Trouble Plus Trouble. - 36. Chapter 36

Double The Trouble.

Chapter 36.

Rob arrived in the morning and gave them a lift to school. It meant they were early, but it felt great seeing him, and when they arrived he jumped out of the car, squeezed Matthew’s neck and told him he was going to have good day, but to ring if anything went wrong. Peter got a similar treatment and then they were waving as the car drove off.

"What will we do?"

They decided on the library as the best idea, since they were both apprehensive about seeing too many people, but that didn't work because it hadn't opened and they made their way to home-room instead. There was almost half an hour before first bell and they had the room to themselves for ten minutes. The first people to arrive were three guys who were always early. They were friends whose families shared giving them a lift and Peter liked them. They came over and straight away Peter and Matthew had a taste of what the day was going to be like. Troy was the spokesman, but the other two, Chris and Anthony, had plenty to say as well.

"Yo, Peter. What ya doing here so early?"

"Matthew's dad dropped us off on his way to work."

"Hey Matt, there's a rumor going around. Do you know about it?"

"I think so. What have you heard?"

Troy looked awkward.

"Well, they reckon you're gay."

Matthew nodded in answer to the unspoken question and Peter watched the three of them closely. They didn't look aggro at all, just kind of surprised, and when glances passed between them Peter could tell they'd already been talking.

"You are? Well … We didn't think you were. …..You don't look gay."

"Yes, I am Troy."

Troy sensed that Matthew wanted his reaction.

"Hey, no problem. It's okay with us isn't it guys?"

A huge wave of relief went through Peter and Matthew felt the same because a tentative grin appeared. The grin spread, the ice was well and truly broken, and when the questions came thick and fast it was almost a non-event to answer the query from Chris.

"You’re best friends Peter. They're going to say you're gay too."

"Well, they’re right Chris."

"Geez, two in the one class. What's it like?"

This was from Anthony and Peter didn't know how to answer.

"What do you mean? What's what like?"

"Um, being gay?"

"I don't know. It isn't like anything, except it's scary at the moment. What's it like being straight?"

Troy laughed and said Anthony wouldn't know because the only person he'd ever done anything with was in the mirror.

"Shut your face Troy or I'll tell them about the toilet-roll tubes."

Everyone grinned and then there were more questions. Another guy, a group of three girls, and then two more boys came into the room and seeing Peter and Matthew at the centre of attention came straight over and wanted to know what was going on. Troy, Chris and Anthony didn't say anything, just left it to Peter and Matthew to reply.

"Um, Troy asked us about the rumor."

It was a repeat of when the team guys found out, though more subdued, with the strongest factor being curiosity.

Brent came rushing in, then stayed quiet when he saw that everything was okay. There were twenty-four people in their group and five minutes before the bell was due to ring they must have all been there. Four were sitting in their seats, which made Peter wonder what they were thinking, but apart from them, everyone else was gathered round. Most were just listening while the more vocal ones did the talking. This was amazing. Peter relaxed as he realised the general feeling was one of support, while at the same time feeling weird talking about this stuff to such a large group. Trent, who liked to think he was a bit of a clown, got howled down for asking Matthew if he was pregnant, but Matthew said he was on the pill and offered some to Trent so he didn't have anything to worry about, which set the grins off everywhere.

"Hey Peter, the story I heard was that the whole swimming team's gay and they all make out when they go to other schools."

It was Trent again, not clowning this time, and there were nods from quite a few others who'd heard the same thing.

"It's not true Trent. They were helping Matthew when we went to Hillston. Some of those guys were trying to get Matthew ’cause he’s good at swimming."

Peter, trying to model himself on the way Andy had done it with the team, started explaining it all to the captive audience, and was in the middle of describing what happened when they got off the bus, when in a chain reaction all the eyes looked to the side. It was Andrew. Just standing quietly. Peter wondered how long he'd been there. Long enough to know what was happening evidently, because he sat on one of the chairs and spoke.

"Keep going Peter. I'd like to hear the rest of this as much as everyone else."

He’d already heard it of course, but Peter understood that this was his tacit approval and support, and went on to tell about the pink flags and everyone pretending they were gay to stir the Hillston guys. There were lots of laughs at that, but the questions were subdued and more serious from then on, the result of a teacher’s presence. The bell rang and everyone sat in their places, waiting to see what Andrew's reaction would be. He had a smile but didn’t say anything, which surprised Peter, and went through the normal class business, stopping when the office announcements came over the PA system, then talking about arrangements for an English excursion. He’d done it on purpose though and a few minutes before the group split up, quite seriously announced that the next day he’d be issuing pink flags for everyone in the group.

"It's a new school policy, recommended by the swim team, and next week there’ll be rainbow stickers for all students who drive cars to school."

Half the class thought he meant it till they saw the other’s grins, and Peter saw Trent's startled look change to chagrin at being taken in.

"What about you Mr Crossman? Will you be wearing one too?"

"Well Trent, that's up to you. When I see one pinned to your shirt, that's when I'll put mine on."

Peter loved it and so did the rest of the group. Trent would have to wear one now. The pressure from the group to see if Mr Crossman would keep his word would be so strong. Andrew left and while Peter gathered his books for Lit, he listened to Troy asking Trent where he was going to get a pink flag.

Nothing much happened for the rest of the day. At morning recess Andy, Marty, and Brent, were with them, and again at lunchtime. When they were having their lunch at the tables near the canteen, there were lots of looks and a couple of guys from Andy and Marty’s class came over to stir about the pink flags. It was just stirring though and Peter could tell they were really there to check out the story for themselves. Andy explained in his own crazy way and they left grinning.

At training everyone was talking and it turned out that the pink flag story had been the really hot topic, with not much being said about Matthew, except from the year Eleven groups where he was known. The word must have spread round the teachers too, because coach turned up with a pink flag pinned on his trackie top. It wasn't an official training day, that was Monday and Wednesday, but everyone knew about Matthew and Marty's weekly butterfly challenge and after Marty's spectacular improvement it had been a week-long talking point as to who would win. Mostly, after Matthew had won last Thursday, it was thought that he’d do it again, but the doubt was caused by Matthew saying it was only a matter of time. Matthew did win, by the smallest margin, but coach had his stopwatch on Marty and he'd turned in an even better time than his win at the comp.

Training was normal with Matthew making sure everyone was a physical wreck by the time they finished. Andy and Marty wimped out and left early. Well not really, it was to pack the wagon. When Marty heard that Andy was going along to the next squash session he'd used his persuasive powers to the maximum because three weeks was far too long to wait without seeing Amy. The interesting thing was that Colin was going with them. Brent couldn’t, because he had his double work roster to catch up on, and Andy said he needed someone for company when Marty and Amy deserted him.

In the changing room Kenny was in full on mode with all the to-do about the team acting gay, and quickly had Peter boned. His excuse was that Peter and Matthew needed all the good luck they could get, but that just got laughs because he said the same thing nearly every day.

"Kenny, why don't you play with your own dick for once?"

"Get lost Justin. I'm not King Dick, and anyhow Peter likes it."

"What? ’Cause he's gay?"

"No, well, I don't know about that, but he said it himself. Don't you remember, at Marty's pool party."

"Yeah, I guess so. Did you really mean it Peter?"

Peter nodded cautiously then realised everyone was waiting for more information.

"I don't mind now that I'm used to it, and anyhow it doesn't take any notice of what I think anyway."

He looked down, pushed his boner as if to make it behave itself, released it and shook his head. It was a bit of a pose, copying what he thought Andy or Brent would do, and there were grins and nods of understanding.

"Better not do that Peter. Kenny's getting ideas."

"Shut up Justin. At least I don't tie string around my balls."

It was the normal stirring that went on between them and somehow signalled that the questions were over. Brent took them home and when he came in for a snack was promptly invited to stay for tea. That didn't work because he had to give more notice, but he stayed for half an hour while Beth caught up on their day. She was really pleased that their class group seemed so relaxed about everything and wanted to know what Andrew had done.

"He was really clever mum. He acted like he didn't know anything about it and listened while the whole group was asking us things. He might be wearing a pink flag in class tomorrow."

When she heard the story, Beth predicted he'd wear it whether Trent had one or not. They set about making the meal and Beth told them about her own day which she described as busy, busy, busy.

"How many clients today?"

"Six. Two of them were new so that takes extra time, but I still finished at five so it's much better than at Gordon and Porters."

Peter wasn't so sure about that because she was still doing a great deal of computer work in the evenings.

"That's not the client’s work Peter. It's the new software Rob’s persuaded me to use, with all its extra features to learn."

"Is it complicated?"

"Not really. There's a lot of it, that's all. Matthew, set four places at the table. Rob’s eating with us since you've deserted him two nights in a row."

The timing was just right, and when the car pulled into the driveway Matthew raced out to greet his dad while Peter and Beth carried all the food to the table. Rob walked in smiling, obviously understanding there’d been no great dramas at school, but while they were eating he still had a barrage of questions about what had happened.

"Matthew, I’ve been wondering all day whether Peter might be dragging you home in fifty different pieces, and all you can talk about is Marty nearly beating you in a race?"

That wasn't really true of course. They had more than adequately described all the day's happenings and Rob was having a stir.

"You should see him dad. He’s unreal!"

"Unreal? You mean you imagined him? We didn't talk this strange language when we were at school did we Beth? Nothing but proper English in our day."

The meal finished and Peter and Matthew were banished upstairs while Rob and Beth did the adult’s work.

"Adult’s work? Funny how its kid’s work when we’re at home?"

"That's different Matthew. I'm just trying to train you to function properly in an adult world. Here, see if you can make any sense out of this."

He produced a slim package and Matthew's eyes lit up when he looked at the CD inside.

"Oh wow, beauty. Thanks Dad."

"Thanks? What for? That's mine. I'm just letting you look after it for a while."

Matthew was practically dragging Peter in his hurry to get upstairs to the CD player.

"Don't take any notice of him. He always says that, then never asks to have it back. I'd only have a few CDs if he really meant it."

The group playing on the CD was totally new to Peter. He enjoyed it but he didn't sit there in raptures like Matthew. Half an hour passed and Matthew raced downstairs with the CD.

"I won't be able to work properly if I keep it here, and anyhow Rob has to listen to it too."

He was soon back and they put in a good three hours of study, mostly on maths because there were assessment tests coming up some time next week. After a quick shower the double-backed creature made its dash to the bedroom and collapsed on the bed. Somehow this piggyback ride had become one of their routines, with Matthew the carrier and Peter the rider. They’d usually have a muck around at this stage but tonight they cuddled, kissed and talked about their day.

"What did you think Matthew?"

"I still can't believe it. I kept expecting something bad and it never happened. Home group was best. They didn't seem to even care."

"I'm not sure Matthew. There were a few who didn't look too friendly."

They discussed the small group who’d kept out of it all in home group and decided none of them were likely to do anything nasty. Outside of classes was a different matter though, and they were both still concerned about that. There were no worries while the team guys were with them, but that couldn't go on for ever. They talked some more but Matthew pulled his usual trick of suddenly falling asleep.

***

Trent wore the pink flag, though he wasn't keen about it, and copped a mixture of stirring and encouragement, then Andrew made a show of pinning one on when he came to home group a couple of minutes early. He was quite nonchalant, and carried on his stir from yesterday by producing a rainbow sticker for Trent's car and excusing him for five minutes to go outside and fix it on. Everyone loved it. Peter almost felt sorry for Trent but knew that he liked being the centre of attention.

***

There were four of them and they were year Twelves.

"Hey look, it's the pansy pack."

A Doc Martin heel crunched down on Matthew’s meat pie and the gooey inside splattered on the bench before the remnants were dragged to the ground when the boot was removed. Peter’s heart started pounding as he stared at the group of seniors crowding near him. This was oh so familiar, and silence built as they waited for Matthew's response. All he did was move his can of drink out of reach.

The shock leached out of Peter, he flashed with anger, but remembering Norman's words from Anglesea, held himself quiet. Marty, on the other side of the bench, started to stand up but stopped when there was a loud, forced laugh from Andy.

"What's wrong with your leg Steen? Gone psycho?"

"Shut your face and butt off Hillier. We're not talking to you."

"Talking? With your foot?"

Andy laughed again.

"Hey Marty, he talks with his foot and walks on his face. Looks like it too."

Oh my God. Well, the focus was completely off Matthew now. Marty laughed and said half the school must have walked on it.

"Everyone already calls you the purple poofs so just stay out of this Hillier."

Andy's widening grin disappeared.

"Stay out of what?"

Steen grabbed Matthew's shoulders and tried to pull him backwards onto the ground. Matthew must have been expecting something because he ducked and braced himself. All sorts of things happened. Steen made another grab but Matthew jumped up and faced him. Peter jumped up too, along with Andy, Marty and Brent who started moving around from the other side of the bench.

"What's wrong with you? Leave him alone."

Peter was half shocked to hear himself speak. Keep calm, he said to himself as attention focused his way.

"Fudge Packers."

"Hey Steen, you’re butt-heads. The whole lot of you. Piss off before Peter gets angry."

"What? Him?"

Peter was thinking exactly the same thing, what was Andy doing?

"Yes, him. He’ll be behind the Eca-Centre after last class and you can have it out there if you're crazy enough. Now like I said, piss off."

"Piss off yourself. No one tells us to piss off."

"Well stay here then. That's fine with us. Phillips, go and grab some bog paper."

Brent, startled, hesitated a second then laughed and dashed off. There wasn't time to wonder about the toilet paper because Andy had his grin back and was already talking.

"Hey Marty, what's it like being a purple poof?"

A smile nibbled at the edges of Peter's tension. This sounded very much like the start of a typical Andy/Marty routine.

"Purple poof? Has someone been perving on my jocks?"

"Yeah. Mine too. Matthew, are you wearing your purple jocks?"

"No I've got pink panties on today."

Holy hell! The nibble turned into a giant chomp as Matthew smoothly fitted in with Andy's line and Peter was ready for Andy’s next question.

"What about you Peter? Purple or pink?"

"I went camo today. You know me."

Andy loved it and the laughter bubbled out of him. Marty too.

"Hey Steen. What's your color today?"

"Get lost."

It was a pretty lame answer and Steen knew it. This confrontation definitely wasn't going well for him. Andy didn't let up either. He put two fingers to his mouth and let out that piercing whistle he was capable of. Oh boy, it shrieked in Peter’s ears at these close quarters and grabbed the attention of everyone in a hundred meter range. Most were already watching, as any school yard frontal always dragged people in like a vortex. Justin arrived in seconds, closely followed by Brad, Colin and Kenny. Brad looked aggro but then quickly took his cue from Andy and Marty.

"Hey Brad, Steeny’s interested in our purple jocks. You got yours on?"

From the way Andy said it Brad knew he was meant to say yes. He looked at Steen as if he was weird before answering.

"Ah, yeah, I wore ’em specially."

"Me too. Why does he want to know about our jocks?"

Steen tried to back down at this question from Justin, since by now most of the team had arrived and he and his mates were completely surrounded.

"I didn't say that."

"So what did you mean then? Purple poofs?"

"Yeah, purple poofs. That's what you said."

Marty emphasised the ‘purple poofs’ in a voice directed at the team members.

"It's just a joke about the swimming team that's going round."

Total back down Andy wasn't letting him off though.

"So, we're all poofs. Neat! What do you reckon Marty?"

Marty didn't have to answer, just respond to Andy's lifted hand with a high five which they executed with great gusto.

"What's with you Steen? You got something against us poofs?"

Steen's glance flickered to Matthew then straight back at Marty. He'd got the message all right. It was hard for him to say it in front of the crowd and he shook his head instead. Marty looked at the other three who hastily shook their heads as well.

"Well, what color jocks you got on Steen?"

Reluctantly he mumbled they were black.

"Sexy! Give us a show."

That was Kenny, typical, but his idea caught and there were more calls for a show. Holy hell! Peter's eyes nearly fell out as Andy unbuttoned the top of his shorts, pulled the zip down enough to reveal his jocks, then faced Steen with the most blatantly challenging look yet. Trapped. In the unspoken rules of these situations Steen was a wimp if he didn't follow and if he did he still looked foolish. Written all over his features was the wish to be out of this, but surrounded by expectant faces, there was no escape. Peter had a fleeting thought that for once it wasn't him blushing, and yes, they were black. The three henchmen had to follow suit, no way were they getting out of this, and there was a great laugh when one of them turned out to have shiny purple boxers.

"Hey Marty? Ever given anyone a bog wash?"

Andy said this in a softer voice so only those close by could hear.

"No, not really. Want to give it a go?"

"Maybe! God, this is turning into a circus. Let's go down to the cow paddock."

The circus was over and the gathered crowd gradually dispersed to talk over what they’d seen. Every person in the school would know about it by the end of lunch break, but as they made their way to the shade of the gum tree near the back fence Peter’s worry was still building.

"Andy, what about after-school? Mum will kill me. You know what she thinks about fighting."

"Forget it Peter. You'll turn up, but he won't. He'll find out how fit you are, and the more he thinks about it the more he’ll chicken out. Everyone knows he doesn't do anything without his mates."

"But what if he does?"

"Well, I'll tell Beth I made you. But don't worry, you'll beat him easy."

There was a general chorus of agreement, which rather astonished Peter, then a round of advice about what he should do, which was mostly stirring. They didn't sound one bit concerned. By now they'd reached the shade tree and every one was calling each other purple poofs. It must have been because it sounded so ridiculous that they enjoyed it. Brent and Andy’s clowning certainly made it sound funny.

"Hey, what am I meant to do with this?"

Brent was holding a roll of toilet paper aloft. Andy laughed.

"I forgot about it. I was going to give it to them for snot rags after I called them butt-heads, but the purple jocks idea took over.”

There was a pause as everyone worked out what he meant, the grins all built up again and Brent made a big show of wiping Kenny's face and calling him a butt-head The group mostly stayed for the rest of lunch break. Peter knew what a bog wash was. At his old school this degrading practice of pushing someone's head into a toilet bowl while the water was being flushed, used to be called dunny dumping, and he’d copped it a few times in Years Seven and Eight.

The whole afternoon, Peter's stomach kept churning. It wasn't too bad in Lit and Physics because he had to concentrate, but the last period was a spare and there was nothing to keep his mind from thinking about his possible confrontation. Matthew was with him of course, as well as Brent, who kept saying there was no way Steen would turn up.

"Peter, he's already made an idiot of himself, and if you beat him he'd never live it down."

"Brent, he is bigger than me."

"So what? He doesn't train like you do. He doesn't do anything."

This was the word from David, who was in Steen's home group, and backed up by Justin and Brad.

At any rate when the final bell rang Peter made his way, with heart hammering, out from the library and along the side of the Eca-Centre. Andy and Marty turned up quick smart and immediately started carrying on about how they were meant to be on the way to Anglesea, and Steen was such a punk for holding them up that Peter had to punch him onto the roof and fling him up at tree and wipe his face in the dirt. Maybe it was funny and meant to lighten his worries but it didn't help. It was the longest quarter hour Peter could ever remember. He was determined in his mind to do what he could. There was no way out of it. With half the team present, he'd be too ashamed to back down even if it was what it felt like.

"There he is. God, he's wearing knuckle dusters. You're dead Peter."

Peter swivelled round, eyes seeking this nemesis without success, till he realised Andy was having him on.

"You mongrel Andy, you're the one who's going to die."

Andy laughed and jerked his head in a come along movement. Grins erupted all round as the group moved off. That was it? Nothing was going to happen? Relief surged and Peter felt the comfort from the idiots round him as they complained about missing out on a good punch-up. At the entrance, everyone departed, leaving only Matthew, Brent and Kenny to go in for training. When he’d changed and attended to an urgent need for the toilet, Peter sat by the pool for five minutes to gather his wits. The others sat too, talking quietly. He felt a sudden urge to hug them, Matthew most of all, but held back because of the people round about, and instead dived into the pool. When he surfaced Matthew was looking at him.

"Come on slave driver. Tell me what torture you've got planned for this afternoon."

The end of chapter 36.

Iarwain.