When we walked into school, everyone seemed to be excited about something. There were small groups huddled around talking quietly.
Cynthia walked up and grabbed my arm. “What’s going on?” I asked.
“You mean you haven’t heard?” She said excitedly.
“No,” replied Jason. “What’s everyone talking about?”
“You know Tamara Ivory?” We nodded our heads. She was a popular sophomore on the cheerleading squad. Every guy at school had at one time or another asked her out on a date. Well, almost every guy.
“She ran off over the weekend with a man she met on the internet,” continued Cynthia. “Her parents called the police when they found her missing on Saturday. They found them yesterday about five hundred miles away. They’ve arrested her boyfriend.”
“Look.” She showed us an article from the morning paper. There was a picture of a man who appeared to be about thirty. Scanning the article, it said he was twenty-eight. They didn’t give the girl’s name, but they did say she was sixteen and attended a local high school.
I felt sorry for Tamara; but in a way, I was relieved. Now her story would become the latest gossip. As we walked down the hall, no one even noticed that Jason and I were walking together. Yesterday, the entire cafeteria started buzzing when they saw us sitting at the same table. Suddenly, we had become old news.
Like yesterday, a member of the football team was tailing me. Even though they kept a distance, I was still aware that I was being followed. Jason and I separated and headed to our first period classes.
I worried all morning about Chris. I was glad that things were going to be better between him and his father. I admired his father for making an attempt to try to keep his family together. Most fathers would have just walked out rather than face their problems and seek counseling.
I still couldn’t get over Chris asking me to be his boyfriend. With so much happening earlier, it really didn’t begin to sink in until I was sitting in first period. I know I had a stupid grin plastered to my face. The teacher even looked at me and asked if I was all right.
Everything went fine until I walked into third period. Stephanie was behind me when I entered. She pushed me into the student I was following. He turned around and balled up his fist to hit me. I could hear Stephanie snickering behind me.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” warned Jamie angrily to the boy. “It was an accident. Right Taylor?”
“Yeah,” I said. “An accident. Sorry.” The boy nodded and walked off. Stephanie snorted and sat down at her desk. She turned and gave me a deadly look. Maybe the rest of the school had forgotten about me, but she definitely hadn’t. Between her and her stupid brothers, I still had a lot to worry about. I knew that the football team couldn’t be with me 24/7, and it was only a matter of time until they found me alone again.
I met up with Jason and Cynthia for lunch. No one paid attention to us; at least not until Stephanie stepped up to our table.
“I see you’re sitting with your boyfriend.” Stephanie spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. Students around us looked over as she stood over Jason, staring down at him.
“Shut up, Steph,” replied Jason angrily. He stood up and faced her as they stared angrily at each other. Leon walked up and stood beside Stephanie. He wasn’t quite sure what to do. He knew how to deal with a boy like Ernest or Sly, but he seemed confused how he should deal with a girl.
Jason’s face reddened in anger when she asked, “Does he have a tight, little ass?”
“If you weren’t a girl,” Jason said threateningly.
“If I weren’t a girl, what Jason?” She brought her hand up and slapped him harshly across the face. She started to hit him again, but he grabbed her hand.
“You’re a fag, just like that fucking Taylor!” She started screaming. “Yeah, I saw him sucking your cock the other night. I guess he’s doing it all the time now.” She looked over at me with hatred in her eyes. Her nose was flaring, and she was trying hard not to cry.
Just then, Mrs. Cox stepped up and grabbed Stephanie by the arm. A security guard took her other. “Come with me, Miss Shays,” she ordered.
“You going to let these fags stay in school?” she shouted as she was led out of the cafeteria. “I hate you, Jason! I wish you were dead!” She turned and shouted before the guard whisked her out the door.
Students reacted excitedly after she was pulled out of the cafeteria. Several students stood and imitated Stephanie’s slap. It was bad enough that I had been the topic of their conversation the day before, but it hurt me more knowing that they were now talking about Jason. I looked over and met his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Jay,” I said sadly. I got up and left the cafeteria with Leon and Jamie close on my heels. I guess they thought I might need protecting after what had just happened. I felt a hand grab my shoulder and turn me suddenly. I balled my fist, expecting someone to hit me. Instead, Jason stood before me.
“You’re not going to do this again,” he said adamantly.
“Do what?” I asked.
“Run away again,” he responded. “We’re going to face this and get through it. You’ve got me on your side.”
“And me,” said Leon, stepping up and putting his arm around me.
“Me too.” I looked up and saw Jamie smiling down at me.
With Jason’s hand on one shoulder and Leon’s on the other, they led me back into the cafeteria. Everyone got quiet when they saw the four of us entering together. We walked back over to the table where Cynthia was sitting with tears in her eyes.
We finished eating our lunch. I really wasn’t hungry, but I knew Jason wanted me to act as if things were normal. Leon and Jamie would stare angrily at anyone who said anything within earshot. By the time the bell rang, it appeared that things had gotten back to normal. The students sitting at the table to our left started talking again about Tamara.
By the time we got to fifth period, the rumor mill was reporting that Mrs. Cox had suspended Stephanie for five days for slapping Jason and calling us names. Mrs. Cox called him to the office and asked him his side of the story. She told him he was right for not hitting Stephanie back. Otherwise, he too would have been suspended.
During Mrs. Mason’s sixth period class, a student came in late talking excitedly about what he had seen in the office. When Lieutenant Shays came to get Stephanie, he was cursing loudly at Mrs. Cox and threatening to bring a lawsuit against the school. Two school security officers had to escort him from the building. The police were called, but by then Shays and Stephanie had already left.
“I’m scared.” I told Jason as the student related his story. “I know they’re going to hurt me. They’ve already tried once. You saw what they did to my locker and car.”
“They won’t do anything,” Jason replied. “If something happens to you, everyone will know it was them.”
“Do really think they care about that?” I asked. “They’re too stupid to consider the consequences.” Jason stared worriedly at me. I knew he was silently agreeing with me.
When the bell rang, Jason and I walked out into the hallway and saw four members of the football team. I guess they had heard what had happened, and they were making sure we left the building safely. They accompanied us to our lockers and then to Jason’s car. Not once did we see Sly or Ernest.
Jason dropped me off at home, saying he would come back later. My mother and father were sitting in the family room watching television when I walked in. It was very unusual for them to be home so early. Usually, I wouldn’t see them for another two hours.
“Is everything all right?” I asked.
“Of course, Dear.” My mother got up and hugged me before retreating into the kitchen.
I asked my father, “Why are you both home?”
“We had some things to do today,” he replied. “We went shopping.” I gave him a quizzical look, and then I joined my mother in the kitchen. She had already placed a glass of milk and cookies out for me.
“Take your snack and go to your room, then do your homework,” she ordered.
“I can do it later,” I insisted.
“No. Go do it now,” she said. “The Brewster’s have invited us to dinner.”
“Really?” I asked surprisingly. I thought I wouldn’t see Chris again for several days since he was trying to patch things up with his father.
I took my snack and headed to my room. When I opened my bedroom door, I stopped suddenly and almost dropped my glass of milk on the floor.
My room had been completely redecorated. The twin beds were gone, and in their place was a queen-sized bed. There was a new bedspread and matching drapes. They were a blue-green plaid design. My old dresser had been replaced with a larger one. The room looked nothing like I had left it in the morning.
“Like it?” My father stepped up beside me and put his hand on my shoulder.
“Yeah,” I said appreciatively. “I like it a lot.”
“Good,” he smiled. I knew by the evil grin on his face that he was going to say something embarrassing. “If you’re going to be making out, you need a larger bed. We can’t have you falling on your ass again.” My face began to burn a bright red.
To add insult to injury, he added with a laugh, “It’s a good thing I looked under your bed before your mother did.” If he had turned out the lights, the bright red color from my face would have lit up the room. He walked over to the dresser draw, opened it and motioned for me to come over. I looked down and saw a box of condoms and a bottle of lube.
“Dad!” I shouted. “Haven’t you embarrassed me enough?”
“Sit down.” He motioned for me to sit on the bed. He walked over and sat beside me. “You may find this hard to believe, but I was sixteen once. Don’t you ever tell your mother, but I made out with a few girls back then. We didn’t go all the way then, but I know things have changed.
“You’re a smart boy, and I trust you to make the right decisions. I think you are way too young to be having sex, but I know that kids today are starting out much earlier. If you and Chris do decide to do something, I just want you to be safe. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Dad.” I said embarrassingly. I know he probably had some idea that Chris and I were already doing something from what he had seen this morning. “I think it’s going to be a while before we need what’s in the drawer.”
“Good.” He patted me on my shoulder. “One other thing,” he added. “Be discreet. I don’t want you to do anything to make your mother feel uncomfortable. All right?”
“I promise,” I assured him.
“Now, do we need to have The Talk?”
“No, Dad,” I grinned. “I’ve had a sex education class. I think I know where things go.”
“Oh, God!” he exclaimed.
I started laughing. For years I had tried to embarrass my father. I had finally done it! His face turned bright red as he got off the bed shaking his head. About half way down the hall, I heard him start roaring with laughter.
When I walked over and closed my door, I noticed that he had also put a latch on it. My parents had always respected my privacy, but I now had the added security that they wouldn’t walk in on us unexpectedly someday.
I sat and finished my homework at my desk. It didn’t take me long since I had completed most of it earlier. When I was done, I lay down on my new bed. It was comfortable! It was one of those soft, pillow top kind. My body sunk deeply into it. Within minutes, I was sound asleep.
I was awakened later by a tapping on the door. “Come in,” I hollered out sleepily. The door opened and my mother walked in. She looked around the room and smiled.
“Well, how do you like it?” she asked. “Your father and I spent all day shopping for it.”
“I love it.” I stood up and gave her a hug. “Thanks.”
I saw tears emerge in her eyes as she sat down on the side of the bed. When I walked over and sat beside her, she reached out and held my hand.
“When you were a little boy I always wondered what kind of a man you’d grow up to be. I wondered if someday you’d get married and have children.” Tears formed in my eyes as she wiped hers away with the sleeve of her sweater.
“But the one thing I always prayed for, was that you’d be happy. For so long I have watched you become moody and unhappy. I thought it was just a stage you were going through. Then when things happened last weekend, it all made sense.”
She squeezed my hand as she tried to gain her composure. I just stared at her with tears rolling unashamedly down my face.
“Then the past few days I’ve seen a sparkle in your eye. When you came walking downstairs yesterday holding Chris’s hand, I saw a look on your face I thought I would never see. It was the same look I had when I met your father.”
She pulled me into her while we both cried. She had always showed me that she loved me, but holding her at that moment seemed so overwhelming. It was as if years of love came flowing from her body into mine. We sat for several minutes, unwilling to break the bond we were sharing.
Finally, she pulled away and wiped the tears from her eyes. “You know your father and I love you very much. We will always be here for you. I can’t wait to see the man you turn out to be.”
She walked over to the mirror and fixed her hair. She then turned and said, “Get dressed. We’ve been invited to dinner with the Brewsters. Don’t take too long. We can’t keep that cute boyfriend of yours waiting.” She then added playfully, “And brush your teeth, Dear. No one likes to kiss someone whose breath smells.”
“Mom!” I shouted. “You’re worse than Dad.” I began to blush as she laughed and started to leave. Before walking out, she turned and looked around the room.
“We did a nice job.” She smiled and then closed the door.
I was a little nervous on the way to Chris’s house. I was worried about seeing Mr. Brewster. It was my fault that his treatment of Chris had been exposed. I was surprised that he wanted to have me in his house after only a day.
Chris’s mother greeted us warmly as soon as we walked in. She gave me a huge hug while Chris looked over her shoulder at me. He stiffened when his father came into the foyer and headed over to me.
“Taylor,” he said. I offered my hand to shake. Instead, he reached out and pulled me into a hug. I looked over at Chris. He had an amazed look on his face. I guess he wasn’t expecting his father to greet me so affectionately.
He shook my father’s hand and gave my mother a kiss on the cheek. “You boys run along,” he instructed. “Dinner will be ready in a half hour. Robert, Catherine, lets go into the parlor and have a drink.”
Chris grabbed my hand and led me upstairs. I stopped when I realized he was taking me into the room where I had sex with Jason. When Chris saw the look of apprehension on my face, he pulled me into the room and threw me on the bed. He closed he door before climbing on top of me.
“This time you have the boy’s permission.” He then leaned in and started kissing me passionately. “I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered in my ear.
“It’s only been a day,” I responded as we kissed again.
“That’s too long,” he said with another kiss. After a few minutes of making out, I rolled over on my side and faced him.
“Is everything all right now?” I asked. “Your father kind of surprised me when he hugged me.”
“Yeah,” he smiled. “He’s been doing a lot of that. Actually, he’s overdoing it.”
“So you’re getting along?”
“We had a long talk last night,” he began. “He told me that when he was nine he was sexually abused by an older cousin. It lasted a couple of months until the cousin moved away. He’s been harboring a lot of hatred and guilt inside. It all came out when he realized I was gay.” Tears appeared in his eyes.
“He never meant to hurt me,” he said. “He just didn’t know how to deal with the hatred he felt. He’s going to go to a counselor and try to work out his feelings.” He wiped some tears from his face. “He told me last night he loved me.”
“Is he all right with us being together?” I asked.
“Look.” Chris pulled out a box and handed it to me.
“What’s this?”
“Open it up.”
I opened the box and inside were two silver rings. I picked one up and examined it. They had an intricate woven design. “They’re beautiful,” I exclaimed.
“He bought these for us.” Chris smiled. “We went shopping at the mall today. When we passed a jewelry store, he saw them in the window. He went in and bought them. Try yours on.”
I picked one up and slipped it on my finger. It fit perfectly. Chris took the other and put it on his. “How did you know my size?” I asked.
“I didn’t,” he started to blush. “I figured since we were almost the same size down there,” he pointed to my cock, “then we must have the same size fingers. I just got them both to fit me.”
I leaned forward and gave him another kiss. I pushed him on his back, climbed on top of him and humped his as we kissed.
“So we’re the same size?” I raised an eyebrow. “I’m just going to have to check for myself.” I reached down and started rubbing his erect cock through his shorts. I unzipped them and then snaked my hand under the elastic band of his underwear. He moaned when I wrapped my hand around him. A minute later, I pulled his shorts and underwear down, exposing his hard cock.
“I think I need to measure it,” I said. I bent down and took about half of it in my mouth. Chris let out a moan and threw his head back on the pillow. I worked my way all the way down until I had engulfed his entire length. He started pumping his cock in and out of my mouth.
“Boys!” my mother shouted. “Dinner is ready.”
Chris started to get up, but I pushed him back down. “Coming Mother!” I shouted.
Chris started giggling as I took him again completely in my mouth. I knew we had little time, and I didn’t want to leave Chris without satisfying him. I started sucking rapidly while I rolled his balls around in my hand.
“Oh God, Taylor,” he moaned. “Pull off, I’m cumming.” He tried to push my head off, but I gulped his cock down my throat and continued sucking. His body went rigid, and he came in my mouth as I swallowed quickly.
I got off the bed and took some tissues out of a box that was beside his bed. I cleaned him off and pulled his shorts and underwear back up. “Yep,” I grinned. “We’re the same size.”
He reached down and started to unzip my pants. “Are you sure? I think I need to check for myself.”
“You’ll have to check later,” I said as I grabbed his hand. “We have to get downstairs before Mom comes up and get us.”
“Then I won’t eat dessert,” he said. “You’ll be it.”
I grabbed his hand and pulled him up. We went into his bathroom, fixed our hair, and arranged our clothes. Since my cock was still erect, I had to pull my shirt out to cover the obvious tent in my pants. It didn’t help that Chris kept grabbing it.
When we entered the dining room, my mother looked at us and said, “It’s about time you came.”
Chris and I looked at each other and started giggling. After dinner, he measured me.