One Semester. - 9. Chapter 9

One Semester Chapter 9.

The next few weeks at College were good. Mostly. There was a big Cisco test in the networking subject and Joel was disappointed because his 84% score was for the first time less than 90%. He could sit it again, thank goodness, but it meant hours more work, especially on the internet-address section. Sam got 70% and Phillip got 96% and they were both pleased. Sam looked happy. He was smiling more and didn't look so tired. It turned out that Phillip had talked him into a 9:30 bedtime curfew for a fortnight. On the third Wednesday after Sam's move to the hamlet he didn't walk in with Phillip like he usually did.

"He'll be back tomorrow. I'll tell you later."

Joel's curiosity had to wait till the afternoon when they shared lunch and were sitting in 42.

"This is private, Joel, and I didn't want any of it overheard in class. I was concerned that with all his experiences he might have contracted some kind of STD. Our local doctor is fairly sure he's clear but he referred him to a special clinic so we can be absolutely certain. He's getting his results today so I'll know more this evening when he gets home."

Joel was stunned. He knew that STD meant sexually transmitted disease but not much more. Did Phillip mean that Sam might have given him something? Phillip's arm rested on his shoulder.

"He's clear, Joel. We're just making sure. The doctor asked him about recent partners and Sam told him about you."

Joel, his face flushing, stared at Phillip, and was surprised at the smile. A smile?

"I know exactly what you're feeling, Joel. He's got a libido like a rabbit."

"?? Um.. Libido?"

"Sex drive. He's turned up in my bed every single night since he moved in. The first time I couldn't believe it was happening but he was upset and I thought he just needed someone to be with. When I gave him a hug he calmed down and begged for more. That was okay of course. What else could I do? But then we had to try the perfect hug you showed him."

"I didn't show him. He showed me. He sort of tricked me into it."

"Of course he did. He's extremely tricky. Anyhow I took him back to his room and he was all right but the next night we went through the whole rigmarole again. The third night he wheedled me into trying your longer version of the hug and when I reacted he was so delighted I couldn't help laughing."

"Reacted?"

"When you're gay and a good-looking young man jumps into your bed it's hard not to."

No wonder Phillip didn't want to say all this stuff in class.

"You're gay?"

"You must have worked that out by now?"

"No, we thought you were just friendly and open-minded."

"Well I like to think I'm both of those, but I certainly didn't know what to make of Sam's actions. Whatever I said he still turned up every night for his perfect hug. And then one morning when I woke up he was there in bed with me and doing a lot more than just a hug. Is this freaking you out?"

"No, it's a rerun of what he did in the tent when we were on the island."

"You're very important to him. From what he says you're his first proper friend."

Joel thought Phillip was the one being much more of a friend.

"Is it upsetting you, that he won't stop getting in your bed?"

"Totally at first, but he says it's not a payback and he couldn't care less about our age difference and I've come to believe him. It's a very strange situation... I hope you don't mind hearing all this. I've been needing to talk it out with someone and you know Sam."

"Of course I don't mind and it's really interesting how he did the same thing to me."

"He'll do it again too. I hope you realise that? With me it's 'having fun', but it's you he's totally smitten with. He says you're number twenty on the ten scale of sexiness."

"He said that to you?"

"He says so much it's embarrassing. I've heard every detail you can imagine about your Big One for example, and telling him it's private just goes straight over his head."

"Um.. Right.. Peter and Martin think he'll keep trying stuff with me too. They think it's funny. ...Was it a mistake letting him stay at your house?"

"Absolutely not. He's already changed a great deal. He's sleeping better and eating good food. He's great around the house and helps out with everything. This last weekend he split wood and carted it up for the slow combustion fire and told me that was his job from now on, and the next day he got the lawnmower out and mowed the whole place. We help each other with College work and that's great too because he has quite a sharp mind. Have you noticed how he smiles more?"

"Yes and he's cheeky too. We think that's copying Peter."

"He copies all of you. After Martin's timely bit of praise when he swam to that other Island and back he's keen to catch up with you and get his Bronze Medallion."

"You're really gay?"

"What? Did it just sink in?"

"We worked out that you weren't. You didn't say anything when you caught us in bed that morning and Peter reckons you don't give off any signals, so it's a surprise."

"I'm meant to be giving off signals?"

"Peter's signals are so obvious Martin calls him the penis perve, and Sam always has a good look when we're changing at the pool."

"You don't... Give off signals that is. Until that morning I had no inkling you were close with Peter. I must admit I was pleased though."

Phillip stayed talking for nearly an hour and when he left Joel went for practice at the pool.

***

Joel laughed as he was dragged to the bed, pushed on his back and sat on. Peter's wicked grin when he'd come in meant something was afoot and after administering a long smooch his smile widened even further.

"Who do you want to be? Priscilla or Frank?"

"Frank? Who's he?"

"Frank-N-Furter you dork! You'd be marvellous as him. I can't wait to see you in black jocks and suspenders. What color jocks have you got on now?"

He didn't wait for an answer and started to find out.

"You know they're my blue ones. You watched me put them on this morning."

"Blue's no good for Frank. We'll have to get you out of them."

He proceeded to do that. Well, that was the end of study for a while. Not that Joel minded, and Peter was definitely in unpredictable mode.

"So, what's with Priscilla and Frank that's set you off so much?"

"We're in the College Drama Club next semester and I've told them we'll do a drag-act in the revue."

Joel lifted away from the close hug to see Peter's face.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I am. Martin's in it too but I haven't told him yet."

"I don't believe I'm hearing this. You put us in a drag-act without even asking us?"

"You'll be great and you'll love it."

"I will not."

"You will so. You loved it the night we did Priscilla."

"That wasn't drag, except for the lipstick and then everyone stared at me all the next day."

"They wanted to kiss you."

"Did not!"

"Sam did. He told you it looked great."

"One person."

"I did."

"Two people, and anyhow you didn't. That was before you got me drunk and seduced me."

"Of course I did. I wanted to throw you on the floor, rip all your clothes off and kiss you for hours and hours while you begged for more and more."

"Boofhead! You can't kiss for hours. Your lips would wear out."

"I can hear it now."

"Hear what?"

"More! More!.. It's you writhing in ecstasy and on your knees with your arms clutched round my legs, calling out for it at the top of your voice.

... Hey, that sounds good. Let's practice so we can give Martin a shock some time."

"All right."

"You will?"

"As long as you show me first. My imagination's not crazy like yours."

"Yum! This will be good practice for the review."

"I'm not going in any review. When am I supposed to do all my College work?"

"Drama club's on Wednesdays. You can fit in easily."

That was true. Wednesday lectures finished before midday.

"You'll never get Martin into a dress."

"Yes I will. I've got a secret weapon."

"??"

"Dani. She'll love the idea and he'll do what ever she wants."

Joel couldn't argue with that. Dani loved teasing Martin about being macho. Time for a change of subject.

"Are you going to help me with my scripting assignment?"

"What for? You can do it better than I can. Come in half an hour early tonight and we'll go over it then. No – come in an hour early."

"An hour?"

"Revue practice."

***

"How many laps is that?"

"Twelve and I'm wrecked."

"That's fantastic Sam. You're turning into a fish."

"As if!"

He loved the praise though and smiled happily as they made their way to the changing room. Usually Phillip was with them, waiting for Sam to finish his swim but today he'd rushed off early for some reason or other.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing!"

"Dogcatcher!"

That phrase had started out as Hot Dog Watcher and evolved after the night in the tent. Sam touched his lip, and at Joel's puzzled look, touched it several times more till they finished showering.

"What's wrong with your lip?"

"Touch it... Just here."

Joel touched.

"Can you feel anything?"

Wondering what he'd missed Joel moved his finger again.

"No."

"See, it's all healed up. That means you can give me a kiss as well as a hug."

He was looking very pleased with himself.

"Sam. Not now."

"You said any time."

"It's the changing room. Someone will walk in."

Sam put his hand on Joel's shoulder for a second then took it away.

"No one would walk into 42."

Joel nodded then grabbed Sam's towel and threw it at him.

"You better get dressed quick."

They did that and walked to 42. Joel closed the door and turned, expecting Sam to want his hug and kiss straight away.

"Sam?"

His shirt was off and he was unzipping his jeans.

"Just like the changing room."

The rest of his clothes went and he enveloped Joel in a big hug. Joel expected an immediate kiss and instead his T-shirt was tugged free and pulled over his head. Joel grabbed for the hands starting on his own jeans.

"We don't have to undress for a kiss."

"We do for our hug. You promised me a proper hug when I got to 12 laps."

Martin had been really impressed with Sam's swimming efforts and just recently they'd taken him out for a celebratory meal. Peter said it wasn't enough and dobbed Joel in for one of the proper hugs.

"No we don't. We've always had our jocks on."

"A proper kiss doesn't work that way so take them off."

“You'll just have to make do with the way I am now.”

***

"Ha! Just you wait. The both of you are going to cop it on the long weekend."

Martin, with Peter dragging in a headlock, had just come into 42.

"He's copping it now. Dani says I'm part of this crazy drag-act thing next semester and she's putting it all on video."

"Martina Darling, you'll be so cute – all the boys in your surf club will have wet dreams for a month."

That brought on a series of skull bops and nose stretchers till Peter begged for mercy.

"So what are we copping it for?"

With Peter still in the headlock they both looked expectantly at Joel.

"For dobbing me in with that perfect hug thing. Phillip wasn't here this afternoon so it was just Sam and me at the pool and he said he was ready for it."

"He's always ready for it."

Martin gave him another bop.

"What's that for? It's true."

"Shoosh up so Joel can tell us the juicy details."

"He asked for his reward hug in the change rooms when we finished our showers. No way. So we came here instead and when we'd finished that he wanted a perfect kiss because his lip is better."

"Perfect kiss? What's that mean?"

"You'll find out on the weekend when he gives you one."

"Why look at me? You mean Peter don't you?"

"You both put me in for the hug so I put you both in for a kiss."

"Not me."

"You have to, Martin. I promised for you."

"You can't do that."

"That's funny. You both did it for me."

"That's different. You like it."

"No it's not, and anyhow it's only for a few minutes."

"Minutes? Seconds you mean?"

Martin released Peter and grappled with Joel, who didn't really resist.

"Tell us!"

With fake reluctance Joel went ahead.

"Well, he calls it his perfect kiss and it doesn't start till you're both ready. Then he gets all passionate for the next few minutes."

"Ready? You better not mean what I think you mean."

"He can't wait."

Joel copped the head bops now and for a few minutes there was struggle and laughter. Joel was totally enjoying himself, as neither of them knew whether to believe him. Peter would get it out of him later when they were in bed but Martin wouldn't.

"What about you? You're in the tent with him on the last night."

"No, it won't happen. Just ordinary hugs and friendly kisses from now on. We worked it out."

"You couldn't have. He's crazy about you."

They were both staring at this bombshell.

"We did. I told him I'm a one-person lover, and today was the last day for any rude stuff because that wasn't what my hug and kiss promise really meant. He agreed straight away, as long as we did his perfect kiss thing."

"Just like that?... I bet he tries something when you're in the tent with him."

"He will, he said that himself, but it won't go anywhere unless I let it."

They talked some more about Sam and how complicated it was to understand him, then Peter and Martin went to 43 to study for three assessment exams that were happening next week. Joel was feeling the same pinch for study time, as all the lecturers were handing out exercise sheets and practice tests to help with final semester assessments which were all happening in the next four weeks. There were only five weeks till the end of semester. Joel checked the time and made a quick plan. A couple of hours on the final revision for the Cisco test, a break for food, then a set of scripting exercises, and he'd need to e-mail Phillip for their latest set of notes so he could do the hardware part of their plan for the optometrist project. He'd better do that right now. An hour later the e-mail beeped.

'All the notes are attached. Sam and I are wagging tomorrow to go to Buchan Caves. See you on Monday. Phillip.'

Phillip wagging? That was unusual. A quick Google of Buchan Caves left Joel wishing he was going with them.

***

The end of chapter 9.