All my effort to hide our love and keep everyone thinking I was straight had only served to hurt the one person I love with all my heart. And after I'd promised that I'd never hurt him in any way. God I felt low. Well, I might have felt even lower if I hadn't been intoxicated by the love and emotion he'd shown for me just a few minutes ago. Did I even deserve somebody as wonderful as him?

There was something mysterious going on with Skyler, something I didn't understand. I know how devastated I'd have been if Skyler began ignoring me, so it wasn't really strange that he was so upset about it, especially now that I could see how important I was to him. But his outward display in the boys room took me by surprise. He'd even gotten emotional in the hallway with everyone around. It was very unlike Skyler to let so much of himself show. Most shy people would have been trying their best to hide their feelings in a situation like that. Then again, maybe he had been trying his best. There was just so much of him that I hadn't seen yet, things he was keeping guarded on the inside.

I knew I was far too preoccupied with all these swirling thoughts to socialize at lunch. Luke would no doubt be babbling about what's-her-name (the girl crazy fool that he is hehe) and chances were good that Adrian would be there too. Shit! I'd almost forgotten about him. Handling 'Love Struck Luke' wouldn't be so bad, subjecting myself to Adrian's presence was another story. Still I couldn't just wander the halls until my next class. Some uptight teacher would be sure to give me a detention. About the only place I could crash for the period was the library.

Who in their right mind would want to spend lunch in the library? I asked myself. It must have been fate because my question was answered as soon as I passed the glass windowed room and glanced in. Three people were there. The librarian, a girl sitting at a computer in the corner...and Sean! I stopped dead in my tracks when I spotted him. He was just sitting there alone, reading a book with that dark cloud of loneliness still hanging over him. It surrounded him like an aura, smothering any happiness or hope that might sparkle in his green eyes, even casting shadows on his soft adolescent face. I couldn't look at him without my heart feeling a little heavier and a knot developing in my stomach. What could that boy possibly have done to deserve the ridicule and torment that was thrust on him every day? I felt so bad for him. Not pity though. I stood starring at him through the window as if seeing some alternate universe reflection of myself. What could have happened to Nick Shafer if I had made a left turn instead of a right somewhere along the way.

Somebody was gonna find me starring at him like this if I didn't get moving. But I didn't want to move. I wanted to go show him that he didn't have to be scared or ashamed, stand up to anyone who would say otherwise, take him under my wing and take on the world if need be! But I knew that wasn't going to happen. With my heart sinking a little lower I walked away.

"Warming up and stretching properly is the most important thing you'll need to learn..." coach Barkley had already been lecturing us for what seemed like hours. I was starting to wonder if this was track practice or English class. If warm ups and stretches were so important why did he wait until we were all thoroughly bored out of our skulls before he started explaining it? It wouldn't have been so bad if we were sitting but we all had to stand while he droned on. I was getting leg cramps already and I hadn't run at all. Everyone was getting restless and a few people were trying hard to conceal yawns.

"Blah blah blah stretching, blah blah sunscreen, blah blah blah..."

I don't think anybody was paying attention until we realized he had finally stopped.

"OK, we're gonna pair up and stretch together like I just explained," he ordered. Problem was that nobody had been listening and we weren't sure what he had just explained.

"Anderson, you're with Ballem. Gilbert, you're with Hotchkis..."

Alphabetical order, how original. Ya gotta love the way teachers talk about trying to make you a better person, expanding your horizons, introducing you to new worlds, and then they just arrange you based on what letter your name starts with.

"Shafer and St. John," he called, motioning to me and another kid nearby.

I know I must be an eye person, cause that's the very first thing that caught my attention. Beautiful brown eyes. Warm and caring, yet dark and deep at the same time. This kid I was being paired up with had gorgeous eyes. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't falling for him or forgetting about Skyler, but I could certainly appreciate how attractive this kid was. He was roughly the same height and build as me, dark hair and a flawless, soft face. He was wearing a blue sleeveless shirt exposing plenty of his copper skin and nicely shaped arms. Either he had a beautiful tan or his skin was that wonderful tone naturally.

Now there is a kid who is just way too good looking to be gay, I joked to myself. He nodded only a second after the thought had crossed my mind. Did I just say that aloud!?!?! Hiding my thoughts as best I could (hey ya never know, he could be psychic!) I returned his nod and added a friendly smile of my own.

"So...do you have any idea what we're supposed to do?" he asked in a smooth, cool voice.

"Um...I wasn't really paying attention," I answered.

"Good," he said with a grin, "I don't feel so alone then."

Cute, friendly, and a nice laugh, I thought. It's good to be well rounded.

"I'm Leif, by the way," he said.

"Leif St. John, "I repeated, shaking his hand. "That's an..."

"...unusual name," he said, completing my sentence and smiling. "I know, I get that all the time. But it's cool. My little claim to fame I guess."

We'd just met a minute earlier and there was already something I really liked about Leif. Almost as if I could see right away that he had a good heart. There was a warm comfortable feeling around him that quickly put me at ease, like we were already old friends.

By that time the few people who had been paying attention to Coach Barkley were warming up and the rest were joining in now that they had an idea of what to do. Then it hit me what was going on...they were helping each other stretch...as in holding each other's legs and stuff! I couldn't decide if me and this cute new friend having our hands on each other was a blessing or a curse. And would it count as cheating on Skyler if I liked it?

I decided it would be a blessing that I should just enjoy as long as my loose running shorts didn't start to tent out or something. Not that I had a choice in the matter. Leif grabbed me by the shoulders, commanding me to "sit" as if he was training a dog.

I don't know if I was blushing but I was feeling a little tense as Leif began manipulating my legs into contorted positions. I just went along with it trying not to think about how erotic some of the positions could be if we were in a bedroom instead of sitting on the edge of the football field with the rest of the track team.

"Just let me know if anything breaks," Leif joked as the muscles and tendons in my legs stretched farther then they were used to. I think he knew I was nervous about all this physical contact and he was trying to make light of it. Or maybe he was just being a nutbar, it was hard to tell. In any case I was feeling more relaxed about it when it came my turn to do the same to him, even if I did have to struggle to keep my eyes away from his package or my hands from rubbing up and down his long smooth legs. I was a horny teenage boy, can ya blame me?

"Let's go girls," coach Barkley snapped in his usual obnoxious way. "I said stretch not take a nap. Get out there and do your laps. And I'm timing you."

Eventually the whole team fell in and started running. Leif and I stayed paired up, jogging around the track leisurely and talking.

"You just moved here this year, right?" he asked. "Where ya from?"

"California. Lived there until just this summer when we moved here," I said.

"Where at, L.A.?"

"No, up north, not far from Santa Cruz. How 'bout you?"

"Lived here most of my life," he answered.

"Most? Where did you live before that?" I was becoming increasingly curious about him. He wasn't shy at all, but only out going when he wanted to be. From all appearances I would have guessed him to be a popular guy, yet nobody else gave him much attention, as if they didn't even notice he was there. It all seemed like his doing somehow. Like he only made himself visible to certain people. There was definitely an intriguing vibe around him.

"I was born on a reservation, but we moved here when I was like five," he explained.

"A reservation? Ya mean like an Indian reservation?" I asked, probably sounding a little too surprised.

"Yup. My dad is half Native American. Lived there all his life."

"Wow, dude, that is so cool," I said with sincerity.

"Thanks," he said with a smile that soon turned mischievous. "Too bad I have to leave ya now though."

"What ya mean?" I asked.

"I'm tired of runnin so slow," he giggled.

"Oh! And you think you have to run slow for me?" I asked, rising to the challenge.

"Only one way to find out...GO!" he yelled. We both broke our lazy jog and took off around the track at full speed. The rubberized track felt springy under my new running shoes but I still had to push my legs as hard as I could to keep up with him. Leif was a lot faster then I had expected. My chest muscles tightened and my lungs burned but I wasn't about to give up that easy.

"Look out behind ya!" Leif yelled to a few slower runners in front of us. Dodging them slowed him down for just a second but still enough for me to get ahead by a few steps. Rounding the last turn and I could feel the exhaustion starting to creep in. Just...a...little...further...

Then I heard Leif's out of breath voice behind me, "Nice Butt!"

Omigod! Did he just say I have a nice butt!?!?! I was lucky I didn't trip over myself and embed my face in the track. It was too little too late for Leif though. I had the lead and crossed the finish line despite my sudden lack of concentration.

"Damn...*pant pant*...it didn't...*pant pant*...work," Leif huffed breathlessly as he slowed to a walk.

"Well, it half worked, ya cheater," I teased, holding my side which had begun to cramp up.

Coach Barkley approached us looking none too happy with our overly strenuous display. He started lecturing us about over-exertion and hurting ourselves before we were ready for real competition. We listened quietly trying to hold back our giggling but once Barkley had turned his back Leif puffed up his chest and flexed his arms imitating the coach's body builder posture and walk. I nearly blew a gasket trying not to bust out laughing.

Practice ended after the others finished running and we walked a few more laps to cool down. As we left the gate still laughing together I spotted Skyler leaning on the fence smiling. The bright desert sun made his eyes sparkle like light dancing and reflecting on rippling water. My heart swelled and I forgot all about being tired or sore. Yeah my new friend was cool and sexy, but Skyler was my one true love.

"Hey, what ya doin here?" I asked, my eyes and smile trying to convey the idea of just how much I wanted to hug and kiss him.

"Hi hi," he said smiling back. "Just watchin the races. You're pretty fast."

"Ah, I'm not that fast," I said modestly. "Was I?"

"Sure, runnin flat chat right up until the end," he said in that delicious accent. I couldn't help but chuckle at his reference to the end of the race.

"Yeah, I um...got distracted at the end there," I said, feeling myself blush. "Oh, by the way, Leif this is my best friend Skyler. He's from Australia as ya noticed, what with the cool accent and all."

My compliments probably made Skyler feel bashful, but his smile told me that he really liked being introduced as my best friend.

"Yeah I know," Leif said. "We have English together. How's it goin Sky?"

"Not bad," he said making eye contact with me for a second. "Wasn't much doin at home. Katrina chased me outta the house while she's cleanin. Once she starts she goes flat out like a lizard drinkin."

"Yeah you rich kids with your housekeepers and cars and indoor plumbing," Leif joked. We all laughed and I noticed that Skyler didn't mind Leif's teasing but gentle nature. He was acting coy and shy as always, but he looked comfortable with it. If Skyler was so relaxed around him then it was proof that Leif was an OK guy. Up until that butt comment I'd been hoping that Leif wasn't going to be another Luke or Adrian and start making homophobic jokes or some crap.

"You guys wanna go get some ice cream or somethin?" I suggested. We had just acquired a new friend and it was as good a reason to celebrate as any. And what better way to celebrate then with some cookie dough ice cream?

"That'd be cool, but I have to catch my ride," Leif replied. "Later this week for sure though!"

"Schweet! It's a da...deal," I said, catching myself just before the word 'date' popped out of my mouth.

"Hey, I gotta run guys, see ya both tomorrow," Leif said as he trotted off towards a red car. He hopped in, gave us a quick smile and wave and was off.

"So...how about ice cream for two?" I asked Skyler.

"Um...I don't have any money," he said with a shrug. Checking my pockets I realized I only had a dollar myself. If we didn't have to worry about other people watching sharing an ice cream cone with Skyler would be a fun idea. But I wasn't ready to come out in public just yet.

"How 'bout we get some money at home and I can take a quick shower?"

"Sure. Stop by my house first. My dad will probably give me enough money for both us," he said, stepping onto his skateboard as we set off. We walked almost the entire way in kind of a 'cozy silence'. We didn't talk much, we really didn't need to. It just felt good to be together.

"What ya think of Leif?" Skyler asked, breaking the silence after a while. It was rather uncharacteristic of him but in a good way.

"He's cool. I never heard anyone call you 'Sky' before though," I said as we approached his driveway. "Hadn't even thought of it myself."

"Yeah, it used to get bandied about some back home in Brisbane," he said.

"Do ya like it better then Skyler?" I asked. He paused just before opening the front door and turned to me.

"No matter really. You can call me anything ya want," he said with a grin as he looked into my eyes. Wow! After all the running I'd just done, my kidneys aching, my throat parched, my knees tight and sore, I should have been ready to collapse. Instead that one little smile from Skyler...Sky...had me floating on air.

We stepped into the soothing air conditioning of the house, took off our shoes and socks at the door then walked (I floated) out to the kitchen.

"Hey boys," his dad said while stuffing papers and folders into his briefcase. His smile was strikingly similar to the one Skyler had just given me.

"Hi dad," Sky said cheerfully.

"Hi Mr. Auckland," I echoed.

"You feeling alright, Nick?" he asked. "You're changing colours."

"Oh, guess it's the air conditioning, I just got done running at track practice," I explained.

"Oh a runner huh? Did my share of runnin when I was a school lad," he replied.

"Cool. So you guys are from Brisbane? What's it like?"

"Really dry in the dry season...really wet in the rainy season...and hot all year round," Skyler answered.

"Sounds kind of extreme."

"Pretty tropical really," his dad added.

I was trying to imagine the setting in my mind. A tropical atmosphere was so fitting for Skyler. It was easy to picture him swimming, surfing, hikin through the bush or whatever else they do. I wondered if he had always been so shy or if it was a result of being moved to a new country. Maybe he'd been the adventurous type back in Australia. And what about his mom? Besides telling me that she had died he'd never said another word about her. Naturally I was curious, and I was concerned too. Maybe if I knew more about her and what had happened I could give Skyler some comfort. I wasn't going to bring up the subject though, simply out of politeness. Something else had distracted me anyway...Skyler had just peeled a banana and raised it to his mouth to take the first bite.

My attention was quickly locked on his every move as he put the round tip of the fruit between his red lips, closing them around it sensuously. Everyone knows bananas are kinda funny, but until then I'd never realized that they could be so damn erotic! After taking a bite Skyler pulled it out, almost sucking on it as he did. The world was suddenly moving in slow motion and I was squirming around the kitchen stool I was sitting on. Even with the air conditioning running I started sweating when Skyler slid that banana between his lips again, closing his eyes with what appeared to be blissful pleasure. The whole erotic process was repeated with every bite and I was only getting more and more aroused.

"Nick?"

I didn't even recognize it as my own name. The voice sounded so distant.

"Nick? Helloooooo?" It was Skyler trying to coax me out of the exquisite dream world he'd just sent me into.

"Oh! I was...what?" I said, snapping out of my fantasy and taking my eyes off the lucky banana.

"Will five dollars be enough for the two of ya to get ice cream?" Sky's dad asked. "It's all the cash I have on me."

"Oh...yeah that'll be plenty. Say, can I use your shower before I go? I'm kinda grungy from practice. I brought a change of clean clothes in my gym bag."

"Course ya can," Skyler said, motioning me to follow him upstairs. I managed to leave the kitchen and follow him without anybody noticing the tent I had pitched in my shorts but as soon as we reached the top of the stairs I pulled Skyler into his bedroom. All i could do was plant a passionate kiss on his lips. He was surprised but went along with it, parting his lips just enough for the tip of my tongue to venture inside slightly. His own naturally delicious flavor mingled with the banana, creating a taste better then any ice cream I'd ever eat. I could have held and kissed him like that all night, living off the one sweet breath being passed back and forth between our mouths. My need to taste, touch, and please him was stronger then ever.

When the kiss did eventually end Skyler gazed back at me with such a boyish, wide eyed grin that I couldn't help giggling.

"What brought that about?" he asked with a touch of shock to his sexy voice.

"You know exactly what that was about you tease," I said through a wicked smile.

"What ya mean?"

"The banana down there," I explained. "Ya tryin to make me pop my wad right in front of your dad?"

"Wow. Me eating a banana got you that sparked up?" he asked innocently.

I couldn't believe it! The look of total honesty in his eyes confirmed it. He really didn't know just how sexy he was! He didn't yet understand that every graceful movement he made was sensual, every sound he made was music, every visible feature of his was beauty incarnate.

"God you're beautiful," I whispered, brushing the back of my fingers tenderly across his smooth cheek.

Skyler blushed deeply and smiled then looked down at my feet.

"So...um...you were...imagining me...doin some action on...um...your banana, eh?" he said avoiding my eyes.

"Yeah, I was," I confessed. He paused again, looking back up at me for a second, then back down as he cautiously tried to find his next words.

"You...want me to give it a go?" he asked quietly.

Whoa! I wasn't expecting him to offer that! My knees almost buckled at the prospect. Talk about happily surprised.

"If you want to, I would love it," I said.

We were just about to meet in another kiss when Mr. Auckland's voice startled us from the bottom of the stairs.

"Skyler, I have to go back to the office for that meeting. I'll be home in a couple of hours. Have fun and stay safe."

"No worries dad," Skyler yelled back. I had to giggle at the irony of Mr. Auckland's 'stay safe' warning. A few seconds later we heard the front door close and both erupted in a fit of giggles. It was just too much fun. We'd been seized by some incredibly playful mood and all our cares had gone out the door behind Skyler's dad. I was still in the middle of a laugh when Skyler surprised me with a kiss, holding it as we stumbled back towards the bed.

My hands went down to the waist of his shirt and pulled it off over his head. As soon as I'd tossed it aside I bent over and began kissing his soft, smooth chest. I couldn't help myself. His wonderful liquid skin was just too delicious and beautiful to ignore. His little cherry nipples were begging for my mouths attention. Sky pulled at the back of my school t-shirt, trying to get it off as I began sucking on one of his nipples. Finally my shirt was coming off and I had to pull my lips away from his beautiful chest. He tossed my sweaty shirt aside and looked into my eyes with an expression of disdain.

"What?" I asked.

"This is supposed to be for you," he said with a grin and a playful push to my chest. I tried to step back but fell onto the bed instead. I was at Skyler's mercy...not that it was a bad thing!

"Yipe!" I squealed, acting as if I was trying to escape by scooting further up the bed. Skyler made a mock attempt to stop me by grabbing the bottom of my shorts and I ended up wiggling right out of em! We both broke out laughing again but the more we looked into each other's eyes the quieter we got. What could we say? There were no words for what I felt in my heart.

Soon Skyler climbed onto the bed and sat over my leg just as he'd done the last time at my house. Even though he was still wearing his shorts I could feel his balls through the thin, silky fabric. I could also tell he was erect and slightly nervous. He looked down at my hard penis and bit his bottom lip, unsure of what to do next.

"Ya sure ya wanna try this?" I asked. "It's OK if ya don't."

"Nup, I wanna do it...but...um...what's the best way?"

I'd never thought of how to give instructions before. I wasn't even sure I knew what I had been doing the last time.

"Well...ya just do whatever," I tried to explain. "Kiss...and lick...and put it between your lips..."

My voice trailed off as Skyler, still looking into my eyes, wrapped his hand around my log and very gently stroked up and down a few times. I watched spellbound as he bent over and tenderly kissed the head. The contact of his lips to my penis sent an electric shock through me. With his hand still holding me by the base and his eyes open he slowly licked the underside, hitting all the sensitive spots and making me twitch slightly. He checked my face for my reaction but I whispered to him to continue. Again he kissed the tip, sucking away the large drop of pre-cum that had formed there. I could feel the warm breath from his open mouth as he paused, getting ready for the next step.

Finally his warm, wet mouth closed around the head of my erection. He pushed his head down further, sliding it between his lips. All I could do was close my eyes and gasp, it was the most amazing sensation I'd ever experienced! I never knew it could feel so good, so much better then my hand could ever be. Such intense physical pleasure mixed with the burning love in my heart.

When he began to gently suck I thought I was going to explode. I don't mean orgasm into his mouth, I mean literally explode! I raised my arms and clutched the head board behind me, trying to hold myself together. He was becoming more comfortable and sucked a little harder, moving his lips up and down my shaft. I inhaled deeply, shivering with delight. That's when I noticed the smell. Distracting at first, not pleasant in the least. I ignored it but got another whiff. Something smelled awful and it was ruining this perfect moment with my lover. I opened my eyes and sniffed again.

Omigod! It's me!

ACK! I had completely forgotten about taking a shower! I was severely overripe from all the sweat of practice.

Oh man, if I smell this bad to myself just by lifting my arms what is Sky smelling with his face between my legs?

"Um...Sky...can you...um...stop?" Damn, never thought I'd be asking him to stop once he started!

"What's the matter?" he asked, probably thinking he was doing something wrong.

"Nothin really...I...just had a better idea," I said. "Why don't we hop in the shower?"

I thought it was a pretty good cover but Skyler started giggling again. "I wasn't gonna say anything, but ya do need one."

UGH! I was really blushing now. With a smile Skyler took me by the hand and led me naked to the bathroom. I took special care in removing his shorts, uncovering that smooth, young, taut, soft yet firm body of his. And soon we were standing together under the warm shower. Every step of the way we would pause and just look at each other. Partially because we were trying to figure out exactly how this showering together stuff was supposed to go. But also because I just loved looking at him. Such magnificent beauty, waiting for my touch. Could it really be true that such a wonderful boy could love me as much as I love him? The big question I had been waiting to ask was gnawing at my insides as I kept pushing it back down. I wanted to ask him so bad, but I had to wait for the right moment. I had to know for sure but I couldn't take the chance and bear to hear him answer 'no'.

Skyler picked up the bar of soap and we tried to actually wash each other at first. It was kind of an awkward beginning but soon we were just having fun covering ourselves in the thick lather. Before long we weren't even using our hands, just rubbing our entire bodies together. I washed his hair, taking the opportunity to twirl his beautiful brown curls between my fingers. We traded places and he washed mine then moved down to massage my neck.

"Wanna give it another try?" I asked hopefully.

"Yeah, sure," he answered. He didn't seem as nervous this time, kneeling in front of me and again holding my cock at the base. Some soft kisses, a little licking and then he took me back into his mouth, back into paradise.

My God this is too good to be true I thought as I braced myself against the shower walls. Skyler engulfed as much of me as he could, which wasn't much since he'd never done this before, but still more then enough to launch me into an orbit of passion and pleasure. He sucked and moved his head back and forth as his hands roamed my hips and occasionally brushed across my butt or my swollen balls. He tried to take a little more, maybe too much cause my penis accidentally scraped across his teeth. It smarted for an instant, but I'd never felt anything hurt so good. I forced myself to watch this time. The sight of my boyhood disappearing into his mouth was just too incredible. With my cock still between his lips Skyler looked up into my face with those wondrous blue eyes and put me over the edge.

"Sky...oh god...slow down...you're gonna...oh Sky..." I sputtered between gasps of breath, trying to warn him of my orgasm. Either he didn't understand the warning or didn't care cause he just kept sucking. The release came a second later as I emptied several long hard shots into his mouth. I think he was surprised by the force and almost choked, but he recovered well and didn't lose a drop.

My head was spinning. It was...just wild! Far more intense then I had expected, which was pretty intense! I'd had no idea that the blow job I'd given him was that amazing.

Skyler stood up and gave me the cutest smile.

"How was it?" he asked. He looked so anxious for my answer, like he was waiting on pins and needles. He really did want to please me as much as I'd pleased him the day before. It was so cute!

"Do you seriously need to ask?" I smiled. "It was beautiful, Sky."

A bright grin spread across his face and his eyes sparkled again.

"Hey, did you swallow?" I asked. I hadn't really expected him to let me shoot in his mouth on the first time, let alone swallow it!

"Yeah, I did," he said. "Spittin it out would be kinda...gross."

Too funny! He actually considered spitting to be gross and swallowing a good thing. He just stood grinning at me as I laughed and brushed my fingers along his wet hair. There were words on the tip of my tongue, begging to be spoken as I practiced and repeated them in my mind. Skyler, will you be my boyfriend?. His eyes seemed to be saying yes. I just couldn't shake the doubt and fear that he wouldn't want to take the step and make a commitment like that. My voice just wouldn't work. Instead I leaned in and placed the sweetest, most loving kiss I could on his red lips. His erection brushed against my slowly softening penis and he shivered.

"Hmmm," I said looking down at his boyhood. "Better do somethin about that before it gets any worse."

Skyler just grinned. Knowing from experience now how incredible a blow job could feel I was even more eager to pleasure him. I ran my hand down his smooth, wet chest and knelt before him. He was already super sensitive, shuddering as I stroked his foreskin up and down. I didn't waste any time getting his warm boymeat in my mouth and he was making those sexy, squeaky moans almost immediately. Oh how I love his taste, the texture of his shaft on my lips and his silky skin on my tongue. He was really starting to squirm from all the excitement and I moved my hands up to his round bottom to help steady him. I'd never touched his butt before, not even clothed. His bare cheeks felt so soft and smooth in my hands as I squeezed them gently and pulled him in closer. One more suck was all it took. Skyler moaned loudly, his body tightened in my hands, his cock throbbed and once again filled my mouth with his sweet nectar. Carefully I sucked the last drops from him and slid my mouth away. I rolled his cream around in my mouth and swallowed carefully, like tasting a fine wine. Or at least the way I think you're supposed to. I'd never had wine before, but it couldn't possibly be as good as this.

Skyler still had his eyes closed when I stood up. My hands were on his ribs and I could feel his chest heaving from his still heavy breath. Like Sleeping Beauty I woke him from his blissful trance with a soft kiss. His eyes fluttered open and he gave me a seductive, bleary-eyed, after orgasm smile.

Please say yes, I begged him telepathically. But again the words wouldn't come out.

We stepped out of the shower and helped each other dry off. It was funny to see how Sky could just run a comb through his hair a few times and it would immediately go back to those loose stringy curls. Still naked we walked back to his bedroom to get dressed.

"Damn, I forgot a clean shirt," I said rummaging through my gym bag. There was no way I could wear that smelly track shirt.

"S'alright, you can borrow one of mine, should fit," Skyler said pointing to the drawer. The idea of wearing Skyler's clothes was kind of a turn on. It's nothing compared to what we had just done in the shower and yet it was one of those little things that was still sexy. Wearing something that was lucky enough to spend all day against his smooth skin was the next best thing to having him against me. I opened the drawer and looked through the shirts for something that was just right. Not just any t-shirt, something that was uniquely Skyler's. At the very bottom was a bright blue soccer jersey that caught my eye. Holding it up I saw the number seven and the name "Auckland" across the back. It was perfect! It was even my lucky number. If I couldn't get the words out of my mouth to ask him to be my boyfriend I could at least wear his jersey and feel like it was official. I slipped it over my head, brushed my wet hair back and turned to Skyler who was facing the opposite way putting his shorts on.

"How do I look?" I asked proudly, holding my arms out to show off myself in the jersey.

Skyler looked up with a smile and I'm certain I could hear him thinking 'you always look good'. Instead he just froze when he saw what I was wearing. His smile quickly faded and his eyes grew wide.

"What is it?" I asked. His hands started quivering and he just staring at me with a look of dread. I was completely confused.

"Take it off," he choked, quickly swallowing a lump in his throat.

"Dude, what's wrong?" I asked stepping towards him. His expression suddenly changed to sheer terror as he leapt away from me, tripping over the dirty clothes at his feet and falling backwards to the floor. He kicked and flailed, knocking things over as he tried desperately to move away from me. It was all so unexpected and confusing. I was too stunned to say or do anything.

"TAKE IT OFF NOW!!!" he shouted with a cracking voice. My shock and concern immediately turned into fear. I'd never heard him shout before. This was deathly serious and it scared the shit out of me. I pulled the jersey off fast and tossed it aside, his frightened eyes following the shirt across the room. His thin frame was shaking like a leaf and I think he was beginning to hyperventilate! Gingerly I knelt beside him and put my hand on his still trembling shoulder. Something about that shirt had him terrified and I couldn't be sure what he was going to do. I didn't want my touch to startle him.

"Skyler?" I said quietly, trying to get his attention. But he didn't acknowledge me at all. He just stared at the shirt on the floor. Gently I put my arm around him and tried talking again, "Skyler...it's OK...I'm right here...you're safe...please, say something."

No answer.

What is going on? Did I cause this somehow? Why won't he talk to me?

All I could do was wrap him up in a hug, hold him tight, and pray to God that he would be OK.
 

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How was it? Worth the wait? I know you're probably dying over the cliffhanger but I swear all will be revealed in due time. It may be a while before the next chapter is out since summer fun is taking so much of my time (and hopefully yours too) but as I've said many times I have no plans to stop writing. Just check in from time to time at my website http://www.teenboyauthors.org/thelizard. Emails are always welcome and appreciated at thelizard@teenboyauthors.org. Laters =)

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Copyright © 2000 By Jason Trower, All Rights Reserved