Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2000 16:26:43 -0800 (PST) From: Seth Lowe Subject: One Spring Day This story is a work of fiction. The characters, names, incidents, dialogue, and plot are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental. One Spring Day 1 - March The sudden gust of howling wind convinced me. I had acted on a bad idea. But all the same, it had already happened, so I was forced to wait for the result of a plan I'd already realized wasn't going to play out as I hoped. A woman in her mid-thirties opened the door, ending the overwhelming suspense. I put on my best smile and politely greeted her. "Hi. Is Colby home by chance?" She smiled lightly and shook her head. "Not at the moment. He's at a friend's. Should I tell him you came? I don't think we've met." "No, we haven't. I'm Billy. My house is just a few down from here," I said, pointing towards the direction. "Just tell him I came by." Her smile frozen, she nodded. "I'll tell him," she said and shut the door. I breathed in a sigh of relief. Why had I even bothered coming over here in the first place? I fully expected her to forget I'd ever dropped by, entering her world as nothing but an insignificant and brief distraction that she'd conveniently rid her memory of. My thoughts drew a real smile on my face as I slowly made my way back to my house. Actually, she had seemed sincere enough, but I knew not to expect anything. Then my thoughts drifted back to what they'd been stuck on for days: Colby. The seventh grade basketball hero that had recently been on a lot of minds other than my own. I could still remember the day less than a month ago he had put on a show for everyone that cared to attend the seventh grade's basketball games. I hadn't had a choice, being on the eighth grade basketball team, but to see his work of art. Only lately had the talk started to simmer about how he broke the school's long-standing record for points in a single game. All the while I'd been watching with my mouth open, first at the beauty of him, and then at the beauty of his game. He'd caught my eye long before I saw the frightening amount of talent he had, long before I saw the stunning grace he moved with on the court. I'd thought it over so many times, my depiction of him was rehearsed and almost ridiculously detailed. His height couldn't have exceeded 5'5" or 5'6", and if his weight was more than 110 pounds, it would come as a surprise to me. His dark blond hair, cut short and styled somewhat up, was a perfect match with eyes even my vivid description of him could only call 'bluish green'. But the all too brief encounters with him were enough to drive me crazy. I rarely got a chance to speak with him, and I was getting impatient playing the nonchalant role of being a mere acquaintance. Apparently my hints were too subtle, my desire to be around him too well concealed behind the careless jokes we so seldom had a chance to share with each other. I felt immense happiness when we did get the chance, usually in the locker room prior to or following a practice scheduled for both grades. With a sigh, I opened the door to my house and stepped inside, knowing I'd be alone for a few more hours still. Basketball season had ended last month, so now our contact was more than likely going to diminish into nothing. I had thought it was worth taking the risk, that maybe I'd get lucky and somehow find a way to invite him over without seeming overly zealous. So now I'd at least attempted to contact him, and there was nothing I could do but hope his mom had a memory as long lasting as her smile. Spring was working at full effect when I started the walk up my driveway after school. The day I had swallowed my fear and gone over to Colby's house was now nearing an ancient total of 24 hours ago. The air seemed clear, the temperature must have been in the upper 60's, and the day in general had me in a good mood. In fact, my mind wasn't even on Colby until I heard the distinct sound of his voice in the distance behind me. I turned around to face him and motioned for him to catch up to me. He was right behind me as I fumbled with the house key, starting to unlock the door. "Hey," he greeted me with only a slight sound of fatigue in his voice. He'd had to do a lot more running than that in his average day on the basketball court. "My mom told me you came by yesterday." I didn't acknowledge him immediately, and he followed me up to the door. "Did you?" He looked a little embarrassed. "She's always trying to set me up with people, so I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't actually come over." His voice was working the usual magic on me. I had still failed to find anything that would take away from him being perfect. And I had been searching pretty hard. "Actually," I said, signaling for him to come in, "I did stop by yesterday." Trying to maintain my casual demeanor, I told him as close to the truth as possible. "I keep on thinking about that game you had. Ever since then I've been wondering what kind of a challenge you can give me," I finished with a grin. So far things had gone perfectly, and I was satisfied that my reason for wanting to see him sounded genuine. I knew he couldn't resist an offer like that. The look on his face told me his answer even before he spoke. But I guess I was studying his face pretty closely. "You wanna play on my goal?" he asked. I only laughed in response and took him out back. I was pretty sure he'd appreciate the built in cement basketball court out there. "What the hell was that? Don't insult me. You take a shot like that and I'll swat it all day," I yelled with feigned anger, smiling as sweat continued to soak through my shirt. Colby had done away with his shirt long before, but I was staying modest. He laughed at my attempt to belittle his game and retrieved the ball, promptly blowing by me and laying it in softly. "What's that?" he seemed to sing in that divine voice of his. I shrugged. "I stopped keeping track. What's the use? I figure I'm beating you so badly it would just embarrass you if I reminded you of the margin." Again he laughed. If it meant hearing his laughter, I'd be content with making jokes all day. "Actually, I think we're about even. You ready to take a break? I'm getting a little thirsty." "Yeah, that's probably enough competition for one day. We can go inside and get a drink, seeing as I'm a good host." Inside, I handed him his drink and joined him at the table. "Not bad. That performance in the tournament wasn't a fluke." A look of pride crossed his face, and he smiled. "You mean you thought it was?" I returned the smile. "No, I was just curious how tough you'd be one-on-one. And I'm impressed. You're planning on trying out next year, right?" He nodded and suddenly seemed to remember something. I realized he was looking at the clock. "Hey, I have to go. My mom wanted me back by 5:30. I'll see you later, okay?" He grabbed his shirt and started heading towards the door. "Okay. Later," I responded, hoping this wouldn't be his last visit. Thankfully, he must have had similar thoughts on his mind. He turned just before he was almost out the door. "Want me to come by again tomorrow?" he asked in an almost small voice. I was incredibly relieved, but I hid it pretty well. Simply shrugging, I answered, "Sure. Come over anytime." He nodded in response, and with a wave, disappeared. If the previous day's weather had enlightened me, the current weather was enough to put even the most optimistic person in a coma. The electricity had gone out in the middle of the night, and the stormy conditions hadn't ceased even as school let up that day. I tried not to think bitter thoughts as I let myself in, throwing my soaked backpack to the side and shaking myself of the wetness walking home in the pouring rain had pleasured me with. My parents had a tight working schedule that ruled out the possibility of picking me up, so I was to walk home, no matter how treacherous the merciless weather got. Thankfully, the incessant rain and the ugliness of the day couldn't dampen my spirits. They were still soaring from spending a few precious hours with Colby. I was one of those people who analyzed things way too much, so I'd been reliving our time together the moment it ended, and in all that time a lot of realizations hit me. I knew how fortunate I was to be included in such a phenomenal boy's day. And barring a bad case of forgetfulness, I'd get a few hours to spend with him today as well. As I happily removed my now soggy shoes, the doorbell rang. So much for the possibility of him forgetting. He was as efficient as he was gorgeous. Still in search of that one minor flaw that might make him human. On site of him, I had to take a deep breath. It literally stunned me every time I came close to him. Not to mention the fact that he looked rather appealing soaked. He gladly came inside, out of the rain, taking off his shoes and leaving them on the entrance rug. "Nice day, huh?" he said with a serious yet sarcastic tone I thought only I could create. "Lovely," I answered as we each took a seat in the living room. "Guess we'll have to cancel our highly competitive basketball game today." I sourly observed the ominously dark clouds, thinking spring was about as consistent as a boy's changing voice. Colby smiled. "Don't you know rain only adds more of a challenge to the game?" He said in his very sweet and smooth voice, so unlike the season. With that, he stood up, discarded his shirt, and grabbed the basketball that was laying innocently where it had been left yesterday. He looked at me and grinned. "It'll only be an obstacle in the rain," he added, as if he needed an excuse to not wear a shirt. I followed suit, deciding to show off my body as well. He had it coming, the way he was flaunting himself to me. We went out to the backyard court, both of us now excited about a wild and wet, yet still ambitious game of basketball. We were giggling like a couple of schoolgirls after several active minutes of some form of basketball. The ball was slipping out of our hands constantly, both of us were shivering and drenched, but it was the most fun I'd had in a long time. I collapsed on the ground after having my footing slip out from under me one too many times, completely exhausted and experiencing fits of laughter. Colby would have played all day. His energy literally didn't end. When I found the stamina, I got up and dragged him inside. "I should probably go home and get changed," he said with a mischievous grin glued on his face. I had immediately sprawled on the first piece of furniture I saw when I got inside. He stood in the middle of the room, hugging his bare chest, his teeth chattering a bit. "That's probably the first logical thing you've said all day," I responded with more than a little fatigue in my voice. "You're crazy, you know that?" He smiled at me and headed for the door. "I get that a lot," he commented, pausing to scoop up his shoes and shirt. "See you around Billy." Then he was gone. I thought back to our time together. The one of a kind personality. The perfect humor he used without warning, somewhat similar to mine. The confidence he had in himself, confidence that walked the thin line of falling into the arrogance category. He amazed me. I remembered the way he looked when raindrops were coming off him, magnifying his attractiveness. I now had no doubt that my feelings for him were very serious and real. And all my high expectations of him were met. My mind went back to a mere two days ago, when I seemingly made a desperate but bold move to initiate contact. My plan appeared to be working, and Colby was a part of my life. Now what? 2 - April I pulled down a hard earned defensive rebound and spun around, scanning for a fast break. Colby was already at half court, sprinting at top speed as his man struggled to catch him. Summoning up all my strength, I brought my arm back and fired a long pass that hit its mark. In one swift motion, Colby caught the ball with the gracefulness of a wide receiver, dribbled it behind his back for show, and laid it in. He pointed at me to thank me for the pass, and then got back to work on pressuring his man as he tried to get the ball up the court. He didn't see another player from the opposing team sneak up behind him and set, and as Colby continued to apply pressure, he ran into the player, and caught an elbow to his throat. After a few moments of being stunned, anger suddenly flashed in his eyes, and he lunged in the direction of the player who had dealt him the blow. Almost on instinct, I moved to get in the center of the fight that would be breaking out, but the other guys were closer, and pulled them apart. I could tell he hadn't released all of his rage, but he didn't try to resume the fight. His eyes quickly examined the people on the court around him, the players frozen and unsure of what was going to happen next. He met my eyes, held the gaze for a few seconds, then turned and stormed out. Everyone seemed to be looking at me, since they were aware I knew him best. I shrugged and tried to smile. "Sorry. I didn't know he had a temper like that. He'll be fine in a while. I'll see you guys later, okay?" I finished, exiting just as Colby had, trying not to make eye contact with any of them. Colby was slumped on the ground wearing the expression of a pouting child, leaning up against the wall for support when I got outside. He made no attempt to acknowledge me, even though he knew I was there. I sat down beside him, let a few moments of silence pass, and then spoke in a neutral tone. "What was that, Colby?" He gave a nonchalant shrug. "Asshole elbowed me in the throat." I grinned, starting to see the whole situation as something comical. "He set a pick. A hard pick, granted, but it was still just a pick. You should have ignored him and continued pressuring the hell out of your man. You mean to tell me it's that easy to get in your head?" My words were making him see the way he had overreacted, but he wasn't about to talk about it. His way of showing it was to get up and brush himself off. "Let's go," he said quietly. I fell into step with him. We walked in silence until I started laughing. Apparently the experience's amusing side had suddenly hit him as well, because he grinned and looked over at me. "What?" he asked me, his better mood bringing back the angelic tone in his voice. "You do have a flaw after all," I said in a sudden realization. "Your temper is dangerously quick. I'll have to watch out for that, huh?" He gave me a light shove, but the playfulness had returned. He searched my face, doubtlessly phrasing a question he wasn't sure how to ask. "Well, besides the uh.. incident at the end, how do you think I played?" I raised my eyebrows and glanced at him from the side. "You actually need me to tell you? The guy you were guarding is one of the better point guards in my grade, and you were making him as frustrated as I've ever seen him. Keep in mind you're a full year younger than the rest of the guys out there, and you outplayed us all." It almost seemed as though my compliments had embarrassed him, but he surely had heard several things similar to that before. On hearing my approval, he smiled. "I guess I can't ever show my face there again." I set about trying to comfort him. "Don't worry about it. They won't hold that against you. They're too impressed with your game. Anyway, emotions fly on the court sometimes, and they understand that. You may think otherwise, but all those guys in there are for the most part pretty decent." He melted me with another glance at my eyes, his powerful gaze seeming to explore my soul. "Even the guy who elbowed me?" he asked with a faint smile. "Yeah. Even him." We approached our street and made the turn. The breezy April air was succeeding in cooling us off after the hard exercise. "I'm staying over at your house tonight," he suddenly revealed to me. I'd known him about a month, and in that period I learned that when you made plans with Colby, you didn't know what they were until it was time to act on them. "Fine by me. Did you actually ask your parents this time?" He shrugged. "What difference does it make? They'll know where I am, and if they want to make sure, they can come over and find out." I didn't bother arguing. It was no use. Besides, when the words were out of his mouth, he started at a steady run down the street towards my house. "What are you doing now?" I called. "Just making sure I stay in shape," he shouted back. As I watched him race off into the distance, I took in his body, finely toned like any serious athlete's body is, but still very boyish. In time the subtle definition would turn into hardened muscle. Again I was hit with the feeling that he was too perfect. I was growing to the point of becoming obsessed with Colby, or had I passed that point a while back? Had it gotten to that when I saw him light up the scoreboard back in early February? Maybe, but now it was intensified. I kicked a stone in frustration. I loved being around him, but he was taking over me. By now he was in my driveway, and I was far behind. "Do you even realize how good you look in athletic clothing?" I mumbled to myself as I caught up to him. The sound of my name being whispered repeatedly brought me out of my peaceful slumber. I opened my eyes and groggily looked in the general vicinity of the sound. The morning's first rays of sunlight streamed through the windows, allowing me to see Colby clearly. He was lying back, head propped up, obviously wide-awake. "I'm having trouble sleeping. How about you?" he asked with a smile. I groaned inwardly, because I was too tired to do it out loud. I managed a sharp reply. "Did it look like I was having trouble sleeping? What time is it anyway? Six? I don't even get up this early on a damn school morning. What the hell are you doing awake? Go back to sleep." All that kind of jumbled together in one quick response. My sleepy tone amused him. He removed his covers, leapt out of bed, and tried to pull me out of the sleeping bag. "It's a quarter past seven, and you can't sleep either. Might as well get up now." Normally I'd enjoy all this, but I couldn't summon up the playful part of me at this point. I pushed him away as best as I could, but he was persistent. As I started to fully wake up, I took advantage of catching glimpses of his nearly naked body as he struggled with me. He finally grew tired of it and collapsed beside me. I breathed in the clean scent he'd stirred up in the air with all the movement, feeling a bit disturbed when I realized how much I relished it. Maybe I was getting a little too wrapped up in him. "Not only was I sleeping peacefully, but I was having a really good dream too. You screwed it up. I should really kick your ass for that," I said, starting to adjust to the feel of morning. I saw him smile out of the corner of my eye. "A really good dream, huh? About who?" You, I thought instantly. "My mom," I said, trying to stifle a laugh at the quick cover-up. Fortunately he didn't take me seriously. His eyes widened in mock surprise. "Oh really? I had no idea you were such an incestuous young man." He paused and feigned thinking. "That's odd. You and I dreamed about the same person last night. How about that?" I reached out and gave him a playful slap on his cheek. "Keep your adolescent fantasies to yourself, boy. Especially the ones that involve my mom." He shrugged, laughing. "I swear my hand didn't go anywhere near here last night," he said, giving his crotch a quick squeeze to let me know what 'here' symbolized. I winced, trying to keep my mind off of those areas of his body. I gave him a quizzical look. "I hope not, because that's my bed you slept on last night." It was a struggle to keep that image out of my mind. As odd as it sounded, I really didn't care what he did on the bed. I'd just have to make a mental note to never again have the sheets washed. Apparently he was starting to zone out, and as he did, he pulled the waistband of his boxers up, releasing them and creating a snapping sound as they came down on his flesh. My eyes were greedily glued to this action, not daring to do anything that might ruin the reverie he was in. And then he caught me. At first I was worried he might get suspicious, but he let out a short laugh. "I do that a lot, don't I?" I looked at him blankly. Did he mean zone out or snap the waistband of his boxers? "Uh... Do what a lot?" I asked intelligently. He demonstrated what he meant by repeating the waistband snapping process. I pretended to notice for the first time, and hoped my acting was good. "As pretty as your boxers are, Colby, I can't stare at them all the time. My most sincere apologies, but I can't really testify to the fact that you're in the habit of doing that." He smiled, and I felt content with my recovery. I was having to do a lot of quick thinking to cover my attraction for him anymore. "I'm hungry," he said to me suddenly. I looked at him as though he had said something ridiculous. "I gave you my bed last night as a favor, which you did God knows what in, and now you want to eat our food too?" I was glad to hear him giggling in response. "Yeah, you're probably right, Billy. Maybe that would be asking too much." He rose to his feet and stretched. "Now do you think you could wake your parents up? I'm in the mood for French toast, and I wouldn't trust you to make it the way I like it." 3 - May "Not bad. My rating? I'll give you a nine. The reverse could have been a little flashier," I said somewhat passively considering what I'd just seen. I looked around and smiled to myself when I saw all the younger and older kids alike gaping with their mouths open at the most recent of Bo's unique dunking ideas. "Just getting warmed up," he said, hungrily eating up all the attention he was getting. I glanced around at the spectators. "Looks like a lot of first timers here. They've never seen your show before," I said grinning. "Got anything else in mind?" He shrugged. "I've been working on something else," he said casually. Starting at the three-point line, he bounced the ball off the floor, ran to catch up with it, and in the same motion, jumped to grab it out of the air and slammed it in with two hands. Those who hadn't seen this kind of thing from Bo before allowed themselves to let out a surprised sound of awe. I could only watch. I'd known him since sixth grade, and he was dunking by seventh grade. Although we played alongside each other on the court in our school games, his skills were quite a bit sharper than mine. "I still don't know how you get up there so well," I said in wonder. "I have a couple inches on you, and I'm lucky to touch the rim without the ball, let alone reverse dunk." He shrugged again. "I guess me not being white helps me out, huh Billy? Besides, you can't jump, even for a white boy." The thought of defending myself didn't occur. It was correct that I didn't have much of a vertical leap, and I wasn't exactly sensitive about it. "True. I still get a piece of your shots every now and then anyway," I finished, trying to give myself some credit. Tired of entertaining the crowd, he settled on firing three pointers, hitting almost all of them. With this less exciting event, the audience started to scatter, and the gym was almost empty. At about the precise time I'd told him to meet me here, I saw Colby walking in, a pair of shoes in his hands, dressed in his familiar loose-fitting basketball attire. He always looked perfect in it, but then again, he looked perfect no matter what he wore. Nodding in his direction, I pointed him out to Bo. "There's a guy who could shut your game down," I said wryly. He laughed, retrieved the ball that he had just sent sailing through the net, and modestly laid it in. Scanning the people in the gym, his eyes stopped on Colby, sitting on the sidelines lacing up his favorite pair of shoes he wore only in gyms. Apparently he recognized him. "That's Colby Bell isn't it? Seventh grader who scored 35 points in the basketball tournament? Damn. You know him?" "Yeah, I've gotten around to knowing him pretty well. Why?" "Have him come over here," Bo said. I could tell by the look in his eyes he was going to see for himself how good Colby really was. I knew he wouldn't be disappointed. "Hey Colby," I said loud enough for him to hear. He diverted his attention from his sneakers to me, looking at me expectantly. I shivered at his features. They never ceased to put me in a woozy daze. "Come on over here. Bo wants to get to know you," I said with a grin. In a matter of seconds he was striding across the gym, laced up and ready to go. I would have told him how good he looked, but that probably wouldn't fit the list of acceptable things to say, especially in front of Bo, who was sizing up the newcomer, but appearing friendly enough. Colby looked up to meet his eyes, keeping a cool expression on his face, making sure not to seem intimidated. I didn't think he was acting for a second. He knew what he was doing. "Saw your game a couple of months ago," Bo drawled in the style only he could. He palmed the ball and held it out in front of Colby. "Show me what you got," he challenged, a large smile on his face. I didn't interfere. Backing off from their game, I observed as Colby calmly strolled back to the top of the three-point line and checked the ball. Bo got into a defensive set, applying his usual smothering defense. It was quite pleasing to see Colby not fazed by the considerably taller and more developed nemesis guarding him. He backed in slowly, and then went between his legs a few times. His eyes were set on the basket. I recognized the move he was going to pull off immediately, having been the victim of it myself, and I knew Bo was going to get burned. I smiled, feeling a sense of pride, but didn't say anything. Then he did it. The quick fake to the right, between the legs, switching to the left hand, faking towards the left, then topping it off by changing back to his right hand and heading that direction. Bo, as I expected, was cheating to the left, not anticipating the last hand change, and couldn't catch up, although he made a valiant attempt. His athleticism allowed him to somehow come close enough to take a swipe at the ball from behind, missing by only inches. He mouthed a silent 'wow' and gave his nod of approval to Colby. "Not bad little man. You wanna stick around and play a game with us? The other guys should be here later. You can be on my team," he said, winking towards me. I allowed myself to be a mere observer as the two of them messed around, Bo showing Colby a few of his signature dunks. I had no reason to feel jealous. In some way Colby seemed to like having me act as his big brother, but he was quite independent at times. It was the way he smiled at me after he had put Bo in his place a few minutes ago that made me realize how much he thought of me. He trusted me, and we were rapidly growing into best friends, in just a few months time. At that point, I didn't look back. He had completely captured my heart, even if putting it that way was a bit dramatic. As Bo demonstrated his ability to dunk in tomahawk style, I think I was about as happy as Colby was. He was proud of himself for proving he could compete with the best players around his age, and I was just thrilled at the thought of how close we were becoming. Colby's mouth was running on automatic as we walked back to our street from the gym that afternoon. We'd played pickup basketball for hours, and he'd been absolutely brilliant. No one could stop him. But he was most proud of one specific accomplishment, the one he wouldn't shut up about. I smiled and let him puff out his chest the whole way back. "That felt so good," he exclaimed for the hundredth time. "Were you impressed with the pass? Did you not think that looked cool as hell?" Laughing, I told him what he wanted to hear. "I don't think I've ever seen Bo so pleased. You gave it to him right where he likes it. He just kind of grabbed it with one hand and dunked it. I agree, hell of a lob." I didn't have to pretend to be impressed. It really was an awesome play. We had a fast break, triggered when Colby stole the ball from his man and darted down the court. Bo had sneaked down the sidelines so fast no one even realized where he was until Colby lofted him a one handed pass in a quick sidearm motion. The pass was perfect. Bo leapt in the air and guided the ball into the basket emphatically with only his right hand. "I can tell you and Bo are going to get along well," I said, taking advantage of a few moments silence. I should have known that would get him started again. He looked over at me, his face still replaying the triumphs. "I hope so. He's pretty cool. I never expected to get to play with him." We made the turn on our street. "Thanks, Billy. For bringing me out there, and not making a big deal out of what happened that one time. It's great to play with those guys." Now he was thanking me. As if I wasn't already attached to him. It seemed I was finding some other good quality in him everyday to make me fall more in love with him. "Glad to assist you with the opportunity, but it's your own doing that has earned you all this respect." He was all smiles. It was truly heart-warming for me to see him so radiant. Suddenly he hoisted himself up on my back and wrapped his legs around me. If it wasn't so painful I would have been aroused. "Give me a ride back to your house. I'm too exhausted to walk," he said, auditioning perfectly for the part of a tired brat. I tried unsuccessfully to pry him off me. "Get off me you clingy bastard," I choked out, struggling to support his weight. "Christ, Colby, you must think I'm pretty strong. I can't carry you." He only laughed, giving me no sympathy. "Ah, don't be modest. You know you're a stud," he said, reaching around and squeezing my biceps, using that delicious tone in his voice he saved for special occasions. "Don't tell me you can't lug 115 pounds down the street." So it's 115 pounds, I thought to myself. I had him pegged for less than that. "Okay, but if I suddenly collapse on the ground, you know it can't be done." Having forced out those words, I prepared myself for the longest trip down the street of my life. Our voyage began, both of us laughing as the passing cars gave us strange looks. Colby waved at them just for good measure. I carried him the whole way down the street, all 115 pounds of him. 4 - June Ah, the summer days. I'd started the summer off spending basically every day with Colby of course. We'd hang around each other's houses, entertain ourselves in whatever way possible, and make frequent trips to the gym to play basketball, and recently to satisfy his desire to work out with the equipment upstairs as well. I personally thought it was just a temporary phase he was going through, that he'd tire of lifting weights soon enough, but he was very much into it at this point. As I worked on benching 120 pounds, he sat across from me on a bench doing curls with ten pound dumbbells. With a masculine grunt, I set the bar down and sat up, watching him intently try to squeeze a few more curls out of his fatigued right arm. He wasn't the least bit aware I was watching him. I stared intimately at his adolescent figure, his face straining as lifting became harder and harder. The wife-beater he was wearing revealed everything he had to offer on his upper body, and it was quite nice to look at. It was that perfect appearance of boyish definition. He was still too young for his arms to really show much effect of the weight training, but his biceps were certainly looking more impressive when full force was required. I let out a laugh when I knew his arm was finished, even if he didn't want to be. His eyes met mine and he seemed to remember he wasn't alone. With a sigh, he let the weight drop to the floor. "You distracted me. I could have finished that last curl," he said in an annoyed tone that I found cute. "My apologies, stud. Forgive me for saying this, but your arm tells a different story. I think you've had enough for today," I said with a grin. He never wanted to leave. I literally saw his temper flare. His face flushed even more so. "Why the hell are you telling me what to do? Are you afraid I'll out lift you or something?" He reached down and picked up the dumbbell to start a new set. It was difficult to keep myself from breaking up, but I knew him, and laughing wasn't the thing to do when he lost his temper. So I just spoke in a fair-minded way, spacing the words out calmly in hopes that he'd compose himself. "Look at your arms, Colby. You can't push them any further today. And I know you feel that, you're just not admitting it." Unfortunately, he didn't appreciate those comments, and it didn't help his anger. "Fine, I'll listen to you and do whatever you say, because you know everything about me and what my limit is." Having spat that out, he all but threw the weight to the floor, making quite a scene as he turned and walked out. I sat still for a few moments, pondering on how serious this was. In principle, it seemed like it shouldn't be a big deal, and that the level of fatigue his arm was feeling wasn't worth a fight. But somehow it was more than that. A lot of things contributed to the whole thing being blown way out of proportion. I knew Colby was a very intense, passionate person, and didn't like to be told what to do. He was engaged in one of his passions, and I had told him to stop. Add his incredibly quick temper to the mix and it creates a problem. I told myself I'd meant well. I wasn't trying to show him I had control over him, or stopping him because I was afraid of him becoming capable of lifting more than I could. Just to be a good citizen, I put up the weight he'd thrown to the ground at the height of his tantrum as well as the plates I'd been using on the bar. By now everyone had stopped looking at me, wondering what was going on, so I was able to walk out without feeling watched. You sure are prone to leaving this gym angrily, Colby, I thought to myself with a smile as I exited the front doors. He hadn't been outside waiting for me like that time he'd been elbowed in the throat. As I walked home alone I replayed the many times we'd walked on the same route together. The ride I gave him on my shoulders, the conversations we had. My mind started wandering and I sank into my analytical mode, a setting that struck me way too often. He wasn't outside waiting for me at his house, and he wasn't waiting for me on the porch of my house. When I opened the door and walked inside, I was alone, just as I had been the whole way back. My body felt better after I showered, but my mind was still stuck on the little incident that had happened a short while ago. Yet it felt like days had passed. I slowly came down the stairs, still shirtless from my shower. I headed for the living room, intending to look out the large window onto the sunny street and do some more thinking. Colby was relaxed on the chair, awaiting my entrance. After my nerves calmed down from the surprise, I gave him a look that invited him to talk. And for a few seconds we did nothing but stare. Our eyes were locked on each other. I was sensing remorse from him before he spoke. It wasn't like Colby to chatter idly about something. He could have broken the ice by apologizing for startling me, or by offering me a simple greeting. Instead he got right to the point. "I'm sorry I got mad at you a while ago. You didn't deserve to hear what I told you." He stopped there, not going so far as to completely admit that he had acted wrongly. But it was rather touching for me to get this much of an apology from him, because if he had a weak point, it was making amends to something in which he was at fault. I sat down on the couch and looked at him. He was gorgeous. A regretful pout was masking the gleaming smile that usually captivated me, but his beauty still shone through the room brighter than any ray of sun. There was no question about forgiving him. I wanted nothing more to see him smile again. "Don't worry about it," I soothed. "But understand I was just trying to give you advice." He nodded solemnly. "I know." He broke our eye contact and looked out the window. "I'm jealous as hell," he said very clearly, still not looking at me. I waited for him to again meet my eyes. When he finally did, I spoke. "Why, Colby?" I said softly. "What reason have you got to be jealous of me? I'd kill for your talent. And with your focus, you'll have a much better build than I do soon." It appeared as if he shrugged off my attempts to console him. "I just want to look like you. I wish my stomach was defined. I wish my arms bulged all the time. I want to be a stud," he finished, his expression serious. I on the other hand started to smile. "Doesn't everyone? Besides, don't set your sights on me. I have a lot of work to do before I'm the beast you just described," I said, laughing. If we were playing 'tell all', I would have told him he was already my ideal picture of a complete stud, even if he did lack the muscle definition. He finally loosened up and allowed himself to laugh. His giggle filled the emptiness in the room with warmth and innocence. Having made up, we agreed approximately five seconds later that he would stay over tonight. But it took some serious persuading. "I love you," Colby said sincerely. I smirked from my position across the room from him. He gave me a 'Go to Hell' look and hung up the receiver. "I'm to understand from the side of the conversation that I heard your mom said it was ok for you to go? And I love you too, son." He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, she was a little reluctant when I told her that I wouldn't be back for a few days, but I'm a good negotiator." Acting on an impromptu impulse, as usual, he leapt in my direction and grabbed me in a painful embrace. "This is so cool. I can't believe I'm going to see an NBA Finals game." I laughed, enjoying how thrilled he was. I had intentionally put off asking him for quite a while, waiting for the perfect time to casually let him in on the news that we had been given four free tickets to Game 1 of the NBA Finals. "Aren't you glad you made up with me now?" I asked mockingly. Giving me a light shove, he flashed his perfect smile. "Hey, I apologized because I think you're cool and I felt bad for what I did, not because your dad has connections with awesome people. Besides, I didn't even know anything about this until you brought it up tonight. Bo already knows everything?" "Yeah, I told him a while back," I answered, grinning. "I just felt like springing it on you suddenly." We had ended up flopping down on the couch in his sudden attack a bit ago. I looked over at him, and the little boy in him was glowing. His eyes were aflame with the visions of professional basketball players carving their artwork into the hardwood canvas. "Guess I need to get my bag packed soon, huh?" he asked me, still in a trance. "We'll be there overnight?" I'd already gone over all these things, but I patiently answered his question anyway. "Yeah, we'll leave tomorrow morning, catch the game in the evening, and stay somewhere for the night. We'll be back the day after the game. And yes, pack your bag as soon as you go home tomorrow. The Finals are calling us." 5 - July Needless to say, the experience of seeing an NBA game (let alone a Finals game) was more than thrilling. Bo had a whole new respect for me, and Colby and I grew closer because of it. I watched as my shot took a perfect course from my hands to the net. Bo and I had planned to meet each other in a bit, so I had come early to spend some time practicing alone and to think. Friday night wasn't the best time to come if you wanted the gym to yourself. Both the main goals were occupied, so I'd had to settle with a goal in the corner in order to be alone. My mind settled on its favorite subject. Tonight he was spending time with a friend in his grade instead of with me, and I wasn't bothered by that. I knew we were quickly becoming best friends, and saw no reason to be jealous, but I was finding myself wishing he was with me. "Working on that dunk I showed you last time?" said an unmistakable voice from in back of me. Not just somewhere near me, but directly behind me, only inches away. The fright of the sudden voice cutting through my thoughts altered my shot and the effect was a hideous miss off the side of the backboard. He laughed at my surprise, recovered the ball for me, and casually dunked it with two hands. "Jesus Bo. You sneak in here as well as you sneak down the baseline. Don't you ever do anything without using stealth?" Tossing the ball back to me, he grinned. "Not unless I want to draw attention to myself. What's up tonight? Where's Colby?" I put up a shot and watched it hit the front iron and come down in Bo's hands. Had he and I become so close that when someone saw me they automatically thought he was there too? "He's over at one of his friend's house tonight. Why?" I asked, almost suspiciously. He shrugged and dribbled out to take a long distance shot. "Just wondering. It's been forever since I've seen you without him right by you. You two are starting to look like brothers or some shit," he added as the ball connected with its target. I swear he never missed. "Yeah, I guess you're right," I said laughing. "We kind of hit it off immediately." The only response I got right away was an emphatic dunk. "He's a cool guy," Bo agreed with me. "And his game isn't bad either." I would have defended Colby by saying his game was absolutely incredible, but that's what he'd meant, even if he didn't say it outright. "How about a game?" he asked with the fire of competitiveness in his eyes. I started to decline, saying I wasn't up for it, but he cut me off. I found the ball in my hands and him facing me, ready for my move. "Your ball," he drawled with a smile. "So you kicked his ass, right?" Colby asked me as I put a mark on the wall just above his head. "I bet you shut him down even." I smiled and extended the tape measure. "We played to 10. Final score was 10 to 2, his victory, my demise. But he only dunked over me three times, which I'm boastful about." I paused to finish my task. "Okay, you don't have to stand there anymore." He moved away from the wall and studied the mark I'd made. "How'd you score twice? Was he temporarily blinded both times?" I shot him a mean look. "No, I pushed his ass out of the way and slammed it down his throat a few times actually." Flashing a quick smile, I told the truth. "He gave me a little too much space and I hit a couple of outside shots. The rest I tried to get off were all pretty much rejected." Laughing, he peered closely at the wall to see the final result. "67 inches. Cool, I've grown two inches since the summer started then." "So you have," I responded. "You're 5'7" now. Damn, at this rate, you really will be able to dunk on Bo soon. Plus you have your beastly muscles now," I noted with a smile. "Hey, shut up, my muscles are improving," he said, but with a proud grin. "Seriously, don't you think my stomach's looking pretty sexy?" Without any kind of modesty, he pulled his shirt up to reveal his abdomen, which was indeed appealing. For a 13 year old, it was pretty impressive. I feigned shock. "When did you develop that sexy body Colby? I had no idea you were so stunning and well defined." He pleasured me with his angelic giggle, and then playfully wrapped me up in a tackle. God I loved him. Now and then when I see his face, it takes me away to that special place, and if I stare too long I'll probably break down and cry. I woke up to the lyrics from the Sheryl Crow version of "Sweet Child O' Mine". I remained in my position, slowly gathering my senses. I hadn't recalled setting the alarm clock. He's got eyes of the bluest skies, if they thought of rain. I hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain. Suddenly the song stopped, I guessed because someone (more than likely Colby) had turned off the alarm. Oddly enough, Colby's face looming above greeted me when I finally opened my eyes. With an enormous smile on his face, he started bursting into his signature giggle. "You're up early. It's only ten in the morning." His legs were actually straddling me. I prayed I wouldn't start to become aroused with him in this spot. But the feel of his body so close to me was pretty tempting. Doing a decent job of acting indifferent to our position, I put on an annoyed look. "Why the hell did you set the alarm? Big plans for today that involve getting up early?" Another boyish giggle. "Something like that," he said, thankfully rolling off of me and the bed entirely. The problem with spending the night with Colby was that every morning of our sleepover I had to see him in his boxers and act like it wasn't a stunning sight. He slipped into the same outfit he'd worn yesterday as I subtly watched every graceful movement. "Come on, get dressed. I mean, I think you're hot in just boxers, but it's not appropriate attire for going out in public." With that, he walked out of the room, humming the song that had just woken us up as he left. Normally I'd never consider getting up this early, especially since we had been up until four in the morning last night. But he had some event planned that he'd obviously put some thought into, and I was incredibly curious as to what it was. So I did exactly as he'd told me to, running his comment through my mind as I got dressed. I'd fantasized about the possibility of him not being hopelessly straight many times, and with statements like that it was no wonder. I told myself it was just his way, and that he probably wasn't serious, but it was still flattering to hear. Eager to see what the boy with eyes of the bluest skies had come up with, I exited the room and searched for Colby, who was no doubt making himself at home somewhere without my consent or company. Colby had meant business in getting up this early. After hurrying me out the door, he informed me we were heading over to his house. He wasn't giving me any hints about his scheme, so I still had no idea what was going on. Part of me was dying to ask, but I knew that would be playing right into his hands. We approached his front door and he let himself in, me following behind. Both his mom and his dad were moving around as we entered. Their house was always busy and noisy in the morning. If I'd been thinking straight, I would have asked him why his parents were even home, rather than working. "Hi Billy," his mom said to me, concentrating more on her house tidying than she was on me. "Ready for the trip?" The trip? I wondered if I'd heard her correctly, and hesitated a bit. Colby took advantage of my confusion to butt in and answer for me. "Yeah, we're ready. We're just going to my room to finalize a few things." He gave me a sharp nudge and pushed me into the hallway leading to his room. "Damn right we're going to finalize a few things," I said as soon as we were in his room. "What trip? You've been hiding something from me, haven't you?" The devilish grin on his face told all. His eyes sparkled as he let me in on the big event he'd set the alarm for. "You just figured that out? I've been setting this up for a long time, Billy boy. It's my special idea for us, and I knew I needed to do something like this ever since you took me to that NBA game. We're staying in a cabin for a few days while we go to visit my grandparents. I asked if I could take you, and my parents said yes." It was hard to make sense of all that was happening. My mind was tossing all kinds of feelings at me, and I wasn't sure what to say first. Suddenly I noticed a poster size picture hanging up on the wall above his bed. It was a picture taken by my dad of Colby, Bo, and me as we smiled genuinely for the camera. Forgetting the current situation, I started to analyze the picture. We all looked incredibly happy, which made sense. I was sitting in the middle, and Bo was to my left, contorting his features in an attempt to give the picture some humor. Colby, in contrast, was simply illuminated. I could see a glint in his eyes that couldn't be described. He was leaning towards me, our smiling faces nearly touching in the picture. I found myself thinking there was no better representation of him. He was a happy 13-year-old boy with shining eyes and a beautiful smile. Again, his appearance made me shudder it was so spectacular. He was an angel, nothing less. "Looks good blown up and on my wall, doesn't it?" he asked, noticing my observation. "My dad put it up a few days ago. I can brag about where I went now every time someone comes in my room." Tearing myself out of the trance, I smiled. It really was an awesome picture. "It does look a lot better blown up. That's a good idea." He sat down on his bed and stretched out comfortably. "I had a lot of fun there. So now it's my turn to take you somewhere. You'll have to bring a bag with you. We'll be gone about two days or so." "I appreciate the offer, and wherever it is we're going, I'm sure I'd love it, but my parents have to hear about this. And from what it looks like, we're leaving soon. I can't go on a trip without my parents permission." "They've already granted it. Everything's set up, just get your bag packed and come back over here." I looked at him incredulously. "You talked to my parents privately about this? You took a lot of risks just so you could surprise me like I surprised you, huh? It would appear your parents think I've already agreed to go." He laughed and nodded. "It was kind of tricky actually. I got permission from your parents and told them not to tell you, but my parents wanted to hear that you'd accepted the offer, so I had to be a little dishonest with them. But it was worth it. You had no idea what was going on," he finished with a smirk. Actually I still didn't know completely what was going on. He hadn't told me where we were going. Sighing, I decided to go with it. "Okay, I'll go. You're crazy for putting something like this together. I'll go get my things packed." As I started to walk out, he stopped me. "Billy? You might want to bring swimming material. There's a lot of beaches in Florida, you know?" Eight-hour car trips weren't for me. The only good thing about it was that Colby dozed off and practically fell in my lap. I gladly gave him support until I realized he was drooling all over me. At that point I slapped his cheek lightly to wake him. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up at me. It didn't look like he was very alert. "Stop drooling on me," I said, sounding harsher than I'd meant to. His dad laughed from behind the wheel and informed us we were almost there, a typical devise used to quiet children. His eyes already beginning to shut, Colby mumbled an apology, made sure his mouth was closed, and was instantly back asleep. "You boys must have stayed up pretty late last night," his mom said to me. She turned to look at Colby, her expression showing how fond she was of him. "If you don't want him lying on you, go ahead and move him. He won't mind." I smiled groggily. "No, he's fine. And we were up until four, but only because there were so many important things to take care of." She laughed and said something in response, but I was already dozing off myself. "Wake up Colby, we're here," I said now in a much better mood. It had been a few hours since his dad had told us we were 'almost there'. I'd woken up about twenty minutes before we got to our destination, and was feeling better. Colby hadn't moved, so I sensed he still needed more sleep. "Huh?" he said, opening his eyes and this time sitting upright. "Oh, we're here," he said, observing our surroundings. "I slept the whole time?" I nodded. "You slept the whole time, and you drooled on me the whole time. You're like a dog. You have no control over your saliva." Everyone seemed to appreciate that comment. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. His dad parked the car and I happily stepped outside, glad to free my legs. I'd been moving as little as possible for the last several hours so Colby would have a solid foundation to sleep on. Not a bad place. It was seven, and just beginning to show signs of evening. We'd be staying in a little cabin, but it was hardly secluded. The cabins were lined up like a bunch of motel rooms. At least there were beaches nearby. I wasn't sure about how much fun meeting his grandparents tomorrow would be though. Grabbing my bag, I started up the path, Colby and I falling into step with each other as his parents lead the way to the registration area. "How are you feeling slobber boy? You should be feeling mostly a case of severe dry mouth and too much sleep. Am I right?" I'd been aiming for the giggle, and was pleased when I got it. It'd be a shame when he wasn't capable of making that adorable sound. "I already said I was sorry. But if you keep teasing me about it I'll be sure to do it again on the way back. And yeah, I feel refreshed. You're pretty useful as a body rest. That's the real reason I invited you to come along on the trip." My comeback was to close my eyes and open my mouth, imitating the way he had looked as he drooled on me. "Maybe you'll have an accident while we're swimming later," he shot back with a threatening smile. Whatever witty retaliation I had brewing in my brain got cut off as his parents informed us we had cabin five and began heading in that direction. We hurried to catch up with them. I sourly noted that he always got the last word in. "Boys, there's only two beds in these cabins, so you two will be sleeping together. You'll have to go bed at a decent hour tonight and keep the noise down," his dad instructed us sternly. He knew keeping the noise down and going to bed at a decent hour were things we didn't practice. "No problem," I said, my voice oozing with sarcasm. Turning to Colby, I threw the final blow in our verbal bout. "Are you sure I can trust you not to salivate on me tonight?" "At least we've got our own room," Colby said as we lied together on the incredibly uncomfortable excuse for a bed. "Yeah, the paper-thin walls will really muffle our sounds well. We can yell all night and your parents won't even hear," I replied in my usual cynical way. It never bothered him. If anything, he appreciated my humor much more than anyone else, but then again, I saved my best comments for him. "I like that nice ocean scent you've got going on," he said out of nowhere. We made a perfect pair. I laughed. "You'd think I'd been swimming in salt water. By the way, I appreciate you not drowning me tonight. I was worried the way you threatened me earlier." "Don't think you're safe yet," he said with raised eyebrows. "That wasn't the last time we'll be swimming here, and besides, you're vulnerable in your sleep. I could get the job done then." He moved over a bit closer to me, our bodies now touching. "Colby? Are you trying to get close to me so you can kill me?" I asked. A devious smile. "No, actually I was trying to seduce you. Or at least convince you to seduce me. I can't help myself; you're such a desirable guy. Billy?" he asked with phony seriousness. Feeling for my hand and squeezing it, he looked straight into my eyes. "I'm beginning to wonder if we should take our relationship to the next level." He'd done an admirable job of acting until he burst out laughing. I could only shake my head at how oblivious he was of how much I felt for him in the way he had just joked about. Thankfully his antics had struck me as amusing rather than offensive. "Come on big boy, let's make love," he said through a fit of giggles. I just smiled and wondered what it would be like if he was serious. As much fun as he was having with this game, I decided to make an attempt to redirect him. "Wouldn't it be funny if your parents were hearing all this right now through that shower curtain material wall?" My plan didn't work. I guess he wasn't going to shut up until he was ready to. "Does it matter at this point? I mean, isn't it about time they knew about us?" Again he clasped my hands. "We've got to come out to everyone, and most importantly, ourselves." Ourselves? This was getting interesting, not that I had any reason to believe he was being any more serious than he was before. Still, it was quite a fascinating thought. Almost as if he was hinting around at something. "Colby, I know you got like 24 hours of sleep in the car on my lap, but I didn't sleep as well. Maybe it was because my clothes were starting to get soaked. You know I'd like to trade humorous comments with you all night, but I'm tired, and when I get tired I'm not as creative. So unless you wanna talk to yourself, join me as I begin the process of sleep." "Sleep? But we have so much of us to talk about Billy. We have to face this eventually. Why not now?" He giggled and changed positions to get comfortable. "Ok, I'll shut up so you can sleep. I guess I owe it to you after you let me drool all over you today. Thanks for the favor, by the way." I laughed. "Sure, anytime Colby. Whenever you wanna slobber on me in the future just let me know and I'll be happy to accommodate you." "No, I meant for letting me sleep on you. The drooling just made it more of a noble act." I realized he hadn't repositioned himself since he had moved close to me a few minutes ago. Was he planning on sleeping with our bodies touching? Did he even realize it? He was lying on his side; his back turned but firmly pressed against me. It appeared by the sound of rhythmic breathing that he was already asleep, although I wondered how he could possibly have accomplished it so fast after getting so much sleep on the way here. Guess all the energy he released in the last few hours had caught up with him. Although I really was tired, I wanted to absorb this feeling before I too fell asleep. It's not often you get to experience a gorgeous boy sleeping a mere inches away from you. Grinning, I wrapped my arms around him from behind and waited for his response. There was silence for a few seconds, but he soon broke into laughter. "That feels nice," he commented. "Does this mean you wanna reconsider my offer on taking our relationship to the next level?" "I'm thinking about it," I responded, figuring that was a safe comment. I wasn't intending to release the hold I had on him unless he told me to. "The offer will still be open when you decide," he cooed in a fake, but still sweet voice. After another few moments of silence, I again heard the slow breathing that indicated he was asleep. Asleep in my arms. I smiled, content. What a thought. 6 - August Now summer was winding down. With the help of Colby it had been a blur of incredible memories. He had grown yet another inch in the past month, making him 5'8". As school neared, he grew more and more excited about basketball season. I knew he was going to please the hell out of the basketball coaches when it came time for tryouts in a couple of months. Not only had he grown about three inches taller, but his game had actually improved with all the competition against older kids at the gym. As for the muscles? He asked me for my opinion on how his body was looking just about every week, and each time he asked he removed his shirt, modeling his upper body for examination. Although he was too young to be incredibly buff, the results of working out were starting to become visible in his form, but in a delicate way. "Still can't do that, can you young master Colby?" Bo declared after sending one down with one hand. I smiled from my spot sitting against the wall. "Just wait, Bo. He'll be dunking on you in no time. He's already kicking your ass in one on one." Blocking one of Colby's shot attempts, Bo then beat him to the ball, cleared it, and blew past him for yet another dunk. "That's game," he said, tauntingly handing Colby the ball and sitting down next to me. "But he played me a hell of a lot better than you ever have, Billy." "That's not fair, there should be a 'No Dunking' rule," Colby said, joining Bo and me on the ground. Bo laughed and shoved him, making a playful attempt to get a rise out of him. "Relax little man. You played well, I was impressed." That had to be one of the biggest compliments Bo had ever given. "You guys wanna walk somewhere and get something to eat? My treat," he concluded, revealing the contents of his wallet and flashing a toothy smile. Just as I opened my mouth to make a sarcastic comment, Colby beat me to it. "Who'd you rob to get that money?" he questioned with genuine surprise. Standing, Bo laughed. "Took it from a guy who didn't believe I could dunk. It's not my fault he invested $100 into the bet. You two coming or not?" Shrugging, we took him up on his offer. He eyed us wearily as we walked beside him. "That was creepy. You guys just moved in the same motion at the exact same time. Like you two have some kind of inner connection or something." Colby smiled at the comment. "We're just really good friends, I swear," he said, reaching for my hand and holding it. We all laughed at the joke, but what Bo failed to notice was that Colby didn't release my hand as we continued walking out of the gym, which was starting to fill up as noon approached. We hadn't played against each other since way back in March, that day Colby first blessed me with his company. He was better than me even then; I'd put up a good fight simply because I had been nearly a foot taller than him. Although I was still quite a bit taller, the three inches he had grown counted for something. I was now facing a taller, stronger, and somehow improved version of him from five months earlier. I realized quickly just how much he'd progressed from the moment we started going at it in the backyard, the memories of our first game lingering in the air somewhere. In fact, I could still feel the light breeze and warm rays of sun from that memorable spring day. The air wasn't so light now. Both of us were drenched in sweat, the mid-nineties temperature taking its toll. The competition was as heated as the atmosphere. He was backing me in slowly, something he hadn't had the strength to do the last time. Once set up about ten feet away from the goal, he had me pretty much right where he wanted me. Quicker than I could keep up with, he spun around me and took his time laying it in. He had more class than to recite the score to me. He knew it, and so did I. It was 9 to 4, and we were playing to our usual ten. I knew he had me beat; the question I asked myself was how well would I take it. Trying to get a sure point, I attempted to do a repeat of what he had just done to me, except I was intending to back him in a little closer. The sun was beating down on us full force. "Taking me inside, Billy? Are you sure you wanna do that?" he taunted, something rare for him. Normally it wouldn't bother me, but the combination of getting my ass kicked by someone seven inches shorter and a year younger than me coupled with the harsh sun and sweltering heat had dampened my mood. "Yeah, I'm sure," I responded sharply. There was no smile on my face, no 'I'm kidding' tone in my voice. His laugh in response didn't help anything. Getting frustrated with his tight defense, I gave him a gentle but firm shove backwards with my shoulder. I was getting into it, but he was still taking it lightly. "Not so rough," he sang in a fake cry for mercy, returning the push to recover the ground he'd lost. Reverse of roles. This time my temper was flaring. My elbow shot out and connected squarely with his face. Letting out a short high-pitched sound of pain and surprise, he bent over, his hands instinctively going up to clutch his nose. When he took his hands off, I could see blood trickling out of his nostril. No. No way I did that. I wasn't sure who had done it, or even who I was at this point. He looked up at me, eyes filled with rage. "What the hell is your problem?" he shouted angrily. Taking a step towards me, he met my eyes. "You can't take me beating you? Is that it?" I could do nothing but gaze, my head spinning with these developments I felt I had no control over. Time seemed to be frozen. I didn't intimidate him; the fact that he had to look a good deal upwards to make eye contact with me did not seem to bother him. We stared at each other for a bit, and then he closed the distance even more, shoving me backwards. Whatever control I had been hanging on to snapped. I saw him wince as pain shot through his body. My eyes seemed to slowly realize that my hands had a steel grip around both of his shoulders. "I'll tell you what the problem is, Colby," I spat out through gritted teeth. "Your ego is inflated so large you're not thinking straight. You've got it in your head you're better than me, and I can't stand the way you're rubbing it in." As I coldly shot these remarks at him, I kept my hold on him while he continued to stare directly into my eyes. The anger in his expression had now been replaced by pain and fear. His eyes were watering now, but still I didn't let go. "That hurts," he said simply, keeping his voice steady. I smirked at him, still influenced by my overwhelming sense of rage. "Why don't you make me stop then, big man?" I could feel the tension in his body. Gradually his face lost its vigor, and his body crumpled. "Go home," I said, releasing his shoulders and pushing him away from me. It hadn't been that hard of a shove. I think it was the surprise that propelled him backwards, where he surely would have landed hard on his back had the basketball pole not stopped him. After getting over the initial shock, he seemed to slump against the pole for support. There was no fear in his eyes now, just simple pain. A tear slowly made a voyage down his face. That hit me hard. Colby never cried; his disposition was too fiery. When he spoke he did so in a strong tone that didn't shake. "I guess that shows how much you care about me," he said calmly. All I could do was stare, again asking myself who had just done all this. I couldn't open my mouth to apologize. I looked at him, his back to the pole, still too stunned by my actions to move himself. The wet streak on his face, the blood on his nose. And all because of me. Not waiting for me to find my voice, he straightened up and walked off. I'm sorry Colby. You know I'd never hurt you. But I already had, in a much deeper way than causing a bloody nose as a result of misplaced anger. Going to the gym wasn't the same without Colby there. It had been a few weeks since our little conflict, and I was absolutely terrified at the thought of approaching him, even though I knew the duty was clearly mine. It was me who needed to seek him out and apologize, certainly not the other way around. He had nothing to apologize for. I couldn't blame him for completely avoiding me lately. I hadn't even seen him once, and I guessed he was either coming to the gym at times he knew I wouldn't be there, or withdrawing from it altogether. No, it wasn't going to be that easy. No chance meeting in the weight room or on the basketball court where I could casually slip in my regrets. I'd have to go face him at his front door, running the risk of him slamming it in my face. The longer I waited the easier that would be for him. I was stuck. "Hey," said a voice above my shoulder. I glanced up to see Bo looking down at me, not grinning like he usually was. I'd told him to meet me upstairs in the equipment room earlier, just to get my mind off the horrible situation I was in. Originally I'd wanted to have some fun, and maybe even mask what I was feeling, but now I couldn't bring myself to. I set down the weight I'd been lifting absent-mindedly for the last several minutes. "What's up? Getting a little bored, so I thought we could hang out for a while. Wanna play basketball for a bit?" He shrugged. "Sounds good to me. And I'll give you company, but you're gonna have to tell me what the hell is going on with you and Colby." As we headed down the stairs together, I asked myself how he could have figured it out. Surely Colby hadn't spoken to him about it. He answered my question as we opened the door to the basketball court. "How do I know? It's not tough to figure out. I haven't you seen you with him in weeks, and that's not normal. What happened?" I found myself not eager to talk about it. He scooped up a ball from a small boy no more than six or seven, reaching down to pat him on the head. "Thanks little man," he said with a wink. The boy, happy to trade the ball for attention from an older kid, merely smiled, not offended by Bo's theft. Little man. He used that name to refer to Colby many times. We grabbed a goal in the corner and started shooting around. "So you gonna tell me or not?" he asked in a persuasive tone. Despite my mood, I smiled. "I'd rather not, Bo. It won't help. I feel bad enough already." He put up a shot attempt, the ball clanging off the back iron and coming to me. I passed it back to him automatically, knowing he'd have to shoot until he made a few in a row. "Come guard me," he ordered. I wasn't sure what he was up to, but I decided to be cooperative. Immediately he started backing me in. "Let me show you something." Lowering his shoulder, he roughly slammed it into me, his strong build driving me hard into the ground. Once I was down, he proceeded to finish it off with a one handed dunk, hanging on the rim for effect. Landing back on the court, he picked up the ball and handed it to me as I lied on the ground. "Tell me," he said, standing above me. My body ached from the hard hit he'd given me. Now I knew how the defensive players felt when they tried to bring him down on the football field. "Don't do this to me," I choked out weakly. "I don't wanna talk about it." Sighing, he bent over and pulled me up off the floor, pushing me toward the exit. Before I had a chance to ask where we going, he told me. "We're going to your house. To hang out, like you said. Now move your ass." 7 - September The rain was coming down hard. I stood still, staring out the window in the direction of Colby's house. Today was going to be the day I confronted him. I assumed his parents would still be at work, and he was home alone. Better that way. Bo had told me to 'drag my ass over there and face up to what I did' after he finally got the story out of me that day not too long ago. I told him I would do it soon, and now I was going to make my words good. School had already started, so Colby was officially an eighth grader, and I was officially a freshman in high school. It had been nearly a month since our incident, and we'd both done an incredibly good job of not running into each other. I hadn't seen his face in forever, and it was killing me. Even if he slammed the door on me, I'd have closure to the situation. I was going to make an attempt at getting forgiveness. As I walked out of my house and the short distance to his, I allowed my mind to leave me briefly. It felt oddly similar to the first time I'd decided to ring his doorbell, my heart beating wildly, my hands quivering with the fear of the unknown. Then, I was making an attempt to give us an opportunity to be friends. That plan had worked better than I ever had a right to expect. Now I was making an attempt to admit my mistakes and savor that wonderful friendship I so desperately didn't want to lose. Again, he had power over me. This was basically all his decision. Everything was on the line for me; all he had to do was listen and judge. But I'd put myself in this position. He would have settled this matter weeks ago if it had been him that had thrown the elbow, if it had been him that clenched my shoulders violently, if it had been him that had dealt a verbal slap aimed to do nothing but cause hurt. My thoughts trailed off as I slowly climbed the steps, pausing inches away from the front door. Swallowing an incredible amount of fear, I jabbed the doorbell and stepped back into the rain, going for a more pathetic approach. Slowly, the door opened, and I was face to face with the angel I'd hurt. I sat there in the rain, rapidly becoming soaked, gazing in awe at a face I had gone too long without seeing. Collecting myself, I took a peaceful step forward out of the rain and studied his expression. It was a stoical, emotionless look. I'd rehearsed a short speech that would hopefully get me inside where we could talk more, but when I saw his face I felt an overwhelming sense of anger at myself for putting myself in a position where I might lose him. I said to him what was on my mind. It was an offer; a very serious offer. "You wanna hit me? I know I deserve it, so if you think it would help you, by all means go for it." The tone on his face didn't change a bit. I wasn't sure if he was actually considering or not. No conclusions could be drawn as to what he was going to do next. After hesitating a moment, he stepped outside on the porch, gave me one of his heart-melting looks, and then embraced me tightly, not just simply melting my heart, but completely liquefying it. It was the last thing I'd expected, but I gladly wrapped my arms around him, holding him close to me, feeling his warmth spread through my body. Without a word, he released me and led me inside, closing the door behind us. I slept over at his house that night, his parents approving easily, happy to see us spending time together again. Taking advantage of the time we had alone before they returned from work, we did nothing but talk. Turns out he was close to coming over to talk to me himself before I made the move. I apologized at great length, and told him about Bo's role in all this. Before long we were right back to where we had been, exchanging comments for the sole purpose of making each other laugh. I knew now what I had in him, and I promised myself I'd never make a foolish mistake like that again. We squeezed in his tiny bed when we tired of activity. Our bodies were all but on top of each other, and neither one of us minded. "It's a good thing I decided to elbow you in the nose, although I know how much you hate elbows. We're getting along so well now, I'm thinking about doing it again soon," I quipped, feeling comfortable speaking about it. The giggle. It'd been too long since I'd heard that too. It almost gave me chills when I heard it. "Yeah, you might even say it's the best thing that ever happened to us," he responded, adding to my attempt at humor. 'Us' and 'We' were terms we were using regularly. I guess it fit, but somehow it seemed a little unusual. I pressed my body harder into his, relishing the feel of it. And I swear I detected a small moan coming from him, but it was too faint to be definite. My heart jumped as he pushed back, clearly returning my action. I searched his eyes to see if they were glinting with mischief, a sure sign he was joking. But I didn't see that in his eyes this time. I saw... Consent? Desire? Confusion? Shit, I didn't know what to think. Sensing my fear, he calmed me down with his boyish laughter. "Just hold me. Don't search for an explanation. You do that too much." My jaw dropped. He was right, but how did he know that about me? At any rate, I'd be a fool not to accept an offer like that from such a beautiful boy. Feeling encouraged by his words, I reached out and pulled him tightly against me, holding him as close as I ever had. And it felt better than anything I had a memory of. He giggled again. "Was that so hard?" I started to think about what it meant, this desire of his to be held, but then I stopped myself, his statement ringing in my ears. Don't search for an explanation. You do that too much. I could sense he was glowing from this recent development. His breathing was soft and gentle, his body warm and fragile. I could only let out a blissful sigh, the awareness hitting me that the angel I was holding was far too good for me. But for some reason our paths had crossed, and even when I nearly screwed it up, our friendship hadn't been destroyed. Even though I didn't deserve this particularly saintly creature, he seemed to think I did. Who was I to complain? I watched him with a sense of almost fierce protectiveness. He deserved nothing less. 8 - September (1 year later) I filed into the gym along with my class, noting that several of the bleachers had already been filled for the upcoming assembly. Bo, breaking the rules as usual, had sneaked in to our class line as we entered the gym so he could sit by me during the program. "Hey Bo. Don't you ever get tired of doing what you're not supposed to?" I greeted him with a smile, actually happy he'd found me. He shrugged. "It's a stupid rule you have to sit in an assigned area with the class you come in with anyway. You approve Colby's date to this dance?" Bo asked me with a grin. I laughed his question off. There was some truth to it though. Colby had asked my opinion of a freshman girl, telling me that if I didn't like her he wouldn't ask her to the dance. It was a flattering thought, but I didn't exercise the authority he offered me. Besides, the girl he was going with was chosen as one of the Freshman Queen Candidates, so he couldn't have done much better if it was attention he wanted. "No, it wasn't my call," I lied. "I think he just wanted the chance to walk with her arm in arm in front of the whole school. Not a bad idea, really. Little player." It was Bo's turn to laugh as we sat down in the area with the rest of my class. "Colby? Player? Not yet, but give him time. Especially after he makes the Varsity team this year," he added with a grin. Smiling at the indirect boast he'd made, I decided to give his ego a much-unneeded boost. "Well, that's kind of a high expectation for a freshman. They're lucky to make the Junior Varsity team. I mean, not every freshman is as good as you were last year." Bo had quickly earned a reputation as one of the best athletes in the school in a short matter of time. He started last year off stunning the school with his skills as a running back in football season, and then astonished everyone even more so when his talent for basketball was displayed. As a freshman, he was about the best player on the Varsity team, filled with mostly a bunch of juniors and seniors. His dunking ability had captured the school's attention in an assembly recognizing the basketball team as well as during many games. He was becoming a full-blown celebrity. "It's a good thing I'm black, Billy. You can't see how much I'm blushing," he finished with a trademark grin. "But seriously, he's got talent we along with others have experienced firsthand. It's incredible. I expect him to be in the starting lineup with me this year." Clearly all the attention hadn't gotten to his head. He was the same Bo he had been before becoming our high school's representation of a stud athlete, well known by everyone. "And you too, Billy boy. You tore it up in that puny JV competition last year. You'll be on Varsity this year. With us three on the same team, damn, we'll be unstoppable." I smiled at the thought that in the last few minutes he had dished out more kind words than he usually did in a month. "As much as I get all tingly when you compliment me, the assembly's starting, and Colby told me he and Anna were going to be introduced first. You know how it is, start with the unimportant freshman candidates, work your way up to seniors." Bo smirked. "Yeah. Stupid freshmen," he said, knowing full well that as a sophomore he didn't have much room to talk. "Colby and Anna huh? What a nice ring that has to it." I shot him a threatening look, and he shut up, knowing how much I was looking forward to seeing Colby in his cute little suit, escorting his incredibly lucky date in front of the whole school. I waited with a great deal of impatience as the opening speech took far too long. Not to mention that this was kind of a pep assembly with the addition of the queen candidates saved for the very end. So I was forced to watch various cheers, hear numerous coaches talk about how their teams in season were doing, and put up with the usual information that makes assemblies so tempting to skip. When it came time to introduce the two queen candidates from each grade and their escorts, I started paying attention. The cheesy music playing in the background wasn't to my liking though. With fascination that can't be described, I watched as Colby slowly walked, his arm draped around Anna's, toward their assigned spot that would eventually form some sort of pattern after the other seven candidates had been introduced. He wore a very serious expression, but I knew he was absolutely loving all the eyes on him. I listened with disinterest as Anna's information was announced on the PA; stupid random questions such as her favorite breakfast, her choice of person to be stuck with if stranded on an island, etc. Colby's introduction was a little more engaging for me. I listened intently, the two of them reaching their spot and standing still now, arm in arm. "Anna is escorted by Colby Bell." A pause, likely for drama. The music still playing softly. "Colby is the son of Donna and Mark Bell. "If he had to decide what the nicest thing anyone has ever done for him was, he would pick the time his friend Billy took him to see an NBA Finals game." Surprised and touched, I looked at his face and saw him smiling. I sank back into my seat, almost on another world, no longer hearing what was being said about Colby. A tear forced itself loose from my eye, and although I tried to wipe it away before Bo noticed, it was too late. The audience started clapping, meaning both Colby and Anna's introduction was over. "You're such a pussy," Bo said with a smile. I laughed, joining everyone in applauding briefly before the other freshman queen candidate was to be introduced. Colby had done it again. And it was quite a clever plan too. Somehow he had found a way to inform the entire school that he'd been to an NBA Finals game as well as cause me to feel even more love for him. He never ran out of surprises or mysterious ploys. "She doesn't make me laugh like you do though." Colby paused, a grin forming on his face. "Wanna be my date to the next dance?" I smiled. "Sure. I promise you'll get some action if you go with me. Too bad Anna wasn't up for any sex games." It was the day after the assembly and dance. I'd come from school, exhausted, and gone right to my bed to sleep. Before too long, I had awakened to see Colby sitting on the mattress, trying all kinds of little experiments to wake me up. If I could pick the best face to wake up to, it'd easily be his. After succeeding in interrupting my nap, he'd dived right into describing the events of last night, our conversation taking on the usual twists and turns, covering everything on our minds. As a scheme to get attention, he without warning flopped nearly on top of me. Our faces inches apart, he stared right into my eyes and let out his still beautiful giggle. He was almost 14 and a half now, but he was still gorgeous, yet growing up so rapidly along with me. I loved the way we could share words without speaking. It was rare that neither one of us had a problem with closeness. I knew the reason for my desire to be close to him, but for someone presumably straight, Colby was quite into cuddling situations for his age. Not that I'd ever complain about it. How much do you know? I thought to myself, allowing my mind to get lost in his eyes. "Wanna go to the gym? Hang around and see if Bo's there?" he asked, the sweetness of his breath tickling me in a pleasant subtle way. He's close enough to kiss lightly on the lips. "Sounds good to me. Just give me a few minutes to get ready." Even with this established, neither one of us made a move to end the connection we were in. Finally, he sat up and energetically bounced off the bed. "Too bad you're kicking me out. It's always a pleasure to see that sexy body of yours. I'll wait for you downstairs." And then he was gone. Reluctantly getting out of bed, I grabbed some comfortable workout clothes. As I slipped into them, my eyes caught something on the desk. Moving closer to where I could see it, I picked it up and studied it. It was another picture from the NBA game we'd gone to back in June. This one was just of him and me. I'd seen the picture before, but Colby had gotten his dad to enlarge the photo, like the one that was in his room. He must have put it on my desk before waking me up. Smiling, I observed the photo. I was pointing something out to him on the court, and he was leaning over me to look at it. We were both smiling, but unaware of the picture until we saw the flash. My dad had unintentionally captured a golden moment between us. The picture revealed our emotions well, especially since it was a candid shot. Again, I looked at Colby and thought how happy he looked. So relaxed and content with me. So trusting. And clearly mine. Nothing would ever come between our amazing relationship and us. Placing the photo gently back on the desk, I slowly made my way down the stairs. On seeing each other, we shared a look in which he knew I'd seen the picture and greatly enjoyed it. "Ready to go hit the weight room stud?" I asked with a smile, my eyes meeting with his and confessing all that I felt for him. "Let's go. You can give me a piggy-back ride for old time's sake," he responded. We left the house, walking down the street together side by side. "You're too buff for me to carry you now," I said laughing. Grinning, he jumped on my back anyway. "Giddy-up." Struggling mightily to support his weight, I reached behind me and grabbed his legs to keep from dropping him. "Are you coming on me to now, Billy? That's ok. I understand you can't help yourself." I would have laughed, but I was concentrating on staying on my feet too much. "It's either that or I drop you in the street. Your choice." He jumped down off me, apparently having a change of heart. "How about I come on to you instead? Jump on my back, I'll carry you just to change things around." Free of his weight, I could laugh again, and took advantage of it. "You're not that buff. As much as I'd like for you to make a pass at me, I'll have to decline your offer. Besides, there are more appropriate times for these things." We shared another look. It seemed we were on the brink of yet another development in our friendship, but I wasn't sure if this particular development would ever turn into anything. And it didn't matter. The cool September air felt good on my skin. I took a sideways glance at Colby, always trying to get a peak at his beauty without him knowing it. That's when he was at his best. And for him, the definition of the word 'best' had no limitations. When I'd first decided to take a stab at befriending him, I expected to get to know him and his faults. But my initial thoughts had been true: he was perfect. There was nothing he could do that I didn't fall in love with. Colby. The name alone was perfect. I knew I'd love who he grew up to be, even when he wasn't the adorable boy that walked beside me now. Even when he couldn't tantalize me with his body, even when he couldn't delight me with his sweet giggle, I'd still think of him in a way I could no one else. Just hold me, I could hear him saying. I vowed to myself I'd hold him every chance I got for as long as he requested it. I'd do anything for him. That's what our relationship was all about. I looked at him now, these thoughts playing in my mind, and was filled with the urge to wrap my arms around him. But I need not be forceful with him. Those times to hold him would present themselves. I thought back to that first day we spent together, and how much we'd changed since then. Our time together was invaluable, and the full concept of what we meant to each other still hadn't hit me completely. I'd always felt spring was my favorite season, but now it was for sure. It was a time where the ugly effects of winter slowly went away, and things started to heal. And sometimes, wonderful people came into your life that made every season seem like your favorite. It takes a very special group of people. As far as him being an angel, I'd have to look into that. What I did know was that I had never enjoyed spending time with anyone the way I did with him. Reminding me of another moment several months back, he broke off in a run, playing his usual games with me. That giggle of his that I cherished so much echoed in my ears, and I knew I'd never forget it. I'd never forget him. Right now though, I still had a lot of wonderful experiences to share with him, and I fully intended to make the best of it. There was no limit as to what we could accomplish in our relationship. I heard his giggle again, farther away this time. Smiling, I sped up to catch him. Precious time with Colby was ahead. Slowe00@go.com