Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2023 15:03:19 +0100 (CET)
From: penguinsrgay2@tutanota.com
Subject: That Is Not How You Deal With a Snakebite

Heyo lads and germs,

Another story! Gay/Young Friends/cons

Do you have fond memories of camping? Fresh air. Beautiful vistas. Crispy
hot food cooked over a fire. That's what you guys remember, right? I
remember poorly buried waste, mud and stale trail mix. Still had fun
tho. We need more camping stories. That is a much neglected category on
this site.

Basically, I'm telling you people to go touch grass.

Don't read this if it's illegal where you are. Try camping somewhere it is
legal instead. Enjoy!

-prg

~~~~~~

Also! Check out my other published stories on nifty;

-A Terrible Idea (gay/incest/young friends/cons)
https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/incest/a-terrible-idea

-Summer Rain (gay/incest/adult-youth/young friends/cons)
https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/incest/summer-rain

-Sneakin' (gay/young friends/cons)
https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/young-friends/sneakin

~~~~~~

"Want to hold it?"

It seemed to glide in the man's hands, through one to the other, about 8
inches long, but not very thick. It was a pale brown color, almost shiny,
hairless... But most of all... it was intimidating.

"I uhh... No thanks..."

"Fine. Fine. Suit yourself. Not everyone can handle a big one like this."

The man winked at the audience. I flushed with embarrassment, to the extent
I really could, anyway. I felt like a little kid. Why did he have to pick
me of all people???

"Which one of you boys wants to hold my snake?!"

The whole group burst into uproar. It took at least two minutes for the
adults to get everyone halfway quiet. I had returned to my place sitting on
the gym floor with my group. This was ridiculous...

"ME! ME! ME!" shouted Ray and Donnie.

It was the same thing everyone was saying. What happened to being cool and
aloof?! They were so loud... At least JJ was mostly quiet. He was laughing
but trying to stifle it.

"SORRY. SORRY. I should be fair... Give everyone a chance... Which one of
you girls wants to hold my snake?!"

Naturally the whole crowd erupted once more. Well maybe not the whole
crowd. Some of the older girl scouts seemed annoyed or uncomfortable. The
snake was too, attempting to bite the man's hand but getting no
purchase. The girl's scoutmaster, a woman in her thirties and also the
school librarian, had a strained smile as she whispered in the zookeeper's
ear. He was going to be in trouble at work, I think.

"Maybe... We'll come back to that point later. I should tell you more about
this fine beauty. This is Dara the Yellow-bellied Kingsnake. Or Queen
snake, if you will. She's still very small! Just a baby, she was only born
two weeks ago. But in a few years, she will be as long as as some of you
are tall! One to one and a half meters! They constrict-"

I stopped paying attention when I noticed Ray texting. I elbowed him. I
don't want our patrol getting in trouble. The boy's scoutmaster loves
collective punishment... My hands still had blisters from climbing
drills. The boy begrudgingly puts it away, but only once an adult looks at
us. He never listens to me because I'm a year younger. I still can't focus
though. This floor is uncomfortable and I'm thinking about what the Snake
Guy said about me in front of everyone. I should have picked the snake up,
even if I didn't want to.

I was thinking about something else too. But it doesn't matter.

Some Brownie skipped up to the front of the gym. She got to hold Dara the
snake briefly while the guy told us more about the creature. She had one of
those silly topknot style ponytails. Like the girl from the Grinch. It was
difficult to keep the snake in hand and it was soon returned after adults
took a few shots for the newsletter. She smiled sardonically. The biting
snake dangled from her thumb as she tried to return it to the little
terrarium. That's the photo that they ended up publishing. Seeing the
youngest kid here handle the thing like it was no big deal just made my own
refusal that much more embarrassing...

I shifted hoping that was it, but it wasn't. Of course not. The zookeeper's
assistant appeared through the door. Three more crates rolling in on a
cart. Great.

"Now this here is Goldie the Coral snake... No, she will NOT be leaving her
terrarium. Now let me tell you why-"

We were supposed to spend the day getting ready for tomorrow's campout. I
was so nervous. A whole day and night in the middle of the scrub and I had
to keep these idiots from screwing everything up. I had a whole outline for
everyone; the requirements, hazards, itinerary, likely weather, packing
guide... We had to get the badge.

It took forever to get there, but the last bit the zookeeper had to present
was about using snake venom to make antivenom. That was pretty interesting
and a dangerous job. I might want a job like that someday. Making the
medicine, of course, not handling snakes. We all clapped to thank him at
the end. I thought we might get something done once we had some time to
mill about and look at the terrariums. Of course, Donnie had to ruin it at
the end.

"Milking snakes all day?! That's gotta be really hard!"

He accompanies this observation with a jerking motion. He's so loud. Can't
he look like an idiot far away from me?! A small group of our peers gather
to laugh. But one person doesn't.

Wendy Davidson. Pitcher for the Junior Flames. Two-time regional softball
juniors MVP. Between her perfect 5'4 posture, neatly trimmed orange petal
nails and henna dyed waves, she is utterly intimidating. Probably the most
important kid in the whole sixth grade.

"Your whole patrol is a bunch of snake milkers." She says with disdain.

Everyone finds this hilarious except for me. I hate it. I feel like this
insult is going to stick...

No! Not like that! Stop it.

After the whole hour-long meeting, snake-related activities, chasing cub
scouts off the playground, bribing them not to tattle on JJ for flipping
one of them off (they called us snake milkers first, to be fair) and
finally... a rushed snack in the last ten minutes, I felt like we were not
getting our badge.

Just a feeling.

~~~

The point of Boy Scouts, for those who don't know, is to gather waxy
iron-on badges.

Some people think it's for glorified babysitting, but that's more like Cub
Scouts. Some people think it's for hiding child sex abuse scandals, but
that's more of a church thing. Some would say it's about free child labor,
but that would imply we are actually useful or good at anything. They're
all wrong. It's all about the badges.

You can get badges doing various tasks, dumb stunts and maybe the
equivalent of a school project. JJ got his lifesaving badge pretending to
lifeguard his brother and other cub scouts at a weekend pool party. Donnie
got his chemistry badge by throwing together some vinegar and baking soda
and writing a 4th grade level paper about it. Ray made exactly one
spirulina donut on tiktok and they gave him the cooking badge. I had to eat
it and it was disgusting.

Me? I actually have the least badges in my patrol, even though I'm
leader. That's because I like to do *real* things. I made a kosher
three-course meal for the whole patrol group just before Hanukah. My summer
job was at the Y, actually lifeguarding, 18 hours a week. I built a 1/100
scale model of the Columbia space shuttle and wrote a five page report
about it that would shame a high schooler.

As it happens, Donnie burnt that ship down in front of the whole troop
because that's 'Lore Accurate'. But you get the idea. I'm surrounded by
idiots.

So that is how we ended up in the grassy middle of nowhere that
day. Cold. Miserable. Because we don't have enough circles stuck to our
chests.

"Chat, I need more wood for the fire."

Ray is leaning over the fire with two sticks. A wood one and a metal
one. He is the only one wearing shorts. It wasn't so cold when he left his
house and he still goes to school in shorts, so surely it would be fine. It
was not fine.

"Stop calling us chat." I replied.

"Mods, can we ban this loser? The channel doesn't need any more
negativity."

Donnie, of course, is cackling. It doesn't take much for him.

"For those of you just tuning in after the break, right now we are playing
'Dont Starve.' We're doing co-op mode with a few channel regulars and
randos. Here we have my man JJ..."

He pans his phone on a stick to get JJ in frame. JJ flips off the camera,
mood rings on each finger. That's his thing.

More panning

"D-Sauce..."

"More like DEEZ NUTS!!" Donnie gestures to his crotch obscenely.

Panning once more...

"Oh what's this guy still doing here?! I thought we banned him! These mods
are asleep!"

"Ray, You're killing the battery."

"Calm down. I'm still at 70%."

Ugh. This whole thing is a mess. The tents still aren't up and it's almost
dark. I should be the one with a phone. It's supposed to be for
emergencies. But Ray talked the Scoutmaster into letting him do his wannabe
influencer bullshit here. The troop needs positive attention and money, he
says. Kids should follow their dreams, he says. There's maybe ten people
watching him right now. All kids from school. They sure as hell aren't
buying any popcorn.

I pop the last pole into place on mine and JJ's shared tent.

"Donnie, give me the mallet."

"Guys, I fmink eez f'nlly gon postl." He says through a mouthful of granola
bar. Then he laughs at his own joke, spitting crumbs.

"Donnie, c'mon. It's for the tents."

"C'mon and get it." He slaps the bag on his back a few times.

"Oooo trouble's brewing... This is what happens when you don't do your job,
mods."

I consider what to do for a moment. This wind kinda sucks. But the tent
isn't moving right now, even when I lift my hand off the pole. It just
shakes a little. I take the risk and get up to approach Donnie. Of course,
he spins, playing keep-away.

"Donnie cut that shit out!"

"None of that potty mouth, you're going to get us demonetized."

I hate when Ray does sarcastic teacher voice. He's part of the
problem. Donnie wouldn't be screwing around that much without an
audience. Or maybe it's just because there are no adults. I eventually grab
the bag when Donnie almost trips. He almost pulls me down with him. It's
hard to balance with all that heavy stuff.

Does he thank me? Of course not.

There's all kinds of crap in his bag that is not useful or necessary. The
scoutmaster specifically taught us to only carry what we need so we don't
get too tired. Like a small paperback book or journal at most for something
to do when there's downtime. Instead I find; energy drinks, Pringles, a set
of casual clothes, and The Complete Calvin and Hobbes, Vol. 3 hardcover
edition.

"Seriously man?!" I complain as I pull things out.

"You said I should bring a book..." He shrugs.

The mallet is, of course, all the way at the bottom. I smell burning
plastic as Donnie throws his wrapper in the fire. I would confront him
about not polluting when our campout guide specifically says not burn
trash, but I have bigger problems. The smoke turns grey and Ray steps back,
closer to the tent.

"I wish you wouldn't tear my stuff out like that. It was hard to fit it all
in there."

"Then you shouldn't have put the stuff we actually need at the bottom!"

"But then I wouldn't have been able to fit as much of my stuff..."

I want to kick this guy... I'm considering at the very least punching his
shoulder in that not-quite hard enough way... The kind where you say you're
mostly playing but really you're mostly mad. But then the wind picks up.

"OMG!! CHAT!! THE TENT IS BLOWING AWAY!!!"

Instead of actually chasing down the tent, you know, the sort of thing we
all need to sleep, Ray is just pointing his phone camera at it. I hate this
guy sometimes. I start running.

It's really not fair how fast a tent moves once it gets going. It taps the
ground, bouncing and gliding. They might as well be designed to fly away.

"THIS IS THE SECOND MAJOR PROBLEM WITH TENTS WE'VE HAD TODAY,
CHAT. UNBELIEVABLE."

Even from this distance I can hear Ray. The sound carries downwind. He is,
of course, referring to the boner I got from wrestling JJ. He stole my hat
earlier. That wasn't even that big of a deal at the time. He's my best
friend. But today it's just one thing after another...

By the time I catch the tent, the other boys are more than a football field
away. Except for JJ. He is half a football field away. E for effort I
guess... He is jogging to catch up with me.

JJ is 12, like most of us. He's lazy, always looking for a chance to slack
off. His face is round, with thick brown-black hair that seems to go in all
directions. He got a recent haircut, so right now it looks ok. Normally
it's a mess. The blue green on his mood rings tells me he's feeling pretty
calm about all this. He kinda has hobbit energy. He's the guy who complains
about long trips and asks about second breakfast. Unless it's those
blue-green donuts.

I start dragging the tent back. I glare at the group. Not that they can see
it from here. JJ notices my sour mood as he gets closer. The smile
disappears from his face.

"Some help you were."

"You're faster than me, I figured if it was going to come back at all it
would be with you." He shrugged.

I got like 4 inches on him, so I guess that's fair. But it doesn't feel
fair. It's not like I'm the tallest or fastest in the group either. He
bends over, pulling a granola bar from the leg of his pants, where he
rolled them up. He passed it to me. Apple cinnamon flavor. It's deformed
from the rounded almost-pocket, but still technically edible. I accept. I
don't want to though. I want to be mad at him too.

As we approach, Donnie is clapping, Ray recording.

"CHAT. THE TENT. IS BACK. HERE COMES OUR HERO NOW, SOMEONE GIVE THIS GUY A
MEDAL. MODS? UNBAN HIM AT ONCE!! WHATAGUY!!"

JJ flips off the camera again. That's just kinda his thing.

"You should have helped!" I say.

"I was providing moral support."

"I was clapping"

"Quiet Donnie, you don't have the conch shell." Ray shoots at his friend.

It's not a serious demand, Ray is smirking and Donnie is laughing his ass
off. I'm not sure if Ray actually hasn't read the book for Lit class or if
he is deliberately trying to piss me off. I want to fight about it. But
also that book is about the importance of good leadership. I grit my teeth
and finish putting up tents.

Dinner is peanut butter sandwiches, seaweed snacks, dried fruit mix. Jerky
for the carnivores. That's what I packed for the group. Ray is roasting
some hot dogs he brought without telling anyone. Issues of refrigeration
aside, those things are probably getting some extra cancer flavor from the
burning wrapper emblazoned with 'HEBREW NATIONAL' in all caps. A hot dog
dramatically falls off Ray's stick. The wooden one, that is.

"OMG chat I can't believe my dinner just fell in the fire! This is awful!
This is the second time we have had wiener-related issues today!!"

Donnie laughs in an affected way from some 90's TV show he's into. I don't
watch a lot of TV but adults are impressed when he does it. It's annoying.

"Donnie! This is serious! How would you feel if YOUR wiener was suddenly on
fire? Oh right, it's always on fire..."

Donnie is literally rolling on the ground laughing now, with his real
voice, dirt and dry leaves getting stuck in his reddish curls. JJ gives a
hoot. Even I have to admit that's funny.

"FINALLY. We get a laugh from our Dear Leader. I thought he was going to
sentence us to hard labor the way things have been going."

And... now my bad mood is back.

"You didn't even do anything." I shoot.

"Come on man... I am recording our excursion for future generations. I'm
bringing in the cashola."

I have more to say but he keeps talking so loudly. I hate shouting over
people.

"...I even brought you the Jewish hotdogs. So we could have real food! I am
a pillar of this patrol! You all understand, right chat?!"

"RAY I DON'T EVEN EAT MEAT. AND YOU KNOW THAT."

"Oh crap he's real mad now... I don't know if you can tell with this
lighting but he's turning red like these hotdogs. You know JJ..."

He pans the camera. JJ is already ready with double deuces.

"This is YOUR fault. I might have brought all these kosher franks, but you
made the first one come out. You need to apologize!"

I'm the only one not laughing. This is bullshit.

"Fuck you guys. I'm going to bed."

"Come on man. He's just telling a few jokes!" Donnie says.

Could he suck Ray's dick any harder?? I hate this. I look at JJ and he
shrugs, as if to say Donnie has a point or something. His rings are
orange-y red. If anyone has a point it's Ray. JJ really did kick off this
shitshow. He's supposed to be my friend... I unzip the tent and crawl
inside.

It's hard to zip it up without turning around.

If there's anything I'm good at, it's falling asleep. Even though I'm
mad. Even though Ray can be heard for miles away. Even though my allergies
are making my eyes wet. I just kind of shut down. My counselor says it's a
bad coping mechanism, but here it makes sense, I think.

It doesn't take long.

~~~

I dream about swimming. I'm in a lazy river at the water park. I used to
basically live there. My Mom got me and my sister season passes so she
could babysit me there while Mom worked various concession stands. The
river is full of kids. Some are my age. Some are younger. They all got
tubes except for me. I'm kind of a lifeguard right now, in the dream, but
kind of not. All the water at the end of the river goes into a dark, scary
concrete rectangle. We're all going to be sucked in.

In real life, there's a grate there and the river curves away from
it. Hardly anyone ever gets stuck. But I used to get stuck all the time, as
a little kid. It was scary! My big sister would hold my hand, pull and I
would feel safe. But she would also mess with me and say the dark place
beyond the grate was full of the skeletons of kids like me. And that there
was a bad clown there. Clowns would freak me out too. No clowns in this
dream though. Or sister.

I am trying to make everyone hold hands. If we all hold hands, we can't
fall in the rectangle. We'll be safe. But everyone is screwing around. Some
of the younger kids wander away. Some of the older kids leave behind the
siblings they are responsible for. It's chaos! One after another falls down
into the rectangle. They're laughing the whole way. I grab on to a
guy. It's Ray. And he is holding onto someone else. And Donnie is there
too, but he's naked. His hips are raised over the tube, arching his back so
everyone can see his boner. Why would you ever WANT people to see your
boner?? None of this makes any sense.

"Oh right, your wiener is always on fire!"

Hair sprouts from the base of that penis suddenly. It was bald before. But
now it's like normal. No, it's like a man's... Now there's a lot more than
Donnie ever had. It spreads across his body. He's not really Donnie
anymore. Everyone is laughing and pointing. But they aren't holding hands
now. They're all drifting away and I have to save them! But they keep
getting distracted and letting go. Then it is just me and the hairy
man-boy-thing left. He is blocking my way away from the rectangle. I can't
even make out any features. It's all hair.

"You're really mature. You're always trying so hard..."

~~~~~~

I wake up!! JJ is shaking my shoulder. He's in the sleeping bag next to
me. I can't see much. It's very dark. The moon is glowing through the
canvas of the tent, like a vague dim blob, but that's all the light we
have. His hands feel tired.

"You were having a bad dream. Noisy. Sorry."

He's an ok guy. I call him my best friend, but honestly I don't know him
that well. I haven't been in this town very long. Just a few months. These
idiots made me their leader from the very first scout meet. I wonder if he
would have been in charge without me? No. It would probably be Ray. JJ is
too lazy. But he'd be better at it than Ray though.

"Ugh... What a shit day..."

"Ahh... I mean I had an... well yeah. Sorry."

"Were you guys like this last year? And in cub scouts?"

"Yeah basically. Heh..."

We lay in silence for a while. There are loud crickets chirping. The fire
is out. Thank God they remembered that at least. All this dry flammable
crap around...

"You know, when we annoyed adults, it was different. I never felt bad about
causing problems for the den master or my teachers. I don't think anyone
did. We might feel bad when we got punished. Annoying you
is... different. We all felt real bad when you stormed off."

"Sure didn't sound like it..."

"We all talked after the battery died. Ray said he will let you punch him
in the morning. If you want."

"That's stupid... Wait... The battery is dead?!"

"Yeah, it shutdown mid-stream. Just when chat was finally starting to blow
up too."

I really couldn't care less about Ray's dumb internet life. I was pissed he
let the phone die. What a stupid thing to do. I turned over and tried not
to think about it. Scouts used to do everything we're doing without
phones. We'll probably be fine. Except Ray. He's getting punched. Probably.

I'll sleep on it.

~~~~~~

I wake up again after some time. I don't know exactly how long. Thirsty.

"You awake?"

"Yeah..."

I reach for my backpack. There's a water bottle clipped in and resting in
the right side pocket. I spilled some down my neck. It's cold. I might also
need to pee.

I roll over to my pants, shoes, jacket in the corner.

"I'll come too... Buddy system."

There's a little bit of light now. A dull red glow fills the tent. I watch
JJ slip out... He's naked! He picks wrinkled clothes out from the bottom of
his sleeping bag.

This is my first time seeing him naked. I have seen Ray and Donnie shower
after gym class, but JJ usually keeps his trunks on.

He has maybe 30-40 hairs down there. They're all real short, like he shaved
or naired them away at some point, like some girls do with their
legs. That, and at 4'10 he looks younger than he is. That's probably why
adults keep getting surprised when he swears and flips people off. When
Donnie does it, it's par for the course. His boner, or semi, it's hard to
tell when pointing down, is three-ish inches, kinda thick. It's like the
size of a push-pop candy.

"Aren't you cold?"

"Nah. It's actually warmer to sleep this way."

"No it isn't."

"You should try it sometime. You'll see."

I shrug and pull on my stuff. Pants first, to hide my boner. Hopefully it
goes away after I pee... JJ just puts on underwear and shoes. His rings are
amber-green. Maybe he has to go worse than I do. We step outside.

It's real peaceful outside. Pretty. This is why I like camping. The sky is
pink and purple and yellow with wispy clouds. It's the kind of thing my
sister would take a dozen pictures of. And maybe ruin with an inspirational
quote in a handwriting font. I posted one ironically to her insta when I
was 11, using a shot of some birds she hadn't thought of a quote for. I
just slapped a 'sbeve' in her favorite style and posted. Those jokes were
big then and I had the creativity of a toaster. It was her most popular
photo ever.

She still won't let me use her phone.

I want to go further away from camp, but I hear wet noises behind me after
a few steps. At least we're far enough away that no one will smell or hear
it. When I finish, I turn around and see JJ squatting, underwear slung over
his shoulders.

"Gross!"

"Hehe... sorry. Can you go get the shovel and toilet paper?"

The shovel is next to the fire. Easy enough. Toilet paper is... in the
other tent. I think. Pretty sure Ray took a shit on the way here
yesterday... I knock on the tent, just to check if anyone's awake, and slip
in. Hopefully it's somewhere convenient by the door. That's what we're
supposed to do.

Ray and Donnie are sleeping. Together. In two bags sewn together. That's
cute. If I had a camera, I would take a picture to annoy them. Ray is
clothed at least. I see his flannel collar poking out. Donnie is too
probably. But if he was awake, I would totally say he was naked. The toilet
paper was all the way next to him, with some of it wadded up
nearby. Probably allergies. But if he was awake I'd say it totally wasn't
allergies.

But also good leadership is about not making fun of people you're
responsible for. It's hits different. For people you might make fun of, I
mean. Dad says good humor should always punch up.

I return with the toilet paper and shovel. It stinks.

"Bury that shit deep. I don't want to have to smell it at breakfast."

"Ok Dear Leader."

"Don't call me that!"

JJ giggles. It's a running gag with the patrol. I used to have shaved sides
and a part on top, at the beginning of summer. I thought it looked cool. I
saw it in the haircut book at the salon and asked for it. It was a bit of
an old book, sure, but I thought it looked neat. Very Treasure
Planet. Apparently a certain infamous guy had a similar haircut and people
already think I'm bossy. It's stupid and annoying but I try not to complain
too much.

Dad also says good leadership is about having thick skin. And a good
haircut. He gave me a buzz cut himself with his shaving clippers.

I didn't like it at first. I thought they would just call me Caillou or
Qball or something instead. Some did, for a while. But only 'Dear Leader'
has stuck. I think I would prefer Caillou, as insults go. I only have
medium thick skin.

I try to sleep again, but JJ is feeling very awake and conversational when
he gets back. He's still naked. Didn't even bother with putting his
underwear back on. With everyone sleeping, I guess there's no one else to
see.

"I still think that's stupid."

"It really is warmer! That's what the scoutmaster taught us. If you are at
risk for hyperthermia-"

"Hyp-O"

"Whatever, if you're cold, you and your buddy should get naked under the
covers. It's common sense."

"Maybe if you're wet from rain or melted snow or something..."

"Just zip up your bag to mine. I'll even be the little spoon."

I know he's just screwing with me, but he's still funny. He slides into his
bag from the side, his floppy dick revealed to be 3 inches at semi
length. I wonder how big he is hard. I would say yes, just to see what he
would do, of I wasn't hard myself.

"No way! And I said my head was cold. Not the rest of me."

"Oh right. I know how to fix that too. You do the same thing, but you bring
your head under the covers to my-"

"STOP STOP! OMG! NO!"

"I was going to say to my chest. Where I would hold you. Like a brother. I
don't know where your perverted mind was going..."

JJ is normally a lot more quiet. He really only opens up with one person at
a time I think. My sister says he's an INTG... or something. I don't know
what that means. She said I have to understand the patrol's personalities
to be a good leader. I just remember to think of JJ as quiet but funny,
needs encouragement to do literally anything.

I hear some noise in the other tent. I think I woke someone. It's JJ's
fault for making me laugh.

"I'll just pull my jacket over my head."

"And leave me cold? Some leader you are."

"Go jump in bed with Ray and Donnie if you're cold."

"No room. Ray's head is too big and Donnie-"

Someone slaps the tent a few times.

"Are you losers done with your pillow talk?!" said Ray.

"JJ said you'd let me punch you in the morning."

"Too late. Waking me up is punishment. Should have been quiet."

He unzips our tent without permission. Which is annoying. But not
terrible. At least JJ didn't talk me into stripping.

"Where's the toilet paper? Oh right. Here." Ray says, sealing the tent back
up behind him.

I was kinda expecting more banter from him. He must have really had to go.

JJ and I talk a bit more, quietly this time. I'm only half paying attention
because I want to sleep and quiet talk doesn't really keep me awake. He
mostly wants to talk about his book and a game related to it. It's fantasy
paperback novel with a mouse on it. Very beat up. Very boring-looking.

"In my cousin's DnD, I'm a badger with a great sword named Starcrusher
and..."

"-this whole thing would be a lot cooler if it wasn't about furries..."

"They aren't furries!" he huffs. "Seriously, you should read it. Then we
could start our own campaign with some scouts! You'd be good at it."

"Maybe..."

"And you still don't have the literature badge."

"Need to read adult books for that..."

JJ starts laughing at me, giggling and trying to stifle his reaction. At
least he's considerate to someone.

"Not like that. Pervert!"

"I read middle-grade fantasy for my badge. You're the one who needs Fifty
Shades of Gay for it to count."

I punch him through the sleeping bags. He rolled a bit closer to me earlier
as a compromise. I don't hit very hard though. Couldn't even if I wanted
to.

"Noooo man! I don't read those books! I'm not into BDSM!"

I hit him a few more times.

"At! Least! Tie! Me! Up!"

Then he moans with a fake girl voice.

"I'm not hitting you anymore. That's gross. You're too into it."

"That's how I always win."

"I really do wanna sleep now."

"Yeah fair. It's probably like 6..."

JJ picked up his book. He flipped around, looking for his spot. I fell
asleep a while after he found it.

~~~~~~

I woke up to shouting. JJ is stirring next to me. He is sprawled out on his
belly, facing away. His hand is under my butt... I roll over.

"Dude! Fuck! Why did you have to do that?"

"It's MY phone. You should have asked."

"I DID ask. You wouldn't even try!"

"Because I knew it wouldn't work! You'll just damage the battery!"

"Screw the battery! That's your fault! We have to check in with the
Scoutmaster!"

I had already started getting dressed after the first exchange between
Donnie and Ray. I'm surprised Donnie went against Ray like that. I never
really thought he cared that much about not getting in trouble. Maybe he
thought it would be easier to use it without being noticed.

Donnie is an ESPN, I think. According to my sister anyway. That means he
can be impulsive, but he quickly figures things out. That's why everything
was technically fine after he set the space shuttle on fire. He only
laughed for like a second while everyone looked on in horror. As opposed to
a full minute, like the Weblos guys. Then he simply explained it was
supposed to be on fire. My idea. Just like that. I need to support him with
guidance and recognizing his accomplishments. Or something like that.

I step outside. He's shivering in his underwear. That's it. He's not even
wearing shoes. He's kind of a big dude for 12. The boy is 5'4 and 155 lbs,
the tallest and heaviest, despite being the youngest. He has freckles
across his nose and shoulders, he had more of them in the summer
though. His arm has fresh red scratches, but he's not bleeding. That's a
relief. I won't have to break out the first aid kit. He turns to me.

"We gotta call-"

"No. I gotta get MY phone back." Ray interrupts.

Ugh... I need to talk to these guys without interruptions.

"Ray. Hold on. Like a minute."

The oldest boy bites his lip. He's frustrated, but he's thinking at least.

Donnie explains what he did. He talks so fast, his words blur together. I
didn't know he could talk that fast... His Mom does, when he's in trouble,
but that's all in Spanish. I just thought it was a fast language. The jist
is, he wanted to try to turn the phone back on last night. Ray said
no. Donnie gave up, sleeps, then wakes up seemingly before Ray. He sees an
opportunity to do 'the Right Thing' and seizes the phone. Ray gives
chase. Then the phone fell down a hole.

I hadn't even noticed it, the hole. It's big enough for a rabbit. Or those
burrowing owls. I think there was some old dry branches piled there
before. This campsite has been used by a bunch of different patrols in the
area because it follows the creek bed. The creek is dry, but still, the
place is easy to find.

I'm kinda half convinced Donnie is in the right here. If I had thought of
it first, I would have demanded it of Ray. It's too bad the phone fell down
the hole. Of course, you don't put your hands in strange holes. Hehe. I
mean seriously though, literal holes in the ground can be dangerous. The
scoutmaster likes showing off his dead nerves in his pinky and ring finger
from a scorpion sting that he got as a scout. That is also his pervy joke I
stole. It's part of his usual lecture. We could just come back with a
grabber claw and flashlight. The scoutmaster has an old truck, or rather
his son does, that he takes off-roading. It would take maybe an hour. He'd
be annoyed though...

I'm about to address Ray, when the ground lights up!

"Beeeeeep! Baba-da-Beep!"

Donnie dives for the phone, but Ray stops him! He's smaller than Donnie,
thinner, but faster! He basically carried us through the sack relay race at
camp! I only have a second to think. That phone won't stay on for long. If
I just snatch it and text the Scoutmaster, we won't be in trouble, no need
to drive back. I can be fast. Then I'll give it back to Ray. Easy.

I reach in...

Sharp sudden pain shrieks through my arm. Someone is screaming. The phone
goes flying. A tube of red, yellow, black wriggles from my hand. It falls
almost instantly sweeping between my legs. A hot wetness trickles down my
arm. I don't...

~~~

I think I fainted... I'm in the tent again. My hand hurts. Wet... And
sucking???

JJ has my hand in his mouth.

"What are you doing??"

The boy spits into a towel. It's bloody.

"I'm getting the poison out! Don't worry! Ray and Donnie ran to get help."

"It's venom."

"Same difference."

It's not but I don't argue, at least not that particular point. I feel
scared. Looking at my hand, it's swelling a bit, hot and pink. Two
punctures slowly ooze red blood like growing red dots.

"Where's the first aid kit?"

"Your bag."

"Grab it for me."

"But the pois- I mean, venom!"

"It doesn't work like that! That's a myth. I need to stop bleeding and
clean the bite."

I'm so embarrassed about fainting... It hurt and it was scary, but other
than that, there's no reason to faint. I've fainted before and I hate
it. My dad would say I wasn't drinking enough water, but I've been sharing
with Donnie. I try to remember the snake... It's hard to say what it looked
like exactly. I don't have any blisters or tons of blood pouring out but
that doesn't mean it wasn't venomous...

"You got the first aid badge right?

"Yeah!"

Normally I could just look at a scout's chest to see what they got, but JJ
is still indecent. He has a boner too... Weird. I mean whatever. Those just
show up randomly sometimes. I'm more concerned about dying...

Am I going to die? I'm kinda freaking out inside even if I'm trying to be
smart outside.

JJ seems to see where I'm going with the question. He digs out the first
aid kit from my backpack. The alcohol wipes sting. I was only crying a
little before but it became hard to see with the alcohol. I keep my
breathing under control at least. That's also the kind of thing that makes
you pass out. He bandages my hand with gauze squares and tape. It's a bit
of a rough job, too much of everything. I wasn't bleeding that much.

"How long was I out?"

"Like a minute. I could probably catch Ray if you need to tell him
anything. At least get his attention so he slows down, I mean."

"No... it is more important he gets the scoutmaster."

"We tried calling 911 but the phone died."

He passes me the toilet paper so I can blow my nose. I don't want to
die. It's so hard to think and not cry... Snakes... And first aid...

I try to remember the snake guy's presentation. He told us about different
kinds of snake bites and they do to you. Most of the venomous Florida
snakes have arrow shaped heads. Like rattlers or copperheads. I remember
those from the Civil War unit in history class. I mean they were people
named for poisonous snakes but you get the idea. Their venoms act very
fast, these arrow-y snakes.

The slow tricky venomous one has a round head and there's a look-a-like
snake that looks almost the same and has no venom. Coral snakes and king
snakes. I think one of those bit me. The snake guy had a rhyme for
those. 'Red touching black, better call Jack' 'Red touching yellow is a
fellow?' It was something like that. I don't even remember the order of the
colored bands on the snake. I wish that damn phone was charged. Or that I
packed a wildlife guide. I just have my scouting manual.

"We have more bandages by the way."

"Okay?"

"You know, in case I need to suck out more poison."

"I'm still pretty sure that's not how you deal with snakebites."

"Yeah it is. I read it in the scouting library tote. It's that black and
yellow book."

"Well it's crap."

We're quiet for a while. With nothing to do, my thoughts go back to being
scared. I'm afraid I could die. I know it's stupid. Ray and Donnie are
getting help. But what if something goes wrong? What if there's no
antivenom or medicine?

I'm crying again, quietly. I don't want to. I always thought that if
something really bad happened to me I would be brave. I used to have
fantasies about how I'd stop a school shooter or run through a fire. But I
can't keep it together over an unknown snakebite. But also... what if I
die?

"It's alright buddy. I'd crying too. You're still cool..."

JJ hugs me. It's basically permission to let go... I'm bawling now. I'm
babbling but I don't even remember what I said exactly. He's saying the
usual things. Nice things. They'll get me medicine. I'll be ok. We'll laugh
about it. I'll have cool scars. That's actually the bit that helps me calm
down a little. Even when I might be dying, I want to look cool...

He holds me for a long time.

"I'm cold."

When he says it, I realize I am too. I'm just sitting up in my underwear
and shorts, uncovered by the sleeping bag. JJ is naked and shivering. It's
the obvious thing to do, we crawl in.

I let JJ worry about the zipper. It's cold in the bag, except in the parts
I was sitting on. When he flips around, he hugs me right, rubbing my
back. I feel even a little better hugging back. It's both uncomfortable and
comfortable, but it gets better as JJ warms up. He keeps talking to me
about how I'll be okay and how I'm tough. It's more than he's ever said
before. He's even rambling a bit. But it's nice to hear...

"When you're better, you should come over to my house for sleepovers."

He has all these plans he wants to make. We'll make frozen pizzas, chase
his brother with nerf guns, sing annoying songs while caroling, watch
streamers and cartoons late at night under a blanket fort... All that and a
dozen other ideas.

I don't even mind his boner, considering. He's like 4 and something inches,
pressed into my stomach. It's tight in one sleeping bag. I might be
starting to get one... I feel myself starting to rock my hips.

JJ keeps talking, although, he pauses briefly. This whole bit he's talking
about is going to the water park. I miss that place. I haven't been since I
was 10. We talk about our favorite rides. Apparently they got a new slide
that you ride a raft on with a bunch of other people. It sounds crazy big
the way JJ describes it, like going down a funnel on its side. It's bigger
than the school, which is already three floors.

"If you keep doing that, you're gonna make me splooge ya know."

"Wait, what?" I stopped moving.

"With your boner. I don't mind. Like I get it. But if you don't want that,
thought I should say something."

I started crying again. It's stupid. But I'm suddenly embarrassed and self
aware.

"Don't cry! I mean, I said I don't mind. You can splooge on me too, if you
want. I get it. When you're scared, you're horny."

"I just..."

I don't know how to explain it. I have a lot of complicated emotions. I
feel a lot closer to JJ now, but I don't know if I can tell him about how
I'm afraid of hell and dying. Like if what happened with the youth pastor
was a big deal, hell-wise, so would whatever this is.

"You don't have to explain. I get it. We can sort out our boners when
you're safe. Have sex then. Then it won't be weird."

He definitely does not get it.

"Then we can go on dates and call each other babe and get detention for
making out at school."

"What?!"

"I mean, only if you're into that. We don't have to. Heh. I might be
getting carried away. Just a joke."

I actually start to hear motor noises in the distance. I hope that's the
scoutmaster or some other adult who can help.

"Are you going to get dressed?"

"If you want me to."

I hug JJ tighter.

"You won't be embarrassed? Like when help comes?"

"Nah. Scoutmaster taught us that it's okay to be naked together in a
sleeping bag. To prevent hyper-hypo-I mean, thermia."

It still takes awhile for the noises to get closer. JJ is on about his DND
campaign next, how his brother is a vole archer and the dm at the game shop
gave him insane luck because he keeps doing stupid stuff like running
straight into combat despite being ranged.

The noises seem to go away? It sounded like an ATV.

"Probably just some local having fun. It's only been like thirty minutes
since the bite, I think. Took us hours to get here yesterday."

"That's only because you all kept screwing around."

"We're suckers for attention hehe..."

My hand doesn't feel any different. Still hurts, still swollen, but not
like a lot. I flex my fingers. That slow venom, from the round head snake,
black, red yellow... That kind paralyzes you, I think. Is that what bit me?
I can still move ok. I moved my hips some more, just to be sure I can.

"You're teasing me... You wanna splooge or not?!"

"Sorry, just you know, checking. I think I was bit by the paralyze snake or
the one that looks like it."

"Oh yeah. That makes sense."

He moves his hips back at me.

"I could give you head you know... I've never done it before. But no mess
if I can swallow. Could be fun."

I freeze. I... What do I want? That's crazy. But maybe...

"It's a bad thing..."

"I mean yeah. We'd be in trouble if we're caught. But we're not hurting
anyone. It's not like we can get each pregnant hehe..."

"It's still bad."

"Yeah, but not like THAT bad. My mom caught me once with D- er... a friend
and she was less mad than when I got into the datefruit bars she made for
my brother's little league."

"You're gay?"

"I dunno. Maybe. Probably. Dad thinks I'll be into girls when I'm older. He
did stuff like that at our age but then he grew out of it. But he also went
to an all boys school where like EVERYONE did stuff. But I could probably
get a girlfriend now if I really wanted..."

"No way! Girls are always making fun of us."

I recall our new title as the 'snake milkers.'

"Nah I totally could. I would just have to keep it a secret, same as with
boys. I just think I like boys more."

I never really thought about girls and girlfriends either. When I jerk off,
I try not to think about anything. Although sometimes I think of the youth
pastor and feel weird. It kinda ruins masterbating. My Dad says it's ok to
be gay, and that everything that happened at Mom's church is not my fault,
but I'm still not sure. I still talk to Mom sometimes and she said
something else exactly one time, after the custody hearing. She was mad
then.

"What if I let you sperm my shirt?"

"What?"

"Think about it as a consolation prize, or like a one-time thing we're only
doing because we're just two guys bored in a tent? It will be a little
annoying to wear my jacket without a shirt, but I wouldn't mind too
much. And this is just be masterbating really. Basically the same as if you
did it at home by yourself. It's not sex."

"I uh..."

I wanted to. This was crazy, but I did. I felt myself starting to want it
really bad. If we didn't get caught, did that make it ok? I let go of JJ
and started pushing down my underwear.

"Awesome! Can I touch it?"

"Uh... Sure."

"Nice!"

I felt his hands reach for me under the covers. They were eager, but just
right, like he was helping me. The ring under his middle finger was cool to
the touch. I never touched my own balls while wearing a ring...

"You have a neat penis."

I wasn't expecting compliments. I don't even know what makes a penis cool
exactly.

"You got a favorite style? Backhand? Regular? Meatflute?"

"Meatflute?"

"That's when you do this."

JJ tapped my penis with each finger on one hand, one at a time, very
fast. It was interesting. But I couldn't see myself sperming from that.

"Just regular is ok."

I was mostly focused on JJ's hands. They were a little smaller than
mine. Not so much I would notice doing anything else, but him playing with
my privates felt very different from my hands.

"You can touch mine too, if you want. I mean you kinda already are-"

He pressed his penis into my leg.

"-but you can use your hands too. If you want."

"Maybe just a little..."

I reach for JJ's penis. It reminds me of mine more than the youth
pastor's. Mostly bare. Also circumcized. He's 4 and something inches
hard. Smaller than me, but not that much. His balls are smaller. Like those
grape tomatoes nobody wants on their salad. I slide them around in the
scrotum. They move like mine do.

I'd never do all this, I don't think, if I wasn't bitten. If this is
technically ok, or at least won't send me to hell, it's still something
that gets you in trouble with adults. I think of myself as a good kid. It's
the kids who are always in trouble who do this kind of stuff. But what if
it's the last fun I'll have? I know I'm probably not dying, but what if I
am?! What if I'm like nerve damaged and my dick stops working?!

It's stupid. I'm stupid. I'm crying a little even as I hump and make precum
into JJ's hands. I don't want to forget how this feels. This is going to be
my first best last sex!

"Ah! I'm sorry if I'm making you-! Am I pushy? We can wait if-"

"NO! Keep going! I like this!"

I let go of the boy's penis and hug him as tight as I can! His arms are
pinned between us. He laughs as I roll with him.

"Alright!"

His full smile is the best thing I've ever seen. There's no guilt or
hesitation, no shifting gaze. It's as natural for him to be dick to dick as
wrestling or playing chase. It's like electricity! The happiness jumps
between us on contact, sparking! I feel everything! Even the pain in my
hand makes the everything that much brighter by comparison.

This is what sex is supposed to be. The thunder of a hot breath in your
ears. The muscles that don't belong to you jumping at your touch, and vice
versa, like crossed wires. The bouncing energy of a lazy boy, of a quiet
friend turned to the loudest lover, like hitting a switch.

Suddenly hot wetness pouring out of me, the good kind, electric white,
coursing between above and below in wild patterns. My vision is briefly
fuzzy... I need to drink more water. My tears fall like rain. JJ knows I'm
happy. That I'm scared. That this is the best thing he's ever done for me.

And he returns the favor, rolling me! Hands on my scalp like off a balloon
or a warm clothes from the dryer. I'm sensitive down there but I don't have
words. Slippery wet shock. Like licking a battery. Then he kisses my neck!

Teeth for the second time today, but it's the opposite! I wriggle and buck
my hips, the boy is pinned above me to the sleeping bag! I'm sperming
again. I didn't even know that I could do that twice in a row!

We stop rolling at the edge of the tent.  I'm grounded by the weight on top
of me, but my skin tingles. The light hairs on my arms stand up, and not
just because they are cold out the sleeping bag. It's coming. He leans his
head back.

"Oh wow..."

JJ's back arches but I pull him tight. He shudders. Since I already came
(twice!), it's a more gentle feeling for me. His stuff mixes with mine and
he collapses on my chest. Batteries spent.

"That was amazing..."

"I know right...?"

I pull my arms back under the covers of the sleeping bag. It's a sticky
mess down there, it's all over both of us. Sweat and sperms mixed. JJ
slides off, back supported by the sleeping bag, tight against my side. His
fingers squish through the main puddle below my navel.

"Damn you sure make a lot..."

"I guess?"

"Good thing you didn't want head."

Our chests rise and fall with deep breaths. My one arm is around JJ's
shoulder, mostly dry except for sweat, but the other is exploring JJ's
privates. It all feels so different now. Soft and floppy, his dick is about
3 inches now. He's a shower more than a grower it seems. His free hand
mirrors my movements on my own penis and balls.

The youth pastor never did anything like this with me, his body was like a
job, you get in, do what you're told and leave. JJ is different. I feel
like I belong here, can stay as long as I like.

"Man, I've wanted to do that forever..."

"Really?"

"I mean yeah. Kinda. When we first met I thought you were cute. But when we
got to know each other better, I was crushing real hard."

"Huh."

I don't think I was really crushing on anyone. Was I now? I think I would
do it again with JJ, if I was still alive in a few days. I wondered what
the various adults would think about that, ranging from the sort of equally
annoyed trouble straight kids get to actual hostility. It made me
nervous. But I'd still do it again...

"Can we... make out?" I asked.

"Oh yeah! That sounds awesome!"

The naked boy hugged me, our sperms remixing. His sticky hand scooped under
my shoulder. I had nowhere to put mine, and just rested it on his butt.

"Let me get some water first." He said.

Instead of climbing out. We rolled in the bag back to the backpack. It
kinda hurt to roll on my injured hand, even though I was careful not to put
weight on it. Still I enjoyed it. It was kind of stupid but I thought about
what life would be like if we never left the sleeping bag. Me and JJ,
always naked and sticky, rolling everywhere we needed to go. I laughed as
we went.

"Not so fast! It's sensitive..."

JJ shared his water with me. It was cool and sweet. I really needed
it. Kissing was different. His breath was a little gross. The water helped,
but I wasn't that into it. It was interesting though.

"You gotta put your tongue into it. Like they do in the movies."

"How do you know they do that in the movies?"

"They just do! They wouldn't kiss at an angle if they weren't."

At this point, I was on top of JJ, mostly because that's just where we
ended up when we got close to the bag. His tongue had poked in and out a
few times at my teeth. I wouldn't budge them. I certainly wouldn't put mine
between his teeth! I had enough biting problems today.

Still my second kiss was loads better than my first...

We rolled on more time. I'm heavier than JJ and he was getting
uncomfortable. There was a poorly placed rock under the tarp floor
there. He slid down a bit further into the sleeping bag, he was short
enough that he had room for it, or maybe that's just how the angles of our
bodies worked. His hips bent slightly as his knees rested between mine. His
head was on my chest.

"You're getting sperms in your hair..."

"I know. It's cool... I don't mind."

I could never do that. At least not here. Maybe if I knew there was a hot
shower waiting for me nearby. I rubbed JJ's head with my injured, mostly
dry hand. It hurt a little though, so I switched to the other one. He would
already have sperms on one side of his hair and face anyway.

"That feels nice..."

JJ started rocking his hips in time with the scratches.

"You want to have sex again??"

"Nah this isn't sex... This is frotting."

"What's that?"

My own penis is getting hard again. So is JJ's.

"That's like when two guys rub penises. That's it."

"Then what's sex?"

"Penis and vagina. Oral. Butt stuff. It has to go somewhere."

"Butt stuff?"

"You know, when a dick goes in a butt."

"That's disgusting!"

"Heh... Yeah I like this better too."

It's getting harder to talk as the pace picks up. Slimy. Slippery. My own
hips gradually start moving, but they are out of sync. I can't think. JJ
continues.

"Let's... try kissing again. But while we're doing this."

"Okay..."

I let the boy's tongue in. His eyes are closed. Maybe mine should be shut
too. Am I making it weird? His tongue is so fast... It makes circles on
mine, feeling over and around. I'm afraid of hurting him with my teeth but
he seems to want to touch those, dancing around them in front and
behind. Then he gets out for a breath, resting on my chest again.

It's intense. The pace of our thrusts is so fast... the soft round belly
easily gives way to my slippery penis, sliding and deflecting, pointing at
his heart. I'm getting close. No JJ is getting close... He doesn't even
have to say anything. I feel it in his chest. I don't even know whose penis
is whose anymore.

It's not as wild as before. It's warm and gentle, like the surprise static
of hugging someone in a sweater. Our stuff comes out. It's hot and warming
in a way that, if I peaked my head under the covers, maybe I'd see a bright
lamp or flashlight that JJ snuck in.

We're soaked. The boy's breath rolls over my chest, like a passing storm
cloud. It's hard to see him, retreated like that. He's looking up at me,
dark almond eyes, the red tent walls reflected in them. A free hand reaches
between us, sliding through the mess.

"Dare you to taste it heh..."

"Nah..."

I might have said yes before, I think. That sort of thing sounds less gross
when you're horny. He reaches up, close to my face, teasing. I don't
react. I'm tired but amused.

"C'mon I already sucked you..."

He poked my closed lips with the sticky finger. If I was worried, things
would be weird between us after this, I couldn't be anymore. JJ was still
annoying and quietly funny even after a bunch of sex stuff. He gave it a
taste himself.

"Bleh... Your stuff is gross."

"Nah that's your stuff."

"I tasted mine before. It's different. Salty. Bitter."

He sticks out his tongue. I pass him the water.

"Try it. You gotta know how your own stuff tastes. It's basically a rule."

"No it's not..."

I lick my lips anyway. I'm curious now that he said we're so
different. It's like licking the bottom of a bag of trail mix. The kind
with fancy nuts and loads of salt. It kinda is that bad. JJ reads my
expression and giggles.

"Ha! I'm right."

I hug him again, tight. He's surprised, but he smiles, hugs back. We lay
there for a while. JJ casually plays with our balls. Just because he can. I
feel myself drifting off. I want to dream about this guy... Like maybe if I
fall asleep like this, I'll dream what he dreams. That would be nice... I
won't let myself think about the bite...

~~~~~~

"OH CRAP CHAT! LOOK AWAY! YOU'RE TOO YOUNG TO SEE THIS!"

I blearily look up. Ray is covering Donnie's eyes. He doesn't actually have
his phone. Thank God.

"I'm not that much younger than you!"

JJ rolls over, off my chest. He flips them both off.

"Give us some privacy man!"

"Right right."

Ray turns around, but Donnie is oogling us.

"Scoutmaster is parked a mile away, off the highway. We gotta hike to him
and he'll drive Dear Leader to the hospital."

"Stop calling me that..." I mumble.

Donnie snaps out of his wonder, standing straight up, at attention.

"SIR THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT ON YOUR LIFE. WE HAVE TO GET YOU TO SAFETY!"

Ray is giggling now. He never laughs at other people's jokes. He's doing
the same thing, saluting.

"It was the CIA! I should have known those snakes couldn't be trusted!"

Donnie is hysterical now. They planned this whole bit on the way here,
probably. I'm not sure if I'm annoyed at them STILL making fun of a haircut
I had months ago or if I'm relieved that being caught naked in a sleeping
bag with JJ is apparently not a big deal.

Ray zips the tent.

"Hurry up and get dressed though, don't worry about cleaning up the tents
or nothing. We'll come back for that."

JJ helps me clean up, like he said he would, wiping me down with his old
tee shirt. We end up needing my tee shirt too. A jacket feels weird when
shirtless. The fuzzy inside is making my nipples point and chaff if I don't
push it out and away through the pockets. We look pretty normal I think,
once we're dressed.

"Just tell them we were trying to stay warm." I say in a low voice.

JJ gives one of those shrugs that could mean anything. Maybe it's 'Ill try'
or maybe it's 'what do you want me to do?? Lie?' I hate when he does
that. I don't really have time or privacy to press the point.

When we get out Donnie has an obvious boner tenting his pants. But no one
makes fun of him for it?! What gives? I mean, I'm not going to, I'm patrol
leader, but this is just unfair! But it gets worse.

"Did you guys have seggs?!"

"What??"

"Nope."

JJ and I responded at the same time. I don't know why Donnie said it weird
like that. Maybe it's a joke?

"You gotta tell me all about it!"

"We were just keeping warm. We even still had underwear on!"

"Nope."

JJ timed his "nope" just a second after I started talking. He was looking
at Donnie, but who knows if he wasn't really refuting me?! I shoot him a
look and he smiles the same way as when he gave me a boner on the way here.

"Dude! C'mon! You know I'm bi! I'm not judging!"

"Nope."

"Nope."

The shorter boy gives me another shrug. This one means 'you owe me a soda.'

"EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN THAT TENT AFTER THE ATTACK IS A SECRET OF
NATIONAL SECURITY."

"Jesus Ray give it a-"

"Anyone who talks about it to anyone is a traitor and western spy!!"

Ray is mirroring some Russian internet person he follows. For once I can't
get mad at him. I like that rule. Ray isn't so bad after all. He just gets
carried away. Donnie can't help but laugh.

It's a short walk to the highway. I feel like we track all the mud from the
creek bed on the way there. My sneakers are heavy. We followed an animal
trail that was overgrown in parts. Ray had a little gps that is normally
pinned to a mount in the scout master's SUV.

"ALSO, I ALMOST FORGOT! THE FIGHT OVER THE PHONE IS ALSO A STATE SECRET!"

"Right!" Donnie adds with a salute.

"Then how did I get bit by the snake!?"

"I dunno. You're in charge. Figure it out."

"Ugh..."

Ray is exactly as bad as I thought he was. I want my free punch. But I feel
kinda weak...

We climb up and over one more ditch. The scoutmaster is arguing with the
cops. He is lounging back in a reclined car seat while an officer flanks
each window. That's just like him.

"SEE I TOLD YOU FUCKERS! I GOT A KID WHO NEEDS TO BE HOSPITALIZED-"

"Please calm-"

"NO YOU TURN ON YOUR LIGHTS AND ESCORT US INSTEAD OF THIS CRAP"

He dramatically shreds an already quite shredded ticket. He's been at this
for a while. Then he gestures to us.

"Snake kid, rear passenger seat. Rest of you go clean up the
campsite. Patrol leader Carl and some other Eagle scouts are at the main
camp building. They are cooking food too."

"SIR."

"Sir."

"Not Carl..."

The scary old man stares down Ray.

"I mean sir..."

The old man salutes and the boys go back down the hill. I'm a little
nauseous.

"Get in son, you've had a hard day."

The cops turn on their lights and Scoutmaster follows. He doesn't ask any
questions. Which I'm grateful for.

Instead the Scoutmaster complains about everything else. The cops are going
too slow. We should be going 100 at least. The cops are thieves collecting
tickets from the county border who don't even live here. The state needs to
do an audit for excessive ticketing. The cops probably used to be scouts,
but the extra useless kind that did crafts in the city and never went
nowhere. Their troop should be disbanded if it isn't already!

The way things have been going, it probably has...

When we reach the hospital emergency room, he leaves the truck blocking the
entrance, which annoys security. They make him go park. I wait in the
emergency room. It's warm, but I would feel weird unzipping my
jacket... When the scoutmaster returns, he has a bottle of orange juice
from the vending machine for me.

He's really nice. Tells me I'm good and brave. He calls my Dad and I talk
to him on the cell phone.

I start crying again. I don't know why, but it's like I don't have to be
patrol leader anymore. My sister is there too on speaker phone, like a
conference call. I feel better listening to them. They have some questions
and I tell them what I can. They're going to visit, or pick me up,
depending. I have to let them go once the nurse summons me. The scoutmaster
follows.

There's an examination room. She takes my vitals and leaves. It was
embarrassing, taking off my jacket, but no one said anything about me not
having a shirt. The scoutmaster announced that he's leaving soon too, he's
technically playing hooky from work right now. He pulls on his gray beard
as he speaks. He's thinking about something tricky. I don't like that.

"One thing boyo, before I go, if anything... weird happened after the
bite-"

"It didn't!"

"Not saying it did. But if it did... nobody needs to know. Capiché?"

"Sir."

"Good boy. I'm off. You're gonna be fine."

He gives a little wave as he walks out. I think I hear him arguing in the
hallway... That was not as bad as I was expecting it to be...

A flustered doctor or nurse or someone walks in. She seems extra important
because she has a clipboard and loud shoes. She looks younger, about my
sister's age. She has a sleeve full of tattoos of birds, flowers and leaves
going up her arm. It's very pretty.

"People have got to stop lying about being family."

"Uh... right." I reply.

She looks at me like I'm stupid. Maybe it was a little stupid to say... She
pulls a cart with supplies on it into the room. I have to strip to my
underwear. She does a dozen different tests, lights in my eyes and ears,
questions and so on.

She takes a blood sample. That hurts and I cry a little. I got to stop
doing that. At least the lady is nice about that. She says the usual
'you're brave' stuff. I never get tired of hearing that. This almost-maybe
dying stuff is really hard! Then she gives me a hospital gown and I take
off my underwear. It's so embarrassing...

"So what kind of first aid did your friends do after the bite? The tissue
here is a little bruised..."

"Ah... I um... One guy tried to suck the venom out..."

"THAT IS NOT HOW YOU DEAL WITH A SNAKEBITE!!!!!"

"...it wasn't my idea..."

I don't know if this lady has somewhere to be, but I get a long lecture on
snakebites. I'm grateful when another worker rescues me. They take me to a
rolling hospital bed...

~~~

My first visitor is Dad. He wakes me up. I feel like crap. Literally the
worst I've ever felt. The bite was apparently from a coral snake after
all. But they got me some antivenom, all thanks to some horse. So I'll be
okay. They give the horse a partial dose of venom regularly, then the horse
gives blood, then some science people can make antivenom from that. It's
pretty neat. Dad gives me a card to sign to thank the horse. Hospital
policy. Every time the horse saves someone, he gets a card and three pounds
of carrots.

I have decided the horse is my second best friend.

I tell Dad everything. Even the parts I promised not to tell. I feel bad
for not keeping secrets, but also I want advice. Are JJ and I boyfriends
now? How does that work? Some scouts have girlfriends, especially Eagle
scouts, but you can't really be gay in the scouts.. I trust him to know
what to do.

That part goes better than I expected. I knew I'd be in some trouble, at
least for doing sex stuff, but it's not a big deal. He basically expected
it to happen eventually. He doesn't know what things will be like between
me and JJ, but we should keep it a secret from others. And if we do
anything like that again (which we technically still aren't allowed to) it
has to be at our house when it's just me and him. No where else. And he's
getting me a sex ed book. He orders it right there on his phone. I feel
like it's going to be gross.

I also call Mom on his phone while he's there. She says a lot of the same
stuff. They don't fight, which is a relief. She says she will visit
tomorrow. Of course, I don't tell her about everything! I got enough
problems.

Dad gives me a hug. He has to go soon. I got feelings after all that. It
reminds me of what things were like before the divorce.

"Dad..."

"Yeah?"

"Can you read me a story?"

I feel like a little kid for asking, but it really will help me fall asleep
again. I can pretend I'm at our old apartment, and not a hospital.

"Yeah, why not?"

It's an old novel he used to read me all the time. It was his college
assignment when I was five. I saw an old painting of the author once. He
looks kind of like Dad. Maybe that's why I like it. I don't need to see
pictures. Never did. Hearing him is enough.

~~~

I had another strange dream. No nightmare this time though. I was wandering
through a pet shop. Mom and my sister were there, standing on a long
table. They had fencing masks shaped like the Mickey mouse symbol. They
were fighting. Repeating the same arguments.

"You need to come to me!" says the older woman.

They draw long thin swords.

"I need my friends! My family! You're the one who left us!"

The young woman lunges, furious!

"That's not my fault!"

A parry and a shout!

"Look what they did!"

My sister presses, trying to force the older woman back.

"They're people Rachel. We're all people. You think THAT never happened at
temple?"

A twack to the shoulder! The cashier grants a point to the elder woman. The
two women reset their positions

"You won't even fight them!"

The same lunge.

"It was just a mistake!"

It lands!

"I'll never forgive them!"

Point to the junior. The lights are brighter! Hamsters in symmetrical cages
generator wheels run faster! Reset.

"You have to! You're not better than them!"

A feint! But the platform is rising!

"I never said I was!"

A sweep! Neither woman will acknowledge their changing positions, the
audience of shoppers descending below their feet. The fight is everything.

"If you didn't think so then you would understand!"

They sink into the ceiling, like it was only made of white paint...

It's just me, the cashier, the hamsters. The front desk is lined with
candy. Like a drug store. I bought a push pop... Strawberry...

~~~

The next morning, I'm visited by Ray. Carl the Eagle Scout drove
him. They're brothers. He presents me with a surprisingly good crayon
drawing of him and me fighting a giant snake. With guns. And katanas. My
color doesn't look right, but that's probably just what they had in the
box. I look like a frickin candy bar.

"Soo... Remember. State Secret."

"Right right."

I noticed how he doesn't call me 'Dear Leader.' I'm feeling nice.

"And ummm... Since you never got your punch, if you want... I could give
you head instead. As thanks."

"WHAT?!"

"Or not! Psyche! Haha. Seriously though. My ass could have been grass. If I
lost phone privileges my channel would be over! I owe you really big!"

"Oh yeah... Umm.. You're welcome!"

I realize I haven't really described Ray physically until now. At 13, he's
thinner, taller with long curly hair tied in a ponytail. It's bleach blonde
at the tips. His normally imposing 5'5 stature (by sixth grade standards)
looked very short when was standing next to the nurse. His shoulders are
broader than most boys in our grade thanks to an early start on puberty. I
don't really know how big he is down there when hard, but he's not
shy. He's popped it out before on a dare.

I wonder if I would have said yes to Ray, under different circumstances.

I flip the drawing over. There's a sketch of me in pencil. I look like a
fatter, angrier version of myself, balding, in a fancy suit. I also have
antlers. For some reason. Three much smaller guys are my secret agents or
bodyguards. I'm stepping on one by accident.

"AH CRAP! I THOUGHT I PUT THAT ON THE OTHER PAGE!"

Definitely a hard no...

~~~

They only keep me in the hospital for a day, but Dad lets me stay home a
couple more days until I feel more or less the same as I did before the
bite. When I do go back, lots of people compliment me on what will
certainly be a cool scar. Part of me wants to ask my friends to hype me up
with a new snake-y nickname. If only to lose the "Dear Leader" bit.

I didn't tell anyone that, but something like that kind of conversation
happened anyway, at my first school lunch since the bite. It was all the
boys in our patrol plus a few others. Those other guys are in 4h. We're
rivals. Don't get me started on those people.

"You know... They should call you The Boy Who Lived!" Donnie says, pointing
a forked tater tot in my direction.

I instantly hate it. It's a struggle not to let them see. I know it will
stick if they know...

"I kinda like it." says Hardy, the undisputed king of 4H and also, a
goalie. He has a certain resemblance to a certain 2000's child actor. He
continues, "Then I can stop being the Harry Potter guy."

JJ shrugs, useless as ever.

"Nah... He doesn't have protagonist energy." Ray comes in with the
save. "Me on the other hand..."

I want to punch him.

~~~

It takes a while before JJ and I can talk privately. We don't have cell
phones, and his brother has a history of snooping in on our conversations
on the landline. JJ doesn't seem nervous or concerned. He's just his usual
lazy self, telling jokes during class and begging me to do his homework. We
had signed up for the library study hall together.

"You told your dad about us?!"

His mood ring quickly turns from blue to red. The librarian looks over at
us. Our scoutmaster might give us rope climbing drills if she asks him...

I pull out a notebook and write my reply. That's our usual thing. JJ just
talks because he's lazy.

*He's cool! I'm not in trouble. He won't tell.*

*U gave me a frickin heart attack!!!*

He actually draws an emoji instead of the word 'heart'. We do stuff like
that to get ready for when we are able to get our own phones like older
and/or richer kids. I tell him the rest, at least the short version. He's
impatient and doesn't do any math problems while he waits.

*So we gotta have a sleepover! EggplantEggplant*

I erase his emojis before replying. Never know when someone might look over
your shoulder.

*Yeah!*

I can't wait to get home and ask my dad...

~~~

Unfortunately it's a lot harder to arrange a sleepover than I would
like. Dad is all 'have you finished the book yet?' and 'I don't think
you're ready for sex' and 'you boys should let your relationship develop
slowly, maybe go on dates.'

I'd ask to go to JJ's place but his little brother would never give us
privacy. I mean, I do go to his place. It was after one of these dates Dad
suggested. But that wasn't really a date. His parents made us go with his
brother and a friend too.

Rocky and Dominic. They might as be the real brothers here. They're so loud
and annoying and the same jokes are funny to them for hours.

"Bro can I have an energy drink?!"

"We're about to see a movie..."

"But they're sooooo tasty! And I'll split with Dominic! So we won't be too
crazy! Plzplzplzplz"

The other boy mimics his friend. "Plzplzplzplzplz"

Of course they don't get an energy drink. We're not stupid. That happens
after the movie.

We can't even see a particularly good movie because we're stuck with
literal eight-year olds. I wanted to see 'The Boy and the Heron'. Instead
we're watching the Willy Wonka prequel. That movie doesn't even need a
prequel! When are these movie people going to actually make something new?!

I wish we could dump these brats at a cub scout meeting, proper glorified
babysitting, but scout stuff is all on a break with the schools.

After about an hour of getting shushed the younger boys are chill. They are
more interested in the movie than I am.

Rocky looks like a smaller version of JJ. But he's actually an inch and a
half taller than JJ was when he was eight. Which Rocky never shuts up
about. He fidgets a lot. He just got his ear pierced a couple days ago and
JJ has to make him stop touching it. His hair is overdue for a cut because
he was sick the last time the family got hair cuts. He keeps trying to push
it out of his eyes until JJ gives him his beanie.

Dominic is wirey. Prone to climbing things. Also a sugar fiend. He
basically ate half the candy JJ snuck in. He tries to hold my hand part way
through the movie. I don't know if he's being friendly by some sort of
second grader logic or if he's trying to annoy me with the sour patch
crystals all over his fingers.

"I have to use the bathroom."

"Can't you go alone?"

"Rocky's dad said we're not allowed to do that."

I look at JJ. He shrugs. It's one of those 'I'm too lazy to do my job' sort
of shrugs. I reluctantly take the small gritty hand and we march off to the
restroom.

Once we're out the theater he springs the question.

"Are you and JJ boyfriends?"

"I uhhh..."

Crap! Who told him that!? I am soo not prepared for this.

"No."

I'm a terrible liar. I'm literally a boy scout. The kind people mean when
they call someone who isn't a boy scout, a boy scout.

"Rocky said you two are boyfriends."

"Well he's wrong."

The boy is quiet for a while until we get to the door of the bathroom. I
lean on the wall, holding open the door.

"I think he's right."

Dominic makes sure this accusation is the last word by running inside
before I can say anything. I should steal his candy...

Predictably JJ and Rocky show up. Rocky probably doesn't actually have to
use the bathroom but it's not like I was enjoying the movie very
much. Rocky also runs inside. He runs everywhere.

"Dom said your brother thinks we're boyfriends..."

"Damn. I told Rocks-for-brains to keep it a secret."

"Why did you tell him??"

"I dunno. Why did you tell your Dad?"

"I guess that's fair... How good is he at secrets?"

"I DIDN'T TELL HIM. I GUESSED BEFORE YOU TOLD ME."

"I THOUGHT YOU HAD TO PEE!"

"THERE'S A LINE."

JJ is quiet except when talking to his brother. I used to wonder if Rocky
was deaf, but it's really just their thing. The usher is giving us a look
and JJ shrugs as if this is the only way to have a conversation.

When the two second graders come out, the brother looks at me.

"It's your fault for making assumptions, ya know. Could have kept your
secret if you didn't."

"I bet they were kissing!" Dom adds as if it were obvious.

Who do these brats think we are?! I'm too nervous to even hold hands! Of
course, JJ just shrugs. He's useless. But I won't be pushed around by 2nd
graders.

"If you keep making fun of us, I'll steal your candy."

"No way! You can't do that!" says Dom.

"Yeah! Mom told us that we have to share!" said the other.

"She didn't tell me that." I replied.

"JJ, bro! You gotta stop him!"

He shrugs again. At least JJ is reliable. I don't even mind when the
brother and his friend start acting out with hand puppets. They, the hand
puppets that is, kiss dramatically together on the way back to the theater
proper. I just pluck the remaining swedish fish from their cupholders when
we get back. The movie isn't so bad when you eat stolen candy. I think it
was made for that actually...

~~~

"You kissed at the movie theater?!"

"They're lying! They're just mad we stole the candy after they made fun of
us."

Dad is driving me back from JJ's house. It's late. JJ and I were stuck
babysitting because his parents randomly decided they wanted a date night
and left us with delivery pizza. Those second graders were even worse at
home. Giving them energy drinks was a mistake...

"You two were barricaded in the bathroom. Without shirts or pants."

"They attacked us with markers!"

I even had the battle scars to prove it.

"I told you to be careful."

"I was! There's only a couple stains on my clothes."

He didn't mean it like that, but I didn't get in a ton of trouble. I just
got some extra chores, but the whole thing still felt really unfair. He's
hard to read sometimes, but I think I heard him laughing about it on the
phone with my sister. Why do I have to get in trouble if he thinks it was
funny?! Anyway, she's coming home from college soon, just for a week. I
miss her. I attacked her with markers ages ago. She would understand.

The next morning, Dad cooked breakfast for us two. That was nice. I was
getting tired of smoothies. He was also just wearing underwear, not
unusual, but also made him a bit of hypocrite. Just saying. I didn't say
that to him though, just here.

"Don't drown your pancakes in maple syrup.  It's bad for you."

"It pours too fast when it's hot..."

"Here, I'll steal some."

He tilts my plate over his, then stacks it with a clean one to keep syrup
off the table. He's very neat like that.

"So have you thought about what you want for your birthday?"

"I want a sleepover with JJ." I say simply. I've been asking for one
basically since forever.

"You sure got a one track mind."

"Well, can I?"

"Ask JJ to ask his parents. I'm thinking maybe this weekend."

Dad is finally letting me have a sleepover! I'm so excited! I run to the
landline to call him! This is going to be amazing!

There are conditions, of course. I have to finish reading the WHOLE sex ed
book. Then have to clean the WHOLE house. And then he has this WHOLE
lecture for me that is at least an hour that's all about consent and
protection from STD's and not telling anyone if JJ and I do stuff
again. And I have to be super cool, like the most chill guy ever, if he
doesn't want to do sex stuff and break rules or whatever. I don't know why
we need rules for how to break rules.

Also we have to be quiet. No waking up dad, whether it's "totally normal
experimentation" or winning at the last round of Fall Guys. He should know
better. I suck at Fall Guys.

I feel a happy nervous energy in the days leading up to the sleepover.

The night before, we join Ray and Donnie for a stream. We play Don't
Starve, for real this time, on Dad's laptop. Or at least I'm on Dad's
laptop. The other guys are at home on their other devices. Ray is
obnoxious, Donnie is pervy and JJ flips off the webcam every time his name
is mentioned. And I keep getting muted every time I try to organize the
group to focus on specific tasks. Naturally, terrible things happen to
us. Just like real life! But I had a good time.

We still got to redo camping if we want our badge, but the scoutmaster is
making us wait until spring. So this game stream is like practice.

There's still barely any people watching, not that I can see it from Ray's
perspective. Ray gets into a lot of banter with an account known as
WD40flamethrower who endlessly makes fun of us. I have no idea who that is,
but they got a cool name. Donnie keeps trying to flirt with them. There's
also a poll midstream for who the snake is going to bite next. I don't get
to vote because I'm playing but I tell everyone to vote a million times for
Ray. Pretty sure he muted me. But JJ and Donnie repeat it.

"Oh now, you homos decide to vote for me!"

"That's bi erasure!"

"D-sauce, please. You literally learned that word two seconds ago!"

"You're mean. That's why you're not in charge of the Snake Milkers."

Oh my God! I can't believe Donnie is calling us that. He has to be stopped!
Why did Ray have to mute me and not him?! I get the impression that chat
blows up because Ray looks distracted.

"You know what?! I'm going to take a page from Dear Leader's
playbook. Elections are cancelled. The incumbent can keep his post as SNAKE
BOY until we can have a fair and balanced vote!"

I'm pretty sure Ray won.

JJ and I talk a lot on the phone after the stream ends, even though it's
late at night. We don't get into too many details about what we'll do at
the sleepover. Although JJ says he has a present for me. We mostly talk
about other stuff.

I'm pretty sure Rocky is secretly listening in, we pretend to discuss plans
to attack him. My ideas include dye water balloons, taping him to the flag
pole in the front yard and hiding live snakes in his bed. JJ obviously
can't shrug on the phone so he would say noncommittal things like 'that
could work,' 'eh... maybe,' and 'way ahead of you.' That last one made
someone gasp and hang up. Hehehe...

~~~

The day of the sleepover, my Dad drives me to JJ's place. The door is
unlocked and JJ says on Dad's cell just to let myself in. It's just him and
Rocky at home right now, but he's not allowed to leave until Rocky is
picked up. The younger brother is apparently going to Dominic's for their
own sleepover. It's weird coming here and seeing all the furniture
rearranged. Christmas decorations are taking over the place, those shiny
foil thingies are everywhere. There's a new picture on the wall in front of
the door, a portrait of the brothers at their Dad's firehouse with big red
hats. The photo itself is old though, JJ looks about Rocky's age and Rocky
is so tiny, he has to hold his hat so you can see his face.

I run up the stairs to their room, and the brothers are naked!

JJ is packing while Rocky annoys him. I guess they showered together? Rocky
is still kinda wet. There's no boners or anything, they're just really
casual about it. I know JJ had said something like that before, that they
go naked a lot, but I never actually saw them like that. Rocky actually
attacks me with a naked hug too.

"HAHAHA PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE!"

"What was that for!?"

"The snakes in my bed! I bet you thought that was a secret!"

There's a little brother shaped wet spot on my shirt now. In a rare moment
of usefulness, JJ peels him off me and makes him dry off and get
dressed. Of course, he doesn't actually do the last bit until Dominic
arrives...

At least my Dad is patient when we get in the car. He said he expects
younger brothers to be annoying. That one flies over my head until we're
halfway there. When I do finally get it, they both laugh at me! I can't
catch a break...

When we get home, it's like any other sleepover, although I haven't
actually had one since before the move. Just a few visits.

JJ admires Ray's drawing pinned to the corkboard in my room. And then turns
it over! He laughs at my expression, but there's no surprise. That traitor
totally helped make it!

After setting everything in my room, we play video games. It's Fall
Guys. We use the same costume to confuse our enemies. I feel very
devious. We also wrestle when he makes me lose by very unfair means. Going
out of his way to steal MY TAIL in a round of tail tag was particularly
unforgivable. He could have stolen it from literally any one of 17 internet
strangers. When he loses in the final round due to similar treachery, I
laugh.

We eat frozen pizza. Dad got us extra ingredients so we could put what we
wanted on it. JJ made a big penis out of black olives. I nearly fainted
when Dad walked in and saw, but he only laughed. Cutting it reallllllly
close here...

After we finished eating, Dad announces that he is going to bed. Even
though it's like 7... Weird. I watch him go upstairs. Oh wait. Maybe he's
telling me something...

"So... we gonna have seggs?"

I nearly fall out of my chair! What is up with people calling it that?!
It's stupid!Also, Dad HASN'T EVEN SHUT HIS DOOR YET.

"What did I say?"

He looks bored and innocent but I see a gleam in his eyes. And half the
dick pizza. That's reflected there too.

"Dude! You gotta be quiet about these things!"

"The look on your face when he walked in was hilarious. It's like there was
another snake!"

I punch him. Medium punch. JJ is still laughing at me. He is the worst. For
once, he helps me with cleaning though. He's eager. We wrap up the pizza,
sort the recycling, wash the dishes. It can't get done fast enough!

We're literally running to my room when we finish. Mostly because JJ
pantsed me and stole my shorts and boxers. For being four inches shorter
than me, he sure can run when he wants to. I'm weirdly almost ok with the
prank.

In my room, I check off all the steps. Locked door. Check. Closed
blinds. Check. Radio
playing. Check. Drawer-full-of-stuff-I-didn't-ask-for-but-Dad-said-we-needed. Check. JJ
is already naked, leaning back with his hands behind his head on my bean
bag chair. Like it's the most natural thing.

"Shouldn't we go to my bed?"

"Not yet."

I'm confused. I pull off my sweater, tee shirt, socks. There's a mirror in
my room and I get a good look at myself. 5'2. Really short hair. I got a
yellowish brown tone, like my sister. Her make-up usually says 'golden' on
it, but we don't really look gold. I'm a bit stocky, I used to be kind of
chubby, but boy scouts and puberty are helping with that I guess. Also Dad
cooks a lot of health food stuff that is kinda ok but not as good as Mom's
cooking. I'm at 130-ish right now.

I think I look good. I want to be confident in front of JJ...

"I got a surprise present in my pocket."

"Okay..."

"Guess what it is."

"I dunno, what."

"It's a riddle, guess."

"That's not a real riddle."

"What? You want me to make one up?! That's too hard."

First I try his discarded pants on the floor. Nothing there. Then I walk
over to his backpack and unzip it. There's a sleeping bag in the main
pocket. But that's not really unusual. It's a sleepover. There's some other
stuff too. Extra clothes. Random crap that he forgot to take out with his
school stuff. I try digging in the side pockets. A cell phone!

"Holy Crap!"

"I know right? My parents let me have my Christmas gift early."

I walk over to deliver it to him. It's definitely used, a bit scratchy. But
still a huge deal. Not sure where he's going with this...

"That's not the thing in my pocket."

Okay... Then back to the backpack. This thing better be good. I want to
play naked games. I mean we already are, technically, but I mean the kind
where it matters! When I'm pretty sure I've seen the whole backpack, I try
the pants again. I'm feeling stumped. JJ is teasing me, playing with
himself and complaining he's bored.

His eyes keep moving to the sleeping bag. I suppose that's a kind of
pocket.  I dump it upside down and a little packet falls out. It's a
squeezy container of gel. It's not exactly clear what it's for. I mean the
stuff itself is clear... But why bring it?

"This it?"

"Nope."

I keep looking at it. Then it dawned on me.

"This is for condoms!"

The ones Dad got me say they are pre-lubricated. And I've never seen a
bottle of lube before. I may have skimmed over the butt section of that
book. I was in a hurry.

"Maybe."

"I don't want to do butt stuff though."

JJ shrugs. It's a 'well you still haven't solved the riddle' kind of shrug.

I find condoms in the sleeping bag too. They were stuck. Apparently his dad
told him to bring them. I was kinda hoping this whole sex thing would be
more of a secret... But it's whatever I guess.

There's still something he's waiting for me to get... These things, they're
clues, probably. He got naked before the riddle, that's important. Then I
find the sleeping bag we did stuff in before... Condoms and lube...

It's...

"IT'S IN YOUR BUTT!?"

I point at JJ. At first he's stunned. Then he laughs.

"Well is it??"

He shrugs! I've had enough teasing! I tackle the naked boy! We roll over
the carpet, bumping the bed, good thing it's a platform... I start tickling
JJ. He's a hard nut to crack. He tickles back, but I'm basically
immune. It's like a superpower. Kinda. For JJ, the real weak point is under
the arms, but you gotta distract him by attacking the belly first.

He's trying to back away on his butt, cornered, he rolls back, trying to
block with feet... I get closer, I can push him a bit. I know he won't hurt
me. Then... I see it!

Or rather the absence of it. There's nothing in his butthole. It's just a
normal butthole, at least by 12 year old standards. No hair. Just a pinched
shape that's a bit darker than the rest of his butt. From skin, not from
poop, obviously. Everyone's butt is like that. That is a very important bit
I learned from the sex ed book that I was concerned about. Thought my butt
was weird. I stop tickling. JJ looks at me expectantly, biting his lip. I
poke his butt cheek.

"There's nothing in your butt."

"Didn't say there was."

He's just rolling back and forth on his back, playfully.

"I thought you would have a butt plug, like it's in your pocket, like a
'prison pocket'..."

"HA! That's crazy."

"Then why didn't you say something?!"

JJ shrugs. He takes my hand and pulls me to the bed.

"We can figure that out later."

He boings my dick as he says this. My eyes widen in surprise and he
giggles. I never thought to boing someone else's dick before. In the
sleeping bag we didn't have room for that. I do his back. It's neat
watching it bounce.

That's how we get started. Just kind of playing really. It's the opposite
of our first time in so many ways. I feel safe. I have space to move. We
are really open with each other, in full view and knowing what we
want. There's no dancing around the subject, proposing things
half-jokingly.

JJ lays back, one hand behind his head, the other on his belly. He lets me
do most of the exploring. He touches me now and then, but they're more like
small surprises rather than what he's actively focused on. His penis is
totally hairless now. He said he naired it before just before coming here.

"The smell annoys my brother. I mean, I don't smell now, but it's like
rotten eggs when you're using it."

"Why do you use it?"

JJ shrugs. It's the kind of shrug that says 'lotsa reasons, no reasons.' I
consider my own pubes. I was kinda proud when I first started growing them,
but it might be interesting to see how I look again without.

His new old phone starts buzzing and JJ asks me to grab it for him. It's
Rocky and Dominic, calling from Dom's home.

"I BET YOU GUYS ARE NAKED AND KISSING AND BEING REALLY GROSS!"

"SO GROSS!"

JJ hangs up on them. And ignores the next few calls. It clashes with the
radio. We just laugh and keep going. Or try to. Then we get a call from a
different number.

It's Donnie?

"Hey? You're sleeping over with the Patrol Leader right?"

"Yeah!"

"Hi Donnie."

"Happy birthday!"

"Thank."

"Soo..." I hear giggling in the background. "My brother asked me to call
you..."

JJ hangs up.

"Donnie and Dominic are brothers?!"

"I know right? They look nothing alike."

JJ and I start kissing, slowly. There's no particular reason for it, no one
suggested it really. Just our faces were kinda close, laying on the bed,
looking at each other. I keep playing with JJ's privates as we go.

The phone rings again, but we keep going. I'm still not sure if my eyes
should be shut. I open them sometimes. This close, I can see the small
details in JJ's face. The way his eyebrows are thinner at the end. The
little gap in his right upper eyelashes. I wonder if he burned them. The
inverse folds of his upper eyelids that make his expressions seem extra
bored, or sarcastic, or quietly amused.

He notices me looking and raises and eyebrow. Shut. My eyes should probably
be shut! Like the movies.

While dicks are the focus of this sort thing, I think, I want to get
kissing right. I feel more adventurous with my third time ever kissing. Or
maybe it's really my second time. A while after this happened, my counselor
told me that first time with the youth pastor didn't count. Not that I told
her about this! Or at least, I only told her about the kissing part.

I explore JJ's mouth, going beyond his teeth, letting him past mine. I
gently poke around, sliding past his tongue. It's pizza flavored. That
makes sense. I get a piece of crushed pepper on my tongue! It's a bit of a
surprise and I retreat. He laughs. It feels like I got pranked, even though
I know he didn't plan this. He just likes spicy food too much.

"Hehehe..."

"You're sneaky."

"Nah. You're just bad at spicy."

"I was just surprised!"

"Remember when you dipped your fries in my Mom's gochujang sauce?"

"Oh my God! I thought I was dying!"

"Haha you dipped them all the way to the finger tips! Serves you right!"

I was deeply, emotionally scarred by that event. Anyone who makes a sauce
that looks and feels like ketchup but is actually made from hot peppers is
actually trying to murder people. I don't care that some 75+ million people
think it's tasty and goes great on fried rice and eggs. If it wasn't a
spicy conspiracy, they would use like orange or yellow peppers
instead. That's just my two cents.

We start kissing again, if only to prove my mettle. There's no more pepper,
but I'm really cautious. I feel JJ's smile. It's a lot like his shrugs. It
can mean anything from 'secretly hiding more pepper flakes' to 'he actually
thinks I'm hiding more pepper flakes'. I briefly open my eyes and catch him
looking. He breaks it off.

"Ha. You've gotten a lot better at that. I'm the one who needed air that
time."

He starts playing with my privates. It's about time! I already have precum
at the tip. When I lift my hips, a sticky string connects us, my penis to
his thigh, for about half an inch before it breaks off. It looks
amazing. With more room, he can do more than reach around my balls, he
makes little circles at head! I almost collapse from how good it feels. But
then, his knee bends and he brings his foot under me. He presses the bare
sole into my penis! It's gentle, but I still fall over. Mostly because it's
so good!

"Man that's crazy!"

"It feels good though, doesn't it?"

"There's so much pressure!"

"Here, let's try this."

He rolls off the side of the bed and sits on it, between my legs, facing
me.  He picks up my hands, pulling me up a bit.

"What are you doing?"

"Just a fun way we can make sperms. At least for a little while. It's kinda
tiring, but still good."

He presses his foot into my penis, not hard, but slowly getting harder. He
pulls on my arms at the same time. It's like he's on a rowboat and driving
a go cart at the same time. He massages me, on/off, left/right,
circles. It's incredible. You always think of a kick in the dick as a bad
thing, but this is definitely the exception...

I try and mirror his movements, lifting my own foot from between his legs
and over his penis. It's not as appealing as touching JJ with my hands. But
still, it is neat. I'm surprised by how much my foot can feel. It feels
more sensitive. Or maybe that's because I'm less used to touching people
and things with it. The heat radiates off the boy's bare penis like a he
was holding it in front of a fire. I don't know why anyone would do that. I
guess to warm up.

Precum leaks from the end of his four inches, easily eclipsed by my
foot. The head slides under the ball of my foot, a beat behind JJ's
foot. Slimy. Slippery.

I'm stuck between sperming and not. The effort to pull on JJ is tricky and
my abs are getting tired. He seems to have the same problem. He lets go and
I drop backwards onto the pillow.

"Sorry, heh."

"No, that was great!"

>From this perspective I can only see JJ from between his legs. They are
spread out, smooth, relaxed. I watch the toes of the foot between my legs
flex and press my dick backwards. It's more playful than stimulating. My
own leg is bent at the knee.

"So now what?" I ask.

"I dunno. What do you want to do?"

"I want to do what we did before!"

"Come and do it then."

I sit up and look at him. It was an odd thing to say. Last time, JJ took
the lead. I'm kind of clueless, even after reading that huge book Dad made
me read. His experience isn't nervous or hesitant. He's relaxed, hands
behind his head. He has a sly smile, it feels like he's teasing me, but I'm
not sure how.

I lay on top of the boy. His expression gets a little more excited, but he
suppresses it. I'm not sure I want to hump him like before. I mean I said I
want to do what we did before, but I want to FEEL like I did before. I want
to explore and try something new. Know something about JJ that I didn't
before. If that makes sense. But from here it's easier to talk. And I like
touching him.

"You talked about head before. Because it's no mess."

"Yeah."

"Have you done it before?"

"Yeah."

"Is it fun?"

"What do you think?"

That's a tricky question. That book talks about it, but it doesn't sound
very fun. It's mostly concerned with safety. STD's. Dad said I'll be
getting blood tests for that every couple months from now on. The sleeping
bag was a hot and wet place. So is a mouth. It might feel good...? But it
sounded so weird.

"I don't know."

I scooched down, getting my face really close to JJ's penis. Even that
looked smug and amused. Somehow. It flopped lazily back and forth from me
sliding backwards on my hands and knees. This close, I could see the way
his balls slowly rose and dropped. It was in some kind of pattern,
probably, but it was not the same as his breathing. His scrotum would just
shift every ten seconds or so, going from slowly tightening to slowly
loosening.

Tentatively, I poked it with my tongue. Right on the tip, where there was a
squished drop of precum that had mostly been picked up by my chest and
belly. The four inch penis, snake-like, it jumped! JJ liked that. I
think. I rolled his balls with a free hand. They seemed to loosen, happy to
be in warm hands. I tried kissing the penis, if that makes sense, putting
my lips on it. I feel like it should only be called kissing if the part you
are kissing kisses back.

JJ is so warm down there. Getting closer, I feel the boy's penis on my
cheek. If they are so warm, penises, I think we should be touching them
more. He smells like citrus and himself. A little bit of that sweaty smell
he had a couple weeks ago. It's not bad right now, it's just right. I don't
think I would have done this back then. I'm surprised JJ had offered to do
it for me, considering.

I feel the boy shift.

"You're taking too long."

"Heh. Sorry."

I put my mouth over the penis. My tongue slides down, around, introducing
itself. One snake-like object meeting another. Neither of us have
foreskins, so the head is exposed, contours pressing the top of my
mouth. His precum is salty, maybe a little bitter, but not unpleasant. I
hear a click and pop off.

"What was that?"

"I took a selfie."

"Not with me?!"

That would be going way too far! I don't think JJ would do that, but I
didn't think he'd photograph himself either.

"No no. I'm just saying hi to Donnie."

"You're crazy."

"I didn't say I was having sex."

"He totally thinks we're having sex."

"Yeah probably." He shrugged.

I don't resume until he sets the phone down. There's new precum there. He
shudders when I try sucking, careful to keep my lips over my teeth. I do
have some experience after all. But I want to think of this as my first
time. My real first time.

"Hold on."

JJ swings his legs around, torso approaching my belly. He makes me turn to
my side. I feel hot breath on my balls.

"Try and do what I'm doing."

"Okay!"

My own snake, the other, slightly bigger snake, enters a hole in the
ground. There is another snake waiting there. They are friends. That
smaller, wider, wetter snake twists around his friend. So do the other two
snakes, they know their friends are having fun in other hole. They are
playing. They slide carefully, avoiding sharp rocks. They are confident,
because they know even if they hit one, it will be an accident. Mistakes
are allowed. They are not scary snakes, like in the old story. There's four
of them now, not two. This is a new story. All the snakes get to be happy
here.

I feel JJ's lips tighten, he is sucking me! The burst of sensation makes me
forget the snake story. I'm just me again, but also JJ! I mimic his
actions. We feel everything at the same time! The heat of him! The
excitement! It's like a roller coaster at the height of summer! Like
juggling a real hot potato from the fire! His tongue does a crazy dance I
can barely pretend to match! Scrambling and darting around in the negative
pressure.

The precum keeps coming... I know he's holding back, waiting for me. The
normal air returns to my penis, a breather.

"Do you... Want to try... Swallowing? Or should I tell you?"

"I uhh... What are you gonna do?"

"Swallow."

"I'll try that!"

Back to the burrow! Both of them! Being them! Hotter! Tighter! Slimier! I'm
trying my best but I can't keep up! His hands reach around under my
balls. It feels amazing! Like part of my penis is secretly there, curving
into me. JJ's balls, resting on my nose, fill my vision. They are like sand
dunes in the desert, shifting, alive. Millions live inside those hills.

I'm going to make them come out. Say hi.

I feel it coming. Should I tell JJ? Does he know? He probably expects it?
My balls tighten up, my penis gets the hardest it can. It's hotter in there
than ever, there's even a spot where it's extra hot... And fire! Fire! My
sperms leave me! They fill the boy's mouth dribbling into my balls.

And in my mouth! It's like when I drank from a squirt gun on a hot day!
Streams of brief pressure on my soft palette! Squirt! And squirt! And
squirt! It's got a bitter taste that isn't like hot plastic. I never
swallowed for the youth pastor. That went on my face. I swallow... On the
way down it's more bitter. But it's made enjoyable by the sensations in my
own penis, as the last drops come out. A neat trade.

We let go.

"Wow..."

"I'm thirsty..."

"At least you taste better than D- I mean the other guy I did this with."

"Oh umm. Thanks. You too."

I get up, but JJ pulls me down for a hug. This is the happiest I've seen
him. It's better than when we were in the sleeping bag. That was to cheer
me up. To make something happy in a terrible situation. Our first time was
ice cream your parents give you on the day before the move. This is all
sweetness. It's my 13th birthday. Or it will be tomorrow anyway.

He kisses me on the cheek. I kiss him back. But I'm still thirsty.

"Wanna taste yourself?"

"What?!"

"You never did find out."

I look into his eyes. I see myself, naked, reflected in his warm brown
eyes. I belong there.

"Yeah..."

We kiss again. It's not as good as before. My sperms really were the
problem after all! I gotta drink more water. But I roll with it. The two
short snakes twisting together, telling each other a story. The story is
about interesting house guests and the snake slime they bring to warm, wet
places. Our wet dicks mash together. Softer, a little smaller, but happy to
see each other. Flopping over each other and into soft bellies.

"Ok now I really need water."

"Yeah you do. I told you your sperm was still grosser than mine."

"Was that a prank?"

JJ shrugs.

I pull on my underwear, or I start to. There's another red pepper flake
there. I pick it off and flick it over the trash can.

"I would have ate that you know."

I laugh. It's such a dumb gross joke, but it's less funny than it would
have been a couple weeks ago. Next time maybe I'll let him. That would be
the real joke. I step to the door, pulling up the elastic band over my
butt.

"Want me to grab you a drink?"

"Get me something sweet. Like those iced tea packets!"

I forgot about those. I only took them camping with me. I should have
thought to grab cans of soda water or something. Then I wouldn't have to
get dressed. I think I always want to be naked with JJ, as much as
possible. It's literally just going to be a minute, but I almost want to
turn around.

I see dad in the kitchen. He made hot tea. He still has clothes on.

"You boys having fun?"

I blush furiously. It might actually be visible. Dad scratches my head.

"You don't have to give me details haha. Just as long as everything is
going well."

"Yeah. It's good."

I really mean it.

"Good."

I was really happy, grateful for Dad. Mom wouldn't be like this. It was
just a head pat, but I knew he was proud of me. I didn't have to hide who I
was with him... Even though it was still a little embarrassing.

I fill two glasses and grab a handful of packets. We can mix them in my
room. I take the stairs two at a time. I'm so excited just to deliver
water, how crazy is that?!

JJ predictably pours in all the packets into his drink. Even though they
are different flavors. One is raspberry iced tea, the others are lemon. I
forgot a spoon but he stirs by swirling with his finger.

"Want to lick it off?"

"Nah."

"I basically put half your hand on my mouth. Not really fair, y'know."

"I should call the nurse and tell her you're here."

She had left me a number to call if I still had symptoms or an allergic
reaction to the antivenom.

"Do it! I have my phone! Hehe!"

"Nah. She'd probably murder you."

The water was just right. It didn't taste as good as it did when I woke up
from 12 hours of venom screwing with my insides, but still pretty
awesome. You, dear reader, should drink some water.

When I finished my glass I looked over at JJ. He was texting.

"What? Still thirsty?"

"I dunno. Maybe later."

"Want some of my iced tea?"

"You put four packets in there!"

"It's better with eight."

"You're crazy."

"Still not as sweet as boba."

"True."

I lay back in his lap. Under my neck he is soft, but quickly hardens. He
doesn't seem to mind, he rests his hands on my head, massaging it. We
talked a bit, mostly about stuff that happened over the past few days. I
never thought I could just hang out naked like this, touching and it's no
big deal. Of course, it's a huge deal(!), but I admire how confident JJ
is. I still feel nervous, but his attitude is rubbing off on me. Or maybe
that's just his penis.

"It took me forever to get through that book! It was awful."

"Really? The packets we got for sex ed in school last year were alright. I
actually jerked off to one of them."

"What?! No way! Those are, like, pictures of people's insides!"

"I mean, yeah, but they are weirdly hot too."

"You sound like a freaking serial killer."

"MMWAHAHAHA! You fell into my trap!"

He starts tickling me. I'm still immune, but I play along.

"Noooo! Don't look at my insides!"

"I'm taking off that birthday suit!"

It kinda turns into a wrestling match. I have an advantage, being bigger
but JJ puts up a good fight. He always does, when we screw around like this
at scouts. With clothes on obviously. Except that time Ray pantsed me at
the lake, it was my 'induction ceremony' as patrol leader. That was like
the second time I met JJ. I won then too, but the point then was to buy
time for Ray and Donnie to hide my underwear.

I manage to get JJ in a figure four. That's what he gets for trying to grab
my dick! Although even pinned that's still his main interest. He pokes my
balls with his tongue. That actually does tickle, it's hard to stifle a
laugh. I probably don't need to, it's only 8 or 9 at night, but I'll really
be helpless if I keep going. I start rocking my hips, as much to disrupt
his licking as anything.

"Stop! Stop! I give!"

I relax. But I don't move. If JJ wants out from under me, he can do it
himself. He doesn't though. He just plays with my balls while we talk. I
can't really see his from this position, but I can reach for them.

"Your pubes were starting to chaff."

"Ah sorry."

He reaches for his phone, looking at what he missed. He laughs and shows it
to me. Donnie and the two younger boys are all flipping off the camera,
clearly making fun of JJ. They're all shirtless too. It looks like they're
naked...

"Are they naked?!"

"Yeah probably." JJ says.

"You don't think they're..."

"No! Gross! Haha that's so perverted!"

I feel a little embarrassed for jumping to conclusions. Clicking on the
photo reveals the parts cropped in the thumbnail. They are indeed
naked. Donnie's red pubes are pointing in all directions. He's not hard
though. No one is.

"Then why are they naked?"

"They probably are just air drying from the hot tub. Both of us only have
brothers so we're pretty used to hanging out naked. Donnie and I used to
take baths together when we were little."

It's one of those things that used to make me feel a little separated from
the rest of the patrol. All these guys have known each other since
kindergarten.

"Is Donnie the guy you, y'know...?"

I felt JJ shrug under my hips.

"I'm not his type."

"That's not a no."

"Not a yes either hehe."

The whole time we're talking, we slowly masterbate each other. I feel like
I'm ready for more sex.

"Wanna do double blow jobs again?"

"That's called a sixty-nine."

"It is? Why?"

"I dunno."

I pinch a bit of precum off JJ's penis. It really isn't half bad, there's a
hint of sweetness. Like I wouldn't do it if I wasn't horny, it's not that
good. He's lucky to have cum that doesn't taste bad.

"Wanna send one back?"

"Of us?!"

"It's just Snapchat. He wouldn't be able to keep it."

That sounds so bad! I kinda want to do it... I get off JJ and sidle up next
to him.

"Hold on, get on top of me first."

"Why?"

"We're teasing Donnie."

The shot is kinda funny. My job is to make a pained expression while JJ
flips off the camera. Basically it looks like we're doing butt stuff, even
though we aren't. That stuff is gross, in my opinion. Dad went overboard
giving me condoms.

I feel more precum eek out from that bare penis, smearing my lower back. It
takes a while to get the shot just right. My face isn't very convincing and
we keep laughing as I try to get it right. The face that JJ thinks I should
make, is almost angry, biting the lower lip. It looks really stupid. I mean
all the faces I could make look stupid. But this one is so stupid, that JJ
can't hold the phone straight. We're laughing too much. It takes five
minutes to get the shot, and even then, it's a little blurry.

Donnie replies with a flood of crying emojis.

"Are you going to send anything to Ray?"

"Nah, he'd just be grossed out."

I almost say that Ray offered me head at the hospital, and stop
myself. That's probably supposed to be secret. State secret. Or maybe a
joke. The idea that a straight guy might offer head as a favor or to pay a
guy back is strange to me. I couldn't see myself giving head to a girl as a
favor. If I'm gay anyway. I think I'm gay?

By the way, did you know you can give head to girls?! And that those
weirdly shaped vibrating massager thingies are actually used to
masterbate?! I can't believe I played with my sister's as a little kid when
she wasn't looking. I just thought it was a weird toy! So gross. That and
more is all in the sex ed book. More vagina-related activities than I ever
wanted to know in my life!

I tell JJ these things, but he's not impressed. He has known this stuff
since he was ten.

"Man I can't believe you thought those were toys lol."

"How could I have known?!"

"I mean you knew she was trying to hide it from you and the shape of all
those things basically screams 'put me in your vajayjay.'"

I burst out laughing at that.

"Oh my God! That's stupid!"

"Maybe I'm a little bi and can think about these things like straights do."
He shrugs under my shoulders. "Also if you ever say 'vajayjay' but you mean
me I will totally kill you, like a real serial killer."

"Hehehe... You can't kill just me and call yourself that. That's just
regular murderer."

"I'd still have to kill everyone you said it to, obviously."

"Even if I said it to your brother?"

"ESPECIALLY if you said it to my brother."

"I like not dying."

I've been doing that for two weeks, never liked it more. I flip over and
kiss JJ. Just because. He kisses me back. I start rocking my hips but he
stops me again.

"I don't want to get more chaffed."

"Then you wanna do sixtynining?"

"Nah let's just use lube."

"That's for butt stuff. And vajayjay stuff."

He punches my shoulder.

"Ow. hehe..."

"Remember." He crosses his neck with a finger. "Anyway, we can just use a
lot of it. Put it on our dicks, thighs, stomachs."

"Sounds messy."

"Yeah, but that's what makes it fun!"

"I don't want to mess up my sheets..."

My dad still has to see those when he does laundry. Unless I do it. But I
have trouble reaching the bottom of the washer. It's on some boards to
protect it from flooding. Makes me feel short...

"We'll just do it in the sleeping bag, like last time!"

"Oh yeah! That makes sense."

I get off JJ and he sits up. I look at him and the lube on the floor. He
shrugs. I go get the lube. The bottle is very plain, black with tiny
font. I have to squint a bit to read it.

"JJ, this is oil based."

"Yeah. The best stuff is."

"It will break up a condom. That's what the book said."

"Good thing you aren't sticking it up my vajayjay."

After I stop laughing, and hiccuping, which probably took at least half of
forever, I ask more questions.

"Hic- how come you can say it?!"

He shrugs. It's the kind of shrug that might mean 'It's my butt, I can call
it what I want.' or 'I just like torturing you.' Something like that.

"Why is it the best?"

"It stays slippery! Water lube gets gummy."

I roll out the sleeping bag on the bed. This will be nice. Much more
comfy. JJ lays down in the open bag and gestures for me to rub him down.

The oily stuff is like runny lotion, or even sperms. That kind of makes it
hotter. JJ looks a lot like he did when he crawled out of that bag the last
time. I do myself next, while standing. It's tricky to keep it from running
down. I have to rub it into my knees and shins before it can go that
far. It's cool to the touch, but also warming? It's like the stuff itself
is spicy hot. I start to crawl in on top of JJ but he stops me.

"I want you to be wearing your present when we do it."

The way he looks in this moment, Ill never forget. It's not just the hot
vibes, being naked, covered in lube that looks like sperms but isn't. It's
his face. There's something more sincere there. He's not trying to be
cool. It's warm. I'm melting from it.

"I uh... where is it?"

"I hid it in the rolls of my jeans. They are the secret pockets!"

I don't know why I couldn't remember that. So much happened since he gave
me that crappy granola bar.

"My hands are sticky. I don't want to make it gross"

"Do I have to do everything?"

The naked boy gets up and digs out four mood rings. Two are snake shaped!

"Oh wow!"

"You said you didn't want it gross, right?"

He rubs one on the end of his penis before handing it to me. I know there's
precum there because I oiled him there last. I giggle as I pull it on. Then
he gives me a round one, mostly clean. I put one on each middle finger,
just like him. Then he guides me to the bed.

"I got these a couple days ago, when Rocky got his ears pierced. I wanted
to give one to you on our date."

"Ah yeah that makes sense."

"I almost did it there anyway. But this is better."

I slide in on top of him. Our penises meet and it's like touching a
stove. A droopy, sticky line connects them as he shifts his hips, so he's
under my face. JJ pulls the zipper closed. We're sandwiched together,
tight! Maybe it shrunk in the wash.

We're kissing again. We start slowly, shifting and sliding, humping. I feel
and hear JJ laughing through my mouth and he laughs at the wet sounds. He
bites my tongue, just a little, it doesn't hurt. I keep going.

It feels incredible. I don't know if my dick can last longer than my
mouth. That would be a new record, sperming so fast. JJ's hands are under
and between us, rubbing the balls and that like inside penis just below
them. Mine are under his shoulders, pulling us tight.

We make so much heat. We're like an engine, hot and oiled, moving together,
up and down. The radio is playing Walking on a Dream, by Empire of the
Sun. It's that station my Dad always listens to in the car. I never know
what the lyrics are, but it feels like a love song right now.

We come up for air, and JJ is singing! I try to tell him it's late,
giggling, but he's not very loud. Almost muttering. Just a few lines here
and there. Our bodies move to the beat of the song, in the smallest dance
floor.

"Don't stop, just keep going on..."

He's so soft, slippery. I kiss his neck and taste salt. He had a hickey
before, but it didn't bother him. He said he was proud of it. I feel the
song in my lips, through the boys neck. I'm starting to understand it now.

"I'm your s, -houlder lean upon..."

His hands grip my butt and squeeze! They're so wet. If he had longer arms,
he might be able to feel around inside. Do I want him to? It's hard to
think. I feel so happy. I want him everywhere.

"So come on, deliver from inside..."

I pick up the pace. No... That's not right. It's the same pace, but I'm
going harder! It makes a wet slapping noise. We don't even laugh about it!
A stupid gross noise like that is just right. It's supposed to happen. It's
almost difficult to keep my balance on the boy. Our balls bounce, mostly
mine, but they're actually ours now...

"All we got is tonight, that is right til first light..."

Sweat is dripping off my brow, onto JJ's chin. I'm so close... I'm like a
pressure cooker or a kettle. I'm dripping. It doesn't feel any different
than anything else, but I know it it's there. I'm all over JJ, inside
him. He's around and in me. We're fusing together.

"Is it real now!"

The loud lyric surprises me! That boy hit the high note like a gong hit
with a chainsaw. We're laughing, I think. I can't stop for that! It's
coming out now, all of our everything. Gushing out like lava, forming a new
place. The penises, the not-snakes are pulsing. First one, then another. I
don't know whose. My new rings are deep red, I don't see them but I know it
is true. I feel glowing red!

We collapse in the naked sauce of the everything. Hands clasped
together. Warm lips meet my cheek. One last molten piece of ourselves comes
between us, fuses us together. We're the same person now... The everything
falls asleep...

~~~

I wake up to my door unlocking. I'm a little groggy, but I see my Dad. He
steps into the room. I shut my eyes. He's really close. I hear him
snort. He sounds, amused? He sets two cans of soda water on the nightstand,
they make that metal noise as they tap the surface. The radio turns off,
followed by the lights. The door shuts. I don't think he knows I woke
up. That was a bit embarrassing. Not that he could see us below the neck,
or that I thought he didn't know exactly what we were doing, but Dad still
saw more than I'd like. I should have thought to turn those off...

I reach for JJ's glass of iced tea. Just a quick sip. It's a bit much,
especially at room temperature. I'd take the water but JJ is still holding
my other hand.

It does feel good, sliding over JJ like that. We're still so slippery under
the covers. My boner comes back almost instantly. Without even saying
anything, his hips start moving again. I respond. Our engine is starting,
warming up. Hot breath exhaust on my ear.

"Let's flip."

"'kay."

We do that, but I'm surprised by how close the edge of the bed is. I try to
scoot sideways until I'm safe and comfortable. It's tricky and awkward with
a naked boy pinning me, covered in lube. We giggle a bit as we do it. I
feel something like a button under my butt.

"If we had to do THAT kind of challenge on fall field day, I would actually
try." JJ said.

He was so quiet but so loud at the same time. His lips, next my ears, his
chest pasted to mine, they were the only noise in the whole world.

"So you admit you did throw the baton race."

"No! I really did have a cramp! Besides we had no chance after Donnie
tripped."

"Yeah yeah... By the way, your ring is under my butt."

"Oh! I forgot that slipped off!"

I don't see it, but I feel it. JJ's hips lift up, bending at the knee,
going as deep as he can. He's bringing cool air into the sleeping bag. It's
refreshing on our wet skin. His head is under the covers, the imprint of
his face in profile on my belly. Smallish hands slide under my butt,
feeling around...

"MY PRECIOUS!"

His voice reverberates through my stomach. No, I'm the one shaking! It's
too funny! I have to stop myself, or Dad-! I waver at the edge of the bed
and try to roll away a little. In this new position, JJ is still on top,
maybe a bit squished into the bag. His four inches are poking my thigh,
sliding. Even with his ring on, his hand comes back, sliding underneath my
butt. The other reachs for my dick and balls.

The slippery fingers stop, onto but not in my buttcrack.

"Is this okay?"

"Yeah."

It's really interesting... I've only ever felt my fingers in my butt
before. That was such an ordinary thing. His fingers wiggle and make
circles on my butthole. It feels crazy good! I'm bucking my hips, dick
poking the top of the sleeping bag. JJ's breath is on it, the other hand
slipping in, out around. It's moving in a looping pattern, like a
crankshaft to a belt, it moves him around each place, making me go. It's so
hot down there.

"Tell me when you're about to come."

"I don't..."

"That means when you make semen. Cum."

"Oh right..."

That book had some of those words in it. But it was all sciencey. I feel
like a little kid sometimes, not using the right words. Now more than
ever. Two boys, covered in slime, in a small sack. I wonder if this is how
newborn babies feel. That sex ed book had a lot of babies.

The boy's fingers stop at my butthole, poking.

"Can I...?"

I don't want that. It sounds gross. I know it's a thing and it's supposed
to feel good, but... Maybe we can try another time. Still I tense up. I
would at least want to be in a shower...

"No."

"Okay."

He goes back to what he was doing before, just sliding around, not in.

"This is still ok, right?"

"Yeah. I like that..."

I'm starting to get close again. JJ's penis presses in and out on my
thigh. We're so sweaty. I have one hand on his head and it's wet, stuck to
the sides and other hairs, forming locks. Some of that is the mix of semen
and lube he picked up off my belly, sliding into the bag. It's like the
sauna at the Y down there, only slightly more crowded. My other hand is
with his, playing with my penis. I can't let him do all the work.

"It's coming..."

"Alright! Finally!"

He crawls on top of me, almost falling off, because he goes to fast. He's
humping me now still completely under the blankets. I want in! I bend my
knees and sink down with him. It's like kissing but with our whole bodies.
I hug him as tight as I can, just to keep us stable! The mattress is
squeaking, JJ's breath is intense and fast, like a convection oven on my
chest. Air is in short supply down here. I start to match his cadence.

"Two people... become one..." He hums or mutters. I can't tell which. His
voice is in my head.

It's like someone set off fireworks in the tent. Just stuck them in the
bottle and waited to see what would happen. Like standing in waves of
sparks, we are showered. Hot sticky droplets meet our faces, our chests our
bellies. It's perfect. Everything is perfect.

It's like falling.

No, we're actually falling! We roll off the bed and the wind is knocked out
of me! There kind of wasn't much there to begin with. JJ pops out of the
bag laughing at me. But I'm kinda ok with it. I'm laughing too. Maybe I hit
my funny bone. My elbow sure hurts.

I don't even mind when Dad knocks on the door a minute later, first to
check in and then to tell us to go to bed and actually sleep. It's after
midnight.

While I catch my breath, JJ is just cuddling. The air feels cooler on the
floor. Or maybe it's the sweat drying off my forehead. In the dim light
from the window, the boy on my chest looks like he climbed out of a
swimming pool. He's shining. I reach around the floor and find his clothes
and ball them up under my head to use as a pillow. I'm pillow enough for
the other guy as he slides to the side, head on my shoulder.

I don't know what I will dream, but they will be the best dreams. If today
was good, tomorrow will be the best day of my 13-year-old life. We have all
day together and another night. I have a naked sticky boy, just like me,
and we're never letting go, let alone getting dressed. That's what my life
is going to be like from now on, I think.

Just as I start to drift off, he kisses my cheek. It's a lazy side kiss.
Maybe the best kind. The smooshing of sperms on my face is like a stamp in
his image.

"Happy birthday Snake Boy."