Spring Break

This is a fictional story of giving between friends, young and old. If you don't like friendship, don't read it. If you don't like love, I'm sorry for you. If you are not old enough to legally read this, find your friend and have him read it to you. Graham and Jamie and Can You Spare a Quarter are the property of TigerpawGH and used here with reverence, if not permission.

In the last chapter of Stephy's story, Stocking Stuffer I think I made it a happy ending. Now I think there are new beginnings for Steph and Nick. I hope you find this chapter as enjoyable as the others.

Namaste!

Stocking Stuffer Part 11 Spring Break

"Really," Steph pleaded. "Do you own me now? Do I get to stay forever?"

"Yes and no, Tiger," I answered. "You own yourself and regardless of all this, you get to stay forever and ever, if that's what you want."

"I Love You, Dad." he said and all four of us were crying tears of joy.

Monday dawned bright and sunny and warm, for January 6^th! The big snow had almost melted completely away and you'd not know there had even been a storm except for the snow shovel leaning crazily against the house near the front door. I'd noticed it several times and meant to move it, but each time it just reminded me of the wonderful joy the storm had blown into my life: my Stephy, my son.

Stephy was all dressed up in his new cords and polo shirt with his bright blue backpack full of his homework and he was bouncing around the kitchen as we prepared for his first day of school after the Christmas break. He and I had talked about his school and our need to get their records updated. I could tell he was a little frightened of taking me to the principal, but I assured him our papers made him mine as long as he wanted and there was nothing they could or would do to take him away.

When we finally got there, several of his friends met us in the hallway and with a chorus of Hi's and Hey Stevie's we made it to the office.

I explained to the secretary that Stephen's mother had been called away and that I was his new guardian and we needed to get the records straight. She was a little flustered and had us wait while she found the principal and brought him back. The man came in from the playground in a big coat and as he shrugged it off and hung it up the secretary whispered nonstop in his ear and handed him what I took to be Steph's records. As he turned toward us he looked down in to the records and began, "Ah, yes, hrumph, ah, well now." and then looked up and directly at me. "Oh, my goodness, oh!" he managed to stammer. "Nick, oh well, ah wow! It is Nick! Well now this is an honor! We have all your books in our library and they are some of the favorite stories of many of our students. I can't believe it's really you! Wow! I didn't know you lived, uh, here!"

"Thanks," I replied. "Yes it's really me, but today I'm here because of Stephen."

"Oh, yes, well of course," he stammered. "Yes, ah well, Stevie!" and for the first time he looked over at my boy. "Well now, and where is Stevie today. Oh, my goodness, why this is Stevie! Well now, isn't that a miracle. Very nice boy, I ah, well I don't think we've ever seen you dressed so nice. Yes, very handsome. Yes, now, very nice," and he aimed a befuddled grin back at me as if everything was handled.

"Sir," I stressed. "I just want to make sure your records show that Stephen now lives with me and that any issues or problems should come to me. I'd also like to be sure the emergency numbers are recorded correctly."

"Right!" he brightened as I led him to the point. "Ah, yes, well that is very important. Yes, now, very important. Miss Smith," he directed at the secretary, "Please take down Nick's, I mean Stevie's new address information and get the records changed. Yes," he turned back to me, "Very important! Of course we've never had any issues with Stevie. In fact besides renewing his lunch ticket we don't ever see the scamp here in the office. Isn't that right Stevie?" and he turned a bemused smile toward Steph.

My boy was brilliant, "No sir, I never cause any trouble. Would you please call me Stephen now? Stevie was my old name and it's gone with my old clothes."

I could have hugged him on the spot, but satisfied myself with a big grin.

"Well now, of course Stevie, opps I mean Stephen. We can note that down. Miss Smith? Now of course your friends will probably still make a mistake or two! Big changes, big changes! Very good! Yes, very good indeed." Then he just seemed to go off into a fog as I gave all the new information to Miss Smith.

When we were done Miss Smith asked Steph about his lunch ticket and he dredged an old pink one from inside his back pack. Handing it over to her, I saw her frown and clear her throat. It seemed a signal that the principal knew because it brought him back out of his fog. "Ah, yes. Lunch ticket. Well now, that's a poser isn't it. Fresh out of punches, eh son? Well, now Nick I suppose you want to keep Stevie, opps I mean Stephen, on the free lunch program, what? Well then, another set of paperwork, right Miss Smith?" and he turned a smile toward the secretary.

"Ah, no sir. No Stephen won't need the free lunch anymore. Miss Smith, how do I buy Stephen a ticket?" I turned my own smile to the lady.

"Oh, yes, very good, very good. Miss Smith, give the boy a regular ticket, uh and let's uh get him on to class, what?"

Stephy took the proffered ticket and then started from the office, but quickly turned and came back over to me. Hugging me tight he whispered, "Love you Nick!" and then he scampered down the hall and out of sight.

I spent a few more minutes listening to the principal sputter and signing some of the papers required by Miss Smith and then I too escaped the clutches of public education administrative bureaucracy.

---

Steph seemed to glow for the next several weeks. He'd come home from school and devour whatever I had for snacks, then he'd fly to the bedroom and undress hanging or folding his clothes so neatly. In minutes he'd be cuddled in my lap wearing his favorite nothing, sometimes with bears, sometimes without. He'd stay for a half hour or so and then he'd be video gaming, watching the TV or some other boyish activity. We set up a routine and a space for homework and I found he needed no prodding. He'd set his time aside and everyday he'd get the backpack and the required paper and pencils and studiously complete his assignments. Sometimes he'd ask to look something up on the internet, but mostly he'd just quickly go through whatever the problems or assignments were. Then he'd bring them to me to check and I admit I never could find anything wrong!

About this time he began asking me about my next book and what had I been doing while he was at school. When I admitted I hadn't done anything he scowled at me and gave a little harumph of his own. That night at supper he presented me with his proposed schedule. There it was in black and white in his clear child's hand:

8 a.m. Kiss Steph off to school.

8:30 a.m. Finish breakfast dishes and make coffee.

9 a. m. Write story.

Noon – Lunch

12:30 Nap

1:30 p. m. Write story or write Nifty story

3 p. m. Get Snack ready

3:20 p. m. Kiss Steph home from school

I studied it carefully and said, "Oh, you think I'm an old man and need a nap do you?"

He carefully looked at me and with a serious expression replied, "You are an old man. You need a nap to be ready to keep up with me! We have too much fun at night and I think you aren't getting enough sleep!"

"Why you cheeky little imp!" I cried and picking him up, I carried him to the bedroom tickling all the way. He was squealing and laughing, but I tossed him on the bed and proceeded to tickle and then to lick and caress every part of his body. "We'll see who can't keep up!" I said and dove down on his little pricklet. The straining bit of boy meat was already stiff and bobbing around when I sucked it in and as I gave it every bit of my tongues attention Steph's squeals turned to moans and soon he was humping my face and writhing from the pleasure his dick was communicating to his brain. "Mphhhhh, Mphhhhh, MPHHHHH!" he cried as the orgasm wracked his body. I lay down beside him and just hugged him and whispered, "We'll see who needs a nap now!" as he drifted off in the haze of pleasure.

We had several movie dates with Gene and Scotty, but school and Gene's schedule kept us mostly apart through February. I tried Steph's schedule and for the first couple of days nothing happened, I'd sit and stare at my screen in a full blown writer's block. By day three I was going nuts that I couldn't even get one sentence down and in frustration I slammed the keyboard down at 10:15 that morning and got dressed and left the house. I didn't know where I was going or what I was going to do, but I knew I just had to leave.

I found myself suddenly at the mall and turning in with no real plan, I stopped and went inside. I started just walking the mall and window shopping. As I slowly went from store to store I soon found myself near the food court and it's attendant arcade. I was surprised to see that the arcade already had a couple of kids inside. It was a school day after all, why weren't these boys in school? I shrugged the question off, no concern of mine, and proceeded to buy a cup of real coffee at the Gloria Jean's and to sit at one of the 'outdoor' cafe tables and basically just stare off into space.

I was jarred from my reverie by a small form slipping into the chair opposite me and asking softly, "Hey Mister, can you spare a quarter? I need something to eat." My eyes focused and I was transfixed. There was a boy, about Steph's age, wearing clothes little better than Steph had when he first came to me, telling me he needed something to eat. Not only telling me, but using the words of one of the best Nifty stories. I just melted.

"No, son. I don't have a quarter, but if you'll come with me to the food court, I'll buy you lunch."

"Well, maybe," the boy answered. "I'm kinda hungry."

I lead him to the BK in the court and ordered a couple of Whopper meals. As we sat at one of the tables the whole effect of actually living another Nifty story just came slamming home to me. I started to chuckle as the boy wolfed down one burger and eyed the other. This was way too much like how Graham and Jamie had met.

Pushing the second burger across the table to the boy, I knew I had to help this boy too. As he finished the burger though, he was up and with a "Thanks Mister!" he turned and was suddenly gone.

"Hey!" I called out, but amazingly he was truly gone. The mall wasn't even crowded, but this boy had disappeared into thin air as sure as Jamie had stayed invisible while he checked Graham out in the second chapter of "Can you Spare a Quarter"

Gathering my wits, I decided to see if Gene was working and headed into Marshal Fields. The clerk in the boys department told me Gene wouldn't be in that day and I headed home, my mind racing with thoughts of this boy, my Steph and strangely the beginnings of a plot for my story boys.

Once home I went straight to the computer and picking up the keyboard I began to write and the words just flowed out of my fingers. I wrote right up to the moment I heard Steph fly in the door and drop his backpack as he came calling into the den. "I'm Home!" he called just like every stereotype of every suburban family since Lucy and Beaver first aired. I didn't care if it was a stereotype, it was my home, he was my boy and I was just as happy that he was 'home' as he was. Soon enough he was slamming into my lap for a quick hug and kiss and then racing to the bedroom to 'dress' and to the kitchen to find what kind of snack I had today.

Of course I'd forgotten the snack. Steph noticed right away and came back in the den with a little pout on his face. Looking at him I burst out laughing and reaching out I pulled him to me and into my lap. With a little tickle and a lot of hug, I coaxed him out of it.

"Hey, but you forgot my snack! Look," and he pointed at my schedule laying on the end table, "It clearly says, 3 p. m. Get Snack ready! Now why isn't my snack ready?"

"Well, Tiger. I think the schedule needs a little revision!" and I told him of my writer's block this week. I told him how frustrated I was and how this morning it had just driven me out of the house.

Looking at the schedule as he listened to my story, he suddenly brightened and cried, "Wait! I see it!" and he jumped from my lap and tore out of the den. He was back instantly and slamming back into my lap he took the schedule and with the pencil he had gotten he carefully inserted:

10:15 – 10:30 a. m. Recess

Looking at me with a glowing smile he said, "See, how could I be so mean! You have to have a recess to keep going. I can't expect you to sit still ALL morning! Of course you don't need one after your NAP!" and he tossed the schedule back on the table and dove in to begin his own tickling match.

Attacking back, soon we were just a mass of laughing and then heavy breathing man and boy. Finally we both declared a kind of truce and sat just cuddling and basking in the warmth of our love. "I Love you Steph." I whispered into his hair.

"Love you too, Nick!" he whispered back into my chest.

The blaring of the phone brought us both back out of Never Never Land with a start. We looked at each other and laughed and Stephy raced to pickup before the machine did. I listened and watched from my chair as my naked god slowly sauntered back towards me.

"Oh, Hi Scotty! Nick, it's Scotty and Gene! Yeah Scotty, I'll ask him. Can we go meet them for pizza Nick? Please? I'm starving since SOMEBODY forgot my snack!" As I nodded yes, he shouted into the phone, "WooHoo, YES! YES! Okay Donatello's? When? No NOW! Okay, see ya."

He then proceeded to tell me the whole conversation again. He was so cute bouncing around in his excitement I couldn't help just scooping him up and carrying him to the bedroom. Tossing him on the bed, I opened his drawer and picked pants and shirt and held them up. With an approving smile, he launched himself back off the bed and 'helped' me dress him. Despite the help, we got to the car in just a few minutes.

The boys played the arcade, snarfed the pizza and probably drained a whole keg of pop. Gene and I caught up with the past few weeks. I filled him in on how well Stephy did at school and he let me know about Scotty's continuing increases in confidence and security. As we kind of wound down, I suddenly remembered the boy at the mall and spilled the whole story out to Gene.

Gene said he'd heard from his store manager Brian that there was a rumor among the security folks that some kid was maybe trying to live at the mall, but he figured it was just a rumor. He told me that he had always known when he started gently making contacts with people buying in the boys department that he was only touching half the problem. "We've never been able to talk to boys directly at the arcade or the other stores. I wish we had a young friend who could get a job there and help make sure those boys are okay."

That struck something in my mind about my last book. My boys had been investigating a theft from a friend and I'd had them hang out at the mall and food court and eventually catch the thief. "Hey that gives me an idea! Maybe Steph and Scotty could visit the arcade some and see if they could make friends, or at least be there and open to talking?"

"That might be a great idea!" Gene replied. "I'd like to get Scotty out a little more. With Steph he'd be more comfortable. Let's ask them."

When the boys came back to retank up on pop, we asked them to sit for a few minutes. They looked serious and a little scared, but I chucked Stephy's chin and laughed. I explained I hadn't remembered to tell him everything from my first recess. Scotty and Gene both raised an eyebrow, so Steph quickly told them about my schedule and how bad I had been not writing. When he was done chastising me, he turned and asked what I had forgotten. I told the tale quickly and I could see the concerned look in his face. I hugged him to me and told him how wonderful he and Scotty were and that Gene and I had an idea.

Gene took the story from there and made it sound like an adventure and a challenge all at the same time. Dropping another fist full of quarters on the table, he told Steph and Scotty to go play some more and we'd talk about it later. The boys took one look at each other, grabbed the quarters and were off like a shot.

"So much for serious issues!" I thought, but as Gene and I finished our beers, the boys came back and before they even climbed back in the booth Scotty spoke up.

"We thought it over and we want to help. If another boy needs help, we want to help him."

Steph chimed in, "Yeah, if we can talk to him, maybe we can find out what's going on and see what we can do. Can we go to the mall tomorrow?"

Gene and I traded moist eyed looks and grabbing our respective boys, we almost smothered them in hugs.

As we left Donatello's, I was amazed to watch Steph steel himself at the door but walk across the parking lot to the car without even holding my hand. Once in the car though, the courage drained out of him and he reached out and grabbed my hand and basically hugged himself with it. I reached around and gave him another giant hug with both arms.

The dogs would never win, my boy was stronger every day.

I hope you enjoy Steph and Nick's story. Let me know if I should continue...

Some of Stephy's school mates are at www.81x.com/nicholas693/edgar

Comments to nicholas6996@hotmail.com

Namaste!