Welcome back! There's nothing like being on horseback on a beautiful morning. And that's how this day begins. The day ends in the back seat of a small car at the weigh-station on Sam's Creek Road.
This story deals with adult themes, primarily same-gender sexual relations. Such relations have their basis in love and commitment, rather than sex for the sake of sex alone. In some cases they will use protection; at other times they will not. You and I should always use protection because we do not live in the world of fiction.
If you are offended the idea of homosexuality or if you are under the age of consent or if you reside in an area where such things are considered illegal or immoral, then you should seek entertainment elsewhere.
Comments may be directed to the author at thornado5@netscape.net
This story is copyright 2004 by Mike Williams. All rights reserved. Thou shalt not steal.
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A Thousand Rainbows by Mike Williams
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On a clear, crisp autumn morning seven horses made their way through the meadows and forest that bordered Bridgewater Academy. Jack Miller took the lead with his girlfriend Jennifer Winslow on one side and Todd Becker on the other, followed by Jason and Josh Connor, with Paul Miller and Tyler Garrison bringing up the rear. No stranger to horses, Todd was a constant source of advice for his two half-brothers, occasionally looking over his shoulder and instructing them on how to communicate with their steeds. His knowledge impressed the Academy's rodeo co-captains, and their conversation revolved around horses.
"Shoot," Todd said. "I've been riding almost since I could walk. My mom likes to say that I gave up my tricycle the first day I got on a horse."
"It's just too bad you live so far away," Jack said. "Jennifer and I are both graduating in the spring, and the rodeo team could really use someone who knows his way around a horse."
"It's tempting," Todd said. "But, between the stables and the studio, I've got way too much going on to leave San Diego. Hey, you guys want to race once around the forest?"
Jack and Jennifer smiled at the challenge. "Think you got what it takes ... tenderfoot?"
"I'll show you tenderfoot. YEE-HAA!" Todd let out a yell and urged his horse to a gallop with Jack and Jennifer hot on his heels.
The other horses came to a stop. "Does that mean they're leaving us here?" Jason asked.
Realizing this was the twins' first time on horseback, Paul was quick to comfort the boys, but he couldn't resist the opportunity to tease them just a little. "Afraid of being left alone in the woods?"
The twins looked back at him with a smirk. "No," Josh replied. "But what we do about these guys ... our horses?"
"Just do what Todd was telling you earlier," Paul replied. "Just give your horse a nudge, and point him in the right direction." He paused to check his watch; it was getting close to noon. "How about we park `em down by the stream? The horses can get a drink, and we can have some lunch."
"Sounds good," Jason said. "My butt could use a rest."
The others laughed as they directed their horses to a clearing near the stream. They dismounted and led their horses to the stream, tying the reins loosely to a hitching post near the water's edge.
The academy's maintenance crew had installed a picnic table in the clearing, and it was a favorite gathering place. Earlier in the day the riders had left a couple coolers with sandwiches, salads, chips and Paul's milkshake-of-the-day. The four young men took their seats on the benches.
"What flavor milkshake did your mom come up with today?" Tyler asked.
Paul examined the contents of his thermos. "Looks like turkey and gravy with a little mashed potatoes thrown in," he said through his wired jaw. "I'll be glad when this brace comes off. She knows how much I love her stuffing, so she put some in the freezer after dinner on Thursday." He inserted a straw and tasted the mixture. "Not bad."
"Let me have a taste of that," Tyler said.
Paul was about to hand the thermos over to his friend. But Tyler leaned in for as intimate a kiss as Paul's injured jaw would allow. "Yeah, that is pretty tasty."
Tyler's kiss took Paul by surprise. "Tyler, we gotta be careful. If anyone sees us ..."
Tyler put a finger gently on Paul's lips. "Take it easy, stud. The only people we have to worry about are clear on the other side of the forest."
"And they're headed back this way," Paul reminded him.
"I know," Tyler replied. "But I have been waiting all morning for that."
Paul could only smile as he looked into his friend's dark brown eyes. "Me too."
After observing the exchange between the two older boys, Jason turned to his brother as he unwrapped a sandwich. "Ain't love grand?"
"Yeah,"Josh agreed, as he turned to his brother for a quick kiss. He came away licking his lips. "Mmmm, you taste good."
"Guys, the others will be back any minute," Paul admonished them. "We gotta keep things quiet."
"Okay, we'll be good," Jason promised.
"For now," Josh added with an evil grin.
Paul rolled his eyes to the heavens.
Tyler did his best to comfort his friend. "Paul, after Alan ... well ... I really thought I would never meet anyone who could make me feel like that again. And it's ... god, how can I say this?"
"Do I?" Paul asked. "Do I make you feel like that?"
"Yes and no," Tyler answered. "It's the same, but it's different. I don't know how to explain it. And something inside me doesn't want to keep it a secret." He paused for a moment, looking into space. "Y'know, I see guys and their girlfriends in the hallways at school, and they're holding hands and carrying on between classes." He stopped and looked into Paul's eyes. "And I want that too. I want it with you."
Paul looked with compassion into Tyler's eyes. "I know, Tyler. It's what I want too. And if ..."
His thoughts were cut off by the sound of hooves coming down the path toward the clearing. They all looked up to see Todd and Jack racing side by side. Both riders passed the clearing at the same time, followed by Jennifer on her mount. The race between the boys had been dead even. They let their horses slow to a trot and turned around to meet with the others in the clearing.
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Jack's pick-up ... his beloved "Death Trap" ... pulled up in front of the house at 2410 West Brunswick Road. Six boys ... mostly riding in the bed of the truck ... and one young lady piled out of the vehicle. Jason and Josh led the way into the house.
"Come on in, everybody," Brian welcomed them with a smile and led them to the family room where he had set out an assortment of soda pops and snacks. He had even managed a yogurt milkshake for Paul, whose jaw would be wired shut for at least another week. Before they sat down, Paul introduced Jack and Jennifer.
"Nice to meet you guys. Bjorn and I really appreciate you taking the boys riding this afternoon," Brian said. "Now, don't fill up too much on the snacks because dinner will be ready in about an hour and a half."
"That's real nice of you, sir," Jack said. "But ... uh ... Jennifer and I have to get back to the stables. There's always something to do, y'know." He glanced at his girlfriend with a sly grin.
"Okay, then. We'll fix you up with something to go," Brian replied. "How about you, Paul?"
"I'll have to take a rain-check," Paul said. "Gotta work tonight."
"Tyler?"
The swimmer looked around the room and realized that he would be the oldest of the high school students if he chose to stay. "Um ... I've ... got no plans, but ... well, it might not look too good ... y'know ... hanging out with freshmen."
"Well, if it's any consolation, Bjorn and I have always felt that a couple of rowdy freshmen can truly benefit from the guiding presence of an upperclassman," Brian explained with an air of authority.
Tyler was slightly dumbfounded, but soon found his voice. "Okay, sure. Thank you."
Jason and Josh looked around the kitchen. "Where's Bjorn?" Jason asked.
"He said he had a few things to do at the studio," Brian replied. "He'll be home in time for dinner. Why don't you guys head upstairs and play some video games while I fix a `to go' plate for Jack and Jennifer? I'll let you know when it's ready."
And the young people trooped up the spiral staircase to the second floor.
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In the studio darkroom Bjorn opened a sealed envelope that contained some very old negatives. He placed the negatives on the scanner and checked every picture. He smiled at the memories these pictures rekindled, those of an autumn day twenty-five years ago. There was the picture of a buck with its head raised ... a picture of Brian, not suspecting that his picture would be taken on Bjorn's impulse, the same picture which hung in their bedroom ... several shots of the New England autumn foliage.
Then he found the one shot he was looking for, one he had kept hidden since that day. He set up the equipment to turn that one photo into a large print, suitable for mounting in a special frame that he had purchased. He set the timer and set about processing the picture.
As it came off the drying rack, he smiled at its perfection. He remembered exactly how he had come upon this scene. With only a few frames left in his camera, he had begun making his way back to the rocky beach where Brian was studying his history notes, barefoot, just a few feet from the water's edge. The sight of this boy who would become his best friend and lover, surrounded by dramatic rock formations and brilliant splashes of autumn colors, all set against a cloudless sky, had taken his breath away.
In secrecy Bjorn had committed the image to film. Twenty-five years later the finished picture was exactly as he remembered it.
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Having finished caring for the horses, Jack and Jennifer made their way up to the hayloft with a cooler of snacks from Brian. Despite the autumn chill outside, the upper level of the barn retained some heat as Jennifer unfolded a blanket on top of fresh hay. She and Jack removed their winter jackets and lay side by side on the blanket. Jack thought to make a romantic move, but Jennifer stopped him. "Uh-uh. Eat first," she said.
"Alright," Jack said with a smile. "We'll have it your way." And he sat up, placing the cooler between them and removing its contents to the blanket. There were a couple sandwiches, some bottles of pop, cheese sticks, pickles, radishes and celery sticks ... and an envelope with their names on it.
Jennifer offered a radish to her boyfriend. Jack accepted it and playfully nipped at her finger. Then he waved a cheese stick under his girlfriend's nose, causing her to bite at the air until he allowed her to catch it. But he moved quickly, and her bite of the cheese was quickly followed by a kiss.
They giggled as they fed each other from the assortment of snacks. When they finished, Jack lay back on the blanket. As Jennifer finished putting away the remains of their feast, she noticed the envelope and opened it. She pulled out the card and read it aloud.
"Dear Jack and Jennifer,
"Thank you so much for taking the boys along on your outing today. You will always
be welcome in our home.
"Love, Brian and Bjorn."
"That's nice," Jack sighed. "I'm glad they had a good time."
"Speaking of `good time' ..." Jennifer began, smiling a very sexy smile. She turned the card around to show it to her boyfriend. Taped to the inside of the card were two mint-flavored condoms.
Jack's grin widened as his girlfriend moved closer to him to cover his mouth with her own.
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After dinner the four boys once again repaired to the bedroom on the second floor to play video games and listen to music. After a couple hours Jason and Josh opened their composition software to show off their latest musical creation.
Tyler was clearly impressed. "Wow, What do you call that song?"
"A Thousand Rainbows," Jason replied.
"Mr. Cabelli made us write some words to it too," Josh added.
"Are the words finished?" Tyler asked.
"Yeah, right here." Jason pulled a notebook out of the desk drawer and handed it to the swimmer. He started the replay on the computer again as Tyler followed the words.
As the song came to an end, Tyler was clearly moved by the words and the music. He choked a little. "That's really beautiful, guys. When can we hear the whole finished product?"
"Probably on Monday," Josh replied. He went on to tell Tyler of a conversation that had taken place earlier in the day, concerning something special that would happen when their mother and her husband returned to Bridgewater. "So even our dads haven't heard the whole thing either, so it'll be a surprise for everyone."
Tyler nodded. "I think that will be a beautiful surprise. I wish I could see the looks on their faces."
Jason and Josh turned to each other, sharing a silent communication.
Jason was the first to address Tyler. "Why don't you?"
"What do you mean?" Tyler asked.
"Just be here Monday afternoon around three o'clock," Josh suggested. "And we can all sing it for them, the four of us."
"We don't have to do any fancy harmony," Jason said. "Just the four of us together. What do ya say?"
Tyler was a bit reluctant. "I don't know. I never sang in public before. And this is really a family thing."
"But you are family now, Tyler," Todd said. "Both you and Paul."
Tyler looked into the faces of each of the younger boys. "Alright, if you can convince Paul to be here, then I'll be here too."
"If they can convince Paul of what ..."
They all looked up to see Paul standing in the doorway. Tyler stood and smiled as his boyfriend entered the room. "Hi, guy," he said with a smile. "All done for the night?"
"I've just got one more delivery to make. This one," Paul said as he stepped up to Tyler and gave him a tender kiss.
"Mmm, that's good," Tyler said, taking his boyfriend by the hand and leading him into the room. "Come here; you gotta listen to this."
He had Paul take a seat on the edge of the bed and nodded to Josh, who started the playback of the song. Together Jason, Josh, Tyler and Todd softly sang the love song as Paul listened, carried away by the orchestra and the voices.
As the song ended, Tyler looked into his friend's eyes and said, "Well, what do you think?"
Paul rose and wrapped his arms around Tyler's neck, tears falling from his eyes. He struggled to find his voice through his wired jaw. "I think ... it's like ... if I didn't know better, I'd think you were singing that song just for me."
Tyler smiled and reached up to wipe Paul's tears away. "What if I was?" he whispered.
Paul drew Tyler in closer laid his head on the swimmer's shoulder. "I love you, Tyler," he whispered.
After a quiet moment Paul regained his composure and lifted his head. "Okay, so what is this thing you wanted to talk me into?"
"Well, Todd's parents are out of town for the weekend," Jason began.
"It's their anniversary," Josh explained.
Todd jumped in. "So Brian and Bjorn have this plan for when they get back on Monday ..."
And they hashed out a plan for their own contribution to what would be a surprise anniversary celebration.
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to be continued in Chapter 30