Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 19:19:12 -0500
From: insanevisionary@hotmail.com
Subject: Barton Hardwick 8

				Part Eight

(("So you haven't said anything to John, either?"
"Uh... No.  Not yet," Dan said, pulling open a beer.  "Linda thought it would
be better to wait until you were here and the boys were together."
"That's probably a good idea," Mr. Hardwick said, "I hadn't thought of
that... I just chickened out," he laughed.
Dan Allen took a swallow of beer.  "Come on, let's go see if Linda needs any
help with dinner."

"No, thanks," Linda said wiping her hands on a towel.  "Everything's in the
oven and dessert's made too.  So did you two talk about things?"
Right to the point as always, that was Linda Allen.  After three brothers,
one husband, and a son, she had learned - that was the best way, but always
with a smile.
"Yeah," her husband responded on cue.
"So do you think we should do it before dinner, or after?" she asked of no
one in particular.
"Not before, I think," Dan said.
"I agree," Joe spoke up.  "This isn't going to be easy, and that could make
dinner an awful chore."
"So after, then."
"I was thinking maybe..." said Dan.  He set an empty can on the shelf, and
Joe motioned toward the refrigerator.
"...just before dessert," Dan continued.  I've found that a boy can handle
just about anything, when there's something sweet on the plate in front of
him."
"Bribery?" Linda asked.
"Not exactly.  Just something to soften the blow, so to speak.
In any case, I think it should be tonight.  What I mean is, I don't think we
should wait."
He went to the fridge, took out a beer and offered it to Linda who shook her
head.  He motioned toward Mr. Allen, but Dan held up his beer and shook it,
"All set for now, thanks."
Joe popped the beer open, leaned back against the counter, and said, "Anyway,
in addition to what we saw by John's tent this afternoon, I uh... found this
last week."  He fished in his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
He unfolded it and handed it to Linda.  "I didn't pry.  It was the top page
in a school notebook Barton had left open when he was in the shower.  I
walked by and saw it, and copied it to show to you.  And I don't want him to
know that you've seen it."
Linda took the page from him.  Her eyes scanned it quickly, then her hand
went to her mouth as her husband moved to her side.  "Oh Dan," she sighed.
"Oh, does this bring back memories."  She looked at her husband and back at
the page, which shook in her hand.  "I had a notebook like this," she said.
"Yeah," Dan nodded.  "I remember."))

*******************

 I let go and we both turned slowly toward the house.
Sure enough.  There they were, on the deck about 50 feet away and both our
Dads were leaning against the railing, facing us.
 "Sorry," I whispered.
 "It's OK.  Maybe they didn't see anything."
We walked back to the house and under the second story deck.
They were talking about work and stuff.  Phew!  That was close...
"John?"
Crap that was my Dad.
"Yeah, Dad?"
"Don't go too far, dinner will be ready soon, OK?"
"K Dad, we're just gonna... Uh, get my stuff and bring it out to the tent,
OK?"
We went inside and started grabbing the "supplies" I had gotten ready;
Sleeping bag and pillows. Two flashlights - a small maglight, and a huge 6
cell Maxiflash with a radio, a red flashing "tail light" and a four-inch lens
that could put out a beam that I swear would make the Martians reach for
their sunglasses.  All the candy I had left in my desk from Easter and
Christmas, which was one Snickers Santa, seventeen jelly beans and half a
chocolate rabbit.  But there was a big bag of pastel M&M's which weighed like
a pound or two - that should last us (with popcorn and a six of Sprite and
another six of Barq's). An old U.S. Army shovel I found at a tag sale (you
never know).  The Swiss Army knife my Uncle gave me when I was ten, which
still had four things on it that worked. Comic books, Game Boy, Pens and
paper for tic tac toe or hangman.  Extra batteries, and a gym bag with
pajamas and stuff.
On the third trip Barton complained, "Geez, John.  Is there going to be room
for us in there?"
"Don't worry," I said, shoving the gym bag in, "If it gets too crowded, we
can just start throwing things out."
"Your things," he said under his breath.
"Good one," I said.  "Besides, if you hadn't brought the kitchen sink, we
wouldn't have anywhere to pee."
He didn't say anything, but his face said, "Ewwww," as he crawled in.
We set up our sleeping bags and pillows, and got all the important stuff out
and ready.
Barton had a big smile on his face the whole time.
When it looked all set, I sat back on my sleeping bag and just looked at him.
His hair was getting sweaty on the sides and in front like when we went for
ice cream, and little blonde curls ringed his ears and forehead.
He sighed and sat back, too.  "What?" he asked.
"Nothin'."
We sat silent for a minute.  I was just watching.
I saw at first only his oversized, dark blue eyes, and then my vision moved
outward around them, showing me his eyelashes and forehead and cheeks and
chin until I saw a face that should be in a movie, or a magazine or painted
somewhere.
Why does he do this to me?  Why do I wake up at night and think about him?
Why don't any of the girls at school look as cute as he does right now?  Am I
gay?  Is he?  Jesus, I'm only twelve... I mean thirteen.
Then his brow furrowed.
"John?"
Oh Crap.  Brain frozen again.
Think.  Think!
Someone's hand reached out and took his.
Then from somewhere behind my eyes, someone said in a croaking voice,
"C'mere..."
He leaned forward, and I could taste him moving toward me.  His lips on mine,
and the way I felt last time, when his tongue brushed against mine...
"Johhhhnn!" my Dad's voice rang from the deck.  "Time for dinner!"
"Barrrrrtawn!" That was Mr. Hardwick.
Crap!
"Sshhit!" Barton said in a strained whisper.
My eyebrows went up.
He just looked at me.  "Welll..?" he shrugged.  He looked apologetic but
pissed.
"You hungry?" I asked.
He nodded.
Trademark.
"C'mon then, lets go eat."  I started to get up.
Barton grabbed the sleeve of my sweatshirt, and pulled me back down.
Damn!  He was a lot stronger than he looked!
"John..."
There was the face it had taken me a minute or more to see just a few moments
ago.
Ok.
OK!
I reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, leaned forward and kissed him.
"OK?" I asked.
He sighed, "Yeah."
"This is gonna be the best night ever," I said.  Sleeping out is great,
you'll see.  C'mon." I said getting up.

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