Tylers Prom

Author's notes: This story includes graphic descriptions of sex between teenage boys. If this offends you, GO AWAY! On the other hand, if that is all you are looking for, you might as well leave, too. This is a love story, not just one long literary come shot. This is my first attempt at a story like this, so let me know what you think.

By eight o'clock I had been at work for two hours and had had a headache for two and a half. The phone started ringing as I finished the hourly news brief and I was reluctant to pick it up. I was in no mood to hear from another twelve-year-old girl wanting me to play a song for her "boyfriend." When it hadn't stopped after seven rings, though, I gritted my teeth and picked it up.

"KMTP," I said, letting the irritation come through in my voice. But instead of a silly preteen, it was Scott.

"Good morning, sunshine," said my favorite voice in all the world. "How's your day going?"

"It's getting better now," I said. Scott had been my best friend for ten years and my lover for ten months, though so far we were the only two souls who knew about that second part. There were times, of course, when I wanted nothing more than to be able to tell the whole world, but the world we lived in wasn't perfect. My poor mother would have a coronary, and my father's reaction would be worse. I put the odds at roughly 50% that he would kill himself, 25% that he would kill me, and 25% that he would kill me first, then Scott, then himself. I love my father dearly, but he is one of the true `good ole boys' and I lost my illusions about him a long time ago. Scott's folks might handle it slightly better, which is to say probably no would die, they would just wish they were dead. More importantly, Scott was still considering a career in the ministry and while the Episcopal Church in the United States might be willing to ordain homosexuals, the Episcopal Church in Sycamore was still far to conservative to sponsor a young gay man's admission to the seminary. On top of all this was the environment in which we lived. There are really a lot of great things about small southern towns, but a warm acceptance of openly gay teenage boys is not high on the list. So for the foreseeable future Scott and I would have to keep our secret and in a way this only added to the intensity of our relationship.

"So how was your big prom night?" Scott asked. I had gone to the prom the night before only as a favor to Jackie, my best friend at Mountain Pine High, and taken one of her friends on a set-up date. It turned out that Toni, my so-called date, really only wanted to make another guy jealous. It worked; he'll be mad at me for a year at least. The band split their time between playing their own music, which no one else had ever heard, and butchering the songs of real artists. To top it all off I had worn this hideous powder blue tuxedo that my date had talked me into because it matched her dress and - she said - my eyes.

"It sucked," I said.

"Tyler Allen Fox!" Scott said, feigning shock. I had a reputation - mostly deserved - among both kids and adults for being extremely clean cut, but I could relax and let my guard down with Scott. He was the same way. We were the kind of guys that men would let their daughters date without having to take a blood pressure pill.

"Well it did suck," I insisted.

"Maybe, but you never seem to mind when I do," he said.

I shared all the gory details of the previous night. Scott did his best not to laugh when I told him about my `date's' ex crashing into the fountain that had been so carefully constructed in the school gym and sounded truly sympathetic when I told him about the tux from prom hell.

"What time did you get home?" he asked.

"Ten minutes till twelve," I said, yawning. Jackie had taken her friend off to a keg party before the prom even wound down, much to my relief.

"Oh man, home before midnight on prom night, that is just sad," Scott said.

"Hold on I've got to go on the air for a second," I said, putting down the receiver. Turning on the microphone I put on my best DJ voice, "By special request this morning here is Savage Garden with `Truly, Madly, Deeply,'" I said starting the song. As long as I stayed with the Light Rock/Adult Contemporary format I could pretty much play what I wanted - - - that means no Michael Bolton, by the way - - - and Scott and I had worked out a little code so that whenever I mentioned a "special" request, a "special" tune, or anything "special" the song was really intended to be from me to him. I guess that sounds pretty corny, but I always made sure to play at least one or two "special" songs every time I was on the air.

I picked up the phone again and asked Scott if he had been listening.

"I'm always listening when you're on. Thanks for the song."

"You're always listening, huh? What time did you get up this morning?" I asked.

"Seven o'clock," he said. That was Scott's idea of sleeping in.

"Well I've been on the air since six," I said.

"I know," he continued. "I had my alarm set on wake to music' at 5:59 and I laid in bed listening to you for an hour. Although I suppose you could say I got up' at the first sound of your sexy voice." Now it was my turn to pretend to be shocked, though the blush rising in my cheeks was real.

"Well I know you don't listen on Sunday because you're in church," I said, thinking I had finally won.

"That's true, but I listen while I get ready and in the car on the way."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and sometimes I even tape it so I can listen to you later in the week when you're not on."

"That's so sweet," I said. It never ceased to amaze me the way Scott was always finding new ways to show me he loved me. "Listen," I said, "not to change the subject, but I'd really love to see you today and Mom wants me to stay home with Kevin tonight while she goes out with John, so do you think you could meet me for lunch at The Grill when I get off?" I asked. To be honest I was practically begging. Even though we lived in different towns about fifteen miles apart we usually managed to see each other every two or three days, but bad luck and bad timing had conspired to keep us apart for more than a week.

"Gosh, I don't know, Ty," Scott said and my heart sank. "I thought you'd be out a lot later last night and just wanna go home and crash this afternoon so I told Mom I'd help her do inventory today." Scott's mom had a dress shop in Sycamore and she paid Scott a ridiculous amount of money to do scut work.

"Can't you get out of it?" I pleaded. I knew I was whining but I needed to see my guy, even if it was a completely platonic meeting in a public place.

"I'll do my best, but don't count on anything, okay? I gotta go now, but I'll call you back in a couple of hours and let you know. Remember I love you," he said.

"I'll forget my own name first," I said, and meant it. "I love you too."

The rest of the morning crawled by and it was after eleven before Scott finally called back.

"Can you come for lunch?" I asked, almost before he finished saying hello.

"Sorry, bud, I tried but Mom seems to think that since she pays me ten bucks an hour she can ignore child labor laws and make me work through lunch," he said. I suppose I should have hated the woman, but she didn't really know what she was doing and she had given birth to an angel. "I do have two nice consolation prizes, though," he added cheerfully.

"Oh yeah, what?" I asked without much enthusiasm.

"First, I'm going to come over tomorrow night and go to church with you," he said. Like most Baptist churches in the South ours had services on Sunday morning and evening both and Mom had made Sunday evening attendance a condition of my taking a job that required me to work Sunday mornings.

"I'm not sure I can wait that long, but I'll take it. What else have you got for me?" I'm sure I sounded like a spoiled brat but I was depressed and lonely and I didn't like it that Scott didn't seem equally distressed about the situation.

"It's a surprise," he said.

"All right then give me hint," I demanded.

"I can't give you any hints without giving away the surprise, he said, "all I can say is that this one will be better."

"Oh, c'mon Scotty," I purred. Besides his mother I was the only person who could still get away with calling him Scotty. He seemed to think it was cute coming from me, but this time at least, it didn't seem to have any effect.

"Sorry, Ty, you're just going to have to wait," he said firmly.

"Well how long do I have to wait?" I asked.

"You'll know it when you get it," was all he would say.

"When will that be?" I tried again.

"Sometime when you least expect it." Scott usually had trouble keeping a secret from me, but this time he held out and I finally got tired of asking. I was still depressed about not getting to see the light of my life for another day, but at least now I had something to look forward to.

The weekend continued to creep along and finally Sunday evening arrived. Scott came over and met me for church as promised. We took his car and I pestered him some more about the surprise, but with no better luck than the day before.

Even though the church was half-empty when we got there, I squeezed into a crowded pew so I would have an excuse to sit as close to Scott as possible. I could feel his left leg against my right, his hip against my hip, his shoulder against mine, and after ten days without his body it was almost more than I could take. I began to daydream about taking my young stud to one of the empty pews in the back and undressing him right there in the church. When he was completely naked I'd make him lie down on his stomach and massage every part of his body from his neck and shoulders down to his feet and back up to his gorgeous ass, then start over with my lips and tongue following the same path my hands had traveled before finally turning him over and taking his rock hard cock into my mouth. When the closing hymn began I snapped back to reality and was glad to notice that the hymnal I had casually laid in my lap earlier was concealing the evidence of my mind's wanderings.

After church Scott drove a few miles out of town to a secluded spot we had found on a dirt road where we wouldn't have to worry about being interrupted. For most teenagers being caught half dressed in a car would have been embarrassing enough, but in our case all hell would have broken loose, so we didn't waste any time. Usually I would prefer having Scott sleep over so we could take our time - or better yet staying at his house where we had the whole downstairs to ourselves - but after so long I wanted it fast and passionate. Before he even had the car in Park I had his fly open and his throbbing hard-on in my hand. A minute later my hand was replaced by my mouth. I sucked hungrily on his seven- and-a-half inch rod, taking the while thing in and then pulling back to concentrate my efforts on its perfectly shaped head. He moaned enthusiastically and began pulling my shirt up over my head. I pulled off his cock to let him slide the shirt over my head and he took the opportunity to slide his pants and briefs down to his knees as well. I went back down, this time plunging my face into his balls. God, I loved those big round beautiful balls. I licked the left and the right before taking both into my mouth, sucking and biting gently. I knew this always drove Scott crazy and he began to groan with pleasure and lift his hips to give me better access to his most sensitive spot at the back of his sack. In the meantime he had been massaging my chest and back and now let his hand roam down to my butt. As I returned my attention to his cock, I undid the button and zipper on my pants and Scott quickly slid them down along with my underwear. He stroked my hard aching cock with one hand while running the other across my butt, moving from one cheek to the other, then sliding his fingers up and down my crack, finally pushing a finger gently into my hole. It's funny that while I don't particularly like the feeling of a dick up my ass, having my butt played with like this drove me wild with passion and my young lover knew it. I began bobbing wildly up and down on his dick, taking it right down to the balls and then pulling back until only the tip of the head remained in contact with my lips, all the time licking and slurping for all I was worth. Within seconds I felt his body begin to stiffen and his moaning took on a deeper tone that meant my efforts would soon be rewarded. I intended to swallow as much of Scott's sweet boy-juice as I could gulp down, but after two or three shots he pulled my head up from his lap, pushed me back into the seat, and dove for my aching dick. I was already close to coming from the attentions of his talented hands and the excitement of his orgasm, so it was only a minute before my own sperm began shooting into his mouth. I blasted shot after shot into his mouth and he swallowed down every drop.

"Man, that was so good!" he said breathlessly as he pulled up off of me at last and began pulling up his pants. "I really needed that bad."

A lump came to my throat as he said these words. I still secretly feared that Scotty didn't really need me the way I needed him, that he was only indulging me. Don't misunderstand me - I always knew he loved me - but I longed for him to need me and he had used the very words I wanted so much to hear.

I wanted to be able to lay in his arms and caress his strong body the way we could have done at home, but at least my dick was satisfied for the first time in over a week. "Do you think you could spend the night sometime this week?" I asked. I had a great job, but working early mornings on the weekend was a pain in the butt because it meant we rarely got to spend a Friday or Saturday night together and it was hard for either of us to talk our folks into letting us stay over on a school night since that meant getting up and driving fifteen miles to school. - - Geez, 15 lousy miles, it wasn't like we had to cross half the freaking state. - -

I'll see, but I doubt it," he said. "Even if I can't let's plan on getting together Wednesday, okay? I want to take you to see that new Tom Cruise movie." He would never admit it, but Scott had the cutest little crush on Tom Cruise. Whenever we rented videos, I could count on him to suggest Interview with the Vampire, Rain Man, or Top Gun. In fact, the first "special" song that Scott had ever specifically requested was "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" from Top Gun.

We drove back to my house in silence, just holding hands and basking in the afterglow. I wish that drive had been a hundred miles long, but we were there in no more than ten minutes. My house is about a half mile off the main road and I got in one last kiss as we neared the driveway. "You're going to make me have a wreck," he said, still driving slowly down the gravel road.

"It's worth it," I answered.

"You're right," he said. He put on the brakes, put his hand behind my neck and pulled me toward him, placing his lips on mine in a kiss of such sweet, tender passion I wanted to cry.

"I hate it that we can't be together all the time," I said as our lips parted.

"Me, too," he agreed, "but it will get better."

Sometimes I wonder how we ever kept my mother in the dark about what our relationship had become. I must have glowed with happiness as I came through the front door, not just this night but every night I was with Scott these days. I wondered if his face gave the same clues to his parents. I suspect it did. Before we first made love Scotty had been in a dark mood for nearly a year after ending a brief but intense relationship with a girl he had met at The Gifted School, a month-long summer program for honor students going into their Junior and Senior years of high school. Scott and Christy had met the very first day and spent almost every free minute together the whole month and then suddenly broke up on the last day. He had spent most of the time depressed after that, but he always insisted that he had been the one to break off the relationship and that the breakup wasn't the cause of his sour mood. Whatever the cause, the smile was back on his face now and I was prouder of having put it there than I was of my glowing reputation, perfect grade point average, or even the Presidential scholarship to Washburn University which I had worked so hard for the last three years. I should have been thrilled with that last one, but Scott's folks were sending him to his father's alma mater, Duke, and as I thought about him going hundreds of miles away at the end of the summer it was my turn to be depressed. I gave Mom a peck on the cheek and went to bed early.

Monday and Tuesday were dismal. Most of the teachers had gone easy on us the week before because of the prom and were making up for it with extra homework and tests now. Jackie, who had had a wonderful time at the prom, now wanted to relive every agonizing minute of it - she talked about it in the parking lot before school, over lunch and between classes, and then called me at home Monday night to talk about it for another hour. I had tests in History and Chemistry on Tuesday - both of which I aced easily - and Jackie actually had the nerve to ask me at lunch that day when I was going to be asking Toni out again.

"Right after the first snowstorm in July," I said coldly.

"Oh, come on, Ty," she whined, "Why?"

• • • Because I'm madly in love with Scott Knight and I resent having to take out such a stupid girl just to keep up appearances. - - - I didn't actually say that of course. I loved Jackie to death but I didn't trust her with my secrets. She had lost her virginity six months ago and within a week half the school not only knew when, where, and to whom, but also how big the guy's dick was and how quickly he came. "I think she's got to get over her last boyfriend first," was all I said.

After school I had practice for the state Speech and Drama competition. I was on the debate team for the third year in a row now and on an improvisational team for the first time. Debate would be no problem. My partner and I had finished first in the state last year and I was confident my new partner and I would do the same this year. The improv team was another story. We would be given a scenario and ten minutes to develop a five- minute skit. Comedy was no problem, but it was very hard to put together anything very dramatic when we didn't have time to write a full script. We practiced till 5:30 and Mrs. Swearingen still wasn't satisfied.

I went to my room right after dinner to listen to some music and do my homework. Within ten minutes I heard the phone ring. "Tyler!" yelled my little brother, Kevin. "It's for you!"

"Is it Scott or Jackie?" I asked, since one or both usually called almost every evening.

"Neither one, it's some girl," he said. "Sounds cute," he added with a snicker.

I was intrigued. "Mom, can I take this in your room?" I asked. I had been trying to get her to let me have my own extension, but with no luck, so the only way to get any privacy on the phone was to use the one in her bedroom.

"Yes, Tyler, but don't be on there too long," she said. "I'm expecting John to call sometime tonight."

A moment later I picked up Mom's phone and yelled for Kevin to hang up the one in the living room. "Hello," I said after I was sure he had hung it up.

"Hi Tyler, what ya been up to?" said the voice on the other end. Kevin was right, it did sound cute, but unlike him I recognized it immediately. It belonged to Diane Forrester. Diane was Scott's best friend at Sycamore, the way Jackie was mine at Mountain Pine. Most of our friends were guys but somehow we had each developed a close bond with a girl. Diane and I had gone out a few times last spring, but just as it was starting to look like I was actually going to have a steady girlfriend, Scott and I had become more than friends and I never asked her out again. I hadn't known quite what to say to her about the situation - - - Sorry, Di, honey, but I'm screwing our mutual best friend so I can't go out with you anymore, babe - - - so like the coward I had always been with girls I had just left it hanging. Scott had told me she had been more angry than hurt so I was wary of her call after all this time.

"Oh, you know, keeping busy with school and work," I said.

"Yeah, you're a big radio star now, huh?" she said pleasantly. I had started the job about the same time Scott had discovered my cock so Diane and I hadn't spoke since then.

"Sure, I've got a devoted listening audience of nearly a dozen," I joked, still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Oh, you're too modest," she laughed.

"Maybe, but then again at six a.m. on Saturday morning on a small-town station that's probably pretty close to the truth." We both laughed this time and then there was a moment of silence. Here it comes, I thought, she's going to let me have it.

"I suppose you're wondering why I called," she said.

• • • Not really, I just figured you had finally decided to let me know what a slimy little piece of shit you think I am. - - - I thought, but I kept my mouth shut until she continued.

"I was wondering if you might want to go to the Sycamore prom with me," she said.

I was stupefied. - - - Where did this come from? - - - I wondered. That was the last thing I had expected. Sycamore High's prom was always a much bigger event than Mountain Pine's and I would love to be able to go and see Scott all decked out in a tuxedo on the dance floor. On the other hand I wasn't sure how he would feel about my going out with one of his best friends now. Then again it occurred to me that the whole thing could be some kind of bad joke Diane had thought up if Scott had told her what a rotten time I had had at my own prom.

I must have mulled these thoughts over for some time because Diane eventually asked me if I was still there. I told her I was and she asked me if I needed to think it over for a while.

"No...um...well..." I stammered like an idiot. It's amazing what three years' practice in public speaking can do for you.

"Maybe you should call Scott and make sure it's all right with him," she said.

• • • WHOA! Back up! What does she mean by that? - - - My mind was racing with the implications. - - - Has she somehow figured out our secret? Will she tell? Is she planning on outing us in the middle of the prom? Or is she going to blackmail us to get revenge for the idiotic way I had left things between us. - - - Again I was silent for several seconds while I tried to sort it all through.

"Oh, wait," she said at last, "you don't have too, I already did that."

"You did?" I asked, even more bewildered.

I heard a roar of laughter on the other end of the phone. "As a matter of fact it was his idea," she said. "I know all about the two of you," she added, suddenly serious and calm. "Scott told me the whole story Saturday."

"Really?" I asked, trying to sound casual in case she was bluffing.

"He called me Saturday morning and asked me if I would consider taking you to the prom. I told him I didn't think so and he said he would consider it a huge personal favor. I told him it sounded more like a favor to you than him and he insisted that it really was for him and that if our friendship meant anything I would do it. I kept asking why it was so important to him and he finally said he would tell me but not over the phone. Well that really got me curious and I went over to his house. He took me down to his bedroom and locked the door, which he never does," - - - Funny, he does that with me all the time. - - - "He made me sit down and told me he was in love. Well I was thrilled because he's been in such a good mood this year after the whole thing with Christy before and I've been saying for months that he must have a new girl. He kept telling me he didn't and I kept saying I knew he did I just didn't know who. So anyway I'm sitting there on the edge of his bed saying 'I told you so, I told you so,' and he just shakes his head and says No, you're wrong.' I didn't get it, you know, and then he says, It's not a girl. I'm in love with Tyler Fox."

"How did you take it?" I asked, thoroughly convinced now of her sincerity. What she was describing sounded exactly like Scott.

"Well, after I picked my jaw up off the floor I realized I should have known," she said.

"Why, are we that obvious?" I asked nervously. Diane had only seen us together a couple of times since we became lovers, but maybe Scott had said something that would make people wonder about us.

"Oh, no, not at all," she assured, "I told you, I was shocked at first. I just mean that Scott's my best friend in the whole world and I should have been able to tell he was in love. Well, really, I could but like I said I just couldn't figure out who, and you're the only one besides me that he really spends any time with. And then there was the whole thing about him wanting so badly for me to ask you to the prom. Of course, I forgot all about that for a minute when he said he was in love but once he told me the rest of the story it all made perfect sense. I've got to tell you though, I still can't believe Scott's gay. I mean I believe it I just can't get over it, you know?"

"Yeah, I know, but you can believe it about me, huh?" I teased.

"Don't worry, it doesn't show, but still it makes it a lot easier to take you dumping me the way you did. I mean, after all, I didn't get dumped alone, you pretty much dumped the whole female gender right about that time, huh?"

I laughed out loud. "I hadn't really thought about it that way, but I guess I kind of did. Listen, I'm really sorry about that. I guess I didn't handle it to well. Are you still mad at me?" I asked.

"Well I was pretty pissed off at first," she said, "but I've been over it for quite a while now and if you're the one that's made Scott so happy, I guess I can forgive a lot."

"You're so great," I said. "I would have been a fool to let you get away for anything less than what I've got with Scott. And I'm not complaining, mind you, but are you sure there isn't someone else you'd rather take to your Senior prom besides your best friend's gay lover?"

"No. Derrick Winslow and I just broke up a little over a week ago and I'm not ready to start something with someone new yet. That's why Scott didn't mind asking me to do this. Anyway, we're going to have a great time," she said.

"We always did have fun together," I said and it was true. But with Diane I had never felt even a tiny spark of the raging fire of passion I had for Scott. "So tell me everything I need to know. What time should I pick you up? Do you want to go to dinner someplace nice before the prom? I'll even rent you a limo if you want for this." I felt so much gratitude that I would have bought the girl a limo if I could have.

"Just get me a red corsage and be at Scott's house at six next Friday. We're doubling with him and his date," she said. "Oh and I need your measurements for your tuxedo. I've already got a style in mind." - - - Here we go again, letting another girl pick out my tux. It will probably be bright orange with a green bow tie. - - - But this time it would be worth it, and I wasn't about to argue with Diane after what she was doing for Scott and I so I gave her the measurements. "Good. You can pick it up Friday afternoon at Scott's mom's shop," she said. Scott's mom did special orders and rentals on formal wear for weddings and such.

Diane and I talked for a couple more minutes about the prom. It was being held at the Hamilton Inn. The Hamilton was in some respects a glorified motel, but it was right on the edge of the lake so all the rooms had a great view and more importantly they had a great ballroom for the dance. They had decided to get a disc jockey instead of a band and Diane and Scott were both on the decorating committee. I told her I hated to be rude but that I was dying to call Scott.

"I understand," she said. "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"As long as I can reserve the right not to answer if it's too personal," I said, wondering what detail of Scott's body or our lovemaking she was interested in, but again she surprised me.

"Do you mind my knowing? I mean, I just want you to know I won't tell anybody or anything."

"If Scott trusts you with our secret, I trust you with my life," I said, completely sincere.

"Thanks," she said. "That means a lot to me."

"No, thank you. I think this is the nicest thing anybody has ever done for me. Bye."

"Bye," she said.

I intended to call Scott right away but when I set the receiver down to break the connection the phone rang before I could pick it back up. "Hello," I said.

"Surprise!" Scott yelled into my ear.

"How did you know..." I started.

"Diane called me right before she called you and I've been dialing your number about every sixty seconds since then." I had never heard Scott sound so excited. Well, at least not over the phone and (presumably) fully dressed. "You're not mad at me for telling her without asking you first, are you?"

I repeated what I had told Diane moments before.

"Good, I was really worried about that. I should have known you'd be cool with it," he said. "Do you think you can spend the night that night and get Donnie to switch shifts with you Saturday?" Donnie Rogers worked the night shift on weekends.

"I'm sure Mom won't mind if I stay over, but it just depends on whether Donnie has plans," I said.

"You've got to get out of work that morning. Tell him I'll pay him fifty bucks if he'll switch," Scott said.

"It might be a little hard to explain why you want to pay him to take my shift," I said.

"You know what I mean," he said. "Tell him you'll pay him, but I'll give you the money."

We talked for twenty minutes before I remembered Mom's request that I not be on the phone too long. "I've really got to go," I said reluctantly, "But I'll see you tomorrow night, right?"

"Yeah, I'll pick you up about 6:30," he said, "But there's just one thing."

"What's that?" I asked.

"We have to keep it clean. I want us to wait until next Friday night."

"But Scotty, I already had to wait ten days before Sunday," I said.

"I know, but it was great, wasn't it?" Scotty asked. I could practically hear the twinkle in his eyes.

"It's always great, but I'm afraid my balls will explode if I have to do that again," I pleaded. What was this guy trying to do, kill me? I could see the obituary, "Teenage Faggot, Dead at 17 of Sexual Frustration."

"Okay, I'll tell you what, we'll go out to the lake after the movie tomorrow night, but then nothing else until prom night," he said.

"But, Scotty..." I started.

"It's that or nothing," he teased.

"I guess I'll take what I can get, then, but you must be getting tired of me. I remember when I could get you to drop your pants just by looking at you," I sulked.

Scott's voice got deep and serious. "I could never get the slightest bit tired of you," he swore. "I'll always love you. No matter what happens, never forget I love you. I'd make love with you every day in front of the whole world if you really wanted, I just wanted us to have a special night." Scott sounded like he was about to cry - which was very unlike Scott - so I decided to let the matter drop.

"It will be special as long as you're there," I promised. "I've really got to go now. I love you. Good night."

"Good night. Dream about me," he said. "Oh, and Tyler."

"Yeah?"

"Just wait, it will get even better," he said and hung up leaving me wondering for the second time in less than a week.

I went to school Wednesday in a great mood and I guess it showed. Jackie asked me what I was so happy about and I told her I was going to Sycamore's prom with Diane.

"So that's why you didn't want to ask Toni out again," she said. Of course the assumption was mistaken but I didn't correct her. "What made you two decide to get back together?

"Well we weren't really going together in the first place, we only had a few dates, so we never really broke up. Anyway she just broke up with some guy and she needed somebody to go with."

"I hope you'll be very happy together," Jackie said excitedly. "You make a cute couple." This was typical of her. I didn't go out with many girls, especially lately of course, so every time I did Jackie had to make a big deal of it, like I was getting engaged or something. When I thought about it, though, I had to agree that Diane and I would probably make a cute couple. She was blonde, blue-eyed, and tall like me, with very long legs. I was usually most attracted to a girl's face and Diane was pretty I suppose, but I had once told her that her legs were her best feature. She was into sports like me and we liked the same music. Who knows, if things hadn't happened the way they did with Scott we might have wound up having something special, but nothing like what I had with my guy. Whatever anyone else might think, I thought we were the perfect couple. Physically, there were more contrasts than similarities. Scott had dark brown hair and enormous brown eyes that sometimes darkened to near black when he was intent or excited about something and other times lightened to a softer tone. His muscles weren't huge, except for his thighs, but he was very well defined, without an ounce of fat. I have to say I have no fat either, but I'm much thinner. At just under six feet tall and 175 pounds, Scotty is three inches shorter than I am, but outweighs me by about twenty pounds. I liked to think I looked like James Vander Beek, but I knew I wasn't that good-looking no matter what Scott told me. On the other hand I have never seen anyone, male or female, that looked as good to me as he did. I tried to compare him to different actors - there were similarities to Tom Cruise's body, Jonathan Taylor Thomas' boyish charm, Mick Cain's eyes - but they really didn't come close. And Scott looked just as good whether he was all dressed up for a special occasion or playing basketball covered in sweat and wearing an old pair of shorts and sneakers. As a matter of fact, once I got the mental picture of his bare chest glistening with sweat, I had to spend the last couple of hours of school making sure I kept my bulging crotch hidden. Six-thirty couldn't possibly come soon enough.

Luckily for me, Scott arrived about ten minutes early. "So what are you boys going to be up to tonight?" she asked. - - - Screwing each other's brains out with any luck - - -

"We're going to the movies in Sycamore, ma'am," Scott answered politely. He was always such a gentleman, even with my mother, whom he had known since he was seven.

"Oh, Tyler, you should have driven over to Scott's then instead of making him come all the way over here to get you and then bring you back tonight," Mom scolded.

"That was my idea, Mrs. Fox," Scott quickly interjected. "I've got a couple of new CD's I wanted Ty to hear." Scott's car was nearly new with a stereo system almost as good as the one he had in his bedroom, while I was lucky if the radio worked in my old Chevy pick-up. Of course, the real reason that we nearly always worked it out this way was that it gave us an extra twenty minutes together on the way and another twenty on the way back.

"Oh, okay, then. What time will you be home?" Mom never gave me a curfew. She always just asked what time I'd be home. I always gave her a very reasonable answer, usually about ten or ten-thirty on school nights, and she would just tell me to call if I was going to be late. On rare occasions she might say the time I gave was too late and tell me to try again. Tonight I decided to push my luck a little bit and said it would be eleven. "That's going to put Scott home kind of late for a school night, isn't it?" Mom asked.

"Oh, no, Mrs. Fox, Sycamore's out tomorrow for parent-teacher conferences," Scott said.

"Well, I guess it's okay then, but the movie will be over by nine-thirty, what are you going to do after that?" - - - Geez, Mom, why the third degree all of a sudden? - - - I was so anxious to get out of there I had half a mind to tell her exactly what we were going to do after the movie and then race for the door.

"I thought we'd drive around and see if we can find some wild women to hang out with," Scott said, flashing that heart-stopping smile of his.

"Oh, you boys," Mom laughed. Like everyone else, she knew that Scott and I were her `good boys.' She knew she didn't have to worry about us getting mixed up with loose women. She was right, of course, even if she didn't know the real reason why. Scott's joke had derailed Mom's inquisition and I gave her a kiss on the cheek as we left. In the car I asked Scott why he didn't just spend the night if he didn't have to go to school tomorrow.

"No," he said, with a mischievous grin. "I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off you all night."

"That's kind of what I had in mind," I said, grinning back.

"I know what you've got in mind," Scott chuckled, "but I told you just once and that's all until next Friday."

"All right," I pouted, "but it had better be worth it."

"Oh, it will be," he promised, "just wait."

We sat on the back row of the theater and it was dark enough that we could hold hands under the armrest without anyone seeing. The touch of his soft, strong hand brought back the afternoon's fantasies and the afternoon's hard-on soon followed. Scott was holding the popcorn in his lap and I made a point of `accidentally' brushing his thigh every time I reached for a handful. As a matter of fact, I kept reaching for that popcorn long after the box was empty. Near the end of the picture Scott leaned over close to me and cupped a hand to my ear. "If you're still hungry I've got something you can eat for dessert after the show," he whispered, and then he had the nerve to lick my earlobe. I had to shift around in my seat to keep my straining cock from busting right out of my pants. I didn't wait to watch the closing credits before nearly running for the exit with Scotty close behind. We drove up to our favorite secluded spot overlooking the lake. It was on some wooded land Scott's Dad had bought with the intention of eventually clearing home sites and subdividing it for sale. For now, though, it was marked "Private - No Trespassing" and the only people who might come up here would be coming for the same reason we had. In the unlikely event that they saw Scott's car through the trees they would just go look for another place to be alone. Scott had let me drive his car and as I turned off the highway he began unbuttoning my fly. He massaged my swollen dick through my briefs until I finally got to our usual parking spot. I turned off the engine and raised up in the seat to pull my pants down around my knees.

"Un-uh," Scott said, "take `em all the way off...everything." We had never gotten totally naked in a car before, but I liked the idea and besides, I never argued with anything Scott wanted to try sexually.

"You, too," I insisted and Scott quickly began to oblige. When we were finally undressed we laid the seats back and Scott went to work on me with his mouth. He started kissing my neck and worked his way slowly down my chest, pausing briefly to suck at my nipples, then continued down my flat stomach. When he got to the head of my cock he kissed and licked it for several seconds before moving on down the shaft and finally giving the same treatment to both balls. After my nuts had had their turn he began working his way back up my dick and when he got to the top he opened his mouth and quickly took the whole thing in at once. I gasped and arched my back, lifting my hips toward his mouth make sure he got every inch. He sucked greedily and soon I began to feel like I was going to erupt. I wanted nothing more than to let my thick hot juice gush into his mouth, but I remembered what Scott had said about just one time and decided I wanted to make it last. He didn't want to stop and it took all my strength to pull his head up off my cock.

"Let me finish, I'm having fun," he whispered hoarsely.

"I know but its my turn to have some fun," I said, pushing him back into his seat. I gave him the exact same service he had pleasured me with, spending a little extra time on his balls, then lifting them out of the way going on down to tickle the edge of his butt cheeks with my tongue. He moaned approvingly and I wished I could get to more of him, but the limited space of the front seat made it difficult so I moved back up and began sucking his dick. Scott's hand on the back of my neck let me know I was doing a good job as I bobbed up and down on that glorious cock. I can honestly say I had never been turned on by the idea of sucking a dick before Scott, but knowing I was making him feel so good did almost as much for me as when I was on the receiving end. After a few minutes, Scott began pulling me up as I had done him earlier.

"Come over here," he said and I somehow managed to crawl over on top of him in his fully reclined seat. My legs were between his and I could feel his bare chest and stomach against my own. He lifted his hips and put his dick into contact with mine. I ground myself back into him and soon we were humping each other for all we were worth, enjoying the feeling of having the entire length of our bodies so closely intertwined. Again, this was something we hadn't done in a car before, but I made a mental note to make sure we did it again soon. Before long I began to feel the cum rising in my balls and I knew that I was about to reach my climax.

"I'm going to come soon," I gasped.

"Wait," Scott said, stopping his movements. "I want you inside of me."

I was a little dubious about how this was going to work, but like I said, I wasn't about to argue with anything my love wanted.

"Find my pants," he said. I've got some KY in my front pocket. - - - You little devil. You had this planned. - - - We had both tossed our clothes into the back seat earlier, but luckily Scott's pants were within my reach. I got the tube out and gave it to Scott who put it to immediate use, spreading it generously over the length of my dick. When he finished he tossed the tube aside and somehow managed to lift his legs onto the dash on either side of me, exposing his tight, hot ass to my cock. I was able to prop myself up on one arm and use my free hand to guide my boyhood toward his hole. I rubbed my cockhead around the entrance to his most private area for a while to spread the excess lube onto him, then pushed forward enough to force myself in, but only up to the head.

"All of it," Scott urged, and I eagerly responded. In the awkward position I could only get a little more than half of my meat into him, but the fact that he couldn't spread his legs very wide in the cramped quarters meant that his butt, which was always very tight around my cock, was gripping me like a vise. After just a few passionate thrusts I knew I wouldn't last long, but it seemed that somehow he managed to hold me just at the brink of orgasm for an eternity. Scott was raising himself to meet my thrusting cock the best he could and the combination of my hot hard dick inside his butt and my flat, firm stomach rubbing against his own dick seemed to be doing wonderful things for him as well and his panting, groaning, shouting expressions of approval grew louder with each hammering stroke of my cock. We might not be able to sleep in each other's arms like we could when we spent the night, but at least out here we didn't have to worry about keeping the noise down.

"Here I come!" I cried out as every muscle in my body contracted in ecstasy.

"I'm right with you!" he groaned in return and I felt hot fluid spurting onto my stomach and chest just as I began to release my own load into Scott's body. He had one hand on my butt pulling me into him as I continued firing round after round into him and with the other hand on the back of my neck he pulled me down to his mouth. We shared a long passionate kiss as our mutual orgasm continued and his tongue didn't leave my mouth until long after our balls had unloaded themselves and my dick had slipped from his hole with a slight slurping sound.

We laid there for a while enjoying the feel of our bodies together but all too soon Scott said his legs were going to sleep and I rolled off of him and back into the left seat. I had to open the car door just to get my clothes back on, so we went ahead and got out and switched sides so he could be back in the driver's seat. That was an interesting analogy. Scott had always been in the "driver's seat" in our friendship, so to speak. He had always been the most popular, the most athletic, the strongest, and I worshipped him. He had been my hero before he had ever been my lover and I had always followed wherever he led. In the beginning our love had been that way, too. He had made the first moves or there would never have been any moves made; I was too afraid of losing his friendship. But since then our relationship had become more of an equal partnership. We tried to meet each other's wants and needs and held nothing back in body, mind, or soul. I've heard this kind of love described as "once in a lifetime," but as I lay with my head on his chest, hearing his heart still beating hard and looking out at the lake, I seriously doubted that most people would ever experience such love even once in their lives. I would have felt sorry for them but at this moment it was hard for me to feel anything but love and contentment. We stayed just like that, not speaking or needing to speak for another half-hour before it was time to go.

As we neared my house I told Scott that I thought our lovemaking that night had been the best yet. I hoped that now, a little removed from the immediate afterglow, he would know how much I meant it.

"Yes," he agreed, "but it will get even better," he promised and kissed me softly in the darkness before I got out of his car.

The next several days were a unique and exquisite form of torture. I had trouble thinking about anything except what was in store on prom night. Really, that's not completely true, I also spent a fair amount of time thinking about the hour or so Scott and I had spent up by the lake. It got so bad that I actually slipped up once and said something to Jackie about going to the prom with Scott. She stared at me for a second like I had lost my mind until I realized what I had said. I covered by saying that he and I had never double-dated before and that I was looking forward to it. Luckily for me Jackie isn't overly perceptive. Besides, she had always thought Scott was really hot - - - what can I say, she's got great taste in guys - - - and I'm sure she couldn't have pictured him with another boy.

Scott went out Saturday night with Kelly Chamberlain, who was going to be his prom date. They had never gone out before and Scott's mom insisted that it would be appropriate for him to take her to dinner or a movie before the big night. I told him I was incredibly jealous of this girl and made him promise to call me as soon as he got home, no matter how late it was. As it turned out it was only about ten-thirty when he called.

"Back so soon?" I asked.

"As a matter of fact I got back about ten minutes ago, but since Mom was still up I had to go through de-briefing," he said - - - De-briefing Scott, huh? Sounds like my kind of fun. Can I play, Mrs. Knight? - - -

"Why so early?" I asked.

"Kelly's only fourteen and her dad's pretty uptight. Her mom had to talk him into letting her go at all." Kelly seemed like a nice girl, very cute, but very shy and I'm sure her little teenage heart had been beating double-time at the thought of going to the prom with a Senior, let alone the cutest, most available - - - so they thought - - - Senior at Sycamore High. Well, let her have her fun as long as she kept her hands to herself. The boy was not available - he was all mine!

I did at least get to see Scott several times during those long days but, true to his word, he made sure we were never alone. We ate lunch at The Grill, played basketball at the youth center in Sycamore, and watched videos one night with Mom and Kevin but we were always with other people. While I was glad just to be with him, in a way it made it worse. Knowing that I couldn't have him was almost more than I could take. I mean, it's not like we had to have sex every time we were together - okay almost every the time, but not every time - but knowing that we weren't going to be doing anything, and wouldn't for several days, was agonizing. The night we rented the movies I spent most of the time laying on the floor in front of the TV on my stomach so that Mom and Kevin wouldn't see how a certain part of my anatomy was effected by having Scott stretched out beside me with just his elbow touching mine.

It got worse during an American Literature test the day before the prom when one of the answers was F. "Scott" Fitzgerald and I completely lost touch with reality and spent the next twenty minutes or so daydreaming about the boy I loved so much and wanted so desperately. As a result I didn't have time to finish the test and got a C. I know that doesn't sound too bad, but I rarely even got a B, especially in one of Mr. Hunter's classes, so the next day when he returned our papers he asked me to see him after class.

"Tyler, is there a problem?" he asked. Mr. Hunter had a reputation for being tough but he was an excellent teacher and we all knew that he was one of those teachers who really cared about his students.

"No, sir, I just wasn't feeling too well yesterday," I said, but I didn't even sound convincing to myself.

"Are you sure that's all it is. We only have six weeks of school left. I'd hate to see you lose a perfect grade point average now," he said.

"So would I, Mr. Hunter, but I won't let that happen," I assured him.

"All right, as long as this was just a one-time thing," he said, walking me to the classroom door.

"Don't worry, sir, I'm sure that after the weekend I'll be feeling much better, I said, suddenly smiling from ear to ear. Mr. Hunter shook his head as he closed the door behind me, undoubtedly wondering what I had found so amusing.

That was my last class of the day and I blew off Speech and Drama practice because I had so much to do. I laughed when I realized that just two weeks ago I had made fun of Jackie and some of the other girls whose mothers had signed them out of class early so they would have time to do their makeup and hair. As a matter of fact my first stop was at the hair stylist. Then I had to drive to Sycamore to get my tux and come back to Mountain Pine. I had originally planned on just having Scott's mother bring it to their house and changing into it when I got there, but Mom had insisted on seeing me in it. That meant she had to see it before the prom, because I would be staying the next two nights at Scott's. I had gotten really lucky on that one. Donnie had not only agreed to take my shift at the radio station, but said he needed some extra cash and offered to do both shifts on Saturday instead of switching, which meant I didn't have to leave Scott's house until early Sunday morning. I would have to get up a half-hour earlier than usual that morning but, hey, four-thirty in the morning isn't much uglier than five. My last stop was the flower shop. I had wanted to do something nice to thank Diane so I had ordered the most expensive red rose corsage I could find.

For some reason Mom seemed to make a much bigger deal of everything than she had the last time, gushing on and on about how handsome I was and how her baby boy was all grown up. Maybe it was because I was obviously more excited than I had been or maybe it was just a more emotional time for her, but maybe - even if she didn't know why - she sensed that this really would be the most special night of my life so far. Whatever the reason the poor woman was wiping tears from her eyes as I walked out the door.

I got to Scott's house early - I had no intention of waiting one minute longer than I had to. For the first time in years I went up to the front door and rang the bell instead of just letting myself in through the door off the garage.

"Oh, Tyler, you look so nice!" Mrs. Knight drawled in her best North Carolina belle accent and I'll be damned if she wasn't right if I do say so myself. I had checked myself out in Mom's full-length mirror before I left the house and for the first time in my life I was completely satisfied with what I saw. My hair was perfect, my skin was clear, my blue eyes were shining, and the black tuxedo that Diane had picked out - with Scott's help I later learned - was perfect, very modern but with an elegant look to it.

"That's quite a complement coming from such a lovely lady," I replied and Mrs. Knight nearly blushed. She really did look good for a woman approaching sixty. She always reminded me of Kitty Carlisle from the old "To Tell the Truth" re-runs, but with Elizabeth Dole's voice.

"Oh, Tyler, you charmer, she drawled. "Why don't you come into the living room and let me get you something to drink. Scott's not quite ready yet and he insists that none of us can see him until he's finished," she said, leading me toward the front room.

"Good gracious, I better call Benny Forrester and tell him to lock up his daughter cause there's a handsome devil coming to get her," Mr. Knight said with a wink as he set aside his newspaper. - - - As long as you don't lock up your son, Benny Forrester can do what he wants. - - - We made small talk for a few minutes before I finally heard Scott coming up the stairs. I was sitting on the couch with my back to the living room's entrance so I turned in my seat just as he came to the doorway and stopped. I was thankful that I was seated because it might have been hard to explain my knees suddenly giving way at the very sight of him. As it was I think my heart stopped beating for a couple of seconds and then began racing to make up for the lost time. Scott was dressed in an exquisite black tuxedo with a black bow tie. His eyes seemed darker than I had ever seen them and his entire face lit up as he flashed his pearly whites. He was positively gorgeous from head to toe. I sat speechless for some time, a rare condition for me.

"Well, whatta you think?" he asked.

• • • I think I've died and gone to heaven and I don't ever want to leave. - - - "Every other girl at the prom is going to be jealous of Kelly Chamberlain," I said. - - - And at least one guy. - - -

"Except for Diane," Mrs. Knight corrected, fussing with Scott's tie.

"Stand up and let's see how you look," Scott said. With the couch between us, he could barely see anything more than my face. He let out a long wolf whistle as I stood up and came around the couch toward him and I could feel the blood rise into my face. I don't mean my cheeks got hot I mean I literally felt the blood going through my veins and into my face. This single expression of approval from Scott meant more to me than a million words of praise from anyone else. I could easily have died a happy young man at that moment.

"It looks like we've got a couple of lady killers in our midst," Scott's dad said to his mother. - - - Lady killers, huh? That's right, kill `em all, just leave me this beautiful young stud. - - - I know that sounds harsh but I was almost giddy at this point and the only thing that could have made it any better would have been if I could have been the one to dance every slow dance with this boy - this man - I loved so much.

Scott's Mom gushed nearly as much as my own mother had, though without the waterworks, until the limo came to take us away. The windows were darkly tinted, including the one between the driver and passengers so once we were started down the road Scott put his hand on the back of my neck and pulled me into a long, sweet kiss. "I'm sorry but that will have to last us for a while," he said as he finally pulled away.

"It's okay, I think I can make it now," I said. "You really do look incredible."

"Thanks. And you are the most beautiful thing I've seen since the first time I saw you naked," he replied.

"The first time you saw me naked we were about nine years old and I was changing out of a pair of wet swimming trunks," I reminded him.

"Oh yeah," he said, "If I had only known then... So, here's the itinerary for the evening. First I'm taking you to Diane's house and dropping you off while I go pick up Kelly. Sorry about that part, but both their mothers want pictures and I thought this way would be faster. Anyway, after we come back and pick you guys up we're going to the Lighthouse for dinner and then on to the dance. I only rented the limo for a couple of hours because I didn't know how late we would be and it's pretty much just for making a cool entrance anyway, so Diane and I took my car to the Hamilton this afternoon. I've got to have Kelly home by eleven but then I'll come back and get you and Di. After that I think she's got a party lined up for us with some friends and we'll just sort of play it by ear. I told Mom and Dad to expect us home anytime between two a.m. and sunrise.

"Sounds great," I said. "How come Kelly's got to be home so early?"

"I told you she's fourteen years old with an overprotective father. Why do you think I asked her," he said with a mischievous smile. I had never known Scott to be so devious and I liked it.

We were at Diane's house in minutes and I officially rang the door for my prom date, though as far as I was concerned I had already done that this evening. Diane was radiant. She had on a glamorous low-cut red dress with a wrap that covered her shoulders but left revealed that cleavage that I had to keep reminding myself to take my eyes off of. I might be in love with a guy, but I was still a red-blooded All-American boy after all. She had a cute, short hair style and wore just enough makeup to highlight the best features of her face without looking like she had applied it with a paint roller. Diane was usually a bit of a tomboy so I had never seen her looking so feminine. She was truly beautiful, if not as beautiful as Scott.

I pinned her corsage on her as best I could without embarrassing myself in front of her parents and she pinned my boutonniere - also a red rose - to my lapel, then gave me a big hug. "It's really from Scott," she whispered.

At the restaurant Kelly and Scott sat beside each other and across from Diane and I. Around the time the main course arrived I felt something against my ankle. Scott had taken his shoe off and was rubbing his foot against the inside of my leg. He gradually worked his way up my calf and then started along my inner thigh. Before long his foot was firmly planted in my crotch. I've never had a foot fetish but he was doing more for me with that foot than I ever did with my own hand. All of this took place beneath the tablecloth and Scott betrayed nothing the entire time. On the other hand I was suddenly having trouble sitting still in my chair. Kelly didn't seem to notice but Diane was obviously becoming suspicious. She reached for her napkin and glanced casually toward my lap. At first I wasn't sure she had seen what was going on, but in a minute she looked up from her shrimp scampi and said, "This is really good, but I think I would have been just as happy with a foot-long hot dog."

"You know, I could stand to be sucking down a big hot dog myself right now," Scott agreed. His eyes absolutely danced with delight as he smiled across the table at me. "Careful with that steak, Ty," he said, "You want to leave room for dessert."

I know that he thought he could make me blush, but I wasn't about to be outdone. "This is the best meal I've ever eaten," I said, "but don't worry, I'll always have room for dessert as long as I can have what I really want." Unable to hold it in any longer, Scott, Diane, and I dissolved into simultaneous fits of laughter while poor Kelly, still oblivious, looked at us as if we had lost our minds.

We arrived at the prom in style at precisely 8:15. Only a few of the guys had bothered to rent a limo, which was good because there were very few to be found around Sycamore. Scott had gotten his forty miles away in Fayetteville. Sycamore's prom made Mountain Pine's look pathetic by comparison, and not just because Sycamore had Scott. They obviously had spent a lot of money on decorations and whoever picked the music had done a great job. There was a professional photographer taking pictures of the couples and after Scott and Kelly and then Diane and I had had our pictures taken Diane asked if we could all four have one taken together. She even made sure to arrange it so that Scott and I were standing together in the middle with the girls on either side. God, she was great at this.

Diane danced with several guys but kept coming back to dance with me or just to sit and talk from time to time. Scott and Kelly shared only a few dances and he danced to one slow song with Diane. I watched their every move intently and tried my best to feel his arms around me the way they were around her, my hands where hers were. Despite how much I appreciated what she was doing for us I was insanely jealous by the time the song concluded. If they had stayed on the floor for a second dance I would have strangled her. Instead Scott led her back to the table and she said it was my turn. - - - I wish it was my turn with him. - - - But I obediently followed her back out onto the floor.

"I'm really having a great time," she said into my ear. The music was at just the right volume so that a slow dancing couple could carry on a conversation without worrying about being overheard.

"I'm glad," I said sincerely. "I can't thank you enough for this."

"How about you, are you enjoying yourself?" she asked.

"Oh, yes, it's been almost perfect," I told her.

"Almost?" she asked.

"Ninety-nine percent," I answered. "The only thing is I'm jealous every time you or Kelly dances with Scott. I have this overwhelming desire to cut in and say, `Get your hands off my boyfriend!'"

Diane laughed. "I can sympathize with your problem but I really don't think the Senior prom is such a great place for a coming out party," she said. "Just remember he wants to be out here with you as much as you want to be with him."

She didn't ask Scott to dance anymore after that and finally around ten-thirty I suggested to Scott that he ask her. This time I thought about what she had said and tried to imagine the feelings in his heart instead of the feel of his hands. It was a little better, but the emptiness was still there.

Soon after that song Scott left to take Kelly home. He was the kind of boy every parent wanted their daughter to date and he would deliver her to her front porch right on time. "Hurry back to me," I whispered to him as he left.

"Let's dance," Diane suggested as I watched them walk away. "It will make the time go faster." We danced to a couple of fast songs. I really don't like dancing fast - I always feel too self-conscious - and then a slow one played. Diane seemed to hold me closer than before. Her hands wandered down my back and I again found myself wishing they were Scott's. Diane was tall and in her heels just about the same height as Scott. Her head rested comfortably on my shoulder where his would have, though of course the feel of his body would have been entirely different from hers.

After a minute Diane's hands had roamed all the way down to the top of my buttocks and I was a little worried that she might be taking this a bit too seriously. They went no further, though, and I decided she might be thinking of someone else, too. I had noticed her watching Derrick earlier, but as far as I knew they had not spoken all night, let alone danced.

We retired to a table and were joined by another couple, Mike Little, who I knew from my elementary school days at Sycamore, and his date, a black-haired beauty whose name I didn't catch. After what seemed like several hours I looked at my watch. It was 11:30 and Scott should have been back by now; Kelly's house wasn't far away. After another twenty minutes I was beginning to get nervous. I had lost a friend in a car accident less than a year ago and I probably worried about such things a lot more than most seventeen-year-old guys. "I wonder what's keeping Scott," I said to Diane.

"Oh, you know him. He probably had to walk Kelly right up to the door and give her a little good-night kiss, and you know how one thing can lead to another," she giggled. I was not amused and gave her an icy stare to emphasize the point.

"Let's go out and get some air," she suggested. I was in no mood to go anywhere until Scott got back, but I didn't really want to argue about it in front of Mike and this girl, who were still at our table. Diane leaned over and spoke into my ear. "You're starting to show," she whispered. "People are going to get suspicious. Let's just go for a little walk and he'll be here by the time we get back." I reluctantly stood up from the table and she took my jacket from the back of the chair and helped me into it.

"Fix your tie back," she instructed. "It looks better tied." When I made no move to tie it she fussed some more and did it for me.

I paid little attention as we walked outside the hotel. Her right hand was around the small of my back and my left was draped casually over her shoulder. She was chattering happily but I wasn't really hearing or seeing anything until we rounded the side of the building where we could see the lake. It was lovely with a full moon reflecting off the dark water and I remembered the evening Scott and I had spent together last week on a different part of this same lake. My heart hurt.

The hotel's nicest rooms were on this side of the building and they all opened to the outside to allow guests easier access to the lake. Diane stopped in front of one of the doors, I assumed to look at the lake, but instead she produced a key from somewhere and was immediately unlocking the door. I was bewildered. I had to get back to the dance, to Scott, but she was practically dragging me into the dark room and I didn't know quite what to do or say. As I stepped just inside the door she put her arms around me and turned her face up to kiss me. I stood there in shock as her tongue parted my lips and her hands returned to my butt, this time with a firm grip on each cheek. I pulled away from her and made a muffled choking sound and then a soft, beautiful voice came out of the dark.

"Mind if I cut in?" Scott asked. If I had been shocked before I was dumbfounded now as soft lights came up. Scott was standing there looking just as gorgeous in his black tie as he had six hours earlier. The room was adorned on a smaller scale with the same decorations as the ballroom. There was a portable stereo on a small table and a bottle of champagne (non-alcoholic) chilled in a bucket of ice beside it. Nearly all of the furniture had been removed except for a king-sized bed, leaving enough room for our own private dance floor.

"Surprise," Scott and Di said together. I had never been so happy and Scott's face reflected all the joy I felt. If his smile had shown any brighter I would have needed a pair of shades.

"Did we fool you?" Diane asked merrily.

"Well I was starting to wonder what was up," I admitted and she laughed hysterically.

"You thought you were gonna get raped, didn't you?"

"Yeah, and know I'm hoping so," I said, never taking my eyes from Scott's.

"You two have fun tonight and give me a call sometime tomorrow afternoon," she said. Then she gave me another kiss, this time on the cheek, and gave Scott one too before turning to leave. Just before she left she looked back at the two of us in our nearly matching tuxedoes, each with an arm around the other's waist. "I never thought I'd say anything like this, but you guys really look good together. You're the cutest couple at the prom."

When we were alone Scott turned on the music. "May I have this dance?" he asked formally.

"This one and all the others for the rest of my life," I promised, melting into his arms. "The two of you had the whole thing planned, huh?" I asked, still amazed at how completely duped I had been.

"Every detail, including that kiss when she led you into the room," he said. The smile had still not left his face for a second.

"Did you plan her grabbing my ass, too?" I asked.

"I'll kill her. Then I'll dig her up and kill her again," he said, but it was hard for him to sound menacing with that little-boy grin still plastered on his face.

As we danced Scott held me tightly in his arms and I could feel his strong hands against my back. Meanwhile my hands explored his body, feeling the muscles of his sides, abs, back, thighs, and especially that tight bubble butt of his. Scott had put together some great music, mostly slow songs and on the faster ones we simply stopped dancing and kissed or drank champagne from each other's glasses. We took turns singing to each other. Scott harmonized beautifully with Bob Seger on a part of "We've Got Tonight":

We've got tonight. Who needs tomorrow?

Let's make it last, let's find a way.

Turn out the light. Come take my hand now,

We've got tonight, babe, why don't you stay.

I sang Sarah McGlocklin's "Angel" to him with a few minor changes in the lyrics to reflect my love for Scott. Of course, he joined me on our favorite lines - "It's hard at the end of the day" and "So tired of this straight line"," only we sang, "straight life." Tears filled my eyes when Scott sang from Phil Collins "You'll be in my Heart":

Why can't they understand the way we feel?

They just don't trust what they can't explain.

I know we're different but deep inside us,

We're not that different at all.

Every song seemed to have a special meaning for us. "I Want it That Way," "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You," "Because You Loved Me." Each one had words that expressed my heartfelt love for the person who had come to mean more to me than life itself. I didn't get suspicious, though, until I heard "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling."

"Where did you get this music?" I asked, looking into those big brown eyes.

"I taped it," he said with a proud smile. "Every `special' song you've played for me for the last seven months. It's what I listen to every night when I go to sleep. I was just waiting for the right occasion to share it with you."

This time the tears would not stay in my eyes but rolled down my face. I had never felt so loved and wondered if anyone ever had. Scott laid his head on my shoulder as we danced and I in turn laid my head on his head. We fit together perfectly in every way and as I looked forward to a night of dancing and making love with the other half of my soul, followed by a morning sleeping it off in Scott's bed - in his arms - I knew for certain - ...it doesn't get any better than this.

Well, there it is. What do you think? Would you like to find out more about how this relationship began, where it might be going, etc.? Send your comments or constructive criticism to tyfox84@hotmail.com., but be gentle, remember I'm a virgin (at writing).