Saved [boyxboy]

Chapter 4: Dinner with Friends

Dinner at Caleb's was super...normal. I'm so grateful for that.

Conversation was casual over dinner. Gerard caught up with me and with my mom while I got to know Caleb's stepmom, Laura, better. She's actually really nice. Despite being an on-the-go woman, she's still down to earth and she still makes time for family. She made a really fantastic lasagna and salad. I had a feeling Caleb had something to do with that, though, as he knows lasagna is my favourite dish.

After dinner, Caleb started clearing the table. I stood up to help but Laura stopped the both of us. "No, no. Let us adults do that."

"t's okay you now, Mom," Caleb said. My Mom and I looked at each other, then at Caleb. He was so...cool about calling Laura "mom."

"No, really, Cale," Laura protested, "you two go catch up. It's a lot of years to catch up on." She looked to Gerard and asked, "It's okay, right Ger?"

"Yeah sure!" Gerard replied.

"I'll help," my Mom offered, smiling.

"Ah!" Laura exclaimed. "Fantastic! We have all the helpers we need. Go play some video games or something." I smiled at how welcoming she was.

"Alright,"Caleb said. "We're upstairs if you need us!"

I followed Caleb up familiar stairs and down the familiar hallway and into his familiar room. I looked around and was surprised at how little things had changed. I giggled as my eyes landed on his Batman sheets. "Really, Cale?" I asked, pointing to the sheets.

Caleb blushed a bright red. "Oh shut up," he replied. "I'll never be too old for Batman."

"I'll never be too old for Superman either," I said, trying to hold in my laugh. I was unsuccessful. "Just...not with the sheets!" I held my stomach and laughed. Hey, no need for him to know about my pair of Superman underpants.

"The one with the Superman merch is the one laughing at me?" Caleb retorted. I stopped laughing and looked at him. He folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. His biceps bulged as his arms were folded. I put on a pained expression and put my face in my hands, my shoulders heaving. "Oh my God, Jace, I'm sorry!" he said and came over to me and rested his hand on my shoulder.

I threw my head back with the laugher that erupted from within. "Superman merch is nothing compared to these sheets, Caleb!" I said and looked at his face. His expression was incredulous, which only made me laugh harder.

"Oh I'll give you something to laugh at!" Caleb said and shoved me lightly, causing me to fall back on his bed. He came on top of me and I knew what was coming next. My cries of "NO!" through my giggles could not stop the tickle attack. He knew how much I hated tickling!

"Okay, stop stop stop!" I cried after what seemed like forever, the both of us giggling. He stuck his tongue out at me and got off of me, coming to lay right next to me. We lay in silence for a few minutes until we looked at each other and the giggles overtook us again. We eventually calmed down.

The air just became a little weird and I had no idea why. But I promised myself after Declan died that I would stop with the overthinking. Caleb got up an turned on his TV and PlayStation, handing me a controller. We played Marvel vs Capcom for a while, casually talking, until my Mom called up that it was time for us to go.

"This was fun," I said, as we headed down stairs.

"It was," he replied as we got to the bottom of the stairs. I looked in the family room that was off of the dining room and saw my Mom, her coat on, laughing with Gerard and Laura. I turned around to have see Caleb holding my coat. I took it from him and shrugged it on.

"So...will I see you in school on Monday?" Caleb asked, his expression a bit hopeful.

Crap. I had forgotten that the semester would be starting on Monday. I was already re-enrolled in the same high school. I had had my reservations at first but decided to go back to familiar grounds after talking it over with my Mom for a while. I decided that facing everything and everyone would show that I've moved on, that I'm not broken, that I'm okay again. 

I smiled at Caleb. "Yup. Pick me up?"

"Sure," he replied. "I'm really happy that you're back Jace." With that, he moved in to hug me.

"Me too," I said as I returned his embrace. "Me too."

*********************************************

I watch as Declan gets into his car. I wave at him as he drove off.

The car. The car comes out of nowhere. I scream before the actual impact, seeing it in my mind before it happens. The car hits Declan's and pitches the car a couple feet. I run to get to Declan, tears streaming down my face. I get to the car and rush to Declan's side. I see the mass of blood and I let out the most blood curling scream.

"NO!" I scream and I wake up in a cold sweat. My door bursts open and my room is flooded with light, my Mom rushing to my side.

"Jace, honey?" she coos frantically, petting the side of my soaking face. I gasp for air and reach for the glass of water on my endtable, taking a long gulp. My Mom sighs and takes the glass, rocking me until I can breathe normally again. She kisses my clammy forehead and leaves me in search of the kitchen to fill me a new glass of water.

"Mom?" I say as she reaches my door. She turns, bathed in the light from the hallway and looks at me. "I love you."

She smiles. "I love you too, hon. Now just go back to bed."

I turn as she closes my door, staring at the clock. The red, angry 2:05 blinks at me in the darkness. I sigh and try to go back to sleep, prepping myself for the day ahead.

Hours later, after I've awakened, I slip my feet in my loafers as my Mom yells, "Jason! Caleb's here!"

"Coming!" I yell back. I take a quick look in the mirror, pick up my messenger bag and head downstairs to the kitchen. My Mom looks at me as I enter the kitchen and raises an eyebrow, her sign of approval at my choice of attire: loafers, plain pale blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow and khaki shorts. I raise mine, showing my sign of approval at her navy blue skirt suit with the white and black fluffed blouse. She hands me a brown bag containing my lunch and a pop tart and kisses me on the cheek. "Have a great day you two!"

I wave at her and lead the way outside. As Caleb pull out my driveway, my favourite song, Big Yellow Taxi by Counting Crows, played and I smiled. I sang along, looking out the window at familiar trees, houses and roadways on the way to a familiar school. After Caleb parked, I got out and waited for him to lock up, staring at the building. So many memories...

Caleb came beside me. "Ready?" he asked.

I puffed out air. "As I'll ever be," I replied and began walking up the stairs to familiar ground, familiar people and one of the sources that would have caused me the most pain after the accident.