DANCING ON THE TUNDRA by Bert McKenzie Copyright 2010
Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any real person alive or dead is coincidental and unintentional.
CHAPTER XI
The impromptu party was a lot of fun. Terry had always had preconceived ideas about jocks, but now he was finding out that these guys were not at all like the stereotypes. The one thing that did make him uncomfortable was the quantity of beer Dan consumed, and the way the guys and girls tended to get physical. Terry looked around and realized he hadn't seen Wayne in quite a while. Beginning to worry he finally mentioned this to Dan.
"Don't get up tight. He's having fun."
"How do you know?"
"Because I saw Jeff follow him into his bedroom."
"Jeff!" Terry was astounded. He was certain all of the jocks were straight.
Dan must have read his mind. "He bet Jeff he could give him a better blow job than Jeff's girlfriend." Terry couldn't believe his ears. He blushed a bright red at the thought. "Would you just relax. Jeff knows what he's doing. He swings both ways. I ought to know."
"What?" Terry looked up in shock.
"Don't get all excited, Michaelson," Dan said. "We're roommates and he told me."
"He told you that?"
"Sure. Don't you and Wayne tell each other stuff?"
"Not about things like that," Terry admitted.
"Well maybe you should."
"Terry," Victor asked for his attention. "Can I use your room? This girl is really hot for me."
Terry felt totally at a loss. He wanted to stay friends with the guys but he felt really uncomfortable at the thought of them having sex in his bed. Fortunately Dan came to his rescue. "He just changed the sheets, man. Why don't you go screw her at a cheap motel."
"But Dan . . ."
"Terry's got his own plans for his room in a couple of minutes, right Michaelson?"
"Yeah, I do. I'm sorry, Victor."
"It's okay, pal. I just kind of thought maybe you and Wayne were . . ."
"Well you thought wrong, Vic. They're not," Dan said, raising his voice.
About this time Jeff came out of Wayne's room zipping up his fly. "Next?" he said with a big grin on his face.
"I think the party's over," Dan announced loudly. "Time to hit the road." His proclamation was met by groans, boos and other sounds of displeasure. "If we don't get moving now, we're not gonna get back into the dorm before they lock the doors." Apparently the athletic dorms where the guys all stayed had a curfew. Slowly the men got up and filed out taking their cooler and girls with them.
"Thanks for the party," Terry said as he stood to join Dan. Instead of leaving, his new friend began picking up empty cans and potato chip bags, cleaning up the aftermath. "Dan, I can do this tomorrow. You've got to be going or you'll be locked out of your dorm."
"I can't leave this mess for my fearless leader to clean up. Besides, I had too many beers to drive. I'm not risking my 'vette in an accident."
"Well what are you going to do?"
Dan smiled innocently. "Can't I crash here again? After all, you've got a well stocked 'fridge and I never had that breakfast I paid for."
"I don't know," Terry said slowly. It was different this time. He was beginning to realize his attraction for this big, beautiful man. And this time Dan wasn't as drunk as he was the previous night when it seemed like Terry had no other choice.
"What's the problem, Michaelson? You said you weren't like Wayne so it shouldn't bother you if I spend the night."
"Yeah, sure," Terry agreed, not knowing what else to say. They finished straightening up the apartment.
"Well, let's go to bed," Dan finally said as he stretched and yawned. Terry followed him into the bedroom and grabbed a clean sheet and blanket from his closet. "Where you goin'?" Dan asked as he slipped off his shirt, revealing the perfect torso that Terry had fantasized about.
"I'll sleep on the couch."
"Like hell you will. I'm not kicking you out of your own bed. Now shut up and get in here."
"But . . ."
"Get in here or I'll go sleep with Wayne."
"You can't do that," Terry said in shock. "You know what he is."
"So quit acting like a virgin bride." Dan sat on the foot of the bed and slipped off his shoes and socks, then stood and removed his jeans. While Terry stood watching, Dan peeled off his briefs and climbed naked into bed. He smiled up at Terry. "I figure if you can sleep in the raw, so can I."
Terry gulped and turned out the light, then quickly stripped and climbed onto the edge of the mattress. He laid there, daring not to breathe, hoping his erection would subside. Dan reached over, gently touching his shoulder, and Terry fell completely out of bed. "What the fuck are you doing?" Dan asked. "Get in bed. There's plenty of room and I promise I won't bite . . . hard."
Terry realized the foolishness of his behavior and climbed back into the bed, moving over just enough to be comfortable. "You cold?" Dan asked.
"No, I'm fine," Terry said.
"Then why are you shivering? You're shaking the whole bed."
"Sorry," Terry said in a strangled voice as he tried to force himself to relax.
"You tense?" Dan asked.
"I guess so. I'm just keyed up because of the show."
"Well why didn't you say so," Dan replied. Terry felt the bed move as his friend changed positions. "I get that way sometimes after a ball game. I can fix that." Dan grabbed Terry, shoving him onto his stomach and began to massage his shoulders and back. "You really are keyed up," he said as his fingers played over Terry's knotted muscles. "You know what else is good to relax you when you're this way?" Dan asked as he ran his hands down the small of Terry's back and began massaging his buttocks. "Sex."
"What?" Terry said, his voice was about an octave higher than normal.
"You heard me, Terry," Dan said as he called the blond by his first name. "Give me your hand." He gently guided Terry's hand down to feel his inflated phallus. "You see? I'm just as keyed up as you are."
"But, you're not queer," Terry said, his voice shaking. Yet he never withdrew his hand.
"No, I'm not. And neither are you. Aren't we lucky that neither one of us is queer." Dan began to gently stroke Terry's nude body, rolling him over onto his back. He gathered the boy in his arms. "I'm gay, Terry. I'm hoping you are too. But I'm certain neither one of us is queer." He leaned closer and gently kissed Terry's lips, the mouths blending as their passion mounted.
Terry awoke from a pleasant dream and was at first disconcerted, then comforted when he realized where he was. He was in his room, in his bed, but he was also wrapped in the arms of a warm, caring man. It was pleasant to lie there and listen to his partner's breathing. He remembered the sex from the night before and smiled. This was the first time he had ever made love. There was none of the urgency, brutality, or cold one- sidedness that he had experienced before when he had been used for sex by the guys in his high school. Dan had been gentle and giving, and had worked to bring Terry's body as much physical pleasure as he took for himself. It was an incredible experience.
Terry wanted to lie there and bask in the feeling of warmth, but his bladder had other ideas. He very slowly and very carefully extricated himself from Dan's sleeping embrace and rose from the bed. He then reached for his robe and quietly stepped out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. When he was finished he planned to join Dan again, but he heard sounds coming from the kitchen. Terry tightened his robe around himself and went out to greet his roommate. What he saw made him gasp.
"Morning," Wayne said as he looked up from a steaming cup of coffee. He was dressed in a robe as well and was sitting at the kitchen table. His face appeared puffy and swollen, one eye was partially closed with reddish purple bruises surrounding it. His lower lip was distended on one side and a scab of dried blood had formed over a cut on it. "How'd you sleep?" he asked.
"My God, what happened to you?" Terry asked as he sat down at the table and stared at Wayne.
"It's okay. I'll live. But I guess I better find someone else to house manage the rest of the run. I'd scare off the audience looking like this."
"Wayne, who did this?" Terry persisted. "You were okay at the party last night."
Wayne lowered his head for a moment, then looked back at Terry. "I guess I should have kept my mouth shut. I told that sexy white jock I could suck better than his girlfriend."
"Jeff?" Terry asked incredulously. "He did this?"
"He gets off on beating up fags."
"But Dan said he likes both guys and girls."
"Sure," Wayne agreed. "But the guys he only likes when he can beat 'em up then fuck 'em and hear 'em scream."
"So Jeff did this?" another voice asked. Terry turned around to see Dan standing in the doorway. He was already dressed.
"Don't worry about it, white boy. Your jock friend got his rocks off in my butt and I got what I deserved."
"Yeah," Dan said with a half nod. "Now I'm gonna go see he gets what he deserves." He turned and walked out the front door. Terry sat for a moment, too stunned to react, then he jumped up and ran after his lover. He opened the door, ran down the steps and out into the parking lot just in time to see the red corvette peel out into the street. Slowly Terry returned to the apartment.
"Wayne, I'm sorry. I feel like this is all my fault," he apologized.
"Don't be stupid. I'm the one who came on to that macho honky. I got what I asked for. I should have known better. I should have stayed with my own crowd."
"What do you think Dan's going to do?" Terry asked.
"They're roommates, friends and jocks, sugar. He's probably on his way to congratulate his buddy for beating up a faggot nigger." Wayne sipped the coffee.
"But Dan's gay," Terry said. It was the first time he had ever used the term.
"Say what? You're shitting me! That macho white boy? Now how the hell would you know?"
"Because I am too." Terry felt himself shake as he uttered the words. "I'm gay. When he slept over last night we . . . we did it."
"Shit," Wayne said and his deformed lips broke into a wide smile. "I always knew you had it in you, sugar!"
"Well I sure had it in me last night," Terry admitted and they both broke into hysterical laughter.
"Oh, Terry," Wayne finally said as he caught his breath. "I'm happy for you. You finally accepted who you are and got one hell of a sexy boyfriend all in the same night. There's only one thing I'm unhappy about."
"What's that?"
"That it hurts so damned much to laugh." They again began to chuckle.
Terry tried his best to make Wayne go to a doctor but the man was incredibly stubborn. He reasoned that a black eye was not serious enough to see a doctor. In fact, with his skin coloring, in a couple of days when the swelling went down, the damage would be hardly noticeable. He did let Terry doctor the cut on his lip. It made the blond feel needed and helpful, even though Wayne would just as soon have done without the extra attention.
They then began to discuss Terry's recent revelation. Terry admitted being scared and definitely uncomfortable about his sexuality. Wayne told him it was only natural and not to worry. After all, it had only been two years earlier that gays had started to make a name for themselves by standing up for their rights at Stonewall. Wayne suggested that Terry keep his orientation a secret. It was the easiest way to survive.
"But you don't make a secret of your preference for guys," Terry argued.
"Honey, when you got what you got going for you, you don't have to advertise like I do. Besides, I don't think I could hide the way I am if I tried. I may be a theatre major, but that good an actor, I'm not."
"I still wish you would reconsider about going to the doctor," Terry argued as he saw Wayne wince when he tried to smile.
"I done told you. A black eye isn't serious enough for a doctor."
"He's right," Dan said as he came back into the apartment.
Terry looked to see Dan's left eye was beginning to discolor and swell. "Oh my God! What happened?"
"A lucky punch," Dan admitted as he dropped into a chair. "But you should see the mess I left that son of a bitch in. Wayne, you got any steak for this eye?"
"No, but I've got a box of Hamburger Helper if you want to try it."
"Get some ice," Terry ordered and began to fuss over his new boyfriend.
"Well, I guess I've got two things to take care of today," Dan said as Wayne returned with a couple of ice cubes wrapped in a dish cloth. "I've got to tell Dr. Baker that there's only going to be seven guards in his show instead of eight."
"Honey, your helmet will cover that shiner. Don't you worry," Wayne said encouragingly.
"Maybe, but I don't think Jeff's going to be lifting any shields for a while. If his arm isn't broken, it's going to be in a sling with a bad sprain. Besides, he isn't going to want to be around me for quite a while."
"What's the other thing you have to take care of?" Terry asked.
"I got kicked out of the dorm. I'm going to have to find a place to live."
Terry looked up at Wayne who just nodded. "My hero ain't going apartment hunting while we got room here," the black man said.
"You sure it's okay with you?" Dan asked Terry, a nervous, pleading look on his face.
"I'm sure it's okay on one condition," Terry said with a mischievous smile. "That we cut classes today and you get some rest. You didn't get much sleep last night."
"You didn't either," Dan said as he stood up and grabbed Terry, sweeping him off his feet. "I think we both ought to get right to bed now before this swelling gets worse."
"Does you eye hurt?" Terry asked in concern.
"It's not the swelling in my eye that I'm talking about," Dan replied, then carried Terry to the bedroom.
"I just love newlyweds," Wayne sighed.
"Terry," Dan said as they headed for the stage door, "try not to let your dick get hard while you're doing my makeup. If it doesn't go down you're gonna look like a fucking circus tent when we carry you in."
"It's your fault," the blond replied with a grin.
When they reached the dressing room there was a big sign on the door announcing a cast meeting at 7:40 in the green room. Terry felt self conscious and was sure it was about the two of them. The other jocks and Jeff had no doubt told Dr. Baker they were gay. He was probably wanting to throw them out of his theatre. Dan told him to relax and reasoned that if they were being canned it wouldn't be twenty minutes before curtain when they were already in costume.
In the dressing room the temperature was radically fluctuating. Three of the jocks were warm and friendly. They seemed to think Jeff got what he deserved. They knew Wayne was a flit, but he was a nice flit, and lots of fun at a party. They seemed almost as angry as Dan had been that this asshole would screw Wayne and then beat him up in his own apartment while everyone else was having a good time in the next room. The fact that Jeff used Wayne for sex seemed to make Jeff no better than Wayne. On the other hand, the three remaining men were as cold as ice to Dan. They seemed neutral to Terry, assuming he had no part in their grudge. They couldn't believe Dan would beat up his own roommate, and for what? A faggot. It made no sense to them.
Terry helped Dan with his makeup and costume, then checked out the others before they all assembled in the green room. When they did, Dr. Baker came in to address the company. "We've had a little trouble as most of you have already heard," he began. "The phys. ed. department and Frank Noble in particular have worked with us to find our palace guards, many of whom have had little contact with our programs and we're especially glad they're here." The assembled cast applauded to express their gratitude to the P.E. majors. "However, we've lost our house manager because of a difference of opinion with one of our cast. And now we've lost Jeff Jones out of the cast in apparent retaliation by Mr. Beaumont here over the fight with our house manager." Everyone turned to stare at Dan. "Now I appreciate Mr. Beaumont's code of ethics in standing up for a friend, but I just want to remind everyone, and in particular our newcomers, that we are doing 'Antigone,' not 'Romeo and Juliet.' I'm not going to have gang warfare in my theater, even if it means I cut the whole funeral scene." Groans and protests rose from everyone in the room. "Tonight Stanley will replace Jeff as shield bearer. We'll see if Jeff returns to the show tomorrow. Tonight, Mike, adjust by leading in the middle of the ranks. Enough said. Break a leg, folks."
"Ten minutes," the stage manager called as everyone relaxed.
Terry wandered back to the dressing room to slip out of his clothes and into his robe. As he began to undress a heavy hand gripped his shoulder and turned him around. He was standing face to chest with Stanley, dressed in his guard costume. "Are you a faggot too like that fucking fruit you've got for a roommate?" he asked angrily. Terry was stunned and didn't know what to say, but apparently Stanley wasn't finished with his comments. "Dan got kicked out of the dorm and will probably lose his athletic scholarship because of that damned fairy. Now he says he's moving in with you. What did you do, let him fuck your ass?"
"We're friends," Terry said defiantly. "He needed a place to stay so I let him use my couch."
"Yeah, well if I find out you and that queer boy you live with are messing with Dan and trying to convert him, we'll be carrying a real dead body in this show. I ain't bluffing."
Before Terry could speak, Stanley was spun around. The actors playing Creon, Haemon and the narrator had entered quietly behind him and now ringed him. Chet, who played Creon, was every bit as big as the guard. "I'm going to be keeping my eye on you, Stan old buddy. If I see you even getting close to Terry or any other theatre major again, I personally will rip your arm out of its socket and use it to beat you to a bloody pulp. Now get back to the green room with the other guards and keep your big mouth shut. None of us want to hear any more out of you."
Stanley pushed his way roughly past Chet and the man playing Haemon. "You okay, Terry?" Chet asked. "I heard part of what he said."
Terry nodded as he tried to calm himself while he sucked in deep lungfuls of air. "Michaelson, aren't you ready yet?" Dan asked as he stepped into the dressing room. "Hey guys, what's going on?"
"Not a thing," Chet answered cheerily as if the recent confrontation never occurred.
"Places," the stage manager called.
"Shit, not again," Terry cursed and began pulling off his clothes while Dan grabbed the robe and Chet snagged his shroud.
The rest of the week was uneventful. Jeff never returned to the show which didn't seem to upset anyone but Stanley. Gradually the other two hostile jocks seemed to relax and forget all about the conflicts. Meanwhile, Terry was in heaven enjoying his new relationship with Dan. Dan on the other hand, was having serious problems. He was called into the dean's office to be informed that his scholarship was being revoked for "conduct unbecoming of a JSU student." Without the scholarship money and the free room and board at the jock dorms he wasn't sure how he was going to survive the semester. Terry assured Dan that room and board would be no problem, but that didn't really solve anything.
"You don't understand," Dan argued. "I can't afford to stay in school without that money."
"What do you need money for? To live on? You've got that here. You've got a place to stay and I can afford to pay for food and stuff."
"Okay," the big man finally said as he sat down at the kitchen table. "Aside from the fact that Wayne might not be too happy with me moving in here on a permanent basis and not paying for my share, and forgetting all about my hurt pride at being a kept man, what about summer and next year?"
"What about them?" Terry asked, trying not to think that far into the future.
"Are you just going to move home this summer? Are you going to stay here? How will we pay the rent? How do I pay for tuition and books next fall?"
"Can't we just enjoy what we have now?" Terry asked.
"Yeah, I guess so," Dan agreed reluctantly as he stood up to embrace his lover. "You know, people might sooner or later figure us out. Then what do we do?"
Terry refused to think about any problems. He insisted on living only in the present, in the here and now. Dan seemed to capitulate, but he still worried silently. After all, Terry wasn't the one losing a scholarship or being kicked out of a dorm. And Dan wondered what he could tell his parents. They were sure to find out, and probably sooner than later. He had insisted on paying his own way through school without their help, although they could easily afford it.
Saturday arrived with a light dusting of snow and Terry got up early to clean the apartment. Paula and her boyfriend were due to arrive around ten in the morning. He wanted her to be impressed with his place. He had cautioned Wayne not to be too flamboyant in front of his heterosexual friends, and he and Dan agreed they would be just roommates. There was no sense in scaring the new boyfriend, although Terry was fairly sure Paula would understand.
At precisely 10:00 a.m. the Camaro pulled up outside. "That's her," Terry said as he watched out the window. "I'll be right back." He ran out the door and down the steps.
Wayne and Dan exchanged glances. "Are you ready for this?" Dan asked nervously. From the way Terry had talked about his old friend Dan wasn't sure what to expect. He only felt that he needed Paula's stamp of approval or their new relationship would end as quickly as it began.
Wayne stood up, scratching his balls and said in an artificially deep voice. "Hot damn, I'm ready. Bring on the white woman." Dan laughed and poked him in the ribs.
The door opened and a petite young woman with short cropped, auburn hair entered. She was dressed in slacks and a man's red flannel shirt. Dan jumped to his feet and smiled. He stepped forward to extend his hand. "You must be Paula. I'm Terry's roommate, Dan."
"Hi," the girl said with a smile. "I'm Melanie." Another person entered the room. At first Dan thought it was a guy and then he realized it was an incredibly masculine looking girl dressed in flair bottom jeans and a loose sweat shirt that hid her boobs. The short, boyish haircut also seemed to give a male impression. "This is Paula," Melanie said as the other girl stepped out of the way to let Terry re-enter the apartment.
Wayne and Dan looked from the girls to Terry, then to each other. Wayne fell onto the couch in a fit of laughter as Dan tried to think of something polite to say.