When Wade pulled away, his face was streaked with tears. He looked so cute with his eyes full of tears- tears for me. He smiled and then reached down and grabbed my hand. “Come on,” he said as he dragged me back to the car he was driving.
“Is this your car?” I looked around at the messy interior. Paper and pop cans littered the floor. I also noticed that the steering column had been broken and it appeared the car had been hot-wired.
“Naw,” he replied. “It’s a friend’s car. He lets me borrow it occasionally.”
“Well, then,” I looked at the wires hanging out from under the steering wheel. “Is it his car?”
“Dunno,” he said as we pulled away.
We drove silently, and it appeared we were heading to his house. I became nervous when a police car turned from an intersection and followed us for several blocks. I let out a sigh of relief when the cruiser finally pulled into the parking lot of a strip mall.
“Relax,” giggled Wade when he saw my nervous reaction. “I’m a good driver. Nothing is going to happen.”
“But you’re only fifteen!” I replied excitedly.
“A mere technicality,” he laughed. “Besides, I’m a lot better than an eighty-year old woman.”
“But she at least has a valid driver’s license,” I reminded him.
He started giggling again. “A mere technicality.”
He parked about a block from his house. As soon as we entered his back door, he threw himself on me and began kissing me passionately.
“I’m so sorry, Richie,” he said between kisses. “All night I kept thinking about how much I hurt you.”
“It’s okay,” I replied as I looked into his tearful eyes. “Really. It’s not like we’re a couple or anything.”
He grabbed my hands and held them. “But I want us to be,” he replied. “I’ve thought a lot about this. I want us to be a couple.” I started laughing when he got down on one knee and looked pleadingly at me. “Please marry me, Richie.”
“Idiot,” I laughed as I pulled him up. “One, we’re only fifteen. I think you have to be at least eighteen. And two, gay marriage is not legal in the state we live in.”
“Mere technicalities,” he said as he got up and hugged me. “Then how about we go steady?”
I again started laughing. “How about we just be best friends with benefits?”
“That will work,” he grinned as he pulled me into his room. “I’m ready for a benefit now.” He removed his shirt and tossed it in the floor.
Minutes later we were naked on his bed. He straddled me, grabbed my hard cock and placed it against his ass. “I want you to fuck me, Richie. I want to be all yours.”
“I don’t know,” I replied hesitantly. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“That’s just it,” he said as he leaned in and kissed me. “I’ll be your first.” He jumped from the bed and got a condom from the dresser. After stretching it over my erection, he sat atop me and I felt it enter a couple of inches. He stopped and looked down at me.
“Let me get used to it,” he said as he kissed me again. “I love you.”
After a minute he sat back up and looked lovingly at me. He then sat back until my entire cock penetrated him. “Ummmm,” I moaned. He smiled and started to move up and down on my stiff cock.
“It feels so good, Richie!” he cooed. “This is the first time I’ve done it with someone I love.” I grabbed his small waist and forced myself deeper into him.
“I love you, too,” I moaned as his movements met mine. “God, Wade!” My eyes rolled into the back of my head. “This feels so amazing!”
“Yeah,” he said as he leaned in and kissed me. Suddenly, I felt my balls begin to tighten. I knew I wouldn’t last much longer.
“I’m going to cum,” I warned him as I tried to pull myself out. He pressed down and my cock entered him even deeper. “Arrgggg!” I screamed as I shot deep inside him. He reached down and started masturbating. Within seconds he let out a purring sound as he erupted on my chest. I could feel his muscles contracting around my cock as I shot my last drops of cum inside him.
I wrapped my arms around him when he collapsed onto me. He buried his head against my neck, and I could feel his heart pounding against my chest.
“God, Ritchie,” he mumbled. “That was fantastic!” I turned my head and gently kissed him on his neck. He moved his head so that our lips met in a passionate kiss. I felt my softening cock pull out of his ass.
“You sure we can’t get married?” he asked as he stayed pressed against my body. “I want to do this with you all the time.”
I laughed, “I think marriage is more than just sex.”
“Mere technicality,” he mumbled. We lay in each other’s arms for about ten minutes before he finally pulled away.
“I have to piss,” he announced as he jumped from the bed. I laughed when he grabbed his ass and ran into the bathroom. “I gotta shit, too!” he shouted as he closed the door.
While he was gone, I lay thinking what had just happened. For the first time in my life, I had told someone other than my mother that I loved them. I wasn’t even sure he had heard me say it. I knew we were too young to really be involved with each other. His actions with Doug made me apprehensive that he could truly devote himself to someone. But I had decided that I would give it a try and see where it might lead. I just had to be careful. So much had happened the past year, and I knew I wasn’t ready for any more emotional roller coasters.
“Hey,” he said as he lay back down beside me. “You all right?”
“Yeah,” I said as I pulled him on top of me. “Never better.”
He rose and turned until we were in a 69 position. He took my cock and started licking it. When he put his against my lips, I opened my mouth and engulfed it. He let out a little whimper. Twenty minutes later we were lying comfortably asleep in each other’s arms.
********
It was late when I entered the house through the back door. He was sitting at the island counter reading the newspaper. He looked up angrily when I walked through the door.
“Sit down, Richard,” he ordered. I crossed my arms and remained standing by the door.
He got up and walked over to me. I flinched and closed my eyes when he raised his hand out to me. “Give me your phone.”
I opened my eyes. “What?”
“Stupid. Now you’re deaf, too,” he replied angrily. “I said hand me your phone.”
I looked at him. His eyes narrowed in anger. I reached into my pocket and fumbled around before sheepishly saying, “I set it down at school and someone took it.”
He started pacing around the room. “I spend two hundred dollars on a goddamned phone for you, and you have the tenacity to tell me you were so irresponsible?”
I looked at him wide-eyed. There was no way I could tell him I traded it for some weed. “Well?” I jumped when he shouted.
“Nooo,” I stammered.
He reached in his suit coat pocket and pulled out my phone. “Would you like to know how I got it?” Again, I stood silent.
“Let me tell you,” he shouted angrily as he shoved the phone into my chest. “An officer took it off a guy who held up a carryout this morning. When he ran the serial number, it came back as belonging to me.”
He shoved the phone into my chest again. “Now would you like to tell me how a robber had your phone in his pocket?”
“I told you I don’t know,” I lied as I tried to make my way past him. “It got stolen at school.” He grabbed my arm and turned me roughly around.
“I’ve had it with you, Richie.” He stared down angrily at me as he twisted my arm tighter.
“Then let me go live with Aunt Barbara and Uncle Ray!” I yelled. His eyes grew angrier.
“Never!” he muttered as he threw me back against the kitchen counter. I stumbled but managed to catch myself before I fell. “I know what you’re trying to do,” he said. A grin appeared on his face.
“I’ve dealt with some of the hardest bad asses in this town.” He moved closer to me and looked down threateningly. “If I can deal with them, then I think I can deal with you.”
“We’ll see,” I replied as I pushed past him and headed downstairs. I could hear him laughing as I descended the stairs.
I was lying on the sofa doing homework when I saw a pair of familiar legs coming downstairs. I didn’t say anything as he walked over to my computer and sat down.
“What happened to your keyboard?” Gabe looked around to see if he could find it.
“It won’t do you any good,” I said. “He took it the other day.”
“How are we going to play a game on it?” I shrugged my shoulders.
“Go upstairs and ask him for it back then.”
“Wait here,” he said as he got up and bounded up the stairs. I was surprised when he returned a few minutes later with it tucked safely under his arm.
“Tada!” He beamed as he walked over to my computer and plugged it back in.
“How the hell did you do that?” I sat up and looked astonishingly at him.
“I just asked nicely,” he replied. “You should try it.”
“Yeah, sure,” I replied as I lay back down and continued finishing an algebra problem.
“Wanna play a game?”
“Why?” I asked. “I thought I was on your shit list.”
“You are,” he responded. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t beat you in a game.”
I walked over to the television and took out the Xbox controls. “I’d rather play here,” I said as I sat down and crossed my legs. Gabe sat down beside me. We then started playing an intense game of Grand Theft Auto.
Several times I would look over at him, but he kept his eyes glued to the game. After he beat me, he put down the control and looked over.
“So, just when were you going to tell me?” Our eyes met and he looked hurt. I quickly looked away.
“Someday I guess,” I mumbled.
“Look, Richie.” He turned toward me, and I could see tears in his eyes. “I’m your best friend. You could have trusted me.”
“It’s not that easy,” I turned to face him. “I know I could trust you. And there were a hundred times I felt like telling you.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“I don’t know,” I said as tears welled up in my eyes. “Do you know what it’s like to wake up one day and realize you’re gay?” He looked at me and shook his head. “Yeah, right. I guess not.”
I couldn’t hold back the tears. They started to flow down my cheek. “You look around and the whole world seems different than you. You know? All the guys are starting to talk about girls, and you don’t see them that way. Then you turn on the television and many of the programs are about guys trying to get a girl to like them, or it’s about a family with kids. It seems like the whole world is straight.”
“But you...” I interrupted Gabe.
“Do you think I want to be gay?” I laughed nervously. “I’d give anything to be like you. You’re going to grow up and get married.” I looked at him and smiled. “And have little Gaberiel Dysons.” He rolled his eyes.
I wiped tears away with my sleeve. “And what will I have?” He looked at me and shook his head.
“Don’t, Richie.”
“Fucking nothing,” I cried. “If I’m lucky maybe some guy will want to screw me until he gets tired of me.” I fell forward into his arms and wept. “And you wondered why I couldn’t tell you.” I could feel his body shaking with emotion as he clung to me.
“It won’t be like that, Rich,” he said as he held me. “You’re a great guy. Someone will come along.”
“Sure,” I said. “Someday you’ll meet a girl and get married.” He looked at me and rolled his eyes again. “I don’t think that’s going to happen to me.”
“You never know,” he said. I started smiling when I remembered Wade getting down on his knee and proposing to me.
“What’s so funny?” Gabe gave me a puzzle look.
“Nothing,” I said. “I was just thinking about something that happened today.”
He moved closer to me until our bodies were touching. “Look, Richie,” he said. “The other day you told me you loved me.” I nodded my head. “I thought about that a lot that night. And I realized that there’s a real bond between us. I love you too. I always will.”
I started laughing. “Give me a little time and I’ll probably change your mind.”
He opened his arms to me. “Come here.” I leaned forward and hugged him tightly.
“Thanks, Gabe,” I said tearfully. “I really needed this.” He squeezed me tighter.
********
Gabe met me outside on the sidewalk the next morning. “You’re late,” he remarked as he looked at his watch.
“I am not,” I laughed. “You are or you would have come in.” I noticed Gabe look behind me. I turned to see what he was looking at. Freddy had come out of the front door with his book bag slung over his shoulder. He walked up to us, but he said nothing.
It was Gabe who spoke first. “How do you like Highland?” Freddy looked briefly at me and then at Gabe.
“It’s all right,” he answered. “It’s school. Isn’t it written somewhere that all schools suck?”
Gabe laughed and then he walked over and threw his arm around Freddy’s shoulder. “I like this guy,” he said to me. I rolled my eyes and looked up the street for the bus to arrive.
Gabe and Freddy chatted until the yellow bus came rolling to a stop. They acted like they had known each other since the first grade. That is Gabe. No one is a stranger when he is around. I used to tease him that he could get a mime to talk to him.
It irritated me when Gabe sat down toward the back of the bus and pulled Freddy beside him. I started to take the seat behind them, but he reached out and pulled my pants leg. “There’s room for the three of us,” he said as he scooted nearer the window. Freddy looked up at me and then scooter closer to Gabe. I looked at Gabe, rolled my eye and sat down. He smiled and started laughing.
I tried not to rub my body against Freddy’s, but if I didn’t, I could feel myself slipping out of my seat. It was bad enough that the three of us were crowded into a seat when there were plenty of empty ones. It would be worse if I fell onto the floor.
As they had at the bus stop, Gabe talked non-stop. He kept asking Freddy questions. Most were about school. The usual ones- what classes did he take, who were his teachers, was he a good student and did he participate in any sports. I acted like I wasn’t listening, but I was learning a lot about Freddy.
Even though he was athletic looking, he didn’t play sports. He said he had played some football in junior high school, but he had to quit the team when they moved away. He ignored Gabe when he asked him what happened.
“You should run track!” Gabe suggested excitedly. “You’ve got the build for it.” I glanced at Gabe and shook my head. He had used the same line on me. When I showed up for try-outs last spring, the coach had me attempt to run the 100m hurdles. After tripping over the first two hurdles and landing on my face, I decided that track wasn’t my sport.
Freddy shrugged his shoulders and responded, “We’ll see.”
I also learned that he liked reading science fiction and Harry Potter books. I already knew that Gabe was a huge Potter fan, so this led to another conversation that lasted until we arrived at school. When we got off the bus, Gabe invited Freddy to join us at lunch.
“I won’t be there,” I said quickly. I remembered the tension at the table the day before when I had to get up and leave because the guys didn’t want a gay boy sitting with them. They definitely wouldn’t want two; that is, if Freddy was even gay.
Gabe had never mentioned girls or dating to him. I wasn’t sure if he was intentionally avoiding the subject or if he was too busy talking about other things.
He walked over and threw his arm around my shoulder. “It’s okay, Richie,” he assured me. “We talked after you left yesterday and everyone is cool with it.”
“With what?” Freddy gave me a puzzled look.
“His hair,” Gabe said quickly. “He thought the guys were teasing him about his new haircut.”
Freddy scanned my body before looking at my shorn hair. “I think it looks good,” he remarked. Gabe closely watched Freddy’s eye movements. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow as my face reddened.
“I got to get to class,” I announced nervously.
Freddy looked at his watch, “Me, too,” he said as he started to walk away. “Catch you guys later.” Gabe watched him walk away and then turned to me.
“Jesus, Richie!” he said excitedly. “Freddy’s into you!”
“Shut up, Gabe,” I muttered as I started to walk away. Gabe grabbed my shoulder and turned me.
“Did you see how he looked at you? He practically undressed you right here on the sidewalk.”
“Well, I’m not interested,” I insisted. “Even if I was, he still is the son of that whore.”
“Damn, Richie. You need to get over that shit.”
I gave him an angry look. “Well I’m not.”
“Sorry,” he said as he threw his arm around me and we headed into the building. “We still got to find you a boyfriend.”
Before I realized what I was saying, the words “I already got one,” came flying from my mouth. Gabe stopped and stood before me.
“No shit?” he asked excitedly. “Really? Who?”
My face reddened when I saw his excitement. I didn’t want him to know about Wade yet. I wanted to see where our relationship was going before I told him.
“I was just shitting you,” I replied, hoping he’d buy it.
“No, you weren’t, Richie,” he said. “I’ve known you too long. Tell me who he is.” When I didn’t respond his expression changed from excitement to anger.
“It’s that Wade guy, isn’t it?”
“What if it is?” I replied angrily. I removed his hand from my shoulder and started to walk away. Gabe ran up beside me.
“What are you doing with him? He’s bad news.”
I wasn’t in the mood to argue with Gabe again. After all, we had just made up from an earlier argument involving Wade. I shook my head, turned and walked away from him.
********
On the way to third period I spotted Becky walking down the hall talking to Jeff Murdock. When she saw me looking at them, she reached down and took his hand. She hadn’t even waited a day to move on and forget about me.
Lunch didn’t go much better. As soon as I walked into the cafeteria, I saw Freddy sitting at the table beside Gabe. All the seats had been taken. I guess Freddy had now taken my spot. Oh well, fuck it. I walked out, went outside and sat in the quad area.
“There you are.” I heard a familiar voice behind me. I turned as Wade came running up. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“Hey.” I couldn’t help but smile. Wade’s presence always seemed to cheer me up. If only they could bottle his energy. A drug manufacturer could make millions.
“Did you eat yet?” he asked as he sat down beside me.
“Naw,” I replied. “I’m not very hungry.” Just then my stomach started growling. Wade listened and then began giggling. He reached down and took my hand.
“Let’s ditch this place and go get something to eat.” I pulled my hand from his. Even though other students now knew I was gay, I didn’t feel comfortable walking around school holding another boy’s hand.
“Where do you want to go?”
“Depends,” he said. “How much money do you have on you?”
I reached into my pocket, pulled out some change and counted it. “Seventy-eight cents.”
“Is that all?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I use a cafeteria card to eat lunch. How much do you have?”
“Seventy-eight cents,” he giggled as he took the change from my hand.
I looked at him and frowned. “We can’t even get two hamburgers at McDonald’s on that.”
“I got a plan.” He looked at me with a wicked grin.
“Oh, no!” I moaned. “Is this going to involve us getting our asses shot at again?”
“Naw,” he laughed. “Well, maybe.”
“Shit!” I exclaimed. Wade draped his arm around my shoulder and led me to the car he had been driving the day before.