GLITTER GULCH

Chapter 22: Fresh Fish

Cye smiled and waved as his last student filed out of the classroom. He sighed and went to wash the chalkboard. At first, it bothered him that he had children of all ages in his classroom, but after only a few minutes he realized there wasn’t much difference in their abilities. The teenagers knew just as little as the five-year-olds. Ulee was by far his best student. This was the first time in school for the others. They had practical knowledge but not any "learning" as they called it. Well, it will be a learning experience for all of us then.

Cye dipped his rag in the bucket of water and began washing the board.

After the barn "incident," everyone had gone back inside -- well, all of them but Kento. Cye made him wash all the soot off his body before letting him come back inside Rosemary's home. Then they all sat down around the large kitchen table as Ryo told the story of his life. Cye knew the Indian had left out most of the lurid details; there were things that Ryo didn't really want to share about the whole experience. And Cye didn't blame him. This Talpa fellow sounded dreadful.

A movement by the cloakroom caught his eye. He jerked upright. "Ulee?" No answer.

Cye shrugged and went back to wiping down the chalkboard.

They'd talked about all sorts of things this morning. One of which was the fact that each of them - excluding Rosemary - had one of those colored marbles. Cye had a light blue one, Rowan a dark blue one. Kento carried an orange one, Sage a green one. Ryo had a red one. And all of them had received it from Doc Kaos. All of them but Ryo, that is. He'd had his since he was a child. His Japanese mother had given it to him.

Cye frowned. What did it all mean? Why did they have them? Were they supposed to do something with these colored baubles?

And what the hell happened this morning?

Again a flash of something near the cloakroom.

"Ulee is that you, dear?"

The hair on the back of Cye’s neck stood up. He edged his way to the back of the schoolhouse, picking up the broom on the way.

"Ulee?" He steeled his nerves and peeked into the cloakroom. Empty hooks stared back at him. Why am I so jumpy?

He set the broom down and froze. He was being watched. He could feel it.

In one swift motion, he grabbed the broom and whirled to face…

There was no one there.

Cye jumped and grasped the broom tightly, his heart thundering loudly. He slowly turned toward the voice, panic in his eyes.

Mayor Sekhmet stood there, his arms crossed, eyes closed. He slowly opened his dead lifeless eyes to stare at Cye.

"Oh, Mayor Sekhmet, you frightened me." The schoolteacher wasn't exactly relieved.

"Really? That’s interesting." Sekhmet glanced at the broom.

"I apologize, I…"

"Do you use that on your students?"

"Pardon? No… I…Uh…" Cye stared at his shoes.

"You’ve really done a lot to the old schoolhouse. I didn’t think it possible." Sekhmet ran his hand down one of the lace curtains Rosemary and Mia had added.

"I…Uh…had help." Cye couldn’t bring himself to look the green-haired mayor in the eyes.

"So, how did the first day of school go?"

"Quite well actually. Thank you. The children are all very well-behaved and basically on the same level, so teaching them shouldn’t be much of a problem."

Cye started. How did he get so close?

Cye cringed.

"So, have you found anyone to show you around town yet?" Sekhmet’s breath smelled of dead things. The Brit crinkled his nose and tried to pull away. He backed into one of the school desks. The green-haired man followed.

"I really don’t need anyone to…" Cye’s back met the chalkboard. He turned to flee, but Sekhmet thrust out an arm, effectively blocking his way.

"Why don’t you let me show you around? I think you’d find it most pleasurable."

Sekhmet pushed into Cye’s body and held him captive. The schoolteacher squirmed trying frantically to find an escape, the mayor’s face merely inches from his own. Cye felt the chalk tray digging into his back as he tried to make himself as small as possible to get away from Sekhmet’s smell.

"Let me show you how pleasant this town can be."

Cye bit his lip to keep from screaming as Sekhmet’s hand began making lazy circles on the inside of his arm. He shivered.

"You do realize that whether or not you get to keep your job is based solely upon me, don’t you?"

Cye felt like retching.

Sekhmet’s hand moved lower. The Brit’s eyes went wide, and he tried to push the green haired man away from him.

But the mayor wouldn't budge. "I think I deserve special consideration, don’t you?"

Cye met Sekhmet's gaze and panicked. The mayor's eyes were cold and lifeless like an animal carcass that had been dead for days.

Why can’t I do anything? Cye was frozen motionless, his heart pounding in his ears as Sekhmet roughly stroked him through his linen trousers, pressing his own sex against the schoolteacher’s thigh. No…No…This can’t be happening! Make it stop!

"I’m not interrupting anything, am I?"

Two pairs of eyes – one wide-eyed and fearful, the other slitted and dangerous –swiveled toward the intrusion. Kento grinned and leaned his bulk against the doorframe.

"Kento!" Cye practically squealed and deftly ducked under Sekhmet’s arm. It took everything he had to keep from kissing Kento full on the lips. Instead he threw his arms around the bigger man’s neck. "Kento, you came to walk me home!" The mountain man wrapped his arms around Cye’s waist and pulled him close.

"’Course I did, honey bunny." Kento chuckled at Cye’s surprised face as he bent to kiss him. The Brit's body tensed, and he briefly thought of trying to escape. Kento's hot tongue forced his lips apart and jutted inside.

Cye’s body went slack. The only thing keeping him upright were Kento's strong arms firmly wrapped around his waist. Cye groaned, and Kento pushed harder. Alarm bells went off in the Brit’s head. Mayor Sekhmet! He’s still here! With great effort, he tore himself away from Kento’s mouth. His face was flushed.

Kento was breathing hard and brought his gaze to Sekhmet. Something dangerous lurked in the mayor's eyes – jealousy smoldered by lust. Kento looked like he wanted to strangle the man. "Oh, Mayor Sekhmet, did you need something?" The grip around Cye’s waist tightened.

Sekhmet’s eyelids drooped. "No – I was going to invite Mr. Torrent to dinner tomorrow night at Judge Dais’ place." He glared at Kento. "You’re welcome to attend as well of course."

Kento managed a grin at Sekhmet’s expense. "Thanks. We’d love to. Wouldn’t we, darling?" He winked at a very nervous and flustered Cye.

"Uh, what? Oh, of course, we’d love to…" Cye couldn’t figure out what to do with his hands. He placed them on the mountain man's arms and shoved to free himself from the embrace. Kento shook his head, and the little schoolteacher gave up.

"Dinner is at seven o’clock and requires formal attire." He sneered at Kento’s outfit. "I’ll send a carriage out to the old Wilkerson Ranch around six."

"Halo Ranch and that’s awful nice of you Sekhmet, but we can manage to find our own ride. We’ll get there."

Cye was out of sorts. It was like watching a standoff between two bulls - neither one of them backing down. And Kento's grip was getting a little snug. The Brit had a hard time breathing.

Sekhmet snorted. "Nonsense. I’ll send a carriage. And invite the others as well. I’m sure Dais would love the extra company." Sekhmet pushed past Kento.

"Man, he sure is pissed!" Kento grinned.

The schoolteacher's hands brushed his lips where the mountain man had kissed him. "I think you can let me go now."

"Wha…Oh, sorry." Kento reluctantly loosened his hold on Cye. His arms ached from the Brit’s absence. He could still taste him. He licked his lips and decided he wanted to kiss the schoolteacher again, but Cye had already turned away. He was heading for the chalkboard. "We sure showed him, didn’t we?"

"Showed him what, Kento?" Cye rounded on him, furious. "That I prefer men? That I kiss other men in public? Oh, yeah. That sure showed him, all right." Tears brimmed in green eyes and ran down his cheeks.

"Cye, I…"

"You what? Didn’t mean anything by it? Didn’t mean to stick your tongue down my throat? Didn’t mean to embarrass me in front of a man I fear and despise? Didn’t agree to have dinner with him tomorrow night after he nearly raped me in my own schoolhouse?" Cye’s hands were clenched into tight fists at his side, and his face was bright red.

"Wow. Is this the thanks I get for saving your ass, literally?"

Kento didn’t even see it coming. Cye hauled off and hit him square in the jaw. The mountain man staggered backward and reached up to touch the injured spot. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You just don’t get it, do you? You big oaf!" Cye ran from the schoolhouse with his face in his hands, sobbing.

Cye ran blindly, not caring where he went. He wanted to get away – get away from all of it and everything. Tears blurred his vision and when he finally stopped running, his chest ached, not from physical exertion but from the pain in his heart. He hadn’t expected the kiss from Kento. His normal defenses hadn’t been in place because of Sekhmet’s intrusion. He hadn’t been ready for the overwhelming flow of emotion. He cared for Kento, he knew that, but he hadn’t realized until that kiss that he loved the mountain man. It was different than what he’d felt for Philip. There had been a feeling of wholeness, of being complete. In that brief moment, he’d known that he’d waited for Kento, and Philip had just been a stepping stone on his journey to fullness. Kento was the meaning in his life. Cye choked back a sob. If I finally realized this, why do I feel so bad? He wiped away a tear and clenched his teeth. Because it's all a big joke to Kento. That’s why, you moron.

Vision blurred by his own tears, Cye ran from his own emotions. He couldn't see where he was going, but he didn't care. He had to get away from this horrid place and go back to England. That was the only sane thing for him to do. The tears flowed more freely as he thought of leaving his new friends, of leaving Kento.

He didn't realize until it was too late that someone was directly in front of him. He crashed into them, knocking both of them into the mud and muck.

"I say, Cye luv, you could have just hugged me."

The breath rushed out of Cye's lungs, and he nearly fainted. Sitting there in the mud next to him was the one person he thought he'd never see again.

"Philip?" Cye croaked.