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A Stepbrother's Desire - Josh and Tyson 44
A lot of decisions were made in a short amount of time. Bryce came out of the hospital bragging about his six stitches. Both my family and his met with Brett's parents and District Attorney. It was agreed that Brett did not deliberately stab Bryce and that it was just a consequence of trying to restrain him so no charges were filed. The Winters finally agreed that Brett needed elevated care and, using advice from the Chatleys, were going to send him to the institute in Northern Virginia that helped their daughter Julia so much. I will be the first to admit this is a soft response for a knife wielding threat and that it would be perceived that rich people know how to keep their kids out of trouble. In reality, any other kids would have gone to jail and possibly prison. Bill explained it to Ty and me that on occasion, the justice system does the right thing and reflecting on what Keith Burch told me, it made sense. There is a distinct difference between someone who intends on committing a crime and someone who doesn't.
In any case, Sunday was a very quiet day. No one wanted to speak or do anything. The trip out to the county was canceled. I had a long talk with my friend, Diesel Gray, sitting on the floor of my bedroom. I hashed out what had occurred the night before and he was shocked. But more importantly, we hashed out this past year and all the changes including me being gay.
"Hey, just one question," Diesel said to me. "Dude, did you ever check out my crotch? I mean, did you peek?"
"I'm not even going to answer that, you fool!" I barked. "Mainly to leave you wondering!" and he cracked up laughing.
There was some commotion at school on Monday, word having gotten out. Most of the energy was directed towards Ty and Bryce, which was fine by me. I walked quietly into Mr. Burch's class and immediately, he whispered, "lunch tomorrow?" I replied, "yes, please." Then, a student aide walked in and handed Mr. Burch a note. He looked up and said, "Josh, can you head over to Principal Dillard's office? Thanks." and my heart sank. "What now!" I thought. No one said anything as I stuffed my backpack and headed out. As I walked down the stairs at the end of the hall, I met Ty.
"Dillard?" he said.
"Yeah," I replied. He looked like he was about to cry so I held his hand as we descended. When we entered the secretary's office, she showed us into his office. Mom was sitting there talking to the principal quietly.
"Hey guys," she said lightly.
"Oh God," Ty groaned. I cracked up.
"Take a seat gentlemen," Dillard said. We sat across from his desk.
"Boys, I know you have had a dramatic weekend and I'm very glad everyone is safe. Again, I regret you had to go through that but I believe the situation is resolved so I don't have more to say about it, unless you have any questions." We both shook our heads that we did not.
"Ty, you have been through a lot this year, certainly more than you deserve. Now, more than ever, I am glad we postponed your Diversity and Inclusion participation to next Fall. I am certain, once the dust has settled, you are going to have much to consider. Diversity and Inclusion means much more than just being nice to gay kids. I believe you understand this already but will understand it more as you ponder it further," Dillard said, thoughtfully. "What I am envisioning for you next year will exceed the normal "guest speaker" role at a rally. I am working on a plan that will put you in charge of the program and of the committee. It will be the first time we have used a student in that role and, unless things go south between now and then, I think you should be the first. I want you to run the program on behalf of Brumfield High. Do you have thoughts?" Ty's eyes were as big as golf balls.
"That's wonderful, Ty. A real honor!" said mom, patting his arm.
"Wow," said Ty, quickly. "I didn't see that coming but, yes, I'm honored. There is a lot I could say but I think now is a good time for me to be quiet. Thank you for offering it, Principal," Ty said excitedly.
"Good," said Dillard. "That makes an excellent segue into why I brought you here. Prom is right around the corner and I think now is a good time to level the playing field."
"What?" I barked. "We've just barely escaped from an episode from The Bates Motel and now we're being led off to prom? That's a quick turn of events!" I exploded.
"Cut the sarcasm!" barked Mom. "The principal is more a friend to you than you realize!" she snapped.
"Do you care to remain between them, Ty?" the principal said with a chuckle.
"It's our new norm," said Ty.
Having thought about my outburst, I responded. "I apologize, Principal Dillard. I'm chasing rabbits today and I was rude. I'm sorry," and I looked over at mom who was glaring at me. "Sorry mom," I said. Her look softened.
"Thank you, Josh. I appreciate that," she said.
"So boys, moving forward, the school does not have a policy against same sex attendance for any school functions including prom. We haven't had any incidents that have caused the Board to consider ways to limit or restrict. In your case, however, I think some care may be warranted. Do you plan on attending this year's prom?" he asked.
"Yes sir," said Ty.
"Well then, this is my thinking. First, we don't want prom to become a media circus. It would certainly diminish the "rite of passage" for the many and could lead the Board to reconsider their policies. Secondly, Josh, you will graduate and will be gone," which I hated being reminded of. "Ty will remain and will have an important role next year. I don't want anything to "go south" on us putting all our reputations on the line. So, unless you have a plan for me, I thought I might make some suggestions. Karen, thoughts?" he asked.
"Oh Ed, Bill and I are at a loss for how to handle this. We have discussed it several times but couldn't come up with anything. We don't want to take it away but these two, walking hand in hand into the prom, well, it could lead to unwelcomed responses, wouldn't it? And, as you know, The Ladies Charity League is sponsoring this year and well, we want a great outcome for everyone as well," mom added. Ty and I were unaware that her charity club was doing the prom. The Empire certainly had its hands down our pants every way it can find!
"Well said, Karen. I appreciate your position. What I was thinking, very simply, was rather than a romantic, exclusive appearance, we might arrange something broader. Perhaps, a gathering of friends. Yes, a "friends and family" sort of event. Show up in a group. Wear matching outfits if you want but keep the spotlight turned off, if you get my drift. Thoughts?" he asked.
"Terrific!" mom said. "Great idea!"
I looked over at mom and gave her a glare. She caught it too and leaned back in her chair.
"We haven't made any plans," I said, "but to be honest, we would have probably gone down that path anyway. Obviously, we'll be going with our friends so it's an easy ask. I don't think you'll have any problems with us. That is, as long as things don't "go south" as you put it." Ty chuckled. He loved a turn of phrase when it had a dose of sarcasm attached to it.
"Well then, let's proceed down that path. Thank you all for coming in. Stay the course, boys!" he said, standing from his desk. That phrase haunted me. "And Karen, let's keep that school board appointment thing on the back burner. We'll talk more about it this weekend. Looking forward to seeing you and Bill," he said.
Ok, this is when I basically lost it. We were called in after a knife wielding attack to ensure we had a path forward for prom and to promote Ty to Diversity Boss. Now, Mom was being asked to run for school board? I was cracking up laughing as Ty and I left the office. The secretary said, "Have a good day you two!" to which I replied, "Careful! The Empire is closing ranks!" and Ty and I walked out into the hall. He was laughing at my outburst.
"I feel crazy as shit, today," I said.
"You look it too," he replied.
"Why do you look so fucking amazing today?" I asked.
"I don't know because you have total hunk status going on, I guess," he said. I leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, which was only maybe the second or third time I had done that in school.
A couple of hours of work after school was good. It helped take my mind off things. I figured there was more backlash coming but I wasn't prepared for it. I spent an hour after work finishing a report for Burch's class and completing the calculus homework, which had been light but was getting worse as we got closer to the end of year.
Ty slipped into my room after doing his homework. He crawled onto the bed beside me and just laid there quietly. He had been so quiet since Saturday.
"What's on your mind, babe?" I asked.
"A lot and a lot no one is going to like," he said.
"No one, meaning me?" I asked. He chuckled.
"Is it always about you?" he asked. I nodded and he chuckled again.
"I'm going to tell you something and seriously, Josh, I don't want an argument. Don't talk me out of it. Don't try to change my mind. And please, please, don't turn it into a fight. Ok?" he asked quietly.
"Oh no, Ty. What's wrong?"
"Several things really. So Josh, this "grand plan" thing is crushing me. I didn't think so at first but it is. It's like there is a goal to keep us together and protected that's bigger than us actually being together. I think back on that night at the gay bar and it was like, you and me, just us. No Bryce, no Tristan, no Ginny, no parents. Remember? Everything since then is just the spider web." I continued to listen. What he was saying made some sense and I really wanted to solve for it.
"And you know what a dragon does?" he asked. I didn't answer.
"It's a question. What does a dragon do?"
"Protect its treasure," I said.
"That's right. Well you're like a dragon and I'm a piece of treasure. I don't serve much purpose other than just to be here. And finally, Josh, I have to say this. It's hard for me to say it. I don't have any friends anymore."
"What? Yes you do! We have Bry..."
"No, they're not my friends, Josh. They're yours. All yours. Bryce doesn't text me up and say hey. No one texts me to go see a movie or to go get a coffee. You pulled them together and they're your friends first. I've just about lost Tristan to Jack. Jack's so fucking afraid Tristan will get out of his sight we can't get five minutes together."
"I tried to prevent that. I talked to Jack. You want me to try again?" I asked.
"No, I want to do it myself. If Tristan is still in it with me, he will get back on board. He doesn't have any friends now either. We used to not have to do anything and people were inviting us to everything. Now, I barely get texts anymore. In fact, and this upset me, one of the guys on my tennis team had a get together at his house Friday night. They didn't invite me, Josh. They seriously didn't even invite me," and his eyes got watery. I dared not move, knowing this was an exposed nerve.
"You were busy Friday night," I said.
"I know and it was worthwhile. What you did bringing Kyle back into the fold was brilliant! You helped him so much and I bet he doesn't even know it but Jackson didn't even inquire if I had plans. I have turned down so many things everyone believes I am just too busy for them. I have to put myself back out there. If I'm going to run the school program next year, I have to be popular again. I have to be respected or it will be a big mess," he said, and then he was quiet.
"What's the fix, babe? What do you want me to do?" I asked.
"Give me space. I need to take a break from all this "boyfriend, grand plan, it's all us, just you and me" stuff. I have to step out again. With your friends you will have plenty of opportunities but I feel like I'm starting over. I need some independence. And Josh, hear me on this...I'm not saying we're over, finished. I'm not mad at you. You haven't done anything wrong. I'm just saying let me have some time over the next few weeks to build some bridges and create some "diversity and inclusion" for myself. Please let me, Josh. I'm so serious about this," Ty said and looking into his eyes, I honestly couldn't argue with him. It was tearing me up and my head was screaming but I couldn't argue. I don't want him to be alone while being with me. I don't want a shell of a boyfriend who is lonely and unhappy. Fuck, why didn't I realize shit was building up. And this thing with Brett, maybe it pushed him over the edge. I wasn't going to bring it up.
"Ty, I can probably give you space but I'm not letting you get too far away," and whereas I was on the verge of choking up, I added, "I can't just cut this off. My feelings for you are so fucking deep. What Bill said the other night, "there's nothing I won't do," well that's true."
"I know it is, Josh and that is why you are my hero. You have been since you moved into this house. Just give me some time to do some other things without the "tie down". I promise it will be ok."
"What about prom? Is that too much of the grand plan?" I asked.
"Oh hell no. We're going to prom and whether we have Secret Service protecting us or not, it will be OUR night one way or another. I promise you that. I promise," he repeated. He leaned forward and kissed me. It was wet and sexy even if he didn't mean for it to be. "Besides, Gigi is going to want to see a picture of us in tuxedos!"
"Please say nothing to the Empire," he said, as he slipped through the bathroom and back into his room. I was motionless, perhaps expressionless. Is that how it ended? A quiet, "give me space" speech and a quick exit? Why do I feel like that was a break up? Why did I feel I just got let down gently? I mean, after everything, no argument, no fight, no disagreement, he says I need space. I was very confused and my phone bleeped. I looked at it and it was Ty.
<i know you're in there stewing.. Stop it. I'm not going far and your ass will be back on the hook when I get back and in more ways than one. I love you so much. You just don't know:)>
Well there's that. It might be time for some poker face, poker face, poker face. Strategically, the best approach would be to give him what he wants. If I fight with him he will back away faster. He can have his space and watch what I tell you. He will miss me. I took my clothes off and climbed into bed without saying anything to anyone. I felt on the verge of something myself given the nonsense with Brett, the resurgence of Kyle, and school and graduation coming. I bet no one has put together my connections - Ty, Bryce, and Kyle. My three Y's. I'm not letting any of them get too far away.
I walked into Keith Burch's classroom with a cafeteria tray. It was pizza day and I was happy to eat their lunch. I sat in the chair across from him and stared at my lunch for a minute.
"Want to talk about Saturday night?" he asked.
"No."
"It was a mess," he said.
"Yep."
"Only Bryce got hurt, no one else?"
"In a manner of speaking," I replied.
"Explain."
"Ty dumped me last night," I said.
"What!"
"Well, I don't know if it was a full dumping. He said he needs space. He says the "grand plan" is crushing him. He says he doesn't have any friends anymore. I didn't know what to say so I didn't fight him."
"That's a wise choice, Josh. A guy like Ty isn't going to lay that in your lap without having some true feelings about it."
"He says we're not over. He just needs some freedom to get back in good with people. Make some showings here and there. Some guy had a tennis get together Friday night and didn't invite him. He says he can't be the leader of diversity and inclusion if he himself isn't included. Does that make sense?"
"You know, Josh, I haven't spent any time with Ty but I'm very impressed with his insightfulness. Perhaps I should can lunches with you and have him in instead!" and he laughed. Ok, that made me smile.
"Jerk," I said. We both laughed.
"Even if I don't know him, I feel there is a sincerity there, Josh and I'm glad you're not ignoring him. I think you will come out all the better if you let him stretch out a bit."
"That's what I told myself but you know I don't like going down without a fight."
"The wisdom of picking one's battles is a huge show of strength. If there comes a time for a fight then launch it but just because he hoists the sails doesn't mean he's floating away forever. He is so right about teenage friends. Your level of friendships are contingent on the wheels staying in motion. If the circle gets broken, friends slip away. He's dedicating so much time to you and parents and school and tennis, get my drift. He needs to get back that glow that made him so special to begin with," Keith said and I liked that remark.
"That was well said. I think you just made it clearer for me. He needs his glow. Fuck, did he have a glow when I met him. Light bounced off him, Keith. I'm not kidding. And Tristan too. Both of them were so beautiful and glowing."
"Aw Josh, I love that you recognize that. You know you have the makings of being a hopeless romantic. I love it, I really do."
"And I've told you before, I love these lunches. You help me see things so much clearer."
We ate our lunches and talked about some general things. He liked hearing about my part time job, always emphasizing it was less about the cars I cleaned and seeing work processes in action. Whatever.
As the lunch hour came to end, as it always does too quickly, I got up.
"Josh, it's hard for me to think that there is only a short time left for us to have these lunches. I am really glad you can come here and put things on the table."
"Well," I said, pushing envelopes, "when the time comes that we can't have these lunches, you'll have to remember that I won't be your "student" anymore!" His eyes bulged and gave a light cough. Then I walked out and what would I give to have read his mind just then!
So, I went about my school day, time at home, and time on the job as if nothing was wrong. Keeping my nerves in check took some effort but it also kept me from making more disasters. Hadn't we had enough of those. I talked to Bryce on Wednesday and asked if he had plans Friday night. Maybe getting together with Kyle would be fun. If Ty was going to be out and about, then I would have to be as well. The three of us really needed some social time anyway. I could not wait to hear their stories. Bryce said he was game. He needed a break from Lisa. Ginny was going out of town with her parents since next week was Spring Break. Since Bryce's parents were going to be in Northern Virginia having sessions for Julia, he would have his house to himself. Kyle responded to us and said he would love to hang out. He needed a break from the lake. He had suggested Bryce and I come up to the lake next week during spring break and do some boating with him. That would be a huge yes!
Ty and I were watching some TV Thursday. Tennis practice had been tough because there were two matches on Saturday. I could see the muscles in his calves were pronounced as he leaned sideways on the couch. I massaged them and I could tell it felt good. I honestly wasn't pushing anything sexual but I was really turned on touching him like that.
"Thank you, Josh," he said.
"Hey, some massage therapy is always good for athletes," I said as if I was a professional.
"No, not for that. Well, ok thanks for that but you are being so nice. I feared a backlash from our conversation the other night."
"No backlash, babe, and yes, I'm still going to call you that. You asked nicely and I'm going to respect you."
"Wow, you are so amazing," and he sat up and kissed my cheek.
"Big match on Saturday?" I asked.
"Big challenge tomorrow," he said. "I'm trying to get out of fourth and into third. It might be tough. That guy is pretty good. He will be pissed if I beat him," Ty said with a grimace.
"Don't let that stop you. If you want third seat, then you go get it. If it's meant then it will be. Get me?" I said, sounding like a coach.
"You're right. Well we're having the challenge matches tomorrow evening then a little pep rally kind of thing. It will be fun. And guess what! I was invited!" he said with a laugh.
"You better be. You're going to be the one glowing on that team. I still remember your "sit out" last year. You were incredible!"
"Wow, I had almost forgotten about that. Hopefully no more of that. The refs need to keep their eyes open. Maybe they learned their lesson!" and his attention ventured back to the tv screen.
This was a good exchange and deep down, I was very glad he was focusing on tennis objectives and improvement. He was feeling competitive which I think means he doesn't feel very depressed. This was good. All good. I kept thinking about what Keith said about Ty's glow. I definitely want him glowing again.
Ginny and Lisa cornered me Thursday before homeroom. Lisa had gotten the scoop on an article that had been published online about Jordan Rose called "Poke and Smoke; Sex,Drugs, and Jordan Rose". "Holy good God!" I thought.
"Who published it?" I asked.
"It's under investigation. Someone suggested that Brett had written it but faculty was saying it wasn't his writing style. Jordan is furious and the school is trying to contact the web provider to get it taken down. He's worried about Clemson seeing it and yanking his scholarship."
"I bet he is!" I said.
"It feels "targeted" to me," Ginny said. "It's funny that something like that comes up the week after an undefeated season. I mean the championships will be coming up and this could affect the outcome," and Lisa nodded in agreement.
"I think you're right. It sounds like a shit show to me. I'm sorry for him. I mean, it doesn't matter if any of it's true. He shouldn't have to apologize for playing hard when he brings undefeated seasons and possible championships. I wonder if Ty knows. He will be beside himself," I said.
"I would think you would have heard it from him first," Lisa said. That's when I filled them in on the new state of things. They were shocked and worried. I told them there was no need to worry about me. I was ok with the "spatial" plan. Everything was quiet at home and we weren't creating unnecessary tension. It was ok. We would get it together by prom, hopefully.
"Keep me in the loop, Josh," Lisa said. She sounded so official. Ginny and I chuckled.
"You ok, Josh?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah, got a big night planned Friday with Kyle and Bryce. It's going to be awesome."
"Getting blasted I bet!" Ginny snarked.
"More than likely. I hope no one writes an article about us!" and Ginny rolled her eyes, not impressed with my sarcasm. It was time for home room anyway. I had been able to check in with Bryce and he had obtained some good alcoholic choices for Friday night. I volunteered to pay for the pizza since I was cash rich. Kyle was the guest of honor so we were just expecting him to be there. Friday was going to be fun.
Ty's Friday night was going to be busy with the tennis team challenge matches, including Ty's challenge for third seat. I had cleared with the parents the fact that I was going to be staying at Bryce's Friday night and received no objection. The school day being over was a huge relief. I had packed a light overnight bag and slipped into Ty's room where he was getting his stuff together.
"You ready for tonight?" I asked.
"I hope so but I'm really nervous," he said, zipping up his backpack.
"Hey, you know I'm just going to be at Bryce's. If you need me, well if you need anything, you know I'm around right?' and he said he did. "And Ty, I hope "the space" is making a big difference but I want to tell you that I miss you and I'm right behind you. You are going to do great tonight," and he hugged me and yes, I did slip in a kiss on his neck which he didn't fight. "Take it slow," I told myself.
"Thanks Josh. Thanks for saying that. I have the busiest schedule of my life the next few weeks and it's going to make a big difference. I said before, I'm not going far but thank you," and this time he gave me one of those luxury kisses which I didn't fight off either.
I drove over to Bryce's to find Kyle already there. Ok, not sure why that irked me but it did. I guess there might be a new pecking order now that Kyle was back. They did have a long history after all, but still, I had something to do with this reunion. My thoughts led down the path of picking fights elsewhere because I wasn't picking one at home. Keith would be very impressed by that level of analysis. In any case, I wasn't going to pick a fight tonight.
"Hey Josh!" Kyle yelled from the side porch. He had a beer in hand and had already gotten a start.
"Hey man!" I shouted back, pulling my stuff out of the car. Bryce came out with two more beers. I joined them on the porch. Bryce's house was a big colonial two story with matching porches on both sides and a big porch on the back. The side porch was kind of fun because you had some street view but the shrubs gave some privacy too.
"Dude, I need this," popping my can and taking a big gulp.
"How are things with the "Ty situation"?" Bryce asked.
"Quiet and I'm keeping them that way. What's Lisa doing this weekend?"
"She's shopping with her mom and I think they are going up to DC with Mr. Mayor," Bryce said.
"Dating in a political dynasty must be a challenge!" Kyle added.
"A dynasty? Not sure about that," Bryce said. We drank our beers and chatted about a bunch of nothing. It was nearing 6:30 so Bryce put in the order for the pizza, gladly charging it to my very brilliant debit card! Our buzzes were kicking in and when the pizzas came, we devoured them as if we hadn't eaten in a week. And this was the second time I had eaten pizza this week and Bryce pointed out that our diets had gone to hell since football season.
"That goes without saying!" barked Kyle, jabbing Bryce in his meaty ribs.
"Dude! You can't poke me! I have stitches, remember!" Bryce exclaimed, causing us to crack up.
"Let's see," said Kyle and Bryce lifted his shirt showing us the stitched wound caused by Brett's knife.
"Bryce, I never said anything but just in case it comes up again, you never face off with a guy with a knife. His chance of cutting you by accident is far greater than him stabbing you purposefully."
"Wow I never thought of that," said Kyle. "Of course, I haven't had many knives wielded at me. But down in South Carolina you have to be ready for anything. Those guys are a little crazy!"
"That was some shit last weekend," Bryce said, polishing off his third beer. "Do you think it pushed Ty off the edge?" Bryce asked.
"Yeah, he had things brewing which I wished I had known about and I guess that was the final straw."
"He'll be back," said Kyle. "I don't remember ever seeing two guys completely meant for each other."
"Aw thanks," I said, feigning a blush. "That's part of the problem, I think. It's almost like we're "too meant for each other." I think this space thing is going to be ok. Our plan to go to prom with the group hasn't changed."
"I always thought we were meant to be together," Bryce said to Kyle with a laugh. "Honey bun!"
"Oh my God, don't you ever bring that up again!" Kyle laughed. "Sorry Josh, long story from lass year," Kyle slurred.
"You got your tux ordered?" Bryce asked.
"Yep. We are black tie. No frilly colors or anything."
"I would have preferred that too but Lisa is having me wear a dark green tie to go with her dress. I'm a "matching fixture," Bryce added. We had to laugh at that.
"Josh, I shouldn't say anything but I think the beer is acting like a truth serum," Kyle stammered. "I'm going to tell you this and I don't want you getting in my face `bout it."
"Ok," I said, wondering what he was about to drop on me.
"I have been approved to go to prom. My mom called the school and asked if I could attend. They said if I was bringing a Brumfield student, I could come."
"Awesome!" shouted Bryce. "That will be amazing!" and he was now slurring too. "Who you gonna bring?"
"I'm asking Ginny Tatum," Kyle said.
"Uh oh," said Bryce. "It's gonna be bad."
"You're what?" I asked, with a chuckle. "You're gonna ask Ginny? As in, MY Ginny?"
"Come on, Josh. She's played her part with you and your little scheme but she deserves a date of her own," Kyle said.
"But, she's my, she's my.." "She's your cover? Really? You didn't even consult with her about outfits and tux's and what not. She's a side thought to you now. Maybe in the beginning you needed her but I don't see it now," Kyle argued. I grunted and tried to come up with something. Maybe he was right but was it his place to make that determination?
"But she is a dear friend and I want..." and I was at a loss for words.
"Josh, she hasn't said yes yet but I'm hoping she will and I know you care a lot about her. Wouldn't you trust me to be the best date for her compared to some of the other guys at school?" Again, Kyle had a point.
"Bryce, what do you think about this?" I asked, seeking some support.
"I think he's the best man for the job, and not because he's an old friend. Kyle is respectable. He will treat her right and he's a fucking stud. She will look good with him," Bryce said, wavering just a bit. He pulled out some shot glasses from the cabinet and brought out the bottle of bourbon, cheap bourbon, I might add. He poured three shots while I stood at the kitchen island and stewed. It just seemed to me that there was a time I was a few steps ahead of everyone and lately, it seemed I was a step behind. I used to be influencing and now I feel like I barely have an argument. I couldn't put my finger on it. I wished I could call up Keith during moments like these.
Handing us each a shot glass, Bryce raised his and announced, "Here's to old friends and new connections and the fucking prom!" and he tilted his head back taking the shot down in one gulp. Kyle and I did likewise.
"Ok Kyle. I don't disagree that you're a good fit but Ginny is special. She has been so amazing this year. She is really special. You understand that we've had a group dynamic this year, right? And our plan was to all go as a group. You don't have to if you don't want to but you should include that in the invite so Ginny can decide. Ok?" I asked.
"Oh absolutely! I'm not messing up any "grand plans," Kyle laughed. "But it will mean a lot to me to be included and hang with you guys."
"Here, here!" shouted Bryce.
"I'm on board, Kyle. I think it's gonna be ok. That is...if she says yes!" and Bryce cracked up. Well, he was drunk enough that any stupid shit would be funny to him.
"Pour us another," I suggested to Bryce.
"So Bryce, you still checking guys out in the locker room? No offense, Josh but Bryce had tendencies!" Kyle laughed.
"You don't know anything about who I checked out!" barked out Bryce, trying to sound appalled but failing to do so.
"You checked me out! I bet you checked out Josh too."
"Well maybe I did. Iss ok if I did. Good to have comparative data like Josh says," Bryce stuttered.
"And you were always checkable," said Bryce.
"You are that!" I said, helping Bryce out. " And Bryce, we don't need to.."
"And Josh here is really checkable. Got to touch that booty, didn't I?" Bryce said.
"Bryce, we don't need to go..."
"Oh shit," said Kyle. "Did you two..."
"Is like Josh says, you can fuck anyone. It's who you love that proves you're gay or straight," Bryce said.
"Fuck!" said Kyle.
"Tell him about the fish we caught!" I shouted to get Bryce off the subject.
"So are you coming out?" asked Kyle, with a concerned but slurred voice.
"Oh hell no. I like the pussy," said Bryce. "But yeah, I liked getting up with a hot guy. So I guess I'm a Bi...sexual. I'm ok with it but I don't need it spread around, you know?" Bryce said, popping the can to another beer. Kyle picked one out of the refrigerator as well.
"Bryce, you're pretty drunk. You don't have to tell everything," I suggested.
"I'm not ashamed. You are hot, Josh. Kyle is hot too," he said.
"I don't think so," said Kyle.
"Yes you are," I said. "I noticed you the minute you hopped out that van! Those thighs and your hair across your forehead. Your face? Dang! I was like "Wow!" I said.
"Really? I thought I was kind of boring," Kyle laughed.
"You ain't boring, Kyle. You were always clean cut and very handsome," said Bryce. I decided to push the envelope.
"Sandwich time," I whispered to Bryce. He grinned. I walked around and got behind Kyle and gave his body a push and Bryce centered in front of him, crushing Kyle between us.
"Guys! You need to cut this shit out!" he barked, but he was cracking up. His meaty ass felt so good against my dick. I know he felt my hardon. I thought I could about cum in the next few minutes. If I were kissing him, the game would have been over!
Bryce ran his hands down Kyle's sides and Kyle pushed back against me, realizing he was blocked in. Then Bryce spoke and said, "Kyle we were friends for, since we were like ten years old. You were the best friend and I missed you so much. I really did."
"Bryce," Kyle whispered. I have said it before and I meant it. "I'm so sorry I bailed on you. I am so happy to be back here. The smell of your house almost made me cry when I got here. It's the exact same," and his head dropped on Bryce's shoulder and I loved that. I was totally in love with the show of affection. I damn near choked up myself. This, however, was no longer sexual fun. I started to back away but Bryce grabbed my shirt and pulled me back. With Kyle's head on his shoulder, and so many thoughts firing through my head, I kissed Bryce. It was quiet and we tried to be discreet.
"Oh fuck!" yelled Kyle, pulling back. "Did you two juss kiss? Oh fucking Christ!" he yelled and cracked up laughing. "Y'all are worse than two damn girls!" Kyle's interruption was timely but not timely enough for me not to realize the damage was done. I'm not sure what my final thought was. Was I simply horny as shit since I hadn't had sex all week? Did the display of affection between Kyle and Bryce turn me on? Did I just want another go with Bryce?
There came a point where Kyle was asleep on the couch. Bryce and I were sitting on barstools, not saying much. We were drinking cokes to calm the buzz down but Bryce was pretty trashed and I wasn't far behind him still.
"Josh," Bryce said, leaning forward. "I thought about it many times and the time with you on the river is the hottest thing I've ever done. I hope you don't..." and I was like, "what the fuck!" I leaned forward, putting my hands on his thighs and kissed him again. And he dug in. And oh fuck did he feel good. I felt good. I felt like I was vying for my special place with Bryce. He and Kyle might have a long history but my short history was pretty special too.
"Take it if you want it," I whispered. A few minutes later we were upstairs in his room. Then we were undressed. Then he was on top of me. Then he had two fingers plugged in my hole, loosening me up. He kissed me and the taste of beer on his breath was conspicuous. Then he pushed himself into me, causing me to wince. Even my buzz couldn't hide his hung cock jabbing my insides.
"Please please, Bryce. Say something special. Tell me I'm special. Don't let this be a fucking hookup!" I thought to myself. And as he plunged into my hole, all my senses came alive and I didn't feel the first bit drunk. And he leaned forward and kissed me and I wrapped my arms around him. He stopped the fuck and seemed to pause. Then his body collapsed on top of me and he was passed out!
"Shit gotdammit!" I shouted. "Bryce, wake up!" I snapped. He didn't. I had to push him off me and his softened dick was evidence he was out. Out like a fucking light! How fucking lame!. Shit. I want to be back with Ty. I didn't have to deal with this shit with him. Why did he have to turn the grand plan into a space plan!
I went downstairs and tried to wake up Kyle. He was out too. I grabbed my keys and thought "no I can't drive like this. Bill would kill me." I took some more swigs of bourbon and thought about my options. Sleep in the recliner. Go back upstairs and crawl in with Bryce. Go home? "Shit yeah," I thought. I'm going home and I picked up my phone. I could barely read anything on it but I tapped Uber and pressed home the way Ty had set it up for me. A few minutes later I was in the backseat of a car. I think I left my stuff behind but I didn't care. I wanted to go home!
So I was sitting in my room listening to some music, messing with some game on my iPad, having had something of a balanced night. I won my challenge, yeah! I won it out right too. The guy was a good sport but he was disappointed. Then, I had the world's worst hookup ever. Black guy, in cute white tennis shorts, all smiles and flirts. Kissed like a madman. Had him right where he needed to be, to fuck me with his god-like cock. But oh no! He couldn't pull it off. After being super hard, he got soft real quick. I asked him where did it go? I mean, he should have been turned on like crazy. Then I asked him, "how many times did you jerk off today?"
"Two times,:" he said. "Sorry."
"Well, I'm not interested in being your third dribble! You need to learn to hold off on that so you don't waste a perfectly good moment!" I barked at him. We dressed in the back of his car and I climbed out and headed back to the club. He had a nutcracker ass for sure. I looked at him before we walked back in and said, "if there should come another opportunity to meet up, I'm going to fuck you and you need to be ready!" He looked at me and smiled.
"Is it too late for that?" he asked.
"Yes it is," I said and led him back to the social that was just about over anyway.
Sorry, I got off on a wild tangent. And just so you know, I am aware that Josh has been telling you all our stuff and as you will see in a moment, he won't be in any condition to carry on the story this evening so I'm going to pick it up. I know everyone is thinking, "how could you do it, Ty? How could you let him down like that? How could you create such a wedge, here, at this time?" Well, you're going to find out my "master plan" is going to have a hugely positive effect on the "grand plan" and you need to lighten up.
The doorbell rang and it was 11:45 pm. I yelled to the sleeping parents I would get it. I opened the door to find a strange man standing on the porch. I backed into the foyer just a bit and asked what he needed.
"Uh, there is a young guy passed out in my backseat and I need help getting him inside," the guy said. I looked past him and saw Josh propped up in the backseat, head against the headrest and he was out.
"Oh lord," I said and the guy laughed. "Yeah, I'm glad he didn't try to drive."
"And yep, there's that!" I walked with him down the sidewalk and we dragged Josh out of the car. He had some coherence and was able to help us a bit in getting up the walk.
"You have a nice house, sir," he said as we edged up. "Is this guy a friend?"
"He's my stepbrother," I said.
"Ah, well it smells like he had quite a party and this is where I have to leave him with you," the guy said, leaving us standing on the front porch and he walked swiftly back to his car. Getting Josh up those stairs was like dragging a bulldozer up them. He tried to help but needed a lot of guidance. I may not have seen him so trashed before. I was exhausted by the time we got upstairs and he collapsed willingly on his bed. I sat down beside him and studied him and thought. "Josh, I know I stressed you out and I know you have tried to hide it from me, your protected piece of treasure. I'm so sorry," I said. Then, I was startled when Mom came into the room.
"Ty, what's going on?" she asked quietly. She was looking at Josh.
"Josh, honey. Are you ok?" she asked. He lifted his head just a bit, responding to her voice but then dropped it on the pillow again. He just laid there face down.
"He's drunk," I said.
"That's plain to see," she said directly and with curiosity. "Damn," she hissed.
"Mom, don't be mad at him. It's my fault," I said, and I felt the tears fill my eyes. She came over and sat down by me.
"How is this your fault, hon? What happened?" she asked, in a quiet voice.
"I broke up with him," I said and I let out a huge heave as my breath caught in my throat.
"Oh Ty. I didn't know. Why didn't you say something?" she asked.
"We didn't announce it when we got together and we didn't announce that we separated. I needed space, mom. The pressure was getting to me and I thought I needed to build bridges where I used to have them. It's not permanent, I just needed less "tie down" and a bit of freedom. Does that sound dumb?" I asked.
"Gracious no! You are wise beyond your years. Self-identifying what you need and then acting on requires amazing skills, Ty. But I can also understand the impact it would have on Josh. While this relationship is hard to understand for your father and me, neither of us have the slightest doubt that Josh loves you more than anyone else. But don't let that dissuade you from doing what you need to do. You are so strong, honey. I'm so proud of you. I'll take care of Josh now that I know. And I am upset he came home in this condition but maybe things just got away from him. Right?" she asked.
"Yes ma'am. He Ubered," and she sighed with relief. "That makes me feel so relieved," she said. "Want to get him changed or should we leave him this way?" she asked.
"I will change him out," I laughed. "I'll just get him out of those jeans and into some sweats.
"Ok, are you sure? I'm going back to bed. You get to bed too. I know you are so thrilled about winning that challenge. Your dad and I will be at your match tomorrow. Can't wait!" she said, kissing me on the forehead and leaving the room.
Ok, so getting Josh out of those jeans took mad strength and patience. First shoes, then socks, then undo the belt. He's lost weight since football but he's still a good 160 lbs. I yanked one leg after another until the pants pulled from his feet. His boxers had slipped off too and his glorious, gorgeous ass was front and center. It was so pale and smooth and pert. I loved his ass and as I leaned in, something caught my eye. He was greasy. His hole was wet, a little slimy and it dawned on me much to my horror. Somebody fucked Josh! Oh shit! Here I was doing all the cleanup and he was out there getting fucked? Really! I was incensed but just like I told mom, no need to be mad at him. I know he was with Bryce tonight. And Kyle! Oh lord, please do not let me find out that they both fucked him! Oh lord, what if Bryce Chatley fucked him in this state? Could he have been r..r....r...well, I couldn't say the word. Surely not. Bryce would not do that.
I cut the crazy thoughts out for a minute and went to the bathroom and got some wipes and cleaned him up. I didn't want him waking up like that. I got some shorts on him and got a blanket over him.
"I'm sorry Josh," I whispered into his ear. "I love you," I said.
"Me too," I believe he said. I was sure that's what he said. I walked back into my room. I picked up my phone and without giving it much thought, I dialed Tristan.
"Hello, you've reached the House of Tristan. Press 1 for orders or leave a message for the designer!" I laughed at his silly message but I disconnected and redialed. This time he answered.
"Hey Ty, what's up?" he asked in a groggy voice.
"Do you believe I can make a huge mess and turn it into something better?" I asked, not being specific.
"You do it with your online store very well. And yes, what have you got going on now? What's wrong?"
"Josh came home drunk and passed out. I talked mom out of getting on him. I know he's swimming without life jackets when things happen between us. It's really necessary though, Tristan."
"I know it is, sweetie. I feel the same as you and I don't blame you. Jack is on top of me all the time. Literal and figurative! I'm almost not having fun anymore. I mean I love him, he is wonderful but he's so protective. I need space too. We need to discuss this further and maybe we can get some space together. Would you like that?" Tristan asked.
"Oh my God. You are still my wind, Tri! I needed to hear that," I confessed.
"Its done. So when you feel it's all sorted out, ease back into Josh. Build it back. When are you going to take me to that awesome flea market?" Tristan asked.
"Sunday, I think," I said.
"Great! I can't wait and I'm telling Jack to call Josh and hang out with him on Sunday. I'll be at your match tomorrow!. You and me got plans Sunday!"