It was another normal guys night out. Without our captain to ruin things and tell us what to do, we headed to the newest strip club in town. Apparently a dancer from out of town had come to visit and was there to entertain the new men that flocked the club. I had just parked the car containing Pierce, Ray, Flacco and I when there was a knock on my window. I rolled down my window and saw Randy Moss staring in at me.

"What Moss," I snapped as I noticed a brown haired girl get out of his car. Her hair was in a French braid and my immediate thought was to drive off, but when she turned around I saw a younger version of my team captain.

"Mel has a daughter and she's supposed to meet you here," I guessed and he nodded.

"She's my pride and joy and here comes Mel," he said straightening up and causing all of us to groan in disappointment.

"Melinda," Mel called and the girl ran over to her tears in her eyes.

"Roll up the window," Ray hissed as Melinda started giving us away.

"Momma four of your teammates are in that car daddy's standing next to," she said in a singsong voice.

"Oh really; I remember very clearly telling my team that they could not come to the strip club and anyone of my team that disobeyed me would not like the consequences," she said and I looked back at Flacco.

"What I didn't think she was serious," he said and I let out a sigh.

"Yeah well we're busted now," Ray said and Pierce shook his head.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Three of my wide receivers and one of my linebackers disobeying me. Let's see what I can come up with for punishments," Mel said and my head snapped up.

I flashed my eyes up to the rearview mirror to look at Ray and I knew I had to protect him.

"Captain please," I whispered and she turned her attention to me.

"Please what," she snapped and the guys shrunk back in their seats.

"It wasn't their idea to come to the strip club and disobey you. We were sitting in my car when I decided to suddenly pull out of my driveway. It was a stupid move and I take full responsibility for disobeying you," I said and she wrenched open my car door, forcefully yanking me out as she did so.

I knew it was never going to stop until she got my son as retribution for the death of her son, which happened while he was in my care, but still I never give in that easily and I'll be damned before I turn my son over to a monster like her.

Captain pushed me up against the car and breathed, "Why do I suddenly regret letting you off the hook when you disobeyed me last week." Out loud she said, "Randy let's meet again tomorrow night because I have something I need to take care of right now."

Randy nodded and left with Melinda in tow and Mel waited until they were out of sight before she knocked me to the ground with her fist. I heard a car door slam shut and suddenly Mel was being lured away from me by someone I couldn't see but I knew it had to be Joe Flacco. I was yanked up by my other two teammates who had come to my rescue as well.

"You guys didn't need to yank me up that roughly," I said and they immediately apologized.

"Get Flacco and let's go," I said and got in the car.

"Flacco let's go," Ray called and I looked back to see Flacco get knocked to the ground as he turned towards the car to get in.

"Ray let's go! We got to go. We can't help him now let's go," I shouted and Ray jumped in the car.

We pulled out of the parking lot leaving Flacco at the mercy of our team captain.

I turned at the sound of Ray's voice only to get knocked to the ground by my team captain. I heard voices shouting, the sound of a car door slamming shut, and a car pulling out of the parking lot. I scrambled backwards as my team captain came over to me with an angry look in her eyes.

"Get up, right now," she snapped and I immediately scrambled to get to my feet.

I stood there in front of her with my head down and realized I was about to find out what happened to Anquan every time he was called in to her office even when he hadn't had the chance to piss her off.

"Come on let's get you home Joe," Mel whispered and walked away towards her car.

"Wait I'm not in trouble with you for coming to the strip club with the guys," I asked and she shook her head.

"No but the guys are in trouble with me for leaving you behind. What's my number one rule when on the field," she asked looking over at me.

"Stick together and leave no man or in your case woman behind," I replied and she nodded.

"Get in the car and let's get you home," she said and I went home immediately throwing myself into my bed headfirst.

"Joe tell me who Anquan was protecting. When he looked up at the rearview mirror it looked like he was looking at you. But if he had been protecting you I don't think you would have come so close to me tonight. I want you to tell me who he was protecting," Mel whispered in my ear while running her hands down my back.

"If I do then what: Anquan gets hurt for protecting one of the team," I whispered tears running down my face.

"All I want to know is who Anquan was protecting so badly. Trust me you would not like the kind of punishment Anquan receives if it was coming to you Joe. So make it easier on yourself and tell me who he was protecting," she whispered, dragging her fingers through my over grown hair.

'Damn, I need a haircut again,' I thought as I panicked about what to do in this situation I was now in.

She got to the base of my skull and gently tugged on my hair but from what Anquan had told me it wouldn't be gentle for long.

"He was protecting Ray. It was all Ray's idea to disobey you and Captain, I am personally sorry for going along with the deception and not notifying you about his plan to disobey you. I will take whatever punishment you have to give me for disobeying you," I whispered and buried my face in my pillow so she couldn't see the tears streaming down my face.

"I'll decide your punishment later because right now I have to deal with Anquan," Mel said and left.

The front door slammed shut and with that I fell into a fitful sleep.

I was back at home but I knew it wasn't safe as my team captain had a key to my house.

"Thank God Anthony isn't home and that he had enough sense to go to Jamie's house for the night," I thought as the front door suddenly slammed open.

I ran for my room in a panic but just as I reached the threshold my captain slammed into me sending me to the floor of my hallway with her fist. I curled into a ball on my side carefully and discreetly putting my back against the wall of the hallway. But luck was not on my side today as she yanked me into a standing position and threw me head first into my bedroom where I crumpled to the floor in a sobbing heap of skin and clothes. I looked up at her fear the present emotion on my face and tried to scramble away from her as she walked over to me. Still, I had no luck as she knelt down and started to run her fingers through my braids. When she got to the end of my braids she gently tugged on one of the braids and I maneuvered myself into a kneeling position so she could do what she came to do. But what happened next was a complete surprise for me.

"Why did you lie to me Anquan? What did I ever do to deserve the disrespect I got from you boys tonight," she asked and I carefully turned my head to look at her face.

She was upset, that much was clear but I had a feeling I wasn't going to be punished tonight. Then suddenly it dawned on me: she was here to get my son and he wasn't here. Once again I thanked God for giving me a son that had a brain under all that pretty hair on his head.

"Anthony's not here Mel. He's at Jamie's house for the night with the rest of the team. I'll bring him to you tomorrow so you can stop trying to force me to give him to you. Okay," I said and hung my head ashamed that I had just showed that kind of weakness in my resolve.

"Don't bother to bring him to me. Pack his things and I'll go pick him up now," Mel said and got up.

She waited for me to stand and then walked towards the only other occupied room in the house. I slowly grabbed the duffel bags that Anthony kept under his bed and packed his clothes in one; his shoes in another; and all his posters in another. I waited to see what she was going to say about his electronics and she answered my unspoken question.

"He can bring his laptop, his IPod, and his cell phone. Nothing else do you hear me," she said and I nodded.

I took the bags out to her car and went back inside to pack his laptop in its case; put the iPod in the case along with his cell phone and finally I put in the chargers. I took the bag out to her and she put it on the passenger side seat next to her.

"Tell him I said goodbye and that I love him," I begged and she nodded.

"I will," she promised and left without a backwards glance at me.

It was late but we were enjoying ourselves. With no adult to tell us we had to go to bed at ten at night, we were grouped in a circle with an empty beer bottle, that Junior had drank out of, in the middle of the circle with all of us taking turns to spin the bottle. With no girls around for us to kiss we resorted to acting gay for a minute or two so we could play the game properly. I was sitting between Jamie Pierce and Joseph Jones when suddenly the bottle landed on Jamie. I suppressed a groan and dropped my head into my hands causing the guys to laugh and making Jamie pout. I knew I had no other choice and couldn't force him to choose someone else so I turned towards him, quietly conveying that he had to do all of the work in this. He nodded and leaned towards me meeting me halfway and made the kiss quick and short knowing I didn't want to do it. After I got that out of the way it was my turn to spin the bottle and it immediately landed on me. I smiled and turned to my other side away from Jamie and lunged at Joseph almost immediately. I planted a big kiss on his lips and smirked when he started to complain after I pulled back.

"Man why couldn't you have kissed Junior? He's drunk enough that he wouldn't remember that unless someone here took a picture of it," he said causing all of the guys to laugh.

"Just take your damn turn and shut up," I said and he spun the bottle which immediately made it my turn again.

I lunged across the circle towards Junior who met me halfway and made it the longest kiss any of us ever had while playing this game. Junior pulled back after about five minutes and spun the bottle which landed on Jason the youngest player on the team. Jason looked towards me and then at Michael before looking back at me. I nodded and we met halfway across the circle before our lips touched completely. Just then the lights went out and I heard a swishing sound coming down towards Jamie who let out a scream and I turned to see the mother of most of the team glaring down at me and Jason, looking completely out of her mind. I looked at Jamie who was a sobbing mess and noticed his back was bleeding through the white T-shirt he was wearing.

"Jamie," I cried as his whimpers grew louder.

His blood was pooling on the floor and there was no way we could explain this one to his dad. Except by my disappearance and that was if I could get her to take me without hurting the guys which was a very slim chance. I crawled towards Jamie and noticed a tear in his shirt and quickly looked at his mother's hand to see a horsewhip wrapped around her hand with just the tip hanging loose. I cringed away and gently pulled Jamie into a sitting position and ripped the shirt off of him and pressed the soft cotton against the open wound. By the time his mother realized what I was doing I had wrapped an ace bandage around the shirt and secured it just as his dad came in to check on us. When Jamie's dad saw Jamie's mother standing over us he immediately thought we had done something wrong. I explained that we had just finished playing spin the bottle with Jason being the last one to have the bottle land on him and that Jamie's mother had probably walked in on something that she didn't think her children were capable of and that was us kissing each other. He nodded and walked away taking Jamie's mother with him. I sighed in relief and started to get to my feet to go to the bathroom when Jamie's dad came back in with a scowl on his face and it was directed at Jamie.

"Jamie were you boys playing spin the bottle without girls being here at all during all these parties you boys always throw," his dad asked.

"Yes we do, dad," Jamie whispered, and leaned against me as he started to cry harder.

"I got to go okay guys? See you on Monday at school," I said and got up.

I walked out of the room and straight into my new master who grabbed my upper arm and dragged me out of the house and threw me into her car before I could even speak.

"Um, you do know I have a car and I can follow you to your house from here," I stammered and she looked back at me and laughed.

"You are coming with me. There's no way I am letting you take your car and then you head to your father's house. You are now my slave and your father' requested that I tell you that he loves you," she said and I threw myself from the car just as she pulled out of the driveway.

I ran for my car and jumped in quickly starting the engine and pulling out of Jamie's driveway and heading for the plantation on the outskirts of town. The one place I had always dreaded going to was the Johnson Plantation and now I had no choice but to go. The one thing I knew for sure was that I had just earned myself a beating when I get there.

"I will just do it and take my punishment," I said looking in the rearview mirror.

She was hot on my tail and I made the final turn and drove up the long winding path all the way to the front door. This would possibly be the last time I used my car so I took a few minutes to let her park and get out of her car before I opened my car door and got out of mine. Once out of my car I breathed in the smell of pine and walnut and slowly I walked over to her quietly kneeling down in front of her; my new master.

I stared at the boy kneeling in front of me with nothing short of anger on my face. He kept his head bowed and stared at my feet not saying a word. Then I noticed he was shaking and that all he had on was a wife beater tank top and his blue jeans with ratty sneakers. I made a mental note to check his clothes and see what was too old for him to wear before I made any judgments. I took a deep breath in and smelled the scent of ripe and ready to be picked walnuts before I looked back at the boy.

"You may stand," I said and he slowly stood up his eyes never leaving the ground.

"Where is your shirt," I asked gently lifting his chin so I could have eye contact.

"It's in my book bag because it ripped so I took it off and put it in there instead of throwing it away," he whispered and I took off my jacket quietly wrapping it around his shoulders.

"Let's get your bags out of the trunk of my car and up to your new room so you can unpack okay," I said and he nodded quietly looking back at the ground hoping and praying that I had not seen his tears.

Suddenly I realized why Anquan had always been so adamant about refusing to let him go: Anthony was emotionally attached to his dad since he grew up without a mom all of his life. Right there I decided that I would be that mother figure that he needed and probably wanted. I pulled the shivering boy into my arms and let him break down as I pulled him down to the ground so we could be comfortable and not have aching feet when he calmed down enough to get his things out of the trunk of my car.

"There, there everything's going to be okay. Nothing bad is going to happen to you here. I promise you that. Do you hear me Anthony," I said and he nodded quietly wiping his face dry with the back of his hand.

"I want to go back home to my dad, please. I can come and check in every morning before I go to school and every afternoon before I go home," he whispered hopefully.

I shook my head and said, "That is not possible but I can allow you to call him just so you know that he's okay. And I will also let you visit him over the weekend every weekend: from Friday night to Sunday evening. But here is the condition in that: you cannot go to anyone else's house unless you have my permission and you have to tell me how long you are going to be there and if I have to pick you up from that person's house. Is that okay with you Anthony?"

"Okay I guess that can work since it's probably the only offer I'm going to get like that," he whispered and I let out a laugh.

"You can call him after we unpack your things in your new room okay," I said and he nodded.

He stood up and offered me his hand which I took gratefully and he helped me up. If there was one thing I had been doubtful about before every doubt I had was erased. He was probably the best trained kid that was probably more obedient than my own children and that was from what I had walked in on. Reflecting now I realize that I probably got Jason into a lot of trouble when I called his dad and told him what had happened and what I had walked in on.

"Well it's too late to go back now," I thought and clicked open the trunk of my car.

I went around the front of my car and grabbed the laptop case and handed it to Anthony and gestured towards the trunk of my car. We walked around my car and I helped him with his bags taking the two that were the heaviest.

"Anthony do you want me to show you to a room or do you want to choose from the rooms which one you want," I asked and he shook his head.

"You decide because it's your house," he whispered and walked towards his car.

I followed after him and showed him to the master bedroom and said, "It's all yours Anthony. I hope you enjoy it." After that I went to my room and changed into my nightclothes. After about twenty minutes I went and checked on Anthony to find all of his things put away and him fast asleep curled up on the floor, so I picked him up and pulled back the covers before I laid him down and covered him with the many quilts I had placed on the bed to keep him warm. That night was the most peaceful night's sleep I had ever had in that house.

I was panicking. I had not wanted to go home and face my dad because I knew he would ask why I was kissing one of the guys. Shit if he has a problem with it he can talk to Junior who happens to be my boyfriend. I'm gay and proud of it. Just then I heard the front door open and two men came into the house laughing their butts off. I hid behind the couch even though I knew one of the men was my dad but I did not recognize the other man. Hell I knew my dad was gay but I had never seen him with another man.

"Damn Michael that was freaking funny but are you sure you need to stay the night to make sure nothing happens to me or is it because you want to be in charge of this relationship," my dad asked and I sucked in a breath.

"What was that sound," I heard the other guy ask as they stepped into the living room.

"Probably just my butler trying not to be noticed even though I know he's behind the couch hiding from me. Now my room is right down the hall the first doorway on the left," my dad said and the other guy left the room.

I heard a door close and suddenly my dad was yanking me up onto my feet from behind the couch.

"What are you doing here, Junior" my dad hissed looking behind him with a worried expression on his face.

"Jamie sent us all home because mom showed up and she now knows I'm gay. Now on to other subjects he doesn't know about me does he," I whispered and my dad shook his head.

"No he doesn't and I don't want to tell him," my dad whispered back and I nodded.

"Well I will be in my room if you need me. Have a nice night okay," I whispered and he nodded.

Slowly I walked down the hallway and opened my bedroom door to go in my room when suddenly my dad was behind me. He grabbed my upper arm and pulled me into my room, quickly closing and locking the door behind him. He gave me a set of instructions to which I nodded and he left the room. I changed into my nightclothes and went to bed for a peaceful night's sleep. The next morning I got up and headed to breakfast only to walk right back to my room, grab my wallet and place it in my book bag. I got dressed and grabbed my bag, quietly grabbing a couple fifty dollar bills from out of the jar in my closet and my car keys before going out of my bedroom window. I got in my car and quietly started the engine before realizing that the fool had parked behind me and I had no way to get out of the driveway. I turned off the car, went back inside and told my "uncle" about the problem of his friend parking behind me and he quickly got the keys and moved the car.

"Thanks a lot dad," I whispered and left as he waved goodbye to me.

The next stop on my list was Junior's house and one way or another he was getting in my goddamn car. I pulled up to Junior's house and honked the horn to see him peek out of the window to his bedroom and immediately drop the blinds. I parked the car and got out quietly walking up to his bedroom window. I pushed it open and climbed in scaring the crap out of him when he turned around. I gave him a good once over and noticed he was still in his night clothes before I spoke.

"Are you coming to school today Junior," I asked looking over his shoulder at the door and over my shoulder at the window.

"I can't go. I caught the flu," he whispered but even at that voice tone I could tell his nose was stuffed up and he had a sore throat.

"So do you want me to bring your school work over or is your dad going to pick it up for you," I asked and he shook his head.

"My dad said he was going to pick it up and also see if his captain could give him a day off from work to take care of me," Junior said and immediately started coughing.

"You know what you probably caught that damn virus from kissing Anthony last night. He had been going on about being sent to school by his dad even though he was sick and Jamie still invited him. The way I see it if I get sick behind him he's going to get hurt. And Joseph wasn't even supposed to be there so you know he isn't going to show at school today. Well besides all of that have a nice day off and I hope you feel better," I said giving him a gentle kiss on the lips.

I went back out through the window and drove off just as his dad pulled into the driveway. I knew just by Junior not going that I was going to have a crappy day.

As I heard my dad's car pull back into the driveway I scrambled to get into my bed and make it seem like I had been there the whole time. Just then there was a knock on my bedroom door and my dad came in with my schoolbooks, homework and my classwork which he placed on the desk that was by the window. He looked at the window and then at me before he closed the window with a bang and locked it.

"Junior was Jason here before I got back because I could have sworn he was pulling off just as I was arriving," my dad said sitting down on the side of my bed.

"He just stopped by to pick me up for school and left after telling me to feel better once I told him I had caught the flu," I whispered and started to cough again.

My dad let out a sigh and asked, "What else did he say because I don't think you are telling me everything?"

I too let out a sigh and said, "When we have those parties you do know there are no girls present, right? So last night we were playing spin the bottle and it landed on Anthony twice but he is already sick with the virus but we didn't know so the first time it landed on Anthony he kissed Joseph. The second time it landed on him Anthony and I kissed for a good five minutes, so Jason thinks I got the flu from Anthony."

My dad stared at me like I had grown a second head and I knew it was time I confessed to my dad the truth about me being gay.

"Dad I have a confession to make and I'm almost positive you're not going to like it. So here it goes: I'm gay and Jason is my boyfriend," I said and my dad hit the floor unconscious.

I let out a sigh and knelt down beside him as I always did when he would pass out when I was little. I pulled his head onto my lap and checked his eyes to see if there was recognition ability in the dark brown irises. I let his eyelid drop once I was satisfied and I grabbed my pillow, gently placing his head on it once the pillow was on the floor. I got up and sat down on my bed to await the storm and inevitable fury of my dad when he awoke. I knew he wasn't happy about my choice but I knew that my confession could probably just have gotten me kicked out of the house. But I sat and waited for him to regain consciousness so I could escape to my dream world where Jason was no doubtedly waiting for me to arrive and tend to his every need.

"Junior, please tell me you were joking about being gay and dating Jason," my dad asked the moment he regained consciousness.

He looked up at me with those dark brown eyes full of sadness and despair and all I could do to answer him was shake my head no. I couldn't bear the emotion that entered his eyes next. It was one of such loathing and dislike that I cringed away as tears started to stream down my face. I threw myself face down on my bed and cried as I heard my bedroom door slam shut as he stormed out of the room. Over the sound of my cries I heard something shatter in the living room and knew he had probably just smashed the brand new family photo that we had done just last Saturday with me in my football uniform and him in his. The next action would be him tearing it into pieces and destroying all evidence that we had ever been a happy family. I began to sob harder as I realized I had just lost all the love my dad had for me and I would never get that back. Just then the front door slammed shut and the glass on the door shattered causing my dad to curse at the top of his lungs as he now had to spend money on a brand new door for the front entrance. At that moment I made the decision to leave this home and never look back, so I started to pack all my clothes, shoes, and books in my suitcases. I quietly zipped up the suitcases and looked at the posters on the walls of my room sadly and took the suitcases out to my car. I sat the cases on the backseat of my car and went back inside the house to see what my dad had broken. As I had thought the family photo was smashed and torn in two pieces, so I picked up the two pieces and repaired the damage, before walking out of the house with the newly repaired picture in my hands. Without sparing the house another glance I headed towards the airport. By the end of the week I would be in London in the house my mother had left me in her will. And without a second thought about Jason or the rest of my teammates I boarded the plane to London and comfortably sat back in my first class seat as I waited for the flight to take off. This was the start of my new life and I was finally breaking free from my dad and my now exboyfriend. I was finally free and it felt good.

After I calmed down I went home to find Junior's room empty except for the posters I had bought him when he was little. No clothes, shoes or books could be found in that room and all I could do when I found his cell phone was break down in tears like he had and cry. I went into the living room and noticed the two halves of the family photo we had done were gone and that there was the scotch tape in its place on the table.

"What did I do to him that could possibly make him runaway like this," I asked myself and I came up empty as always.

So I decided I would go to Anquan's house to see what I could have done to make my son run off like that. When I got there I knew something was wrong because Anthony's car was not in the driveway where he normally parked it and I knew for a fact his dad would take him to school instead of him driving the expensive car to school. I knocked on the front door and then waited as Anquan shouted that he was coming from behind the door. When he opened it a look of surprise crossed his features and he stepped back to let me in without a word. So I started the conversation for the first time in years; actually since we were kids.

"Did you let Anthony drive to school today, Anquan," I asked and he shook his head.

"Naw, Mel went over to Jamie's and took him from me last night. I don't even think she knows that he called me last night before he went to bed. All I know is I'm never going to see him again, just like my dad never saw me again. So enough about me and my life what brings you here Ray because we haven't talked since I was in Anthony's position with being Melissa's slave," he whispered and I knew it would be hard to hear that his fun loving nephew had up and done a runner to somewhere new.

"Junior ran away today and left behind all of his posters and even his cell phone behind; nothing else was left," I said and Anquan's head shot up his brow wrinkled in confusion.

"He could be heading to London because Mel left him a house out there. She gave him the keys to it on his sixteenth birthday and told him what they were for. It's a really nice house with antique furnishings and purple painted and black trimmed walls in every room. The way her father decorated it for her with me, the one time he took all of us me included on a family vacation, was to die for and she showed it to Junior. He loved it. Try heading him off and take a much needed vacation while you're at it, okay Ray," he said and I nodded.

"Thanks a lot Anquan that's all I needed to hear," I said and he nodded quietly showing me to the door.

"Have a nice vacation Ray. You deserve it," Anquan shouted as I made my way to my car on the side of the street where I always parked.

"I will," I shouted and drove towards the airport.

My luck was with me; I made it to the airport with enough time to catch the second flight to London and get to him just before he could leave Heathrow Airport in London. When the flight landed three days later I had security radio Junior over the intercom and when no one came to where I was standing that looked like my son I hopped into a cab and told them the location of the house and tossed some of my converted money over the seat and the cab driver took off. Once there I got out of the car and went inside the house to see Junior lying on the couch asleep and his ravens blanket covering him. There was no pillow under his head but I knew he was asleep because of the time difference and jetlag.

"Junior it's time for you to wake up," I said roughly shaking his shoulder.

He groaned and rolled over on the wide sofa and looked at me through sleep filled eyes.

"Dad what are you doing here," he groaned too afraid to go back to sleep now that I was here.

"We need to talk because I don't take kindly to my only son running away from home like you did three days ago," I whispered kneeling down beside him and running one of my hands through his hair.

He looked down tears in his eyes and started to cry in shame as I noticed the picture I had torn in two above the mantlepiece in a new frame and taped back together into one piece. Junior looked up as I rose to my full height to look at the picture to see that it wasn't taped but that it was the one that he had kept in his room with him. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me down onto the couch as he wrapped his arms around my waist in a hug that we both very much needed. I pulled him up into a sitting position and hugged him tightly as he cried into my shirt.

"Junior you're not in any trouble with me. I just need to know what I did to you that would make you do something like this," I whispered into his hair.

"When you asked if I was joking about being gay and dating Jason and I told you no you looked at me with so much hate in your expression that it made me feel like you didn't want me anymore. So I decided to just leave it all behind and never look back. But I would still have the pictures so I could always have the memories. Those would never fade away," he sobbed into my shirt and I just rubbed his back hoping he would calm down.

We stayed that way until he fell back to sleep against me and I stretched out on the sofa quietly going to sleep with my arms wrapped protectively around my son. I slept for about three hours and then I got up to make dinner for my son and I when a hand shot out and pulled me back down onto the couch and then my son was breathing in the scent of my cologne that was on my shirt. A knock on the door alerted me to the fact that we had a visitor so I got up and went to answer the door with Junior trailing along behind me. The last person I expected to see there on the front steps was my team captain looking extremely pissed at something and I knew it wasn't the boy standing behind her. I stepped to the side and Mel came into the house with Anthony right behind her. I looked at Junior with the question 'did you tell her where we were at any point' in my eyes and he shook his head in response. Now I knew I was in deep shit because the only person that knew I was here was Anquan and it wasn't every day your team captain showed up where you were at taking a much needed vacation. I closed the door and walked after my team captain who was looking around the living room at the changes in décor when Junior and Anthony made eye contact which was the one thing that didn't go unnoticed by Mel. She smacked Anthony on the back of his head and he ducked his eyes quickly tearing his gaze away from Junior's gaze. Junior turned around and walked up the stairs to the second floor and entered the room that had the door open. I heard the springs creak on the bed and knew he had lain back down to go to sleep. I sighed in exasperation and walked over to the couch and sat down gesturing for the other two to also take a seat. Mel took a seat and Anthony looked at me and the chair fear in his eyes before he decided to lean against the wall instead of taking a seat. I shrugged and turned towards Mel before Anthony noticed the glare she was sending him. Anthony got off of the wall and took the seat she pointed at all the while never saying a single word. I looked at my team captain's hands and noticed that she had a cut on the back of her wrist going down to the inside of her elbow that made me think the reason Anthony was keeping his mouth shut was because of that mark on her arm. I took her injured arm in my hand and called Junior down with the first aid kit. I wiped down the cut with an alcohol wipe and then wrapped an ace bandage around her arm, quietly pulling her into my arms when I noticed she was crying.

"Mel baby girl it is okay. I'm right here just let me know what happened," I whispered over and over until finally she nodded.

"I went over to your house to talk to Junior but his room was empty of everything except for his posters. So I called your phone to let you know and I got a notice saying that you were on your way to London and that you would call me back when you returned to the states so I went over to Anquan's house to drop Anthony off with him for the weekend. We got into a fight and he cut my hand all the way to the inside of my elbow by pushing me through a glass door. So I left and took Anthony with me. Anthony was trying to put up a fight as well when he saw his dad so he knows he's in trouble with me which is why he hasn't said a single word since we got here which is also the reason I looked pissed off when you opened the front door. So how are you enjoying London so far, Ray," she asked and I shook my head.

"I really only came to get Junior because he ran away and Anquan was the one who told me about this house and that Junior was probably on his way here. When I left his house he told me to take a vacation but I have no clothes over here so I can't really stay, now can I," I asked with a faint smile and she shook her head in agreement.

"My dad's old room has plenty of clothes in the closet that might fit you if you want me to show you which room was his," she whispered and I silently nodded 'yes'.

I took her hand and pulled her to her feet and spun her around in a slow circle as she let loose a stream of giggles. I pulled her in close and our lips touched but I noticed that her eyes never left Anthony who was heading up the stairs because Junior was calling him. I heard the bedroom door click shut and then Anthony let loose a scream of pain that had me and Mel running up the stairs in a rush. Mel grabbed the key that was above the door jamb and unlocked the door with me pushing on it with enough force to get it open even though Junior was leaning against it trying to keep it shut. Junior got it closed again and this time there was the sound of a dead bolt sliding into the locked position and then the unmistakable sounds of Anthony's whimpers and Junior's footsteps which clearly told me he was walking away from the door. I looked at Mel and she looked at me before I got what she was trying to tell me with her eyes. We took the necessary steps and together we crashed into the door taking it off of its hinges just as Anthony let out another scream of pain. I lunged towards Junior and grabbed him around his waist and taking him to the floor at the same time. The only problem was we landed right on top of Anthony who tried to scramble away even as I noticed that there was a sickening cut on the side of his face.

"Damn Anquan's not going to like it when I tell him how his son got that cut," I thought and rolled onto my back taking Junior with me so Anthony could get away from Junior.

Mel pulled Anthony into a standing position and he immediately started to cry just like Junior was because one: Junior knew he was in trouble and two: Anthony believed that he was in trouble with Mel and then again I wouldn't know. I looked at Mel to see her drag Anthony out of the room and I distinctly heard another door slam shut down the hallway before I let go of Junior. He curled into a ball on his side and let the tears just fall as I got to my feet. I examined the damage done to the door and noticed that the screws had been loosened enough for us to easily take the door off of its hinges the way we did when we crashed into the door. I walked back over to Junior and bent down wrapping my hand around his upper arm and yanked him up into a standing position. My only surprise was that he didn't fight back not even when I slammed him into the bed and took off my belt and whipped his behind.

"You never attack anyone. I taught you better than that," I roared as I hit him across his face with the belt to prove my point as it cut the side of his face from his temple to the edge of his jaw.

He slid to the ground at my feet and wrapped his arms around his chest completely ignoring the new bleeding cut. He looked straight ahead not even blinking and I bent down so I was eye level with him. When I made eye contact with him he stared past me like I wasn't in his face. That had the most terrifying effect on me that I couldn't help but call for his mother. She was the one to tell me his mind had shut down and to just leave him be for the meantime. I checked him for cuts (besides the one he had gotten from the belt) and bruises and then checked the room for any weapons that could hurt him and finding none I picked him up and gently placed him on the bed and then cleaned the cut to which I received several faint whimpers before I stopped cleaning the wound. After that I left and went to have a nice talk with Mel while she supervised Anthony in the living room.

I was scared. I couldn't tell if she was angry with me or if she thought I had gotten what I deserved now that I had this cut going down the side of my face. I was sitting on the wide sofa with a wet towel pressed against the side of my face that was bleeding and my master sitting across from me just staring at me. I leant my head back against the back of the sofa and closed my eyes and tried to remember a time when my life wasn't so complicated and it came to me: my first year of high school which was the day I tried out for the football team.

*flashback*

"Damn it I'm always running late," I thought as I ran to get to the field before tryouts for the football team started.

I got to the field and dropped my bag down by the bleachers and walked over to where my childhood friends were sitting and I dropped to the ground just as the actual members of the team were arriving on the field. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up at Jamie Pierce to see him grinning like a Cheshire cat and then he pointed at the guys in uniform and I saw why. Both of his older brothers where on the team and he was dying to join so he could hang out with them every day. Linebackers Junior Lewis and Jasper Moss were forces to be reckoned with on and off the field. No one and I mean no one dared to mess with them unless you didn't know what they could do and trust me it would haunt you later. I stared at the team not blinking for a few seconds and then I closed my eyes and released a breath I didn't know I was holding. Then came the coach behind the team. The rumor surrounding the coach and football team of Baltimore High School was that the first woman to play football who happened to be stationed in Baltimore on the Ravens came from this school and had paved the way for women of future generations to play football like she had. The coach turned to face us and with a sigh his one paragraph speech began.

"Now I know six of you boys through you fathers' incessant talking about you during high school reunions while your mother is a little more reserved about her kids and her life. Anthony I know because I personally invited him to try out even though his father actually advised against it. Which I found quite funny actually. Probably scared his kid will beat his rushing and one interception record he left behind when he went on to college because no wide receiver has yet to beat it unless you count the only girl I ever coached who went on to be the Baltimore Ravens Quarterback. Do your best I do not expect any of you to be done under the time limit that I will set but I do expect your scores in each test area to be extremely high because of who your parents are. Now good luck and I will be back in three hours."

Three weeks later I was on the team although my dad wasn't happy about it. Things had never seemed simpler than they did then.

*end flashback*

I felt a hand on my leg and I opened my eyes to see Junior's dad kneeling in front of me one hand on the sofa the other hand on my upper leg just below my thigh. I took the towel from my face and let him clean the wound so it didn't get infected. Then he did something that really shocked me. He pulled me into a hug and told me that he would take care of telling my dad what had happened so there wouldn't be a war between him and Mel. I nodded my thanks and looked at Mel quietly asking if I could go to bed and she nodded yes and pointed at the couch which I immediately laid down upon before she said the floor.

"Ray is this blanket Junior's or is it from one of the rooms upstairs," I heard her ask before I could ask for a blanket.

"It's Junior's because his has his name on it and it's not on his bed back home," Ray answered and took the blanket upstairs before draping a fresh one over me that was just like the one Junior owned.

I breathed in the scent of my dad just before I fell asleep and I could have sworn that I heard Ray whisper in my master's ear 'let's go have some fun' just as I drifted off.

*dream*

I was walking through a dark cellar. The floor beneath my feet made of nothing but dirt and dust. With the lantern in my hands I noticed that the ground was sprinkled with blood. I followed the trail to a blank stretch of wall and I could tell that the blood trail stopped behind the wall which had to be able to move in order for that to happen. I pushed against the wall and it creaked open as if it was sentencing me to be executed by hanging. I lifted the lantern high and saw a rectangular box covered in a white cloth. Walking up to it I saw that it was made from fine polished oak. The plaque on the top said: 'Here lies Melinda Johnson, the loving wife of James Johnson and mother of Melissa and Joseph Johnson ages 5 and 15.' I lifted the lid much to my curiosity and found a perfectly preserved mummy that was more than likely in her early forties when she died, her white dress covered in her blood; buried before she had stopped breathing. And then I woke up.

*end dream*

I was drenched in sweat that much I could tell by the sticky feeling all over my body. I got up out of bed and went and took a shower before quietly putting on the clothes that had been laid out. After I had gotten dressed I went downstairs and shook my master awake which anyone else doing that would have gotten themselves hurt. She sat up and looked at me with a worried expression on her face as if she could tell or even knew what I had dreamed of. I reluctantly asked the question that had been nagging at the back of my head since I had woken up.

"Mistress how many white people disappeared in that house you own and I mean the original owners," I asked and she turned even whiter than she normally was.

"Do not meddle in what you don't know. There is a reason we both dreamed about the coffin of Melinda Johnson. But I can assure you that her spirit does not haunt that place," she snapped.

I couldn't help but argue with her.

"Where was the body buried because I'm pretty damn sure it wasn't in the family mausoleum if I am dreaming about a secret room in the cellar where you can't even tell the wall moves unless you push on it," I snapped back and she sobered down.

"You're right Anthony but no one and I mean no one has ever found that secret room in the cellar so we don't actually have a body in that house that we are aware of," she whispered taking my hand and pulling me down onto the couch beside her.

"The dream led me to a wall that is shrouded in darkness because you have to follow the trail of blood on the ground to find it. And if there is no longer the trail I can find the wall by using my dream and the memory of the position of the wall that I have of it in my head," I whispered and she shook her head.

"We can search for it together. Now Ray needs some help getting Junior to respond because he's not talking and he's also throwing his things all over the place in that room he stayed in," she said and I nodded.

I walked upstairs and knocked on the closed door, entered, and immediately grabbed Junior around his waist quietly forcing him to the ground in a sitting position. His breathing slowed and he leaned against me as tears began to stream down his face. I knew he hated crying in front of any one of the guys on the team but sometimes for him he just couldn't help it. After I calmed him down we packed his things and we left to go back to America. And that was the beginning of my relationship with Junior.

With Anthony by my side I approached Jason and told him it was over. I made it quick just like pulling off an old Band-Aid or quitting cold turkey. Just as Jason was about to protest I gave him back the chain he had bought for me when we had first started dating and he turned and walked away silent tears streaming down his face. I made to follow after him but then remembered who was beside me and I turned to face him. He looked at me with a look that said 'go after him' and I gladly ran after Jason to find him in Jamie's arms with the chain at his feet. I walked up to them and whispered 'give us some space' in Jamie's ear and he nodded. He stepped back and I knelt down and picked up the chain and said, "Jason if it will make you feel better I'll keep the chain." He looked up at me his face tear streaked and nodded and I unclasped the hook on the chain and fastened it around my neck causing a small smile to appear on Jason's face.

"Thanks Junior," he whispered and we went our separate ways until lunch.

At lunch all the phones in people's pockets went off only for all of us to receive a mass text alert revealing that the entire Baltimore high school football team was gay. Everyone immediately turned to look at our table just as another one went out saying our mother was a whore for giving birth to the entire high school football team. Just then I noticed Anthony texting on his phone and I leant over to read the text just as my phone beeped revealing Anthony's new status as my mother's slave and everyone burst into laughter as Anthony sent out his own mass text saying "Yeah I'm a slave and proud of it. So go suck your fathers' dicks motherfuckers", and everyone turned to look at our table with a vengeance. I grabbed Anthony and pulled him out of the cafeteria before anyone could attack him and I slammed him up against my locker once we were far enough away from the cafeteria.

"What is wrong with you man," I asked as I noticed he was still texting out another mass text message.

He hit send and immediately my phone beeped and I pulled it out to read, "At least their mom knows who their fathers are do your mothers know who your fathers are?"

I looked up at him and said, "I can't protect you unless we go in the janitor's closet you know that right?"

"I know but I can defend myself plus I have the team looking out for me right guys," he whispered as the rest of the guys came up to us.

"Yeah we got your back because they attacked both the girls' basketball team and the boys' basketball team as well so we have to have each other's backs or else we will get walked all over. Anyway that mass text you sent out was fuckin' hilarious. Both of them were actually," Jason said and all of the people behind me agreed.

"Just let me know if you need a bullshit mass text alert sent out because I can reword it just right and it will have the whole school in an uproar," Anthony said and I pulled him behind me just as the whole school surged down the hallway towards us.

I looked at the guys and noticed that both the girls' and boys' basketball teams were standing there in a circle glaring at the rest of the school as they tried to get at Anthony. I heard Anthony texting another message and immediately everyone's phones went off simultaneously and I pulled mine out to read, "Everyone's going to be gay when they die and go to either hell or heaven so why everyone hating on the gay teams. Being gay just mean's we are more unified and have more loyalty to our teammates than we would have if we were straight. So go hate on someone your own size," and everyone busted out laughing.

"Okay Anthony we'll let you go but only because you managed to get that mass text that said we'd all be gay when we die out to us before we hurt you," the captain of the baseball team said as he walked away with his teammates behind him.

Anthony let out a relieved and nervous laugh as everyone walked away and went to their lockers to get their books for Spanish or whatever foreign language they took and headed to class. Anthony and the rest of the football team headed to Spanish class as I grabbed my book out of my locker and then headed to class. As I passed the janitor's closet I heard Michael arguing with the team captain of the baseball team.

"I did what you wanted me to do James. So pay up and give me my god damn money," he demanded and my first thought was to go in and punch him in his face for being a back stabber.

Just as I was about to open the door Anthony pulled me back and whispered, "The team knows and Jason is notifying the basketball teams as soon as classes let out. I saw him texting and each time he finished a mass text alert was sent out. I was checking the time on my phone but how he knew my status as that is a mystery because you know I don't talk about my business like that."

"Yeah I know thanks because I wanted to punch him in his face," I whispered back as we walked to the field for football practice.

After that we went home because practice was canceled for all teams with gay members so that they could plan how to get back at the person responsible for insulting them. With Anthony in my car we headed to my house with literally thirty people behind us so we could plan our revenge on Michael. The plan would be placed in effect the next day and we wanted to be ready.

"What do you have in mind for the traitor you have on your team guys," Johnathan Jordan asked as he walked up to us after we had all gotten out of our cars.

"Well I know something about his dad that he probably wouldn't want to get out to the whole school along with something on his mother," Jason said with a huge shit eating grin on his face.

"And what would that be bro," I asked as the team turned to stare at Jason.

"His dad and my dad are dating and shacking up in my dad's bed every night and his mom was a lesbian that didn't even want a son or a daughter because she didn't want kids so she abandoned him by leaving him with his dad as a baby," Jason replied with a big ass smirk on his face.

"So what you are saying is he's embarrassed because his dad is gay and his mom is a lesbian and he's the only one straight in that family. So if that gets out his dad would hear about it and be extremely pissed off that his own son would break his teammates trust like that by revealing a secret that was entrusted to him to the entire school," Johnathan said and Jason nodded.

"Let's reveal it and do we all agree that Jason should be the one to send out the mass text alert since it's his dad Michael's dad is sleeping with," Anthony asked and everyone nodded their consent.

After everyone left my house I took Anthony home and told my mom about what had happened and she shrugged it off even though I knew it hurt her to see all of her children's business put out there like that especially Anthony's new status. I gave her a reassuring hug, gave Anthony one last kiss and I headed back home for some food and a goodnight's sleep.

I got to school and parked my car in my usual spot before I realized I was in deep shit if my teammates found out I betrayed them the way I did the day before at lunch. I walked over to the front doors to see most of the kids sitting on the front steps or lounging around on the grass of the quad as the bell had not yet rang for us to go to class. I walked over to where the team was sitting and the moment I sat down they got up and went inside the building. I looked at their retreating backs and watched as they abandoned me in front of everyone. Just then my phone went off as all over the quad phones started going off as a mass text alert went out. I picked up my phone from where I had dropped it and got up to go inside when the team captain of the baseball team approached me.

"I thought you were embarrassed by the fact that your teammates are gay, Michael," he said and I looked at him and shrugged.

"I am but it doesn't mean I won't talk to them," I said as I walked away.

He jogged beside me and said, "Check your phone because I think they revealed something that you should see."

I nodded and went inside the building as I checked my phone and then froze in mid-step as I realized all my business that only Jason knew was now all over the school. I turned and ran as fast as I could to my car only to have the team step out from behind various cars and block my path to my car. They stood there with their arms crossed and each time I tried to go around them they found a way to block my attempts. I shoved my phone in my jacket pocket and zipped it up before I turned around and made a break for it just as I realized only half of the team was behind me. I skidded to a stop and made a mad dash for the forest on the western edge of the school grounds only to be surrounded by the rest of my teammates. I dashed to my left and got blocked by the girls' basketball team. I turned to my right and got further before I got blocked by the boys' basketball team. I backed up and ran right into my own teammates before I got thrown to the ground in the center of the circle. Junior grabbed me by the back of my shirt and yanked me up onto my knees while Jason came forward and wrapped a gag around my mouth. After making sure it was tight Junior slammed me down onto my stomach and held me down as Anthony came forward with an actual tattoo gun and knelt down beside us.

"Get his shirt up so I can do the tattoos," I heard him say and then it dawned on me what they had planned.

I started thrashing against Junior's hold as tears started to stream down my face as the fight or flight hormones kicked in and since I couldn't take flight it came down to me fighting back. Junior raised his fist and punched me in my face and I immediately went limp against the ground as I blacked out. The moment the needle pierced my skin my eyes flew open with a vengeance and I started to cry harder.

"Aw it seems Mikey can't take the pain," I heard Jason mock as I felt the needle moving through my skin in a way that told me Anthony was writing in cursive with the ink and needle.

I tried to push myself up onto my knees only to have Anthony dig the needle in deeper than it already was. Carefully, I placed myself back down and let him carve the needle through my skin and suddenly it registered what he was writing with the ink and needle on my lower back. The needle was pulled from my skin and suddenly another part of my back was targeted as the needle once again pierced my skin, but this time it was in my left hand shoulder blade. I felt it as he started with the letters 'I, A and M' before the letters came together and I could actually be sure of what it said and the needle was permanently pulled from my skin. Junior let me go and by the time I sat up everyone was gone. I retrieved my book bag from where I dropped it and I headed to my car only to find that every other car that had been in the parking lot was gone. I got in my car and turned it on quietly pulling out of the parking lot. I ripped the gag off of my mouth and tossed it in the backseat of my car just as a hand shot out and grabbed me by my left shoulder. I cried out in pain and slammed on the brakes to stop the car from swerving into the left-hand lane so I wouldn't cause a collision. Carefully, I turned around to see both Anthony and Junior clutching their sides as they tried to hold in the laughter.

"Very funny guys, now if you don't mind….GET OUT OF MY CAR," I shouted at them and they looked at me like I owed them money.

"Junior's mom was kind enough to drop us off because unlike you she has a heart and didn't abandon her kids. Unless I am mistaken about that Junior," Anthony replied and I turned around in my seat and slammed on the gas quickly arriving at the plantation on the edge of town and slamming on the brakes I stopped at the front door for them to get out so they wouldn't have to walk up the driveway.

"Thanks for the ride man but you still owe us. When you get home get your dad to tell you what the tattoos say," Junior said and I shook my head and drove off with them laughing on the front stairs of the manor.

This was the last time they would do something like this to me. Never again would I be taken advantage of and drawn on by someone who didn't know how to properly use a tattoo gun. I went home and started planning my revenge for all the times they forced me to make out with them and what they did to me today. Then a better idea came to mind. I was going to quit the football team and never look back regardless of what the tattoos have to say about me. I came out of my room for dinner shirtless only to see Jason's dad there looking at me with pity in his eyes that I didn't want. I walked towards the fridge for the leftover pizza and quietly popped it into the microwave only for my dad to come into the kitchen while I still had my back towards the door.

"What the hell did you do to your goddamn back Michael," my dad roared and I immediately wished I still had at least one friend that would talk to me.

"Why don't you ask him? His son is one of the one's that did this to me and put my business about mom all over the school because he was the only one on the team that knew about mom. And don't act like you believed that 'he's my nephew crap' because J.J had tried that with me when I first met him and I told him straight up I didn't believe him," I snapped and grabbed my pizza out of the microwave and stormed back down the hallway with my dad staring after me like an idiot.

After I ate my pizza I went and took a hot shower to soothe the pain that was all over my back and then I went to bed only to have my dad come in and close the door behind him. He sat down on the edge of my bed and gently placed his hand on my shoulder to pull me down onto my back so he could see my face. I rolled onto my stomach and turned my head so he could see my face and he knelt down beside the bed.

"Now I don't particularly like what you did to start this whole mess but I definitely do not like what your teammates did to you. I'm going to see what I can do to get those tattoos removed and I will also do a report with the school so they can take some action against this as well. Do you understand me Michael," he asked me.

I nodded my answer and he got up and left the room. I heard his bedroom door click shut and immediately he was shouting at Jason's dad and I just prayed to god I would not wake up in the morning to find Jason's dad dead on my dad's bedroom floor.

I sat at the desk in my room praying to god that my dad was alright since he had not come home the night before. I was just getting ready to swear my revenge on Michael if he got my dad killed when the front door slammed open and my dad stormed in. I could tell he had gotten in a fight and lost. I came out of my room and walked up to him making as much noise as possible in order to make him aware that I had not gone to school at all that day.

“Dad have a seat and I’ll get the ice pack okay,” I whispered and he nodded throwing himself down on the couch as he did so.

“Why aren’t you in school Junior,” my dad asked as I went into the kitchen.

“I wasn’t feeling good today so I decided to stay home and wait for you to get home because I never heard you come home last night. So what happened? Wait don’t tell me: Michael snitched on you and told his dad that you aren’t really my uncle causing you and his dad to get in a fight and cause the relationship to turn abusive,” I said and my dad nodded and gratefully took the icepack which he placed on the bare skin of his face.

“You do know this happens every time you get a boyfriend. You lie and say you’re my uncle, then they find out the truth and you guys get into fights that turn violent. Why don’t you just tell the guy you want to date straight off that you have a kid? Dad sometimes you got to look at things from my point of view. What if one day you get in a fight that turns really nasty and you’re not at home where I can call the cops and attempt to intervene and you get killed? Do you know what is going to happen to me while keeping in mind that you turned gay because mom died giving birth to me? I could end up on the streets unable to defend myself because the news is out that the whole football team at Baltimore High is gay and after I tried to defend Michael he turned around and nearly got you killed last night because I saw the gash on the back of your head and that you got stitches before you came home, and now none of the team wants to talk to me. So please I am begging you tell them about me before you get into the relationship because honesty is the best policy and the truth will also set you free from a relationship that wasn’t meant to be before it started,” I said and gave him a quick hug before going back to my room to send the team a message.

The moment the message was sent I sat back and waited for the team to arrive. They all came in through my bedroom window and sat on the floor until I closed the door. Suddenly Anthony jumped up and slammed the window shut and closed the blinds.

“What you got man because you look pissed off,” Anthony said and I nodded my answer.

“I need a job done that only Anthony can professionally do because it involves tattooing something on Michael’s back,” I announced and the team looked up at me in shock.

“You want us to help you after you defended the traitor,” Junior asked skeptical of my sudden change of mind.

“My dad’s face is black and blue from a fight that he obviously got into with Michael’s dad last night and the only thing that could have caused that fight was Michael opening his big mouth and telling his dad that I was his boyfriend’s son and one of the one’s that tattooed him yesterday. Because when my dad left home to go over there yesterday his face was the same color as mine and he didn’t have stitches in the back of his head,” I said and walked over to my desk and drew a rough draft of what I wanted tattooed on his back and where it would go.

I handed the sketch to Anthony and he took a long look at it before taking different tubes of colored ink out of his jacket pocket and holding up three he asked, “Which two colors do you want to use on his back?”

              “Red and yellow because his dad will have a field day when he sees his son with a tattoo done in redskins colors,” I said cracking up and collapsing on my bed in laughter.

              “Junior can I come in,” my dad called in through the door and I turned to my teammates with fear on my face.

              “You asking me or your son, sir,” Junior called out and we all cracked up.

              The bedroom door opened and my dad came in still holding the icepack to his face. I ducked the swing my dad took at me and darted out of the room full speed knowing very well that he could not see.

              “You boys have too much of your fathers’ blood in you for your own good. You do know that right,” I heard my dad say as I snuck up behind him and lunged at his back.

              We landed sprawled on the bed my dad groaning and I realized last night’s fight had went further than just his face.

              “Um you guys go in the living room please so I can see what else happened to my dad. Because I don’t think he stopped at just his face last night which is a bad thing because I can’t see the full extent of his injuries,” I said and they got up and walked to the living room with Anthony closing the door behind him.

              Before I could move my dad grabbed me by the back of my shirt and threw me off of the bed and onto the floor so he could get up and leave the room. I grabbed his legs and caused him to fall down. I moved to get on his back but he flipped me onto my back and I realized I had just pissed him off as he pinned me down with one hand and I immediately knew the moment my teammates left I was going to get a beat down.

As I walked down the street to Junior’s house I began to wish he had never called because something didn’t sound right about the eerie silence that was in the background even though I knew he wasn’t alone in the house. I turned up the walkway to his house and quietly knocked on the door and when no one answered I sat on the front porch steps to wait for someone to come home. Just then I heard an angry shout come from the back yard and I walked to the side of the house and hopped the fence like we always did in order to run and hide on Junior’s property. Junior had Anthony by his throat pinned up against the side of the house out of sight of the others and I prayed to god I could be of some use to Anthony. I grabbed Junior by his shoulder and pulled him away from Anthony effectively breaking his hold on the other boy’s throat.

Junior turned to look at me and a shit eating grin spread across his face.

“Well, well, well, look at what the cat brought in,” he said loud enough for the whole team to hear and they all came over in their bathing suits.

“I only came to say I was leaving the team and it would be the last time you guys would see me at Baltimore High because me and my dad are moving due to a business advance in his company so see you around or maybe never. Whichever one comes first as my dad always says. And Jason tell your dad I said I am sorry for what I caused to happen. I got to go and finish packing my things,” I said and walked away quietly unfastening the lock on the fence and opening the door to go out through there.

“Like we want you around anymore. My dad is afraid to leave the house to go to work because of his face. So good thing you’re moving because we were going to add another tattoo to your back come later today. So go ahead and leave, you worthless piece of shit,” Jason shouted and I just shook my head and walked away back the way I had come.

As I reached my house I heard running footsteps coming up behind me, so I moved off of the sidewalk and waited until the person ran past me but they didn’t come to a stop. The person stopped beside me and stepped in front of me and put their arms around me quickly pulling me into a hug. I looked up to see Anthony standing there in front of me and I immediately broke down in tears.

“Hush Michael, I am not going to hurt you,” he whispered and I recoiled at the sound of his voice which sounded like it had not been used in a while.

I pushed him away and walked up the walkway to my front door only to have Anthony pull me back and sit me down on the porch steps. I tried to fight him and he held me down until I had completely calmed down and then he let me up into a sitting position. Just as he was about to speak a car pulled up next to the sidewalk and Junior got out, anger the present emotion on his face. Anthony swallowed hard and backed up until he had pressed his back against my front door and I couldn’t call my dad for help because he wasn’t home. He was in Washington D.C unpacking what we had already packed and sent to the new house.

“You know what pisses me off about you Anthony,” Junior asked and I looked at Anthony who shook his head quickly.

“No I don’t,” he whispered and I knew he had a sore throat based on the fact that I could hardly hear his answer but I could definitely read his lips.

“You know exactly what to do that will tick me off,” Junior hissed and I mouthed at Anthony soundlessly the word ‘run’.

He did just that. He leaped off of the porch and ran across three different lawns before he hit the street and kept on running. Junior cursed and ran for his car quickly flooring the gas pedal and making a U-turn in the middle of the street. I prayed to god that Anthony made it somewhere safe before Junior got to him because I knew Junior would not have mercy on him after all the times Jason came to school banged up and we knew it wasn’t his dad.

As I ran down the deserted street, hoping and praying Junior wouldn’t find me, a black car turned onto the street from a side road and floored the gas and pulling to a stop in front of me, Junior’s mom got out.

“Get in and it’s a good thing you called because Junior’s car is coming up the street now,” she said as we got in the car.

“Thank you for believing me and coming to get me even though I know it’s a lot to ask of you after you have been so kind to feed me and not make me find my own food,” I said and she laughed a short laugh as Junior pulled up beside the car.

“Anthony get out of her goddamn car and get in mine. NOW,” he shouted and I just shrunk back in my seat and started to cry.

“Junior when you have calmed down you are more than welcome to come over to my house, but until you calm down I cannot let Anthony get in your car,” my master said and pulled off with me still in the car.

I looked back and immediately I regretted it as I saw Junior pull out his phone and start texting. By the time Monday came I would have no friends anywhere in Baltimore. I turned back around and pulled out my phone and called Michael whose number I had not yet deleted from my contact list. He picked up on the first ring and told me he was busy so I asked if he needed help packing his things. After I got off of the phone with him my master turned the car towards Michael’s house and let me off there with the warning that I could not be seen by any of Junior’s friends outside Michael’s house. I nodded and got out and let myself in the house to find most of the furniture gone and closed boxes everywhere. I walked to Michael’s bedroom and found his room in disarray and him nowhere to be seen.

“Michael where are you,” I called and immediately I regretted it when the whole team came out of the bathroom, Junior included.

I pushed past them and found Michael huddled in a corner of the bathroom his knees pulled up to his chest and his eyes staring blankly like he had lost his vision. I pulled out a miniature flashlight and shined it in his eyes and it immediately registered that he had a concussion and I pulled out my phone to call his dad. A hand reached out for my phone and I looked at Michael and smiled when I saw the recognition slam him back to reality.

“Hey man are you okay,” I asked and he shook his head and burst into tears as I realized all he had on was boxers and a wife beater and that Junior was in the same thing with the exception of the blood that stained the front of his tank top crimson red.

“Hey man I am going to call your dad so he can get you somewhere safe okay,” I whispered and he nodded and I helped him up pulling him into a one armed hug as I heard Junior’s name called. I let him go and pushed him into the corner and turned my back to him so I could protect him without getting knocked unconscious.

Junior came into the room and glared at me so viciously I knew I was in deep shit. “So let me get this straight Michael: you will harp on us at school with that mass text alert for being gay when you’re in love with Anthony even though you claim you are straight. Why is that,” Junior sneered looking me up and down before turning his full attention to Michael.

I turned to look at Michael also and realized he looked younger than he actually was as he broke down and cried as all of his pent up anger and sadness at my ignorance of his feelings for me came out and he forced the confession out in front of me. I turned to Junior and sent him flying backwards into the wall with a punch that should have knocked him unconscious. I pulled Michael up onto his feet and forced him to make eye contact with me which caused him to throw his arms around me and cry into my shirt.

As I heard Junior get to his feet behind me, I raised Michael’s head and touched my lips to his lips and wrapped my arms around him to secure him to me. I let him continue to cry as I kissed him fervently and ran my hands up his back and into his hair. Behind me Junior let out a scream of rage and threw himself at the two of us and once more I threw him into the wall before turning back to Michael. I smiled sadly at him and shook my head quietly mouthing the words ‘I have to go’ and he nodded as I turned my back on him and walked over to Junior. I glared down at him with so much anger in my eyes he actually started to cry.

“Get out of here all of you because I want nothing to do with any of you anymore. The only time you will see me is in class and on the field for practice and the games. Because from now on I stand by Michael even if he did betray us. Do you understand me,” I snapped and the team nodded with Jason pulling Junior to his feet and leaving with the rest of the team.

Slowly I turned to Michael and pulled him into another hug and this time he met me halfway and was the one to start the kiss. He pulled me into his bedroom and pushed me backwards onto the bed and that was how his dad found us at eight o’clock that night.

“Michael I’m home are you packed and ready to go,” his dad called and I bolted upright on the bed sending Michael to the floor.

“Um no not really,” he called back with a sheepish smile on his face.

His dad came into the room and saw Michael’s position on the floor and my position on the bed and shook his head at the two of us.

“Michael please tell me you have not been making out with him when you should have been packing your room up,” his dad said and I looked up at him in shock.

“How did you know he was gay before us,” I asked and Michael looked sheepish.

“Because I know my son Anthony and that is how I know he hasn’t done any work all day long,” his dad said giving his son a pointed look.

“I have done some work because the rest of the living room is packed and ready to go which wasn’t like that this morning when you left,” Michael protested and his dad shot him a withering glare.

Michael closed his mouth and looked at me and I shrugged not seeing how I could help. Then it came to me: blame the team for what happened.

“Michael wasn’t able to finish because I had called him to see if he wanted help so he told me to come over. When I got here though the team had literally given him a concussion and I was about to call you when he snapped back to reality. Junior got really rude about Michael’s feelings for me and then me and him just sort of lost track of the day from there,” I said and his dad let out a sigh.

After the three of us spent the rest of the night packing Michael’s room I said goodbye to Michael and his dad for the last time after promising to keep in touch with them. I called my master and she came and picked me up and caught me in full on make out mode with Michael. I let him go and whispered goodbye one more time and then left in my masters car and that was the last time I saw Michael.

dear readers,

from now on it is going to flop between two points of views: Anthony's and Michael's. now that they are going to be in a relationship they have to cope and learn how to balance a long distance relationship. sorry for any inconvenience you may be experiencing if you thought this was a new chapter.

                                                     thanks         

                                                         melody dupree

As I unpacked my new room it quickly dawned on me that I had no friends anywhere except for here if I can make them as easily as I did in Baltimore. But then I remembered that word travels and any gay guy in Washington D.C would not want to be my friend once they found out what I had done to my teammates at lunch that one day. I sat back on my newly made bed and looked out my bedroom window as the rain poured down on the outside. After about twenty minutes I grabbed my car keys and headed to my car to go and view the school I would be going to. Once there I hopped out of my car and walked to the football field to see if they were in the middle of practice so I could get a feel for the game before I tried out next year. I got to the field and found it in use as the Washington High Bruins practiced for this week’s game against the Woodson High School Indians from Fairfax County. I stood in the rain just in the shade of the bleachers so they didn’t think I was from the enemy team but anyway my car’s tail end was facing the field and they would be able to see that the plate was from Maryland. As I watched a strong wind blew the scent of my cologne towards the center of the field where the team had gathered in front of their coach to listen to his speech. The team captain’s eyes strayed away from the face of his coach and he zeroed in on the spot where I was standing, so I stood very still hoping he would not be able to see me in the darkness of the rain and shade.

“I think we are being spied on coach,” the boy said loud enough for me to hear and I quickly shied away from the place where I was hiding and walked over to them.

I kept my eyes open for hostile body language and aggressiveness as I approached but they seemed pretty relaxed, which was what had me on edge. Any time someone was at ease with being spied on it always meant you were going to get hurt sooner or later. I hoped it was later and not right now.

“What’s your name son,” the coach asked as he turned to face me and I looked up into his eyes with a defiant determination.

“I don’t like saying my name because of the ‘king of pop’ jokes that are always centered on my dad and me for our names,” I said and the other boys looked at me in shock while their coach nodded.

“Why would someone make jokes about the king of pop when they hear your name,” the team captain asked me.

“Three, two, one,” I thought and they all busted out laughing.

A small smile crossed my face but I knew the jokes would start soon, so I got to the point of why I was there.

“I was here because I just moved here from Baltimore, Maryland and I wanted to see how the football team here worked together and if it would be worth trying out for the team next year. I played varsity with my last team. We were literally the Baltimore demons on the field. Anything you could think of to throw at us we could overcome and beat you without going into overtime. Every season we went to the state championship and won bringing home the trophy to the excitement of all of Baltimore,” I said and they looked at me in amazement.

“Please tell us your team wasn’t Baltimore High because we play them next week in the final game of the season and that is the equivalent of the NFL Superbowl which we call nationals,” the team captain said.

“I did play for them. They were my former teammates which I just left behind yesterday,” I said and they exchanged a glance that said I had to give up Baltimore High’s best kept secret play.

I gladly started talking about the plays I knew and how to counter them but mentioned one that no one had yet to stop in action. They urged me to talk about it and I went on in detail describing the first game it was used in and by whom. When they heard a woman had invented the play they were in complete and utter shock at that fact. I went on to explain that the woman had become the first female to venture on to a real NFL football field and that she was the mother of most of my former teammates and that more than likely she would be at the game next week. I started to say that their most formidable enemy on that team would have been me, but I decided to not say that and went on to describe the play and the basic structure of the play and how it was ran. When I finished the guys and coach in front of me where staring at me as if I had just fallen from the sky.

“I am going to let you guys go home and process what I just told you and then we can discuss some more about this after your game on Friday. Is that okay with you,” I asked and they all nodded their consent.

I walked away back towards my car and ran right into solid muscle which sent me sprawling into the mud. I looked up to see that the Baltimore High football team had showed up and that Junior wasn’t happy about seeing me here. Anthony however ran towards me and pulled me up and hugged me to him putting slight pressure where the tattoos were at.

“It’s only been a day Anthony. Surely you don’t miss the back stabber that much,” I joked but I saw the hurt in Anthony’s eyes and pulled him to me even closer just enough for him to see what he was going up against the next week.

“We came because we go up against them next week in nationals so I hope you are prepared for a good game because you are playing with us,” Junior stated in a bored voice while looking at Anthony in distaste.

“I don’t play with you guys next week I got a glimpse of the opposing team’s defensive lineup on the coach’s clipboard and it looks like I play with them next week. But more than likely I will throw a huge party to celebrate my win over Baltimore High because I just found a way to stop that so called unstoppable play of yours,” I said and Anthony stepped back in shock.

“How would you be able to stop a play you never ran,” Jason snapped at me and my eyes flashed.

“You will see but just remember to watch your back on and off the field, Mr. I am a royal quarterback,” I said and walked away from them to my car.

I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see Anthony following me to my car with Junior staring after him in anger. I opened the passenger side door and Anthony climbed in. I walked around my car and got in on the driver’s side and turned on the car and hit the gas to go home. When I got there my dad was home and had a slew of guests that I immediately registered as his former teammates. I pulled on my hood and walked past the living room and Anthony followed at a more sedate pace. That was when I heard her voice and realized that it was the whole team visiting because their children had made it to nationals. I was now sentenced to a life of hell if I put my plan in action next week.

I looked towards the living room as I heard my name called and immediately ran into Michael who had stopped just at the far edge of the door. I managed to grab the back of a chair that then ended up flipping over and Michael busted out laughing as I went down to the ground with the chair. I glared up at him then shrugged and apologized to his dad for messing up the quietness of his house and he shrugged and said “It’s okay Anthony. How you managed to flip an armchair just by grabbing onto it to keep from falling down I don’t know but thanks for the entertainment.” I nodded and followed Michael to his room after I had put the chair in its standing position. Once in Michael’s room I jumped him from behind and took him to the floor. What I forgot was that he was still sore from the tattoos we had given him.

“Anthony you could not have caused a louder noise to make them think we were having sex and trashing the room,” Michael said with a smile on his face.

“Well sorry if I felt like tackling you to the floor,” I said with a smirk.

Just then his bedroom door opened and the rest of my teammates came in clearly unhappy. I got to my feet and walked over to the window to look out at the rain. Michael got to his feet and came and stood beside me as the team plopped themselves down in beanbags and the couch that Michael had bought from the NFL store online because it was decorated with the raven’s team symbol.

“Nice to know you guys think you can come in here and make yourselves comfortable without asking me,” Michael said without turning from the window.

“What else are we supposed to do? Your dad invited us to stay here while we are in town and it looks like we all have to share a room with you even though we don’t want to,” Junior said and Michael turned to stare at Junior with a smirk on his face.

“Enjoy your stay but you will not take the nationals trophy home with you. But just in case let’s make a deal,” Michael said his smirk even more pronounced.

“What deal is this,” I asked before Junior could speak.

“If you guys don’t use that new play of yours that I watched you run last night then I will personally let you take home the trophy by not using my counter for quarterback fake out. Do we have a deal,” Michael said and Jason looked up and nodded.

“We have a deal,” he whispered and Michael nodded.

That was when I noticed that Jason had a black eye forming and that Junior was glaring at him with nothing short of anger. I also noticed that he had a cut lip and bruised knuckles. He didn't make eye contact with Michael when he had spoken but had looked at Junior who had completely ignored him until he had spoken. Junior opened his mouth to speak but Michael held up his hand to stop him. He was staring at Jason and I realized that he had noticed what I had noticed.

"Jason who hit you this time because I know damn well it wasn't your dad," Michael said and Jason looked down at his lap as tears began to stream down his face.

"Tell me how you knew a best kept secret because you know who hit me. I don't have to tell you," Jason replied and leaned back against the wall.

“Look Junior if you want us to tell you something you don’t punch the person to get what you want. You wait until they are ready to talk to you about what they are hiding. And even when you find it out you don’t punch them in the face for hiding it. Otherwise Anthony would probably have punched me for hiding my feelings from him,” I said and then turned my attention to Jason. “I knew a best kept secret because I remember something that the guys didn’t know. Anyways I also did research on your family. You are closely related to the royal British family and if William and Harry predecease you the throne goes to you when Charles dies.”

“What did you remember Michael,” I asked looking at him in shock.

“He used to have a British accent like the one his dad has, but due to the fact that he grew up here he lost the accent while his father still has one,” Michael responded and the guys looked at him like he was crazy.

“How do you remember that and no one else does,” Jason asked Michael.

“I remember that because every time I hear your dad talk it reminds me of a really cute boy who had a really cute accent before he got an American one,” Michael replied. “And that boy was you.”

“How about we have a pizza party tonight and just hang out with each other,” I suggested and Michael agreed.

“That is a good idea Anthony but how are you going to pay for that when you have to feed the adults also,” a voice said from the doorway.

We all whipped around to see Mel Johnson standing in my bedroom doorway with her hair dripping wet. She looked at us with a haughty look in her eyes in a way that told me she wasn’t helping Anthony pay for any pizza party.

“I thought we could pool our money together and order seven extra-large cheese and pepperoni pizzas and eight or nine 2 liters of soda of different selections,” Michael suggested and everyone turned to stare at him.

Michael Senior pulled out his wallet and pulled six hundred dollars from it and said, “That should be enough for all of that food and drink. I am pretty sure that between the kids three whole pizzas will disappear,” he said.

Michael smiled at his dad and picked up the house phone that he had in his room and dialed pizza hut and placed our orders with two of each soda, half of them diet and half of them regular. Once the pizzas had arrived as predicted Michael came into the room with three boxes of pizza and one of each soda in mine and his hands.

“How did you get that past them,” Junior asked and I shrugged as I dumped the sodas on his bed.

“One of the pizzas I picked up is half pepperoni and half cheese so it’s an even count of slices,” Michael said.

And with that said we dug into the pizzas and didn’t say a word until we had finished eating.

As we all winded down for the night we set up who would get the bed on Monday's with whoever they were dating and who would get the pullout bed on the couch that same night and who got the floor. Once that was settled I lunged for my blanket and pulled out the pullout couch bed. Junior took the bed with Jason reluctantly climbing in next to him and we all went to sleep. We rotated for the whole week up until the game where I had the bed and went to sleep cuddling next to Anthony. For game night our parents packed our Gatorade's and a change of clothes because afterwards we would be going out and partying.

"Hey coach said you're supposed to play with your former teammates today so he can see how good you are," the captain said and I nodded.

I went to the visitor's locker rooms and slipped in past the team and donned my former jersey for the last game of the season. After this game I would never wear it again. I left the corner where I was hiding and approached Junior and he turned to face me with a blank expression on his face. I filled him in on what the other captain had said and he went to find my new coach to see if it was true. When he came back he had a shit eating grin on his face and I knew the deal we had made was off.

"It's a shame I didn't tell them my counter for quarterback fake out," I thought and went to the bench and sat next to Anthony.

I looked up at Junior and he immediately began lecturing us on how important it was that we win this game. I sighed and threw and arm around Anthony's shoulders. I tried to hide my yawn but Junior caught it and smacked me upside my head.

"I won't tolerate people falling asleep on me either," Junior yelled getting in my face.

I looked down at Joseph who had fallen asleep with his head against Jamie's knees and nudged him. When that didn't work we all scooted away from Joseph and watched as he got doused with a shower hose. He woke up spluttering and coughing and dripping wet. Just then coach came into the locker room and saw Junior putting away the shower hose and Joseph dripping wet and immediately benched Junior for the whole game. I got to play in Junior's place instead of him. I suited up and we headed down onto the field as the announcer's voice ripped through the stadium announcing the fearless Baltimore High School team. We ran onto the field and the loudest one's cheering had to be my dad and his former teammates. We took our positions in the center of the field while Junior went and sat down on the bench in front of his dad. I looked over to them and then looked at my coach before the whistle was blown and took my position behind Anthony as Joseph took his place beside me. I tore my eyes away from the field for a second and almost missed the ball being snapped. I caught the ball and went tearing down the field as all three opposing linebackers came bearing down on me. I ducked, dodged and went flying over people as I ran for the touchdown. I braced myself and took to the air and somersaulted in midair to land on my back in the end zone.

"What the hell was that," I heard Anthony scream at me as I got to my feet.

"That was me making a touchdown for you with a little dramatic flair. You are welcome," I said and we returned to the sidelines as the others took positions on the field.

I stopped in front of Junior and held out my hand praying to god he wouldn't make me look like a fool in front of everyone. He took my hand and said, "That was really something but you need to work on your landing because you are going to hurt yourself if you land the wrong way on your back and I think you said you wanted to be a pro football player." I let out a laugh and let go of his hand and we sat down to watch the rest of the quarter. It was two quarters into the game when I saw him. A thin black boy standing behind a tree wearing nothing but rags. But even in that he looked good. I got up off of the bench and walked around the bleachers before beckoning him to follow me. He shook his head and pointed at Mel Johnson and mouthed 'I want her to notice me.' I nodded and walked behind the bleachers to Ms. Johnson's seat and I gently tapped her on her shoulder.

"What Michael," she hissed turning around to look at me.

"A thin black boy in rags wants your attention, Ms. Johnson," I said and pointed in his direction.

She looked in the direction I was pointing and paled to a whole other color. I beckoned to him and he came and stood beside me. He leaned in close to her and whispered something that strangely sounded like she would be having another child but this one would be a girl. I looked at her to gauge her reaction and heard the boy whisper Anquan's name as the father of the child. She nodded and dismissed him and he simply disappeared into thin air. I walked away from my current position and went and sat back down on the bench beside Anthony. I didn't see the glare that Mel Johnson was sending me but even if I had I would never dare repeat what I heard to no one. Finally it was time for half-time.

"Finally the game is half over," Anthony groaned as he dumped his head in the ice bucket.

"I agree but now it's time for you, Jamie, and Joseph and Jason to take the brunt of the action. I am not doing another somersault in midair just to score a touchdown. We are now using quarterback fake out and we are going to use it good. Jason they don't know the counter so they can't stop it. If I was playing with them we would have stopped it in action. But I swear we never talked about the counter because before there wasn't one but I see one that no one else saw. Now let's get out there and you main four keep focused or we can kiss that trophy goodbye. Let's win this thing and show them who is boss around here," I said and we ran out the locker rooms like mad men.

As the game winded down the score was 59-25 with Baltimore High in the lead. With one more final play left on our books I was ready to piss Melissa Johnson off. So with two minutes left on the clock we ran the best play on the planet and won the trophy for the game. "Hate to say it guys but I am really going to miss playing football with all of you," I said as we headed to the locker rooms to change into party clothes. That was my last night with them and I was going to live it up.