Drummer Boys

Drummer Boys By Kevin Carson

This story is about my relationship with my friend and, well, more-than-a-jack-off buddy. Yes, it includes gay teen sex stuff. It's based on true experiences but some of the names and places have been changed for privacy. Hey, if this is illegal where you're at or if you're too young to be reading this, then you better not. Getting in trouble isn't cool. All rights reserved. No reproductions permitted without prior permission.

Thanks to everyone who has written to me. I really appreciate your comments/feedback and questions about this story. My email is: kc.drummerboy@yahoo.com.

Sincerely, Kevin.

Part 28.

What's that cliche? "There's no rest for the wicked." Hmm... if that saying's true, then I must be wickeder than shit! I must be really bad off, because I got absolutely no rest, no sleep at all... not a wink. I had tons on my mind, lots of stuff to do and I didn't even shut my eyes for a second.

First, I had to pack for the Ohio trip, and I really needed to pay attention to what I was doing. It was hard to stay focused because I kept re-playing the thing with Emily over and over again in my mind. It's strange how I didn't seem to feel as "down and out" as I could have, since Keith overheard almost the whole shouting match. Well, I wasn't "down" but I was "out," so-to-speak. I was trying to reassure myself that, while he wasn't as compassionate and understanding as I hoped he'd have been, he did take it pretty well, all things considered. He didn't jump for joy learning I'm gay, but he did defend me.

And it's funny how he's fucking Lisa and her brother's fucking me! Funny how the world goes 'round. Who would have thought...?

Also on my mind was the fact I hadn't really completed my conversation with Dad. I know I was kind-of vague about my "news." I skirted the real deal, never specifically revealing what I should have. I never actually said "Dad, I'm gay." I never said it.

Do I think he figured it out? Yes, I do. Do I think he'll be OK with it? Yeah, I do. Do I think he'll be thrilled... un-corking-a-bottle-of-Asti-happy-about-it?? Nooooo! But when it IS finally all out in the open, will it be OK? Yes, I think so. I know Dad won't condemn me. He won't throw me out of the house or cut me out of the will. He'll help me deal with whatever I'm dealing with, I know he will. That's just Dad. And I know I'm lucky.

See, Dad has always let Keith and me take a certain amount of risks, allowing us to fuck up now and then... make a few mistakes here and there, so we could learn from them. My relationship with Mark might have some risks, but it sure as hell isn't a mistake. No one's gonna make me think that. No way. It's the best thing that's ever happened to me. So, my mind's made up... no matter what anyone thinks, no matter what anyone says... my heart's with Mark's.

Then there's that fucking asshole Emily, and although I feel good... great, actually... about telling her off, I still might have to deal with her in the future. In public... next year at school... God knows where or when. I'm sure it's not completely over with her. But it will be a lot easier to face her from now on, because... I don't care anymore! I stood up to her and that's what matters. Yes, Keith stepped in and handled it, too, but that's circumstantial. Oh, I know he did it out of loyalty to me, but after all, he did just happen to 'be there.' Where the fuck was he the last four or five months when I needed him, huh? I could have used him on my side several times, but where was he?

OK, that wasn't fair. I never told him about my continuing problems with her, how she'd secretly talk shit to me... her quiet little attacks. But I do wonder if I had told him, would he have gotten involved? Maybe yes, maybe no. I don't want to ask him. The important thing is he did get involved, when it all finally came to a head, and I'm grateful. But I fought the major battle myself... me, alone. I didn't know he was there, seeing it, hearing it. So if there is another problem with her I know I have the confidence to fight her off again. I'll put the fucking bitch in her place. Fuck her. And fuck Mr. Hartman and everyone else, too. Fuck 'em. They're fucking with the wrong person now.

So... back to packing for camp... I'd gone over the list of things to take, and it's funny... some of the days we'll be living like they actually did when the soldiers were in battle, but for other times it's supposed to be somewhat civilized. We wouldn't always have to piss behind trees or go without running water. There actually were cabins with real toilets and showers that we'd be using at the very beginning and towards the end of the week. Thank God! The days we'd actually be "in battle" and camping out, so-to-speak, that's when we'd be sleeping in tents and stuff. We would have to keep all the modern conveniences, or "farby" as they call it, like our cell phones, wallets, personal stuff, etc. locked up.

I finally completed my task... I was all packed and ready to go. Except I was waaaay early. It was only Friday at sunrise, and we weren't leaving until Saturday and Dad was driving us there. We had to be at the camp by 2:00 Sunday afternoon for check-in and registration. He decided we'd leave Saturday, stay over night in Pennsylvania, then cruise into Ohio on Sunday.

Back to Friday... at sunrise... I know I'm jumping around from topic to topic, sorry... but it was the day of Mark's surgery, and of course, that was on my mind too. I insisted that I go with him and his mom to the hospital, and I was a little surprised at first when Mrs. Graham said yes, I could go. She actually told me she could use my company, and went on to say how lucky Mark was to have me there too. You know, Mrs. Graham doesn't hand out props to me that often, so I'll take what I can get... but two in one day! Jeez! She agreed to pick me up at 5:30AM sharp since they had to be at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset by 6:00. Mr. Graham would be going later in the day, and Lisa planned to visit Friday evening.

Mark checked in at the surgery center desk; he and his Mom had to sign a bunch of papers. I waited in the lobby while they went to some pre-surgery holding area where I wasn't allowed. About 45 minutes later Mrs. Graham came back and waited with me. They gave her one of those blinking red-light-buzzer-vibrating things, like they give you in restaurants to let you know when your table's ready, only this was to let us know when the surgery would be over and we... or she... would be able to talk to the doctor. Mrs. Graham sure was asking people a lot of questions... maybe she was nervous... maybe she shouldn't worry so much. But what do I know? I was worried about Mark, too. I shouldn't talk.

So... we waited... and waited. We read the paper, we read magazines, Mrs. Graham drank coffee, and we read more magazines... I might have even taken a little nap. Those waiting room chairs are about as comfortable as the seats in the auditorium at school. It reminded me of the day we had auditions for rock orchestra and I fell asleep in one of those chairs, and dreamed about Mark. Remember? I woke up with a hardon and a wet spot on my jeans, that Mark saw, of course. Well, I was lucky that didn't happen at the hospital!

About 11:30 the buzzer-vibrator thing went off and lit up, meaning the operation was over. The receptionist directed Mrs. Graham to a consultation room, and I followed. The doctor came with the good news that everything went fine with Mark. He was in the recovery room, and we could see him in about an hour, after lunch. The doc said he'd be pretty sore for a few days and he'll only be able to have ice and liquids for a while... jello, popscicles, stuff like that. They wanted to keep him in the hospital until Sunday, just to make sure he would be OK, in the unlikely event there'd be complications.

The hospital cafeteria food was actually pretty good. Mrs. Graham was paying, so I got a southwest turkey wrap, but felt guilty eating it, since I knew Mark couldn't eat anything. The poor guy.

He was still pretty groggy when we saw him. He had an IV in his arm and a drain tube out of the corner of his mouth. And there were wires and tubes and machines that buzz and beep all around him. I'm sure it wasn't as bad as it looked, but I almost started to cry. He couldn't talk, but he was able to point to us. And in spite of that drain tube and the obvious packing in his mouth and throat, he was able to smile. That awesome, killer smile that can make me melt. But then he fell back to sleep, and the nurse came in to check on him. Mrs. Graham went out to the nurse's station with her, I suppose to ask more questions, so I had my chance to touch Mark and kiss him lightly on the forehead. But then, Mrs. Graham said we should go, and I decided I'd see him again, probably later that night.

I called the important people... Townsend, Eric, Nora and Amy, and well... Dad... and told them Mark was going to be fine. Then I took a long nap on the couch in the family room. That is, until Keith came home and woke me up.

"How'd it go last night with Dad, you know, talking to him?"

"Yeah, dude, Mark's doing great... the surgery went fine... he's out of danger." I said, sarcastically, and still half-asleep.

"OK, fuckwad, I know he's OK... I was with Lisa when Mrs. G called after the operation. But what happened with Dad? I wanna know."

"It was fine, Keith. Dad's cool. He loves us, you know that, no matter what."

"OK, whatever you say, Kev. But just be honest with him. He's our Dad. I don't wanna have to kick your ass."

"You can KISS my ass, you bastard."

"No... that's Mark's job isn't it?"

"Oh you're quite the comic, aren't you? Go fuck yourself," I snapped.

"God, lighten up!"

I shook my head. "I know, you're right. I'll talk to Dad some more." I hesitated a moment before I said or did anything else. "Keith, this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I'll... talk to him again, I promise..."

Keith raised his eyebrows slightly and nodded, giving a look of approval... well, partial-approval. I was glad he was giving me some room. Make no mistake, it was still pressure. I knew I would have to finish the conversation with Dad. Soon. I was smart enough to know that I'd have to tell all... It's the only way.

Dad got home a little early and offered to buy pizza, which was cool, because Lisa was coming over and so was Townsend, and we were all gonna go back to the hospital later on.

We talked about the trip, and Townsend said he was all packed, too. Plus, he also had to pack for their family's trip to the Outer Banks, since they were leaving as soon as he gets home. Mr. Miller had already made arrangements with Dad to take Townsend to I'm-not-sure-which-airport in Ohio for him to fly back on the company's plane. He even offered for me to fly back with Townsend, but Dad had other plans. Personally, I thought it was great of Dad to drive us there and bring us... er, well... me, back home. But it was all good. Dad suggested he and I... just the two of us... could spend a day at the Delaware Water Gap on the way home and maybe go canoeing on the Delaware River. Cool!

Keith drove all of us to the hospital, and Mark was in a lot better shape than when Mrs. Graham and I left him earlier. He still had the IV in, but this time he was actually sitting up in bed. He tried to talk but it hurt. And I know it hurt for him to laugh, but that didn't stop the four of us from making him laugh anyway. After a while, Townsend said he was thirsty and left to go to get a soda. Lisa went with him, which made for a slightly awkward moment: it was just Mark and me and Keith in the room. But Keith had the decency to "go find Lisa," leaving Mark and me alone.

I leaned over and gave him a kiss on his forehead. In exchange, I got one of his smiles. One that gave me chills.

"We're leaving tomorrow," I said. "I'm gonna miss you, you know."

I got another smile. His eyes never left mine.

"I hate seeing you like this, Mark, I hate it. I hate it that we're gonna be apart for a whole week. But just wait... I'll be back before you know it, and you'll be all better, wait and see!"

I got a smile and a wink that time. And a mumbled "I love you, sweetie!" I understood what he said.

"Enough of the mushy stuff!" Townsend surprised us. I about jumped out of my skin.

"Damn it Townsend! Did you hear us or something?"

"Fuck, no, Rim-shot, I'm just teasing you. He can't talk anyway," he joked, "I just walked in and now you're all paranoid and shit..."

"Kiss my ass, you prick!"

Townsend turned to Mark, pretending to ignore me. "I gotta put up with this shit for a whole week... I don't know how you do it all the time!"

Mark was laughing in pain and told us to "get out of here." Lisa and Keith came back in and said goodbye and get some rest. Townsend gave him a jock hug and shook his hand that didn't have the IV in it. I gave him another hug, not nearly as long as I wanted to. And with my back to everyone else, I mouthed the words "I love you" to Mark.

On the way home, Lisa treated us at the Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop in Manhasset. The three of them laughed a lot, eating their ice cream. I was lost in thought and finally said we better get going, as Townsend and I had a big day ahead.

I was slow to wake up Saturday morning. I think not having much sleep, along with the worry and stress of Mark's operation, and everything else, sorta did me in. I stretched out in bed, just chilling out and thinking, and started to rub my body. The morning wood I woke up with didn't seem to be going away, and surprisingly I didn't have my usual strong urge to piss, for a change. I was daydreaming, playing with my nipples and balls, and had a nice, slow wank. I figured it might be the last one for awhile. I thought about what the guys were talking about at lunch the other day. You know, about having sex in the hospital. And I had a little fantasy... a little romp with Mark in that hospital bed could only be imaginary. I'd be too chicken-shit to do anything like that for real. Anyway, my session was pretty intense at the end, a real fucking mess! I cleaned up with a pair of socks and threw them away.

After I showered and had breakfast, I made a deal with Keith about the two lawns he gave me.

"You can keep the money." I offered.

"Wow, Mr. Generosity!"

"It'll be just like old times, you doing those two lawns again. Thanks."

"Yeah, well just remember to keep up your end of the deal and talk to Dad, will ya??"

"I know, I know, stop hounding me already..."

We planned on leaving at noon. As I was loading my gear in the Volvo, Townsend and his dad pulled in the drive. Dad came out, we all exchanged hello's and he and Mr. Miller talked while Townie and I put his shit in the trunk. I overheard Mr. Miller thanking Dad again and again for taking us, remarking that it's a lot of driving. He also repeated his offer for me to fly home with Townsend on his company's plane next weekend. Dad told him no, that he and I needed to spend a little time together. For a second I was distracted by Dad's comment, but then I was OK with it, because I needed to spend some time alone with him, too, if I was gonna get this thing of mine overwith. You know, finishing what I had to tell him.

Mr. Miller told Townsend to call if he needed anything, and he'd pick him up at the airport out in Islip next Saturday. "And you're all set for the Carolina trip, aren't you?" he asked Townsend.

"Yeah, I don't have that much, and mom knows where all my stuff is. See you in a week!" Townsend didn't hug his dad goodbye, which sorta bothered me at the time, and even more now, when I think about it. "Ready??!!" he asked, looking at me. And we left, a few minutes later.

Dad gave Keith final instructions and we hit the road! I'm glad Townsend decided to listen to his iPod right away, because I didn't feel like talking a whole lot at first. He put his earpiece in and sorta hummed along with Kelly Clarkson. Give me a break. I got a little bit sad as we passed the hospital, where Mark is. I looked out the car window, staring at the buildings as we drove by. Boy, I wish we could have stopped just so I could kiss him goodbye... but...

Surprisingly, the Long Island Expressway wasn't the parking lot it usually is, and we were making good time. We passed Shea Stadium and LaGuardia airport. "The Mets suck," I said, under my breath, thinking Townsend didn't hear me.

"Hold it... you're the only person on Long Island who's a Yankees fan! The only one!" Townsend warned. He's right, I am!

The next thing I knew we were on the George Washington Bridge, upper deck, crossing the Hudson! I swear it's the biggest bridge in the whole god-damned world! Getting through the toll plaza was an event in itself, even with Dad's E-ZPass. Welcome to New Jersey!

"Hey, maybe we'll see Meadow Soprano! I know where they live!" Townie exclaimed.

"Shut the fuck up, you jerk-off. The Sopranos aren't real... Meadow's a character, not a real person."

"Hey Kev, watch the language, OK?" Dad warned.

"Ooops... sorry!"

"I know, but the actress who plays her is a real babe!" We giggled and I conceded that Meadow Soprano, real or not, is, in fact, hot. Lick, lick!

"Dude! You're getting yourself all worked up over a TV Mafia princess! Don't get a wet spot..." I'm sure Dad heard me, but didn't say anything, and after I said it I was a little embarrassed.

Even though the Saturday afternoon traffic on Interstate 80 through the Jersey suburbs was a little busier than when we first started out, it really didn't take long to get into Pennsylvania. As we crossed the bridge over the Delaware River, I thought about how cool it's gonna be... Dad and me canoeing, on that very river. Just him and me.

I think Townsend and I fell asleep going through the endless miles of mountains in Pennsylvania. We both woke up when Dad stopped for gas, and he asked if we were hungry. We were. Townsend used the restroom, but I had to wait a few minutes... because... I guess he wasn't in the same "condition" that I was when he woke up. I'd been dreaming of Mark, and I had a little problem: my pecker was as hard as granite. When it subsided, I went to the restroom, too. We drove a little further, until checking in to a Comfort Inn, and having dinner at Applebee's. Nothing spectacular, but at least the hotel had a nice pool, and that evening Townie and I went swimming.

In the morning we had the complimentary hotel breakfast, then packed up and headed out. It didn't take long to get to where we were going... a big-ass park, near a place called Hiram, Ohio. It's waaay out there... in the middle of nowhere.

Everything was quite organized, with a big Welcome Center set up near the entrance to the park. I got the impression real fast that these people don't mess around... this whole civil war re-enactment thing is serious business. We unloaded the car and carried our stuff to a big covered shelter.

There was a huge "No Cars Allowed Beyond This Point" sign, so while Dad parked in the designated area, Townie and I checked in. Everyone was friendly and helpful. Townsend fit right in, with his entertaining, life-of-the-party personality. Me, well, I was kinda scared at first, but I got used to it. We all met Sergeant Major David Murray, "Sgt. Dave" to us. Dad said goodbye, and then we were off... to boot camp for the drummer boys!

Sgt. Dave was easy to get to know, and I really liked him. We found out he's in his mid-twenties and is a high school history teacher in West Virginia. He's not married, but I don't know why. All he told us is that he's single and has a friend, and that he's from a big family with seven kids, and he's in the middle.

His sorta-long, blondish-brown hair and thin golden mustache that went down around the sides of his mouth, framed a cute grin. He had the greenest eyes, and, oh yeah... a soul patch under his bottom lip. It occurred to me that he was sorta like an older version of Mark. He said he's always loved civil war stuff and has been an enactor since he was sixteen... our age when he started out. His father and a brother and sister sometimes get involved, and this year his father was going to be a merchant, or "sutler."

We were part of the Union Army's 4th Pennsylvania Infantry and Sgt. Dave led a group of us to a cabin that slept about 20, where we'd bunk the first couple of nights. We got right to work. They issued our uniforms and gear, and we were given time to change and get settled in. Sure enough, we had to keep our "farby" in a locked room. The rules were very strict for all the enactors as far as modern conveniences like cell phones, deodorant, contact lenses, and electronic things like razors and iPods. They didn't have those things in the 1860's and we weren't going to use them now. Of course, I wasn't going to ask what we were supposed to use for toilet paper, but someone else did!

"Good question!" Sgt. Dave responded. "I guess you'll find out soon enough that the facilities here are somewhat primitive, but we do the best we can to give you a very realistic experience of what it was like living in war-torn rural America in the 1860's. You'll get used to it. And about the toilet paper... well, let's just say it is "paper," but you won't be squeezing it like Charmin, haha!"

He told us as long as we'd be staying in the cabins we could use the showers and more "civilized" facilities, but the three nights we'd be camping out it would be a different story. All 20 of us in our unit went outside with Sgt. Dave, as he gave us what seemed like hours of orientation and instructions. Then we took a tour of the "town," "battleground" and campground. And it was really made clear that as long as we were in uniform we were to be in character.

Sgt. Dave also commanded the drum corps, consisting of Townsend, two kids from Michigan, and me. He explained the importance of our roles as "communicators" for the general and commanders. Different cadences and beats were signals for the soldiers to know what to do and when, whether in battle, advancing, retreating, or at camp. We even got to mess around with the drums we'd be playing... authentic ones made of wood and tin, painted red and blue. It was clear we had to be tight with Sgt. Dave.

We met so many people at the first gathering and inspection, or "muster," as it's called. It was great getting to know where they were all from, and learning everything we'd be doing for the week. But it was especially fun, the first two nights, sleeping in the cabin and getting to know the guys in our squad. The first night we had a big bonfire, but after that each unit pretty much stuck to themselves, for training, maneuvers, recreation and meals. Our cook, Larry, made amazing food with dried meat, potatoes, and yes...beans! Yum. And the coffee... let's just say old Larry won't be putting Starbucks out of business anytime soon!

Sleeping on cots in the cabin was actually fun. We used salt for "toothpaste" and the soap they gave us was kind-of waxy and smelled funny. Actually, the showers weren't bad. There were three, separated by little partitions, so it was semi-private. It wasn't like a big gang shower, but it was pretty easy to catch a glimpse of someone's dick or ass as they dried off or got dressed.

The regimen each day was exhausting, but fun. Unlike anything I had ever done before. Townie and I got really close with the other two drummers, as well as with Sgt. Dave. Marching, following orders, eating weird food, lifting stuff, drinking out of funny canteens... all very different. And getting used to the smells... like leather, gun smoke, horse shit... not to mention different body smells. You can imagine, a bunch of guys not using real soap or anti-perspirant for several days during the summer... Imagine.

I loved it, though. Thursday night, our last night sleeping in the field, I was fucking exhausted. We'd been up since 5:00AM, with no rest periods except for meals. It was hot. I was dirty. We all were. I was whacked. Finally, by darkness, we were able to get cleaned up a bit. I took off my boots and washed up as best I could with simply cold water poured into a metal basin. Townsend and I crawled into our tent, and believe it or not, our bedrolls on the hard ground felt like goose down.

The General and Sgt. Dave made rounds, stopping to talk to everyone.

"Good job today, men!"

"Yes, sir, General, sir!"

"You men get a good night's rest, hear? We got a battle to win tomorrow!"

"Yes, sir, General, sir!"

Townie and I were laying there, side by side in our tent, on our bedrolls, stripped down to our "underwear." Although it was only a two-man tent, it was a little bigger than most, and we were right there next to the General's tent. It was a warm night, and just plain hot inside the tent, so I pulled the flap back to get some fresh air. Townie was talking, yacking non-stop about I-don't-know-what. I'm glad he was excited about something.

But soon the hypnotic, repetitious gurgling-crackling sound the crickets made drowned out the sound of Townsend's voice. I stared into the campfire that was almost out. It was almost black now, inside the tent, but I could see Townie's dimly lit face and his moving lips. I couldn't hear a word he was saying. I had to pee, really bad. And I was thinking about Mark. I missed him so much.

I didn't want to violate any rules, but I was determined to somehow get to my cell phone and call him. I just had to find out how he was. I needed to hear his voice. I had to know he was OK. I had to tell him how much I missed him. I had to.

My bladder was full and I knew I was gonna piss myself if I didn't get up and go. So, I pulled on my pants and boots and left the tent. Townsend didn't even try to stop me, he just kept talking! Ahh, at last! A tree. No other tents were nearby and it was pretty dark, except for the half-moon light. I figured this was as good a place as any to whip it out and let loose on the tree trunk. God, what a relief! I swear I pissed for ten minutes, watching the arc of my stream in the moonlight.

Jesus, a crazy thought ran through my head again. It dawned on me that the cabins were just a short distance away, through the woods. Civilization! Dare I? No one in the whole camp was up except me, so I decided to chance it and go to the cabin and get my cell phone. No one would ever know. I ran through the woods, to the clearing, and sure enough, the cabins were there, but dark, of course. I tried the door, but shit, it was locked. Now what?

I noticed a partly-open window, and using my extraordinary athletic abilities, I hopped up and climbed in. I was in luck! The "secure" room with our duffle bags was unlocked! That was good news for me, at that particular moment, but then I thought, what if someone else broke in and stole our stuff. I wouldn't like that, would I?

Anyway, I had to make this fast. I dug through my bag of stuff and found my phone. Ahh, it was already turned on for me! I dialed Mark's number, and he answered on the first ring! How lucky was that?!

"Mark!!"

"Kevin.....??"

"Hey Mark! I just had to call you, I thought I'd never be able to... How's your throat? Do you miss me? I miss you and I wish you were here..."

"Kevin........??"

My voice was trembling and I was so excited to hear his voice. "Mark... it's been so long...six days since I've talked to you!"

"Kevin.............???"

"Mark... Are you finally able to eat? Vanilla ice cream and cherry popscicles...Your favorites..."

"Kevin....................????"

"I gotta go.... I love you Mark... I love you......... I........."

He hung up. It was all too fast... and why did he sound so far away? It was late and I had to get back to the tent, so I quickly crawled out the window, almost losing my balance as I jumped to the ground. Wow! Look! Snow!! Now it was fucking snowing! Imagine that!!

Jesus, now I had to pee again, really bad, even though I had just pissed like 8 gallons a few minutes ago. When you gotta go, you gotta go! I noticed someone left the light on in the shower room, and remembered there's a toilet in there too. I'll just use that one, I thought. As I got closer I could hear the trickle of the shower running and I saw steam. I knew I'd probably get in trouble, but I had to see who it was. I guess I wasn't the only one who was up, after all. Maybe, if I was really quiet, I could take a leak without being noticed. Maybe whoever was showering wouldn't hear me. But just as I walked in, the shower stopped, and there he was... Sgt. Dave!

He was stark-ass naked, and looking pretty damn good. Lean and mean! He was soaked, of course, and looked so damn hot with wet hair and drops of water running down his face, arms and perfectly formed abs. Of course I checked him out. His cock was even bigger than I imagined, and it looked like maybe he'd been hard a few moments earlier.

"Kevin! Hi!" Sgt. Dave greeted me pleasantly, and didn't seem shocked at all to see me, almost as if he was expecting me. But... I sure as hell was surprised to see him... naked, wet and half-hard standing in front of me.

"Hi... uhh...I just have to pee... sorry..."

"No problem..." he said. "Go right ahead... be my guest..."

Be his guest?? Was he hitting on me?? What the fuck?? I was a little nervous. Not a little nervous... a lot nervous! I thought, what if I froze and couldn't pee, but that didn't happen. I pissed another 8 gallons of nervous pee, right there with Sgt. Dave at my back, drying off. I was trying to hold my dick with one hand and hold my pants up with the other, all the while I was shaking like a leaf. When I was finished and pulled my pants up in front, I turned and he was there with the towel around his waist. I stared. I couldn't help it. There was a bulge in the towel. A rather obvious bulge. That cock of his was hard and getting harder, and so was mine!

Those green eyes of his were looking through me, and his smile... well, it rivaled Mark's. "Kevin... I wanted to ask you something, if you don't mind..."

"Uhh... OK... sure... what?"

"Kevin, are you gay??????"

"What?? What do you mean??"

"You better fess up and tell your friend Townsend. After all, you're sharing a tent with him. I'm just sayin'... he has a right to know... better tell him!! Be honest..."

"FUCK YOU!!!"

I broke out in a sweat and ran away as fast as I could. Back through the woods, running, hopping over rocks and fallen trees, dodging branches and slipping on leaves... through the now-total darkness, pitch black, no moonlight... faster and faster. The snow was really falling, too. "Where the fuck's the tent?" I wondered. I wanted Mark and I could hear myself yelling for him, shouting his name... "Mark...!! Mark...!!!! MARK!!!!!!!!!!!" How could Sgt. Dave ask me that? Why would he do that? I really liked him. We were instant friends. Granted, he was a few years older than me, but we were friends. How could he do this to me?? Why would he think I'm gay?? "MARK!!!!!!!!!!"

I felt someone grab my shoulders, shaking my body, almost violently... "Kevin!! Wake up!!!!! Dude, you're talking in your sleep... Wake up!! It's OK!" It was Townsend.

I sat up, out of breath and panting, soaked with sweat, shaking... crying... "Mark...? Mark...?? Where's Mark? Where am I??"

"Kevin... we're here, in our tent. We're at camp. It's the middle of the night."

"No... no... I was just talking to Mark..." I looked around, and could only talk between breaths. "Where are my pants... and my boots? Where's my phone? And all the snow? It was really coming down! What happened to it?"

"Kev... there's no snow... it's the middle of June. And you don't have your phone... it's locked up back at the cabin, remember...?"

"No, I just had it... I was talking to Mark..."

"Come on, Rim-shot, it's OK, you were dreaming..." Townsend put his arm around my shoulders.

"No," I insisted, "I was at the cabin talking to Mark. Then I saw Sgt. Dave at the showers and he asked me... he asked me... he..."

"He asked you what, Kevin? What did Sgt. Dave ask you?"

"Where is he?? WHERE IS HE???" I shouted, still crying hysterically.

"Shhhhh! Sgt. Dave's sleeping... in his tent. Everyone's sleeping, Kev. Except us."

I sat there with Townsend's arm still around me, trying to settle down. "It was so real. I swear, I went to the cabin and called Mark, then I had to piss and I went into the shower room, and Sgt. Dave was there... and he asked me... if I was... gay."

Any bit of control that I gained was lost again. "Oh, Kevin, it was just a dream. It doesn't mean anything..."

"No, Townsend... it does mean something..." His comforting hug was now a full embrace. "Come on, you know what it means... he said I should tell you, but I think you already know my secret... you know about... Mark... and me... don't you...?"

At first Townsend didn't say anything, we just looked down. But then, he shook his head. "Yeah," he whispered softly, "I know. And I've thought about it a lot."

"I can only imagine what you thought... and what you're thinking right now."

"Kevin, you stuck by me and stayed my friend through all that fucking shit I did with stealing and losing my job and all that, and you kept it all between us... as long as you could. You didn't judge me. You helped me. You kept MY "secret."

"But that was a little different. I just don't know how to deal with it all. I'm not ready for this."

"Don't worry, Kevin. I won't tell a soul, I promise. I'll never tell anyone. Your secret's safe with me. Your secret's safe with me."

Townsend and I sat there, side by side, in our hotter-than-hell two-man army tent, with his arm around me for the longest time. Truer words were never spoken.

(To be continued...)