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Sometimes, two people meet and fall instantly in love. They have an immediate connection and no matter what happens, it persists. Perfect. Breathtaking. Wonderful. This is NOT one of those times. This is another tale, and possibly one just as bad.

Alex was in a sorry state. He had found out that his now ex girlfriend was cheating on him and he had immediately broke up with her. She wasn't very mad about it. In fact, she taunted him as he did it. Degraded him. Perhaps that was the start of the spiral. But whatever the reason for it, his life was spiraling out of control. He didn't see it. Not at first.

Not until it was almost too late. But I suppose that's how it always is. When there is but a thread of hope left, and you have but a brief moment to seize it before it falls away as well, you can finally realize how bad something has become.

After he broke up with her, he - instead of she - fell into a state of mild depression. Starting doubting himself. Full of pity and self-loathing. He found himself in a cave of isolation with walls of shame and a roof of low self esteem.

He started falling. Isolating himself and becoming more quiet and introverted. Started pushing people away. Some friends stayed, but how long would that last with him all but utterly ignoring them. Not long, it was soon to become apparent.

But at the fringes of society where he fell, you meet some rather unwholesome people. More likely to fall in with the wrong crowd. Especially somebody who was so submissive as him. Letting others direct his life. So there he was. He tried even to block himself from the other outcasts, but it was almost as if they sought him out. Sensed his fall. And that drove others away even faster.

But then he met a diamond in the rough. How he was an outcast, Alex had no idea, but the few times they had talked he had seemed nice. Rather outgoing. Polite. Friendly. Without those he once considered friends to tell him otherwise, and ignoring the warning he got from the few that still remained (Which made almost everyone else leave), he started hanging out with the panther.

His name was James. He was strong, but kind. A sort of gentle giant, though he was only slightly taller than most of the students, it was tall enough for the petite fox. His fur was jet black and soft; almost meticulously cared for. He had a way of talking that disarmed you. Made you want to trust him. To leave you with a smile on your face.

And so even with the fox isolating himself in solitude, the panther found a way through his shell. Of course, it started as friendship. And as him and the panther grew closer, he not only totally ignored the warnings his friends gave him, but he was convinced to push them away.

James Stearne made Alex all but completely dependent on him. Isolated him further. Even when not at school, James started hanging out with him. Invited the fox over to his house. Had dinner at his house with his parents. It seemed that although just a bit ago he had felt as if his life had been ruined, he now had a friend that cared.

A few weeks later, something else started to happen. He was so nice, and kind, and soft. Alex started to fall for him. Of course, he didn't know what was happening. Thought, at first, that that was just what it feels like to have a good friend. So they kept hanging out, and some of his other friends remained - trying to help him even though he acted as if they didn't even exist.

It took a while to realize what was happening. The fox had turned away from religion for the most part, but his family's deeply seeded values that had been ingrained to him since he was a small kit still hung with him. This was wrong. Bad. Evil. Hypocritical, maybe, but still a giant taboo.

So he fought with it, tried to suppress it. Until James started to show signs that he liked Alex back. Then, it seemed so much harder to hold it back. Almost impossible. So instead of doing anything, he waited until they were hanging out. He was able to relax. And he told James about his feelings. James was excited, maybe even happy about it.

Instead of being mad, or throwing him out into a place not even the outcasts would go, he accepted it. He didn't say anything about it other than that he was okay with it. Didn't accept or deny the invitation it opened for him. And that was how it started once again. A game of cat and mouse. Or, more accurately, the spider and the fly.

James started to quietly and quickly manipulate him. Alex went along with it, not even realizing what was happening. Just entranced by James. He missed the little signs. Purposely ignored them, not wanting to ruin the perfect thing that he had imagined James to be. So he went along, doing almost whatever the panther said.

Everyone seemed to notice that the panther had choose a new victim, because they all avoided him whenever possible. He used to be ignored, but now it was as if they couldn't wait to get away from him. Once again, the fox was warned by those brave and loyal enough to stand by him. They told him why James was where he was. At the outskirts of the social circle. But Alex didn't listen. Instead, he all but attacked them. Vicious with his words, telling them off.

"How can you say that about him. He's so nice. He couldn't of done anything like that." Alex said, defending the panther. "She must have been lying." But who was he trying to convince. "You just don't want me to have any friends."

So they stopped mentioning it. They still hung out with him - when James wasn't around, that is - but it seemed much more awkward and silent. The fox just tried to ignore the feeling. It was better when James was around anyway.

James was always nice. He seemed to understand. Knew exactly what to say, and when to say it. And somehow, nothing rose an alarm in the fox's head. No inkling of anything wrong or out of place. It seemed a mystery to him how other people could think so poorly of him. He even accepted the fact that Alex had a crush on him. Who else that he knew would have done that when it was such a taboo thing. 0nly James was that awesome. The panther had him all but totally wrapped around his finger.

Only a little more, and the fox might have become completely dependent upon the panther. Succeeded in pushing all the rest of his friends away. Of course, his parents were as oblivious as always. They didn't notice anything. From his fall, to his sudden elation at having been accepted by somebody.

But instead of waiting, James decided it was enough. Maybe he got tired of waiting, hiding. Or maybe he thought that he had done enough to ensure that Alex wouldn't leave. He was almost right. Regardless of the reason for his sudden change in behavior, James changed. Almost as if his mind went feral. Primal. Almost evil.

It wasn't quite an instantaneous change, but it was close. In the matter of a few days it had gone from an almost idyllic relationship to one out of a horror film. A living nightmare. One that would follow him for years.

It did start off small. Still noticeable, but small. Words, mostly. A few smacks here and there. They were playful before, but now they were harder. Left bruises, though his fur and clothes hid them. The fox couldn't believe James would hurt him. So he figured it must be an accident.

When Alex mentioned it to James, of course he apologized. And all was good. It still happened, but slightly softer. Didn't hurt quite as much. And because he didn't want to think anything bad of James, he pushed it out of his mind. Went on with his day. Soon, James started to see him after school as well.

It was never in front of his parents. There, he was just like he was at first. Nice, smiling, polite, friendly. But then they were in relative private, he would turn again. Most of the time, they didn't meet at his house, but somewhere social, at the mall or somewhere similar.

But any hopes the fox had of it being different was shattered soon after. Even surrounded by people, James would do it to a lesser extent. And at the mall, even when it was crowded, there were places that people didn't look. Shadowy places, little alcoves he was led into.

And only a week after it really started, his friends started to notice. He was favoring one of his shoulders. Had a slight limp. Made up stories about fictitious fights he had been in. Of course, some of the stories were true, but most he just avoided their eyes and lied.

And then James started to suggest that Alex spend the night with him. Nervous, and ignoring the protests of his friends, he reluctantly accepted. Honestly until years later, he didn't understand why he still had people standing by him. It wasn't until he had friends who needed him to be there for them that he really understood.

And now, Alex found a rule to live by: A friend in need, is a friend indeed. Don't turn your back on your friends, especially when they need you. You only get a handful of true friends in your lifetime. Care for them. They become closer than family. And years later, with only three people he considered friends, he held his life mottos high and held his friends close.

But at the time, he didn't want friends. Was too ashamed of himself and what was happening to him to want others to witness it. He stopped fooling himself that James cared for him after the first time he ended up in the hospital.

But that wasn't enough. Because he kept going back. That was his new normal. He didn't deserve better. He not only deserved everything he got, but it was what he had to look forward to forever. The rest of his life. People would only hurt him.

So he kept going back. Not thinking it was about love, but just somebody to be with. James was simply there. And he had already resigned to the fact that pain would always be his fate. Alex was simply lost, and at least the pain let him know he was still alive.

Even while he was dealing with the trauma of his relationship, a bigger trauma fell upon him. He was forced to witness obscene horrors. But James wasn't the least bit sympathetic. If possible, he became even worse.

Mentally, physically, and emotionally berated by the one who 'loved' him., witness to something he could never speak about, Alexos's life could not get any worse. It seemed even death was infinitely better than what he was dealing with right then. But the fox was strong, and strongly in denial.

He could not escape. Even if he could get through James, the panther would release his secret, and then it would be worse. There were reports of beatings and lynching's of supposed gay men and women in his neighborhood. The only way it would stop was if everyone was driven away. Or hid it.

So he went along with James. There were times when he was tender... seemed sincere. When he wasn't hurting him. 'James was confused. He didn't realize it. ... Damn, I am pathetic.' He thought to himself, but still he kept showing up.

Almost two weeks had gone by since James had hit him. And he hadn't gotten in any fights in that time either. It felt awesome. And then James came up between classes and hugged him. That was incredible. Alex thought he had tamed the panther. Whether James had realized that the fox was thinking of leaving and taking his changes of being outed, he didn't know. But those thoughts were soon far behind him.

He was leaving his last class of the day when the text came. From James.

>Foxy, wanna come over to my house later? :)

He smiled. He hadn't been over to James's house before, but it would be nice to relax for a time.

>Sure. Where?

He waited rather impatiently for an answer. If it was close, he could miss his bus and tell his parents to pick him up later, but if not...

>Come over to the front. I can get you a ride.

And off he went. Running towards the front of the school to the circuit where parents came to pick up their kids. He went over and stood somewhat close to James, waving as he got there. James, for his part, barely even acknowledged it. But maybe that was for the best. Even kids were subjected to the anti-gay propaganda and even friendliness between the same sex was watched with passing suspicion, if it was intimate at all. Even the hug earlier was pushing it.