Shaw Island © Matt Caper
www.facebook.com/bassareus -- Personal FB Account
www.facebook.com/mattcaper -- Matt Caper's Page
Chapter 1
Boys, Bullying & Boners
On Shaw Island, the smallest of the four San Juan Islands served by the Washington State Ferries, everyone knows everyone. This was a tight-knit community of less than five hundred people; less than three hundred of those lived year-round on this small patch of earth, which has a land area of just under 8 square miles. At the time the Reilly family relocated to the island, the population of those under age fourteen was slim, making the chances even slimmer that there would be another eleven year old boy for Liam to play with.
Liam began his sixth grade school year on Shaw Island, where the historic "Little Red Schoolhouse", built in 1890, was still used. All students Kindergarten through eighth grade were educated in this tiny school, though it was no longer a one-room schoolhouse; one large room was slated for Kindergarten through fourth grade students, an added room was for educating fifth through eighth grade students, and an even newer room housed a computer lab. And Liam discovered the situation was just as he had feared. The first day of school revealed two five-year old boys, two six-year old girls and a six year old boy, an eight year old boy and an eight year old girl, a thirteen year old boy, and Liam, the only eleven year old, all being educated in this one place. Even worse, the thirteen year old boy -- Colin -- seemed to take an immediate dislike to Liam. That might've been because Liam hadn't grown up on Shaw Island, like the rest of the kids. Whatever the reason, it made him feel defeated, though he'd barely begun.
Being one of only two students in a classroom was daunting, especially when the other one was casting daggers with his eyes toward Liam. Neither said a word to each other all day, yet those looks were unmistakably hateful. Able to work at his own pace, Liam completed his tasks quickly and efficiently. He was eager to get home, before he was smothered by the tension in the classroom.
As soon as he set foot outside at the end of the day, the eight year old boy and girl descended upon him. "What's your name?" asked the girl.
"Liam Reilly," he murmured.
"I'm Abby Philpott, and this is Matthew Loper. When did you move here?"
Liam stood awkwardly in the fenced-in schoolyard, really wanting to go home. He didn't want to talk to eight year olds any more than a thirteen year old wanted to talk to him. "We only got here last week."
"Where did you live before?" Abby persisted.
"Spokane. My parents owned a chain of health food stores, but they sold most of `em, and we moved here."
"What road do you live on?" asked Matthew.
"Runnymede Lane," answered Liam, and both kids gasped in awe.
"The house at the end that was for sale?" Abby breathed, and Liam nodded. "Wow, you're lucky. I wish we had a private beach and a guest house."
Liam shrugged. He liked the private beach, especially since his dad let him and his brothers swim without bathing suits. He was unimpressed with the guest house. "My brothers have the guest house to themselves, `cause they're older, and there's two bedrooms in it."
"Two brothers?" Abby asked, and Liam nodded again. "What are their names?"
Liam was quickly growing weary of all the questions. "William and Patrick. They're fifteen and fourteen," he offered, before Abby could ask. "I gotta go home now."
"Are you walking home?" Matthew asked, and Liam nodded again. "Want me to show you a shortcut through the woods? I live on Smugglers Cove Road, right by your house!" He was obviously excited about that fact. "It's by the water, too, but not private, like yours."
Liam shrugged. "I guess." It was only a couple of miles journey by drivable roads, but a shorter route sounded pretty good. He supposed he should be grateful that at least someone wanted to be his friend. But it was hard not to feel sorry for himself, having no one his age to play with. It just confirmed what he had already suspected, that living on Shaw Island was going to suck rotten eggs.
"I don't need a ride home today, Abby, okay?" Matthew said to his friend.
"'Kay. See you tomorrow." Her mother was waiting in the car for her.
"Bye!" Matthew called, then turned brightly to Liam. "I usually don't walk home, `cause Colin Aerhart walks that way, too. So I just ride with Abby." He began to lead the way north, across Blind Bay Road. "See, we just follow Broken Point Road only a short ways, then there's this little bitty dirt road, called Copper Hill Lane, that goes into the woods. When it dead ends in the middle of the woods, that means we're not far from my house. Then your house is just a little farther."
Not only did Matthew seem to talk a lot, but he was a fast talker. Liam was already getting a headache. "Is that the Colin in my class?" Liam asked. "Does he live by us?"
"Yeah, pretty close, in the woods. I tried talking to him, but he just ignores me. And I'm too scared to walk the same way home that he does."
Liam sighed, only mildly comforted by the fact it wasn't only him Colin hated. But Matthew didn't have to be in the same classroom with Colin all day, he thought bitterly. While he was stewing over this, he suddenly saw the ground coming up fast to meet him. His brain didn't even have time to process what was happening, until he was flat on the ground, air knocked out of him. He realized, then, that he'd tripped on something. When he heard cackling above him, he learned that `something' had a name.
Colin Aerhart stood over him menacingly. "You should watch where you're going, Retard Reilly. You wouldn't want to hurt yourself."
Liam attempted to get up, but was forced down again by the boy's heel. "Let me up, Colin!" he demanded.
"Let me up, Colin," Colin mimicked him in a distorted, whiny voice. "You big baby." He withdrew his foot, and Liam scrambled up, brushing dirt and grass from his clothes. "Go cry to your mommy."
Fearfully, Liam inched away from Colin, but it seemed the older boy had lost interest. He walked ahead of the younger boys, picking up a big stick along the way. Liam and Matthew hung back for a while, until Colin was out of sight.
Matthew, white as a sheet, spoke in a whisper, despite the fact no one was around any longer. "Are you okay?"
"What a jerk," Liam spat. He wondered why he had been singled out that time, leaving Matthew untouched.
"We can go back and walk on the main road, if you want."
Liam felt the need to be brave. He was, after all, three years older than Matthew. "No. He's gone now. Let's go." They trod carefully the rest of the way, lest another tree was hiding impending doom.
When the road, which was really nothing more than a small path, ended, they trampled through thick brush for a few minutes. Soon they came upon Smugglers Cove Road, and Liam pointed to the nearest house, a small, attractive house near the water. "That's my house. You know your way from here, right?" They were on the only road that, when traveling by car, went to Runnymede Lane, where the Reillys lived.
"Yeah. Thanks," Liam mumbled. "See you tomorrow."
Because students above eighth grade had to attend school on a neighboring island, Liam knew his brothers wouldn't be home for a while. Despite their habit of either teasing Liam or ignoring him, he still would feel safe from Colin, were his brothers around.
"Liam?" his mom called, as he entered the house. "How was your first day?"
"It sucked," Liam pouted. "I wanna go home."
"This is your home, now, Liam," his mother sighed. "You promised you would give it a fair chance. You can't give up after one day. Why don't you go wash your hands. Wash your face, too. You're filthy. Then come down and have a snack."
Liam sighed, too, and trudged upstairs, dropped his bookbag on his bed, and secluded himself in the bathroom. Not having to share a bathroom with anyone was one of the benefits of his brothers occupying the guest house. He locked the door, did his business at the toilet, then placed himself in front of the mirror. He wasn't yet too concerned with his looks, though he was better looking than he knew. He had smooth, rounded facial features that made him easy to look at, set below slightly wavy, golden brown hair, hanging down just over his ears. And his slender body was filling out nicely already, accented by a slight touch of golden sun all over.
As he often did those days, however, he concentrated only on one part of his body. He stood with his pants and underwear pulled down and examined every detail of his blossoming manhood. To him, it seemed his dick itself was making little progress in growth. His ball sac, however, was definitely changing. While before, it was clinging securely to his body, now it was hanging down and swaying back and forth, as he rotated his hips. The movement made his little dick stiff, and he liked that feeling. Even more, he liked the sensations that cumming produced, something which he'd been able to do for only a short while by then, but had done it a thousand times or more. He was quite addicted to the feeling.
There before the mirror, he jerked himself furiously, going red in the face as he held his breath, gasping every few seconds. He tried hard not to make too much noise, even as the vibrations intensified and exploded his nerve endings, and small squirts of the watery substance splashed onto the counter. In those moments, he didn't feel anxious or fearful or homesick; he felt quite content.
Cleaning up quickly and washing his hands and face, he pulled up his trousers and raced downstairs for a snack. Jenny Reilly assumed it was the banana pudding that put her son in a better mood. "I know the parents of all your schoolmates," she informed him. "This is such a nice community. We're planning a Fall Festival for next month. Mary Philpott says everyone gets together for a party at least once a month. Halloween party in October, Thanksgiving party in November, and so on."
"Is that Abby's mom?" Liam asked with a mouth full of pudding.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," she reprimanded. "Yes, Mary is Abby's mom. She seems like a sweet girl."
"I met her today," he said, though that was obvious to his mother. "Her and her friend, Matthew, talked to me after school."
"She and her friend," she corrected. "See? You're making friends already."
"They're eight years old, mom," said Liam, with exasperation.
"Age is unimportant in friendship, Liam," she said wisely. "Don't discount them just because they're young. It's just like when you say your brothers shouldn't leave you out of things, just because you're younger."
Liam didn't respond, because he knew she had a point, though he didn't like it. He shoveled the rest of the pudding from his plate to his mouth, tossed the paper plate into the recycle bin, and raced back upstairs. Having no homework after the first day of school, he submerged himself into his favorite pastime; he kicked off his shoes, lounged on his bed, and picked up where he left off in his current Judy Blume book, about a boy going through puberty and trying to figure out friendships, girls and life. There he stayed until he was called for dinner.
♂
Because he now knew the way, Liam was instructed to walk to school on his second day. He prayed for rain, but it didn't rain much there like it did in Seattle, which was merely sixty something miles to the south. So, reluctantly he went, though his pace soon quickened. He thought if he could at least get to the schoolhouse undetected, he would be safe there. If only he'd left a little earlier, he could've taken the long way on the main roads. As it was, he was all but forced to take the shortcut. He hoped to see Matthew, when he reached the Lopers' house, but it seemed everyone had vacated the house already.
Lips trembling in fear, he exercised vigilance, peering into every shadowed alcove and watching every tree, even while trying to navigate the small, rocky path. He continued to see nothing, and he let himself slightly relax. But as he began to convince himself he was alone and safe, his hopes were shattered and trampled. Suddenly a gasping groan escaped his chest, as a strong force propelled him forward and, once again, flat to the ground. There was no laughing this time; Colin emerged from behind Liam, threw a stick that struck Liam's head, and walked on angrily. After waiting a few moments, Liam slowly pushed himself up and took stock of himself through his tears. His shirt was ripped where he'd skidded on it, revealing a belly button freshly coated with dirt. The entire front of him was caked with dirt, tree sap, and bits of leaves and sticks. He continued toward the schoolhouse, not knowing what else to do. He was too ashamed to go home, and he knew he'd be in trouble if he skipped school.
When he arrived, everyone was already inside and beginning their work. His teacher looked up when he entered and immediately began making a fuss. "Gracious, Liam! What happened to you? Are you all right? Are you hurt?"
Colin's look of death nearly frightened Liam into silence, but the prospect of facing more unhindered bullying in the future frightened him even more. "Colin pushed me down in the woods," he told Mrs. Cole.
Mrs. Cole turned a sharp look onto Colin. "Colin Aerhart! Your parents will hear about this, young man. Liam, wash off with the hose outside and come straight back in."
Colin looked even more dangerous in that moment than he had before, and Liam almost wished he hadn't told on him. Throughout the day, he expected Colin to hurt him when no one was looking, but Colin barely even looked his way. He began to think he'd done the right thing, after all.
After school, Colin disappeared as he had the day before. Liam stared warily toward the shortcut, wondering if it would be safe now.
"Hi, Liam," said Abby, and she and Matthew were once again in front of him.
"Hi, Abby. Hi, Matthew," he managed a small smile, remembering his mother's words. Both kids seemed elated by his friendliness.
"I'm sorry Colin hurt you," she said sympathetically. "He's always mean."
"Yeah, but he never hurt us," added Matthew.
Liam was embarrassed to be comforted by two eight-year olds, so he shrugged it off nonchalantly. "It's no big deal," he murmured.
There was an awkward pause, until Abby nudged Matthew, and he spoke up. "You want to come over to my house Friday after school? Abby can come over, too, and we can play together. But then she'll go home, and you can spend the night with me. Want to?"
A dreadful, sinking feeling began rumbling in his gut; he could see a ruined weekend in his future, full of boring kids' games and stupid conversations, especially with a girl around. He knew his mom would know of these plans already, and his parents would make him feel guilty enough to do it. But in the mere seconds that he hesitated with his answer, he also realized he may be able to make the situation better by changing some of the details.
"Sure," he answered, and Matthew lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Awesome!" Matthew exclaimed, while Abby grinned happily.
"Or if you want to," Liam added, "you can stay over at my house, since we have our own private beach, and all. We could camp out. I'll get my mom to buy stuff for S'mores."
Matthew nodded eagerly. "Neat! I'll ask my mom, but I know she'll say yes. She likes your mom."
"She does?"
"Yeah, she says they're friends, now. Which is cool, `cause so are we!" Matthew said brightly.
"She's friends with Abby's mom, too," Liam shared. "Mom says you're a sweet girl," he told her.
Her smile matched her seemingly sweet nature. "I am sweet," she beamed, and both Liam and Matthew laughed.
"Can we walk together again?" Matthew asked eagerly.
"Yeah," Liam agreed. "The long way, right?" Matthew nodded rapidly.
He learned that the shortcut definitely took some time off their journey; they weren't even to Matthew's house, before he started complaining of sore feet. They also both agreed the woods would be more fun to travel, if it weren't for Colin.
"Mrs. Cole said she's calling Colin's parents," Liam shared. "If she does, maybe he won't bother us anymore."
"Colin's always getting into fights, with older kids, I guess," Matthew gossiped. "I've never seen him, but everybody says so."
At Matthew's house, they parted ways, and Liam made it the rest of the way home without incident. He felt somewhat better about things, hoping that telling his teacher what happened had put an end to things. Nevertheless, he raced to his room before his parents could see the state of his clothes. He had to dispose of the shirt, and the rest he deposited into his laundry hamper. Naked, he spread out on the bed and went through his jerking ritual, with no particular fantasies in his head. Then he was immediately dressing and looking downstairs for something to snack on. Thankfully, there was still some banana pudding left.
Presently, he saw his mom drive up and park in the garage. He hadn't even known she was out. When she came in, she started chatting, as usual. "Do you know who I spent the day with?" she asked mysteriously.
"Matthew's mom?" he guessed, and the suspense she had hoped to build up, deflated.
"How did you know?"
He shrugged. "Matthew said you're friends with her now."
She smiled again and nodded, putting away things she had gotten at the only general store on the island. "Her name is Linda, and she's a lovely woman. Mary and Jess were with us part of the day, too."
"Mary is Abby's mom, right? Who's Jess?"
"She's the mother of one of the Kindergartners and one of the first graders at your school. Abby's baby brother is the other Kindergartner, did you know? Poor Matthew's an only child, though they're still trying to have another one."
Liam didn't care a bit about who was trying to have what. "Matthew's the lucky one, `cause he don't have stupid brothers who pick on him."
"He doesn't have," she again corrected his grammar. "And you should be thankful for your brothers. One day you three will be thicker than thieves."
"Whatever," said Liam, cleaning up after himself. "I have homework to do. Oh, wait. Can Matthew and Abby come over and play Friday after school?"
Jenny beamed all over. "Of course!" she sang. "I'm so glad you're making the effort to be their friend."
He smiled. Seeing his mom so giddy made him feel pretty good. "Can Matthew spend the night, too? We want to set up the tent on the beach, and camp out and swim, and stuff. Maybe make some S'mores."
"I think that's a wonderful idea," said Jenny. "I'll buy some things tomorrow for your weekend. What did I tell you? You're fitting in nicely here."
He agreed, keeping from her the part about being terrorized the past two days. He retreated to his room, taking all of fifteen minutes to complete his homework. He liked those kind of days, if he had to have homework. Within seconds of finishing his work, his stomach was secured to the bed, his feet were in the air, and his nose was buried in his book.
Not an hour into reading, he was interrupted by his dad's voice, calling him downstairs. Mom's call he could ignore a time or two, but not Dad's. He hurried down, hoping to soon be reunited with his beloved book. It was still a couple of hours before dinner time, and he wanted all of that time to himself.
What he found in the family room, however, caused him to stop short. Standing near his parents, by the door, were Colin and, presumably, Colin's dad.
"Come here, young man," said the alleged Mr. Aerhart. The mere sound of the man's voice caused terror to fill Liam's chest. He approached slowly, stopping mere feet before them. "My son has something he wants to say to you."
Colin couldn't even look at Liam, though Liam didn't know that, because he couldn't look at Colin, either. They both stared at random things, as an awkward silence expanded and nearly suffocated them. "Now, son," Mr. Aerhart commanded.
Colin spoke in a tiny, strangled voice, sounding worse simply from puberty's attack. "I'm sorry for pushing you down and hurting you, and I hope-" His voice faltered, and he swallowed hard, then tried again. "-you'll forgive me."
Liam didn't know how to respond. He couldn't even manage a smile to make Colin feel better. He didn't want Colin to feel better. He was jolted out of his reverie by his own dad's voice.
"Liam?"
"Sir?" said Liam.
"Do you accept Colin's apology, son?" he asked forcefully.
"Oh. Yes." He looked at Mr. Aerhart, still unable to set eyes on Colin, and nodded. "Thank you."
The man nodded tersely. "He won't bother you again, I'll make sure of that." He shook hands with Jacob Reilly, nodded to Jenny, and guided his son out the door. Liam escaped to his room, before either of his parents could ask about the incident in question. And he sincerely hoped Colin got in big trouble, despite having apologized.
The rest of that week, Colin didn't so much as look at Liam. That suited Liam just fine. He felt safe walking through the woods, after that, and convinced Matthew to join him, walking to and from school. Maybe, he thought, living on Shaw Island wouldn't be so bad.
As much as he hated to admit it, he was pretty excited when Friday afternoon rolled around. He gathered with his young friends outside the school, and Matthew looked just as excited as Liam felt, if not more.
"I have to do my homework and chores first," said Abby. "I'll come to your house when I'm through."
The boys waved her off and enjoyed a peaceful walk home, through the woods. Matthew chatted the entire way to his house, but Liam didn't mind so much, this time. He had plenty to say, himself.
"I don't have any friends that are boys, except maybe Jeremiah," Matthew shared, in the midst of their conversation. "But he's only six. All the other boys around here are way older. I didn't think you'd wanna be my friend, `cause I'm only eight, but Abby said you would, `cause you needed a friend, too, just like me."
Until that moment, Liam had never considered that Matthew might be feeling the same things as he had been feeling, wanting a boy close to his age to do things with. It gave him a whole new perspective, as well as a better appreciation for Matthew and his friendship. "Yeah," he nodded, feeling a little embarrassed for his initial reaction to Abby and Matthew. "I thought it would suck, living here. It pretty much did, at first. But Colin doesn't bother me anymore." He fell silent, as they exited the woods onto the road, but then rushed out a few more words, in a moment of vulnerability. "Thanks for being nice to me."
Matthew gave his winning smile, that Liam was coming to appreciate. "My mom can't wait to meet you. She says you're going to be a good influence on me."
Liam laughed, and Matthew laughed with him. "Why does she think that?"
"I don't know."
"I'm not some role model, or anything," Liam stated. Matthew shrugged in response, unconcerned about it. "Is Abby your girlfriend?" Liam asked suddenly.
Matthew shook his head rapidly. "Abby's my best friend. Best girl friend, anyway. I mean, friend that's a girl."
"I know what you mean," said Liam.
"We've known each other our whole lives. I don't want an icky girlfriend, anyway."
"Me, neither!" Liam agreed, but then pointed ahead. "Hey, that's my mom's car!" She was parked at Matthew's place.
They broke into a run, stopping only when they banged against the front door. That door was promptly opened, and both boys' mothers stood with their palms rooted to their hips. "Sorry," said Matthew, panting and giggling simultaneously.
"Did you leave Abby behind?" Jenny Reilly asked.
"She had chores and homework to do first. She'll come over soon," Liam informed his mother.
"Well, Liam," began Linda Loper. "I'm Linda, and it's very nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, too," he said politely, which pleased her.
"We're really glad you two get along, despite your age difference. I think that speaks highly of both of you."
Liam and Matthew sort of looked at each other, neither knowing what to say.
"Matthew, are you staying for the weekend?" Jenny asked. "You're welcome to."
"Or," added Linda, "you two can stay here tomorrow night, for something different."
The boys whipped their heads toward each other, grinned, and both answered together. "Yeah!"
"We'll switch tomorrow," Matthew clarified.
Linda smiled. "All right. You better go get your things, Matthew."
As they disappeared around the corner, Jenny hollered after them. "If you boys want to ride home with me, you better hurry!"
Matthew's bedroom, like Liam's, was relatively clean and uncluttered. Liam suspected it was that way for the same reason his was, that his parents made him keep it that way. He took a look around, while Matthew grabbed the duffel bag he'd already prepared, then they were following Jenny to her SUV.
"Dad's on the mainland for business, Liam, so ask your brothers to help you set up the tent when they get home." Once Jenny was parked in the garage, the boys raced inside and to Liam's room. It was Matthew's turn to investigate things, while Liam started looking through dresser drawers, and then his closet.
"What are you looking for?" Matthew asked.
"My swim shorts," Liam mumbled. "I hope I still have `em."
"You haven't been swimming since you got here?"
"Yeah, lots," said Liam, as he ruffled through more drawers. "Dad lets us swim without our shorts."
Matthew brightened. "We don't have to wear them, then?"
Liam looked up, finally pulling a pair of trunks out of an unorganized bottom drawer from a chest of drawers. "We do while Abby's here."
"Oh, yeah."
"Wanna get a snack, and then go swim?"
"Sure!" Matthew agreed.
They began tearing off their clothes, stripping down fully before donning their trunks. Liam sneaked a look at Matthew's tiny dick, yet untouched by puberty. He wished Matthew were older, so he could share the masturbation experience with his friend. Without knowing why, he longed to share it with another boy. He couldn't, and wouldn't, share it with his brothers. He wondered if he would feel more comfortable and "normal" about doing it so much, if he knew another boy who jerked off all the time, too.
Supplied by snack cakes and bottles of juice by Jenny, the shirtless boys ran around the rocky hill, down to the small, private shore. Truthfully, Liam felt weird wearing clothes in the water. Nevertheless, he hadn't had a better time since arriving on Shaw Island. They splashed around, cut up, and screamed and laughed like the best of friends.
When William and Patrick came home, the young boys ran up to the guest house, dripping wet, and Liam yelled for his brothers. Patrick, the younger of the two, came to the door. "What?" he said sharply.
"Mom said Dad's away on business, and to get you and Will to help me set up the tent on the beach."
Patrick groaned and yelled for his older brother. "Who's this kid?" he asked, looking at Matthew.
"My friend, Matthew. He's in third grade."
"Why are you wearing shorts in the water?"
"Our friend Abby is coming over soon. Matthew's spending the night, though."
William appeared, and he was just as reluctant as his brother to help with the tent. Regardless, they dragged it downhill and initiated the set-up, while Liam and Matthew ran back and forth, carrying down other items they would need for the night: a halogen lamp, sleeping bags and pillows, a cooler of snacks and beverages, and fresh towels. After that, they started collecting firewood, so they could roast S'mores.
"You're welcome," Patrick offered sarcastically. They had finished setting up the tent and were headed up the hill.
"Thank you!" Matthew said brightly.
"Yeah, thanks," mumbled Liam, not as enthusiastically as his friend.
Once the firewood was gathered, they moved all their supplies into the tent and stayed there while munching on snack cakes.
"Helloooo," Abby's voice rang out, on the other side of the tent.
Matthew poked his head out. "Abby! Come in!" He handed her a snack and fruit juice once she was settled. "I thought you'd never show up. Did you bring your swim suit?"
She nodded, taking a large swig of juice before replying. "I'm wearing it under my clothes."
"Let's go swim!" Matthew declared. Then all three scrambled to the water, hollering and cheering, the boys bellowing war cries. By the time William called them for dinner, they were spent.
They were also dripping wet, which called for a dinner on the patio, of burgers and sausages charred on the grill. Liam loved grilled burgers just about more than anything. They consumed an unseemly amount of food, after which they were content to sit and do nothing for a while, except for Abby.
"I have to go home, now," she announced.
"How come?" asked Liam.
"Mom said I could come over for a while, but I had to come home after dinner. I have to watch Benjamin, while Mom's book club is going on. Your mom's gonna be there, too. I think I'm riding home with her."
As if on cue, Jenny came waltzing outside, dressed for socializing, and looking, in Liam's opinion, just about perfect. "Abby, honey, are you ready to go home? This train is leaving."
"Yes, ma'am. See ya," she told the boys, who couldn't manage to get up just then.
Liam sighed when they had left. "I ate too much," he complained.
"Me, too," Matthew echoed.
But after a few minutes, and a trip to the bathroom for each of them, they felt they had rested enough. Back on the patio, Liam grinned wickedly, raising Matthew's interest. "We don't have to wear our shorts now," Liam pointed out.
"Woohoo!" Matthew exclaimed, and they both shed their inhibiting clothing, leaving them on the ground and jetting down the hill, and back into the bay. "This is so much better!" said Matthew happily, as they began tackling each other and launching each other as much over the surface as possible.
Before they realized it, the sun had snuck away to the other side of the world. Their energy was decreasing, though their spirits were still soaring. "I'm done swimming," Liam stated. "Are you done?" They stood in water up to their necks, water that was rapidly cooling.
"I'm done," Matthew agreed. Before either one of them made a move toward the shore, Liam felt a ripple run under his legs, between his thighs. He looked down the front of him, even though he couldn't see into the water, and was about to mention the presence of fish. He opened his mouth, but instead of words, a crackling scream emerged, as someone or something came out of the water and grabbed him.
Matthew, too, emitted a scream, a piercing one. He was being grabbed, too, and terrible growls came from their attackers. The growls, however, soon dissolved into fits of laughter. Liam struggled in William's arms, furious when he realized what his brothers had done. William and Patrick let go of their prey, simply because they were laughing too hard to hold on. They swam to shore, while Liam practically spewed venom.
"WILLIAM!" he screamed. "GOD! You ASSHOLES!" He swam toward his brothers, wanting to hurt them in the worst way.
The older boys, now on dry land and naked like the others, turned and gasped at Liam's language. "Oh ho ho!" William laughed. "Wait `til Dad hears what you just said!"
Liam stormed out of the water and ran to push his oldest brother, but was easily deterred, which made him all the angrier. "I hate you both! Go away and leave us alone!"
"Chill out, bro," William answered, while Patrick continued to giggle.
"You were so scared," Patrick interjected.
"We were just teasing," William added.
"Oh my gosh," breathed Matthew. "I thought I was gonna wet my pants."
"You're not wearing pants, dufus!" Patrick laughed, and the older boys cackled. Matthew couldn't help giggling, too, unlike Liam. He was boiling.
"Why couldn't you be somebody else's brothers and not mine?" Liam spat, and he turned and crawled in the tent, determined to ignore his brothers forevermore.
"You're a good sport," William told Matthew, and mussed his matted hair. "Go calm down your friend." They trotted back up the hill, and Matthew joined Liam, who was wrapped in a towel and scowling.
"I hate them," muttered Liam, giving Matthew a towel.
"I wish I had brothers," Matthew offered. "I bet they're nice sometimes."
"You can have `em, then," Liam retorted. "They're not nice ever."
For a while, they sat in silence, until Liam's mood lifted. Matthew was glad, because they had had a great evening so far, and he didn't want it ruined already. They didn't bother to dress. Instead, they stretched out on top of their sleeping bags and munched on more snacks, while they learned more about each other.
"Your family must be really rich," Matthew noted.
Liam's brow furrowed. "My dad says everyone who lives on Shaw Island is wealthy."
"Yeah, but we're not as rich as you. Our house is way smaller."
Liam shrugged. "Whatever. I don't care about that. What kind of music do you like? I like anything good. I hate country music."
"Ew, I don't listen to country music," Matthew wrinkled his nose. He named off a few popular artists, and within moments, the boys were singing at the top of their lungs, one song after another. Liam never would've believed he could share so much in common with an eight year old boy.
When the singing was over, both their spirits were high. The feeling of enjoying Matthew's company made Liam's body tingle all over, which produced that familiar sensation in his gut, the one that hardened his dick many times a day. The only times he ever noticed having a boner, though, was when he was intending to jerk off. Just then, he was oblivious to his rising shaft. But Matthew didn't notice it, either. He was dwelling in his elation for making a new friend.
What Liam did notice, however, when he glanced down Matthew's body, was Matthew had his own tiny boner. He sat up and gazed openly at it. "Whoa!" he whispered. "You got a stiffie!"
Matthew sat up and looked down, then looked at Liam's lap. "So? So do you."
"Yeah, but I didn't know eight year olds could get stiffies. I don't remember having them when I was eight."
Matthew shrugged. "I don't know." His knowledge of a boy's body was very limited. "Is that good?"
"Getting a boner? Yeah, it's good. I mean, it feels good when you jerk off." Liam leaned back on his left elbow, and three fingers of his right hand began stroking his own dick.
Matthew copied Liam, watching intently. "What does that mean?"
Liam suddenly felt very grown-up and was glad to share his knowledge. "When you go through puberty, your dick and balls get bigger, and you can start making sperm. That's the stuff that gets a girl pregnant when you have sex with her. But you can also masturbate. It's basically having sex with yourself," he said knowingly. "You jerk your dick up and down, like this, until you cum. It's called an orgasm. When you cum, your dick shoots out semen everywhere. It's also called cum. It's white and sticky, and it feels totally awesome when it comes out."
"Am I going through puberty?"
Liam shook his head with a smile. "Not yet. You're too young. My dad says it usually starts anywhere from age ten to thirteen. See how your balls are small and up against your dick? When they start hanging down and getting bigger, like mine, then you'll know you're going through puberty. Also, your voice starts to crack, so it can get deep one day.
"It feels good when I play with my dick, though," Matthew noted, and looked on longingly, wishing he could be as grown-up as Liam.
Liam grinned. "Wanna watch me jerk off?
"Sure!"
Liam lay back and started stroking feverishly from the beginning, letting himself gasp and grunt, as he tried to force the sensations to the top. Before long, he felt them creeping upward, and he grunted at Matthew. "Here it comes." Matthew watched without blinking, as Liam arched his back, whimpered, and shot out three streams of cum, followed by drizzles.
"Wow," Matthew whispered solemnly. "I wish I could do that."
"It's the best feeling ever."
Silence followed, while Liam recuperated and Matthew pondered body changes. "Your brothers have big penises," Matthew broke the silence, a few minutes later. "Will ours get that big, too?"
"Yep," said Liam, and yawned. "Haven't you ever seen your dad naked?
"Never."
"Oh." Another yawn escaped Liam's rounded mouth. "I'm getting sleepy." He remained on his back, warm enough to remain above the cover of his sleeping bag.
Taking advantage of their closeness, Matthew rolled to his side and cuddled up to Liam, throwing an arm over his friend's torso. Unlike his brothers, Liam was not a touch-me-not, at least not with Matthew. Neither of them moved again before falling asleep.