Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2014 21:57:19 +0000 (GMT) From: Bailie Scott Subject: A Taste of America in London - Part 10 A Taste of America in London Chapter 10 This story is fiction. Any similarity to any persons living or dead is merely a coincidence. If you are not allowed by law to view this material, please do not do so. If you are under 18 years of age, please leave now. This is a love story between two consenting, yet under 18 year old people set in a secondary school. If that offends you, I apologise and ask that you do not read any further. Otherwise, enjoy. Please remember that Nifty needs donations to continue providing the space for these stories to be kept and accessed by you. Please consider visiting: http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html I've managed to persuade a new friend to act as editor/proofreader, therefore any errors of any kind are now solely down to him. : ) Only joking! Thanks NT. I woke up feeling pretty well rested. Bearing in mind everything that had happened the night before, I was expecting to have had a restless night, but I guess the conversation with Cody the night before, whilst it hadn't alleviated all of my concerns of having outed myself in the worst way, felt relaxed and that today was going to be a good day. It had helped my guilty conscience that I had made up with Sim the night before too, although that was just down to my own stupidity. There seems to be a theme arising here. I made my way to school by myself since Sim had already left for training. I felt inspired to take the bus this morning and had had a good time sitting with some of the girlfriends I have. I'd known Kirsty and Nikki since I started secondary school, largely because we often saw them on the bus and had got to know them. Sim and I have been out with them at the weekend a few times also, and they were a really cool couple of girls. We chatted about the stuff we had done at the weekend, and they were mockingly complaining that we hadn't done anything recently. I mollified them by agreeing that Sim and I would do something with them on Saturday and we agreed that we would arrange it during the week. When I got to school I saw Sim still on the sports field and so I went to join Rory, Sean, Kevin and Barney in the yard. We chatted about what we had done the weekend gone, and I mentioned that I was planning to do something with the girls this coming weekend. Sean said that he'd like a piece of that action and before I knew it, we had agreed that all of the guys would also join us. The morning went pretty quickly. Classes were standard, i.e. boring, and I managed to catch up with Sim at break time. He gave me a quick questioning look, and I smiled back. He seemed relieved, and he patted me on my arm. I knew we were good again. "Are we still catching up this evening?" Sim asked. I turned and smiled at him, "Sure are, if you still can?" "Cool. I'll give you a call when I get home from training and you should come over. I'll get mum to order dinner in." "Sounds good to me. I'm meeting Cody after school, but I don't imagine it will be a late one." I saw something flash across his eyes. I'm not sure if it was a look of concern or doubt, but he replied, "Well let's catch up properly when we chat; but, if you need me, I'm there. Ok?" I'm surprised a tear didn't spring to my eye. No, but really, Sim did manage to make me feel loved, and that somebody had my back. "Thanks mate. I appreciate it." As if the conversation hadn't happened, the talk then moved on, with the other group of guys, to discuss what we were doing this Saturday. I had to catch Sim up on the plans and he seemed excited by the prospect. Around lunchtime I saw Cody in the hall. Not close enough to talk to or properly acknowledge as he was with others, but as he walked he accidentally caught my eye, he smiled. It wasn't his usual, really toothy, smile, but looked a little more restrained. He held up his wrist and tapped what I imagine would be his watch. I nodded, and he was gone. Suddenly the butterfly feelings came back to my stomach. I recalled him not looking his usual chirpy self (well the self I had seen the last couple of days). I was really hoping the conversation this afternoon wasn't going to be too awkward, but after the smile just now, I was beginning to feel it might be. It was actually making me feel like I needed to throw up. At the end of lunch, knowing that he wouldn't see me before the evening, Sim engineered some space from the guys for us to chat briefly. "Are you sure you're okay to meet loverboy tonight? If you want me to, I can blow off training and come with you?" I put my hand on Sim's arm to let him know I was grateful. "No... We're just gonna chat. We spoke briefly last night and he said something about being surprised and just wanted to talk. I'll be fine. But thanks for asking." "Surprised? Surprised about what?" I didn't want to admit to Sim how I might have made a fool out of myself with my actions, so tried to play it cool. "Who knows? Guess I'll find out after school. Don't worry though, please. I'll fill you in tonight." Suddenly a broad smile broke out across Sim's face. "You wanna fill me in??? Is that you're idea of a proposition, Sausage?" I had to laugh. He always knew how to make me relax. "Well if the conversation goes the wrong way this evening, maybe it will be..." I remarked. Sim raised, one eyebrow at me. "You should be so lucky! I'm not that easy. I expect at least dinner and a dance first." We both laughed and then as the bell rang we all went our separate way to our last two classes of the day. I was trying not to think about the chat that I was going to have with Cody this afternoon. I had no real idea about what it was regarding, other than my stupid attempt to flirt and hence I had no real idea of what was going to be the ramifications of the talk. Unfortunately, the more I tried not to think about it, the more I couldn't help but think about anything else. It was going to be a long afternoon. Twice in the last lesson of the day I got distracted to the point where there was a real chance the teacher was going to give me a 5:00 detention. Luckily, not being completely thick as shit, I managed to redeem myself both times, by knowing the answer to the questions she had thrown at me. History was one of my favourite subjects, if it could be called a favourite and so I guess I was lucky that was my last lesson of the day - although it didn't managed to maintain my attention even after the close calls. Unusual in even most British schools, my school had a rule whereby you had to return to your form room at the end of the day for a registration before you left school. The idea is to catch out anyone trying to bunk off after the lunchtime registration. It was only a 5 minute process, but it seemed to be taking forever - I was literally watching the clock counting down the seconds. Mr Brunswick was about halfway through calling names and I happened to look up at the door of the classroom. The door was closed, but I could see through the small pane of glass and standing in the corridor, opposite the door was Cody. Shit. My stomach, which had managed to stop spinning was now back on full wash, and I worried that I actually was coming down with a stomach bug. Cody wasn't looking through the window. He seemed to be staring at something down on the floor, and then I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. Phones were allowed in school, but the rule was that they had to be turned off for the whole day. Of course none of the students took any notice of this rule, simply putting them on silent, however, it was a brave kid who answered his phone in school, or for that matter was seen to be looking at it. Sitting at the front of the class I knew there was no way I could get away with it. If I was caught the phone would be confiscated for a whole week. I didn't know who had text me, and it was making me anxious. I never suffered from anxiety. I looked up again and saw that Cody was staring through the window now, directly at me. He wasn't smiling as much as smirking, but had his phone held in one hand and was pointing at it with the other - clearly to indicate that he was texting me. I tried to indicate to him that I couldn't get to my phone at the moment, but trying to tell someone that your phone is in your pocket and that your teacher (their dad) is standing in front of you isn't easy. I saw him look down again and a couple of seconds later, my pocket vibrated. Jesus Christ - what was he trying to tell me? Maybe he was trying to cancel our rendezvous tonight... The thought, for a split second, made my stomach churning stop. Hmmmm, must just be nerves. He did this several more times, each time seeming to get happier and happier, and even laughing as he could see me getting more and more frustrated about it. As I was attempting to mouth to him that I couldn't get to my phone, I looked to the side and noticed that Mr Brunswick was staring at me with a face that made me think he thought I was being particularly strange. He walked over and without saying anything also looked through the glass window. He turned back, raised both eyebrows, had a sly smile (so that's where gets it) and shook his head. He didn't say a word, but his actions kind of indicated that he wasn't too fussed. He got the attention of the class and said we were excused for the evening. It was like a mad dash as you try and get 30 students running for the door and all trying to get through it at the same time. Knowing that Cody was just outside, I decided to stay back and wait for the room to clear. It gave me an opportunity to check my phone. There were 4 messages, all from Cody: "I got out early. I'll meet you outside your form room. C" "I don't know what you're trying to tell me" "It's actually quite funny watching you sitting there and squirming." "You look like a cute little school boy sitting there all excitedly." God damn him. He's been winding me up, knowing that I was getting anxious about not being able to check my phone. I replied simply, "Might be late, some fools made me get detention in form room." Second later the room was cleared and Cody walked in with a face like thunder, "Dad, have you given Craig detention because of me????" Poor, Mr Brunswick turned around and looked like a deer in headlights. He furrowed his brow, "I don't know what you're talking about." Cody turned around to look at me and I was sat there with a smirk and told you so look on my face. He broke out into a grin, he walked over and held his hand out in a fist towards me. Gathering that this is what a fist bump must be, I did the same and pushed mine against his. "Are you off out tonight, lads?" Cody's dad asked. Cody turned back to him, "I'm just going out with Craig for a couple of hours. I'll be home for dinner." Mr Brunswick turned to me, "You're more than welcome to join us for dinner, Craig!" "Thanks Mr Brunswick, but I'm having dinner at Sim's house tonight. Maybe another time?" "Anytime. It's an open invite, you're always welcome." Turning back to Cody he said, "Dinner will be ready about 7, ok?" Cody acknowledged and then grabbing my bag off the desk he indicated I should follow. Well I guess it was now or never time. The way he seemed to be relaxed and confident again, made me think that I was worrying about nothing; but then again, the fact that we were even having to have this conversation, meant that there was something wrong. Time to get it over with. I followed Cody out of the classroom and down the corridor, where he gave me back my bag. He asked me how my day had been and I lied and told him it have been smooth and uneventful. "So... I thought maybe we could go to the pirate ship and sit and talk there? What do you think?" I had no idea what he was talking about, "Pirate ship?" "That big boat thing by the market..." Finally understanding, "Oh you mean the Cutty Sark. That's not a pirate boat dude. That's a tea clipper." Looking unconcerned he shrugged his shoulders, "Looks like a pirate boat to me...". I laughed, "Okay then, Sailor." Cody led the way out of the school grounds and as we walked down the street and across the park he kept the conversation simple, purely by monopolising it. We talked about school, about the dinner with Sim tonight, about Bobby, about football, it would appear we talked about anything other than what he was actually wanting to talk about. I didn't want to push the situation though and so let him take it at his pace. He'd asked for the time and if he wanted to spin it out with goings on, then so be it. As we got closer to the 'pirate ship', he said, "I hope you don't mind coming here. Just though we could find somewhere to sit down and talk." I played it cool, "Anywhere's good for me, happy to help." "Haha, you may regret that, 'Sausage'." Man that felt weird. "I don't think you should call me Sausage. It's too.... Simish. How's it coming with you coming up with a nickname for me, burrito boy? Any ideas yet?" "I'm working on it. It needs to be something fitting" Well if he's thinking of nicknames for me, it didn't sound like he was getting ready to ditch me completely. Unless of course the nickname was gonna be fag, queer, or something along those lines. I was beginning to feel pretty dizzy from the anxiety now. As we got to the side of the boat, there was a patch of grass. He led us over to it and sat down cross legged. I sat the same way, facing adjacent to him. He was looking everywhere, but at me. He actually looked nervous which would have surprised me, except for the fact that I had seen it only the day before, minutes before he ran from my bedroom. I didn't want to press him, but felt that he might need me to break this ice, so I started off the conversation, "So you wanted to talk?" "Yeah, I just don't really know where to start." he sounded defeated. Trying to sound consoling, I replied, "I usually find from the start helps." He looked up at me and then back at his feet. He was fiddling with blades of grass between his fingers - he actually looked sweetly lost. "From the starts probably not gonna help at this point in time, but I guess it may come later on." I decided to take things head on. "Well how about I start. I owe you an apology." He looked up at me, slightly confused, "What for?" "I was teasing yesterday in my bedroom, and guessed that you were distracting me to make me lose the game, and so decided to do the same when you were playing." I wanted to underplay the flirting part and give him and me an out that it was all innocent. "I gather than when I stripped off, I really disgusted you, or shocked you, or whatever. So I'm sorry for doing that." He started shaking his head, "No Craig, you've got this wrong. I wasn't trying to distract you from the game. I was flirting with you." I looked him in the eye and as I saw someone looking incredibly embarrassed in front of me. "Oh!" I looked down at my feet, and he looked down at his. "Craig, I'm gay!" In my mind I was punching the air, screaming for joy, doing the proverbial head shrug. My mouth was ajar. I looked up at him and saw he was almost crimson and looked like he was about to cry. But I didn't know what to say to him. His head was shrunk into his shoulders and he was still looking at the ground. I wanted to make him feel comfortable, comforted even. I leaned forward and took his hand, which had moved to his knee, with both my hands. He looked at me. "Wow! Cody! That's a big thing to tell me. I'm not sure what to say." "There's not much for you to say. I just wanted to be upfront with you. When I saw you at school, when you fell over in front of me, I thought you were cute and then this weekend as I've been getting to know you, I've been flirting a lot with you. Then yesterday when you stripped off in front of me to distract me from the game, you really threw me a curve ball. I thought you had to have known." There was a silence between us. I was still holding his hand. I was holding it to be supportive, not to come on to him, but immediately I felt the warmth and strength of his hand and his smooth skin. "Man. I certainly noticed the flirting, but thought it was just that. I didn't think American people had feelings!". He looked up at me and saw I was smiling, trying to uncut the atmosphere that had built up just around him in the last few minutes. "Many of us don't" he said with a sarcastic grin, although I could see he was still battling internally as he was still a lovely shade of crimson. I took one hand off of his and patted the side of his head, "Why don't you tell me what's going on up here, Mr?" He smiled, and that quickly turned into a very severe look. "There's not a whole lot to tell. Since I was about 14 I started checking out boys I was at school with, and despite trying to convince myself that I was bisexual, last year discovered that I was gay." "Ok" "Well the town back home is quite small and not particularly welcoming, so when Dad brought up the coming to London, I was really positive about it. Thought it might give me the opportunity to be whoever I want to be and make some decisions. Things that I couldn't do back home." "So coming to London was like your coming out party?" He gently laughed, "Something like that, although still no one knows, especially not my family." "What do you think they would say?" He looked at me, the blood was starting to disperse from his face but he still sounded like he as about to break into tears. "I don't know. I can't imagine what they would think or be like? or Bobby and Ev." "Hmmmmmm. Mate, I'm not sure coming to the UK for a year was gonna provide all the answers to your questions." "mmmmm. I'm beginning to see that, now. It was just wishful thinking, I guess." I looked at him questioningly, "So you're flirting with me wasn't just to distract me from the game?" He started to rouge up again and looked away, bashfully. "No... When I saw you at school that first time, I thought you were cute. And then as we got to know each other on Saturday, I really began to like you more. I was looking for signs that that you might be similar to me, and thought that when you were staring at me as we ate the burritos, you seemed you might be keen and then when I was sitting on the floor between your legs, I didn't really know what else I could do to try and find out if you were the same way as me." "You mean if I was gay?" "Yeah... I'm really sorry, I thought I was getting the signs that you were, but then suddenly when you stripped off in your bedroom, you were just teasing me because of the game." He looked up at me, straight into my eyes and continued, "Craig, I'm really sorry for putting this on you. I wish I hadn't tried coming on to you. I guess your're pretty disgusted by me and I'm really sorry. I completely understand if you don't want to be anywhere near me..." Deathly silence again, "Dude... you've not disgusted me at all and you're not putting anything on me. Please don't think that. And of course I wanna still be around you. I don't mind that you're gay!" "Really?" "Of course not. Friends stick together, and that's the very minimum of what we are or might be, right?" He smiled at me gently. "Right!" I continued, and as I did I felt myself start to flush, "And I don't wish you hadn't tried coming on to me." It seemed to take a couple of seconds before it dawned on him what I had said, "I was enjoying the flirting." "But I shouldn't have been doing it..." "Who says?" "It wasn't fair on you, especially since you're not the same way as me" I guessed now was my turn. Did I want to do this? Abso-fucking- lutely, I did. Plus I owed it to him. "Who say's I'm not the same way as you?" He looked up at me from the ground, surprised. "You mean?" I smiled, "Yeah. I'm gay." He looked so seriously, "Are you fucking with me?" I tried not to laugh, but couldn't help it, "Yeah. Cody I've been in the closet for years, it was just this year that I decided to be honest with myself, and then the same time I tell myself to do that I met you. And you flirted, and were so confident. I didn't know how to flirt back." He looked hopeful, "Honestly?" "Yeah, man, 100 percent." He looked confused, "So when you stripped off yesterday, what was that about?" I laughed out loud, and he even joined me a lot more reservedly, "Man this is embarrassing." "Well i think we've both embarrased ourselves in front of each other today! Don't you think?" I nodded in agreement. "I was amazed by your confidence. When you were rubbing your head against my balls, you gave me a hard on. I didn't know if you were flirting or just trying to put me off my game, but decided to take a bold move and try playing you back at your game. I wasn't expecting you to shit your pants and run." He looked ashamed, "I'm really sorry about that. You were the first guy I've ever been quite so confident enough to flirt that openly with. I don't think I was expecting you to actually respond, and the way you did, kind blew my mind. I didn't know where to look, and I was as hard as a fucking rock." "Yeah, sorry about that. It was pretty brazen." He smirked, "Don't apologise on my account, I wasn't complaining. It just threw me is all." We were both finding it quite difficult to make eye contact again and every time we did, one or both of us started blushing and turned away. He broke the silence, I looked up as he did, "Soooo, I'm gonna probably humiliate myself now." I smirked, "Please go ahead...." "Well... How would you feel about us maybe going out sometime????" After he said it he looked back down bashfully and went bright red. He was like a lantern. Should I tease? Or was now probably not the right time? What the hell. "What you mean the park on Saturday and dinner didn't count?" He looked up at me and caught my smile and smiled back. "Ok... Point taken. I'm hoping that we could maybe count the next time we go out as a date." His voice weakened as he said the last couple of words. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch the last couple of words. You started mumbling..." "Oh now look who's grown more confident? Craig... Can I take you out on a date?" "I like this new confident me...." Raising one eyebrow, he said sarcastically, "Yeah. Me too...." "Anyway... Sure..." He looked straight up from the ground, surprised, "Really?" He broke into a wide toothy grin - it was back. I like that grin. "Absolutely. I'd love too." I know that I was dancing inside, and I could tell from the look on his face, and the fact that the colour had come back that he was excited too. He jumped up, looking like his confidence had returned. "When and where?" he asked. "Well if you want it to be the next time we go out, then I guess we better make it as soon as possible." He was bouncing around like a kid on a sugar rush so I got up too. "How about Wednesday evening?" I laughed, "Wow. You are keen!" "No point in hanging around." I had to agree and nodded. "So how about it?" "Sure. Why not?" "Cool. Let me make a plan and I'll let you know what we're doing." I smiled, "Oh Jesus! You're not gonna take me to an alleyway and gang rape me are you?" "Ha ha. No way, Jose. That's a second date kind of thing." I had to laugh at his now fully returned confidence. I looked at my watch, "Cody, as much as I hate to ruin your buzz - it's almost six o clock. We should be heading back." "I'm alright. Dinner isn't until 7." "Yeah, but I'm having dinner at Sim's so I need to turn up a bit before they sit down to eat." "I suppose so." He sounded like a kid who had just had his favourite toy taken away. We started back around the 'pirate ship', the way we had come. The whole way he kept suggesting different venues for a first date. I said to him that I was happy for him to decide and surprise me. He seemed to like that idea. When we reached the centre of the park, we had to split up to go opposite ways. I would have loved to have gone with him to carry on the conversation, but I had made a promise to Sim, and I needed to be completely upfront with him - he was my best friend after all. The problem was I wasn't really sure how to say goodbye to Cody right in this moment. Hugging was a bit premature, and if that was true, then any kind of kiss was out of the question. Luckily he solved my problem, by putting out his fist to me for a fist bump. It seemed to slightly under play everything that had just taken place over the last couple of hours, but I guess it was thle safer option. "Thanks so much for hearing me out man. I'm glad we had this talk." "Yeah me too I replied." "I'll text you about Wednesday. I'm really looking forward to it." "Yeah me too, burrito boy." I gave him a smile and he rewarded me with his big 100kw toothy grin - such a turn on. He had definitely found all of that confidence I had come to enjoy. With that we went our separate ways and I virtually skipped out of the park, I was so excited and happy. I turned around a couple of times and whilst he wasn't looking back. He was definitely walking with a spring in his step. It had been a pretty embarrassing afternoon, but actually, it could have been the best conversation I'd ever have. If he had decided just to clam up and not talk to me again, we might never have found out that we were effectively in a similar boat. I was also looking forward to telling Sim - I know he'd be happy for me. Before I left the park, I turned around again, but he was long gone and I couldn't see him anymore. I thought I would feel more nervous about a 'first date', but actually I was really excited. It was with perhaps the hottest guy I'd ever seen, and he was into me. Oh my god, I hoped I could maintain that interest. I felt as giddy as a girl. When I arrived at Sim's house, I let myself in (I had a key). His mum was in the kitchen but came through to give me a kiss and a hug. "Sim's just upstairs getting showered, why don't you go on up? Dinner will be about 40 minutes, ok babe." I went upstairs and Sim had just got out of the shower and was wandering around his room naked apart from a pair of boxershorts, still damp. "Hey dude, how are you?" he asked as he came up and gave me a quick hug. Oh God, hard on alert. "Thought that might give you a little thrill" he said as he slapped my semi-hard cock. "Thanks for that." "You're always welcome, sausage. So... tell me what's been going on." As I told Sim exactly what had happened the last few days with the smiling, winking, flirting and innuendo he proceeded to move around the room getting changed. I had taken a seat on his bed and was getting dizzy from my head following him around the room and so I focused on the general direction. He tutted when I got to the bit about stripping off in my bedroom, but turns out he had been so absorbed in the game that he hadn't even noticed. "Well I hope you've finally understood discretion? buddy?" "Huh! Coming from Mr Exhibitionist." He smiled and flexed his muscles, "Some of us have the body for it." "Anyway, things changed this evening." "Oh yeah, you were meeting him for a "chat"" he even did the speech bubble marks with his hands. I then proceeded to tell him everything that had happened between Cody and I that afternoon. I hoped Cody would understand and forgive me for outing him to Sim, but I told Sim everything. Sim carried on busing about getting dressed and only stopped and paid me real due attention when I said that Cody had, point blank, come out to me. At this point Sim took the desk chair opposite his bed and sat listened with all his focus whilst I recounted the entire story up until Cody and I had separated at the park. As I finished Sim, looked shocked. Then his face broke out in to an enormous smile and he jumped up and tackled me on the bed, "You mean my little Sausage has his first homo date coming up?" I pushed the big lummox off of me but he was still hugging when I said, "Yep. On Wednesday." "Well. Sausage... I'm genuinely amazed at your powers of persuasiveness. Only you could fall head over heels for a guy you've never met before, meet him, scare him off, have him come out to you , and ask you out in one week!" "Wow. I forgot that it's been that quickly. It feels like a lifetime. But sounds right to me." Unhitching himself from me, Sim stood up and carried on dressing. "Well I'm really pleased for you matey. I just want you to promise me two things." "Okay. And they would be" "Well firstly, I want you to take things easy and not push anything. I don't want you getting hurt." "Why would I get hurt?" "I didn't say you would. I just want you to be careful. You're my best buddy. I don't want you to get hurt." "Okay okay. And the other thing?" He looked at me and frowned, "Lastly, I don't want anything to change between us." "Of course it won't." "You say that now, but I remember when I got my first girlfriend and it wasn't till I broke up with her that you pointed out that I had in effect ignored your for the week. We're best buds... we have to stay that way?" "Okay. Your relationship with Lucy, if I remember correctly, lasted 3 days and I don't remember telling you you ignored me, you told me..." He smiled at me, "I know... but aren't you glad I pointed it out to you so it wouldn't happen again???". I looked at him and laughed, "Okay okay. I promise on both points.". Sim walked over to me and I stood up. He put his arms around my shoulders and gave me a very tight cuddle. "Seriously Sausage. I'm really pleased that you're getting what you wanted. Honestly I am. It's great to see you so happy. But please be careful, don't push things and if you need anything, I'm always here for you." I was genuinely touched and I hugged him back even tighter. "Thanks Sim. I promise I won't rush things. I love ya buddy." "I love you too, you big homo." Our hug was cut even shorter by his mum shouting up that dinner was ready. As we left his bedroom and started to walk down stairs he asked me, "I'm guessing it's a secret still, at the moment" I thought about it and said, "I think probably best to keep it that way. It might result in nothing and that could be embarrassing." "Well best not turn up to school ready for your date on Wednesday wearing your best dress then!" I leaned over and jokingly gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Aaaah don't worry babe. I only wear that for you..."