Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2002 08:45:04 -0500 From: Jeff Allen Subject: "Love of a Lifetime" Part 20 This is a fictional story dealing with love and consensual sexual activities between males. If you are not of legal age, reside in an area where viewing such material is illegal, or are offended by homosexuality and/or homosexual themes, leave this site now. The author retains all rights to this story. No reproductions or links to other sites are allowed without the permission of the author. Note: I owe a special thanks to Robb for doing the final proofreading and catching all those silly little errors that I missed. PART 20 For the first two weeks in the apartment, Justin and I shared the double bed in the one bedroom. His folks brought up some bedroom furniture after that, and Justin moved into the other bedroom. Even after getting his own bed, he would crawl in bed with me once or twice a week, especially if we had a big test coming up. Of course we slept naked. Justin would snuggle right up to me and go to sleep. There was never anything sexual about it although I did get hard most of the time when he did that. Justin just liked the comfort of sleeping next to someone, and I wasn't complaining. Both of us really appreciated the privacy and extra space of the apartment after being in the dorm rooms. The apartment seemed like a mansion to us. Justin's seeming lack of modesty in the dorm was nothing compared to the freedom he felt in the apartment. The boy often got naked right after dinner and stayed that way until he had to leave for classes in the morning. I normally kept my briefs on, but I enjoyed watching Justin. Even though I knew he was totally straight, he was still nice to look at. The refund of the housing fees wrangled out of the university by Justin's dad made it possible for me to pay my share of the rent on the apartment. We gradually replaced most of our clothes and other things that had been destroyed. Guys on the soccer and track teams provided some hand-me-downs, and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance took up a collection for us that really helped me financially. The rest of the semester went well. We were busy with classes and soccer and track practices and matches. Kevin Williams was a huge sports fan. He and the three kids showed up at most of Justin's home soccer matches and my home meets. Our apartment became a sort of unofficial hangout for the guys on the soccer and track teams. The guys were good about giving us space to study when we needed it so our grades didn't suffer from all the social activity. It seemed like there was almost always someone at the place. It took me a while to realize but our team mates were doing their part to make certain that whoever had trashed our dorm room didn't have the same chance with the apartment. Doc Kevin loved having all of the jocks around. He stopped up to talk with us and the other guys a couple of times a week. Andy and I were invited out to Doc and Matt's whenever Andy was in town. They were wonderful hosts, and Doc was a terrific cook. Several times I helped him prepare the meal in the kitchen while Andy and Matt talked or soaked out in the hot tub. Sometimes I felt a little left out. Doc of course was a friend, but he was also one of my professors. Andy and Matt were about the same age and seemed to click as friends. That left me feeling like I was standing on the outside sometimes. Those feelings never lasted very long, however, since they were such great guys to be with. Justin and I did well that semester in our classes. We managed "A's" in everything except calculus which was an "A-" for both of us. Doc had a big potluck picnic at his place right after final exams. All the faculty and students in the biology department were invited. Matt invited some of the coaches and members of the football team. Kevin and Kathy Williams and their kids were present as were Andy and Larsen. At one point in the evening, Matt got everyone's attention and announced that Doc would be celebrating his 35th birthday in a couple of weeks. Several of us had been clued in beforehand and had gag gifts for "the old man." Andy and I gave him a bottle of Geritol. Kevin and Kathy Williams produced some "over the hill vitamins." Matt gave him a set of "moldy oldie" CD's. Doc took it all in stride. There was lots of food, lots of beer with no one becoming drunk, and lots of laughter and conversation at the end of a long school year. ********** That summer was a wonderful time for Andy and me. I got a job working at the local hardware store so we had almost every evening and night together. A couple of times we kind of got on each others nerves a little, but when that happened one of us would eventually say something really silly that would cause both of us to laugh...and then we would have to make up. Making up is FUN! Andy and I were invited down to Sunset Beach for the Fourth of July weekend. All of Justin's family was there so we finally met the other siblings: Jerrod, 28, a dentist just starting in practice and his partner, Tom who was an accountant; Beth, 26, and her husband Joe Losca were both lawyers; and Susan who had just completed her first year in law school. Doc and Matt visited us the last weekend of July. It was their last real weekend of the summer because Matt would be starting early football practice in August. The four of us, plus Larsen of course, spent the weekend playing tourist and just generally relaxing. ********** Justin and I moved back into the apartment in mid August a couple of weeks before the start of school. The Williams kids were happy to have us back. All of them, but especially Little Gary, looked like they had grown over the summer. The little guy was so proud that he was going to start "real school", meaning first grade, in another week or so. We got busy with soccer and track practices and catching up with all of our returning team mates. Since most of the sports teams were back on campus for early fall drills, the food service was open. I started my old job back washing dishes at breakfast. I was clearing off some of the breakfast trays that had been left in the dining room one morning when I ran into Jason Sherman. He was sitting by himself at one of the tables. He had his back turned to me, and I didn't recognize him at first. I went over and started picking up some of the trays and dishes left at one end of the table. He looked up from his pancakes. "Hi, C.Z." I sat down at the table. All of the anger and frustration from the harassment of the previous year came flooding back. I had almost managed to forget it over the summer. "Hi, Jason. How are you?" He smiled weakly. "I'm doing okay. It was kind of rough being back home this summer. It's better up here even if the coaches are working our butts off. Did you have a good summer?" "Yeah. It was great being able to spend the summer with Andy and not worry about things here." He lowered his head. "C.Z., I'm really sorry about how everything turned out last year. I should never have told Brad anything. I'd give anything to be able to take it all back." "Things seem to work out, Jason. I've made several friends who've been real supportive. I don't think I would have met some of those people if I hadn't been having trouble with the whole gay bashing thing." He looked down again. "I feel sick about what all happened, man." When he looked up there were tears in his eyes. "I...I'd like to talk to you some time. I've been trying to work through some issues in my life. I think you'd understand." "Come by our place some time. Do you know where Justin and I are living?" "Yeah. Up on Oak Street behind that gray Victorian. It looks like a nice spot." "It is. I'm glad to be out of the dorm." I saw him wince at that. "Where are you living this year?" "I'm still in the dorm. My roommate this year is another guy on the team. Brad moved out into an apartment this year. Maybe I won't have to wear ear plugs to sleep this year." "His snoring was pretty bad, wasn't it?" "Man, it got even worse after you left. Every time he got drunk, it was like sleeping near a buzz saw." He looked furtively around the room. I guessed he was checking to see if any of his macho football friends had seen him talking with one of the campus queers. "Listen, C.Z., I've got to go. I'll give you a call some time." I sat there at the table after he left. I felt sorry for Jason. I hoped the fact that he and Brad Miller were no longer roommates meant that Jason would let open the closet door a little. The kid was really wound up tight. ********** The semester started off well. Justin and I still had identical schedules with two biology classes, organic chemistry, and another literature course. We didn't have Doc or the Williamses for any of the classes, but we saw Doc around the biology building all of the time, and we were living next door to Kevin and Kathy Williams. We fell back into our routine. I'd roust Justin's naked ass out of bed when I came back from working at breakfast. Half the time we took our morning showers together in the big bathtub in the apartment just to save some time. Classes, practice, team meetings, soccer matches, track meets, and study were our weekday fare. Weekends were freer. Justin was still trying to date and bed (with moderate success) every good looking girl in our classes. Andy and I were still able to spend every other weekend or so together, but instead of alternating who traveled as we had the previous year Andy and Larsen usually came to Adams State. We often got together with Doc and Matt. Sometimes Justin joined us in Doc's hot tub if he didn't have a date. I was always impressed with Justin's level of self comfort. Most straight guys would have been at least a little nervous if they were naked in the same hot tub with four gay guys. It didn't seem to bother him in the least. Justin's brother, Brian, and his friend Stephen Ngyuen were freshmen and roommates at Adams State that year. They were often over to our apartment on the weekends but mostly kept to themselves during the week. Of course they saw Justin every day at soccer practices and matches. On campus, Brian and Stephen made no effort to hide their sexual tastes. At first I was afraid they'd face the same problems I had the previous year, but nothing happened. The guys on the soccer team didn't seem to mind, and they didn't report any harassment in the dorm. I was beginning to think that my problems had been a fluke. That was until the co-president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance was beaten up. ********** David Cohen and Trish Boyles were co-presidents of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance. David was only about 5' 5" and couldn't have weighed more than 120 pounds soaking wet. He was a little on the flamboyant side with a quick wit and a personality that could make a convention of undertakers roll with laughter. I think every one who really knew David liked him. Two weeks before Thanksgiving someone caught him as he was going from his car to his apartment. According to the newspapers and a couple of David's close friends, the attacker came up behind David and threw a cloth or towel over his head so he couldn't see, pulled him into a darker passageway between two apartment buildings, and proceeded to beat the crap out of him. Another resident of the apartment complex who was returning from a date found David unconscious. The damage was severe. Broken jaw, broken cheek bone, a couple of broken ribs, and a ruptured spleen that had to be removed. They said whoever attacked him had worn steel toed boots when they kicked him. He was in the hospital for over a week before his parents were able to take him home. He didn't return to school until well into the Spring semester, and when he did return, he just wasn't the same carefree person. Two days after the beating, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance had a meeting. There were signs up announcing the meeting all over campus. You had to be blind not to know about it. I had been an off-and-on member of the group since my own outing incident, but I knew I had to attend the meeting THAT night. Justin came with me to the Student Union for the meeting. When we got there, it was already standing room only. I looked around. The GALA meetings usually had a pretty even mix of males and females. This crowd was mostly male! I started picking out faces. I saw the four guys on the track team who I knew were gay. I also saw several guys who I thought were straight. Brian Barnes and Stephen Nyguen were over in one corner with some guys I recognized because they were friends of Justin's from the soccer team. The quarterback of the football team was there along with a number of guys who looked like they had to be football players. Matt Stevenson, Doc Griffith, and a few other faculty members were there also. Trish Boyles was sitting at a table in the front of the room with the University President, the Vice President for Student Affairs, and State Trooper McMillan whose sheer muscular bulk and dark complexion dominated the table. Trish started the meeting by introducing the men at the front table. Each spoke for a bit. President Shopman said how sorry he was that this incident had happened on our nice little campus. The slimy meatball of a Vice President for Student Affairs recited some platitudes about this sort of thing being so uncharacteristic of Adams State University and yadda, yadda, yadda. Trooper McMillan stood up. "As you heard from Ms. Boyles, I'm State Trooper DeShuan McMillan. My reason for being here tonight is to tell you as much as possible about our investigation into a series of hate motivated crimes here at Adams State, but before I get started I think we need to remember the young man who was attacked." He turned and looked pointedly at President Shopman and the Greasy Meatball who hadn't mentioned David Cohen in their remarks at all. Shopman and Vice President House had the good graces to appear embarrassed by their omission. "As you all know, David Cohen was attacked late Saturday night. While his injuries are severe, he is expected to make a complete recovery in time. I ask each of you to say a prayer tonight for Mr. Cohen. He and his family face a long recovery. They will need your support. "Because Mr. Cohen was an outspoken leader of the gay and lesbian student community here at Adams State and because Mr. Cohen is Jewish, the State Police are investigating this crime as a hate crime as defined in North Carolina statutes. We believe it is likely connected to incidents of vandalism against automobiles and personal property as well as another physical assault which occurred on this campus last year." McMillan's dark eyes found mine in the crowd. "The victim of much of that vandalism and the physical assault last year cooperated completely with the State Police knowing full well that his cooperation would lead to more and more people on this campus knowing that he's gay. That takes courage. Mr. Cohen and his family have pledged their full cooperation in our investigation as well. That takes courage. No person, and I stress no person in this state and nation should EVER suffer discrimination much less bodily harm because of their gender, religion, national origin, race, or sexual orientation. It is an unfortunate fact of life that when hatred exists, it can only be eliminated by the courageous actions of its victims. Everyone on this campus has been victimized by this crime. You may not have suffered the physical blows as Mr. Cohen did, but all of you...gay or straight have been victimized by the hatred and ignorance that led to this attack. "The State Police believe that the same person or persons responsible for the vandalism and physical attack last year was also responsible for the attack on Mr. Cohen. We have some suspects, and while we do not yet have enough evidence to charge anyone with these crimes, let me assure you that we will find the person or persons responsible and bring them to justice. "If you have any information, no matter how trivial you think it might be, I want you to contact me." He turned and wrote his cell phone and pager numbers on the blackboard. Trish Boyles stood up as Trooper McMillan sat down. "Does any one have any questions?" The guy I had recognized as the quarterback of the football team stepped forward. "Ms. Boyles, can I say something?" "Yes. Please identify yourself. I haven't seen you here before." "I'm Adam Ferrell. You're right, I've never been here before. I'm not gay..." Trish looked like she was going to interrupt. "Please let me finish. There are several of us here tonight from various university sports teams. Some are gay and some, like, me are not. We've all come here tonight for the same reason and that's to show our support for David Cohen and to make a statement to the gay and lesbian students of Adams State University that gay bashing and harassment are not acceptable on this campus. "Until I came to this university, I had never knowingly worked or talked with a homosexual. I play quarterback on the football team. My first two years here at Adams State the starting quarterback was Mark Stevenson. I learned that first year that Mark is gay. When I found out, I was upset, but as I worked with him those two years I realized that he's one of the best athletes and one of the finest people I've ever met. "Mark's brother, Matt Stevenson is one of our assistant coaches. Coach Stevenson is also gay, and next to Mark, I consider him to be a great mentor and friend. I'm a better person because I've known Mark and Matt and other guys on the team who are gay. "I'd like all the guys who came here tonight to show their respect and support for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to stand up or raise their hands." Most of the guys Justin and I had recognized from the various sports teams stood or raised their arms. There must have been 25 or 30 guys. Adam continued. "Like Trooper McMillan said, all of us are affected by the attack on David Cohen. We are here to say that hate will not be tolerated at Adams State." He held up a lapel button that had the word 'hate' circled in red with a diagonal red line running through it. "Several of us took up a collection this afternoon to have these buttons printed. We're going to wear these until the criminal who attacked David Cohen is caught." He pinned the button to the pocket of his shirt. Most of the athletes who had stood or raised their hands also pinned buttons on at the same time. "We have a lot of these buttons. There will be some at the door at the end of this meeting, and we'll be selling these buttons across campus until they run out. We're asking five dollars for each button. All of the money will go into a fund to help David Cohen and his family with their expenses. When you put on one of these buttons you're going to be making the statement that Adams State University stands for diversity, understanding, acceptance, and equality. Hate has no place here!" Adam sat back down. The room erupted in wild applause and cheers. ********** By the following afternoon it looked like a majority of the students and faculty were sporting "ban hate" buttons. (To be continued)