The following is a work of fiction: Any resemblance to persons living or deceased is purely coincidental. It depicts sexual situations between males of various ages and, may include incest as well. if reading such is illegal where you reside or you are not at least 18 years of age, please read at your own risk. This work is the property of the author Kewl Dad and should not be reposted or reproduced without his permission.

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Tween to Teen
(sequel to My 11th Summer)
By: Kewl Dad


Chapter Seventeen
   Fight or Flee




 

 New Year's came and went without me hardly noticing it at all. Without Johnny it was just another day. I dreaded returning to school and having to see him everyday, maybe even with that traitor Evelyn, but except for the classes we shared I hardly ever saw him. I mean it was a small school and it was hard not to run into each other once in a while, but we never made eye contact or spoke and that was fine with me.

I know now, years later, what a jerk I was and how I had blown things way out of proportion and brought all my trouble on myself, but back then I felt like the victim and played the part well. As hard as it was trying to deal with my feeling for Johnny and  his loss, dealing with my friends was almost as hard.

I'd known Donnie the longest and I guess he felt closest to the situation and one day after school he pulled me aside and tried to talk to me and it didn't go well.

"Hey Robert, wait up."

I turned to see Donnie sprinting toward me, but there was no sign of Walter. Usually where you saw one you saw the other, and that caused my hackles to go up.

"Hey, what's up?" I said trying to sound friendly.

"Can we talk?"

"Well, I know I can," I joked, "cause I'm doing it right now."

He smiled, but I'm not sure if he got the joke or not. "I mean can we talk about...you know, what happened with you and Johnny?"

"Nothing really to say. He loves someone else now and that's that."

"Not really," Donnie said frowning, "he still loves you and he wants to be with you."

"Ha, very funny. He's got Evelyn now. Why does he need me?"

"Look, I ain't no expert but I can see you still love him too and it just ain't right that you two cain't' work this out."

"Nothing to work out. He made his choice and I made mine."

"Why are you being so stubborn?" Donnie said sounding annoyed, an emotion I'd seldom seen in him.

"Why are you defending him?" I said getting annoyed myself. I guess I assumed Donnie would be on my side after all the support he'd given me the last time Johnny and I had it out.

"I'm not defending him, but I think you need to talk to him...just listen to what he has to say."

"We already said everything we had to say. I'm done with him and if you don't want to be my friend anymore because of it that's fine."

"I'll always be your friend," Donnie said looking hurt, "but I'm Johnny's friend too."

"Then go talk to him," I said speeding up, "I'm done talking about this. See ya tomorrow."

"Robert, wait up. At least let me walk home with ya'."

"Hurry up then, but no more talking about HIM."

At first he was quiet then he began to talk about school and about Larry's new job at the IGA and I tried to keep up my end of the conversation, even though my heart wasn't in it. We split up at my house and I didn't even walk him to the street like I usually did. How dare him defend Johnny when in my eyes Johnny was the devil himself.

Mom greeted me as I came in, but I think her patience with me was beginning to wear thin. I guess she still didn't understand how Johnny had broken my heart and I sure couldn't tell her how close we'd been. Because only by knowing how close we'd been could she possible understand what I was going through.

These days I spent a lot of time in my room reading or listening to my transistor radio. The tape recorder I'd gotten for Christmas lay on my desk, the batteries dead, just another toy collecting dust. Since Johnny and I had split I hardly ever hung around with my other friends or went anywhere and I think my folks were starting to get a little worried, or tired of my moping around.

"Robert, telephone!" mom yelled and I almost didn't reply. Whoever it was I just knew I wouldn't want to talk to them, but I knew if I refused mom would give me one of her lectures about being polite, so reluctantly I trudged off to see who had the nerve to call me.

"Hello," I said trying not to sound as put out as I felt.

"Hi, Robert...it's Ricky."

"Ricky...Ricky!" I practically yelled, "Is it really you? Where are you?"

"In Kansas again, and we're moving to Oklahoma next week...to Midwest City, my dad is being stationed at Tinker Air Force Base."

"That's great, will you be stopping at your grandma's on the way?"

"Yeah, that's why I called. I wanted to make sure you were free next weekend. If you want we can spend the whole weekend together."

"You bet, I can't wait to see you. I bet you've grown a lot cause I know I have."

"Yeah, I bet. How's Johnny? I haven't heard from him since Thanksgiving. He used to write me pretty often."

"Uh, long story. I'd rather not talk about it on the phone, but I'll tell ya' when you get here."

"Oh, okay. I hope it's not bad news."

I changed the subject quickly and we talked for another ten minutes or so before his mom made him end the call. When we'd said goodbye I hung up the phone and went in to tell mom about the call.

"I thought I recognized his voice, but it's a little deeper. Well, what's he up to?"

I told her about their visit next week and she was almost as excited as I was. I guess she was just happy I'd have someone to hang out with and get out of my room for a change. Or maybe she thought it would help me get over Johnny.

I went back to my room and started a  new letter to Ricky. Even though I knew I'd be seeing him next weekend I wanted to write him and tell him how excited I was about his news. I pulled out the last picture he'd sent of me, one of his class pictures and once again thought about how cute he was. Cute and nice and with a really nice body, just the kind of boy I'd like to have for a boyfriend. Too bad Ricky had to live so far away.

The next week passed slowly, but I did get a reply to my letter that Wednesday. They were leaving on Thursday and were stopping over in Miami to see some relatives and planned on being in Pryor by Friday afternoon.

I didn't tell any of my friends about Ricky's visit but I think they must've seen a change in me that week. I wasn't quite as down and I was actually looking forward to the weekend for a change.

On Friday when the bell rang I was out the door and practically running and made it home in record time. After changing I called Ricky's grandma's house and Ricky answered. We talked a few minutes and then I asked if he could come over now or if he had to visit with his grandma and he said he'd ask.

He was gone from the phone for a few minutes the when he came back he sounded happy, "My folks said I had to stay for supper, but after that I could come and spend the night if you want."

"Yesss..." I said excitedly, "Are they gonna bring you?"

When I hung up I told my folks the deal and they had this strange smile on their faces. We had dinner but I was so excited I could barely eat. It had been over a year since I'd seen Ricky and I couldn't wait for him to get there. 

At 7:30 Ricky's car pulled up in our driveway and I ran out to meet them. As soon as Ricky saw me he jumped out of the car and we hugged and bumped together like two excited puppies. I told Ricky's dad hello and thanked him for bringing Ricky then he drove off and I took Ricky inside.

Mom and dad made a big deal over him and of course he had to play with Mikey for a minute then I finally got him to my room where we could get reacquainted

He's grown a lot since the last time I'd seen him and he didn't look so much like a boy anymore. I mean he was still a good looking guy, but more handsome than cute now. He was wearing his hair longer now and he kept pushing a stray lock from his eyes now and then. 

His body seemed to have filled out too, and if the bulge in his jeans was any indication, he'd grown between the legs too. I know I shouldn't have been thinking about that stuff, but it had been awhile since I'd been with anyone and Ricky was just so damn sexy.

We talked for a long time sitting side by side on my bed and got to know each other all over again, and soon it was like we'd never been apart. He smiled that smile of his and I felt that funny feeling in my stomach like I always did and from the look in his eyes, I think he felt something too.

"So..what about Johnny?" he said when we'd run out of things to say.

I sighed dramatically, "I'd rather not talk about it right now if it's okay. I don't want to spoil things tonight."

"Oh, okay. Maybe tomorrow then?"

"Yeah, definitely before you go. I just don't feel like getting into it right now. I'm just so happy to have you here."

We played board games for a while as we talked some more then went in to find a snack and mom gave us some cookies and milk. We took them back to my room and looked at comic books while we ate then played cards for a while.

Around ten we decided to go to bed and took turns in the bathroom then stripped down to our underwear. Oh, I was definitely right about Ricky's bulge, cause once his jeans were off the pouch of his Fruits was full.

"Wow, you've grown," I joked as I poked him there.

"Yeah, some," he said blushing.

"Me too, and I got a lot more hair now. Wanna see?"

"Okay," he said grinning.

I was half teasing, but of course willing to play show and tell anytime the opportunity came up, and so I lowered my briefs just far enough to reveal my V shaped patch of hair. It was dark and curly and I was very proud of it.

Ricky moved closer and reached down and ran his fingers through my curly pubes and chuckled softly, "Nice, want to see mine?"

"Yeah, of course," I said grinning, "Why don't we just take our underwear off?"

"Okay, is the door locked?" he said glancing that way.

"It is now," I said going over and throwing the small barrel bolt I'd talked my folks into last year.

We stripped off our underwear and stood there for a moment just checking each other out, but pretty soon we moved closer and started touching each other down there. We'd been hard for a while and my dick was wet on the end since I was making lots more pre-cum now.

"Wanna get in bed?" I asked after we'd thoroughly examined each other.

He nodded and we piled into my bed and continued our exploration. The first time we'd had sex, in my treehouse, we'd talked a lot about what we were going to do, asking questions and making sure we both were okay with what was happening, but that night we just did what came natural without saying much.

When we rested after enjoying a mutual blow job, we cuddled a little but we didn't kiss. I thought about Johnny and how much kissing had meant to us, well to me anyway, and decided it just didn't seem right to kiss Ricky that way. I mean I guess I wouldn't  have refuse his kiss if he'd offered, but I think to Ricky this was just sex and kissing was too much like something else, something more serious.

Round two was more physical, for some reason I wanted to be fucked badly and Ricky was eager to give me what I wanted. His larger dick felt good inside me and I was hard the whole time he fucked me. His body atop mine felt so good and for a few minutes I forgot all about Johnny and just enjoyed being intimate with someone I really liked. I guess I loved Ricky in some ways, but not like I'd loved Johnny and while the sex was wonderful, that was all it was, just sex and nothing more. Just two buddies scratching an itch, and as wonderful as it was, it was no substitute for what I had once had with Johnny.

My tears came without my permission and Ricky picked up on my sadness immediately.

"Did I hurt you?"

I laughed sadly, "You're not that big. No, that was great. I really enjoyed it, but it reminded me of...of you know?"

"Johnny?" he said softly stroking my chest and cuddling up to me, "Come on, tell me what happened. You said you didn't want to spoil our fun, but maybe it will help."

I blubbered a little first, but did eventually tell him...everything, well from my point of view anyway, and he listened without speaking till I was done.

"I get that you're upset that he sort of went behind your back and hooked up with Evelyn, but didn't he offer to never see her again if you said so?"

"Yeah, but that's not the point. If I have to force him to be loyal then what's the use? Sooner or later some other girl would shake her tits at him and he'd be chasing after her."

"I guess I kind of see both sides. See...I had a girlfriend for a while in Japan. Her dad was stationed there too and we lived side by side on base. We went to school on base and it was a small classroom and we got close pretty quick."

"Did you...you know? Have sex?"

"Naw, nothing like that. We did kiss a couple of times and hold hands. It was nice, but her dad got transfered and it was over. No big deal though, it's not like we were in love or anything."

"So, you like girls and boys?"

"I like doing stuff with boys, but I really want to find a girl and do stuff with her someday. I know it's probably going to be a while, so meanwhile...this is fun."

"I thought so too."

"Is that okay?"

"Oh yeah, it's great really. It's just what I need right now, fun without all those emotions messing things up."

"Good, cause I want to do more stuff before the weekend is over. Who knows when I'll find a boy as cool as you?" he said tickling me.

"Never," I giggled, "I'm one of a kind."

"You really are," he said softly, "I'm sorry Johnny doesn't feel the same way you do because I think you two are just about perfect together. Remember when him and me got into that fight over you?" he laughed.

"Yeah, seems like a million years ago," I sighed, "and now...he could care less who I sleep with."

"Maybe not, maybe he's hurting too. You don't get over something like that so easy. I know he had deep feelings for you, it showed in his face and how he treated you. I bet sometimes he cries just thinking about what he's missing."

"Ha, I doubt it," I said, but part of me hoped it was true, "he  has HER now."

"Not like he had you. Trust me, with girls it's way different."

"I'm pretty tired, is it okay if we sleep now?"

"Yeah, me too. Gotta go pee first, want to go with me?"

We found our underwear and slipped them back on and tiptoed across the hall to the bathroom and peed side by side crossing our streams and just being boys once again. Back in bed we settled in pretty quickly and soon fell asleep. I was vaguely aware of Ricky's warm body against me several times and when I wok up the next morning I was spooning up to his backside.

My morning wood was pressed into the crack of his ass, with only that thin layer of material of our underwear between us and it felt Heavenly.

"Morning," he giggled, "Something's poking me."

"Sorry, I need to pee like a racehorse," I said pulling away and stretching.

"Me too, come on," he said throwing back the covers and hitting the floor.

I left the warmth of the bed reluctantly and after we'd peed and washed up a little we got dressed and went looking for food. 

It was almost 9, but mom didn't look as if she'd been up much longer than us. Dad and Mikey were nowhere to be seen and I figured they were piled up in bed snuggling and catching a few more winks.

"Good morning boys. Are you hungry?"

"Starved," we both said at once then laughed and joined pinkies.

"Well, I've got bacon and potatoes frying and biscuits baking and I'll scramble up a dozen eggs and hopefully we can fill your tummies up so you'll have lots of energy for whatever adventures you have planned today."

Ricky and I set the table and presently dad wandered in carrying Mikey who reached for me and I took him and held him on my lap while we waited for the food.

That day having breakfast with my family and Ricky was one of the best times I'd had since Johnny had broken my heart. We laughed and talked and once again I felt happy and satisfied with life.

Ricky called his folks and begged to stay another night and they agreed, but said they would pick him up about 11 on Sunday because they were going to a family gathering and didn't want him to miss that.

"I'll get to see my cousins, and that will be fun," Ricky said later when we outside sitting in my treehouse.

"Do you and David mess around?" I teased.

"We did this one time. We were in his garage playing hide and seek from his sister Susan and the lights were off and we were huddled behind David's dad's car. David started goofing around and grabbing me and pretty soon we were feeling each other through our clothes, then David pulled his out and when I touched it I like screamed a little and we heard Susan coming and we had to stop.

Later that night in his bed he started talking about what happened and asked if I liked feeling his weenie and we laughed and then he asked to feel mine and we wound up getting naked and feeling all over each other."

"Did you come?"

"Naw, not that time. We were only like 9 or 10 and didn't know about that stuff yet, or at least I didn't. I knew it felt good to touch myself, but not about coming and stuff."

"But you eventually did, right?"

"Yeah, before we left for Japan we visited them and we sucked each other off that night. Even though David is a year younger he seemed to know all about that stuff."

"Too bad we can't get him up here right now, he could suck us both," I joked.

"He would too I bet. He's horny all the time."

"What do you want to do today?" I asked changing the subject as I pushed my hardon down a little in my jeans.

"I don't know, we could walk downtown I guess."

"Yeah, that sounds fun. I got some money and we can get a drink or something."

"I got money too. My granny gave me ten dollars for Christmas. I might buy a new model or something."

"Cool, let's go tell my folks where we're going."

On the way downtown we stopped on the railroad tracks and waited for a few minutes to see if a train would show up, but finally got tired of waiting and headed on out. Just as we crossed Mill and started up the sidewalk we heard a train whistle and we laughed. We'd missed it by just a few minutes.

We hit Ben Franklin's 5 and 10 first and looked at all the toys and interesting stuff and talked about what we'd got for Christmas and when I told him about the knife Johnny had got me I felt sad all of a sudden.

"See, he still cares and he's making plans for the summer by giving you that knife. He wants to do the stuff you guys did last year, like going camping and stuff."

"Maybe, but that was before he started dating HER."

Ricky found a model he liked then and was busy looking at it for a few minutes before he answered, "I think you need to talk to him...really talk, but mostly listen."

"Are you turning on me too?" I said angrily. What was it with my friends defending Johnny and taking his side over mine?

"No, you're my friend and I just don't like seeing you so sad. I'm sorry if I made you mad. I just care, that's all."

"Sorry I got mad," I said touching his arm gently, "I know you didn't mean anything bad."

We dropped the subject of Johnny then and went back to enjoying each other's company and having a good time. We hit McCrory's next and spent a lot of time looking at their model cars and stuff and Ricky found one he wanted, but didn't want to pack it around with him so we decided we'd stop by later and pick it up. 

Next we headed to the Cherokee Drug Store and had a large cherry limeade while sitting on the bar stools and swiveling back and forth. My mom's friend Angie asked about my mom and dad and I introduced her to Ricky, and she said she remembered him from the last time we were there. She asked about his grandma (everyone knew everyone else in our town) and they talked for a while then she got busy and had to go back to work.

We finished our drinks and decided to go to Otasco and see if my uncle was working. He was just coming out of the back when we walked in.

"Hi uncle OE," His name was Owen but his middle name was Edward so everyone called him OE.

"Hi Robert, who's this...oh wait, is it Ricky?"

"Yeah, he's moving to Midwest City and his dad is going to stationed at Tinker and they're passing through on the way and visiting."

"Well, that's sounds fine. I guess maybe you two will see more of each other now that you're closer."

"I hope so."

"So, where's Johnny these days?"

"Oh, he's busy I guess," I said not knowing how much my uncle knew about things. I knew he talked to my mom sometimes but I didn't know what they talked about.

"Well, so am I, but I wanted to stop and say hello. You boys just window shopping today or do you need some help?"

"Just came in to say hi. I think we might go to the park next."

"Well, it was good seeing both of you. See you later guys."

We said goodbye and then looked around a little while before heading out. We considered stopping by Western Auto but instead we headed straight to the big park. The sky was clear and the sun was out, and even though the temperature was in the 50's it seemed warmer.

By the time we arrived we'd worked up a sweat and were ready for a rest. There were a few kids playing on the merry-go-round and swings, but no cars so we figured they were kids who lived in the neighborhood.

We plopped down on a picnic table and stared out at the little kids playing and talked some more about our lives, carefully skirting around the subject of Johnny.

"I love this place," Ricky said sighing, "I wish we could just move here and live. Our family is here and my best friend," he said looking at me and smiling.

"I wish that too. When you told me you were coming to visit I was so happy that I forgot all about everything else. If you were around all the time I'd be fine."

"We'll come back and visit more often now. Maybe once a month, even if dad can't always come, mom can drive us here."

"That's great, and when you come to visit you know you can always spend the night at my house."

"Yeah, hey...wanna go get a drink and pee?"

We crossed the road and walked up the bathrooms and got a drink from the fountain nearby then went inside the mens room. It was dark till our eyes adjusted and just as dirty and smelly as always. 

We peed together at the dirty commode and didn't zip up even when we were done. After a few minutes our peckers began to get hard and we just stood there admiring each other's hardon for a while.

"Wanna?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Here?" 

"Or we can find somewhere more private."

"Hey, remember that time we went underneath the pool?"

"Yeah, that place is private."

The place Ricky had mentioned was an opening on the back side of the municipal pool that led underneath the pool and was about five feet wide and maybe twice that long. See the pool was built on the side of a sloping hill and the cement walls ran all the way down to the ground on that side, but for some reason, maybe for maintenance, they had left this little opening that was just perfect for boys like us to explore.

It was dark inside the space, but our eyes soon adjusted and we looked around to make sure we were alone and nothing scary was there. The space wasn't quite tall enough to stand up in so we got on our knees and quickly opened our jeans and pushed them down to expose our peckers which had gotten hard again as soon as they were free.

We started out handling each other and pretty soon we were feeling very horny. It was awkward, but somehow I managed to bend down enough to get Ricky's prick in my mouth and give it a good working over. 

Before I could finish he switched places with me and sucked me for a while, but instead of finishing each other off that way we just jacked each other off. As our boy juice hit the ground we sighed with contentment then cleaned up as best we could, zipped up, and slipped back out into the sunlight.

Coming toward us were a couple of younger boys and when they saw us one of them touched the other and they stopped in their tracks and waited for us to get closer.

"Hi," The boy was skinny and freckled, but sort of cute and I guessed he was 10 or 11. He had green eyes and red hair and a nice smile.

We returned his greeting, but the other kid never uttered a word. He was dark haired, with brown eyes and was very cute with a nice tight body and long legs.

"I'm Jake, that's Ben, he don't talk much," the freckle faced boy said, "What was you all doin' in there?" he asked pointing to the pool.

"Just exploring," I said grinning, exploring each other's pecker.

"Yeah, it's neat in there. Me and Ben been in there before, right?"

"Yeah," Ben squeaked out then fell quiet again.

"Do you live around here?" I asked just making conversation.

"Yeah, over by Jefferson," Jefferson was one of the three grade schools in town and I'd met  few kids in Jr. High that went there.

"I live over by Washington," I volunteered, "across the tracks."

"Yeah, I been over there before. Do you both live over there?"

I let Ricky tell his story and I could tell both of the younger boys were interested in his exciting life and all the places he'd lived and Jake asked a lot of questions, but Ben kept quiet and just listened. I'd begun to wonder if there was something wrong with the kid, but wasn't about to ask.

"Wanna' play with us?" Jake asked sounding excited.

Well, we didn't really have anything to do, so we decided we could spend some time with the two and if we got bored we could always say we had to head home or something. We swung for a while then took turns pushing the merry-go-round while the other three rode on it, then walked over to the little creek and across the pipes that spanned it. Once I had been afraid to walk the smaller pipes and stuck to the big ones, but after all I was a teen now and more sure of myself. 

Jake didn't seem to be afraid of anything and tackled the small pipes easily but I noticed Ben kept to the larger ones. Ricky and I waited on the other side while the two crossed then we walked over to the pond to check out the ducks.

As always the duck came running up to see if we had food, then we they found out we weren't there to feed them they waddled back to the water. We walked all the way around the bank and Jake pointed to a fish jumping out of the water and went on to tell us how he and a friend had caught some huge catfish out of the pond.

We sad down on the brown grass at the pond's edge and threw rocks into the water and talked some more and finally Ben seemed to come to life. I guess he was just shy and needed to get to know us better before he opened up, but once he did I found myself really liking the kid.

First of all he was older than I'd first thought, 12, and went to Jr. High, but since he was a grade behind me, I'd never seen him before. I suppose I might have seen him in passing before, but until that day I'd never known he existed. He lived behind the IGA near Walter and I wondered if Walter knew him or had seen him before.

Jake however was only 11 and went to Jefferson. He lived a few blocks away from Ben but they'd known each other since first grade and were best friends despite being one year apart. Despite the fact that Jake was younger it was apparent he was the leader of the two and not just because he was more outgoing. It seemed to me like I could see something in Ben's eyes that I recognized from my own experiences. I think Ben was either in love with Jake, or at least had a big case of hero worship.

Jake jumped up suddenly and pointed at something near the road and Ricky followed him but I stayed with Ben and we talked some more.

"So, you're in 7th huh? I don't think I've ever seen you before."

"I've seen you,"  he said blushing, "and some other boys that you hang around with. One of them lives not too far from me, a big boy."

"That's Walter and the blond guy we hang with is Donnie."

"And there's another guy...dark hair, really strong looking..."

"That's Johnny," I said even though mentioning his name was almost physically painful.

"Yeah, I don't really have anyone to hang out with since I moved up to Jr. High and left Jake behind, but next year he'll be coming to Jr. High with me."

"Yeah, well...if you see me...at school, say hi and we can hang out sometime."

"Thanks, you're nice," Ben said then blushed, "I better go see what Jake is us to,"  he said standing quickly and brushing the dead grass off his backside. 

I stood and followed him wondering what just happened and when we got to Jake and Ricky they were pointing toward a small brown rabbit that seemed not the least bit afraid of four dirty little boys.

"I wish I could catch him," Jake said, "I'd build a pen and raise him as a pet."

"He's happier being free," I said softly, "dogs and cats make good pets, but some animals need to be free."

Ricky looked at me and smiled and I smiled back, I knew we saw eye to eye on a lot of things, and I guess I'd found one more thing. Eventually the rabbit hopped away and we continued our walk around the pond.

After another hour or so we decided we had better go get Ricky's model before the store closed and the boys offered to go with us. We talked all the way there and Ben seemed to be opening up more and more to me as time went by. Ricky mostly listened to Jake rattle on about things, but occasionally he'd ask a question about Ricky's experiences and get all excited at Ricky's reply.

"That boy Johnny, does he have a girlfriend now?" Ben asked causing me to freeze in mid thought.

"Yeah, I guess," I said trying to sound as if it was no big deal.

"I've seen him with a girl, but they don't seem all lovey dovey like most couples. I think they talk a lot, but I don't know what they talk about."

"Yeah, I guess."

He frowned, maybe he was picking up on my vibes or maybe he knew more than he was letting on, but it was uncomfortable for me.

"What does your dad do...for a living?" I asked hoping to change the subject.

"My dad got killed in a car wreck, it's just me and my mom and sister Brandy."

I felt awful, "I'm sorry," I said daring to reach out and touch his arm gently, "That must be awful."

"My mom is really nice, but I miss my dad."

"When...uh, when did he die?"

"When I was 8, he was driving a truck for this company and fell asleep and hit a bridge."

"Oh man, that's awful. I'm really sorry."

"It's okay, it was a long time ago," Ben said sadly.

"Hey, I was wondering...do you ever get over to my side of town?"

"I've been to the tracks a few times with Jake, why?"

"I was just thinking, if you ever wanted to come over and play, well...I have a treehouse and a clubhouse and a lot of neat stuff, or we could go the park over there."

"Yeah, okay...what's your address?"

I told him, but I didn't think he's remember it or know where that was, but he surprised me, but that was later.

Ricky bought his model and we walked back towards my house. When we got to the street that the park was on we said goodbye to the two boys and split up.

We arrived just in time to help set the table for supper and after we'd eaten we went to my room and worked on Ricky's model for a while. Now if you've ever built a plastic model kit you know that you have to take it slow, assembling a few pieces and letting them dry, then painting them and waiting for that to dry, and so we didn't get much done that evening, but it was fun anyway.

After we'd done all we could we went looking for a snack and watched some TV with my folks and played with Mikey for a while. 

"Boys, I want you to take a shower tonight," my mom said sniffing my hair, "you smell like two dirty pups."

"Okay mom," I assured her, "but not till bed time. We'll just get dirty again."

"We went outside in the dark for a while after that and stood beneath the streetlight and talked about our day and about the new friends we'd made.

"I think Ben really likes you," Ricky said cutting right to the chase as usual.

"Why do you think that?"

"I don't know, first he was so quiet then when he got to talking to you he really opened up and came alive."

"His dad died and it's just this mom, I guess he's sort of shy, that's all. I just tried to be friendly and I guess he felt like he could talk to me, that's all."

"You're a nice boy and I can see why other kids take to you so easy. Look how quick we became friends, we only met that one time and we became friends that day."

"Yeah," I said remembering that day fondly, "but you're a great guy and really nice too."

"We both are," he laughed. "Are you gonna hang around with those guys now that you've made friends with em'?"

"Maybe, I did invite Ben to come see me, but I doubt he'll do it."

"I bet he will."

"What do you bet?"

"Ummm...a dollar. If I win you mail me a buck and if you win I'll mail you a buck."

"Okay, I can afford a buck, but I think I'll win." And that was one bet I was happy to lose.

Later after our shower we dressed in our underwear and piled into my bed. It was early for us, around 9 or so, but we were tired from the day's activities and more than a little horny. 

We started slow, just rubbing around on each other and touching as we talked softly. I think that's called pillow talk, and I can't tell you a thing that was said, I just remember I felt peaceful and happy and aroused.

When the underwear finally came off Ricky surprised me by rolling on top of me and pressing our hard cocks together. His face was only inches from mine and I kept expecting him to kiss me, but instead he buried his face in my neck and blew a raspberry causing me to giggle.

Sex with Ricky was fun. That was the word...fun, there were no expectations, no promises, no deep emotional involvement, and at that point in my life that was exactly what I needed. Now I'm not saying we didn't care for each other, we did. We were best friends, despite the fact that we didn't see each other all that much, but when we were together it was as if we never apart.

"You want to fuck me," I growled in a low voice.

"Yeah, but first I want you to fuck me."

I think somehow Ricky knew I needed that and as we readied ourselves I realized I was trembling with excitement. With Johnny I preferred to be submissive, a word I learned years later, but with Ricky it was as if we were both equals. We could give and take equally without guilt or worries and it was wonderful.

As I slid into Ricky that night, spooned up to his backside, my arm around him pulling him tight, we both sighed contentedly as I slowly made love to him. His skin was smooth and warm and I could feel the muscles beneath his skin and the fuzz on his neck as I nuzzled him there.

I took my time, moving slowly making lazy circular motions, but toward the end I clamped down tight on his hips and really gave him a pounding. The bed shook, bumping the wall a few times and I worried that mom and dad might here, but there was no way I could stop now.

Then with one final thrust I began to unload in Ricky's hot tight insides. I cried out softly as my pecker spasmed and expelled my hot warm seed into the handsome boy beside me and then I relaxed and just lay there until I was spent.

"Wow, that was a lot," Ricky said softly.

"Yeah," I sighed, "thanks, that was just what I needed."

My pecker shrank a little, but never completely went soft and when it slipped from Ricky's hole it left behind a slimy trail. I panicked for a moment then grabbed a sock from the floor and cleaned us up as best I could.

"Your turn," I said rolling onto my stomach. I knew Ricky liked to do it that way, sort of pinning me down and I liked it that way myself. 

Ricky was gentle at first, then as his heat built he sped up and began pounding me hard and fast. I loved the feel of his cock moving in and out of my tight hole, his hands on my shoulders, and his feet entwined with mine, and for a time I forgot about Johnny.

As we lay resting a short time later, still naked and cuddled up, we didn't say much. No words were really necessary. We knew what we had and embraced it, and when it was time for him to go we'd be sad, but we'd get over it quickly. It was the best kind of relationship really, one with no strings and no worries about the future.

We slept for a while and when I awoke I felt beside me and found Ricky face down snoring softly. He was still naked and I ran my hand down his back to the swell of his butt and felt the soft fuzz there and smiled. 

He was such a handsome boy, from head to toe, and it was humbling to think that I knew him so intimately. I felt him sigh as I continued to rub his back and shoulders and presently his eyes flickered open and he smiled that smile that had attracted me to him  the first time I saw him.

"Morning already?"

"No," I whispered, "sorry if I woke you."

"S' okay," he said stretching a little and yawning, "feels good."

"Just relax and I'll give you a massage and you can go back to sleep."

"Can we do something first? My dick is hard," he laughed.

"Roll over, I know just what to do."

Once he was on his back his dick stuck up hard and straight and I twanged it making him giggle. I moved down a bit and began rubbing his tummy and poking at his cute belly button then moving down lower I ran my fingers through his pubes.

"I like your hair, it's so soft," I said softly.

He purred like a cat, but didn't reply and I took that to mean he liked what I was doing so I continued. I fondled his plum sized balls and rolled them around in their wrinkled sac and then leaned down and kissed them causing him to shiver with anticipation.

When I finally wrapped my warm hand around his dick he shivered even harder and moaned softly. I jacked him for a few minutes, spreading his pre-cum all around the head of his dick and then leaned down and licked it clean causing him to moan louder and thrust up.

I smiled at the effect I was having on him and when I plunged down on his hard dick and swallowed it all he let out a sort of mewling sound and I could feel and hear his breath coming in ragged pants.

I toyed with his balls as I continued to suck him, but I was in no hurry to make him come. I loved the taste and feel and smell of a boy in heat and Ricky was in full blown heat. He was squirming and moaning and pushing up trying to get more of his dick in my mouth, but there was only so much dick and I had it all.

I was a good cocksucker, still am, and I knew how to make it last and Ricky knew that and was willing to let me have my way, even if his dick was crying out for release.

I sucked and slurped and used my tongue and cheeks and lips, all the while fondling his balls which were full of his boy sperm and eager to unload. I guess that blow job must've lasted a good fifteen minutes, but a guy can only wait so long for his reward, and I think I was as ready as he was when I finally brought him to orgasm.

He cried out, grabbed my head and shoved his cock down my throat and began to unload. I managed to take back control and pull up enough to taste his spunk and eventually he fell back and just let me hold his cock in my mouth as he continued to ooze out the last of it.

Every boy, and even man for that matter, has a unique taste and Ricky's was always exotic and delicious. His cum was sweet, yet salty, and spicy as if he ate a lot of cinnamon or something. Johnny's on the other hand was less sweet, more salty and had a peppery taste to it.

"Gosh, that was good," Ricky said as he lay panting after it was all over.

"For me too. You taste really good."

"Really? Yeah, I guess I do, but so do you."

"Yeah, I've tasted mine a few times, I like it."

"Well, can I have a taste?" he said smiling.

"If you want, but you don't  have to. I just wanted to make you feel good and help you sleep."

"I can't sleep knowing this is over here," he said grabbing my  hard dick.

I giggled and gave him what he wanted and when he was done we slipped our underwear back on and went to pee. Back in bed we cuddled up and were asleep in no time flat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday morning we slept late and didn't even have time to eat breakfast before Ricky left. Mom had baked blueberry muffins though and she sent enough for his mom and dad and sister as well as two for Ricky.

We hugged at the car and promised to write and then I waved as they drove off. I had expected to feel sad but I wasn't as sad as I had feared I'd be. We'd had fun, and we'd get together again as soon as we could, but until then we lived separate lives and we had to deal with that.

I ate breakfast in silence, but my folks didn't try to pull me into their conversation. They knew I had a lot on my mind and though I'd had fun that weekend, now it was back to the real world. I helped mom clean up and  while she washed dishes dad and I entertained Mikey. 

Mikey was such a funny kid and there was never a dull moment when he was around. We'd taken the tree down the day after New Years and our living room was back to normal, but I think Mikey was confused with the changes. He kept going over where the tree used to be and poking around and me and dad would laugh at him. It felt good to laugh and for a while I as just a kid again and all my worries were forgotten.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday at school I saw Ben in the hallway and he waved, but he seemed unsure whether to approach me or not so I went to him. I mean some guys sort of look down on 7th graders, but I remembered when I was one and I didn't think that was fair.

"Hi Ben, how you doin'?"

"Hi, okay. Uh, aren't you afraid to be seen talking to me?"

I laughed, "No, I'm not like that."

He smiled, but still looked around nervously, as if he was afraid someone would notice the breach of etiquette.

"What time is your lunch break?" I asked quickly.

"11:45, why?"

"So is mine, why don't you come sit with me at lunch?"

"Are, are you sure?"

"Yeah, sure.  Hey...I gotta run, but I'll see ya at lunch, okay?"

I left him standing there looking as confused as ever and I wondered if he'd show up at lunch or not, but I'd made the offer and that was all I could do. It was off to class then, and ignoring Johnny, I sat down in the back of the classroom. 

I don't know if he looked at me, or thought about me or anything else since I didn't even so much as look his way, but I guess a little part of me hoped he was dying inside from being snubbed.

The morning passed quickly without any drama, and then it was lunch time.  I put my books in my locker which unfortunately was still only a few lockers away from Johnny's, but he was nowhere to be seen which was a relief.

I ambled into the cafeteria and grabbed a tray and the lunch lady piled on whatever the disgusting choice was for that day and after grabbing my milk I headed to my regular table. Donnie and Walter were already there, but they were smart and had brought their lunch that day. A few other kids were just sitting down as I scooted out my chair and I saved one next to me...just in case Ben showed up. A long time ago, that chair would have been for Johnny, but these days Johnny sat with the jocks near the window and talked about girls no doubt.

I had just taken a bite of whatever it was on my tray when Donnie looked up and started staring behind me. I turned to see Ben with a lunch sack just standing and looking our way, no doubt trying to decide whether to approach or not.

I jumped up and scooted my chair back and called to him and motioned him over and slowly he headed our way.

"Who's that?" Donnie asked to no one in particular.

"I don't know his name, but he lives pretty close to me," Walter said munching on a chip, "I think he's a 7th grader."

"Hey Ben this is Donnie, and Walter, and Gerald, and Billy, and Doug, and that red headed kid is Jimmy. Gang this is Ben."

Everyone muttered hello and then went back to their food except for Donnie who kept staring at Ben as he sat down. I wondered why Donnie was so interested in Ben, but after a while he seemed to get over it and went back to his food.

I tried to pull Ben into our conversation, but just like that first day we'd  met him, he seemed shy and quiet. I did get him to talk a little when I mentioned Jake, and then he went back to being mostly silent.

When we'd finished our lunch it was our habit to go outside if the weather was decent and get a breath of fresh air and I invited Ben to join us. As soon as we got outside we noticed a group of the older boys hanging around the back of the building and when they saw us they headed our way. As they got closer I noticed for the first time that Johnny was with them although he seemed to be hanging in the back sort of hidden by the others.

"Hey, aren't you a 7th grader?" one of the boys that I thought was named Bruce or Brice said eying Ben as if he was a bug.

"Yeah," Ben said not making eye contact.

"Then you need to get down to the other end of the building, this area is for 8th and 9th graders."

Ben gave me a panicked look and I stepped forward and looked the kid in the eye. The kid was a foot taller than me and at least 30 pounds heavier, but I was mad and I tended to make stupid decisions when I was mad.

"He's with us," I said glaring at the kid and then letting my gaze include the others.

"That right? Well..maybe all of you should go down there then."

"We go where we want to go," I said balling up my fists. My adrenalin was pumping through my veins and I was shaking a little, and not because I was cold.

"Oh yeah, so you're a tough guy huh? Why don't you meet me after school and we'll see who's tougher."

"He's half your size Bruce," Walter said suddenly speaking up. So the kid's name was Bruce, always good to know the name of the guy who kicks your ass, "Why don't you pick on someone your own size, like me?"

"He ran his mouth, he needs to be able to back it up. You gonna fight his fights for him?" he sneered.

"I just don't like seeing a big lug like you pickin' on smaller kids. He's my friend, so I'm gonna see that it's a fair fight, if he wants to fight that is."

"It'll be fair, just him and me...over on the Safeway parking lot right after school. Be there or be a chicken," he said  poking me in the chest with his finger.

As the group walked off my eyes locked with Johnny's for a fraction of a second and I thought I saw some sympathy or even concern in his eyes, and then he turned and followed the pack inside and we were left alone.

Of course once the adrenalin wore off I was a freaking bundle of nerves and shaking even worse than before.

"Don't fight him Robert," Donnie pleaded, "he'll kill you."

"Yeah," Gerald said, "or at least let us help you. Four against one should be about even."

"I can't back down now," I said leaning against the wall before I fell down, "and like he says, I can't let someone else fight my fights for me."

"It's all my fault," Ben wailed, "I knew I shouldn't of stayed on my end of the building."

"This school belongs to all of us," Walter said defiantly, "and those guys are not gonna tell us what to do...right guys?"

"Right," I said feelings some better, "we can't let those guys ruin things for us."

"Don't worry Robert, we've got your back..right Walter?" Donnie said patting me on the shoulder. And Gerald echoed their sentiments.

"Yeah, don't worry. He probably won't even show up anyway."

I doubted that, but there was always hope. Meanwhile there was the rest of the day to get through and when the bell rang we all went our own ways, leaving me to contemplate the pain to come later.

I was a freaking mess in gym class that day and when I saw Johnny afterwards when we were dressing that just made me feel that much worse. To know that Johnny was part of that bunch now was almost too much to bear. Maybe Johnny would even want to punch me a few times too, I thought miserably. How could he stand to hang out with those boys? It was as if my lie about him being in bad company was coming true right before my eyes.

Walter, Donnie, and Gerald stayed close to me as we dressed and when I was ready the three didn't let me out of their sight. After a trip to our lockers we regrouped at the front door and they escorted me to my execution.

As I neared the Safeway parking lot I could see a small crowd had gathered which meant that word had spread there was going to be a fight. That was all I needed. It was bad enough to know I was probably going to get beat up, but now I  had to worry about kids laughing at me for being such a wimp.

"You don't have to do this," Donnie offered, but we both knew it was better to get a bloody nose or black-eye than to be a chicken.

"I can't back down now. They'll call me a chicken."

"If it gets too much, holler at me and I'll stop it," Walter said looking worried.

"Let me take your place," Gerald offered.

"No, I have to do this, but thanks, that means a lot to me. I gotta do this, I'm not chicken."

Then why did I feel like I could lay an egg at any moment? I didn't see Johnny, which was a relief, but Bruce was there and most of the guys who were with him at lunch, plus a dozen or so other kids, mostly 8th graders who'd come to see a fellow 8th grader get beat down.

Bruce was leaning against the building smoking a cigarette and looking ten times bigger than he had at lunch and I almost peed myself thinking how bad I was going to get beat up. Still I had my pride and if he made me mad enough I was sure I could get a few punches in myself before he killed me.

"So, you showed up. I guess you're not a chicken after all...just stupid," he laughed. 

I looked him over for the first time since we'd met and I didn't like what I saw. His whole attitude said mean, and the meanness in him made him ugly. His hair was a dark greasy mess,  his eyes brooding black pools that looked right through you, and his mouth was stuck in a perpetual scowl. He was big, but not fat, muscled and a good foot taller than me. I didn't stand a chance.

"I'm not a chicken and I'm not stupid. You're the one who wants to fight and I guess I got no choice, but everyone here can see that you're twice my size and it's not really going to be a fair fight." There I'd tried to reason with him. Surely even someone as stupid as him could understand that by fighting me he was disgracing himself.

"And I am going to beat your ass so bad," he said throwing his cigarette down and starting toward me.

I wasn't expecting him to move so fast and I nearly tripped over my own feet as I backed up, but fortunately Walter caught me and pulled me along.

"Bruce, just gonna tell you right now, if you hurt him I am going to hurt you ten times worse. He's my friend and he didn't do nothing wrong."

"I'll whip your ass too," Bruce growled, "you ain't nothing."

"We'll see. I'm just givin' you warning."

"Let's get this over with, I'm hungry and want to get home for a snack, but junior here probably won't be able to eat...with no teeth, when I get through with him," he laughed loudly and his gang joined in.

Not my teeth, not my handsome face, I thought dreading the worst. I'd rather have a broken arm or a punch to the gut. Then I got an idea: Maybe if I took the first shot I could slow him down, mess up his timing and he'd forget about messing up my pretty face.

I charged him as hard as I could screaming like a banshee cause I'd heard somewhere that screaming while attacking put your opponent off guard and maybe even scared them. Bruce just laughed and when I collided with his massive body he just flicked me off like a fly.

I hit the ground hard and made a sort of ooof sound and then rolled away to make sure he didn't kick me or pounce on me. I looked around and saw Walter looking worried, but he was honor bound to let me fight my own fight, well at least until he thought I couldn't fight anymore or was dead.

"That all you got girlie?  I heard you like boys, is that right?" he taunted and my face turned beet red causing more laughter.

"Shut up asshole," I screamed and jumping up I charged him again, only this time I fainted left and at the last moment I  punched him square in his fat gut.

He made an uhh sound then reached out and grabbed my arm and threw me down like a rag doll. Once again I hit the pavement hard and it hurt like heck. Damn this was starting to become a habit. This time I'd tried to stop myself from rolling and skinned my elbow and as I jumped up I added that to my other aches and pains.

"Give up queer bait?" he snarled.

"Nope, you'll have to kill me I guess," damn why did I say that?

"Okay, no problem," he laughed maniacally running toward me. 

I yelped and just barely avoided him, but he was laughing the whole time and I don't think he was really trying that hard. I'd begun to see that what Bruce was doing was putting on a show for his gang and all those watching. What he was trying to prove I didn't know, but I could see that everyone was eager for it go on.

"Missed me," I taunted, and that was a big mistake, for no sooner had the words left my mouth than he charged me again and this time there was no escaping him.

His fist landed squarely on my cheek just below my eye and I saw stars for a second before I hit the ground. From the corner of my eye I saw him step back and Walter moved between the two of us and just stood there.

"That's enough, you proved your point. You're bigger and meaner and you won."

"It's not over till I say it's over," Bruce smirked.

"I say it's over. Robert you done?"

"Huh?" I said as he helped me up, "I never wanted to fight to begin with."

"Well, you mouthed off to me and that's what you get," Bruce said moving closer, "move Walter and let him fight his own fight."

"Robert?"

"Go on, I'm okay," I said stupidly. Why couldn't I just be a chicken and let this be over with?

Walter moved slowly and I could see from the look in his eyes that he thought I was crazy, but I guess in a way he respected me a little bit too. It was my fight and I had to say when it was over, or in the case of me being unconscious or dead he could take over.

"I'll give you one free shot," Bruce said suddenly, "Anywhere above the belt. Hit me as hard as you want, but then it's my turn."

"One shot...anywhere above the belt?" I repeated in a stupor.

"Yeah, go for it."

Where to hit him, where to hit him? I pondered. The gut shot hadn't done much and he's ruled out hitting him in the balls, so what was left? His eyes, his nose, his mouth? No not the mouth, that shit hurt your hand  too much and I didn't want to knock his teeth out anyway. 

I screwed up my face and made a fist with my right hand and danced in closer, still wary that he might be tricking me, then hauled off and hit him as hard as I could in the nose. I guess that was sort of a cheap shot cause blood flew everywhere and I knew it had to hurt like the devil. Maybe I'd broken it and he'd need to have it reset or wear a bandage. I knew that was bad and for a minute I felt sort of sorry for him. Then he began to laugh and I knew I was in deep shit.

"Fucking broke my fucking nose, you little queer. I am going to mess you up so bad your momma won't recognize you," he said gabbing me and hitting me in the other eye.

Now I was sure I'd have two black eyes and before he was done I'd probably have no teeth and a bloody nose too. It hurt, but not as bad I'd feared, I guess the adrenalin helps control the pain, but there was no more fight in me, now it was time to just take my beating and hope I lived to tell about it.

Bruce was holding me with one meaty paw and was just pulling back his arm to punch me again when suddenly I heard a stirring in the crowd behind me and someone running full tilt toward us. From my point of view I couldn't see who it was, but suddenly I heard his voice and I knew exactly who it was.

"Put him down mother fucker," Johnny screamed, "or I will kill you where you stand."

I heard a murmur go through the crowd and Bruce actually dropped his fist. Then it was as if he figured something out and he balled his fist up again, ready to strike at any moment.

"Why you defending' this little queer Johnny? I thought you were one of us."

"Put him down," Johnny repeated, so close now that his voice was almost deafening to me.

"Just one more punch, for fun," Bruce said, then the lights went out.

I woke up in the back of mom's car and Donnie was cradling my head in his lap and from up front I could hear my mom and Walter talking softly.

"Where...where am I?" Every part of me hurt, my head, my ass, my ribs, my face....my handsome face. I felt it expecting to find pieces missing or to be toothless, but except for some tenderness it seemed to be okay.

"On your way to Grand Valley," Donnie said softly. "Your mom was shopping at Safeway and was gonna pick you up, and well...she sort of did." 

I would have laughed except it hurt too bad, "What happened to whats his name?"

"The cops got him and took him away. I don't know what will happen to him. It wasn't his first time beatin' up a kid, but there wasn't much left of him when Johnny got through with him."

Suddenly I remembered Johnny coming to my rescue and I frowned. Was that a dream or did it really happen? 

"What do you mean?" I asked stupidly.

"When he hit you that last time he knocked you out and Johnny went crazy. He beat the shit...oops...shoot out of him."

I sort of smiled, but  even that  hurt. "But why? I thought he was part of that bunch now?"

"Nope, not anymore anyway. They were gonna take him to jail too, but everyone told em' what happened and they let his dad take him home. He was kind of messed up too, but not bad."

We arrived at the hospital then and I had to put my questions on hold while we checked in and then me and mom were put in a room and Donnie and Walter had to wait out front in the reception area. 

I was almost too sore to walk and climbing up on the exam table took my last bit of energy and I collapsed and passed out again once I laid down. 

I woke up again when the doctor was prodding me and as my eyes focused I saw it was my regular doctor, Doctor Cameron.

"Welcome to the land of the living Bob." For some reason he always called me Bob even though no one else ever did.

"Oh, hi. My head hurts," I said stating the obvious.

"Well, not surprising considering the beating you took. I hear the other guys isn't in much better shape."

I moaned when he started pushing and prodding some more and then he shone a light in my eyes and turned to mom.

"I don't think there are any fractures of his facial bones, but I want to get some X rays. Pupil dilation looks good, so I don't think he has a concussion, but I would like to keep him overnight just to be sure."

"Yes, that fine, but I'm staying with him if you do."

"I'll see to it," he said smiling and patting my hand gently," I'll come back when I've seen the x rays.  I'll send someone in with a wheelchair to take him to radiology."

Dad arrived just about the time I got out of x ray and took one look at me and whistled, "Boy, what have you been into now?"

Mom filled him in, since I was in no mood or condition to talk that much, and when she was done he came over and took my hand and squeezed it gently.

"Son, I'm sorry this happened to you. I'm proud of you for standing up to this bigger boy, but in the future, get the help of an adult in situations like this. No need to wind up a dead hero."

"I'm sorry dad," I said starting to cry, "I just didn't want anyone to call me a chicken."

"That boy was twice his size Carl. It wasn't a fair fight and if it hadn't been for Johnny that boy might have killed him."

"We'll have to be sure to thank Johnny. It's okay son, we all make mistakes. I should have had this talk with you a long time ago. See when I was a boy I had the same kind of thing happen to me."

"You, you did?" I blubbered.

"Yep, kid's name was Rodney Long and he was the size of a house and I was...well just about your size. He picked on one of my friends one day and I defended him and Rodney called me out and like a fool I fought him. I got a broken arm out of the deal and Rodney got a two day vacation. My dad was so mad he went over to Rodney's house and got into a fight with his dad and came home with a black eye himself. Later we found out Rodney's dad had been beating him and  his brother and sometimes their mother. So see he sort of learned his meanness at home."

"So...what should I have done dad?" the whole thing was just too confusing for me at the moment.

"Well, not fight him, that's for sure. If he tried to force you then you should go to a teacher. Or...in this case, let your friends help you. I know Walter would have helped you if you'd have asked and there's no shame in buddies backing each other up."

"He sort of did, but I guess I was too stubborn to accept his help."

"But sounds like Johnny just charged right in and didn't ask," dad chucked, "shame he didn't get there sooner.

That posed a lot of questions, like where was Johnny when the fighting started and why did he rush in to save my ass at the last minute? I supposed I owed him my thanks, but it would be hard to make myself give them.

Staying overnight in the hospital was no picnic, but they gave me something to make me sleep and I don't remember much of it. I do remember the food was worse than school food, but I didn't have much of an appetite anyway.

Mom slept in a chair by my bed and every time I woke up she seemed to sense it and woke up too. I guess I had taken for granted just how much she loved me and how attached we were to each other until that night. It was as if she was feeling my pain right along with me. I mean dad probably felt some of the same things, but he was a man and tougher and kept things inside.

We checked out around ten the next morning and other than a few bruises I was pretty much in one piece. Mom insisted I stay in bed the rest of the day, but by supper time I was bored and ready to get up and move around.

I played with Mikey in the living room while mom finished fixing supper than ate with my family and suddenly I was starving. Mom had fixed fried chicken, one of my favorite foods, and I ate three pieces that night. For dessert she had chocolate cake and she gave me a big slice and I managed to put it away, despite being full of chicken and fixings.

We watched TV till nine and then I took a shower and went to bed. Mom said I could stay home from school one more day and for that I was glad, not because I was still hurting, but because I didn't want to face the other kids. I wasn't sure if I was going to be considered a wimp, a victim, or a hero, and was in no hurry to find out which.

Donnie stopped by after school that day and brought my homework and we talked for a while. I discovered that Bruce was expelled, but wouldn't face any legal charges due to his age. That made me a little nervous, since it was a small town and I might someday run into him outside of school.

Johnny got a black eye and a loose tooth, but from what Donnie told me Bruce got the worst end of it and was a bloody mess when they finally pulled them apart. My mom had heard the ruckus and one of the managers from the Safeway had been alerted by a customer and they arrived at the same time and did the separating of the two.

When mom saw it was me laying on the ground she went into full mom mode and took over immediately. Walter carried me to the car and Donnie was my pillow and the rest I knew.

"Did you...uh, talk to Johnny today?" I asked shyly.

"Yeah, Robert..." he said looking nervous, "he's really hurtin' inside about all this. He...he was headed home then he turned around and went back to make sure you were okay and then that's when all that shit went down."

"I guess he sort of cares after all."

"Are you kidding? He still feels the same way he always did. He's just confused and hurt, but one thing is for sure he didn't want nobody hurtin' you and when he saw what Bruce done he went crazy."

I smiled a little, then tried to hide it, but Donnie had already seen it.

"Anyway, he didn't get in no trouble and everyone at school today was coming up and patting him on the back and thanking him for what he did. See, nobody really liked Bruce anyway so everyone is glad he's gone. Even those other guys that was with him don't seem to mind that he's gone."

"So...do you think they'll tease me when I get back, or call me a wimp or anything? I asked nervously.

"Heck no, they think you were brave. I heard a couple of girls talking about you and they said you were so cute and so brave and they hoped you were okay," he said grinning.

"Girls?" I said shaking my head, "that's the last thing I need right now," and we both laughed.

The next day I was surprised to find Donnie waiting for me when I headed out the door on my way to school. Usually he rode with Larry, but that day he said he wanted to make sure I got to school okay and I thought that was so nice of him.

We talked along the way and I felt some better, but I was still nervous as we entered the school grounds. I saw a few kids look our way but no one pointed or yelled so I guessed that was a good sign. 

We met Walter and Gerald inside and said hello then went to our lockers then headed off to home room. Johnny looked up when I came in then lowered his head as if he was afraid I'd notice him looking and say something.

I stopped right beside his desk and he looked up then and even though my mouth was as dry as if I'd been eating cotton I managed to squeak out a "Thanks," before I walked back to my own seat. I watched him from behind for the next fifteen minutes and then when we were dismissed to our first class I caught up to him in the hall.

"Hey...uh Johnny," I said nervously, "Thanks, I mean I already said that, but I really mean it and I was wondering...um, if you're not busy if I could talk to you at lunch time?"

He actually smiled then and nodded, "Sure, okay...just tell me where."

"Well, you could sit with us you know," I said grinning.

"Oh, okay...I'll umm...see ya at lunch then."

I was nervous as heck all morning and come lunch time I was sure I'd puke if I even thought about eating. Mom had sent my lunch that day, left over fried chicken and a biscuit, and a slice of chocolate cake, but I just sat there with the unopened bag in front of me as I waited for Johnny to show up.

"You look like a raccoon," Gerald teased, referring to my two black eyes.

"Thanks, I needed that," I said sarcastically.

"Hey, if you can't laugh about it then what's the use?"

"I know, well good thing I didn't die, you'd have busted a gut laughing."

"I saw you say something to Johnny in homeroom," Donnie said interrupting Gerald's teasing.

"I...just told him thanks, but...I did ask him to sit with us today. I hope that's okay."

"Sure, why wouldn't it be?"

I shrugged, "No reason I guess, just making sure."

Johnny breezed in about then and grabbed a tray and filled it with today's slop and then came over to where I sat and plopped down beside me just like old times. It was as nothing had ever changed between us, as if none of that bad stuff had ever gone down, or that we weren't split up, and it was kind of unnerving.

"Hi guys," Johnny said taking a bite of his food. It was quite apparent he didn't feel as nervous as I did.

Everyone greeted him warmly and then started talking just like usual, but no none seemed to want to bring up what was really on everyone's mind, namely the fight or what was happening between Johnny and me.

I finally managed to eat some of my lunch but wound up sharing it with the other guys and Johnny got the cake. It was sort of weird to be sitting there next to him, but exciting at the same time. It seemed like forever since we'd been together and even though I knew this was just a temporary truce at best, I felt calmer and more at peace than I had in a long time.

After we'd eaten I asked Johnny to walk with me and the others held back and didn't follow. I led him outside and we walked along the side of the building between the Jr. High and High School. 

"I just wanted to say...well, thank you again and hear your side of the story I guess," I said at last.

"Not much to tell, I couldn't let him hurt you anymore. I kick myself for not stopping it before it happened, but I really didn't think you'd go through with it. I never thought you'd fight him. I mean I never knew you to get into a fight before. I was half way home when something told me I should go back just to make sure.

When I hit the Safeway parking lot and saw the crowd I knew I'd fucked up. I took off running and well...I guess you know the rest. Well, that is till he hit ya' and you passed out. The rest I ain't even sure I remember that well. 

I just about went crazy when he hit ya' and I climbed him like a fence and beat him till they pulled us apart. He got a few punches in I guess, but I was mad and he didn't stand a chance."

He looked at me then and our eyes met and I saw a spark there that reminded me of the old Johnny. Was it possible that what everyone had been trying to tell me was true, that he still loved me?

"I'm glad he didn't mess your face up, it's a nice face. The black eyes will go away pretty quick. They make you look...tougher," he laughed.

"I am tough," I said softly, "otherwise I'd be dead by now."

He frowned but didn't say anything. I think he knew what I meant, but I guess he didn't know how to reply to that.

"Well, anyway...I'm glad you're okay and that Bruce won't be bothering you anymore," he said shoving his hands in his pockets and looking shy all of a sudden. Then looking up he frowned again, "That kid, the 7th grader...is he your friend now?"

The way he said it I knew he didn't just mean friend, that he meant boyfriend and I almost laughed.

"He's a kid I met at the park one day. Ricky came to visit and we walked to the park and met that kid and his friend and we talked. I found out the kid, Ben is his name, was in Jr. High and when I saw him in the hall I just said hi and invited him to sit with us at lunch, that's all. I guess the fight scared him shit-less though and I haven't seen him all day."

"Oh, sorry."

"No need to be sorry. But I have to ask you something and I hope you won't get mad. What were you doing hanging out with those guys that day?"

"Some of them are okay, Bruce was an asshole and an idiot, but a lot of the guys were afraid of him and just went along with whatever he wanted to be safe. Now that he's gone they aren't that bad."

"So, you're still hanging with them?"

"Not really. I decided to just sort of be by myself for a while."

"What about Evelyn?"

"That's over," he said but didn't give any details.

"Oh," I said trying not sound too happy or to jump up and down with joy.

"She broke up with me because she said she'd rather have both of us as friends than lose you."

"She did, she really said that?"

"Yeah, she wants to patch things up between the two of you, but she's afraid to come talk to you."

"Why, I'm not that mean."

"You're not mean at all, I guess she just feels sort of bad about what happened and she doesn't know how to make things right."

"I'll have to think about that," I admitted, "I'm not sure how I feel about it right now."

"Fair enough. Well, I guess I should go. The bell will be ringing soon," he said looking uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"I'll walk with ya'," I said smiling, "my locker is on the way."

He smiled back then and we walked along, but really didn't say a lot. When we reached my locker he said goodbye and I said it back then I watched as he walked away and wished I'd said more. I wished I'd told him how much I missed him, and how much I loved him, and that my life just wasn't the same without him, but I guess I was afraid he didn't feel the same and not knowing was better than finding out it was really over.

I couldn't concentrate in class that day and got called out by one of my teachers for daydreaming, but everyone just laughed and I apologized. She had to have known about the fight, but she didn't even mention my two black eyes or the fact that I'd been in the hospital and missed a day of school. In a way I was glad, but she could've treated me a little nicer, gave me some slack.

By gym class I was ready to get rid of some of my nervous energy but as soon as I got there Coach called me into his office and I knew something was up.

"Mr. Warren, your mother called the principal this morning and asked that you not participate in any strenuous activity the rest of this week, so...I am going to let you sit on the bleachers and watch your fellow classmates have fun," he chuckled.

"But I feel fine," I whined, "the headache is gone and I don't hurt anywhere, well...not much anyway."

"I agree with you, but you know how moms are?" he laughed, "Look, personally I think what you did was very brave, but also very stupid. You could have been seriously hurt. That kid is a bad apple and wouldn't have thought twice about ruining you for life. What you should have done was to get some of the teachers involved, me for instance. I would have taken care of the situation immediately."

"You sound like my dad," I said softly, "he said pretty much the same thing. Gosh, wish I'd known that then, before I got my butt kicked."

Coach laughed, "You're a good kid Robert and I'm glad you're okay, but next time use your head and not your fists."

"Yes coach, I'll try." 

"Tell you what, instead of just sitting around if you want to you can straighten up the equipment room. I'll even let one of the other boys help, say....oh, I don't know...how about Williams?"

Johnny? What was coach trying to do? Was he purposely putting us together in that little cramped room? And if so, why? What did he know?"

"I can handle it myself, but thanks anyway," I said trying to sound calm.

"I'd rather you not be alone. I don't want to have to face your mother if something goes wrong." Then ignoring my protest he called Johnny over.

"Hey Johnny, Robert here is going to straighten up the equipment room and I'm volunteering you to help him. How does that sound?"

"Uh..fine, just fine,"  Johnny said blushing.

"Great, well...come on I'll get you guys started while the others are dressing out."

We followed coach to the small room they used to store the equipment in without even looking at one another. It felt awkward being paired up this way and again I wondered what coach was up to.

The equipment room was actually under the bleachers and accessible from a door on the far side of gym next to the wall. Since the bleachers extended to within five feet of the floor at the lowest point and twenty or more feet at the highest point the inside of the room mirrored those dimensions.

Looking up you could could see each level of the bleachers and of course the steel and concrete pillars that supported them. The room itself was not large, maybe twenty feet by fifteen feet, but at the low end it was too low to stand up in so that part was filled with shelves and bins for some of the equipment.

Along the wall opposite the door were shelves running the entire length of the room and about six feet high. Some of the sections of shelving had removable bins for storing small stuff while others had netting in front to keep basketballs and such from rolling off the shelves.

As coach opened the door we could see that the room was a mess and seemed to have no organization at all. I groaned to myself when I thought about how much work lay ahead straightening this mess out, and suddenly I was glad coach had forced Johnny upon me as a helper.

"It's a real mess and I never have time to get around to straightening it out. Let me give you a basic idea of what I want you to do and you can take it from there. As long as it's neat and organized I can live with whatever you boys come up with."

The plan was simple, like items together, larger items on bottom, small items above and everything out of the floor. That seemed simple enough and I was already thinking of ways to accomplish that when coach finally left us to the task.

"How'd you get suckered into this?" Johnny laughed.

"My mom called the school and told them not to have me do anything strenuous in gym for the rest of the week. It was either this or sit on the bleachers for an hour."

"Well, I guess it's not so bad. Maybe we can get this knocked out pretty quick and just goof off the rest of the time."

"Hopefully, well...I have a plan...if you want to hear it."

"Yeah, you're always good at this kind of stuff, you tell me what to do and I'll do it, how's that?" he said smiling.

I outlined my plan then we set to work getting things organized and stowing them as we went. It really wasn't that difficult once we got the clutter on the floor cleared away and within ten or fifteen minutes the room was starting to take shape.

"I guess you were pretty upset when coach stuck you with me to help with this," I said fishing for his take on things.

"Naw, I can think of worse things," he said grinning.

"Do you think he did it on purpose or that he knows something?" I blurted out.

"What? No...I mean he knows we're friends and all..." he said then frowning he went on, "even if he did he know he wouldn't put us together like this, most likely keep us apart. That's how grown ups think."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I guess he just thought us being friends and all that it would be better for me to be with someone I knew...and trusted."

"Only you don't trust me all that much...anymore...do ya'?"

"I don't know. I don't know what to believe lately."

"I never lied to you...not once. Maybe you didn't like hearin' the truth, but I never lied."

"Maybe not telling me how you feel is the same as lying? You ever think of that?"

"Maybe I don't feel like you think I do and you're making more out of things than they are."

"I don't know. I just know how I feel and it's not the same as it used to be."

"What do you mean?" he said stopping in midair as he was about to place a basketball on the shelf.

"I guess I'm just confused, that's all. I mean things got really bad really fast and I'm still not sure how I feel about that. I know some of it may be my fault, but I didn't start all this...you did."

"I didn't do anything but tell you how I felt. Five minutes ago you were saying that my not telling you the truth was like lying and that that was what caused all the trouble. Make up your mind, which is it?"

"I don't want to fight," I said holding up my hands in surrender, "but I guess we just don't see things the same way...not anymore anyway."

"What does that mean? Are you saying you don't like me anymore?" 

"Of course I like you. You're a good person and I've known you all my life. We've been closer than brothers since we first met and then we got even closer, but...I'm just not sure how I feel about us anymore."

"About us? You mean us being friends or boyfriends?"

"Boyfriends I guess. I mean you sort of ended that when you took up with Evelyn."

"I didn't want anything to change," he said stubbornly.

"You can't have it both ways Johnny. You can't have a boyfriend and a girlfriend. Someone is always going to get hurt when you try to love two people."

"Who says I loved her?"

"Then you were just going to use her, that's even worse."

"I think you're making to much out of this thing with Evelyn. We didn't do anything and once we got to know each other better we...well, it was weird Robert. It was like dating my sister of something. I couldn't get past the fact that I'd known her as just this girl that was our friend and I kept thinking of you all the time I was with her."

"What are you saying? That you tried it and it didn't work and now you want to come back? What happens when you find a girl that it's not weird with? One that turns you on and one you want to kiss and mess around with?"

He sighed, "Why do you always have to create problems that don't exist. There is no girl and I'm not looking for one."

"But you still want to...am I right?"

"I...I don't know. This thing with you has been like a knife wound for me. I thought you'd get over it and come back around, but you just won't let it go."

"I can't," I said stubbornly, "Let's not talk about it anymore. I'm starting to get a headache and getting mad will only make it worse. Let's just finish this mess and go find coach and let him check it out."

He didn't reply and except for discussing the job at hand neither of us spoke for the next twenty minutes or so that it took us to finish. When we were done everything was off the floor and pretty well organized and I was pretty proud of the job we'd done.

"Come on, let's go find Coach and see what he thinks."

"You go on, I'm gonna go join the other guys and get a little exercise," he said sounding upset.

"Oh, okay, sure. Sorry you had to help me with this. Thanks for your help though."

He shrugged and took off and I followed close behind. I couldn't help but stare at his backside as he walked. I knew every inch of his body, every curve, every freckle and mole, how his skin felt, tasted, smelled. I loved those downy hairs on the back of his neck and the way he shivered when I kissed him there. Oh how I had loved coming up behind him and locking my arms around him and pulling his firm soft butt against my raging hardon. But most of all I loved his smile, his kisses, and his loving embrace. 

I know I was too young then to know what love really meant, so why do I remember that love as being my first and truest? My heart, which had begun to heal some was now shattered again, and mostly my own doing. I had dared to think that things had changed and that we could be together again, but the truth was nothing had really changed between us...nothing.

Coach was pleased with the way we'd cleaned up the equipment room and gave us extra points, but no one really flunked PE so it was sort of silly, even if I did like the praise. I finished out the period sitting in Coach's office and studying the trophies on his wall and wishing I was far away. 

Since I hadn't dressed out and didn't need to shower so as soon as the bell rang I was out the door before the rest of the guys. I stopped at my locker and grabbed the books I needed for homework and slipped on my jacket and headed home.

Donnie was back to riding with Larry and I think they even took Walter home so there was no one to walk with that day, but I really didn't care. I was learning to like solitude and supposed there would be much more of it in the days and weeks and years to come. 

I was certain I would never find another boy like Johnny to love and who loved me, and since I had no interest in girls, that left only me...well, me and my hand. That was what it had come down to, solitary masturbation and loneliness.

"Hey Robert!" wait up.

Of course it was Johnny and he was sprinting toward me at his usual race horse pace. I did stop, but didn't turn around, instead staring straight ahead and trying to decide whether I was happy or upset to have him walk with me.

"Are you still mad at me?" he said watching me closely.

"Not really," I said truthfully. How could I stay mad at someone I loved with all my heart and soul. I might be mad about some of the things he did, but I couldn't be mad at him, well...not for long anyway.

"Good, cause I want to tell you something and I want you to listen and then give me an answer and whatever you say I will accept that and do what you want."

I frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"Just hear me out, okay?"

"Okay, but not here in the alley. Come home with me and we can talk in my room. It's too damn cold to talk outside."

"Okay," he said sounding nervous, "I guess that's best."

"Besides, I'm hungry. We can get a snack before we talk."

"Oh, okay," he said grinning and I grinned back.

We didn't talk a lot that cold dreary January day as we walked to my house, but I felt very comfortable with him there beside me and I like to think he felt the same way.

As we bolted in the back door mom looked up and smiled when she saw us together and Mikey ran to Johnny and he picked him up.

"You're  getting so big now kiddo," he said swinging Mikey around causing him to giggle.

Mom cut us a piece of apple pie and poured us a glass of milk and we took it to my room to eat and have our talk. I usually changed out of my school clothes as soon as I got home even when Johnny was with me, but for some reason it just didn't seem right that day. If Johnny noticed my break of habit he didn't mention it, but I think he was too busy trying to think about what it was he was going to say.

"Do you want to finish our snack before we talk?"

"Yeah, I think so..."

"Okay," I said trying to think of something else to say and falling flat. What had happened to us that we couldn't even carry on a normal conversation?

Since we weren't talking between bites our snack disappeared pretty quickly and as we drained the last of our milk we stared at each other anticipating what was next.

"So...what was it you wanted to tell me?"

"Well...see I been thinking...about how thing must be for you and what you must be thinking and I want to tell you what I think and how I see things. Then when I'm done I want to ask you one question and however you answer that question will decide what happens next."

"Damn Johnny, that sounds mysterious," I said trying to hide my fear with humor.

He chuckled once, but it sounded more like a dying frog and then he began.

"Okay, first of all...I want you to know that I still feel the same way about you as I always have. I never stopped...lik..uh, loving you and I still do. I don't like my life without you in it very much. It's hard to get through the day knowing you're mad or upset with me about this thing with Evelyn. I never wanted to hurt you..."

"But you did."

"I know, but you wouldn't let me explain. You just pushed me away and made me think you didn't care anymore so I just went ahead and did something that I probably never would have done if you had just listened to me and not been so..."

"So what? Stubborn?"

He shrugged, "I mean if you would have just listened to me and not got mad or whatever and tried to understand my side of it."

"I think I understood just fine. You wanted some pussy," I said defiantly.

"No...that's not what I meant. I'm sorry I ever mentioned that stuff about wanting to try a girl. I guess I thought after all the times we talked about that stuff that you would understand."

"That I was just practice for when you found a girl?" I said acidly.

"No, what we had was more than that. At least for me it was. I think it was maybe the greatest thing I've ever had and maybe the greatest thing I'll ever have."

Well, that was sweet, even if the rest was total bullshit.

"So what's the question you want to ask me?"

"First you gotta promise me one thing,"

"What?"

"That you'll listen to what I have to say and not interrupt and not answer till I'm done."

"Okay, go ahead then...talk."

"This is hard," he said biting his lip nervously, "I know I'm not good with words, not like you are, and this is important and I don't want to screw it up by sayin' the wrong thing. First of all...I love you, I guess I always have, first as a friend and then more like a brother and then...well, you know what I mean. I never stopped loving you or thinking about you the whole time we've been apart and I guess I never will.

When you said you couldn't be my friend anymore I thought I'd die. I didn't know what to do so...I turned to Evelyn and that's when we started really talking and getting to know each other, but mostly we talked about you. She really likes you and always have. I didn't know that you and her were boyfriend and girlfriend in second grade," he said smiling sadly and dabbing at wet eyes.

I almost laughed when he said that. One day she turned around in class and asked me if I'd be her boyfriend, I say yes, and nothing more was ever said or done. Oh sure we'd hang out sometimes and I gave her a valentine card that year that had X's an O's all over it, but we never even so much as held hands. Within six months we'd both forgotten about it. That's how it works when you're a little kid.

"She said she had always hoped you'd like her as much as she liked you, but then she decided that it would never happen and I guess she thought if she couldn't have you then she'd try to have me."

I wanted to scream, "That scheming bitch!", but I was sworn to keep quiet.

"Only thing was she didn't really like me that way and I couldn't get over the thing you said about not being her friend if we were together and that hurt. I guess I was trying to get back at you a little by telling you that we were together, but it was all really just a big mistake.

So...I didn't know what to do...about us, about trying to fix things. Then that thing with Bruce happened and I saw you with that boy and I...well, I thought you'd already found someone else. I bout' died when I thought that and that's why I didn't say anything to Bruce about his ragging on you. I guess I was jealous and maybe wanted some revenge.

But I swear I never thought you'd fight him. That was so unlike you. The old Robert I new would never have taken on a big brute like that. But it only made me prouder of you and when I saw him about to pound you into the ground I just went crazy.

So, I guess I should ask you now...what I wanted to ask you and see what you say. Then I'll let it go.Whatever you say goes, I won't nag and I won't bother you again."

"Just ask," I said breaking my vow of silence.

"Okay," he said taking a deep breath, "I want to know if you'll take me back. But I have to be honest with you, I don't know what will happen next week or next month or next year or five years from now. All I can promise is today and each day I'll promise that again and again for as long as it lasts. Is that enough for you, can you live with that? Can you love me till you can't love me anymore?"

I sat for a moment thinking about what he'd just said, what he'd just asked and how it all fit with my own way of thinking and suddenly I knew what I had to do. It would hurt, but I was already half way there before he's asked me this and what he'd just said to me only confirmed what I already knew, that I was in this love alone. That he was only in it till something better came along, and I couldn't live with that.

"I don't think I can live with that," I said simply trying not to cry, knowing this was really the end, "I need someone who will promise to be there tomorrow and forever or until we both decide it doesn't work anymore. I don't want to be your boyfriend till some girl comes along and takes you away. You've already broken my heart once, I can't stand another one. No, it you can't tell me you are serious about what we have then I...can't be your boyfriend anymore. I will still try to be your friend, but it will be hard. Seeing you with someone else will be painful and knowing what I've given up will be like cutting off my hand, but I can't do this thing your way."

"I was afraid you'd say that, but I had to ask. I'll go now and I won't bug you about it, but...if you change your mind or just want to talk...well, you know I'll always be there for you."

"You should go now," I said as the first tears finally began to fall.

He nodded, "I'm sorry, I really am...and I do love you."

"Go now," I sobbed.

I watched as he walked out my door then slowly closed it behind him. I stared at the closed door for a few minutes willing him to come back and tell me it was all a lie, that he wanted things to be the way I wanted them to be, but of course he didn't. I fell face first onto my bed and cried myself to sleep.

 

 






End of Chapter 17




 

What is wrong with Robert? Why does he keep making trouble for himself. Can't he see that Johnny still loves him and wants to make things right? Will Johnny accept Robert's answer and move on or will he keep trying? Will Robert find a new friend and confidant in Ben and now that Ricky is closer will he become an important part of Robert's life again? We shall see.





 





    Thanks once again for your support over the years and I value your emails and your input. Please address all emails to kewl_dad1@hotmail.com I promise to answer all of them in a timely fashion.



1-17-18

Kewl Dad

 













I have updated my story list if you see any missing please let me know.

Other stories by Kewl Dad

* Denotes Series, rest are short stories



  1. A Christmas for Joey

  2. A Christmas With Nick

  3. Accidental Dad*

  4. Adolescent

  5. Alex and Aidan*

  6. Andy Tastes Like Candy

  7. At the Dike*

  8. Black Cock

  9. Boy Glory Hole

  10. Bullied

  11. Christmas Boy

  12. CL Cock Sucker

  13. Cory*

  14. Corey's Scent

  15. Cody's Christmas Wish

  16. Dirt Bikes and Blowjobs

  17. DMV Boy

  18. Dougie's Story #Part 3 of a series

  19. The Family*

  20. The Ginger and the Chub

  21. Hair Salon Boys

  22. I Heart You

  23. Little Brother's Feet*

  24. Lost in Fear*

  25. Mars

  26. McChicken

  27. My Best Friend's Dad *Related story to My Son's Best Friends

  28. My Not so Miserable Life

  29. My Little Runaway #Part 1 of a series

  30. My Son's Best Friends *Related series to My Best Friend's Dad

  31. My Little Runaway

  32. My 11th Summer*

  33. One Night

  34. Poindexter Files*

  35. Rabbit: A Christmas Story

  36. Second Chance for Love

  37. Six Black Boys*

  38. Skateboard Boy*

  39. Skateboard Christmas

  40. Sudden Family*

  41. Taking a Chance on Love

  42. The Year I Learned to Love my Brother (TYILTLMB)*

  43. The Reynolds Twins*

  44. Tommy Boy #Part two of a series

  45. To the Max

  46. Tracy*

  47. Trick or Treet Dress Up

  48. Tween to Teen*

  49. What a Dollar Will Buy

  50. It's Amazing What Sex Can do for a Guy (as smoothoperator52)