Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 10:14:10 EST From: Justin0398@aol.com Subject: Stonebridge Days 07 by Justin Davis (M/M, T/T, no sex) The following story contains graphic sexual scenes involving younger males and older males. If material of this nature offends you then you should not read this story. Additionally, if you are under 18 years of age in most states you are not allowed to read this story by law. This story is purely a work of fiction. Any resemblance to person's living or dead, or to events that may have occurred, is purely coincidental. Additionally, the actions of the characters in this story are in no way intended to show approval of, or give sanction to, their actions. The author claims all copyrights to this story and no duplication or publication of this story is allowed, except by the web sites to which it has been posted, without the consent of the author. Positive comments are always welcome and you may e-mail them to Justin0398@aol.com Stonebridge Days By Justin Davis Chapter Seven When we returned from St. Thomas, Gerald began the spring term at the Community College and Brandon began the spring semester of his senior year in high school. It would be the semester that he would "out" himself from the get go. I found out at breakfast the first morning he was to start back to school. We had been back from St. Thomas for several days and I don't guess I really gave much of a thought to Brandon wearing the pendant Antonio had given him. We hadn't really gone out anywhere since we had returned. "Are you going to wear that to school?" I asked, noticing that he still had the pendant on his neck chain. "Wear what?" he asked. "That pendant," I replied, motioning my head. "Sure. Why not?" he asked. "You know the kids that are in the know are going to know what that means don't you?" I asked. "Yeah. So?" he replied. "Are you sure you're ready for that?" I asked. "Yeah, I might as well be. I AM gay you know," he said. "Well, I just don't want you to be hurt, that's all. People can be rather cruel you know." "Yeah, I know. I'm tired of being in the closet about it. You seem to handle it okay." "Well, for one thing, it's not something that I have ever advertised at work. Yes, those that have a close enough relationship with me that have asked me I have told them. Most don't know that I'm gay, or if they do they haven't said anything to me about it," I replied. "So, you've never come out to um?" Brandon asked. "I've never seen the need to. What a person does in private is his own business," I replied. "Geez, that's so lame!" Brandon replied, rolling his eyes. "Look, Brandon. Everyone has to make their own choices about things like that. I would imagine, knowing him as well as I do, that most of the people Gerald works with, as well most of his students, don't know that he's gay. Like me, he just doesn't see any need to advertise it," I replied. "Well, if people don't like it then fuck um!" Brandon said. "Would that it were that easy! You know I'll be in your corner so whatever you decide to do is fine with me. Just don't be afraid to talk to me about it if things get tough," I said. "Sure, I will," Brandon replied. "Fine. Now hurry up and finish or you are gonna be late for school," I said, looking at the kitchen clock. Thus began what I affectionately refer to as the "Lame Spring" in my relationship with Brandon. Lame was a term I assumed he picked up from Antonio, since I had never heard him use the term before we went to St. Thomas. Everything was lame. The fact that you had to wear a swimsuit at the beach or the pool was lame. The kids at school that called him a fag were lame. The teachers were lame. The government was lame. Homework was lame. Everything and anybody who wasn't in the small circle of gays and lesbians he had fallen in with at school was lame. Even I was lame. "It's so lame that you and Gerald aren't going to the Pride Parade!" Brandon said, the day before the parade. "Look, Brandon. I've told you lots of times that Gerald and I just don't feel the need to wear a sign around our neck proclaiming we're gay. That's our choice. You have to make your own decisions about that," I replied. "Geez! That's so lame!" Brandon replied rolling his eyes, and then headed out the door to go to the movies with a couple of girls from the group he hung around with. Brandon went to the parade, along with his circle of gay friends, and seemed to have enjoyed it. I must admit, however, I couldn't help but smile inwardly when he ranted on about how so many of the parade participants acted like total queens. So much for tolerance even within the gay community from one who had become a disciple of tolerance, never failing to preach upon the topic whenever he had a chance. As spring break approached, Brandon first broached the subject of Antonio coming to Orlando to visit. The two of them had been writing each other regularly since we had returned and two pictures of Antonio now hung on the wall of Brandon's room along with some posters Brandon had picked up at the Pride Parade. I hated to throw cold water on the idea, and it made me feel terrible, but financially there was just no way I could afford to buy a round trip ticket for Antonio at that point. "You can take the money out of my college fund," Brandon pleaded. "No way! That money is for college. Nothing comes out of there until you graduate from high school," I replied. "That's so lame!" Brandon railed. "Well, lame or not, that ain't gonna happen," I said. Brandon stayed in one of his funks for several days before he eventually started getting back around to his old self. When he seemed willing to talk about the issue again I told him that it was perfectly okay with me if Antonio came and spent the summer. That seemed to perk Brandon up considerably and he set his mind on that, even commenting on how Antonio could do yards with him. It was just before Spring Break that Joey entered the picture. I must admit I was a little surprised when Brandon announced that he and Joey were going to the beach on Saturday. "Who's Joey?" I asked. "Just a guy I met." "At school?" "Nah. He goes to the junior college. I met him at the Mall last weekend when we went. He's a friend of Sue's," Brandon replied. "I see." I didn't press the issue further, figuring that Brandon, who had professed never-ending love for Antonio since we had returned from St. Thomas, would tell me soon enough why he had changed his mind. Come to find out, Brandon really hadn't. It seems that he and Antonio had decided to date other people and see if they really loved each other as much as they though they did, something which wasn't a bad idea considering the distance that separated the two of them. Joey was a likeable kid and physically was the complete antithesis of Antonio. Tall, thin, and lanky, with close-cropped red hair and pale skin, Joey was very much of a contrast to Antonio's chocolate colored etched body. His mannerisms were also quite different than those of Antonio or Brandon. Joey was very much feminine in both his mannerisms and speech. In short, Joey was a "queen." A freshman at one of the nearby junior colleges, Joey hadn't decided whether or not to major in music, he played the piano, or drama. I surmised that he would probably do well in either. It was after Brandon had been seeing Joey for a couple of weeks that Brandon and I had one of our rare little talks about sex. I never pressed Brandon about his sexual encounters, preferring to let him bring up the issue, much as he had done in St. Thomas. Other than a serious discussion I had with him about safe sex when he started having sex with Mark, the issue rarely came up. "Ryan, can I ask you something?" Brandon said one morning at the breakfast table. "Sure!" "Well I----, Uh Geez! This is lame!" "Go ahead!" "Well, it's Joey." "What about Joey?" I asked. Brandon hesitated for a moment and I could tell that he was embarrassed. "You don't have to be embarrassed, Brandon. Go ahead," I said. "Well, it's just that Joey wants me to fuck him," Brandon blurted out. "Is that a problem?" I asked. "Well, kinda." "Oh?" "Yeah, he's a virgin." "Oh, I see!" I responded. "It's just that, well, I've never fucked a guy that hadn't been fucked before." "Well, Brandon, you already know about being safe. I would say the main thing is to take it slow. Actually, it would probably be better if you let him do all the work," I replied. "Him on top, huh?" "Exactly!" I replied. "That's cool," Brandon replied. "Anything else?" I asked. "Nah, I was thinking about that. Just wanted to make sure." That basically was the end of the discussion and I didn't inquire down the road whether or not things had gone well. I assumed that they had. My assumption was proven correct when Brandon hit me up four days later for money to buy some more condoms. "Ten dollars enough?" I asked, pulling a ten out of my wallet. "Uh, better make it twenty," Brandon replied. "You need that many?" I asked, somewhat shocked. "Yeah!" Brandon replied. I gave him another ten and wondered how many of the damn things he was going through. Lucky Brandon! It wasn't until Brandon started seeing someone else about two months later that he told me about Joey. Come to find out, Joey was a natural "pig bottom," and once he lost his cherry, couldn't get enough of Brandon's cock up his butt. I must admit the thought of Joey's long legs wrapped around Brandon made my cock twinge. Gerald, Brandon, and I didn't go anywhere for Spring Break that year. Brandon and his circle of gay friends spent their time either at the beach or the Mall and I had blown the bankroll on the trip to St. Thomas. I enjoyed having Gerald stay with me during that time. It was nice to have someone else to cook dinner, and not to have to worry about that the moment I came home from work. Although Brandon was getting to be a pretty good cook, with soccer practice after school and his friends, he rarely got home early enough to fix dinner. As is usually the case, just when things seemed to be running along smoothly, everything got bumpy again when Brandon announced that he was taking his new boyfriend Clayton to the prom at the end of April. I had hoped that the whole issue would die much as it had with he and Mark. However, it didn't. Unlike Joey, Clayton was every bit as masculine in his appearance as Brandon had become. Also like Brandon, Clayton had blonde hair and blue eyes. With the exception of hairstyle, Clayton wore his in a "preppy" cut; the two of them were almost a matched set. I had to admit that the two did make an attractive couple, and from little things Brandon said about Clayton I got the idea that he wasn't too bad in the sack either. So, the two of them went about their plans for the prom, renting identical tuxes, ordering identical boutonnieres, and doing other things associated with going to a prom. I grimaced at the cost of the lemo. Brandon, Clayton, and some others from Brandon's circle of gay and lesbian friends were going to share one to and from the prom. Yet, it was one of those things that had become "in." It was two weeks before the prom that I got a call from Mr. Edwards, the principal of Brandon's high school. He was extremely polite but more or less asked me to persuade Brandon not to take Clayton as a date to the prom. Evidently, it had become the talk of the school and the subject of debate in more than one of the government classes. I refused. Although I was polite, I reminded Mr. Edwards of the legality of what it was Brandon was doing and informed him that, if necessary, I would use all legal means, including going to court, to insure that Brandon's rights were protected. He was not pleased. Things just got worse. A day later, I got a call from a reporter who worked for the local newspaper wanting to interview me about the issue, since I was Brandon's guardian. I politely refused. The story ran in the paper the next day and I was furious. The entire article was totally biased against the two boys and their desire to go to the prom as each other's date. The article didn't upset Brandon at all. In fact, he took great delight in the fact that he and Clayton had made the newspaper. By the end of the week members of the school board had gotten involved and Mr. Edwards called back and threatened to expel Brandon and Clayton if they showed up at the prom as each other's date. They were welcome to attend, but not as a couple. "Believe me, Mr. Morgan. I don't have anything against gays," he said. "You could have fooled me!" I replied. "Please, Mr. Morgan. Be reasonable!" "I am being reasonable, Mr. Edwards. I won't sue you and the school district if you allow the two to go as each other's date," I replied. The conversation deteriorated from there. An hour later, Clayton's mother called. It was the first time I had ever talked to her. She was almost hysterical. Her neighbors wouldn't speak to her anymore, her boss had implied she might be fired. What was she to do? Obviously, things were getting serious, very serious. "Let me talk to them. I'll see what I can do," I assured her. It was a rather somber duo that sat upon the couch looking at me that Friday night, exactly one week before the prom. "I guess you guys know what I want to talk to you about? I asked. "Yeah, the prom. We're going!" Brandon replied, and reached over and took hold of Clayton's hand. "Look, guys. You know I support you one hundred per cent. Just hear me out, okay?" "Yeah, okay," Brandon said. "Sure, okay, Mr. M," Clayton responded. I never could get used to him calling me that. "Okay, well, like I said, I support you two one hundred per cent. I know, because of your undying love for each other, and the fact that you two will probably be together for a long time, the prom means quite a bit to you," I said. "Huh?" Brandon replied, and turned and looked at Clayton. "Did I say something wrong?" I asked. "Geez, Ryan! You and Clayton both know I'm in love with Antonio," Brandon replied. "Then pardon me if I seem confused," I said. The two looked at each other again, then back at me, with puzzled expressions on their faces. "You don't see the point I'm trying to make?" I asked. "Nooo!" Brandon replied. I tried to keep from rolling my eyes like Brandon always did when I often failed to get the point on something. "My point is, if you two are not going to the prom as a couple because of your love for each other then why are you going as a couple?" I asked. For a moment, there was silence. Brandon looked at Clayton, then back at me. "Because we have a right to!" Brandon said, emphatically. "Yes you do," I replied. "We have just as much right as anybody else to go as a couple," Brandon said. Then he began a litany of reasons, joined in by Clayton, of why they should be able to go, accompanied by an entire history of the persecution against gays and lesbians. I waited until it abated. "Again, you have both missed my point," I said. "Huh?" Brandon replied, followed by another confused look at Clayton then back at me. "Okay, let me see if I have this correct. You two want to got to the prom together, not as a public showing of your love for each other, but because you have the right to?" I asked. "Uh, yeah," Brandon replied. "And you feel the same way, Clayton?" I asked. "Damn right!" Clayton replied. "Fine! Now if I'm correct, and please correct me if I'm wrong, your going together as a couple is more of a statement of your gayness than anything about a long-term relationship." I said. "Uh, yeah!" Brandon replied. "Sure, Mr. M!" Clayton responded. "I'm very disappointed in the both of you," I said. The expressions on both their faces said it all. "Disappointed?" Brandon asked. "Yes, disappointed! Very disappointed in you both, especially you Brandon!" I replied. "Why?" Brandon asked, his eyes starting to tear up. "Brandon, the world is not made up of just you two and your goals or desires. Do you realize how many lives this little display you two want to put on has disrupted?" I asked. "No," Brandon replied. "I didn't think so." I painted the whole montage of everything. The upset of Clayton's mom, the fact that I was even beginning to get flack at work among those that accepted me as being gay, how upset Gerald was about the whole issue, the fact that I would fight tooth and toenail and sue if they got expelled, but how long that would take in the courts only God knew. All of it, and more, I poured on them. "Now, you two, go back to Brandon's room and figure a way out of this awful mess for all of us," I said, when I had finished. "I'm not giving up what I believe in!" Brandon said, defiantly. "Me either!" Clayton said. "I'm not asking you two to do that. Just compromise a bit. You'll figure something out. Now get your butts back there and work something out!" I said. They did. The time for the prom came. Brandon and Taylor looked lovely in their tuxes. Gerald and I had them pose and we took pictures until they protested that they had had enough of it. Sue Grayson and Janice Johnson, two of Brandon and Clayton's lesbian friends from their group, went as dates with Brandon and Clayton. Naturally, there was nothing that could be said when the boys walked in with the girls on their arms, although every student in the place knew the sexual inclination of the four. The prom went on without a hitch and all four behaved themselves with all the "straight" forbearing that any high school principal or school board could possibly want. That is until the last dance. As soon as the music began, and it was one of the few slow numbers they played the entire evening, Sue, who had been dancing with Brandon all night, and Janice, who had been dancing with Clayton, switched partners. As a result, Sue and Janice began to dance the last dance together, as did Clayton and Brandon. At first, everyone else on the dance floor stopped dancing. Then, there was some clapping from some of the more liberal faculty members across the way, followed by more. Finally, with the exception of only a few, the entire crowd on the dance floor stood aside and applauded as the four danced the last dance with the one they had really come with all along. There was nothing the principal or anyone could do or wanted to do. They were all just so happy that they had made it through the evening without turmoil. I was very proud of Brandon and his solution. I got tears in my eyes when he told me about the last dance. It was really the one that mattered anyway. He was becoming so grown up! Brandon graduated from high school at the end of May and Gerald and I were like two proud parents hooting and hollering as he walked across the stage to get his diploma, naturally making sure that the gold chain I had given him years before, and the pendant which proclaimed he was gay, hung prominently on the outside of his gown. Immediately, Brandon enrolled at the Community College for summer school. Between that, and continuing his yard mowing with Clayton, he had little free time that summer. In the Fall, Brandon entered Florida State University full time to pursue a degree in architecture. Interestingly, he had decided to major in landscaping. It was after Thanksgiving that year that Gerald dropped the big surprise on me. As the moving guys carried out the last boxes I looked around the empty apartment. For almost four years I had lived there with Brandon. There were so many memories! "You ready?' Gerald had asked, standing in the front doorway. "Yeah, just taking a last look," I replied. "Lots of memories, huh?" "Yeah!" "Hey, if you want, I can wait downstairs for awhile." "No, that's okay," I replied. "Brandon knows our phone number and mailing address. He knew that from the get go. In fact, he knew about the beach house before I told you. I asked him not to spoil the surprise." I looked at Gerald. God! He seemed as beautiful as the day I first saw him on the beach. "I can't believe you bought that fucking beach house and property," I said. "We are going to fucking starve to death!" "Like Brandon says, you're such a tight ass!" I had to laugh, for Gerald was right. Always conservative, always wanting to cover the bases, for over four years I had tried to nurture and protect Brandon and not interfere with the way he wanted to go. Now, I was going to be alone. Not really alone, there was Gerald, the love of my life, but alone, with no one to nurture. "I don't guess I'll need this anymore," I said, looking at the key to the apartment door. "No. We won't need that key in St. Thomas," Gerald replied. "I still can't believe you did this," I said. "Ryan. I've never felt closer to you in my life than when we went there with Brandon. You and I belong there, naked on the beach, making love to each other under the moon and the stars. I wanted it for you as much as me," he said. "How will we live?" "You are such a tight ass and so lame!" he replied, Brandon's inflection in his voice. I couldn't help but burst out laughing again in response. Gerald could mimic Brandon to a tee. Of course, I knew damn well with the inheritance Gerald had gotten with the death of his grandmother there was more than enough money to keep the two of us comfortable for the rest of our lives if it were invested properly, which was my area of expertise. Gerald was teasing me, as Brandon so often had done. That Christmas, Gerald and I flew Brandon out to St. Thomas and he spent his entire Christmas break with us in our new home. Well, I should say with Antonio, for we rarely saw him except at dinnertime and at breakfast. The supply of condoms I made sure was on hand for the both of them dwindled dramatically. That spring, Gerald opened his art studio in town, and he took in Antonio, who was extremely talented in painting and sketching and was attending college locally, under his wing. As for me, I slipped into the role of taking care of the domestic duties and managing our money. As a surprise for Brandon, Gerald and I bought Antonio a round trip ticket so that he and Brandon could spend spring break together and the two had a ball. In fact, so much so that Antonio decided he wanted to attend FSU. With Gerald's connections there was no problem and Antonio had a full art scholarship in no time. Naturally, with the money Gerald and I sent Brandon every month, and the part-time jobs they both had, the two were able to move in with each other and live rather comfortably for two college students. They graduated together, and Gerald and I attended. Again, it was like two proud parents watching their kids achieve something we had hoped and prayed would happen for them. Now, years later, as I sit and look at the Christmas photo of Brandon and Antonio standing in the snow, I can't help but even prouder of both of them. They both had gone to Massachusetts in November and gotten officially married. For all intents and purposes it was their wedding picture. Naturally, I was disappointed that they didn't have a big ceremony so Gerald and I could attend. However, neither of them wanted anything but a private ceremony dignifying their commitment to each other. Both of them are actually doing well. They have their own landscaping business, Brandon doing the actual landscaping work and Antonio doing the design work, and they have just moved into their new home in Miami. The promise in the note on the Christmas card that they will come visit us this spring makes me smile one more time as I read it again before joining Gerald in bed. It'll be nice to see both of them again, especially Brandon. I miss him! The End Author's Note: This was my first real attempt to write what might be considered a love story. I hope you enjoyed it.