In A Different Time

Chapter 22

We walked hand in hand around town. James showed me all the places he used to love going as a kid and also his mother's favorite place to eat and dance. I was only giving him half of my attention while the other half was still reeling the nickname he gave me. It was the first time he ever called me that.

In this situation, I think I'm the only one who's overthinking about this. James acts like nothing happened. He moved forward and started leading me away; ignoring the stupefied stares from his sperm donor and family. Martin and George on the other hand looked sort of pleased. I still don't know why they would be pleased in the first place.

When James and I went into town, he kept holding my hand. The only time he would let go of my hand is when he would buy food and drinks for us or when fans approached him and asked for an autograph. People in town were awestruck. They couldn't believe a famous celebrity was in their town and actually grew up here. The good thing about this is they didn't hound him. They were admiring him from afar and the fans also kept their distance. It's nice to see they're being respectful about his personal space.

I enjoyed hearing stories about his childhood as he pointed out the fond memories he had in this town. Despite what he experienced, he treasured those precious moments. You could see it in his eyes as it brightens when he has a story to tell.

"I have one more place I want to show you." James said while finishing his sandwich

"Where is it?" I asked; taking the last bite of my sandwich.

"It's not far from here. Come on."

Once again, he took my hand in his. I don't know if he realized this but I'm not complaining which is also a concern. I have to remember he's in a relationship. People are going to talk and I don't want to cause his bad reputation. But, the selfish part of me doesn't want to let go of his hand. So, maybe once we return back to California, I have to draw the line for his sake.

He led me to this huge lot and I knew what this place was. This is James' high school. There was a picture of him in his teen years with his classmates and teachers from his autobiography. The photo was bought from some guy named Lloyed Miller. It was featured in his autobiography and documentaries.

It was a two story red brick building. You could see teens hanging around with their respective group. I imagine James doing what teenagers do at this time. Did he also like to lie on the grass? How many friends did he have? Is he Mr. Popular and what's his extracurricular? The media wasn't able to document much about his school life. I'm grateful to be able to learn more about him and not just relying on the sources I have back home.

"Come on, there's a shortcut here that leads to the field. Don't want any crowd hounding us before you could see it." he grinned and led me towards the bushes.

"Okay, there are a lot of bushes and trees. Great place to hide a body. No one would suspect a thing. It would probably take months to discover it and there wouldn't be much evidence." I joked.

He playfully rolled his eyes. "I don't know where you get these ideas from. Your mind is very imaginative and it's a little scary."

I got it from watching true crime documentaries. If only you knew that's not even the most scary part. I internally thought.

There was a small path when we passed the bushes. He continued on leading me. I could hear yelling and whistles blowing from afar. As we got closer towards the noise, I could see teenage boys running on the field with a football in their arms.

"This is my favorite place in school. I used to play football back then and not to brag but I was a pretty good player." he said proudly. "Have you seen football before?"