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What Is and What Should Never Be	By : OpenPage Category: 1 through F > 21 Jump Street Views: 1336 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own 21JS or the characters. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. All characters and events in this story are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is coincidental.

Chapter List
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As the bus slowly pulled into the small terminus, Booker opened his eyes. Looking out of the window, he realized that it was now morning. Giving Tom a gentle shake, he got up and stretched out his tired, aching body as Tom grunted next to him. Laughing, he placed a hand on Tom’s head and ruffled his hair. “C’mon sleepy head, we’re here.”
Tom groaned as he pulled his cramped legs out from underneath him and stood up. The coach had emptied quickly and the boys gathered up their belongings and walked down the aisle and out into the cold morning air. Tom shrugged into his coat and buttoned it up before tying his bandanna around his head. As he stood stamping his feet in an attempt to keep warm, Booker waited patiently for their bags to be unloaded. Each boy now had a new second hand holdall and several extra articles of clothing. They felt well equipped to begin their life afresh in a new town. Booker had strapped their hard-earned savings to his body. Living on the streets for three years made him cautious, especially when he was in unfamiliar surroundings. The last thing they needed was for someone to rob them and leave them with no money to live on. It could take several weeks for Booker to find work and consequently they needed the money to see them through that time.
Picking up the two bags, Booker wandered over to Tom who was rubbing his hands in an attempt to warm them. Dennis handed Tom his bag and indicated with a nod of his head towards the small, enclosed waiting area. “C’mon, let’s get inside and work out what we’re gonna do.”
Inside, several plastic seats lined the walls and a coffee vending machine sat in one corner. Booker took several coins out of his pocket and filled two cups with steaming black coffee. Looking over at Tom, he thought his lover looked lost and vulnerable. For a moment, Dennis began to doubt whether they were doing the right thing. They had traveled thousands of miles across the country and they were now in a strange town with nowhere to stay and no idea of how to make money. Glancing outside, he saw heavy snow falling from the dreary, leaden sky. It was colder than in the city they had left behind and a moment of panic squeezed at Booker’s chest. He had hoped to find some type of outside laboring work but he doubted there would be much on offer this time of year. All of a sudden, he realized that their plan was full of eventualities that they had not considered and the tightness in his chest increased. He took a deep calming breath as he tried to steady his shaking hands. He did not want Tom to see the fear and doubt in his eyes and start to question their decision. After all, they had only just arrived. Dennis smiled to himself and shook his head slightly. Nerves were getting the better of him. They had enough money to see them through for nearly a month if they were careful. As long as he kept enough money for return tickets if things did not work out as planned, everything would be all right.
Putting the worry out of his mind, he carried the two cups over to where Tom was sitting. As he handed one to his lover he studied Tom’s tired, pale face. The red, angry choke marks around Tom’s neck were once again visible now that he had loosened his coat. Booker felt anger course through his weary body but he pushed it down in an effort to remain calm. They were out of that situation now and he hoped that no one would ever again lay a hand on his beloved Tommy. Sitting down, he smiled at his lover as he blew gently on his scolding beverage in an effort to cool it down. “We need to come up with a last name if we’re gonna pretend to be brothers,” he whispered so the lone station guard sitting behind the ticket counter did not hear them.
Tom’s face lit up as a name immediately popped into his head. “How ‘bout Curtis?” he suggested, citing the surname of his favorite Outsider character.
Booker grinned back. “Dennis and Tommy Curtis… hmm, I like it. So the next thing is to find a place to stay.”
“What about him?” Tom nodded his head towards the station guard. “He could tell us where the cheapest place is.”
Booker studied the elderly guard for several minutes. He needed to be carefully about what information he divulged and to whom he told it to, as he did not want to raise any undue suspicions. Eventually, Tom’s obvious fatigue helped Booker to make his mind up. They needed a place to stay and they needed it now. Standing up, he wandered casually over to the ticketing booth. “Hi,” he greeted cheerfully. “I’m just wondering if you could tell me if there was a cheap place to stay in town. My brother’s had a long journey and we could really do with some rest.”
The elderly man looked up from his newspaper and scrutinized Dennis and Tom before answering, “How long you planning on staying?”
Using his most engaging smile, Booker replied, “A while I hope. I’m looking for work and I want to enroll my brother in school here.”
A deep scowl blackened Tom’s face. It was the first he had heard Booker mention that he wanted him to go back to school. As he rose to his feet and started to complain, Booker turned and shot him a look that told him to keep his mouth shut. Tom sat back down, his expression sullen as he gave Booker a furious look. He was outraged that Booker once again felt the need to treat him like a child. They were only ten months apart in age and yet Dennis always assumed the adult role. Tom began to feel that there might be a lot more that Booker had failed to discuss with him. He suddenly felt extremely alone. If he could not trust Booker, who could he trust?
The station guard scratched his head for a moment before replying, “You could try the Henderson’s place, they sometimes let out their converted barn to farmhands and the like. Don’t know if they’re looking for laborers but they’re real nice folks and they’ll treat you right.”
Dennis felt a huge burden lift from his shoulders. The Henderson farm sounded idyllic, especially if there was work on offer. “How far out of town is it?” he asked, trying hard to keep the excitement out of his voice.
The old man pondered for a moment. “About four mile, give or take. Fit young lads like yourselves should be able to walk it in no time, even with the snow.”
Booker grinned happily, as he asked the guard to draw him a map. Thanking the man for his help, he returned to give his lover the good news. Tom greeted him with a thunderous look and Booker knew all too well that the teen was about to explode. “Don’t,” he warned, as he shoved Tom’s bag into his arms. “Wait ‘til we get outside.”
Angrily pushing the door open, Tom walked outside. The cold hit him immediately and he dropped his bag so he could button up his coat. When a hand lightly touched his shoulder, he shrugged it off and turned to face Booker. “I’m not going to school!” he yelled, his eyes flashing with fury. “Who the fuck do you think you are, you fucking asshole? You can’t tell me what to do!”
“Who am I?” Dennis screamed back, his over-tiredness finally making him snap. “I’m the fucking guy whose gonna be working my ass off to keep a roof over your head you selfish little prick!”
Tears pricked at Tom’s eyes and lifting up his bag, he stormed off down the road. He heard Booker calling after him but he did not stop. Blinded by his tears and the falling snow, he did not see the man walking towards him until he bumped into him. “Whoa,” the man said, as he grabbed Tom by the shoulder, “Is everything okay son?”
Before Tom could answer, Booker arrived at his side, panting heavily from the exertion of running through the snow. “Sorry,” Dennis apologized to the middle-aged man, “My brother’s a little tired and upset.”
Casting his eyes over Dennis and Tom, Jonathan Wilson wondered what two boys were doing wandering outside with their bags in a middle of a snowstorm. As he studied their faces, he thought the younger of the two looked overwrought and in need of some care and attention. The older one he surmised, was more in control and unlikely to break down under duress. When he saw the younger boy start to shiver, he knew he could not just walk away. “Where are you headed?” he asked kindly, “I could give you a lift if you want.”
Booker narrowed his eyes and stared at the man guardedly. He had lived on the streets long enough to know not to trust strangers, especially men. As he started to turn down the man’s invitation, he caught sight of Tom’s tired, white face and he knew they needed to get out of the cold. In addition, neither boy had eaten anything much except a couple of sandwiches over the last twenty-four hours. A hot meal certainly would not go astray and Booker felt certain that once Tom had a full belly and a place to lay his head, his bad mood would quickly evaporate.
Placing an arm around Tom’s shoulders, Booker addressed the man. “We’ve just arrived in town, I’m Dennis and this is my brother Tom. We could really use something to eat and the station guard gave us directions to a farmhouse. He said they might have somewhere we could stay.”
“The Henderson place?” Jonathan asked and Booker nodded. Hesitating for just a moment the man smiled. “Come on, Betty’s Diner is just across the road. You can have a meal then I’ll drive you up to Henry and Lou’s.”
“That would be great, thanks,” Dennis replied gratefully. Tom refused to speak, his face still wearing a sullen scowl. As the man led the way, Booker pulled Tommy in close. “Don’t blow this,” he warned. “At least try and pretend to be nice.”
Tom jerked free of Dennis’ arm. “Fuck you,’ he muttered under his breath. He felt betrayed by the one person he trusted with his life. Until Booker could prove to him that he had not lied about anything else, Tom was in no mood to forgive and forget.
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What Is and What Should Never Be