Lost Boys Academy (Book Two: Distraction)

by Aaron Ferrara

  Mr. Pierce must have noticed the stress in Jimmy's voice as he let out a chuckle, "Not to worry, your new friend will be back soon." He approached Jimmy and put a hand on his shoulder. "For a minute there, it sounded like you were really worried about him."

  Jimmy glanced at his large hand, then back up into his eyes. His grip was sturdy, yet strangely soothing at the same time. He felt comfort in the hands of his teacher, and for a moment he just wanted to fall into his arms and let go of all of the weight he felt on his shoulders.

  The sound of footsteps pounding the floor filled the hallway as Kyle and Alex emerged from the staircase. They both halted at the foot of the stairs, glued to the scene.

  Mr. Pierce removed his grasp from Jimmy and flipped around. "Good, you're all here now."

  “Umm...no, we're not, Mr. Pierce. Jake is nowhere to be found,” Kyle pointed out, folding his arms across his chest, ”Probably off trying to corrupt innocent, little Mason." He muttered, rolling his eyes.

  Jimmy's eyes grew wide. Sharing a room with the hottest guy in the Academy wasn’t easy. He knew what it was like to fight Jake’s advances. As Jimmy thought of all of the seductive techniques his exhibitionist roommate had up his sleeve, he wondered just how strong Mason's morals were.

  "No need to question my methods, Kyle." Mr. Pierce paced across the hall as he began to explain himself. "I know all too well of Jake's afflictions. I believe that Mason will be a good influence on him. He's got a lot of will-power, that one.”

  The three students couldn't help but exchange quizzical looks between each other, wondering if that was meant to be an insult.

  "So, Jake and Mason aren't coming to the family group session?" Jimmy urged, desperate to get to the bottom of it sooner than later.

  Mr. Pierce turned back to face Jimmy. "Correct!"

  He waved the students on, and they followed him as he paced down the main hall. Light poured through the stained glass windows and bounced off of him as he weaved through the long hallway.

  "Mason's grandmother is immobile.” Mr. Pierce continued. “She will be unable to fly out and speak with the group. And Jake, well, unfortunately his parents are in the middle of shooting a film. They will not be attending either."

  "So, they just get a free pass on this one altogether?” Kyle called out from behind. “That's not very fair."

  Mr. Pierce swung his head over his shoulder as he kept moving forward, "It is very disappointing, I agree, but I have plans for them. Nobody gets a free pass."

  Jimmy's heart sank. A feeling of overwhelming jealousy poured over him. He couldn’t shake the thought of Jake's rippling arms enveloping Mason. Mason sinking into his buff chest, allowing all inhibitions to melt away. He wasn’t even sure why he was envious of the pair, or who he was more jealous of. All he knew was that he was growing sick to his stomach.

  Jimmy soon fell behind as he watched Mr. Pierce go on without a second thought. Surely, he had to know how dangerous Jake was to a virginal, Catholic boy—and for that matter, to himself. What could he possibly have planned for them?

  Jimmy tried his best to flush the thoughts from his head. He tucked his small notebook deeper into his coat pocket. He wanted nothing more than to spill these thoughts from his mind and transfer them onto sheets of paper, but it would have to wait.

  Cars began to fill the empty parking lot. Jimmy immediately recognized the blue Chevy, chugging into the first available space. He peered around to the nearly empty circle of chairs. His own anxiety started to disintegrate as he laid his eyes upon the sullen faces of Alex and Kyle. They fidgeted in their seats with two empty chairs between them. Kyle was paler than ever, and Alex would not make eye contact with anyone.

  “Now, remember," Mr. Pierce stood, addressing the class of only three students, "I want you to feel comfortable speaking your mind. We are still in the beginning phases of transition, so nobody is expecting you to be completely changed yet. All I ask is that you be open to your parent's feelings. They are all coming here to show their support for you during your journey."

  Support, my ass. ..Jimmy thought to himself.

  The classroom door then swung open and a large, Latina woman burst into the room. She frantically searched the area until she stopped on Alex.

  "Alejandro!" Mrs. Cortez belted. She made her way like a linebacker toward her son with her husband in tow. The two of them smothered Alex until he was covered in lipstick and aftershave.

  Next to enter the room was a tall, thin, middle-aged woman. Only her blonde bangs were visible from a shawl wrapped tightly around her head. Her large, dark sunglasses shaded her pointy nose. The red lipstick she adorned was bright and stuck out like a sore thumb. When she spotted Kyle, she frolicked across the room like a whimsical doe.

  “Hello, dear,” she rasped, planting a kiss on his forehead. “I am deeply sorry. I've caught something and don't want to pass it to you.”

  Kyle's father, made obvious by the sour face and platinum-blonde hair, was the next to enter. He begrudgingly clutched his wife's purse in his hand as he framed the doorway, hardly budging. His beady eyes scanned the walls of the classroom, as if scouring for spiders. After his inspection was complete, he finally decided to enter the room. He took a seat next to Kyle, nodding a hello rather than bothering to utter a word.

  Jimmy’s father was the last to arrive. He came through the door, casually bobbing his head as he too checked out the room his child spent most of his days lately. Jimmy stood up and they embraced in a hug.

  "They treating you okay?" Mr. O' Brian whispered into his son's ear.

  "It's alright so far,” Jimmy assured.

  "Good." Mr. O 'Brian smiled and dipped his head in acknowledgment to Mr. Pierce, removing his hat to reveal a messy head of dark, reddish-brown hair. He took a seat next to Jimmy and folded his arms.

  "Thank you all for coming," Mr. Pierce addressed the sea of varied faces. "Having your support is an integral part of your child's development as they work their way through this program."

  "Can I ask a question, Mr. Pierce?" Kyle's father interrupted without looking up from his cell phone.

  “Please, Jack, you can call me Clive." Mr. Pierce offered.

  “Clive, then," Jack peered up, eyebrows raised. He then lowered his attention back to his phone's screen as he finished. "Just how far in their 'development' are they?"

  "Jack, let the man finish," Kyle's mother persuaded wistfully. She peeked over her enormous sunglasses and beamed at Mr. Pierce belligerently.

  "Come on, Candy. I want to know that the generous amount of money we've been putting into this Academy is going to good use."

  "Jack!" Candy repeated in a stern, yet hushed tone.

  Jimmy noticed Kyle from across the circle, sitting in-between his parents with a blank, numb expression. Usually, Kyle was not the type to sit back during any sort of confrontation. He was the first piranha in the pond at the mere mention of a debate, only this time he remained silent. Although Jimmy felt a bit guilty, he also gained a sliver of confidence knowing that even Kyle had his own demons.

  "It's quite alright, Candy. You are all entitled to know your sons’ progressions." Mr. Pierce informed the parents of the classroom. "Why don't we start with your son, Jack?"

  "Great." Kyle’s father agreed sarcastically.

  "Kyle has taken steps in order to assure himself that he no longer seeks the attention of males in an unhealthy way." Mr. Pierce explained. "Show him what you've earned so far, Kyle." He encouragingly smiled.

  Kyle turned to Jimmy, rolling his eyes. He pulled out the first gold pin he earned and stuck it on the breast coat of his blazer.

  “What in the hell is that?” Jack scoffed.

  “It’s to show what I’ve learned so far, dad.” Kyle droned. “This badge shows that I’ve accepted that I need to change.”

  ”Alright, that's enough bullshit for now." Jack shoved his phone into his pocket as he fumbled for words. "Let's forget about the fancy blazers and the shiny pins for a mome
nt."

  "Jack, calm down!" Candy warned, tightening the scarf around her head in a frenzy.

  “No, Candy, this is horse shit!" Jack raised his voice as he stood up. “He’s been here for over a month now and all he has to show for it is a lousy pin?!” He rubbed his temples, lowering his face to the floor. Then he leered at Kyle. “He can stay here for as long as he needs. I'll pay any amount, but I just want to know that his little soldier isn't giving Private Marco Polo over here the full salute!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Alex.

  Mr. O' Brian shot Jimmy a look of disbelief, and Jimmy returned it. He could see in his father's eyes that he wanted to stand up to Jack—to somehow get involved. However, before he could make a move, Jimmy slowly shook his head, reminding him that they would be risking their cover being blown.

  Alex's parents both shot a worried look to each other. Clearly, Jack had said something about their son, and they would not stand for it. They focused their attention on Jack with a hatred in their eyes as though they were conjuring the Devil himself. They stood in unison, blurting out Spanish profanities as they waved their arms frantically in the air.

  "Yeah, yeah, si, si, lady,” Jack taunted with a mocking facial expression.

  “Please, let's just relax for a moment." Mr. Pierce pleaded in his usual, calm tone. Then he faced Kyle's father with a confused expression. "Do you all know each other?" He inquired obliviously, glancing back and forth between Kyle and Alex’s parents.

  Jack whipped around, focusing his attention on his wife. Candy slid downwards in her chair, shoulders sinking in. Her hand covered her face as her thin fingers blocked her vision.

  "I could have sworn I mentioned it during orientation.” Candy began to defend herself.

  "Candy!" Jack spat in frustration.

  “Oh, this is a problem," Mr. Pierce acknowledged, facing the ground.

  "Damn right, it's a problem!" Jack warned.

  "We're going to have to get you two re-assigned to separate rooms immediately." Mr. Pierce signaled to Kyle and Alex.

  Jack was livid. He turned bright red instantly as the words spewed from his mouth. "You mean to tell me you have a couple shacking up together like a husband and husband? Just what the hell kind of place are you running here, Clive?"

  Mr. Pierce lowered his gaze to the floor like a dog with its tail between its legs. "I can honestly say I had no idea. But I promise, I will fix this, Jack."

  Jack lowered his voice, just enough so that he wasn’t yelling. "I'm going to say this once." He shifted his heed to Kyle, who had no choice but to look him dead in the eye with a solemn expression. "The only thing that's keeping me from yanking you out of this circus is my disgust for this—disease that's somehow gotten into you. Nobody else in the family has it. YOU brought this into our family. I don’t care how, but you're not leaving until you find a way to get rid of it, understood?"

  Kyle nodded, tears welling up in his eyes.

  Jimmy felt terrible for the guy. He didn't particularly mesh well with Kyle during his stay so far, but the shame on his face was enough to tug at his heartstrings like a pincer. He recognized the feeling when he feared he would be rejected on his way out of the closet. He watched Alex translate what was happening in Spanish to his parents. From the look on their tranquil faces, Jimmy wondered just how much Alex communicated was fact and how much was fiction.

  “Alright, then,” Mr. Pierce removed his hands from his face and stood in the center of the circle. He clasped his hands together, trying his best to hide his wounds from the prior squabble. “Let's move on. Jimmy?"

  Jimmy and his father exchanged the same, disturbed glance. A moment of awkward silence passed before they finally nodded to one another and opened up to the class.

  After a drag of an afternoon, all the boys and their parents had spilled their guts. Jimmy and his father lied their way through the session with utmost ease despite the trauma of the altercation they previously witnessed. When it had come time to depart, none of the parents seemed to be satisfied from the way they left things, but Mr. Pierce assured that they were in good hands.

  Jimmy watched as Kyle's father stormed out to the car, Candy romping after him. She turned to blow her son a kiss before ducking her head delicately into the passenger side. Alex's parents squished him into a group hug before disappearing into their large, green van in which they drove up in.

  Jimmy could not help but notice the tension that had formed between Alex and Kyle. They stood, a world apart, as if they knew the apocalypse was near. Their own personal hell was coming—being separated from one another.

  As Jimmy grew more distracted, he was startled when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Mr. O' Brian led his son to the side entrance of the school, out of view. He had a concerned expression on his face as he spoke.

  "Jimmy? You know I didn't mean any of that in there, right?"

  "Of course,” Jimmy assured. Although he had to admit to himself, some of the things his father had divulged seemed to naturally roll off his tongue. He wondered if he really meant some of those things he laid out on the table. What if his father was ashamed, even just a little bit, but he was too nice of a guy to ever mention it? Jimmy then felt a horrible pain in his stomach, as if recalling a familiar nightmare from his past.

  "I am very proud of you, son. Remember that every time they try to tell you otherwise here, okay?"

  Jimmy felt like a perfect ass. Here, his father was encouraging him, and all he could think about was the negative. Even if his father did have a fleeting thought of shame, or even a twinge of embarrassment, at least he didn’t act upon it. At least he could still feel loved and supported. Deep down, Jimmy knew that fathers like his own were few and far between. And although a lot of the time he could admit that he took it for granted, at this very moment, he didn't have a doubt that his father was telling the truth.

  "Thanks, dad. That means a lot, really.” Jimmy weakly smiled.

  Mr. O' Brian embraced his son in a hug and then patted him on the head as if he were five years old again. "Now, I have something for you."

  “Oh, yeah?" Jimmy asked, surprised.

  "It's not much, but it's something I saved up for." He reached into his coat pocket and retrieved a small black device that appeared to be a USB drive, but Jimmy knew the true purpose of the small, valuable object. "It'll help you with the job."

  "Impressive!" Jimmy raved. “By ‘saved up’, you mean charged the credit card, right?” he half-joked.

  “Ha! Exactly…” Mr. O’ Brian admitted.

  He watched his father go through a few of these devices in the past. Mr. O' Brian wasn't the most coordinated man. Whenever he inevitably lost one of his covert mini-recorders, Jimmy remembered long days to which they said goodbye to take-out food and hello to microwave dinners. It was an undeniably expensive device, so Jimmy’s first inclination was to refuse the generous gift.

  “I can already see it in your face, and don’t worry, Jimmy.” Mr. O’ Brian asserted. “This gem will prove well over its worth when you start putting it to good use.”

  Jimmy’s stomach dropped. He had always wanted this exact recorder, ever since he had decided he wanted to venture into the family business of journalism. But he couldn’t help but feel guilty once again.

  Rather than keep his father any longer, Jimmy gave him another hug and sent him on his way.

  “Remember, Jimmy, if you ever want to come home, I’m only a phone call away.”

  “Thanks, dad,” Jimmy smiled.

  A few moments later, Mr. O’ Brian’s car disappeared over the hill and into the trees. Jimmy was left with the same nagging thoughts as he clutched onto the recording device tightly in his grip. The pressure was beginning to settle in. He wanted nothing more than to catch all of the scandals as they unfolded and shut down the school completely. But if the group session had taught him one thing, it was that every situation was unique. Every single one of the ‘lost boys’ was in an appalling situation, yet they all seemed to carry t
he same fate. He thought Kyle and Alex had it bad, but what about Mason and Jake? Their families didn't even show up at all.

  Then Jimmy’s mind spiraled in a direction he clearly wasn’t ready for—Mason and Jake. All this time they had been spending together, doing God knows what. The thoughts churned, manifesting into physical pain, and Jimmy soon couldn’t take it anymore.

  He pocketed the device and rushed into the Academy, desperate to put a stop to whatever was happening between the two. He didn’t know if anything was really happening at all, but he was not about to take that chance.

  Chapter Five

  -MASON-

  Mason lifted the screen of a laptop and clicked the internet icon at the top left corner. The signal was shoddy, so he clicked a few more times, hoping it would open. He was never good with computers. Growing up in the age of technology in a first world country, he had no excuse, and he knew that. He was much too embarrassed to ask for help, so when he heard footsteps behind him, he immediately propped himself up in his chair and stared at the screen, pretending he was typing.

  “Hey, Mace," Jake entered the office. "Getting ready for your chat?"

  “Yeah," Mason stated, glued to the blank screen. He could see the confused expression planted on Jake's face from the corner of his eye, cocked to the side through the reflection of the monitor. He knew he had to distract him somehow. "Wasn't yours right before mine?" Mason spun around in the rolling chair.

  "Nah, it was supposed to be after."

  “Oh," Mason replied. Then it clicked. “Wait, did you say, after?"

  Jake played with the short part of his hair in the back of his head and peered to the floor. "Yeah, well about that...it was supposed to be after. But, my parents are in the middle of filming."

  "What's that like?" Mason blurted out, intrigued.

  "It has its moments." Jake fully entered into the room, taking a seat casually next to Mason. "It's a lot of fun at times. And sometimes it sucks."

  "Sounds glamorous…" Mason shrugged.

  "Hah!" Jake scoffed.