Date: Wed, 8 Nov 2000 17:04:12 -0500 From: Bill Porter Subject: My Bodyguard Chapter 1 My Bodyguard chapter 1 (Bill) wep363@netzero.net This story is the first I have ever written. A very special thanks to Ed for editing this chapter This is story of love, trust, hope, and commitment. It is not a sex story. However, this story deals with love between two teenagers. If you are offended by stories involving love between two teenage boys, please do not read this story. There will be some sex scenes in this story; however, sex is not the main theme. If you are under age 18 or 21 or it is illegal to read this story where you live, don't read it. I would appreciate any comments you might care to make. And now the story. ************* I guess I have always known that I was different. I have always been short for my age. My dad is only 5 ft. 3 inches tall and my mom is just over 5 feet. As a result, the other kids have always picked on me. I think I have handled it pretty well. Mom always told me 'sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you'. Now I am not so sure. I seem to be a very sensitive person, because the words do bother me. Before I tell you more about myself, let me introduce my family. My dad is named Greg Stevens. He was raised in the '60s and '70s in the same small town that I live in. It is a town with about 10,000 people in Michigan. As I said, he is short too. His dad owned a local grocery store. My dad helped my grandfather run the store when he was growing up. After finishing high school, Dad went on to college. There he met my mother. Her name is Amy. They fell deeply in love in college and ended up getting married. Even though they hadn't completed college yet, they found it cheaper to live together off campus than separately on campus. About this time my dad's parents died in a car crash. Grandpa left Dad the grocery store and two hundred thousand dollars in life insurance. He also left him the farmhouse my dad grew up in. After finishing college, Dad moved home and took over as manager-owner of the grocery store. About this time my sister Nancy Stevens was born. She is three years older than me. Dad is very strict but also very fair. He has made some very good investments over the years. In 1984 he took all his money and invested in a little-known software company called Microsoft. None of us know exactly how much money Dad has. He keeps it all invested and we live off what he makes at the grocery store and my mother's income. Nobody in our small town realizes how much money my dad has. Because Dad grew up in this town and runs the grocery store, he has many friends. He takes us to church every Sunday and is active as a board member there. Dad has always tried to teach us right from wrong. He can also sometimes be quite liberal. I don't see much of him because the grocery store takes most of his time. But when I do get to see him he always spends time with me. He is also very affectionate and often says "I love you" to me. Mom has a bad temper but never stays mad long. She works as a math teacher at a local community college. She only works about 20 hours a week, so she is home much of the time. She is also very affectionate in both words and her actions. She grew up in Detroit. I think that sometimes she misses the big city. I love both of my parents very much. My sister Nancy is three years older than me and is the perfect child. She is very popular and has many friends. She got straight A's in high school and went to college on a scholarship last year. We are not that close, perhaps because of our difference in age or our different circles of friends. Now let me tell you about myself. I already told you I am short. You could say I have a bit of a complex with this. I have short brown hair and hazel eyes. I weigh 110 pounds soaking wet. I just turned 16 yesterday. It should be the happiest day of my life. I got my driver's license. I am now able to drive to school in a 1984 Chevy Van I bought from money saved from working at my dad's grocery store. But something very bad happened. My best friend, Doug Bishop, found out my darkest secret. Doug and I had been best friends for many years. He lives about a quarter mile down the road. He came over after school like he normally does. He wished me a happy birthday and we played around on my computer, playing games for about an hour. Then my mom called me downstairs for a happy birthday call from her folks. When I went back upstairs, Doug was gone. On my computer I could see my history folder open. I just about had a heart attack. My best friend had looked at a bunch of gay sites I had visited. Then he left without saying goodbye. I could not guess what his reaction would be. I was devastated. I have known since I was little kid that I was attracted to other boys. When I was 6 and my cousin was 8 we were taking a bath together. We both got boners and started to laugh. That night in bed we played around together. It was lots of fun. Over the course of the next six years we continued our sexual experimentation. At that point he told me had a girlfriend and I should find myself one too. I was devastated at first. I never played around with any other kids. I was already picked on and I could only imagine what would happen if kids found out I liked sex with other boys. I had a conflict going on in my mind. Our church taught that homosexuality was wrong. My parents taught that sex outside marriage was wrong. I spent the next four years trying to figure out myself. I read every book on the subject that I could get my hands on. (I like to read.) When I got a computer last year I read everything online I could find. I also in this period learned the joys of jerking off. All my fantasies involved other cute boys at school. My best friend Doug was also someone I dreamed about. Some of what I read suggested homosexuality is a result of inherited genes. Other stuff I read suggested that homosexuality is a result of environment. Still others suggest that people choose to be that way. I was very confused. When I looked at naked girls on the Internet it did nothing for me. But if I saw a naked guy I was instantly hard. How is that a choice? Our church taught that homosexuality and being gay is a sin and you will surely go to hell. I have read the Bible and I am still confused. I read about how King David was in love with a man. I also read that a man should not lie down with a man as he does with a woman. I finally came to the conclusion that having casual sex with anyone is wrong. Having sex with someone you're in love with is not. This is where the story begins. I tried to call Doug several times last night. Every time I called it was busy. So I decided to go over there. I knocked on the door and his mom answered. "Is Doug here?" I asked. "He's here but he doesn't want to see anyone right now," his mother answered. Feeling rejected by my best friend, I went home. This should be the best day of my young life. Instead, I am scared shitless. All kinds of thoughts were running through my mind. I could not help but think the worst. Not only did I lose my best friend but also my life was over. I did not sleep much that night. I got up at 6:30 and got ready for school. It is mid-October and I found one inch of new snow on the ground when I got up. After taking a shower and getting dressed, I went downstairs. Mom was in the kitchen, drinking coffee and making breakfast. "Good morning, Mom," I said. "Good morning, Son, how are you today? You were sure quiet yesterday," she responded. "I am fine, I guess," I said, counting the tiles on the floor. "Well, you don't sound too excited to me. I hope everything is okay. You know you can talk to me if you are having any problems, Son." "I'll keep that in mind," I said sarcastically. I could see the anger in her eyes but she let it slide. "What would you like for breakfast, Mike?" she asked. "Cold cereal and O.J. will be fine," I said, trying to be more upbeat as not to incur her wrath. Nothing else was said between us and I ate quietly. I went outside and I was hit with the rush of cold air. It was about 30 degrees, with a 20-mph wind. I started my Van and then cleaned off my windows. The trip to school was about five minutes. This is the first time I did not have to catch the bus. You would think I'd be excited but I could not help but feel something terrible was about to happen. I arrived at school about 10 minutes before class started. I went to my locker to get my books. Then I went to Doug's locker to confront him. I was in luck. He was standing in front of his locker with his head inside. I approached him with my head staring at the ground and said, "Can we talk, bud?" "Hell no! Get away from me, you fag. We are not buds any more," he yelled. "I am not going to have anyone think I am a fag too just because I was your friend," he screamed, while slamming his locker door. I was in tears as I looked around, seeing everyone staring at me, and my old best friend storming away forever. For the next two classes I was totally lost in thought. It was even worse than I thought it could be. No one said anything to me but I could hear lots of whispering behind my back. Third period was gym class. I walked into the locker room and approached my locker. From behind me someone threw a towel over my face and pulled me back. Then I felt a fist slam into my stomach. I bent over in pain and felt a knee connect with my eye. I slumped in pain to the floor. Someone said, "We don't want any fags at our school. Every day you come to school, someone is going to kick your ass until you drop out of school." I stayed on the floor, crying, until everyone left the locker room. Then I went out the back door and ran for my Van. I drove home in record time and pulled into the driveway. Luckily Mom was out teaching. I went up to my room and stared out the window. I was trying to think what I could do now. I was outted to the whole school. My life as I knew it was over. What were my parents going to do? Would they kick me out? What about school? I was used to being picked on and bullied but never threatened before! Needless to say, I was a wreck.