Super Jeff

The following is a work of gay fiction. If the subject matter is offensive to you, or you are too young, please exit now. This work is the property of the author and may not be used without permission. John Tucker. JETjt@aol.com

SUPER JEFF

Chapter Ten

6 AM, Monday Morning, Bear Camp

Chris' POV

I awoke to the sound of tapping on the door of my room. It was not very loud, but enough to wake me. At first I wasn't sure where I was, then immediately after I knew, I assumed that one of my campers was in need. I jumped out of bed ignoring the stiffy that was causing my boxer-briefs to tent out in a manner that was impossible to hide. Unlocking the door, I cracked it to see who was out there.

"Let me in," Jeff said in a loud whisper.

I backed away from the door and he stepped into the room. I saw that he was dressed for running.

`Oh no!' my fuzzy mind thought in protest.

It was as if he could read my thoughts and he just smiled his silly irresistible grin. I knew any argument was lost before it started.

"Get ready," he said in a half-whisper.

"You're a slave driver!" I declared as I slipped off my underwear and pulled on my jock.

"Yum!" he declared as he scoped my appendage which had only gone down enough to stuff it into the elastic pouch.

"Don't even think about it," I declared. "Dragging me out at this time of the morning deserves no reward."

By this time I was ready except for tying my shoes.

"I gotta pee, bad!" I said. "I'll meet you outside."

I finished with my shoes and we left my room; Jeff to go outside and me to make my morning pit-stop.

Once relieved, I joined Jeff who was doing warm-up exercises.

"Are you ready?" I asked. "Let's get this over-with."

"You'd better warm up a bit if you don't want cramps," he advised, "even a minute or two helps."

I began doing a few stretches and bends, limbering up for the jog ahead. After Jeff stopped, I continued stretching for about another 15 seconds and decided that I'd had enough.

"Let's go," I said with more enthusiasm than I was feeling.

40 minutes later we returned, my ass was dragging and I was puffing like a steam engine. Even Jeff was more out of breath than usual.

"Now I see why competition runners often train in the mountains," Jeff wheezed.

I wasn't paying much attention. I just wanted to die. I plopped down on a bench outside the cabins and kept all my muscles still, reducing their demand for oxygen. In a few minutes I returned to normal breathing, but still didn't want to move.

"Are you sure you're putting me though this out of caring for me?" I asked. "Is my father paying you to torture me?'

Jeff laughed.

"No Babe," he answered. "He's not paying me. It's not easy for me either you know. The air at sea level is a lot easier to run in than this thin stuff. We'll get used to it though. Believe me."

"I wasn't used to it at home in Palos Verdes," I complained. "I don't know if I can do this often. At least not up here."

"Tomorrow we'll cut off a mile, and take a couple more walking stretches."

"Tomorrow? We've got to do this tomorrow?" I asked, not believing my ears.

"It will be better. I promise," he responded. "Now we'd better get our showers and prepare for herding around the munchkins."

"I'd hardly call these guys munchkins," I responded, groaning as I sat up then struggled onto my tired legs. "Some of them are bigger than we are."

"That may be true," Jeff said, "but you have to remember that at their ages, they're not as mature as we are, physically, emotionally, or mentally."

"I just hope the ones that outweigh me by thirty pounds remember that," I wished aloud. "Okay, I'll see you later."

"Yeah," he said smiling. "From our schedule, I see that our two groups have crafts at the same time this afternoon. Maybe we can be away from them for a while, especially since they have `free time' afterward."

"You can find me in my bed," I groaned. "An athlete needs his rest."

"You're a goofball, but I love you anyway," Jeff responded.

The day went quickly. There was, of course, the shower, then the rousing of the troops, then breakfast. Afterward my group went on a nature walk, fortunately with another group whose Counselor knew a lot about plants and animals. He delivered a running commentary as we went through the woods and along the lake. Even I was interested. After that we had some organized games, then lunch. Fortunately after lunch was crafts and Jeff and I had some general free time. What free time meant for us was to spend part of each hour being outside and visible to the campers, keeping an eye on things without interfering with what they were doing. Dinner came none too soon and shortly thereafter was `campfire' where different leaders told stories, led songs or told jokes. Because we were new, we were excused from running the campfire the first half of camp.

After campfire, we had an hour before `lights-out' so Jeff and I got away from our cabins and took another stroll down by the lake, sitting on the small jetty as we had the night before.

"How was your day with Ben Collins?" I asked.

"Better than I expected," Jeff replied. "He really made an effort to get along with the other guys. Two or three of them are noticeably cautious, but that's to be expected, considering how he came across as the Cabin Bully. Every once in a while he'd slip, reverting back to his old self with a comment, but all it took was a glance from me, and he'd smile and apologize. I think he has potential to be a leader if he'd just learn how to lead, not push."

"I'm glad," I said smiling. "You are a great example for him. You make people want to follow you, naturally, without much effort on your part."

"You want to follow me?" he queried.

"Yeah, I like looking at your ass," I laughed.

"I like feeling yours" he countered. "That thing was made for more than just sitting and shitting."

I blushed. I'd never before heard Jeff use such `graphic' language, nor was I ready for what he was implying.

"I'm sure it is," I said, "but for now it's going to be kept in its traditional role."

Jeff looked a bit embarrassed that he'd caused me discomfort.

"I'm sorry Babe," he said apologetically. "I don't mean to push. It's just that I want all of you, inside and out."

"I understand Jeff and I accept your apology," I replied. "I love you so much that I'd do anything for you, even now if you insisted, but I've still not adjusted to the idea of going all the way."

"There's no hurry Chris," Jeff said with a comforting smile. "It's just that this place is so public. I sometimes regret that we came here. I just want you at home, and alone."

"I'd like that too," I agreed, "but three weeks won't be too long to wait. We have the rest of the summer, then our whole lives. Have you thought about us when school opens? I mean, you're the Student Body President, and I'm a student nobody. Everyone will be shocked if you hang out with me, especially if they find out we're a couple."

A look of concern came over Jeff's face.

"Sure, I've thought about it," he said. "We have some discussing to do before then. As for me I love you so much that I'd shout it from the school roof, but I'm not sure that's wise. Whatever we do it will be because it's what we want to do and agree to do, not because of what I want."

"I've worried about it myself," I admitted. "You have so much to lose if people know that I'm even your friend, and even more if they find out that you're gay and I'm your partner. I'm sure they'd assume that you're letting me service you out of pity."

"Never say that again!" Jeff almost shouted. I'd never seen him angry before and was shocked as he pulled away. "I don't give a flying fuck what other people think. If they're so small minded, they can go to hell for all I care! You're all that matters to me. Whatever we decide it will be because it's for the best for both of us. It's because our coming out might be even more difficult for you than it is for me. I already have friends that know I'm gay, and they accept me anyway. You might lose the friends you have and even be picked on. It's one reason that I want to see you get your body built up and take some karate. I know you won't use the training to take advantage of others, but it does give you confidence that you can handle most situations physically, if need be."

By the time Jeff had finished speaking, his vocal tone and volume was back to normal.

"I don't like to fight," I stated simply.

"I don't either babe. You won't find me in a fight unless it's something I just can't avoid. I'm also smart enough to know that I can't dodge bullets, or avoid a knife stab in the back. The last thing I want to do is to try to take on a bunch of crazies. It's why we need to think about what we want to do. We have plenty of choices. For instance, we can tell everyone that my parents are your foster parents, so now we're brothers. We'd just have to be discreet about how we look at each other and how our bodies react, like little touches and stuff like that, when we're in public. It would be hard to be that aloof, but if we decide that's what we want, we can go that way."

"Is that what you want?" I asked.

"I really don't know Chris," he said shaking his head, then paused while he thought for a minute before continuing, "No... it's not what I want. I want to acknowledge our love for each other in front of everyone. Yet I'm not sure we're both ready for the consequences. It would be far easier if we weren't still in high school. I guess we'll just have to wait until the end of summer to decide."

"I'll think about it too," I promised. "I just want you to know how proud I feel that you want to publicly declare your love for me. My poor heart wants to burst in elation. Yet as a practical matter I can appreciate what you're saying. If we came out, I'm sure that there are plenty of homophobes in our school who would have a field day, taking every opportunity to make our lives miserable."

Jeff nodded in agreement before continuing.

"I'm sorry I got upset a minute ago," Jeff said contritely as he again pulled me close. "It's just that I never want you to think that you're not good enough for me. You're more than I deserve, and I feel lucky that you love me. Even if I were suddenly attracted to another guy, you'd never have to worry. Now that I've found you, I'll always be true to you, and never let you go."

"I do love you Jeff and I trust you more than I've ever trusted anyone. My mind still reels with the thought that you love me, but it's a wonderful thing, not something that causes me pain or worry."

I turned to Jeff and we exchanged light kisses, hoping that no campers were in the vicinity. Our hopes were not to be realized, though in a different way than we expected. In the shadows of the trees up the hill from where we sat, Ben Collins watched.

JEFF'S POV

The week went fast. Every day was filled with activities and adventures. Chris and I got to know our cabin guys and began to form a bond with most of them. Three things that are worthy of note happened during the week. First, Ben, my cabin's previous aggressor' and Jon our defender', were fast becoming friends. The second thing is that most of the guys in both our cabins chose to run with Chris and me in the mornings. Of course we had to cut the run down from the original 5 miles that Chris and I ran the first morning to three miles, so that the campers could handle the run, but that seemed to make Chris happy too. The third thing is that we found a workout room with weights, benches and a few other devices for muscle building hidden away in the Crafts building. Chris and I began to work out in the afternoons when our boys had either free time or crafts. It didn't take long for our guys to join us at our workouts during free time. Now all we needed to find was a golf course! I surmised that we could go off the mountain and find one in the San Bernardino area on our day off. I hadn't run that by Chris yet, but thought it might be fun. During the week we both were told that we could take off on Saturday night and Sunday, returning to the camp Sunday late afternoon. We were glad it worked out that way because we didn't want to have different days off.

Saturday came at last and we prepared to leave camp. Unlike the work-week', Saturday's and Sunday's schedules provided plenty of free time for the campers to roam around hiking the countryside or even walking to the store in town'. Our guys were old enough to leave the camp as long as they reported where they were going and when they'd be back. At 3 PM, Jamie stopped by and said we could begin our time-off whenever we wanted. He and Eric would be watching our boys while we were gone. Chris and I packed a few things in our backpacks, grabbed our clubs, and loaded them in the pickup. An hour later we had traveled down the mountain to San Bernardino and found a nice motel room along I-10. I immediately looked up the phone number of the San Bernardino Country Club, called them and arranged for a tee time on Sunday morning for 9 AM, but it was Saturday night that I most looked forward to.

Chris and I showered together after we got settled in the room and made love to each other, at least the oral kind, while we cleaned each other's bodies, rubbing our soapy hands over the contours that defined each other's features. In only a week Chris' body had become hard and his muscles were beginning to show definition. It wasn't too noticeable but I praised my partner, knowing that the exercising I was subjecting him to needed a reward, and that reward was praise. He made light of my comments, but I could tell he was pleased that I noticed. After releasing our pent-up passion, we left the small shower, dried each other, then retired to the queen-size bed where we took a short nap before dinner, holding each other as we slept.

At 5:15 I awoke and studied the still sleeping form of my new lover. My heart reached out to him; I wished his life had been easier and that somehow he could gain the acceptance of his parents, who had rejected him. I knew the thought of that rejection had caused a heavy burden for him to carry, making him feel less than worthy of love. I renewed my determination to fill his heart with so much love that he could overcome the thoughts that plagued him.

Deciding that I should wake him so that we could beat the `dinner rush', I shook his shoulder gently. He opened his eyes.

"I was having the best dream," he said sleepily as he turned onto his back. "I almost wish you hadn't interrupted it by waking me up."

"Oh? What was the dream about?" I asked.

"You," he said smiling. "It was wonderful, but I think I'm finding that reality with you is far better than any dream could be."

"I know that you fulfill my every wish, asleep or awake," I responded. "You'll have to tell me about your dream while we go eat."

"Oh no," he grinned. "I'm not telling. I'd be embarrassed."

"That good, huh?" I laughed. "Well, we'll have to see later if reality really is better than our dreams.

"Maybe we can play-act my dream," Chris suggested. "I'll try not to chicken out."

"I can't wait, Romeo," I agreed. "It could be fun. Let's get moving now and go to dinner. I don't want to wait for an hour to be seated."

• • • As it turned out, we weren't as early as I hoped and we waited nearly as long as the amount of time I was trying to avoid. It didn't matter though. I was with Chris. That alone would keep me in a good mood. We laughed and joked about our experiences during the week while we waited, then enjoyed a very nice meal at the expense of our parents.

The whole camp counseling experience was much more fun than I had ever dreamed it would be. During the week I'd had time to think about what it would have been like if I'd not met Chris and we'd not come to camp. I decided that nothing but good had come of the experience. I mean, the massage thing had been a mistake, I guess, but I really thought it would please Chris. It had almost turned into a disaster because of my voyeurism, but thankfully Chris didn't seem to hold it against me. What was important was that I had found Chris. He had turned my self-centered perspective around. I now was beginning to see others differently. It was not what they could do for me or mean to me, but what I could do for them. I began to see that my being Student Body President could be an opportunity to make others' school experience a little better, rather than a pedestal for me where others could admire my popularity and skill as an `administrator'. I wondered if there were others, like Chris, whose home life was a disaster, who looked at school as a place to escape, a place where they could make friends and be themselves. I began to see endless possibilities as to how the school experience could be made more meaningful.

After our dinner, we decided to take in a movie. The theater was not too busy, considering that it was a Saturday night, and we found a spot away from the others where we could hold hands. I only bought small drinks and a small, token box of popcorn (you have to have popcorn, if you're going to the movie) as we were still full from dinner.

The movie wasn't much, but it didn't matter. I was alone with Chris, if you can call being in the same room with 100 other people `alone'. They didn't matter to us either. Like my feeling about school, I was learning to value every minute I spent with Chris. It was not just because he made me feel important or even loved. It was because I loved him and wanted him to be happy. It was a new experience for me, one that I found I found strangely appealing.

After the movie, we drove back to the motel. We were both a bit nervous as this was really the first time we were alone together since leaving home, and each passing day had brought changes in our relationship. In the pickup driving to our room we held hands every second that I wasn't shifting gears. At first Chris put his hand over mine, but that proved to be clumsy, so he turned his hand over in the seat with his palm up so that I could place my hand in his easily after shifting gears.

Once in the motel room, I closed the door and set the locks. Moving to Chris I took him in my arms and gently kissed him. Our bodies came into full contact. It was clearly evident that his `passion' was aroused as was mine. Pulling away from each other we kicked off our shoes and began to remove the obstacles that separated us until finally we stood naked over two piles of clothing on the floor. Taking his hand I led him to the bed where we pulled back the covers until only the bottom sheet remained. I kissed him again, sat him on the bed, then made a quick detour to the bathroom. Bringing back a towel and a washcloth, I placed them on the nightstand next to my backpack I'd set there earlier. In the meantime Chris had stretched out on the bed, his naked form welcoming me with open arms.

What followed was a night of bliss. The euphoria we felt as we came together was quickly raised to one of passion. For the second time in our relationship, we explored the forms that defined the objects of our desire. Knowing Chris' reluctance for anal sex and my own inexperience, we confined our pleasure with each other to all the things that could be done with our hands and mouths. For three hours our exchanges of stimulation drove each other repeatedly over the heights of ecstasy until, totally sated, we fell asleep in each other's arms.

In what seemed like seconds, the room's phone began to ring. Groggy, I reached over bringing the receiver to my ear.

"It's 7 AM," the voice of the hotel operator said.

"Thank you," I said, not really meaning it. I replaced the receiver back into its cradle. My body protested its lack of sleep and I was tempted to simply snuggle back against Chris and let the day pass in bed. I turned back to my covers only to find Chris' eyes open and looking at me with a sleepy smile.

" `Morning Big Guy," Chris croaked. "Is it time to get up already?"

"If we want to shower, go out for breakfast and check out before playing golf, yes, we should get moving," I said regretfully.

"Just as long as we don't have to go for a run, I'm agreeable," he said with a sleepy grin.

"There's no time for a run," I admitted. "There will be time to hit a bucket of balls before we play if we hurry. We really should do that since we haven't hit any balls for a week. Personally, it wouldn't take much to convince me to say here in bed with you and make love all morning."

"I'd like that too," Chris agreed, "but I know you better than that. You'd regret all week that we didn't keep to our regimen. I'm not willing to pay the price once that camp is over."

"You know me too well," I said, accepting the truth of his statement. "Maybe we could compromise."

I pulled him to me and placed a soft kiss on his lips. He responded, melting in my arms.

20 minutes later, we rolled out of bed and took speedy showers before dressing, checking out, and heading for a Mickey D's for a quick Egg McMuffin on the way to the golf course. We arrived in time to hit a small bucket of balls before it was announced that we were `on deck', with only one group left to tee off before it was our turn.

On the course, Chris showed improvement, though the week's layoff resulted in his swing being more erratic than before. With a few tips from me and some practice swings before he hit the ball, he was soon playing a passable round with my advice coming less and less frequently. We had fun though, and I tried to downplay my long shots and precision around the greens so that he wouldn't get discouraged. I made it a point to praise his good shots and the improvement in his game. He struggled gamely along, and I was proud of him in spite of his less than spectacular score.

We were on the fairway of the 18th hole when my cell phone began to ring. I dashed to the nearby cart and pulled it out of the cart's front storage bin where I'd left it.

"Jeff," I announced after connecting to the call.

"Jeff, this is Carl Jepperson," the voice on the other end said. "I'm afraid we've had an incident here."

"Oh? In my cabin?"

"Yes. Ben Collins and Jon Barnes got into a fight. I guess it was pretty ugly. Neither boy will explain what happened nor can we get any background from the other campers in your cabin. Both of the combatants said they would only talk to you. When are you returning? We're tempted to either call the police or send both of them home."

"We're about ready to come back," I replied. "I think we can be there in an hour. I'd suggest that you restrict both of them to separate cabins or place them in detention in separate offices somewhere. We'll get there as soon as possible."

"Good. We'll wait for you. Once you arrive and get the lowdown, both Jamie and I need a report."

"You'll have it," I promised. "See you soon."

"Thanks," Carl replied. "Sorry to mess up your day off."

"Not a problem, Carl. I'm sorry that the situation got out of control."

"Goodbye," Carl concluded.

"Goodbye Sir," I said as I pushed the `end' button and returned the phone to its cubby.

"What happened?" Chris asked.

"Ben and Jon had a fight and won't talk to anybody but me. Let's finish this hole, then head back to camp."

I picked up the fairway wood I was going to use trying to reach the green in `2' on a par 5 hole, and stepped to the ball. Taking a practice swing, then taking careful aim, I took my frustration out in a long, grooved swing resulting in a huge hit that took my ball to the green, stopping only three feet from the pin.

"Eagle chance, I hope," I said as I placed my club back into the bag on the back of the cart.

"I'm laying three, but I'm close," Chris reported. I saw his ball on the bank approaching the green, just 40 feet from the hole.

"Just a chip and a putt for a possible par," I said encouraging Chris' good play. "We'll be off the course and out of here in 10 minutes."

5 minutes later we had both made our shots and soon were parking our cart where the attendant would clean our clubs while I counted up the score.

"You shot a 99!" I said proudly. "You broke 100! Good round!"

"Thanks," Chris said obviously pleased. "What did you shoot?"

"I got lucky," I reported. "I shot a 68."

"Wow! When are you leaving for the tour?" Chris asked, laughing in jest.

"When I can score that well every time," I answered as I gave the attendant a tip and we grabbed our club bags. "This course is not as difficult as the one at home," I continued, still trying to excuse my low score.

"I noticed that too," Chris said. "It's nice though. I mean, the grass was good and the greens seemed to be in good shape, though I thought they were slow compared to the course we played on before coming to camp."

"Right on all counts," I agreed as we put our clubs in the pickup's bed, got into the cab and started the engine of the small pickup. "I guess it's time to switch our thinking away from golf and toward getting back to work."

"I'd much prefer to think about our time together back at the motel," Chris countered.

"On second thought, so would I," I concluded. For the next several minutes, our conversation lagged as we thought back to the earlier time when our bodies were solely dedicated to one purpose, that of pleasing our partner.

BEN'S POV

`Now I'm stuck here in this damned room until Jeff gets back,' I thought, castigating myself for being so stupid. In some ways I hated the idea of talking to Jeff, knowing that I'd have to admit my role in the fight with Jon.

I really fucked up,' I thought, mentally kicking myself. It had all been going so well too. After our first confrontation from my picking on Sammy and Jeff's later intervention, my relationship with Jon had gone from being opponents if not potential enemies to one where I was convinced I'd found my first best' friend if not more. Where had it all gone wrong?

I thought back over the previous week, remembering how the first uneasy day or two had slowly evolved into days of real fun. Though I thought at first that some of the activities were dumb for guys as old as we are, I made a real effort to join in; only occasionally making a few caustic remarks that got sharp looks from Jeff. I must have apologized a dozen times to the campers around me, but at least they acted as if they knew I was trying, which in reality I was. Sammy, who I guess was used to being picked on, was one of my biggest supporters and I reciprocated in kind. Jon noticed and it helped to remove the grudge he originally held against me to the point that we were quickly becoming friends.

I had my biggest problem in coming to grips with the fact that I was probably gay. I still hated the thought, but stopped making snide remarks about gays or guys who were weak or "faggy" as I used to call it. When I saw Jeff and his friend Chris take off for the lake in the evenings to get away from camp, I followed more than once. I was fascinated that they seemed to care for each other so much, but both of them acted so "manly" that one would never guess they were gay. I loved watching the little gestures they made toward each other, like touching and smiling and their eyes communicating their love for each other.

I was shocked to see them kissing in the moonlight and even more surprised when I developed a boner that wouldn't go down without some attention. It became a nightly ritual that I would stand in the trees, in the darkness, beating off as they gently expressed their love for each other. I was ashamed of my actions afterward, but the next night I'd somehow be drawn to repeat the same action. When the guys in the cabin would inquire as to where I went, I'd simply say that it was my `quiet time' alone.

By Saturday Jon and I were friends and almost at the `best friend' plateau.

"What do you want to do today?" I asked Jon as we left the dining lodge after consuming a large breakfast.

"Why don't we go on a walk and circle the lake?" he suggested. "I hear that it's almost 10 miles around because of having to cut back into the mountains from time to time due to the terrain around the lake itself. Also there are some areas where cabins are built, and they won't let you cross their land so you have to go around."

"I think it would be fun," I agreed. "I wonder if we could get a picnic lunch and take some drinks? I have a backpack that I use to haul books when I'm at school. Shall we ask any of the other guys to go along?"

"Maybe next time," Jon replied. "You and I are just getting to know each other and I think that this time we should go alone."

"You're right," I said with a smile. "Like I told you before, I've never had a real friend before much less 7 friends. It's harder for me to be friends with the other guys than it is with you. I guess it's because we're bigger, at the same stage of maturity, and because we like similar things. I think that if I can successfully learn to be friends with you, I'll figure out how to be a better friend to the other guys too."

"Yeah, you need to learn to relax around people," Jon observed. "It's like you think everyone is judging you. They probably are to some small degree, but I think that it's just that they're trying to figure you out, rather than thinking badly or critically of you, as you might think."

"I'm learning a lot," I agreed, "and some of it is that I need to keep my mouth shut and not be so quick to judge other people myself. It seems that since I came here I've been shown time and time again that my prejudging has just proven how wrong I can be."

"I think in that you couldn't be more correct," Jon philosophized. "Things are often not what they seem at first glance, and neither are people. You have to take your time and not make snap decisions based on insufficient evidence."

"Man, before I came here, you couldn't convince me that I could be so wrong, so often," I admitted. "Now I question every thought I have and much that I thought to be self evident."

"That just proves that you're becoming mature," Jon concluded. "You've changed so much for the better, that you're about to convince everyone you're human," he said with a wink.

Only a week before those would have been fighting words. Now I could accept them because I felt accepted by Jon, almost in spite of my caustic nature. I grinned back.

We went back into the building and inquired about the possibility of getting sack lunches for our hike. I was surprised that such a thing was not only possible, but common. We gave them our preferences for sandwiches, then were told to come back in a half-hour when everything would be ready. When we returned we found two lunches, each comprised of two sandwiches, an apple, a bag of chips and a package of 6 small Oreo cookies. They also had, on loan, canteens that we could use for carrying water. We funneled some crushed ice into the canteens, and filled the void space with water, before snagging a couple of cokes for the early part of our journey. Returning to the cabin area, we found Eric who was to be our temporary Counselor while Jeff and Chris were off. We told him what we planned to do and he gave our plans his blessing, wishing us a good time.

Our hike was everything we hoped for. The weather was really nice and the views were spectacular. At one point we even decided, before eating, to take a swim in the lake in a secluded spot that we found. Stripping off our clothes, I couldn't help notice how nice Jon's body was. He was a bit on the tall and thin side, but our daily workouts with Jeff and Chris were beginning to accent the budding musculature that was already pleasing to the eye, especially one that admired the male form. Even better was his equipment. My own generous endowment began to plump-up in appreciation, causing me to dash to the lake and plunge in.

Mistake!!!! In what seemed like a millisecond, my swelling dick shrank to nothingness, retreating from the frigid temperature, while I screamed as my skin's pores slammed shut in shock.

Jon laughed at my screams and thrashing, while I scrambled for the warmth of the air. Sticking his foot in the water and feeling its temperature he beat a hasty retreat from the water's edge. I was having none of that since he had made so much of my agony. I rushed to him, grabbed him around the waist, picked him up with no small effort and threw his flailing body into the freezing water that I was convinced had been imported from the artic. I laughed back at his screams and his shivering as he scrambled back out of the water.

"We're even," I said defensively, holding up my hands in peace as he approached with revenge in his eyes. He must have seen the wisdom of my reasoning, because after a moment of reflection the look in his eyes disappeared and he sat down beside me.

"I guess it's time for lunch," he said accepting my logic. "Swimming is definitely `out'."

We returned to the camp in late afternoon, tired but happy. It had been one of the best days of my life. As I reflected on the events of the day, I began to see Jon in a different light. Could it be that I cared for him more than as a friend? The thought gave me goose bumps. I could only conclude that if I really was gay, there was no one, other than Jon that I'd be willing to share my life with. I tucked the thought away for a later time, as we finished the day playing cards with some of the other guys in our cabin while waiting for dinner. After dinner there was a campfire, and we enjoyed the camaraderie of all the campers in the comfort of being surrounded by our own cabin mates. Later as I was waiting to fall asleep, my thoughts kept returning to Jon. I knew that he was good looking and had a desirable body, but somehow that didn't seem to be his main attraction to me, though my dick argued otherwise. It was his personality, the guy within that drew me to him. I was afraid I was falling in love.

Sunday morning was a repeat of the morning before. We decided that for the day we would climb a nearby mountain and have our lunch on the top peak where the view would be spectacular. Soon we'd acquired our provisions and were scaling the slope of the mountain, the base of which was near our camp. Jon led and I followed, glancing regularly at his muscular ass which was so temptingly close to my face as we ascended through the forest. By eleven o'clock, after numerous stops to catch our breath, we reached the summit several hundred feet above the tree line. Finding a large flat rock on which to sit while eating our lunch we gazed at the beauty of the scenery, commenting on features that wouldn't be noticed when hiking. One was a small pond perched above a ledge below us at the tree line. We decided to stop there on the way back to camp, even though it was a bit out of the way. After eating we inched our way down the steep incline heading for the pond. On arrival there, we sat down and took off our backpacks. It was like our own little world, secluded so that no one could see nor hear what we had to share. It was there that I decided to reveal my attraction to Jon.

I had only begun to explain my feelings when the realization of what I was confessing appeared on Jon's face. He exploded in a torrent of name calling and degrading accusations that crushed my soul.

"You're not only a fag, you're a fucking hypocrite!" he fumed. "You've picked on the smallest guys all your life, when in reality all you really wanted to do is to fuck them senseless! You're the big man, the big bully; first to belittle others while all the time you just want to suck them dry and then exploit their weakness by fucking them."

He began a taunting laugh, pointing at me. I exploded in a rage as he continued laughing. Taking my best swing, I punched him in the eye. He staggered back then returned to me with fists raised. What ensued was ugly and bloody. Finally he sneaked in a lucky punch and I fell backwards over the ledge. The lights went out.

Sometime later I awoke. Nothing seemed broken, but my head hurt like fire. I looked for Jon but he was nowhere to be found. Staggering, I began to work my way down the mountain toward the camp. I was most of the way there when I saw Jon, Jamie Farmer, the head Counselor and Eric Jackson, the camp's Program Director, climbing toward me.

As the distance between us closed, I shouted to Jon with a raised fist, "Come here you fucker! I'm gonna kill you!" The three figures stopped as I sped up my pace to meet up with Jon. With a gesture and words I couldn't hear, it was clear that Eric and Jamie had ordered Jon back to camp while they intercepted me. He obeyed, soon disappearing into the trees. I literally ran down the slope trying to keep him from getting away, but quickly four arms encircled me, taking me to the ground. I struggled trying to get away, but it came to no good. They were too strong and fresh; I on the other hand was bleeding, tired and sore. Once they had me convinced that I couldn't get away, they released their hold on me and asked me what had happened between Jon and me. I wasn't about to explain, so I told them that I would only talk to Jeff who was away from camp. By the time we made it back, I saw Jon, bandaged, being led away from the Admin Building by Mr. Jepperson, the Director. I was next, being shown to the office of the nurse who was a lady by the name of Sherry Jones. She had me strip down to my underwear and examined the many cuts and bruises I'd picked up during the scuffle. She explained her concern that I might have suffered a concussion and needed to be still for 24 hours to make sure that the injury was not serious. Once she had treated my wounds, she ordered me to get dressed. I was glad to be done with the exam and treatment, but still felt reluctant to face Jon again. I wasn't going to have that as an option, it seems. Eric and Jon took me to the Crafts building where I was put in detention, locked in a room until Jeff and Chris returned to camp.

It was in that small room that my mind pondered the events leading to the crushing blow that I had suffered at the hands of Jon. It was a blow that damaged my heart and one from which I doubted I'd ever recover.