Paul Pulls Through. - 7. Chapter 7.

Paul Pulls Through.

Chapter Seven.
***

The next few days were all busy, and helping Jarrod on Thursday and Friday made Paul feel good. It wasn't sunny on Friday so instead of going for a swim he persuaded Jarrod to go running instead.

It meant extra travelling, but since Jarrod said he wanted to see the tree in daytime, they used Roklin as their base. It suited Paul too because he knew all the interesting spots along the river trail. It wasn't much of a run, more like an explore, because they stopped so often to look at things.
Jarrod said they could swim in the river instead of the swimming pool but that couldn't be because it wasn't clean enough.
They went as far as one of his normal runs but it took three times as long with all the mucking round and Jarrod jogging at a much slower pace than Paul would use by himself. Jarrod kept him laughing though, calling him the lean, mean, running machine and teasing him about his roadrunner legs.
Back at Roklin they decided to leave their showers till they reached Jarrod's place so they'd be fresh after travelling. They were both starving from all the activity and Jarrod made ham and tomato sandwiches for a quick snack.

"What's in the oven, Paul?"

"I don't know. ...It looks like an old brick."

Jarrod came to have a look.

"Idiot. Its meatloaf. Just for that you're not getting any."

"It might break my teeth."

"Too bad. I'll eat it all then."

They dumped their clothes, grabbed a towel each, had their showers then went straight back to the kitchen, where Jarrod set the meatloaf heating, started some spuds boiling and prepared a bowl of salad.

"Mashed potatoes again?"

"I'm good at them aren't I? And they go with meatloaf anyway."

They went to Jarrod's's room and started wrestling straight away. It was their pattern now. The towels fell by the wayside in the first scuffle and Paul's boner quickly established itself, and soon after so did Jarrod's.
That didn't stop the wrestling. As far as Paul was concerned it made it more interesting. He used his strength to get the upper hand, knowing that Jarrod would retaliate with his bending trick, and with lots of laughter and complaints from Paul about unfair tactics they struggled for ten minutes.

"The spuds! The spuds!"

Of course the cry came when Jarrod had his arm twisted up his back.

"Weak, you've always got some excuse."

They wrapped their towels on to go to the kitchen.

The spuds were cooked but the meatloaf needed more time so it was back to the room where Jarrod pulled out two pairs of red jocks.

"Red again? Is that the only color you wear?"

"Mostly. They make me feel better. I don't know why."

"And are we actually going to wear something for a change?"

"Fun--ny! All right! We won't then."

"We? Just because you're a skin freak doesn't mean I am."

"Chicken!"

Jarrod's jocks got tossed on the end of the bed and he waited expectantly for Paul to do the same.

Paul laughed and followed suit.

"Welcome to the madhouse."

Jarrod acted all insulted and attacked Paul, who called him a maniac."

"Banana!"

"Banana? I'm a banana?"

"When I pay you back for twisting my arm you'll be bent into a permanent banana shape."

"Ha! You and what army Jarrod?"

Jarrod made a muscle with his right arm."

"This armie kiddo!"

The scuffle ended with Jarrod wrapped in the cover from the bed and begging for mercy.

"Stop. Stop. We haven't got time to muck round."

"So? What's your excuse this time?"

"The meatloaf and painting! We're doing this room and the lounge tomorrow."

Hunger was the perfect excuse to release him and so was talking about the painting. After finishing the meatloaf, which was nothing like a brick and only half the size it should have been, they spent the evening getting the two rooms ready. There was supper and talk when Jarrod's parents arrived home and then they were in bed by half past ten. That was early, even for Jarrod, whose usual time was around eleven o'clock.

"Why so early Jarrod? I'm not sleepy."

"Neither am I. I want to talk to you."

"We talk all day."

"I know, but it's different in bed."

"Like how?"

"I don't know. Special. ...We're close together and I feel like you understand me. D'you know what dad said I should do next week?"

"Um! ...apply for a job at a nudist colony?"

That warranted a poke in the side.

"Idiot. You're the only one who knows about that. He's told me to get all the papers for my passport. He reckons you're going to make me pass Life Maths."

"A passport? Wow! Well you know you'll pass. When will you go?"

"Four weeks! The sooner I leave, the longer I can stay there."

Paul was quiet. That was too soon. He liked being with Jarrod so much he suddenly knew he didn't want him to go. Well, that was selfish. Jarrod had been dreaming and planning this trip for nearly two years now.

"Four weeks? Geez! That's quick."

"Yes. ...Um! ...Paul?"

There was a tone in Jarrod's voice which grabbed every bit of Paul's attention.

"What?"

"Have you ever thought of travelling overseas?"

"Not really. Except when you talk about it. It would be great."

"What do you think about coming with me?"

"Jarrod. That would be the best."

"I mean for real."

That was a jolt. Paul would never have dreamed of that.

"With you? ...In four weeks time?"

Jarrod nodded earnestly.

"Jarrod... I... I wish I could.... I haven't got any money."

"I know, but I'm sure dad would pay for your ticket and you could pay him back. They keep saying they wish I wasn't by myself.

It was special in bed like this. Paul gave Jarrod a huge hug.

"Does that mean you're coming?"

There was a note of eagerness in Jarrod's voice which made Paul give him another hug. Visions of flying on a huge jet, he'd only done that once when he was ten years old and flown to Sydney with his mum and dad and sis, eating unusual foods and seeing different countries flashed through his mind till he stopped them.

"I. ...I can't Jarrod."

Jarrod was looking at him, his head only a short distance away on the pillow. Paul had to explain.

"It's sis. I couldn't go because of her. I'm kind of helping her."

"Your sis? But she's older than you. She's sharing a flat. What she got to do with it?"

"She's got troubles. I know I can trust you not to tell anyone, not even your parents."

Jarrod nodded and Paul went through the whole situation with him.

"Paul, that totally sucks. You must be the best brother in the world."

"I can't even talk to her about it. If I even try she just shuts me out."

"It's hard to believe. She was so great when we met at the gardens. It's not fair is it?"

Paul had thought that a thousand times. Jarrod went to the kitchen to get them both a drink and Paul thought about not being able to travel with him. That wasn't fair either. It would have been so exciting and he started feeling sad.

"Hey Paul, I've got a problem too, but it's not really a problem. I think Jenny's getting jealous of you."

He was trying to change the subject and cheer Paul up, and Paul smiled at that.

"Me? What for? I've never even seen her. I think she must be imaginary."

"Ha! If she was here in bed with you you wouldn't think she was imaginary. You'd be bonking for hours."

"Hours? As if! And anyway, why would she be jealous?"

"I've talked about you too much. I can't help it 'cause we're always doing interesting things."

"You should do interesting things with her then."

Jarrod shook his head.

"It wouldn't work. She wouldn't think they were interesting. All she wants to do is go to the same parties her friends go to. If I took her to sit on a tree trunk in the dark she'd think I was insane."

"You said I was insane when we did that."

"I know, but that's good insane, not loopy insane like she'd think. And you knew what I meant anyway."

"So what'll you do? About her being jealous I mean."

"Nothing much. And it won't matter. As soon as I go overseas she'll find someone else. Hey, I could set you up. I'll tell her you're a virgin with a dick like a crowbar and randy as a stallion."

"Yeah, and I'll kill you if you do."

"And how would you do that?"

"Well, first of all I'd squash you flat ....Then I'd twist your arm up behind your back ...Then I'd knuckle your backbone till you told me I was a hero ...."

"You're a hero. You're a hero."

"...And then I'd make you ...Um!... I'd make you kiss my butt."

"Gross! All right, as long as you don't do any more knuckling."

That meant he was going to pinch and Paul let him, so they could go through the whole arm-twisting and spine crunching routine again.

That ended in smiles and soft laughter and now Jarrod was teasing Paul because his boner had come to life.

"See, I said you were randy as a stallion."

"Well I don't know how I'm supposed to stop it. It never takes any notice when I tell it to go away."

"That thing won't go away. I bet you've still got it at eleven o'clock."

Paul looked at the time.

"Twenty minutes? It won't last that long."

"What's the longest you've ever had one for?"

"I don't know."

"I suppose not. I don't either. When I have a wank I always say I'm going to keep it going for ages but then my hand takes over and I lose it."

"You wank?"

"Of course I do. Everybody wanks."

"But what about ...Jenny?"

"I only see her a couple of times a week. I'd go crazy if I had to wait that long."

"So, now I know why you're so crazy sometimes. You didn't get off the night before."

"Yeah, you watch out tomorrow. I'll paint you instead of the room."

They talked for another half an hour before Jarrod flaked out.

In the morning Paul woke when something kept tickling his nose. It was Jarrod with a dry paint brush.

"I'm practising. I told you I was going to paint you today. Get up then. Breakfast's ready."

"In a minute. I'm still asleep."

"Yeah, right. I'll tell Mum you'll be there as soon as your woody goes down."

"Idiot."

The painting took longer because there were two rooms this time and they finished after lunch.

"Stand still."

"Why?"

"I'm feeling crazy."

"Don't you dare!"

"Why not? It'll wash off. Take your shirt off."

"I don't believe this. Are you serious?"

He was, and Paul let him go ahead.

"Now it's my turn."

"No it's not, you haven't got time. If you don't wash it off straight away it'll stay there."

Having blue pecs and a blue stomach wasn't on Paul's agenda so he rushed for the shower. Jarrod had to do all the cleaning up because Paul was leaving by two o'clock to get to the gym in time for one of his extras.

***

The next couple of weeks were very busy and Paul spent stacks of time with Jarrod. Their steady three sessions a week working on the Life Maths paid off and Jarrod finished the last mastery test he needed to be successful. They spent some time looking at backpacks because it was a hands free way for Jarrod to carry all his gear. There was one more day of painting and a morning in the big garden helping Jarrod's dad.

Paul stayed at Jarrod's place the night before he left. Jarrod had to check in at the airport by 8:30 the next morning, which meant an early drive, and he wanted Paul to come with him. It was all hustle and bustle, excitement and goodbyes, till Jarrod went through the boarding gate. Paul went with Jarrod's parents to a big window which looked out over the docked jets and the main runway, then waited till his plane taxied away, turned, and gathering speed roared back past them.
Just like that he was gone.
Jarrod's mum had tears in her eyes. Paul didn't, but they weren't far away.

After a quiet drive he was dropped off at Roklin. He couldn't get in, but that didn't matter. His main objective was a short walk away and he sat there for an hour, mostly feeling sad.

He was alone again.
They'd be in touch, with emails and maybe letters, but that wasn't the same as being together.
He hid his day pack in some shrubs and set off along the river track, jogging past all the familiar places. On he went, and on, till the bends and trees and river views became unfamiliar.
Oops! Too far, and there was only an hour and a half to be back and ready for work at the gym.

The end of Chapter Seven.