THE TROUBLE WITH DECEIT

Part 6 Shopkeeper's plan

Reece woke up in the morning feeling unrested and foggy headed, a vivid dream fresh in his head, a dream he wanted to forget. Mary, the owner of the store would be home this evening. He got up and showered, it was still very early and he felt too unsettled to have breakfast. Settling for a glass of orange juice he set off for a brisk walk, heading into the nearby park, he made his way over to the small lake where he knew there were a couple of benches. Surprisingly as it was still only 7 30 am there were people sitting on one of the benches, a young couple, talking, holding hands and obviously wrapt in each other. He was about to change direction when one of them spotted him and they immediately moved apart from each other. He pretended not to have seen them, but now he wanted a better look at them, so he carried on walking towards the lake. They were both men! around his own age, nodding in their direction he mouthed good morning as he passed. They had looked so happy, living a lie yes, but still enjoying a good life. That boy he had dreamed so vividly of last night, what if he really liked him, there had been something! This wasn't going to go away, suddenly he wanted what those guys in the park had. A future instead of this constant fear of the unknown.

The boy had told him that he was a student of some kind, so that meant that he would finish his classes at around 3 30, or maybe even 4 pm. He had the beginnings of a plan forming in his head. First, he had to ring Mary's friend Sheila and ask her if she could cover for him at the shop for the day. She normally obliged as the extra money came in handy, and in fact, she had been helping out when Kip had first happened into the store, although she had been working at the back in the storeroom. Next, he would need to find this college and then whenever he got an opportunity simply watch the place until kip appeared, even if it took a couple of days or even weeks it should work.

by 10 am after some basic detective work, (he had asked the dental receptionist who he knew quite well) he was looking at the big gated building. Actually, it was huge and solid looking, with extensive grounds making it look more like an affluent country estate than a college. Everything looked extremely well cared for. There were a lot of students in the lawned part of the garden adjacent to the college and some adults as well so it must be some kind of break period. He settled down in his vantage point and waited, even from this distance he just knew which one was Kip. After about a half an hour or so he realized that he had been wrong, this was not a break. They were all subdued, not at all like normal kids of this age, and even from this distance, he could see that the sudden cuddles, even from the adults, these were comfortings. This was more like a funeral wake. Feeling more like a peeping tom now he began to make his way furtively around the high robust fencing. In fact, you would have thought it was a prison rather than a college. The high metal railings were in very good order and he was about to give up on this idea when he came to a huge recently fallen tree resting across the fence that it had crumpled the top of. He clambered onto the sloping trunk and slowly and carefully crawled along it, up and over the fence, dropping lightly down onto the ground on the inside. He ran in the direction of the big building and quickly came to the beginning of a large well-manicured lawn.

Crouching down in the edge of the tree-line he looked around to get his bearings. unbelievably, there, heading towards him, and on his own was Kip. His heart was pounding but he made himself stay quiet and out of sight. Kip was deep in thought and he looked dejected and miserable. Suddenly he stopped walking and looked around, had he been discovered? No! Kip sat down abruptly and tearing Reece's heartstrings he put his head in his hands and started weeping. This was too much, all thoughts of hiding evaporated instantly as he raced over to Kip and threw himself on the ground and cradled him in his arms, even as he was expecting a disgusted Reece to punch him away.

It had all got too much for Kip, the enormity of it all just hit him. The devastating news they had all had and the agony he was going through alone as he tried to understand his own sexuality. And now this thing with Reece, was killing him inside and all of the people he needed to talk to about it hadn't even been born yet, and now probably may never be. It was too painful to bear, he didn't know what made him head here, but as he glanced around he seemed to be alone and unable to control himself any longer he flung himself to the ground and burst into tears. He felt strong arms around him. He was afraid to look, it was Reece, How? he just hugged him back, so tightly that he must have been hurting him. "Shh shh calm down baby, " baby? Reece had called him baby. He looked at Reece, searching his eyes, but all he saw was concern. He crushed his lips onto the older man's, for the first time in his life this was a kiss that meant something.

As Reece hugged the boy he felt him push him away. Kip looked hard at him and then suddenly he was kissing him aggressively. Reece didn't care! In his mind's eye he could see the couple on the park bench, and now he knew where his own future lay.