Not Done Yet - 2. What Are You Dressed Up For?

What Are You Dressed Up For?

Casey woke with a start. It was just the hint of a touch, but he scrambled backwards from the sensation. He was obviously panicked, gasping for breath. His eyes began to focus on the face in front of him. The boy had a deep tan and dark hair falling over one eye, but the other held a look of concern.

“Wh-what are you doing?!” Casey demanded. “Who are you, and why did you touch me?!”

The boy, who had been squatting in front of Casey, softly sat on the ground. He reached up to rake the thick, dark brown hair back from his face, but it fell over his eye again. “I’m James, James Batisse. I saw you on the ground, and thought you might be hurt when I saw the bruises on your face. You’re not from around here.” It was a simple statement, and his voice was gentle. “Are you OK?”

“I-I’m fine, just tired. I guess I fell asleep in the shade.”

Casey took a moment to look closely at the boy. He was about the same age as Casey, with a lean face, high cheekbones, and a narrow nose. His eyes were a soft brown. He had a lean build and sat straight, legs crossed; he seemed totally at ease. What really stood out, though, were his clothes. He was wearing leather from head to toe; his shirt and pants were buckskin, and his feet were in ankle-high moccasins. Not the kind you saw in stores with rubber soles, but old-fashioned bull hide moccasins with thick leather soles. He’d worn a good scuff onto them, as if they were worn often.

James sat quietly, with a slight smile on his face, while Casey stared at him. “Like what you see?” James broke into a broad grin when Casey snapped his eyes up to James’ face again, blushing.

“It’s just… just… oh hell, let me just say it. What are you dressed up for? You look like an Indian. Are you in a play or something?”

James smiled shyly and lowered his head. He looked at Case, his eye gleaming. “I AM Indian. My mom’s family comes from East Texas, but I just like wearing these clothes, especially when I’m in the woods. Leather holds up better and cuts down on the scratches when I’m running.”

“Running?”

“Chasing game down. It’s practice for hunting season, and I like to run. What about you? Are you here visiting somebody? I know all the folks who live in this part of town, but haven’t seen you before.”

Casey looked down and shifted his weight, as he said, “No, we just moved to town. I was out exploring, taking a long ride, trying to learn my way around. I guess I fell asleep. I like to ride. My name’s Casey Donovan.”

“I’ve got a friend who says the same thing about riding, but he’s always talking about his horse.”

“His name Sam, by any chance?” Casey chuckled when James gave him a funny look. “I met him and his dad earlier today, on their way to church. Just guessing this is their place here ‘cause of the hoof prints.” He indicated the property behind him.

“Sure is. How do you like Clyde?”

“He snorted snot all over my shirt, but we got along OK otherwise, I guess.”

“That’s good. Well, church is about to let out, and I got to get going, before Sam and Charles get home.”

“How come? I thought you said Sam was a friend of yours.”

“Oh, he is, but if I’m here when they get back, I’ll have to stay for lunch, and Charles can’t cook.” James winked. “Charles is always dragging folks home with him. His heart’s in the right place, but he’s no good in the kitchen. I wish Sam would learn to cook, so I could spend more time with ‘em, but until that happens…. I’ve really got to go. You wanna come with me? My mom’s making one of my favorite casseroles, and you’d be welcome to have lunch with us.” James rose to his feet smoothly, looked down at Casey, and smiled.

Casey looked up and smiled back. “That’s the best offer I’ve had all day. Thanks. I’d like that.” He rocked to one side, put a foot under him, and stood up. “Let me get my bike.”

As he picked up the bike, the faint sound of horseshoes ringing on pavement drifted toward the boys.

James threw his hair out of his eyes and hissed, “C’mon quick! It’s now or never!” He turned and sped away down the street, away from the approaching sound.

Casey hopped on his bike as fast as he could and started pedaling hard, but his foot slipped off the pedal, so James got an early lead. After a block, Casey slowly started catching up. James was still sprinting lightly, breathing easy, when Casey caught up to him, breathing hard on his bike. “Wait!” pant... pant… “Slow down!”

James looked over, took two more strides, and stopped dead in his tracks. Casey skidded to a halt a few feet beyond, almost falling over. “I thought you liked to ride. Are you already tired?”

“I’m just not used to starting off so fast. I’m alright now. Let’s go.” He started to climb onto the seat again, when James asked, “Do you mind if we walk the rest of the way? It’s just a few more blocks, and I’d like to cool down before I get home, so I’m not so sweaty at lunch.”

“Sure, no problem. Umm, are you sure your mom won’t mind if I join you? I mean, you and I just met, and she doesn’t know me, and it is short notice. Besides, I am sweaty.”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ve got a porch you can eat on, while we’re at the table.” He laughed long and hard at the look on Casey’s face. “Come on, man. My mom won’t bite unless you give her reason to.” He turned and started walking again, still chuckling to himself. After a few paces, he turned to Casey, who hadn’t moved. “Dude, you’ve got to lighten up. Come on. I think Mom will like you.”

Casey started moving, then, walking his bike. As he drew even with James, he softly muttered, “Asshole,” but he was smiling when he said it. He looked over at James, who winked at him again.

The two walked quietly down the street, until James stopped in front of an older two-story house under a sprawling oak tree. “We’re here. Come on in and meet my mom.” They walked around to the back, where James told Casey he could leave the bike. “Nobody’s gonna mess with it in the back yard. They can’t even see it from the street, and our neighbors have no sense of privacy. They won’t let anybody walk off with it.”

James opened the screen door, and they stepped into the kitchen, where a dark-haired woman was washing dishes. Wearing fitted blue jeans and a plain white shirt with a belt on the outside, her hair fell to her belt in a long braid, pulled to the front. Her smooth skin was the color of light honey, and her face had fine features. Her eyes were lighter than James’ light brown, almost amber. She turned her head to look at the strange boy beside her son. Her gaze rested on his face, as she dried her hands and stepped forward to greet him. “Hi there. I’m James’ mom, Jessie Batisse. Call me Jessie.” She held out her hand and Casey took it. She held his glance and smiled warmly. “Welcome.”

“Ma’am, I’m very glad to meet you. I’m Casey, Casey Donovan. We just moved to town. James and I met this morning, downtown.”

James spoke up, “Mom, could Casey join us for lunch? I told him it would be fine, but he seemed concerned.” He smiled at Casey, who looked a bit uncomfortable.

Jessie let out a soft, warm laugh. “Oh my, Casey, you’re very welcome to join us. Lunch is in the oven now, and there’s plenty. James, why don’t you take him and get cleaned up? While you’re at it, change your clothes. You’re not in the woods anymore, and we don’t have company often enough for you to scare them off, dressed like a mountain man.”

“Sure thing, Mom. We’ll be back in a few minutes. Come on, Case, let’s get cleaned up.” James led the way to a bathroom upstairs. “I’m going to take a real quick shower before I change into city clothes. I fairly reek.”

Casey looked a bit uncomfortable, “Umm, maybe I should go. I’m not very fresh, either.”

“Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say…. Listen, I’ve got some clothes that would probably fit you, if you’d like to take a shower, too.”

“I hate to impose….”

“C’mon, let me show you. You can use the shower here, and I’ll use the one in the other bathroom.” When Casey didn’t move, James reached over and tugged on his T-shirt sleeve. He said softly, “You need to eat lunch, Mom would be disappointed if you left, and it’s not an imposition – you’re welcome here, and we want you to be comfortable. Please.”

This time, when James turned, Casey followed him across the hall to a bedroom, where James led him to the closet, and pulled out a dark blue button-up shirt and two pairs of jeans. “These all fit pretty loose on me, so they should be OK on you. Got bootcut and straight leg, whichever you prefer. Oh, and,” He walked over to a dresser, and pulled out two pairs of bright red trunk briefs and white socks from a drawer, “You probably want some of these, too.” He laid a pair of socks and briefs on the bed with the other clothes. “If you like, take a shower, and change clothes in here. Don’t worry, you’ll have your privacy. Let me grab some things and head for the other bathroom.” With that, James pulled out a pair of black jeans and a white button-front long-sleeved shirt to go with the trunks and socks. “It’s kind of a special occasion. I don’t invite many folks over.” He laughed and left the room, clothes in hand.

Casey looked around the room. It was obviously James’ bedroom. Besides the full-size bed, there were a couple of photos of mountains, a poster of a band Casey didn’t recognize, and a bookshelf full of books. No TV, no computer or video games. In the corner was a black case set on a small desk. Curious, Casey walked over and opened it, to find a compound bow. He picked it up, and a look of surprise crossed his face as he felt it vibrate softly in his hands. “Wow! It feels alive!” He whispered. Setting the weapon carefully back in its place, he picked up one of the broadhead arrows next to it, studying the fletchings closely. He put it back down, closed the case, picked up some clothes, and crossed back to the bathroom for a quick shower.

Down the hall, James turned on the shower and took off his clothes. He began to hum a tune to himself. Stepping into the shower, he closed the door and started cleaning, top to bottom, moving quickly. When he got to his cock, it was fully hard. “Oh, come on. He’s not that cute.” But it didn’t go down. After he finished washing himself, still hard, he sighed, “Who am I kidding? He is that cute. All right. I don’t want to make him uncomfortable over lunch.”

Five minutes later, flushed, he got out and dried himself. Looking in the mirror, he saw the whiskers on his chin, a few more than the month before, and smiled. He slid on the trunks and jeans, slipped into the shirt, and pulled on his socks and moccasins. Looking in the mirror one last time, he opened the door and headed down to the kitchen.

Casey and Jessie were deep in conversation when James walked in. Jessie looked at her son and said, “You took a while. You must have gotten extra clean. But you look nice.”

James blushed a bit, but said, “Thanks. I didn’t want to offend our guest.”

“Thanks a lot for the chance to get cleaned up and the change of clothes. I wouldn’t want to offend my hosts, either.” Casey stood and actually bowed to Jessie, who inclined her head in acknowledgement. James began to laugh, and soon Jessie and Casey joined in.

Jessie brought them back to the moment and asked, “Would you boys like to eat on the porch?”

Casey and James looked at each other and neither could keep a straight face. Both boys erupted in laughter as Jessie looked on, before Casey said, “Thank you, ma’am, that would be great.”

“Casey, help me set the table, would you?” James loaded him up with tableware, filled three glasses with water, and led the way to the deep front porch, turning on the ceiling fan on the way. The table was set in no time, and Jessie came out of the house with a steaming casserole dish and a loaf of bread. The smells of food filled the air immediately – apparently, the bread was garlic bread, and the casserole smelled of chicken and cheese and chile peppers.

As everyone filled their plates, Jessie told Casey, “This is a tortilla casserole. A friend gave me the recipe. It’s got chicken, cheese, chiles, tortillas, and a few other things in it. I like it because I can make a big casserole to last us for a few days. I love to cook, but not every day, every meal. Besides, it’s just the two of us, and that’s not as much fun as cooking for a group. I use the microwave more often than the stove.”

“Thanks for inviting me to stay. This food smells great.”

“I’m glad James asked you. He doesn’t do that often. So few of his classmates share his interests, and we don’t have any video games in the house. That seems to be what most of them want to do. I wanted to buy him a game system, but he prefers reading.”

“Books leave my mind free to think and imagine. Video games take that from me,” James stated. “Besides, it’s too easy to lose track of time when you’re playing games, and I like not having the clutter in my room.”

“I really like your room. It feels peaceful without any electronics in there. I hope you don’t mind, but I looked in the case on your desk. That’s a really cool bow. It feels almost alive.”

James’ eyes glittered as he spoke. “It is alive. As much as you or me. The same spirit that flows through us flows through every rock, every stream, everything. That spirit doesn’t go away when something takes on a new form. Have you ever shot a bow?”

“No, never.” Casey’s eyes were bright.

“If you like, I can teach you, but you’d want to start with something lighter, and learn accuracy while you build up your strength. It’ll take a little time. I’ve got a smaller bow you can practice with.”

Jessie’s eyes shone with pride as she listened to this conversation, but she also looked thoughtful. The boys turned their attention to lunch. When James took seconds, he piled another serving on Casey’s plate, too. Before Casey could say something, James interrupted him, “Shut up and eat, dude. You know you wanted it. I could see it in your eyes.”

Jessie tried to stifle a laugh, but when she saw the look on Casey’s face, she just couldn’t, and began to laugh long and free. The two boys soon joined in.

After the plates were cleared, the boys went upstairs, and Casey announced that he needed to head home. “I need to change back into my own clothes, but I can’t thank you enough, man. Lunch was great, and your mom’s really nice. I really appreciate the shower and the clothes, too. I couldn’t have enjoyed myself, otherwise.”

“Sure, dude. We couldn’t have enjoyed the company as much, either, if I hadn’t let you get cleaned up.” For the third time, he winked at Casey, and started to laugh.

Casey started to laugh, too, and said, “No, I guess not.” Without another word, he started taking off the borrowed shirt. James turned and walked to the table where his bow was. He didn’t turn around when he asked, “When would you like to get together to learn to shoot?”

Casey had stripped off the jeans and began pulling down the trunks, when he asked, “You were really serious about teaching me? Oh, man, that would be so COOL!”

“Of course I was serious.” James turned and saw Casey standing bare, pulling on his grey boxer briefs. He walked over to the window, looking at anything but the boy in his bedroom. The boy with dirty blond hair and eyes the color of bluebonnets. The boy with the toned legs and the beginnings of a six-pack. The boy now sliding cargo shorts over his round butt and pulling on a T-shirt. A barely-damp T-shirt that clung lightly to his chest and shoulders.

Casey sat on the bed and pulled on his socks and shoes, and answered, “I – I’m not sure when I can come back over. Can I talk to you about it later? Can I have your phone number? We’re supposed to get the phone hooked up later this week.”

James walked to his desk, pulled out a pad, and wrote a number on it. He walked back to Casey, and handed him a folded sheet of paper. Casey smiled and put the paper in his pocket. Softly, he said, “Thanks, James. I hope to talk to you soon. I had a great time.”

With that, Casey turned and walked out of the room, down the stairs, and out the door to the back yard. Looking back at the house, he saw James standing in a window upstairs, watching him. He waved once, picked up his bicycle, and walked it to the front yard, where he sighed and got on, beginning the ride back home.

Upstairs, James was walking to the bed, where Casey had placed the borrowed clothes. He picked up the trunks and brought them to his nose, breathing in the faint scent that was Casey.