November, 11th.
Jeff couldn't believe when he found out, that Mark actually invited Paul over to the house for dinner. "But why?." Jeff asks as Mark was fumbling with his car-keys, trying to get to his mail-keys which were attached to the same key-chain. He cursed slightly before rounding the corner to get to his mail-box. "He won't stop trying to contact me until I allow him to visit, he'll tell me what's going on, what he wants from me. And I'll turn him down. And he'll leave and he won't bother us again. But until that happens, he'll continue to bother us. Do you understand." Mark looks up and waits for another person to move out of the way from his mail-box. Jeff stood alongside him, waiting aswell. "No, I don't actually get that. He's already been over, and nothing came of it." - "Yes, but that's because I threw him out before he even told me what it was that he wants." Mark explained. "Well, why did you do that for. We wouldn't be having him over for dinner, if you had just let him talk to you then." Mark turns to stare at Jeff. He rolls his eyes. "You've got a smart-mouth, you know that?." - Jeff smiles "Hey, thanks for the compliment." - "It wasn't one." Mark groans. Jeff stepped aside a few feet, it was a busy Saturday. And it seemed that everybody in town just had to come to the post-office to gather their mail. And all at the same time. It was hectic. Jeff wished that Mark would just hurry up. "You know what. I think I'm just gonna go wait outside. There's way too many people in here." Jeff replies. Mark just nods as he continues to wait for everyone to stop getting in his way. Everyone had to stop in-front of his mail-box. He looked down at his watch and tried to stay calm. But this was freaking ridiculous. Just then, who comes around the corner, low and behold. It's Paul. Mark grimaced. But tried to be nice. "Mark, where is that boy of yours?." Paul waved and stepped up closer to Mark. "He's not my boy... And he's waiting outside." Mark whispers. Paul waved it off. "Yeah, sure. I was quite surprised when you called me and left that message. It was a pleasant surprise, though. What are you planning to fix?. I can bring something over, if you need me too. I don't want to just leech off of you guys. What-ever you need, I can bring it by when I come. Just say so." Paul replies. - "Oh, I haven't put much thought into it. And, it'll be fine if you just bring yourself by. I'm sure we're have everything we need." - "Well, I'm just trying to be nice." - Mark smiles slightly.
"Yeah, well. It looks like I can finally get to my box. Excuse me for a second." - "Sure, no problem. Funny that we run into each other in here, of all places. Huh?." Paul asks. Mark nods his head in reply. He was just waiting for him to leave. "Paul, it was nice seeing you. I'll see you Sunday. We've gotta get back, it's late." Mark explains. Paul smiles, pats Mark on his shoulder. "Sure, I can understand. You've got that boy you need to get home. How is it going with him, anyways?. I never thought of you taking care of anyone other-then yourself." - "I've grown up alot since then. And it's not much work that needs to be done. He's not a small child. He's practically a man." - Paul continues to pat Mark on the shoulder. Still smiling. "That he is. He's not a child, anymore. Is he?." - Mark looked at Paul, he squinted his eyes. Paul stops smiling and looks away, while also taking his hand off of Mark's shoulder. "Well, I guess I better let you go." - "Yes. See you soon." Mark whispers. Trying to fake another smile, half-heartedly. Mark continues to watch Paul moving away. He waits until Paul has his attention to checking his own mail. Which was quite odd, that Paul would have his mail sent here, when he didn't live around here. But Mark didn't dwell on it much. He just was trying to get out of there and get going before Paul decided to stop and chat again.
Mark walks up alongside Jeff. Who was waiting by the motorcycle. "Don't lean on it like that, Please." Mark complains. Jeff gets off. And whispers. "Sorry. You got anything for me?." Mark quickly looks through the stack of mail. Glances a few seconds on the entrance doors to check for Paul. And then hands Jeff over a letter. "It's from Matt. I wonder how he's doing. Hopefully, he's getting better." - Mark smiles. "I'm sure he is. You can read it when we get home. Let's go." Mark quickly gets on the bike. And starts up the engine. Jeff grabs ahold of the letter and scrunches it up so that he would fit it into his jacket-pocket. "What's up with you, why are you in such a rush now for. It's not like we haven't been standing inside for over fifteen-minutes already." Jeff complained. "It's Paul. He was in there. I just wanna leave before he comes out."
"That Paul guy was in there. Where, I never saw him?." - "He was in there, he stopped and talked with me. Hold on." Mark replies as he begins driving out the parking lot. Just seconds before Paul exits the post office building. He squints in the daylight. He watches them drive off down the road. He smiles. "I so have you wrapped in my little pinkie, Mark. And you ain't even aware of it, yet."
November, 12th.
"So what are you planning for tomorrow?. Has he contacted you again?." Jeff asks. Rubbing Rover's scruffy neck. - "No, but why would he, I just ran into him the other-day." Mark reminds Jeff. "I remember, but I just thought I would ask." Mark was underneath the Jeep. It had been making some funny noises, lately. Stalling aswell. Jeff had Rover on a leash, and was just walking around the propriety with him. "If your so bored, Jeffrey. Why don't you go give Rover a bath. I'm sure he could use it. Hell, all of them could." Mark replies, growing very tired of hearing Jeff's pacing on the gravel rocks. "No thanks. That doesn't sound like fun." Mark rolls out from underneath the vehicle. "I'm sure it doesn't. Not to you, anyways." He whispers as he grabs a dirt-rag from off the ground. "If you'll just gonna stand out here. Could you help me?." Mark asks. "Sure, what do you need?." - "If you could just hand me the tools I ask of you to hand me. It would make this go alot faster." - "We're gonna have to go back into town, once I get this damn thing up and running again, as normal." "You know. Why don't you just get a new car?." - "Like what?." - "Like a Mustang." - "Cause I can't afford that. And besides. I like the Jeep." - Jeff rolls his eyes. "Why?." - Mark ducks his head from underneath the Jeep. "Just give me the wrench, will ya?."
"So what are we having to get in town?." - "We have to go grocery shopping." - "So what are we having then?. You never did tell me." Mark gets out from underneath car and gets up off the ground. He thinks about it for a second, shrugs his shoulders. "Beef stew, I guess." - "That sounds good." - "I'm glad it suits your taste." Mark whispers. Grabbing the dirt-rag again and wiping at the grime on his hands. "So what do you think this Paul guy wants?. Why don't y'all like each other?." - "You've got alot of questions today." - "Sorry, I'm just wondering. You don't have to give me no answers." Jeff replies.
Mark signs. "We've just had a rocky relationship. I don't want to talk about it. It's not important." - Jeff looks down. Calls for Rover. And he places him back in the pen with the other dogs. He holds the leash underneath his arm. "You never wanna talk about your life before me." Jeff whispers. Mark looks over to Jeff, pouting. He walks over to him, grabs him by the shoulders. And looks directly into his eyes. Jeff tries to look down away from Mark's vision, but Mark lifts Jeff's chin up. Mark smiles. "That's only because my life didn't have any meaning, until you came along. You've made me so happy, Jeffrey. I wasn't then. Why do I wanna reminisce over that. I was miserable, okay." Mark explains. Jeff continues to pout. "I still don't understand why you can't tell me about it. You know just about everything that I've dealt with in my life. I barely know anything about yours." - "There's nothing to tell. I lost my parents as a kid." - "There's more to it then just that, Mark. Why can't you confine in me?." - "Because your too young. You don't need to know." - "I'm almost seventeen." - "Key word there, buddy. Almost."
Jeff angerly throws the leash down on the ground. And runs into the house. Mark curses and follows after him. "Now, don't go getting mad at me, Jeff!." - Jeff stops and turns around to face Mark. "I'm not getting mad. I'm fine. It's you that doesn't trust or love me enough to let me in."
"What does that mean, Jeffrey?." - "Exactly what it means. And what I said." - "I love you. And I trust you." - "If you did, you would tell me these things. But you don't ...So." - "Stop right there. I don't want to fight with you. I really wish you'd just respect my opinion on this. You don't need to know and I don't want to tell you. So that's it." - "Of just because your older, you can just tell me when a argument is over. I don't think so. Because I'm still feeling the exact same feelings I was a second ago. It's still there." Jeff replies. "Well, I really don't care. I'm done talking." Mark bitterly replies back. Jeff turns around and stomps his way up the stairs and to his room.
November, 13th.
Mark had went to the store after his fight with Jeff. Jeff stayed mad the rest of the night. Mark was hoping that he was over it, today. He was getting ready to put on the stew, when Jeff came down-stairs. He was wearing a long-sleeve basketball jersey. And sweats. "I hope your gonna change into something a little nicer, once Paul arrives." - "Yeah, but I don't know why. You don't even like him." - "I'm not asking you to put on a suit and tie. Just some jeans other-then those sweat-pants you've got on now." replies Mark. Jeff rolls his eyes. "Sure. Whatever."
About thirty minutes later, there's a knock on the door. Mark goes to answer it. And Jeff was busy feeding the dogs, outside. "Paul, come in."
Mark couldn't wait for this dinner to be over. He just knew that what-ever Paul wanted, wasn't anything Mark wanted to be apart of. But he would give Paul the benefit of doubt. Mark hadn't seen him in years. Maybe he had changed. But that was wishful thinking. Mark knew that he hadn't. "Did you see Jeff out there?." - "Oh yeah, he was messing with those mutts you've got out there." - Mark grimaces. "Yeah..."
"Well, I'll just tell him to come in, take a seat where you like. I'll be right back." Paul looks around the room. It hadn't changed much. It still looked the same, just older. Much like himself, and Mark. Mark might have thought that he was wiser. And that he was a different man, but deep down he still was the same scared little boy, who would do anything for someone's love. And Paul needed him. Mark couldn't turn him away again. Not once Paul got him to cave, for this dinner. And it was so simple. All he had to do was continuing to bring up his dead mama and daddy. And how disapproving that they would be if they saw how he's been treating the one true friend his parents had. Paul Bearer.
Mark was still so vulnerable after all this years. He would succeed in his plans. He just knew that he would. It was too easy not too. And what made it even better, was this fling he's got going on with a boy. Doesn't he realize that's illegal. "Tsk, tsk. Mark." Paul had to control his urge to laugh. Just then Mark and Jeffrey sit down at the small dinner table. "It's smell real good, Mark." Paul states. "Thanks." Mark politely replies.
TBC
MissBrianna: Thanks. I'm glad you liked that part. I was hoping someone would.
Infection13: Yep. And it's just gonna get worse. Thanks for reviewing.
CannibalHolocaust: :) I hope that was a good dot. LOL Thanks for still reading!.
I hope everyone has enjoyed this chapter. And hopefully I'll get motivated to write up a new chapter, soon. Thanks for still sticking with me.