From here on in, the story gets a teeny bit violent and dark. If ya didn't know, you didn't read the summary.

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Someday My Prince Will Come

Chapter 12

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"We were doing everything together! I was showing him how to be a good dresser, and what to eat, where to shop, what music was crap and what music wasn't; and he just snapped. He was my best friend! And now he'll never speak to me again!" Jack cried, shoveling some yogurt into his mouth with a plastic spoon. The receptionist at the main office, Ms. Gongora, nodded sympathetically and sighed.

"Don't worry too much about it Jack. If he's truly your friend, he'll call and you guys will be hanging out again in no time!" She put down her nail filer and patted him on the shoulder.

"Young man, the counselor is ready for you now." Another woman said from the administration foyer. After tossing his yogurt into the trash bin, Jack waved to the young woman at the desk, and followed the older one to the counselor's office.

It was the third time he had talked to the counselor since the whole AIDS ordeal began. And it wasn't something he looked forward too. Every time he saw the man, he would grimace and shake his head a lot, making Jack feel like he was doing something wrong. But sometimes, the man helped him understand what was happening to him; almost convincing him of certain things...

Jack stepped through the door, peering inside the bright room. Upon seeing his counselor at his desk, Jack moved forward and sat down.

"Hello Jack." He smiled curtly and pulled out a folder.

"Hey Mr. Giller." Jack shifted in his seat, fumbling with the straps of his book bag.

"Tell me, how's the play going?" Mr. Giller opened the folder, taking out some papers. Jack watched his hands, and smiled. He loved talking about his play.

"Its going great. Opening night is this Thursday. It'll run this week and next week, and then we start planning for the Crucible!" He said excitedly.

"Have you spoken with your father at all?" The man asked, completely changing the subject.

Jack slumped in his seat, instantly regretting ever mentioning his father to this man. "No. He's called the house. I don't really like talking to him."

"How is your mother?"

"She's fine." Jack sighed, already getting bored.

"Is there anything you want to talk about in particular?"

"Not really."

"Nothing? You sure?" The man raised his eyebrow and crossed him arms. "Nothing happening that you would like to discuss?"

"Well, I've been having crazy dreams lately. I know you're not a psychologist--"

"Actually..."

"-but I really think its creepy."

"Tell me."

"They all revolve around my friend. He just came out a couple months ago. We were best friends for a while. But he got mad at me because he thinks I don't know anything, and that Im stupid. Well, In the dream Im walking behind a caravan of shepherds and cattle. Its weird. I thought shepherds herded sheep! And we are traveling, when we come to a river. This is when my friend Will appears by my side. He asks,

'How do we cross Jack?'

"I turn to him, telling him not to worry. The shepherds are getting on the cattle and slowly make their way. He looks at me and says, again 'How do we cross?' I smile and begin swimming across. The cows seem fine as they walk through it. But as I swim, I can't find the ground. Its deep.

"I do fine, swimming. Will on the other hand always drowns. He jumps in like he wants to catch up, splashing around like he doesn't know how to swim. In the middle of the river he panics, and wants to go back. He stops swimming, knowing that if he goes back, he will die.

"I scream at him, 'Keep swimming!' He thinks about it, but takes too long and drowns." Jack finished, and then cracked up. "Pretty crazy huh?"

The counselor drew his brows together, and grimaced. Instantly, Jack felt ashamed for sharing this with him.

"Its stupid. I know it is." Jack blurted. "But my being gay has nothing to do with my crazy dreams." And he laughed again, to shake off the nervousness.

"Its your friend." Mr. Giller said.

"What?"

"Its your friend. He is fueling these dreams. You never talked to me about him before."

"Oh, well, I" Jack didn't want to talk about Will with this man. But he wondered if this counselor could clarify what was going on. "Will is my best friend. I told you, I helped him come out a couple months ago."

"You helped him 'come out?'" Raising an eyebrow, the man behind the desk seemed interested in this bit of information.

"Yea. I helped him. He was trying to hide the fact that he was gay, even from himself. He wouldn't admit it, so I-"

"Forced him to."

"Uh, well I guess so. Yea I did."

"Why did you do that?"

Jack struggled with his words. "Well, he shouldn't be pretending to be something he isn't."

"So you thought he was gay and told him he was."

"Yea!"

"How do you know he wasn't straight? How did you know you were right?"

"I just know. Its instinct."

"Jack, no one is born that way. Its a choice, a lifestyle. You've chosen this lifestyle as well."

"No. Its who I am. And I've told you before, that I don't agree with that little theory." Jack muttered.

"You forced your friend to make this decision."

"I didn't! He was already like this. Don't you get it?" Jack slammed his palms down on the desk in frustration. The counselor tilted his head with an emotion that Jack couldn't read.

"Jack. Wouldn't it be easier for you to just admit that you made the wrong decision? You are paying for it with your peers. And it must be killing your parents."

Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing. A deep anger was surging through him, all he could think of was how much it would relieve him to strangle this guy!

"My dad fell off the face of the earth when I told him. My mom is just fine." Jack sighed. "Nothing else is wrong with me. Its just this stupid disease everyone's scared about. Its stupid."

"You don't care about it?"

"Why should I? It doesn't bother me. I don't have it or anything!"

"But you could easily get it any day, with the way you live your life."

"No I can't! The way I live my life is perfectly normal."

"Its highly unnatural Jack. Highly unnatural." And he shook his head. "For all you know, you could have been dating someone with the virus. You converse with people who might have it. You go to places where the risk of infection is high. The virus is spreading, Jack. And you could acquire it as well."

It was like a tidal wave came down hard on him, leaving thick traces of shock on his face. There he was sitting, and realizing that this terrible thing he had been scoffing for a long while, was closer to taking him than he thought.

Numbed with the words of his counselor, Jack stood and left. The lunch bell rang, and he moved stiffly through the halls. The students shuffled around him, making their way to the cafeteria. The walls were gray with the little light the sun was giving on that overcast day.

'I've shared drinks with people. At the bars, on dates. I could have it.' The blood test results hadn't returned yet. He felt a chill take over him. 'I have it.'

He ignored the random sneers and insults as he traveled up the hall toward the stairs. Everything was turning gray. 'I could have it.' The people whirling around him knew it. Everyone knew it, except for him. 'I could have it.' He looked once at James as he passed, hoping for something. 'What is it? What do I want from him?'

"What are you staring at?" James barked, and shoved him to the side. Jack watched him for a long while, not knowing why. Something inside him fell away. He felt convinced that he was infected, that the disease was festering inside of him, that his insides were swarming with it. He could barely register what James was saying to him.

"Keep your mouth closed fag, you might breathe your AIDS on us."

The halls were emptying as everyone piled into the cafeteria. Jack watched and felt them grow silent. James would have left him alone and kept walking. But Jack lost it.

"You know I just might." Jack said in his direction. The words echoed so strangely off of the walls. Jack could see them fly from his mouth, but he couldn't stop them.

James turned, his eyes wide with fury. And Jack knew he would be pummeled right then and there. At first, he thought he should run. Something told him to run, but he ignored it and remained frozen.

'You don't know anything remember? They could have been right the whole time.'

"What did you say?" James stalked towards him. Jack couldn't speak, he couldn't hear what this boy was saying. All he knew, was that he was wrong.

'I was wrong the whole time. I don't know anything.' Jack watched James come closer, and he could feel the tears building already. But it wasn't out of fear, or the knowledge of the pain to come. He felt them brimming, and he knew it was because he didn't do what he was supposed to. He was spending his whole life worrying over stupid things, and didn't even see the bad things coming.

The senior's fist was already too familiar to Jack. He went down instantly, hardly fighting back like he would in other scuffles. 'I don't know anything.'

This new revelation sunk into him like water to a sponge. He could feel it inside him; the virus. And the world was still gray. He forgot about James pulling him up and offering him another couple of blows. He forgot about being kicked harshly on the ground and thrown into a maintenance closet.

Lying in the darkness, Jack watched the grayness fading to black. 'I was wrong. I was always wrong.'

'Holy mother. This evil is inside me. Its always been here. I've always been wrong.'

"Why am I praying?" He asked the walls, in self-deprecation.

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The dream was quiet. Sitting alone in a field of grass, Jack watched the stars. Everything was bright and peaceful. Trees spotted the area, offering solace for the weary teenager. He laid back, watching the stars going out.

"Why are they going out?" He asked no one in particular.

"That's how it always is. Haven't you noticed before?" Noah said, emerging from behind the tree. His brilliantly green eyes shone in the night. Jack gave him an uncertain glance.

"No I haven't." Jack frowned, feeling his chest for his heartbeat. The night sky became blackened and he went stiff in fear. In the background, a cynical chuckle emanated from Noah. Whirling to see the blonde, all Jack could make out was the eerie green of his eyes.

"That's how it always is. You haven't noticed it. That's what makes you oblivious and stupid."

All the stars had gone out.

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"That is it! You are leaving this school and going back to St.'s this fall! I won't have this anymore." Jack's mother cried, circling him with a horrified look on her face. It was strange to Jack. Ever since his father left, his mother paid more attention to him. She was a bit more caring.

Too sick with emptiness, Jack ignored his mother and ascended the stairs. Nothing mattered too much now. It was all gray, without color. He dropped his bag by the door, and wandered absently to a mirror. His eyes watered at the mere sight of himself. And he began shaking, feeling an anxiety attack coming on.

But he wouldn't cry. He just wiped his eyes and dropped to his knees by the bed. He laid his head down on the mattress and began; 'Please, please God. Get this evil out of me. Get it out!'

The phone rang and Jack jumped. He thought about ignoring it. It rang stubbornly. Reaching over finally, Jack answered. "Hello?"

"Jack? Its me J-"

Jack hung up the phone. He didn't want to hear Jesse. He didn't want to hear anyone. His heart was sinking.

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