COMPASSION
Chapter 7
The boys scuttled off to Jack's room and both dissolved in laughter realising that dad was a pretty switched on guy and fully accepted their relationship.
There was a sore ass before they went to bed, but it was Jack's that was sore. Darren had made love to him so many times before they showered and then slept that he didn't think he'd have another orgasm for a month.
"Now I know why you were so spaced out the other day. That was unbelievable. I don't know what is best, being the top or the bottom."
"No problem Little Man, we can alternate because I feel the same way. Your cock feels so incredible working in and out of me I don't know how I wasn't serial cumming."
Darren laughed.
"Well you were very nearly."
I guess at sixteen, sex, any sex, is just mind boggling, but when it is with someone you love very much it takes on new meaning.
Back to school the next day and a programmed week staying at Darren's.
Rowdy had been sent to a youth correctional facility and would not be seen in this area for a few years. His cronies had quieted down, deciding they didn't want to risk a similar fate, so all the little guys were more relaxed. Tom, Brad and Jack, once he was fit again, were looked up to as something of heroes by the smaller and ore junior boys. Even the senior year boys showed respect to these three for the obvious maturity of their compassion towards less physically gifted peers and juniors. The new regime didn't stop the whispers from gaining ground with regard to Jack and Darren. It soon became common knowledge that the boys were together every night, switching between each other's homes on a regular basis. Natural progression of thought was that Rowdy's guess was fact. Jack Hancock was a queer. They already believed Darren Michaels was so it was an easy thought. Rowdy's mates started calling Jack, queer boy, never referring to him by name.
`Yes, I'm a queer boy and I love it, but I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of responding to your insults,' was Jack's thought. He told Tom and Brad the same.
"But you can't keep letting them get away with it," was Tom's comment one day. He was getting so annoyed with Jack for taking it.
"So what do you want me to do? Beat the shit out of everyone who makes the comment, or come out and tell them that I am."
Tom didn't reply, but that day after Jack and Darren had gone home he had a pow wow with Brad.
"Why don't we tell Jack to come out as being gay and tell him we'll back him and Darren against any come back?"
Brad wasn't happy about that.
"I'd sooner we backed Jack by giving Rowdy's bunch a good kicking."
"I thought about that, but it doesn't solve anything. Jack and Darren are so tight they have to be gay. Jack is our best bud and we've never been as tight as he is with Darren. They are worse than boyfriend/ girlfriend the way they behave with each other. I hope I find a girl to love like Jack loves Darren, and have it reciprocated. Those two are awesome."
Nothing resolved but Tom did, on his own, give a couple of the nuisance guys a kicking. Nothing changed though, the rumours just spread and people noticed. Exams out of the way and just a few weeks left to the end of another school year. Jack and Darren had started to feel the pressure of all the innuendo. Grades slipped a little which teachers and parents noticed.
John called a family conference, driving in to town to include the Michaels in it because he guessed the reason for the boys slippage.
"Paul, Elise. We've all seen the grades slipping. I think I know why."
Jack and Darren looked at each other and cringed a little.
"You boys have started to take stick over your relationship and it's stressing you out. Correct?"
The pleading look in Jack's eyes would, under normal circumstances have stopped him in his tracks, but not this time.
"I'm sorry Son, but other people aren't going to spoil your dreams. Both of you need top grades to get your first choice colleges."
"We'll handle it Dad."
"Of course you will, but I can see it's stressing you both and the result is a negative one. What can we do about it?"
Both boys shrugged their shoulders.
"What about coming out. If you do it now, you'll take stick for the last couple of weeks of term, but you can bet that next semester there will be something else for everyone to talk about. You're big enough to handle it Jack and I presume Tom and Brad are on your side as well."
"I don't mind Dad, but Darren could take a lot of grief anytime he's not with me."
John looked to Paul then.
"What do you think?"
"I agree with you John. I think we should go to see the principal, tell him about the boys and make sure staff are aware so that Darren is watched more closely. The boys aren't separated much at school with all of their classes being together. There will be no one senior to them next semester so it will just be the small bunch of trouble makers to keep in check."
"I don't know Dad. If Darren was ever caught alone by the louts in Rowdy's old gang he could be in a lot of trouble."
John was thinking about it.
"Give me the names of all the trouble makers Jack. I'll place that in front of the principal and I suggest that you tell each one of them that if they ever touch Darren they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and with any luck, join their old friend Rowdy."
It sounded like a solution but Jack was still unhappy with it. Truth be told, he was frightened for Darren. Rowdy had nearly killed him, what would a gang of them do to Darren?
John won the day, so, on the Monday both father's went to see the principal.
"Principal Maynard, our sons are gay, and the rumours around the school are affecting their work, so we are suggesting they come out and get the problem out in the open. We think that once everyone has got used to it they will be left alone. This is a list of the troublemakers that were part of Rowdy Yates gang. They will be warned off but we would appreciate if you could brief your staff to be vigilant for the boys."
That was John's opening salvo. The principal was immediately an unhappy man. Homosexuality was a major problem in American schools, suicide rates among gay boys and girls were a blot on any community or school and he didn't want them in his school.
"I think it would be a good idea if you were to withdraw the boys from this school and send them somewhere they aren't known."
Paul was furious.
"Oh very constructive. Sweep it under the carpet and forget it, and you'll do the same with any others that come to light. That is the action of a coward and an irresponsible act from someone who should be looking at ways to make the security of all his students a top priority."
John jumped in then.
"Both of those boys need top grades to realise their ambitions. Up to now they have had them. They will be staying in this school and they will be protected if necessary. If that doesn't happen I will employ the top civil rights lawyer in this country to take you, this school and the school board all the way to the supreme court if I have to to see justice done."
Principal Maynard cringed at that. He knew John Hancock was one of the wealthiest men in the territory, taking him on in court wasn't even a consideration.
"Yes, you're absolutely right gentlemen, stupid of me to even think it. I just wanted to avoid trouble. I will get onto my school board and let you know what steps we will be taking to protect your boys."
John and Paul were nearly in hysterics returning to Paul's after the meeting.
"What would our boys call him John, a Woos?"
More laughter.
"Yeah, I guess, but I'll be interested to see how the school board handles it. Brad Clinton's father is on the board I think. I'll drop into his ranch on the way home to have a talk."
Paul was happy with that. John was going to be a powerful ally. There was no way he could have taken on the powers that be, but John's money would talk and he realised he didn't mind one jot.
The Clinton ranch was a well run outfit mirroring its owner's standards. John was impressed, as always, when he drove up to the house. He could see Brad Snr. down at the paddock watching a horse being broken. Climbing up onto the rail alongside him John spoke.
"Morning Brad, sorry to drop in unannounced, but can I have a word?"
"John, good morning to you too. No problem, come up to the house for coffee."
Settled into the breakfast room overlooking the paddock Brad asked what John wanted.
"You're on the board of the school our boys go to aren't you Brad?"
"Yeah, I've been the parent representative since Brad was eleven."
"You are going to be called to a special meeting in the next few days I would guess. My son and his friend Darren Michaels are going to come out to the whole school this week. They are gay and are fed up with the innuendo, so they are going to bring it out into the open. Their grades are slipping because of the stress so we are backing them. The Principal wanted us to move them until I tore into him. The boys aren't moving, and they had better be protected against the bullies or I will cause more mayhem in this town than the devil himself could do."
Brad was smiling. He had known John Hancock almost the whole of his life. Like their sons, they had been friends forever.
"Well said John. Brad has been telling me for ages he thought they ought to come out, Jack and Tom, along with our son are a match for any of the trouble makers."
John was surprised.
"Aren't you disgusted that my son is a faggot?"
"Hell no, he is still the same boy that I've treated like my own since he was born."
John was so pleased.
"The problem as I see it John, isn't Jack, it's his friend. I understand that Darren Michaels is only a little chap and if he's caught alone he could be in trouble."
"You're really on top of this Brad, aren't you?"
"I try to be John. I have a responsibility to all the parents in the school. I quiz as many of the kids as I can when we have social gatherings to try to keep my finger on the pulse. I knew about Jack and young Darren Michaels before Brad brought up the subject. Those two boys aren't the only homosexuals in the school. Now is probably a good time for the Principal to go pro-active and start a young Gay and Lesbian awareness programme, maybe even a club where pupils sympathetic to gays can mix with them and show support. I reckon that could be a good way to make the yobs keep a low profile. Brad, Tom and Jack would be a powerful force within it, particularly as next semester they will be senior year."
John was amazed that this big bluff rancher was so caring and modern in his thinking.
"Thanks Brad, if throwing a little money at this will help just yell. You will let me know what happens won't you?"
"You can bet on it John. Don't worry, we'll look after your boys."
That was good enough for John. When he arrived home he called Paul and filled him in on details. Now all he had to do was wait for the result of the school board meeting. Events took over before that happened. Jack blew up at one of the lout's comments about Darren only being good for taking cock up his ass. He punched the boy into unconsciousness before being dragged off him. Stood over his protagonist, he looked around at the crowd that had gathered to watch.
"Yes Darren Michaels is gay, and so am I, but if I hear any more derogatory comments about us I promise this low life won't be the only bruised and battered creep in the school."
The low life concerned regained consciousness and when he had his act together again slunk off to lick his wounds. Of course the Principal heard and called an emergency meeting of the school board. He wanted to have Jack Hancock suspended, he thought it would then only be one step more to expelling him. Unfortunately he reckoned without Brad Clinton.
"Don't you even think about suspending that boy. If you had been doing your job this would never have happened. There have to be a lot of young homosexuals in this school. You should have been more pro-active thinking about ways to protect them when, as now, a couple have come out into the open. If we vote on anyone's suspension my vote would be for you. Now let's talk about how we are going to handle this fire now that it has been set."
The meeting went on late into the night because Brad wouldn't let them leave anything in limbo.
"We don't close this meeting until we have a plan. You want to try it and I'll join forces with John Hancock and light a bush fire in this district that will burn everyone of you."
No contest, Principal Maynard went away from the meeting with his tail between his legs and a clear directive that a plan would be implemented in time for the new semester.
Jack and Darren had two weeks more to field the antagonism, but with Tom and Brad as supporters it didn't prove too difficult.
"Darren, you are not to be alone, not even for a minute. Even if you are only going for a pee, myself, Tom or Jack must be with you. Let people get used to the idea and then next semester we'll see."
Jack's look of gratitude for his best buds wasn't missed.
"We've got your back bud. We'll always have your back. Payback will be some low vets bills when I own the ranch."
Brad laughed and that lightened the atmosphere.
It worked, for two weeks Darren was a shadow for one of three guys. Semester ended, Jack and Darren were almost joined at the hip. Some people would suggest that the last two weeks of term were the calm before the storm. There was a lot of whispering, a shed load of funny looks and more than a few guarded, and not so guarded comments. Most of the senior year couldn't give a damn. They were now only two weeks away from finishing school, so a couple of faggots in their midst didn't faze them. Some of Jack's year were more vitriolic and these were noted by the three big guys, just in case. The real downside from Jack's point of view was that Darren appeared to lose a lot of his new found self confidence.
"Don't worry Little Man, I'm not going to let anything bad happen."
Somehow that assurance didn't have the normal effect. There were now too many to deal with on the negative side. Darren would be pleased when school was out. He would be with Jack the whole summer and that would be ok. **************************************************************************** The action gets tough for our boys in the next part.