This story is about male/male relationships and contains graphic descriptions of sex.
You should not read this story if it is in any way illegal due to your age or residence.
This is a work of pure fiction. It mixes fictional characters and events with real people. However any real person mentioned in this work is purely an actor playing a part. This story in no way is meant to imply anything about the sexuality, personality, or behavior of the actual person.
Copyright 2003 Jason Calme. This story is the sole property of its author and may not be copied in whole or in part or posted on any website without the permission of the author.
Questions and commentary can be sent to "JasonCalme@yahoo.com".
Chapter 17 - Secrets
"Do you want to go to the Mall this afternoon?" Matt's Mom asked him. Matt was sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast.
"What are you going for?" Matt asked suspiciously. He wasn't sure he wanted to spend hours filling in time there.
"Just a couple of things. Won't be there too long," his Mom said, disappearing out of the room.
Matt nodded to himself. That could mean anywhere between one and two hours. He was just finishing the orange juice when he heard his Mother talking to someone, and then she appeared in the doorway.
"Someone to see you dear," she said brightly, and Dave appeared behind her and walked into the kitchen.
Matt watched as his Mother walked out. Damn! He was hoping she'd stay. Why did parents stay when you didn't want them to, and disappeared whenever you did want them?
"Hey Dave," said Matt noncommittally.
"What's up?" Dave asked brightly, sitting down at the table across from Matt.
"Uh...nothing," said Matt.
"Yeah?" said Dave smiling. "How's the arms?"
"Arms?" asked Matt. "Oh, they're okay," he said, suddenly remembering the work out from the day before. Without even thinking he flexed his arms a little just to check that there was no pain or anything, but he didn't feel anything.
"Well we didn't really push it yesterday," said Dave.
"No," said Matt, and then he had a horrible thought... "and I've got to rest a couple of days right? You don't do the exercise again the next day?"
"That's right dude!" said Dave, making a little gun symbol with his hand and pointing it at Matt as he said it.
Matt resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
Dave glanced around the room, then looked back at Matt.
"So how you doing?" he asked.
"I'm fine," said Matt.
"Cool," Dave nodded, sitting there, not adding anything.
"Uh...how are you?"
"Me? Good...I'm good."
"That's good," said Matt, looking down at his plate. There was a single breakfast sausage and some egg left. He couldn't be bothered finishing it now. He pushed the plate away from him.
"Oh! You gonna eat that?" Dave asked, pointing at the sausage.
"Uh no."
"Mind if I?..."
"No. Go right ahead," Matt said, pushing the plate towards Dave.
Dave grabbed the sausage and stuck it whole into his mouth. He chewed a couple of times and swallowed, then he looked around as though trying to find something.
"Be okay if I get something to drink?" he asked.
"Sure," said Matt.
Dave jumped up, went and got a glass out of the cupboard and then went to the refrigerator.
"So uh...Dave," Matt began, "what's up?"
"Nothing much," said Dave looking up from behind the open refrigerator door.
"Don't you have work?" Matt asked, glancing down at his watch.
"Nah," said Dave, coming back and sitting down. "Not going in until after lunch."
"Oh," said Matt.
At first Matt had thought Dave was going to drag him off to the gym again, now it looked like he might want to hang out there for the morning.
"I was going to go down to the Mall," Dave said suddenly.
"Oh," said Matt, trying to appear interested.
"You want to come?" Dave asked.
Matt's stomach lurched. Dave was asking him to the Mall? What was going on?
"Uh...actually I'm going to the Mall this afternoon with Mom," Matt said.
"That's all right dear," said Matt's Mother, suddenly breezing into the room. "You go with Dave, you don't need to come with me. I just thought you might like to get out. You'll have more fun with Dave."
Matt turned towards his Mother and gave her a look that said he'd have anything but more fun with Dave, but his Mother either missed it or ignored it.
'Fuck!' Matt thought to himself.
"Great!" said Dave. "So you ready to go?"
"Uh," Matt mumbled. Both his Mother and Dave were staring at him now, as though both were waiting for him to get going. He tried to think of ways to get out of this. His Mother had already said she didn't want him to go with her. He couldn't say he didn't want to go to the Mall as he'd already said he wanted to go.
He was fucked! Damn! How did Dave manage to keep doing this to him?
"Well...uh...I don't know how much I'll be up to getting around..." he tried.
"That's okay," said Dave brightly. "Just doing a bit of window shopping and stuff. We can have lunch," he added.
Matt blushed, trying to think how much money he had. As usual it wasn't much. Fuck!
"Come on lazy bones!" said Dave, getting up and going over and grabbing Matt's crutches that were leaning against the wall. He brought then over to Matt, who managed to stand up without help and took the crutches from Dave.
"Thanks," he muttered, though he didn't really feel grateful. He felt like he was being rushed. Pushed. Why did people keep pushing him to do things he didn't want to do? Why couldn't he just say no?
He followed Dave out to the Jeep.
"So anywhere you want to go?" Dave asked as they pulled into the parking lot.
"Home," said Matt almost to himself.
Dave laughed.
Matt decided he would adopt a new strategy. He thought if he was just civil - but didn't try to engage in long conversation - then Dave would get sick of the whole thing and give up whatever twisted mercy mission he was on. He had to get sick eventually. Matt knew Dave. Dave was too self-absorbed to remain interested in someone else for more than a day. Dave wouldn't be interested in anyone unless they were incredibly interested in him.
"Here we are then," said Dave, the smile unwavering.
Dave came around and helped Matt to climb out of the car, and then they made their way to the entrance.
"Okay if we go to Fye's?" said Dave as they went through the entrance. "I've gotta get a present."
"Uh, sure," said Matt.
There weren't many people there, and Matt managed to navigate quickly through the place. If he tried, he could get up quite a clip, which made Dave break into a bit of a run to keep up with him.
They spent about fifteen minutes in the store, Dave wandering off looking for something while Matt tried to amuse himself by not looking at anything. He had no money to spend really, so he didn't want to find something he might want to buy.
He was idly looking through some Anime DVDs, hoping they might be half-priced, when Dave popped up beside him.
"See anything?" Dave asked.
"Hmm? What? No! Just browsing," Matt said, quickly dropping the DVD he was holding back into the display.
Dave glanced down at the DVD and then back at Matt.
"You?" asked Matt.
"Nah...no," said Dave. "Gonna try Waldens."
"Waldens?"
"Maybe get a book. That okay?"
"Yeah. Sure," said Matt.
They headed out the door. They just got out the door when Matt had a thought.
"Hey," he said to Dave, slowing to a stop as he said it.
"What?" asked Dave, stopping and turning to face him.
"I'm gonna hit the bathroom. Why don't you go down and I'll catch up to you?"
Dave looked thoughtful. "Uh...you gonna be okay?
"Yeah! No problem," said Matt. "I'll catch up with you."
"Uh...okay," said Dave, and then he turned and started off, glancing back at Matt a couple of times as he went.
'Okay,' thought Matt to himself, and he set out for the Men's room.
It wasn't that hard to get into the bathroom. He didn't even bother with the handicapped stall. It was just a little awkward getting into the stall, turning around, leaning the crutches against the door, getting his pants down, and then getting comfortable on the seat.
Matt sat there for a moment. He was feeling a little horny and he wondered if he should go through with it. He'd jerked off in the Men's room before. Idly spending time at the mall he'd seen a cute guy or thought about something and was horny and had to find relief. The first time it was pretty exciting jerking off in the Men's room; you had to be careful not to arouse suspicion.
As long as he had the time, he might as well, he thought. He hadn't been able to jerk off that morning before Dave had arrived, so he deserved it. Just had to get back before Dave wondered what was up.
He was already hard. He'd been hard by the time he got into the Men's room. He reached down and took his penis into his hand and squeezed it lightly. 'Oh that felt so good...'
He closed his eyes and squeezed again,and slowly slid his hand up, a small puddle of precum forming at the piss slit.
He heard the door to the Men's room open, but he didn't worry. No one could tell what he was doing.
He ran his fingers through the puddle of precum and wiped it down over the head, gently stroking.
"Hey Matt!"
"Shit!" Matt hissed, trying to sit up and shove his erect penis down into the bowl at the same time, his cast-bound lag swinging and banging against the crutches, causing them to slip against the wall and then fall towards them. Matt saw them falling and reached out and just managed to bat them out of his face, catching one, while the other fell with a crash to the ground.
"Matt!" Dave's voice was urgent now.
"I'm okay," Matt called out, trying to sound normal.
"You sure?" Dave asked. Matt could see Dave's legs just outside the stall. God, he hoped he didn't try and look over the wall.
"Yeah, yeah! Just knocked the damn crutches over!"
"Dick head!" Dave laughed.
"Yeah," Matt said to himself, 'it was you that fucking made me do it,' he thought, but didn't say it.
"Well hurry up man," called Dave.
"You already got the book?" Matt asked, trying to lean the crutches back up into the corner.
"No...waiting for you. Wanted to make sure you were okay."
"I'm fine Dave," Matt said, "You don't have to wait for me!"
"It's okay," said Dave, "I don't mind!" he said brightly. "Gotta take a piss anyway."
Dave walked away and Matt sat there perplexed. 'Fuck!' he thought. Well, at least he'd lost his erection. He grabbed some toilet paper and quickly gleaned himself up.
They spent a while at the bookstore and Dave bought a book. Then they went down to the video game store for a while, before Dave suggested they get something for lunch. Matt didn't want to, but Dave insisted and paid for lunch too....course it was just chicken strips and a root beer float at A&W's at the food court, but Dave still paid.
"Thanks Dave," Matt repeated, as Dave put down the trays and Matt managed to get into the chair without help.
"You're welcome," said Dave.
"Well, you didn't have to," Matt continued.
"I wanted to," said Dave.
"Okay, well thanks," said Matt. He looked at Dave, and Dave smiled at him so he smiled back.
"So," said Dave, quietly, staring at his plate, and then he looked up at Matt and stared at him intently. "What you been up to Matt?"
Matt looked up and saw Dave staring at him, and he swallowed a little awkwardly.
"Up to?" asked Matt nervously, wondering for a moment if Dave was referring to the bathroom incident.
"Yeah, you know, we haven't really spoken in a while," said Dave.
Matt sat there open mouthed for a moment.
"Uh..."
"I'm sorry," Dave suddenly interrupted. "I didn't mean it like that, I was just...I was trying to think of a way of....God! it seems like I know next to nothing about you now."
"Oh," Matt nodded, not sure what to say.
"We were like best friends ages ago and then..." Dave said, and he seemed to blush.
"Well..." Matt tried to help him. "It happens, you know. It was just...well it happens." He looked down at the chicken strips and suddenly didn't feel hungry any more.
"Well it just seems so dumb, you know?" said Dave quietly.
"Dumb?" asked Matt.
"Yeah, like you live next door and we never talk." Dave looked up and smiled at Matt. "What's the matter? You don't like me, don't think I'm a nice guy?"
Matt sat there not sure what to say. What was he supposed to say? Did he tell the truth; 'Dave, I think you're an egotistical asshole.' Or did he lie and risk being stuck with some kind of false friendship? How long would it last anyway?
"Umm, Dave...I don't, we're just different, you know?" said Matt, hoping that would work.
Dave stared back, and then he reached out his hand and put it on Matt's arm.
"Are we Matt?" he almost whispered.
Matt dropped a chicken finger and sat upright, jerking his hand back from Dave.
"You okay?" Dave asked, his voice concerned.
"Uh, yeah," said Matt, taking a breath and gathering his thoughts.
"I didn't mean to..."
"What?" said Matt, almost hissing his reply, and then realizing what he was doing.
Dave suddenly seemed to notice his hand was still on the table and pulled it slowly back as though nothing had happened.
The two of them sat there, Matt staring blankly at the table, Dave staring at Matt and trying to figure out what to say next.
"Matt," he said softly.
Matt looked up at him almost reluctantly.
"I uh...there's something I wanted to tell you..."
'Uh...really?" said Matt, reaching out for a chicken finger, picking it up and biting into it intently. He then put his hand down and tried to look casual.
"Yeah...uh..." Dave went on, and then he stopped and blushed.
"Okay," said Matt.
"Uh..." Dave said thoughtfully, and then he seemed to change his mind.
"Umm....I'm...well I'm sorry," he said quietly.
"Sorry?" Matt asked, his curiosity aroused.
Dave looked embarrassed. He glanced down at the plate, then back up. "Yeah...I...I feel like it was my fault we stopped hanging out."
"Oh," said Matt, trying to remember back to when they had been friends, and when they had drifted apart. "It happens," he said, shrugging.
"Well if I acted like a jerk..." Dave went on
"No, no!" Matt interrupted, "It wasn't just your fault. We....we just had different interests and you know, it happens."
Dave stared back at Matt thoughtfully, his lips pursed, and then he smiled. "Well that's dumb," he said laughing a little.
"Dumb?" said Matt blankly.
"Yeah!" said Dave, "You're a great guy, I don't know why we had to stop being friends."
Matt blushed a little, but felt a little awkward too.
"Well, anyway...we're gonna start over, right?" said Dave, and he held out his hand as though to shake. Matt stared at it for a moment, and then he reached out with his right hand and they shook.
Matt let go and then sat there thinking....it was going to be harder to get rid of Dave than he'd thought.
They finished their lunch, Dave chatting about this and that, Matt trying to seem friendly without saying too much.
"So you need to do any more shopping?" Dave asked as they stood up.
"No, thanks," said Matt.
"Okay, let's get out of here then," said Dave.
They walked out to Dave's car. Matt not saying anything, Dave suddenly quiet. At the car Dave helped Matt in, and then walked around to the drivers side and climbed in. He put the key in the ignition and looked as though he was about to start the car up and then he stopped and leaned back into the seat.
Matt, realizing something was up, turned towards Dave, but Dave just stared straight ahead.
"Matt?" Dave said quietly.
"Yeah?"
"Uh...you know...uh before, when I said about being sorry we hadn't been friends?"
"Yeah."
"Uh...that wasn't really what I wanted to tell you," Dave said quietly, and then he turned towards Matt.
"Oh," said Matt.
"I mean I am sorry," Dave said, "but that wasn't..."
"Okay."
"Uhh...the thing is," Dave began, and Matt stared back at him. Dave's face had an almost pleading expression, but Matt ignored it. He didn't want to know. He didn't want to hear it. He had a dreadful feeling what it was Dave was about to say.
"I'm gay," Dave almost whispered, and then he turned and looked out of the front window.
Matt sat there, staring at him, his mouth open.
Dave sat there for a moment, and then he seemed to wake up and he hastily began to start up the car.
"Dave," Matt said, but Dave ignored him. "Dave," he repeated, and he reached out and put his hand on Dave's arm as the engine started up. "Dave," Matt repeated a little louder.
Dave turned back towards him.
"It's okay," Matt said, and then he smiled.
Dave stared back at Matt, still looking tense and a little panicked, and then his shoulders slumped a little and he relaxed back into the seat.
"Yeah?" Dave said.
"Yeah," Matt nodded. "You are what you are, right?" Matt smiled at Dave and Dave stared for a moment and then smiled a small smile.
"Uh, okay," said Dave, seeming to gather himself together. "Sorry, I just..."
"It's cool," said Matt, and then he realized he still had his hand on Dave's arm and he glanced down at it and then looked up at Dave. Dave smiled back as Matt calmly pulled his hand back.
"Okay," Dave nodded.
"Uh, yeah," said Matt, nodding, "I mean it's not the end of the world."
"Uh, no, guess not," said Dave. "I guess there are worse things."
"Yeah."
"Like what?" said Dave, smiling.
"Uh...well you could be ugly!" said Matt.
"Thanks! So you're saying I'm not ugly then?" Dave said, raising his eyebrows.
"You're not bad looking," said Matt.
"Thanks! Not bad looking huh?" and he playfully punched Matt's shoulder.
"Hey! Watch the shoulder! I need that to walk!"
"Sorry," Dave said, not sounding very sorry at all.
"Nah...didn't even hurt," said Matt dismissively.
"No? I could make it hurt," and he pulled back and looked as though he was going to punch Matt hard. Matt pulled back a little, putting out his hands.
"No! No! It hurt!" Matt laughed.
"Okay!" Dave laughed.
They sat there for a moment, and then the laughing stopped and they were staring at each other.
Dave smiled at Matt.
"Thanks Matt," he almost whispered.
"It's...you don't...it's really okay Dave. It's no big deal."
"Okay," Dave nodded. "Well, better get you home," he said.
He turned back and reached out to the steering wheel.
"No Dave, wait!" said Matt.
"What?" said Dave turning back to face him.
Matt sat there, staring at Dave.
Matt took a breath.
"I'm gay too," Matt almost whispered.
Dave stared back impassively at Matt for a moment, then his face broke into a grin and he half laughed. "Well I knew that!" he said.
Matt stared back at Dave, his mouth hanging slightly open.
"You wanna close your mouth? Or are you catching flies?" Dave asked, and then he started to laugh. "I'm sorry!" he said, leaning over and suddenly grabbing Matt into a headlock and giving him a huge kiss on the side of the face.
"Hey!" said Matt, trying to get away from him.
Dave pulled back and stared at Matt, who was straightening his shirt and looking hurt.
"Matt, I'm...I was just joking," said Dave, the smile suddenly stiffening.
"Yeah," Matt said dismissively, sitting back into the seat and looking forward.
"What?" asked Dave.
"What?" said Matt, looking over at Dave coldly.
"You're upset?" Dave said incredulously.
"No," said Matt.
There was a pause.
"Well?" said Dave.
"What do you mean you knew?"
"Ah...gaydar?" said Dave.
"Really?" said Matt, looking surprised.
Dave dissolved in laughter. He slapped his leg in hysterics and Matt felt like getting out of the car and leaving him. But then he remembered his leg.
Dave reached out to Matt and squeezed his arm.
"Sorry man," he said, trying to stifle the laughter. "It's just...dude! A good looking guy like you, and you don't date!"
"Huh!" said Matt.
"Oh, right, you're shy," said Dave dismissively.
"What?" Matt turned towards Dave, angry again. Dave kept apologizing and then saying something worse. It was really ticking Matt off.
"Okay, maybe I kind of suspected it and all. I wasn't one hundred percent certain, but I kind of suspected. Okay? Sorry man, I'm not trying to be a jerk."
"Well you manage to do it pretty well," Matt said, almost before he realized what he'd said.
Dave sat there staring at Matt, his face suddenly serious.
"Okay," Dave said quietly, "I deserved that."
He sat there staring at Matt, Matt staring back at him, and then he moved and reached out his hand.
"Friends?" Dave asked.
Matt regarded the hand and thought about it. Were they friends? Did he want to be friends? He shrugged and reached out and took Dave's hand and they shook.
"Wanna go somewhere and talk for a bit?" Dave asked.
Matt shrugged.
------------------------------- To be continued...
My other stories:
High School: Do What You Can
Celebrity: Boy Bands: Birthday Blues
Celebrity: Boy Bands: All The Ways I Love You