The following contains scenes of sexual activity between males. If it is illegal for you to read this in your area or if you feel you may be offended by doing so, please do not continue. This story is complete fiction and any similarities between people and places in the story and any in reality are purely coincidental. Some of the characters may engage in behavior which could be construed as illegal or unsafe. This is not an endorsement of such behavior. The author does not condone the violation of any law, nor does he encourage unsafe behavior. Please do not copy or post any part of this story without the knowledge or consent of the author.

Please send any comments to my new address, chriswriter @ operamail.com. Thank you for reading my story and if you enjoy it, please let others know about it!

The Secrets of Waldo

by FreeThinker (Chris Writer)

Chapter Five

It had clouded up again overnight and as Adam walked along the sidewalk on 18^th Street, past the other large old houses of his new neighborhood, he looked up at the gray sky through the naked branches of the many trees and shivered. It definitely looked as if snow was about to burst forth again. It certainly seemed to snow more in Greenfield than it did back in the Washington area. Adam liked winter, but perhaps this was just a bit more than he was ready for!

As he turned onto State Street, he warily watched the traffic heading north toward downtown. Up ahead, he could see the dome of the state capitol and the towers of downtown rising above the muck-covered street and briefly considered spending a quarter to ride the city bus to school. It would cut into his lunch money, however, and he knew he would regret it later. Adam might have lived in a fancy house with many nice and expensive things, but his parents were not overly generous when it came to his allowance!

He tramped past the storefronts lining State Street and saw a few other kids up ahead walking toward Waldo, as he had become used to calling Emerson High, easily falling into the lingo of his new peers, and he realized he wasn't dreading going to school that morning. That was unusual. In the past, he had felt such pressure to affect behavior that would avoid antagonizing the bullies or bringing attention to himself that he was almost always a nervous wreck. However, here at Waldo, he didn't seem to feel the pressure. The BMOC here, Jason Huffnagle, seemed to like him and had even started introducing him to his other friends. It was the strangest experience, walking to school and feeling, well, almost a sense of anticipation! Now, if he could just figure out what was up with Sean.

Almost as soon as that thought crossed his mind, he looked to his left as he came up to the corner of 15^th Street and his heart jumped. About ten feet away from him, he saw the equally startled face of Sean Lindquist. Forgetting the strange goings-on of the previous afternoon, Adam broke into a wide smile.

“Hey! You live wround here?” he asked with eagerness.

Sean, however, seemed still to be in a strange mood. He immediately looked downward, as if ashamed or embarrassed, and replied, “Yeah, a couple of blocks back.”

“Cool!” Adam replied. “You can keep me company when we're walking! How's it going?”

Sean had stopped beside Adam and seemed confused. Adam couldn't tell if he wanted to accompany him on the walk to school or not. He seemed so tentative. When Sean seemed to fumble for a reply, Adam decided to take matters into his own hands, so to speak, and put his arm around Sean's shoulder and pulled him along across the street.

“Come on, cheer up,” Adam declared with a grin. “Its a beautiful day! Look at those glorous clouds! Feel that cold wind ripping at your face! Its going to snow!”

Adam looked at Sean with a wide-eyed, crazy expression. In spite of himself, Sean shyly grinned and then giggled. Adam grinned even more and laughed.

“So, um, how do you like Greenfield?” Sean asked tentatively.

Adam shrugged.

“It seems OK, so far. Its not as big as DC, but its OK. Its colder here and you got a lot more snow than we get there.”

Sean nodded, but didn't say anything.

“So what do you do for fun here?” Adam asked as they crossed 13^th Street, narrowly avoiding being drenched with road salt and slush from a crazed Trans Am heading to Waldo. Sean paused, afraid to seem too boring to Adam, but not really knowing what to say.

“Well, a lot of kids like to go to Spaceport to dance and stuff. 'Course, you have to be sixteen to get in there, but a lot of kids sneak in or get fake ID's.”

“That sounds like fun,” Adam replied. “You ever been?”

“Oh, no,” Sean replied, a bit too quickly he realized. “Um, I, uh, I don't have a fake ID. Besides, I don't think I can pass for 16.”

Adam glanced over at Sean's bright red cheeks, puffy pink lips, and ice blue eyes. With the wool cap over his long blond hair...

“Sure, you could fake it,” he lied. Sean grinned shyly.

“So what else is there here?”

Sean paused and thought.

“Well, there's Planet Skate over on Providence.”

“Cool,” Adam enthused. “You roller skate?”

Sean looked down at the sidewalk.

“No.”

Adam nodded.

“So, um, what else is there?”

Sean knew that he was blushing, inspite of the bitter cold that was already turning his face red.

“I don't really go out and do much. I... I don't really have many friends.”

Adam nodded again.

“Yeah,” he replied sympathetically. “I didn't have many friends back in Arlington, either. But, hey. We can be friends now!”

Adam patted Sean on the shoulder. The blond simply looked down, embarrassed, but thrilled.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “That'd be cool.”

“And, Jason Huffnagle seems pretty cool. And, that Daniel guy. Maybe we could all hang out together!”

Sean grimaced in pain, closing his eyes and biting his lip.

“Yeah, sure,” he said, trying to sound positive. Adam noticed, however, the lack of enthusiasm Sean was trying not to show. He could have kicked himself.

“Although,” Sean added as they stopped for the light at 12^th Street, “they probably wouldn't want me hanging around.”

Adam didn't know whether to push or not, but Sean definitely seemed like the kind of guy who might need a bit of pushing.

“How come? I think Jason likes you. He sure came to your aid pretty fast yesterday.”

Sean said nothing as the light changed and they crossed. They were almost to school and they were soon joined on the walk by a number of other kids. Sean sighed nervously, worried not only about the others, but also by fear that he would seem too wussy to Adam.

“I'm not a jock or a rich kid.”

“What's that got to do with anything?” Adam demanded, though he knew the answer. Any high school kid in American would know the answer to that question. Sean looked at Adam and smirked bitterly, saying nothing.

“Well,” Adam continued, “I don't think Jason's that way. I think he's pretty cool.”

“Yeah,” Sean replied. “I guess.”

000

A tan Ford Pinto slowed down in the traffic on State Street as it crossed the intersection at 12^th. Sitting in the passenger seat, Dave Ryan looked out the window at the line of students marching in the cold to school. From behind, he could recognize none of them in their winter garb. They all seemed like anonymous figures in the panarama of a winter Greenfield morning. The driver, a young man with longish dark hair and a fat bow tie protruding from a heavy winter coat, looked over.

“Hey, you still worried about that kid?”

Dave didn't reply at first. As the Pinto stopped behind a city bus, he swallowed.

“What motivates a kid to do something like that?”

The driver shrugged and turned down the radio. He didn't really like the Doobies that much, anyway.

“I don't know, but I really think you need to cover your ass and talk to Huber about it. There's no telling what this kid could do.”

Dave sighed.

“And, I'm really worried about Lindquist. He's fragile and I don't think it would take much to push him over the edge.”

The driver reached over and took Dave's hand and squeezed.

“Look, hon, you gotta detach. You can't solve all their problems. There's only so much you can do. You'll be lucky to get them to remember enough to register above brain-dead on the ACT. Don't drive yourself crazy. You can't save the world”

“Remind me once again why you volunteer at the Community Legal Center?”

The driver smirked.

“Well, I'm not trying to save the world.”

The Pinto came to a stop in front of the school.

“Will you be home for dinner? Dave asked.

“Can't. Study group in Civil Procedure tonight.”

Dave frowned; the driver grinned.

“Man, if my first year of law school is doing this to you, what's it gonna be like when I'm 3L?”

Dave smiled as he opened the door and grabbed his brief case from the back seat.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Dave climbed from the car and jumped over a pile of filthy snow along the curb, glancing around to see if any of the students along the sidewalk or hanging out on the front steps had noticed that he was getting out of a car driven by another guy his age. Once again, he seemed safe. As he stepped across the sidewalk, he looked to his right and smiled.

“Mr. Foster, how do you like our Greenfield winters?”

Adam grinned and said, “I can take it.”

“Very manly response,” Dave replied grinning. However, he froze as he realized that the figure next to Adam was Sean Lindquist.

“Good morning, Mr. Lindquist,” he said tentatively, trying to repeat the same chipper sound. Sean and Adam had stopped on the sidewalk. Sean seemed suddenly icy.

“Good morning, Mr. Ryan,” he said without emotion. He turned and climbed the stairs, leaving his friend looking bewildered and his teacher looking concerned.

“Well, um, see ya,” Adam said with a hurt look as he turned.

“Yes,” said Mr. Ryan sadly.

000

Adam sighed as he walked into First Hour Algebra and saw Sean already sitting in his desk, his text and notebook open and his eyes seemingly locked on them, ignoring everything going on around him. As he passed, Adam deliberately bumped into Sean's shoulder and then grinned as the boy turned angrily around.

“Whoa!” Adam said, raising a hand in surrender. Sean, looked down sheepishly.

“Sorry,” he answered softly, before turning back to his book.

Adam sat down in confusion. There was something different about Sean. One minute, he was happy and quiet, the next he was angry and quiet. And, yet, no matter what, he still had the cutest face and the most kissable-looking lips in the whole school! Adam sighed again and laid back in his seat.

After Algebra, Sean seemed deliberately to hurry out of class before Adam had a chance to say anything to him. Since they didn't share second hour, (Adam had History with Mr. Ryan, Sean had Science with Mrs. Lightner), it was not until Third Hour P.E. That Adam could ask Sean what was going on.

Sean was already sitting on the bench in front of his locker as Adam walked by. He was slipping off his loafers as Adam stopped.

“Hey! What's the matter?”

Sean dropped his shoe on the floor and barked, “Nothing!”

Adam looked shocked at the outburst.

“Whoa. Sorry I asked.”

He turned and walked away. This was just too much. Sean was just too weird. One minute he was happy, the next he was pissed. He was just too weird.

Sean, however, immediately regretted the tone of his voice. He clenched his fists and his face in frustration. As Adam opened his locker down at the end of the bench, Sean took a deep breath, all the while unaware he was under the careful scrutiny of Tim Zitisky next to him.

“Hey, um, Adam...”

Adam looked to the side.

“Yeah?” he replied warily.

Sean frowned with uncertainty.

“Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be a jerk. Its just... well... I'll tell you later. OK?”

Adam saw the nervous sincerity in Sean's face and sighed.

“OK,” he said with a slight smile.

Gym class proceeded in the normal fashion. After calisthenics, the class divided into teams for basketball again. Sean, as was his usual habit, lingered on the edge of the game, moving around with the crowd, but never finding himself near enough to the action that he might actually have to participate. Adam, who was also not accustomed to being the most active of players, was, however, enjoying himself and actually found himself in possession several times.

At one point, Jay Mueller caught the ball and found himself open for a three pointer. His long black curls tossed about his head as he quickly looked around him. He had raised the ball and was about to shoot when, suddenly, Zac Melville ran up behind him and, grabbing the elestic band, dropped his shorts to the floor. It didn't disrupt Jay's concentration, however, as he still made the shot and scored three points for the team. It did, however, crack everyone up as Jay stood there butt-naked, his dick flopping as he landed back on the floor. Even Jay laughed and flipped off Zac, who strutted around proudly with an insane grin on his face. Jay pulled his shorts up and even Coach was stifling a grin.

However, a few minutes later, Craig Sutherland elbowed Sean, who had been half-heartedly moving around the periphery of the action. Sean gave him a dirty look and moved away. Sutherland moved in again and elbowed him a second time.

“Leave me alone,” he spat angrily. Sutherland's wavy dark curls bounced as he ran around Sean. Adam was on the other side of the court and caught the scene out of the corner of his eye. The ball was coming his way and he tried to catch it. Frustrated when someone from the other team intercepted it and took off running toward the other basket, Adam glanced back toward Sean and Sutherland. Sutherland suddenly pushed Sean forward and then repeated Zac's trick with Jay Mueller, grabbing Sean's shorts and pulling them down to the floor.

“Woo hoo! Look at Lindqueer!” Sutherland yelled. Those who weren't intent on the action of the game turned and laughed. There stood Sean, a look of horror on his face and a partially erect penis waving in the air.

Adam was about to run over, but something stopped him. He continued moving toward the other basket and following the action of the game. However, he kept a watch. Sean angrily grabbed his shorts and pulled them up. Sulking, he turned away from the court and slunk back toward the locker room. Adam shook his head and sighed before returned to the game.

When Adam and the others entered the locker room after the game, Sean was already dressed and closing his locker. Covered in sweat, his tee-shirt climging to his torso, Adam stopped next to Sean. The blond boy looked embarrassed.

“You OK?” Adam asked.

Sean merely nodded.

“Look, let's eat lunch together, OK?”

Sean looked down at the floor and nodded.

“I'll meet you out in the hall,” he nearly whispered.

Adam gave him a reassuring smile and went on down to his locker.When he emerged later into the hallway, Sean was standing at the corner down the hallway from the locker room, waiting nervously. Adam decided to act as if nothing had happened and be jovial and friendly, hoping that would spark some cheer in Sean. It seemed to work. Babbling about different guys in Gym, but staying away from the subject of Dietrich or Sutherland, they walked to the cafeteria. Standing in line was uneventful and by the time they had their food and were walking toward the tables with their trays, Sean was actually smiling and relaxed.

“Hey, Adam!”

The two boys turned to find Jason Huffnagle and his friends sitting at the same table as the day before. Jason was waving.

“Why don't you have a seat?” He called out, pointing to the one empty chair next to Daniel. Daniel was looking up at him through the shock of black hair hanging over his face and sending a secret thrill through Adam.

Adam looked at the one chair. He could already sense the stiffening in Sean's demeanor.

“Thanks! Maybe tomorrow. Sean and I have some stuff we need to talk about.”

Jason smiled and nodded, though a couple of the guys at the table snorted derisively. Daniel caught Adam's eye and gave him a strange, knowing smile which made Adam distinctly uncomfortable.

“That's cool,” Jason declared.

When they had found a table in the corner away from everyone, Sean set his tray down and looked quite embarrassed as Adam sat down in front of him.

“You could have sat with Jason if you wanted to. I don't care.”

“No way,” Adam said. “I wanted to sit with you. You're my buddy.”

Sean looked up and smiled tentatively.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Adam replied with a grin.”You're my beat-off buddy!”

Sean immediately looked down at his plate in disappointment.

“Oh, that. Yeah. Well.”

Adam guess as soon as he saw the look on Sean's face that his friend was hurt.

“Hey. Sorry. I just meant that as a joke. I mean, I like you for more than just what we did the other day. I mean, like, um, like I like you because... well... you're cool.”

Sean looked up shyly.

“Really? You mean it?”

“Sure. I mean, like what we did the other day was fun, but I'd like you even if we hadn't done that.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Sean smiled.

“Thanks. Well, I realy like you, too.”

“Cool.”

After a pause, Sean grinned.

“And, what we did the other day was pretty cool.”

Adam grinned and they both started giggling.

After a few bites of Stroganoff, Adam looked at Sean with a serious expression on his face. He loved looking at his new friend. He loved the boy's lips. They were so pretty. And, his eyes, so blue and deep. And, he loved the way Sean's hair curled around under his ears and swept down across his forehead. He wasn't like a girl, but he was almost too pretty to be a boy.

“What?” asked Sean, slightly defenively.

Adam smiled.

“Nothing.” he paused a moment and then asked, “ Sean, can I ask you something? I'm mean something really personal and serious?”

Sean paused a moment, nervously looking down at dish of green jello on his tray. He gave a tentative nod.

“So, how come you always seem so sad and unhappy?”

Sean snorted.

“Well, let's see. Everybody hates me, I get beat up all the time. Everyone laughs at me 'cause I'm g... um, different.I don't have any friends. I guess that's a start.”

Adam swallowed nervously.

“Yeah, well, I was thinking about that. I think I could help you out there a little.”

Sean looked bitterly up at his friend.

“I doubt it, unless you want everyone to hate you, too.”

“Well, you see, I know what you're going through. I went through that back home when I was in junior highl. I just learned to let it go. You know, just don't let it bug you. I just smile and laugh and act like nothing's wrong and pretty soon the assholes get bored and leave you alone.”

Sean took a bite, but didn't say anything.

“And, really, um I think that the way you act when they push you around sort of... sort of makes them want to do it more.”

Sean looked up angrily.

“You don't understand. I used to fight back, but they just laughed and did it more. You don't understand. Its different for me. I mean, look at you. You're cool looking. Well, except for those highwaters and your nerd shirt. But, I mean, you don't look like someone who the assholes would go after. But, I look like a fag. I have a face like a fag, all cute and shit.”

He spat the last words with contempt.

“No!” Adam declared vehemently. “You don't look like a fag!”

“Yes, I do! And... and I'm... I'm always getting hard. Always! I can't help it. It just happens. And, everyone knows and everyone gives me shit about it.”

Tears were forming in Sean's eyes.

“Sometimes, I just think I can't take it anymore. Sometimes, I just think I want to kill myself. Or someone else. Sometimes, I get so mad that I think I could just kill everyone.”

“Maybe you... just need a friend,” Adam said softly.

Sean shook his head sadly.

“You won't want to be my friend after you see what all I have to go through.”

Adam paused and then replied, “Yes, I will. And, yes I do. I want to be your friend.”

Sean looked up. Their eyes met and...

“Well, isn't that sweet. The little fag boys are getting all cute and lovey.”

Purvis was strutting by the table, a sneer on his face. Before, he knew what he was doing, Adam had jumped up from the table and before Purvis knew what was happening, Adam had thrown him against the wall. The shock of the impact left Purvis dazed. He fell to the floor and Adam immediately jumped on top of him, sitting on his chest, his fists pounding away at the bully's face.

Students all over the cafeteria jumped up to watch the spectacle of Jack Purvis being beaten. They stood in a wide circle, staring in awe as the new kid pounded on the bully's face. It was several moments before a couple of teachers approached and pulled the crazed Adam off the nearly unconscious Purvis.

There was blood all over Purvis' face and over Adam's fists and shirt.Adam was trembling, his face contorted with rage and it took the efforts of both teachers to calm him down. Gradually, Adam relaxed and looked with shock at what had happened and what he had done. He looked in awe up at Mr. Ryan, who had run over immediately. The teacher saw the look of surprise on Adam's face, understanding the boy was just as shocked at his actions as everyone around him.

Several teachers helped Purvis up and took him to the nurse's office. Mr. Huber, the principal, and Mr. Ryan escorted Adam to the office.

“It wasn't Adam's fault, Mr. Huber,” Sean cried out. “Purvis started it.”

“Come on, Lindquist!” Huber barked. “I should have known you were in this.”

With two teachers escorting Purvis to the nurse, Adam and Sean followed Mr. Huber and Mr. Ryan to the principal's office. Adam forced himself to look calm and collected. Sean was frightened, but kept glancing with admiration at his friend.

“Alright,” Huber demanded as he collapsed into his chair, the boys standing before his desk. “Foster, this is your third day in this school and your third fight. Do you have a record of this at your old school?”

“No sir,” Adam replied evenly. “I've never been disciplined for fighting, as you can see from my transcript from Virginia.” Adam was carely not to say he had never been in a fight before, just that he had never been disciplined. Huber noticed the careful parsing and raised an eyebrow.

“What is it between you and Purvis?”

Adam swallowed.

“Purvis is a bully and jerk and he makes Sean's life h... very difficult here and no one seems to be doing much to change this. Sean is my friend and I stick up for my friends.”

Mr. Ryan smiled; Mr. Huber tried to hide his smile.

“Mr. Foster, you may not be aware of a lot of Mr. Purvis's dealings with this office, but rest asured, we are not unaware of what's happening. We understand bullying happens and we can't stop every incident. But, we do what we can. However, noble as your intentions were, we can't tolerate vigilantism in our school.

Sean was about to protest, but caught Mr. Ryan's eye.

“Mr. Huber,” the teacher said softly. “I can attest to Purvis' bullying of Sean. In fact, yesterday, Purvis was quite disrespectful with me in several incidents.”

Mr. Huber nodded.

“Nevertheless, I can't let this incident go without some punishment. Normally, you would get a three day suspension.”

Both Sean's and Adam's eyes grew wide with apprehension.

“However, I think a swat would suffice. In future, Mr. Foster, we can handle the punishments here.”

Once again, Sean was about to protest, but Adam, without looking at his friend, keeping his eyes straight and level with the prinicpal's, simply nudged him with his hand. Sean bit his lower lip.

“Yes, sir,” said Adam, swallowing.

The prinicpal stood and picked up his paddle from behind a file cabinet. Sean stepped back fearfully as Mr. Ryan winked and smiled reassuring at him.

“Mr. Lindquist,” said the prinicpal, “would you please step outside?”

Yet again, Sean was about to protest when he saw Mr. Ryan give him a special look. He swallowed and turned uncertainly toward the door. He stood, before turning the knob, and met Adam's look. Adam smiled and nodded. Sean turned and withdrew from the office.

Mr. Huber sighed and came around to the front. Softly, he said. “Bend down and lean against the desk, Adam.”

Mr. Ryan squeezed his shoulder and smiled. Adam did as he was told. Mr. Huber pulled the paddle back and swung hard, once.

Adam jerked up, his face shocked at the sudden sting in his rear. He clenched his fists and his teeth, struggling not to show any reaction to the swat. Mr. Huber set the paddle on the desk and extended his hand. Adam took it and they shook.

“Sean has a good friend,” he said to Adam.”Just remember, you can't fight all his battles for him.”

Adam swallowed and nodded. The prinicpal wrote out a hall pass and, handing it to the boy, nodded toward the door.

Outside, Sean was sitting nervously in one of the scarred and scratched wooden chairs along the wall of the outside office. He was clutching his hands nervously. Adam smiled at him as he emerged.

Neither said anything. Mr. Ryan patted them both on the shoulders and said, “Get to fourth hour.”

000

As the end of school bell rang, Sean turned around in his desk as Mrs. Pendergast slammed her notebook shut. He gazeded back at Adam with an expectant look and was greeted with a wide grin.

“So, what are you doing this afternoon?” Adam asked as he stood up, gathering his English book and notebook in his arms.

“Nothing. Just homework.”

As both boys walked toward the door in the crowd of escapees, each glanced hopefully at the other, wondering if the other would make the first move. Finally, Sean swallowed as Gavin Dietrich pushed in front of them and bullied his way out the door.

“Um, since I live along the way for you to go home, um, why don't you stop by my place for awhile.”

“Cool,” Adam enthused as they entered the hallway, adding with a nasty leer, “Your mom isn't home, is she?”

Sean blushed uncertainly, not sure how to respond without sounding like a downer.

“I... I live with my grandfather.”

“Oh,” Adam replied as they came to the stairs, not sure how he was supposed to respond.

“But, he's really cool. I think you'll like him a lot.”

Adam nodded as they descended the stairs.

“And,” Sean continued, “I think we might... you know... have some... like, privacy.”

Sean wasn't certain just how blatant he could be. When he saw Adam leer again, he grinned and felt his heart swell.

When they had donned their winter coats and were heading toward the front door, they noticed Purvis emerging from the nurse's office accompanied by a rough looking man with a furious scowl on his face. He was marching down the hall and roughly pushing the boy along away from them. Adam and Sean both slowed down so as not to be noticed. When the reached the foyer and walked past the Emerson Wildcat emblem enlaid in the floor, Adam looked over at Sean sheepishly.

“He deserved it,” Sean said.

“Yeah, well, I don't know. I did kinda go crazy on him.”

They energed through the doors into the bright afternoon sunshine and the cold breeze. The temperature had moderated quite a bit from the bitter cold of the morning and the piles of snow along the sidewalk were melting, causing rivers of dirty, salty water to flow along the sidewalks and curbs.

“Well, I'm sorry you got a swat,” Sean said as they reached the sidewalk and turned to the south in the crowd of scholastic refugees. “But, I'm really glad you did it.”

They walked on a bit before he added, “Thank you.”

Adam simply smiled.

“Glad to be of service. Anytime. Just show the Batsignal and I'll be there!”

They both giggled, jumping to avoid a splash from a city bus rumbling to a stop at the corner.

As they came to the corner of 15^th Street and turned into Sean's neighborhood, the blond boy asked, “So where do you live?”

“On 18^th St. Two blocks over.”

“Really? I live two blocks over on 15^th. Do you like it?”

Adam shrugged.

“Its kind of big for just my parents and me, but Mom and Dad like to impress people. Our place back in Arlington wasn't that fancy, but Dad makes a lot more now that he's out of the Air Force.”

Adam hadn't thought anything about it when he made the comment. It was just a matter of fact. But, Sean looked down at the street and the melting slush beneath their feet and frowned. Quickly, Adam added, “They're real snobs, but I'm not. I don't care about that kind of stuff.”

Sean smiled with relief and looked up at his friend.

“Good,” he said softly.

They continued on past the small, First World War-era bungalos, moving to avoid the slush thrown by an old Chevy Bel-Air, until, suddenly, Sean was hit in the face by a snowball. Almost immediately, Adam was hit in the chest, and the two were bombarded. Two younger boys were hiding behind am evergreen tree in front of one of the bungalows, the same two who had ambushed Sean Monday.

“Arrrrgggghhhhh!” growled Adam loudly as he maniacally started grabbing slush from the street and forming it into wet globs to hurl back at their attackers. Sean ran to the parking and starting forming snowballs from the better, firmer snow there and hurling them toward the faces peaking from around the evergreen.

Adam ran around to the west side of the house, which sat on a corner, as Sean fired shots from the east. When they had them trapped, the younger boys started calling, “Truce, truce!”

The older boys ceased firing, but the two younger ones, threw one last shot at both as they turned and ran through the snow at the side of the house toward the fence around the house's backyard.

Adam looked back at Sean, who was panting and wiping his nose on the sleeve of his coat. He grinned and Sean grinned back.

“We sent the swine running with their tales between their legs!” Adam declafred extravegently. “We are victorious!”

Sean grinned and walked up the Adam, brushing slush from his coat.

The snow had completely disappeared from the holly bushes in front of Sean's house. Adam admired the neat little bungalow as they approached.

“This is a cool little house,” he said as they came to the driveway. Sean smiled as they walked up the driveway and passed the snow-covered flowerbed at the side.

“I love living here,” he said softly.

As they entered the mudroom in the back of the house, Adam could here classical music softly eminating from the front of the house and the wonderful aroma of apples backing in the oven. An older black women poked her head around the corner.

“Well, Sean, you brought a friend over.”

“Hi, Marvella,” Sean beamed as he hung his coat on a hook. “This is my friend, Adam. Adam, this is our housekeeper, Marvella. She's the best cook in the world!”

Marvella gave Sean an affectionate pat on the shoulder and smiled warmly at Adam.

“Its a pleasure to meet you, Adam. Come on in.I'm just getting ready to put some cocoa on the stove.”

Adam looked around the kitchen in awe as they walked toward the doorway to the front of the house. The stove was positively ancient, yet everything in the kitchen was perfectly clean and sparkling and neatly organized. The table even seemed so perfectly comfortable that he could easily imagine sitting in here on a Saturday night and playing games and being perfectly happy.

Sean smiled as he saw the pleasure on Adam's face. He understands, Sean thought to himself with pleasure. He understands.

Sean led the way through the dining room and past the old buffet with its perfectly polished old silver decanter. When they came to the living room, Sean stopped in the doorway. Adam looked about the room, at the old fireplace and its huge warm fire, at the mantle above and the collection of framed photographs, at the neat but overflowing bookshelves to each side of the fireplace, at the plaster busts atop the bookshelves, and at the elderly gentleman just rising from the overstuffed chair beside the fireplace. It was all perfect. He could think of no other word to describe Sean's home. It looked like something out of an old storybook.

“Hey, Grandad!” Sean said, running forward without embarrassment to hug and kiss his grandfather.

“This is my friend, Adam, that I told you about! Adam, this is my grandfather, Anders Lindquist.”

The man gave Adam a warm, joyous smile and extended his hand to the boy. Adam stepped forward and smiled politely. Usually, when introduced to adults, or to anyone for the matter, Adam felt a sense of unease or shyness. But, the kind face of the gentle man in slacks and sweater and tie, made him feel perfectly at ease.

“Its nice to meet you, Mr. Lindquist.”

“Well, its a pleasure to meet you, Adam. Indeed, it is. I understand from Sean that you have been quite the benefactor and white knight!”

Sean flushed.

“Yes and today, when Jack Purvis started making fun of us, Adam just jumped right up and... “

“It wasn't really anything,” said Adam, not wanting his friend to describe the violence of Adam's reaction to Purvis.Sean's grandfather smiled and winked at Adam, understanding completely the boy's reluctance to hear his exploits recounted.

“Well, you sound like quite a young man,” he commented. Adam smiled shyly.

“Thank you.”

Adam looked at the busts on the bookshelves.

“So, who are the statues?”

“Ah,” repled Sean's grandfather proudly, “these are men whom I admire. Here's Aristotle and Leonardo and Beethoven and Dickens. Science, art, music, and literature.”

“Were you a teacher?” Adam asked.

“Sadly, no,” Mr,. Lindquist replied. There was silence as he did not elaborate. Adam waited, then turned to Sean.

“This is really cool.”

Sean had shifted nervously from foot to foot for a moment before smiling.

“Well,” said Mr. Lindquist, (how about some of Marvella's wonderful cocoa?”

“I already have it,” said the lady as she entered the living room with a tray carrying three cups on saucers. She smiled broadly at Sean.

The three sat for twenty minutes chatting about life at Waldo and in Greenfield. Adam spoke glowingly of Washington, DC and how he missed it, adding politely, however, that he enjoyed Greenfield, as well.

At one point, when the cups were empty, Sean looked at his grandfather and then at Adam. He grinned and said, “So, you want to see my room?”

“Sure,” Adam replied.

Mr. Lindquist pointed toward the hallway and said, with a smile as he picked a book up from the table beside his chair, “You boys have fun. I'll be here reading.”

“Thanks, grandad,” said Sean as he jumped up with what he immediately realized was a bit too much enthusiasm. He blushed as Adam followed him.

“You're grandfather's really nice,” he said as they entered the front bedroom.

“Yeah,” replied Sean. “I really love him.”

“I can tell.”

Adam looked about the room, a bit surprised by what he saw. It didn't seem much like the typical bedroom of a teenage boy. In fact, there was almost nothing to indicate that a boy slept there. There was a bed, a dresser, a side table, a desk, and a bookshelf. On the wall were framed reproductions of English landscapes- nothing to indicate the room was home to fourteen year-old boy. But, it still seemed warm and comfortable to Adam.

“I like your room,” he said as he moved toward the side table. Sean closed the door and beamed.

“Really?” he asked with a pleased smile.

Adam nodded as he picked up a framed photograph from the side table. In it was a young man with dark blond hair, a warm and inviting smile on his face, a young woma, also blond, with a more serious look, and a little blond boy with a huge smile.Adam grinned as he turned to his friend.

“You're parents?” he asked. Sean nodded as he approached.

Adam waited a second, unsure how to ask the next question. Sean knew he was fumbling.

“They're dead.”

Adam paused, seeing the pain in his friend's face that Sean was seeking to hide.

“How?” he asked softly.

“Daddy died in Vietnam. He was a doctor.”

Sean moved closer to Adam, slumping his shoulders and looking downward.

“How old were you?” Adam asked softly.

“It was just before I turned eight.”

Sean inched closer to Adam.

“What about your mom?”

Sean moved closer still, just a foot from Adam.

“She was sick... she... killed herself when I was ten.”

Adam's eyes widened slightly and he took a breath. Without thinking, he replaced the picture on the table and turned to Sean. He wrapped his arms around the boy. Sean almost immediately melted into his friend, closing his eyes and resting his head against Sean's shoulder.

The two boys remained silent for a moment, their eyes closed, holding each other, Sean loving the strength of his friend, Adam feeling sorrow, love, and peace as he buried his nose in the long, soft hair of his friend.

Suddenly, he felt an urge he couldn't stop. He looked down at the beautiful boy uin his arms and kissed his forehead.

Sean was in heaven. Nothing had ever felt so right, so perfect. It was as if God had designed him to be held by Adam. He looked up at his friend.

Adam saw the trust and love in Sean's eyes and felt his heart about to burst. He felt fiercely hard, but as he gazed into those perfectly blue eyes, he realized this wasn't the lust he had felt in the boys' room on Monday as they had masturbated in front of each other. That almost seemed like a desecration, now, of something beautiful and precious. He didn't know how to describe or define what he was feeling, but it was intense and profound and he wanted the moment never to end.

Adam closed his eyes and lowered his face to Sean's. Their lips touched and Adam wanted to live forever at that moment. Their lips remained barely touching, as if both were afraid the magic would end, and then Adam pressed firmly down, Sean's upper lip slipping perfectly in between Adam's. Adam's left arm pulled the boy tightly to him, his right hand rising to caress Sean's sweet face. His lips squeezed Sean's upper lip and the smaller boy moaned, his voice almost squeeking as he surrended completely to his feelings.

Slowly, Adam's lips began to move, making love to Sean's. Adam moaned and Sean squeezed Adam's torso tightly. He was so hard, harder than he had ever been, but it was so different. He was overwhelmed with a sensation he had never known. It was not the horny, sexual feeling with which he was constantly beset. This was totally different, of a completely different nature. It was almost as if he worshipped Adam.

Adam suddenly needed Sean, needed to unite witt him, needed to be one with the boy in his arms. He pressed his tongue forward, wanting to enter the boy, the be inside him, to taste him, to share his breath, his essense. He rpessed his tongue forward, touching Sean's lips with the tip. Sean moaned again and surrendered to Adam's tongue,, allowing ti to slip between his lips. He almost fainted as he felt the tongue, almost alive as a seperate being, moving with its own life into his mouth, sliding against his own tongue, pressing deep into his mouth.

Adam's hand pulled Sean's head forward, pressing his face tightly against his. Sean was breathless as Adam breathed into his mouth, their saliva mixing, their breath uniting, their tongues moving together as one.

Suddenly, Adam pulled back. He looked down at Sean in utter amazement, never having experienced anything like this, completely bewildered by the emotions exploding in his mind. Sean looked back up at Adam, a look of total and utter trust.

Adam pulled Sean toward the bed. The two boys fell on top, Adam pulling the smaller boy to him, their arms wrapping around each other, their legs entwined. Adam gazed down at Sean.

“You're beautiful,” he whispered. Sean could say nothing, afraid it would simply being a cry. Adam's mouth united with his again and the two boys writhed together, their arms holding each other tightly as they made love to each other, Adam caressing Sean's face, gently at first but, as his feelings grew more intense, with increasing fervor. Their hips ground together, their adolescent erections straining as never before against the painful confines of their pants.

Adam rolled on top of Sean and the smaller boy suddenly felt his passion explode. He was trapped by the larger boy, unable to breath or to move.

He came.

His hips desperately pressed against Adam as his boyhood released the sweet product of his love and passion. Adam felt the desperate breaths and the desperate writhing of his sweet boy against him and groaned almost painfully as his hips pressed downward, hard, against Sean.

He moaned over and over as his passion, too, exploded. Both boys writhed and bucked and twisted in ecstasy and love against each other until they both collapsed in exhaustion.

Panting into each other's face and mouth, the boys gazed lovingly into each other's eyes, speechless, not needing to say anything. They simply gazed, their love needing no other expression.

Adam smiled as Sean's hair fell against the pillow his eyes locked on Adam's in complete surrender.

This is what he needed. This had made his life complete.

Sean loved Adam Foster.

And, so, Chapter Five comes to a close. I hope you have enjoyed it and I hope you will write to me and let me know! Please email your comments to chriswriter @ operamail.com. If you enjoyed the story, PLEASE tell others! Thank you so much.