These Days

Chapter 4- Beverly Hills

"Se me paso por alto!"

"Hablas la verdad!"

"Es verdad. Confias en mi."

"No se…"

"Por favor!"

JJ turned away from the man and stared at Drake. "He says it slipped his mind."

"How can you not know where you live?"

JJ shrugged. "That's what he said."

"Are you sure you're translating right?"

JJ gave him an evil look. "I'm sure." He turned back to the man they were interrogating. The man kept rambling on in Spanish so fast, JJ couldn't keep up.

From what he could tell, the man said something about snow, cold, bricks, and being tall. Making a wild guess, he concluded that he lived in a tall, brick building…but the snow and cold made no sense. It was June.

"He said he lives in Canada," Drake said. JJ stared at him.

"I thought you said that you don't know Spanish?"

"I don't. I just heard the word Canada."

JJ rolled his eyes. "Great translation." The man was completely hysterical. JJ dismissed the man, wanting to wait until the real translator was around.

"Today was a dud," JJ remarked as he and Drake walked out of the station in the smoldering heat.

"Today isn't over with, Sunshine," Drake expressed while wrapping an arm around his lover's waist.

JJ smirked, "Guess not."

They got to their car and made it home earlier than usual. They both stripped off their clothes when they got into the apartment. Clad only in boxers, JJ jumped onto Drake, pinning him to the floor.

"You horny bastard," Drake mumbled as JJ attacked him with kisses and caresses.

"Tee hee." JJ began his descent downward, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door. JJ growled deep in his throat. "I am going to flip shit and kill whoever is behind that door."

Drake chuckled. "I'll get it then." He plucked up his pants and put them on rapidly. He looked back at JJ who was now lounging on the couch completely starkers. Beautiful.

Drake opened the door a little and peeked out. He cursed silently. Both of his parents stood there with blank faces.

"Uh, hi." He chanced a glance back. JJ had disappeared. He opened the door more. "Why are you here?"

"To talk," Shirley answered. "May we come in?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure." He stepped away and let his parents enter. He closed the door and showed them to the seating area. Both sat on the couch where just seconds ago, a bare-butted JJ lay. Drake perched himself on the arm of the plush chair. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Is JJ around?"

Drake considered this question for a moment. Do they want to speak truthfully knowing that he wasn't there? Or do they want to talk to him as well? Taking a chance, Drake answered, "No." There was a big bang in the bedroom.

"Oh." Shirley looked uncomfortable. "We wanted to talk to him."

Bad guess. "Oh, I lied," Drake confessed. "He's in the bedroom." He ran into their bedroom and hauled a dressed JJ out to the living room. He pushed him into the plush armchair and he sat on the arm.

"Okay. Now what did you want to say?"

"We wanted to speak to him alone," Drake's mother said.

"Ohhh. Okay." Drake stood up and left in a swish. JJ damned him to hell.

"JJ, we want to say we're sorry," Shirley said. "And we want to get to know you better."

"Ok…"

"Unfortunately, we have to leave tomorrow. So I feel we don't have enough time," she explained. "I would love it if you and Drake would come up for the holidays. I ask you first, because I don't want Drake to push you into something your uncomfortable with."

JJ hesitated. "Well, I don't know. It depends on work. But I guess we could come up if we could get off work."

Shirley smiled. "That would be fantastic."

Drake returned. "Yes, fantastic."

"Great. Just fucking great."

"What was I supposed to say?" JJ shrieked.

"Um, let's see… NO!" Drake pursed his lips. "My parents consider maybe as yes. So we're screwed."

"Well, if I said no, I would seem a like an asshole."

"Please, they already think tha--" Drake shut up quickly.

"WHAT? They already think that I'm an asshole!" JJ wailed in horror. "This is a complete disaster." He buried his face in his hands. He had been through enough drama in his life, and this would just add to it. Family and the boyfriend was the worst combination.

"Anarchy! Hey Anarchy!"

"SHH! You idiot. Don't be yelling that in the hallways!"

A young boy with sandy-blonde hair ran down the main hall in the high school searching for his best friend. However, he was stopped by a very pretty girl with long curly red hair.

"Scott! There are some things you shouldn't yell in a school. Anti-government is one of them," she lectured.

"Ah, yes. But you see, Fiona, I am not anti-government," Scott explained. "It's a name."

"Oh sure. And Jere likes to be called that?"

"Just as much as Jere." Scott gazed through the heads for a certain blond. He turned back to Fiona. "In other words, he hates it."

"Duh. Cuz it makes him sound like a criminal or something." Fiona waved at one of her other girlfriends. "How did he get it anyway?"

Scott shrugged. "Sounded cool. Beats my nickname. Zipper…feh. OH! HEY! ANARCHY!" Scott waved his hands over his head frantically, catching the blonde's attention as well as the senior who was hit by one of his flailing arms. Fiona apologized for him and soon disappeared in fear that people would actually associate her with him…even though they were dating.

Scott quit his frantic movements when he saw his friend's face. He was definitely not amused. The sandy-blonde paused; his friend's eyes were red and watery.

"Jeremy--" The blonde walked right past Scott and into the boys' bathroom. Daniel, Jeremy's boyfriend, seemed to be trying to soothe him. Taki, the last friend of the group of five, was following but stopped at Scott's locker.

"What the fuck was that?" Scott asked still staring at the closed bathroom door.

Taki shrugged. "I asked Daniel and the only thing I could make out was, 'last night,' 'they,' and 'oh god.' And he kept pointing to himself and then to Jeremy."

"Did they break up?" Scott threw his books into his locker and headed for the restroom.

Taki skipped along. "I don't think so." He continued following his friend into the bathroom and began to hear sobbing.

Scott knocked on the stall door. "Jeremy?"

The door opened and Daniel peeked his head out. "Just go to class and tell Cunningham we'll be late."

"No way." Scott slapped his hand on the door and pushed it open. Jeremy was sitting on the toilet with his head down and face covered in his hands. "What happened?"

Jeremy looked up and pointed at Daniel and made some garbled language.

"Uh huh. And then what?" Scott found humor in something that obviously wasn't. Jeremy gave him a death glare; but with red, puffy eyes it was even scarier.

Jeremy then started spilling out Japanese hysterically. Daniel and Scott both turned to Taki for a translation. They watched the Japanese's face as it twitched with humor and then suddenly into horror.

"Holy shit, Jeremy!" Taki bellowed after his friend was done. "What are you going to do?" Jeremy shrugged.

"What?" Scott and Daniel asked simultaneously.

"He was kicked out of his house!" Taki replied loudly.

"Thanks for announcing that to the entire school." Jeremy mumbled quietly.

The three boys huddled in the stall close to Jeremy. "What the hell happened?"

"Last night…"

>>>>>

"Daniel---STOP! Seriously!"

"You've never complained before. So why start now?"

"Parents…home…soon…"

Daniel looked up into fogged over blue eyes. "You're fucking with me aren't you."

Jeremy smiled and without warning flipped his boyfriend onto his back. "Not yet, but very soon." He kissed his way up the tanned abdomen to a pink nipple.

"Ah, JJ--" Daniel gasped and arched his back at the talented tongue.

"Shh…" Jeremy moved up and kissed soft bruised lips. "I told you…parents."

"Mmm. Who cares. They'll probably be late like always."

"Maybe." Jeremy continued his torture to the body underneath him. The moans became louder. Jeremy heard a muffled voice and looked up at Daniel. "What did you say?"

Daniel eyed his boyfriend suspiciously. "I didn't say anything."

The was a soft click and Jeremy sprung off the bed with amazing speed. "Shit shit shit!"

"What are you doing?" Daniel watched the other teen as he crossed the room and peeked out the door.

"You have to leave!"

"No."

Jeremy closed the door and began throwing the discarded clothes back to their owner. "You have to go! I think someone saw."

"So." Daniel threw on his shirt angrily. "They're bound to find out sometime."

"Not when I still live here!" He finished dressing and opened the window. "Get out here."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"NO! Please…just leave."

Daniel grabbed his boyfriend's face with both hands. It looked as if his lover was about to become hysterical and break down. "What does it matter JJ?"

"They'll kill me!" He broke down and cried on his lover's shoulder. He continued sobbing, "Even worse…they'll hurt you if they catch you."

Daniel pulled away and grabbed his backpack and started to climb out the window. He sat on the ledge and paused. He gazed back at the crying blonde. Whether he liked it or not, Jeremy was right about his demon parents; they would hurt both of them. Daniel had the scary notion that he would be hurt more so since he'd be considered the 'one who turned their precious perfect son into an abomination.'

"I love you, JJ. Don't let them hurt you. Get out as fast as possible. My back door is always open." Daniel swung himself from the window and shimmied down the drain pipe.

"Lord help me," Jeremy whispered and tried swallowing the large lump in his throat. Slowly, he exited his room. Looking around he saw no one-- and his hopes rose a little. Maybe he was hearing things and both of them were still at work.

His hopes were crushed as he headed further down to the ground floor and heard angry voices in his step-father's study. Arguments weren't uncommon, but they usually didn't include the word 'Daniel.' His heart began beating rapidly seeming to want to escape from his chest.

He sat down at the top of the grand staircase and gazed at his surroundings. Most people would kill for his life. He lived in Beverly Hills in a multi-million dollar mansion and had so much money that you could burn half of it and still have ten times as much as a normal person. He attended a great school that many famous actors, actresses, and directors have gone through. From the outside he had a good-looking family. Three siblings, one extremely intelligent brother and two sisters that could be supermodels. His step-father seemed charitable by adopting him when his real father died. His mother, a great lawyer, was 'rescued' after her first husband's death by this wonderful, rich plastic surgeon. It seemed picture perfect.

However they appear to normal society-- it was completely the opposite. To seeing eyes it would simply look like a close-knit family that spent so much time together. In reality, between work and school, they never saw each other. That was fine with them, no one cared for the others.

Jeremy realized he was out of place long ago. He had the most loving family up until he was eight. Then his real father was killed in a airplane crash. Frantic, his mother searched for a suitable father for him. But instead, she fell for the rich doctor. Jeremy was thrown into a crazy life of money and greed. Besides getting a new father, he got a brother and sister. Josh was seven years older, Jessica was five years older. Within two months of being married, Jeremy's mother became pregnant. Nine months later, Jasmine was born. Between the baby and the older siblings, there was no time for Jeremy. And if he was being paid attention to, it wasn't a good thing.

Since day one, he had been pushed around, physically and emotionally abused. He was worked the hardest and was expected to do 110. His stepfather claimed that he did all these things because Jeremy would go the farthest in life. The only it had accomplished was broken bones, bruises and cuts. It even ended up in the hospital five times, but should have been more.

Sitting on the cold marble stairs, he realized his family was not worth his time. So whatever his parents said, he would let it slide. He was what he was and no matter what people said, he can't and won't change. He stood up and descended the rest of the stairs and glided across the entranceway. He knocked swiftly on the large wooden door to the study and a simple, 'come in' replied.

As he entered, a cedar smell filled the air and engulfed him. He always hated the smell and instantly wanted to retreat back to his room. Further inside the room, he spotted the backs of his parents sitting on the sleek leather couch. Jeremy sat down in the high-backed chair next to the couch.

His stepfather started off quickly not one to hold off from the problem. "Was that boy Daniel that you were getting off on?"

"John! Be a little more discreet," Jeremy's mother requested.

"Was it Daniel?"

"It was a friend," Jeremy replied stiffly.

"You normally deep throat your friends?"

"John!"

Jeremy flushed a deep crimson. As much bravery as he could muster, he replied, "Just my boyfriend."

He didn't even see it coming, but it was quicker than the normal hit. A strong firm hand collided with his face, leaving a sharp pain behind.

"Never did I think…" John pulled his stepson by his shirt and threw him up against a wall. "…that I would be raising a fucking fairy!" He slapped Jeremy hard so he began bleeding. "I never want to see your face ever again! Get out! Get your things and never return!" He flung the teen onto the ground.

Jeremy strained to get up. When he did, he received no sympathy from his mother. He started to tear, not exactly knowing what would come next.

What came next was a struggle for survival.

Jeremy had forty-five dollars left.

Jeremy had no shelter.

It was raining.

He was hungry.

School was his only place of salvation.

Until him.

Daniel died.

Jeremy wanted to die.

He tried drowning himself.

Caught.

He tried slitting his wrists.

Caught.

He overdosed on drugs.

Caught and turned into police.

He was thrown back on the streets.

Beverly Hills High didn't like his appearance and told him to get lost until he came back proper.

He sold himself for money.

He was ashamed of himself.

But he had food in his stomach.

He sold himself again and again.

Money. Money. Money.

He bought a ticket to New York City.

The day he graduated, the day he became free. The day he became…

JJ.

JJ looked at Drake. All the skeletons in his closets. He could never reveal it to his lover. It must be forgotten. At least Drake never went through what JJ did.

"You're lucky."

Drake jumped from the unexpected voice from the previous silence. "Why?"

"You just are. Trust me." That was the one thing JJ envied the most about his lover. His family. His family whom Drake cherished and talked about with such respect. JJ thought Drake had it all. You didn't need money or looks or fame or anything else. You just need a loving family.

"I still don't understand." Drake situated himself so his head was resting on JJ's lap. "Why am I so lucky?"

JJ stroked Drake's brown locks. "Your family and past. That's why."

Drake frowned and bit his lower lip. "They're not that great."

"You told me all the great things--"

"But I never told you about the bad things. Things that drastically changed the way my life worked."