Different Interests, Different Lives

Heya!!! haha. I had this part done, but this is the end of what I have typed up right now. I really need to stop longhanding my writings...but papers more convenient to carry with my person. :D So...here you go, be sure to review when you stop by thank you! :D





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Matt took Chris to school the next morning and they both went to different classrooms without much talk. It basically felt like a normal day for Chris in first period. Sam daily boring lecture and everything. I guess with living in a new place, I expected school to feel different somehow, but it feels the same as ever. Chris did his work as always and went to seconds period when the bell rang. Evan, Sam and everyone were there as always.



“Hey guys,” he said sitting in his normal seat.



“Hey,” Evan turned to Chris, “I called your house over the weekend and you weren’t there. No one was.”



“Oh, well, my dad worked all weekend and I, I was doing an odd job for a friend,” Chris felt frozen to his seat, thinking they wouldn’t believe him, but Evan shrugged and turned back around. He felt himself relax, but tensed again the moment he looked at Sam. He was looking at Chris with a stare that was plain to Chris. Sam turned back around. He doesn’t believe me. Not at all. Chris went to his work with a guilty feeling in the pit of his stomach. I’ve never had to lie to Sam before, because he never asks, but still… that guilt stayed with him all through second and third period. As he entered fourth, it got worse when he saw Sam at the back of the class. He sat down and began pulling his books out.



“That was such a blatant lie, Chris,” Sam hissed at him. It wasn’t an angry tone, but it was so straightforward it hit Chris hard, “You may have not been at home but I know you weren’t doing an odd job.”



“You read me too well.”



“I was right! So, what did happen?”





“I’ll tell you at lunch,” Chris said fast before turning his attention to what Matt was saying, “Not now.”



Sam’s eyes darted from Chris to Matt and back, “At least tell me one thing. Is Mr. Heights involved?”



Chris thought about it first, unsure about telling him now, but he felt that he deserved that much. “Yeah.”



Sam couldn’t believe it, and the look was clear to Chris. He hadn’t expected to be right at all. All through that period, ideas of how he could be in all this raced between the days lessons. Finally, the bell rang and they were heading out the door, when Matt called Chris back.

“Just wait outside,” he said to Sam. As Chris turned, Sam eyed Matt before going around the doorframe, out of side, but still in earshot.



“I’ll take you back home, okay?” Matt said. Chris nodded, his mind still on Sam and what he was going to say. “Meet me by the car. It’ll take me a minute to get packed up, but I’ll be there.”



Once again, Chris only nodded. As he turned to leave, Matt said his name and motioned him closer to his desk. He leaned across it and Matt kissed him, bringing him to a more alert level. Very quietly in his ear, Matt whispered, “Tell your friend next time he wants to eavesdrop, he shouldn’t hide right next to the door.”



With a smirk, he turned to his computer, ignoring Chris’ fuming look. What if someone had seen us? He went to the door and leaned out, scaring Sam. “You were there the whole time?”



Sam nodded and they started down the hall, “What the hell was that?”



“Well, I’m living with him now, I guess…?” Chris eased out.



“Cause your dad beats you?” Sam asked matter-of-factly.



Chris swallowed hard, “You knew about that?”



“Yeah. I probably should have said or done something.”



“Probably.” Now Chris felt a little betrayed. If he had known, why didn’t he tell anyone, why didn’t he ask me about it? Probably because he was just as scared of what would happen if he did ask about it…Chris looked down, ashamed for his attitude on Sam’s actions. “So now because of that I still have to go through the trial and everything but I think I’m going to be living there.”



Sam looked at Chris then straight ahead. “And the kiss?”



Chris stopped short and looked at Sam with wide eyes, “You, You saw that?”



Sam stopped too and turned. The look on his face was one Chris couldn’t make out, “When he called you back and I didn’t hear either of you say anything I risked a look and saw him kissing you.” Chris’ mouth opened many times as he tried to figure out just how to say it and finally gave up, leaning against the wall and sliding down in frustration. Sam sat next to him. “Don’t worry, the other high school I went to had gay people in it. I’m no shallow about it like Evan and them. But I wan to get something clear. Mr. Heights is gay right? Are you too?”



“I, I don’t think I am, but after the first few times he kissed me, I just took it. I know its not right, but part of me feels it is,” he curled up and shook a little, “Yet even though that is, I can’t look straight at him because I’m not like that, but the whole thrill of it scares me; and not just the thrill…everything about it scares me.”



Sam propped his head on his arms as he pulled his legs to his chest and sighed, “So it sounds to me like you might be having a hard time identifying yourself in all this.”



“Maybe, but it’s weird. Matt’s place…”



“Matt?”



Chris faltered a moment before answering, “Mr. Heights; Matt is Mr. Heights. His place is where I feel safe and that I can be taken care of. Something I haven’t felt for a long time.”



“Could be that, or it could be deeper,” Sam started, stretching his legs out.



“I don’t think so. For now though, I only have to worry about staying away from my dad for good.” Chris got up and hoisted his book bag more onto his shoulder, “Let’s go.”



Sam got up and they walked to the lunchroom to meet up with Evan and the others. Chris felt much better now that the weight of all that information was finally out there and at someone. He felt good knowing it was Sam who he told. Sam wouldn’t tell anyone about Matt or Chris’ dad and Chris felt safe about it all. Now all that was left for him to do was find it in him to testify in front of his dad; if he got a trial.



Two days passed without much excitement; Chris’ interview was the next day after school and he was nervous as he sat on the couch in Matt’s living room. Everything that his father had done to him over the years ran through his head like a blur with the exception of a few that stood out clear as a bell. Chris tried desperately to think of more so it wouldn’t take any time at all for the jury or the DHS worker to decide what should happen. He was able to find a few but not many.



“Chris, you alright? You’ve been really quiet,” Matt walked over to the couch and sat next to him.



“Yeah, yeah I am. I’m just, worried,” he pulled on his lip ring a few times, “About tomorrow.



Matt’s eyes flashed with sympathy, “You’ll be fine. If it helps any, I’ll be there. I wont be present, but I’ll be in the kitchen.”



Chris shrugged, “I guess it kind of helps, but I just can’t help but worry.”



Matt ran a hand through his loose blonde hair. For a moment, he could only sympathize. Then a thought struck him. A little smile made his way on his face and he gently touched Chris’ hair, running his hand over it, something Chris had gotten used to fast. Matt touched his cheek, “I know how to take your mind off it.”



“What’s that?”



“This,” he leaned in on Chris’ turned face and moved it so it faced him. Matt gave him a moment to see what he was about to do, and then kissed him. Chris closed his eyes and his head swam. Matt kissed him again and again and felt in the moment like he couldn’t stop. He leaned Chris onto his back and felt him squirm a bit under him. He pulled back. He stared at Chris, letting him grip his shirt. Chris felt two different things as he lay under him, and Matt could tell what they were. There was a bit of mutual feeling between them about what they were doing, and yet, he could tell Chris wasn’t ready to accept it for himself. It was because of the latter that made Matt take Chris’ hands off of himself and go upstairs without a word. He knew he should have said something before he left but what could he say? Nothing that Chris could relate to. Matt had something growing inside himself that he couldn’t control or stop where it was. Every time he got near Chris it flamed from almost nothing inside him, to engulfing every bit of him. Chris was younger than him (and a student of his at that). Never in his teaching career had he thought he would fall for a student, because he never did. He never found any of them desirable in any way. That night Chris came to his house was the first time he saw him as more than an everyday student. Still, he never meant to corner him like that. Never, and at fist, he regretted it. Chris could’ve told someone, forcing Matt out of his job and sending him to jail.



Matt thought about the past year. No surprise it about happened again and could. When he got out of college, he immediately got a job at a local high school, and everything went fine for a few weeks. When he became more acquainted with the staff, a fellow teacher, a young man near his own age, caught his eyes. Next thing he knew, he had two options. He could either be wrapped up in a lawsuit, or he could simply walk away and find another school to teach at. That’s exactly what he did; he packed his things and went job searching, but it was harder than he expected. No school would take him after word spread about what happened. Finally after many anonymous reasons of rejections to everyone but himself, he moved away. Things seemed to be turning around. He found a small high school that took him in as a new math teacher, and as an added bonus, was able to find his house for low price. (That alone would have done him good) Things were fine and good. Of course, he knew Chris briefly, but only as a student and that was all he thought of him as.



How very little time did it take for that to change. That one night was all it took to set Matt off. Yet, he couldn’t help but wonder, what, if anything, did that to him? Matt somehow made his was to the bathroom. He stared at his reflection in the mirror a long time, giving himself a scrutinized rundown of everything. Chris. DHS worker. Chris’ dad. Trial. Guardianship… They ran through his head over and over as he began to get ready for bed. So much shit to deal with. I just hope he can hold out ‘til it’s all settled and done.





Same time the next day, Chris sat on the couch with Matt, waiting impatiently for the clock on the wall to show four. Its hands seemed like they would never move when finally, it did. Four o’clock shown and not much later the doorbell rang. It seemed to resonate throughout the house, breaking the still silence in it and in Chris’ complete body, continuing even when its body sound ceased.



When Matt opened to door, he heard him say hello and a woman reply back. He stood up straight as Matt

escorted her in. She had a sweet and kind face, with a light smile. A plainly but pretty woman in a woman’s suit, she looked oddly out of place, like she would be a stay at home mom watching Martha Stewart than a DHS worker. Matt introduced her as Amy Harries. Chris shook her hand and she spoke first. “Are you okay with talking to me about this?” She asked.



“Yes I am Miss Harries.” Chris answered.



Matt jumped in saying, “The den is more closed for you to talk.



“Thank you Mr. Heights.” Amy said. “Chris, shall we get started? You look like you’re eager to get this over with.”



Chris nodded and they both went in. He looked back at Matt, his eyes holding a bit of an expectancy to them. Matt’s own reflected an apology as he mouthed ‘you’ll be fine’. Chris would rather he was there, but continued into the den with Ms. Harries. He sat across from her and watched her pull out a legal pad and pen.



“Chris, Mr. Heights told me everything,” She looked at him with stern eyes, not sympathetic like before. Enough with the motherly-looking shit; its time to get busy. To Chris, this was easier than seeing her pretend to know how he felt. “He told me how he found you in front of his house and what you told him. He told me everything from his perspective and I want to hear yours.”



“His can’t be any different than mine,” he replied, “Unless you want to know what happened when I was living in that hell hole.”



Ms. Harries flinched at the word but didn’t say anything about it. She nodded and said, “Yes, I do.”



So he told her everything. He told her about how he was hit, how he came to learn about his father's drinking behaviors, even showed her one or two of his scars and some fading bruises. She flinched at those too but only covered it up with a sad glow to her face. She scribbled something down and stoiod up.



"Chris, I think I have enough." Chris stood up and followed her out. htey went into the living room where Matt spotted them from the kitchen table. "Mr. Heights, may I talk to you a minute?"



"Sure," he cam in and began walking her out the door whlie Chris made his own path to the kitchen table. he sat down and rested his head on the table, listening to their muffled voices through the door across the room. Thats finally over. Chris rolled his head to one side and closed his eyes. Now all thats left is the trial...if I get one.



Chris felt someone's fingertips massaging his neck. "Chris?"



"Hmmm?"



"You okay?" Matt's hands moved to his shoulders and under his shirt as Chris lifted his head and nodded, "Ms. Harries told me there is enough evidence to have a trial, maybe even enough to put your father away."



"That so?" Chris' voice sounded a bit doubtful.



"Yeah." Matt answered, his hands spread more, applying pressure across his collarbone and shoulders. He continued this for a while, setting his face next to Chris'." have a bit of faith."



Chris opened his eyes and looked downa t his lap where his hands sat. "I may have lost that a long time ago."



Matt tilted his head back and stared inot his eyes. "Well, we'll just have to get it and your trust back."



He kissed Chris and held there. Chris held Matt's head with his hand, then pulled away, laying back down on the table, "So when is the trial?"



"Tomorrow," Matt answered, "It'll be during school somtime so you're staying home; me too. I'll call in sick."



"You're going?"



"Yeah," He answered, getting some dishes out, "is that okay?"



Chris nodded and leaned back in his chair and watched him start dinner. "Just wondering."



Matt watched him out of the corner of his eye as he figeted around in his seat. Poor kid...He reached down to switch on the burner when he got an idea. "Chris, why don't we go out to eat?"



He shrugged and looked away. "I don't feel like going anywhere really."



"That's because you're a bit depressed," he said, putting things away. Then he was done, he jerked Chris out of his chair and pulled him towards the door, "C'mon, put your shoes on. There's this new Vietnamese place downtown we can try."



Matt kept a light hold on Chris as he slipped his sandals on and it only took chris a second to decide. Chris put his own shoes on and followed Matt out the door, his pale arm still in Matt's hand. they loaded up in Matt's car and they headed across town. Chris said nothing, but stared out the window, and Matt noticed. he couldn't say anything that could get Chris to tak and wasn't about to try, but the more he tried to ignore it, the more it bothered him until he felt like he couldn't stand it. Matt could tell that a part of Chris had suffered a lot and was still suffering. Yet, Matt couldn't take that as an excuse. Chris could have told someone, anyone, but he wasn't about to. Part of it, Matt guessed was a small bit of pride, and something in it had to do with how he felt about his mother but most of it was pent-up fear. Matt had seen that plenty of times since Chris began living with him. He doesn't realize he was afraid to go to someone or that he still is now.



“Chris, ” Matt said as he pulled into a parking lot underneath the restaurants bright sign. “I would like it a lot if you would talk a bit tonight, as a favor.”



“About what?” he asked, without interest, while unbuckling his belt.



“Anything. You never say hardly anything about yourself.” Matt followed in suit and they both got out of the car. “And when you do, its stuff that doesn’t really tell me much about you. The most I’ve heard you say at one time was the other morning.”



Chris didn’t answer as they walked in the restaurant, mainly because he knew Matt was right. But it wasn’t so much that he didn’t want to talk, as it was that he couldn’t. Talking had always been hard for Chris because of how he kept his problems quiet. Keep your mouth shut and no one will ask questions, his dad had said once when he was little. His dad had taken him to the park one afternoon to play, but they weren’t there for long. Only ten minutes went by when to Chris’ disappointment, his dad said they had to go. They drove for a while, singing to some Guns n’ Roses on the tape player and he realized that they were in a place he didn’t recognize.



“Where are we going?” He asked, looking out the window.



“We’re going to get mommy’s birthday present, ” he stated, pulling into the parking lot of a Kay’s jewelry store. “She once told me when you were a bit smaller about a necklace she saw here. I didn’t have the money then, but I do now.”



Chris looked at his dad as they got out of the car, “What if she asks about her present? What if she asks us what we got her?”



“Sometimes, all you need to do Chris is not say anything and no one will ask questions.”

Probably the only advice I ever took from that bastard. They walked into the bright room and waited to be seated by a short waitress, barely able to speak English. And one of the only times I ever saw him as a dad. They ordered something to eat and instantly, silence settled. Chris tried to find something to say, but the silence made it difficult and he just found himself coming up with ideas that seemed to be one bad conversation started after another.



Matt could tell he was having trouble wiht the talking by what he saw in his face. "you really don't talk that well, do you?"



He shook his head and spoke quietly, "Never have. People usually come and talk to me."



"I was that way for a long while." Matt said as the waitress brought them their food. he thanked her. "I always had a hard time with it because of...the way I am." He forced out the last sentence with a bit of uneasiness, "I was afraid if I talked, they would know. Like all my secrets would come spilling out through the sound of my voice."



"I think that's the way it is with me too," Chris took a bite of his food and that was it. The conversation went on without fault. When one subject ended another opened up and every now and then, chris would laugh at a story of Matt's and vice versa. This was the most Chris had said about himself ever. Their conversation continued through the drive home. His dad was never mentrioned, but it made the evening all the more enjoyable for the both of them. At the top of the stairs, they said good night and when Matt turned away, Chris watched him. He could feel inside like all that time spent talking wasn't complete without one last thing. He followed him to his bedroom quietly and stood in the doorway waiting for him to turn around. After a minute, when he didn't. chris took a hesitant step in and took it back when Matt turned.



"Chris? You okay?" Chris looked down and Matt got even more concerned, "Chris?"



He walked over to him and went to put a hand on him, but didn't. Chris looked up at him and the look he had froze Matt to his core. A hesitant look, but one that showed a powerful want. Matt could only stand there dazed and confused at it, and he knew what was coming; oh he knew fucking well what was going to happen. Like he knew when he cornered the fellow teacher in teh back room of his classroom. Chris took a step towards him and another. It seemed like an eternity for that last step to be taken and he was standing face to face to him. Chris leaned in with only two hesitant jerks backwards and kissed him. They stood still like that for a bit, letting eachother hold onto a piece of it, and when the time came they let go of it, letting it leave them staring at eachother, feeling the remnants of its presence, letting it leave them staring at eachother. Chris, surprised at what he just felt, murmured a good night.



"Chris," Matt grabbed him gently. "Sleep in here with me tonight."



His eyes flew open and he yelled out, "Are you nuts?!"



"Why not?" Matt asked, letting him go. He went to his closet and began picking things out, "you slept with me on the couch and didn't complain."



Chris' face blushed at that statement. he searched for an excuse, but could only squeeze out, "That's because, I...I fel, asleep..."



Matt hung some clothes on a hanger and hung it on the knob of his dresser. Chris looked away as Matt began changing for bed. He's right, but the bed? That's different, that's way different! He could hear him rummaging through things, but going slow on purpose so he could get an answer out of Chris. Why can't I say no to him?



Chris sighed, "Ok. Let me go change."



He left, not noticing the smile that spread across Matt's face. When he came back, Matt had the covers pulled back and was getting in. Having second thoughts, Chris stood, pulling on his lip ring, a habit he wasn't aware of. he wished he hadn't said yes, but it was too late now. He slid in beside Matt and turned away. Matt sighed when he saw how nervous he was, wanting to feel him close, to show him that he wasn't going to be just after his body, if that was what he thought. Laying down, he slid his arm around Chris and instantly, he began to squirm.



"Hey! Let go!"



Matt held him tight with both arms and softly kissed his neck. "Shh...Just relax."



Chris stopped suddenly. Matt's heartbeat vibrated through his body like a far off drum, slowed his own to match and he was calm. "Am I stupid for worrying?"



"About what?" Matt's grip loosened, but kept Chris close.



Chris' eyes began to droop, "About, everything..."



Matt thought a moment. "No, not at all."



He didn't answer and Matt guessed him asleep. Not much later, he himself did and thats the way they slept until Matt's clock rang off at ten-thirty, not waking them for about a half an hour.





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TADA!!! There it is...I hope you like it. I'll try and type up more quickly and I'll definetly have time since schools out so ya yay for summer! lol and I'll prolly have my fanfic Older done and have my other stories done and posted :D Review please! mew



Ja ne!