants before bringing his right hand up to knock. The door opened seconds later and he was met with a look of pity and sorrow on Mr. Stewart’s face, telling Josh immediately something was very wrong and it didn’t involve his actions.

 

“Come in, Joshua” Mr. Stewart told him gently as he stepped back. Josh stepped inside wearily, afraid to hear what the man had to say.

 

“Have a seat son” Mr. Stewart offered waiting till Josh sat before he took a seat himself, next to him. Mr. Stewart never sat beside his students, always opposite of them behind the big desk that intimidated the students. This unnerved Josh and it went on top of his already present nerves, he couldn’t take it, he had to know.

 

“Mr. Stewart please tell me what’s going on, you’re making me nervous” he blurted, something he would have never gotten away with where this normal circumstances and actually Josh wanted it to be normal circumstances because he was positive he was not going to like the news Mr. Stewart was going to bring.

 

“Josh,” Mr. Stewart started slowly, taking a deep breath, he’d only been through this a couple of times in his long career but every time was one too many. This should never happen, this should not be able to happen. Children should outlive their parents, no child should have to deal with the death of his parents. No one. And he wished he didn’t have to tell those kids but it was better than having some unfamiliar officer break the news. At least the kid knew him. Josh was looking the man in the eye, urging him to talk, to spill it, he couldn’t take the waiting anymore, he needed to know or he would start screaming.

 

“Josh, the police just called. It involves your parents… they died in a car crash this morning”

 

Josh felt dizzy, the room started spinning out of control and he mumbled randomly,

 

“No, why, I can’t, no, not true” all the emotions swiveled through his head and he stood abruptly.

 

He needed to get out, he needed to go, he needed to….

 

But he didn’t get very far, one step and the world went black, he collapsed. Mr. Stewart caught him easily, lifted the boy up and carried him to the nurse’s office.

 

***

 

When he first woke up he was in denial; his parents weren’t dead, he just saw them that morning, they couldn’t be dead.

 

They just couldn’t…. be dead.

 

But they were….

 

When he got home that night his mother was not in the kitchen waiting for him with a cup of tea and a snack after a hard school day like she’d done for as long as he could remember. His father was not in the chair he always vacated; his favorite chair, he was not sitting in it. The chair was empty… as was the rest of the house.

 

Empty and dead silent.

 

It hit him, it hit him hard; his parents were gone and he would never see them again.

 

They were gone forever.

 

***

 

From that moment on, things didn’t seem worth it anymore. The things that used to bring him joy did nothing to him anymore. He didn’t care about it, he could care less. The only thing he wanted was to have his parents back. He would give everything just so he could see them one more time, hug them one more time and watch TV together. Nothing special just the three of them sitting on the couch. They were all he’d ever had and he’d loved them dearly, now it felt like he had nothing. He was empty inside, it felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest and nothing could fix it.

 

He was so grateful he’d said he loved them that morning before he left for school. He remembered several TV-shows where he saw children who lost their parents and he remembered thinking, thank God that is not me. And he used to push that thought away because he couldn’t bear to think about what he would feel when that happened to him. He ignored that thought because a) he couldn’t handle it and b) he was sure it wouldn’t happen to him. Stuff like that didn’t happen to him, those were things you heard about, heard about happening to other people but not to him.

 

Not to him.

 

Not to him….

 

In TV-shows you also saw people who hated themselves for not telling the people they loved just how much they meant to them. Josh used to see children crying on TV because they never got a chance to say goodbye, to tell them just how much they meant to them and how much they loved them. Josh never got a chance to say goodbye either. When he left that morning he had no way of knowing that that would be the last time he would get to see his parents. And although he did tell them he loved them before he left, the pain he was feeling wasn’t less because of it. The pain was worse than any words could describe, it was intense and it would never go away.

 

People tried to help him, they would smile at him reassuringly, hoping they could help. Others ignored him, not knowing what to say.

 

What could you say to help?

 

What could you do to ease the pain?

 

People came up to him, trying to comfort him but no one could. No one could except for his parents. They had always been able to comfort him, no matter how bad he felt but they were gone. It was too hard to comprehend, it still felt like they could walk in at any moment and when they didn’t, when he realized they would never walk in again, his already shattered heart felt like being stabbed by a thousand knifes… and a thousand more after that.   

 

***

 

His parents where all he’d ever had. Neither had any brothers or sisters so Josh didn’t have any uncles or aunts he could go to. And his grandparents had died before he was even born. One of them he’d known; his mother’s dad but he’d died when Josh was just 10 years old and so he had really no family left. There was absolutely no one to take care of him and that made it all that much worse; if that was even possible.

 

He was brought to an orphanage; underlining the fact that he really didn’t have any parents anymore and it suffocated him. The house suffocated him, the other kids that were there suffocated him, life suffocated him. The house was big and impersonal, nothing like his real home which was warm and full of love. This place wasn’t, it was full of miserable kids, and that sometimes resulted in mean actions because with so many kids living there, there were bound to be fights, bullying and tormenting. Josh kept to himself, he didn’t want to have to do with anyone. He didn’t care about all the other kids. He mostly locked himself in his room and avoided everyone, as best as he could anyway because his room wasn’t even his room, he had to share it with 3 other boys and being an only child he wasn’t used to that. He was never alone and Josh needed his privacy but it all wasn’t possible. And then on top of everything else he heard they, he didn’t even know who, were going to sell his former home.

 

They were going to sell it!

 

That was the first time he’d crawled out of his protective space under the blankets and protested till he saw blue in the face.

 

They couldn’t sell that house!!

 

It was all he had left of his parents.

 

The people at the orphanage had explained to him that they couldn’t keep the house. No one would live there and it would cost too much. Josh had yelled he would live there, that could be a solution in his eyes but his social worker didn’t agree; Josh was underage and after the loss of his parents was in no shape to live there alone. He had no family to move in with him so it simply wasn’t an option. Josh had yelled and screamed but it all hadn’t worked and the house was sold a month later. The possessions of his parents were securely put away in a storage-space they’d rented for him downtown and the money they earned with selling that house was transferred to his bank account, for college or for later.

 

But the house was gone.

 

The smell of his parents was gone.

 

The memories he had of that house were gone….

 

His parents were gone….

 

Forever.

 

Not long after Josh was gone too, at least gone from the orphanage. He took the key to the storage-space, the owner’s papers, his wallet and a few pictures with him. The rest he left behind, they meant nothing to him, he didn’t need those; he only needed his parents….

 

He had no idea where he should go, he was completely lost mostly emotionally. But also literally because New York was too big to know every street, every place, he didn’t care where he went so he took the first subway to the city, taking him downtown. He ended up in the park, on a bench and he sat there all alone, staring out in front of him as he cried on the inside, wondering how long it would take for someone to notice he wasn’t alright or how long it would take for him to freeze to death, to die…. 

 

***

 

“Hey man you got some change?” Justin asked carefully, cutting through Josh’s misery, he eyed the boy who sat on a bench and was idly staring out in front of him. Till Justin’s surprise the boy moved forward a little, his hand disappearing in his back pocket. He took out a wallet and threw it towards Justin.

 

“Here, take it all” Josh said, pulling his knees closer to his body, hugging them tight, letting his head rest on top of them. Justin fidgeted with the wallet in his hand, not believing what just happened.

 

This dude just gave him all his money!

 

Was this a trap?

 

He quickly looked around to see if he could spot police officers hiding in the bushes ready to pounce with him. But he didn’t see them and he realized how ridiculous the thought was. Living on the street had made him suspicious and who could blame him? It was the only way to survive, otherwise he’d have been dead a long time ago.

 

No, this wasn’t a trap.

 

Why would they want to trap him anyway?

 

What was the point?

 

He was just a poor homeless kid, they wouldn’t waste their time on him. But this didn’t happen everyday, actually it never happened, so being suspicious wasn’t a crazy thing to be in this situation.

 

He glanced at the man in front of him, still hunched over, trying to steal himself away from the world. Justin knew that look; it was so familiar. The streets were full of people wearing that look, lost, rejected and hurt. It was a recognizable look when you spent your days on the street. Justin was sure the same look had once stuck on his features, maybe it still did. He looked back down at the wallet in his hand, he flipped it open; some bankcards, a drivers license, some change and about a 100 dollar in cash. This was too good to be true, 100 dollars; he hadn’t seen that much money together since he left home. It could get him through the week definitely, buy some real food, maybe even a coke or a burger and a shower he thought longingly. He turned to leave but turning was as far as he got, he couldn’t walk away.

 

He couldn’t.

 

Damn!

 

Why did he have to have a conscience?

 

Although he was grateful that precious part hadn’t died out here on the rough street, it wasn’t something he needed at this point. He needed that money but… He sighed, dropping his hands to his sides in frustration. He looked back at the huddled figure on the bench and turned back towards him. Justin carefully lowered himself to a seat next to the young boy although he looked more like a frightened child than a boy whose facial features looked like about 18 years old, more or less.

 

“Are you ok, sir?” he asked tentatively. It wasn’t his business but the boy reminded him of himself when he first came here and if someone had helped him then, maybe things could have been different. Justin just knew he couldn’t let him dwell in misery because that’s what he’d done, feeling sorry for himself. But where had it gotten him? Nowhere. Maybe he could save this boy from the hurt he’d had to overcome and the extra hurt he’d created himself by dwelling in the original hurt.

 

“Sir?” he called again as the boy didn’t seem to respond to him, didn’t even seem to notice someone was sitting next to him, trying to get his attention. Justin was about to call again but was interrupted before the call could get out of his mouth.

 

“Is he bothering you sir?” a male voice asked Josh and as Justin looked up he saw two officers standing before them. The voice was laced with a bit of concern. They didn’t even wait for a response from Josh as they turned on Justin.

 

“Move along street rat” one of them told him snidely and Justin cringed at the name calling but he sobered and stood. It was then that the officers noticed the wallet in Justin’s hand.

 

“How did you get that wallet?” one of them asked angrily, taking a step towards him and getting in his face as the question was spit at him. Justin couldn’t answer him, the physical intimidation to great for him to answer.

 

“You stole the man’s wallet” the officer responded for him, it wasn’t a question it was a statement.

 

Justin’s eyes widened in shock as the officer grabbed his arm. Justin jumped at the contact and he knew this couldn’t turn out good. Fear raced through him as the officer pulled him towards him and set him in front of him, grabbing both his arms roughly. Justin winced and mentally kicked himself for not walking away when he had the chance. He’d wanted to play the hero but hero’s never got caught. He was in trouble and he knew it, he’d seen it coming, there was no way it could have ended right but then why did he stay? Maybe because he still had a heart.

 

“No!” Justin yelled, struggling against the grip.

 

“He can have his wallet back! He gave it to me! I don’t need his money! Please, let me go. I didn’t steal it I swear!!” Justin yelled, growing more frantic with each word as he struggled heavily against being taken away.

 

“Sir please!” Justin yelled at the boy who still sat in his original position although the other officer had taken his vacant spot; talking to the boy in soothing tones, seeing if he could figure out what was wrong with him. Josh didn’t hear the officer, he didn’t want to hear it and he wasn’t aware of the situation the boy, he’d given his wallet to, found himself to be in.

 

“Sir, please!!” Justin yelled again, seeing as he got no reaction. It was his last attempt to keep himself from getting arrested. Maybe people thought jail was like heaven for a homeless kid; you had a bed, the opportunity to bathe and food to eat. But Justin had been in jail before, once, he’d thought it wouldn’t be so bad but did he thought wrong! He never wanted to think about that again and he never wanted to go to jail again, it just wasn’t a safe place for a 16 year old. Just when Justin was about to give up on the man and started to plan his escape did the boy look up puzzled and he wearily took in the scene in front of him. Justin’s eyes pleaded with him and Josh got the message, he stood up and gestured towards the officer who was restraining Justin.

 

“Let him go” he said in monotone but confident. The officer eyed the boy curiously.

 

“What do you mean sir?”

 

“He didn’t steal my wallet. It fell and he picked it up to give it to me” Josh quickly thought of an excuse. He hadn’t heard Justin’s excuse and therefore didn’t know it didn’t match. The officer frowned and Josh tried hard not to falter, he kept the determined look on his face as Justin still struggled in the officer’s grip. The cop wasn’t convinced and didn’t let the young boy go.

 

“You mean a poor street rat like him would pick up a wallet to give it back to someone?”

 

The officer laughed in response.

 

“Yes, some people are still honest. He didn’t steal my wallet and without me pressing charges there is no reason for you to arrest him” Josh countered confidently. Justin was in awe as he stared at the boy openmouthed. The officers knew the boy was right and although the boys’ statements didn’t match it didn’t really matter because they couldn’t arrest the street rat without the other boy pressing charges. One officer nodded his head and the arms around Justin’s fell away. Justin stumbled slightly, unprepared for the release but he recovered quickly and walked to stand next to Josh.

 

The officers glared at the pair as they strode away angrily, they’d been meaning to help the young boy from that street rat and what did they get in return?

 

Some smart ass punk, helping the street rat!

 

Seething, they walked away without a second glance, leaving Josh and Justin alone. Justin breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“Thank you” he said sincerely.

 

“I just… I don’t want to go to jail… and…. thank you” he repeated elaborating but he couldn’t really explain so he finished with another grateful thank you. Josh eyed him wearily; he was too tired to smile and reassure the other boy.

 

He nodded once and then took his seat on the cold bench again, folding himself on the bench, making himself as small as possible. Justin stood watching, a little lost at what to do. He eyed the boy as he hid his face and curled himself into a ball.

 

What was wrong with him?

 

He looked down at his hands; the wallet still in his hands and he slowly walked towards the boy. He sat next to him, wondering what he could do. He tentatively stretched his hand towards the boy and cautiously let it rest on the boy’s shoulder. Josh felt the light touch and slowly picked his head up off his knees and wearily looked at the boy next to him, he couldn’t seem to shake.

 

“You… um… your wallet” Justin stuttered as he handed the wallet to Josh while his other hand still rested on the boy’s shoulder. Hundred bucks he just handed over just like that… but he didn’t care about the money anymore.

 

“Are you ok?” Justin asked softly, letting the wallet fall into his own lap as Josh failed to accept it. Josh didn’t respond but he did continue to look at Justin.

 

“You got some place to go? Some place I can take you?” Justin asked carefully, maybe he’d just ran away from home and he needed a little encouragement to go back there.

 

But till his surprise Josh’s eyes welled up with tears and he miserably shook his head no.

 

“You got no place to go and you give me all your money?” Justin asked incredulously. Josh shrugged. Justin eyed him, looking him up and down.

 

“Where you from?” he asked gently. Again Josh shrugged.

 

“Doesn’t matter, I can’t go back anyway” he answered, it was the first time Josh spoke to him and the pain even in his voice cut right through him. Justin could only imagine what this boy must be feeling in his heart.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

Josh nodded. “Yeah I’m sure”

 

“I’m Justin” he introduced himself, outstretching his hand. Josh let go of his knees and let his feet slide of the bench, landing on the floor with a soft thud. He took Justin’s hand without a second thought. He didn’t even look disgusted at it and Justin smiled at that because how often hadn’t he offered his hand and got a frown and a disgusted look in return. They would reject him just because his hands weren’t all that clean but not this boy.

 

“Josh” he said simply.

 

“Nice to meet you” Justin said warmly and the bright smile that accompanied his words was contagious as Josh’s lips tugged into a small smile.

 

Josh felt the darkness inside of him retract somewhat and for the first time in months he saw light at the end of the tunnel. He saw light in the pitch black tunnel he was thrown in when he got the news that fucked up his life, fucked up his joy and fucked him up. It wasn’t much, he wasn’t bursting for joy suddenly but it was something. There was hope in the darkness, a little light that drowned out the darkness, it wasn’t much but it was something. He felt hope, he could smile again, just a little sure but a little was better than nothing.

 

Over the past few months Josh had made himself believe no one cared about him anymore. When he lost his parents he lost all the love he ever knew.

 

Who would ever care about him again?

 

His parents had loved him so much and no one could ever do the same, no one would care what happened to him next. They put him in that orphanage where they hardly knew your name, where they mixed him up with a boy who looked nothing like him and it only fed to his conviction that no one cared about him anymore. They simply did not care what would happen to him.

 

No one cared whether he lived or died.

 

But Justin had proved that conviction wrong. He did seem to care; who else would have asked him if he was alright?

 

Who else wouldn’t have walked away with his wallet when they had the chance?

 

Who else would have stayed back to make sure he really was ok?

 

Who else would have stayed to see if he could help him in some way?

 

By simply showing concern Justin had proven Josh’s conviction wrong. Because it was not true; this stranger had cared and it prevented Josh from further sulking in misery. By simply talking to him Justin had helped him more than he could ever know and the concern for him was what Josh had craved for.

 

“You want to go get something to eat?” Josh asked suddenly, looking at Justin, really looking at him for the first time. Maybe this was a sign; Justin sent to him to help him, to let him see sulking wasn’t the answer. He’d done a lot of that and maybe Justin was sent to help him see the good things in life again. And suddenly he felt his hungry stomach which his miserable mind had ignored. And he wanted Justin to join him, he would be hungry probably.

 

Justin squirmed, he wanted to yes but….

 

“I um… I dunno…” he stuttered embarrassed.

 

“My treat” Josh assured him with a small smile, understanding why Justin was hesitating. Justin smiled back, still embarrassed but he learned the streets where no place for embarrassment, you took what you could get, that didn’t make him feel any better however.

 

“If you’re sure you want to be seen with me” Justin said, trying to make a joke out of it but he couldn’t help the slight blush from passing his features. A cold but reassuring hand rested on his shoulder.

 

“I’m sure” Josh assured him once again.

 

“Thanks” Justin smiled back, looking into the rare shade of blue that were Josh’s eyes. Josh nodded once, the smile still present before he stood. Justin stared at him, a little shocked; he suddenly seemed so lively, so not like the boy he’d found here sitting just 30 minutes earlier. When he looked better, he still saw the miserable look in Josh’s eyes but the somewhat happy look had taken a small space in his eyes as well, had taken over partly. It wasn’t much but it was a start and Justin was proud it was his help that had made this boy somewhat happy.

 

“Come on” Josh urged, jerking his head in a ‘come on’ gesture when he noticed Justin was still sitting. Justin smiled fully as he stood as well, grabbing his small backpack before walking next to Josh, following him to the closest McDonalds.

 

“Hope you like this?” Josh asked uncertain, looking aside at Justin.

 

“Oh yeah!” Justin reassured him convincing. He craved for a burger or anything with fat in it.

 

He ordered a burger, fries and a large coke. He could have eaten ten menus but he didn’t want to take advantage of Josh so he settled for one. It was warm inside and they enjoyed their meals. Josh had ordered a few hamburgers and when he was done, he sat back and watched Justin eat, living off of Justin’s happiness. Justin tried not to choke it down but it had been so long since he had a decent meal and even longer since he’d had something warm, something from McDonalds. When he caught Josh’s eye he stopped eating abruptly and a blush crept over his face.

 

“Sorry” he mumbled as he lowered his head in shame.

 

“Don’t be, eat” Josh urged him, not wanting to hear his apologies. This definitely beat sitting in the park by himself, sulking in his misery and Justin had saved him from that, he wanted to pay him back for that by buying him diner. It certainly looked like Justin could use it, he was way too skinny; not that he could really comment on that.

 

“But I don’t want you to think I’m… taking advantage of you. I don’t want to take advantage of…. you” Justin told him, with dedication wanting Josh to see he meant it.

 

“I know” Josh reassured him, he saw the sincerity in Justin’s eyes, Justin just didn’t realize it himself. Justin ducked his head as Josh’s eyes seemed to see right through him.

 

“Thank you for rescuing me from the cops” he whispered.

 

“You’re welcome but I should thank you too”

 

Justin shook his head no.

 

Why should Josh thank him?

 

He hadn’t done anything, not really anyway.

 

“Justin” Josh addressed him, wanting Justin to meet his eyes.

 

“If it wasn’t for you I would still be sitting on that bench, freezing to death and sulking in misery”

 

“But…”

 

“No buts” Josh shook his head in denial.

 

“How many people would have asked me if I was alright? How many people wouldn’t have taken that wallet?” Josh inquired, wanting Justin to answer him. Justin looked at him through his eyelashes.

 

“Some… people” Justin squirmed, still modest.

 

Josh’s look said it all.

 

“Not a lot of people” Justin amended somewhat after catching Josh’s look.

 

But Josh kept staring; he wasn’t satisfied.

 

“Ok no one! Happy?!” Justin further amended somewhat angry but actually he wasn’t.

 

“Except for you” Josh told him, his voice full of emotion before he simply sat back and watched Justin. Justin looked up a little. They locked eyes, passing silent messages and Justin understood, but he was shy. He would never say he helped him, he only saw how Josh had helped him. They shared a smile, simply staring at each other, steel blue eyes met baby blue eyes and the smile grew wider.

 

They got up minutes later, taking their tray to the trashcan before walking to the exit. Josh walked out first, holding the door open for Justin as he cracked a joke. They walked down the street together, happily talking and still laughing as they disappeared out of sight.

 

Neither of them knew where this new road would take them but they were going to find out. Their meeting was going to be a new chapter in both their lives. A new road to walk upon.

 

Maybe there was even a future for them together, as friends…. or maybe more.

 

Maybe they would find true love together.

 

Maybe they would find their soul mate in each other.

 

Who knows?

 

No one knows what life throws at you; you just have to make the best out of it and sometimes beautiful things grow out of the painful experiences in life….   

 

The End

 

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