Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2019 18:08:01 +0000 (UTC) From: D J Subject: The Grassy Hill part 7 The Grassy Hill Part 7 Copyright 2018 By Sahypo Saturday morning dawned bright and promised to be a hot day. Laura peeked in on Kevin, and gave him a morning kiss on the forehead, which woke him up, around ten o'clock. "Urrrrgggh!" he groaned. "Thank you very much. Your breath is horrible." Kevin smacked his lips and grimaced. "Thanks, mom." "Robert and I are going out for lunch and a movie today, so I'm going to leave you some money so you and Robby can go to Michy's or whatever while we're gone." "Okay...Cool, thanks." "We should be back around three-ish at the latest." "We'll be fine, Mom. Go have a good date." Kevin teased, a big grin on his face. "I'll start some breakfast" Laura said as she got up and walked out of the room. Kevin yawned and stretched and threw the covers back on the bed and stood up. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his briefs and slid them off, freeing his erection to snap up to its customary angle. He stepped into his bathroom and turned the water on in the shower and got in as the temperature began to change. He stood in the warm spray and emptied his bladder as he wet his hair. He was about halfway through his shower when he noticed movement in his bedroom and Robby burst in. "Hey, whaddya doing playing with that when we got shit to do?" Robby joked. "I'll show you playing with it." Kevin joked, flipping his flaccid organ at Robby with a finger. "Come on, let's go to the mound and stop at Michy's. afterward." "Mom's getting me breakfast, then we can go." "Not anymore. I already ate yours, dude." "Yeah, right...you just got here." "Hurry up!" Kevin shut the water off and opened the door. "You gonna dry me off and dress me or what?" "If it makes your slow ass faster, then yeah." Kevin began drying his hair in the towel. He paused and began to brush his teeth, exaggerating movements of his pelvis to tease Robby. He rinsed the brush, spit in the sink and continued drying himself, as Robby snooped through the items on Kevin's dresser. "Hey, do something useful and toss me some underwear, dude." Robby reached into Kevin's dresser and grabbed a pair of briefs and tossed them across the bed into the bathroom door. Kevin pulled the briefs on as Robby threw a pair of socks at Kevin. Kevin sat on the bed to put the socks on and asked "Wanna ask our folks if you can stay tonight?" "Sure...sounds good." Kevin slipped a tee shirt and pair of shorts on before following Robby out of the room and into the kitchen. Laura had two plates of eggs, sausage and toast on the table, with milk and orange juice. "Thanks for breakfast, Laura." Robby said, giving Laura a hug before he sat down at the table. "You're welcome, anytime." "Mom, can Robby stay over tonight?" "Uh...I don't care. I'll ask Robert when I see him if that's okay with him." "Thanks, mom." "Here's a five, Kevin. Will that be enough?" Laura asked. "Thanks!" Kevin said, tucking the money into his shorts pocket "Dad gave me some money too. We're good." Robby replied. "Sounds like you guys got it then." "We want to know all about you guys' date when we get back" Kevin teased. The boys finished their breakfast and Kevin put his shoes on. "Bye...be careful out there." The boys climbed on their bikes and rode out of the trailer park onto Twelfth Avenue, and rode uptown toward Robby's house. Michy's store was several blocks to the right of their path, and the mound was on the farther edge of town. They decided that they would go to the mound first, and hit Michy's around lunch for a slice of home-made pizza. They reached the mound and left their bikes at the bottom and climbed the fifty-foot hill easily on a well-worn path to the top. The grass was quite tall and when they reached a little clearing about a dozen feet across, it was obvious that people below could be seen easily, but would not be able to see up into the nest in the grass from below. The day was getting hotter as the sun rose higher in the sky, and the boys were sweating slightly from the ride. The boys sat in the nest, and looked out over town. "Been a while since we been up here." Kevin said. "Lotsa stuff changed since then, didn't it?"' "Yeah." "It all looks the same down there. Like nothing happened." Kevin got up to investigate the copse of small trees immediately behind the little clearing, and found the mound otherwise deserted. He came back out to the nest and sat down again. The boys passed the time watching cars, airplanes and clouds. About an hour went by and they got bored and decided to ride around a bit before going to Michy's. The sun was high, but not nearly noon when they made their way down the trail and got on their bikes. They rode down to the switching yard and watched the trains for a while, but not much was going on there. They rode to the high school and checked out the athletic courts and baseball diamond, not going anywhere in particular. "Hey, let's get something to eat, and then go to the pool this afternoon." Kevin suggested. "That sounds good. We can get my suit, and change at your house. That way if Dad says I can stay, my clothes are there already." Robby replied. "Right on, dude." Kevin said as he pushed off and began riding. Robby followed closely, and they pulled up to the bike rack on the sidewalk in front of Michy's General Store. Odors of fresh baked bread, pizza, and hamburgers wafted over them as they walked in, and they headed back to the tiny lunch counter. Four stools at the counter, and a booth that could seat six kids, or four adults. The booth was occupied by a group of girls who acknowledged them, then went back to their conversation. The boys asked for slices of supreme pizza with extra meat, and old man Michy's wife replied "Jussa lika yo momma stilla makes it, eh?" in a fake Italian accent that cracked them both up. Kevin paid for the pizza as Robby went to the cold box to get sodas and say hello to the old man. He came back and sat down on a stool at the counter next to Kevin as the pizza was pushed in front of them. They ate the pizza and smiled at each other when the girls giggled about something. Sneaked peeks behind them pretty much ruled out that the girls were talking about them, and they finished their lunch. It was time to head to Robby's and they said goodbye to Mama Michy, and the old man as they walked out. A car was parked at the curb as they walked out the door, and a rough looking man inside, his eyes staring intently at Kevin. He watched as the boys turned right to the bike rack. At first, Kevin was preoccupied with his thoughts and did not pay attention to the man as he left the store and stepped into the sunlight, his eyes adjusting to the brighter daylight. He felt the man's eyes upon them and looked over at the car as they mounted their bikes. Not knowing the man, he thought nothing of the driver sitting in a parked car, and began riding down the street with Robby. The driver watched the boys ride away until they turned a corner and disappeared from view. He banged the steering wheel and cursed to himself, frustrated that he wasn't able to get up the nerve to reveal himself and speak to Kevin. They cruised over to Robby's house and let themselves in the back door. Robby went to his room and found his trunks as Kevin waited in the kitchen. Locking the back door, the boys left and made the trip to Kevin's trailer. In Kevin's room, the boys quickly undressed and threw their clothes on Kevin's bed. Robby looked over at Kevin as he pulled up his trunks. "We gonna take towels?" "Not unless you're gonna lay out." Kevin replied. "We'll dry off pretty fast on the way back." "I wouldn't lay out at the pool anyway." Robby said, as he slipped his shoes back on without socks. "Why not? Everybody lays out on the deck at the pool." Kevin replied. "I want to tan all over." Robby stated. "Oh." Kevin replied. "Gotcha.. Um, do I have to do it too?" "Only if you want to. I can't make you.." Kevin considered that for a minute as he led Robby out of the trailer, and the taller boy pulled the door shut after himself. He didn't quite understand his friend's motivation to display himself that afternoon in the past in the trailer. Robby surprised him with the decision to suddenly change course and try out for the track team, putting himself at risk of exposing his deepest secret, and the humiliation that could bring. Kevin didn't understand, but then again, he didn't feel the isolation that Robby fought, the sense of being the only one. By sharing the existence of his birth differences with Kevin, he felt accepted and free of the burden of keeping a secret. The incident in the shower had been devastating to Robby, the single worst moment in his life. It also brought out the best in everyone in his life, and was the single biggest boost to his self confidence that had ever happened to him. "I'll do it with you." Kevin said as he got on his bike. Robby smiled and replied "Cool!" Once at the pool, they paid their admission, and walked around the side of the counter to the locker room door. Girls went to the right, Kevin and Robby went through the door on the left. Swimmers were required to rinse off before going into the pool, and there were several other boys in the showers clad in swim suits. One boy sat on a bench with his back to them, drying his hair, his trunks in a wet ball on the floor, and the locker in front of him open. The boys glanced over at him to see if they knew him, but he was not someone they recognized from their school. They stepped into the showers with two other boys arriving at the pool and got wet. They left the locker room and stepped out onto the hot concrete and surveyed the crowd for familiar faces. Dexter and Phillip noticed them first, and called to them from the pool. Robby nudged Kevin on the arm to get his attention and pointed out the pair of team mates "Look who's here, dude!" Robby said, as he jumped in the pool and swam quickly over to Phillip's side, as Kevin followed. The friends greeted each other, and talked for a bit before they decided to get in line for the diving boards. Dexter and Robby choose the ten-foot board, and Kevin and Phillip lined up for the five-foot-tall stand. A lifeguard stood at the base of each ladder, and let the swimmers on the boards one at a time, as a third lifeguard watching the pool blew a chirp on his whistle to indicate that it was safe to send the next person off the boards. The crowds were fairly light, and the rotation only took several minutes between dives, but after an hour or so, the foursome decided to play tag in the pool and nominated Phillip as the first "It." The small and wiry boy was surprisingly fast and had little trouble chasing down his bigger friends and tagging Kevin, after faking and feinting lunges at Dexter and Robby to lure Kevin into a false sense of security. They decided that the person who was "It" could not be tagged twice in a row, so Phillip had "immunity" until one of the others had been "It." That did not mean that Phillip couldn't "assist" the "It" monster in its search for a victim, so he decided to clamp onto Robby and slow him down so Kevin could catch him. Phillip giggled and called to Kevin. "Get him, dude!" "What are you doing?" Robby wondered, confused. "Feeding the grizzly bear!" Phillip cackled. "You are totally dead when you let go of me, you know that, right?" Robby laughed. "Got to catch me, Wily Coyote!" Philip screeched as he shoved off from Robby and began to run as Kevin tagged Robby. Robby charged off in pursuit of Phillip, who got too close to Dexter. Dexter grinned and grabbed Phillip, holding him for Robby, who promptly tagged Dexter! "I totally did not see that coming!" Dexter said, cracking up in laughter. Two other boys were watching the group and asked if they could get in on the game too, and the four friends unanimously shouted "Sure!" They did not last long until they were each tagged as well. The six of them played hard for almost an hour and a half, before slowing for a break. Finally, just after four o'clock, Robby and Kevin bid Phillip and Dexter and the two other boys adieu and said that they had to get going. "We have to be home at five, so we're staying a while longer." Phillip said. Kevin and Robby re-entered the locker room, stepping through a shallow trough of bleach and water built into the concrete. It was supposed to neutralize athlete's foot fungus, but the boys joked that it also neutered humans. They decided to rinse the chlorine off their bodies and out of their trunks before riding back to Kevin's trailer, and joined two boys who looked to be a year or two younger in the shower room. They appeared to be brothers, circumcised and pre-pubescent. "Hey, you guys go to our school, too." One of the boys said. "Oh, yeah, we've seen you guys around." Robby replied. "Are you guys brothers?" Kevin asked. The boys giggled. "We're cousins, actually." The other boy, who had not spoken said. "We get the brothers thing a lot, though. Our dads are twins." This sparked conversation, and Kevin and Robby learned that the two boys were born a month and a half apart, and were in the same grade in school, a year behind them. They would be in fifth grade next fall. Of the same height, and build, the cousins' similarities had tempted Kevin to wonder out loud if other attributes were almost identical, pointing to the boy's groins. He was embarrassed to ask the boys that question, and the scarlet blush on his face betrayed him. "Mine's longer, but his is bigger around." One of the boys reported. "Not that we keep track, or anything." The other cousin giggled "Of course we do!" Kevin and Robby looked at each other with smiles, somewhat surprised at the cousin's candor about comparing sessions. Robby and Kevin stepped fully under the spray to rinse, as the cousins turned their showers off. The cousins stepped away from the showers and began drying themselves as Robby and Kevin said goodbye until next week at school. They put their shoes on for the ride to Kevin's trailer and let themselves in, only to take them off again at the door. There was a note addressed to the boys on the kitchen table, which Kevin picked up and read. Boys, Come over to Robby's house around 6...Robert is grilling dinner tonight. Robby can spend the night. Love, Mom "Cool! You're staying over tonight!" Kevin exclaimed. "Your dad is barbecuing or something, we gotta go to your house to eat at six." "Like, what time is it now?" "Quarter after four." Kevin replied, reading the time off the VCR. "Is that thing right?" "Hell, yeah ... I set it myself, Mom can't figure it out." Kevin said, causing Robby to giggle. "Ours just flashes." Robby admitted. "I'm still damp from the pool." "Me too." Kevin replied, and walked back to his room to retrieve a dry towel. Robby followed him to his room, and slipped the wet swimsuit off. "Put it in my bathtub." Kevin said as he peeled his suit off and tossed it into the tub. He dried the dampness from his midsection, then handed the towel to Robby. Robby toweled the last bit of clammy wetness from his skin, and looked at Kevin. "Want to play Battleship or something?" "Um, sure." Kevin replied. "Let me get it." He said, walking through the bathroom into the spare bedroom and reaching into the closet. "I'll be at the kitchen table." Robby said, passing down the hallway past the room Kevin was in. "Gonna get dressed?" "Nah, not until we gotta go." Robby replied. He sat nude at the kitchen table as Kevin brought the game box to the kitchen. "You like being naked all the time or something?" Kevin asked. "Well, I don't have to cover up around a mom the way you do, so I guess I do it more. Dad don't care." "Must be cool...I can only do it when mom's not here." Kevin replied. They set the game up and began to play. Robby's strategy was to play a grid, slowly and methodically covering the ocean with missile strikes until he hit one of Kevin's boats, and bore in for the kill, before resuming the grid search. Kevin was more impatient as a player, seeking the gratification of hitting something. He picked and called random coordinates, seldom hitting anything until later in the game. As a result, he usually lost to Robby since the taller boy would hit more deck with his disciplined approached in the same number of shots. Robby started in the middle of the grid this time, and began a counterclockwise spiral from the center. Kevin had placed his ships in a line across the bottom of the grid, gambling that Robby would begin at the top. "Where ... where the hell are your ships?" Robby mumbled after several minutes of hitting nothing but blue ocean. A smile crossed his face. "I know what you're doing!" Robby said, confident that he had figured out Kevin's strategy. He began calling shots along the grid perimeter. Kevin put on his best poker face, revealing nothing as the bombs closed in on his fleet. They played until five thirty, and decided to quit after Robby had swept Kevin's armada from the seas three times. Robby stood and stretched as Kevin watched. "Dude...you lost weight or something." Robby looked down at his chest and said "My titties and belly shrank since I started track." "I can tell." "Really?" "Of course, I'm gonna notice stuff like that ... Duh!" Kevin stated. Kevin stood up, and picked up the game box. The naked boys began pulling the pegs out of the game pieces, and organizing the set so Kevin could put it away in the closet. Robby began to dress as Kevin came out of the bathroom pass-through from the spare bedroom, and joined him. In seconds, the boys donned shirts, briefs socks and shorts and walked to the front door. They sat together on the couch and put their shoes on, and Robby asked "Um... do you want to stay over at my house instead?" Robby asked. Kevin had been to Robby's house countless times, and eaten dinners with Robby and his father for years, but had never slept in Robby's house, and Robby had stayed with Kevin only once. "I don't care, sure... Is that okay with your dad?" Kevin replied. "Can't see why it wouldn't be. I'll ask him if you want." "Cool with me. I'll take my toothbrush in case." Kevin said as he went back to his bathroom and returned a moment later. They locked the trailer and set off to Robby's house on their bikes, a ten-minute ride down quiet neighborhood streets in their small town. Suddenly, Kevin's pedals spun and one of the pads smacked him on the back of the calf, and his bike coasted to a stop. Robby heard the strange noise it made and stopped. "Ow! What the fuck!" Kevin exclaimed, looking at his chain off the rear sprocket. "You ever adjust your chain?" Robby wondered, eyeing the limp, rusty chain. "No." "Oil it?" "No." "Well ... Jeez ... no wonder it fell off." Robby chided. "Don't yank my chain, Robby." Kevin warned, and they both laughed. "Grab my seat and I'll give you a tow." Robby offered and they were under way again. A few minutes later they coasted into Robby's driveway, and Kevin got off the bike and turned it upside down on its handlebars and seat. Robby raised the garage door and found an adjustable wrench on Robert's workbench and brought it out. He unscrewed the nuts on Robby's rear axle, and went back into the garage to find a screwdriver. "I got to take this clamp thingy off the frame." Robby said, talking about the brace for the rear brake. "Why?" "So we can take the chain off." "Why can't we just put it back on and tighten it up?" Kevin wondered. "You're serious? ... Dude, look how dry it is. It needs a soak in oil" "Yeah, um.... But..." Kevin protested. "What?" Robby asked as he unscrewed the clamp. "Never mind.... Keep going." Robby freed the rear wheel, and slipped the chain off the small sprocket and removed the wheel. He then began removing bolts and screws for the chainguard. Robby had discarded his guard a long time ago, deeming it excess weight, and an impediment to his frequent sprays of penetrating oil. In a few minutes Robby had Kevin's rusted and partially frozen chain in his hands. He folded the chain as small as he could get it, and found a coffee can in the garage that they could use to soak the chain. He found a gallon of used oil in the corner of the garage and poured enough into the coffee can to submerge the chain. "You hear that?" Robby whispered. "Listen" "I don't hear anything." Kevin replied. "It's your chain calling you an asshole for running it with no oil!" Robby teased, slugging Kevin in the shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, yeah ... Screw you!" Kevin giggled, giving Robby a shoulder shove. Robby snickered and wiped his hands off on an old rag. "I'm gonna see what's on the grille." Robby said as he left the garage and walked over to the grille to see what his father was tending. Kevin followed Robby out of the garage. "Whoa, what did you mess with?" Robert wondered, looking at Robby's filthy hands. "Hi, Kevin." "Hey, Mister Thomas." "Kevin's chain came off because he never oils it. So now, we have to soak it." Kevin shrugged as Robert looked at him. "Wash up guys, this is almost done." "Is mom here?" Kevin asked. "She's inside ... can you bring me a plate, please?" Robert asked "Comin' right up!." Kevin said as he turned and scampered up the steps to the back door. Inside, Robby was just greeting Laura, and turned to the sink to wash his hands, and Kevin gave his mom a hug. She was preparing the side dishes and a salad. "Did you have a good date, mom?" Kevin asked Laura laughed as Robby turned his head. "Yes! We had a wonderful lunch and a great movie. We stopped off at the store and our house on the way back, and I left you the note. I assume you saw it because you're here." "Yup, we did." "How was your day, boys?" Laura asked. Robby replied "Pretty cool. We went to the mound for a while and then the pool. Ran into some people we know." "Did you eat anything?" "Oh, Yeah...pizza at Michy's" "I got to get a plate for Robert...be right back." Kevin said as he opened a cabinet and grabbed a platter. He raced out the door again and down the steps into the yard. "Thank ya, kind Sir!" Robert said, taking the plate from Kevin. "So...er.... how did um, your day go?" Kevin asked. "We had a very nice time today. Thanks for asking. What did you and Robby do?" Kevin nodded. "We hung out on the mound for a bit, got pizza at Michy's and went to the pool... Um, thanks, too." "What for?" "Mom hasn't gone out since I ... you know ... came along and stuff." Kevin looked down and got quiet. Robert regarded the boy for a moment before he spoke. "I should thank you too, Kevin." "Wh- why?" "I know what your mom promised you... if she began seeing someone." Kevin nodded, but it took a moment for him to realize what Robert had said. "Oh... Um, does that mean you're ... seeing each other? Really?" Robert put his hands on Kevin's shoulders and looked into his eyes and smiled. "I know what you and Robby are up to." Robert said, giving the thin shoulders a gentle squeeze before releasing the boy. He began forking meat off the grill onto the plate. "You do?" "Yes, and I'm honored to have your blessing. Thank you." Kevin smiled and nodded. "Let's get this meat inside so we can eat." Robert said as he smiled at Kevin and closed the lid on the grille. Inside, Laura and Robby had set the table and put the side dishes out. Robby was excited to learn that the "date" had gone well. He asked her if they would go out again. "I don't see why we wouldn't ....if your dad feels the same way. Look. I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Kevin ... if it's meant to be, it will happen. You understand that, don't you?" Robby smiled and nodded. "So, is it happening already?" he asked impatiently. "You're awful! You know that?" Laura laughed and Robby giggled. Kevin and Robert came in at that moment, the meat sizzling on the platter as Robert set it down on the table. Kevin washed his hands at the sink as Robby said "Oh, um, Dad ... Is it okay if Kevin sleeps over with me, instead of me going there?" "Cool with me ... Laura?" "Kevin, do you have your things?" she asked "Brought my toothbrush!" Kevin crowed. "Guess that makes it official. When should he be out of your hair tomorrow?" Laura asked. "I don't have anything going on. Does he have someplace to be at a certain time?" Robert wondered. Laura shook her head. The boys snuck thumbs up to each other. They all sat down at the table and Robby spoke up. "Um, can we do something before we eat? Please?" "What's up, little buddy?" Robert asked as Robby held his hands out to Kevin on his left, and Laura on his right. "Take hands... I want to say Grace." Robby stated, much to the surprise of everyone, since none of them were particularly religious, especially Robby. Robert took Kevin and Laura's hands, and Robby began. "God, please bless my family and friends, and thank you. Amen." "That was very nice, Robby" Laura said, giving the boys hand a gentle squeeze before letting it go. The gathering settled into the meal, and the burgers, hot dogs, bratwurst, potato salad, pork and beans and salad went quickly. There would be plenty of leftovers to eat the next day or two. At one point in the meal, Robby stopped eating and sat in his chair looking at the others and watching. There was food on his plate, and finally after a minute or so, Laura looked at him and asked. "Everything okay?" Robby snapped out of his daydream and smiled. "Sure, never better!" he said, as he began to finish his food. When his plate was clean, he looked over at Kevin and raised an eyebrow. Kevin caught the gesture and asked "Can I go see if my chain is done?" "The one he never oils." Robby reminded, scampering out of Kevin's reach. Robby yelped and cackled with glee as he ran out the back door with Kevin in pursuit. "I'm gonna oil your chain, Ass-bite!" Kevin called. "Promises, promises!" Robby replied as he allowed Kevin to tackle him in the grass. They rolled around and giggled, wrestling in the warm evening sun. "What is with you and my damn chain?" Kevin wondered as Robby straddled him, holding him down on his back. "Bet you'll oil it from now on." Robby predicted. "Hell, no ... I'll let you do it when it gets so bad you can't stand it." Kevin retorted. "Oh, a smart ass, eh?" Robby said, digging into Kevin's ribs. Kevin began to scream and cackle with laughter at the tickling, his face turning red as Robby blew into his face, forcing Kevin to close his eyes. "Oh, yuck! Onion breath!" Kevin protested. "Is it really bad?" Robby wondered. "Horrible!" Kevin replied. "Oh, good .... Haaaaaaaaaaa!" Robby responded, leaning over and giving Kevin a blast of his breath. Kevin made a show of holding his breath and Robby, satisfied, got off of Kevin and let him up. "Did my dad tell you anything?" Robby asked. "Oh, yeah ... They had fun today." "Your mom said the same thing." "Did she tell you they are seeing each other now?" "Really? Um, no ... are you messing with me?" "No, but I will if you want me to." Kevin cracked, winking at Robby. Robby rolled his eyes and balled up a fist, and cocked it behind his head. "Kevin! Dammit!" Kevin just looked at Robby and the fist, and stuck his tongue out as Robby began to crack up and giggle. "Stop being a dick! Tell me what he said!" Robby pleaded. "He said thanks for being okay with him seeing Mom ... So. I came right out and asked him if he was seeing her, and he didn't say nothin' one way or the other... So, what does that mean?" "Dad would just say no if something wasn't going on." "Does that me--." "Yeah." Robby replied, a huge smile on his face. "Would you ever really hit me?" Kevin wondered. "Dude, what are you talking about?" Robby was distracted by the emotions and thoughts swirling in his head, and just what did Kevin mean about "messing with" Robby if he wanted him to? The boys went in the garage and fished the chain out of the oil. Robby exercised the joints and made sure the entire chain wasn't frozen. Inside the house, Laura and Robert cleared the table and stacked the dishes in the sink. "The boys can do these later." Robert said. He turned to the refrigerator and retrieved a half bottle of four-dollar red wine, and took two stem goblets out of the cabinet. "Let's have a glass on the front porch." Robert suggested. Robert's small two-story house was a textbook example of late forties suburban construction, two bedrooms and a bath, kitchen and living room on the bottom, and a narrow, finished attic above. There was a full width veranda on the front of the house, with a swing. A small detached garage in the back yard was where Kevin and Robby were putting Kevin's bike together, while Robert and Laura sat down on the swing and Robert poured them wine. They watched the traffic on the quiet street, and saw a couple of Robert's neighbors cutting grass in the early evening. They tasted the wine and Laura joked "Has Robby suddenly gotten religion?" "I don't have a clue what that was all about, honest." Robert replied. "Kevin asked me how our day went." "Robby beat that out of me too." Laura giggled. She sipped her wine and reached over to take Robert's hand. "We got good boys, Robert." "I'll drink to that ... to good kids." He said as he clinked his goblet against Laura's and took a sip. They sat and sipped the wine, holding hands and watching the street in the late afternoon heat. In the garage, Robby asked Kevin to pull his shirt off so it wouldn't get greasy. Kevin pulled his friends' shirt off, then took his own off. He found a relatively clean place on the bench to put the shirts, and soon Robby had finished the job reinstalling the chain and rear wheel, then carefully adjusting Kevin's brakes. He turned the bike over, placing it on its wheels, and sat on it. Shoving off down the driveway, he put his feet on the pedals and stopped. He did it again a few times, and rode the bike back into the garage. Kevin's shorter stature made the bike a bad fit for Robby, but he only intended to check the steering and brakes. He wiped his hands on a rag and looked at Kevin. "It steers like shit... See what you think." He said, pointing at the bicycle. Kevin shrugged and got on, and rode off down the driveway. He looked both ways quickly before riding into the empty street and made some loops in front of the house, before pedaling back into the driveway and riding into the garage. "Brakes good?" Robby asked. "Yeah, and it pedals easier too. How did you learn to do this stuff, you know, like the brakes?" Kevin asked. "From Dad... You were afraid I was gonna fuck `em up, weren't ya?" Robby asked. Kevin looked down and smiled sheepishly. "I .... I had to get Ed to put the parts back together one time when I tried to take it apart." Kevin admitted. "There were these little balls, and half moony thingies, and stuff." "Why did you take it apart?" "It was squeakin' real bad and this black dust was coming out around the sprocket and stuff. You know what I mean?" Robby looked at Kevin with no expression and deadpanned "No, I don't. No clue, dude." Kevin grinned "You do too, you dick! Your bike does that too." Robby smiled and giggled. He began to loosen the bolt holding the handlebar clamp into the headstock. "What are you gonna do now?" Kevin wondered. "Fix your damn steering." "It's fine." "Ride my bike." "What? Why?" "Just check it out." Kevin shrugged, and straddled Robby's standard 27-inch bike. Found at a yard sale, it was about thirty years old and Robby had removed the fenders, chain guard and kickstand to lighten things up. It might have added up to three pounds, most likely less. There had been several coats of house paint brushed onto it during its life, and Robby had carefully scraped and sanded the frame after Robert had applied stripper. The stripper was very hazardous, and Robert had insured that the bicycle was rinsed thoroughly before Robby was allowed to handle it wearing gloves. The boy had meticulously disassembled his treasure, bagging and tagging the pieces as he went. Robby had shot a coat of primer on the clean metal, followed by a coat of gloss black enamel. Kevin's bicycle was also a hand-me-down, bought from a lady whose son was in college. They had a huge garage sale when Kevin and Laura arrived to look around. They had nothing to do that day, and Laura had some money left at the end of the month for a change. It was one of the Schwinn Stingray bikes with a bigger wide back tire, and a smaller front wheel and a banana seat. It was great for riding two up, although they had only tried that once. Usually the boys went out together on their own bikes. Robby loved to oil and wipe and polish things, and kept his bike in the garage. Kevin just rode his bike, didn't own oil, and stashed the bike under the trailer if it rained and he remembered to get it under cover. The trailer park Kevin lived in was quiet and there was no reason people couldn't leave things out. There were several other children that lived there, but they were much younger. Kevin never bothered to get to know them, because he met Robby about the time that he was allowed to range a bit when he started school. Kevin rode Robby's bike down the driveway, getting used to the taller saddle and the ease with which it pedaled and steered. He made orbits in the street and rode up and down the sidewalk for several minutes as Robby washed and degreased the little bearing balls from Kevin's bicycle in mineral spirits. They were coated with what looked like rust and black soot. Robby popped the races out of the frame with a screwdriver and hammer, and looked them over carefully for pitting and rust damage. Satisfied that they could be re-used, he polished these parts with steel wool and left them on a clean rag as Kevin rode up. Robby fixed Kevin with his eyes in a look that said "I know you felt the difference in the way my bike rides." "Here, clean that up." Robby said, pointing to Kevin's front wheel and fork assembly. He handed Kevin a rag and some steel wool. Kevin got to work, looking over at the cleaned parts on the rag. Robby tapped the bearing races back into the frame as Kevin watched. "Is this good?" Kevin asked, and Robby inspected his friend's work. "Yup, that's fine." Robby said, looking at the parts before finding a small tub of wheel bearing grease on Robert's workbench. He took a small amount of grease out of the tub and wiped it onto the fork. He put another dab of grease on the bearing race in the bottom of the frame and spread it around. "Can you hold this frame up?" Robby asked and Kevin took hold of the frame. Robby picked up the fork and began to stick the little balls on the rag into the grease. When he had the whole group of balls stuck to the fork, he slid the fork back into the frame. "Let it down." Robby said, holding the fork and the frame together so the balls didn't get dislodged. "Hang onto that, and I'll get the top ones ready." Robby said. Kevin watched Robby work, and felt a bit of the difference between them. Robby had grown up with a father, and had learned a lot of this from Robert. Kevin had never had the benefit of time spent with a father, even though Robert was an influence in Kevin's life, and Ed had been kind and patient and tried to teach Kevin a lot of the things he was watching Robby do. Most of all, Robby was approaching this task with confidence and skill, having done this before. Kevin never knew his father. Robby had lived through the devastation of his mother abandoning him, something Kevin could only appreciate through the effects that had on Robby. Robby fitted the other set of balls into the upper bearing on the head stock, and began to screw the cover and jam nuts on the stem. Once the nuts were seated and Robby liked the feel of the bearings, he tightened the jam nuts with a large pair of pliers. He spun the fork and front wheel in the frame to check the bearings before putting the handlebars back in place and tightening the center bolt. "It's ready." "You gonna test it?" Kevin asked. "Hell no. What if I screwed up and it crashes? You test it." Robby said, deadpan. Kevin looked at Robby for a long moment, then back at the bike. "Porter ... I'm screwing with you. Lemme wash my hands and I'll test it. Jeez, Louise." Kevin relaxed and smiled finally. "Go get the dish soap from the kitchen, will ya?" Robby asked, holding up his greasy hands. Kevin ran into the house as Robby went to the corner of the house to find the end of the garden hose. Kevin emerged from the house, and poured dish soap into Robby's hands, and turned on the spigot. Robby worked the soap into the dirt on his hands and motioned for water. Kevin held the hose while Robby rinsed and got the last of the suds off. Kevin playfully flipped the hose, catching Robby in the face. This set off a mad struggle for the hose, and both boys became soaked quickly as they fought control over each other, and the hose at the same time. They screamed and laughed and chased each other as they alternately gained control of the hose and briefly had the upper hand. Cold water wound up on the grille, which set off a roaring cloud of steam, just as Robert came out on the back porch. He watched the mushroom cloud of steam rise over his barbecue grill as the boys slipped and slid around the back yard on the wet grass, Robby in control of the hose momentarily, as Kevin tried to dodge the stream of cold water. They suddenly stopped and looked at Robert with their best "What?" looks on their faces. Robby walked over to the hose bib and turned the water off. "We're thinking about a game of cards. Do you boys want to play?" Robert asked, an amused look on his face. Robby's eyes lit up "I do!" he said, looking at Kevin. Kevin shrugged and said "Sure" as he stood there dripping in the yard. "We're kinda wet though." They both were soaked with water dripping out of their hair, and covered in grass clippings. "You two get dried off, and see if Robby has something that fits you, Kevin." Robert said, turning to go back inside. Robby turned the water back on and rinsed the dirt and clippings off, and sprayed Kevin's legs off before turning the water off again. Kevin went back to the garage to get their shirts, and Robby went up the porch steps. "Take your shoes off, dude." Robby said as Kevin joined him on the porch. They slipped their shoes off and Robby reached down and pulled his soaked socks off. Kevin tucked the shirts under his arm and followed suit. They walked into the kitchen barefoot and went into the hallway and stopped in front of a set of bi-fold doors that hid the laundry machines when closed. Robby opened the door on the dryer and threw the socks inside. Looking down the hallway back to the kitchen to make sure Laura wasn't there, he pulled his shorts and underwear off and tossed them into the machine. Kevin did likewise, and put the shirts on top of the dryer. Robby dialed in thirty minutes on the timer, closed the door and started the machine. The boys giggled as they ducked into the bathroom and closed the door. Robby turned on the light and pulled two towels out from the vanity. Handing one to Kevin, they began to dry their hair. They worked quickly, and in a minute, they left the bathroom and went to Robby's room wrapped in the towels. Robby closed the door and took his towel off and went into his dresser for underwear shirts and shorts for himself and Kevin. He tossed some clothes on the bed, and began to dress. Kevin followed suit and, in a moment, they joined Laura and Robert at the table. Robert looked up at Robby as the boy sat down at the table. "Robby, a girlfriend of yours stopped by and dropped off a present for you." Robby and Kevin exchanged looks and stared at Robert. "My ... who?" Robby asked, totally confused. "Mrs. Gilliland... Please don't hit her in the head with one of your chip shots, son." Laura and Robert were giggling, clearly enjoying this as Robby groaned and slapped his forehead. "You guys are awful!" Mrs. Gilliland was the Thomas's next-door neighbor, close to 90 years old and had returned a bag full of golf balls that Robby had hit into her yard. She had been Robby's nanny for a while after Robby's mother left, and had made it possible for Robert to raise Robby as a single parent. The extra income had helped her make ends meet after her husband died, until she got some relief when she paid the house note off. Robby always cut her front grass when he cut his own, and had started to do that when he was eight, and big enough to push the mower. He did not cut the back yard, because Mrs. Gilliland had a blue pit bull named Gus, and she was afraid Robby would be in danger back there. Truth be known, Robby would often call Gus to the gate in Mrs. Gilliland's yard, and let himself in. Gus would roll over on his back and make Robby scratch his belly and give him loving. Gus had been Robby's buddy almost from the day she got him, but Mrs. Gilliland insisted that Gus was a highly dangerous guard dog. Robby would nod and agree respectfully. "Yes, Ma'am." Back at the table, Robert said "That was nice of her to stop by, you know." Robby nodded. "I'll go see if she's home tomorrow and thank her." They decided to play spades; it was a game that Robert had often played with the boys when Kevin was there, and Laura had played it as a kid as well. About an hour into the session, Robert called for a pee break and excused himself. Laura got up and iced glasses for drinks, and told the boys "You guys can decide where you want to do a sleepover Friday night. Robert and I and going out for the evening, so you two can keep each other company." "Cool!" Robby crowed. "Thanks, Mom. Can we rent a movie and make popcorn?" "Sure. You guys tell me what you want to watch and I'll rent it." "I'll pay for it." Robby said. "No, you don't have to do that. It'll be our treat, okay?" she replied, poking Robby on the chin. Robby smiled and said "Thanks" "Robby, what did you mean earlier ...when you said the prayer and thanked God at the end?" Laura asked. Robby looked down and shrugged his shoulders. "Robby, please tell me .... That prayer ... it meant something to you ... what was it?" Laura asked gently, stroking the hair above Robby's ear. "It ... was, um ... because with all of us together and stuff ... It was like ... well ... we were a family." Robby whispered. Laura nodded. Just then, the bathroom door opened and Robert returned to the table. "Don't go in there ... it isn't safe without a spacesuit." Robert declared. Kevin giggled, and Laura looked confused. "Dad created a methane atmosphere in the bathroom." Robby joked. Laura shook her head, and the game resumed. They played until 9:30 or so in the evening, and Laura decided to call it a day. "I think I'm gonna call it a day. Robby... You and Kevin keep each other out of trouble." She suggested, giving Robby a big hug and a kiss on the top of his head. She embraced Kevin and kissed him the same way, and said "Goodnight, baby." "Good night, Mom. See you tomorrow." "I had a great time, guys ... Robert, you gonna walk me out to the car?" "You wanna take any leftovers with you?" he asked. "Nah, the boys will clean those up, I'm sure." Laura said as she and Robert went out the front door. Robby and Kevin looked at each other and Kevin began to follow them. Robby pulled on Kevin's shirt sleeve. "This way... they'll see us out front." Robby said, as he led Kevin out the back door. They snuck down the back steps and crept around the house and down the driveway until they were able to see Laura and Robert from the cover of a huge shrub on the corner of the house. The boys giggled and shushed each other, excited at the big deal they were making over spying on their parents. In fact, the boys made so much noise that Laura and Robert knew they were in the bushes off the corner of the porch. They stood talking near the door of the Rabbit, and they could see Laura open the door slightly. Robert motioned with his eyes toward the boys and Laura smiled, just as leaned forward and kissed Laura. The boys gasped, but were too surprised to say anything. Robert said something the boys couldn't hear, and turned to walk back to the curb as Laura opened the door further and got into the car. She closed the door and waved at Robert. Kevin knew she was waiting for the little light in the dash to go out before she cranked the engine and the trusty little diesel rattled to life. They watched as the lights came on and Laura drove off. Robert watched her go down the street for a moment, then turned to go back into the house. The boys could not believe what they had seen. The plan was working! Kevin looked at Robby in the light shed from the windows on the side of the house. "I get the feeling that you and me are gonna have a bunch of sleepovers." he said. They waited for Robert to cross the yard and go up the front porch steps before they snuck back around the side of the house and in through the back door. Robert could hear giggling and feet running on the driveway as he walked back in the house, a big smile on his face. The boys came in from the back door, and Robby peeled his shirt and shorts off, leaving a pair of briefs on. "Much better!" he declared. Kevin followed suit, and stripped to briefs. Robby took the borrowed clothes to his room. "Can you boys wash and dry the dishes?" Robert asked. Kevin nodded and called out "Robby, we got kitchen duty!" Robby rejoined Kevin in the kitchen and stood at the sink. He began to run hot water and rinse the tableware while Kevin found a dish towel in one of the drawers. Fifteen minutes later, the job was almost done, as Robby began to put the dishes away as Kevin dried them. "Dad, can we stay up and watch Creature Feature?" Robby asked. "You guys do what you want, I'm gonna take a shower and go to bed." Robert said. "We'll keep it down...g'night, Dad." Robby replied, and gave his dad a quick hug. "Good night you two." "G'night, Mister Thomas ... Thanks for letting me stay over." Kevin said. "Come here, kid." Robert replied, reaching out to give Kevin a quick hug. "Now I can go to bed!" The boys giggled as he went down the hallway, and Robby brought a blanket out of his room. "Come on, let's get under the cover and watch something scary!" Robby found the movie on the cable channels, and the boys sat next to each other in their underwear on the couch and pulled the blanket over themselves. Neither one wanted to admit to the other that they both planned to cover their heads under the blanket if the movie got too scary. Kevin sat with his feet on the floor, and Robby sat cross legged on the couch, his left knee and leg overlapping Kevin's right thigh as the movie started. The movie that night was a crummy, no-budget stinker about a group of teenagers on a camping trip in a wilderness forest. The plot was pretty predictable, centered around sex in the tents and a monster picking off the members of the party, one by one. By mornings light, only one survivor of the night will stumble out of the forest into civilization, after being driven insane and killing the monster. Or ... was the monster really dead? Kevin looked at Robby. "Who's your pick for the first one that gets it?" he asked. "The black guy always dies first." Robby replied. "Umm, there's no black guy in this one." Kevin observed. "Then it will be the football quarter back, you know, the jock." Robby declared. "So that's your pick?" "Uh-huh." "OK... I'll say its gonna be one of the girls." Kevin responded. "You ain't seen this before, have ya?" Robby wondered. "Nope ... you?" "Nope me neither." The movie opens with a wide shot of a gorgeous mountain lake, probably in Wyoming or some other location that neither boy had ever been to, surrounded by an evergreen forest. The campers arrive and survey a site to pitch tents near the lake. Of course, they all begin to peel off clothing and rush into the water in bikinis and Speedos. The undressing was mildly interesting to Kevin and Robby, but things began to look up when the actors stripped in the water and threw what clothing they had left on the bank of the lake. The camera panned out and went out of focus enough that they could tell the group was nude, but not with enough sharpness to see details. This went on for half a minute or so, then the camera came back and showed the group getting out of the lake from behind, and just high enough that nothing R-rated was actually revealed. This then segued into a long sex scene in sleeping bags in the tents with the males laying on the groaning females, thrusting their bodies back and forth as the couples moan and pant and kiss. Robby snuck a glance at Kevin, and could tell he was blushing. Kevin caught Robby grinning at him, and asked "What?" Robby's hands and arms were under the blanket and Kevin couldn't see Robby put his hand on Kevin's penis, but Kevin sure felt it, and jolted in surprise. "Just checking" Robby said. Kevin grinned with a look on his face like he had been caught sneaking into the cookie stash, and decided to return the favor. He put his hand on Robby's crotch and squeezed the hardness he felt there. Robby grinned back at Kevin, before removing his hand. Kevin responded by arching his butt off the couch cushion and slipping his briefs off. "Where you going?" he said as he felt for Robby's hand and guided it back to his hard rod. Robby smiled and replied "Just a sec, dude." Slipping his own briefs down his thighs, he scooted closer to his friend and they resumed what Robby had begun. The camera scene changed from tent to tent, the male actors thrusting furiously into the prone females, sweat breaking out on their brows. Robby and Kevin were mesmerized and began caressing each other's erection as the scenes panned from couple to couple, then pulled back and faded into the trees. "Geez, those guys must have huge dicks. Did you see how far they went in and out?" "Uh-huh." Robby said as he tented his fingers over Kevin's budding endowment and began sliding the skin on the four-inch erection back and forth. He could feel the tip of Kevin's penis bump into his palm on each downstroke, and a pulse of tension each time it twitched when Robby's fingers rubbed the rim of Kevin's glans on the upstroke. Kevin rubbed the underside of Robby's penis with his index and middle finger, while his thumb rode on the loose foreskin flap on the upper side of Robby's organ. An inch shorter than Kevin's, Robby's cock was noticeably thicker and his glans much wider than his friends. Kevin found that Robby's erection would press down against his fingers if he squeezed it gently, and Robby really liked it when Kevin stretched the flap of foreskin gently with his thumb. Robby was as hard, if not harder than he had been when he and Kevin had touched each other during their first sleepover, and definitely harder than he ever was in the morning before he peed. He'd begun to masturbate after Kevin introduced him to these sweet sensations, but nothing he did to himself felt as good as Kevin's fingers did at the moment. He closed his eyes and craned his head back. He concentrated on stroking Kevin's endowment, the movie now forgotten. He concentrated on the upper third of his friend's phallus, occasionally rubbing the glans in his palm, which made Kevin moan and squirm. Kevin sensed the beginning of the familiar sensation of tension building above his testicles and in the head of his penis as Robby masturbated him. He had never been able to get over this edge, however, and at this stage in the proceedings, was sure Robby would want to quit as soon as his hand grew tired. Robby was not as familiar with masturbation as Kevin, having only explored this new world a few times on his own. He was completely and totally in Kevin's control at the moment as he quickly learned that he liked what Kevin was doing with his thumb, and the finger over his urethra, sawing back and forth under his glans. Kevin flipped the blanket over his head with his free hand, so he could see Robby's body under it. Robby's testicle had disappeared and all Kevin could see was a flat wrinkled patch of dark skin about as big as a quarter under the thick rock-hard cock he was manipulating. His own testicles were drawn up tight under his stiff shaft. Robby became aware of strange sensations of urgency in his pelvic region, and increasing sensitivity in his glans. "Some ... something's happening ... Dude?" Robby whispered. "I'm ... gonna pee, I think." "It's okay ... first time?" Kevin asked. Robby nodded. "Just keep going." Kevin replied. "Squeeze it more ...Ow! Shit! ... not that much!" Robby complained, as Kevin burst into laughter. "Sorry, man" he giggled. "A little faster .... Yeah" he said as Robby sped up his strokes a bit. "Do me faster, Kev!" Robby whispered a minute later, the sensations growing more urgent. Kevin complied, and began rubbing Robby's empty scrotum with his pinky finger, causing Robby to groan and pant. "Oh, shit .... Don't stop .... Keep going." He panted into Kevin's ear. He arched his back and began to fuck Kevin's hand as the tension in his groin and penis continued to build. Suddenly, the dam broke and Robby went into full body spasms as his first ever orgasm slammed into him and his penis bucked and jerked in Kevin's hand. He grunted and continued to pant, unable to make a sound. Kevin was completely surprised by this event, but recognized it for what it was and continued to play with Robby's boyhood as Robby bucked his hips into Kevin's hand. "Keep going" Robby whispered, as he stroked Kevin a bit faster. Kevin had been on the verge for a minute or so, and this time the buildup didn't stall. It was Robby's hand on his young cock, a hand that belonged to a boy he loved deeply and had for most of his life. A best friend that he had shared everything with, and now they were moving into life's newest discovery together. This time would be different and so it was. Kevin's penis began to throb and buck in Robby's hand as the waves of pleasure flooded Kevin's nervous system and overwhelmed him for a moment. He arched his back and felt himself straining to get as far into Robby's hand as he could. When the initial moments had passed, he had enough sense about him not to stop massaging Robby's sprout, which he could feel was still pulsing. His own orgasm had peaked, but the urge to continue was there, and he was grateful that Robby hadn't stopped either. Both boys held their breath and arched their backs as their hands worked each other's genitals as fast as they could make them move. The spams continued for half a minute as their simultaneous dry climaxes played out. Neither of them had "learned" that they had to stop after they came, so they continued to stimulate each other as the pleasure faded to a low level, then peaked again twice more although less intensely. Finally, the boys were both spent, and took their hands off each other, exhausted. Kevin threw the blanket back and they watched their penises gradually soften, pulsing with their heartbeats. They sat like that for several minutes, not speaking. "That was fuckin' amazing!" Kevin whispered, and Robby nodded. "Sure was!", Robby said. Fascinated with Kevin's loosening testicles, Robby placed his hand on Kevin's scrotum to explore one of the things that made the two of them different. Kevin turned on the couch and put one leg behind Robby's back and his other leg across Robby's knees and lay back on the couch and let Robby sate his curiosity. They looked at each other, and let the impact of what had happened hit them. "Um, was that, you know ... like did we?" Robby asked. "Yeah ... we did ... wow!" Kevin replied. He looked at Robby and held up his pinky. "I'm glad it was with you." Kevin said. "Me too." Robby replied, hooking pinkies with Kevin. "I'm wiped out ... let's go to bed." He let Kevin's balls go and stood. Kevin stood up. His briefs fell down his legs to the floor, and he stepped out of them, leaving them with Robby's underwear. Robby wadded up the blanket, as Kevin turned the TV off, and the living room light as they left. They walked back to Robby's room nude and got into Robby's bed. Robby pulled the blanket over them and snuggled into a spooning position with Kevin laying against his chest. They were asleep in moments.