Title: Supporting Katie, Part 4
Author: Tarabeth
Characters: Katie, Syd, Chris, Verge, Jamie, Claire and Mitch
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I was curled up on the couch watching Talk Soup, on Saturday morning, when Jamie came rolling into the house. He had said he was spending the night at a friend’s house, but he looked as if he had spent the night in a bar. This did not go unnoticed by Syd.
“Hi Ma,” Jamie said as he made his way to the refrigerator. He withdrew a cartoon of orange juice and drank straight from the carton.
“James,” Syd growled, “you have ten minutes to get yourself showered and get back out here to discuss your recent behavior.”
Jamie emerged from the bathroom. I heard him draw out a bar stool and sit down at the kitchen counter.
It was like a train wreck, neither Syd nor Jamie would be able to see me from the kitchen counter where they were talking. I should have gotten up and excused myself, but I didn’t want to embarrass Jamie, so I just stayed quiet and stayed put.
“How old are you?” Syd asked him.
“19,” Jamie mumbled.
“And what is the legal drinking age in the state of California?” she asked.
“21,” he mumbled.
Oh, this was so not going to end well.
“Would you mind telling me where you have been spending your afternoons this week?” she asked him.
That was weird, it was unlike Syd to change the subject mid-lecture.
“Yes,” Jamie mumbled.
“Let’s try that again, young man. Where have you been spending your afternoons this week?” she demanded.
“On the trail,” Jamie replied.
My heart sank.
“Doing what?” Syd asked.
“Looking for him, wanting to catch him, needing to hurt him,” Jamie’s voice trailed off.
My heart broke.
I could hear muffled sobs. I am not sure if Jamie had buried his head in his hands or if Syd was hugging him.
“Shh, baby,” I could hear Syd trying to sooth him.
When Jamie had calmed down, Syd said, “Come on Jamie, I think we need to go discuss your underage drinking.”
“Maaaaaaaa,” Jamie whined.
“Young man, in this family, breaking the law is going to get you a sore bottom,” Syd informed him. “Come on, let’s get it over with.”
“No,” Jamie said.
Oh, Jame.
“Excuse me?” Syd questioned him.
“I am too old to be spanked,” Jamie answered.
Um, has he met his mother?
“James, your ride back to school, tomorrow, is already going to be an uncomfortable one. I suggest you stop arguing with me, go get my hairbrush off of my dresser and get your fanny into your bedroom.”
“I’m not going back to school tomorrow. I need to be here,” Jamie said in a small whisper.
“No, you don’t. Your being here is not healthy for you, and if Katie knew that you were dealing with this by getting drunk and spending hours out of everyday, endangering yourself by hanging out on that trail, it would break her heart,” Syd lectured.
Tears began to roll down my cheeks.
I heard Jamie quietly crying.
“For both you and Katie, you need to go back to school,” she told him. “Now, come on let’s get this over with.”
The room was quiet for a minute and then I heard a loud swat.
“Move it, kiddo,” Syd said, before I heard another loud swat.
I heard the door to Jamie’s room close, and I got up to go down stairs and out of hearing range. But it was not quick enough, because as I passed Jamie’s door, I heard Syd say, “Jeans and underwear down,” and then came the sound of Syd’s hand swatting his bare bottom. I winced for my friend, for the sweet young man who wanted to be my knight in shining amour. He was in so much pain over not being able to rescue me.
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I sat in the stairway until I heard Syd leave Jamie’s room. I turned to get up to go back to Syd’s flat.
Just as I got to the door Syd opened it and pulled me into a big hug, “He’s all yours,” she said sending me towards his door with a firm swat, “That’s for eavesdropping.”
I tried to rub the sting from my bottom, “I wasn’t…” I began.
She raised her hand in preparation for landing another swat, and I quickly turned my backside away from her and backed into Jamie’s room. I entered the room backwards and closed the door as soon as I was inside.
I heard Jamie sniffle, “Ma, please go away. I just want to be alone.”
“It’s me Jame,” I said.
He raised his head up, “Why are YOU rubbing your butt?” He asked.
“Why AREN’T you rubbing your's?” I asked back.
His face turned very red, but he gave me a small smile. “How do you know?” he said, rubbing tears from his eyes.
I crawled onto his bed so that we were looking at one another. “I was on the couch,” I told him.
“The whole time?” he whispered.
I nodded, and we both broke out in tears.
“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, I just wanted to catch him for you. I wanted you to be safe,” he cried.
“I have to tell you something,” I became very serious. “I’m not sure if it’s going to make any sense, so I will just say it. I think you did save me,” I told him.
Jamie gave me a confused look.
“You were the first man I was with, maybe the only man I will ever be with consensually, because of you I know that sex with a man can be tender and loving. I will always have that knowledge because of you,” I told him.
Jamie’s tears began to fall again.
“I know that rationally what he did to me wasn’t sex, but some how, some way, what he did feels like it would have been worse if you hadn’t been my first,” I said, as I gently stroked his face. “So, you see, you did save me.”
We laid there quietly for a long time, at some point I rolled over so that we were spooning.
Jamie broke the silence, “You’re not supposed to be making me feel better,” he said rubbing snot onto his sleeve.
I turned over, to face him and gave him a small smile, “Oh, okay then, tell me the dirty details of where you were and what you were doing that caused this morning’s butt roasting.”
He blushed, “I went out drinking.”
“Duh,” I said. “Where?”
He blushed again.
“The End Up,” he whispered.
“THE END UP?!” I questioned.
“Shhhh,” he said. “I think I am gay.”
“Duh,” my hand quickly covered my mouth. Woops, I didn’t mean to say that out loud.
Jamie’s face turned red, “What do you mean, ‘Duh’?” he asked.
“Um, I kind of knew that,” I told him.
Jamie blushed. “ I don’t understand.”
“It’s called gaydar Jame,” I informed him with a smile. “Yours will increase with time…yours has been a bit skewed,” I laughed, “because as a gay boy, you are supposed to like other gay boys, not gay girls,” I said, emphasizing my point by poking my finger in his chest.
He snorted, “Ummm, I think you’re a little skewed yourself. As a lesbian you're not supposed to have sex with boys,” he said, poking me back on the shoulder.
We both giggled.
“Mmmm, it smells like your mom is making us breakfast. Come on let’s go,” I said pulling him to his feet.
Jamie groaned.
“What’s your problem, college boy, I would think you would love a home cooked breakfast, especially one of your mothers.”
He made a face and rubbed his butt, “It just always seems like she makes a big family meal, that I have to SIT through, right after she has spanked me.”
I laughed. “You’ll live tough guy,” I told him, as I took hold of his hand and walked him into the kitchen.
Claire and Chris were sitting at the table drinking coffee and juice; while Syd, Mitch and Verge were in the kitchen frying up bacon, making waffles, scrambling eggs, and toasting bread.
I sat down on Chris’s lap and gave him a good morning hug and kiss.
Jamie looked sadly down at the kitchen chair and said, “I think I’ll see what I can help with.”
Syd pulled Jamie into hug and whispered something into his ear that elicited a large smile. “Why don’t you slice the fruit Jamie, there’s melon and berries in the fridge,” she told him.
The feast was soon laid out on the table and we began to dig in.
“Jame, what time are you leaving to go back to school?” Chris asked.
Jamie looked at Syd, “I still don’t know why I need to go back to school, Verge isn’t going back.”
Tears welled in my eyes and quickly left the table in tears.
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Copyright TBL 2008
