One Moment in Time
Just a breath. That was all. Barely perceptible and absolutely silent. It could hardly have been effective for respiration, yet Merton watched it with rapt attention, mimicking it in an attempt to capture the rhythm.
It occurred to him how strange it was to surround himself with death, but still find such a fascination with life. Tommy Dawkins was the first one to make him see the paradox; the first one to make him value life as highly as he did death and to make him fear what he had once worshiped.
Close-call after close-call had taught Merton one simple thing: death was overrated and not at all what he was looking for. The effortless rise and fall of Tommy's chest, the proof that the other boy would be stopping by the lair after school, was enough to make Merton thank every god ever worshipped.
He only wished Tommy would reciprocate the desire, if desire was even an appropriate word. A feeling so intrinsic made Merton think of fate, but the rational part of his brain still balked from that concept. Fear kept him from voicing his feelings, and his imagination made it possible for him to remain satisfied with mere friendship. Maybe someday, his heart said. Maybe someday.
The shifting of Tommy's back in front of him brought Merton back to the History lecture he had been effectively trying to ignore. It wasn't hard with the view of his best friend's back that he was so clearly presented.
The substitute, Ms. Jones, adjusted her glasses at the front of the room, and looked down at the textbook in her hands. The woman had an unappreciated talent for reading the day's lesson directly from the text. "Does anyone remember who killed Henry II?"
Merton's hand shot into the air out of habit even as his mind was scrambling for the answer. Thomas Becket. That was it.
The woman at the front of the room raised an eyebrow. "Yes. The boy in the… frock."
Tommy turned around to look at Merton, obviously impressed.
Lowering his hand, Merton answered, "It was… Well, you know… the guy… or gal…" He paused. "Huh. I knew it just a second ago…" A blush worked itself furiously across his face as a few students snickered.
Ms. Jones' smile looked remarkably triumphant as she watched Merton stumble. "It's amazing how much students seem to forget when they enter my classroom," she said, clucking her tongue with disappointment and then continuing on with the lecture.
"Yo, Merton, what's up? You always know the answer."
Tommy's harsh whisper caused the goth to shrug. "I have no idea… I knew it and then POOF it was gone…" he said, snapping his fingers for emphasis.
Tommy snorted. "Yeah. I know how that goes. Yesterday, the
lunch lady asked me what I wanted on my burger and
"Ummm… You there, talking to the boy in the frock? Would you mind joining the rest of the class and opening your book?"
Turning around with an apologetic shrug, Tommy complied with the substitute's request, leaving Merton to his musings once more. The goth immediately opened his text book, scanning frantically through the pages until he found the section on England's monarchy. "Henry II, murdered by Thomas Becket, was succeeded by Edward I who reined until 1307…" he read and then paused, scratching his head. The name didn't even sound familiar. Thomas Becket? He didn't even think he'd ever heard of the man, and that caused him to wonder what he'd been about to answer.
"Huh," Merton mumbled, "Lucky I forgot whatever incorrect answer I came up with."
Five minutes later, the bell rang and the throng of students filed out into the spacious hallways of Pleasantville High. The masses automatically cut a path for Tommy, and Merton followed comfortably in his wake until the two boys reached their lockers. Lori was already waiting for them, leaning against the wall with a grin on her face.
"I think senioritis has finally hit in full force," she said, laughing as Tommy kicked his locker to open it.
Merton walked up to his own locker, trying to ignore the way Lori was standing just a *bit* too close to his best friend. "What gives you that idea?" he asked swearing under his breath as his locker stuck.
Tommy pushed him gently out of the way, planted a firm kick on the locker's door, and then stood back to watch it swing open easily. "You gotta show it who's boss," he said clapping Merton on the shoulder before moving back to collect the rest of his books.
The touch sent a shiver down Merton's spine, but he ignored the feeling for the moment, putting it off until he could savor it in private. "What were your saying about senioritis?" Merton asked Lori, trying desperately to divert the attention from himself.
"My third period math class was a joke! Either nobody did the homework or everyone's memory has been wiped clean." She laughed. "Anthony Jackson actually forgot his own name."
Merton forced a laugh, remembering his own blunder in History class, and waited for Tommy to bring it up to Lori. When the other boy remained silent except for a gentle chuckle, however, Merton looked at him with curiosity. He could have sworn he saw Tommy wink before the trio made their way toward the lunchroom.
:~:~:~:
The lair was stuffy, but there really weren't any windows for Merton to open, and fans would have wreaked havoc on the row of candles lit dolefully on the edge of his desk. So, the goth bore the scents of smoke and dust dutifully, shuffling through piles of papers for the report he'd written last week on the rellisoid symmetry of Bacillariophyceae and their use of raphe for motion. He knew he'd put it someplace obvious, but now he just couldn't remember where that oh-so-obvious place was.
An especially large pile of papers slid from the edge of his desk with an anticlimactic flutter, and Merton resisted the urge to scream at the mess. "Just take a deep breath and think back to last week," he mumbled to himself, "Where did you put the paper…"
"This paper?"
Merton whirled around the see Tommy and Lori standing in the doorway, the former holding a thick packet in his hand. Jumping over the mess on the floor, Merton ran over to Tommy and snatched the report out of his hands, perusing it quickly with a grin. "Where did you find this!?" he asked, hugging the paper to his chest while beckoning his friends further into the room.
"On the table by the door where you always put your homework," Tommy said with a laugh while Lori flopped into a chair, "And that's not a science report, it's a novel. It only had to be five pages, you know."
Merton shrugged. "Diatoms are too important to our world's environment to be limited to five pages."
"What are diatoms?" Lori mouthed silently in Tommy's direction.
The football player shrugged.
"So what are you guys doing here?" Merton asked, kicking the papers on the floor into an pseudo pile and then moving to sit on his bed.
"Well, about 3/4 of the team forgot to show up for football
practice
"
Merton nodded in understanding and then paused. "Wait, 3/4 of the team forgot practice, Tommy?"
The boy nodded.
"Don't you have practice every night. Rain or shine?"
Tommy continued nodding. "Yeah. It's really kinda weird. Nobody ever forgets."
"People seem to be forgetting a lot of things lately…" Merton said thoughtfully.
Lori nodded. "Yeah. You forgot where you put your paper."
"Lori forgot where your house was on the way here."
Merton's jaw dropped. "You forgot where my house was!? You've only been here about a hundred times!"
The girl shrugged. "My mind just went blank. It was weird."
Merton nodded, knowing exactly what she was talking about.
Tommy sat down on the bed next to Merton and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's like the whole senior class has been forgetting stuff lately."
Lori jumped to her feet. "Like senioritis or something!"
Tommy sighed. "You already said that once today, Lori."
The girl looked confused, "I did?"
Merton shook his head. "I don't think she did. I don't remember anyone mentioning senioritis today."
"Trust me. She did."
Merton creased his brow, trying to go over the day in his head, but only remembering a few things about it. He remembered History class, and remembered watching Tommy's back. He remembered Tommy touching his shoulder after class. He remembered Tommy, clad in only boxer shorts, approaching Merton on his bed with a predatory gleam in his eye… oh, wait. That was the fantasy he'd entertained during science. Merton took a deep breath to try and cool the heat spreading through his lower body.
Just when he thought he had the feeling under control, Tommy shifted next to him, his hand brushing feather-light against Merton's thigh as he brought it up to rub his eyes. Desire reared it's beautiful head, breathed fire, and forced Merton to pull a pillow into his lap before it became too obvious.
"I didn't even realize I'd forgotten things until we just started talking," Merton said, voicing the least lascivious of his thoughts. "It's like there are huge blank spots in my mind."
Lori nodded. "You don't think there's some sort of big, ugly, memory-stealing monster, do you?"
Tommy snorted. "I haven't forgotten anything." He creased his brow. "At least, I don't think I have…"
Merton jumped to his feet, using excitement as an excuse to distance himself from his best friend. "You're a werewolf. Maybe its powers only work on humans." He turned to the girl in the chair. "Lori, do you remember seeing anyone suspicious today?"
Lori was silent for a moment, looking slightly distraught. "To be honest, I don't remember much of anything from before I got here."
Merton stomped his foot. "Me neither. Tommy?"
Tommy snapped his head up, coming back from wherever his mind had wandered to. "What?"
"Did you see anyone suspicious today?"
"No, but you didn't start acting all spacey until History class."
Merton paused. "History? I don't remember having History today…"
Tommy snapped his fingers. "Yeah. The sub asked you who killed Henry XII and you couldn't remember that it was Jimmy Buffet."
Scratching the back of his neck, Merton began pacing the room. "Jimmy Buffet killed Henry XII?"
Suddenly, Tommy jumped to his feet. "Lori, what period do you have History?"
"I have…" the girl thought a moment, "no idea."
"Morning… afternoon…" Tommy prompted.
"Afternoon," she said firmly. "I'm sure of it."
"'cause you were fine in the morning," the football player said triumphantly, shooting a fist in the air. "I bet it's that History sub!"
Merton smirked. "Oh, right. The History teacher is stealing everyone's memory."
Pause.
"Yes," Tommy said, quite obviously ignoring his friend's sarcasm.
Merton stopped pacing. "Oh."
"Well, we've got to stop her!" Lori jumped out of her chair and stalked toward the door.
"Wait." Merton held up his hand as he moved behind his desk to sit at his computer. "We have to find her first. I doubt she's hanging out at the school at," the boy checked his watch, "7:00 at night." He did a double take. "7:00? Where did the day go?"
"Life goes so much faster when you don't remember any of it," Lori mumbled, crossing her arms angrily over her chest.
After a moment of silence punctuated only by the clicking of Merton's keys, the pale boy raised his head. "What was her name again? Mrs. Taylor? Miss. Google?"
"Ms. Jones," Tommy offered, moving to look over his friend's shoulder.
A gentle puff of air on Merton's ear caused the boy to fumble in his typing, and he had to pause before he could regain his rhythm. "She's not on the substitute teacher list for Maxwell High School."
"That's great for Maxwell, Merton, but we go to Pleasantville High," Tommy said gently, placing one hand on the other boy's shoulder and pointing at the screen with the other. "Go there."
Merton swore softly and followed the football players directions. If he hadn't known better, he would have sworn Tommy was… He shook his head slightly, feeling Tommy's hair brush his ear because of the movement. His mind was scrambled and, until things were back to normal, Merton didn't feel comfortable trusting any of its conclusions.
"She's not on that list either," the goth said, hoping his voice hadn't sounded as shaky to the rest of the room as it had to him.
With a frustrated sigh, Tommy stood up.
Lori crossed the room to glance at the computer and then shrugged, her trademark smirk hanging on the edges of her mouth. "Then the best we can do is catch her at school tomorrow."
"If she shows up again," Merton pointed out.
"If she doesn't, then the wolf-man will just have to do some questioning around in the teacher's lounge," Tommy said, punching into his own hand for emphasis.
Lori laughed. "You'd threaten the teachers?"
"If that's what it takes."
Pushing back from his desk in frustration, Merton stood. "So what are we going to do until then? Just sit around and play Candyland?"
"Tempting," Lori said with a grin.
"Ha ha."
Tommy clapped his hands together and looked at his two friends. "Why don't we all just go to bed so we're nice and rested for tomorrow? Huh?"
There was a brief silence before both Merton and Lori started laughing.
"Are you serious?" Lori asked.
"I'm a goth, Tommy. It's against the rules for me to go to bed before midnight."
Dubious, Tommy raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
The image of his friend's cocked head dropped straight to the pit of Merton's stomach, and he had to swallow hard before he could answer. "No, but I'd feel like a pretty big nerd if I did, and, as I have specifically stated on multiple occasions, I am not a nerd."
"Honestly," Tommy said after smiling at Merton's comment, "I just think it would be best if Lori got home before she forgot how."
"Very funny," Lori said, but her voice sounded a million miles away to Merton. Perhaps he had been interpreting Tommy's behavior incorrectly all night after all. He couldn't remember for sure how his friend usually acted, and maybe there was nothing new in the closeness. Maybe it was always there and he just wasn't remembering it.
"Hello? Earth to Merton!"
He snapped his head to look at Lori. "What?"
"As funny as he thinks he is, Tommy's probably right." She punched the football player affectionately in the shoulder and then moved toward the door. "I should get home. I'll meet you guys in the lobby tomorrow before school… if I remember," she said, winking once before closing the door behind her.
The two boys stood in silence for a moment, and Merton noticed how low the candles on the edge of his desk had melted. He was just moving to blow them out before they reached the wood when Tommy's voice punctuated the silence.
"What does it feel like?"
Merton turned. "Huh?"
"Loosing your memory."
Trying to gauge the sensation, Merton blew out one candle before answering. "I can't even feel it. It's scary that way; I don't know what I've forgotten from what I never knew."
Tommy moved to help him with the candles, and Merton bit his lip, daring himself to ask the question he knew he shouldn't. "Why didn't you go with Lori?"
Pausing with his lips less than three inches from a candle flame, Tommy looked over. "Huh?"
"Why didn't you walk Lori home?"
"She's a big girl. She can handle herself."
Merton fidgeted, blaming his scrambled mind for even suggesting he keep going. "Why didn't *you* leave?"
Tommy straightened up. "Do you want me to?"
"No," Merton answered hastily. "No way. I'm just trying to figure some things out right now…"
Tommy cleared his throat.
"Never mind." Merton blew out another candle.
"Aw, shit. It's not like you'll remember this in fifteen minutes, anyway." Suddenly, Tommy was right next to him, gently lifting his chin until Merton was looking straight at him. Tommy bent in and…
Kissed him.
The larger boy gently pressed his lips to Merton's, surprising a moan out of the goth. The instant Tommy's tongue touched his lower lip, Merton opened his mouth, not caring if he seemed overly eager. Not caring if he was holding onto Tommy's shirt with a death grip. Not caring about anything except the myriad of sensations caused by their joined lips and dancing tongues.
When they broke apart, Merton's eyes were wide with astonishment, but Tommy merely looked apprehensive.
"You're not going to hit me, are you?" The football player asked.
Merton released a barking laugh fueled by nerves more than anything, and shook his head vehemently. "I always pictured that as my line."
Tommy laughed. "Yeah, well, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't reading you wrong."
"No, you were… uhhh… reading perfectly well." Merton found that he couldn't wipe the grin from his face, and frankly he didn't care. He released Tommy's shirt, but refused to step back from the other boy when he asked, "Was that serious, or were you just curious?"
Merton waited a moment anxiously, afraid of what the other boy was going to answer.
Tommy smiled gently, a smile he usually reserved for Lori or, Merton suddenly realized, for him. He'd been jealous of that smile so many times that he'd failed to notice when it was turned on him. He only had another second to wonder how long he had been on the receiving end before Tommy pulled him in for another kiss, placing his hand on Merton's lower back and bringing their bodies into close, complete contact.
This kiss was harder, more demanding, and Merton had to shift his body to keep up, pressing hard against Tommy and pouring all his frustration and relief into the other boy's mouth. They broke apart breathless, and Tommy continued to hold Merton close, the rise and fall of each breath obvious against Merton's own chest. The breath was so familiar that it felt like his own. Merton remembered it from somewhere, he was sure he did, he just didn't know where.
In. Out. In. Out. The metronome of life was so soothing that the smaller boy closed his eyes, leaning his head against Tommy's chest.
"Don't fall asleep on me."
"Not on your life," Merton mumbled into Tommy's shirt, feeling sleep claiming his nonetheless.
A chuckled rumbled through Tommy's chest as he walked both of them over to Merton's bed and half-lay, half-collapsed, onto the soft sheets. Merton curled around him, resting his head on Tommy's chest.
"Just in case," the werewolf mumbled, and something occurred to Merton.
Tommy hadn't wolfed out. He hadn't even been able to touch Stacy's hair without wolfing out a month ago, and here he had just passionately kissed Merton with no repercussions.
"Hey, Tommy," Merton raised his head slightly so he could look his friend in the eye. "Why didn't you… you know… go all wolfy on me?"
Tommy was silent for a moment, holding Merton's eyes with his own. "I don't know. I wasn't nervous with you like I was with Stacy, and even a little with Lori. It just felt… right."
Merton thought for a second. "Who's Stacy?"
"Never mind. Go to sleep."
"Are you two-timing me?"
"Merton, I kissed you for the first time two minutes ago. When would I have cheated on you?"
"You kissed me?"
Tommy's eyes went wide with surprise. "Merton?"
"Kidding," Merton said with a grin, dropping his head back onto Tommy's chest and letting his eyes fall closed. "Only kidding."
:~:~:~:
The sun shone bright over the cozy hamlet of Pleasantville, but only one ray made it through the basement storm window on the Dingle house and into Merton's lair. The goth snuffled lightly and burrowed into Tommy's side, willing the morning to go away.
"Merton."
Tommy's whisper elicited a groan from Merton and nothing more.
"Merton, we have to get up for school."
Merton raised his head and squinted at the clock. "School doesn't start until 10:00. We still have two hours."
"No," Tommy untangled himself from the other boy, but still didn't get out of bed, "School starts at 8:00, and we have less than 10 minutes to get there."
"Get where?"
"School."
"What time is it?"
Tommy sat up sharply, worry etched clearly on his face. "Merton, did anything strange happen yesterday?" he tested.
Merton was silent for a second, not bothering to open his eyes. "Nothing comes to mind."
"Shit. Merton, I have to go to school, okay? You stay here."
"Huh?" Merton opened his eyes. "Why do I have to stay here?"
Tommy brushed at Merton's hair, smiling softly at the wilted spikes. "Do you remember kissing me last night?"
A sly grin slid across Merton's face. "As I remember it, you kissed me first."
"Ah, you do remember." Tommy leaned over and kissed Merton once on the forehead, and then gently on the mouth, both boy's lips picking up a sleepy rhythm.
The kiss was brief, Tommy ending it by pulling Merton into a quick hug and then slipping out of the bed.
Merton looked confused. "Where are you going?"
Tommy let out an exasperated puff of air. "To school. I'll be right back, I promise. You stay here."
Laying his head back down, Merton gazed lazily at the other boy. "Okay."
"Just remember that kiss, and you'll be fine."
"Alright."
Tommy cast one more worried glance at the boy in the bed before slipping out the door, and breaking into a run.
Merton creased his brow. He couldn't remember what Tommy had tasted like, but he did remember being kissed. Of course he did, didn't he? What if he was imagining it, and Tommy had never kissed him? That sounded right. It was a fantasy.
What was he supposed to concentrate on again?
:~:~:~:
A flash of darkness, and then… normality. Merton shook his head and sat up in his bed, looking uncertainly around the room. He remembered everything; he even vaguely remembered not remembering.
He slid out of bed and padded across the room to his closet. When had he stripped down to boxers? A fierce blush spread across his face as he remembered a scantily clad Tommy Dawkins slipping out of his bed earlier that morning.
Not a fantasy. Reality.
Merton took a deep breath and then, before he could stop himself, let out an excited cheer and jumped up in the air. Tommy had kissed him, he had most definitely kissed Tommy back, and then the other boy had spent the night.
Tugging on a pair of pants, Merton grabbed a shirt and ran out the door, finishing dressing as he went. Tommy had said he was going to the school and, since Merton's memory was back, that probably meant he had defeated the evil whatever-she-was History teacher, and everything was back to normal.
Better than normal.
Merton skidded into Pleasantville High, and sprinted down the hall to the History room, ignoring Hugo's empty threats of detention.
Opening the door, Merton found Tommy standing by himself, gazing out the window. When he heard the door, the football player turned around.
"Hey, Merton."
"Tommy!" Merton dashed across the room. "You beat her! How'd you do it?"
The boy shrugged. "I just used my wolfish charm and threatened to make *her* history if she didn't return everyone's memory."
"And she just did it?"
"Well," Tommy smirked, "I had to rough her up a bit first."
Merton chuckled, but the look on his friend's face killed his smile. "What?"
"Merton, what do you remember from yesterday? Do you remember…"
Deciding he should be well past the point of being nervous, Merton closed the space between them, wrapping his arms around Tommy's neck and kissing him briefly but firmly. When he pulled away, he quirked an eyebrow, suppressing the urge to grin at the look of utter relief on Tommy's face.
After a deep breath, Tommy grinned, wrapping an arm around Merton's shoulder and leading him toward the door. "I was afraid I'd have to do it all over again."
"What, you don't want a repeat of last night?"
Tommy laughed as he followed Merton through the door and into the crowded hallway. "Oh, I want many many repeats of last night."