Date: Fri, 8 May 2015 16:57:33 -0500 From: Kit Darling Subject: A Rose Among Thorns Part 10 *DISCLAIMER* This story contains depictions of male on male, graphic sexual interactions. The characters are high school aged and sometimes have unsafe sex. ALWAYS USE A CONDOM! This is a complete work of fiction and any similarities to persons or events is purely coincidental. Enjoy the story and any feedback is welcome. Remember that Nifty needs your generous donations to continue on, Dears. So make sure to toss a few dollars their way so they can keep tossing great stories your way. Love ya! CHAPTER 10 Halloween is one of the best holidays next to Christmas. Logan has been telling me all month long about how his family calls it Samhain (sounds like 'sa when', if you were wondering). Actually, all of our traditions, dressing up, carving pumpkins, trick-or-treat; they were all started by ancient Celts who were pagans. I love when Logan tells me stories about his family heritage. I wish that I had something interesting to tell him about mine. We are all from a long line of Baptist Republicans. I mean I suppose to any outsider, Bible stories could be pretty interesting. A man walked on water for Lord's sake. We finally exchanged lists and decided to go as Red Riding Hood and The Big Bad Wolf. I already had red pants. I made a white poet shirt and used the cute little black vest I had. I pulled on my red cloak that went all the way to the floor and matched my pants perfectly. I pulled on a pair of black knee high boots I'd just bought for winter. It was October, 29th. The day we were allowed to wear costumes to school because tomorrow was the final game of the season so the boys were required to wear their jerseys. I grabbed the basket I'd fixed up the night before with plastic scones and rolls in it on top of a gingham cloth. I grabbed up my backpack and skipped outside when Logan pulled up. He got out and flashed his own costume. He looked like a sexy lumberjack but he had on the ears and snout I'd made him, and the tail his mother bought him two years ago. His plaid, flannel button up was tucked into his form fitting jeans. It was un-buttoned all the way to his belly button, showing off his sexy chest. I wanted to tear his clothes clean off of him right then and there. Man, had I been thirsty the past couple days. I figured it was time to hook up with Logan again and I was hoping tonight would be the night. "Hey there, Little Red Riding Hood, you sure are lookin good," Logan sang at me. "Better than a little boy should? Why, Mister Wolf, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were gonna try and eat me up," I responded with a hand over my heart. "I just might," Logan winked and we both erupted in laughter. We climbed into his truck and took off for school. When we got there, I was surprised to see that the rest of the guys on the football team had dressed as fairy tale heroes. Gabriel Morris was dressed like Cinderella's prince, Carl Davis was Prince Adam from the Beauty and the Beast. "What's goin on you guys?" I asked surprised they would dress like fairy tale characters, let alone Disney Princes. "Logan told us you two were going as Red and The Wolf so we figured we'd all go as princes," Austin Jones, who was dressed as Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid, stated, "This way, if you two don't win the couples trophy, we'll be a shoo in for the group costume trophy." "Besides what's sexier than a bunch of guys dressed as the princes from girls' dreams?" Connor Mattheson, dressed as Prince Philip, said with a cheesy grin. "Fair enough," I grabbed Logan's hand and gave it a squeeze, letting him know that I was grateful that he had convinced the team to go as fairy tale princes. "See you guys at lunch," I said turning to leave, since they all had a football meeting today about the last game of the season. I was a bad boyfriend because I hadn't gone to even one game all year. I promised Logan I'd go to this one and cheer him on. As I was walking down the hall, Shayla Thompson came up to me. "Hey, Cori!" Shayla said, her voice way to chipper. "Hey, Shayla, what's up?" I asked, not actually caring about the answer. This is probably why I didn't have any more friends than Nolan, Logan and Blake. "I hear, Logan's gonna join the basketball team this season!" she was practically screaming. It was like a knife in my ears every time she spoke. "Isn't he always on the basketball team?" I asked, sure that he'd been on it the last two years. "I was just testing to see how good a boyfriend you were! You passed! Any-whosers, the team member's girlfriends are all getting together tonight to make poster for the boys. We are also going to bake cookies and such for the big season final slash Halloween bonfire. You in?" Shayla's face looked like it was perpetually twisted into a smile. I wanted to grimace. "Sure," I replied hoping she would go away. "Great! Meet the girls and I in the commons after school!" she turned and walked away. I rolled my eyes hard. "Isn't she the worst?" said a voice from behind me. I turned and saw Connor's girlfriend Sam Thorne. "She's way too happy, I swear. She makes Bambi look like Attila the Hun," I joked. "So you're going to that dumb thing where we do nice group activities for our boyfriends tonight?" she asked looking at her nails. Sam was really pretty. She had curly orange hair and pale skin. Her eyes were gray but had little flecks of yellow in them. Freckles dusted her nose and cheek bones. "Yeah I guess. I need to try and be better to Logan. I feel bad that I haven't gone to any of his games." "Oh thank God, now I can finally not have to be around a ton of bitches I detest. Honestly, I only do it for Connor. He want's me to be more social. Doesn't he understand that I'm a Taurus? Taurus' are not the social type!" she rolled her eyes like it was common knowledge, "I mean, to be honest, I want my outfits to communicate that people are never allowed to speak to me unless I give them permission." I liked this girl. I could tell that, with her around, I wouldn't want to slit my wrists by the end of the night. Everyone gathered in the commons and awaited to see if they had won any trophies. The football team won the group costume trophy but Logan and I only got third place. I suppose that's what we get for being the only openly gay couple in school. Blake brought the bouquet of black roses and orange mums and sparkly purple spiral thingies over to me. "The guys wanted you to have this. You two totally deserved best couple costume," he said with a sad smile. I knew that he wished it was he and I who'd dressed as a couple. He was Flynn Rider today, from Tangled. "Thank you," I took the flowers making sure to brush his hand with mine. He smiled and left. "So you wanna go get frozen yogurt with me and the guys tonight?" Logan approached me and asked as the students left for the day. "Can't sorry, I'm being a good girlfriend tonight," I winked. "You're gonna go hang out with the spirit girls?" he asked raising an eyebrow. "Might as well. I'll probably be spending lots of time with them when my boyfriend is the captain of the basketball team," I winked and kissed his cheek. So there I was, sitting at Carly Foster's house working on a poster for Logan. Carly, Desiree Howe, and Lily Blanche were all in the kitchen baking cookies. Shayla, Sam, and I were in the living room making posters. There were twenty two players on Moon Valley's football team. That meant twenty two personal posters. "Alrighty, so obviously we each get to work on our own boyfriend's posters. Here's the list of the rest of the players and we will each need to pick about seven others to make one for." "Well, won't Carly, Lily, and Desiree wanna make the posters for Gabriel, Carl and Austin?" Sam asked while she continued drawing letters on the poster for Connor. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Okay well then. We each need to pick five other boys. Cori, you'll probably want to make the poster for Nolan, right?" "Why would I want that?" my voice sounded disgusted. Sam's eyes widened. "Aren't you two like two peas in a pod?" she asked. "We aren't on the best terms right now," I confessed. "I'll make Nolan's poster then," Shayla said putting her name down next to his, "So I'll do Nolan's, Max's, Kyle's, Derek's, Dylan's and Blake's." "Why are you doing Blake's?" I asked as if I didn't already know, I just wanted to hear it from her. "Well because, silly, we're practically dating. I mean, he hasn't asked me to be his girlfriend yet but we hang out all the time," she said ecstatically. I wanted to be a child and twist my face up and be like "you doooo?" but I thought it was probably not a smart idea. If he wanted to hang out with Shayla, even though she was way too excitable, then he could. That was when I noticed that Sam was eyeing me suspiciously. I had to fix this before she figured it out, "Well that's great, you two would be so cute as a couple," I faked excitement for her. Shayla smiled big and blushed but I don't think I was convincing Sam. "Let me see the list so I can pick some boys to make posters for!" I said trying to change the subject. Sam's eyebrow was raised, but then she went back to work on her project. I ended up signing my name next to Logan, Cameron, Mason, George, and Henry. Sam took the last five boys and we went to work. A little while later, I'd already finished four of the five posters I was supposed to do. Carly, Lily, and Desiree had joined us and were working on the ones for their boyfriends. "So what's Logan like?" Desiree blurted. I could tell they'd all been wondering it all night. The other girls' heads popped up instantly and all eyes were on me. "He's... nice. Why?" I didn't look up, I just continued working on my drawing. "Well it's just..." Carly started. "He's been a player for so long, we all wanna know how you changed him?" Sam said suddenly, "He's never been the dating kind and now all of sudden he's completely monogamous and to a boy no less." I shrugged, I knew exactly why he was being the way he was being. At least I think I did but, for obvious reasons, I couldn't tell them that, "I guess he was tired of lying to himself. That's why he played so many girls. I don't think it was being a player so much as trying to find a girl who could arouse him," the girls nodded but Sam didn't seem convinced. "What's he like in bed? Have you guys had sex yet?" Lily asked, her face getting red like we were in middle school and sex was still an embarrassing word. My face burned because that was such a personal thing to ask and we've never said so much as an entire sentence to each other before now. "Well he's really hot when he's naked," I stated, "he has the cutest butt in the world." "What about his penis? We're all dying to know if it's big!" Carly said excitedly. This was probably the reason I never hang out with girls, they always get so excited about nothing. "Yes," I replied nonchalantly. "Show us with your hands!" Lily cried. I tried to make my hands about nine inches apart. "GOOD LORD!" Shayla exclaimed. I blushed and finished up my coloring. I was done with all the posters I was assigned to. "I should probably get home," I said with a smile. "I'll take you," Sam offered, "Shayla, be a dear and take these with you to school tomorrow?" "Of course, sis!" Shayla said with a big smile. When we got out on the porch she pulled out a cigarette and lit it, "I wish that twit wouldn't call me sis. Just because my mom married her dad does NOT mean that we are sisters." She took a drag and held out the cigarette for me to take it. "No thanks," I said as I got into the car, "I don't smoke." She took one more drag and then tossed the cigarette to the ground. She climbed in. "So what's the sitch with you and Blake?" she asked starting up the car and pulling out of the driveway. "What do you mean?" I said way to fast. I was starting to get nervous. "Clearly you were jealous of Shayla. What's the deal?" "There is no deal, I'm with Logan," I responded. "Hunny, I don't care if Blake Smith is your side hoe," she glanced my way and noticed I was biting my nails. "It's not like that, I just wondered if they were dating," I said quietly. Sam had a way of making you want to spill your guts but I knew I couldn't. "We should hang out sometime, without The Babysitters Club. Gimme your phone," she held out her hand as we pulled into my driveway. I did as I was told and she entered her number, "See you at the game tomorrow, you wearing Logan's jersey?" "Yeah I think so. See you tomorrow," I got out and scurried inside. Mom was sitting in the living room when I came inside, "Hey Momma," I said coming in and sitting down next to her. I put my head on her shoulder and she reached her hand up, putting it on my cheek. "Did you have a good day at school?" I was still wearing my costume. I pulled the cape up and around my legs so it would stop choking me. "Yeah I went over to Carly Foster's to make a poster for Logan's last football game," I said with a tired voice. "You must really like him, huh?" Mom said back gently, "He really likes you, that's for sure?" "How do you know?" I asked sitting up, suddenly intrigued. "He looks at you when you aren't paying attention," mom said, still looking at her book. "What does that prove? I look at him too sometimes when he's not paying attention." "It's the WAY he looks at you, Dufus. He's really taken by you," She closed her book and put it on the coffee table, "Goodnight, Bambino, I love you." She kissed my forehead and went upstairs. I sat on the couch for a second and finally made my way up to bed. It was midnight and there was a call coming in on my phone. I picked it up sleepily and looked at the screen, it was Blake. "Hello?" my voice was heavy with sleep. "You awake?" he asked. "I am now..." "Come downstairs?" "Let me get my sweater," I said rolling out of bed. I was wearing some nineteen fifties pajama set I found at a thrift store. I pulled on a big sweater over it and slipped on some slippers. I sneaked outside and climbed into his car. He pulled out, no head lights until we were down the street. We drove out of town, speeding down the road. "What's going on?" I asked him as we drove. "I just needed to see you," he said quietly. "I heard you've been out and about with Shayla Thompson," I said crossing my arms. I was a little jealous of that. "That's true, but all I can think about is you, Cori. I wish I was out and about with you. Why do you make me feel this way?" he sounded like he was gonna cry. I looked at him in the dark and saw a tear stream down his strong, handsome face. I wiped it from his cheek and leaned across and kissed where it had landed. He pulled over suddenly and turned to me and grabbed my shoulder. We just stared at each other for a solid minute. I wanted to look away but his eyes held mine captive. "Why do you do this to me?" he asked so quietly I almost didn't hear him. "Do what?" I asked partly confused. Partly, I just wanted to hear him say it. "You make me crazy! I can't sleep, I can't eat, all I think about is you. My head swims with all these thoughts! I just want you, Cori. You tell me we can't be together and then you do shit that makes me think you want us to be a thing," his eyes had grown wild. I was worried about what he might do next. "Blake... I... I don't know what to say. You think it's any easier for me? I don't even know what I feel for you! I feel something, something magnetic between us, but I feel it there with Logan too. And don't even get me started on Nolan! I'm so fucked up in the head. This year has taught me that Britney Spears shaving her head was a rational and acceptable response to stress," I shrugged his hands off and turned to look out the window. Why did this have to be so hard? I used to read books that involved love triangles and I never understood how it could be so hard to not pick just one guy. But when all the guys in your life seem to show interest and each of them have their own perfect things about them, it really is a difficult choice. "Why couldn't you have just kept your feelings for me to yourself?" I whispered. "Is that what you really want?" Blake asked. He sounded so hurt. "Tell me you don't feel anything for me and I'll quit. I'll quit trying with you." "I don't feel anything for you, Blake. Please take me home," it killed me to lie to him and hurt him this way. How could I be so cruel? I knew it was the only way though; if he quit making advances, I'd quit falling for him. He started the car and turned it around. The car was full of aching silence. I'd never heard silence quite this loud. *Author's Note* Hey all! I hope this chapter was just as enjoyable. I liked writing Sam's character, so expect to see more of her and that bimbo Shayla. I'd like to thank my awsome editor Robbie, you are a flawless goddess and you make life ten trillion times easier. Email me what you think and thanks for everyone who has emailed me already. I know I don't email back as often as i need to but just know that those words of encouragement keep this story going! Love you all! -Kit =^.^=