The Thing About Samuel

Chapter Twenty-Four - Jason

Jason - May 2003

'Come on Jason, it's only one weekend. What's the worst that can happen?' Annabelle smiled from her desk, taking a brief pause from her latest article that sat open on her laptop.
​Jason shrugged. 'I dunno, it's just Ryan isn't it.'
​'And what's wrong with Ryan?'
​Jason moved to perch on the edge of Annabelle's bed and took her hand. 'He's just Ryan. You know what he's like, especially with me.'
​'Oh, shush. I know he's a bit much sometimes, but he just likes you. He knows you're mine really.' She kissed his hand then, giggling, turned back to her notebook whilst squeezing her lips as she always did when she was thinking what to write next.
​'True.'
​Jason let out a deep sigh as he fell backwards onto the bed and let Annabelle's plush duvet encase the back of his head up to his ears. As he stared at the artex ceiling, Jason pondered what he should do. He could pretend he had an important football match and get out of going to the Lake District with Ryan and his friends, but Annabelle never missed a match of Jason's. Whether she had a deadline or not. So, that wouldn't work...
​What was the worst that could happen? He knew the answer to that, of course. The guilt following the incident in the writing shed had been hanging over Jason for nine months now. And he had found the easiest way not to think about it was to avoid Ryan at all costs and focus on him and Annabelle. But every time Ryan happened to turn up, for even the briefest of moments, Jason's mind would flitter back to the writing shed. Annabelle's writing shed, where Ryan had kissed Jason.
​'Look, I can see you're trying to think of some reason not to go.' Annabelle laughed as she swung her chair round back to face Jason on the bed.
She knew him all too well by now. Jason propped himself up on his elbow to face her.
'I've got to finish this article if I've any hope of submitting a story for consideration in the Surrey Starlight. You go on the Boys camping trip and I'll be right here waiting when you get back with no distractions.' She nodded to her desk, and then leaned forward and pecked Jason's lips.
'But it's one of Ryan's friends stag do. Why do I have to go?'
'Because him and my dad are going and they both invited you. Please, Jase. This will gain you massive Brownie points with my dad, too.'
Jason went to protest but then closed his lips and nodded. She was right; she always was. And the one thought that always entered his mind whenever Annabelle mentioned her dad was his own dad, and just how busy Mr. Roberts' recommendations had kept his dad's business since they had completed their garden. Though he was sure it shouldn't make a difference if Jason did upset Annabelle's dad in any way, even in the slightest, he was all too aware that Mr. Roberts possessed the social standing to quickly end that flow of work for his dad.
'You'll be fine,' Annabelle smiled. 'I'll miss you.'
Jason returned her optimistic grin. 'I'll miss you, too.'

'Hey Jase.' Mr. Roberts' tall frame was already clad in a thick mountain coat and cargo trousers even though they had a six or so hour drive yet to endure on the minibus up to the Lake District. 'You can sit with Ryan; I'll be up front with Mr. Halliway.' Jason grinned as Mr. Roberts watched him and Ryan greet each other with a hug.
​Jason had met Mr. Roberts and Ryan at a local sports club near the Roberts' home. Apparently, this is where Mr. Roberts had once played Hockey along with Mr. Halliway and now it was Mr. Halliway's son that was getting married this year. Their idea of a stag do had been to arrange a camping trip to the Lake District. 'A weekend where none of the girls could get hold of them' is how Mr. Halliway had already described the excursion. Jason couldn't think of anything worse.
​'We'll be setting off soon I reckon, make sure you put your bags on the back of the bus.' With that, Mr. Roberts moved over to another tall and rather well-to-do looking man, that Jason assumed was Mr. Halliway, and he was left alone with Ryan.
​'Thanks for coming,' Ryan said as together they started to move round the van to the open doors at the back.
​'So, do you know any of this lot then?' Jason asked.
​'Only him.' Ryan nodded over to where Mr. Roberts and Mr. Halliway were stood in conversation. 'Jack Halliway.'
​Next to him stood a tall, muscular built man about the same age as him and Ryan. His hair was pressed beneath a bobble hat but just a wave of jet-black hair swept over his forehead. His jaw was sharp and lined with neatly kept stubble, and his smile showed perfect teeth. More so than Jason had ever seen.
​'He's fit, isn't he?'
​Jason shook his head and focussed on putting his bag in the back of the minibus which already emanated a scent that hinted this bus had been used numerous times to transport sports teams to and from events; a mix of dried mud and sweat.
​'Come on, Jase. Surely we can at least joke about this kind of stuff?' Ryan pleaded.
Jason could feel his breathing getting heavier, weighted with a slight annoyance that Ryan was already starting with all of this crap. Three days, and two nights of this was what Jason now had to endure.
'No, Ryan. No, we can't. I'm with Annabelle.'
'So... that doesn't change who you are. You can always like both,' He shrugged in a carefree manner.
Jason snapped his eyes to Ryan, and then shook his head. 'Whatever. Look, we're stuck together for this weekend whatever happens now so let's just try and find a way to get along, shall we?'
'Hey, it's not me that has the problem.' Ryan's grin was always cheeky, and as he walked around to the side of the minibus Jason found himself frustrated with what he had just heard.
In a way, Ryan was being his usual self, but in another, Jason found himself getting annoyed as in the slightest of ways, he was right. No. This wasn't fair. Jason loved Annabelle. What happened last year wasn't going to happen again. He looked to Jack Halliway.
Something about his frame seemed more grown up than himself, or Ryan. Perhaps he was older? He was handsome, that was true. And he looked like he kept himself in good shape. A prickle of excitement ran down his back. Jason clenched his fists as if fighting back the urge to admit he liked what he-
-No!
As if he had noticed Jason's awkward realisation, Jack Halliway's eyes shifted to him. Jason quickly nodded, and then started to move towards the side of the van. Jack frowned, and then smiled with his lips pressed together.
Jason hastily hopped into the van and along a three-seater bench next to Ryan who already occupied the window seat.
'I think we're all here now. Let's get going lads!' Mr. Halliway cheered.
​'Brilliant. Let's get this party started,' Mr. Roberts chimed along.
Mr. Halliway's voice was somewhat less royal sounding than Mr. Roberts' and he couldn't help but notice that Mr. Roberts did adjust his responses somewhat to be seemingly more, well, normal which made Jason laugh.
​'Not quite the posh toff you're used to, eh?' Ryan whispered.
​Jason scoffed. 'I don't think I've ever heard your uncle say anything like 'let's get this party started'.'
​'I bet he was a bit of a wild one in his day. Tamed by my Auntie.'
​Jason laughed. 'Hardly! Your auntie always looks scared to death of him. I don't blame her, mind.'
​The bus troop was made up of Mr. Roberts, Mr. Halliway, Jack Halliway, and then a few of Jack's friends who all sat behind Jason and Ryan. They didn't make much effort in the first hour of the drive to include him or Ryan which meant they were left to stare out the window, or rather the front of the minibus to avoid leaning across Ryan.
​Jason noticed how young Ryan looked now set alongside Jack Halliway and his bunch of mates. It was almost as if by being excluded from the banter being thrown around in the back of the bus, they were becoming 'the other two boys' and in that, Jason found an innocence in Ryan. He, too, was alone. Jason observed Ryan as he stared out of the window; the rolling hills of Surrey flashing through Ryan's glassy eyes, the youthfulness of his soft skin running from his cheeks, over his little nose, and down to his lips. The wave of motion as he breathed, and his lips opened gently, and then closed as his chest rested somewhere beneath his thick hoodie.
​'What are you staring at?'
​Jason suddenly found Ryan's round, warm eyes beaming directly into his.
​'Nothing. Sorry.'
​'Mmhmm. It's going to be a long weekend if you don't talk to me, you know?' Ryan jested before propping his head on his hand and looking back out of the window.
​
Every twenty miles or so the driver, Mr. Halliway, had called back to see if anyone needed to go to the loo and Jason and Ryan had been masking laughter when they heard Mr. Roberts ask if anyone needed a 'piss'. It wasn't until they reached the border of the Lake District and where signal would quickly start to disappear from their mobile phones that they all agreed a pitstop was needed.
​The service station was simple, offering a coffee shop, some kind of sandwich counter that also served jacket potatoes, and also a games area with a restricted section to one side. And opposite was a book shop, newsagents, and the toilets.
​'Last stop lads before the campsite so if there's any last bits you want to take with you, make sure you grab them now. We leave in ten minutes.'
​'T-Minus ten minutes,' Mr. Roberts jokingly added, and Mr. Halliway jovially clapped his hand to his back before they dispersed inside the services.
​'I might go give Annabelle one last ring on those payphones,' Jason nodded to his mobile phone. 'Battery is dead on this thing.'
​'Already missing her are we? Cute,' Ryan sighed, and then moved off to the book shop.
​Jason shrugged, and then headed over to the phones. He pulled out his wallet and placed a few spare coins into the slot before dialling the number for the Roberts household.
​'Hello, Roberts residence.'
​It always made Jason realise just how different his and Annabelle's worlds were when he rang their landline and even his girlfriend answered the phone with 'Roberts residence'. Jason's mum and dad always answered the phone with suspicion and a round of 'I'm not expecting a call, are you?' and 'Might it be Deborah?' from his dad to his mum.
​'Jase?' Annabelle added after his pause and slight laugh down the phone. 'I know it's you! You laugh every time.'
​'Sorry!'
​'How's it going? You and Ryan getting along okay?'
​'We're fine. I miss you already. Mr. Halliway said this is the last time we'll have signal or anything on the phones, so I don't reckon you'll hear from me until Sunday when we're on our way back now.'
​'I miss you too. It's weird. You've only been away a few hours, and I know I said you should go, but I think this is the first time where if I wanted to see you, I can't. At least until Sunday.'
​They shared a laugh.
​'Listen, there's something I want to tell you, but I want to do it in person.' Annabelle spoke quietly, and Jason felt inclined to almost whisper into the phone too.
​She giggled, and Jason felt his insides tingle as the sound of her voice tickled his eardrum.
​'Go on, tell me?' Jason coaxed.
​'No! I can't. I need to tell you in person.'
​'Come on, Annabelle. Give me a hint? It'll give me something to look forward to on Sunday!'
​'Maybe,' she started. 'Well...'
​'Well...?'
'No, I can't. It has to be in person. You'll have to wait until Sunday!'
'Annabelle! Well, I'm going to give you all the kisses on Sunday. Can't wait to see you already.'
​'Can't wait to see you already!' a mocking voice appeared behind him.
​'Is that Ryan?' Annabelle asked.
​'Of course,' Jason grumbled.
​She giggled. 'Well it is a lad's weekend, I guess! Go and enjoy, Jase. I'll see you on Sunday and I'll be thinking of you until then. And by then I'll hopefully have finished this article, so it'll just be you, me, and snuggles on my bed. Miss you. Bye.' She then blew kisses down the phone and Jason felt his cheeks flush a little.
​'I'll be counting down to Sunday. Can't wait. Good luck with your writing.'
​'Good luck with Ryan. And say hi to my dad!'
​The phone beeped as the timer ran out, and he placed the handset back onto the phone.
​'You two are just sickeningly adorable, aren't you?'
​Jason turned to see Ryan chewing on a bag of Haribo and perched on a stool from the café behind them. He gently swivelled himself side to side as he eyed Jason.
​'Shut up. Did you get me anything then?' Jason asked as he leaned forward and plunged his hand into Ryan's bag of sweets, pulling out a foamy love-heart shaped sweet and popping it into his mouth.
​'I got us a few things.' The way that Ryan raised his eyebrows made Jason feel on edge, but what could he possibly bring to a weekend where they were likely to be stuck in a tent with several of Jack Halliway's mates. At least there would be other people there to distract Jason from Ryan, and hopefully put a few people between them if he needed it.
​Jason sighed. Sunday couldn't come quick enough.
​'Do you know what the plan is when we get to the campsite?'
​Ryan shrugged. 'I think we're climbing some mountain, then probably drinking and eating a lot. There's some village pub or something that's meant to be banging.' He nodded to Jack and his mates with a laugh. 'And with all these straight lads and that amount of beer who knows what'll happen!' he winked.
Jason felt an unease tremble in his stomach.
​'We all ready, Halliway clan?'
​'Oh, we're a clan now!' Ryan hopped off his stool cheerfully.
​'Seems so!' Jason laughed, nervously.
​Ryan placed his arm around Jason.
​'Only an hour left now until we share a tent with all these boys. Bet you can't wait!'
​'Sod off, Ryan,' Jason grumbled, as he shoved Ryan's arm from his shoulders.
​