Date: Fri, 8 Apr 2022 10:12:00 +0000 From: Andrew Passey Subject: Danny The Bully Part Six (Young Friends) I hadn't told Gaz about my arrangement with Danny. I don't know why I hadn't. I suppose I was worried he'd think less of me. By now I realised I was sort of in love with him and I wanted him to think the best of me. I did consider telling him about me seeing Peter for a weekly chat as well but I didn't want him to think it was weird. I just didn't think Gaz would understand why I needed someone like Peter in my life. People who grow up with two parents can't really understand how tough it is being in the situation I was in. I knew Gaz liked Peter and thought a lot of him. That could be my entry into making Gaz see that helping Danny out was reasonable because it kept Peter happy. Also, I was literally helping him to make sure he no longer bullied us! Gaz didn't ever seem too happy about everything when Danny's name came up but he surely had to admit that things were much better than they were before. I was out shopping in town with him after school, being careful not to splash my cash in case it made him suspicious. We were chatting about the usual teenage shift when we walked past the spot where we'd met Peter and Danny that time. "Fuck, I almost shivered thinking about that time we ran into Danny and Peter here!" I said, trying to subtly bring them up. "Yeah, your face went white as a sheet when I mentioned his name!" Gaz replied with a grin. "Peter seems so nice, don't know why Danny is the way he is. You used to be good friends, what happened to him?" "I don't know, we used to get along fine. He did like to boss me around and it was like he had a bit of power over me. It didn't feel we ever did what I wanted but most of the time I was cool with that. Then one day I noticed he started to pick on smaller kids. I guess he grew taller and everyone else stayed small and he got off on the power." "Strange, how someone can just shift into someone like that. I wonder if there's still good in him. Like Darth Vadar in Return of the Jedi." "You're crazy! Does that make you Luke? Who am I in this story? And who is the Emperor??" Gaz said with a laugh. "I know, it's just, I guess I like to think the best of people. I don't like to think that the world is full of wankers!" Gaz giggled, "there are a lot of teenage boys in the world and we're all wankers once were alone in bed! Anyway why are we talking about that arsehole? After what he's been doing to us until recently?!" "Sorry, it's just Peter seems really nice. It just seems shame that you all used to hang out as families and that he's still friends with your Dad but you and Danny aren't." "I for one am happy never to see that fucking arsehole Danny ever again! Yes Peter is great. Yes he's really good mates with my Dad. Yes they grew up together and have always been friends apart from when Pete moved away for a few years. He came back with Danny when his wife died. I think they're both disappointed I'm not friends with Danny anymore. But just because they're friends doesnt mean for one fucking second that I have to be friends with Danny or spend any of my time with him! I've not told Dad we're not friends anymore because he's a bully. There's no points. Now can we talk about something else?" That confirmed I was right to keep my arrangement to myself but I did worry that it would come back to bite me. Unless Gaz changed his tune about Danny I couldn't help but think he'd be hurt about me helping Danny and not telling him. That was the future though and for now out of my hands, The weeks passed and the homework sessions continued. Danny wasn't anywhere near as annoying to spend time with as I'd first expected. I wouldn't say I enjoyed it but it felt like pretty easy money. Thankfully he never threatened me or got his dick out or anything weird really. We just sat down together and went through the homework together. My weekly chats with Peter also went well. It was great having him to talk to. I just felt lucky, I had someone to chat to about things I couldn't tell Mum and at the same time tne money was flooding in! I still hadn't told Mum about being paid. She thought I was doing it to help Danny which made her really happy. I guess I'd have to tell her eventually but for now I was enjoying having the money. Even if it sat in my account rather than me spending it. Peter also popped over to see Mum for a cup of tea occasionally, sometimes just the two of them, sometimes her best friend Grace would be over too. The three of them even went out to the local pub quiz a couple of times. It was great having him in our lives. I just wasn't sure Gaz would agree when he found out. I wrestled with that and wrestled with being in love with Gaz. So one afternoon I opened up to Peter about both of those issues. I didn't exactly say that I was gay, just that I thought I was in love with my best friend but Peter worked it all out. Admittedly I hadn't exactly been very subtle about it. "How do you know if you're um, straight or gay? And what happens if you think you might be in l with your best friend? Should you tell them?"I asked Peter. "I guess this isn't just a rhetorical question Tom?" I just shrugged noncommittally as if I wasn't sure. Peter smiled an understanding smile and rested his fingers on his chin as if about to impart some great wisdom to me. "Well first off, as a teenager you're chock full of hormones and your mind can play tricks on you. It's natural to have same sex attraction. A lot of boys go through it. For some it's a phase, for others that's who they are. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being gay Tom. If that's what you are. Teenage love and same sex experimentation is very common. Without breaking too many confidences and secrets let's just say me and Gaz's dad had a bit of fun together growing up. Honestly though, I think you're right for now to keep this arrangement and your attraction to Gaz to yourself. I'm sure if he's the boy we both think he is then he'd be fine to find out but caution is also good with these things. Just wait for the right time. It will come and you'll know it when it does." I felt much better about things following my chat with Peter. He really knew the right words to say and I guess I was envious of Danny having him for a Dad. I liked it when he praised me for doing well at school and for helping Danny. It made me feel good about myself. As for what he'd said, well I think he was right. Maybe it wasn't the right time to tell Gaz just yet but I did have faith in him saying I'd know when it was. Maybe that was sooner rather than later? Who knows but I just had to trust my instincts. I did wonder if Gaz knew that his Dad and Peter had messed around a bit when they were young? Probably not but then again I didn't really know how open a relationship he had with his Dad. How open anybody was with their Dad really. That was completely unknown territory to me and always would be. After my chat with Peter things might have been looking up but almost instantly there was a hitch. I'd been due to have a sleepover with Gaz that coming weekend. As I said I wasn't sure if that was the right time to tell him but I'd intended to play it by ear. Unfortunately as it happened though that option was removed from me anyway. Literally the next morning after my chat with Peter Gaz came up to me at school looking distraught. "What's wrong?!" I asked instantly not wanting my best friend to be upset. "Danny fucking Parker is what's wrong! My Dad and Peter are off to see some old mates for the weekend. I know we're supposed to be having a sleepover but it turns out the whole fucking world against me! Danny was supposed to be staying with a relative but they cancelled at short notice. So no our sleepover together is cancelled and he's staying with me. in my fucking room!" "It'll be fine, he can't kill you if your Mum is there!" I was trying to make light of it but I could see Gaz wasn't happy. "Ha fucking ha. What a waste of a weekend. I wanted to do stuff with you this weekend, not spend it with that fucking arsehole!" "Yeah me too, I could come over anyway?" I asked. I didn't really want to spend my weekend with Danny but I wanted to protect Gaz. "Thanks mate but that's too much to ask of you. Also my Mum probably won't want any more boys in the house. It's going to be a testosterone fest as it is. Let's do a sleepover next weekend instead," he suggested. I agreed but it didn't really seem to cheer Gaz up. I knew he hated spending any time with Danny and again I felt guilty that I was spending time with Danny without telling Gaz. I sort of felt it had gone on for too long now though. If I announced it to him he might take it badly. Gaz was very grumpy for the rest of the day and I did feel for him. His visceral dislike of Danny was justified. He barely saw Danny. He managed to avoid him at school, he wasn't in our lessons. To suddenly have to spend a whole weekend together with him sounded like torture for Gaz. I felt powerless to help him though. I just hoped he didn't have too bad a time and that Danny would be nice to him. I considered asking Danny to be nice to Gaz when I was over there after school but I didn't want to get involved. It might make things worse. After all as I said, Gaz's Mum was going to be there so it wasn't like Danny could be too horrible to Gaz! Also our agreement was for him not to bully Gaz, bad behaviour outside of school would still count as that. I was just annoyed I was going to miss out on a weekend with the boy I loved.