Chapter 7

Michael woke up a bit after 6 o’clock, he would have liked to sleep for longer, but the cheeping of the birds had awoken him. James was already awake, and he was drawing the route they were meant to take today, and he was scribbling down time calculations on a piece of paper. “Morning.” He glanced over at the wakening Michael.

“Morning.” Replied Michael. “How long have you been awake?”

“Thirty odd minutes.” He said quickly, checking his watch.

“You should sleep for longer. It’s not good for you.” Michael yawned.

“Yeah Yeah.” James said, not really focussing on Michael. “If we set off around 7, we’ll have time to move around 5 miles before lunch. We’ll slow down towards the end of the day and will spend the evening in Burton, maybe get a meal and some more water. I’ve got about a grand in cash. And there’s a wood on the edge of town where we’ll sleep. There are numerous places along the way to got to the toilet, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”

Michael put his hands on James’ shoulders. “James please try to relax. I’ll carry the main bag, just try to take it easy.”

“Yeah. You’re right.” James replied, exhaling deeply, and giving Michael a massive hug and a kiss.

“Good.” Smiled Michael, glad to see James being more himself. “We’ve got no heat or anything, so I only bought some breakfast bars and some fruit, or a bit of plain granola.”

“I’ll take a bar and an apple thanks.” James said.

“Sure thing.” Michael replied. And they ate breakfast, packed up the tent and set off through the woods and fields of Derbyshire.

They walked through meadows and farms, as the sun pulsed down on them from above. The gentle breeze gave a refreshing feel to the journey, and they walked quietly except for the plod of their footsteps, the engines of different cars or the chirping of the later spring birds. They stopped in a few villages along the way and ate lunch in a shady spot under a willow, overlooking a tinkling green river. They would speak every so often, but the conversations would never last for more than 15 minutes, before they went back to quietly tracing through the rolling hills.

They lay down to rest under an oak tree, whose leaves had started to come back after the winter, in the brightest and most vivid green they had scene. Michael put his arm around James’ shoulder and sat up next to him. They sat like that for a time neither of them was keeping track of, even James with all his worry just forgot it, he only saw Michael and nothing else mattered. Eventually, James was the one to break the silence. “You can begin to hear the cars.” He began.

“Yeah.” Replied Michael. “I think the towns just over those trees. Are you tired?”

“Yeah.” James said. “But you must be more tired, because you’re carrying the heavier bag.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got strong shoulders.” Laughed Michael.

James moved around and put his hands on James’ shoulders. “You do. But I think they need a bit of loosening up.” James said as he rubbed Michael’s shoulders and massaged him. Michael laughed and sounded very comforted. After massaging his shoulders for a couple of minutes, James got up, and they walked for a bit more until they arrived in the fairly grim town of Burton-upon-Trent.

It was your typical British town, a train station, a massive Tesco and one of those tiny shopping centres that are hardly even shopping centres, and a smell of stagnant petrol clung to the air. They bought some matches, from a shop owner who fortunately didn’t ask too many questions, and then they went to an Indian restaurant for dinner. They didn’t hang around for too long however, but Michael wanted to get some more stuff for breakfast tomorrow, so they went to a Sainsburys. As they walked back James kissed Michael. Not for any particular reason, just because it felt right, and Michael’s hair was bouncing up and down again as he walked, but he looked a tiny bit scruffier today. As they did this in a small alley, four boys about their age turned around the corner.

“Oi. Look at those two f**s.” One said. Michael grabbed James’ hand and turned back around. But as they walked away, one grabbed James on the shoulder and pulled him down. They had left their bags in a hollow tree, where the tent was, so James fell straight on his back.

“Back off.” Michael spoke in a calm but angry tone.

“Or what? You gonna rape us or something.” Another one jeered, and the rest of the group watched on. “Or are you too in love with your boyfriend.” And he kicked James in the stomach.

Michael punched that guy in the face but then got attacked by two other boys, as one kicked James repeatedly and shouting. “That’s what you get for being f*****s.”

James beat up the three people who were attacking him at once and knocked out the guy who was kicking James. He tried to get James up, but he was unconscious, so James called an ambulance to take James and the other boys to hospital.

At the hospital they asked who his parents were. He told the nurse that he and James were homeless and were both 19, which is what they had agreed to tell people, and what people were believing into. James had broken three ribs and received a major concussion, but he wasn’t going to have to stay the night. The police asked him questions two, but they didn’t recognise him, which meant the missing persons case that seriously, and they probably believed the two boys had just run away willingly.

James awoke in a dazed state and Michael reminded him of what happened. James didn’t seem to care at all what had happened to him but seemed more worried about the bruises on Michael’s face. The doctor explained they didn’t have to stay the night, but seeing as they had nowhere to go, they could. So, James was bought into a ward, and Michael sat by his side all through the night, holding his hand before gradually dozing off.

They left early the next morning and went to the tent where Michael managed to convince James to stay in Burton for another day until he felt a bit better. So, they had a quiet day, with James spending most of it lying outside watching the sky, with Michael often coming to see him, and Michael spent plenty of his time walking and trying to condense their pack size as he was having to carry everything. Michael brought James some sushi for dinner, it was probably a waste of his money, but it put a smile on James’ face as he ate, which was enough. They went to bed and prepared to trek through the farmlands the next day.