STORM FRONT
By SFwriter
Mainstream
Interludes
- Preview –
… indicates scene is cut from a larger scene.
Set before Season 5's Final Countdown
* * * * * * *
“I’m afraid even with your impressive return to form, you were simply out with injury too long and I’m not sure you can reach your previous bests.”
“Oh, I am.” Marcel said confidently, “I’ve already regained the tensile strength and increased my efficiency ratings for my beep tests by ten percent on last month.”
“Look, Marcel. We understand that this seems awfully unfair. You had such a promising futu…”
“I still have a promising future.” He replied tersely, standing to his feet, “I’ve done everything I’m supposed to do to get back where I need to be. You can’t tell me now when I’m finally on form again that I’m just … out.”
“You aren’t out, you just … might want to think about taking a less … intensive route now. Perhaps consider a permanent move to the triathlon stream? Your times are still incredibly strong there, and you could easily qualify for an end of year trial. You’re a dedicated and focused student, Marcel, and it is no fault of your own that we’ve had to reconsider your place in our accelerated program. There are still a great many things you could do with yourself.”
Marcel shook his head, wanting to cry out of frustration, but outwardly he remained stoic and calm. In the back of his mind he feared this day might come. Despite busting his ass to rehabilitate himself and get himself back on track, he’d simply been out of the mix for too long. Even though he’d spent a small fortune on the best support team to get back on track, he was still faced with the reality that he might have lost his dream forever. It would not be a total loss as he still had many opportunities to improve his position, and he still had alternative paths to take.
“And if in a months time I’ve beaten my best? That still leaves three weeks before the trials.” Marcel asked when he’d had time to let the disappointment sink in.
“You’ll still be out, I’m afraid, until next year at the earliest, but … I still think you should consider an alternative track. You’re far too gifted to let yourself go completely.”
“I don’t let myself go.” Marcel said, running his hands through his hair, “I can’t believe this. Conrad and Katherine have put so much money into this for me.”
“Conr… oh, right, your parents.” She nodded, “Of course they have, but remember, Marcel, you did not ask to be in this situation. What happened to you was unfortunate and tragic. I’ll make a concession. Three weeks. If your supervising coach comes back to me in three weeks and shows me proof that you’ve not only caught up to your previous best, but surpassed it on more than one occasion, and have demonstrated the ability to perform consistently, I will consider making an amendment on your behalf to keep you in the program.”
Marcel slapped her desk and grinned, “See you in three weeks.”
Three weeks later, that’s exactly what he did.
* * * * * * *
“Don’t know how to quit, do you, Boy?”
Marcel smirked and nodded his head, “I’ll quit when I’m dead.”
Hands on his hips, Marcel let out a gasp as his sweat covered body ached from his daily session with one of his trainers. He felt good. He felt pressed and strained, and that always made him feel good afterwards. He liked the burn.
“You’re all done for today. Go on, get out of here. You have someone waiting for you, I think.”
Marcel turned, smiled broadly, and then turned back to his trainer, “Yeah, that’s my boy. See you later.”
Marcel was never the kind to wear his sexuality like a statement or a point of contention. He had never been in any doubt about the fact he wasn’t in the slightest bit bisexual, he was simply Marcel, and everyone knew what that meant if they chose to ask. Still, while he didn’t flaunt, he never hid as well. Especially when he didn’t have a reason to hide it. Particularly when the person he was quickly jogging over to, happened to be someone he loved very much.
“Hey!” Marcel beamed, blushing with a broad smile, “You made it!”
“Yeah, I guess I did.”
“Wasn’t sure you would.” Marcel smiled, before he clutched the cheeks of his wayward lover and kissed him soundly.
A few giggles later and the kiss was broken with a shy smile, “Everyone’s watching …”
“Are you embarrassed?”
“That I look like a dumb smitten ass, yeah.”
“Smitten?”
“Just a bit. Wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”
Another blush on Marcel’s side and soon the two lovers were kissing again, this time a little more freely and a little more like they both wanted to be there. Marcel knew more than anything that he wanted to be there, but the journey hadn’t been entirely as he expected …
* * * * * * *
…
“Blondie?” She answered, no doubt recognizing Marcel’s number on the caller ID, “Is that you, Baby?”
I put on my best stalker voice and replied, “No … it is the Ghost of Christmas Past, come to tell you that you got Storm a shitty present last year. Do better next time.”
“Oh fuck off.” Sarah groaned, “Storm, you so fail at sounding like anything but an idiot.”
“Love you.” I smiled, “How’s my girl? You guys still settling in okay?”
“Storm … why are you calling Lucas’s phone? Unless … do you know?”
“Know what?”
“You’re just randomly calling Lucas for no particular reason?”
“Ahh … I wanted to see how he was?”
“He’s … okay, he’s just … umm … Storm, you … you should talk to him. Your timing is a little freakish.” Sarah said, “I’m not really sure how to say this, but …”
…
* * * * * * *
…
I picked up the phone and pushed the talk button, about to dial in Dade’s cell number. I didn’t get to any numbers because I could hear voices on the phone. Dade and Marcel. I muted my phone so they couldn’t hear me breathing. Geez, I’m a stalker now. I guess I just wanted to hear Dade’s voice without having to admit I did.
“Why are you calling me?” Dade asked Marcel, sounding a little upset.
“Because Storm’s being an ass and won’t call you himself and I … I’ve been worried about you.”
“You two sure got your happily ever after, didn’t you?”
I could hear the contempt in Dade’s voice. He sounded upset. Marcel must have called him at a bad time. He sounded lonely, a little more strained than I expected to hear.
I frowned as I felt a pang of guilt and perhaps even need to be with Dade and help him. I’ve had a long time to start to reconcile what happened between us and what I felt he did to me. For a long time, I couldn’t and didn’t want to be the big brother who was the bigger man. I’d been doing that all my life and after losing Mum I just didn’t want to anymore. But now I’ve started to admit that I still love my brother. The hate has started to give way to empathy and compassion.
“You’re not doing so good?” Marcel asked, bringing me back to their conversation.
“What do you care? Why are you calling me? Go fuck your boyfriend.”
“Dade …”
“Everybody else got someone else to give a shit. I just …” Dade said, and I could tell he was starting to cry, “You just got me at a bad time. I’m sorry. And I’m happy for you two, really. Tell Storm that, you know, since we probably won’t talk for a while.”
“But it’s a good thing, right? You love your music. Getting to study it somewhere that can offer more than Merlow ever could, that’s a good thing, right?”
“I love Merlow.” Dade said, his cries becoming a bit more audible, “I love Merlow and I want to go home. I’ve never been away from home like this before, for so long, in a different place. I hate it. I hate it, Marcel. I want to be around my girls. I don’t care if she’s with Carl, I don’t want her back like that, I just want to be around people who care. I want to see my daughter. I want my sky back when I look up. I want to go home.”
…
* * * * * * *
…
“Yes, that’s right, but he’s not here right now, actually.” Marcel said, looking at his watch, “Is this important? I’m in a bit of a hurry.”
He moved the phone around to his other ear so he could hold it there with his shoulder while he tried to put his shoe on. He cursed in annoyance as he almost tripped over, in far too much of a hurry. Yet suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks, dropped his shoe and his face fell with disbelief.
“I’m sorry … what did you say?” Marcel gasped, “Is this some kind of bad joke? You can’t be serious. Who put you up to this? Come on, this isn’t even funny. This is a joke, right? Right?”
…
* * * * * * *
Remember, this is a preview. Interludes are optional and you do not need to read if you do not wish to. Scenes maybe incomplete, or out of context just to mess with you :P