The Cockney Canuck - 147. Chapter 147 Slap and Tickle

Whenever Don was away, everyone seemed to get on a lot better, and it was noticeable almost immediately. The tension that hung in the air when he was there vanished the moment he walked out of the door, and even Sue’s surprise statement about Stephanie failed to dent my optimism.

I was able to get a worm’s eye view of my sister’s friend as she watched me pick up the pieces of Don’s broken mug, and she didn’t look any different. But even if Sue was right, and Stephanie was up the duff, I was pretty confident it had nothing to do with me. She was a popular girl with a lot of male friends competing for her attention. Unless she had a weird attraction to younger gay guys, it seemed unlikely that I was her only lover.

She definitely didn’t behave like a novice. While my performance that night was woeful and embarrassing, Stephanie proved she was no stranger to a penis. She did things with it I didn’t even know was possible, and there was little doubt about who was in control. No one is born with those skills, so it was fair to assume she enjoyed a healthy and varied sex life.

If that was the case, it was also likely she was using contraception, and I took this for granted when she didn’t ask me for a condom. They were the accepted norm among teenagers, and the school was covered in posters promoting safe sex. However, I got the impression they were mainly aimed at preventing STD’s. Birth control didn’t seem like a big problem, and I wasn’t convinced it was that easy to get a girl pregnant.

A friend of my adopted parents tried for three years to have a baby before his wife finally conceived. I remembered listening to them one Saturday night when Don invited them over for a celebratory meal. I learned more that evening about human reproduction than I ever did at school, although it was weird hearing Don and Sue discussing sperm counts and menstrual cycles over dinner.

Before then, I had only ever equated sex with pleasure. Sperm was something I rolled across my tongue like a good wine, spat, swallowed, or left in the end a condom—a naughty and slightly salty, all-boy fluid without which no sexual experience was ever complete. But apparently, under the right conditions, it could also make babies.

I wanted to ask them how often they did it, but I wasn’t allowed any input into a strictly adult conversation, and no one else considered such an obvious question. They were only young, but she wasn’t exactly blessed with good looks, so I figured he was probably banging her four times a week at most. But when I multiplied it by a hundred and fifty-six and threw in a few extras for birthdays and Valentines, it still worked out to more than six hundred. I was proud of my mental arithmetic at the time, and now months later, it helped put things into perspective. That was a lot of sex to produce one sprog. Stephanie and I only did it once; even if she wasn’t protected, what were the chances of it happening the first time?

*     *     *

That evening, Sue asked me to help her sort through some old clothing for an upcoming charity sale at the hospital. She had two garbage bags in the garage filled with cast-offs going back to when the kids were small. We needed to determine what was good enough to sell, but it also provided a rare opportunity for some one-on-one time with my adopted mother, and Stephanie was top of my agenda.

The more I thought about it, the more convinced I was that Sue had got it wrong. When I asked her how she knew, she couldn’t give me a definitive answer. Her judgement was based purely on how the girl looked, the glow of her skin or something equally unscientific. It sounded like an old wives’ tale to me.

“Why don’t you just ask her?”

“No, dear. That would be inappropriate. If I’m right, then I’m sure we’ll find out in good time. That’s if she wants us to know, of course.”

‘If I’m right. If she wants us to know.’

There were a lot of ifs in Sue’s theory.

“I shouldn’t have mentioned it,” she said while holding up a pair of baggy boardshorts. “These were Don’s. They don’t fit him anymore, but they would probably fit you.”

I backed away like they were diseased and shook my head. “No thanks, they’re not my style.”

She huffed and threw them in the charity box. “Kids nowadays are so fussy.”

I wasn’t fussy; I just didn’t like the idea of wearing anything that used to belong to Don.

“What did you mean by ‘if she wants us to know?’ Won’t it be obvious?”

“There are ways of terminating a pregnancy, dear. I’m sure you’ve heard of abortion.”

I was distracted by a pair of frilly girl’s panties. Nicola cast-offs for sure, and I giggled as I held them in front of my crotch.

“I think these suit me better.”

Sue grabbed them from me and threw them in the garbage. “Well, I guess an unwanted pregnancy is something you’ll never have to worry about, which is one less potential problem for me.”

I groaned. “I suppose being gay has to have some advantages.”

Sue paused for a moment and reached out to touch my arm. “I know it hasn’t been easy for you, dear. I would have done things a lot differently had I known. Maybe we can use this weekend to set things straight.”

There was a measure of optimism in her voice that had been missing for a while and something else I noticed. She didn’t include Don anymore, and there was no mention of his name. It was like she alone controlled my future. I wanted to believe this was true, but Jo’s voice was always in my head, preventing me from dropping my guard.

“When is this sale anyway?”

“Saturday. I was gonna ask you to help out, but I suppose you’ll be at Conner’s house.” She waited for an answer, and I replied with a nervous nod. “How is he anyway? I haven’t heard you mention him lately.”

“He’s okay, I guess.” My reply was as unenthusiastic as my body language and easy to read. I was hoping it was only small talk, but her next words set off alarm bells.

“And Nathan?”

I stared at her as she rummaged in the bottom of the bag. “What about Nathan?”

“I just wondered how he was.” She pulled out a pair of boy’s pyjamas and sighed. “These were Daniel’s. He looked so cute in them, but he hardly ever wore them.”

I knew why, but I didn’t bother trying to explain. I was more concerned with her question about Nathan. It sounded like she knew more than she was letting on, so I tried to nip it in the bud.

“I haven’t talked to Nathan.”

“Really, I thought you were supposed to be looking after him?”

“How can I? No one’s allowed to visit him. Not even Daniel, and he’s his friend.”

Sue put the pyjamas in the charity box and looked into my eyes. “So, what is Nathan to you, dear?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Is he a friend, or something more than that? I think you know what I mean.” She lifted the box and placed it in my arms. “Can you put this in the back of the car for me, please?”

I stared at her for a few seconds before she shooed me away and grabbed another bag of clothes from the shelf. I had time to think about it as I carried the box out to the car. There was no way she could have known for sure that I was back with Nathan, but she obviously had her suspicions, and it left me no option. I had to come clean before I got into any more trouble. All she had to do was call Conner to find out the truth, and I would have been screwed for sure.

“Why aren’t you angry?” I stood in the doorway with my arms folded, demanding an answer.

“Would it make a difference?”

“I don’t get it. I lied to you, aren’t you supposed to punish me?”

“So, it’s true then. I thought so.”

My eyes followed her around the garage as she retrieved another cardboard box and placed it on the fold-up table. Then she reached into the bag and pulled out a boy’s jacket, which she held up to examine, before tossing it aside.

“How did you know?”

“I’m not silly, dear. I’ve seen the way you act around each other. I noticed it at the hospital and when I picked you up last weekend. You're too close to be friends. The way you interact is different from a normal friendship between two boys.”

I didn’t realise we were that obvious, but Sue seemed capable of spotting things no one else could see. It didn’t bode well for Stephanie.

“Does Don know?”

“I think he would have mentioned it, don’t you?” Sue smiled at me before delving into the bag and retrieving a Maple Leafs cap. Like the team, it had seen better days, and she consigned it to the garbage.

I kept my guard up as I watched from a distance, intrigued but still too scared to relax. It didn’t make sense. I was expecting a confrontation or at least some kind of punishment for lying to her.

“Are you going to tell him?”

“No, dear. I don’t think he needs to know, do you?”

I was confused but not surprised. I wasn’t expecting her to say yes. That would have been a complete betrayal after her recent attempts to stick up for me, but I wasn’t sure if she realised what she was offering. How long was she going to keep this a secret, and what would happen if or when he found out?

Jo was convinced Don would implode if he discovered I had rekindled my relationship with the boy he loathed. I still wasn’t sure what that meant, but it seemed reasonable to expect much worse if he found out that his wife had been covering for me.

“I don’t get it. Are you telling me it’s okay if I see Nathan?”

“If I said no, would it make any difference?”

“No.”

“I didn’t think so. If you like him that much, you're going to see him no matter what I say. So, it’s probably better this way; at least I know where you are.”

It was a pity Don wasn’t blessed with the same common sense as his wife. In his eyes, allowing Nathan back into the family would be tantamount to treason, although he clearly hadn’t been consulted. I didn’t want to sound ungrateful or give her a reason to change her mind by pointing out the obvious flaws in such an unexpected concession, but there were things I needed to know.

I was still standing in the doorway, watching her, when she looked up and smiled. “Are you going to help me or not?”

She was trying her best to do the right thing, but as I walked back to the table, I still found it hard to trust her.

“So, I’m not going to be grounded?”

“Not unless you want to be.”

I chuckled. “Who wants to be grounded?” Then pulled an old t-shirt out of the bag and held it up to show her. It had a hole in it, and she shook her head, so I threw it in the garbage.

“Sometimes, you make me wonder. I don’t think it’s been much of a deterrent to you. In one year, you’ve been grounded more times than Nicola ever has, and she’s older than you. Daniel has never been grounded.”

“Not ever?”

“Nope, we’ve never had to.”

“That’s not fair. You're discriminating against me because I’m gay and adopted. You need to ground him.” I smiled to let her know I was joking, but there was a little anger in there too.

Sue laughed. “But he’s done nothing wrong.”

“Well, make something up then. I’m sure you can pin something on him. What kind of parent are you?”

Daniel wasn’t a model child by any stretch of the imagination. He was constantly breaking the rules, but he got away with it because he was smarter than me and better at hiding things. Nicola was even worse. She was a habitual offender and an accomplished liar who escaped punishment by telling them what they wanted to hear. I had a shed full of dirt on both of them, but I would never snitch. After hearing this, though, I was determined to get Sue to redress the balance.

“Daniel’s only just started dating and going out, I’m sure there will be times when he pushes his luck, and if he does, he’ll be grounded too,” said Sue. “But I can’t do it just to make you feel better.”

“That’ll never happen. But I don’t care. I know I will never be treated equally in this house.”

It was a contentious topic, but this ploy usually forced Sue into giving me some kind of minor concession, if only to keep me from moaning. On this occasion—emboldened by her sudden willingness to undermine her husband’s authority—I could see a much bigger prize.

“That’s not true, dear. You're treated exactly the same as everyone else.”

“Okay, so, you won’t mind if I invite my new boyfriend over once in a while. I’ll let him know he’s welcome to drop in anytime he’s passing, which is practically never because he hasn’t got anywhere to go, and he never goes out. But it’s the thought that counts, right?”

Sue was usually a sucker for a guilt trip and walked straight into my trap, but she wasn’t easily fooled.

“Conner was always welcome in our house, and Nathan’s probably been here more times than everyone else put together. He practically lived here when he was younger.”

“That’s before he was barred, and I’m pretty sure that violates my human rights.”

“And I’m pretty sure you're overreacting. I’m sorry, but it’s something you're going to have to work around for a while. You’ve only just admitted to seeing him.”

“Fine, but don’t tell me I’m treated the same as everyone else.”

Sue was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, and we both knew who the guy was with the horns.

“It’s Don,” she said, reading my mind. “But personally, I have no objections to Nathan visiting. You can invite him over this weekend if you want, or tomorrow evening after school. He can even stay over if he doesn’t mind sleeping upstairs.”

I got the impression Sue was ready to agree to anything to appear impartial, but normal service would resume when her husband returned.

“Nah, I think I’ll leave it to Tuesday.”

“Don’t be pedantic, dear. You know that won't be possible. It’s best if Nathan avoids Don.”

‘Ya think?’

Sue took a deep breath and pulled another garment from the bag. She looked tired, and I felt sorry for her. It wasn’t her fault.

“Things will be different soon,” she said, but she didn’t say in what way or when.

I wondered if I could talk Nathan into coming over at the weekend. He was going stir crazy indoors and desperate to get away from his house. His parents were over-protective, but I didn’t think they would mind him coming to see me. Rather than sulk, I decided to exploit Sue’s guilt complex and be grateful I wasn’t grounded.

“I suppose I can ask him if he wants to come over this weekend.”

“I’m glad. Tell him he’s more than welcome.”

She must have been relieved to hear me accept her peace offering, and she reached out to stroke the side of my arm. It took me a while to be comfortable with these innocuous displays of affection, but now I was so used to them they often went unnoticed. She only did it to the people she cared about, and ironically never to her husband. I wondered how they managed in bed.

‘Yuk, yuk, yuk, I don’t even wanna think about that.’

“I’m sure a change of scenery will do Nathan good,” said Sue. “Liz told me how much you’ve helped him; she said you’ve made a huge difference. His family think a lot of you.”

“Did she tell you that the police have dropped the charges against him?”

“No, dear, she didn’t. When did you hear this?”

“Jo told me earlier, and she knows everything. I told you he was innocent, but no one believed me.”

“I never said I didn’t believe you.”

“But you didn’t. I know you didn’t!” I stopped myself and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude.”

“It’s okay, dear. At least you've managed to control the swearing. It’s a step in the right direction. You can be a sweet boy when you want to be.”

I disagreed and pulled a face at her as she picked up an old straw hat. It was crumpled and frayed at the edges, but she tried it on and struck a pose that made me laugh. I gave it the thumbs down, and she tossed it aside.

“So, you're not mad at me?”

“I’m not happy you lied to me, but I can understand why you did it. I guess you must really like him.”

“I love him,” I said abruptly. Sue didn’t say anything, but I was pretty sure I knew what she was thinking. “Gay people can love each other too, you know. It’s not just about sex; we haven’t even done that yet. If that were all that mattered, I would have stayed with Conner. He wanted to do it all the time.”

I was annoyed at myself for divulging too much information, even if it wasn’t entirely true, but I think I got my point across.

“I know that dear. I’m not stupid. I didn’t realise you had feelings for him, but there’s nothing wrong with that, and it’s reassuring to know you're being sensible when it comes to sex. You're both too young for that kind of thing.”

‘Sensible?’

“No, it’s just difficult with his broken arms, that’s all.”

I got the feeling she didn’t want to hear that, but she did look at least somewhat reassured by my spurious claims of abstinence. She was never going to be as flexible as Nathan’s progressive parents, but she didn’t believe in Don’s archaic religious claptrap either. I was happy with somewhere in the middle.

“I admit that I’ve made mistakes,” said Sue. “It hasn’t been easy for me. I’ve never had to deal with these problems before.”

I chuckled. “Why do you think it’s a problem? Maybe that’s where you're going wrong; it’s only a problem because you think it is, and because Don thinks it is, but I don’t think it’s a problem and neither does Nathan, so maybe it isn’t.”

She smiled. “You can be a smart kid at times.”

“I was just repeating what Jo told me. She’s the smart one.”

“Well, I’m trying, and I’ll get there, I promise.”

“I know.” I was proud of myself for not crying, but I could see Sue’s eyes welling up, and I knew what was coming when she held out her arms.

“Come here, Robbie.”

“You're not gonna hug me, are you?”

“Yes, dear. And for once, you're gonna have to put up with it.”

I suppose it was better than being grounded, and although I wouldn’t admit it, I needed a hug too.

My mom’s premature death forced me to grow up way too soon, but there were still times when I needed to feel like a little boy again, and Sue’s shoulder was becoming a familiar haven.

The moment my face was behind her back, my eyes began to sting, and my emotions got the better of me. Hugs were one thing, but I felt I was too old to cry and hated myself for being such a baby.

“I’m sorry I lied to you.”

“I know, dear, and I’m sorry for getting it wrong more times than I got it right. It’s been a challenge, but I’m not too old to learn, and I have a good teacher.”

Sue must have wondered what was wrong with me. Instead of struggling to free myself, I was clinging to her, almost too scared to let go or open my eyes. I kept them closed as tight as I could as I tried and failed to keep my tears from spilling.

“So, are you really okay with me seeing Nathan?”

“Honey, I don’t get to choose your boyfriends.”

“Boyfriend,” I corrected her. “I only have the one. I’m not with Conner anymore.” When I finally let go, I was too embarrassed to look at her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t cry; it’s stupid.”

“That’s nonsense. No one is gonna know anyway.” She pushed the hair from my eyes and got me to look at her. “I’m glad you're not with Conner anymore. I don’t think he treated you right, did he?”

“No, he didn’t.”

Sue held me at arm's length to look me up and down, almost like she was inspecting me for damage. “Don’t let people take advantage of you. You're worth more than that. He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“No, nothing like that. It’s hard for me to explain, and I don’t really wanna talk about it.”

“I understand. But if you ever ….”

“I know.” I pulled away and wiped my face with the back of my arm, but I wasn’t able to prevent a smile from forming on my tear-stained face. “I get it that you wanna be more involved in my life, but I don’t think I’m ready to discuss things like that with you. Probably not ever. It’s nothing personal. It’s just a mom thing.”

I realised my mistake the moment I said it. After a year of constantly telling myself I didn’t need another mother, that word seemed to roll off my tongue far too easily.

Sue pretended not to notice, but I could tell it meant a lot to her.

*     *     *

“Does she look any different to you?”

Rory shoved a spoonful of pudding into his mouth and shook his head, but I wasn’t sure if he even looked.

“What is it with you and Stephanie. Have you got a crush on her or something?”

“Don’t be silly; I just wondered if you’ve noticed anything different about her lately, that’s all.”

“You mean, like the colour of her skin?”

I nearly jumped down his throat. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I mean. What do you think?”

“I think she’s an alien, and we should alert the authorities. You could get a medal for this. I bet she’s half-lizard or something. She’s probably gonna eat that guy.”

“Can’t you be serious for once?” I shook my head at Rory as he chuckled to himself, then I sneaked another glance across the cafeteria. Stephanie was sitting three tables away, talking to some guy. She knew I was watching but made no attempt to acknowledge me. It was normal behaviour; she only ever spoke to me in school if she was on her own.

“Have you seen her tongue? It’s as long as my arm and forked like a snake.”

I stared at Rory and smiled. Stephanie’s tongue wasn’t forked, but she knew how to use it. I remembered her dragging it along my penis before taking it into her mouth. I wasn’t exactly huge but what she did was impressive by anyone’s standards and the only part of our sexual encounter that I enjoyed. Stephanie’s remarkable deep-throating talents weren’t wasted on me. I was a quick learner and used the experience to hone skills I never knew I had. Conner and, more recently, Nathan were direct beneficiaries.

Rory, of course, was unaware of my brief sexual encounter with the girl, who was now blatantly ignoring my attempts to get her attention. Her body language screamed at me to stay away, but I was tired of her games. After weeks of avoiding her, I was determined to bring this episode to a close. Nicola wasn’t there, so there was no reason why we couldn’t talk.

Rory wanted to go outside to call his girlfriend, so I hung back then took a slight diversion to Stephanie’s table. She was talking and didn’t see me approach until I was standing next to her.

“Hey, Robbie. How’re things?” She sounded panicky like she was scared I would embarrass her in front of her friend. Up until that moment, I hadn’t paid much attention to the guy sitting opposite her. I could only see his back, but I would have kept well clear if I had known who it was. I dropped my eyes and cursed, hoping he wouldn’t recognise me.

“Hey, look who it is. My English gay buddy, what can we do for you? Are you lost? The freak’s table is over there, my friend.” He pointed across the room where Ginny was sitting with a group of Nathan’s friends and laughed.

His name was Mitch, and the last time we talked, he was trying to pick a fight with me at the beach. He was with his friends that day, and I was with Nathan, but it didn’t end well for him. He didn’t like me because I stood up to him, even though he probably would have wiped the floor with me. I didn’t think I’d be so lucky if it happened again.

Stephanie threw him a look that said back-off, then glanced up at me. “If you're looking for Nicola, she’s studying for a test; she’s not having lunch today.”

“I’m not looking for Nicola. It’s you I wanted to talk to, but I guess it can wait.” My eyes flicked to Mitch, who was leaning across the table to hear what I said. He raised his hand to wave at me with a limp wrist.

“Bye, sweetie. Nice of you to drop by.”

I ignored him and tapped Stephanie on the arm. “I’ll call you later.” She nodded and smiled as I turned away, but I knew Mitch wouldn’t be able to keep his mouth shut. He must have seen an opportunity for some long-awaited revenge, and there was no better way than belittling me in front of a girl he obviously wanted to impress.

He called me back, but I pretended not to hear until he mentioned Nathan.

“How’s your little boyfriend? I haven’t seen him around in a while; I hope nothing bad happened to him.”

‘What the fuck?’

I stopped and turned around, shaking my head in disgust.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

As I walked back, Stephanie stood up to block me. She placed her hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes.

“Robbie! Don’t be stupid.”

Mitch was happy for me to continue and stood up to meet me, pushing over his chair in the process. The noisy cafeteria rapidly quietened as we became the focus of everyone’s attention.

“What’s wrong? Did I say something you didn’t like? Come on, if you wanna hit me, then do it, queer boy.”

Stephanie turned her back on me and hissed at him to sit down. I could have easily pushed past her, but I wasn’t stupid enough to try to hit him. My temper was dampened by a combination of fear of being hurt and common sense.

If I lashed out first, I could have been expelled. I had already been suspended for punching a student and dislodging his tooth in the corridor. This time, even Mr Andrews wouldn’t have been able to save me.

Above the deafening silence, a supportive voice called out.

“He’s a loser, Robbie. Don’t waste your time on that creep.”

Ginny’s advice garnered a few laughs as Mitch turned and gave her the finger. He was goading me and laughing. There was no way he was gonna hit me inside the school unless it was in self-defence, and I doubt if any punch I could have thrown would have worried him. He sneered at my hesitation, scanning the expectant audience and claiming it as a victory.

“Yeah, I thought so. Don’t fuck with me again unless you're willing to back it up. I don’t like your type.”

I was relieved to hear the sound of conversations starting again as the cafeteria returned to its normal state. A potential incident was avoided, much to the disappointment of a few of the more blood-hungry students. From the looks I got, I sensed the majority would have been happy to see Mitch put me on my ass, especially the males.

Many of them probably thought I had it coming, and I had to accept that I wasn’t going to win any popularity contests. But having a lower approval rating than a neanderthal thug like Mitch was a kick in the bollocks.

As my opponent sat down with a smug grin, Stephanie grabbed my wrists and gave me a sympathetic smile. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“We can talk tomorrow if you're free. Nicola won't be there.”

It was news to me, but I knew Sue wouldn’t be at home either, so I told her to come over in the afternoon. While we talked, Mitch was in the background getting increasingly agitated. It was only a matter of time before he interrupted.

“What’s going on? Do you mind letting me in on the secret?”

‘Is she dating this prick?’

Stephanie rolled her eyes but wouldn’t look at him. “It’s got nothing to do with you, Mitch.”

“Fine, if you wanna hang around with queers, I don’t care.”

“Don’t tell me who I can be friends with.”

I interrupted. “Wait a minute. Is he your boyfriend?” I pointed at him and pulled a face at Stephanie. “Are you kidding me?”

To Mitch, my comment was like a red flag to a bull, and he was soon on his feet again, spitting obscenities at me and indicating I wasn’t long for this world.

“You’d better go before he gets really upset,” said Stephanie, and she pushed me away. “I can handle him.”

He already looked upset, but really upset sounded much worse, so I took her advice and turned away only to be stopped from leaving by my history teacher. After a brief explanation, I returned to my afternoon lessons, but Mitch’s outburst earned him a caution from Mr Andrews for threatening behaviour and discriminatory remarks.

I had no idea Stephanie was dating that moron, and Nicola obviously didn’t either. Maybe she didn’t want anyone to know she was seeing the world’s biggest asshole, and I couldn’t blame her for that, but it also presented another possibility.

‘Is he the father?’

It wasn’t even clear if she was pregnant, but if she was, Mitch seemed the more likely culprit, although I still couldn’t work out why she needed to talk to me about it and not Nicola.

*     *     *

I decided not to burden Nathan with this latest development when I visited him after school, but I couldn’t wait to tell him about my conversation with Sue. I was hoping to persuade my boyfriend to spend the weekend at our house, as she suggested. It was an opportunity for him to get out and see other people who wouldn’t judge him, including his life-long best friend, Daniel.

My plan was well-received by his mom and sister. They looked ragged and in need of a break as they briefed me on Nathan’s condition.

“The last couple of days, he’s been moody and irritable,” said Liz. “He gets down when you're not here.”

Karen said much the same. “He goes from the basement to his bedroom, but he doesn’t want to talk to us.”

It sounded like he was bored out of his mind, and I didn’t blame him. I would have been too. I thought their efforts to protect him were a bit extreme. Nathan was locked up while his attacker was still at large. It should have been the other way around.

Most of his friends were still kept at bay because he wouldn’t tell them where he got the drugs, but they trusted me implicitly. According to his family, I was indispensable and vital to Nathan’s recovery and rehabilitation. Four days without me, and he was falling apart, refusing to talk to anyone or leave his room, but I wasn’t convinced it was that simple.

He could be stubborn and unpredictable, and there was no guarantee his mood would change the moment I popped my head around the door. But, of course, that’s precisely what happened.

I found him in the basement watching music videos, and when he saw me, he couldn’t hide his excitement. His face lit up, and he threw his arms around me, hitting me in the back with his plaster casts.

I wasn’t expecting such a frivolous welcome as he peppered my mouth with tiny kisses and licked the side of my face like a dog.

“Stop it. You're making me wet.”

“I missed you.”

“I can tell.” I wiped my face with my sleeve and looked him up and down with a critical eye. He wasn’t using his slings and seemed more flexible, but he looked thinner, pale, and even a little bland without the odd bit of make-up. “I missed you too.”

“Come sit down and tell me what’s been happening at school. I wanna know everything.”

I followed him across the room to the shabby old recliner and smiled as I recalled the last time I sat in that chair. It was a hot summer’s day, his mom was grocery shopping, and Nathan was bouncing on my lap to Lady Gaga. This time he sat next to me on one of the threadbare arms.

“School’s been boring as usual, but everyone asks about you.”

“What about you? Have you been staying out of trouble?”

“Of course.” I noticed him studying my face. “Why?”

“No reason. I just wondered that’s all. I mean, for all I know, someone may have wanted to fight you in the cafeteria, but I’m sure you would have told me about it?”

“You’ve been talking to Ginny, haven’t you? That was quick.”

“Bad news travels fast, especially over skype. You don’t need to stick up for me, you know. I don’t want you getting hurt. That would break my heart.”

I didn’t bother trying to explain and was pleased for once that Ginny completely misread the situation. Nathan would never want me to get hurt, but he liked a hero, and it seemed to explain his extra-fruity mood. When he kissed me, his arm pressed against my crotch, making me squirm.

“I have some good news,” I said.

“So, you went for the test. Great, now we can fuck.”

“What now?”

“No, not now, silly. Maybe later, if you decide to stay the night.” As he spoke, his arm began rubbing against my dick. “You are gonna stay tonight, aren’t you?”

I pushed him away. “No, I can’t. That’s the good news, not the test, although that’s good as well.”

He looked confused. “It’s good news that you can’t stay?”

“Yes, I mean no, but you can stay with me instead. Sue told me, and she knows everything.”

“Geez, and they’re worried about me using drugs.”

It took a while to explain, and Nathan was a little wary at first, but he soon warmed to the idea of escaping from his prison for the weekend.

“I’m gonna need a wash first and some proper clothes; I can’t go like this.” He studied himself in the mirror and yelped. “Oh my God, why didn’t you tell me I look like a witch? You're gonna have to help me.”

It was good seeing him take an interest in his appearance again, and I was happy to help him get ready, but I wasn’t expecting it to take so long. It was six o’clock, and he was still in his underwear, deciding what to wear.

“You're only going to my house.”

“I know, but when you’ve been locked up forever, even your house will feel like Windsor Palace.”

“You mean Buckingham Palace; that’s where the Queen lives, although you’d probably give her a run for her money.”

“I heard that. Talk like that won't get me naked.”

“You're already naked, or near enough. Just pick something, or I’m gonna leave without you.”

“It’s these horrible things on my arms. They ruin every outfit.” He started to sob, so I walked over to comfort him, but it was an act. He smiled. “You really do love me, don’t you?”

“Yes, and so do your family. They’re worried about you because you're moody when I’m not here, and you won't come out of your room.”

“It’s because I’m locked up in this house. It’s like being in prison. Now I know how Nelson Mandela felt.”

I giggled. “Yeah, it’s very similar.”

“Don’t laugh; I’ve been in bed for three days.”

“You must have been tired?”

“Tired of waiting for you to come and entertain me, you mean.”

“I don’t mind coming if it entertains you.”

“Hmm, I might hold you to that.”

“How are you gonna hold me with no hands?”

He giggled provocatively, sat on his bed and pressed his foot against my crotch.

“You’d be surprised what I can do with no hands.”

My boyfriend had many talents and could be highly resourceful, but he was also a bit of a tease. He was in a playful mood, so I chose to tickle him instead, making him squeal as I chased him around the room.

Playing the role of the tormentor didn’t come naturally to me. I was more the submissive type—as Alex and later Conner discovered to their benefit—but a near-naked and partially disabled Nathan made for an easy and irresistible target.

The extra weight on his forearms proved a severe handicap for my normally quite-nimble boyfriend, and I was able to tackle him on the bed without breaking into a sweat. I grabbed his ankle and ran my fingers along the underside of his foot as he pleaded with me to stop, offering me all kinds of incentives.

All this time and I never realised he was so ticklish.

“I’ll have sex with you,” he giggled. “And give you a blowjob. Please!”

“Is that all?”

“Okay, two blowjobs!”

I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Friday afternoon than tickling my boyfriend’s feet, but he drove a hard bargain. We ended up settling on a blowjob every day for the rest of my life in exchange for leaving his feet alone, and I still couldn’t help thinking I was robbed.

His mother and sister must have wondered what we were up to, but Nathan’s laughter made everything okay and once again, I was the saviour.

*     *     *

“You're an angel,” said Karen as I helped her brother out of her car. “I don’t know what we would do without you.”

Nathan rolled his eyes. “Well, I might be able to walk for a start,” he grumbled as he began limping towards the house.

“What happened to his foot anyway?” said Karen.

I shrugged. “Who knows?” Then I froze in horror as she pulled me into her bosoms and gave me a sloppy wet kiss on the cheek.

Nathan thought it was funny. “Serves you right, foot freak.”

I was still wiping my face when Nicola opened the door for us, looking slightly confused.

‘I guess Sue didn’t tell her.'

My sister must have wondered what was going on as Nathan hobbled past her. She made a fuss of him but completely ignored me as I struggled with his hefty overnight bag. Nathan wore little more than a t-shirt and a pair of jogging pants at home, but he insisted on bringing half his wardrobe with him for a two-night stay.

I decided to take his bag up to the spare room for him, stopping halfway to avoid a collision with my excited little-sister.

“Is that Nathan?” she screamed as she ran downstairs after hearing his voice. At least she smiled at me on the way past. When I got to the top, I was turned around by Sue.

“I think it’s best if you sleep up here instead of Nathan. That bed is too small for his arms. He can sleep in the basement.” She smiled at me and ruffled my hair before going downstairs to join the party. “You can put his bag in your room.”

‘Easy for you to say.’

I gave her enough time to make it to the living room before pushing the bag with my foot until it cleared the top step and rolled to the landing. “Oops!” I knew there was nothing in there that could break because I packed it for him, so I carried on going until I reached the basement.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” said Daniel. He was on the couch with his girlfriend when Nathan’s bag hit the bottom step and flew into the wall in front of them.

“It slipped out of my hand. It’s too heavy.” I waved to his girlfriend, but couldn’t remember her name.

Daniel laughed as he studied the upside-down bag and scratched his head. “Is that Nathan’s?”

“Yes, he’s upstairs. Didn’t you hear him come in?”

He looked sheepishly at his girlfriend and shook his head. “No, we were watching TV.”

My brother already knew I was back with Nathan, but he was surprised to see him show up at the house. He wanted to talk to me alone, so I got him to carry the bag into the bedroom for me.

“He is your best friend, after all.”

“I thought he was banned from the house, but that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. I heard you nearly got into a fight at school over Stephanie. What’s going on?”

“Who told you?”

“Nicola, and for some reason, she’s really pissed with you.”

It made sense, but once again, she was jumping to conclusions.

“It wasn’t a fight, just a little disagreement. Did you know Stephanie has a boyfriend?”

Daniel cocked his head at me as if he didn’t care. “I don’t talk to Stephanie; she’s Nicola’s friend.”

“I know that. I just wondered if you knew, that’s all. He’s the fucking asshole who was threatening me in the cafeteria. He did the same thing at the beach last year.”

My brother didn’t want to know. “I don’t get it. Does mom know you're back with Nathan?”

I allowed Amy to break the news. After giving my boyfriend the third degree, she came running downstairs to hug me, ignoring the boy’s bedroom protocols.

“Nathan told me he’s your boyfriend again, and one day you're going to get married.”

Daniel raised his eyebrows at me and smiled before taking his girlfriend upstairs to see his best friend.

I sat on my bed and looked at Amy. “He didn’t really say that we were going to get married, did he?”

“No, of course not, silly. I just made that up.”

I had to laugh at my cheeky little sister. She did a quick twirl and then ran upstairs to join the chaos.

There was a lot of laughing going on up there, and Nathan seemed to be the instigator. He needed an audience as much as the house needed laughter.

Don would have hated it, but it was going to be impossible to keep it from him.

I wondered how long it would be before he imploded.