Date: Tue, 09 Feb 2016 09:03:26 +0000 From: Chezdon Subject: Innocence Waning - Chapter 14 Chapter 14 My eyes open wide and I am confronted by an eerie white haze as I try at first to comprehend the unnatural sound of banging and then attempt the complex task of trying to understand the muffled shouting of what I finally deduce as being a female voice. I close my eyes and will my dry tongue to lick my equally dry lips and concentrate on the annoying thumping sound that repeats in unison with that of the one in my head. Combined with an awkward heaviness upon my chest, my memories take me back to a time where I am floating in a heated pool at my school which leaves me confused. The pounding sound continues and when I first understand that my name is being shouted as I scratch at the crust that has formed in my eyes, my green windows to the world are finally able to focus on first the ceiling and then the television. As usual in the morning, Sunrise is on and the chirpy disposition of the presenters manages to irritate me within a matter of seconds once I realise where I am. The door to my bedroom is then thrust open immediately after the rhythmic banging and knocking ceases. "Oh Jesus! Chezdon! Jesus!" Mel leaves my room as quickly as she entered it and slams the door behind her. "Get ready for school, we are leaving in thirty minutes!" It then takes a number of seconds which seem like minutes before I realise that Mel's shock and awe would be attributed to Jayden's naked body lying face down next to me with his arm draped over my chest. The fact that I was also discovered nude with my morning erection prominently on display would have been equally daunting for Mel and I finally comprehend my surrounds which supersedes how fatigued my mind and body currently feels. After a few deep breaths I feel as if I am once again living in the moment and jerk to the right so that I can shake Jayden vigorously until he stirs. "Good morning." Examining Jayden's bloodshot brown eyes makes me wonder if I look as bad as he does. Jayden rolls over and doesn't feign any sense of shyness even with his morning wood on display. "Christ, I feel like shit." He places his forearm over his eyes. "Fuck, I don't want to go to school. Do you have anything that I can wear? Do you have any pain killers? I need some water." My best friend starts to moan. The pounding on the door returns. "Chezdon, get up! Hurry up, I want to talk to you." Mel sounds aggravated as she again beats upon my chamber door. "Get moving!" "I am! Stop hitting the door!" I shout at Mel as loud as I can so that she can hear my anguished torment through the closed door and then clear my throat. "I am getting ready!" I look over at my bedside table and find my phone, and it is out of power as usual. I plug it into the charger and quietly chastise myself under my breath for not ensuring that the silly device was powered the night before so that the alarm would have woke us up instead of having to what would ultimately would be the embarrassing alternative. "Come on mate, we have thirty minutes." I shake Jayden again however he doesn't even shift the arm that is covering his eyes. As he is not bothering to acknowledge me, I take a moment to look at his hard penis which is convulsing; dancing in place like a nerd would in the corner of a room at a school function. "No, fuck that!" Jayden rolls over onto his stomach again. "I am not going anywhere. You got me fucked up." Feeling emboldened, I sit up and caress his cold bare white arse. Jayden doesn't move or say anything. "Come on mate, have a shower. Mel will kill us both if we claim we are too ill to go to school. She will also come back in here soon if she doesn't hear the shower going." I continue to stroke his buttocks like one would knead bread and then shift my weight so I am resting on Jayden's back which frees my hands so they can spread his butt cheeks open in the same fashion that I did the previous evening when events became hot and heavy in the bathroom. He doesn't protest or curiously say anything whilst I inspect his pink hairy arsehole like it is a tomato in the supermarket. I lean in close and inhale the smell of his arsecrack and at first I am confused that it smells more like my sweaty underwear after I have gone for a run instead of anything more nefarious. Fighting back my urge to try to fuck him with my erection that will not subside, I instead slap his bare arse as hard as I can which immediately leaves a red mark behind, and me with a sore hand. "Fuck! That hurts you bastard!" Jayden jerks up and turns on his side so his back is towards me. I take the opportunity to slap his arse again as hard as I possibly can. "Fuck! I am getting up. Jesus. I feel like shit! Where are your pain killers?" Jayden finally slithers off the bed and gets to his feet and I watch him scratch his red arse before stumbling into the bathroom and sliding the mirrored doors closed. "Find me some clothes arsehole!" I hear the shower turn on along with some commotion in my bathroom as Jayden inventories the cabinet shelves no doubt looking for pills that he hopes will eliminate the pain caused by our excesses from the previous night. I take some interest in my phone once again and key in the encryption code so that it starts up and then toss it onto the table nonchalantly. Memories of the previous night begin to flood my thumping head; thoughts which mimic chickens returning home to roost. The chaotic thoughts in my clouded mind encourage me to roll out of bed and then sort through my closet to find some clothes for Jayden to wear and then I finally retrieve some boxer briefs not only for him, but also ones for me to temporarily use to mask my erection from being on display. The mobile phone having started up startles me as it starts to vibrate incessantly, alerting me to messages that I have little interest to read. Finding some clean components of the school uniform in my closet, I opt to wear shorts so Jayden can wear the last clean pair of trousers that I have and then throw the clothes haphazardly on my filthy bed. "Hurry up you fool!" I shout with little emotion to back up the perceived urgency and I hope that Mel is within earshot so it at least appears that I have some motivation to move this circus along. The water stops flowing from the shower stall and I use that as a cue to lay on my bed and to check my phone. I immediately send a text to Austin communicating my hope that he is having a good morning and to let him know that I look forward to seeing him at school shortly. Fortunately, I only missed a few texts from my boyfriend and I am confident after reflecting on the chaos that I have created that my lack of participation in social media during the previous evening just proves that I was being studious however I do know that I need to craft a story to tell him where the majority of the truth is anchored in fact. Jayden finally slides the door open to the bathroom and I intentionally do not let my eyes drift towards him as he walks into my bedroom. Being aware that my dick has calmed down, I shift off of the bed leaving my phone on the charger as I walk towards the bathroom, not allowing myself to look at Jayden for fear that it may excite me once more. "Did you find the pain killers mate?" I turn to close the sliding mirror doors just in time to witness Jayden drop his towel onto the floor next to my bed and see the outline of a red handprint on his white arse waving me a fond farewell as I quickly slide the mirrored doors closed. "Yeah, I did. All good!" Jayden shouts. I take what would amount to be a ten second shower and spend equal amounts of time drying myself and rush through my usual routine to prepare myself for the day. In a matter of minutes I am rushing back through my bedroom and getting dressed whilst Jayden nonchalantly does up his tie. I am dressed and throwing the door open to my bedroom before Jayden can say anything however in his debilitated state, I am not surprised that he doesn't provide a running commentary or attempt to crack a joke. Seeing Mel in the kitchen with a coffee in on one hand and reviewing the `Letters to the Editor' in the newspaper doesn't surprise me since it is a daily occurrence. "Hey." I squeeze by Mel and open the cabinet door and grab a mug. "How is Dad doing?" I hear Mel turn the page of the newspaper as I pour black coffee into the ceramic cup. "I never thought you would ask. I got home last night and went to your bedroom door but I thought it would be best not to disturb you since I overheard carnal sounds coming from your room." I don't turn my back and instead take time to sip the coffee, knowing that this is going to be an uncomfortable conversation. "Chezdon." I hear the page of the newspaper turn again and then Mel sip her coffee before taking a deep breath. "I don't care if you have sex. You aren't a stupid teenager, but just do us the courtesy of keeping the soundtrack of life to a minimum so I especially don't have to hear whatever deed you are up to. I know you thought you had the place to yourself, but just think about it." I continue to stand in place looking at the coffee in the mug, waiting for what some viewing a sitcom would consider the punchline. "Jayden, Austin, James. Do yourself a favour and pick one of the above. Your life will be much easier. Speaking of Jayden, let's go." I quickly drink my coffee and place the mug in the sink and follow Mel into the living room. "Jayden!" I shout with some conviction and then go to my room to get my phone. Jayden is laying on the bed, fortunately dressed and ready to go. "Hurry up, we have to go." Jayden sits up. "Is she pissed? Where is my bag?" "By the front door from what I remember. She is fine, don't worry." Jayden then saunters out of the bedroom with no urgency and most likely no energy whilst I collect my books, papers and laptop and quickly ram everything into my backpack. Mel starts to shout my name yet again and I run towards the front door which is already open. I slam it closed and lock it with the keys that I grab off of the table on my quick exit as Mel scowls as me. We get into the Cayenne and are quickly driven outside of the residential tower and on to the road. Without traffic we will get to school on time but I keep my opinion about the clock and my thoughts on the matter to myself. "So how is dad?" Mel looks at me whilst I stare at the red traffic light. "Oh, I never told you, sorry. I was obviously distracted earlier. He is fine, he will be out of the hospital later today. You should go see him at lunch, unless of course the two of you..." Mel pauses and considers her words carefully. "Have big plans to start happy hour early today. What the hell, Chezdon? What has gotten into you lately?" The light turns green and Mel presses the accelerator down until her foot touches the floor. The car jerks forward and Jayden moans in the backseat. I turn around and look at Jayden who is holding the side of his head as he looks out the window, no doubt feeling motion sickness with his hangover. "Stress, Mel." Mel looks at me as she turns onto St Kilda Road. "It just seemed like something to do you know, enjoy some wine last night to take the edge off." Mel laughs out loud and scowls at me again which makes me feel so uncomfortable that I shift my body weight in my seat. "You need to get your shit under control Chezdon or else you will end up with a drinking problem. Remember in life, you need to do everything in moderation. Don't make me have to have this conversation with you again." Fortunately the traffic lights all stay the colour green so Mel has to focus on the road, other vehicles and pedestrians instead of giving me the dirty look again. "So are you two together now? I can't keep track." Jayden moans again. "The complicated life of a teenager." I simply say to Mel, really not knowing how to answer the question. Instead of responding, she chews on the inside of her cheek and focuses on getting us to school, weaving in and out of traffic before turning onto the usual access road before stopping near the school gates. We quickly fare Mel well and converge on the footpath. Jayden looks pale and not well. "Hold this." Jayden hands me his bag and puts his hands on his hips and slowly walks down the footpath. It is obvious he is taking deep breaths as the erratic ride in the car mixed with his hangover has made him queasy. Another group of boys walk past him and notice that he is not feeling well and most likely in an act of revenge for all of the pranks and stirring that Jayden has been responsible for over the years decide to give Jayden a hard time for a change. The larger boy in the group grabs Jayden from behind and puts him in a bear-hug, effectively picking him up off the ground in the process. "Goddamnit, put me down!" Jayden shouts but the other boy just begins to shake him like he is a bottle of salad dressing. "I am going to be sick!" With the threat of spew being an unwelcome addition to the situation, Jayden is quickly dropped onto his feet and the group of boys walk past me with smiles on their faces. I walk over to Jayden as he resumes his deep breathing exercise. "Are you going to be okay mate?" I place my hand on his shoulder and he quickly turns around and walks toward the entrance to the school. Once on school grounds we part company and head to our respective classes and after suffering through boring lectures and quizzes through most of the morning, I arrange to meet Austin before English Literature starts at one of the vending machines. I try in vain to insert a five dollar note into the currency slot however the machine rejects it repeatedly. I stop uttering blasphemy under my breath and exchange mutterings to an enthusiastic question as Austin comes to a halt next to me. "Hey there. How are you?" Austin smiles. Part of his blonde fringe drops down over his right eye and he quickly shoves it aside. "Great!" Austin proclaims and digs a five dollar note out of his pocket and inserts it into the vending machine. "What do you want? My shout." I want to curse the contraption for not wanting my bank note however my thirst for something carbonated and sugary overcomes me. "Just a Coke. Thanks mate." With the credit in the machine, Austin is able to buy two cans of Coke and he hands the first one that is ejected to me, which I quickly take and put on the back of my neck. "Feeling hot are you?" "Just a long night." Mental images of first dabbling with the white powder again and then fooling around with Jayden begin to bastardise my chain of thought. "Oh, sorry I didn't mention it earlier, but Daniel and Mel were in a car accident yesterday, which is why I went dark last night." It is the truth and I realise that it obviously does not add to the benefit of either of our young lives if I admit to the tomfoolery that happened with Jayden either now standing in front of the vending machine or ever for what it matters. Austin's eyebrows rise up and his blonde fringe drops down over his right eye again almost on cue. "Oh Jesus, are they okay?" He opens his can of soft drink and consumes it in what appears to be one gulp. I put the can of Coke on my forehead. "Dad is still in hospital but he will be okay. He is getting out later apparently. Do you want to go see him with me at lunch?" "Yeah sure. That is really shit. But yeah. We should probably go to class now though." I open the can of Coke and start sipping on it before I walk quickly to catch up with Austin. "Does this mean that you haven't read the Kafka stuff?" Austin looks at me in fear knowing full well that I might explode with unsavoury words and thoughts about the celebrated author. "Sure did. I finished all of that shit at about the same time I heard about the accident. I was a good little boy yesterday." Looking for affirmation for doing my studies promptly should put any wayward thoughts from Austin at rest, but in order to protect myself and tie up loose ends, I decide to volunteer some additional information. "Jayden ended up coming over and we got into the wine until Mel got home and we talked about life and times. I was feeling a heightened sense of mortality last night." Austin tosses his empty can into the rubbish bin outside of our classroom before he enters and I emulate his action after finishing the rest of my drink. "Fair enough. Sorry to hear about that shit. Just know things will only get better." Austin looks at me and smiles before walking to his seat and past Jayden who is slouched at his desk looking exhausted. I walk over to him and crouch down. "Hey mate, you don't look very good. Do you need another pain killer or something?" Giving your peers any sort of drugs is frowned on by the school for obvious reasons but at the moment, the rule just seems to be ridiculous as do most of the rules that are subjectively applied to the student body. "I reckon if I had the powdered pain killer that you took before you started in on the drinking last night, I would be feeling fine, but no, I will suffer through this hangover." The instructor then appears in the room and quickly places his things on the desk up front which is a signal for all of us to take our seats. "Thanks though." I quickly shuffle to my desk and toss my bag under it. I let out a sigh which is loud enough for the two boys that sit in front of me to hear which causes them to both turn around and stare at me, both with confused looks on their faces. Perhaps it was because I just ingested sugar, but I suddenly feel revitalised in what seems to be in a matter of seconds, my hangover appears to have passed and the cobwebs in my head are cleared away. I first match the stare with the boy with the short curly brown hair that has braces and then find some interest in the red-haired boy that vaguely resembles the Ron Weasley character in the Harry Potter films. "Be yourself." I say the red-haired boy. "Everyone else is already taken." There is some snickering from my fellow classmates and strangely Austin is the one that finds my comment the most amusing. "Let's come to order shall we class?" The instructor breaks up the laughing and regrettably commences the proceedings for the day. "Mister Morrison, it pleases me that you are quoting Oscar Wilde. I look forward to hearing you quote Franz Kafka in a few minutes since you are obviously eager to participate today." Austin continues to laugh and I put my hand over my mouth to keep from making any further sounds. "Mister McGuire, if you would be so kind as to control yourself." The lecturer looks sternly at Austin who manages to control his amusement. I take a particular interest in staring at the desk before the lecturer opens his mouth once again and begins speaking in a monotone voice. "Firstly, I have an announcement. I wish to inform you that signs are being put up in the bathrooms as I speak. These signs kindly request that if you want to use the school bathrooms, the Facilities team request that should you want to urinate, that you should no longer stand up to do it, but you should sit down to do your business." There are some gasps followed by laughter before the monotone voice continues. "That is the thing with blokes," he tells the class with an element of seriousness in his voice. "The Facilities team has to tidy up after you. You can't just expect someone to clean up your mess and just assume that if you spray all over the bathroom that someone else will deal with it later." I am not sure if this is a new rule or simply a request but it is the most ridiculous thing that I have heard since the woman who was arrested after playing a version of `Naked Twister' with her daughter and her friends. The red-haired boy that looks like Ron Weasley provides his opinion without being asked. "Well, at night it is easier to sit and do it because it is easier than aiming in the dark, so I don't see what the problem is to do it at school this way, if it makes everyone's jobs just a bit easier." My blood pressure begins to rise as I interpret this deliberate arse-kissing and become angry that our lives are beginning to be managed in such a way. The monotone voice commences again as I continue to stare at my desk and chew on my fingernail. "In Germany, there are signs in the toilets that ask men not to stand. There is a term for this also in German, it is sitzplinker and it is translated as `man who pees sitting down' and with that said, yes, let us move on from Germany and to the Czech Republic and discuss Kafka." The lecturer starts flipping through some pages of a book. My heart begins to race and feeling an overwhelming desire to add my input to this ridiculous request and lame conversation, I interject and after first clearing my throat, which acts as a dog whistle and entices the red-haired boy to turn around in anticipation that there will be fireworks on offer, I let it rip. "This is ridiculous, Sir!" The lecturer looks up with a concerned look on his face. "Who came up with this ridiculous new rule that was presented as a suggestion, which is just another example of how this school is turning into a nanny state where political-correctness has gone mad?" Various members of the class start chucking whilst the Ron Weasley wannabe stares at me again with his mouth agape. "Who asked for you to tell us this nonsense and more importantly why are signs being created and put up asking us to sit down to urinate of all things? This just seems ridiculous. How hard is it to piss in a bowl anyway?" The monotone voice of the lecturer begrudgedly begins again. "Chezdon, this communication came from the head master's office. Can we move on to Kafka now if you are done?" First I bite my lip, but my anger is only contained for mere seconds. "So the head master, who is a female wants to emasculate us males only because she is obviously envious because she can't urinate standing up, so she wants to bring us down to her level." The lecturer who obviously appears uncomfortable first tries to silence the class as everyone has started talking or laughing before he responds. "Chezdon, there is a hint of misogyny in what you just said. Would you like to correct yourself or can we please just move on from this?" Jayden who is normally as quiet as a mouse in class and only offers an answer to a question when actually asked directly interjects after laughing loudly. "A hint of misogyny! Really, Sir? Chezdon doesn't like women at all. Just ask Austin." The majority of the boys in the class start shouting and making loud noises and for the first time I actually feel hurt that someone would say something so personal about me and it cuts me to the bone. Jayden's comment required no interpretation and knowing that I was just outed for being gay I feel like I not only have to brush it off, but go on the offense as the instructor tries to get some sort of control back by quieting the class repeatedly. I tap my fingers on the desk whilst a few of the boys around me leer at me, willing me in a way to stir things up further, if not at least respond to being outed. For once, this class filled with non-fiction drama instead of the boring words of Kafka's fiction and after assembling my thoughts, I begin to speak, however at a few decibels louder than normal. "Being an atheist, I always found it relaxing in a way when I had to endure religious studies at this school however now I am grateful." I am not sure if the gasps of various boys indicated that they thought I was going to utter unforgivable blasphemous words however since the school likes to ply us with religion, it is time to use it as a means to an end. "Sir, the King James Bible has multiple references to man pissing against the wall as it was just last week we were asked to read `1 Kings:16' which went on about the house of Bassha and how he left not one that pisseth against a wall." Knowing that I am pushing the boundaries of the numerous rules that are already inflicted upon us and not wanting to get into a religious debate, I change tact and look at Jayden. "That is where this country is going. First we have the boys in this school pissing whilst sitting down, followed by the pastors and then maybe even the Prime Minister. So much for the leaders of the future who don't stand up and piss against the wall like a man! This is what is wrong with Australia, and when I go to Germany someday, you should know I am going to stand up to piss wherever I decide to go." Some of the boys in the class start to clap. "Now I will excuse myself as I suspect that I am going to be kicked out of class now." The lecturer looking defeated puts his glasses on and whispers. "Goodbye Mister Morrison." I pick up my bag and walk towards the door. "Wait!" Austin shouts. Before opening the door I turn around. Heads are moving back and forth throughout the classroom waiting for something else interesting to take place. "If you translate the word sitzplinker in German it actually means `wimp' so I will stand with Chezdon." Austin stands up and picks up his bag. Other boys in the class follow his example as I twist the knob on the door. My icy stare then turns to Jayden who remains in his seat as the majority of the class follows me out into the hallway in an awkward demonstration of support where the word `wimp' reverberates against the walls as the rogues gallery of protesting youth scatter shouting their new anti-establishment war cry, knowing that our early lunch break should effectively begin as soon as possible as it is inevitable that we will either be punished or expelled from school later.