Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2002 22:31:58 -0700 From: Dewey Subject: Brian and Pete Chapter 13 Brian and Pete Chapter Thirteen Choices Copyright Notice - Copyright November 2001 by DeweyWriter Ltd. This story is copyrighted by the author and the author retains all rights. This work may not be duplicated in any form, physical, electronic, audio, or otherwise without the authors expressed written permission. All applicable copyright laws apply and will be enforced. Legal Disclaimer This story is a work of erotic fiction involving teenage boys partially based on real people and events. Names have been changed to protect the guilty as well as the innocent. All the usual rules apply. If it is illegal for you to be reading this now, then don't continue. Thursday after school, Pete, Kevin, and I took Jason out for his birthday dinner at McMiniman's Roadhouse. I'd never been there, but it was cool. The McMiniman brothers bought buildings that were going to be torn down and turned them into restaurants. I knew they'd bought an old high school somewhere, and that it was very successful, but that's all I knew about them. Dad met us at the restaurant. We all ate our fill, and then some. Jason seemed as happy as he could be, conversing and telling an occasional joke. We didn't discuss anything heavy, which was a relief to us all. Jason was eighteen now. Kevin was a little anxious, I could tell. He didn't know how his relationship with Jason would change. Jason was a good kid, but he didn't need to be accountable to Kevin anymore; in fact, he wasn't accountable to him anymore, legally. Given what'd happened in the last couple weeks, I wondered how much more Jason would rebel. I hoped he wouldn't. None of us needed any more upheaval in our lives. Pete and I hadn't had time to get Jason's gift, but we'd decided what we were going to get. It would take a week or so to bring it together, though. Jason smiled and said we didn't have to get him anything. Of course, we were going to anyway, regardless of what he said. After we'd finished dinner, Dad said goodbye and headed back to the farmhouse. We went home as well, and once there, Kevin invited us up to the office. With what had happened last time we were all in this room, I was a little wary. I think we all were. Kevin pulled out a bottle of Crown Royal, and poured four generous shots, handing one to each of us. "Since I know you guys won't be going anywhere tonight, I thought it would be nice to toast Jason's birthday in style." Kevin raised his glass. "To you, son. You're all I could've wished for. I am proud to be your father." Kevin drank a sip, and we followed suit. I thought it would burn going down, but it was very smooth, and didn't burn until after. Overall, I liked it. Pete raised his glass. "To you, Jason. You accepted me when I needed it, you're there when I need you, and you're my friend. To the best person in the world I could ask to have as a brother." Pete sipped, as did we all. I suddenly realized that I had to make a toast now. So many things crowded my mind at once, I didn't know where to begin. "When I came here, I was way messed up. I still am, really." Pete put his hand on my knee, and I covered it with mine. "Pete supported me, kept me grounded, more or less, but you finally got through to me, Jason. I owe you so much. I owe you my life, I owe you my relationship with Pete. I owe you for your acceptance of me, and the patience you show while I learn how to be human." Tears were welling up in my eyes. "I owe all of you so much. "Jason, here's to you. The best brother-in-law I could ever wish for." As I took another sip of the Crown Royal, I began to feel warm all over. "I'd also like to toast all of you. You've saved my life, in more ways than one." I finished my shot. The three of them were quiet for a moment, weighing my words. I was suddenly an emotional wreck. I don't know why I said what I did. It wasn't even appropriate, given the reason we were there. Suddenly I was ashamed for taking the focus off of Jason's day. Kevin cleared his throat as he stood, gathered our glasses, and to our surprise, filled them again. "I don't know what to say, Brian," Kevin said as he handed our glasses back to us. "Me either." Jason added quietly, almost sheepishly. Pete watched me thoughtfully, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking. I took another sip. "You know, boys," Kevin said, "we've been through a lot in the last month or so. Some of it's still fresh in our minds, and on our hearts. It's been rough on all of us. Especially you, Jason. If I could've spared you what you've been through, I would have." "I know, Dad." "Jason, I meant what I said earlier. I'm proud of the man you've become." Jason blushed. "You're everything I'd hoped, even dreamed." "Jeez, Dad, don't lay it on too thick." "I'm not, Jason. I'm telling you the truth. I love you, son. You mean more to me than... than... everything, Jason." Jason hugged his father tightly, and murmured a few words into Kevin's ear before returning to his seat on the couch next to Pete and me. Kevin gave us a sardonic smile. "Pete, Brian, you two can be such pains in the ass at times," I grinned shyly. "Pete is my son, legally, and in fact. Neither Jason nor I would have it any other way." "Yup," agreed Jason. "Brian, you're my son-in-law, regardless of what the law says about your sexuality. Again, Jason and I wouldn't have it any other way. Even with the problems you claim to have or cause. Never be afraid that you don't belong here. I love you as my own son, and Jason loves you as his brother." Jason nodded his agreement. "We're brothers forever, no matter what happens. No matter what. Got that, Brian?" "Yeah, I think I got it." I looked at Pete, sitting next to me. He was smiling slightly. Leaning closer, he whispered, "I love you, baby," and kissed me on the lips. It wasn't a deep kiss, but it lasted almost forever. I felt like I was floating when Pete pulled back. I kept my eyes closed for a moment after, and then opened them to see Kevin and Jason wearing shit-eating grins. I couldn't stop the blush that suffused my face, which only made their grins widen. Trying to ignore them, I took another drink and leaned into Pete, resting my head on his shoulder. The rest of the evening passed, the four of us talking about whatever came up. Jason appeared to have something bothering him while we spoke, though. Kevin noticed it, too. "Something on your mind, son?" "No... well, yeah. I'm eighteen now. I'm an adult, but I still live here, or at least I do now." "Do you want to move out?" "No. There's plenty of room here. It wouldn't make sense." "What is it you want to know. The ground rules?" "Yeah." Kevin nodded. "Okay. Here's what I ask of you. Until you move out, I would like you to keep me informed of your plans: where you're going, and with whom. This isn't because I want to spy on you or anything, but because I don't want to have a heart attack wondering where you are." Jason nodded. "Until you're out of highschool, though, I expect nothing to change from the way it is now, except on the weekends, when you can do what you wish. As long as you keep your grades." "Fair enough. What if I want to bring someone home." "You can bring them home. If you want to sleep with them, then no one under eighteen, for legal reasons. If you want to move down to the spare room, I can understand." "We'll see," Jason said noncommittally. He seemed to be accepting Kevin's rules with no problem. This wasn't what I expected given the friction we'd seen in the last couple weeks. "Son, you need to know, no matter what happens, you have a place here. If you need somewhere to go once you're out on your own, you can come home." "I know, Dad. And if I have any questions, you'll be one of the first people I ask." Kevin smiled. "Do you agree to these rules?" "Let's make them clear. School nights, I'm here. Weekends and holidays are mine, but I tell you what's up. If I want to bring someone home, it's no problem, but if I want to have sex with them, they have to be over eighteen. Anything else?" Jason wore a sardonic smile. "Yes, Jason. One more thing. Please use protection." "Of course." "And no drinking or drugs." "Dad..." "Plus, I want you to get through school." "Me too." "That's it. Pete, you know this, but I'll say it anyway: Same goes for you. Just remember, Brian is still a minor, okay?" "I wouldn't go anywhere without him anyway." "Either way, the same rules apply." "Sure. No problem." "Brian?" "Oh, you mean the little child gets to say something to the adults?" "Brian!" I chuckled at Kevin's indignation. "Yeah, I get it." "Just be damn careful, you two." "We always are, Dad." Pete hugged me to him. It was time to hit the sack. Pete and I each embraced Kevin and Jason. I put extra warmth into my hug with Jason, and smiled up at him. "Love you, bro." "Love you too, Jase. Brothers?" "Forever." <<{{0}}>> A week passed. Life settled into a comfortable routine, with school, working out to regain my strength, and homework. Pete and I still had plenty of time for each other, which we used to best advantage. Kevin was spending every day at the office now, still working on Ray's case. He didn't give us any progress reports, though. When he came home, most times he went up to the office and had a drink. My dad would show up unannounced and head straight to the office after barely saying hello. Jason watched my dad as he climbed the stairs, worry etched on his face. The following Thursday, a week after his birthday, Jason, Pete, and I sat upstairs in Jason's room talking, while Kevin and Dad were in the office. We were all worried about how Kevin was bearing up under the strain of work and the divorce. It had to be tearing the guy apart, but every time we interacted with him, he seemed normal, as if nothing was wrong. I couldn't see a hint of stress on his face. He was either really good at faking it, or he really wasn't stressed. However, the amount of time he spent sequestered with my dad made us all wonder. The next Sunday, Pete and I gave Jason his birthday present. We had gone to the mall on the weekend prior and found what we wanted. We brought them home after they were completed and gave them to him Sunday night. He opened the box after dinner, and stared at it, not quite sure what to make of it. Kevin got up to see what had captured Jason's attention. Finally able to move, Jason lifted five seemingly identical medallions on short leather thongs out of the box. They were about the size of a quarter, were round and made of silver, with Japanese or Chinese characters raised in the middle. Jason looked to Pete for an explanation. He pulled one of them out of the tangle. "Jason, this one is for you. The symbol is Japanese Kanji. It means 'older brother'." Pete tied the medallion around Jason's neck. It hung high over the hollow of his throat. Pete took another one and handed it to Kevin. "This one has the character for 'father'." Kevin looked at it, a curious expression on his face, somewhere between amazement and... I don't know. Pete took two of the remaining medallions and gave one to me. "These last three are identical. The symbols on them mean 'younger brother'." "There's an extra one," Jason said softly. "It belongs to Ray," I said. "You can give it to him when he comes back, Jase." Jason stared at it for a few seconds, seemingly at a loss for words. "Thank you, guys. I don't know what to say. It's perfect." Tears filled his eyes, and he hugged Pete and I to him. "Thank you." Kevin was looking a little misty-eyed himself. He snuffled mightily, and spoke in a shaky voice. "Where did you find these?" "Brian had the idea, and I liked it. He found the characters on the net, and we took them to a jeweler. He made the medallions for us." "You had these made? For us?" Jason asked. Pete nodded. "We were only going to get yours, but when we found how reasonable it was, we ordered the others. You can put any kind of chain you want on it, but I thought the cord would look cool." "I love it, guys." Kevin cleared his throat, and cleared it again. He sat staring at the medallion in his hands. In a subdued tone, he said, "You boys never cease to amaze me." I thought I saw a tear fall. Jason asked, "Dad? Are you okay?" Kevin didn't move for a second, but then sat up abruptly, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "Fine, son. Everything's fine." Kevin sounded to me like he was trying to convince himself. He patted his knees, and stood. "Well, I'm tired. I think I'm going to go to bed." "Dad?" "Yes, Jason?" "It's okay." "What do you mean?" "We know, Dad." "You know what?" Kevin asked suspiciously. "We know how hard this is for you. You don't have to keep up this act, Dad. You helped us, let us help you. Please?" Pete said, "We're family, and we're here for each other. Dad, please let us be here for you." "Please, Dad?" I looked into Kevin's eyes, and saw the façade shatter. He cried quietly while we surrounded him, holding him, comforting him. We were together, a father and his sons, sharing in each others' pain and strength, until at last, the tears stopped. <<{{0}}>> Time continued to pass quickly. March gave way to April, and the weather continued to be miserable. It rained constantly, preventing much more than a quick run to the park. Life was still more-or-less routine. Kevin continued to spend long hours at the office, avoiding coming home. When he was home, his mask was back and as strong as ever. Jason spent more and more of his time out and about with 'friends', leaving Pete and I alone most of the time until about seven in the evening. Not that we were complaining, but I for one missed the easy companionship we'd shared before everything happened. Pete seemed unaffected, as always. Dad was continuing to get the house ready for the rest of my family, painting out the rest of the rooms. Once I had convinced him I wasn't an invalid, Dad let me work with him on the weekends. Pete spent that time with me, seeming to enjoy the labor. He's crazy. I know he is. He's with me, after all. Just kidding, Pete. Dad, true to his word, paid Pete and me for the work we did. Pete didn't want to accept the money, but Dad insisted. When Pete refused, Dad didn't fight him, but put the money away to give to him later. We heard nothing about Sharon, Joanne, or Ray. Kevin didn't volunteer any information, and we didn't ask. Some nights, when I couldn't sleep, I would hear Kevin in the office, talking on the phone. They were never quiet conversations, and they lasted well into the early hours of the morning. He caught me heading toward the bathroom one night. I heard him slam the phone down, and he threw open the office door, almost running into me. Kevin's face was flushed, and held in an ugly grimace. He went around me without saying a word, and retired to his bedroom. I did my business, and when I came out, Kevin was going down the stairs. Knowing I shouldn't and he probably didn't want me to, I followed him down the stairs. He went straight to the spare room in the back of the house, the one I'd stayed in when Pete and I were having such a rough time. Unable to stop myself, I listened at the door. I didn't hear much; just some muttering. He opened the door, surprising me, and I was caught flat footed, unable to move. "Brian," he sighed, "What do you want? You should be in bed." He was remarkably calm, given what I'd seen upstairs. "I couldn't sleep." "So you're spying on me?" "I'm worried about you, Kevin." "There's nothing to worry about." "Yeah, there is." "Brian, it's late. I don't intend to have this conversation with you." "Tough shit." I wasn't going to let him duck me that easily. "Brian..." he said warningly, raising a finger. "Look, you tell us to come to you if we have a problem, and we do. Why don't you come to us when you have a problem?" "I'm dealing with my problems." "No, you're trying to pretend they don't exist." "Go to bed, Brian." "What? Did I hit a nerve?" "Go to bed." "Why? What good will it do? I'm just going to lay there, wondering when you're going to explode because the strain of holding it all in gets to be too much." "I'm not going to explode." "Not yet, but you're coming closer and closer. I hear you on the phone with her almost every night. I hear the yelling. She's not coming back, is she?" Kevin slumped, defeated, his anger instantly evaporating. "No," he whispered. "You've been trying to talk her into getting back together?" He nodded. "And she won't even consider it unless you kick Jason out." "How did you know that?" "It's logical." "I'm not going to do it. I'll never kick him out." "I know, Kevin. So what are you going to do?" He shrugged. "I don't know. Not much I can do. In six months, it'll be over." "I'm sorry, Kevin." "All those years, and I thought I knew her. Never in my worst fears did I believe she'd abandon us." He was quiet for a moment. "Want some hot chocolate?" "Sure." We moved into the kitchen, and Kevin continued speaking. "It's times like this I crave chocolate. Kind of like a comfort food, I guess. Never really thought much about it until I found myself eating a one pound bar in the office last week." He busied himself with the water and mugs. "I've been working long hours at the office, trying to force Ray's suit to a conclusion," he said abstractly. "Do you think it's just an excuse for not wanting to be here?" He blinked and looked at me. "Maybe. I hate coming home, knowing Sharon's gone. I hate what she's done here, especially the way she's treated Jason. But even with all that, I still love her. I miss her, especially at night." I grinned. "Not that, well, maybe that, too, but we would talk at night. We talked about our day, funny stuff that'd happened, you guys and what you'd done. I miss the companionship." "Is that why you're spending so much time with my dad?" "I suppose. Your father's filling a void right now. He knows it, and I know it. That's not to mean that our friendship will end after all is said and done, though." He sat at the table and handed me a steaming mug of cocoa. "You know I shouldn't be telling you this." "Why not?" "I'm the parent. I'm not suppose to burden my children with my problems." My anger flared. In a heated voice, I said, "That's so much bullshit. I've got news for you, Kevin. Even if you don't tell us, we know something's going on. We've been worried about you since things went down. More so, lately, the way you've been acting." He stared into his mug. "I know. It's just hard for me. You guys are still kids, and you have enough to deal with without me adding to it." "He said, quoting Brian." He looked up. "What?" "You sound just like me." "This is different, though." "How? It's no different than you and Jason listening to me when I'm depressed." "Yes, it is." "Again, how? And don't give me that shit about you being an adult." He glared at me, wheels turning in his head. After a long moment, he dropped his eyes back to his cup. "See? No difference at all. Look, Kevin, I'm not trying to make trouble. I'm just proving a point. We're here for you, and no matter what it is, we can handle it. We're big boys now, and besides: I've had lots of practice." "It just doesn't seem right." "What?" "A father burdening his children." "You're forgetting something. We're all going through the same thing. It may not have affected us like it did you, but we're still dealing with the same events. It's not like you have a problem that has nothing to do with us." "It's still not right." "Are you afraid to let us see you being weak? Is that why? You're afraid that we'll think less of you? That we won't see you as a man?" He shrugged, acting like a sulky teenager who doesn't want to answer a question. "I remember, not too long ago, someone telling me that it takes a real man to be able to show his emotions. You've encouraged me to let my emotions out, to feel them instead of swallowing them. Take your own advice. And us thinking that you're somehow weak is bullshit, too. We understand what's going on. It's okay to talk to us. It pisses me off that you don't. I want to pay you back, somehow, and you aren't letting me." I took a sip as Kevin regarded me, pondering what I'd said. Finally he shook his head. "I've been waffling back and forth, wanting to let it out, but holding it all in for the sake of you boys," he said. "It keeps coming back to the fact you and Pete have your own stuff to deal with. Jason's lost his mother and sister, and he has that to deal with. Ray leaving like he did affected all of you, too. I've lost my wife and daughter, but I can't afford to let it affect me, because I have to be here for you guys. "Something I forgot to take into account is that none of you are ordinary kids. You've all seen and experienced more than anyone should at your age. You're more mature than other kids your age. And on top of that, you're all intelligent..." He shook his head again. "Brian, I don't know if I can do this. If I let it out..." "It'll destroy you?" I supplied. "Yeah." He looked surprised. "It won't, Kevin. It just seems like it right now. Trust me. I've been there. I still feel that way sometimes. Will tells me we have to grieve our losses. If we don't, we never heal. It's easier to grieve when you're with people who love you, Kevin. You've all been there for me when times like that come up. Let us be here for you. "It'd help Jason, too, you know. It gives him an excuse to cry. He doesn't like crying anymore than I do, though I do enough of it." "I don't know, Brian." "Think about it. Jason knows you're hurting, but since you aren't showing that it affects you, Jason tries to act like it's not affecting him, too, but he's not dealing with it well as you appear to be. If you let him in, he'd see that it's okay to feel like he does, and to share it." "He knows all that." "Maybe, but the one thing I know for a fact is, knowing in your head and believing in your heart are two different things. He follows your example." I finished my drink as Kevin sat thinking. When I stood, Kevin looked up. "I'm going to try to get some sleep. You should, too." "I'm not going to be able to. You've given me a lot to think about, Brian. Thank you." I nodded. "Talking doesn't hurt, usually. As I've been shown, sometimes we can't see the situation because we're in it. Maybe you should go see Will and talk to him about how to cope with this. Jason should, too." "I'll think about it." "Okay. G'night, Dad." "Good night, son." I climbed the stairs to our room. I tried to open the door quietly, but the hinge squeaked, waking Pete. I'd have to take care of that in the morning. "That you, Bri?" he asked in a hoarse voice. "Yeah, babe. Go back to sleep." "Come to bed, baby. I want to feel you next to me." I took off my sweats and spooned Pete. He fell asleep quickly, but I lay awake, heavy thoughts on my mind. <<{{0}}>> Time continued on it's inexorable path. Spring was beginning to reveal itself through new leaves and birds returning, but the rain kept falling. I had visited with Will a couple times, and although they were good sessions, I came away feeling cheated somehow. I wanted Will to give me a tool I could use to deal with everything I was feeling, but all we did was talk. He also gave me a prescription for an anti-depressant and an anti-anxiety medication. Kevin filled them for me, but I didn't want to take it. I hated the thought of the med turning me into someone I'm not. Kevin and Jason talked to Will, too. They never did say what happened there, but both seemed more at ease with each other, and we all talked about what we were feeling more often. School was pretty much the same. Pete and I now shared the same math class, but as usual, I found it pretty boring. I was done with the homework way ahead of time, and then I had to try and sit still with Pete right beside me. It was really difficult to keep my attention on my own desk. He was right there, and I had to ignore him! Talk about your impossible tasks. Brent was living up to his word. He started hanging out with us at lunch. Jason, Pete, and Jared still didn't trust him, and to tell the truth, neither did I, but he had interceded for us when some of his old buddies wanted to beat up the 'fag', referring to Jared. Brent calmly stood there and told them to get lost. They did, and to prevent further incidents Brent made himself visible when Jared was in the halls for the rest of the day. I was beginning to think this was an honest effort on his part. My mom and sister were going to move up after the end of the school year. Dawn whined and whined long enough that Mom and Dad agreed. Dad was flying down to see them every other weekend now, since fares were cheap. Pete and I would 'house-sit' while he was gone. We really enjoyed that. Except the time Kevin showed up to check on us. Unannounced. At just the wrong time. One April weekend, Jason invited Pete and me to take a ride with him. He was going down to Wilsonville to meet his friends at Adel's, a local coffee shop chain, for breakfast. We were the last ones there. The hostess showed us to a table with five people, and we sat down. Jason introduced us as, "Pete, my brother, and Brian, his friend." The rest of the group introduced themselves as Denise, Rob and Nichole, Jennifer, and David. I better let Pete take over here. I'm laughing too hard. ---000--- Sure, leave it to me. Anyway, let me describe them. Denise had brown hair and eyes, and seemed very friendly. If you ignore the fact that she acted like she was suspended by a bungee cord and was hitting on Jason the whole time, she was pretty nice. She bounced her way through the whole meal. Rob had short blond hair, was pretty average looking, and had this huge scar running down the length of his forearm, from elbow to wrist. It almost looked like he'd tried to kill himself. Nichole had brown hair and brown eyes, was noticeably over her ideal weight, and was obviously Rob's girlfriend. Both of them were friendly as well, but they mostly kept to themselves. Jennifer was hot, for a girl. She wore her brown hair in a ponytail, had big brown doe eyes, and a terrific figure. I caught every guy there watching her when she went to the restroom, including Brian. Don't deny it, baby. I was there. And she wasn't the only person you were watching. David. Strawberry blond, expressive green eyes, killer smile, and an awesome swimmers build. Brian couldn't take his eyes off him. Well, neither could I, so I can't blame him. If David noticed the attention he was getting, he never said anything. What was really cool about the whole breakfast thing was we were accepted into the group without question. Everyone talked to us, and they were genuinely interested in our answers. We didn't feel like tag-alongs at all. We learned all of them were seniors, but only some of them had plans to continue their education. Jennifer was going to go to West Point to become an Army officer. Jason was going to college, of course, and David was going to the same school. Denise was traveling to Italy as an exchange student for a year. Rob and Nichole were going to take some time off. I got the idea that they weren't able to afford to go to school. When I wasn't watching David, I was watching Jason. He seemed completely at his ease with us there, as did the rest of them. Jason wasn't paying more attention to any one of them over another. He caught me watching a few times and just smiled. A couple of times, I had to kick Brian to get his chin out of his pancakes. Yes I did. I thought I was going to have to hit you over the head. ---000--- Fine. No more lies from you. Yeah, yeah, I love you, too. Anyway, I do have to say that David was worth watching. And if I had to pick my chin up off the table, you had to reel yours in from the floor! Okay, back to what I was trying to write before I was rudely interrupted by that kiss... After breakfast, we walked over to the theater behind the restaurant to see what was playing. We agreed to see some action flick, but it made so little impression I don't remember the name. We had an hour to mill around until show time, so the eight of us sat around on the planters talking. It was so funny. Denise could hold up both ends of a conversation by herself! She monopolized Jason for a half hour before David pried him away, then she latched on to Pete and me. I've never met anyone that lively. She was almost hyperactive. I managed to get Denise to focus on Pete for a bit so I could watch the rest of the group (sorry, babe). Jason, Jennifer, and David were off to the side, speaking quietly, with their heads together. Every once in a while, one of them would glance at us. I caught David looking at me one time, and he winked. He actually winked! When it was time to go into the theatre, I saw Jason do something that surprised the hell out of me. He kissed Jennifer's cheek, and she patted his arm affectionately. That started the wheels turning. They didn't act like they were a couple, but more like really good friends. They did walk into the theatre hand in hand, though, but Jennifer was holding David's hand, too. We went into the theater with fifteen minutes left to wait. I happened to sit between Pete and David, so I got my first chance to talk to him. He opened the conversation. "How long have you guys been together?" "Excuse me?" "You and Pete. How long have you guys been together?" "What do you mean?" He chuckled and flashed that dazzling smile. "Brian, I'm gay, too. I know what to look for. You guys are a couple." "Jesus. Do I have it tattooed on my forehead or something?" "No, nothing like that, dude. It's little things. Secret smiles, looks, that kind of thing. And Jason did put an emphasis on 'friend' when he introduced you." "I'm starting to think I'm obvious. This is the second time I've been outed in the last couple months." "You're not obvious at all. You're both straight acting, and if I wasn't looking for it, I probably would have missed it." "Pete?" He was talking to Rob on the other side. "Yeah?" "Um, well," I started, then whispered, "David knows." "That's okay. He's family." "WHAT? You knew and didn't tell me?" "We're going to have to work on your gaydar, Bri." I could hear David laughing softly behind me. "Well... shit." David chuckled, "Like I said, it's okay." "How long have you known Jason?" "Jeez. Seems like forever. Since the third grade, I think." "You guys were best friends?" "Not exactly. We were friends, and played together. There were a few other guys that we hung out with. Why?" "Just wondering. Jason never talks about himself." "He never really has, especially after his brother passed on. We kinda drifted apart for a couple years after that. We started talking again last summer." "You guys did stuff last summer?" "Yeah. A couple times we went to the beach or the movies." Hmm. "Can I ask you a personal question?" "Depends." "On what?" "What do you want to know?" "Have you and Jason, you know..." "Why do you want to know that?" "Well, I don't even know if Jason likes boys or girls! He avoids the subject." "I'm not going tell you anything. I'm sure he has his reasons." I sat back in the chair, frustrated. "Look, Brian, you don't need to worry about him. He's fine." "He's never said anything about himself." "Maybe he doesn't know." "Oh, come on. When did you know you were gay?" "I was twelve. So?" "Pete was twelve. Ray was younger than that. Jason has to know by now." "What if he likes both, and is trying to decide which way to go?" The lights went down, and the previews started. "Are you saying..." "I'm not saying anything. I'm just giving you something to think about. Let him be." We settled in to watch the movie. Now that I think about it, the reason the movie made so little impression could have been that I was preoccupied with what David had said. We spent the rest of the day with the gang. We went back to David's house and watched another movie while we ate lunch. Pete and I kind of outed ourselves to the group when we sat next to each other on the floor, a little closer then necessary. Denise was the first to notice, of course. "Jason, you didn't tell us that Brian and Pete are boyfriends." Every head turned our way. "Are you guys boyfriends?" "Uh, yeah," Pete said, "we are." "Oh, that's so cute! How long have you been together?" ... and so on and so forth. I swear I've never seen such a bad case of diarrhea of the mouth in my life. The rest of the group just kind of smiled, and then ignored the fact, or rather, they accepted it and moved on. We were watching a chick flick, so everyone was sprawling all over. Rob and Nichole were sitting on a loveseat, Nichole resting her head on Rob's lap. Jason, Jennifer, and Denise were sitting on a couch, Jason in the middle, of course. David was sitting on a recliner, while Pete and I laid on the floor. I was laying crossways to the TV, and Pete lay straight, propping his head up against my side. Yeah, I know, a lot of useless detail, but that day was very important to me. I remember every little thing very clearly. It was the first time that Pete and I had shown affection in 'public', somewhere other than the safety of home, and felt perfectly at ease. We didn't need to look over our shoulders, we didn't need to be afraid to hug or kiss. We could be ourselves. Midway through the movie, we took a break to go to the bathroom and get munchies or whatever. Jason couldn't help but smile. He was happy that his friends had accepted us. He knew they would, or he wouldn't have invited us, but he still wore that Cheshire Cat grin the rest of the day. David seemed curiously ambivalent as he watched us. Sometimes he would smile, and other times he just appeared thoughtful. When he noticed us looking at him, he gave a shy smile. I don't think he was aware he was staring at us. There were a few more questions, and some lingering looks from the group, but Pete and I didn't mind. It's not often you see a pair of teen boys in love who are in a comfortable environment. When we caught them looking, we'd just smile and go back to watching the movie. Rob and Nichole traded places with us for the last half, so we got the loveseat. Pete sat up, and I laid my head in his lap while the show played out. It was so relaxing to be in an atmosphere of acceptance. It was four o'clock when we all decided to head home. Rob had to work, and Jennifer had a family function, as she called it. Before everyone scattered, I felt I had to say something to Jason's friends, for making the afternoon so easy for us. "Before you guys leave, I want to thank you. This is the first time we've been able to be ourselves away from family. You don't know how good it feels to be able to do that." Pete put his arm around me. "That goes for me, too. Thanks." Everyone smiled and reassured us that they, too, had a good time, and that we were invited back. On the way home, Jason asked, "Did you guys have fun?" "You planned that," Pete accused. Jason grinned, "Well, not all of it. I didn't know if you guys would let it slip out or not, but either way, I knew that they'd accept you." "It was awesome. I never thought it would feel that good to be out." "Well, just remember that not everyone will be that accepting." "I know." "What about you, Brian?" "Huh? Oh, yeah. Great time. It was cool." "Are you okay, baby?" "Yeah," I said, "I'm okay. Just thinking." "What about?" "Something David said." "What was that," Jason asked. "Nothing. Just got me thinking, 'sall." Pete looked back at me, a question on his face. I shook my head slightly and mouthed, "Later." He nodded. "All right, you two. What is it that I can't hear?" "Jason, you don't want to know." "I think I do." His tone was light, joking. "Please, Jason, let it go," I pleaded. "That serious?" "Yeah." "And it concerns me, otherwise you'd tell me." I didn't respond. "What did David tell you?" "Can we at least wait until we get home and you're not driving?" Jason pulled off the freeway at the next exit, Cornelius Pass Road. After parking in the lot of a grocery store, he turned around to face me. "Okay, I'm not driving. What did David tell you?" "He told me I should leave you alone." "Why should you leave me alone." I sighed. "I asked him some questions about you." "Like?" "I asked him if he knew if you liked women or men." "What did he say?" "He said it was none of my business and to let you be." "Brian, why would you ask him a question like that?" "Because I'm worried about you. You never have friends over. This is the first time I've seen you with anyone other than Jared." "So?" Exasperated, I asked, "Don't you have a girlfriend or something? Don't you get lonely?" "No, I don't have a girlfriend." Jason was calm, a slight smile on his face. "I appreciate that you're concerned about me, Brian. And you too, Pete. Believe me, when I find the right person, you'll know about it. Until then," he grinned, "I bet I give you guys a run for your money to see who jerks off more." Pete cracked up laughing, and then started howling. Jason was laughing as well, pointing to the goofy expression on my face. Somehow, I felt abused. That Saturday was a milestone for Brian and I. We had a taste of freedom, and we loved it. We were both so happy that we couldn't sit still. Of course, Kevin asked how our day went, but finally had to settle for Jason's version of events because neither Brian nor I could tell a coherent story. Dad was overjoyed that we'd found a place to relax and be ourselves outside of the house. As we ate, Brian wondered aloud what it would be like to come out at school. I was stunned he'd mentioned the subject, so when they started asking me what I thought about the idea, I couldn't answer, having heard nothing of the intervening conversation. All I could do is stare at my lover. A wry smile spread across his lips. "Earth to Pete. Come in, Pete." I literally had to shake my head to gather my wits. "Okay, lets start this again. I didn't hear a word after Brian said the words 'come out'." Brian giggled at my confusion, then started over. "I was saying, I wonder what it would be like to come out at school." "And I said," Kevin responded, "that I wasn't so sure that was a good idea, given what's happened in the past." "And I said," Brian replied, "that everyone who wanted to hurt us is in jail. What do you think, Pete?" I sat there, blinking. "You want to come out? At school?" "I was just thinking out loud. It's not like we need to make the choice now, or at all. But it was great to be able to be ourselves and not worry about anyone else." "You'd have to be constantly on your guard," Jason said. "There're more homophobes at school beside Brent's crew." Brian shrugged. "So? I'm on my guard now." I had to ask again. "You want to come out at school?" Brian smiled and patted my leg. "What about you Pete? What do you think about coming out?" "I... don't know. I mean, Jared's out and he hasn't had any problems, but I still remember that day with the knife. Once we do it, we can't take it back. It's a tough choice." "And it might not turn out the way you think, Brian." Kevin's serious voice brought the conversation to a halt. "It could be that you'll make more enemies than you can handle." "So I- we- get to live life in fear of being outed at any time, and then have to be afraid of all the closet homophobes, too? I'd rather tell them when we are in control of the situation, and are prepared for it, rather than be surprised and vulnerable." I nodded. "If we decide to come out, I'm in favor of telling people and letting them deal with it, rather than letting the rumor mill take care of the job." "When would you tell them?" "The end of this year or beginning of next year." "That's four weeks, Brian," I said. "I know." "Are you sure you want to do this, baby?" "It's our decision, Pete. This affects both of us. If you don't want to, then I don't want to either." "But you want to." "Maybe. We need to think about it more, and talk. I have to be convinced, and I'm not, not yet." Brian subsided into quiet thought. I was frightened to come out a school, but not for the reason I gave them. Since I was ten years old, I'd been hiding who I am from people, because it wouldn't be accepted. I hid it from my parents because I knew my father would explode just like he did. Mother always followed Dad's lead, but I had no idea it would turn out like it did with her. When I was twelve, I dated a girl, and we tried to have sex, but I couldn't even keep it up. I was really hoping that everything would go smoothly so I could just be 'normal', whatever that was, but it didn't work out. She was the first person to call me fag, and it not be a typical teenage epithet. She swore she wouldn't tell anyone, and she didn't, as far as I know. If I had stayed down there, if Mother hadn't taken me away, I don't know how things would have turned out. How long would Brian and I have been able to keep up the façade at that age? God only knows. But we never did find out, because that woman took me away from him. Now here we were, three years later, faced with the same thing. Can we keep things together well enough to hide what we are, or will someone come along and start spreading rumors, potentially ruining our lives as far as school was concerned. I was afraid. I didn't much care what other people thought, but still I was scared out of my wits. I was afraid some ignorant bastard would beat the shit out of Brian, or me. They could even kill us! But here's the true question: Am I going to let these people force me to live my life in fear of what might happen? Am I going to accept that my fears will come to pass if we come out? Hmph. Look at that. Read that again. Both those statements were true, the way things stood, and I knew that I'd have to fight those fears. Brian and I are different. When he's afraid of something, he goes out and tackles it head on. I have to ponder what could happen and see if the risk is justified; compare what could be lost against what could be gained. Neither method is wrong, but they're damn hard to reconcile when what must be faced will affect us so much. It will change how we live our lives. Was I up to that? Could I face my fears like Brian? I didn't know. Kevin brought me back to the present. "Whatever you guys decide to do, you know I'm here for you, and Jason too." "Thanks," I said, "we appreciate that." I squeezed Brian's leg and got a slight smile in return. "We don't need to make a decision tonight, babe." "I know, Bri. I'll think about it though, okay?" "That's all I ask." With dinner pretty much over, we cleaned up and settled in to watch TV. Kevin again retreated to the office, ostensibly to work. After an hour, Jason changed into some sweats and went to the workout room, leaving Brian and I alone. At eight, finding nothing on the tube, we went to bed. <<{{O}}>> By the beginning of May, things were as normal as they were going to get at the Patterson household. Jason, Pete, and I formed an even tighter bond. Jason would take us out at night, or on the weekends, when his friends flaked out. Through April and May, we tried to get a visit with Ray, so we wouldn't lose touch with him, but each time, he was 'unavailable'. Toward the end of May, Pete and I were having daily conversations about coming out. We included Jared and Jason in those conversations for an objective point of view. We still hadn't made the decision, but the more we talked about it, the more we favored the idea. Kevin was still spending all his time at the office, but he swore it wasn't because he was avoiding home. He just needed to put in hours to strengthen the case he was working on, or so he said. He hadn't mentioned Ray in over a month now, and gave no indication as to the progress of his case. He and my dad had taken to going out on the town occasionally, something my father had never done, to my recollection. However it came about, both he and Kevin were more fun to be around when they were slightly inebriated. Dad mellowed out just fine, and Kevin was more his usual self. Jason, Pete, and I were as thick as thieves. He almost always took us with him when he was going to meet his friends. They genuinely seemed to like Pete and me. It was cool. One day, all of us went out to play miniature golf. It was hilarious. The only time Denise stopped talking was when she was taking her turn. Everyone else just sort of ignored that aspect of her, but I found it difficult not to laugh out loud. We ate dinner at some burger joint after we'd finished the course. It was sooo good. They had a menu of twenty or thirty combinations you could chose from, from turkey, to beef, to bison, and even ostrich! I wasn't feeling very brave, so I just got the mushroom cheeseburger. The one pound mushroom cheeseburger. I was actually full after finishing that one off. We went back to David's place afterward, but shortly thereafter, everyone else left. It was Jason, David, Pete, and me. "You guys have to be back anytime soon?" "Nah. It's the weekend. Besides, I'm an adult. I can keep an eye on Brian." Jason was grinning, but Pete wasn't going to let that slide. "You best keep that eye to yourself, Jason. I'll keep my eye on him." "What? Jealous, Pete?" David was grinning too, now. "Damn straight!" "Well," David responded, "from what I can see, you have plenty to be jealous for." Um, fire engine red mean anything to anyone? It would have had you seen my face after that comment. "Yeah, I know." Pete hugged me to him as we sat in the loveseat. "Hey, David?" "Yeah?" "Where're your parents?" "Who knows. I don't really care, as long as they aren't here." "Oh, uh, sore subject, huh?" "Nope, not at all. I just don't get along with them." "They don't live here?" "Nope. They live in Arizona until June, then they may come out here, or go to Maine or something." "Ah. You're parents are..." "Very well off." "Okay. Got it." David brought us out a coke and sat down on the couch next to Jason. Jason just glanced at David and shyly grinned. Something was going on here. "Hey Jason, call your dad and see if you guys can stay over." A brief panic overtook Jason before he could stop it. "I don't know, David. These guys have to be over Brian's place early tomorrow." "How early?" "I doubt Dad will let us stay." David's face lost his ever-present grin. "Jason, if you don't want to stay, just tell me. You know I have plenty of room here. A bedroom for each of you, if that's what you want." His voice was gentle, understanding. Pete and I watched Jason closely. He was obviously torn. He glanced up to see us watching him, but dropped his gaze immediately. "It's your choice, Jason. No pressure, okay?" David put his arm around Jason's shoulders. "Okay?" "Okay," he said dejectedly. Jason stood abruptly and strode into the kitchen. David watched him leave, and then turned his eyes on us. "I thought you said to let him be, David," I said, just a little bit peeved. "What's going on is between him and me, and doesn't include you guys." "The hell it doesn't! He's our brother." "And he's an adult, and free to make his own choices." "If you don't force him into anything." "I'm not forcing him. I'm giving him every opportunity to back out." "Sure you are. You're guilting him into it!" "Guilting me into what, Brian?" I glared at David. "He wants to sleep with you!" "I know, Brian. I've known for a long time." "And?" "And nothing. What happens between David and me is our problem." I was confused. "Then why did David say those things in front of us?" "What's it matter? I knew you guys would accept him." "You outed him to us, David." "You already knew." "Not for certain." "ENOUGH!" Jason glared at both of us. "Look guys, Dad said we can stay if we want to. Do you want to?" "What about you, Jason?" Pete asked. "I can take you guys home and then do whatever I want." "Do you want to stay here, Jason?" Jason looked hard at David, and nodded his head slightly. "I'm just not sure I'm ready for this." "Do you want us to leave, give you guys some time alone?" "I don't know." "Jason," David said, "I told you. I'll give you what you want, if it's just holding hands or something more, or nothing, if that's the way you want it." "Are you sure you don't want us to leave, Jason? I can drive us home and come get you tomorrow." "I'm sure." He sat on the couch again, and glanced into David's eyes. "David, I don't know if I can do this." "Then don't. It's all you, Jason. All you." David stroked Jason's hair. "Why don't we just sit here and watch a movie." David put on an old film called "Stand By Me". For some reason, that movie has always had a profound effect on me, and I was clinging to Pete through most of it. Jason at one point had leaned into David, who had his arm around him. When the movie ended, David squeezed Jason tightly, and Jason stroked his arm. It was the first reaction I'd seen from him. David squeezed him again, then stood up. "I gotta pee. Pick out another movie, guys." When he was out of earshot, I asked Jason, "What is it you're afraid of, Jase?" "I don't know. Somehow this feels weird." "Does it feel wrong?" "No... not wrong. I can't explain it." "Um, Jason, have you ever had sex before? With anyone?" "No." He looked ashamed! Poor guy. I ignored his expression, though. "Oh, okay. The way you're feeling now? It's normal. Just try to relax, bro. Let things happen naturally. If you want to kiss him, then go ahead. Work with your feelings, not against them." "It's not that easy, Brian." "Yes it is, Jason," Pete said. "Sure you're scared, but we all were. Brian and I were." "Yeah, but we just let things happen. If you do that, then things will go as far as you want them to. Don't worry about what may or may not happen tonight. Just enjoy the moment, okay? Enjoy the feeling of his arms around you." "I'll try..." "Try what?" David was back. "You guys picked out a movie yet?" "How about a comedy," I said. "Beverly Hills Cop?" "What's up with you and these ancient movies, David?" "Hey! It's a classic. Maybe Lethal Weapon?" "Sure. That sounds good." As the movie started, Jason was whispering to David. I tried to ignore them, but I couldn't ignore the shy kiss they traded. Jason settled in, sitting between David's legs, leaning against him. David wrapped Jason up in his arms, and hugged him. Jason looked back at him and smiled. <<{{O}}>> Graduation was the last week in May. Jason was psyched for the end his high school career. Pete and I were excited, too. Jason was happier than I'd seen him in a long time. He said nothing had happened between he and David that night, except some cuddling and a lot of talking. They'd gone out together several times since then, but just as friends. We even double dated a couple times with them, if that's what you want to call it. I asked Jason if that's what it was, but the conversation I got surprised me. "So, is this, like, a double date?" I asked sweetly. "I guess," he replied. "David and I are getting to know each other as people, and not just what we saw in high school. He's really cool." "What do you guys talk about?" "A lot of things. Likes, dislikes, our past, our future, what it would be like to have a future together... everything. We talked about our parents. I told him more about you and Pete." "Sounds like a good time." "Yeah. I enjoy the time I spend with him." He smiled. "I'm glad you talked me into relaxing that night, Bri." "That's what little brothers are for." He grinned. "If everything goes like you want it, do you see yourself staying with David?" He sighed, "I don't know. It's too early to tell. I like David a lot, but I just don't know." He shrugged resignedly. "I like women, too, Brian." "A suggestion?" He nodded. "Enjoy the time you have with David. It's not like your committed to guys for the rest of your life if it doesn't work." "But how do I know, Bri? I've never been with a woman." "Neither have I. I just know I love Pete, and he's a guy. Why limit yourself to one or the other? If you fall for a person, then you love that person, not what's between their legs, right?" "Yeah, I guess." "You guess? If all you wanted was sex, you could have had it that first night with David. I'm sure you could have had a lot of girls if you wanted." "It's not about sex, although it would be nice. I just don't know what to do." "What is it that scares you, Jason?" "I want to have children some day, but... I want what you and Pete have." "That can happen between you and someone else, no matter their sex. Like I said before. You don't have to choose men over women or vice versa. Just love the one you're with." "What will Dad say?" "What do you think he'd say?" "He'd probably be happy for me." "So what's the problem?" "Not knowing." "There's only one way to find out." He was quiet for a moment. "I'll think about it." "Take your time, Jason. There's no hurry." I hugged him. "No matter what, I love you. Brothers?" He gave me a lopsided grin. "Forever." Graduation day. We went to see Jason receive his diploma, and saw Brent receive his as well. Dad was down south, or he would have been there. Jared wasn't their either, because his family was traveling. We took the time to congratulate Jason's crew, and they agreed to meet the next day at Adel's for breakfast, then parted ways. Then Jason introduced David to Dad. "Dad? I want you to meet David. You remember him? I had him over a couple times in grade school?" "Yes, I remember. Congratulations, David." "Thank you, Mr. Patterson." "Dad, can David come to our place? His family isn't here." David's eyes hardened a bit, anger and pain behind them. "Of course he can. You remember how to get to our house?" "Yeah, I remember. I'll be there in a bit. I have some people to talk to." "See you then." Jason squeezed his shoulder, then followed David with his eyes as he walked away. I wasn't the only person who noticed that. Brent approached us from the side with his parents and younger brother. "Hi, Brent. Congratulations." I shook his hand. "Thanks, Brian." Pete shook his hand as well. Pete had warmed to Brent considerably since he'd made his overture for peace. Jason was less skeptical as well, but not fully trusting him. He wasn't hostile to him anymore, though. "Brent," said Jason, nodding slightly in recognition. "Jason." They shook hands gravely, then Jason cracked a small smile. "See you in the fall?" "You bet." "Need a room mate?" "No, sorry. I have one." Now, who might that be? "Okay. Brian, I want to thank you again." "No thanks necessary, Brent." "Yes, it is. You literally turned my life around. Ask my parents. Ask my brother." "Yeah," said his younger brother, "He's not so much of an asshole now." "Steven!" His mother was obviously scandalized at her son's choice of words, and cuffed him lightly. "Well, it's true." "See? What'd I tell you." "Mr. Patterson." "Mr. Hodges." Brent's Dad shook hands with Kevin. "You're son has made a tremendous difference in my family's life. He should be proud of his accomplishment, as you should be proud of him." "He's not my son, Mr. Hodges. Not my blood son, anyway, but I love him as one, and I am very proud of what he's accomplished all year. All my sons give me reason to be proud, as your sons give you reason." "Time will tell." Brent's face fell a bit, his face unreadable. "We've taken up enough of your time, Mr. Patterson. Have a good day." The family walked away. Brent's shoulders were slumped, defeated. "That was weird," I said. "He didn't even acknowledge anyone but you, Kevin. And what he said about being proud of Brent for graduating?" "Mr. Hodges is... hard on his sons. It might explain why Brent acted as he did." "Wow. I guess. I can understand it." "I was never close enough to him to know," Jason said. "I misjudged him." "No you didn't. He was still and asshole." "He was, Brian, but not now. And that's your doing." "Not mine. I just told him the truth." Jason, Pete, and Kevin just shook their heads. After Jason spoke to everyone he wanted to, we headed home. We were all in high spirits, and found David waiting for us. He followed Jason upstairs to his room to change clothes, while Pete and I did the same. The phone rang just as I was heading back downstairs, so I picked it up in the office. "Hello?" "Brian? This is Van." "Hi Van. You want to talk to Kevin?" "Yes, actually." "Okay. Hold on." I set the handset down and found Kevin. "Van's on the phone for you." "Van? On Saturday? Okay. I'll be right up." A moment later, Kevin closed the office door behind him as he took Van's call. Jason and David came out looking happy and relaxed. They headed downstairs while I went back to our room to see what was keeping Pete. He was sitting on the bed staring into nothingness. "Pete? Babe?" He shook his head and smiled. "Are you okay, babe?" "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinkin'." "About what?" "A lot of things. You and me, Jason and David, Kevin and Sharon. Ray." "Pretty heavy stuff, huh?" "Some of it. I'm worried about Jason. I don't want to see him hurt." "Do you think David would do that?" "I don't know. I still get a weird vibe off of him." "I guess I'm not paying attention." "Don't worry about it, Bri. One of us being paranoid is enough." "What about us?" "What?" "What were you thinking about us?" "Oh. Just imagining what it'll be like when we go to college. We'll truly be on our own." "Yeah. I'm not so sure that's a good thing." He glared at me. "What's that supposed to mean?" "Just that we'll have to take care of everything." "We do that now." "Not really. We help out, but we don't pay for anything. I don't have the cash anyway." "Brian, I told you, baby. I'm going to take care of that until we get on our feet." I looked deeply into his eyes. "Pete, I know you love me, and that you mean well, but I have to do something to contribute. I don't want to be reliant on a handout from you to live." I forestalled his objections with a finger on his lips. "I know you want to do this. I believe that. But I need to give something back, Pete. It doesn't feel right otherwise. Please, let me help." "Okay, baby. But I want you to remember that, no matter what, I'm here for you. What I have is yours." I sighed. Why couldn't he get it? I had to do something on my own, to show that I cared about him, and that I appreciated everything he'd done for me. The bedroom door opened without warning. Kevin stood there, fear warring with elation. "The adoption came through!" "What?" "The judge signed our petition late last night!" Jason came thundering up the stairs, David close on his heels. "Did you just say what I think you said?" "It's official, Jason. At last. Ray is your brother, if he accepts." I wasn't sure what to expect when Jason heard the news. I don't think Kevin did either, and I'm sure he didn't expect what happened. Jason's eyes teared up, and his breath caught. He began to cry. Jason turned and fell into David, who held him tightly, stroking his hair, the whole time his expression daring Kevin to say anything that might disparage Jason. Kevin was caught by surprise at first, but when he realized what was happening, he smiled and nodded. David relaxed, and released Jason as he pushed away from David, realizing what he'd done. With fear in his eyes, Jason faced Kevin. "Dad, I'm bi." "Son, it doesn't matter, and it never has." Kevin embraced his son tightly, and then David joined them as Jason collapsed in relief. The next day, Kevin called for a meeting with Ray. He specifically requested that Ray be required to attend. Mrs. Cox agreed to set it up for noon, at our house. Brian and I stayed in bed most of the morning, as did Jason and David. We woke at about the same time, or rather, we came out of the bedrooms at the same time. Jason and David looked rested, and content. They wore their towels, and before they went downstairs, Jason told me he and David would use the larger shower down there. Sure, I thought, you'll use the shower that gets the hot water first. Oh well. That gives Brian and I some more time in bed. Oh, Brian! Come here, boy! Kevin had been up in the early hours, though, arranging everything just right. As always, we'd have the meeting in the office. When we'd finished our shower, Kevin was in the kitchen serving pancakes to David and Jason. He saw us and told us to get our plates. We finished eating about eleven, and were waiting anxiously for Ray's arrival. About half past, David said goodbye, and that he'd call later. He rose and walked to the door. Jason was frozen in place. I kicked him. David almost laughed. Jason took the hint, and shyly followed David to the door. They exchanged a few hushed words, and with a glance over his shoulder, Jason kissed David for real for the first time. I know Kevin saw them from the kitchen. I heard all activity stop, and then resume after the liplock ended. I caught sight of Kevin a second later. He was wearing a smile. At last, the knock on the door came. No one moved to get the door. Finally, after the second knock, Kevin answered. "All right. I'm here. What the fuck do you people want?"