This is Seth 17

Warning: This story doesn't contain any sex. It's the story of gay teens. None of the characters are based on real people, nor are they meant to resemble any living or dead people.

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This Is Seth

Chapter 17 – Two Important Guys

I begin making plans for my day of hiking with Mason and Scottie. I need to discover a way to get my best friend and my boyfriend on equal footing. It did not take long for Mason to bond with Scottie at the pool party, but things seem to be taking longer for Scottie. Scottie needs to see that Mason and I are a normal couple, but he also needs to see that Mason is a regular teenage boy. I'm choosing to take them to the Indiana Dunes State Park, and then we can grab lunch somewhere. I am planning the entire day more or less; I just need to get Mason and Scottie on board with the entire day.

= = =

I quickly reach a decision to fix the situation, so I call Mason first.

"Hey Tiger!" Mason decided a little while ago that `Tiger' is somehow a fitting nickname for me. To be honest I really do not like it, but it is not all that bad and I can deal with it.

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

For a few seconds there is only the sound of Mason rustling paper in the background.

"I have nothing going on tomorrow."

"Cool, now you do. We're going hiking. I'll see you when you get here tomorrow, say around 8 o'clock in the morning. Oh by the way, I'm inviting Scottie to join us."

There is a moment of silence, which is not typical of our phone conversations. "Okay." I could be wrong, but my boyfriend seems a bit worried.

"Seth, I'm cool with Scottie coming with us, so you can quit fussing over my pause."

"Mason, I love you, baby."

He is super amazing and to think that I was worried that he may not want to go tomorrow.

"I need to call Scottie, so can I talk to you later?"

"Duh, baby, you had better talk to me later."

"I will no worries. Bye, Babe."

When I end my call with Mason, I feel relieved and anxious at the same time. I am sitting here stressing over Scottie's reaction to the whole hiking thing.

= = =

It's time to call Scottie. I suddenly feel okay with everything. I'm still a little uncomfortable, just because I want the day to go great.

`Is it fair to force this activity on them?' I wonder. I'm not sure if it's fair, but this activity is happening, one way or another. Taking my phone in my hand, I call Scottie, my best friend.

"What's up, my friend?"

"I was wondering if you would like to go hiking with Mason and me tomorrow."

"Sure, I'll go. Do I need to bring anything?"

"Yeah, you can bring some water and some money for lunch."

I knew Scottie would be okay with hiking, but he probably would rather play basketball.

"Where are we hiking?"

"I thought we might go to the state park, and then go out and have lunch."

"Cool, so when are we doing this little trip?"

"We're heading out tomorrow from my house at 8:00 o'clock am."

"See you tomorrow then."

Scottie's phone call went better than I assumed it would, to be honest.

= = =

One thing about my coming out that has worked to my advantage is that Mom pays more attention to my moods. I think she believes that she can catch me before I fall into a depression.

"Seth is everything okay?"

"Yeah, Mom, I'm just worried about Mason and Scottie getting along."

"You can't rush a friendship and you can't force someone to like another person."

I know that my mom is right, and yet I hope by them spending time together that everything will be all right. My plan has to work. I love my mom, and I appreciate the fact that she worries about me. There are kids at school whose parents don't pay attention to what their kids are up to during the day. It is an amazing feeling to have my parents so attentive and loving.

= = =

There is somebody knocking at the front door, but Paul moves past Mom and me so he can open the front door before I can get there. As I watch from the dining room, Paul finds Mason standing there.

"Come on in, Mason, Seth is in the dining room."

"Thanks, Paul."

I watch as the most handsome guy in the world walks towards me, and gives me a huge hug and a kiss.

"I hope its okay that I came over without calling first."

I cannot believe that Mason is worried about coming over unannounced.

"You're my boyfriend; you don't need my permission to come over to see me."

After I finished speaking, Mom surprised me by smiling. I do not know if I'll ever find out why she smiled, but I like to think it was because she agreed with what I said. After all, what loving mom would refuse to allow her son's boyfriend to be at the house? Mason's facial expression shows that there is something that he isn't saying.

= = =

Mason and I are spending our time talking and playing video games; then I see it on his face... a hint of anxiety. He clears his throat before he speaks.

"Seth, I know that I've spent time around Scottie, but since I'm going to be hanging out with him tomorrow, I was wondering if there is something, anything, you can tell me about him."

I take a few seconds to contemplate the request and toss it around in my brain.

"Yeah, you can stop being so nervous and just be yourself; Scottie needs to see us being us, so we need to just calm down and be ourselves."

`He's telling me to relax when Scottie could squash me for the slightest thing,' Mason thinks.

Mason doesn't seem to be relaxing all that much, but hopefully things change tomorrow. I need to set aside some `us time' for Mason and me, free of any friends or family.

"I just don't want surprises, Seth."

"There won't be any surprises. You already know that Scottie is a good guy, so just go with that."

After a little snack, Mason goes home feeling better than when he arrived.

= = =

It's the big day and it starts with Ryan and me sitting in the dining room together, when Mom walks into the room. Saturdays are usually a big day for Ryan; it's become something of a tradition that we enjoy breakfast together. It also gives Mom a break from having to get up to prepare his breakfast. Today though, that tradition is being passed over, and I know it's going to upset Ryan.

"Mom, are you still taking us up to the Dunes?"

"I was planning on it."

"Cool, I really appreciate it."

My parents really went up a notch on the "cool" scale when they showed their unconditional love for me. Ryan looks up at me with his puppy dog eyes; those eyes are a trap, and if he keeps them into his teens, heaven help whoever dates him.

"Can I go with you?"

"No, I'm going with Scottie and Mason."

I'm usually willing to let my siblings tag along with me anywhere I go, but not this time. Ryan sits back in his chair looking totally defeated. I can see the pain in his eyes, and it is not long before there are tears as well. He is making me feel like a jerk right now, so of course I am coming up with a scheme to appease those tears.

"Hey, Mom, didn't you say that you wanted to spend some time with Ryan today?"

A quick wink at her helps to seal the deal even though, she isn't exactly happy about my plan.

"Funny that you should mention that, I do need to spend some time with him. Ryan, would you like to go hiking with me?"

I know Mom isn't a replacement for me, but at least he still gets to have fun, so it works out in the end. He will still have some time with my friends and me while we drive to Indiana Dunes State Park.

"Yay!" he yells.

His enthusiasm is surfacing on his face, and I am just glad that, his tears are gone. Mom, on the other hand, had other plans for today and she isn't crazy about spending the whole day at the park, so I guess I'll need to edit my plans a little bit to make her happy. It's almost time for Mason to show up; I cannot wait to see him, it feels like it has been an eternity since I saw him last.

= = =

It's awesome that my mom agreed to drive and give up her day to help me out, but I wonder if it also doesn't give her an excuse to monitor Mason and me. Ryan and I are already in the mini-van when Mason arrives at my house. I open the van's sliding door, and Mason gets into the van and sits next to me.

"Good morning, how is everyone?"

Mason is smiling as he greets us and he gives me a wink, my own special acknowledgement.

"Good morning, Mason, are you ready to go hiking?"

"I'm ready, Mrs. Thompson."

Hmm... I am not sure that he is ready for this day; he is dressed in shorts and only has a half bottle of water with him. Lucky for him, I always bring extra water when I go hiking, only because I've been on hikes in scouts when some other guys would forget their water, so yeah, I just got into the habit of bringing extra water. I guess he figures that it's warm out, so he could get away with wearing only shorts instead of jeans.

Mason holds out his right hand, looks at Ryan and says, "Hey, little man, give me five."

In no way do I want to discourage Mason from interacting with my brother. If nothing else, Mason is learning how important family is to me by being around my family. Ryan crashes his hand down on Mason's palm, and Mason reacts by faking how it hurt his hand. Ryan giggles with delight.

"Cool! Are you hiking with Seth and me?" Mason asks.

"I'm hiking with you."

I give Ryan a quick glimpse right to his eyes, and Ryan's facial expression has the the `I got caught' look on it. Ryan quickly changes his answer.

"No, Mommy and me are going to hike."

"Awesome, the two of you have fun."

Mom just smiles as she listens to the exchange between her youngest and my boyfriend. Our next stop is the Westbrook's residence so we can pick up Scottie, and then head up to the park. We pull up to Scottie's property and there is no indication that he's watching out the window.

"Mom, honk the horn."

"I think he's coming out of the house now."

Sure enough, I can see him walking through the door. Apparently Mason is having a hard time taking his eyes off Scottie, even though Scottie is dressed modestly. Scottie's dressed in jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black wife-beater, so his muscles are on display.

"Open the door, Mason, the quicker Scottie gets into the van, the faster we will be on our way."

"Hello all, are we going hiking or what?"

I laugh at my friend's question.

"Of course we're hiking, dude, why else would I bring my backpack and my camera?"

Now it's Scottie's turn to laugh, it's awesome that Scottie and I can laugh at each other and still be friends. The ride up to the park is a mix of typical teenage conversation and the sounds of an overly excited little boy.

= = =

After arriving at the Indiana Dunes State Park, everyone gets out of the mini-van, and then the three of us separate from Mom and Ryan. They go one way while we three start out through the forest. As we move along, there are rests so I can take pictures. Mason and I exchange a kiss and a hug when the three of us are alone on the trail. Scottie turns from the sight feeling a tad uncomfortable. I do not think he is aware of me seeing him turn away from us, because I do not believe he would have turned away otherwise. Scottie and I know he'll stand by his friends no matter happens, even if it means having some uncomfortable moments along the way.

"Guys, are you up for a water break?"

"Good idea, Scottie, I think we could all use a break."

We halted for a few minutes to rest our legs and drink some water, and once we are done drinking, we are ready to head towards the dunes themselves. Mason takes my hand and occasionally gives it a slight squeeze, or he winks at me, and I do the same to him. Sadly, neither one of us thought of how it might make Scottie feel. All we seem to care about is us, but that really is not true; we do care about others, especially our friends, but Scottie is too busy snapping pictures of plants for a badge in scouts where he needs to ID so many plants, and he either doesn't notice or he understands.

= = =

We're climbing the dunes, but something is running through our friend's mind. I've known Scottie for a long time, so yeah, I can see things in his body language that Mason might miss. We goof off a little as we approach the top of the dunes; we take turns jumping off a small section of the dune and then we climb back up. Our jumps fill our shoes with sand. Scottie keeps glancing at Mason and me.

"Scottie, what is going on inside that head of yours?" I ask.

Scottie looks out across the dune and out over Lake Michigan, but he looks nervous.

"I feel like I should have brought a date or maybe invited Devin to come with us."

Mason pats him on the back.

"I feel like a third wheel."

I'm not sure what to think because there have been numerous times when I've been around Scottie and one of his girlfriends. He should not feel like this, and yet he does, and I'm not certain exactly how to address it. But I have to address it because I cannot allow Mason to come between Scottie and me or vice versa.

"Scottie, when we hang out it's not about Mason and me and you. It's about being friends and our friendships. If it would make you more comfortable, then you're right we could invite Devin or Cathy along with us from now on."

He looks at me, puts the cap back on his water, and starts walking along the top of the dune.

"Oddly enough, I'm not feeling like a third wheel anymore."

Weird, so he does not like either Devin or Cathy, or is something else going on inside that head of his? I hope he figures it out on his own.

Mason and I start walking in order to keep up with him.

= = =

We walk until we come to a high spot on the dunes, one that gives us a great view of the lake and the city of Chicago off in the distance. We spent an hour or so walking around the park, and now it is time to give Mason and Scottie a chance to talk with each other.

"Do you guys mind if I take some pictures?"

"Nah, you can take as many pictures as you like," Scottie answers.

He doesn't mind me stopping to take pictures, but what about Mason? I thought for sure he would be the first to say that it was okay. Maybe he feels like there is no reason for him to give me permission to snap some photos, which is nice of Mason. He watches as I walk over to a spot with a better view of the beach, the lake, and of course, the city off in the distance. As I take pictures, I try to position myself so I can see both my boyfriend and my best friend at the same time. My ears are also open so I can eavesdrop on their conversation.

"You know, earlier today you said that you felt like a third wheel, well I know that Seth doesn't want you feeling like that, and neither do I."

I see a smile creep across Scottie's face.

"Mason, it's my comfort zone being invaded a little by your public displays of affection, and yeah I don't want anything to get in the way of any friendships."

I didn't think that anything bugged my friend, or in the very least, anything that I might do. Funny how Mason and I can show a little affection towards each other and it really bugs him, but it's somehow different when he kissed a girl in front of me.

"Scottie, I know your religion doesn't smile on what Seth is, and seeing us kiss must be hard, but it's equally hard for us not be able to kiss or hug in front of people. It was difficult to watch my straight friends kiss their girlfriend or boyfriend when I didn't have any one to love."

This time Scottie did not smile to show encouragement, but Mason pats Scottie on the back.

"Mason, I'm okay with you and Seth, but I wasn't completely ready to see you guys kiss."

I don't get him; what did he think would go on when I began seeing Mason?

"I hope you don't think that I'm a jerk. I just need time to get used to the idea of you and Seth being boyfriends. Please bear with me while I get accustomed to it."

"Sounds like you're on your way to getting used to it. By the way, I appreciated the view at Seth's pool party."

I am sure that I'm blushing now; I can't believe Mason is thanking him for putting my exposed penis and balls on exhibit.

"I'm glad to have been of service, but it was done more in jest than anything else."

Scottie would never have put my junk on display for someone else to see, and even if he did, he would never admit to it.

= = =

I stop taking pictures and return to my friends.

"Are we having fun?"

Mason grins as he glances up at me, and he seems to know something that I don't.

"Mason and I have been talking while you were snapping pics."

"Did you talk about anything in particular?"

"Nope, we were just talking."

Scottie is quiet about something.

"I love the view from here; it's no wonder that you chose this spot to take your pictures."

Scottie looks north out over the dunes and towards the lake, and then he turns southward out over the forest and beyond.

"Seth, it looks like the trees go on for miles from this vantage point."

Mason and I stand up to take in the same view that Scottie is enjoying. I raise my camera to snap a picture of the scenery in hopes of capturing that vista. Scenes like this always make me wonder what it would have been like to have been the first Europeans to see this exact landscape. Scottie seems to be relaxing a bit, which is wonderful. Mason and I just want him to come to terms with whatever he's feeling towards our relationship. I cannot help myself though, so I quickly give Mason a kiss on the cheek. I don't want Scottie acting weird around us, so something will need to change.

= = =

Let's take a moment to see what's on Scottie's mind...

I think, they think that I didn't notice that kiss. I'm watching them, not to be a pervert, but hoping to be able to kick this feeling that tells me that somehow my friend has changed from the guy I use to know to the guy he is today. To be honest, since Seth came out, I have not seen any changes to his personality. He still loves sports, enjoys his hobbies, but really, the only thing that has changed has been the addition of Mason into his circle of friends, but he makes Seth happy, so he can't be all bad. I've realized that the kissing is no different from anything I would do with a girlfriend if I had one. I'm not willing to lose one of my best friends, so I need to come to terms with their relationship. I don't have any temptations being sent my way to become gay. I know that Mason and Seth are two awesome guys who happen to be gay and boyfriends. They have my full support. Mason is slowly becoming a true friend, and in time, I am sure he will be one of my best friends.

= = =

That was interesting... now let's go back to Seth...

Mason catches me off guard by kissing me on the lips. There is nothing like getting a kiss from your boyfriend. I'm not sure there is a taste to his kisses, but they are warm, soft, and utterly amazing. Each kiss and hug is a reminder of just how blessed I am to have this guy in my life. I like to think that he feels the same way about my kisses too.

= = =

We started walking again, this time towards the car. We've been walking for maybe ten minutes when two teens walk by us. Mason and I are holding hands, so as they move by us, one of them says, "Fags." Mason wants to say something to them, but he decides not to so we won't cause a major stink.

I see Scottie's jaw drop and he turns to me and says, "Aren't you going to say anything to them?"

"Scottie, it wouldn't do any good, plus we don't want to make a major issue over it."

"You can't fool me, Seth, I know you're upset."

"I don't like it, but it's their problem, not ours, so they can just kiss my backside."

Then he looks at my boyfriend and says, "Mason, what do you think about it?"

Mason walks as he considers his response. He looks even more handsome as he ponders a subject.

"It's not the first time that I've heard that word being used against me, but to be honest, it is just a word."

"So it doesn't bother you?" Scottie asks incredulously.

Apparently, Scottie does not believe what Mason just said.

"It bothers me more that people can be so ignorant."

I nod my head in support of what Mason just said; as he moves closer to me he whispers, "I love you," into my ear. I don't know how I got so lucky to have Mason in my life, but I'm not about to complain. I hope that today helps Mason and Scottie to be around each other without them feeling awkward.

= = =

We reach the car and I pull out my phone to let Mom know that we were ready to grab lunch. Luckily, we only had to wait ten minutes for Ryan and her to arrive. Mom unlocks the door and we load up into the car and drive towards one of our favorite restaurants. Luckily, the business isn't that far away so our stomachs won't have to wait much longer to be fed. We pull into the parking lot, undo our seat belts, and exit the car. On the way up to the door, my hand is drawn to Mason's hand. Mom smiles when she notices me holding hands with my boyfriend. The moment Mason and I enter the restaurant, it feels like all the eyes are on us. In truth, only a few people are watching us. They have disapproval all over their faces, but I'm not going to let them ruin my day. Scottie looks very concerned.

"What's wrong, my friend?" Mason asks, looking at Scottie's face.

"Doesn't it bug you to have them staring at you like this? It is driving me crazy."

"I don't like it, but it's a free country, so let them stare."

Mason's answer is good enough for me. Scottie seems more relaxed than when we first came into the establishment. We are eating our food, talking amongst ourselves, and occasionally having visits from Ryan, who is sitting nearby with Mom. Mason and I exchange a small kiss and suddenly the atmosphere in the restaurant changes. A woman who has had her eyes on us the entire time gets up and approaches Mom. `Here it comes!' I think, knowing that this stranger is complaining about us. She doesn't look happy. The woman is talking quietly at the moment, but all that changes rather quickly. She turns around, points to our table, and then elevates her voice.

"If you won't deal with these teenagers, then I'll get the manager to support me."

I could not hear what Mom said, but it's apparently her turn to get upset. We look at Mom as she walks up to the manager. This time, I could hear what Mom was saying.

"Sir, my son, his boyfriend, and one of their friends are sitting over there; this woman has been spying on them since they came into your restaurant. My son and his boyfriend exchange one small kiss and suddenly, this woman feels it's her job to tell me that my son and his boyfriend need to leave this restaurant, and that is my problem."

The manager turns and looks at the other woman, and he actually looks a little angry.

"I'm sorry, but this is my restaurant and I see no reason to kick the boys out. Now if you have a problem with that I can move you to a spot where you cannot see them or I can give you your check.

She looks at our table and then back to the manager.

"You can give me my check. I don't want to be around these boys any longer."

I can tell that she is holding her tongue, but I am pleased that she is going away. I believe that Scottie is a little shaken up by this woman's comments. It wasn't long before she paid for her meal and left the business, much to our delight.

"Sorry you had to put up with her mouth; to make up for it I want to give you two gift certificates worth two free meals."

The manager gave Mom the certificates.

"Thank you, but you didn't have to do that for us."

"Yeah, I did. I have a nephew who is gay and her homophobia is not wanted in my business."

I wonder if Scottie has absorbed any part of the situation into his head. Mom pays for our lunches after collecting money from Scottie and Mason, and then we walk out of the restaurant. Ryan follows the three of us out. I'm so glad that my friends are okay with him occasionally hanging out with us.

= = =

Scottie looks like his mind is running a marathon at the moment. He glances at Mason and me and then goes back to being lost in his contemplations.

"Back there in the restaurant, is that typical of how you all get treated by people?"

Mason looks away from Scottie for a second. He looks back and his facial expression changes.

"Back in Arizona I heard it all. It came from kids and adults. I was punched, kicked, and spat on by people, and some were even Mormon. There were parents who wouldn't let me come to their homes, and wouldn't let their kids come to my house. Things haven't been as crazy here, but then who's going to mess with me when I have you guys for friends."

He has never told me any of this before, so I wonder why he never did.

"How do you deal with it?

Scottie really wants to know how we handle homophobia.

"Any more, I just blow it off unless it's really bad, but luckily it's not been horrid."

I reach over and give Mason a quick peck on the cheek.

"You make everything awesome. Life is so much easier now that you're around."

Mason makes me so happy.

"Are we all good?"

Scottie just smiles and that is a great feeling.

"We are all okay."

I finally feel like Scottie has come back to me and it is so awesome. The drive home is completely relaxed and enjoyable.