The Exchange Students - 9. Chapter 9

**

“I’m not very experienced,” I admitted shyly. “I’ve never had sex.”

“Neither have I,” Jakob said, “but I know what to do.” Frank and Carson sometimes leave their bedroom door open when they’re doing it. It’s not that I’m perving on them; they intentionally leave the door open. It’s part of my education.”

“We don’t have to leave the door open, do we?” I asked.

“Not if you don’t want to. At some point, Frank and Carson will want to check on my progress. They’re really good at sex and can give us advice.”

I blushed deeply, but at the same time, I thought, ‘It might be hot being watched. Not now, but someday.’

By the way, Jakob smells incredible and tastes even better. He’s so sexy.

My life is perfect!

**

Not everything else is perfect.

The Norwegians, Emma, Amy, Brad, and I met at Stern Grove Park for lunch on Thursday. It was one of those perfect September days in San Francisco, with a clear blue sky and a light breeze. We sat on picnic tables near Pine Lake, enjoying the peaceful scenery.

Word had spread about Jakob and me, and we sat together, holding hands. Emma and Amy couldn't stop gushing about how "adorable" we looked together. Their enthusiasm made me feel great, although I knew Jakob was the one making us look cute.

"You two are adooorable," Brad teased.

"Shut up, Brad," Jakob retorted with a laugh. "You know it's true."

Oscar and Emma planned to see a movie together this Friday at the Stonestown Mall. It was supposed to be a romantic comedy. I wasn't particularly interested, and I still felt hurt by my misunderstanding with Oscar. But that pain faded quickly, and I genuinely hoped things worked out for them.

Jakob was spending Friday night with me in San Mateo. We called it a sleepover, even though it was unusual for boys our age to have sleepovers. Everyone, except my brother Tim, seemed to understand the real reason, but no one said anything. My mom was delighted that I had found someone nice and eager to get to know Jakob better.

Frank scanned the park around us before speaking. "We'll be away from school for a few days next week."

"Really?" asked Emma. "Where are you going?"

"Southern Minnesota, in search of the American Ahnenerbe."

"There are only four of you. Even if you find them, what can you do?" I asked.

Carson replied, "We want to verify they're there and assess their strength. The battle in Norway isn't going well, and the remaining Norwegians might need to flee the country soon. One obvious destination is the United States. We need to know what we're up against."

"It sounds serious," Brad said. "But they won't have a sign out front saying, 'United States Ahnenerbe.' How will you find them?"

"We'll recognize them," Oscar said. "You probably would, too. We have a special look."

If by 'special' he meant 'perfect,' I'd have to agree. After all, I could identify the Gen 5 boys at school without a problem.

"Will they be able to identify you, too? " Amy asked, looking puzzled.

"It’s going to be tricky," admitted Frank. "But we have no other options."

"Sure you do," said Emma.

All seven of us turned to Emma for clarification.

"They won't recognize me," she said. "I can spy for you."

We all stared at Emma, thinking she'd lost her mind.

"Actually… that makes some sense," I said.

"No!" shouted Jakob. "It’s too dangerous."

"It’ll be less dangerous for us," I reasoned.

"I want to do it," Emma said, placing her hand on my shoulder.

I put my hand on hers. "Me too."

"It might work," Frank conceded. "Next week is the Oktoberfest Festival in New Ulm. There will be a lot of strangers in town for the celebration. You wouldn’t be noticed."

I said, "We’ll need to come up with a story for our parents."

Ralph was back in Science class on Friday. He sat in the front of the classroom near the door. The six Generation 5 boys watched the Norwegians from a distance. It was clear that they were wary of the more capable Gen 6 students. They were creepy, like stalkers.

Jakob and I planned to take BART to my house right after our day's last class. He told me to meet him at the station to ensure he wasn’t followed to San Mateo. I could only guess at his evasion methods, but I'm sure they were spectacular.

We sat shoulder to shoulder on the train ride. I was excited and eager to show Jakob around my hometown and introduce him to some of my elementary school friends. It felt like a dream come true, and I hoped it would go well.

We dropped our backpacks off at my house and chatted briefly with my mom. Then, Jakob borrowed my brother's bike, and we toured the town, making our first stop at San Mateo Central Park.

I was excited as we pedaled the two-and-a-half blocks from my house to the park entrance. It was a sunny late afternoon, and the park was the perfect place to show off my hometown to someone special.

"Ready for the grand tour?" I asked.

Jakob smiled and said, "Yeah, can’t wait to see what things were like when you were growing up. I already know it was much different from my childhood."

I couldn't even guess what Jakob's early life was like without parents or siblings. I'd like to know, but only when he's ready to discuss it.

I led the way into the park, first pointing out the beautifully manicured gardens. "These flowers are amazing. The gardeners change them with the seasons, so they always look different. My mom sometimes takes photos here."

Jakob admired the vibrant colors. "It’s like a painting."

As we walked further, we came across the large playground, bustling with kids laughing and playing. "This was my favorite spot when I was little," I said. "The slides felt like a big adventure when I first tried them."

Jakob’s eyes sparkled with either nostalgia or sadness for what he had missed. "Looks like fun. I’d have loved this when I was younger."

"Look over there," I shouted. "It's the Mini-Train! My friends and I would ride it as a special treat as preschoolers. I couldn't even fit in one of the cars today. It makes me feel old," I laughed.

Next, I took Jakob to the Japanese Tea Garden. "It’s so peaceful here," I said as we entered the serene area. The sound of water trickling from the koi pond added to the tranquility.

Jakob took a deep breath, enjoying the calm. "It’s beautiful. I never knew a place like this could exist in a local park."

We wandered through the winding paths, admiring the bonsai trees and stone lanterns, before heading to the picnic area. I pointed out a few families enjoying their lunches on the grassy knoll. "My friends and I come here a lot during the summer. It’s a great spot for a picnic."

"Maybe we could have a picnic here someday. I think Frank, Carson, and Oscar would enjoy this place," said Jakob.

I nodded enthusiastically. "That sounds awesome! We can invite a few more friends and make a day of it."

Our final stop was the open field where people flew kites and played sports. I retrieved a soccer ball from my backpack. "Wanna kick it around for a bit?"

Jakob’s face lit up. "Definitely! I haven’t played in a while."

It was interesting kicking the ball around with Jakob. No matter how inaccurate my passes were, he intercepted them with ease, making me look like an expert. His passes were always perfect. He made it look effortless.

"Hey Jakob, do you want to see my old school? It’s right across the street."

"Sure, I want to see where you went to school before I met you."

The main building was open, likely due to a parish function that evening. Most of the school was built in a similar architectural style to our high school in San Francisco but leaned more heavily on the California Mission look.

I showed Jakob a big tree next to the sixth—, seventh—, and eighth-grade classrooms, which we used as our meeting spot.

“We even built a small fort at its base with branches and leaves, making it our secret club where we planned all sorts of adventures,” I explained. “The custodian probably hated us, but he never said anything.”

"I remember competing in the annual Science Fair in sixth grade. I built a plaster of Paris model of an atoll with the help of my mom. It was kind of pathetic compared to some of the other entries, but I got an honorable mention, which, looking back on it, was probably a ‘participation prize,’” I chuckled. “I still had a great time competing and was very proud of my atoll."

"Another memorable experience was the school’s Christmas pageant.”

“What did you do during the pageant?” Asked Jakob.

“It was a cherished tradition where we performed a nativity play, sang carols, and spread holiday cheer. It was held on the stage in the auditorium, and parents and families were invited to attend. Parents brought cookies and drinks. I played one of the shepherds in my fourth-grade year."

“I would have liked seeing you perform as a fourth grader. I bet you were a cute little kid.”

"I was initially nervous about forgetting my lines, but by showtime, I was the most accomplished shepherd ever to grace the elementary school stage. At least that’s the way I saw it," I laughed.

That night, we had basil and extra cheese pizza. Jakob was in the hot seat, being interrogated by my parents and sister. My younger brother was thrilled that I’d brought someone home he liked and could play with. Jakob handled it with ease. By dessert, it felt like he was already part of the family.

Tim insisted we play video games after dinner. It was fun, though I could tell Jakob was holding back. Every so often, my brother would exclaim, “How did you do that, Jakob? That’s impossible. You’re sooo lucky.” Jakob would catch himself and dial it back even more.

When it was time for bed, it felt like a dream come true, yet the most natural thing in the world. Still, I was nervous.

I had a full-sized bed, so it would be a bit tight for us, but I wasn’t complaining. Tonight would be our first night in the same bed together. We hadn’t been “together” for very long, but I was starting to like Jakob. I just enjoyed being with him. And did I mention he’s so sexy? Frank and Carson taught him well.

In the morning, Tim burst into my room and dived onto my bed between Jakob and me. Neither of us was dressed, but fortunately, a blanket covered us below the waist.

“I know you’re slamming each other,” he snickered. “I don’t care. Hurry up and get dressed. I have a soccer match in an hour. I want you to see me play.”

My dad was the coach, and we stood behind the team. Jakob and I had a great time cheering on the boys. My little brother was pretty good, scoring two goals. They won three to two.

In the afternoon, Serra JV Football was playing Riordan. Jakob and I met with some friends to watch the game. None of my elementary school friends knew I was gay. They were finding out today. We were all raised Catholic, so I was a little nervous.

It was a junior varsity game, and it wasn’t crowded. I found my friends in the midfield bleachers.

“Hey, Matt,” hollered Andrew. “Glad you could make the game. We hardly see you anymore since you started school in the city.”

“I wouldn’t miss getting together with you, and I brought a special friend.”

There was silence. All my friends gaped at me and Jakob.

Daniel said, “I figured you liked guys, but this one is out of your league.” All my friends laughed.

Joining in on the laughter, Jakob took my hand and said, “I’m the lucky one.”

Andrew and another former schoolmate, Olivia, were dating. I think they were happy to be around another couple.

Ashley and Tyler seemed close but still in the friends stage. That left Jessica and Daniel. I suspect they hung out but had no romantic interest in each other.

All three of the girls paid an inordinate amount of attention to Jakob. I couldn’t blame them. At halftime, Jessica pulled me aside.

“So you and Jakob are a couple?”

“Yeah, we got serious a few days ago,” I said.

“Since sixth grade, I hoped we would get together or at least go on some dates. You don’t want to change your mind?” she smiled.

“I’m pretty happy with my current situation,” I said.

“I don’t blame you. I’ve never seen a hotter boy than Jakob. If you change your mind, let me know, and we can get together,” she said with a wink.

It was good getting together with my friends and introducing Jakob to them. I knew all eight of us would get together soon.

My dad dropped Jakob off at the BART station. Before he passed through the turnstile, he turned to me and said. “This was the best two days of my life. Thank you for sharing your family and life with me.” We kissed.

I couldn’t wait until Monday morning to see him again. The entire family liked Jakob. He even won over my sister. My mom and I talked in the kitchen Sunday afternoon while making lasagna.

“I like Jakob,” she said. “He’s a nice boy and funny too.”

“I’m glad, me too,” I laughed. “That reminds me. Would you mind if I spent a few nights in San Francisco this week?”

“With Jakob?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Am I losing you too, sweetie?”

“What do you mean, Mom?”

“Leslie has spent fewer and fewer days with us lately. She’s nineteen and nearly a grownup, so I understand. I just hoped we’d have more time with you before you began drifting away,” she said.

I saw tears in her eyes. My own eyes began welling up.

“Mom, I’m not ready to leave home. I need you and the family so much.”

I didn’t want to lie to my mom. “This is a special situation. It’s for a few days next week. I’ll be home by Saturday or Sunday. I promise.”

I could tell she was hurt and worried about me. She took my head between her hands and kissed me on the forehead.

I packed a bag Sunday night in preparation for the upcoming adventure in Minnesota.