DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction that contains graphic sexual content. It is purely for entertainment so please enjoy safely and legally. Resemblances to real people, places and events is unintentional (but would be really cool).
A Series of Embarrassing Events Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Spell of Trouble
MONDAY 19TH JULY 2021
"This year Five Dukes County will be hosting an EVB Event," said Mr Bassett (the Head Teacher) during assembly for the Sixth Form; "Europeans Visiting Britain is an organisation that arranges for school-aged European boys between sixteen and eighteen years old to spend a week of the summer holidays in Britain. It gives them the opportunity to develop English language skills and participate in a host of activities."
Noah was already imagining hot French, German, Spanish and Italian boys running around the city and the thought made him very happy. EVB... that rang a bell... hadn't Mr Bassett mentioned it when he didn't talk to Noah about something a few weeks ago?
"Five Dukes Boys School has agreed to facilitate learning for the boys. For one week, Five Dukes will celebrate European culture and..." Mr Bassett was clearly uncomfortable with what he was about to say.
Mr Bassett was not a naturally funny man but what he had to say was about to raise a laugh.
"We are looking for boys willing to help out at the beach at Barron's Bay which, for the duration of the EVB Event, will be a nudist beach," the Head Teacher said.
That's when people laughed. As if any teenage boy would be mad enough to volunteer at a nudist beach just miles from their own school. Noah felt a tug in the pit of his stomach.
As well as Mr Bassett uncomfortably skirting around an elusive issue, Noah also recalled that his brother Dan had been trying to tell him something for weeks too. Learning about a public opportunity for Noah to be naked right in their own neighbourhood was right up Daniel's alley. Noah had been volunteered - he just knew it. Dan had volunteered him.
"Anyone who would like more information can speak to the Assistant Deputy Head Teacher," Mr Bassett said, indicating the Drama teacher Mr Cooke, after the giggles died down.
"Is he going to be naked on the beach?" someone shouted.
The laughter started up again.
It was the final week of term, a time when the numbness of the school year sets in and attendance drops by the day. Noah had more reason to feel numb than anyone else when he emerged from the Head Teacher's Office ten minutes into the lunch hour.
Noah had been invited to Mr Bassett's office to discuss the Europeans Visiting Britain Event. Mr Cooke was there too and given Noah's sexual encounter with the man, he couldn't help but notice the pleasure in the man's eyes as Mr Bassett spoke. Noah was invited to be a liaison to the visiting schoolboys from Europe over the summer.
"You understand that... well... cultural exchange is a two-way street and... just as they are participating in our language and culture, they invite us to participate in theirs," Mr Bassett continued.
"Making the beach at Barron's Bay a nudist beach for a week is one example," Mr Cooke chipped in. "It's by no means compulsory, of course. We would never expect or demand or coerce teenage boys to take off all their clothes in public."
Mr Cooke had not only caught Noah naked in school but also knew about Noah's EMARP acting. Noah could hear the mockery in Mr Cooke's voice; the goading, the irony, the sledgehammer-subtle subtext. Mr Bassett didn't seem to notice.
"Noah, your brother Daniel had been in touch with us. He explained your..." Mr Bassett dropped the volume of his voice; "...nudist inclinations might make you interested in this project."
"To be clear, we're not asking you to strip bare naked, Noah," said Mr Cooke with a smile.
No wonder Daniel had been struggling to find a way to tell Noah about his. It would have been nice to have a warning but the surprise was exciting. If it weren't for Dan, Noah wouldn't have had the excitement he'd experienced over the last twelve months. Dan was on holiday with Jamie all week so the talk would have to wait.
"Oh, no. No, certainly not," Mr Bassett insisted. "It is voluntary, Noah. I was given to understand from your correspondence you were happy to volunteer?"
Noah's eyes shifted briefly towards Mr Cooke who actually winked. Daniel had had help in setting this up – clearly Mr Bassett believed Noah knew all about this arrangement and had already greed to it. Could Noah really be an enthusiastic nudist on behalf of the school? What if his peers saw him on the beach?
"It's voluntary. But if you wanted to be naked, exposed and exhibited in front of hundreds of teenage boys in a public place in your own hometown where anyone from your school or local neighbourhood might see you..." Mr Cooke laid it on a bit thick.
"I was sceptical," Mr Bassett said thoughtfully but distractedly.
The Head Teacher stopped and looked contemplative. It was as if he hadn't been listening and had been mulling over something else.
"Maybe none of the visiting boys will want to be naked," Mr Cooke said softly - almost whispering seductively in Noah's ear. "Maybe you'll be the only nudist all week."
"I was sceptical..." Mr Bassett repeated. "But after talking to your brother, I made the strongest case I could for your... inclination. He thinks you would be an excellent ambassador."
Yea, Noah thought, a naked ambassador.
"So, do you want to do it?" Mr Bassett asked.
Noah was unsure how to feel.
He had taken everything that had happened to him over the last year in his stride but his conversation with Mr Bassett and Mr Cooke was something unexpected and monumental. Mr Bassett had continued to stumble though the conversation and Mr Cooke was sincerely entertained - not that Mr Bassett noticed. It wasn't just the EVB Event, Mr Bassett almost exploded with humiliation as the conversation moved on...
Mr Bassett spoke about his conversations with the school board and managing potential parent/ guardian complaints if their sons came home talking about seeing a naked classmate. But Mr Bassett was also keen to emphasise his full support for Noah's "inclination."
The very thought of classmates seeing him naked on the beach was thrilling and terrifying. Noah wasn't sure he was going to be able to survive the next school year once he'd exposed himself.
The corridor was bustling around Noah when he left Mr Bassett's office but he was too distracted to really notice anyone.
Noah was lost in his own thoughts - contemplating what the next twelve months might bring. Noah already felt they was going to be more adventurous than the last. Last August had been marked by Noah's indulgence in nudism in France and soon he was going to participate in another Explicit Mass Attendance Role Playing event. Noah had literally lost count of how many people had seen his penis.
Noah could not stop thinking about the future. August would be marked by nudism in his hometown. The beginning of a whole new story...
As Noah walked through the school, he texted his brother.
Noah: [Hope you're enjoying your holiday. You doing butt stuff with Jamie?]
Noah: [BTW, I had a meeting with Mr Bassett so I am going to kill you soon.]
Robotically, Noah had taken himself to the school cafeteria and it was with minimal concentration that he found his friends and sat down. He hadn't collected any lunch, so he just sat looking into space.
"Att's ong it oo?" Matty asked.
"Anyone speak fluent sandwich?" Toby asked sarcastically.
<<Matt's wrong... emit poo?>>
Ronan screwed up his face – Herman was either talking in word salad, as the voice was sometimes wont to do, or trying to translate Matty's incomprehensible, sandwich-filled words.
"What's wrong with you?" Matty asked after swallowing.
<>
"Nothing," Noah replied guardedly.
Toby watched his friend deliberately avoid eye contact with anyone when he replied but he was hurt by the obvious lie. There was a time when there would be no secrets between them but Toby knew if he asked when they were alone, Noah still wouldn't reveal what was on his mind. Then Toby felt like a hypocrite because he was keeping secrets too.
"You were meeting with Mr Bassett, weren't you?" Samir said.
Sam was not oblivious to Noah's evasion but he had subtle ways of eking out details that others might not elicit.
"Yea. He asked me to volunteer for the EVB thing," Noah said but felt like he was only telling half the story.
"You're going to volunteer for the nudist beach surrounded by French and Italian boys?" Mateo asked excitedly.
<<Who wouldn't?>>
"In fairness, that does sound like the kind of thing Noah would do," Toby pointed out with supportive smile.
Toby wasn't being critical - that is to say he kept the criticism from his voice - and the gang all nodded in agreement. Toby had let go of his unhealthy jealousy but he still envied Noah's liberation and was still bewildered by some of the things Noah did.
"I think you're mad," Samir offered.
"I think it marvellous," Mateo disagreed.
"I think I'm going to bring my camera," Ronan joked.
<>
The voices laughter was joined by Sam, Toby and Matty - after a few seconds, Noah giggled too.
"I didn't plan on volunteering as a naked ambassador, it just happened," Noah said. "And there's something else..."
It hadn't "just happened" – it happened because his bastard brother had orchestrated a new level of nudism, exhibitionism and exposure.
"What's the something else?" asked Toby.
"Nothing. Never mind. I need to think about it," Noah said dismissively.
"While you're thinking about it, have you thought about running for Head Boy next year?" Ronan asked. "After everyone's seen your penis, you'd be a sure thing."
Matty's laugh was muffled by sandwich.
The final year (Year 13) boys always elected a Head Boy; some schools called them Class President and some schools call them Head Prefect but the idea was always the same. It was a mostly ceremonial title and it looked good on a CV.
"Oo at ood ee ood," Matty said.
"Will you stop doing that," Toby admonished cheerfully.
"I said: oh, that would be good," Mateo repeated after swallowing his sandwich. "I'm sure we could come up with a clever double entendre slogan."
Before the conversation could move on to jokes about Noah's penis, Jonas arrived at his side and smiled shyly at the others.
"I wondered if you were free after school?" Jonas asked.
"Hot date?" Mateo rushed in facetiously; "Why didn't you tell us?"
Jonas blushed and Noah shot a withering look at Mateo.
"No. We're practicing Jonas's routine for the talent show," Noah elaborated.
Not only was the last week of term underway but Noah had also been persuaded to fill in as a lovely assistant in Jonas's act for the talent show on the last day of school. The final day of term was less marked by academic learning and more celebrated for the entertainment values of the pupils.
Noah had no idea how much entertainment he was about to provide.
THURSDAY 22ND JULY 2021
By the time the last day of school rolled around, the school was half empty. Some boys were already on their family holiday, some boys just didn't bother getting up that morning and some boys skipped their final classes (such as they were) in favour of enjoying the sunshine.
Events like the talent show were orchestrated for precisely this reason – pointless busy work for the boys who held on until the final minutes of school.
Compounding attendance for the talent show was the scheduling of an inter-school football match. Since football took place outside, more boys were attending this than sitting in the school assembly hall watching:
A cover version of Sing by a ginger lad who was not Ed Sheeran.
Millennium by a Robbie Williams wannabe.
A group dance act.
A very talented Labrador and his modestly talented teenage owner.
A comedy sketch that was actually pretty funny.
Noah peeked out at the crowd - around one hundred and fifty boys were sitting in the dim light of the assembly hall. Plus or minus twenty or so, it was hard to tell. Noah was relieved that his role in Jonas' act required very little talent; Jonas was doing all the hard work.
Noah had been practicing with the boy for a few weeks and as the lovely assistant, his job was to distract people just a little and to pass magical paraphernalia as Jonas required it.
"Here, put this on," Jonas said half an hour before they were due to go on.
"This" turned out to be a two-piece skin-tight costume; if a wet suit came as a top half and a bottom half it would look a bit like what Noah was just presented with.
"What? Why?" Noah asked.
"It's your assistant's uniform," Jonas said.
"You never said anything about an assistant's uniform," Noah protested.
He was feeling the ground slip from under him. He should have known the job of magicians assistant was too simple. Noah should have seen a tricksy trap coming.
"I wanted it to be a surprise," Jonas said innocently.
Dural and Jasper were nearby, they had done a dramatic sketch that ended with them kissing on stage. If anyone at school hadn't known they were a couple, they did now. There were no doubts about genuine intimacy after that kiss. The applause had been very appreciative and heartening.
Jasper and Dural chuckled at the butter-wouldn't-melt innocence on Jonas' face but they were clearly interested in seeing Noah squeeze into the skin-tight suit.
"This looks pretty sheer," Noah commented.
The material was skin-tight, white and silver and sparkly.
"I agree," Jonas said glibly.
"Won't the teachers watching the show object to me wearing something so..." Noah didn't want to say indecent; "So... revealing?"
"Mr Cooke is the only invigilator out there now. All the other teachers are refereeing or watching the football," Jonas said.
"Or having a liquid lunch," suggested Dural.
"Mr Cooke won't mind you wearing a skin-tight outfit," Jasper said. "He's very laid back about these things at Drama Club."
"Sounds promising," Noah said – he had been invited to join the afterschool activity.
"Mr Cooke's son goes to the Drama Club..." Dural started to say.
"Mr Cooke has a son?" Noah asked with shock.
After his very intimate encounter with the man, Noah assumed the man was gay. Plus the fact he attended gay EMARP events with naked boys and men. It just went to show that even well-meaning people like Noah make judgements about people based on very little information.
"Yea. His son is sixteen and totally hot. Like ten out of ten, smokin' hot!" Dural said.
"Yea, ok, take it easy," Jasper said possessively putting his arm around his boyfriend's waist; "I'm standing right here you know."
"Mr Cooke is cool," Jonas said.
"I'll go try this on then," Noah capitulated.
"Here, these too," Jonas added - giving Noah a pair of soft shoes to wear.
Noah exited the backstage and walked along the corridor leading alongside the assembly hall; it ended adjacent to the main corridor - in one direction was the reception and main school and in the other direction was the boys changing room and PE department.
Noah went into the toilets next to one of the school offices and locked the door - it was only now that he realised he'd need to walk back to the backstage in the skin-tight outfit. Noah hoped he wouldn't bump into anyone - figuratively or literally.
Unceremoniously, Noah removed his blazer, school tie and white shirt; he stood topless in the toilet and felt a thrill at undressing in school. He'd undressed and been naked in the boys changing room obviously but this was a ten second walk to the reception and main doors. Noah's shirtlessness so close to the main thoroughfare of the school excited him. Noah opened the door and peeked out, there was no-one around so he stepped back, put down the toilet seat and sat down to remove his shoes and socks without closing the door.
With this done, Noah hung the shirt, blazer and tie behind the door and put his shoes and socks underneath - out of sight and out of mind. Totally and completely out of his mind. This time, Noah peeked first and then stepped out into the corridor - barefoot and shirtless in school.
Noah knew what he was doing was risky and he'd be humiliated if any of his peers came upon him. Flashing back to Mr Bassett's office, he tried not to dwell on that possibility happening over the summer during the EVB event - but at the moment it was too exciting an opportunity to miss.
Noah had simulated an event like this in an EMARP scenario but this was real life. It gave him a 100% six-and-a-half-inch leaky boner. Noah stepped back into the toilet and unbuttoned and then unzipped his trousers, pulling open the fly so his briefs were exposed.
Most boys at school didn't wear briefs, they wore boxers. Briefs were childish and embarrassing. Noah was taller and broader and more muscled than he had been a year ago but it had all happened in proportion so he still looked boyish - just a bigger boy.
Noah pulled his trousers down and stepped out of them, adding them to the hook behind the door. Noah stepped into the main school corridor again and looked both ways. He was wearing only his little briefs in school, his almost hairless body exposed and at any moment a boy could come along from the changing rooms, exit the assembly hall or travel down from the main school block.
Noah's erection strained inside his briefs and he fondled the hard head, which gave an appreciative pulse of boy milk; his precum formed a dark spot on the pale blue briefs. Noah dared to put his hand inside his briefs, his fingers brushing through his fully grown but naturally petite bush of pubes.
He pulled his dick out completely and gave it a few tugs but then caution and fear finally got the better of him and he darted back into the toilet. Noah pulled his legs into the sheer bottom half of his costume.
Noah tucked his cock back into his briefs and then he pulled the tight fabric over his ass and then over his erect penis. The throbbing size and shape were emphasised but the details of his cock were muffled by his briefs.
The bottoms were skin-tight cycling shorts and only came to the middle of his calves, leaving the lower half of his legs bare and emphasising his totally smooth legs. His silky limbs were further emphasised by the off-white slip-on shoes he'd been given. They emphasised his skinny ankles and called attention to the exposed skin.
Noah pulled on the top part of the costume, which was equally sheer and tight, clinging to his skinny body but making the muscles he had pop quite beautifully. The sleeves, like the leggings, only covered half his forearms and helped to emphasise his petite and boyish physique.
He had expected the top leave his belly exposed or some other such ridiculous thing but it was a good length and overlapped the top of the waistline. The neckline of the top was scooped to reveal the golden skin of Noah's chest.
Finally dressed, Noah stepped out of the toilet and straight into two boys.
"Wow."
"Hello."
Both words were uttered with extended vowels. Noah blushed as the boys checked him out - his first thought was "thank fuck they hadn't come along two minutes ago." If they'd seen him in his pants and pulling his dick out, Noah would have died of embarrassment.
Noah recognised the boys from the year below him. When Noah moved up from the Lower Sixth to the Upper Sixth after the summer holidays, they would enter the Lower Sixth. They were fifteen, or only just sixteen, and Noah tried to remember their names. Marcel and...
"I'm Eko," said the tall black boy.
He wasn't wearing his blazer so Eko's dark skin contrasted against the brilliant white of his school shirt. He looked magnificent.
"Marcel," said the other boy.
He was cute, a little shorter than Eko, and was also without his blazer. Noah thought they looked like a cute couple - not that he had any reason to think they were a couple in the romantic sense.
"So... what's with the costume, Noah?" Eko asked.
"You know my name?" Noah asked.
"Sure. There are rumours about you," Marcel said matter-of-factly.
"We heard you shaved your pubes and everyone saw you totally hairless in PE," Eko said.
"Not that we believe every rumour but we like to imagine... that's true," Marcel added.
He deliberately left a pause between his words to highlight his interest in imagining Noah naked with no pubes. Or so Noah inferred. He found both boys interesting and they looked at him with open interest too. It took a few seconds to realise the reason why was his cock was still more than half hard.
Noah sheepishly covered his meaty but pliable schlong and blushed.
"Do you shave your legs?" Eko asked.
"No," Noah answered.
"That's cute," Marcel said with a titter.
The younger boys were giggling at him.
"I'm a magician's assistant for the talent show," Noah said - answering Eko's question from a moment ago. "I'm supposed to help Jonas with his tricks and distract the audience."
"I certainly think you'll do that," Marcel said with a chuckle.
"We were going back outside to watch the home team but magic looks much more interesting," Eko confessed; "Decisions, decisions; do we watch cute boys in shorts get sweaty on the football pitch or do we watch Noah in a skin-tight outfit on stage in front of over a hundred kids?"
"Definitely fleshlight Noah magic," Marcel said unashamedly.
"You mean skin-tight, you dolt," Eko chided.
"I know what I meant," Marcel quipped in reply.
"I need to go," Noah said.
"We'll see you later," Eko said and chuckled while observing Noah's ass wriggle away.
Returning backstage, Noah's boner had finally subsided but left a respectable flaccid lump in the front of the white and silver outfit. Noah's relief at not being hard anymore was short lived since all the boys backstage thought his outfit was hilarious and marvellous in equal measure.
Jonas was dressed in black trousers and a long black jacket; a black bowtie with a white shirt and he had a top hat on. He looked like he was trying to look like magician and if Noah hadn't been practicing with him for a few weeks, he would have thought Jonas was just having a laugh.
As it was, Noah knew Jonas was actually quite talented at sleight of hand and other classical stage magic tricks.
"Wow, that is some outfit," said Dural.
"I would have loved to borrow it after the act," Jasper said with a hint of regret.
"I was starting to think you weren't coming back," Jonas jumped in with a glare at Jasper.
Before Noah could respond to any of the comments, Mr Cooke stepped off stage and walked directly to them. He looked Noah up and down and then glanced at Jonas, he seemed to approve of Jonas's persuasive efforts to squeeze Noah into such a revealing costume.
"You boys are on after Senorita by Sean and Cam. You're the last act too... are you ready?" Mr Cooke asked.
"As we'll ever be," noted Jonas.
The first five minutes of the act went as it had throughout rehearsals; Jonas did most of the work and Noah stood nearby to hand him things and look pretty. This was not a difficult task. The lovely assistant was usually there to make an audience look at them while the magician subverted things elsewhere. It was hard for Noah to see everyone in the audience because the stage was brightly lit and the spectators area was in darkness. However, he could pick out some faces and the silhouettes of however many people were watching - it looked like more than a hundred and fifty to him.
The assembly of boys were made up of boys from Year 7 (twelve years old) to Year 13 (eighteen-year-old school leavers). From the height of the silhouettes, Noah guessed they were skewed towards the older year groups.
Noah had heard a few chuckles and woof whistles when he first came on but took it in his stride and ignored it. Noah felt silly in the stretchy, skin-tight top and leggings which exposed his limp penis but he tried to ignore the attention. Another few minutes were spent on more complex tricks and Noah knew the act was winding up to its conclusion.
In days to come Noah would contemplate why he hadn't seen the next thing coming.
"And now for one final trick," Jonas said. "A disappearing act."
Noah was confused because they hadn't practiced any suck trick.
"My lovely assistant will help me bring in the Vanishing Box," Jonas added.
Noah followed Jonas and then questioned him in a hushed voice.
"What is this trick? We didn't practice anything like this," Noah worried.
"Just go with it," Jonas offhandedly muttered.
"That sounds ominous," Noah confessed.
They'd just reached the back of the stage where Jasper pushed a box into view; Jonas kissed Noah's cheek and then nibbled his earlobe.
"You're going to love this," Jonas promised.
As with all of Noah's EMARP events, he was given very little foreknowledge so when whatever happened happened, it was surprising and exciting. This was very much the same but the audience were his peers - boys at his own school. Noah was scared and thrilled at the same time. He helped Jonas position the box at the front of the stage – it was half and foot taller than Noah and wide enough for elbow room.
Jonas turned the box to demonstrate it was quite ordinary and then left it facing the audience. It was impossible to see inside but from Noah's vantage point he knew there was a door at the front and back; he knew this because Dural had been inside and slipped out the back without the audience seeing him. Moments later, Jonas revealed the front door was divided into three sections (top, middle and bottom). He opened and closed each in turn and then opened the whole door as one.
"My lovely assistant will now step inside the Vanishing Box," Jonas said.
Noah stepped inside and faced the rapt spectators. They all sensed a great trick was about to be pulled - but the trick was very much on Noah. Jonas closed the door again so Noah was hidden from view. Jonas tapped the entire box with a magic wand – Noah could hear it from inside the box.
"By the powers of the Five Dukes, I command you to vanish," Jonas said.
Noah recognised this as a spell of trouble in the making, he just didn't know how yet. Jonas opened the box to reveal nothing had happened and since Noah had been given no instructions, he hadn't moved or done anything. Laughter at the failure of the trick was not cruel but if it hadn't been part of the plan, it would have hurt Jonas' feelings.
"Oops. Something went wrong. Let me try something else," Jonas said.
He closed the doors again and that's when something happened.
Noah could hear Jonas talking again but he was more aware of the back of the box opening; he half turned but before he could get very far the firm hand of Dural was on his shoulder. Noah remained in position and felt the collar of his stretchy outfit being pulled - seconds later he felt scissors slice down the spine.
Too shocked to react, Noah passively allowed Dural to pull each sleeve and the top fell at the front but was whipped away by Dural, leaving Noah topless. The whole thing had taken seconds and the door behind him closed. A few taps on the box indicated Jonas was ready to open the front door again and Noah braced himself.
"By the powers of the Five Dukes, I command you to vanish," Jonas incanted for a second time.
The top door opened to reveal Noah's head – an unruly mop of blonde hair – bare shoulders and exposed chest. The silence transformed from pensive anticipation to stunned.
"Oops. Well, I sure made something disappear," joked Jonas.
The crowd laughed heartily, more than the joked warranted - as people were wont to do when surprised and unsure how else to react. Jonas opened the rest of the doors to show Noah was otherwise intact.
For a boy who thrived on exposure, Noah felt incredibly exposed. He was only topless and still had on the stretchy but skin-tight cycling shorts and soft shoes. However, Noah felt exposed: his skinny and hairless chest and slim waist, his bellybutton bereft of a treasure trail down to the shorts where a boy lump filled the front.
Someone catcalled from the gloomy hall, others chuckled, someone else commented on his nipples and everyone thought it was a marvellous trick. It was a silly boys game and the boys were entertained by it.
"I'll try again," Jonas promised as he closed all the doors.
The moment the front was closed again, the back door opened and Noah felt the waistband of his skin-tight shorts being pulled and then the scissors sliced through the ass of the fabric and then down the left leg. In less than ten seconds, the other leg was sliced too and the leggings were not only destroyed but spirited away.
Dural had worked while Jonas rambled on. Piece by piece, Noah was being stripped in front of an audience of schoolboy peers.
Dural closed the back door of the Vanishing Box - then he opened it again and tugged at Noah's feet. Noah relented and allowed each shoe to be pulled off, then Dural closed the back door again and remained hidden from the audience behind the box. He was enjoying his role in Jonas's act and in Noah's humiliation but he regretted that he was missing the unveiling - luckily, Jasper was recording it.
"By the powers of the Five Dukes, I command you to vanish," Jonas said yet again.
Noah heard a few taps from the magic wand and mumbo jumbo muttered by Jonas then the bottom door opened. There was no silence this time - Noah couldn't see the spectators but Jonas had watched the fervent anticipation and they were ready for something. Instead of silence, there were giggles as Noah's hairless legs and bare feet appeared. The bottom door exposed enough of Noah's thighs - his creamy, silky, baby-smooth, hair-free thighs – to reveal the shorts were gone but his choice of undies was yet to be revealed.
"Something must be wrong with my powers," Jonas said.
This raised more laughter from the schoolboys. How many were going to see him, Noah wondered? Today? More than one hundred but less than two hundred. That was a big number for Noah to contemplate.
Once the giggles died down, Jonas opened the top door to show Noah was still topless and despite his blushing he was smiling too. His heart was beating fast because only the middle door stood between Noah's underpants and the assembly of boys.
"Nice baby legs," someone mocked.
Jonas opened the middle door to unveil Noah standing in the box in just his little briefs. Noah could see boys blush, cringe and squirm on his behalf. Some boys half covered their eyes, some looked away but always they returned for another look at the sixteen-year-old in boys 14-16 size briefs.
"Briefs," someone laughed.
"My little brother wears briefs," someone else said.
The onlookers were embarrassed on Noah's behalf because they could imagine if it were them on stage being seen by boys they sat next to in English class. Witnesses, that was how Noah thought of them - they were the keenest and more mortifying of witnesses out of all his adventures so far.
There were twelve years olds in the audience with legs as smooth as his and the older boys would be smirking at his boyishness.
Noah could feel the way they looked at his sixteen-year-old body - flawless and smooth - but also the scrutiny on his briefs. Noah remained embarrassingly flaccid, his briefs displaying barely a lump. Was it more embarrassing to be soft or hard in this situation? On balance Noah thought being soft made him look more pathetic and boys were more likely to think he had a small dick.
"I can fix this, Noah. Don't worry," said Jonas.
Noah was worried.
Noah expected him to close the doors again but Jonas stepped in front of the box and gently took one of Noah's wrists; elevating his arm, Noah found his wrist secured to a cuff on the top edge of the box. This was repeated with the other wrist too - now Noah was topless with his scant armpits on show and his nipples hardening. He couldn't cover up his barely covered groin even if he wanted to.
"I think you're moving around too much and the Vanishing Box can be very sensitive," Jonas explained. "So the restraints will keep you in place while we vanish you properly this time."
Yea right!
Jonas grinned at Noah as he closed the bottom door, then the middle door and before his head and shoulders were obscured again, Jonas winked. Noah's last sight of the audience was of rapt attention and metaphorical finger crossing. They all hoped for more but absolutely no-one actually expected it. Only one piece of clothing remained but they would never be allowed to vanish at a high school talent show. They all thought Noah would disappear this time. Every single schoolboy witness fully expected Noah would vanish - any other outcome was unthinkable. This was a high school talent show, no-one would allow things to go any farther. It has already gone father than they could have possibly hoped for.
Noah knew better - he'd already been told Mr Cooke was the only invigilator left. With the front doors closed, Dural opened the back and snipped one side of Noah's briefs.
"If you tell me to stop, I'll stop," Dural promised.
"Dural..." Noah said, pausing for effect. "Take my briefs away."
He'd been thinking about it and had hoped he'd be offered the opportunity to rescue the remains of his dignity but deep down the exhibitionist in Noah was aching for this exposure.
"I was hoping you'd feel that way," admitted Dural.
"I'll be completely naked..." Noah whispered almost to himself.
Dural snipped the other side of the briefs and whipped them away. Unsatisfied with just this, Dural slid his hand up the right side of Noah's back and half-patted, half massaged his armpit. Next, Dural slid his hand back down, this time across Noah's pectoral, nipple, ribs and pausing at the hip. The nude sixteen-year-old was breathing excitedly as Dural's hand moved from Noah's right hip to his admirably flaccid penis.
It was a superpower that Noah didn't pop an instant boner every time he was naked - Dural got hard just thinking about being naked. Noah felt his limp dick being tugged - unable to do anything since his hands were still bound above his head - and it filled out. Dural didn't want Noah hard though, but he eased back the foreskin to expose the head of Noah's penis.
"Noah... Everyone is going to see your dick," Dural whispered excitedly.
Dural was looking forward to watching the recording of the big unveiling later - Jasper was capturing the whole event and they were going to fuck each other's brains out while watching it. Dural closed the door and Jonas finished his spell of trouble.
"By the powers of the Five Dukes, I command you to vanish," Jonas said and Noah could hear the excitement in his voice.
Only then did it occur to Noah that Dural's offer - to complete the strip or oversee Noah's escape - was not a predetermined outcome. Jonas did not know if his Vanishing Box had finally worked and Noah had slipped out the backdoor and out of view or if Noah would be naked inside.
Jonas wasted no more time. This time when he opened the front of the Vanishing Box, he opened the door as one. Noah was revealed to the entire assembly hall of schoolboys and he was totally, full-frontally naked before his peers.
There was no reaction at first. Noah's eyes swam over the silent witnesses to his nudity - there couldn't be more boys there but it seemed like they had multiplied. He knew this sense was nothing more than his brain making sense of the magnitude of what he'd just done to himself.
He wondered why he had agreed to let Dural strip him - would Noah have agreed if he hadn't had the conversation in Mr Bassett's office earlier in the week? Would Noah have agreed if he hadn't already submitted himself for nudism, as a nude ambassador for the school, on Five Dukes beach during the summer?
Jasper was amongst the crowd of schoolboys watching as Noah was revealed - and it was a beautiful sight. Noah's arms were cuffed above his head, exposing his armpits and the little tufts of hair in them that were virtually invisible at this distance and in the onstage lighting. Noah's legs and chest were totally hairless and smooth, glistening in the aforementioned lights. Noah's nipples were gorgeous, brown, penny-sized circles against golden skin.
The patch of pubes above Noah's penis was small and neat, fully re-grown after past shaving but still diminutive. Noah's flaccid penis was three inches long, the head peeking out from the foreskin and his testes hanging underneath; his left ball sagged slightly lower in the sac but the asymmetry was charming.
"Oh my fucking god!"
The words cut through the room and perfectly articulated the feelings over every teenage spectator in the hall. They could hardly believe Noah was standing there revealed like that and as Noah grasped their disbelief, he gasped that he should not be so inactive to his exposure.
Noah turned and twisted his legs, trying to cover his penis with his knee and feeling his dick pressed between his thighs as he struggled to cover himself. Somehow, the fact his feet were bare added to the image – from his toes and svelte ankles to his pretty face, there was no part of him that was not exposed.
"Holy crap."
Pointing.
"Jesus."
Sniggering.
"Wow."
Faces covered.
"Little dick."
Cringing.
"Oh my god... Noah... You're... you're totally naked!" Jonas wailed theatrically.
Boys laughed.
"I made your clothes vanish," Jonas said unnecessarily. "I'm sorry, you must be so embarrassed."
"Jonas... do something," Noah said with genuine mortification in his voice.
"Yea, use more magic. Maybe his pubes will disappear."
"Everyone can see me..." Noah shrieked.
"Yea, every inch of you."
"Every three inches."
Even Jonas was laughing now (but trying not to) and the room was going mad as they watched the helpless teen writhing around – boxed in on three sides and exposed fully on the only side that mattered.
"Well I didn't mean for that to happen," Jonas said innocently. "Let me try something."
Jonas squatted in front of Noah and released clips on either side of Noah's bare feet.
"Kiss his dick."
"Please get wood, Noah!"
As he straightened up, Jonas nuzzled Noah's dick but he knew no-one would see - they could only see the back of Jonas's head and were too far away to judge how close his face was to Noah's crotch. When Jonas stood up, he released clips at the top corners of the box too and then stood back again.
"The box is supposed to collapse when the lovely assistant vanishes," Jonas commented.
"Well, he's certainly lovely."
Noah blushed at this and he wasn't sure if he imagined it or not but he thought he saw the flash of a mobile phone. Strictly speaking, the boys were only allowed their phones at break times so they should be in lockers or schoolbags right now.
Noah couldn't bear thinking about how many pictures might spread if the no phone rule had been broken. Having said that, anyone sensible would know they'd be expelled for sharing such an image which only meant the pics would be in someone's private collection.
"I'm so embarrassed the trick went wrong," Jonas commented.
Comments from the crowd continued.
"You're embarrassed?!"
"Not as much as Noah."
"Ok. Let's try this," Jonas said and he muttered an incantation. "By the power of Five Dukes..."
Jonas tapped the box sharply. The box shuddered just a little but all that happened was the doors at the back spring open. Even in the dark of the crowded assembly hall, Noah could see Dural was now amongst them. He must have sneaked away while the audience were distracted.
A classic technique in magic.
Jonas pulled the front doors all the way back so they folded against the side on Noah's left and then he folded the back doors against the side on Noah's right.
Noah remained secured and exposed and the witnesses were spellbound to watch. From those attracted to Noah to those squirming at his ordeal to those who were simply enthralled by his humiliation – everyone watched. Noah had stopped trying to conceal his penis and a look down showed the head continued to peek out and the three inches dangled without any hope of being covered.
"Well the trick went wrong again," Jonas said with frustration and then he made an "hmm" thinking noise.
He grabbed the front edge of the box and spun it around - with the back now open, the audience were treated to the sight of Noah's bare arse. Jonas was determined to expose Noah from every angle. The lighting on stage meant that between his legs, Noah's dangling balls could be seen between his silky thighs.
"Fucking hell."
Giggles.
"I'd fuck that."
Muttering.
"I bet that hole is the tightest..."
"You can't put this video on the school nimbus."
Laughing out loud.
"I have one more idea," Jonas said.
Jonas was satisfied that the boys had admired Noah's bare arse for long enough so he spun it around so Noah was exposed full-frontally again.
"We need energy," Jonas said; "We need energy to power the box."
What the fuck is Jonas talking about now?
"Noah, try to concentrate on someone you find attractive," Jonas said.
Oh no!
"Imagine they are here right now. A boy you really fancy and want to kiss, maybe?" Jonas continued.
"Ohhh, sexual energy!"
More sniggers.
"Yes, sexual energy! Imagine you're having sex with them right now..." Jonas preached like a quack televangelist.
Noah had always had a knack for not getting instantly hard when naked - possibly because he spent so much time naked. Perhaps also because, for him, nudity was not always sexual - Noah was comfortable naked and... proud too.
As Jonas continued, Noah thought sexy thoughts and went along with Jonas' plan. Noah's penis started to get firm and lengthen, ticking up in little contractions.
"Holy fuck, he's getting a stiffy!"
Noah's penis swelled and hardened, finally becoming a full-blown six-inch dick. Noah had another half inch to go but already it was getting wet. Noah could feel his magnificent ability to spew precum begin to churn inside his balls.
"Noah's getting a boner," someone said in a sing-song voice.
As Noah's cock reached full size - just over six and a half inches - the foreskin pulled fully behind the glans. Noah looked down to witness the leaking of a sticky trail of precum.
An impressed whistle sounded.
Awed hush made a lot of noise.
"Wow, he's a big boy!"
"Shit!"
Noah contracted his bulbospongiosus muscle so it leapt to life, slapping noisily against Noah's bare tummy in the silent assembly hall.
A gluey streak of precum was left just above his bellybutton and a second voluntary spasm of the muscle resulted in the release of a scoosh of pre-ejaculate.
"I think we have enough sexual energy now," Jonas said.
In a flash, the front doors were closed and Noah's raging hard-on was hidden to the disappointment of everyone. You didn't have to be gay to appreciate Noah's beauty or the cruelty of his exposure - not that Noah thought it was cruel; Noah had started with trepidations but he was fucking loving it now.
Jonas walked to the back of the box, now hidden from view and he turned a clip on the cuff and pulled sharply, releasing it. Next Jonas slid a panel that Noah hadn't even noticed; it was designed so that if you looked in from the front or back, it would appear you were seeing the entire interior of the box but actually one could hide behind it. To avoid suspicion of tampering, Jonas had been at the back of the box for only five seconds. However, by now no-one was questioning how the trick was being done, Jonas was only keeping up appearances. Jonas closed the doors at the back and addressed the audience.
"Do we think we have enough energy in the vanishing box now?" Jonas asked.
A cheer of affirmative resounded.
Where had Mr Cooke been through all this? That was what Noah suddenly wondered but then Noah knew the man was a dirty gay who had probably enjoyed it as much as the teenage boys had.
"I'll turn the box, tell me when to stop," Jonas told the crowd.
Three turns and Noah felt a tiny bit dizzy. Jonas stopped on command and tapped the front of the box, giving Noah enough time to hide behind the interior panel.
"By the power of Five Dukes, Vanish!" Jonas called.
He pulled the doors open and Noah appeared to be gone. Jonas turned the box to everyone could see he wasn't hidden behind it and when he stopped.
"He's gone!" Jonas declared; "Noah has vanished."
"Yea, but is he still naked?"
The audience laughed and Noah saw the funny side too.
As he was wheeled off stage, safely hidden in the box, Noah heard Mr Cooke (so he had seen the whole thing) declare the judges would take ten minutes to decide the winners of the talent completion.
Off stage, Noah was released from the box, stepping out onto the cool floor of the backstage. Noah hadn't realised how hot he was but his feet were sweaty on the floor and under the lights his skin shone.
Noah looked around at the stunned faces of the other acts but up close, they seemed almost afraid to approach and didn't know what to say. Noah wasn't fully hard anymore but his floppy dick remained long. There were plenty of curious, subtle and attempted-covert glances at his penis and bare bum.
"Can I get dressed now?" Noah asked.
Noah was self-aware enough to know when an act of insanity had run its course.
"Of course you can," Jonas said breezily. "You did great. Thank you."
Jonas embraced him, but despite Noah's suspicions of the cuddle, it was entirely non-sexual, though Noah could feel Jonas' erection in his trousers.
"Will you get my clothes..." Noah started to ask.
"I need to be backstage in case Mr Cooke or the student judging panel have questions about my act," Jonas said dismissively.
He was lying of course - he just wanted to watch Noah leave the backstage while still naked. Never one to subvert such an expectation, Noah departed.
The corridor alongside the assembly hall was free of boys and at the end, he peeked into the main corridor. In the direction of the reception and main school, there was no-one in sight and he spotted nobody in the direction of the boys changing room and PE department either.
Noah stepped into the main corridor - naked, sweaty and the head of his dick still messy - and darted towards the toilet with his clothes inside.
Of course, his clothes were not inside.
They were gone.
Fuck!
Noah had a quick panic - even if he went back to Jonas, would the fellow sixteen-year-old take pity on him and give him something to wear? His underpants had been destroyed and so had the skin-tight costume so he didn't even have those to put on. For all Noah knew, it was Jonas who had taken his clothes.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," said a cheery voice.
Noah looked around the door and saw Marcel and Eko grinning at him. Something like relief swept over him, despite the suspicious smiling.
"Have you got my clothes?" Noah asked while hidden behind the door.
"Your voice is too muffled behind that door, come on out," Eko said.
Noah groaned and stepped out. The younger boys ogled him and the attraction was very obvious.
"Have you got my clothes?" Noah pleaded, covering his dick with his hands.
"Yes," said Marcel.
"Don't cover up, we want to see," Eko added excitedly.
Noah uncovered and asked, "I assume I need to do something to get them back?"
"We won't make you," Eko said warily but he clearly was not averse to sexual favours if offered.
"You are the hottest boy we've ever seen," Marcel jumped in. "We want to touch it and watch you cum..."
"But we won't make you," Eko repeated.
Noah chuckled at their innocent and wide-eyed, sex inspired interest. Noah's hands let go of his genitals – no longer protecting them from view and instead working to reach full arousal. Noah minded his surroundings – this was not EMARP - he was in the school corridor so he wasted no time in getting hard again.
Noah was so excited that he knew it would not take long and he didn't want to spend lots of time naked and masturbating in front of two teenage boys in the main school corridor.
The coast remained clear while Noah pumped his fist over the head of his dick, making slick and wet slapping noises as the natural lube spread over his cock. Precum was cast off in messy flecks and it leaked over Noah's hand to add to the wet handhold of his cock.
Tentatively, Marcel reached out and Noah let go of his cock for the younger teen to touch. They were late fifteen or sixteen – only a year younger than Noah – yet it was exciting to be touched by a younger boy. Marcel took a hold of the head of Noah's dick with spread fingers, which he swept over the sensitive tip like he was tweaking the volume knob on a retro sound system.
Noah moaned with pleasure and when Marcel let go, he tasted his sticky fingers.
Eko gripped Noah's shaft with a firm grip and gave it a couple of pleasurable tugs; Noah thought he was going to cum on the boy's hand but Eko let go and also took an experimental taste of Noah's boy juice.
"That's not your first time," Noah addressed them both.
"It's our first time tasting yours," Eko said smoothly.
"You can finish now," Marcel said magnanimously.
"Better not make a mess though," Eko said with a sly grin.
Noah had just the mess-prevention method in mind. Noah jerked his cock while the boys watched and when he came, it was into his hand. The pool of cum splashed in his palm and filled and then overflowed. Noah brought his hand to his mouth and ate the whole wad of jizz and then collected another discharge which he squeezed from the eye of his dick. The boys watched Noah eat his own spunk and pulled his clothes from a backpack.
Without a word, Noah took the clothes and stepped into the toilet. He leaned against the door in shock and awe and overstimulation. Gradually calming down, Noah got dressed - without his underpants - and exited the toilet. Marcel and Eko were gone so Noah returned backstage.
Everyone was looking at him still and Noah supposed he'd need to get used to that over the coming year. The same people might see him naked on the beach for the Europeans Visiting Britain event before next term began and everyone who had seen the magic show would never forget having seen Noah naked and hard.
"I'm a little bit worried," Noah confessed to Jonas.
Jonas gave a blank expression but he wasn't stupid - he knew nicely what Noah was worried about.
"How many boys saw me? What if they tell..." Noah said but left the sentence hanging.
"There were one hundred and forty boys but mostly school leavers and Upper Sixth," Jonas replied.
Older teens, Noah thought - that was reassuring. They were less prone to spilling the beans accidentally. Older boys knew how and when to keep secrets and stay quiet - how else would bullying fester and secret romances thrive?
"Besides, Dural and Jasper have been working the crowd," Jonas said. "There's value in keeping this a secret but I guess you'll be an unnamed urban legend by next term. Kinda like your shaved look in the changing room is an open secret but still a secret."
Noah supposed this was true - after all he'd shaved his pubes off twice and it wasn't a water cooler moment yet Marcel and Eko demonstrated the Year 11 boys had heard about it. Was Noah so self-absorbed, he was unaware of rumours about himself at school?
How would Noah handle the day when rumours became public knowledge?
"And now for the awards," said Mr Cooke - his voice amplified from a microphone on stage.
Noah was pulled into the excited huddle of students as the acts gathered around supportively and waited for the announcement.
"The third prize goes to..." Mr Cooke said. "Japer and Dural for their dramatic piece, Bromio and Jules Cishet."
The backstage acts cheered and clapped and when the boys went on stage, the audience showed their love as well. Clapping, cheering and whooping when the boys kissed again.
"The second prize goes to..." Mr Cooke teased; "Freddie and Atomic Number 80 for their rendition of Don't Stop Me Now."
More cheers and more clapping.
"And the winner of this year's talent show..." Mr Cooke said.
"As if there's any doubt," murmured one boy - enviously, not bitterly.
"Everything he does is magic, even when it doesn't go to plan," Mr Cooke suggested; "Jonas Vale and his lovely assistant Noah McNelis."
Noah didn't want to go back on stage but he was virtually dragged. Back in front of everyone, their cheers, whistles, claps and thumbs up was overwhelming. He couldn't help but smile but was also aghast at just how many people had seen his penis. With the lights up, the hall looked massive.
"Jonas, how were your tricks done?" asked Mr Cooke as the lead judge.
"A magician never shares his secrets," Jonas replied.
Mr Cook turned on Noah next - he couldn't help himself.
"Noah, we're glad you didn't vanish permanently," Mr Cooke said with a smirk. "It is the real you, isn't it? We can hardly recognise you with your clothes on."
Noah took the gentle mockery in good humour – the audience laughed, Jonas breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't in trouble and Noah pretended not to notice Mr Cooke's domineering interest. Noah met his friends outside the main entrance and Noah attracted multiple looks and smiles and a few passing comments. However, the excitement of school being over for the summer largely exceeded the interest in a boy who was no longer noticed.
"You should do that every year," Matty said, giving Noah a hug.
Toby patted Noah's back, Ronan grinned encouragingly and Samir smiled supportively but fleetingly. Noah got the impression that Samir felt a little awkward about it – Samir had revealed he was asexual seven months ago, though it didn't come up very often.
It must be hard for Samir, with all his other friends exploring their sexuality. Sam was exploring his too in a way but the others (Noah, Matty, Ronan and even Toby) had a physical dimension to their exploration that coincided when Noah did insane things like getting naked and hard on the school stage.
"Did I make you uncomfortable, Sam?" Noah asked Samir seriously.
"No... it was weird and it didn't do anything for me but everyone else seemed to enjoy it," Sam commented.
"What did you feel when you saw me?" Noah enquired curiously. "What do you think when you see sex like that?"
They were walking across the school courtyard, leaving for the summer – after which they'd been in Year 13, the Upper Sixth, their final year of high school.
"I thought you were mad. And I thought whoever did that to you must be mad too," Samir confessed. "Don't get me wrong, l I can see why you're aesthetically pleasing..."
"Wow, that sounded like damming with faint praise," Noah interrupted jovially.
"Well, I mean... imagine you're watching a movie with a hot girl in it. You don't fancy her but you probably see why straight boys like the boobies," Samir justified his comment.
<<This conversation was totally worth it just to hear Samir say, straight boys like the boobies.>>
Mateo laughed, "Samir said boobies."
"Please say other naughty words," Toby said teasingly.
It was all in good humour – Sam knew none of them were making fun of him for his asexuality and therefore sexual inexperience. They just thought him saying "boobies" was funny because he never used sexually orientated words. And they were all kind of immature.
"Penis. Vulva. Vajazzle. Foreskin..." Samir offered genially.
<<Smegma. Gentle warts. Anal leaking.>>
Ronan laughed at the list going on only in his head and Noah cast him a quizzical look. It was the look he had started getting since admitting he heard a voice in his head; it was the look that reminded him his behaviour was sometimes just slightly peculiar. However, the others were giggling too at Samir's list so Ronan's laugh was hidden in plain sight – yet Noah had guessed.
"Cum shot... Autagonistophilia," Samir added with a pointed look at Noah.
<>
"I don't know how you know this stuff," Ronan muttered.
Ronan had once looked up fetishes on Wikipedia and assumed the knowledge was buried somewhere in the back of his mind. Maybe the back of his mind met the front of Herman's mind?
"Pardon?" Samir asked.
"Sorry. Nothing... I was just thinking out loud," Ronan covered himself.
<<Well they're never going to believe you think anything.>>
The condescending voice cast a grim look on Ronan's face and he was embarrassed by the sympathetic look Noah gave him – again knowing he was listening to the voice. For a moment Ronan considered telling everyone about Herman and the omnipresent commentary and criticism but would they all look at him like that? Noah meant well (he was worried) but Ronan didn't want to be looked at like that by everyone.
<<You'll never be ready to tell the others. They'll stop loving you if you do.>>
"So, now school is out for summer... what should we do?" Noah asked.
Noah had a few weeks before the EVB event. He still wasn't sure how to feel about assisting schoolboys from across Europe. Last summer, Noah had been naked on a beach in Bellepeau in the south of France; nudism on the beach at Barron's Bay a few miles from home was a different thing entirely. Noah's discomfort about being a naked ambassador was nothing compared to his feelings about...
"We're all going on a summer holiday," Mateo sang.
Noah hadn't really thought much about summer holidays. He had been looking forward to the six and a half weeks off but the McNelis family didn't have plans this year. Daniel was away for a lads holiday and dad was sure to be home in a few weeks.
Noah had failed to think about the time he'd be apart from his friends who, he assumed, would have some plans to get away from Five Dukes.
"Where all you all going this year?" Noah asked.
"I'm going to Spain for three weeks to see my cousins," Mateo reported.
Mateo spent many of his summer staying with family in Spain and always came back looking even more sun kissed than usual.
"You're going to India, aren't you Samir?" Toby asked.
Sam had mentioned it a few weeks ago but the way Toby asked it was odd. Toby was rather hoping no-one asked him about his plans.
"Yes. We haven't seen my grandparents for a few years," Samir answered.
Noah missed his friends when they were out of the country during the summer and he hoped that they missed him too. Their holidays all over lapped so he could go most of the summer without seeing some of them.
"Are you going anywhere, Toby?" Noah asked with an affectionate nudge.
Toby looked a little uncomfortable and Noah didn't understand why. Ronan was oblivious, meandering on autopilot but Mateo and Sam shared a look. How could he not know Toby's plans for the summer?
"I'm going to Jerusalem... We're going to the Western Wall," Toby replied.
The Western Wall – or the Wailing Wall – was the holiest place in the world for Jews to pray. It was a venerated place of pilgrimage and Noah was happy for Toby to see such an important place of faith.
"We're all away for half the summer, so you're going to have to play with other boys," Mateo joked.
Mateo seemed to have known about Toby's plans before Noah did and, perhaps selfishly, Noah was hurt that Toby hadn't told him sooner – had their friendship had slipped so far that he didn't know about something this important to his best friend?
Toby hadn't told him.
Noah hadn't asked.
"You're going on a pilgrimage?" Noah asked – unable to keep the hurt from his voice.
Toby should have told him. Noah should have asked.
"Yea. I'm going with mum and dad and a friend from Synagogue..." Toby said.
Toby knew why Noah sounded hurt but didn't address it – to do so would open a can of worms and he didn't want to argue.
"Wow, that sounds amazing Toby," Noah replied sincerely.
"Thanks," Toby replied.
"Also, I'm sure lots of boys will want to play with me," Noah added to Mateo.
The boys latched onto the humour and continued to joke but Noah saw a stab of guilt in Toby's eyes – he had thought the same thing about the lack of sharing between them. However, the demands on Noah's attention were incessant and opportunities to talk about such important things were few and far between. This was what Toby told himself at least – in his heart he knew it was a sign of damage to their friendship that had never property healed. He was making excused – they both were.
Toby had handled thoughts about his sexuality badly and gotten angry at Noah who breezed through his coming out with gay abandon – pun intended. Noah and Toby were friends again since talking about Toby's struggle with being gay but they weren't what they used to be.
It made them both feel sad.
The worst part was that Toby felt better about himself. He had met someone special who had put things in perspective but he hadn't shared that with Noah. He used to share everything with Noah. Noah was so wrapped up in his world, he hadn't even noticed that Toby had accepted himself... more or less. His parents still didn't know – Toby wasn't ready to tell them but he was ready to be who he was.
"I'm not going anywhere this summer," Ronan reported gloomily. "My parents want to go to New Zealand..."
Noah was comforted by the idea that Ronan would be around all summer and appreciated the bond he seemed to have developed with Ronan over the last ten months or so.
"And you don't want to go?" Samir asked incredulously.
"I've been four times," Ronan defended himself; "And I think it would be cool to be home alone."
"Are they going to go then? Leave you all alone in the house unsupervised?" Mateo asked with obvious interest.
"No parties," Ronan replied.
<<Spoil sport!>>
"Awww," Mateo moaned petulantly.
"Why don't you all come over to mine on Saturday? Dan and Jamie are on a lad's holiday," Noah revealed.
"Sounds great. Will there be junk food?" Samir asked.
"Is there another kind of food?" Noah replied jokingly.
As the boys discussed feeding time at casa McNelis, Noah's thoughts shifted to another engagement he had on Saturday. He had an EMARP to attend – he hadn't participated in one since May so he was looking forward to it and whatever outlandish scenario Mr Godetia had in mind for him...
Next week is the final chapter! I know, I'm sad too. Next week is a massive chapter and I hope everyone enjoys it – it's never too late to email me, comment on by blog or visit my newTumbl to message me. Stay up to date on my upcoming projects by checking our my blog.
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Email me: niftyencomiums@gmail.com
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My stories so far: https://www.nifty.org/nifty/authors.html#jforrester
Chronological order: School Exhibitionism, The Symposium, The Embarrassment of Riches and Do As You're Told. Also see: Anthology.
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