Life Goes On - 14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

 

Watching Corey and Drew kiss for a moment or two, Prez then decided to keep himself busy. He retrieved his acoustic bass, sat back down and began playing along with the radio. Prez even played along with the commercials, causing Corey to giggle. Then Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" began. Prez sat quietly during the song introduction then, about a minute into it, began to find the song's key center. By the time the drum track began, Prez had discovered the key signature and easily played along. Corey giggled again and stood up, pulling a reluctant Drew up with him. They both began swaying to the music while Prez watched. When the song ended, it was almost six and the radio station began a news update. Prez lowered the volume and began playing some funky slap-bass lines. Corey immediately began dancing again but Drew only giggled and shuffled around, trying to keep up.

Unable to stop himself, Prez smirked, "A little insecure about dancing, Drew?"

Stopping entirely, Drew frowned, "I've never really danced before. Our parents only do those silly disco and jazz dances."

Corey loudly objected, "Don't tease him, Prez."

"I wasn't teasing," Prez replied, and put his bass down. "Keith had a rough time when we first started dancing too. I think it's time to teach Drew to dance though. Are you game?"

Smiling widely, Corey cheered, "Of course!"

Seeing how enthused Corey was, Drew chuckled, "I'll give it a shot."

Recalling how his mother taught him to dance about a year earlier, Prez said, "Let's start easy. A lot of ballads still use three-four time, also known as a waltz. I'll count it out and demonstrate with Corey. Then you two can try together, okay?" Both Corey and Drew nodded. Prez asked, "Do you know the waltz, Corey?"

"Not really," Corey giggled.

"Okay," Prez smiled, "I'll lead." Stepping up to Corey with his left arm out, Prez took Corey's right hand and put his right arm around by Corey's left shoulder blade.

Suspiciously squinting, Drew smiled, "Make sure you dudes keep that space between you!"

Hanging his head, Corey snickered. Prez chuckled, "We'll get to dirty dancing soon enough."

Corey's head popped up and he asked, "You know how?"

Prez grinned and nodded, "Course!"

"Ooo!" Corey provocatively moaned, causing Drew to giggle and shake his head sadly.

Prez asked Corey if he was ready and explained, "It's kind of like a box step, but only three steps instead of four." Beginning to move, Prez slowly counted, "One, two, three, one, two, three, out, slide, back, out, slide, back, good; Cor-ey, keep, that, beat, one, two, three, you, count, Drew."

Drew began counting aloud and mimicked the steps Corey and Prez were doing. Then Prez reminded, "Light on your feet," and soon let go of Corey. Pulling Drew over to Corey, Prez began counting again. Watching them dance for a minute or so, Prez then instructed, "Good, now stay like you are and we'll count to four for the box step." Keeping the same tempo, Prez demonstrated, "It's basically, out, slide, back, slide, one, two, three, four."

As they danced, Corey asked, "Do we have to be this far apart?"

"As you get better, you'll be able to get closer without stepping on each others feet," Prez answered. He then picked up his bass and began playing a walking bass line at the same tempo. Drew and Corey moved a little closer and kept on dancing. Twice Drew accidentally stepped on Corey's toes, causing all three to laugh. But the couple muddled through and got better so Prez increased the tempo a little. Corey and Drew got closer then a little closer still and soon they were dancing hip to hip .

"There ya go!" Prez cheered, and then asked, "Ready for something more modern?"

"No," Corey giggled and Drew shook his head.

Rolling his eyes, Prez smiled and continued to play for a while longer. All Prez really wanted to do was to remind Corey and Drew how important this day was and to forget about the fear of being followed by that cretin. Now that they were dancing close and whispering to each other, Prez knew he had accomplished the task. After he had changed keys twelve times and returned to they key of C major again, Prez created an ending and stopped playing.

Corey and Drew loudly groaned. Prez chuckled, "I'm hungry! It's time to get some hot dogs roasting," and turned the radio up again then put his bass away.

While Prez began to prepare the turkey franks, over at the ranger station, Keith, Derrick and Mike were keeping watch over the man that had followed Drew and Corey. Foolishly, during the trek there, he had tried to break away and make a run for it. That only enraged Keith, Derrick and Mike. After apprehending him again, Mike and Derrick used the karate holds they were taught by Doug and Brian, pinning the man's hands to his shoulder blades. They were now certain this man was afraid of more than just them or what he had done to Drew and Corey. During the remainder of the walk, the three taunted and teased the man mercilessly. The state police had been called by the ranger and now there were two state policemen and two L.A. County Sheriffs also waiting in the small ranger station.

They were all waiting for Keith's father to arrive. Since Keith was not the parent or legal guardian of Drew, Jim Hundser had to be called to press charges. When he did arrive with John in tow, Keith told his dad what had happened, including how the man tried to run away twice, accounting for the battered condition of the man, Mike, Derrick and himself.

Jim Hundser then walked outside of the ranger station with one policeman and one sheriff. He showed them his business card, identifying himself as a lawyer and the firm he worked for. From the officers, Mr. Hundser learned the man's name was Joseph Kitterman. He was employed by Southern California Edison as lineman, responsible for maintaining electric lines above and below ground. During his four year employment, he had eight different complaints filed against him for peeking into homes. Mr. Kitterman had a fascination with young boys living at each of the residences. After briefly discussing options with the representatives of law enforcement, Jim Hundser and the two officers went back inside.

While Jim proudly went to his sons and his friends, one L.A. County Sheriff informed Mr. Kitterman he was being arrested on charges of stalking minors on Federal property as well as assault of three minors then read him his Miranda rights. Before Mr. Kitterman was led from the station, Jim Hundser walked over and introduced himself, holding up one of his business cards for the man to read. Wearing the most evil grin Keith had ever seen planted on his dad's face, Jim Hundser softly said, "Mr. Kitterman, you're in a heap of trouble. One of the boys you were following is my son. Given your previous record, I'm going to make it my mission to see that you are henceforth identified as a sex offender. You'll lose your job, serve time in a Federal penitentiary, and with some luck, learn how pedophiles are treated by the other inmates. When your wife learns about this, you can more than likely kiss your marriage goodbye too. Your life as it has been is over. So tell me, Sir, was it good for you?" Mr. Kitterman said nothing, but seeing the joy Jim Hundser portrayed, tears streamed down his face.

As soon as Mr. Kitterman, the police and Sheriffs left the ranger station, Keith, Mike and Derrick howled with laughter and rude remarks. Jim Hundser asked the park rangers to keep an extra eye on the campsite and all the boys through the night. The two park rangers agreed and had a good laugh too when Mr. Hundser turned to his son and smirked, "What the hell am I supposed to tell your mother?" Having been too busy and aggravated to think about anything except the man they had apprehended, Keith's eyes and mouth opened like a wide mouthed bass. He stopped laughing, but Mike and Derrick laughed even harder. Seeing his big brother caught off guard, John began laughing too.

"Holy shit!" Keith hollered. "We're supposed to go to Yosemite in a few weeks!"

"Exactly my point," Jim Hundser confirmed. "You know how she's going to react to the truth."

"This sucks!" Keith yelled. "Get that bastard back here! If he's fucked up our trip to Yosemite, I'll kill him!"

Shaking his head, Jim Hundser sighed, "And what are we going to tell Drew and Corey? The truth would probably cause them both to have nightmares for a week, if not longer."

Scratching the side of his head, Keith grumbled, "Damn it!" but was already thinking. Okay, do I tell dad that Drew and Corey had intercourse? Drew would definitely be pissed and probably implode in a pitiful state of mortification. Not to mention the fact that they would all be in trouble for waiting silently outside the tent while they banged their brains out. All this would be really bad! Scratch that idea. But if I don't tell him, he won't understand how much this day means to them.

"Come on," Mr. Hundser said, "we'll come up with a plan while I drive you back to your campsite.

Now feeling defeated, Keith explained, "Dad, if you drive us back, Drew's gonna know it was a big deal. Corey's mom can't learn about this either, she'll freak."

Leading the boys out to the Suburban, Mr. Hundser said, "It seems to me the two women are the biggest problem, agreed?" Keith nodded then followed John into the front seat. Derrick and Mike got in the back seat. Mr. Hundser got in and, when everyone was buckled up, he added, "Drew was smart enough to realize there was something wrong. Corey's not dumb either; they probably already guessed the guy was trouble. So we tell them the truth and come up with a little white lie to keep your mom and Corey's from having convulsions." Starting the engine and pulling away, Mr. Hundser huffed, "All of us have to be on the same page, you too John."

"Dad," John whined, "you know mom. She's got that look. She'll know I'm lying before I say a word."

Mr. Hundser nodded and asked, "Would you like to spend the night at Tommy's?"

John grinned, "That would work."

"Okay, I'll get you dinner and drop you off there," Mr. Hundser said. "This morning your mom begged me to come out here and check on you. I said no, that we had to show you our trust and let you have the time to prove yourselves to us." Pausing for a moment, Mr. Hundser joked, "Well you've certainly accomplished that!" Another round of chuckles and snickers erupted. "So," he continued, "I thought better of it and stopped by on the way home to check on you. And since it's just the two of us having dinner, I'll take her out someplace tonight. I come out smelling like a rose and nothing happened."

Keith chuckled, "I hope this works."

Mr. Hundser assured, "If we all stick to the story, it will."

John then reminded, "Keith's all bruised and scraped up though."

Mr. Hundser shrugged, "Boys will be boys; how about some wrestling?" Looking in the rear-view mirror, Mr. Hundser asked, "You're staying at Doug and Brian's place and won't see your mothers for a few days?"

Mike nodded and answered, "We'll be working nights Friday through Sunday anyway."

"If we do see them, we can stick to the wrestling story," Derrick confirmed.

Pointing to the left side of the road, Keith said, "Over there, dad."

Mr. Hundser saw the 442 and 4Runner and pulled up to the campsite. Checking his watch, Mr. Hundser noticed it was quarter to seven. "I'll call your mom, check on Drew and Corey and then head home," Mr. Hundser said as he pulled his cell phone out. All the boys nodded then got out of the Suburban saying thanks. Rush happily greeted everyone as they approached the campfire.

Parking and getting out too, Mr. Hundser began sharing his story with his wife. John, Keith, Mike and Derrick joined Prez, Drew and Corey fireside.

Swallowing a mouthful of his hot dog and standing to greet Keith, Prez asked, "How'd it go, babe?"

After planting a quick kiss, Keith nodded and grinned, "The dude was a dirt bag." Turning to Drew, Keith smiled, "Good instincts bro."

"Why's dad here?" Drew nervously wondered.

"To file charges," Keith answered. He then imitated his dad and quoted, "I'm going to make it my mission to see that you are henceforth identified as a sex offender."

Walking towards Drew and Corey, Mr. Hundser complained, "That's not what I sound like."

Keith blushed and laughed, "Yes it is!" Prez, Mike, Derrick, Drew, Corey and John all laughed and nodded.

Since imitation is the highest form of flattery, Mr. Hundser ignored it and quickly glanced over Drew and Corey. Not a hair out of place on either of them, they weren't even dirty, he thankfully noticed. Wrapping his arms around them, he softly asked, "You're both okay?"

"We're fine, dad," Drew widely smiled.

"It was scary," Corey admitted, "but we're really good now."

Mike and Derrick began fumbling with the hand grill to make burgers over the fire.

Drew nodded, "Prez was teaching us how to dance."

"Was teaching you to dance, ya mean!" Corey giggled.

Suspiciously eying Drew and Prez, Keith shouted, "Hey!" and Drew cracked up.

Prez chuckled, "I danced with Corey and Corey taught Drew."

Seeing that everything was completely normal for teenagers, Mr. Hundser smiled and nodded. Turning to Keith, Mr. Hundser asked, "You can fill everyone in on the plan?"

Keith nodded, "No sweat, dad."

"I've got to run to keep up appearances then," Mr. Hundser said. Taking hold of John's shoulder, he reminded, "Keep an eye on each other." Hearing various positive replies, Mr. Hundser said, "Have a good time. I'll see you tomorrow," and led John back to the Suburban. They all waved as the Suburban backed up and drove down the dirt road.

Taking Prez by the hand over to Drew and Corey, Keith said, "Here's the scoop; dad was only checking on us, like he told mom he wouldn't do. Absolutely nothing happened today."

Tilting his head, Prez snickered, "Something happened?"

"When?" Drew wondered.

Playing along, Corey giggled, "Did I miss something?"

Smiling widely at bad performances of feigned ignorance, Keith said, "Dad's filed charges and the dude's been arrested."

"Which dude was this?" Drew innocently asked.

"The dude you weren't running away from," Keith snickered.

"Oh, him!" Corey giggled, "He should get twenty years for piss poor fashion sense."

Mike added, "And extremely bad body odor."

"At least he'll get a shower soon," Derrick nodded, and flipped the hand grill with four burgers.

"And a pretty new orange jump suit," Corey laughed.

"Who was this again?" Drew wondered.

Unable to take it any longer, Prez cracked up and buried his face on Keith's shoulder.

Keith then softly asked, "Where's your shirt baby?"

"It's all wet now," Prez chuckled. "Doctors Drew and Corey turned it into an ice pack." Stepping back, Prez pointed at the bruise.

Cautiously pressing his hand against the mark, Keith asked, "Does it hurt?"

Shaking his head, Prez honestly replied, "It never did."

Overhearing their exchange, Drew went over to the fire, closer to Derrick and Mike, then asked, "Are you dudes okay?"

"I will be once I eat," Mike answered.

"We really appreciate it, dudes," Drew smiled.

"Thank you, very much," Corey added.

Mike and Derrick looked up at the couple, warmly smiled and nodded.

Pulling Prez closer and going over to them, Keith grinned, "And why wouldn't we be okay? We were only goofin' around, wrestling, right?"

"Oh! Yeah!" Drew grinned.

Corey smirked, "Sorry, a nightmare interfered with reality for a minute there."

"I hate it when that happens!" Derrick joked.

"There's only one cure for it," Mike stated, then moved closer to Derrick and began nibbling on his earlobe. Whimpering, Derrick's eyes rolled back into his head and he almost dropped the hand-held grill, burgers and all, into the fire. After a few moments of giggling and laughing, everyone followed their lead and began making out. A few minutes later, Mike slyly said, "These burgers need some buns."

"Don't we all?" Keith grinned, and then squeezed Prez's butt with both hands. Prez returned the favor then they separated.

"Omigod!" Corey giggled.

Prez got the cheese from the cooler while Keith went to get the hamburger buns from the sack in the tent.

Drew whispered, "Ready for your salad now?" Corey nodded then he and Drew went to the cooler.

Keith and Prez returned to the fire with buns and cheese. Using a large camping grill spatula, Mike scraped the burgers off the grill and onto buns. Prez put a piece of cheese on each burger and Keith put the top bun on then passed them out. Corey was already sitting down and working on his salad. While the others ate, Drew and Prez setup the grill with four more burgers since they had already eaten two turkey franks each. Drew was managing the hand grill and burgers. Prez got Rush's dishes to feed his dog. By the time Prez returned fireside, Mike, Derrick and Keith had finished their burgers. More incredible, Mike and Derrick had split the fourth burger.

Noticing the shocked expression Prez wore, Corey giggled, "I watched them inhale. All gone!"

"We've got plenty, thankfully," Prez grinned.

Keith got out the four skewers and began loading them up with hot dogs. As each frankfurter was speared, mock painful cries rang out. He passed a skewer each to Prez, Mike and Derrick. In only minutes, everyone was chowing down on hot dogs while the burgers cooked. Cans of soda were popped open. Rush even got a hot dog. By the time the hot dogs were eaten, the hamburgers were ready. Corey had finished as much of his salad as he could then snapped the plastic cover closed and returned it to the cooler. Derrick, Drew, Mike and Keith ate the next group of cheeseburgers.

The sun began setting in the West. When everyone seemed to be done eating, Keith turned to Drew and Corey, saying, "There's a lesson we learned not too long ago and you dudes need to hear it." He paused then grinned, "Shit happens. Shit happens around you. Sometimes shit happens between you. There's only one thing that matters and that's love. You can choose to love each other everyday or choose to let that love rest for a minute, an hour or a day. Everyday is another set of choices. Remember that love at rest grows cold. You keep it warm by doing little things like showing that you care for each other. All it takes to keep your love alive is caring."

Mike nodded rapidly and said, "My mom has been without my dad for four years because she still loves him. She told me that if she ever finds someone like my dad, then she'll have a new choice to make. Until that happens, she chooses to live by the choice she made eighteen years ago."

Drew nodded understandingly and softly said, "That's what Brian learned over the weekend. He always has the choice to live in the present or live in the past. Choices effect everything, don't they?"

"Pretty much," Prez agreed. "Sometimes choices are limited, like the fight back in April; fight or flight were the only two options. Mike and I could've run away, but then that choice would've affected our friendship. And we both know it would've only delayed the fight for another day. Maybe that day would be when he was alone or I was alone."

Derrick offered, "Mike and me made a new choice just the other day. It's already made both of us much happier." Derrick smiled at Mike and Mike reached for Derrick's hand.

Corey wondered, "What was the choice you made?"

Mike answered, "To put ourselves, our love for each other first, before music. We were friends based on our love of music first then we fell in love. We decided to swap the order. Now we're double-checking to make sure that we really want to make music versus making out."

Drew and Corey giggled. Keith and Prez only grinned and shook their heads.

Prez reminded, "Every problem is shared. If your partner is bothered about something, he's gonna be preoccupied. So you'll need to get to the root of the problem to help each other. That's caring, that's what keeps love from growing cold.

"Another example for you is from last summer. I was the new kid in town. Keith cared enough to help me home. I was grateful enough to invite him to stay for dinner. The next day, Keith cared enough to show me around town and invite me to meet Derrick and Mike."

Mike continued, "I didn't know Prez from Adam. He was taking Keith away and spending time jamming with Derrick while I was at work. Prez cared enough about me and keeping us friends to call me and talk about it. I cared enough about Keith and Derrick to turn that phone call into a two hour conversation."

"It's all simple stuff," Keith said. "Prez could've blown off Mike, but he didn't. Mike could've refused to share with Prez. Those two choices would've changed everything. We might not be sitting together now. A certain pervert might've gotten away without Mike and Derrick."

Drew smiled widely at Mike and chuckled, "You hit that dude like a locomotive."

Mike shrugged, "You and Corey matter to us because you matter to Keith and Prez; no choice was made there, it was pure instinct."

"On the way to the ranger station, he tried to make a run for it," Derrick revealed. "That really pissed us off!"

Keith nodded and grinned, "All three of us tackled him at once."

Gesturing at himself and Corey, Drew said, "Our relationship changed because Corey told me why he loves me yesterday."

"Excuse me?" Corey incredulously giggled. "Drew made two important choices without which, my choice wouldn't have happened. Drew shared his journal entries with me when we broke up to show me what he likes about me. Then he cared enough to argue with me about... my eating disorder Friday and Saturday. Even though arguing hurt him too, he still did it."

Seeing that Drew was about to argue further, Keith snickered, "You both made your choices that led to another choice. I've been watching you two. You're both acting like the other matters, you're caring for each other. That's what matters most."

Mike and Derrick sang, "Drew and Corey sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

While everyone else chuckled, Prez giggled, "Drew and Corey layin' in a tent, B-A-N-G-I-N-G!"

Blushing fiercely, Drew pulled Corey closer and hid his face. Drew softly reminded, "My room is next to yours."

"We already know how that works," Mike snickered. "Keith and Prez started the other night then D and I got goin'. The next thing I know, they're goin' for it again. It was four in the morning when we finally fell asleep."

Humming thoughtfully, Corey smirked, "Sounds like a great way to spend the night to me!" Drew rolled his eyes and Corey cracked up laughing. He then got up and sat on Drew's lap whispering, "I love you, Drew."

Drew's eyes softened noticeably. Gently running his fingers around Corey's ear, Drew whispered, "Love you too, very much. We're even now; I saved you, you saved me." Before he started sobbing again, Corey closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Drew's. Drew closed his eyes as well and held Corey on his lap.

Prez hummed thoughtfully then softly told Keith, "Drew's officially off the market."

Glancing at his brother briefly and realizing that the stars could crash into the Earth without so much as a whimper, Keith smiled, "Corey too." Keith then lifted Prez's hand and began kissing each finger. Smiling widely, Prez whined. Keith grinned and between fingertip kisses said, "It's our turn." Prez nodded and they both quickly stood then went into the tent. Rush never had a chance to do more than stand.

"Ah jeez!" Mike laughed. Drew and Corey looked up. Realizing that Keith and Prez were in the tent, they returned to their previous positions.

Derrick grinned, "There's only one thing left to do," then patted his thighs. Mike stood then moved onto Derrick's lap.

While Mike and Derrick began kissing, Corey whispered, "This is awesome; like it's all perfect now. All three couples..."

Interrupting from inside the tent, Prez loudly moaned, "Oh God, Keith!" Keith briefly laughed then shushed his partner.

Corey's eyes opened wide then he cracked up laughing. Drew, Derrick and Mike began snickering.

"Olympic tongue wrestling, round one!" Mike chuckled.

Derrick explained, "The idea is to hold the kiss, pin your partners tongue, win some, get your tongue pinned, lose some; whichever couple holds the kiss longer, wins!"

"Wins what?" Drew grinned.

Mike snickered, "Who gets the tent next, of course!"

"Incentive!" Corey cackled.

"Ready?" Derrick chanted.

"Set," Drew nodded.

And all four said, "Go!" then began the contest.

All was going well for over two minutes until Keith desperately groaned, "Oh ,baby! So awesome! I really love you!" which set both couples off giggling and caused a match restart.

So it was for the rest of the night. When Keith and Prez came out of the tent, Derrick and Mike went in. Keith and Prez quietly shared some details of their private conversations with Corey and Drew. Tangents were taken and everything both relationships had gone through, emotional and physical, was aired out. Mike and Derrick came out of the tent then Corey and Drew went in. While they were making love, the other four began playing music and singing. Afterward, Rush was taken for a walk by Derrick and Mike. While they were away, Corey and Drew came out of the tent. Around ten o'clock, the park ranger truck stopped by the campsite to check on the boys, but stayed only a few minutes. Hungry again, Corey ate the remainder of his salad. More burgers and hot dogs were cooked. Immediately upon return from his walk and removal of his leash, Rush discovered a small furry night critter and ran off with Prez and Keith giving chase. By the time they returned, marshmallows were being toasted. Probably the most sugar he had eaten in many months, Corey even had one.

Since it was late, the guitars and coolers were returned to the cars and locked away. When one of the six boys needed to piss there was another to go with him to a nearby tree and, of course, Rush ready to scope out another area. Ready for bed, Drew and Corey ducked back inside the tent before one in the morning. Remaining awake until the fire dwindled, the other two couples had their own Olympic tongue wrestling match. They were briefly interrupted by another park ranger but then returned to the game. Deciding it was time to sleep, dirt was kicked onto the camp fire embers. Once they considered the campsite safe, Prez, Keith, Mike, Derrick and Rush, went inside the tent. The four boys quietly undressed then slipped into bed.

Corey woke first when he heard activity outside. After the previous day's confrontation, he was frightened so he woke Drew. They tip-toed around the others in the tent and checked outside the tent. There was no one there. Noises were heard from other campsites where people were packing up. Drew checked his wristwatch and saw it was a few minutes after eight in the morning. They took Rush for a walk around the immediate area, not willing to stray too far from their campsite while the others were still asleep.

Hungry and ready for breakfast, they returned to the campsite and checked Prez's 4-Runner for the cooler. Hearing laughter from inside the tent, they thought it safe to go get the keys so Corey could have his morning milkshake. At the last minute, before ducking into the tent again, Drew slyly grinned and balked, "What if they're makin' out?"

Corey giggled, "If they're not, then something's radically wrong."

Hearing Corey's remark, all four in the tent began evilly chuckling. Drew rolled his eyes and shook his head. Corey swiftly took Drew's hand in both of his hands and pulled him in the tent. Mike was on top of Derrick. Prez was on top of Keith and all four were grinding away, making out with their partners. With his eyes covered, Drew called Rush back in the tent too. In a minute, Corey and Drew were undressed and back on their sleeping bags making out. The only minor interruption was Prez telling Rush to "go lay down", causing a stir of giggles. After about ten minutes, Mike changed positions and went down on Derrick. A few minutes later, Prez and Keith were practicing their oral techniques. Corey and Drew didn't wait more than a few seconds before they went for it too.

Naturally, Drew was nervous about the activity, but soon realized that he couldn't see beyond Corey. The talk alone with Keith and Prez, made the biggest difference in Drew's perception. He simply didn't want to see Keith making love to Prez or have them seeing him making love to Corey. Corey realized that his greatest dream, of becoming a couple with Drew, like the older boys he looked up to, had come true. Most comfortable with the situation, Mike and Derrick finished up first then snuggled together. Prez, Keith and Corey, one after the other, were next to reach orgasm. It only took a little extra effort on Corey's part to push Drew over the edge. After a few minutes of basking in the after glow, they stood, got dressed and left the tent to scrounge breakfast.

Corey finished his milkshake then sat on Drew's lap and shared a vanilla flavored kiss.

Derrick slyly grinned, "Horny little devil."

Corey laughed into another kiss then rested his head against Drew and sighed contentedly.

One after another, as if it were contagious, they realized they had to relieve their bursting bladders. Each couple shared a tree. Rush found his own tree to irrigate. On the way back, Mike suggested, "Time to pack it up?"

"Aww," Corey groaned, "do we have to?"

Derrick nodded, "'Fraid so. A friend of ours is watching Doug and Brian's place."

Mike added, "We have to work this afternoon too."

Squeezing Corey's shoulder, Prez assured, "We'll be making at least one more trip back before school starts."

"I just really like it here," Corey admitted.

They went in the tent and began rolling up their sleeping bags and blankets. Feeling a wet spot on the sleeping bag, Corey smiled at Drew. Tilting his head curiously and remaining silent, Drew wondered what Corey was smiling about, but continued rolling the sleeping bag towards Corey. As soon as Drew was close enough, Corey silently mouthed, "Can't wait to feel it again," then stole a quick kiss.

Cracking an ear-to-ear grin, Drew huffed and nodded.

Keith noticed them distracted while Drew and Corey zipped up a second sleeping bag. He and Prez were almost finished with their second sleeping bag. Mike and Derrick stood with their blankets and pillows then left the tent. Prez tied the sleeping bag and began snickering.

"What?" Drew squealed.

Shaking his head, Prez said nothing, but Keith smiled, "You dudes are taking too long."

Prez finally giggled, "We prob'ly know why too."

Finally finishing their sleeping bag, Corey softly wondered, "Is it always like the first time?"

Shaking their heads, Keith and Prez grinned, "Better."

Heading toward the tent flap with a sleeping bag in his hand, Drew giggled, "It's way warm in here!"

Corey broke into fits of giggles then followed Keith and Prez out of the tent. At the rear gate of his 4-Runner, Prez wondered, "Where's Rush?" When everyone shrugged, Prez called, "Rush! Here boy!"

Rush came strutting out of the tent and parked himself before Prez. "I didn't now where you were, hound dog," Prez smiled, and pet his dog's head. Single file, everyone returned to the tent. Rush ran past them all and went into the tent first.

Ducking into the tent, Derrick found Rush happily gnawing on the dildo. "OWWWWWWW!" Derrick loudly laughed. Following his partner in the tent, Mike saw Rush lying down, both forepaws holding the dildo in place as he chewed.

Laughing hysterically, Mike tried to sing;"I'm justa giving the dog a bone. Giving the dog a bone, giving the dog a bone. Giving the dog a bone, giving the dog a bone!"

Keith, Drew, Corey and finally Prez ducked into the tent quickly. Of course, they all cracked up laughing. Almost in tears, Prez went to his dog chuckling, "You rascally hound!"

Rush released the toy from his mouth, wagged his tail and proudly looked up at his master. Prez quickly took "the bone" from the dog and Rush bounced up to try and snatch it away again.

Keith howled, "Well, that toy's fucked now!"

Prez inspected the remains and Drew giggled, "The really sad part is..."

"That's a really sad part already!" Mike interrupted.

"But that was our toy!" Drew loudly laughed.

Corey nodded and howled, "It was the one we liked most!"

"From the looks of this pathetic dick," Prez laughed, and everyone cracked up. Prez finished, "He's been chewing on it more than a few minutes; he's had it most of the night." Rush was still eying the dildo and wanted it back.

Taking hold of Drew and Corey, Keith chuckled, "Another trip to North Hollyweird and it'll be replaced, okay?"

Corey nodded and asked, "How much did it cost?"

"Twenty-five bucks, not including tax," Prez answered.

Surprised, Drew and Corey simultaneously asked, "That's all?"

Prez and Keith nodded. Drew and Corey smiled at each other. Drew said, "We'll split the cost and give ya the bucks soon."

Keith picked up the plastic grocery sack, used as a trash bag, then held it open for Prez to drop the destroyed dildo in. Grinning and shaking his head, Prez offered, "It'll keep the hound occupied while we break down the tent," then tossed the dildo out. Rush immediately went after it. Drew and Corey picked up the little pieces of condom wrappers on the tent floor then put them in the trash. Mike and Derrick went outside and began pulling up the tent stakes. Prez pulled the center pole down while Keith held up the tent so they could all get out. Moments later, the tent was lying flat on the ground. In a few minutes, the tent was folded then rolled and returned to its bag. While Prez took it to the 4Runner, a final inspection was made of the campsite to insure everything was clean. Keith tried to take the dildo from Rush, but the dog thought Keith was playing. Holding their crotches, Derrick and Mike howled in mock pain while Rush and Keith played tug with the rubber phallus. Hysterical, Corey was staggering around dizzily.

Prez returned and Drew pointed to Keith, who was holding onto the scrotum base of the dildo with both hands. "I hope he don't tug on your nuts like that!" Drew giggled.

Prez grinned, "Never has and never will." Walking over to Rush, Prez loudly commanded, "Rush! Drop it!" Rush did as he was told and seemingly smiled up at Prez. Prez smiled at Keith.

Keith smirked, "I told him to drop it too." Holding up the gnawed remains of the dildo, Keith chuckled, "It didn't work."

Prez laughed, "I can see that. It doesn't even look like a dick any more." Keith dropped the wasted toy into the trash sack.

Facing Derrick, Mike playfully begged, "Oh, get me out of here."

Nodding, Derrick chuckled, "I'll never walk around naked in front of Rush again."

Corey breathlessly giggled, "He'll think your dick is his chew toy."

"No," Mike corrected, "my chew toy," and roughly grabbed Derrick around the waist.

Corey lost it and cracked up again. From behind, Drew took hold of Corey and took a chance to grind himself against Corey's ass. Other than Corey whimpering through giggles, no one said a word, not even Keith. Drew whispered in Corey's ear;"I hope John's not home. I want you, Cor."

Enthusiastically nodding, Corey sighed then softly admitted, "I'm yours, whenever you want, magic man."

Glancing at the two younger lovers, Derrick prompted, "Ready, dudes?"

Drew nodded, "Drop us off at home, please?"

Leading the way back to the 442, Derrick said, "No problem."

Prez opened the back door of the 4Runner and called Rush. Derrick backed out and led the way out of the Angeles National Forest. In the back seat, Corey was leaning against Drew. Once they were on main roads and Drew was certain Mike and Derrick wouldn't overhear, Drew whispered in Corey's ear. "I loved making you feel so good. We're kind o' uneven until we can replace the dildo though."

Corey assured, "That's not a problem for me, Drew." The car stopped at a corner so Corey waited until they were on the freeway before telling Drew;"I'll use the candles on you, if you want?"

Drew placed a soft kiss on Corey's cheek then said, "We're alone in my room for the rest of the day."

Corey giggled, "You're insane."

Drew grinned, "I am now. As soon as we get home, call your mom. I'll make us something to eat, assuming I don't just gobble ya up in the kitchen."

Picturing himself in the Hundsers' kitchen and on the phone with his mom while Drew was on his knees sucking him off, Corey cracked up. He could almost hear himself gasping, sighing and whimpering between spoken words, with his mother blissfully unaware on the other end of the line. In the front seat, Mike grinned at Derrick and held up three fingers, signifying that Drew and Corey would go for it at least three times. Derrick shook his head and held up one hand and all five fingers. Concentrating completely on each other, Corey and Drew were oblivious to what Derrick and Mike were chuckling about.

Corey and Drew were deciding where they would spend the night. It was a much more difficult decision now that Drew had his own bedroom. Finally, they decided to spend that night at Corey's so they could spend the next night at the Hundsers'. Saturday was the all important shopping trip for Drew's new bed. Drew told Corey that Keith and Prez had taken the headboard off their bed to eliminate the knocking against the wall. Corey realized that the same action needed to be taken in his bedroom or else his parents would easily know when they were making love.

Arriving at the Hundsers' house first, Mike, Derrick, Drew and Corey got out of the 442 and were waiting by the curb. When Prez's white 4Runner stopped in front of the house, Prez was laughing hysterically and Keith innocently smiling. Anxious to get everything unloaded and put away, Corey and Drew went to the rear hatch. Suspiciously smirking at their friends, Mike went to the passenger side to harass Keith while Derrick went to the driver's side to see if Prez had any wet stains on his shorts. While the elder four teased each other, Corey and Drew took the tent and two sleeping bags to the garage. On their way back to the 4Runner, Keith had just let Rush out.

Drew told Keith, "Get the garage opened please, bro."

Keith grinned, "What's the hurry?"

At the rear of the 4Runner, Drew blushed, "I want this afternoon alone with Corey and you four gone." Surprised at Drew's directness, Corey turned to his boyfriend. Seeing the redness on Drew's face, Corey grinned and thought, he's definitely gone insane.

Prez reminded, "Derrick and Mike are goin' to work at four. We'll be home soon after."

Walking up to his brother, Keith teased, "Remember what happens when you over-do it."

Huffing impatiently, Drew grabbed his and Corey's backpacks. Giggling, Corey took the last two sleeping bags and followed Drew. All that remained in the cargo area were Keith's and Prez's backpacks and the large cooler for Keith and Prez to carry. Drew unlocked the front door then went inside with Corey and Rush. Drew put the backpacks down in the foyer then led Corey to the garage. The garage door was opened and the camping gear put away. Before they left the Hundsers' garage, Corey hugged Derrick and then Mike. When asked what the hugs were for, Corey playfully replied, "For what didn't happen yesterday," then returned to Drew's side and reached for his boyfriend's hand.

Keith could tell what Drew wanted and wasn't saying. He grinned, "Alright, we're outta here. Remember that we'll be home before dinner time tonight." Mike and Derrick started for the street and the 442.

Drew nodded, "We might be gone to Corey's by then. We're spending the night there."

Corey smiled, "I had the best time. We gotta go camping again soon."

Prez assured, "We will, Corey."

Slyly, Drew chortled, "More dancing lessons, Prez?"

"HEY!" Keith loudly laughed. Drew and Corey cracked up laughing. Keith took hold of Prez and led him to the 4Runner playfully complaining, "I won't be leaving you alone with my brother very often, sex machine!"

"I didn't even dance with Drew, only Corey!" Prez chuckled. He found it irresistibly cute that Keith and Drew were both so jealous and helplessly chortled. As soon as they got into the 4Runner, Prez pulled Keith by the T-shirt and gave him a deep kiss. The 442 passed and Derrick honked the horn. Prez asked Keith, "Better now?" Keith rapidly nodded and Prez started the engine. Pulling away from the curb, Prez began the trip to Agoura Hills.

They hadn't made it out of the neighborhood before Keith placed his hand on top of Prez's on the stick shift. There was no need to talk about Ben. They had already done that on the ride from the Angeles National Forest back home. What mattered now to each of them was the other.

Breaking the peaceful silence, Prez briefly turned to Keith saying, "I need to tell you something, babe. I don't have any desire for Drew at all. The last thing I want is you being jealous of him. He's your brother and mine too. In case you can't see it, Drew is head-over-heels in love with Corey."

Keith smiled, "I'll admit it, part of me did need to hear that."

"Don't go there, babe. You're the one for me, have no doubt of that. Yesterday, Drew was jealous of me dancing with Corey and we were standing a full arm's length apart. Drew wants Corey, I'm certain of it. All I can be or want to be is a big brother, for Drew and Corey."

Nodding agreement, Keith said, "Can you believe the changes in Drew since school ended? I sure can't."

Pulling onto the 101 on-ramp, Prez thought for a few moments then shared, "Think of us, how we might've been had we met two years earlier and had a relationship like theirs."

Keith huffed and thought for a long many moments before thinking aloud. "Friends, then experimenting, then boyfriends, then lovers."

Prez interjected, "We actually skipped past friends and experimenting."

Seeing the light, Keith groaned, "I see it now. And I see what's coming next too."

"Exactly what we had to deal with last August and September."

"School's gonna be the big test for them, more so than it was for us."

Keith sighed, "Drew is just like my mom. Look how far things had to go with Corey before he got angry enough to argue and make his point."

Prez nodded, "What I witnessed was a mixture of you and John in Drew. He waited, did what he needed to do without making it clear to Corey, and then when backed into a corner, he came out yelling. In a year, I've never heard him holler like that before."

"He usually doesn't," Keith shared. "The old Drew would've just walked away upset and probably crying."

"The new Drew gave Corey the loudest, clearest ultimatum. He stood up for himself, for us, as in our entire family, and for Corey's best interests. The question that leaps to mind is, whether or not Drew will be out of the closet at school or not. I'm seeing not, at least initially, like we were last September."

Keith nodded, "Unless something happens to change that, you're probably right, baby."

Turning on the right directional and checking his mirrors for other vehicles, Prez slid into the exit lane saying, "I'm going to have this same talk with Drew first chance I get. All of me is yours, Keith. You and Drew have no reason to be worried or jealous. As much as we need them, they need us; what we've already experienced can help so they don't have to make the same mistakes we did."

Keith smiled and sighed, "You're the best, baby. I'm actually wishing we could go back home and make love right now."

Simultaneously whimpering and chuckling, Prez assured, "Just a few more hours of social interactions. Then we're alone in our room, wrecking the place and wearing each other out."

"That sounds really great," Keith smiled. Stopping in front of Brian and Doug's house, Keith seriously warned, "Don't get too emotional dealing with Ben or cleaning up his house, Prez. Take breaks, get some fresh air. We'll all understand." Once the emergency brake was set and the engine off, Keith reached over to Prez. Placing a hand around his partner's neck, Keith guided Prez closer and tenderly kissed him. They separated and stepped out of the 4Runner.

Walking over to Keith with his brain swooning, Prez grinned, "What is it about your kisses? I can barely hold myself upright."

Bouncing his eyebrows, Keith teased, "Wait until we get home and in the shower."

"Oh yeah!" Prez chortled, "We haven't showered since yesterday."

"But you still smell so yummy," Keith leered.

Stopping just before the front door, Prez smirked, "You're givin' me a chubby."

Keith grinned, "I gotta take a piss anyway. Follow me into the bathroom and I'll take care of you, baby." He knocked on the door once then reached for the doorknob and turned it.

Stepping inside, Keith and Prez found Ben and Mike in the living room while Derrick was outside at the barbeque grill. Mike said, "Derrick's cookin' the last of the burgers and hot dogs for lunch."

"Cool," Prez smiled, "How're you doin', Ben?"

"Pretty good," Ben shrugged. "Mom's been given her pain meds and she'll sleep most of the afternoon. I'll go back to the hospital around dinner time." He grinned, "She hates the hospital food. She gave me the bucks to stop at Burger King so we'll have dinner together at the hospital."

Keith asked, "How much longer will she need to be there?"

"She's expecting to be released tomorrow morning," Ben replied.

Prez wondered, "Have you gone home?"

Ben nodded, "I needed to get clean clothes and cleaned up a little bit, but not very much. At least the broken furniture is out in the garage now."

Mike said, "After we eat, we'll get the rest cleaned up."

Keith nodded and said, "Excuse us for a few minutes," then led Prez to the guest bathroom at the end of the hall.

Shaking his head, but smiling at Ben, Mike turned and hollered, "I'm timing you! More than two minutes and we'll know what's goin' on!"

Prez cracked up. Keith loudly said, "Don't guess, we'll be making out!" Blushing crimson, Ben broke into a fit of giggles.

Derrick walked in with a tray of cooked burgers and hot dogs. Shaking his head, Mike told Ben, "It's been two hours since they made love, maybe a new record."

Ben grinned, "How would you know?"

Placing the tray down on the coffee table, Derrick smiled, "We were in the same tent doin' the same stuff."

Mike nodded. Seeing Ben's shocked expression, Mike explained, "It was mostly dark. We know the score, dude. I'm with Derrick. Keith's with Prez. Drew's with Corey."

Even more stunned, Ben squealed, "There were three couples?" Mike grinned and nodded. Ben softly admitted, "I don't think I could ever do that."

Picking up a burger and gesturing for Ben to help himself, Derrick offered, "It's a matter of trusting each other."

Ben picked up a hot dog and Mike said, "Drew is Keith's younger brother. Corey is Drew's boyfriend. They were the last to chill and go for it too because they hadn't ever been around before."

After swallowing, Ben wondered, "How can you make love when someone else is around like that?"

Derrick shrugged, "It starts with couples making out together. Taking it further isn't such a big deal when you know and trust each other."

Mike nodded and finished chewing then swallowed and added, "It's like an invisible barrier. We're concentrating on our partners so what the others are doing don't matter a whole hell of a lot."

Derrick nodded agreement and offered, "It's like locker room showers, dude. Everybody's doing the same thing and got the same equipment so, what is there to pay attention to?"

Not knowing what to say or how to say it, Ben finished his hot dog. Wrapped in each others arms, Keith and Prez came down the hall and around the corner into the living room. Mike stood up and went beside Derrick. They smirked and nodded then grabbed a hot dog each. With the hot dogs held at crotch level, they wordlessly enticed Prez and Keith to come get some. Breaking out in an embarrassed sweat, Ben hysterically giggled. However, since Keith and Prez were in a very good mood, they had no issue with putting on a show for Ben's benefit. They knelt down and took big bites out of their friends 'weiners'. Surprised once again, Ben cracked up laughing.

Raising his hot dog and seeing it half devoured, Mike smirked, "That's all you dudes get for the rest of the day."

"Gluttons," Derrick teased, and then popped the remainder of his hot dog in his mouth.

"Omigod!" Ben howled, "You four are too much!"

Standing up and swallowing his food, Prez shrugged then suggested, "It's time for Ben to get a boyfriend too."

Keith nodded, "Maybe then he'll realize goofing around isn't a big deal."

Waving the idea away, Ben blushed and giggled, "No thanks."

Spinning around, Mike said, "Why not? Your dad is out of the picture now, correct?" Ben nodded. "Mom's cool and still loves you, correct?" Again, Ben nodded.

Derrick queried, "What are you after, dude? Blond, brunette, redhead? Tall and slim or short and stocky?"

Ben shrugged and meekly said, "Never really thought about it. Not that it matters."

Mike scowled then sighed, "Enough of that talk, Ben. You're here because we like you and want you here."

Prez assured, "You just need self confidence. Do you want to know where most of my self confidence came from?" He then pointed at Keith, Derrick and Mike saying, "My boyfriend and best friends."

Keith added, "We won't force anything and sure don't want to make you feel bad, but it is true. The best part of each of us is our partners. Successful relationships are the best lesson in life. Everything else is just facts, figures and recall."

"I'm hearing and understanding," Ben said. "It's just that, well... I'm not like any of you in so many ways."

Derrick corrected, "Excuse me, but how are you not like us? I see another teenager, just like me."

Mike challenged, "You have needs, just like us. You have an incredible smile and sure ain't clock-stoppin' ugly. And we met someone that would be perfect for you. He's fifteen, pretty cute and a little shy, just like you."

Derrick said, "His name is Howard. We could have a small party right here. The four of us and four other dudes plus you and Howard. If you dudes hit it off, great; if you don't, oh well, try again. No pressure."

Ben squealed, "You'd do that? For me?"

Mike shrugged, "It ain't no biggie. It's just a party we wanted to have anyway."

"We won't say a word to anyone that you're lookin'," Derrick promised. "That way there are no hurt feelings and no one feels like they're being set up. It's just a party with four couples and two unattached teenagers."

Prez instructed, "Talk with him, just like you talk with us; be yourself."

Keith nodded, "No lies or exaggerations, honesty works best. The night I met Prez, we went for a walk alone and talked. That was the start of the best year of my life."

Prez locked eyes with Keith and recalled, "Sitting on swings at a park and just talking. Going back to the apartment and listening to music in my room."

Taking hold of Prez's hands, Keith smiled, "Wondering if you liked me as much as I liked you."

Prez nodded, "Every time we brushed against each other, it was such a rush. Wanting to hold your hand, but afraid to actually do it."

Smiling widely at each other, Derrick and Mike shook their heads. Derrick checked his watch and smirked, "Twenty minutes?"

"Not even that long," Mike impatiently huffed.

Derrick teased, "We should just put them in a bedroom and lock them away." Returning his attention to Ben, Derrick smiled, "That's what it's like though, every day simple stuff that may or may not work out."

Mike nodded, "At least half the battle is willingness. Once you're ready, the rest is a piece of cake."

Ben sighed, "It sounds cool, but I'll be honest; don't tell me when. If I know, I'll turn into a nervous wreck."

Prez tried, "What it comes down to, Ben, is having a little faith in yourself. My father is like yours, constantly insinuating that I was no good. Nothing I did pleased him. On the other hand, my mom did believe in me. Having both extremes still tugging at me, I met Keith."

Derrick continued, "My dad suspected I was gay. Last December, on my seventeenth birthday, he lost it. He beat me and chased me out of the house. Now he's paying for me to live with Mike's family."

Keith added, "My dad is a lawyer. I can tell you right now, your dad is going to pay for what he did too. He's going to jail for assault of your mom and attempted murder of you."

Mike nodded agreement and added, "You said it yourself two nights ago, Ben. Your problems were never yours to begin with. You were hurting yourself because of him. Do you still believe that?"

Ben nodded and softly said, "Yeah, but it wasn't just my father; it was every other kid that mocked or bullied me. I wasn't happy at home, at school, or anywhere else because there was always someone to rip chunks of me away. What the four of you did showed me the real me. My mom said earlier today, 'the meek might very well inherit the Earth, but first they have to go through hell'. What I'm hearing now is that each of you have been through your own hell. I guess what I don't understand is, where do I go from here? How do I change the past and make a happier future?"

Derrick, Keith, Mike and Prez checked with each other. Keith said, "After I came out to my folks, I wanted a job so I could afford to go places, dates and stuff like that, with my boyfriend. Within a month, I had that job. A little more than a month later, I met Prez."

Mike shared, "I've always had one dream; to be in a band with friends. Building that dream and that band led me to Derrick. Knowing Keith as long as I have, led me to Prez. Finally, Prez got Keith to sing with our band."

Prez recalled, "My mom spent the entire drive from Texas to California psyching me up. When we crossed the border into California, she said that this was the first day of our new lives. We could each choose whether to fall into the old traps or make positive changes. We chose to make those positive changes. You've got to make the choices too, Ben. Each little change leads to another and another. After eight days, bored stiff in a virtually empty apartment, with my mom and me planning those changes and choices, the movers delivered our furniture and my bike. I went for a ride to get to know the area and got lost. Guess who found me."

Ben smiled, "Keith." Prez nodded.

Derrick said, "It takes dreams, dude. It takes choices and changes. The change has already happened. Now take your dreams and make some choices."

Ben leaned back and grinned, "Ya know, before they left, Doug and Brian almost begged me to stop by here now and then. I felt so funny doing it too. Each time I looked down the street and saw a car I didn't know or no cars at all, I went back inside feeling relieved and only a little disappointed. Now, I can't wait for my mom to get home so I can introduce the four of you to her. No one except her, Brian and Doug, and you dudes ever seemed to give a shit about me. I've got so much to think about now, my head is spinning." Standing up, Ben said, "Thanks, dudes." In a flash, Prez, Keith, Derrick and Mike encircled Ben, patting his back and shaking his hand. Ben contentedly sighed then said, "I need to clean up the house. I'll do most of the work, but I would like to have you dudes there, just to keep me focused on the positive instead of the negative."

Mike smirked, "You did laundry here, you'll get help there." Keith and Prez looked around. The guest room bedsheets that had been left on the dining room chair were missing.

With that said, the uneaten burger and hot dogs were tossed in the trash and all five left the house then walked down the street to Ben's place. The inside of the house was similar to Brian's and Doug's, but not the same. Most notable were the bedroom placements and the missing Looney Tunes and Beatles paraphernalia scattered around Brian and Doug's home. In the dining area, two chairs were missing from the table. Ben said that they were pretty much destroyed and in the garage. His mom would decide whether they were trash or could be repaired. The area rug under the table had a big blood stain that carried over one edge and onto the floor. Keith and Prez moved the table out of the way. Derrick and Mike grabbed a chair each and moved them aside. Ben began rolling the carpet and Mike helped him carry it out to the garage. Derrick, Keith and Prez looked over the hardwood floor and knew it would take more than cleaning to deal with the dried blood stain.

When Mike and Ben returned, Derrick said, "Okay, we can clean this and the kitchen linoleum, but a wood floor probably absorbed some of the blood. It's probably going to need to be sanded down and refinished to do the whole job."

Ben grunted and nodded, "You're right. We can only do what we can though. If my mom wants to, she'll hire somebody to do the rest."

Prez suggested, "How about we fill the sink with hot water and bleach?"

Ben nodded, "Go ahead, Prez. There's only a glass I used in the sink. There's bleach under the sink. I'll get a mop and some rags from the garage." With that, Ben disappeared into the garage. Prez and Keith went to the kitchen. Derrick and Mike noticed a few small splotches of blood on the lower half of the kitchen wall. Ben returned again with two mops, a wide push broom and a few old bath towels over his shoulder saying, "I thought this broom would do most of the work for us instead of scrubbing all afternoon."

Derrick nodded and smiled, "Good one, dude. That'll make it easy."

With the sink half filled with hot water and a generous helping of bleach, Keith took one mop and dumped it for a good soaking. Prez started to do the same with the other mop until Keith grunted negatively.

"No?" Prez softly queried.

Keith firmly said, "No."

Prez frowned, "What am I gonna do then?"

Pointing at the kitchen wall, Keith instructed, "Only those spots." Prez slouched and Keith reminded, "We're alone tonight. No tears, no nightmares; not if I can help it. The four of us can scrub and mop the floor."

Over in Woodland Hills, Corey and Drew were in Drew's bed, basking in the after-glow. Drew softly reminded, "That's three times for you and zip for me."

With his head resting on Drew's chest, Corey giggled, "What can I say? It's awesome, Drew."

Drew smiled, "I can tell how much you like it, but don't you think it's my turn?"

Corey hummed affirmatively then said, "Without the dildo, you're at a disadvantage though."

Tilting his head uncertainly, Drew said, "I'm willing to try." He kissed the top of Corey's head and muttered, "It must feel really good."

"It's the very best," Corey purred, "like your entire mid section is warm and alive for the very first time. Then that feeling spreads up your body and down your legs." Lifting his head off Drew's chest, Corey gazed deeply into Drew's eyes and grinned, "When it reaches your brain and toes, that's when you'll know it's time."

Reaching up, Drew stole a kiss then softly encouraged, "Make love to me, Cor. I want to feel you inside me."

Corey nodded and warmly smiled, "What do you want me to do?"

"Anything you want," Drew emphasized. "The last two times I made love to you. I either suggested that you move into a position or moved you into position."

Corey giggled, "I'm in the driver's seat?" Drew rapidly nodded. Corey asked, "With or without a rubber?"

"Whatever ya want," Drew replied. "All I can say is, the one time I did use one, it kept me from losing control too fast."

Understanding, Corey asked, "Can I shoot inside you?"

"Definitely," Drew enthusiastically stated. "I've squirted in you three times. I love you and want you to."

That was all Corey needed to hear. He rolled away from Drew and grabbed the lube off the nightstand then said, "Roll over, Drew. I'm gonna play with that awesome muscular ass and get you loosened up." Drew helplessly chortled then did as Corey instructed. With the object of his desire before him, Corey forgot the lube he was squeezing into his hand. Only when it began overflowing out of his hand did he suddenly remember what he was doing. Without making a sound, Corey grinned and thought, 'this is enough lube for me, Drew, Keith, Prez, Derrick and Mike'. Having no other choice, Corey asked, "Why don't you get on your knees, Drew?"

Drew simply did as Corey asked. Corey let some lube dribble between Drew's ass cheeks then got Drew's dick good and slick before getting his own dick excessively wet. When Drew reached down to stroke his own cock and realized how drenched it was, he smirked, "Got a little carried away with the lube?"

Beginning to rub his fingers across Drew's anus, Corey giggled, "A little!"

Looking back over his shoulder at Corey, Drew hummed appreciatively at what Corey was doing then felt wetness running down from his ass over the back of his scrotum. Drew laughed, "Damn! Is there any lube left in the bottle?"

Nodding, Corey admitted, "Just a momentary distraction. You're so incredibly sexy, Drew."

Blushing and groaning from the compliment, Drew hung his head. Fully aware of what Drew was feeling, Corey concentrated on what he was doing. Inserting a thumb got a pleasant moan from Drew. Corey's index finger didn't get more than a sigh though so, for the first time, Corey slid a second digit in beside the first. Drew gasped then groaned, but pushed back against Corey's hand. Moments later, Drew softly prompted, "Try for three, Cor." Doing as Drew asked, Corey heard a whimper then Drew tensed and froze.

"Too much?" Corey wondered.

Shaking his head, Drew confided, "Finger nail at first. It's better now though."

All Corey could think to do was gently rub Drew's back in an effort to relax him and whisper, "I love you."

Drew nodded and breathed, "I love you too, Cor."

Awkwardly, Corey kept his hand still and rolled beneath Drew so he could play with his boyfriend's erection. After barely a minute, Drew giggled, "You'd better stop."

Corey teased, "But it's such a great dick, I can't help myself."

Drew chuckled, "When I blow all over your face, will it still be great?"

"Definitely," Corey answered.

"Oh damn!" Drew whined. He then prompted, "Choose what you want more then cos I won't last too much longer."

"Are you ready for me, Drew?"

"As ready and willing as I can be, Cor. I wanna feel your big dick inside me."

Slowly, Corey began removing his fingers from Drew, but remained on his back and suggested, "Ride me?"

"Yeah," Drew enthusiastically nodded. He helped Corey slide further up on the bed then scooted backwards. He took hold of Corey's cock and made the final adjustments, checking with Corey to make sure they were both in a good position. Drew slowly sat back on Corey's dick. He smiled and sighed, "So much better than fingers or a dildo."

Corey's eyes were almost spinning so he couldn't verbally reply. His body replied by lurching up into Drew. Almost simultaneously, they both gasped, "Oh, hell yeah!"

Drew began slowly moving up and down on Corey. In less than a minute, overwhelmed with the physical feelings and the emotions of successfully accomplishing the goal, Drew leaned forward to kiss Corey. Corey slid out of Drew, but this time it didn't upset or frighten either of them. It only meant slight repositioning, so they could kiss when they wanted and still make love. Leaning forward with his face only inches from Corey's most of time, Drew found the perfect place so that he and Corey could both enjoy themselves exactly how they wanted. Drew was surprised that he could feel Corey's oncoming climax and knew he wasn't imagining it when Corey began grunting then whimpering in a futile attempt to hold back. Making matters more impossible for Corey, Drew made it abundantly clear he wanted it too then kissed Corey hard. Every muscle in Corey's body tensed at once. Dreamily humming into Corey's mouth, Drew acknowledged the gift received. When Corey's body suddenly relaxed, Drew broke the kiss and gasped, "Awesome, Cor. I loved it." Corey didn't get a chance to respond. Drew shifted slightly to keep Corey inside him. Shivering with pleasure, Corey forced himself up into Drew. "Jack me off, Cor." Drew smiled, "I wanna shoot with you inside me." Having experienced it three completely mind-boggling times, Corey reached for Drew's bone and slowly stroked. Drew sighed and reached back to insure Corey remained inside him as he began moving again. Soon, Drew couldn't remain hunched over and moved into a more upright inclination to enjoy the feelings in his butt and on his dick. When Drew reached both hands behind his head, Corey's brain almost exploded at the vision of the perfection attached to him. Thrilled that his dick was hard again, Corey stroked like crazy, causing Drew's hips to frantically move forward and back. Thankfully for Drew, no one was home except Rush when he hollered, "OH... MY... GOD!" and then sprayed his love all the way to Corey's chin, drenching his partner's chest and belly in the process. Mesmerized and spellbound by the intensity of his orgasm, Drew leaned forward and licked his own sperm off Corey's chin then tenderly kissed him.

Finally, Drew understood completely. Love is not a one way street. It's two ways and, for gay partners, its nothing less than Earth shattering when they're both willing to act as top or bottom for each other. But he realized that Corey was still hard and thrusting up into him again. Drew hummed uncertainly into Corey's mouth. Corey hummed affirmatively into Drew's mouth. Pushing up to give himself to Corey and accept more from his lover, Drew smiled and enjoyed the ride. Every time Corey thrust up into him, it felt like he was climaxing again. Finally, Corey thrust up and tensed so much that his body quaked violently. Drew was now certain that he felt the head of Corey's cock expanding and throbbing inside him.

Collapsing onto the bed, Corey huffed like he had run a mile at top speed. Drew smiled, "I love you, Cor. Any time you want more, go for it, dude. Don't wait for me to ask, tell me if that's what you want and need. Now I know why you've been so willing, Cor. It's great!"

Corey giggled, "You stud! With your arms up and hands clasped behind your head, you're so friggin' hot. That's what caused round two. If you think I've been attached to you before, you ain't seen nothin' yet – magic man!"

Laying down on top of Corey and planting a quick kiss, Drew confirmed, "I want you with me, Cor; all the time, dude."

Corey nodded and smiled, "What we both need now is a shower."

"And then some lunch," Drew added, and then quickly dove into Corey's neck and began gobbling away.

Cringing at the unexpected onslaught, Corey held on to Drew and laughed hysterically. Eventually making it into the shower and then dressing in clean clothes, they hurried into the kitchen. They were still in there when Keith and Prez walked in the door. Dry ice packs were returned to the freezer then Prez and Keith went to take a much needed shower. While Keith and Prez were dressing, Corey and Drew stopped at the open bedroom door, each carrying their backpack.

Drew said, "I'm heading to Corey's for the night. Can you dudes tell mom and dad or do I need to leave a note?"

Pulling up a pair of boardies, Keith answered, "We'll be home for the rest of the night, bro."

With a T-shirt in his hand ready to be put on, Prez asked, "Will you two be around tomorrow?"

Corey enthusiastically replied, "Yup, that's the plan. We're going shopping Saturday for Drew's new bed."

"Cool," Prez smiled, "My aunt, uncle and at least one cousin will probably be here for dinner tomorrow night. I want them to meet the entire family."

Knowing that he had already met Prez's relatives at the funeral, Drew chose to say nothing more than, "We'll be here."

Keith asked, "You're leaving for Corey's now?"

Drew answered, "It's after four. Soon after we get there, Corey's folks will walk in the door."

Corey nodded and smirked, "Gotta prove to mom I didn't wither away while camping."

Prez nodded understandingly. Keith smiled, "Have her call here. I'll confirm, I saw you eat a big chicken salad and a turkey frank last night. You had some fruit and a milkshake this morning too, didn't you?"

Prez reminded, "Nothing scary happened yesterday."

"Did something scary happen?" Drew grinned.

Corey giggled, "I must've missed something again."

Prez smiled, "Have a good time."

Keith nodded, "See ya tomorrow."

Corey waved and offered, "Thanks again for taking us along."

"Later," Drew chirped, then went with Corey to the doorway and out of the house. Drew began to step off the porch, but Corey held his hand to prevent him from walking further. Tilting his head curiously, Drew wondered, "What?"

Corey looked deep into Drew's light brown eyes and sighed because he wasn't sure what to say first. Corey asked, "Am I doing better, Drew?"

Drew scowled, "I'm not sure I know what you mean. You're eating without arguments so that's a big improvement."

Corey softly said, "Not just that; is everything really better now? Am I treating everyone better; being less selfish?"

Drew nodded and smiled, "Yup. You thanked Mike and Derrick. You thanked Keith and Prez twice. You're doing really good, Cor. I'm trying to show you that you are too." Pausing briefly, Drew admitted, "When we make love, like yesterday, last night and today, I'm showing how happy I am with you. It's not only that you're making me happy either; it's for everyone around us. I think you're doing great, dude." Drew quickly kissed Corey and grinned, "This has been a good two days. I would call it great except for a certain perv causing us a problem. When we get to your place, I'll be watchin' there too. If you get bitchy with your mom and dad for any reason, I'll pull you aside and let you know."

Corey kissed Drew back and smiled, "That's what I needed to hear." Together, they walked off the porch and began the trip to the Seaver's home.

Corey said, "You know how much I like you inside me. How did you feel?"

Drew grinned, "At first, it was like a fullness. When I started moving, it got really good. It was even better when I stayed still and you took over."

Corey nodded then, to make certain, asked, "So you liked it as much as me?"

Drew turned to Corey to make eye contact and nodded, "I love you, Cor." Corey whimpered and Drew grinned, "When we get to your place, we need to measure our dicks. I think you're about the same size as me, don't you?"

Corey shrugged, "I think I'm a little longer than you, but you're a lot thicker than me."

"Really?" Drew squeaked.

"Oh, definitely," Corey assured.

Drew shared, "What I thought was great was how you stayed hard and shot inside me twice in under ten minutes."

Corey giggled, "It was you, dude. With your arms up and hands clasped behind your head, it set me off majorly. From now on, any time you do that, I might immediately pop a stiffy and mess my pants."

Drew blushed and, to get Corey back, reminded, "You got off three times in thirty minutes." Blushing only slightly, Corey laughed and nodded. Drew smirked, "According to Keith and Prez, we can over-do it."

Corey chuckled, "We are doing it again tonight, I hope."

Drew nodded, "At least once each."

Corey teased, "You'll just have to make sure my dick's in working order."

Drew chuckled, "I guess we'll wind up walkin' funny tomorrow."

"Speaking of tomorrow," Corey giggled, "we're skinny dippin' in the pool."

"You can. I'm not that insane."

"Aww, come on."

Briefly pointing up at the sky, Drew reminded, "Helicopters, Cor. You can see me naked anytime ya want, but not outside, it won't happen."

"You are still a little shy then?"

"About showin' off to people I don't know, hell yeah!"

"Okay, my bad. I thought because of this morning, in the tent, something had changed."

Shaking his head, Drew smiled, "They were goin' for it. I wanted to and so did you. Nobody was lookin' around, that I saw anyway. If they wanted more than oral, I don't think I could've gone that far."

Corey admitted, "I probably would've."

Drew squeaked, "Really?"

Corey nodded and smiled, "If you wanted to, I would've."

"Why?"

Corey shrugged, "For you, dude; if it made you happy, then yeah, I definitely would've."

Drew hummed uncertainly, but said nothing for almost a minute. Drew finally admitted, "I'm confused." He explained, "I know you don't feel too good about yourself..."

"Wait, Drew," Corey interrupted, "I don't think I'm as good looking as you are, but I do feel way better than I did last weekend. Ya know why?" Drew shook his head so Corey explained, "Because of everything you've said and done since last Friday. In words and actions, you've shown me how you feel. I've got your best, Drew; it's a part of me. There's no doubt about it now. In return, you'll get my best. That's the way you want it, sharing evenly as much as we can, right?"

Drew nodded, but stipulated, "Which is why I won't have intercourse with you around anyone else; I couldn't do it so I sure won't expect you to do it."

"That makes sense," Corey smiled. "For me, just being naked and hard around others was a big step. If Derrick and Mike, or Prez and Keith went for intercourse, I would've sat on your dick without too much thought."

Drew interjected, "I would've stopped you."

Corey nodded, "That's cool too. Please try to understand something though, okay?" Drew nodded and paid close attention when Corey said, "I want you. I want to walk with you, talk with you and make love with you every way possible. Like right now, Drew; we're alone, but not alone, on city streets. This is what I've always hoped for. If we had made love in front of the others, I still would've been alone with you." Lowering his voice so he wouldn't be overheard, Corey stated, "You saw how fast I lost it each time you made love to me. It felt that good, Drew. I was worried when you didn't lose it fast, but then, after you did lose it, you let me keep going until I lost it again. It didn't seem to hurt you at all. Did it?"

Drew shook his head and admitted, "It was great, Cor. My dick stayed hard and it felt like I was cumming each time you pumped into me. I raised my arms to keep my hands off my dick because everything felt awesome as it was. I didn't need anything more at the time."

Corey reverently whispered, "Awesome! Here I am, the admitted bottom boy, but you did something I haven't had the chance to try, or even knew to try, for that matter."

Drew giggled, "I love you, Cor."

Corey moaned, "I'm desperately in love with you, Drew."

Drew playfully wondered, "Do you think we'll have time to make love again before your folks get home?"

Glancing at Drew and noticing only love in his eyes, Corey nodded, "We kinda need to, don't we?" Drew nodded and they both started running down the street. Without delay, they hurried into the house and into Corey's room. For the first time, they flip-flopped. Corey went for a ride on Drew. Lifting his legs and rolling back onto his shoulders, Drew made himself available to Corey. They took a quick shower and walked out of the bathroom moments before Lanna Seaver walked in the house. They were still getting dressed so Corey shouted, "We'll be right out, mom."

Lanna Seaver loudly asked, "Did you have a good time?"

Simultaneously, Corey and Drew replied, "Awesome!" then broke into fits of giggles.

Smiling widely, but humming suspiciously, Corey's mom went to the kitchen to begin preparing dinner.