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Chapter 29

Drake watched as Jade carried his Tuxedo rental bag towards the cabin. Oddly, although his uncle said he’d be at the morning after breakfast hosted by the parents of seniors, Drake’s Uncle Bryant hadn’t showed.

After spending a long night with Jade in a hotel room, trying to convince Jade he felt it best if they didn’t ‘go all the way’. Drake ended up consoling Jade as she worried & cried until they got ready to head for breakfast in the morning.

Holding a crying girl all night wasn’t exactly the greatest thing Drake had ever done, but when he showed up to find his uncle no where to be found, his anxiety and frustration brought on a hellacious migraine. By the time he and Jade pulled into the driveway, Drake’s head throbbed violently as Jade pouted beside him.

It was only when Drake found the garage locked, that he finally exploded. Stepping out of his truck, he slammed the door and walked to the garage door to manually unlock it. As he did Jade must have realized how fowl Drake’s mood was and gathered his tuxedo and headed towards the house. It was also that moment that all of Drake’s scout friend were arriving to hang out for the rest of the day.

Drake gave up struggling with the old locking mechanism on the garage door and headed towards the cabin. As per the norm, his friends were pulling in and hopping out of the cars at an alarming rate. Drake wasn’t even half way across the driveway when Jade turned from the front door, raced down the porch steps and ran to Drake.

“Uhm, we gotta talk.” Jade instantly hissed. She pulled on Drake’s sleeve, but he yanked his arm away.

“Not now babe, I need something for my headache.”

“NO,” Jade yelled as she jumped in front of Drake. “You can’t go in there – we have to talk Drake!”

Drake sighed. Rubbing his temple he bit his tongue, praying he’d not yell at her. All around him, his friends and their girlfriends were arriving; each talking louder then the other. Jade kept stepping in Drake’s path, and finally tried blocking his path to the steps.

“I love you, but get out of the way!” Drake roared as he lightly shoved Jade aside and threw open the door of the cabin.

Jade tried to scream, “Drake NO” but it was too late.

The only sunlight entering the grand room of the cabin came from the freshly opened door. Drake’s elongated shadow now rested upon the naked, blanket clad bodies of his Uncle Bryant and Soozie; Both of whom heard the door and hollering and had bolted upright while clutching at the quilt.

“Holy Freaken Shit Uncle Bry!” Drake roared. Behind him, his friends all pressed against him to catch a sight of the two naked, blushing, caught like deer in the headlights, adults.

“DRAKE!” Bryant yelped.

“And everybody else!” Soozie wailed.

“Whoaaaaaaaaaaaa MR T – You RAWK” Bradley whooped from somewhere behind Drake.

“Shut the damn door!” Bryant bellowed as he struggled to cover Sooz up from all the prying eyes.

Drake stood there staring at a sight he never thought he’d see. “Holy Freaken Shit Uncle Bry – and you told me not too!”

“Nothing happened, now shut the damn door!”

Fortunately Jade had shoved all of the other kids back out the doorway and was now dragging an irate Drake out with her.

“We’ll just wait outside….you both….take your…time…sorry Mr. T – Sooz!” Jade shoved Drake out the door and pulled it shut behind her.

“DID you see them………did you?” Drake bellowed in Jades face. “SON OF A BITCH” Drake roared. Whirling around, Drake bolted off the steps before anyone could stop him.

“Somebody go after him!” Jade yelled as she tried keeping the kids from peeking in the front door’s window. Fortunately Charles was pulling in the driveway as Drake tried to speed off, causing Drake’s truck to be blocked. As Jade shoved some of the more eager boys away from t he door, she watched as Drake hopped out of his truck, slammed the door shut and began walking away from the cabin.

“God Damnit” Jade heard Bryant yell from behind her. Suddenly the door flew open and Drake’s Uncle was charging through the kids, down the steps and after Drake as he cried his nephew’s name. Clad only in jeans, Bryant ran down the driveway begging Drake to “at least give me a chance to explain.”

“Kiss my ass Uncle Bry” was all Drake yelled over his shoulder. Everyone on the porch fell silent now. Never had Drake been so belligerent or rude to his Uncle Bryant. It stunned every teenager standing there.

Jade turned stunned eyes to one of her friends, when suddenly a flash of a white t-shirt raced past all the kids.

“Drake……” Soozie wailed as she flew down the steps. “BRYYYYY”

The kids watched in horror as Soozie ran halfway down the gravel driveway clutching an obviously to big, pair of boxers around her waist. She stopped when she realized neither man was listening to her. Flinging one hand wildly up into the air then allowing it to flop down on her bare thigh, Soozie practically growled; “Damnit all to hell.”

Jade’s heart broke for her new friend. Hearing the defeated tone of voice Soozie had used was enough to clue Jade in on how bad Soozie really felt. All of a sudden, as Bryant’s profile disappeared behind a thick stand of timber and both voices faded angrily off in the distance, Soozie turned around to go back into the cabin.

Still clutching Bryant’s boxer shorts for dear life, she groaned as soon as she saw the teenagers standing on or near the front porch. Soozie’s faced turned a furious shade of red and instantly her eyes went down to the gravel she now quickly tread over. Jade walked out to meet her.

“Soozie,” Jade began apologetically. “I tried to stop…”

Soozie held up her free hand and shook her head no.

“It’s okay….it’s not your fault.” Soozie uttered softly. Walking up the steps, Soozie said nothing else until Bradley spoke up.

“Nice Tat!” he tried joking with Soozie.

When Soozie turned, hot angry eyes to Bradley and growled, “Shut the hell up!” the kids were floored. But when Soozie stepped inside the cabin and slammed the door shut so hard that it shattered the glass window pane, everyone froze in shock.

The only sound that could be heard was a roaring shriek of agony or anger coming from inside.

—–

“Drake, will you stop and listen!” Bryant yelled as he finally reached for and grabbed his nephew’s elbow. Bryant had been chasing Drake down for nearly half a mile. Drake was fully dressed and had shoes on, Bryant was bare-chested and bare foot. It made for some tricky stepping to say the least.

Drake whirled angrily around and ripped his elbow free. “On the god damn living floor. You can’t be any more of a man and at least take her to bed Uncle Bry!”

“NOTHING HAPPENED DRAKE” Bryant roared for the umpteenth time. “That’s what I am trying to tell you. Will you shut up and listen to me, please?”

“I spent all night telling Jade we should wait. I USED every reason you gave me Uncle Bry…and I come home today to find you getting your freak on right there in the living room, so she, me and all our friends could watch!” Drake spit in his Uncle’s face. “You hypocrite!”

“I was NOT getting my freak on Damnit. You’re not listening to me Drake – nothing happened.” Bryant roared as he leaned in to tower over his nephew.

“Phhfffffft – whatever. It’s your freak – get it on as you want Uncle Bry.” Drake deadpanned as he spun around to walk away.

“Drake Julian Tiponi, you are pushing me. Stop right now!” Bryant yelled as he forcibly grabbed his nephew. Whether it was the fact that Bryant now held the boy by both forearms and the menacing glare Bryant was giving the boy; the result was Drake remained still.

Bryant stared at the defeated look in his nephew’s eyes. Although Drake tried to hide it with anger, Bryant recognized it instantly. Something was wrong, more then Drake coming home to find him and Sooz nearly naked on the living room floor. Seeing his nephew so upset, suddenly drained Bryant’s anger away.

“What happened last night? Drake what is wrong?”

Drake’s anger flashed to life as he yet again ripped himself from his Uncle’s grip. “I did the right thing, just like you said and she broke up with me Uncle Bry!”

Bryant blinked. He had seen Jade back at the cabin. If they broke up then, why…

“Yeah, she is there Uncle Bry. We decided or should I say she decided she is going to help me out, and act like we’re still together so we can get through graduation and the hiking trip. She doesn’t feel our break up should affect our friends last weeks of high school.” Drake explained at the top of his lungs. “Thanks to you, we’re through! So forgive me if I’m not doing half gainers because you got laid last night!” Drake roared before storming off once more.

This time Bryant didn’t yell at his nephew as the boy stormed off. This time Bryant quickly caught up with Drake and began walking side by side with him.

“Drake, I’m….”

“She didn’t see it as a sign of respect and love Uncle Bry. She saw it as rejection, no matter how I tried to explain!” Drake suddenly confided. “She said that’s not how men are, turning down sex to try and prove respect.”

Bryant watched his nephew closely. It had been years since he’d seen Drake on the verge of tears like he was now. Bryant knew the tears trying to well up in the boy’s eyes. They were tears of heartbreak.

“I did everything I could. She just wouldn’t listen to me. She cried, she begged, she called me every name in the book. She accused me of wanting someone else!” Drake sighed heavily. Stopping and turning to look at his Uncle, Drake’s eyes revealed the depth of his heartbreak. “Why? Why doesn’t she understand? Why Uncle Bry? I did the right thing!”

“Drake…”

“And then I come home and find that?” Drake’s eyes turned south, towards the river.

“I’m sorry Drake.” Bryant softly confessed. Suddenly he felt as though he’d led his nephew wrong and all of this was his fault. Reaching out a hand to place upon the boy’s shoulder, Bryant tried to sound like his own father had often sounded during moment sin Bryant’s past.

“For what it is worth, I’m proud of you for doing the right thing.”

Those few words, uttered form the heart were all it took to open the floodgates Drake had been holding back for so long. In a rare display of affection, Drake hugged his Uncle tightly as tears poured down his cheeks. It broke Bryant’s heart.

Technorati: Forgotten Freedoms, NaNoWriMo, Novel Writing, Romance Writing, 1 Word 2 Words