November 16, 1973

 

Dan and Jake stood side-by-side while looking at the list of films playing. There were only two that they really wanted to see but both had ratings they were not allowed to view on their own. The one they wanted to see the most, ‘The Exorcist’ was rated R, which meant they had no chance of seeing it at all. The other film, ‘The Poseidon Adventure’ was rated PGR, which meant an adult was required to accompany them. Due to the fact they were on their own and were considered too young, the woman behind the counter told them they could only view a G rated film. It left them with what they considered to be boring movies they were not interested in.

 

It was Dan’s tenth birthday and his parents had paid for he and Jake to go to the movies. Dan had not really cared about the movie; he was just excited about being alone with Jake in a large, dark cinema, with no one they knew around. In the split second after his parents had suggested the idea, Dan had imagined sitting next to Jake and holding his hand or perhaps even cuddling, like he saw the girls and boys do in American movies on television. He did not really think it would happen but it was enough of an impetus to accept the offer from his mother and father instantly. Dan imagined it would be like sleeping together at night but with the television on. It would make him happy to be able to be alone with Jake but for some reason he really did not understand, considering they were often together alone, the thought of the dark cinema made him nervous as well.

 

Reluctantly they decided to go and see a movie about a father and his daughter, called ‘Paper Moon.’ As they were walking toward the cinema it was showing in, Dan looked across and saw the last people walking in to see ‘The Exorcist’ and then he saw the ticket collector close the door and walk away. Dan grabbed Jake’s wrist.

 

“Come with me and be quiet,” he said and then pulled Jake at a hurried pace across to the other cinema.

 

Dan stopped outside the door and turned to look around. Nobody was taking any notice of them and he checked particularly to be sure that there were no cinema personnel in the vicinity.

 

“Dan, we can’t,” Jake said cautiously.

 

“Yes we can, come on Jake, no one will know,” Dan said hopefully.

 

“Okay,” Jake said with resignation, as he looked at Dan and knew he could not refuse him anything.

 

Dan pulled the heavy door open and they slipped into the darkness. The movie had not started and as they stepped out of the short hall that led them in, Dan held Jake’s arm as he stopped and peeked around into the cinema. He saw some free seats in a back corner away from the main crowd. He waited and as soon as what was on the screen faded and the screen went black, he grabbed Jake’s hand and tore across an isle and then ducked into the seats unseen. They slunk down into their seats for a few minutes just in case. They both turned and looked at each other and snickered quietly at what they had done.

 

Jake said, “Why do they advertise what’s outside in the refreshment stand? If you wanted something to eat or drink, wouldn’t you look and buy it before you came in to watch the film?”

 

“I don’t know, maybe it’s for dumb-arses that forget or maybe they’re just a bunch of dickheads,” Dan replied seriously.

 

“Oh, I meant to tell you earlier, Dan. You’re a scorpion.”

 

Dan said, as he turned and looked at Jake confused, “What?”

 

“This morning at breakfast, Mum told me that if it was your birthday today, it meant that you were a scorpion.”

 

“Why, Jake? I don’t understand what that means,” Dan said, looking at Jake with a bewildered expression.

 

“It has something to do with Astronomy, at least I think that was what she said. I didn’t really get it but it has something to do with the type of person you are,” Jake replied.

 

“Yeah? So what does your birthday make you?”

 

“Fish,” Jake said and Dan laughed.

 

“Don’t you mean, a fish?”

 

“No. Mum showed me a picture in a book. It’s something to do with the stars in the sky and the shapes they make. I don’t know how it works exactly but when it’s your birthday or during the month you were born, certain stars make a shape. I guess that means they form a scorpion. When it’s my birthday it must mean they form two fish swimming in opposite directions. They had a name but I can’t remember what Mum said they were. All I remember is that you were a scorpion and I was fish.”

 

“I wonder what stars are around when it’s fatty’s birthday? Probably a giant hippopotamus,” Dan said and both boys snorted loudly behind their hands.

 

“Maybe a beached whale? You know, big, fat and immovable,” Jake said and they snorted again.

 

Dan asked, “So what does all this mean about us?”

 

“I don’t know but yours seems right to me, Dan. A scorpion is something that’s really cool and that people are in awe of. It’s something that can make people feel intimidated and yet want to get close to it at the same time,” Jake said.

 

Dan turned and looked at Jake with an amazed expression on his face. He could not believe what Jake had just said and so he asked, “Why would you say that?”

 

“Well because it’s true. Some kids at school are scared of you, everyone thinks you’re cool and everyone is amazed at how fast you are when you run and swim. It’s why everyone looks up to you in class,” Jake replied.

 

“What do you think of me, Jake? I mean - you’re not afraid of me, are you?”

 

“You’re my best friend, Dan. You’re the most important person in the world to me. Well, maybe not as important as my mum and dad,” he said and then paused to reflect briefly before he added, “Actually, you’re equally as important to me as them but in a different way, I suppose,” Jake said sincerely.

 

“Do you really mean that, Jake?”

 

“Yeah, of course I do. You’re like part of my family,” Jake said.

 

Dan turned and looked up at the screen and became silent. He was so glad to hear Jake say how much he meant to him. It meant the world to Dan to know how important he was.

 

“I heard that this film was really scary and that it made some people sick to their stomachs and it made other people really angry,” Jake said.

 

“Yeah? Well I don’t care if it’s good or bad, Jake; it doesn’t matter as long as I get to spend my birthday with my best friend,” Dan replied.

 

Jake turned and looked at Dan while sporting a huge smile. It made him feel so good that Dan felt that way. There was no one else in the world he wanted to be with and nowhere else he would rather be than with Dan alone.

 

“You’ll always be my best friend, Dan.”

 

“You’ll always be mine, too. I was thinking, Jake, maybe when we’re old enough and we leave home; we could move in together. We could live together until we turn into old men and that way we could always be best friends and always be with each other,” Dan said.

 

“I’d like that Dan but what if you get a girlfriend and want to get married? I won’t be able to live in a house with you then,” Jake replied.

 

“I don’t want to get married and I don’t want a girlfriend. I just want to always be with you, Jake.”

 

“Well we’re both ten now and we’ll probably be living next door to each other until we finish school, so I guess we don’t have to worry about it now but I hope we’re going to be friends until we die.”

 

“Jake, do you want to become blood brothers?”

 

“I saw that on an old movie on the television the other day. Two boys cut their thumbs with a knife and pressed their blood together. I was thinking about you as I watched it, Dan. I thought that even though I already think of you like my brother, I thought I would like to become your blood brother, so yeah,” Jake answered.

 

“Do you really think of me like a brother, Jake?”

 

“Yeah, I do,” Jake replied.

 

“I always wish you were my brother, Jake. I also wish that we lived in the same house and shared the same bedroom,” Dan said.

 

Surprised, Jake asked, “Really?”

 

“Yeah, so becoming blood brothers will make us sort of real brothers. We can use the penknife you gave me for my birthday,” Dan said.

 

“Great, we can do it when we get home,” Jake replied.

 

“Cool. Hey Jake?”

 

“Yeah, Dan?”

 

Hesitantly, Dan asked, “If this movie is really scary and I grab hold of you, would you mind?”

 

“No,” Jake said.

 

Dan asked, “You won’t tell anyone if I do, will you?”

 

“As if. Look Dan, I may be eight months older than you but that doesn’t mean I won’t get scared too, so maybe we could hang on to each other if we get really scared. We just can’t tell anybody, especially the guys at school,” Jake replied.

 

Dan turned and looked into Jake’s eyes with an enormous smile on his face. He knew he could always count on Jake no matter what. He loved that when they were alone they could say anything to each other and know that neither would think badly. Dan suddenly had an idea that he thought would kill two birds with one stone. Not only would he be able to hang on to Jake if he got scared but his earlier wish of holding Jake’s hand in the dark would come true.

 

“I’m okay with that, Jake. You can hang on to me at any time as well. Don’t you know I’d do anything for you?”

 

Dan leaned over toward Jake so that their shoulders were touching and he held out his hand palm up. Jake looked at it, turned and smiled at him and then he dropped his hand into Dan’s. Both boys smiled at each other and then they both relaxed and slouched into a more comfortable position, leaning against each other.

 

When the advertising finally ended and the movie was about to begin, the boys sat up but they sat close together and as Jake turned to look at the screen, Dan continued to look at Jake’s face. Sometimes he wondered if Jake felt the same way he did but then at other times, he thought he was just a great mate. He now wondered what would happen when they were old enough to leave home and whether Jake would still feel the same about living with him.

 

Turning away and looking at the screen as well, Dan pulled his arm off the armrest while still holding Jake’s hand and rested their hands in his lap. A few minutes into the movie, Dan spread his legs so that his knee rested against Jake’s knee. He was even happier when he felt Jake push his knee back more firmly. Dan suddenly felt even deeper feelings for Jake then he ever had before. He squeezed his hand gently but warmly and Jake squeezed back.

 

The movie did not scare them like they had thought it might. It was like nothing they could have expected. It was really freaky, scary in parts, funny in other parts and dead-set unbelievable in other parts. The swearing was beyond anything they had ever heard in a movie or on television and most of it was coming out of a twelve-year-old girl’s mouth. It was during the parts when the girl’s head turned three hundred sixty degrees and when the bed levitated off the floor that Dan wrapped his arm around Jake and held him tight. Jake responded by pulling him closer.

 

They both thought that it was the most incredible movie they had ever seen. There was certainly plenty of shock value that made them jump and pull closer together and they thought the special effects were amazing. They loved it when the girl projectile vomited green slime onto the priest but no matter what, they did not let go of each other’s hands for the entire movie. Dan thought that being able to hold Jake’s hand was the best birthday present he had ever received.

 

When the movie was finally over, they slunk down again and waited until almost everyone was out the door, before they stood and hurried outside. They had gotten away with it, they had loved the film and they knew they could never tell anyone what they had done. As they were walking down the street to catch the bus home, Dan stepped closer to Jake and put his arm around his shoulders and held him firmly.

 

“Thanks for the best birthday ever, Jake,” Dan said.

 

Jake turned and looked at Dan. His chest had this strange feeling, as if it was filled up like his stomach felt after eating a huge meal. He did not really get why Dan could make him feel that way all the time but he knew Dan was having that effect on him more often, as he got older. All Jake really knew was that he loved Dan like he loved his parents but differently. Dan was the most important person in the world to him. He knew it even more because he had wanted to buy him something extra special for his birthday but his mum had only given him ten dollars and all he could get with that amount of money, which he thought Dan would like, was a penknife. Jake felt like he had not shown Dan how important he was with such a pathetic present.

 

“I didn’t do anything special for you and all I gave you was a stupid penknife,” he said disappointedly.

 

“Jake, You made it the best birthday ever, just by being here with me. I didn’t need you to give me a present, though I love the knife and it will be even more special because it will make us blood brothers. No one else would’ve snuck into the movie with me but you did. You always do what I want to do and you always make me happy and so you did everything and more, to make my birthday great.”

 

“Well, like you said earlier, Dan, I’d do anything for you, too,” Jake said with a sincere smile and then they ran, as they saw their bus pull up at the bus stop.

 

***