A New Life - 29. Live And Learn

With distant eyes looking through me, Keith quietly wondered for a long few moments.

I had been looking for the right opportunity to talk with him about the prom but there was always something else going on. Since the prom was announced and the idea popped into my head, the right time never seemed to happen. It was obvious that Keith had reservations about letting anyone outside of our immediate circle know that we were gay. I understood all the reasons why he felt and thought that way. He was just trying to keep us both out of harms way. Still, I really wanted to go to the prom with him. I’ve always loved to be seen in public with him. What people we don’t know will think of our relationship doesn’t really matter to me. If Keith said no, then we could have a mini prom of our own with Derrick and Mike easily enough but that wouldn’t be the same somehow. The reason I asked was so that I wouldn’t regret not asking.

A mischievous smirk swept across Keith’s face and he asked, "You’re serious?" I nodded slowly and he chuckled, "Oh, dude! What am I gonna do with you?" then he said, "You know I’d like to. I’m just not sure if it’s cool and I sure don’t want it to be a bad night."

"We can talk about it later, okay?" I asked softly and Keith nodded.

Derrick sat up and said, "We’ll probably go if you dudes go."

The locked doorknob rattled then Mike knocked and said, "Umm… dudes?"

Keith shook his head, walked over in front of Derrick and asked. "You want to go too?"

"Sure," Derrick replied, "I thought the prom idea was a total wash out but Prez and I talked about it at work a few times. The more we talked, the more I got to thinking, why not? It’s our school too. Jeez, we’re not gonna dress in drag or nothin’. Dinner, dancing, formal clothes, it could be fun."

From beyond the locked door, Mike whined then hollered, "Please? I’m sorry, okay?" Rush was wagging his tail and sniffing at the bottom of the front door from the moment Keith chased Mike out of the house.

Keith walked over to the recliner saying, "We've got lots to talk about then," and sat down.

Quickly I glanced at Derrick, then at Keith, then at Rush as he snorted at the front door. Turning back to Keith, I smiled and asked, "Should I let Mike in?" Keith grinned, looked at his wristwatch and turned the channel on the TV a few times. Leaning back in the love seat, Derrick giggled. Waiting for Keith’s okay, I stood there in the entryway, on the verge of hysterics, listening to Mike talk to himself on the other side of the door.

It was a fucked up morning to say the very least. Keith and I woke up, kissed, held each other close, slowly grinding against each other until Drew and John finished in the bathroom. Then we started towards school and another round of grief overcame my best efforts to stay composed. After a short visit at the cemetery and a nap it seemed like the day had restarted on a good note. Certainly, I felt peaceful and relaxed while I leaned against Keith as we watched Back To The Future on TV. Now, with Mike grumbling outside, Rush snorting at the door, Derrick giggling on the love seat and Keith occasionally glancing my way with a big grin on his face, a shiver ran down my spine remembering that I was safe at home, surrounded by those that cared for me most.

Getting up from the chair, Keith walked over, kissed my cheek then pushed Rush aside and flung open the front door, startling the hell out of Mike. He must’ve jumped a foot in the air! That was all I could take and busted up laughing as I walked into the living room.

"I’m soaked!" Mike complained. "I swear dude, if I catch a cold I’m gonna kiss you and hock a big ol’ nasty one right down your throat!"

"Ewww!" Derrick and I groaned.

Keith chuckled, "Don’t be gross dude," and walked over to the linen closet to get a towel for Mike then they both came into the living room. Keith sat next to me on the sofa.

"So what about the frolics?" Mike asked as he sat down next to Derrick.

Derrick said, "I think we’re ready."

"How many songs would we have to do?" I asked.

Mike answered, "We’d have fifteen minutes max. Two long ones or three short ones."

"Are there try outs or are we already in?" Keith asked.

"We’re already in." Mike answered with a smirk.

Keith moaned, "Damn," and settled back on the sofa. "When?" he asked.

"It’s next month, Friday the fifteenth and Saturday the sixteenth." Mike replied.

"Two nights?" Keith asked loudly.

To try and relieve Keith’s anxiety Derrick said, "Dude, don’t stress it so much. It’s all amateur acts, some comedy, some acting, two other music acts and one of those is Karaoke."

Mike chuckled, "They’d better have damn good voices or they’re gonna get booed off the stage."

Turning to me Keith asked, "What do you think?"

I thought for a moment or two then said, "If we rehearse only the two or three songs for the next month, just like we’d do it on stage, then we’d be sure to win first prize."

Surprised, Keth asked, "There’s a prize?"

Derrick explained, "It’s nothin’ much, just a gift certificate to some restaurant. Most of the proceeds go towards next year's senior class budget for graduation, the prom and other activities."

"And what about the prom?" Keith asked, "Do you dudes want to go?"

The room got quiet for a long few moments before Derrick answered, "Yeah, I do."

"Guess I would too," Mike said.

"You’ll be outing yourselves to the whole class." Keith reminded.

Mike sighed then softly said, "Bro, I didn’t want to say anything, but people are already figuring it out."

Shocked, Keith asked, "What? Who for instance?"

Derrick answered, "Like Nelson and a few of his buds on the football team."

Annoyed, Keith shouted, "Jessy’s boyfriend? Football players? We’re dead meat! Fuck! When did this happen?"

Derrick answered, "Jessy mentioned it only a week or so ago to me. Nelson was getting jealous of the time she was spending jamming with us. So she poked around, asked him a few carefully thought out questions, and decided it would be cool to tell him."

I confessed, "We didn’t mention it before because we didn’t want to cause any unnecessary worry."

Shocked and visibly upset Keith looked at me then said, "You knew? And didn’t tell me?"

Frightened that I had fucked up royally, in my own defense I said, "How could I tell you when you’ve been having nightmares on and off about the very same thing for the last three months? I would’ve told you eventually but after school was out, so you wouldn’t have to worry." Wiping the tears from my eyes, I slouched back in the sofa, feeling like I had destroyed the trust we had worked for so long to build. Keith turned away from me, leaned forward with his arms resting on his knees and looked down at the floor.

After a long minute’s silence Mike shouted across the room at Keith, "Don’t you dare be angry about this! He’s done nothing but think about your feelings! You know why I broke my promise to Prez? Because you’d stress the Frolics, that’s why. And you are too, aren’t ya? Prez has been talking with D about the prom for at least two weeks. He was torn between asking you to do what he knew you wouldn’t ever want to do or just dropping it so you wouldn’t have to make a decision. We told him to just ask you days ago. What he did took balls, dude! He cares for you and what you feel so much that he’s willing to put what he wants aside for you! We’re all trying to be considerate but… fuck!"

"Whoa, easy dude," Derrick said softly as Mike stood.

I gotta take a leak," Mike said. But before he left, he turned to Keith and said softly, "You know why we couldn’t get over our first sex-capades? Because we were both selfish, that’s why! I wanted so much for you to touch me a lot but I couldn’t bring myself to tell you that. We wound up totally dissin’ each other for a long time because neither of us could face the fact that we both liked it and couldn’t bring it out in the open. I cared more about myself than I did for you and it was the same on your side too. We just couldn’t put it all into words back then."

Relaxing, Keith leaned back on the sofa and said, "I’m sorry bro."

Nodding Mike sighed then said, "Yeah ya are but don’t apologize to me. You’ve been a selfish prick for a long while now. Just be glad you’re not my boyfriend. I would’ve slapped ya silly way before now." And then he walked off towards the bathroom.

Keith turned towards me and started to apologize but I shushed him and softly said, "You haven’t been that selfish. There’s been a lot that you’ve done for me or with me that no one else knows about but me."

"Umm... can I hear a little bit?" Derrick asked, flashing a devilish grin.

Keith and I both smiled, turned to him and said, "No!" in unison.

Then I whispered in Keith’s ear, "We could tell him about the strip poker game, just leave out some of the details?"

Taking a long deep breath and humming, Keith then softly said, "Wasn’t that great? Just knowing what we were leading up to but having to wait… it was awesome!"

"I don’t think I’ve ever shaken so much for so long. We’re gonna have to do that again real soon." I agreed.

Keith chuckled, "We’d better not say anything more. The next thing ya know we’ll be writing stories on the internet."

"Great idea!" I said, "we could call it fiction but who would know?" and cracked up laughing.

Derrick said, "Yeah, we could all write parts and make up a bogus fictional authors’ name!" then busted up laughing.

Mike returned and sat down next to Derrick saying, "I see you’ve all taken a serious tangent here. What about the frolics?"

After a moment’s pause and a glance at Keith, who tilted his heads sideways indifferently, I reminded, "We’ll have to get that Saturday night off work."

"That shouldn’t be too much of a problem," Derrick said.

Keith added, "With plenty of notice, it’s not a problem at Blockbuster."

"You’ll do it then?" Mike asked.

Keith nodded then said, "I’ll mention it tomorrow night when I go to work. I still don’t know about the prom though." There was a knock on the door so I stood to answer it.

"Aren’t you a little bit tired of hiding it dude?" Derrick asked sincerely as I walked to the door. "I know I am. It’s not like we want to take over, just coexist, doin’ some of the things that everyone else does. If I want to hold Mike’s hand or kiss him or tell him that I love him in school, I should be able to without worrying about it. You feel it too sometimes I’m sure. Prez is right there but you can’t say or do anything about it for hours every school day."

"I think it might be a good thing," Mike said, "we’d for certain learn who the good guys and the bad guys are. Maybe I should be more scared about it but I’m honestly not. The freedom alone would out weigh any disadvantages."

Wanting to see Keith’s reaction to that, I stopped short of the door and looked his way. He only tilted his head as if it were already considered, just not something he was thrilled to pursue. Reaching for the doorknob, I opened the door to find Jessy and Nelson standing there. This was certainly shaping up to be an anniversary day I wouldn’t have trouble remembering, I thought as I greeted and showed them in.

Jessy commented as she entered the house, "Skipping school again, Red?"

"It wasn’t intentional," I answered and extended my hand for Nelson’s hand to engulf.

When Nelson is walking down the hall of our school you don’t just see the top of his head; you see his whole face! He’s got to be six and a half feet tall and at least two hundred fifty pounds. Jessy’s a full foot shorter and looks like a munchkin beside him.

Nelson shook my hand and asked, "Have you all been kicked back here at the homestead all day?"

"Just Keith and I until about an hour or so ago when Mike and Derrick showed up," I answered truthfully, not realizing what I had said or explaining it.

Nelson looked at me oddly then smiled widely and said, "Just nod if I need to go wash my hands now."

"Huh?" I said then closed my eyes, shook my head and chuckled, "Nothing like that today." A worried look was on Keith’s face when I looked over at him. Then I explained, "I just had a rough morning getting to school. It’s the anniversary of the accident today."

Keith was watching me when I turned his way again. The look on his face said, "Don’t think about it baby, just let it rest."

"Oh, sorry dude. If you’d prefer we could come back another time," Nelson offered.

Shaking my head and saying, "Nope, not necessary," I showed them in to the living room. This is what I wanted and needed - a lot of activity to keep me from being somber.

"We only stopped by because I saw something at school today," Jessy said. "I checked out the bulletin board by the principal’s office and was wondering if anyone knows who The Boys Of Summer are?" Mike giggled. "I thought so!" Jess shouted and started slapping Mike around the arms, shoulders and head;"Didn’t I tell you that I’m not a boy? Didn’t I say we should talk about it as a group first?" Mike covered up, leaning against D and laughing hysterically, protesting his innocence the whole time while Jessy smacked and screamed at him until Nelson pulled her back and hugged her tightly. Finally, Keith laughed hysterically and I relaxed as his mood lightened. With Jessy leading the way, Nelson sat in the recliner and it creaked under his weight!

Jessy knelt on the floor in front of Nelson and asked, "Have you all decided on which songs we’re going to play already?"

"Not any more than the obvious one." Derrick said.

Just then, while we were each silently considering possibilities, John, Drew and Corey came home so I asked, "Guys, what songs do you think we should play at the Student Faculty Frolics?"

"What’s a frolics?" John asked then said, "Never mind, maybe I don’t want to know."

Corey giggled and Drew shoved his little brother saying, "It’s a variety kind of show, dumb-ass!"

Defending himself, John said, "Oh! Well how was I supposed to know that?"

"What did you think it was?" Corey giggled and the whole room busted up laughing.

John only shook his head, softly saying, "Fine, pick on me. See if I’ll be a nice guy."

"Don’t be a putz," Drew said, "just ask them what you asked me earlier today."

John thought for a moment, sighed then said, "I was wondering if you guys might want to play at my birthday party next month?"

"Cool idea!" Mike shouted.

Speaking to those of us in the living room, Corey commented, "That’s a hell of a good way to end grade school and be popular going into Junior High, don’t ya think?"

"Yeah," John said, "everybody has music playing at their parties. I want to have a band play at my party."

Looking around the room I saw Derrick, Mike, Jessy and Nelson all smiling or nodding but Keith only looked stunned. "When’s your birthday John?" I asked.

"The twelfth of May. I’ll finally be a teenager," John said proudly.

Keith sighed and said, "Okay, guess I’d much rather start in my own backyard than in front of a couple of hundred people I don’t know. If we suck then I’m sure John would tell us to give it up quick enough."

"You don’t suck bro!" Drew shouted loudly. He looked up at the ceiling briefly, as if praying for patience, then said sincerely, "The band sounds great. Two nights a week, two or three songs a night for the last few months, whether I’m in the garage or not, I hear it. Shit! You can hear it two houses away! You know I’d tell you if something sounded really whacked. Remember when you had a sore throat that one time? It was me that said it was time to hang it up. I told you before; all you guys gotta do is move around a little more. Mike and Derrick are the only ones moving around."

"Why don’t you show me?" Nelson said.

"Yeah!" Corey, Drew and John yelled. Keith only put his hands up to the sides of his head, as if it were the only thing keeping his brain matter from oozing out of his ears.

Getting up and moving into the garage we started turning on amps. Nelson suggested that we start with The Boys Of Summer and no one argued. We played the song all the way through then Nelson nodded saying, "You play well, start to end sounds real good but yeah, you’re stiff. The audience will take a nap right along with you if you don’t show some more enthusiasm. It’s like when I play football. When I’m out there on the field I put on this act. Make the offensive line on the other team think I’m a trained killer, that my only purpose in life is to trample them under foot. You can do a lot by just coppin’ the right attitude, dudes."

Jess giggled then commented, "He’s just a big ol’ pussy cat."

Smiling at her, Nelson then came over to me and asked, "Prez, you’re not gonna kick back and play like that on stage, are ya?" Then he instructed, "Set the rhythm and move with it dude. Do you know how to dance?" and I nodded. "Then do it. Don’t just walk up to the mic, dance your way to it and away from it." He turned to Mike, Keith and Derrick saying, "You’re definitely missing something from the record too." We all looked at him with questioning eyes before he said, "The hand claps, where’s the clapping? Keith, you gotta clap your hands so get the audience clapping their hands with you. Start the song again and I’ll show you." We played the song again but this time Nelson started clapping his hands just as I came in with the bass part then he nudged Keith to clap along. As he started to sing, Keith dropped his clapping hands but Nelson raised them again. Then Nelson walked over to Drew, John and Corey and got them clapping along. Like they might argue! I could only see Drew’s right shoulder and John’s left shoulder beyond Nelson’s massive form! Somewhere between Drew and John sat Corey but he was totally blocked from view. Having the hand claps at the right times and with the right rhythm did make a subtle but positive difference in how the song sounded.

After we finished the song, Derrick took off one of his shirts and wiped his brow commenting, "Now if we could only reach a conclusion to this prom thing as easily."

"What about the prom?" Nelson asked.

Jessy got real excited and asked, "You dudes are going to the prom?"

Keith sighed and said, "We don’t know yet."

"I think it would be great if you did," Jessy said enthusiastically.

Nelson shook his head saying;"You don’t understand honey. It’s just not that easy."

She looked at each of us oddly then sighed and said, "Ah, a guy thing. Well what if this little woman said she might have a good idea that would keep up appearances."

Keith answered quickly, "I’d say we’re all ears."

Mike, D and I all chimed in; wanting to hear what Jessy had on her mind.

"Let me make a few phone calls and I’ll let you know for sure on Sunday. I think I might be able to find you four girls that would provide you cover and they’d get to go to the prom too."

"Why didn’t I think of that?" Derrick asked himself softly.

Hearing this, John and Drew started making howling and barking sounds while Corey rolled laughing between them.

"They are not dogs so just stop!" Jessy yelled at them. They stopped making noises and giggled their way from the garage.

I considered the idea for a few moments then asked, "Wouldn’t that be like using them?"

Jessy turned to me and said, "Yeah, but they’ll be using you too for the same purpose so it would be cool."

Nelson smiled and walked over to his girlfriend saying, "What kind of evil, conniving woman have I gotten mixed up with?"

"The best kind, of course," Jessy said, grinning proudly.

After Nelson and Jessy left for home, the four of us listened to the song again on our stereo at a pretty loud volume. Nelson was right, there were in fact hand claps in the recording and also another sound that Derrick and I could only assume were castanets. A trip to guitar center was made at that point and a set of castanets purchased. Then we raced back home to try out the song with Keith switching between hand clapping and the castanets. It was a bit of a challenge for Keith to keep singing and remember where to start clapping or playing the castanets at first but by the third run through he was much better.

Keith’s parents were home by the time we got back from Guitar Center. Mrs. Hundser knocked then poked her head in saying, "Dinner’s ready," then she looked over at Mike and Derrick and said, "Are you boys staying? I’ll have Drew or John get the folding chairs."

"No thanks," Derrick said.

Surprised, Mike looked at his watch, turned to Derrick and said, "I never called home and we’re already late. We’d better jet dude." Quickly, they gathered up their stuff. Keith and I showed them to the door then joined everybody at the table.

As we sat and served ourselves, Mrs. Hundser turned to me and asked, "How do you feel tonight Preston?"

I answered, "Pretty good. It’s been a bizarre day."

Keith leaned over and softly said, "Mom came home for lunch earlier. She knows we never made it to school today." I blushed hearing that.

John loudly asked, "You skipped?"

"For a good reason," Mrs. Hundser explained.

Wanting to change the subject I said, "That’s over now, at least for the time being. We had some other excitement today that’s far more interesting."

"Such as?" Mr. Hundser asked.

John chimed in saying, "I asked if the band would play at my birthday party and they said yes."

"As long as the weather cooperates, that sounds fine to me" Mrs. Hundser said.

Mr. Hundser added, "Let’s try and be considerate of the neighbors though. How about we stop the music around eight that night? It’ll be getting dark around then any way."

Reminding us of our new neighbors down the street, Mrs. Hundser said, "Good idea, the Johnson’s have a new baby they’ll want to put down for the night."

"I guess that’s okay. Kind of early for a Saturday night though," John remarked.

"Sorry kiddo," Mr. Hundser said, "that’s the way it’s got to be."

"Don’t forget to make up invitations. Twenty is the limit," Mrs. Hundser reminded and John nodded.

"Mike signed us up for the Student Faculty Frolics too," I said.

"And he didn’t tell me, the crud!" Keith quickly added.

I chuckled and said, "Jessy taught him a lesson though."

Smiling widely Keith said, "There was that."

"When is this event?" Mr. Hundser asked.

"Next month, the fifteenth and sixteenth," Keith answered.

"Oh, I guess we’ll move your party to the previous weekend," Mrs. Hundser suggested to John and he smiled, nodding his head in agreement.

"You’d better get those invites made out or you’ll have a party with no guests." Mr. Hundser reminded and John nodded quickly. What kid wouldn’t agree to that? It would be like having two birthdays a few days apart.

"It sounds like we have a busy month coming up," Mrs. Hundser commented.

"June may be almost as busy," Keith said softly

"Why is that?" Mr. Hundser asked.

"I asked Keith to the junior prom today," I said, just as softly as Keith had. Corey suddenly became very interested in the conversation.

"That’s wonderful!" Mrs. Hundser said, "You don’t seem too enthused about it though."

"It’s weird," Keith said, "I really want to go but it scares me too."

I added, "We’re thinking of maybe getting some dates, but somehow that idea seems wrong. I just can’t see me walking in with a girl but spending almost the whole night with Keith."

John started to softly woof like a dog. Drew smiled and Corey started giggling. Hearing an intruder, Rush came over to see what was going on. Suddenly John hollered, "Ow! Jeez, I’m sorry!" John and I sit closest to Mrs. Hundser. I never saw her attention waiver from her dinner but I guess that she had kicked John under the table.

"An interesting scenario," Mr. Hundser commented.

After a few moments, Mrs. Hundser said, "Things aren’t the same as they were when we were in high school. I think it would be fine for you to go as a couple."

"There is the extreme element to think about," Mr. Hundser reminded his wife but he watched Drew and Corey for reaction.

Not a word was said by either of them but John asked, "What’s an extreme element?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," Mrs. Hundser said, then looked across the table at her husband as if to say, "You need to start explaining things gently to your son."

Mr. Hundser took a deep breath then, after a swallowing a mouthful of food, he turned to Keith and I asking, "Have you talked to Doug and Brian about this?"

Keith and I looked at each other thinking the same thought but he was the first to say, "We hadn’t even thought of that but it’s a good idea."

I said, "We’ll give them a call after dinner." Right after helping clear the table, I looked up Doug’s number and called. On the fourth ring, the answering machine picked up and I left them a message to call back when they had a chance. Heading back to the table, where only Mr. Hundser and Keith remained talking softly I said;"Maybe they have a gig tonight. I left a message though."

Keith turned to me smiling and said, "Then how about we go out somewhere tonight, baby?"

"Sounds good to me." I said, taking the seat beside him. "Have you got anything in mind?"

"Anywhere alone." Keith stated emphatically.

I smiled and stood, quickly saying;"I better call Mike and Derrick and let them know we’ve made other plans," then went over and dialed the phone.

While I was explaining our plans to Mike and Derrick I heard Mrs. Hundser suggest to Keith, "There’s heavy rain forecast tonight babe, you might take Preston’s truck?"

Bug eyed and smiling widely, Keith replied, "Okay mommy!" Hearing that, I started giggling, but holding it in while Mike talked.

Out of my site, I heard Mr. Hundser say, "Take the credit card, just in case of emergencies, okay babe?"

Keith chuckled, "Okay, I get the hint," as he took the credit card and got up from the table. "Here’s your hat what’s your hurry? We’re outta here!"

Mike asked, "What’s so funny?"

Still chuckling, I answered, "Not a thing, sweetums!" then busted up laughing.

"Okay then, call us when it’s time to chat with Doug and Brian. Have a good time honey!" Mike said, then hung up. Keith came over, took my hand and led me quickly to the front door.

As we put our jackets on I asked, "Where are we goin’?"

"We’ll find out when we get there," Keith answered.

"Drive carefully baby!" Mr. and Mrs. Hundser shouted as we walked out the door.

Keith shook his head and walked out the door. Giggling, I hollered back, "I will," then closed the door behind me.

"They think they’re very funny but really they’re just so sad." Keith commented as I unlocked the truck.

Keith searched the radio stations while I drove east on the 101 freeway. It still blows me away that the signs all read 101 south! Dropping his hand from the radio Keith said, "Grab the 405 north," then reached under his seat for my tape case.

While he searched I asked, "Is there a destination in mind?"

"Away from big city lights, someplace quiet where we can just be alone and talk. It’s been a whacked day for both of us." Keith said, and popped in a compilation tape we had made.

"Yeah, sorry about this morning babe. I couldn’t help it. I’m sorry about the frolics thing with Mike too. I might’ve known he’d blow off talking to you about it."

I glanced over and saw Keith just shaking his head slowly then he said, "Don’t worry about it baby. That’s nothin’ compared to the prom."

Turning onto the 405 ramp I explained, "You understand, I had to ask. It wouldn’t bother me too much if we made other plans for that night."

"But you’d rather go, and go with me, not some girl."

"Uh huh. I just don’t care what some people think."

"But we don’t want to be dissed. It’s one thing not to be the most popular guys in school, it’s another thing entirely to be the least."

"In Texas, I was the lone ranger for a long while. Sure, I got lonesome but it wasn’t terrible or anything."

"I’ll never, ever understand that."

"The red hair, fair complexion and freckles you love so much, kids used to make fun of. My dad isn’t quite as hospitable as yours is, so I felt kind of weird after a while even asking someone over."

"It’s way different now though," Keith said, resting his hand upon mine on the gear shifter.

"Having you or any friends was simply unthinkable about a year ago. You guys are all that matter, and your folks and brothers too. Every thing that happened today, no matter how weird, kept my spirits up or at least it kept my mind off the way the day started."

"You’re allowed Prez," Keith reminded me softly.

He’s said it before and I know how he feels but still, I wish it wouldn’t just sneak up on me like it does.

"My dad and I talked about the prom a little bit while you were on the phone. He asked me if I would rather be living my life with someone, sharing each other’s thoughts and dreams, or bored and lonesome? It was a no brainer. I don’t know how this prom thing is gonna work out yet but I guess I’d much rather deal with that then have you angry at me or yourself because you didn’t ask."

He’s so sweet sometimes! And Mr. Hundser is on the top of the list as far as dads are concerned. Tears welled in my eyes and I had to pull my hand up away from Keith’s to wipe them away to see the road. My hand searched for his and I squeezed tightly for a few moments. Ready to head back home and eat him alive, I noticed the sign for the 118 freeway and asked, "You want me to turn here?"

"Nah, not far away enough yet. Keep going, we’ll grab the 5 freeway and see what’s up around Santa Clarita. Better yet, take the 5 to the 14. We’ll see if there’s somewhere to park around the Angeles National Forest."

"Sounds nice. Maybe I should’ve packed a cooler and brought a blanket. We could’ve stayed the night."

"Make a mental note to at least keep a blanket in the truck."

"Done."

After a short pause Keith said, "I’m really looking forward to this summer Prez. We don’t have to wait for Derrick to go to the beach or anywhere else. Wherever we decide we want to go, we’re there. It’s gonna be great."

"Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm and Magic Mountain on a moments notice."

"Those are just day trips. How about Tijuana, Ensenada or Palm Springs for a few days? If we have more than two days off in a row together we could go even further, like the Grand Canyon or up into the Sierra."

"We’re gonna wear each other out and actually look forward to school starting again!"

Keith chuckled, "I wouldn’t go that far."

Thinking of the summer ahead for a few moments led me to think of the last summer. I said, "Sometimes I feel like I wasted a good part of last summer."

"Huh? Why?"

"Well… you know, we weren’t exactly playing by the same rules, if you get my drift."

After a few moments Keith chuckled, "Oh that! Baby, do you think I didn’t enjoy loosening you up down there?"

"You did seem to like it. Still it might’ve been…"

"Might’ve schmight’ve, it’s all working out really great now, don’t you think?"

"Oh definitely, but if I had to do it all over again…"

"It would probably be the same, unless you started playing with candles months before we even met."

He was right and I knew it. Before meeting Keith I knew I liked looking at boys as much as girls but never made any decision about my sexuality. Having been such a loner, I really didn’t have to give it any thought. Suddenly an embarrassing image came to mind and I giggled, "Picture my old man barging into my room back in Texas and seeing me with a candle in my butt!"

Keith busted up laughing then choked out, "You could suggest he play with some candles of his own. Then he wouldn’t have been such a tight ass!"

We exited the 14 freeway around the town of Vincent and took a road that eventually turned to mud. Slowing down, I turned on the high beams then switched into four-wheel drive. Surrounded by some trees and a lot of brush, we parked and chatted some more for a bit longer while the rain smacked against the roof of the truck. At one point in the conversation, Keith leaned over, kissed me then climbed into the back seat, beckoning me to join him. Continuing on our conversation back there while we cuddled soon led to the inevitable over flow of emotions. It was still a little awkward and cramped, but we managed by readjusting the front seats to make a little more room. That night, we properly christened my new truck.

On the way home, I guess I was paying more attention to our conversation then to where I was driving because it took almost an hour to find our way back to the freeway again. Keith was in hysterics beside me. "You got lost again!" he laughed, "Scuse me, but do you know the way…"

"Very funny," I interrupted, "we’re gonna be real late and your folks will have a fit!"

"When they find out why, they’re going to buy you a compass and lots of maps!"

"That wouldn’t be so bad," I said, shifting up in my seat, looking out the windshield and up towards the sky for a moment. "I don’t even have a moon or any stars to try to follow. Where the hell are we?"

"Still in LA as best as I can tell. Maybe we should’ve brought Rush with us? He could find his way home."

"Rascally hound, sneaks up behind me and barks but when I give him the command to speak he just sits there, panting and wagging his tail."

"He’s getting really big. Much bigger than our other dog."

"You had another dog once?"

"Yeah, I told you about Aldo, remember?"

After a few moments thought I remembered and said, "Oh yeah. Sorry, I never met him so I guess I forgot."

"Rush is a completely different dog. He’s definitely more of a watchdog than Aldo was. He watches you constantly too. On Tuesday nights, when I get home from work before you, he gets up to greet me and then lies back down next to my mom until you come home. Then he spazes out big time. I can’t say that I blame him."

"He’s getting a bit cramped in his crate lately. We need to make a run to PetsMart or something to get him a bed."

"Your gonna let him roam the house free?"

"No, just our room at first. He’s housebroken. We’ll just have to pick stuff up off the floor."

"That would be the end of any socks left in his reach, for sure."

"He likes his Kong toy. When I stuff it with kibble and flavor snacks, he spends lots of time knocking that thing around until all the treats are eaten. That’ll keep him occupied for a long while on school days."

"He likes his crate though baby. Maybe we should just take the top off and let him… Look!" Keith shouted, pointing over to his right side, "Lights! We’re saved!" then he busted up laughing.

I stopped the truck and grinned at him then pulled up the emergency brake saying, "Okay funny man. You said you wanted to learn how to drive a stick shift. Now’s your chance." Keith never protested once while I unbuckled my seat belt and climbed into the back seat. We were still on a muddy road and I wasn’t about to take the chance of stepping out into the muck, sinking up to my ankles in it then dirtying up the inside of the truck. Once he climbed over into the driver’s seat I climbed back up front and rode shotgun.

"This is just what I was hoping for," Keith admitted as I buckled up.

"I figured as much. Just get a feel for the clutch. You need to let it up real slow getting into first gear." I said. Noticing a big smile and wide eyes I asked, "What’s so funny?"

Keith giggled, "Don’t I always let it up real slow? ‘Specially in first gear."

"Oh God! Be serious for a second," I giggled then instructed, "Clutch down, shift, a very little bit of gas while your letting up the clutch…" Klunk! We stalled and I cracked up.

Starting the engine again, Keith said, "I got it now, this time will be perfect." He pushed the stick forward and let up the clutch slowly but gave it a little too much gas. The wheels slipped in the mud then caught and we lunged forward at first but then he backed off the gas and chuckled, "Told ya."

"Okay, just watch your RPM’s and listen to the engine. When it hits two thousand or so, shift into second."

"Cool, keep an eye on that light."

"What light?" I teased and Keith groaned.

Pulling into the driveway, we noticed the house dark. It appeared that everyone was asleep. Rush made one hell of a racket, barking up a storm until he saw us. Then his ears went back, tail wagging a mile a minute as he tried to split his time welcoming us home. Heading for the kitchen where a light was on, I went to see who was still awake but found the room empty. Letting Rush out before bed, I noticed a note on the counter that said Brian had called and invited us over around noon the next day.

Looking over my shoulder, Keith read the note from behind me. His breath on my neck and his hands on my hips made my heart race. Judging by how we talked about everything while we were out, I could tell he wasn’t annoyed with me in any way. That made me so happy. Making me happier still, Keith began tracing wet lines around the edge of my ear with his tongue! Giggling because it tickled, I began moving away from his grasp but he held me firmly in place.

"You want it in the kitchen?" I joked.

"Mmm, sounds good, but lets not chance it."

"After those stuffed peppers for dinner we should probably pass on intercourse," I suggested. Keith’s only reply was blowing a raspberry on my shoulder, making a loud noise that made us both start laughing. "Let me get the hound dog inside and I’ll meet you in the bedroom."

"K, I’ll go get cleaned up," Keith said.

As Keith wandered towards the bathroom, I opened the back door and softly called Rush. The silly hound ran towards the door but as I stepped aside he made a sharp turn and galloped back into the yard. Turning back towards the door, Rush, now nearly sixty pounds, pranced and jumped around, trying to entice me out to play with him. "No, it’s bed time now. Come on in." I told him. Rush trotted back towards me but sat down a few feet from the doorway with his tail wagging a mile a minute. We eyed each other suspiciously for a few moments then I started turning off the lights. When I turned around and looked out the door, Rush was nowhere in sight. Stepping out onto the patio, I looked into the far corners of the yard. He doesn’t realize I can see his white coat under most circumstances. Sometimes he tries to hide under the shrubs and trees at the edge of the yard. He wasn’t out there though so I went back in, closed the door behind me and went back to the bedroom, checking under the table and in the living room for him as I walked. My bladder was bursting but I checked in our bedroom quickly and found Rush, acting innocent and sitting on Keith’s side of the bed getting petted. Shaking my head I turned and went to the bathroom. Standing there relieving myself, I wondered silently about Rush’s sanity and my own.

Back in the bedroom, as I got undressed I said, "Rascally hound thinks he’s cute. Look at him there acting all sweet and innocent. I just spent most of the last ten minutes playing hide and seek with him."

"He just wants your attention baby," Keith said. "Maybe we could take him to a park Sunday before rehearsal?"

"Sure, he’s acting like he needs some romp around time." I agreed.

Wide eyed and flashing me a sinister grin Keith said, "He’s not the only one wanting romp time!"

I pushed my jeans and underwear off then climbed into bed. Snuggling up to Keith, I let my hand caress his firm torso as I shifted closer. Surprised to find him still wearing boxers, I snapped the waistband and asked, "Why are these still on?"

Keith giggled, "Aren’t we going to sleep?" then rolled on his side facing away from me.

Silently, I mused for a few moments over this apparent citywide desire to tease the piss out of me. Even my dog won’t give me a break! Then I said, "Okey doke!" and rolled over on my side facing away from him. After a few moments I felt Keith shift around and chuckle. He turned the TV off then I felt his feather-light touch travel slowly from my thigh, up over my ass, hips and ribs. His touch always has and always will make my dick lengthen. "Romp time now?" I asked.

"Definitely." He replied softly then started licking little circles around the nape of my neck.

Rolling over to face him, I gasped loudly when his hand encircled my cock. "No fair! I have to undress you."

"I planned it that way." Keith whispered as his hand moved up and down my shaft.

While I nibbled on Keith’s neck I started to pull down his boxers but he didn’t move at all to let me finish the task. I asked, "Do I have to tear those things off you?"

Keith giggled then said, "You first. I like it when you make all those little noises."

"I like making you feel good too," I reminded. "We did each other separately in the truck. How about we try to cum together this time?"

Keith hummed in agreement but still he didn’t move anything except his hand and my cock was already starting to leak precum. I giggled and pushed his hand away. Keith quickly reached for me but I rolled over on my belly, trapping his hand between the bed and my lower abdomen. He left his hand there and started wiggling his fingers, occasionally brushing them against the head of my wet cock.

"You’re a sneaky bastard," I chuckled and the wrestling match began.

"Told ya I would get you back!" Keith laughed. We rolled around the bed, occasionally getting wrapped up in the sheets and blankets before kicking them off the bed entirely. As we playfully battled each other I thought, so this is how he intends to get pay back, by making me cum so many times that my nuts shrivel to the size of sunflower seeds! With that thought, I stopped laughing so hard and fought him with all my might. Using my hands, toes and feet, I got his boxers off without ripping them in half but I’m sure the elastic waistband was shot to hell because he didn’t give them up easily. Accomplishing my first goal, I laid back looking up at Keith smiling insanely above me. In the silence I noticed Rush running from one side of the bed to the other whining and it made me start laughing again. Taking advantage of a moment of weakness, Keith quickly dove for my crotch and my half-hard dick, swallowing me before I knew what had happened. Before getting into bed I was thinking, it would be nice if we held each other close and jacked our cocks. But since Keith was obviously more interested in giving me a blowjob, the second one of the night, I went along and started shuffling around to get in position underneath him.

The next morning we showered, had a quick breakfast then called Mike’s. Since we all had to work that afternoon, we didn’t horse around for long. Loading into Keith and D’s cars we headed straight over to Doug & Brian’s place, arriving a few minutes after noon.

"Greetings gents!" Brain said, waving us in the house.

We greeted them as Doug led us into the living room.

Taking the far corner seat of the sofa, Doug asked, "What’s new guys?"

"A lot lately," Keith answered.

"Ooo, gossip!" Brian said excitedly.

"Wait!" Doug said as he leaned forward and rummaged through a drawer in the coffee table. He pulled out and adjusted two large rubber ears on his head saying, "I’m all ears!"

We all chuckled and I asked, "Where do you get all these wild toys to play with?"

"Aye? Can’t hear ya!" Doug said loudly.

"Take those off!" Brian demanded. Doug pouted and did as he was told. "What’s the scoop?" Brian asked.

"We’ve got good news and some not so good news." Keith said.

Doug said, "The better good news first please."

Mike said, "We’ve gotten our first two gigs. Keith’s little bro’s birthday and then the student faculty frolics."

"Great!" Doug and Brian said in unison.

"Yeah, we’re psyched about it," Derrick said.

I said, "The party is May ninth. We’ve got about thirty songs we’ve been working on I figure. Is that enough?"

"Sure it’s enough," Doug answered.

Brian added, "That’s about three sets worth, figuring thirty to forty-five minutes per set."

Doug asked, "Are they all well rehearsed?"

Mike nodded saying;"I think so."

"Some could be a little better," Keith contradicted.

Rolling his eyes Mike countered, "You’re just saying that cause you want it to be perfect every time."

Brian advised, "It takes lots of practice to get it that way. You can get that kind of familiarity just by playing and replaying the songs, in rehearsal or at small gigs. Parties are perfect."

"We started that way when we met in the Air Force. Just two guys singing and playing acoustic guitars on base and off, at the beach or in the desert," Doug added.

Brian said, "Jessy and Mike have been telling us that you’re spending your time well and accomplishing a lot in the few hours you’ve got. Now it’s time to prepare the actual performance."

"You’ve got to list out the sets and rehearse them now. I’ve heard that you rehearse about four hours twice a week," Doug said.

"Sometimes a bit more on Sunday’s," Keith said, "closer to six hours."

"Line up your tunes so that you have three sets of ten each and rehearse them that way." Brian said.

Derrick said, "We could go through the whole group of ‘em on Thursday’s and really spend time ironing out the rough edges on Sunday."

"On Sunday the ninth, the week before the party we’ll stop over and check you out… umm… check the music, that is," Doug offered and Brian playfully punched him in the arm.

For a moment Mike and Derrick whispered to each other then Mike asked;"Could we borrow some of your toys dudes?"

Doug and Brian smiled at each other. Then Doug said, "It depends."

Mike whimpered then asked, "Depending on?"

Doug asked, "If you impress me, like I’ve been waiting on for the last few months, then just about anything you want to borrow, except for the classic instruments, is up for grabs."

"Coolness!" Derrick said, "It’s the synth drums, I gotta play Tank at my first gig."

"Naturally." Brian chuckled.

"My Ibanez electric is just so lame after playing those BC Rich’s and the Les Paul’s." Mike said. "My acoustic is pretty good but I have to wait a while before I can get a really good electric."

"Your pick buds, after you…" Doug trailed off.

Four voices chimed out the end of his sentence. "Impress me."

"Exactly." Doug said.

Keith said, "The week after the party is the frolics. Two weeks after the frolics is the junior prom."

"You’re thinking of going to the prom?" Doug asked.

Unable to determine anything from the tone of his voice I said, "Yeah, I think most people won’t care."

"Probably true," Brian said. "Some will whisper amongst themselves, some will avoid you like the plague, some will be completely indifferent about it and treat you normally."

Keith asked, "Don’t you think it’s a little dangerous?"

After a few moments Doug said, "Just leaving the house most mornings is dangerous. You could get run over by a little old lady that can’t see over the steering wheel of her Cadillac. How do you guys act at school? Are you generally out?"

One by one each of us answered, "Nope."

"Do you date girls?" Brian asked.

"Only once, well over a year ago," Keith answered.

"Same here, almost two years for me," Derrick said.

"I’ve never had the opportunity and now it doesn’t matter," I confessed.

Mike giggled, "Never wanted to."

I said, "Jess offered to find us some dates."

"Ah, cover girls for the prom," Doug figured.

Brian said, "That’s not such a bad idea but don’t you think it’s more risk?"

"What do you mean?" Derrick asked.

"None of you date. From what I can gather, the four of you spend ninety-five percent of your hours awake together," Brian said.

"That’s about right." I said.

Doug asked, "Don’t you think you’d attract a fair amount of attention breaking from the norm?"

I never thought of that and, judging by the thoughtful expressions on the faces of my friends, neither had they. "I was only thinking it would be like using them," I offered.

"That’s not such a big thing if agreements are reached between you and these girls," Brian said.

Taking an alternative view, Doug said, "I’ve always said coming out should be more of a party. Facing your classmates as couples might be a good thing, if you all keep it a celebration."

"Some precautions would be a good idea," Brian suggested.

"Such as?" Keith asked.

"I wouldn’t drive there in my own vehicle. Hire a limo for the night. It extends the party before and after the prom while safeguarding your own vehicles from mischief makers," Doug said.

"Is your prom formal or semi formal?" Brian asked.

"Semi formal. Suits and ties required, tuxes are optional," I said.

"Wear your own clothes. Don’t let a rented tux get ruined by some jack-off prankster that decides the cake matches your clothes," Brian said.

"Just think ahead guys. Like a good scout, always be prepared," Doug said. "You say you’re not generally out but you don’t ever date girls either. I can’t see you guys treating each other as mere acquaintances at school so that means it’s likely that more than a handful already have their suspicions. Under these circumstances it seems to me that your school is a safe, accepting environment. Those kids that don’t have their heads in the clouds have already noticed something different. But you’re all likable so no one has approached you. I wouldn’t expect any major upheavals at the prom "

"There are other steps you might consider," Brian said, "For instance, gay and straight alliances are forming in schools all over the country. You could pursue that and prove the homophobes more of a minority than homosexuals are. It would also build solidarity and in doing so you’d feel safer from those harassing fools."

Brian and Doug paused for a few moments while we absorbed all that they had told us. Derrick and Mike whispered amongst themselves and a mischievous smirk swept across Keith’s face followed by a big smile.

Curious what made him feel so good, I whispered, "Which idea did you like?"

"All of ‘em," Keith answered triumphantly.

Turning to Doug and Brian, Derrick asked, "So you think we should forget taking the girls?"

"You could go with them if you like," Doug corrected. "We’re just saying what is obvious to us, presenting alternatives and various points of view. Only the four of you know what to expect at your school. Twenty plus years ago, when we were in high school, the shit would’ve hit the fan if four gay boys went to the prom together. Here and now though, it’s not such a big deal."

"If this were the heart of the Bible belt things might be different. But here in LA, no problem. Just cover your asses and make it an enjoyable evening," Brian said.

Shocked at Brian’s terminology, I said, "My mom always used that phrase. Whenever I left the house she would always say, ‘Cover your ass, Preston.’"

"Every good mom says something like that," Doug said.

"A very military phrase also," Brain added. "At parade rest the drill sergeant would say your hands should cover your ass so the guy behind you didn’t sneak peaks. Even back then gays were in the military."

"We would’ve been dishonorably discharged though," Doug said, "Now it’s don’t ask, don’t tell and a general discharge if discovered. Maybe someday it’ll get better."

Glancing at his watch, Keith then stood and said, "I’d like to stay and talk some more about this but I have to work in about twenty minutes."

"That’s okay," Brian said as he stood to walk us to the door. "Just give us a call and we can talk about it some more whenever you like."

Keith and I talked some more on the way back to the house. He seemed much more positive, ready to meet the girls and check out these gay and straight alliances but still a little wary. I leaned over and kissed him goodbye before getting out of the car. As he pulled away and drove to Blockbuster I considered how much I enjoyed every second of my time with him. Since we had been living together for half a year, we were both learning more and more about one another. Sure, we stumbled and screwed up on rare occasions but neither of us could stay angry at each other. Through minor problems such as test worries or upset stomachs to the more intensely serious issues we had faced, our friendship and love for each other continuously grows. Heading back into the house, I felt a sudden pang of loneliness for a few seconds before turning the doorknob and entering the house. Keith’s mom and I talked about the conversation with Doug and Brian. Then I found dad in the garage and told him all about it before going back to our room and changing my clothes for work.

Work was busy that night, leaving Derrick and I hardly any chance to talk about the conversation with Doug and Brian. Derrick only smiled widely when I asked him what Mike thought about it while we were emptying bus-buckets in the kitchen. That was positive enough of a reply where I knew some wild ideas were brewing in Mike’s warped mind.

After work, Keith and I stayed awake late, browsing the Internet and learning more about these gay and straight alliances. They were indeed popping up in every major city across the country. Keith and I each wrote a paragraph or so to the person at the Los Angeles chapter. Before hitting the send button we debated if we might wait until Mike and Derrick could write something. Deciding that they could do the same from their own PC and e-mail address, we finally hit send.

Sunday morning around ten we woke and took Rush to the park. There was a whole world of smells for a curious puppy. I let him wander loose while Keith and I tromped through the muddy fields. At one point I heard the whooshing sound of something running past my side. I caught the trail of a small furry critter in the high grass then Rush came hauling ass after it! A long distance away, Rush finally gave up and trotted back to us, exhausted and happy so we took him home.

Mike and D were already in the garage working out a section of The Joker by Steve Miller. I sing lead vocals on that song. Mike likes the country finger picking and the slide guitar solo with the wah-wah pedal. Most of the time Keith hangs back by Derrick playing maracas then he steps forward and sings harmony vocals with me. Taking our muddy sneakers off at the front porch, Keith and I then headed for the garage.

They greeted us as we stepped inside. Then Mike said, "I’ve been thinking we need to learn more tunes, three sets just ain’t gonna cut it."

"The party’s only until eight bro. Isn’t thirty tunes enough?" Keith said.

Mike quickly said, "You said your dad wants us to stop at eight. When is it supposed to start?"

"Probably around one in the afternoon," Keith answered.

Mike thought for a moment then said, "Okay, so say we start playing at three. That’s one set. Start again around four for set two. Everybody eats and does the gifts and stuff between five and six. Then we play the last set and it’s all over before seven. We can spend this week learning another six or so songs and fill up some time with jams to distribute it all evenly."

"What are we distributing?" Jessy asked as she walked in.

"Tunes," I said. "We’re considering if we need to learn more tunes."

"Oh yeah, well three hours worth isn’t much. We really need more like six." Jess said as she walked around behind her keyboards.

"Six hours worth?" Keith shouted.

"There’s lots of graduating seniors and their parties to capitalize on," Derrick said with a grin.

"Even if we’re playing for food and drinks at first, it’s a chance to play," Mike added.

"No argument here. If we’re ever going to make and pocket money we’ve got to start somewhere," Jess said.

Keith and I have talked a little about the band and performing. Jessy lives in a family of musicians and already performs at her church. Mike, Derrick and I were all anxious to show off what we had been practicing for the last few years. For Keith though, singing was the most fun when he was alone or only with me. The idea of performing for money rattled Keith since he didn’t think he was all that good. Trying to find a compromise I offered, "Learning another thirty songs over the next month would be next to impossible. We could do another sets worth by then and still have a few full set rehearsals before the party."

"Sounds good to me," Mike agreed and Derrick nodded.

"It’s a plan then?" Jess asked.

Keith nodded and asked, "Which ten songs?"

Derrick reminded, "We’re still light on the ballads."

"Over a month ago I gave you dudes a full sixty minute tape of songs to choose from," Jessy said, "Choose any of those and I’ve got things covered right off the bat."

"It’s my fault," Keith said quickly. "I listened to it and like all the songs."

"A few of those songs I’ve already learned playing along with the tape." I said, taking some of the blame.

"Hand it over dudes!" Derrick chuckled.

Pointing his guitar at Keith and I as if it were a machine gun, Mike added, "You’ve had it for a month! Give it up!"

Keith chuckled and said, "Jeez! No need to get violent about it."

"We all need to be thinking of set lists too," Jessy reminded.

"We could order the songs like Doug and Brian do." Derrick suggested.

I asked, "You mean saving most of the ballads for the last set?" and D nodded.

Mike, Jessy and Keith all agreed to the suggestion. Then we went back to our bedroom to listen to Jessy’s tape. While songs played Jessy and I told Mike about the key signatures and chord changes. Keith told us which lyrics he liked most in each song as they played. During a few songs he mentioned several catchy musical phrases that he particularly liked and others that he didn’t care for, like the harmonica or string parts in a few songs. We didn’t understand why he disliked those parts so much. Keith explained, "It’s just the tone of it, like finger nails on a chalk board. I don’t think it fits the rest of the song."

"We could do something about that," Jess quickly said, "We’ll just find a sound that does the trick."

Until dinnertime we stayed in the garage learning new tunes. During the last hour, Jessy mentioned that she had phoned her friends. They were all interested in meeting us and discussing the possibility of going to the prom. Tentative plans were made for lunch the next day at school.

Something very surprising happened after dinner while we were finishing our homework. I actually started feeling nervous. Really nervous; twitching muscles, butterflies in my stomach and everything! Keith noticed almost immediately since I couldn’t sit still for more than two minutes at a time.

While we were getting ready to go work out in the garage, I told him why I was freaking out. Keith giggled, "You talk with girls all the time at school. What’s the difference?"

"Those girls are just acquaintances, kids I have to do stuff with in school. There aren’t any plans on dating any of ‘em. This is much different," I said.

Forcing a frown under which hid a big smile; Keith came over and hugged me. "Wow, you really are shaking," he noticed then reminded, "It’s only for one night and we still don’t know if we’ll go through with it."

"Still, it’s the whole premise. How are we going to choose who gets paired with who? Draw straws? It’s almost like cheating on you while you watch."

"You’re not cheating!" Keith said seriously. But after a few moments of us holding each other, I felt him shudder. Then he whispered, "You’re thinking of switching to the other side, I know it!" He leaned back smiling and looked in my eyes saying, "Tell me you’re gonna go straight and I’ll have to start sleeping in the den!" I pushed him away when he cracked up laughing.

"Give me a break!" I yelled and turned to leave the room.

Keith followed me chuckling;"All these months I’ve been sleeping with a straight dude! What am I gonna do? Who can I tell?"

Mr. and Mrs. Hundser had been quietly watching TV when we came out of the room. Now we were the center of their attention.

Rolling my eyes and shaking my head, I over dramatized, "My secret’s out. Your parents know, might as well tell John and Drew now. Hell, tell the whole world, my life is ruined!"

Keith followed me into the garage. As soon as the door closed he wrapped his arms around me, pulled me close and whispered, "It’s rare I see you acting shy and self conscious. I liked it… a lot!"

Noticing the bulge in his pants against my leg I said, "Yeah, I can tell! Too bad I’m straight. I might’ve been able to help you out!"

"Maybe I can make you curious enough to try?" Keith seductively said while running his hands up under my shirt.

My will to continue evaporated with every flick of his fingertip across my nipple. I sighed then said, "Maybe you can. Would you do something special just for me?"

"Anything," Keith answered quickly.

Kissing him softly, teasing his lips with my tongue, I seductively asked, "Spot me?"

Keith’s eyes opened wide and he giggled then excitedly said, "Ooo, yeah. I’ve been wanting to spot you all day!" He released his hold on me and I laid down on the bench, preparing for a few presses. I waited for Keith to take his position behind me but he lingered in front of me, a little towards my left side.

"What’s wrong?" I asked.

Taking a deep breath and smiling Keith answered, "I can see your dick under your shorts straight boy! Tsk, tsk, no undies today!" Then he walked around behind the bench while I giggled.

Yes, it was true; I wore no underwear or jock specifically so we could swiftly hit the shower together after we worked out. Even after we worked out in the garage and again in the shower, we worked out some more on our throw pillows and blanket on the bedroom floor! Sometimes I wondered if it was worth the bother keeping the bed from squeaking or hitting the wall since we both were liable to inadvertently get loud with our passionate cries.

The school week progressed like any other for the most part. So we’d have something to talk about with the girls, I had mentioned bringing up the alliance during the drive to school but was shot down, three against one. We needed to learn more about it first and it was simply a taboo topic for a first meeting. During second period English with Keith, we separately gave oral reports on books that we chose from a list. In my opinion, our English teacher is pretty wild; she’s into the paranormal and unexplained phenomena. I don’t mind English class at all. It’s really easy and I’ve always gotten good grades.

Lunch with Jessy’s friends was interesting. We learned each other’s names and chit chatted the whole period but the prom was never mentioned. Afterwards, when the four of us talked about it, I learned I wasn’t the only one feeling uncomfortable. Mike and I were at about the same stress level with Derrick and Keith somewhat less on edge. Having lunch at Carl’s Junior made it almost bearable but the first meeting between eight average gay boys and lesbian girls proved how little we had to talk about.

Derrick and I are both doing well in our geometry class. I’d like to know why I need to figure out the English measurements of a rectangular container that would hold two liters of liquid! It’s not particularly difficult but why do it? Only to say I did and passed the test is the only reason, I suppose.

Then it’s gym with Mike, which has been a blast all year. Starting with touch football in the autumn to rainy winter afternoons indoors playing volleyball or basketball to spring time softball in almost always-muddy fields, it’s been great. He’s a maniac with sports, a speedy, maneuverable receiver in football, spiking as often as possible during volleyball. Even tromping through muddy softball fields didn’t slow him down but basketball sure did. That white boy can’t jump or make a basket to save his life! Not like I might’ve tried out for the team or anything but my goodness!

Finally, it’s history class with the world’s most boring teacher lecturing in a monotone voice for fifty minutes at the end of the day. I’m surprised kids (myself included) don’t fall asleep, have nightmares, wake screaming and go running from the class room in search of more active life forms – like snails!

Tuesday night at work is almost always slow. Derrick and I get lots of chances to loiter around the back loading dock and talk. That’s when I learned for sure that Mike was definitely not into the whole idea of going to the prom with a girl. Mike chanted repeatedly, "Nope, ain’t gonna do it," Derrick told me, mimicking Mike’s voice. I told D that I would do it if I had to but my feet would be dragging in the dirt.

Wednesday before gym class, Mike and I were dressing when this one guy, named Jake, decided to prove how manly he was by passing an accusing comment. I guess it’s a pretty common thing in high school locker rooms but this was the first time that I was the target.

Jake walked past Mike and I saying, "Homo number one and homo number two helping each other undress. Bet they get lots of practice!" and a few guys around us started chuckling.

Mike turned red, not with embarrassment but with anger. It was the same look in his eyes that I saw the previous summer when I made that mistake while surfing and it turned into a bad scene.

I grinned and tapped Mike on the shoulder then said loudly, "Watch out guys, Jake didn’t take care of business last night now he’s looking for some ass!" and the whole locker room roared with laughter. Jake left himself wide open and I couldn’t contain myself.

"Yeah, right O’Brian! I would never break up the perfect couple!" Jake said.

Mike and I eyed each other suspiciously then we both laughed and Mike turned towards Jake saying, "Dude, you really need to adjust your fantasies some during those late night stroke sessions!"

Jake turned ten shades of red as another round of laughter traveled around the locker room. Mike’s statement pushed Jake over the edge and he shouted, "Fuck you, dude!"

It was the stupidest thing he could’ve said and Mike jumped back with, "Nah, you’re probably a lousy fuck. Bet you just lay there sweating."

The assistant coach came in the locker room, heard the roar of laughter and blew his whistle then shouted, "Hustle up men, times wasting." Mike and I only needed to put on our shirts but Jake was late for class and wound up having to run laps for the entire period. While we showered after class there were plenty of rude commentaries from lots of guys but none were aimed at Mike or I. A few were aimed at Jake though. I didn’t think anything of the experience, assuming that Jake was one of those insecure guys that wouldn’t even admit he jacked off. During the drive home that afternoon, Mike and I told Keith and Derrick about it all. Keith was worried at first but after hearing the details from Mike and I, he calmed down and joked along with us.

Thursday night during practice we learned two more songs and came up with two set-lists for John’s birthday party. CD’s and blank cassette tapes were left with me to record the songs in order. It’s not a difficult task but it is time consuming. It took about two hours to make the first tape but I’ve got my mom’s dual cassette deck with high-speed dubbing so the tapes were made by the time we went to school the next morning.

Friday was another bizarre day. It seemed to me that lately some part of our weekend chill time was often clouded by some unforeseen circumstance, just like the El Nino sky over California.

The day started normal enough; the clock radio went off, we snuggled, said good morning, did the morning grind, talked a little, then hit the bathroom. I gave gentle reminders to Keith along the way. At quarter past seven in the morning his brain is only at fifty percent and he’s beginning to form words into phrases but he keeps stopping along the way, as if he forgets what he needs to do next! Boxers and socks are followed by a lapse; jeans and shirts are also followed by a lapse, sneakers – another lapse, grab the stuff we need from the dresser and the desk. Whirl around the kitchen for a bagel or a piece of fruit. Everything stops as we make it to the front door for a final hug and a kiss, then we hit the road.

Not that I’m racing around the house, it’s just that taking care of Rush is intermixed in there and I still get it all done before Keith. It’s the morning shower that completes my final wake up process. I’ve tried it at a slower pace but all that accomplishes is getting us bitched at by Mike and Derrick as we’re flying into the school with the final bell ringing. If only our lives were on the preferred noon until dawn schedule then at least Keith would be much more alert earlier in his day.

When I caught up with Keith outside our English class, he was wide-awake but he looked out of sorts. "Hey bud," I said then asked, "What’s wrong?"

Pulling me away from the mass of students loitering outside the class room door, Keith whispered, "This girl Lea asked me if I was gay during first period."

Concerned about the circumstances I asked, "What happened?"

"She leaned over and whispered it so it was cool but it still shook me up some."

"What did you say?"

"I joked about it at first, saying that it was a weird way to get a date for the weekend. I don’t recall answering her question one way or the other."

He really looked wiped out and I knew there wasn’t a test to worry about so I suggested, "Why don’t you tell the teacher you’ve got a stomach ache and go lay down in the nurses office this period?"

"Do you think she’ll buy it?"

I nodded and said, "Go ahead and take the time to rest, I’ll take notes and fill you in at home later."

We walked into the classroom and while I took my seat, Keith talked with the teacher then left the room. When I saw him at lunch he looked and acted perfect, like nothing had happened.

Later that day during gym class, Jake got verbally abusive again but this time he kept his comments more private. Twice he threatened to beat the shit out of me but the guy wasn’t big enough to rattle me so I only frowned, shook my head and walked away from him both times. During the softball game he and Mike got into a major shoving match. I ran over there but the coach broke it up, promising to keep the three of us after school if we didn’t cut the crap. No one got detention but Mike was silent for the rest of the class. He wouldn’t even tell me what had happened. At the end of the school day, as Mike and I walked out of the building towards the student parking lot, I asked him about it again.

Mike smiled and joked, "That dude is just a flaming hemorrhoid! A little bit of Preparation H and he’ll be able to pull his brains out if his ass some day."

Hearing that I chuckled and shook my head. Since Mike wasn’t stressing, I dropped the subject and started talking about our rehearsal the previous evening. We had started working on the Brian Adams song Everything I Do (I Do It For You). Although we had the changes down, it still needed some work so we were talking about various parts and how we could get the song down perfectly.

As we walked along the grass bordering the parking lot, I suddenly felt a sharp pain against the back of my left arm and flinched.

"What’s wrong dude?" Mike asked.

Dropping my books on the grass, I grabbed my arm saying, "I think I just got stung by a bee or something."

No sooner did I get the words out, Mike shouted, "Ouch! What the fuck?" and grabbed the back of his neck.

We both turned around. Jake and two other guys were following us, chucking small stones at us. We dodged the next volley and Mike hollered, "What’s your fucking problem dudes?"

"Faggots like you two are my fucking problem," Jake screamed back at us. He and his buddies picked up their pace.

"So you throw rocks like a little girl?" I shouted, "Who’s acting more faggoty now?"

From only a few yards away Jake said, "I warned you both. We don’t want any God damned homos in our school."

"You’re both dead!" one of Jake’s cohorts growled.

I could feel the perspiration bead up on my forehead as I considered the odds. Three against two would not be good. Mike and I glanced at each other quickly then back at our tormentors. "You don’t want to do this, man." I warned with a shaky voice as my Irish blood began to boil.

"Don’t cry pussy. I’ll kill you quick, I promise." Jake teased, causing his two friends to chuckle.

My jaw tightened and my fists clenched as I waited for the first punch to be thrown. The five of us stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity but in reality was probably only a few seconds. Jake and his loud-mouthed friend seemed ready to fight but the third guy’s hands hung limp by his side. Just as I started to think this would be a fair fight, I heard a click. It was the loudest sound in the world and a shiver ran up my spine as the flash of a steel blade came into view.

Everything was happening so fast even though none of us had laid a hand on each other. I remember Mike and I backing up a step at the sight of the knife. Then Jake’s two friends went after Mike while Jake came towards me, jabbing the knife at my stomach. I dodged back and forth then felt my shirt tug against my body as the knife caught it. Swinging around, I landed a punch in the middle of Jake’s back then backed away. My focus was entirely on the hand with the knife in it when I saw a leg kick Jake’s arm and the knife flew to the ground. Looking up I saw Keith, with the fires of hell burning in his eyes as his fists hit Jake, first in the face and then in the stomach. Jake bent in half and Keith clobbered him across the side of the head, knocking him down.

When Jake didn’t get up, Keith then ran past me and I turned to see Mike and Derrick fighting the other two guys. I was in shock as Keith pulled the one guy away from Mike and landed one upper cut to the jaw that sent him flailing onto the ground. Both Mike and Keith went to help Derrick out and I saw the school security guards running towards us. For the first time I noticed there were a lot of other students around. I ran past them and started to explain to the security guards what had happened when one of them said, "You’re bleeding, lets get you to the nurses office." Looking down, I saw a large red spot on my right side, below my ribs. Adrenaline was pumping so much I hadn’t even noticed and still didn’t care but I was pulled away and led into the school again by one security guard and two students.

Not feeling any pain, I ranted on the verge of tears as we walked, "That asshole not only ruined my favorite shirt but cut me!"

"Take it easy," the security officer said, "we have witnesses that saw the whole thing. Let’s just make sure your not seriously injured."

The world was spinning at hyper-speed and my mind couldn’t keep up. The next thing I knew, we were in the nurse’s office. Both my shirts were off and the nurse said, "It’s not deep but you’re going to need some stitches." The wound was about four inches long but I still didn’t feel anything as the nurse cleaned and dressed it. Then she walked over to her desk and called for an ambulance.

There was a lot of commotion from the main office and I knew Keith was out there so I got up and walked out to join my boyfriend. When I got there I noticed the police first since they were blocking my path.

"How does it feel getting your ass whooped by a couple of fags?" Keith shouted at Jake.

Jake stood and mumbled, "I’m gonna kill you all!" but a police officer shoved him back down in the chair.

Another cop was reading Jake his rights. As soon as that was finished the first officer put handcuffs on Jake and said, "You’ve already done enough damage for one day, young man. You’re being charged with assault with a deadly weapon. And thanks to your big mouth, I think we can add attempted murder to that." The cop writing the report nodded and scribbled away.

"I hope you enjoy life in the slammer dude," Derrick said softly.

I walked into the center of the room and looked at Jake, amazed at the swelling on the side of his face. As I glanced at his two buddies, I heard Keith shout, "Oh no! Prez!" Spinning on my heals to face him, I smiled widely at my boyfriend as my heart filled with pride. He had saved my life as far as I was concerned. His face turned pale as I watched.

"You’re hurt! Oh my God!" Keith shouted. Tears started to flow down his face and he covered his mouth then he ran into the nurse’s office. I followed him all the way to the lavatory where he lost his lunch.

Standing beside him and rubbing his back as he heaved, I told him repeatedly, "I’m fine babe. Don’t worry."

The paramedics came into the nurse’s office soon after Keith stood up. He looked so sad but I was so proud of him. Only a few months earlier he had told me he didn’t know if he could ever fight to stand up for himself or anyone else. He did it, just like I knew he would. Wrapping our arms around each other, we walked back to the main office to finish our statements to the police. As it turned out, the paramedics wound up taking Jake and his two buddies to the hospital. I shook my head in disgust when I heard that Jake might have cracked ribs and a busted jaw.

Filling out police reports takes a long time! I told them all about the locker room incident and Mike corroborated the story. Keith and Derrick told them what they had seen and how they sneaked up between cars in the parking lot before stepping in to defend us. After the police were done with us the principal took us aside. Having heard the whole story from seven students' perspectives he really didn’t have much to say but still, he had to keep order and suspended us from school for five days. Before we left his office I asked, "What’s going to happen to Jake and his friends?"

"Mr. Auer and Mr. Phelps are suspended also. Jake Thompson has been expelled. He’ll be finishing his education in a juvenile detention facility," The principal explained.

Keith called his mom and he drove me to Valley Presbyterian to get stitched up. Just as I had warned him, Keith felt bad about hurting those guys even though they deserved it. He talked about it during the ride to the hospital. No one ever wins a fight. Everyone involved is injured in some way. The four of us were apologizing to each other profusely as the adrenaline in our bodies began to settle down. Keith and Derrick were sorry that they weren’t there faster, saying that maybe the whole thing might have been prevented. Mike and I were sorry that circumstances kept us from assisting each other. The simple fact was that neither of us ran or whimped out when threatened.

Mike and Derrick were in the back seat of the car and went to the hospital with us. Mike had a nice shiner around his right eye that would soon turn black. When Mike called Derrick his hero, I turned and looked at him. We never said a word to each other but I could tell that he knew I felt the same way about Keith.

Turning to Keith I said, "I guess you’re not so worried about outing yourself anymore?"

Confused, Keith said, "Huh? What do you mean?"

"You pretty much told everyone in the office that we’re gay," I reminded.

"I did? No I didn’t!" Keith said.

From the back seat Mike said, "Yeah ya did bro. You looked at Jake and his homies and asked them how it felt to get their butts kicked by a couple of fags."

Derrick giggled, "That’s pretty much what I heard too."

Amazed at himself Keith said, "Whoa! Sorry. Guess I was a bit stressed."

Taking his hand in mine I said, "It don’t matter at all to me."

"No problem here," Derrick said quickly.

"Don’t worry about it bro," Mike giggled, "The looks on everyone’s faces made it kind of funny actually."

Squeezing his hand tightly, I reminded, "You did it babe. You kicked some serious ass out there today."

Keith smiled a little but shook his head saying, "Don’t remind me. That was not fun at all."

Derrick said, "Maybe it wasn’t but hey, we’ve got a weeks vacation to look forward to."

"And we’ll be jamming for most of the week too!" Mike added. "We’re gonna show everyone once and for all, we may be queer but we know how to rock and roll so don’t fuck around!" Hearing that, Derrick and I laughed and Keith giggled while he shook his head.

Getting out of the car at the hospital, I began wishing that the adrenaline was still pumping through my veins. The skin on my side pulled and felt the first shot of pain race around my body.

"God, I hate hospitals," I groaned, grabbing my side.

Waiting for us at the admissions desk was Keith’s mom, looking more disgusted with the four of us then ever before. We all looked tattered and bruised. She didn’t say anything or ask about the fight but handed Mike an ice pack for his eye then led Keith and I into an examination room. A male nurse soon followed and removed the dressing from my side. Keith winced when he saw the wound and the nurse asked if he would like to leave the room.

Keith answered, "Nah, I’ll just move around to the other side of the table."

A tall, good looking black woman came into the room and I was a bit surprised to read Dr. Maranthe on her nametag. In a Jamaican accent she said, "Oh, look what you’ve done! You made a mess out of my nice clean room, bleeding all over."

Jamaican people have the coolest accent and strangest sense of humor! I couldn’t help but giggle at her. "Sorry, getting sliced and diced wasn’t really in my plan today," I said.

"Well it is a nice straight wound. It shouldn’t take more than ten or twelve stitches to make you stop messing up the place," Dr. Maranthe said. "Next time it might better to run away when someone pulls a machete out," she suggested.

"Believe me, I was breaking the speed of light on the inside," I commented as she pulled a needle out of a drawer.

"It was the principle of the thing," Keith told her as he took hold of my hand.

Sitting down beside me, she held up the needle and explained, "This will sting a little but it will numb the area so the stitches will hardly be noticed."

I nodded then turned my head away as she gave me the first shot. "Yikes!" I hollered, "that burns!"

"Live and learn, live and learn," Dr. Maranthe chanted.

Getting stitches is not an experience I want to repeat any time soon. I never felt the stitches going in but every time she tugged and tightened the knots I sure felt it. Keith stayed with me and held my hand during the whole thing though. The doctor said, live and learn. I really felt like I was but one thing rambled around my skull for a while. Why is it that some people have the need to enforce their beliefs on others? It really confuses me sometimes. Isn’t it enough to do the best you can in your own life without forcing someone else to do things the way you want them to? All I could do was thank my lucky stars that no one else got seriously injured as I lay there taking my medicine.

It was almost seven that night when Mrs. Hundser and the four of us finally made it home. We all shared another dinner of Chinese take out and pizzas while we talked about the day.

After dinner, Mr. Hundser took the four of us into the den. He closed the door, walked up to Keith and pulled him close for a tight hug. Neither said a word for a long few moments. Then Keith sniffled and buried his face in his dad’s shoulder.

"Shhh, it’s over now. You did good," Mr. Hundser whispered. Looking at Mike, Derrick, and me, he then said more clearly, "You all did what had to be done. I’m just sorry it had to happen at all. When push came to shove though, you all stuck by each other. You should all be proud of each other. I’m sure proud of you. Often men say they’ll be able to do something but fail to live up to their own words. That didn’t happen this time though."

Keith sobbed quietly into his father’s shoulder until I said, "We really had no other choice," then he looked over at me smiling, as if I had revealed some great secret.

"Guess we could’ve high tailed it out of there," Mike said, "but that thought never once entered my mind." Derrick looked at Mike oddly. "Okay, it did. But only for a second," Mike admitted. Derrick chuckled then wrapped his arm around Mike.

"When you get back to school I’ll bet you’ll be treated differently," Mr. Hundser said.

"How do you mean?" Derrick asked.

Mr. Hundser answered, "You’ve set a precedent. There may be a few remaining dissidents, but they’ll think long and hard about messing with you. I’ll bet a lot of kids start looking up to you."

Stepping back from his dad, Keith said loudly, "Ah shit! Not that! We didn’t do anything."

Mr. Hundser grinned and said, "Sure you did. You thought for yourselves and acted accordingly. For teenagers that’s a sign of leadership."

Mike began chuckling then said, "Keith Hundser for senior class President!" It was a perfect idea and I started laughing hysterically.

"Don’t you even dare!" Keith shouted.

Mike and Derrick cracked up laughing, teasing Keith between breaths.

"Mr. Laid back, chillin’ out," Derrick chuckled.

"He’ll never get into a fight," Mike added, "unless you mess with his boyfriend. Then he turns into Rambo!" Keith blushed and turned away from them to sit next to me.

Derrick imitated Rambo and shouted;"They drew first blood!"

Keith’s dad witnessed this insanity, smiled then shook his head and left the den. The four of us followed him and continued goofing on each other for a while in our bedroom. Drew and John came in and wanted to hear the details of the fight. It’s really strange how adrenaline clouds the senses. None of us had the full story. Mike and I knew how things started. Keith and Derrick had seen things from a distance and couldn’t remember some of what had happened either. Drew’s jaw practically bounced off the floor when he heard how Keith took control of the situation, disarming Jake then knocking him down and out in three blows.

John was the most impressed. Not knowing any better, he believed that homosexuals were sissies and unable or unwilling to fight. The four of us were pretty cool trying to explain things to John but Drew got annoyed with his younger brother.

Drew sighed then turned to John and asked, "What planet are you from?"

Confused, John looked at Drew and said, "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Girls fight! They kick and claw the shit out of each other. It’s scary as hell to watch."

"Yeah, but…"

"But nothin’. Don’t you pay attention?" Drew said, then swung his arm around, pointing at the four of us and continued. "These dudes lift weights, they mountain bike, they surf and play volleyball once in a while. Just because their musicians and sleep with each other doesn’t mean they can’t fight if provoked. And while we’re on the subject, you’d better watch what you say to Corey sometimes. One of these days your gonna say something stupid to him and he’s gonna club you one. Being gay has nothing to do with throwing a punch."

Stunned, John softly said, "Sorry. It’s just that everyone says stuff and jokes about it."

"That’s peer pressure," I said.

"You want to be liked but do you believe everything kids tell you?" Keith asked.

"No, but I do want friends," John answered.

"Everyone does but what good are they if they’re not around when you need them most?" I said.

"These friends you’re inviting to your party, are they going to say stupid shit?" Keith asked.

"Probably not, you dudes are way older and lots bigger," John said.

"Make sure they don’t dude," Derrick said. "If I hear one nasty word, I’m putting my drumsticks down and walkin’."

"After all that’s happened, I’d stop playing and walk away too," Mike said. John became wide-eyed and genuinely concerned.

Keith added, "It sounds to me like you’d best be sure these friends of yours are cool."

"I will," John said quickly and loudly, "I swear, anyone that acts like a jerk gets booted out. Just don’t stop playing, that would suck majorly."

Silently, we all looked at John with stern, serious eyes. It was Drew that broke the tension by giggling. "Some day you’ll learn bro." Drew said as he stood and left the room.

John watched his brother leave then turned to us and said, "Learn what?"

"The consequences of your words and actions," I answered.

"No good deed ever goes unpunished," Mike said with sly grin and Derrick quickly covered his mouth, struggling to contain his laughter.

John shook his head saying, "Right, whatever!" and then left the room.

Derrick almost busted a gut roaring with laughter. Then he looked over at Keith and said, "Shit dude, the next time I need a good laugh I’ll just borrow your little brother for a while."

"Anytime," Keith said quickly, "I’ll even pack his bags and drive him over."

Mike sat there grinning and rubbing his hands. He then lifted one hand to show Derrick and said, "Look at my knuckles dude, they’re all scraped and swollen and shit. I’ll be lucky if I can play guitar by Sunday."

Derrick forced a frown and said, "Let’s jet dude. I’ll stick your hand in a bucket of ice then exercise those digits." Mike smiled and nodded then Derrick turned to me and asked, "You working tomorrow night?"

Just as I was about to say yes, Keith quickly said, "No he’s not. The doc said no heavy lifting for a few days or he might rip open the stitches."

I sighed and said, "I’ll call around tomorrow and find a replacement," as we walked Mike and Derrick to the door. After about an hour of watching Speed on TV with his parents, they went to their bedroom and we went to ours. Even Rush was exhausted. He lay down in his crate with a thud and a loud, whining yawn. Keith and I went to bed and snuggled up close in the soft blue light of our TV. After a full day of emotional turmoil, we literally passed out before midnight and didn’t wake until almost noon the next day.

It was the sun shining in our bedroom window that woke us. After our morning ritual grind-fest we got out of bed, put on our sweatpants then I went outside with Rush. There was no one in the living room, dining room or kitchen. Before stepping out the back door, Keith hollered, "Hello?" and no one answered. "Guess every one’s gone out," he said, joining me in the back yard.

The weather was beautiful! With the last week of April before us, winter’s storms seemed to be behind us at last. The sky was clear blue and free of clouds; the temperature was mild enough to stand out in the grass barefoot and shirtless without feeling chilled. Keith stepped away from me and wandered around the yard, looking up in the sky apparently searching for a stray storm cloud. Finding none, he stretched his arms high above his head, giving me a fabulous view of his muscular back. Turning around, he yelled, "Yes! Finally a genuine spring day!" and walked towards me with that wild, mischievous grin. Keith then reached out his arms to hold me. I almost came in my pants and collapsed before he took me in his arms. Sensing our mood, Rush bounded around the yard, grabbing his rope toy, tossing it in the air and chasing it around.

As I melted in his arms, Keith whispered, "Are you thinking what I’m thinking?"

"Let’s make love," I quickly responded then dove in to snack on his earlobe.

"Mmm, yeah. I want to feel your heat inside me," Keith moaned then slid his hands down into my sweatpants, gripping the cheeks of my ass and pulled me against him.

"Me too. We’ll take turns."

"Sounds like a winner to me!" Keith said. Leaving one arm wrapped around me, we went back inside and walked quickly back to the bedroom. Rush never had a chance to follow us we moved so swiftly!

I didn’t even wait for Keith to turn around again after he closed the bedroom door before I tugged his sweatpants down! Keith stumbled around trying to kick his sweatpants away as he deftly untied the drawstring and lowered my sweatpants. Still awestruck at his performance the previous day, I wanted so badly to shout, "My hero! Take me now!" but Keith is so humble he would only blush and disregard the comment anyway. Overflowing with passion, we tumbled onto the bed, still kicking the sweatpants off our feet. Our lips met briefly, tongues tentatively caressing then our mouths opened wide and we kissed deeply. Communicating through half closed, lust crazed eyes we each begged to be the first to feel the heat that we longed for.

Keith started to smile through our kiss then fell back on the bed giggling. "Okay, how about a little wager?" he said.

Snuggling beside my lover I said, "Anything, just make it a quick one."

Rolling off the bed, Keith said, "I told you before, I think your cock’s getting bigger. If it is, then I win." He opened up the desk drawer, pulled out the cloth measuring tape then turned around saying, "If it’s not then you get to go first."

"Okay," I laughed, "but I swear it’s the same as always, six inches."

"We shall soon see!" Keith chuckled. Adjusting himself on the bed with his face inches from my throbbing bone, Keith unraveled the tape and asked, "Are you sure your hard enough?" then he licked my shaft from the base to the head.

A shiver raced around my body and I giggled, "Keep doin’ that and I’ll cum, you tease!"

"Just makin’ sure," Keith laughed. Holding the end of the tape against the side of my twitching cock where it meets the scrotum, Keith stretched the tape to the head. "You loose buddy!" he giggled, "six and three eighths inches!"

"No way!" I shouted as I sat up, "You’re exaggerating so you can go first!"

"See for yourself!" Keith laughed. He was still holding the tape against my dick, his thumb holding the tape and resting lightly against the head.

I was shocked when I saw the mark just below his thumb was indeed at six and three eighths! "Cool!" I said proudly then asked, "Is it any fatter?"

"Let’s see." Keith said, pulling my shaft down and laying the tape across the top. "Two and a quarter in diameter, you gained a quarter of an inch." He said then wrapped the tape around the base and excitedly said, "Five and half in circumference! Almost as big and fat as mine!"

"I’ll have to check you out too," I said pushing him down flat on the bed. Measuring his tool the same ways I proclaimed, "Six and a half long, two and five eighths wide and six full inches around! You grew a little too!"

"Excellent!" Keith chuckled loudly.

Tossing the tape onto the desk I said, "Now, where were we?"

"I still won baby," Keith reminded and spread his legs wide.

First getting the lube from the night table, I leaned over to kiss him then said, "You won a long time ago babe." Taking my time, I teased his nipples for a while then traced the outlines of his abdominal muscles making him squirm and gasp with delight. Noticing a small pool of precum on his belly, I leaned down and licked it up then moved into position between his legs. Looking into his brown eyes while lubing his hole and my shaft practically set my heart on fire. Not only our dicks were growing but also we had both filled out, gotten a bit taller and fallen more deeply in love. We both shifted closer. My cock slid effortlessly inside him. I kept still, spreading lube on his fat cock and waited for a few moments before Keith started shifting his buns around.

"Go for it baby," Keith groaned.

Leaning back on one arm and stroking his teen meat with my other hand, I started thrusting slowly.

"Oh Prez! Yeah, that feels so good!"

"I know lover. Soon it’ll be my turn."

Keith raised his legs as I went faster then lowered them as I slowed down, all the while moaning his approval. Every small shift seemed to make his eyes roll back in his head. I had to close my eyes once in a while because I knew the pleasure he was feeling and I couldn’t wait for my turn. As if hearing my thoughts, Keith’s legs wrapped around my ass and squeezed me tight. I jacked his cock faster and in seconds he exploded, shooting his semen high in the air. While I drained his cock, I shifted slightly and Keith gasped, not in discomfort but in delight! I moved slightly again and his eyes clamped shut as he shouted, "Yes!" Confused, I wondered what was happening. Keith lost it awfully fast and now, instead of shifting away he was still bucking his hips slightly. Encouraged, I stroked his shaft and thrust my cock back into him. Keith looked at me in amazement and ground himself into me again. This was truly remarkable; I thought and continued jacking him off. Writhing around madly, Keith’s eyes opened wide and he screamed, "Oh my God, it’s happening again!" Holding onto my legs for dear life, Keith trembled violently and once again he shot a tremendous load high into the air! We had read about this on the Internet but considered it literary license. Men weren’t multi-orgasmic like women! We had one powerful orgasm and then had to wait, at least a little while before trying for another. But Keith just had two whoppers within a five-minute period! This was not a dream or an erotic story - it was real! His muscles relaxed and his chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath. I wiggled back, letting my cock slide from his hole and laid down next to him.

"Oh my God, oh dear lord!" Keith said breathlessly, "That was amazing! How did you do that?"

I had to giggle, "I didn’t do anything different, you did it!"

"Oh sweet Jesus! We have to do that again! Every day! Ten times a day!" Keith said softly. Rolling over towards me, he then drowned me in kisses!

Still formulating conclusions as to what had just transpired I finally said, "Was it good for you?" and cracked up laughing my ass off.

"Stupendous! Wonderful! Better than all the thrill rides at Disneyland and Magic Mountain combined! And guess what?"

"What?"

"I’m still hard as a rock and it’s your turn!" Keith said then started cackling evilly! There was no time to prepare as Keith got up and hovered over me.

I, Preston Albert O’Brian, being of sound mind and sexually threatened body…