Skater's Streets By: Z cogoma@zdnetonebox.com
May the universe smile upon all skaters everywhere and bless those killed and wounded at Santana. Forgive the misguided soul that thought the answer would be found in violence. Beware to the bullies for the meek shall inherit the earth and skaters will rule.
Chapter 6 Paul's Appeal
Paul had left me three messages by the time I got home from getting milk that night. First he wanted me to come there to sit in their hot tub because his brother was gone the next day. Then he wanted to come to my house because his brother was going to be there the next day. Then he called and wanted to know if I was mad at him and that's why I hadn't called him back.
I'd been gone fifteen minutes and I'd checked my phone for messages before I left the house. I dialed his number as soon as I got the milk into the fridge, after I drank a glass of course.
"Paul?"
"No, Craig. I'm his brother."
"He said no one else would answer," I said, surprised I had to go through someone else to get to Paul.
"That's the phone in his room. This is down stairs. He's out back doing leaves and probably wanted to make sure he got your call," he said.
"Can I talk to him?"
"Sure, who do I say is calling??" He asked, sounding more like a parent.
"Tell him it's Z," I said.
"You're Z. I heard about you. What are you doing with Paul? You're my age. Maybe we'll have some classes together? You are going to school in El Cajon?"
"How have you heard about me?" I asked.
"Dart was my friend first, you know. He tells me everything. He told me about the new kid with the one letter name," he said.
"Dart?" I said. "It's a three letter name, Z-E-E, I only use one of them. How is it Dart tells you everything?"
"Well, he likes my friends," Craig said. "The ones I let him meet anyway."
"Dart?"
"Sure, he's cool," Craig said. "He says you like him. Why are you calling Paul? Dart's more fun than Paul. I'm more fun than Paul."
"Paul and I are friends," I said, tired of the game. "Can I talk to him for awhile?"
"Sure, wait a minute. When are you coming over?" Craig asked.
"What?" I said.
"Dart says you're fun. He said I'd like you. He said he'd bring you over one time. When are you coming over so I can meet you?" Craig asked. "We can go skating. I'll introduce you to my friends. They like meeting older guys. They're cool too."
"The ones you let me meet?" I said. "What if I'm not cool?"
"Dart says you are. I believe him."
"Maybe Dart doesn't know what he's talking about," I said. "You better wait and judge for yourself."
"Sure if you want. When can I expect you?"
"Paul hasn't asked me," I said. "We're friends. Actually I called to talk to him."
"He might never ask you. I'm asking you. If you don't have anything to do come on over. You have my number. Did he show you where we live?"
"Yeah, we skated by," I said. "He pointed it out."
"You're lucky. He never brings anyone by any more. He's a little slow that way," Craig said. "He did introduce me to Dart when we was over at the mall. I think he likes Dart."
"How old are you?" I asked.
"Fifteen," he said, "Your age, right! Dear old tenth grade. You know Paul failed. He's in tenth grade too. It pisses him off when I say that. Don't you love it?"
"Don't say it then," I said.
"What would I say to piss him off then? You're no fun."
"How do you know my age?" I asked.
"I told you Dart told me about you."
"What, he takes notes or something?"
"I suppose. I'll get my brother. Don't tell him I asked you over. He'll get all worked up. He doesn't like me meeting his friends any more," he said.
"Okay, do I get to talk to HIM now?"
"Sure, nice talking at you," he said setting the phone down.
"Hey, Eight Ball's," the voice said.
"What?"
"Eight Ball's Pool Hall, Eight Ball speaking. What's your pleasure?"
"Paul?" I said, thinking it was his voice.
"How could you tell?"
"I didn't know what to think after being grilled by your brother," I said.
"That's Craig. He's a bit much. Dart probably told him about you."
"Why don't you invite your friends over while your brother is there?" I asked.
"Because my brother is here. He tries to steal my friends. He's a bit forward," Paul said. "Why, what'd he say?"
"Just wanted to know about me and then he knew everything already. Said Dart told him my life story," I said.
"I warned you, Z. You can't trust Dart," Paul said, sounding sure.
"So what's Craig got to do with Dart? He's a bit young for him."
"He's your age."
"You introduced your brother to Dart?"
"I introduced them back last summer when my brother and I still got along. Craig seems to know him pretty well these days. I think he comes over when I'm not around. I'm never around now adays," Paul said, "but Craig talks about him like he's been here. I don't want to know. He obviously knows Craig is my brother."
"They having sex?" I asked before I thought about the question.
"I'm not here, remember. Knowing my brother and knowing Dart, probably. Ask me if I care?"
"Do you care if Dart is having sex with your little brother?" I asked.
"No. My little brother is bigger than I am, Z. Believe me, he can take care of himself."
"In what way is he bigger?" I said.
"Exactly!" Paul said.
"Exactly what?" I said.
"Exactly what you're thinking. I know you, Z. He's big, let's leave it at that. If you come around he'll want to show off and that's why I don't bring my friends over."
"Well he can't have a bigger body than you," I said. "I mean you're... you're... a stud. Does he lift weights too?"
"Craig? No! He's taller by three or four inches but he's skinny. He's been growing again. He was my height last summer. Fuckers going to be eight feet tall if he keeps going."
"So I don't understand why he's with Dart," I said.
"My brother doesn't miss much. Dart was wearing his spandex the day we ran into him up at the mall. Need I say more," Paul said. "Do you care if Dart is having sex with Craig?"
"Yeah, I think I do. So he was wearing spandex and what?" I asked, having a picture of dark on the bridge at Broadway.
"And Craig was staring at him as he leaned against the glass of that restaurant on the corridor that leads out the back door at Rt. 8. His board was next to him and we were carrying our boards, so Craig asked if I knew him."
"Of course you walked right on by," I said.
"No, I didn't miss the spandex either. Dart's okay for a cheap thrill."
"So you and your brother work together?" I asked.
"Hardly, I never work without a net," he said.
"Not even up at SDSU?" I asked.
"That's different."
"So your brother was hot for Dart too. I get the picture now. Did you and your brother go looking for Dart or just stumble on him that day at the mall."
"Geeze Louise, no! I think we've been to the mall together twice. We were getting school stuff or something. Anyway I introduced them only Craig's like staring. Dart don't miss much if you know what I mean?"
"Yeah, so what happened next?"
"You are bad, Z. What do you think happened. You know Dart. My brother shook his hand and watched it grow. He's standing in the middle of the god damn mall with his spandex poking out like he's deformed or something."
"Yeah, I think I'm getting the picture," I said, remembering Dart's approach.
"Not even," Paul said.
"You didn't look?" I said.
"What do you think. I might be naïve but I'm not brain dead. Dart knows what he's doing and he knows how to do it."
"What happened?" I asked.
"Dart said he found a new place to skate and asked if Craig wanted to go along. He did. They took off on their boards."
"He didn't ask you to go along?"
"Nope!"
"You knew what they were going to do?" I said.
"I didn't then. I mean I knew Craig was insatiable but I thought Dart was pretty damn cool. I still do some days. He's got a nice one. I've never known him very well."
"What's insatiable?" I asked not wanting to miss anything.
"Craig," he said. "He can't stop thinking about it. When he was twelve he was this innocent little kid. We paled around together; had the same friends; did the same things. He was fun. When he was thirteen I caught him with two of his friends watching Pop's porn and pounding their pork in our game room. Those fucker knew more than I did."
"Just how did you find that out?" I asked.
"Never mind," he said. "I don't have to tell you everything. How we get to talking about this stuff?"
"You joined in? With your own brother! How gross is that. I'm bad?"
"All of them weren't my brother. I said I don't want to talk about this. Why do you ask so many damn questions anyway?"
"I just want to know about you," I said. "How often did you guys watch porn and fool around?" I asked.
"Too often. Will you cut it out. I'm not telling you any more, Z."
"So that's why you don't hang at your house?"
"It got out of hand for awhile and I put a stop to it."
"Just how often did it get out of hand?" I asked.
"Never mind. What about you? I saw you on your knees in the woods with Dart. What's that about, huh? You're no innocent babe, Z. Quit judging me for finding out what's up."
"I'm afraid to tell you this stud but you saw the second time I ever did anything with anyone and the night before was the first time. My entire sex education has taken place since then. I must admit you make it more interesting with all the stories about how bad you are."
"You for real with that? You've really never done anything before this? You're practically a virgin, you know," he said.
"How often were you boys getting together for porn and play?" I asked.
"More an two," he said. "Let's leave it at that for now."
"And then there's SDSU," I said.
"Hey, I'm nearly seventeen. I was tired of younger guys feeling on my prime time. Especially with Craig watching everything I did," he said. "He orchestrated everything. I'd vote him most likely to become a pimp."
"It made me feel weird and I started roaming around rather than wait for it at the house. I just stumbled on to SDSU."
"So you went from letting younger guys feel on you to letting the older guys feel on you?"
"Doesn't sound like much of a change when you say it. Maybe I'm more like Craig than I like to think. It just seemed like I was so old and Donnie's only fourteen this summer. I couldn't even get in the hot tub without having company. I'd stay out of the rec room when I knew they were down there but they didn't stay down there."
"What was the attraction?"
"You know what?" He said.
"No! If I knew I wouldn't ask you."
"My big dick," he yelled.
"You trying to get a date again," Craig said in the background. "I thought you didn't believe in advertising."
"Shut up, get the fuck out of here," Paul growled with his hand going over the phone after he said it.
"You said Craig was bigger than you?" I said. "That him giving you what for?"
"Yeah, he wasn't bigger last year. He's grown this year."
"You telling him about me, you dick head," Craig yelled. "Let me talk to him. I know how to use it, Z. His is a fabulous fake.... Get off me, Paul."
I could hear them scuffling in the background. There was no doubt in my mind who would win this one. A minute later I heard Paul picking up the phone and breathing heavy.
"And how do you know this little detail?"
"Z, I'm not answering any more of your questions."
"You fooling around with your brother?" I asked.
"Z, cut it out. We go naked in the hot tub. His buddies are always hanging around. Get the picture?"
"So now you hang around the parks and the malls. I think I'd rather be around your house. I've never been in a hot tub. I've never seen guys doing it. I've seen some porn but nothing hot."
"Really! I know a guy who's got a hot tub," he said.
"Does this guy have a brother named Craig that gives your friends the third degree?"
"Just so happens he does."
"How'd it get out of hand?" I asked.
"You writing a book. You sure want to know a lot about me," he said.
"Yeah, I do want to know all about you. I want to know how you got like you are."
"Me? What about how you are?"
"I thought I was nice. You make me sound like a freak."
"Sorry about what I said. I didn't mean it," Paul said.
"I know it, Paul. I feel the same way about you. Liking someone isn't as easy as I thought. I just want to know everything about you. I'm not judging you. I envy you've had experience I haven't."
There was a long silence on the other end of the line.
"It was cool that first summer when I didn't know nothing. Even last year it was cool because it was always available. I've never had any friends of my own besides Craig. For the first time I did have friends but they were all younger an me. I hadn't even turned fifteen yet and we were all at Junior High together, so it wasn't like I was this old man or something.
"You're still a kid."
"The thing is I didn't know anything and they did. It's also the year I failed, so I really felt like a loser. I thought I was being punished for liking sex. I think that's when I first got pissed off at Craig for starting it. He wanted to include me because we'd always done everything together. He was scared because his friends were scared I'd tell on them. When I found out I ended up right in the middle."
"I don't see anything wrong yet. What was the problem?"
"I started making fun of Craig. I was jealous he was so popular."
"Why'd you make fun of him?"
"I don't know. My little brother was teaching me about sex. You don't see something there that seems strange? I just took out my anger on him."
"I don't know. What do I know. How did you make fun of him?"
"Called him a little perve. Cocksucker. Dick licker. Lots of shit when he'd come into my bedroom at night. I regret it now but I don't think we've had a conversation since then. We speak when it's a family thing but we never do anything together. You heard us. It's like that all the time when my parents aren't around."
"Wow!" I said.
"Once I was with those guys from SDSU, you know there's a big difference between guys a year older and guys a year younger. I knew I had to stop doing it with them."
"It seems to me the only difference is that the guys at SDSU give you a beer before they go for your dick. Your brother's buddies just go for it."
"You're an asshole sometimes, Z, you know? I knew what I was doing. Nobody was going for anything I didn't want them to go for. I'm not a nice person when it comes to that. I like them touching me. I just stopped letting the younger ones do it. Besides, Craig's has grown now."
"I'm sorry. It's the way it sounds to me," I said. "You sound pretty normal to me."
"Craig says they do it together. I didn't believe him. I guess that's why I tried to get Dart at the tube. Craig was bragging and I thought... stupid huh? Craig's hot looking. They tell me Dart likes the young guys. I'm big and muscular. I don't feel very young."
"Cut it out. You're making me hard up," I said. "Dart's not stupid, Paul. If he's doing it with Craig he's not going to want to do it with you. Makes him look a bit busy, don't you think? I mean for a big studly straight stud?"
"Never thought of that one. That would make sense."
"I don't know, he doesn't seem all that hot since I been with you. I mean.... I don't know what I mean. I kept thinking about you."
"Me? Really?" he said.
"Oh quit, Paul. You know I'm dripping my drawers over you," I said. "I get hard every time I look at you."
"You do?" He said, sounding more innocent than me.
"You said you knew I was," I said. "Why are you playing dumb now?"
"I hoped you were. I wasn't sure. I just said it to put the idea in your head. I'll try anything."
"You said you were sure about it," I said. "Why do you say shit if it isn't true? Here I thought it was written on my forehead or something. I never liked no one before. Quit making it a game. It's not a game for me."
"I say a lot of stuff," Paul said softly. "Really? You hard now?"
"Cut it out I'm not telling you anything else?"
"You are, aren't you?" He asked.
"You're doing it again, Paul."
"I know you are," he said.
"You must be psychic or something. I still want to know what you boys were doing in the hot tub. Maybe I'll come check it out."
"A boner is a terrible thing to waste, dude," he said.
"What's that mean?"
"It's would never go to waste if the boys are home when we get into the hot tub."
"Why's that?"
"We all sit naked in the hot tub. Hands get misplaced. They like feeling on mine," Paul said.
"That's not getting out of hand," I said. "Sounds more like it's getting in hand to me."
"I used to not be able to stop myself. That's how Craig figures I'm gay cause they could get me going so quick. Didn't matter which one," Paul said.
"Craig?"
"I'm not talking about him."
"So you had sex with them?"
"You could say that," he said.
"How old?" I asked.
"Danny has turned fourteen and Kenny is Craig's age, looks young. No hair on him yet. They'd be okay for you but I'm too old now."
"You're funny," I said.
"Funny queer or funny ha, ha?" He asked.
"Funny hot," I said.
"You're cute," he said.
"What?" I asked.
"You really want it don't you. I said you're cute, asshole," he yelled. "You know they say queers are hard of hearing."
"What?" I said in an old man's voice, and we both laughed.
"I thought you said you weren't gay," Paul said.
"That's before I got to know you," I said.
"What?" He said.
"Did you know they say queers are hard of hearing," I said.
We both laughed hard over that but Paul got serious.
"You mean that?"
"Mean what?" I asked.
"You'd be queer for me?"
"More like I'd be queer because of you," I said. "I never liked anyone before."
"You like me?" He said in a question and an answer at the same time.
"More like I like what you do to me," I said.
"I haven't done anything yet on account you're too young," he said.
"You've done plenty to me. I just keep my pants on because of it. Dart tried to get with me today," I said.
"Damn you, Z. If a hard dick is all you want. I can give you all you want."
"I said no Paul."
"You did. Why'd you do that? I thought you liked him."
"I do but I couldn't stop thinking about you. I'd never have seen him if you hadn't left me."
"He called here just before I went outside," Paul said.
"Called you? What for?"
"Wanted Craig. We got to go out tonight. He wanted Craig to meet him over by the mall," Paul said. "The old man said he'd beat his butt if he set foot outside the house. We're going for a family dinner."
"He wanted me to blow him," I said. "I've never seen him like that."
"Did you?" Paul asked, sounding like he thought I did.
"No," I said. "I told you I didn't. I almost did. I wanted to but I just didn't. I thought of you and I didn't."
Once again there was silence. I could hear him breathing and I know he could hear me because I was excited about telling him that.
"Why not?" Paul asked suddenly sounding happy.
"I'd just been with someone I really like. I didn't want to be with him. I didn't want to do that to him," I said. "There's more to it than answering an urge, you know. It's like biology, you know."
"You're funny," he said.
"Funny ha, ha, or funny queer," I said.
"If you tell me you're funny queer, Z, you're in a hell of a lot of trouble the next time I get you alone," Paul said, sounding more serious.
"Okay, your on," I said. "I want to know what it's like."
"What's that?"
"Making love."
"What?" He said.
"You know they say queers are hard of hearing," I said.
"Did you say what I thought you said?" Paul said.
"Yeah," I said. "I said it. Did it sound stupid?"
"Stupid? No! I'm going to be late meeting you in the morning," Paul said. "I got to do something but I'll be there. You got to wait."
"Are we meeting in the morning?"
"Let's make it nine thirty so we're safe. I want you to come over here. My brother's going out with his buddies. Said he's going to the mall with his buddies. Probably going to introduce them to Dart. Craig's a watcher."
"He watch them do stuff to you?" I asked.
"That was a long time ago," he said.
"It was last summer," I said.
"Well, mostly."
"It was or it wasn't?"
"I'm not into that now. Craig's weird that way just so you know."
"You're calling your brother names again, Paul."
"Well, I want you to be as careful around him as you are around me. He's a charmer and he's a lot better looking than me and he knows it."
"You look just fine, and now I know about Craig," I said. "I'll see you in the morning. I'll be early."
"Same place in the park. I might be late," Paul said. "Wait for me, okay. I'll be there at nine-thirty."
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