Take Me Beyond Me (boyxboy)

~3~

Pic of Kaleb & Kane Neisse (Kaleb on your left)

~Shane's POV~

I parked my motorcycle in my driveway and got out of it. I saw my Mom's Nissan there, which meant she didn't go to work today. She didn't go to work yesterday either; was something wrong? I swung the door open. "Mom, I'm... home."

She was sitting down on the couch with a mug in her hand, and a man next to her. He was stroking his dog's majestic golden fur.

"Oh, hey baby. How was school?" Mom set her mug down. I just stared at the man, who had a very calm aura.

"Honey, this is Ryan-"

"Mom, kitchen. Please." I interrupted, walking straight into the kitchen. I didn't intend to be rude but I couldn't take it. I heard Mom sigh and excuse herself before joining me in the kitchen.

"Shane, sweetie-"

"Really, Mom?" I interrupted. "First Steven, then Tom, Anthony, now Ryan?"

"I know, baby, but Ryan's -"

"Don't say different. You always say that. Wait two months and there'll be yet another 'different' guy." I huffed. "Look, Mom... I get that you're tryna move on from Dad and there's nothing wrong with that. But one guy every 2-3 months isn't gonna do that for you."

My father used to be Mom's life. He died five years ago (when I was 12) after being brutally stabbed and shot by his lunatic brother, who killed himself after realizing what he had done. Dad was my life, too. For all these years Mom and I were no different from dead people. We hated life; we wanted out, but we tried to remain strong for each other. That was until she decided to date Steven and other guys. I hated every man she's ever been with because for some reason I felt like she betrayed Dad. There was no way I could be strong anymore, so when I first truly noticed Jace, when I paid attention to him... it changed me. He changed me.

Dramatic, I know.

"Shane?" Mom's voice jolted me back to earth. I raised my eyebrows.

"Yes?"

"What's that?" She was staring at a scar peeking out from under my sleeve. She shoved up my sleeve and gasped at the sight of two fresh cuts on my arm. I stared at the counter. Okay, so maybe I slipped up again, but it was just a moment of weakness.

"Look at me," Mom urged, tears in her eyes. "Your father is gone and he isn't coming back, baby. We can't live in agony forever. I need you to be strong, and I'm always going to be here for you, Shane. I understand you don't approve of Ryan or any man I've been with for that matter, but if I could just find the right person who can be another father to you, then I'd do just that in a heartbeat. I don't want you to feel left out on a chance of having a man you can trust and look up to in your life as you get older." Mom sighed. "I don't want you to harm yourself. You should go to the therapy I told you about. It could help." She kissed my cheek. "Please, Shane. Everything will be okay, I promise."

"I can't go to therapy. I don't want to talk about my dad to anybody."

"Then talk to me at least."

"Who's Ryan, mom?" I asked after some silence. She quickly cleared up her throat.

"I met him a week ago. He's a newbie at my job, and we became friends. We're not dating, baby. It's way too early for all that-"

"It's also way too early to bring him into our home!" I whispered. She knew I hated it when strangers came over. It bugged me, especially ever since Dad died, because this was my shell in a way. No one except family should be allowed in it.

"Well, baby... I saw him walking his dog around here when I was getting the mail, so I invited him in for a drink. Honestly, he looked like he needed one. We talked, only for me to find out he lives next door! Well, across us, anyway." Mom smiled brightly.

I let out a breath. "Dammit," I muttered. Does this mean that once they start dating, because I know they will, this man would be coming over like nobody's business? He just had to live across us!

"He called me beautiful!" Mom squealed.

I found myself chuckling, which was surprising. Mom was never this happy about any of her ex boyfriends. Could this be a sign? "Listen, Mom, if you really like him, don't let me hold you back. You deserve every bit of love a man has to offer."

She smiled. "Oh, baby..." she embraced me. "I love you no matter what any man has to offer."

~Jace~

I was at the twins' house along with Nolan. Kaleb, Kane, and I were playing video games while Nolan busied himself with a book. Total jock-nerd. I knew I should've been studying but I just decided to wait for Shane to call.

I gave up the game and sat upright on the couch, checking my phone for any mixed calls or texts... particularly from Shane. Damn, I was getting all worked up about him being my tutor now; it was a funny feeling, one which I wasn't familiar with.

A few minutes later, I got a text from him.
Shane - Hi, Jace, you there?
Me - yeah, I'm here
Shane - oh, good. I didn't wanna call in case you were somewhere important.

I couldn't help but smile at his thoughtfulness. Okay, so he was a considerate person. That was probably all I knew about him.

Me - no, I'm just over Kaleb's. So when do we start?
Shane - whenever you're ready, but I was thinking maybe 5 :30?
Me - alright, just text me your address.
Shane- wait I was thinking your place
Me- bad idea. Maybe somewhere quiet. Library?

He didn't text me back and that left me wondering what I did wrong.

~Shane~

I sighed and threw my phone across my bed. I didn't want him to come over my house, only to see how much of a broken person I was. He'd judge me. I looked over at my father's picture sitting on my bedside dresser.

"I miss you, Dad. Can't you come back? Even for a little while?" I tried not to let the sadness overwhelm me as I whispered the words he always told me. "Can you at least try? You always told me to try." I felt tears in my eyes but I didn't blink them away. I just gazed at the piano near the corner of my room. It used to be his. Ours.

"I can't get it right!" I whined, folding my arms and pouting like the child I was. I was eleven, sitting at the piano with my dad. He gave me a warm smile.

"Yeah, you can, tiger. Come on, one more time."

I sighed and positioned my fingers against the keys. I played a couple notes well until I messed up on that lower part again.

"Ugh!" I gave up. "I can't do it, Dad."

Dad laughed and pulled me in closer. "You know, Shane, I couldn't play that song for the life of me a couple years back. But you know what my dad always taught me?"

"What?" I asked.

"Try. Things don't happen overnight, tiger, and I'm sure you know that. You could wanna become a singer, a doctor, or the president! But if you don't try, you don't fail. And if you don't fail, you'll never know what it takes to succeed. Failure teaches you what you're doing wrong, so you can learn to do what's right."

"So...me messing up on this song could be a good thing?" My tone sounded really confused. Nonetheless my dad laughed.

"Yes, and I'm so proud of you. The piano is a beautiful instrument. And this one is yours."

I smiled. "Ours," I corrected.

"Yeah. Ours." I gave him a knuckle-touch before playing some more notes. I heard my dad whisper his usual 'I love you tiger' into my hair.

I sighed and laid down. "I love you, too, Dad."

A/N
By the way, they live in Raleigh, North Carolina. For future record, Greensboro is another city in NC.