The Least of These

The Least of These, Pt 8

Author's Introductory Notes:

Well there are at least a couple of readers out there who are ready to wring my neck after the last chapter. I did say there would be bumps, guys.

The problem is that I wanted to make this story about an exceptional love. I wanted to describe a love that was more than warm feelings or simple bedroom romps. The examples I’ve seen of truly remarkable loves were always tenacious and triumphant. They may have been birthed in warm feelings, but they grew powerful through nothing less than fierce resolve.

I don’t know how well I can pull of writing about a love like that. I’m sure going to give it a shot. That’s partly because I have observed that even though gays are perhaps the most romantically minded of any group in our society, we sure as hell don’t do well at love. Though the number of long-term gay relationships has gone up since AIDS, the failure rate of such relationships, and the lack of fidelity, is… sad.

I know, I know. I’m giving away some of the story. I just wanted to reassure my shaken readers. Oh, there will be a few more bumps, mainly in the next couple of chapters.

Someday, I may go back and repost the first three chapters as their own story, or the first five. Then I can post the following chapters with warnings and disclaimers. And yes, if I repost, I’ll take care of all those glaring “Davey and I”s that should have been “Davey and me”s. I blame it on the corrupting influence of some Minnesotans I spent time with.

Oh, and I give up guessing how many chapters this is going to be. It all started so nicely outlined, but things keep getting out of hand. (Which is also why it’s taking so damn long to get these chapters out.) We’re over half-way… Surely… At least I hope so… Yeah, gotta be.

As usual, I retain all rights, but am more than glad for anyone wishing to offer this story to others at no charge to do so with my gratitude and permission. Josh.

THE LEAST OF THESE...

**CHAPTER 8— Lovers
**

The first of August was a Sunday. The phone rang just after Mom lay down for a nap and I took the call in the kitchen. I expected it to be Amy. She called daily, if I didn’t call her first; sometimes even if I did.

The voice on the phone was male. “Hey dude.”

“Brandon!”

“So much for foolin’ you. I tried to sound… Southern Californian,” he groused.

“How are you, man?” I asked.

“I miss you guys.”

“I miss you too. A lot… Hey, wait a second, you asshole. I’m pissed at you.”

“Why?” he laughed. “I’ve been in California, dude. What could I have done?”

“No,” I said seriously, “I really am pissed as hell at you. You told Geoff about coming over here at night.”

“Shit. Did he tell someone? Oh SHIT! Did he tell Davey?”

“What do you think?”

“Oh, man, I’m so sorry… I heard about Davey and Geoff.”

“You did? How?”

“Yeah, I ummm… I called Geoff first,” Brandon said. “Look, I talked my Dad into lettin’ me go back to visit SA before school starts.” Then Brandon chuckled. “One thing about getting’ busted in the park – my dad still thinks all my friends back there are straight. Anyway, I told him I really needed more time to sorta wrap things up with everybody cause we left so fast.”

Brandon took a breath. “I got my dad to say yes, but then he wanted me to stay with my aunt,” Brandon said with a shuddering noise. “So then I had to work on him to let me stay with a friend.” Brandon paused. “I thought about askin’ to stay with you, dude. But I figured you’d say ‘no.’ So I was gonna ask Geoff. But before I could, he told me about him and Davey.”

“Yeah, I bet he did,” I said.

“Michael, you know why Geoff did it. He’s always had the hots for you, dude. He went after Davey cause you won’t have anything to do with him. Now he thinks he stole Davey from you and he thinks he’s fuckin’ cool.”

“Well, I think he has stolen Davey from me.”

“You’re kidding! That’s gotta be a crock of shit, Michael. You guys are tight. There’s no way anybody could steal Davey away.”

“Well Geoff’s done it,” I sat down at the kitchen table. “Davey and I are still best friends, but we’re not boyfriends anymore. We tried messing around the other day, but it just wasn’t the same anymore.”

Brandon was quiet.

“So what’d Geoff say,” I asked. “He was probably all excited about you staying with him. He’ll probably want you to join him and Davey in all the… fun.”

The phone was quiet and I heard Brandon take a breath. “I didn’t ask him,” he said. “I was wonderin’ about… well with things like they are, how about if I stay with you?”

“You want to stay with me?” I asked skeptically.

“Well yeah! Can I?”

“Sure. Cool. You bet.” Then I thought about it. “Brandon, that doesn’t mean we’d do anything, you know… you and me.
“I know, I know. You don’t wanna mess things up for you and Davey.”

“Hell, I’m not sure what I want. I don’t even know if I wanna get back together with Davey that way. But, yeah… why fuck things up any more, you know? Besides, I’ve sorta been going with Amy.”

“Damn, you are fucked over if you’re goin’ straight,” Brandon said.

“Yeah. Guess I am.”

“Look, Michael, I understand what you’re sayin’. But I still wanna stay with you. Can I?”

“Yeah, Brandon. That’d be cool. It’s been a little lonely here.”

“Me too. I haven’t met many guys out here and they’re all… well… shallow.”

“When are you coming?” I asked.

“When is your swim team done?”

“This week. Thursday. We’ve got a couple of guys going to a state meet Friday. The rest of us are done Thursday.”

“Thursday night then?”

“Great! How long can you stay?”

“I don’t have to be back for two-a-day football workouts until two weeks from now, but I don’t know if I could stay that long… that’d be like ten days.”

“Works for me.”

“Really?”

“Sure.”

* * * * *

About an hour later, the phone rang again. Still wasn’t Amy.

“Hi, Grandpa! How are you? How’s Mama Bentolli?’

“We’re both fine, Michael. You should be up here. The weather is a little warm, but there’s always the lake. But I guess you wouldn’t want to come… your mama tells me you have a girlfriend now.”

“Yeah, well sorta.”

“You’re mom says she’s cute… and smart. That’s a pretty dangerous combination, Michael,” he said, and I could hear him smiling.

“She’s pretty. And she’s smart. She’s nice, but honestly… sometimes she seems a little pushy.”

“Maybe you need a girlfriend who’s a little pushy.” He chuckled. “You know your mom had been worried about you; but I told her, just give the boy time, he’ll show an interest in girls. And there you are. Little bit of a late bloomer for an Italian, but hey, you are Italian.”

I cleared my throat. “So what do you think of the Cowboys this year?”

“Not so fast, Michael,” he said. “Tell me about your girlfriend.”

“I sorta did, Grandpa. I’m not sure what else to tell you.” I thought a moment. “I guess she’s a little bit of a tomboy, probably because she has three older brothers. But she really is… you know… feminine too.”

“No sisters?” he asked.

“Well, yeah. She’s got one older sister who’s married and all,” I told him.

“Well a bit of a tomboy might be good for you, too,” he said, chuckling once more. “I think I like your girlfriend, Michael.”

“You know what you’d really like about her Grandpa? You know how you always complain if I don’t let you win an argument?”

“I complain, Michael because you never let me win an argument, and you’re a bit of a smartass whenever anyone disagrees with you.”

“Funny,” I said. “I thought it was you that never let me win an argument… but,” I quickly added, “never mind. I just thought you’d get a kick out of knowing that Amy’s on the debate team. She doesn’t let me win any arguments either.”

“Ha! I do like your girlfriend!” he roared.

I didn’t say anything to Amy over the phone about Brandon coming to visit. I waited until Tuesday afternoon when I took her to a movie. After the movie we walked back over to the park. It was hot and we kept to the shade as much as possible. Once there, we found a big rock to sit on, well back in the trees away from the rest of the park. A warm breeze blew down the hill from behind us.

* * * * *

I sat next to her and she wrapped my right arm in hers, hugging it to herself. Then she smiled and laid her head on my shoulder. Her perfume was floral and fitted the day. There was something about Amy that was indefinably feminine; whenever she sat next to me, I felt, well… masculine.

I began kicking my feet and she matched my rhythm. “What do you think about a party?” Amy asked.

“You gonna have one?”

“Yeah, I want to — sometime before school starts. How about next weekend?”

“I don’t know. Brandon Fox is going to be staying with me. I don’t know what he might have planned.”

Amy lifted her head off my shoulder and I felt her looking at me. I kept staring ahead. “Brandon?” she asked.

“Yeah. His dad said he could come back to visit for a few days and he needed a place to stay.”

She put her head back down on my shoulder. “They say he’s gay,” she said quietly.

“So what? He’s still a friend,” I said, and laid my cheek over onto the top of her head.

“Just don’t let him turn you gay, Michael,” she said firmly and then snuggled my arm, pressing it between her breasts.

“I thought,” I said carefully, “that I read somewhere you can’t turn somebody gay who isn’t already inclined that way.”

As soon as I said it, I realized Amy could ask if I was… already inclined that way? But she sat quietly. I freed my arm from hers and put it around her back, pulling her close to me.

She put her hand on my thigh and sighed. “You smell good,” she said.

“I smell sweaty.”

“You smell like a guy. I like the smell,” she said and rubbed my leg, in an affectionate way. She looked off into the trees.

I left my arm around her back and rubbed my hand up and down her side. Her hand on my thigh was giving me a boner and I wondered about how I could move to hide the fact. Then her hand slipped to the inside of my thigh and she hugged my leg to hers. “Maybe I’ll have the party the last Saturday before school starts,” she said thoughtfully, still looking off into the trees.

I looked at the clouds, watched for birds, anything to take my mind off her hand and my erection. It was one of those times that the more I wanted it to go away, the harder my erection became. I was just about to stand up to try to rearrange myself when Amy patted my leg and looked down. My cock had extended down my pants leg, and her eyes locked on it.

I thought that if maybe I just ignored everything, she would too. But then she took a finger tip and ran it down the length of my shaft, and my cock twitched.

She ran her finger down it again and left her finger on the end. I caught my breath.

She didn’t look at me, but kept her head down. “ Damn those things get big. Can I see it?” she asked quietly.

“You mean, take it out?” I asked, surprised.

She nodded her head on my shoulder.

I looked around. We were hidden there, in the trees. The day was still warm so there weren’t many people in the park, and none that I could see from where we were.

“You sure?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she said and nodded again.

I took a deep breath, and unbuckled my pants with my free hand. I loosened them and pulled them and my underwear down onto my thighs. My cock sprung up hard, slapping against my abdomen.

Amy watched it throb in time with my heartbeats. “Can I touch it?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

She reached forward and wrapped her hand around the shaft. Her touch was delicate, barely making contact. She tried a tentative stroke, then another. Her eyes stayed locked on my erection. “When I was a kid,” she said. “I spied a couple of times on my brother through the bathroom window. His wasn’t this big, though.” She began to delicately stroke me. “He did it like this.”

I leaned back, supporting myself on my hands. Amy concentrated on my cock.

“Don’t hold your hand so loose. You’re rubbing my skin,” I said, throatily. “Here.” I put my hand around hers to wrap it a little tighter. “Don’t move your hand over the skin, move the skin over the shaft, like this.”

She grasped me more firmly, stroking gently.

“That feels good,” I said, sighing.

She looked up at me for the first time, and studied my face. I returned the look from half-closed eyes. “I like how it feels,” she said, and turned back to watch. “It’s hard to believe… “ she said softly, her voice trailing off.

“What is?” I asked, somewhat distracted.

“That all this is supposed to fit inside.” She didn’t look at me.

I cleared my throat. “I hear it works real good,” I couldn’t resist saying.

“You heard?” she asked with feigned nonchalance. “Never tried it?”

I tried to think how to answer that. She obviously meant with a girl. “Once,” I said.

“How was it?” she asked.

Damn her hand felt good. “Great,” I said, and then moaned as I felt things begin to churn below. “If you keep doing that,” I said, “I’m gonna cum.”

“Do it. I want to watch. Is this OK?” she asked, gripping a little tighter.

“Yeah,” I said, sighing. “You can go a little faster… no, not so hard, just faster… yeah, nice.”

I tensed my legs and gut, encouraging my semen along. “Put your other hand on my… you know, on my balls.”

She shifted to comply, gently fondling my scrotum.

“Oh, yeah, Amy. That feels good. You better point it away. It’s gonna be pretty quick.”

I grabbed her side and pumped my pelvis into her hand as my first orgasm since yesterday shot out. Amy continued to stroke until my cum had been flung a half-dozen feet over the dry ground.

She laughed. “I can’t believe all that’s supposed to go inside either.” She turned a surprised face to look at me. “That’s like a douche!”

“Geez, Amy,” I laughed. “I can’t believe you said that.”

With her hand still on my cock, she moved her face close to mine. “I can’t believe,” she said, “that I just did what I did.” We kissed and she stroked me while our mouths opened to each other.

When we finished the kiss, she brushed her lips over my cheek. “Maybe, we can do this again sometime,” she said, smiled coyly as she let go of my cock. Then she held her hand up and frowned at the mess.

“I have a Kleenex in my pocket,” I offered.

* * * * *

Thursday, Mom left work early to drive me to the airport to get Brandon. She circled out in front of the terminal while I went to the gate to meet him. I was surprised at how really happy I was to see Brandon’s red head coming towards me. Once he cleared the gate, I threw myself into his arms and hugged him hard.

“Geez, Bentolli. You’re giving me a boner. How am I going to walk out of here?”

I laughed and let him go. We walked down to baggage claim. The flight was light and only a few people gathered around the luggage conveyor belt. “When do you go back?” I asked.

“Next Sunday. I’ve got ten days, dude!”

I clapped his back. “Excellent!” I said. “And hey, don’t feel like you’ve gotta stick with me. You can come and go as you please. Just treat our house like a hotel. You can go see all your old friends and if you want to do anything together we can.”

Brandon gave me a lopsided smile. “What old friends did you think I have left here? Other than Geoff and Davey?”

He put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed, “You don’t have to go with me when I go see them, Michael.” He turned to the luggage conveyor, but glanced back out of the corner of his eye. “But honestly, you’re the one I came to see.”

I kept looking straight ahead at the luggage.

He stepped closer. “Damn it’s good to see you!” he said softly.

My eyes began to tear up, my throat tightened, and I wanted to go hide. I glanced at Brandon.

“Geez, Michael.” He put his arms around me, and I buried my face in his shoulder. People around us stared.

Brandon held me until I composed myself, pulled out of his arms, and wiped my eyes on my sleeves. “Sorry, sorta nice to have a shoulder to cry on,” I said, trying to smile. “My mom is circling out front. We need to get out there.”

Brandon put a hand on my back, his face all sincere, “While I’m here, you’re going forget about Davey and Geoff and we’re gonna have a good time. We’ll go do some really cool things. Like - I want to take you to the beach, OK?”

“Don’t.” I held up my hand in a stop sign. “Don’t be so nice. You’re going to make me cry again.” I smiled and wiped my eyes again.

“No,” he said, looking me in the eye. “I’m not goin’ to make you cry.”

Brandon’s bag came and he grabbed it off the conveyor belt. As we turned to leave, he swatted my butt. “I’m so not going to make you cry,” he said. Then he put an arm over my shoulder as we walked. “You sure you won’t let me crawl in your window some night.”

I blushed and tried to think of something else so I wouldn’t spring a boner in the airport.

* * * * *

Mom took us out for burgers before we went back to the house. While we ate, Brandon told us, “My aunt lives close to you guys, in Monte Vista. She says I can borrow an old Pinto she has while I’m here, and she told me that Michael and I can use her beach house at Rockport.”

Mom looked up frowning. “No, Brandon. Michael’s only just turned fifteen.”

“Mom! I’m fifteen!”

“Mrs. Bentolli,” Brandon appealed, “I was camping out on my own or with buddies at thirteen.”

“Geez, Mom. Even Davey’s been camping out with Geoff.”

“Camping out is not the same as the beach. Too many things can happen. You can go camping,” she said in her ‘that’s final’ voice.

I could tell that Brandon was just as disappointed as I was. So I did the only thing I knew to do. When we got home, I called Grandpa Bentolli and explained the situation. “Well Michael,” he said, “that’s where dads normally come in. Moms say ‘no’ and dads say, ‘honey, let the boy grow up.’ Maybe since your dad’s not around, I can help out. Put your mom on the phone.”

“Gee thanks, Grandpa. Thank you, thank you!”

“You better wait to thank me until after I talk to your mom. She can be a stubborn woman.”

“She’d never argue with you Grandpa.”

“Oh? She has before. But go get her. I’ll see what I can do.”

When Mom hung up the phone, I was waiting. “You don’t fight fair, Michael,” she scolded. “You can go with Brandon to the beach. But if you guys misbehave or get into any trouble down there, you’ll be grounded for life, Michael. Do I make myself clear?”

“Sure, Mom, thanks!” I said and then whooped it up.

“Thank you, Mrs. Bentolli,” Brandon said. “We’ll be careful. I’ll look after him.”

I glanced at Brandon, knowing he really would look after me. I liked that.

Then Mom pulled me into the kitchen. “Look, Michael,” she said. “You know I trust you. You’re a good kid. But I don’t know Brandon that well. Promise me you won’t let him get you guys into drugs or a bunch of drinking down there at the beach, OK?”

“Mom! I can’t believe you said that. I don’t do drugs.”

“No drinking either,” she said sternly.

“We weren’t planning on it,” I said, avoiding making a promise. I really wasn’t planning on it, but Brandon was two years older. I didn’t want to seem like a wimp if he wanted to have a beer or two. I held my breath, waiting to see what she’d say.

“Alright,” she said, satisfied.

We put Brandon’s bag in my room. I showed him my two swim ribbons and a picture of the team. He made a big deal of checking out all the guys’ baskets until I finally took back the picture.

In the den, Mom and I quizzed him about California and Brandon asked us about all the latest back home, carefully avoiding asking much that would involve Davey. He and I were still going strong after Mom went to bed.

As our conversation wound down, I began to feel awkward. Brandon kept stealing glances at my body and to tell the truth, I stole a few glances at his. No sense tempting ourselves, I thought. “Maybe we ought to get ready for bed so we can get an early start on tomorrow.” I suggested.

Brandon stood up and followed me. I showed him the bathroom, and while he got ready for bed, I rolled out my bedroll on the floor. When he came back from the bathroom, I took my turn. When I returned, Brandon was in the bedroll with the top rolled back below his waist, showing a hip and the top of his leg. He was obviously naked. He had his hands behind his head, stretching his amazing torso out seductively.

I stripped and tossed my clothes onto my desk, thought about my underwear, and took them off too. My half-hard cock hung low over my balls. Another second and it would be rising. I pulled back my covers, turned out the light, and crawled into bed.

“Michael?”

“Yeah.”

“Swimming’s been good for you, dude. You look hot.”

“Thanks.”

My cock stiffened. I pulled it up straight and rubbed the underside.

“So,” I asked. “What do you want to do tomorrow?”

“Whatever you want is cool. You have to life guard?”

“No. I got out of life guarding all week.” I didn’t tell him I quit the job because he was coming. The pool was less busy now anyway.

Oh, I worried about what Davey would think; Amy too. But I’d been looking forward to seeing Brandon, a lot. And now he was on the floor beside me and my cock was rising.

The weight of the bedcovers pressing down on my middle was sensuous. I spread my legs and rubbed myself. It felt good.

“Brandon?”

“Yeah?”

“Sleep with me?”

I heard him get up and felt him put his pillow on the bed. The covers pulled back, and his smooth body slid in against my side. And then I felt his hard cock press against my hip and the heat of his skin as he pressed against me. His hand went over my chest. In the dark, he moved his face to mine, and I felt his breath on my cheek. His lips brushed across my jaw and settled on my mouth. Yeah, deep down, I wished it was Davey. But I pushed that thought aside and opened my mouth to Brandon’s.

We were both hungry. Very hungry.

It was after about three in the morning and after our second love making session that Brandon propped on his elbow beside me and looked down into my face. He rubbed my chest with his hand. “I have a proposition for you,” he said. In the dim light I could see his smile fade, and his face become serious. “And I want you to say yes more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life.”

“Geez,” I joked, “After what we just did, what’s left to ask?”

He rolled his body onto me and took my face into his two hands. I was sorry I had joked; he looked so serious. He kissed me hard and long. When he finished, still holding my face in his hands, he said, “Don’t say no until you hear the whole thing, and then please, Michael, don’t say no.”

I nodded.

He removed his left hand from the side of my face and pressed his right cheek there. And into my ear, he whispered, “I have loved you for a long time… and you know it. I know someday you and Davey will get back together. But this week… these ten days while I’m here,” he pressed my head tighter to his. “Belong to me Michael. It can be just while I’m here. But be my boyfriend,” he said softly, as his breath warmed my ear. “I want you to belong to me and I want to belong to you. All your heart and all my heart. While I’m here this time, love me as much as I love you… please?”

He kept his face pressed to the side of mine. I wrapped my arms up over his strong back and rubbed my cheek on his. Life is painted in bright colors for young teens. Not many shades of gray. Love doesn’t have all the nuances that come later. Love is earnest, love is powerful, and love defines life for a fifteen year old. Maybe more than most, I really needed to love someone just then, a guy who wanted me more than anyone else. There was no way I would say no to Brandon. I didn’t want to.

So that night, in my heart, I consciously chose to let Davey go, at least for ten days. And Amy too. Brandon was in my arms and he loved me, and right then, his love made me feel incredible. I said softly in his ear, “For these ten days, you belong to me, Brandon, and I belong to you… all my heart, nothing held back. I will love you even more than you love me.”

Brandon tenderly rubbed my cheek with his right hand, then said, “For these ten days, you belong to me, Michael, and I belong to you… all my heart, nothing held back.” He wrapped his left arm under me and held me tightly in it. “And I will love you more than you’ve ever been loved.”

He lifted his cheek from mine and looked down at me. I ran my fingers up into his hair. “I do love you,” I said, pulling his head down so that my mouth was at his ear. “My lover.”

He drew his lips up my cheek and placed them on mine. We pressed our naked bodies together and wrapped our arms around each other. We made love once more that night, with all our hearts.

* * * * *

The next morning, Brandon went to fetch his aunt’s car and to stop to see Geoff and Davey. I had no desire to go.

When Brandon came back, I had just come back from doing a lawn and was only wearing running shorts. He walked right up to where I was drinking a glass of water in the kitchen; and drew his hands over my shoulder, and then down my back, and onto my butt. “Damn, Bent. Swimming’s been so good for you.” He took me into his arms, and kissed me. Damn, I liked being loved by him.

He held his arms low around my back, keeping our crotches pressed together. I leaned back in his arms. “I’m surprised,” I said. “I thought that would take longer.”

“Yeah. Geoff and Davey were both there. We just sat around and talked a while?”

“Just talked?”

He grinned at me and squeezed our middles harder together. “We talked until Geoff started rubbing his crotch and looking all hot and horny.”

“No surprise.”

“So I told them I had to leave. And then I sorta told them that you were screwing the shit out of me and I wanted to get back for more.”

My mouth dropped. Brandon laughed. “You’re teasing me.” I said.

“No,” he said, suddenly serious.

My first thought was that Davey would never talk to me again. But Brandon said, “It won’t hurt either of them to know we’re doin’ fine.” Then he slid his arms higher and pulled my chest to his. “Besides, you belong to me this week, and I feel so great I want to tell everybody.”

He bent his head to kiss my neck.

I ran a hand up into the back of his hair and asked, “You said I was ‘screwing the shit’ out of you?”

“Uh-huh,” he said, kissing up my neck to behind my ear.

“Then I guess I have a reputation to live up to.”

Brandon laughed and before I knew what was happening, he had me over his shoulder. “Like hell you do. It’s my turn,” he said, and carried me into the living room where he dumped me on the couch.

After we made love, we simply lay together, stroking hair, scratching backs, and talking. Then I walked naked to my room to begin packing for the beach. Brandon followed me in and sat on the bed next to my open suitcase. “I need to tell you something about Davey,” he said.

“Who’s Davey?” I asked as I bent over to put some underwear into my suitcase.

Brandon slapped my bare ass, put his hand back on it gently, and then kissed it. He pulled me into his lap and put his arms loosely around me. “Seriously, OK?’

I looped an arm over his shoulder. “OK,” I agreed.

“While I was over there today, Geoff got me to one side,” Brandon looked at me apologetically. “Michael, he offered to dump Davey for the night if I’d come over there.”

I waited for him to continue.

“Look, Michael, my point is that Geoff doesn’t give a shit about Davey. He’s gonna dump him as soon as he finds somebody else. He might even dump him when two-a-days start in football.”

Inside I felt an instant storm of anger at Geoff and hurt for Davey. I fought it down. I wanted to not think about Davey. While mowing that morning, I had realized that if I could keep my promise to Brandon; if I could not think about Davey for ten days, it’d be like a vacation for me – ten days of not hurting. I ran my hand over Brandon’s muscular shoulders and chest, “Let’s just forget about it for now.”

“Michael, what’s with you? Davey is going to need you. I just wanted to say, you’re giving me my week, but when it’s over, if Davey needs you, I understand.”

“I just don’t want to think about it right now, OK?” I asked, burying my face into his neck. “I’ll be there for Davey; he is my best friend, Bran, even if we’re never lovers again. But for now,” I said, and nuzzled him, “Please… I belong to you.”

I looked up at him. Brandon was so damn good looking. And when he was serious, he had a way of furrowing his brow that made him look like some thoughtful young prince. I ran a hand into his thick red hair. “Damn, you’re beautiful,” I said, looking deep into his eyes.

My gut tightened and my mouth went dry. Looking at him made me want to look at him even more.

He stroked my hair and said, “Geez, we’re getting mushy.”

“Isn’t that what lovers do,” I asked, smiling.

“No, lovers make love.”

“Well we sure as hell have been doing that.” I reached a hand down between his legs.

“Whoa!” he said, trying to push me back. “You’ve worn me out already.”

I rolled in his waist, sliding quickly down to bury my face in his crotch, nuzzling forcefully down to lick his cock with my tongue.

He tried to stand up, which only gave me better access with my mouth and so I tried to suck in his cock.

Brandon tried to wriggle free and I held tighter. He reached down and tickled my ribs; I cried out and pulled back, dragging him down with me. We crashed onto the floor and he struggled out of my grasp. We wrestled until he managed to pin me on my back, his face inches from mine. He smiled down at me, “Are you having fun yet?”

“Yeah,” I grinned up at him. “I’m having a lot of fun.”

Later, after we showered and dressed, I had something I needed to do. I called Amy, settling into the couch with the phone.

* * * * *

“Hi Michael,” she answered coolly. “How’s Brandon?”

“Brandon’s fine. He’s great… Look, Amy, I wanted to tell you that Brandon and I are going to the beach for a couple of days. We’re going to do some fishing, surfing, and stuff.”

“Oh?” she said, coolly. “Where are you staying?”

“His aunt has a beach house down there. She’s letting us use it.”

“Well just be careful, Michael.”

She sounded damned condescending. “We’ll be careful,” I said.

“I meant, you be careful,” she said.

“Amy, what are you saying?”

“Well, just be careful, OK. You know about Brandon.”

“Amy, Brandon’s my friend,” I said, exasperated, “and you are not my mother.”

It was quiet on the other end of the line. And then there was a click.

Fuck it! I thought, and went to the kitchen for a drink of water. But I kept thinking about it.

I called her back. “I’m sorry,” I said.

“Well, maybe I was being a little patronizing… is that the word?”

“Yeah, maybe. Anyway, I’m sorry I got mad.”

“I wish I was going with you,” she said. “They probably won’t let me, but I can ask my parents.”

Geez that would really mess things up, I thought. “Maybe next time,” I said. “We’re just going down for a couple of days. I’ll tell you about it when we get back.”

She was quiet a moment. “OK, Michael. Have a good time, I guess.”

“Thanks, Amy. I love you too,” I smiled.

* * * * *

We left for the beach Saturday morning. Whenever the ride got boring, I felt up Brandon while he was driving. Fortunately, it was a very boring ride.

When I saw the beach house, my jaw dropped, and I immediately volunteered to be adopted into Brandon’s family. It was a fairly new, two story duplex, and only a short walk to the beach. And it was like a real home with a living room, kitchen, TV and two bedrooms. “We aren’t going back until Wednesday,” I said.

Since we didn’t have to pay for a room, we had money to pay for gulf fishing, wave runner rentals, and meals at good restaurants.

We did all the neat things that guys do at the beach, from swimming to cruising. And we did all the things that lovers do at the beach; from walking on the beach at night with our arms around each other when no one could see, to applying sunburn cream to each other before bed, and lying naked in each other’s arms while watching TV.

Late Tuesday night, we were skinny dipping in the waves under a half-moon and a sky full of stars. We had wrestled in the surf; Brandon’s body now as familiar to me as my own or Davey’s. And in a moment’s pause, he hugged me from behind; his arms around my middle. It wasn’t sexual; neither of us was hard. Brandon laid the side of his head against my back and as he hugged me and rocked me in his arms, he laughed. There was a joy in his laughter. It made me feel, well… treasured.

We made it back to San Antonio early enough Wednesday for me to take Brandon down to SACC to meet Knox. Joel was there and followed Brandon and me into Knox’s office. “Professor Knox,” I said, grinning and taking Brandon’s hand. “I would like you to meet my boyfriend, Brandon.”

* * * * *

Knox cocked an eyebrow.

“This is my friend,” I explained, “who I told you moved to California. He’s here for ten days, and we, well, we agreed to be ‘together’ the whole time.” For some reason, I couldn’t stop grinning.

“Oh, is this the friend who crawled in your window late at night?”

“Shit!” Joel said behind us. “Crawled in your window? That’s fuckin…”

“You may leave now, Joel,” Knox said.

“OK, OK… hey, Michael.” Joel put his hand on my back. “If you’re through with Davey now, can I have him?”

“Close the door behind you Joel,” Knox said firmly.

When the door was almost closed, Joel leaned back in. “Brandon,” he said, “you can sneak in my window anytime. I’ll give you the address.”

I pushed the door shut.

Knox shook Brandon’s hand. “Where do you find these boys, Michael? They sure weren’t around when I was your age.”

When we were leaving, Knox followed us out, asking Brandon about California. In the general office area, Joel pulled me aside. “I like sneaking in windows,” he whispered. “Why don’t you give me your address?”

I slapped his ass. From across the room, Brandon turned from Knox and gave me an inquiring look. I grinned and shrugged. Joel put his arm over my shoulder and looked at Brandon. “You didn’t know he was into spanking, did you?” Joel quipped. I popped his ass again.

As I was following Brandon out the door, Knox caught my arm, and held me back. He looked into my eyes. “You’ve fallen in love, haven’t you, Michael?” he asked, almost wonderingly.

I thought about it. “Yeah,” I nodded. “I think I have.”

“What about Davey?”

I looked down to the floor. “I don’t know, Knox.” I glanced at Brandon who was already several feet ahead. “I don’t think that I’ll ever quit loving Davey,” I said. I looked at Knox. “He’s still my best friend… I love him so much sometimes it hurts. But,” and I nodded back down the hall, “damn Knox, Brandon makes me feel loved… and I love him. I really love him. And I promised him, Knox. While he’s here, he’s the only one I’m going to think about.”

“Teenagers!” Knox said, shaking his head and turning back to his office.

That night, Brandon and I ate on the riverwalk, hit a movie, shopped at the mall, and even visited an “adult” bookstore together. (The guy behind the counter was gay or he would never have let me stay.)

Thursday, we ambushed Chase with water balloons, had two towel popping fights, rode the train at Breckenridge Park three times, visited the zoo (where I pointed out the baboons which were particularly lazy that day), and even went by to see Amy. Briefly. She was a little cold.

Friday, Brandon bought us matching, gold plated friendship bracelets. “Gold,” he said, “because it matches your necklace.”

“You’ll wear that necklace again someday,” Brandon told me. “Or one like it, and it needs to be gold. Gold looks better on you than silver would. And Michael,” he said, “You don’t have to wear the bracelet in public, not if you don’t want to explain about a guy giving it to you.”

“You going to wear yours?” I asked.

“Maybe not all the time.”

“Then sometimes, I might wear it around an ankle… or, around something else,” I said with a sly smile.

Brandon grinned. “Wear mine down there before I go. I’ll never wash it.”

In the evening, we went to another movie and then we got a wino down on San Pedro to buy us some beer, and then we drove home. I checked Mom’s door. She was already in bed. So we sat on the front steps of the porch and drank. When it was very late and we were pretty wasted, I snuck out to the garage and got some old white tempera paint. After grabbing a couple of rolls of toilet paper from inside, we each took our last beer, and walked the mile to Geoff’s house. We wrote on the windows of Geoff’s car, “Me gustan los muchacos,” and TPed his house.

Then we stripped naked and tossed pebbles at Geoff’s second floor window. It took a bit of tossing, especially since in our condition, we weren’t hitting the window much. When Geoff pushed back the curtains and stood looking down at us, Brandon and I launched into a bit of naked dancing, wearing nothing but our bracelets. We shook our cocks and butts at him, and then Brandon mock humped my butt.

We were laughing pretty hard. When a neighbor’s light came on, we grabbed our clothes and took off running. The effect was to rush even more alcohol to the brain. By the time we got back to my neighborhood, still naked, we were hot, sweaty, and blitzed.

At the back of Davey’s house, we tapped on his window until he opened it. When he did, we did a pretty good bump and grind for almost a minute in front of him. When Davey didn’t laugh, we ran home. Brandon was giggling, but I was thinking of Davey in his underwear at his window. I wished he had smiled.

Saturday, I wrote a song about Brandon while he took a nap, and sang it to him when he woke up. It wasn’t the best I’d ever done, but it had a good beat and a catchy melody. The words were still coming together, but included a bit about watching the muscles of his ass as we ran naked at night. He really seemed to like it.

That last night before Brandon was to go back home, we waited until Mom went to bed. Then I brushed my teeth and returned to my bedroom to find Brandon gone. I looked through the house and couldn’t find him.

Back in my bedroom, I looked under the bed and in the closet, and then I heard the tap at my window. I turned off the lights and opened the shutters. Brandon was naked on the other side of the glass. I opened the window and he took my hand, drawing me out onto the porch. He pressed his naked body against me and kissed me hard. And then he undressed me.

Brandon led me to the porch swing and sat back against one arm, spreading his legs so I could sit between them and lean back against him. I laid my head back on his shoulder and he pushed the swing off with his foot. We swung and talked. After ten days, there was still a lot to talk about; of guys and girls, and music and classes, and hopes and dreams for the next year, two years.

I scooted my butt back to his crotch and Brandon wrapped his arms around me. He pushed us off again and we continued to swing. His breath was warm on my neck and his skin against mine grew hot as I felt his cock harden against my butt.

I laid my head back and turned my face toward his. We kissed. His finger tips traced the crease down the middle of my abs and into my pubic hair. He combed through it with his fingers, then grabbed my cock firmly while his tongue pushed into my mouth.

I reached up behind Brandon’s head with both hands, running my fingers into his hair. His hands left my cock and roamed up and down my outstretched belly and chest. “I love it when you stretch,” he said softly and sucked on my neck. He pressed his cock against my butt. “Let’s go in,” he whispered.

We gathered our clothes and I led him by the hand through my window. I was first to the bed and lay back on it, pulling up my knees for him.

Brandon grabbed the KY and quickly lubed. He knelt at my upturned ass, and entered me slowly. I watched his body in the dim light, some young Greek god joining his body to mine. When his cock was buried and his groin pressed against my bottom, he bent over me, pulling my legs up with his arms. He kept his eyes on mine, as I ran my hands over the hard muscles of his shoulders and back. I wanted him to own me one last time, and reached down to grab his butt on either side and pull him deeper into me.

Brandon’s eyes held mine as he slowly lowered his face to mine while he pumped. Our lips met, and he kept our mouths pressed together, moving in me slowly, lovingly, until he came. When he was done, he collapsed down onto me, releasing my legs to the side. Very slowly, he kissed my lips, my nose, my eyes. “Thanks,” he whispered, and then kissed me deeply once more.

With a final kiss, he rolled to his side facing away from me and patted his butt invitingly. I ran my hands admiringly over his muscled back and the smooth skin of his butt before I spooned him, and pushed my erection slowly into his tightness and warmth. I wrapped an arm under his neck and one around his waist, kissing behind his ear and taking my time. I kept my body pressed to the back of his and just ground and ground; until I could no longer hold back my orgasm.

Then I stayed in him and cradled his body with mine to wait while I softened.

Brandon rubbed my encircling arms with his hand. “Michael, thanks,” he said softly. It’s been incredible… you know… these ten days.”

“Yeah, I know,” I whispered. “It’s been terrific.”

“We’ve had a good time, haven’t we?”

“The best,” I said.

“Michael, thanks for sticking to your promise. You gave me the whole ten days.”

“With all my heart,” I kissed the back of his neck again and pushed my semi all the way back into him as I tightened my hug. “You kept your promise, too. I’ve never had ten days like these.” Then I placed my lips behind his ear. “I wish we had more time. I’d give you lots more than ten days.”

He took one of my hands and brought the back of it to his lips. “Don’t get carried away, Michael. Don’t make promises you can’t keep, dude. You’re going to get back with Davey. You’ll see.”

“Davey who?”

Brandon was quiet a moment. “Don’t forget me.”

“Oh, Bran,” I said, and hugged him hard. “Oh, man… never! Not ever after this.”

He sighed contentedly. “No, I don’t think either of us will forget.”

We slept, and when my mom left in the morning, we made love one last time.

In the afternoon, we picked up his aunt who dropped us at the airport and then left because Brandon’s plane would not take off for over an hour.

When they called his flight for boarding, I pulled Brandon into a john close to the gate. When it emptied briefly, I pulled him into a stall and kissed him hard, holding him. “Thank you.”

He said huskily, “Maybe we can do it again some day. Maybe you can come to California.”

“Yeah, I’d like that,” I said, kissing him a long as I could.

Once Brandon left, I figured I better put in an appearance at Amy’s house right away. So the next day, I called and went over.

* * * * *

“Hi, Michael,” Amy greeted me at the door, without a kiss or even a smile.

That was alright. I could care less. If she wanted to break up, that was fine. I had Brandon.

I followed her to the kitchen for sodas, saying hi to one of her brothers in the living room on the way.

In the kitchen, a young woman with Amy’s features and coloring was seated next to Amy’s mom who was holding a little boy, no more than a year old. Amy reached for the boy and looked inquiringly at her mom. Her mom nodded and let Amy pick the boy up out of her lap. Then Amy put the toddler on her hip and bounced him. He laughed.

She stepped closer to me. “Michael, this is my nephew, Andrew.” She nodded toward the young woman. “And my sister Barb.

I greeted the two women, while Amy bounced her nephew up and down on her hip. The boy was cute and Amy looked happy. She sorta looked natural with a kid on her hip. There were some things about girls that were cool.

Andrew started laughing and Amy grinned at me. “Some day, I’m going to have lots of babies.” She tickled Andrew with her free hand. “Just like Andrew.”

Amy’s dad came into the kitchen just then. I didn’t really like him. I knew he was an intelligent man, but he sure hid it well. His intellect was all turned in on himself, and he was dull and unfriendly.

He kissed Barb on the forehead and took Andrew from Amy without even acknowledging her. I saw Amy frown. He started playing with the baby and Amy quickly grabbed a couple of cokes from the fridge and led me out onto the porch.

“You OK?” I asked when we got outside.

“Yeah,” she said and sat down at their picnic table, handing me my glass.

“Guess your dad likes Andrew too,” I said.

Her eyes flashed at me. “My dad likes sons. It’s all about ‘the boys.’ He didn’t even know Barb existed ‘till she had a baby… a boy baby.”

I shrugged. “Maybe it’s just easier for him to be into guy stuff, you know, like sports and stuff.”

She frowned. “My dad’s only into my dad… and his sons. My family sucks.” She gave me a warning look. “And my mom’s an air-head. I know it. So don’t even go there.”

“Geez, Amy. I like your mom.”

“Yeah. I knew you were going to say that. But I’m not going to be like her – perfect house wife, ‘yes dear,’ ‘no dear’ – forget it.”

I laughed. “No, I can’t see you like that.”

Amy gave me a rueful smile. “So did Brandon have a good time?”

I smiled back. “Yeah, it was good. He had a good time. I had a good time.”

Her smile faded. “Well now that your ‘vacation’ is over, I need you to spend some time with me. You can help me plan for the party.”

The way she said it, I began to wonder just how much time a girlfriend might require.

Even though Geoff was busy with two-a-days, he evidently still found time for Davey. He even took him camping one last weekend, and took him to a movie the last Friday night before school. Begrudgingly, I was impressed; I began to revise my thinking about Geoff a bit, even if he did take Davey all the way across town for their “dates.”

* * * * *

It still didn’t impress me that he wouldn’t come with Davey to Amy’s party that last Saturday night.

Brandon had left me feeling so damn good, that I was a little surprised to find an ache inside when I saw even less of Davey after Brandon’s visit. I worried. Hell, after dancing naked at his window with Brandon, I wondered if I’d lost Davey even as my best friend.

I decided I wouldn’t give him the option. Davey could feel however he wanted about me; as far as I was concerned, he was still my best friend. I was just as determined as I had been the year before that I would get Davey through high school just like I promised Maggie. I had made a promise and I liked how it made me feel about myself, and about Davey, by keeping it.

I talked to Davey at Amy’s party the Saturday night before school started to make sure he and I would walk to and from school together again this year.

* * * * *

Maggie was up that first day of school and came to the door. “Morning, Michael.” She put a hand on my shoulder and lovingly kissed my cheek. “Davey tells me you two plan to study together again after classes again this year. I really hoped you would, but I couldn’t ask that of you again.”

When she kissed my cheek, I kissed hers. Her skin seemed to be turning even softer as she got older. “A promise is a promise, Maggie. I said I’d help Davey get through high school and we’ve got three years to go.”

She patted me on my forearm. “And you’re the one to help him do it Michael. I couldn’t. If I had been the one still working with Davey, there’s not a doubt in my mind he wouldn’t have made it through last year.”

“Davey’s the one who did the work, and he did well, didn’t he,” I grinned. “This is going to be his best year yet. We’ll study after school again and you can pick him up after work… just like last year.”

Davey came up behind her. He wore new clothes and looked, well, hot. “Damn. I mean, darn Maggie. Did you pick out Davey’s clothes?” I asked.

She smiled the way moms sometimes do when they’re proud. “He picked them out himself,” she answered. Davey does look good, doesn’t he? You’ll have to protect him from all the girls.”

“Ah, Mom,” Davey protested, stepping out on the porch. Maggie kissed his cheek.

“Maybe,” I said, grinning at Davey, “I should have you help me pick my clothes.”

Davey gave me a long sideways look up and down my body and I felt like I was suddenly standing in my underwear. I realized once more that Davey was becoming a man.

“Your clothes look… good… Mickey,” he said.

“You do look nice, Michael,” Maggie agreed. “Maybe you better protect yourself from all those girls.” She grinned and then closed the door.

As we stepped from the porch, Davey hung his head and said, “Geoff helped me… pick my clothes.”

“Davey,” I put my hand on his shoulder. It felt good to touch him. “Are you happy with Geoff? Is he treating you right?”

He looked up at me, almost suspiciously, “Uh-huh.”

“You’re not just saying that? You really are happy?”

He looked at me more suspiciously, “Uh-huh.”

I stopped walking and turned him to face me. “Then I want you to believe me when I tell you that I’m happy because you’re happy. OK?”

He returned my smile, tentatively. I stepped close and put my forehead to his like we use to. ‘I really am happy for you Davey. I still love you, you know.”

I stepped back and he was grinning.

“Oh, one other thing,” I said, as we resumed walking. “Forgive me? For being so stupid that night Brandon and I danced outside your window?”

His smile faded.

“Davey,” I said, leaning closer, “I’m sorry. We were drunk.”

His eyes widened, and he gave a little smile. “Really?”

“Yeah, really. That’s why we did it. It was so dumb.”

He cocked his head. “Is that why,” he asked, “you… wrote stuff… on Geoff’s car? Because you were… drunk?”

“Oh shit… I guess he’d have to know that was us, huh?”

Davey nodded.

“Yeah, Davey,” I said. “We were tanked… blitzed.” I glanced at Davey, who’d lost his smile again. “I guess I need to tell Geoff I’m sorry too, huh?” As soon as I said it, I was ready to kick myself. I didn’t want to apologize to that creep.

But then Davey smiled broadly and gave me a hug. “That’d be real good… Mickey.”

Damn that hug felt good. And Davey was happy. OK. I’d even apologize to that asshole, Geoff.

“Hell, Davey,” I said. “I’ll apologize to him today if you’ll hug me like that again.” I meant a hug later, but Davey hugged me again right then.

“OK, OK,” I laughed when he let me go. “We still best friends then?”

“Yeah… best friends!”

“Good,” I said. Our shoulders brushed while we walked. All was right with the world.

Davey asked, “Did you and Brandon have a good time?”

I glanced at him. He was looking down at the road. “Yeah,” I said. “Brandon and I had a great time.”

“You had fun at the beach?” he asked.

“Yeah. We had a lot of fun at the beach.” And then I told Davey about it; oh, not about the lovemaking, but about the wave runners and swimming and gulf fishing. I gave him the same cleaned-up version I gave Amy.”

He watched me as I talked, and he began to smile. When I finished, he said, “I want to do… that… sometime.”

“Go to the beach?”

He nodded.

I put my arm over his shoulder. “Someday, if Geoff doesn’t take you, I will.”

He looked sideways at me, then back at his feet. “I want… you… to take me.”

There was a sudden dull ache in my stomach. You don’t love somebody for years and have it go away overnight, even after ten incredible days of Brandon. I covered the ache with a smile and sideways hugged Davey to me. “Well, we’ve got to wait until next summer before we’re old enough to drive, but I’ll make you a deal. You pass this year, and I’ll take you. OK?”

Davey grinned and gave me a peck on the cheek. I took my arm off his shoulder and laughed, “Geez, Davey. Control yourself.”

He grew quiet as we walked. “Mickey,” he asked, his eyes on the ground. “Is Brandon your boyfriend now?”

I considered. “Well, yeah, I guess. Sorta. At least for a while.”

He nodded to himself. “You always… liked Brandon.”

“If you’re trying not to feel guilty,” I said, irritated, “about dumping me for Geoff because you’re saying I always liked Brandon – well, you liked Brandon too. He was never my boyfriend.”

He threw an angry glance at me. “He is… now.”

“So what?” I asked. “Am I supposed to not have a boyfriend now? You can have all you want and I’m just supposed to wait around?”

His face flushed.

“Well, you know what?” I continued. “It’s sorta nice to have somebody who wants me to be his boyfriend.”

Neither of us said another word until we were almost at school.

“Look,” I told him as we prepared to cross the street to the campus. “I’m sorry Davey. But the truth is that Brandon would never be my boyfriend if you still wanted me.”

Davey’s eyes flared up once more. He leaned close as some other kids approached. “I never… stopped wanting to be… boyfriends,” he hissed. “You did.”

We crossed the street and he walked away.

* * * * *

I didn’t see Davey much that first morning back at school. But I did see Geoff. We had a class together, second period calculus, and walked in at the same time. Damn, the guy looked even bigger than he had the last time I saw him. Davey and I were getting close to six feet tall now. He had to be five inches taller than us… and really muscular — I wondered if he was into steroids like everyone was talking about. He had at least fifty pounds on me, all muscle.

He was rich enough. I supposed he really could be on steroids. I remembered that steroids often made guys more aggressive. I began to think about standing back from him a little when I apologized.

I smiled up at him. He looked surprised and smiled back. Oh well, I thought; time to gird up the loins. I had promised Davey. And besides, the guy seemed to be treating Davey OK. I supposed he might actually love Davey. He acted like it. And Davey certainly loved him.

Brandon and I could have been wrong about Geoff. The guy certainly was hanging in there longer than we thought he would.

I had Brandon; I could be nice to Geoff, even if he was an asshole. I got really brave, and chose the seat next to him. “Hi, Geoff. Mind if I sit here?”

“Sit where you want,” he said, not looking like he trusted me.

“Relax, Geoff.” I leaned close so only he would hear. “I want to be friends.”

Geoff smiled at me uncertainly. “Thanks.”

“And, uh… there’s something else.”

“What?” he asked defensively.

“I need to apologize.”

Geoff cocked his head.

I leaned closer. “One night, while Brandon was here, we got a little drunk… no, make that, we got a whole lot drunk, and… well… it was us who trashed your car.”

Geoff nodded, “As if I didn’t know.”

“Hey, man. I’m sorry. I really am. I hope you weren’t too pissed.”

Geoff leaned closer. “I didn’t see what you did that night, when you guys did your… dance. But I had to get up early to take a leak and saw my car out the john window. When I saw what you guys wrote on it, I pissed all over the toilet,” he said frowning. “And then I ran out of the house in just my skivvies.”

I was biting my lip so hard it hurt.

“And then,” he said, “I didn’t have anything to clean off the shit you guys wrote. It was still really early and no one was around, so I pulled off my skivs and wiped off the windows with them.”

I gulped, fighting it, but then I made the sound; the sound you make when a laugh gets beyond all your defenses… sorta like a loud, humming, wail.

Geoff looked at me and grinned. He leaned close again, “It wouldn’t have been so funny if my folks had seen it.”

“Geez,” I said through teary eyes, “I’m sorry,” and then roared with laughter.

He punched me in the arm and said, “I owe you.”

“Hey, dude, we were drunk.”

“I can get drunk, too.”

That’s when the teacher called the class to attention.

My morning classes were all good. And by the time I hit the cafeteria at lunch, the world just couldn’t get much better. Especially, when I sat down next to Amy and across from Chase at the Nerd table.

I even smiled at Geoff as he took a seat between two other jocks at their regular table.

Then Davey came in carrying his tray. He saw Geoff and walked over to his table. When Davey put down his tray, I could hear one of the other jocks, Albert, say, “What the hell do you think you’re doing, ya little shit? Go sit with the nerds where you belong.”

Davey looked up questioningly at Geoff, who wouldn’t look at him. I died inside. “Beat it,” a couple of the other jocks echoed. Geoff glanced helplessly at me. Davey looked stunned. I got up and hurried over. Picking up Davey’s tray, I said, “Hey, swim star. Just because you’re a cool stud now doesn’t mean you don’t have to sit with us. We’re your admiring public.” I looked down at the jocks, glaring at Geoff. “You don’t want to sit with these assholes,” I said.

“Yeah, right, Bentolli. Get your little fuck-up sidekick outta here,” Albert grumbled.

Davey visibly shrunk before us all, and I could have killed those guys, including, no make that especially, Geoff. Davey followed me, face crimson, head down, back to our table.

When Davey sat down next to Larice, she scooted close to him.

Heather on his other side, poked him. “Hey, you hunk,” she said. “Now that you’re such a hottie, you’re too good to sit with us, huh? Just because you’re like the cutest boy in the whole school, the nerds aren’t good enough for you anymore?”

Larice made a point of loudly defending him, “Cool it, Heather. Davey is being awfully nice to sit with us. Just about any girl in school would piss her pants if Davey sat down by her.” She patted his arm. “You just look that much cuter sitting next to all us plain folk.”

Chase spoke up, “Damn, Davey. What’d you do this summer? That’s one dynamite tan. You’re really looking good, dude. I saw it first thing this morning. And, dude, you’re gettin’ tall.”

Al agreed, “Swimmin’s been good for you, Davey. You walk like a stud now. I was trying to walk like you this morning. Seriously.”

They poured on the compliments and Davey began to revive. Oh, he was still hunched over. And I don’t know how much he believed of what they said, but they began to tease some smiles from him.

I thought to myself how Davey claimed he didn’t have his own friends. Someday maybe I’d remind him of this lunchtime. And then I glanced at Geoff. I was pissed as hell at him.

Davey walked up to me after school with his head hung low. “Hey Davey,” I said, putting my arm over his shoulder. “Did you see Geoff? Maybe before we head home, we could go by Geoff’s house.” Give Geoff a piece of my mind, I thought. We could give him chance to redeem himself and help Davey feel better.

Davey shook his head, “He has football.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Shit, I’d forgotten. “Well did you talk with him this afternoon?”

Davey nodded as we walked away from the lockers. “Well?” I asked. “What did y’all talk about?”

“He said to… stay away from him… at school.”

“He what?” I roared. “He told you what?”

Davey’s eyes widened. “It’s OK, Mickey. It’s OK. He said to… stay away so… his friends wouldn’t make… fun of me. He said they wouldn’t… understand about us.” Davey put on a brave face, but his eyes were watering.

I put an arm over his shoulder. “You are so… way too good for that asshole.”

“Mickey,” Davey protested. “It’s OK. He is not an… asshole.” He leaned closer. “Geoff… loves me.”

I hugged Davey by the shoulder while I imagined my fist hitting Geoff’s handsome face, over and over.

That evening, when Maggie stopped to pick up Davey, she came in and sat in the living room to talk to my mom. While they visited, Davey sat on the floor by his mom and put his arm around her waist, and laid his head in her lap.

I hadn’t seen Davey do that in a long time. It’s what he did as a kid whenever he was hurt or sad. She stroked his hair, “What’s wrong, Davey?”

“Some kids at school,” I said.

Maggie looked up at me and her face became very sad. She quietly stroked his hair. “I’m sorry, Davey,” she said softly. “Don’t let other kids get to you. You still have good friends, like Michael.”

Davey looked over at me from Maggie’s lap.

I gave him a thumbs up.

He gave me a faint smile.

The next day, I sat on the opposite side of the class from Geoff. Davey might still love him, but I sure as hell didn’t.

* * * * *

I decided it was time for another double date. Larice could boost Davey’s spirits big time. Both Maggie and Mom were working and couldn’t take us all, so I arranged for Davey and me to meet Amy and Larice at the varsity football game Friday night.

First play of the game, Amy put her head in her hands. “That is so stupid,” she said.

“What is?” I asked.

“Putting Fletcher in at quarterback, just because he’s a senior,” Amy fumed. “Rodriquez is the better quarterback, especially passing.”

My mouth dropped. “You like football?”

She glanced at me. “Three older brothers – remember? Yeah, I like football!”

The crowd roared as we made a first down. “Cool,” I yelled. “You follow pros or college?”

“Both,” she said. “I like the Cowboys.”

“Really?” I put an arm around her waist. “I think I’m in love.”

She threw me a quick smile before turning back for the next play. Beyond her, I saw Davey looking at me, almost sadly. I leaned back behind Amy and cupped my hand so that only Davey could see my lips, and mouthed the words, “I love you.”

He smiled.

After the play, Amy turned to me. “So why don’t you play if you like football so much?”

I shrugged. “I can barely throw a ball. No talent. But I love the strategy, the… warfare. Not just during the game either, but figuring rosters and all.”

“Get rich and buy a team,” Amy said, grinning.

Amy and I quarterbacked the whole game, and did a better job than Fletcher or the coach. It was fun, except for one thing; Geoff, our middle linebacker, had a hell of a good night.

After the game, Chase and Janie joined us and we walked several blocks to a DQ for malts. Larice’s dad had promised to pick us up… to give us rides home, but before he arrived, Geoff came in with one of the cheerleaders, a pretty blond with long flowing hair. I glanced at Davey, who hadn’t noticed. He was talking to Larice.

As Geoff and his date walked past the table, Davey looked up. He looked at Geoff, Geoff looked at him, then they each looked at the other’s dates. I saw it briefly in their eyes. I was sure Larice caught it too. So much for keeping any secrets from her. She had to know who the ‘other guy’ was now.

Saturday afternoon, I mowed alone. Davey was with Geoff.

Sunday afternoon at the Armstrong’s house, Chase pulled me aside. “Janie’s been talking to Amy,” he said, and winked.

“That’s cool,” I answered, wondering what he was up to.

“Amy’s been asking lots of questions about what screwing is like. Amy wants your bod, Bent. And Janie’s been telling her how great sex is. Man, Amy’s ready. She wants to do it.”

I tried to give a convincing smile. “Great! Super!”

Chase wasn’t buying it. “Man, what’s wrong with you? There’s nothing to be nervous about. Hell, you did it with your cousin.”

I shook my head. “No, my cousin did it to me. I was an innocent bystander.”

“Yeah, right. Look, just be cool. Amy really wants to do it; I bet she even takes the lead. She’s horny. You’ll see.”

“Look, Chase,” I said, looking down. “It’s partly that… well… I don’t really love Amy. I mean, I really like her, but I don’t love her.”

“So?” Chase asked, surprised. “You think you’re going to fall in love with every girl you screw? Get real, Bent! Don’t be so fucked up about this,” he said. Then he cocked his head. “Wait. It might be good to be a little fucked up.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Gee, thanks.”

“No, no… lookit,” he said. “When Brandon stayed with you, Amy was all worried about him being gay and all. She almost decided then that she needed to have sex with you to keep you straight. Man, you couldn’t have done that better if you planned it.” Then he looked at me speculatively. “Did you plan it?”

“No,” I said and punched his arm.

“Well, it sure worked out good,” he said. “She thinks she needs to save you.” He sighed. “I sure wish she’d save me; she’s got the best fuckin’ tits,” he said, holding his hands up to cup imaginary breasts. “You are so lucky, dude.”

Monday during lunch in the cafeteria, Amy and I reviewed the previous day’s pro games. Then I called her at half time of Monday Night Football to compare notes. We talked every night that week.

Friday night, the game was across town. Davey and I took Amy and Larice bowling. Amy beat us all. I was becoming really impressed with her.

* * * * *

Later we all walked over to Amy’s and sat on the front porch. Amy turned off the porch light and she and I made out on the swing, while Larice and Davey made out on the porch steps. We couldn’t see them because of the railing and hedge, but I could sure hear the kissing and giggling.

Amy let me put my hand under her blouse and feel her smooth belly, and she even let me run a finger over the mounds of her bra.

Monday, Larice pulled me aside at school. “I hope,” she said, “that you aren’t leading Amy on. Have you decided to be straight?”

“What are you fussing at me for?” I asked, surprised. “Just what were you and Davey up to on the steps?”

“That’s different. I’m not leading Davey on.”

I looked at her defiant face, and worried for her. “Just don’t lead yourself on, Larice.”

She grinned. “You underestimate me Mr. Bentolli. I may make that boy straight.”

I reached out and squeezed her arm. “Well if anyone can, you can.”

“Damn straight,” she said and winked. Then her face grew serious again. “Just don’t mess me up, Michael. Don’t go dragging him off yourself.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head sadly. “Not any time soon. Besides,” I added, smiling, “I think Amy’s trying to make me straight.”

Larice looked thoughtful. “Let me know if it works.”

Brandon caught me at home the following Saturday morning while Mom was at work. I relaxed into the couch with the phone, glad to be able to just talk.

* * * * *

“Chase and Janie are trying to get me into bed with Amy,” I told him.

“Oh? And what are you going to do?”

I hesitated. “Look, Brandon. It’s not like you’re here or like Davey’s not already with somebody. I like Amy and she really is hot, ya know.”

It was his turn to be quiet. I heard him take a deep breath. “Well, Bent, I need to tell you something.”

“What?”

“Well, I’ve met someone,” he said, apologetically. “Not that I wouldn’t be back there in a flash if you said you needed me or wanted me. I mean, you’re the love of my life, Bent. You know you are… but you’re way over there and…”

“A him somebody or a her somebody?” I asked.

“A him, obviously.”

“Tell me about him.”

“Well,” Brandon chuckled, “he’s on the football team with me, so Dad thinks it’s cool we’re hangin’ together. And I mean, we did start just as friends, you know. But he was sleeping over last weekend and we started wrestling in bed, you know, in just our skivvies, and both ended up with boners. Anyway, we sorta got serious real fast. Seems like he’s been gay all along, just like me.”

“I guess he’s a stud, huh?”

“Makes Geoff look downright ugly.”

“Geoff looks ugly anyway.”

“Yeah, right. Well Trent is definitely hot… he’s a blond surfer type; long hair and all. And you wouldn’t believe his body.”

I felt a little pang of jealousy and tried to let it pass. What was with me anyway, that it was so easy for guys to be drawn away? I decided to be cool. “I’m glad for you, big guy. You need somebody out there.”

“Look, Michael. Trent’s cool. He really is. But honest, you’re still my…” he lowered his voice, “hell, I still love you, Michael. I really, really love you.”

I settled back into the couch, hugging the phone, and feeling a little lonely. I had really wanted Brandon to tell me to forget Amy; to say that I belonged to him.

* * * * *

I liked all my teachers, but my science teacher, Mr. Weishamer, was my favorite. We had hit it off from the first day of school. And he liked me. Sometimes it was a little embarrassing, like when he asked me more questions in class than he asked anybody else, almost like he was teaching just me.

He talked with me about special projects, too. And then one day in late September, Mr. Weishamer asked me to stay after class.

When we were alone, he gave me a broad smile. “Bentolli, I know you like computers. I’ve got a treat for you. I’ve arranged to take you to meet a professor of computer science over at the university. Can you go with me after school tomorrow?”

“Sure. I guess. Why do you want me to meet him?”

“Because, Michael, I think you need more of a challenge. My friend, Professor Meyers, can give you time on computers, teach you some programming, help you.”

It sounded scary. “You sure Mr. Weishamer? I mean, I’m only a high school sophomore, and…”

“And a very bright young man. Michael. You are capable of so much more than you will be exposed to here. I’m not going to let you just slide along for the next three years. If nothing else, you are going to learn about computers. And we are going to get you started now.”

“Gee, thanks, Mr. Weishamer.” I figured I was supposed to be grateful, but had to take that on faith. “But I need to… say, could I bring a friend? You see, my friend Davey walks home with me every day and I kinda tutor him. I sorta don’t want to just leave him alone. He’d like coming along and he’s real quiet. He won’t get in the way.”

“Davey Carlson? Studies with you every day?”

“Yeah, our moms both work. I help him with his homework while I do mine.”

Mr. Weishamer looked like he was trying to figure me out. Then he looked at me like he’d made up his mind. Stepping over, he put a hand on my shoulder. “Mr. Bentolli, for the next three years, I’m going to be the hardest damn task master you could ever imagine. You are stuck kid. You’re helping Davey and I’m going to help you, whether you want it or not.” He patted my back. “Tomorrow, bring Davey with you.”

Dr. Meyers was an adult nerd gone to seed. He had permanently disheveled black hair, a beer belly, a non-existent butt, and eyes that never stopped dancing. The guy lived at computer speed. We met him in his office, and then he led us to the computer room, giving us a non-stop narrative the whole way. The room was cold, and the hum of computers, disk drives, and tape drives produced a level din. From time to time, something would spit out on paper from the operator console.

That first day I only knew enough about bits and bytes and memory and disk and clock speed to nod appreciatively as Dr. Meyers enthusiastically moved from machine to machine. After the tour, he led us back to his office and we all sat down.

“Well, Michael,” Dr. Meyers asked, “What do you think of our set up?’

I just nodded. I mean, what was I supposed to do?

Dr. Meyers wasn’t really waiting on an answer anyway, “The capacity we have in that computer room wouldn’t have fitted into a whole building just a few years ago. It’s 1983, Michael. We’re at the start of an incredible age; you’ll see. Computers are going to change everything. And computers are changing. Have you heard of personal computers? Why the computing speed of even the little ones... Did I mention we have a couple of the fastest computers in the country, well, short of a Cray?”

Well here, at least, was something I could comment on. “Still not as fast as Davey, I bet.” I smiled.

Dr. Meyers raised his eyebrows, puzzled.

“Davey,” I said, jerking my thumb toward Davey beside me. “He can do math faster than a computer.”

“Oh?” Dr. Meyers looked thoughtfully at Davey.

“Here. We’ll show you,” I said, grabbing a blank tablet and pencil off the desk. I quickly wrote out a half dozen double digit multiplication problems and showed them to Dr. Meyer. “Now watch.” I handed the tablet and pencil to Davey. “Show ‘em, Davey.”

Davey smiled, and bent over the paper. In seconds he had done his random answering and handed me back the tablet which I handed to Dr. Meyer. He scanned it, looked up at Davey, and then scanned it some more.

“Mrs. Richardson,” I told him, “is a math teacher at our school. She worked some with Davey last year and she’s working with him again this year.”

Dr. Meyers looked at Davey and then at me and asked, “Just multiplication and division?”

“And algebra,” I said.

Davey spoke up, “I can do…algebra.”

Dr. Meyers looked at the two of us, then tore off the sheet of paper with Davey’s answers. He wrote several new problems on the next sheet of paper and handed it back to Davey. I watched over his shoulder as Davey solved some simple algebraic equations and answered two, four digit multiplication problems. Davey handed the paper back to Dr. Meyer, who looked it over.

Dr. Meyers looked back over at Davey. He studied him a moment, then glanced up at Mr. Weishamer and raised his eyebrows. “Which boy was it again that you were bringing to meet me?” Dr. Meyers asked.

Mr. Weishamer looked appreciatively at Davey and answered, “Well I had heard he was good at math and that Elizabeth Richardson was working with him. But I had no idea.”

Dr. Meyers looked speculatively at Davey. “I wonder if he could follow an algorithm.” He rubbed his chin, “I may be teaching two boys programming.”

And so we began our training on the first Monday in October. A school van picked us up after lunch and brought us back before the last period. Dr. Meyers worked with each of us, but separately. He spent as much or more time with Davey those first couple of Mondays as he did with me. I believe Davey’s brain fascinated him. I think the way Davey could calculate reminded him of his computers.

I wasn’t sure how well Davey would pick up on programming, at least not at the higher language level. But he seemed to be able to follow assembly code. I was impressed, but wondered if he really and truly had any idea what it was all about.

Davey and I ascended to god status among the nerds. But when we were written up in the school paper for actually working on computers at the college, some students looked upon us as even bigger freaks.

* * * * *

On a Saturday night in October, Davey and I sat together on the front porch swing after our family dinner. I was playing the guitar and he was playing the recorder while our moms cleaned up inside after supper. The weather had turned slightly cool and we sat close to each other.

I’d sorta been improvising. Davey not only hung in there with me, but actually jazzed things up a bit. Oh, nothing fancy, but I loved it. We wound down and I put my guitar down on the floor beside us, then started us swinging while Davey played more on his recorder. I leaned back and watched him, letting the side of my leg rest against his.

He caught me watching and smiled around the mouthpiece of the recorder. I sat up and gripped his shoulder giving a squeeze. “You really are doing good on that thing,” I told him.

Davey smiled and lowered his hands and the instrument to his lap. “I like playing,” he said, “with you… when you play your guitar.”

I glanced down at it on the floor and then back to Davey. “You’ve got no idea how much I love that guitar,” I said.

He smiled, and we looked at each other. For the briefest moment, I knew he wanted to kiss me as much as I wanted to kiss him.

Just then our moms came out onto the porch and Davey and I turned away from each other. Damn, I wished he would just drop Geoff.

Amy almost had me convinced that I might be going ‘bi’, but I sure as hell wasn’t going straight. Gym was the highlight of my day, or more exactly, the locker rooms at gym. And my eyes still followed guy’s butts more than girl’s. Well, at least now I did look occasionally at girls. And Amy was one of them I liked to look at.

* * * * *

When Chase’s family was out of town the third Sunday in October and we weren’t going over there for the usual cookout, Davey and I went to Amy’s to watch the Cowboys game. It was the first time I really started to get to know her brothers. They were all good looking, but big; as in I wasn’t sure I wanted to mess with their sister. And they were all quiet, even sullen. That, I figured, they got from their dad.

Still, if I hadn’t been going with Amy, I think I would have enjoyed looking at them even more.

Watching Amy’s family, I decided she was right. Her dad was definitely into his sons. Maybe he was just more comfortable with guys in general, because in a quiet sort of way, he acknowledged me even more than Amy. He seemed to like me, especially when I watched football with them.

I felt sorry for Amy, though. She made better observations about the game than any of her brothers, but her dad didn’t pay much attention. I’d always heard of parents playing favorites. It was the first time I’d really seen it. After that, I appreciated Chase and his family a heck of a lot more.

Whoever said absence makes the heart grow fonder missed the corollary. Closeness can make the heart ache.

* * * * *

Every day, Davey and I sat in the kitchen studying together. Every day, I stole looks at him when he wasn’t looking, simply to look at him. I wanted to just look at his hair or his angular shoulders, or his slender form, or his lightly muscled back. I really wanted to touch him.

Once or twice, I thought I caught the same looks from him when he thought I wasn’t looking. He was seeing less and less of Geoff. I hoped it was almost over.

We might have to almost start over in our relationship; there was some healing we needed to do. But I missed Davey so much.

And then, the first weekend in November, Geoff took him camping.

* * * * *

During the half time of following Monday Night Football game, Amy called. “Is Davey seeing his specialist tomorrow?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“Want to come to my house after school? We can study together.”

“Sure. That’d be cool.”

“Great,” she said, “just you and me, OK?”

“Sure. You, me, and your family of thousands.”

Amy laughed.

Chase was a bit crazy all the next day at school. I’d look up to find him smiling at me. Or he’d pat my back in the hall and just shake his head, grinning, but he wouldn’t tell me why.

After school, he stopped me at the lockers. “Hey, what’s up?” I asked.

He put his arm over my shoulder. “Bentolli my friend. You have a surprise waiting for you… she’s ready.”

“Who’s ready? For what?” I asked, not trusting him.

He gave me a shoulder squeeze and said, “Today, Michael, you become a man. That shit with your cousin doesn’t count.”

“Whoa!” I froze. “What are you talkin’ about?”

He slapped my back and winked. “Amy’s who I’m talking about, you shit” he said. “She’s ready. She told Janie last night. Her family’s all gone this afternoon, and she’s at home, alone.” He leaned closer. “She’s waiting for you.”

“Geez, Chase. You could have told me earlier.”

“What?” he asked. “And have you back out? No way. I know you, Bentolli. You might’ve chickened out. It’s too late now. She’s already left for home.”

Well chickening out was exactly what I had in mind. I just couldn’t think how. And Chase wasn’t about to let me. “I’ll walk with you,” he said, and stayed with me right up to the door of Amy’s house.

He left before I knocked and I stood there alone, waiting. When Amy opened the door, she was only wearing short shorts and a halter top, no bra.

Oh, hell, I thought. Chase was right.

If anyone ever smiled seductively, that afternoon it was Amy.

I tried to think what to say. “Hi!” was the best I could manage.

“Hi!” she said back, closing and locking the door behind me. “Come on up to my room,” she said. “I thought we could study up there.”

“Sure. Do I need to say ‘hi’ to your Mom or anybody?” I asked hopefully.

“Nope,” she said, heading for the stairs. “No one else is here.”

I followed her up to her room, and once we were in, she closed and locked that door. Turning, she smiled and then climbed on to her double bed, tummy down, with a book.

She patted the bed beside her. “I thought it’d be comfortable to study here.” She wiggled her pelvis into the bed and spread her legs slightly.

I took off my socks and shoes and lay down on my stomach beside her, taking my history book with me. I opened the book and propped my chin on my hands, but I wasn’t reading anything. And neither was Amy.

She rolled on to her side facing me and smiled. Laying her head down, on one arm, she reached with the other to the back of my head, where she ran her fingers into my hair.

“You’re like some prince you know,” she said. “Out of a fairy tale. All tall and handsome and elegant. Other girls are jealous of me. Did you know that?”

I looked at her and smiled. “Did you know that other guys are jealous of me?” I said, thinking of Chase.

She looked at me, longingly. With her hand still on the back of my head, she rolled to her back and pulled my face toward hers. I moved with her, laying my body partly on hers, and I kissed her.

She wrapped her arms up over me, and maneuvered her body more under mine, so that I had to let one of her legs slide under me, and I settled down onto her between them. My cock, resting on her crack, began to harden. She opened her mouth to mine, inviting in my tongue, and I wrapped my arms under her.

She began to move her pelvis against me, rubbing herself on my hardness, as she pulled my shirt up and over my head. Her legs spread wider under me and we resumed our kiss.

And then I tried to think. “Amy, wait,” I said, breaking for a breath. “Amy, I can’t.”

I rolled onto my side, off her. She looked at me, surprised. “What?”

I was really frightened. I didn’t want to tell her I was gay. I wondered if I even needed to. I mean, everything in me wanted to make love to her; everything that is, but my heart. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I guess I should have been honest with you before now.” I rolled onto my back and looked up at the ceiling. “Amy, I’ve got something I gotta tell you.” I took a deep breath. “I’m not exactly straight.”

“Not exactly straight?” she asked, softly. “What the hell does that mean?”

“Well,” I said. I used to think I was gay, but maybe I’m bi… I mean, I like you and all, Amy… shit, I just don’t know,” I answered, frustrated that I didn’t know what to say.

She put her hand on my bare chest and moved her body to mine, wrapping a leg over my middle and my semi-hard cock. I looked at her just as a faint smile broke over her face.

“Well you aren’t all gay,” she said, rubbing her leg over my crotch. “That’s pretty obvious,” she said. “And it’s obvious every time we kiss. You always get into it.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I get into it,” I said, smiling. “But I also like guys… you know… that way. Well, one guy at least.”

She looked down at my chest and rubbed my right pec. “Brandon?” she asked.

I looked at her in surprise. I’d actually been thinking about Davey. I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell her there were two guys.

She glanced at me. “I wondered,” she said. “You were awfully happy after your trip to the beach with him. Of course,” she added thoughtfully, “you and Davey have always been…” She looked at me.

I looked away. “Yeah. Davey and I use to be close like that, too. Larice also sort of figured that out.” Then I looked at her again. “But Davey and I aren’t together any more. Not that way. We’re still best friends, but he’s got someone else.”

“Larice,” Amy nodded and I didn’t correct her.

She looked into my eyes. “So it’s over with you and Davey? What about Brandon?”

I shrugged. “Brandon’s in California and he has somebody out there already. But, Amy” I added, not wanting to lie to her, “I don’t know about Davey. He and I are still best friends. I love him… I don’t know if you can understand, but he’s been my best friend since we were six… better than best friends. If I could ever get him back... well, I guess that’s a big ‘if,’ but...”

She laid her head on my chest, and she put her hand on my belly. I stroked her hair. “I’m sorry, Amy,” I said.

I could feel her breath flow down my stomach. She traced her finger over my skin, just above the waistband of my pants. “I love you, Michael,” she said simply.

She turned her head slightly to kiss my chest. “I have loved you,” she said, “since the first time I saw you. You really were my Prince Charming, you know.” She sighed and the outflow of her breath tickled the fine hair on my stomach. “Just my luck that my Prince Charming is gay… or bi… or whatever.”

She continued to trace her finger over my stomach, and I continued to stroke her hair. “You said you might be bi?” she asked.

I took a breath and her head rose with my stomach. “Yeah,” I answered. “At least when I look at you, Amy, or when we kiss. You bring out my straight side.” I chuckled.

“Yeah,” she said, chuckling. “I know I make part of you straight at least.”

I sighed. “You really are pretty,” I said.

“And hot?” she giggled and her breath tickled my stomach again. My gut tightened by reflex and she drew a finger down the mid-seam of my abs.

“Very hot,” I said.

She kissed my chest once more. “Michael,” she said slowly. “I’ve dreamed of doing this… you know, with you… for a long time.” She ran a finger under the waist band of my boxers. “I always wanted it to be you… you know… for my first time… maybe my every time.” She sighed, and then she unfastened my belt and pants.

Amy reached into my boxers and took hold of my cock. She gently but firmly rubbed it until I was fully hard. Then she unzipped my pants and tried pushing them down. I lifted my bottom and reached down to help and we pushed them down off my hips. My cock plopped up onto my belly.

Then she took my cock into her hand once more, and bent farther down my belly to kiss the tip of it. She licked it, as if sampling the taste. Then letting it go, she rolled to face me and sat up, her legs out to the side. Smiling, she lifted off her top and exposed two firm breasts. I reached a hand up to caress them, even as I pushed my pants down with my other hand and kicked them all the way off. The skin of her breasts was soft and she leaned forward for me to feel them better.

I liked the feel of them. As I ran my hand over first one, then the other, she lifted her hips and pulled off her shorts and panties. The whole time, her eyes stayed locked on mine.

When she was naked, she lay down on her back beside me. I rolled up onto my side and moved next to her so that my cock lay across her hip and onto the lips of her vagina. I ran an arm under her shoulders and we kissed. I moved my free hand to her breasts and tweaked the nipples with my fingers until they were hard.

My nervousness faded away. Maybe because of all the times I had made love with Davey and Brandon, I felt confident. And Amy, naked, was so very desirable.

She took my hand from her breast and slid it down her soft, flat belly to between her legs. I caressed her there and she moved my fingers and hand to show me what pleased her. When I felt her hard clitoris, she showed me how to stimulate it. And when I did, she moved her hand to my cock and stroked me.

As we kissed and stroked each other, her vagina became damp and her body became warm. Then she scooted around on her back, threw her legs over my side, and pointed my cock at her entrance. Amy knew what she wanted as much as I did.

And then I realized… “I don’t have a condom,” I whispered.

“It’s OK,” she said, breathing heavily. “It’s a really safe time of month for me.” And she lined me up with her.

“Safe?” I asked, trying to think.

“My period’s due like tomorrow, and I’m really regular,” she said and I felt the crown of my cock press against the lips of her vagina. She held my shaft firmly. “We’re ok,” she said. “I sorta planned it like this.” She glanced at me and smiled nervously. Then she scooted forward until the end of my cock entered her.

She was all soft and warm inside. I tried to breathe slowly and take my time. I bent at the waist to wrap my arms around her and caress her breasts, and I pushed in until I felt her hymen and stopped. Then I began to pump only that deeply.

But then she began to move with me. We tried once to break through her hymen and she froze.

“Don’t stop,” she said with a determined look.

We built up again, and then broke through. I plunged all the way in and held her tightly in my arms as a few quiet tears ran down from her eyes. I kissed her cheek, and then her neck. She began to move against me. The feeling was incredible, warm and firm against the whole length of my cock.

I could feel her vagina slide along my entire shaft as I moved in and out. I pressed myself all the way in, grinding gently, but firmly until I was stretched into her and could feel a tightness at the end.

She whimpered. A couple more tears rolled down from her eyes. But we kept moving and as I caressed her breasts with my hand, her body responded, arching and thrusting back onto me. I bent far forward and our lips met. We kissed and I held her tightly as I pumped in from my hips.

I moved my hand down from her breast to feel my shaft sliding in and out of her entrance. I found her clit and began to gently rub around it. And she came. She came hard, crying out. I pumped fast and deep, watching her climb higher and higher in her ecstasy until I came too.

I held her while we caught our breath; and while I was still inside her, she turned her face to me. We kissed, and she smiled. “Gay, huh?” she said and snuggled into my arms.

And then I thought of Davey.

As always, emails are appreciated at btomandback@hotmail.com