Date: Sun, 6 Apr 2014 11:08:46 +1200
From: bob charles <pennywise3636@gmail.com>
Subject: Washed Up (Gay / Young friends) chapter 31

Washed Up.

Disclaimer:

Warning: this story contains sexual content, contact between young boys,
and other themes that may offend.  If the subject matter offends you, is
not to your tastes, or if you are under legal age for your area, then find
something else to read. In the following story all names and events are
completely fictional.  Although I may mention a specific location, place,
or person any resemblance to said people, location, or places is completely
unintentional.

Chapter 31:

By the time we reach Taupo Bay, all of us kids are almost asleep. Sorry, I
lie, us older boys are almost asleep, but the youngsters on the other hand
crashed not long after they finished dinner. We pull up outside a house
which looks very familiar to me, but due to my drowsiness it takes me a
little while to figure out how I know it so well. It finally comes to me
and I work out it is the house next to where we used to live, the place
with the beautiful garden that we took a leak in before Pierre was taken
from me. It is a glorious house, but I never realised it was quite as big
as it is, let alone have any idea how mum managed to persuade the owners to
let us use it for however long we are staying. I'm too tired to think too
much about it, so once mum has killed the engine of the van and unlocked
the front door, I drag myself along with Pierre into the house. Mum quickly
shows us where we are sleeping for the night, and almost before she has
left the room Pierre and I have stripped and climbed into bed. Moments
later we are cuddled closely together and in a deep sleep.

"Wakey, wakey... I need you two boys up, showered and dressed within an
hour. Your clothes are on the chairs beside the window, and the shower is
in your ensuite. If you have any problems getting dressed then see Manuel's
grandparents who are in the next room on the left. Meet us on the beach in
an hour tops, you won't have any problems finding us," mum says, once she
finally sees us stirring the next morning. I've got no idea what the rush
is about, but I know we better do as we are told because we don't want to
hold anyone up like what has become the norm for us. She quickly leaves the
room, so we can awaken properly, before getting ourselves ready.

************

I continue to lie there, hugging Pierre, allowing myself to awaken fully
before attempting to do anything. After everything we did yesterday I am in
a lazy mood this morning, so this urgent wake up is not what I needed at
all. All I wanted was to be able to lie in bed until I was ready to get up,
but that's not going to be the case. I grunt from annoyance before
stretching as I try to get my body working again. Pierre is trying
desperately to ignore my movements so he can fall asleep again, but I won't
let him. If I'm not allowed to sleep in then neither is he, although I wish
we both could. Once I feel my body free up I struggle out of bed. By
struggle I mean struggle because my body is in no mood to listen to what I
tell it. It is like my head and desperate for a sleep-in and more time to
relax, but we haven't got that luxury, despite how much I want it.

Once I have managed to get out of bed, I stumble around it so I can get to
Pierre easily. He sees me coming so rolls over to ensure he is facing the
opposite direction to me. I sigh, because I hate forcing him to do
something he doesn't want to do, but I know we will get into big trouble if
we're not ready, so I have no choice. Thankfully he doesn't roll over to
the other side of the bed, so that I would have to try and chase him, but
having his back to me is going to be awkward enough. I can reach his body
easily enough, but trying to roll him over towards me is going to be an
almighty struggle, so being able to reach his hands and arms would make
life so much easier. They are out of reach though, so I come up with what I
hope is a failsafe plan to get him out of bed.

I bend over him, so my head is above his and wait for the opportune
moment. It doesn't take long because the sudden shadow falling across his
head sparks his curiosity and he looks up to see what is causing it. As
soon as I see him turn to face me I lower my head, so I can plant a nice
loving kiss on his lips. It is impossible for him to resist, and as soon as
he feels me trying to break apart from it, he rolls over and uses his hands
to keep me in place. `Gotcha' I think to myself, as I grab hold of his arms
and start to lift him out of bed. He comes freely, since he doesn't want to
part from the kiss just yet, so has no option but to get up. I'm glad he
does get up so easily, because I don't want to part from the kiss
either. The sensations I get from kissing him are so amazing and wonderful
that I wish I could kiss him forever. I know I can't so ensure I enjoy
every kiss we have to the max.

Time is ticking by, and at a rapid rate while we enjoy kissing, meaning I
had better get the ball rolling and start to make sure we get ready. The
showering part shouldn't take too long, but I'm unsure about getting
dressed, because mum has picked our clothes for us for some reason, so I
have no idea what to expect. I can't be bothered taking a look at this
stage, so slowly back my way into the ensuite bathroom while maintaining my
kiss with Pierre. I have become so used to trying to do this that it has
become relatively easy, and before we know it we are there. Now I know I
have to part from the kiss, and so does he. We are disappointed to get to
this point, but break apart without too much hesitation. We know time is
passing us by so we better start to hurry, which is the main reason we were
able to part from our kiss so easily.

I start the shower running while Pierre wanders over to the toilet to take
care of his morning wood. Once I have the shower as I want it I go over to
join him. I get there just in time too, as I feel the dam threatening to
burst. I don't know how I have been able to ignore it so well this morning,
but it probably has more to do with my mind being occupied doing other
things, than it has to do with me physically ignoring the bodily urge to
pee. We don't play around, just stand there and take our pee normally,
because we don't want to run the risk of making a mess, let alone waste
time starting to play childish games. We are on a tight enough schedule as
it is, made worse by the way we didn't want to get up.

We finish up using the toilet as quickly as physically possible, and then
jump in the shower. This is one of the biggest advantages to sleeping
naked, because we don't need to fart ass around in the morning stripping
before we can use the shower. It is a tight squeeze in here because the
cubicle is tiny. I mean it must be small if it struggles to cope with the
slim bodies of two twelve year olds using it at the same time. We manage
though, and have ourselves washed and dried in about five minutes, which
would have to be close to record time for us. Now that we have dried
ourselves we leave the bathroom so we can get dressed. We are both caught
totally off guard by the clothes waiting for us on the chairs, because it
isn't anything either of us have bought. In fact we have never seen these
clothes before, so have no idea where mum got them from.

On the chairs lie matching sets of dark blue tuxedos, plain white long
sleeved dress shirts and socks, all folded neatly and placed in a fashion
to avoid them getting any wrinkles or creases in them. Under the chair lies
a set of beautiful black leather dress shoes which have been polished so
well they almost shine on their own. The clothes look bloody expensive,
making me wonder why on earth mum would have us wear them today, and down
on the beach of all places. I know the reason has to be totally obvious,
but I'm still in too much of a daze to figure it out. Pierre is no help
either. We quickly get changed, also putting on underwear for the first
time in god knows how long. Since we have matching outfits, we figure we
should wear matching underwear too, so opt for plain black briefs. Once we
have the top half on, we notice something else we hadn't before in the form
of an elegant black leather belt, also there is also something hanging on
the backrest of the seat, but neither of us have any idea what it is, so
ignore it.

Once we have everything on, except the thing we have no clue about, we
inspect each other to make sure the clothes look smart and straight on
us. It doesn't take long, and we are both happy with the way the other
looks, so decide it must be time to head out to the beach. Upon leaving the
room I notice the rest of the boys gathered outside Manuel's grandparents'
room, waiting with the thing Pierre and I ignored in their hands. Seeing
that confuses us, as we have no idea why they are lined up there, except I
do vaguely remember mum muttering something about if we needed a hand with
anything to see Manuel's grandpa. It still doesn't answer much, except
everyone must need his help with something. I can't be bothered worrying
about it too much, so I just take a quick look at them all, sort of giving
them an inspection. They all look immaculate, and everyone is in identical
clothing to what Pierre and I are in. Well, all except for Manuel. His tux
is a pure black, unlike the rest of us who are in dark blue, which confuses
me even more.

"Josh, Pierre, where are your ties?" François asks, upon noticing we
haven't got them on, let alone carrying them.

"Um... oh... is that what they are? Sorry, we will get them now," I reply,
a little ashamed at not knowing what a tie was. Then again no-one in my
family has ever worn one before, so how was I supposed to know.

"Ok... if you don't know how to tie them, then you will have to wait in
line with the others. I don't know how to either, so I will be getting the
same help as everyone else," François says. I can tell he is ashamed at
not being able to tie one, but he had been a farmer all his life, so had no
use for one. I don't blame him and don't think anything less of him for
it. In fact I admire his courage in being able to admit it, and I let him
know that.

Pierre and I disappear back into our room to retrieve our ties, now that we
know what they are, and that we are supposed to wear them. By the time we
have come back out into the hallway, Manuel's grandpa has started to help
the others. Callum was the first in line, so he is the first to get his tie
put on, and once it is he looks very smart. The tie is the same colour as
ours, a maroon sort of colour, but it works perfectly with the
outfit. Pierre and I join the back of the queue, behind François, but it
isn't long before it is our turn to get helped. Manuel's grandpa must have
done this a lot over his many years, because he is an expert at tying
them. I presume he taught his son how to tie them too, but he is nowhere to
be seen, along with mum and Sarah. Manuel's grandma is helping out her
husband, by doing a final inspection of all of us, and tinkering with our
outfits a little until she is happy. Once they have finished we all look
like a million dollars, and feel like it too. This would be the flashiest
any of us have ever dressed, making me think that this must be an important
and special occasion. I know I should be able to work it out, but it still
escapes my mind.

Well, it did, but then Manuel noticed a bulge in one of the pockets of his
tuxedo. He reaches into the pocket and pulls out a small box, with some
sort of furry fabric covering it. Instantly I figure out what it is, and
feel completely and utterly dumb for not having worked it out earlier. The
box must contain a ring, meaning Manuel must be his father's best man. Mum
and Manuel's dad, well, soon to be my dad too, are getting married. My
heart skips a beat at the thought, because I'm so excited for them. Not
only that, but it will truly be the end of my old life, because the joining
of our two families will signify the start of a new era for everyone
involved. Without realising it before, this is the day I have been longing
for for so long. This is the start of a new chapter in my life, and I'm
happy to slam the door shut on the old one.

"Manuel, please put that back in your pocket, because you don't want to
lose it. That is something very important for your father, as it is a ring
he bought especially for today. If you haven't worked it out yet, your dad
Manuel, and Callum's mum are getting married today. Your father wanted to
give you the honour of being his best man, so you're going to have to be on
your best behaviour" Manuel's grandma tells him, worried that he might drop
it, or worse think it is a toy and play with it. He does as he is told,
with an excited gleam on his face. I can tell he wants to behave himself
because he knows it is what he has to do, but it is difficult for him. He
wants to run around and cheer and celebrate with Callum, who is feeling the
same way, but both boys know they will have to be good.

I think the whole lot of us are feeling just as excited as Manuel is,
because this is something we have been waiting for. Xavier and Bastian seem
to have sensed the importance this event means to us, so are happy and
excited as well. We are all proud of Manuel getting to be the best man for
his dad, because I have heard that it is an honour to be the one
chosen. All we hope now is he does a good job, but I'm sure he will. He
won't want to let his dad down, not on a special day like today, so I know
he will try his hardest to be the best, best man ever. With all of us ready
it is time for us to go and find where they are holding the ceremony, which
shouldn't be too hard to find given it is being held on the beach.

It is perfect weather for a mid-winter's day. Not a cloud in the sky, and
as calm as can be. The temperature is a little fresh, but has the feeling
of warming quite nicely. Long shadows are being cast everywhere from the
low angle of the sun, and we won't get rid of the shadows like we would
during summer because the sun won't climb high enough in the sky. Needless
to say if you wanted a perfect day for a wedding, then you couldn't beat
today, during winter anyway. The yard is exactly as I remember it, helped
by the fact that the owners have only planted evergreen native trees and
bushes in their garden. It looks stunning under the cool orange glow the
sun is producing. There is a slight wet smell lingering in the air, as last
night's dew evaporates from the leaves of the trees and bushes, along with
the grass. On top of that there is the salty smell from the ocean just
across the sand dunes. I feel like I am back home, where I'm supposed to
be.

We leave the comfort and warmth of the house, and venture outside and over
the sand dunes. I stop dead at the top of them, and Callum does too. We
stand side by side as we look enviously at something we haven't seen in
ages. The surf. It looks perfect; fun little two to two and a half foot
waves breaking perfectly left and right. The water is so smooth it has a
look of glass, and the two of us couldn't think of anything better than
being able to suit up and paddle out for a surf. We are hoping that we may
get a chance later, once we have acquired our boards from the new family in
our old house. For the moment we have to forget about it, as Pierre is
trying to pull me along, while Manuel is yanking at my brother's
arm. Everyone else is now at the base of the dune, pretty much on the
beach, so we race down it to catch everyone.

The beach is picture perfect. The golden white sands are glistening under
the sun. There is a lot of debris washed up on the sand, but it all adds to
the character. There are some pretty impressive pieces of driftwood
scattered here and there, some of it almost looks like whole trees. All the
bark has been stripped from them, giving it that classic white look you
usually see when you see driftwood. Further along the beach, a little past
our old house is obviously where the wedding is being held, because there
are small groupings of chairs, separated by a red carpet running down the
middle. It is acting like an aisle, and is presumably the route to the
front which mum will take. At the front is a small altar, with a white
cloth that has a gold cross on it draped over it. The altar is set on a
raised platform, which is under a gazebo tent that has been decorated with
some beautiful flowers in pots.

It looks like the perfect venue for a wedding, but there is one thing I've
noticed that doesn't seem to make much sense. There are more chairs than I
thought would be needed, by quite a few. I would say that there are around
eight or nine extra chairs, but I didn't think mum knew that many people,
especially after we had to cut all off our old contacts because we were
under victim protection. As a result of that it has been a while since she
has had any contact with any of her old friends, but in saying that I don't
remember her ever having many. Even before dad went mad, mum never seemed
to have many friends come over, and she very rarely seemed to go out and
socialise. I can't think of anyone she would know well enough that she
would get more seats than needed, but maybe I'm overlooking something.

It turns out that I was, because as we get closer to where the wedding is
to be held, I see five of our protection agents lining the sand dunes. As
I've said before we grew very close to them during the time we knew them,
but I didn't think mum was close enough to them to invite them to her
wedding. I'm thrilled to be able to see them again, and that they are going
to help mum celebrate what is going to be such an important event in her
life. There is one other thing which makes me excited in seeing them, as I
notice they are holding Callum's and my surfboards, along with our other
surfing accessories. I can't help myself, so dash over to them and give
them all a hug, followed not too far behind by Callum. We stack our surfing
gear in a pile at the base of the dunes, so they are out of the way, but we
can still keep an eye on them. Once we've done that we escort our guests
over to where everyone else has gathered, so we can introduce them to
everyone.

"Josh, Callum, sorry but we have never formally met, but I helped to keep
an eye on you for your mum. I'm Susanne, and my partner here is Frank. We
used to be your next-door neighbours, and live in the house you are
currently staying in. I hate to say this, but it was because of the stress
you caused your mum Josh, that we came to know her. We heard the arguments,
and quite often saw your mum outside crying. It was usually while you were
at school when we saw her in tears, so we tried to help her as much as we
could. Don't get me wrong Josh, I know what you had been through, so I
understand why you were like that, which is also why we used to keep a good
eye on you, to ensure you didn't do something silly and hurt yourself," an
elderly lady says, who I actually did recognise, but I am completely
surprised she cared so much to help mum and keep an eye on me.

"Hi, look I'm really sorry about the way I used to act, but things are
different now. I have changed, so you don't need to worry about..."

"Josh, sweetie... I was never worried about how you used to act, because
after what you had been through it was quite understandable. I know you
have changed, because I can see it in you, and I know this darling young
man has a lot to do with it. Yes, I know exactly what your relationship is
with him, because unbeknownst to you we were still living here between the
time of you saving him, and... um... well, you know. I'm happy you have
found someone who has made you relish life again, because for a while I
though... um... well, to be frank, I thought you might take your own life,
and..."

"Don't get me wrong, but I did contemplate it several times, but I couldn't
do it. I couldn't leave Callum on his own; not without me, because there
was no-one else I trusted to protect him. I'm sorry I worried you into
thinking that I might do that, but it wasn't going to happen, not so long
as Callum lived," I tell her, interrupting her the same way she had done to
me, but I had to.

"I kind of figured that, because I had noticed how close you were to
Callum. I am glad he was around to make you see enough sense, because I
shudder to think of what may have happened otherwise. I have always sensed
that you were a bright and caring boy, who didn't have a good period in his
life. From what I can see I was right, but I'm thrilled that things have
improved for the better. If you don't mind would you please take the time
to introduce me to all these lovely people?" she asks, reminding me that I
haven't even properly introduced my boyfriend. Somehow she knows a lot
about him and what he has done for me, so I do feel bad for not having
introduced him earlier.

Of course the first person I introduce them to is Pierre, because I figure
I should also get to know her husband, who up till that point had been
pretty quiet. They both give him a huge hug, telling him how lucky he was
that I saved him, along with meeting me. They are thrilled to bits that we
met each other, because they can see how beneficial we are to each other,
but we both already know that. I continue to take them around everyone
until I get a tap on the shoulder. It is another lady, this time closer to
mum's age, but I also recognise her. She was the neighbour living on the
other side of our house, but that is about as much as I know. I decide to
do the courteous thing and talk to her, so I ask Pierre if he can continue
introducing the couple we just met to everyone.

I get told almost exactly the same thing from this new lady, who was also
very concerned about my wellbeing. She too had promised mum to keep an eye
on me, and is happy that I found Pierre, who I thought I had better
introduce before he left with the other two. It turns out that mum had
actually breached one of the rules of our protection, by divulging what I'd
been through and why we were here. It means nothing now, and it never
really did, because mum didn't tell them until she was completely confident
they were trustworthy. The offset of her telling them is I know have to put
up with the condolences for what dad did for me all over again, but I cope
with it by remembering what Manuel's grandpa told me.

"Manuel, can you come here please, because I have a few things to go
through with you... Everyone else, I would ask you to take a seat because
we are moments away from getting the show on the road," Sarah calls out
from under the gazebo tent. My jaw drops to the ground upon seeing my
sister, who is wearing the most elegant sapphire blue dress I have
seen. She looks dazzling, by far the nicest I have ever seen her
dress. Seeing her like that makes me realise that mum must have asked her
to be her bridesmaid.

I am very proud to call her my sister at this moment in time, especially
seeing the way she calmly explains to Manuel what his job entails. She
doesn't get flustered by his questions, and does the best she can to teach
the young boy his role. It takes a good ten minutes of question and
answers, but I'm glad to say that she must have done an excellent job
because I can see the confidence on Manuel's face. He knows exactly what he
is to do, and I can tell he is getting excited about it. The only thing I
hope is that the boy can contain his excitement, until after the wedding at
least. My biggest worry is that he might yell out to Callum at the wrong
time in celebration that they are now officially brothers, but to be honest
I don't think anyone would care too much if he did. The boys are very
close, so finally being proper brothers will almost be like they have had
their own wedding. It will mean that much to the two of them.

While we are taking our seats, Manuel's dad appears and stands on the
opposite side of the altar to where Sarah is. Without needing to be told
Manuel stands beside his dad on the further side of it, and they look
straight down the aisle, waiting patiently for mum. Sarah makes sure they
are lined up exactly right before she disappears again, presumably to join
mum for the walk down the aisle. All heads in the audience turn to see mum
when she appears. There is a high level of expectation in the air now, as
everyone is eager to see the bride in all her glory. It will be something
new to Callum and me as well, because this will be the nicest we have ever
seen our mum dress, and of course neither of us saw her original wedding. I
suppose dressing up elegantly is to be expected given this is the most
important event in her life. It is even more important to her than when she
married dad, because this time she knows it is meant to be. She feels a
deeper connection to Manuel's dad than she ever did with our natural
father, so it shows how much mum wants this to happen.

Out from behind the sand dunes mum magically appears, and I swear
everything comes to a standstill because she looks that beautiful. I swear
my jaw hits the ground for the second time today, because she looks so
dazzling. She has on the most magnificent white dress, which sparkles under
the sun. Her face glows, radiating out her love for Manuel's dad, and also
for the excitement of the occasion. She hasn't bothered with a veil, so her
face can be clearly seen, along with all the emotions on it. What surprises
me is there is no sign of nerves on her face, because I would have thought
that there would at least be some. The occasion is that important to her
that surely she must be a little bit nervous about something going wrong,
as I always thought weddings were supposed to be perfect. I could be wrong,
but judging by the amount of effort mum seems to have put into organising
this wedding, I would say she wants it to go off without a hitch.

Mum stands there for a moment, letting everyone take in the spectacle she
is providing. She is also waiting on Sarah, who is talking to a little
girl. I vaguely remember the girl from when we were living here, and
quickly realise she is the next door neighbour's daughter. The neighbour
who is of mum's age, who I now realise must be a solo mum as I've never
seen a man at the house before. The kid is about five now, and mum has
asked her to be the flower girl. That makes sense as she doesn't have
anyone else for the job. Not unless she chose Callum, but I don't think he
would take too kindly to the idea somehow. Sarah is explaining to the girl
what her job is, which is pretty basic, but kids of that age are
notoriously unreliable. Hey, even I wouldn't rely on myself for an
important job, because I think I'm still too young at times.

Once Sarah has explained to the girl what she is to do, she hands her a
bucket of freshly picked flowers. The girl takes the bucket, puts her hand
in it and pulls out a flower. She then sniffs it and puts it behind her
ear, which makes her look absolutely adorable. Now that she is happy she
effectively starts the procession, as she wanders towards us. As she gets
to the aisle she reaches into the bucket and pulls out small handfuls of
them, then sprinkles them around like the little angel she is. Mum strides
elegantly along not far behind, with Sarah following close behind. It is a
small procession, but it doesn't make it any less significant and
amazing. They look stunning as they glide down the aisle towards the altar,
which I notice now has a new person standing there.

I've seen the man before, but didn't realise mum was still in contact with
him. He was a local priest in our parish in West Auckland, and was the one
who baptised Callum and me. Although we were never a religious family, so
never went to church, it didn't stop us being involved in some of the
community projects run by the local church. It was during those where we
got to know him, leading to mum and dad becoming pretty good friends with
him. The last time we saw him he was talking about getting his marriage
celebrant's certificate so he could do weddings too. Well I'm guessing he
did get it, otherwise I suppose he wouldn't be here. It is nice seeing
someone from my old life, especially since he represents the time before
all the shit went down. He is a reminder of the good times, and not so much
the bad, because we stopped seeing him during that phase of my life.

The ceremony is short but sweet, and goes flawlessly. Manuel does his job
well, looking adorable right the way through the wedding. When it comes
time for him to hand over the rings, he does so enthusiastically, but
somehow manages to also do it gracefully. I could tell he had been waiting
for that moment the whole way through, and the excitement was building
within him as he waited for his chance to shine. I had become a little
worried he might have got himself too wound up, but he does extremely well
to keep his urges contained. Once the ceremony is complete, mum and
Manuel's dad, or should I just say dad now, sign something. I figure it
must be a sort of marriage contract, but the interesting thing is Sarah and
Manuel also sign it. I take it they must be the witnesses, but I don't
understand how either of them can sign it given their age. It must be
alright though, because otherwise someone else would have taken their
place.

Almost as soon it is all complete, Manuel's excitement finally takes
control and he sprints straight to where Callum is sitting and hugs him. I
can hear them both cheering at becoming proper brothers, and their faces
show just how happy and proud they are about it. Everyone else in the crowd
cracks up laughing at their antics, but we are all very happy for them,
along with mum and dad. The newlywed couple start mingling with all their
guests, starting with the ones they don't see every day, and then thanking
the rest of us for helping them make the day so special. There seems to be
no rush to go anywhere at this stage, as everyone stands around talking,
happily taking in the beautiful day and setting. I have no idea whether
anything further has been planned for the day, so I wait to see what is
going to happen, talking to whoever it is that wants to talk to me.

"Josh, we have a while to kill, as mum says it is going to be a while
before the reception. I was wondering if you and Callum would like to show
Bastian and Xavier how awesome you are at surfing. They want to see it as
much as I do!" Pierre says excitedly, running towards me at a great rate of
knots. The idea puts a huge smile on my face, because I was really hoping
to get to have a surf today. The same smile comes across Callum's face as
well, since he overheard what Pierre said.

"That sounds cool, I so wanted to have a surf, better check with mum
first... Mum is it alright if Callum and I go out and have a surf?" I
reply, before yelling over everyone to ask mum.

"Josh, couldn't you have just come over and asked normally? Yes it is
alright, but don't mess up your clothes, I want to see you wearing them at
the reception, because you really do look handsome," mum replies, after
doing the polite thing and coming over to talk to me directly. She knows
I'm overexcited about the idea, which is why she didn't tell me off. I'm
just glad she agreed, and so is Callum who is already sprinting towards our
gear.

I give Pierre a quick hug, before running after my brother. I try to loosen
the tie while I run, but give up and start undoing it. I had been hoping to
only loosen it so it would be easier to put back on, but it was too
difficult so I'm going to have to ask grandpa to tie it for me
again. Callum has also had to untie his as well, but what I'm not liking is
the way he has thrown it on the ground. He is in the process of removing
his trousers, which again reminds me how much Manuel has changed him. Once
I reach him I tell him to keep his clothes tidy, because mum wants us back
in them after our surf. He listens, and takes better care with the rest of
his clothes after removing them.

It doesn't take either of us long to completely strip, getting some
embarrassed looks from mum in the process. No-one else seems concerned to
see two naked boys on the beach, but I suppose mum had expected us to show
a little more dignity given there are people we don't know all too well
around. It is a little nippy standing outside naked, which is already
causing a little shrinkage, more so for Callum, but mine is also a bit
smaller. Neither of us worry too much, as we rifle through our gear to find
our wetsuits. As soon as we have located them we pull them on as quickly as
possible. It is a tough task normally, but we have both grown a bit since
we last wore them, so they are a little on the tight side. Somehow we
manage to get them on and zipped up, before pulling on our booties. We
contemplate putting on gloves and a hood, given we know the water will be
cold, and we haven't acclimatised ourselves to New Zealand conditions just
yet, but figure the surf is small enough to get away without them. We
figure we are as ready as we ever will be, so we grab our boards and tear
off towards the surf.

As soon as we go running towards the surf, the other boys head over towards
us so they can watch, which is going to be interesting because neither of
us have ever surfed in front of an audience before. We try not to think
about it, because we both know we are going to be rusty anyway, so don't
need the added pressure of feeling we have to show them our skills. We
almost freeze instantly upon entering the water, but after a quick dunk and
allowing the water to seep into the wetsuit properly, it starts to do its
job and warms up enough to maintain our body heat. Once we are comfortable
we continue to wade out towards the breakers until it is deep enough to
warrant paddling. It doesn't take us long before we're out behind the
breakers, and reassessing the conditions. What we are trying to do is read
the sets, so we know which waves to go for and which ones to let go, and
thankfully it is one skill that is easy to get back.

Once we are comfortable that we have our eye in and reading the waves well,
we attempt our first wave. We both go for a nice A frame, which we know
will break both left and right allowing us both to catch the same
wave. Thankfully we catch it, and get on our feet without much problem, but
trying to pull off any of the moves we used to be able to do wasn't going
to work. We carve up pretty well given how long we have been out of the
water for, but it feels slow and sluggish to us. Despite the extended dry
spell, we both remember vividly how it felt the last time we had a surf, so
this feels awkward and disjointed compared to what we remember. After a few
waves we start to find our groove again, and our surfing feels more free
and fluid, but it doesn't matter how good we are surfing because we are
still having a ball. Just being on the waves again gives us the buzz which
only surfing gives us, so the quality of our surfing isn't too
important. The longer we surf for the more natural it feels again, but we
have also started to notice the lulls getting longer, so we have to wait
longer between waves.

"Callum, I got a question to ask you," I say, while we are sitting on our
boards waiting for the next set to come through. We are floating pretty
close to each other, so it means I can talk to him easily without having to
raise my voice.

"Yeah, what is it," he replies, with a perplexed expression on his face. He
isn't sure what question could be going through my mind at this point in
time. What confuses him most is why I have to ask it now as opposed to
waiting until we got back into the beach to do it.

"Do you think I should marry Pierre?" I ask nervously. I'm not sure why I'm
nervous; I suppose it is because I'm scared he will think the idea is
stupid. The thoughts going through my head aren't helped one bit when he
reaches over and smacks me on the back of the head.

"Hey...! What was that for?" I yelp, mocking being hurt. Although to be
honest it did hurt a little bit, mainly because I wasn't expecting it.

"Cos, you're being stupid... I mean, did you really have to ask me that, as
there was only ever going to be one answer... Of course I think you should,
although I think you might be too young at the moment... how abouts you
have a pretend wedding at this stage, and a real one when you are old
enough?" he replies, almost scolding me for having to ask him his
thoughts. He thought I should have known him better than that, so I should
have known it was never going to be a problem. I have to try hard not to
laugh at his idea, because initially I thought it was just a cute but
childish idea. The more I think about it though, the more I realise he has
a good idea. I figure it is more showing a permanent commitment to someone
than it is a legal thing, so why can't I treat a pretend wedding like it is
the real thing?

"Thanks little bro, and that is a great idea. You're the best," I say,
before reaching over and giving him a hug, followed by pulling him off his
board so he falls in the water.

"And that's payback for you hitting me!" I say as he emerges, then poke my
tongue out at him, lie on my board, and paddle for the first wave of the
new set which is just coming in. Thankfully I catch the wave meaning I am
gaining distance on Callum, lessening any chance of retaliation from
him. Feeling spurred on and on top of the world because of Callum's
blessing, I shred the wave to pieces, pulling off tricks I was only just
accomplishing the last time I surfed. Nothing can stop me, as I feel the
world is my oyster, and hopefully by the end of the day I will somewhat be
married to the person I love. I can't see him saying no, but then it is a
huge leap especially given our age, so I don't want to get overconfident
and feel disappointed if he says we are better to wait.

I can't help myself though, and the moment I get into shallow enough water,
I jump off my board, and undo my leg rope. Once free of the rope I pick up
the board, holding it against my body under my arm, and sprint to the beach
in the direction of Pierre. Bastian, Xavier and Manuel give me a round of
applause and congratulate me on my surfing ability. I thank them as I run
past, drop my board on the sand, and throw myself at my boyfriend,
embracing him in a tight hug. I want to ask him right now, but I'm so high
from my surf and what Callum told me that I figure I should calm down a
bit. I'm also enjoying the hug too much to want to part from it right at
this moment. In fact the only thing I want to do is make the hug better, so
I kiss him lovingly on the lips. Callum has caught up by this stage, but
seeing me hugging and kissing Pierre, he decides better than to seek
vengeance for me dunking him in the water. Instead he joins the others and
watches us, almost like they are expecting something more to happen. I know
Callum is half expecting something, but I don't know why the rest are. I
decide that now is the time, but still don't want to part from our hug, so
I only break the kiss.

"Pierre, I love you more than anyone, or anything in the world. I was
wondering, would you marry me?" I ask, feeling the nerves come back with
vengeance. My voice squeaks yet again while I ask, a bit from nerves and a
bit because I realise my voice is starting to break, but I'm not worried
about that. I am however a little worried about his answer.

"Yes Josh, of course I want to marry you, but can we? I mean like
properly?" he replies, easing all my fears. I am so ecstatic he said yes
that I give him another huge kiss, before answering his questions.

"Does it matter if we can do it properly or not? It will mean exactly the
same to us whether it's legal or not, and that's all that matters. I just
want to show you that you are the only one I want in my life as a lover,
and I am fully committed to you," I reply once I manage to break apart from
our kiss.

"Yeah, you're right. I want you and only you, so if we have to make-do with
a pretend wedding at this stage it will still mean the same. Do you want to
try and do it tonight at the reception?" Pierre asks, making me realise
just how serious he is about it. I hadn't quite thought that far ahead, but
the reception sounds like a great idea.

"Yes, let's do it at the reception. I'll get changed then we need to go see
the priest to see what he says," I say, before giving him another peck, and
then release him, albeit grudgingly. Thankfully I didn't get his clothes
too wet, and in the warmth of the day they should dry out quickly, but that
is the last of our worries. If we want to get this done tonight then I know
I'm going to have to get ready, because we have a lot of stuff to try to
work out.

Before I am able to get away so I can get dressed, we get ambushed by
Manuel, Bastian and Xavier. All of them want to congratulate us on getting
married, which makes Pierre and I feel a lot more comfortable about the
idea, knowing we have the support of all our friends. I should say family
too, because Callum and Manuel are now our brothers, but I don't know what
the adults will make of it yet. I figure I'm not so much going to ask mum,
as I am going to tell her, because I don't want her to put a kybosh on my
whole plan. I know she will only be looking out for me, but I know what I
want and that is to show the full love and commitment I have for
Pierre. She is the only one I'm expecting any real resistance from, but I'm
also not entirely sure bout grandma either. I'm hoping I've been
influential enough on her that she trusts my judgement on important things
like this. Either way, I'm going through with it regardless of whether they
like it or not.

As soon as I can get away from everyone, I head over to where I left my
clothes on order to start getting changed. Pierre follows close behind, and
eagerly helps me to get out of my wetsuit. I'm so glad he gives a hand,
because it would have been almost impossible to get out of otherwise. A wet
wetsuit is bad enough to take off, let alone the fact it is a little too
small for me. Pretty quickly I have the wetsuit off and I'm now standing
there as naked as the day I was born, and enjoying it. The temperature
isn't too bad now, and after having been in the cold water for a while, it
feels all the more pleasant. Pierre starts to dry me, using a towel that
someone had the forethought to get for Callum and me. I almost crack up
laughing while getting dried by my lover, as I see Callum sitting bare butt
on the sand, with Manuel trying his hardest to pull the wetsuit off my
brother's legs. In the end the fit is that tight that Bastian and Xavier
have to lend a hand, and after having dragged Callum halfway along the
beach they finally succeed in getting it off. Ok, so halfway might have
been a bit of an over-exaggeration, but they did drag him a fair way,
making me wonder if he is going to have a bit of a sore bum as a result.

If he does he isn't showing it, as now he is free from his wetsuit he
starts to dry himself. By this stage I'm in the process of putting my pants
on. Well, Pierre is putting them on I should say, because my hands are a
little numb from the cold water, and he wants me dressed as quickly as
possible. So he figures it would be a lot easier if he puts my clothes on
for me. It also allows him some time to admire my body, like he loves to do
while I'm naked. The whole prospect of getting married has him excited as
well, so he is doing all he can to get me ready so we can start to organise
an impromptu wedding. It doesn't take long before he has my pants and belt
done up, and is working on my top half, while Callum is getting helped by
the others to get dressed. That so easily could have become messy, but
somehow they get it done without getting in each other's way. So in the
end, despite Callum's slow start, we are both dressed at the same time,
ties excluded.

The ties will have to wait until we find grandpa, or possibly dad. I'm sure
he will be able to tie them, so long as he isn't too occupied with mum. I
start to head off towards where the wedding was held, before noticing that
no-one is there any longer. Everything has gone, leaving the beach looking
like it always has, as if nothing ever happened there. I had been too
preoccupied surfing to notice the adults cleaning up and moving on, but so
was Callum who started following me until he saw what was up.

"They've all gone back to the house to set up for an outside lunch,"
Bastian tells us, before deciding to take the lead and show us the
way. Xavier follows closely behind, but I figure that we should grab our
boards and gear before heading over. It doesn't make any sense leaving them
on the beach, especially since we may never get a chance to come back for
them, so it's best to grab them now. Thankfully Manuel and Pierre have
waited for us, because there is too much gear for Callum and I to carry, so
we appreciate the help. Bastian and Xavier also end up lending a hand,
after getting back to the house and realising that no-one was following, so
coming back to see what was happening. I'm very grateful for that, because
too many others wouldn't have given it a second thought, so not come back
to check up on us. It shows how in tune they are with us, because they
realised pretty quickly that something must have been wrong, and made no
hesitation to see what it was.

"Josh, put those in the garage, we will get them to you when you come back
from your trip in the South Island. Your mum didn't see the point in
carting them all over the country, especially since you are very unlikely
to use them, so she asked me to take care of them for you," the lady, whose
house we're staying in tells me, after seeing the six of us coming over the
sand dunes loaded with surfing gear.

"Ok, thanks so much," I reply, before leading everyone around to the front
of the house, and into the garage. I look around until I find a suitable
space to store them, because I don't want them to get in the way of the
owners, in case they have something to do in here, such as park their
car. Once all the surfing gear has been stacked tidily and out of the way,
we leave the garage, closing the door behind us. Callum and Manuel pretty
much sprint away after we've left it, as they want to see what everyone is
up to. Most likely they want to go and play, so long as they have some
time. Bastian and Xavier are a little unsure what to do, because they still
don't know anyone too well. I suggest that they should join in whatever
game the youngsters are playing, because I know they will love to have more
people to play with. They decide it is better than wandering around
aimlessly, waiting for someone to take pity on them and stop to talk, or
worse they get bored as they can't find anything to do. Once they are gone
it leaves Pierre and me, and our plan is to find the priest first of all.

"Excuse me sir, but can we have a word to you?" I ask politely, once I've
found the priest and been able to divert his attention to us.

"Why certainly Josh, it is great to see you again, and so fit and healthy
too... Now, what is it you two boys want?" he says, while we are trying to
lead him somewhere a bit more private. Not so much because we don't want
anyone to overhear, but more to cut down on the noise so we can talk
better.

"Um... well, I was wondering, can we get married?" I ask a little
nervously.

"Hmmm... well the short answer is no, and that is because you are both too
young. You will be able to marry when you turn a minimum of sixteen,
because same sex marriage is legal here, but until you're the right age you
can't legally get married," he replies. The answer is pretty much as I
expected, so I'm not disappointed in hearing it, although secretly I was
hoping there would be no age barrier.

"Yeah, thought that was the case. I still want to marry Pierre, even if it
isn't a legal marriage, so would you be able to hold a pretend wedding for
us?" I ask, pretty much begging him to do it. I don't think it is going to
work, because there is something in the expression on his face which tells
me I'm not going to like the answer.

"Josh, I feel like I owe you and your family for all the effort you used to
put in for the community, but this is something I can't do, even pretend. I
could lose my license if anyone found out that I married two underage
children, and it wouldn't matter if I wasn't doing it for real, I would
still get in trouble. I'm so sorry, but I can't do it," he replies, causing
my heart to sink, disappointing us immensely, although we do respect his
reasoning. I am totally gutted, because I hadn't even considered this
outcome. I had hinged all my bets on him doing it for us, so knowing that
he won't is like a nail in my coffin.

"Hey Josh, how about we ask François if he will do it for us? After all
we don't need a priest since it isn't going to be a legal one. I know he
will do it, I just know it," Pierre says enthusiastically, trying his best
to raise my spirits again. It works brilliantly, because I know he is so
right about it. François is the best person to ask, also I know Pierre
is right about it and he won't let us down. The thought makes me so happy
and excited again that I almost yell out in celebration. I don't, and
realise that I had better keep a level head and not get too ahead of
myself, because I don't want to feel that same sort of disappointment
again. I'm confident I won't, but there is always that small possibility
things won't go to plan.

We race off in search of François, after having thanked the priest for
his time. It takes a while to find him, because not everyone is grouped
together. There seems to be lots of little groups scattered here and
there. Mum and dad seem to be dividing their time between the groups as
equally as possible, but I know it must be an impossible task. François
is sitting on the sand at the base of the dunes, talking to Sarah as per
usual. It is great to see my sister having someone to talk to, but I sort
of feel sorry for her because she doesn't have anyone her own age. I know
that's what she needs more than anything, but for the moment at least
François is filling the void for her. We wait patiently, hoping they
will stop talking so I can drag François away, but I'm not sure that is
ever going to happen.

"Sorry Sarah, but I really need to talk to François," I say, after my
patience has worn out from waiting and not getting a chance to say
anything, so I can't help myself and interupt.

"François, would you be able to marry us?" I can't be bothered trying to
get away from Sarah, as I feel we are running late enough already. Not that
I have any idea what we have to organise after finding someone to be our
priest. I haven't thought that far ahead, nor do I know what else is
involved, which I'm hoping François will be able to help with. Mind you,
Sarah is also here, and she helped mum with her wedding, so maybe she would
be able to help.

"You whaaa?" Sarah splutters. François almost chokes, because neither of
them were prepared for that.

"Um... well, we want to show our commitment and love to each other, so we
thought we should get married. We know we can't do it properly cos we're
too young, but we figure it will mean exactly the same to us, if it is
legal or not," I reply, desperately trying to defend our case. I can see
them coming around, realising we know what we are talking about, and
getting into. What impresses them the most is that we have already done our
homework, and know we can't legally get married, but we still want to
because it will be just as important to us as a real one would. I am
finding it hard to read either of their faces to know whether they are
taking my request seriously or not.

"Why don't you allow yourselves a little more time to think this through?
On top of that it would be better for you if you had the extra time to
arrange things properly, don't you think?" François asks after a little
while. He has been trying to convince himself that it is a good idea, but
thinks we are maybe jumping the gun a little. He is more worried about us
regretting it, because we haven't put enough thought into it.

"Having a huge, spectacular wedding isn't something we are worried
about. It is more the symbolism it stands for, and what it means to us
personally. I want to marry Pierre because it is the ultimate way I know of
to show how much I love, care and idolise him, and want him all to myself,"
I reply, still not confident they are buying into my reasoning, despite how
committed to the idea I am trying to sound.

"There is still a lot I think you have overlooked, like what about rings,
or who your best man is going to be?" Sarah asks, trying to bring up things
we probably won't have thought about.

"My best man is easy, as I'll ask Xavier if he could be it, given he is my
best friend," Pierre replies straight away, not allowing Sarah to come up
with anything else.

"Yeah, and I want Callum to be mine... but you're right about the ring," I
say, feeling a little disheartened knowing we have overlooked the most
symbolic thing in a wedding. I know we can still have a wedding without
rings, but it wouldn't be the same, or have the same meaning to it, so I
think Sarah and François are right and we need to give ourselves more
time.

"Excuse me for poking my nose in, but Josh can I see you briefly. Pierre I
believe Fabian wants a word with you," grandma says, before putting her arm
around me and leading me away. There is something about the way she is
hugging me that tells me she has something on her mind which is important,
but for the life of me I can't think of what it could be. Once I have gone
with her, Pierre decides he better go and see what grandpa wants. He looks
as confused as me, struggling to come up with a reason for the sudden
interruption.

"I hear you want to get married, but don't have a ring. Well, I don't think
you need a ring, because wouldn't it be best to save that for when you are
old enough to have a real wedding? What I think you should do is give
Pierre that necklace I helped you buy the other day. My reasoning is you
said that is signifies everything Pierre means to you, so in my view it is
as good as a ring, if not better. I'm sorry if it seems like I was
eavesdropping in a private conversation, but the passion in your voice
while trying to reason with Sarah and François, made it impossible not
to listen in," she says, filling me with hope again.

"Yeah, that's an awesome idea, thank you very much for thinking of it. I
had almost given up hope, so I'm glad you heard the conversation I was
having with them!" I reply excitedly, then throw my arms around her and
give her a huge hug.

"Josh, you are my grandson now, but that doesn't matter a huge amount
because I will always try to do the best for you. I feel you deserve to be
treated like the special person you are, and I want you to be happy. Don't
feel disappointed with the way Sarah and François acted, because they
are only worried you might be going in over your head. Laws can be hard for
some people to ignore, so they may think you are not mature enough to make
that kind of decision yet. They will come around, because I can tell how
important this is to you and Pierre. It doesn't matter if you haven't
thought it through properly, because you still had all the right reasons
for wanting this, and that is all that matters to me. You have reminded me
and Fabian of how we were when we were young, not as young as you, but
still young. It is the way you and Pierre show your love, which tells me
this is a good idea and it will work, so Fabien has decided to act as your
priest for you," she says, making me even happier, although I didn't know
that was possible. I give her a big kiss on the lips, to emphasise how much
this means to me, before releasing her and sprinting off to find Pierre.

Grandpa is still talking with him, but I'm too jubilant to care, and
interrupt their conversation as I throw myself into the arms of my
lover. Grandpa pretty much ignores my intrusion, but seems to cut to the
chase in his conversation. All he says to Pierre is how he is going to be
our priest for the ceremony, which makes Pierre realise what has me so much
more excited. He hugs me back, before we both jump around, still hugging,
in celebration. This is going to happen, and soon, so we are both over the
moon with happiness. I know we still have a little bit to organise, such as
asking Callum and Xavier to be our best men. The biggest part is to pick a
time for it to happen, and then arrange it with mum. Grandpa suggests we
put it off until the reception this evening, and maybe look at doing it
before mum and dad give their speeches, which he knows they will. He thinks
that will be the best time, as it won't interfere with mum's schedule, but
is also going to be when people are at their most receptive. We agree it is
a good time, give him a hug, before setting off in search of mum.

"Mum, we're going to get married at the reception. We thought the best time
was just before you give your speeches," I say matter-of-factly, after
finding mum and dad. I'm determined not to have an argument with her, so I
make sure she knows it is going to happen regardless of what she says.

"Oh, is that right? We will see what happens, honey," she replies, then
gives me a wink that makes me think she has no problems with the idea. If
it hadn't been for the wink then I probably would have argued with her, or
at least begged her to let us. Deciding it isn't going to be of any use to
protest, we scamper away because we think it is best to give her space. I
am a little confused by her reply, because it isn't what I expected from
her. There was no double checking that we knew what we were getting
ourselves into, nor was she trying to talk us out of it, like I had
expected. Then again, she also never agreed with the idea, so I have no
idea where we stand with her.

We figure it is best not to try and understand her, because we know it is a
lost cause. We are bound to find out her feelings soon enough. We decide it
is time to try to get Callum and Xavier to be our best men, so split up
while we try to find them. I know they are likely to all be together
playing somewhere, but just in case they have separated we decide to
venture out in search of them on our own. It takes a while to find any of
the boys, and the first one I come across is Bastian, who is coming back
outside after a quick trip to the toilet. He doesn't know where Callum and
Manuel are, as they stopped playing with them a little while ago, so
instead of following him over to Xavier I tell him that if he sees Pierre
to lead him to Xavier. I leave him to wander off, and continue to search
for my two younger brothers, who I eventually find on the beach building
sand castles.

"Callum, I have a big favour to ask you. Before you hit me again, I'm doing
this because it is the polite thing to do, so will you be my best man?" I
ask, as soon as I finally get over to the youngsters. I figured I had
better tell him that I am only being polite, because I'm pretty sure he
would hit me over the head again for asking him a stupid question.

"Yes, of course, I'd love to be your best man!" he says excitedly, and
jumps up and gives me a hug. He is soon joined by Manuel, because he is
happy that I'm getting married too. He is also proud of the way I chose
Callum to be my best man, because he had been hoping I would. There never
was anyone else who I would ever choose to be my best man, because Callum
is the second most important person in the world to me. He is a very close
second, just behind Pierre. There isn't a lot separating my love for them,
and Manuel included. I love my two brothers to bits, and they are very,
very important to me, but Pierre is that little bit extra, although it
won't stop me doing everything I can to keep my brothers happy.

I look over my brother while we are hugging, and I'm thrilled to see his
little face glowing with pride. I can tell this is something he is
passionate about, making me glad I chose him. There was never going to be
anyone else, but it still makes me happy. Once they have released me from
their embrace we decide to go find the other boys, so leave their partially
built sand castle to wash away with the next high tide. I doubt they will
return to finish it, because I can tell they are already thinking about
more important things. It doesn't take long to find the others, and Pierre
is in a firm embrace from Xavier and Bastian. Callum and Manuel quickly
join in, because they want to show Pierre that they are just as happy for
him as they are for me. So a three-way hug quickly turns into a cramped
five-way hug. I smile knowing they are all happy for us, and aren't scared
to show it.

Xavier and Bastian gradually peel away from Pierre, to allow Callum and
Manuel better access, but they come straight over to me, and give me a
hug. I had expected that they would do it, and I am glad they did. It helps
me to know that they think I have made the right decision, and will support
us all the way. After a while we stop hugging, and sit around and talk
while we wait for the reception. The only time we get up to do anything
else, is when lunch is ready, so we get something to eat. While grabbing
some food I also get grandpa to retie my tie. I sort of had to, because mum
was none too impressed when she realised I didn't have it on. What made it
worse for me is that Callum had ensured to put his back on, so it was only
me who forgot. Oh well, shit happens, and I got it fixed pretty quickly.

Time wears on slowly, extremely slowly as far as Pierre and I are
concerned, but eventually mum tells us to head over to the small town hall
where the reception is to take place. It is music to my ears when I hear
that, because I know our wedding time is getting closer and closer. Callum
and I lead the way to the hall, because we are the only two who knows where
it is. I think I showed Pierre once, but Xavier, Bastian and Manuel will
have no idea. I don't expect Pierre to remember either, because it is a
little concealed from the road, so unless you know it is there you can
quite easily miss it. The hall is relatively small, but given the size of
the community it serves, it doesn't need to be big.

Inside there are tables scattered everywhere, each with six chairs around
them. I easily notice that there are far more tables and chairs than we are
going to need, so I wonder what mum has planned. At the front, near a small
stage, is what must be the table the bride and groom sit at along with
their family. All the tables have vases full of beautiful flowers on them,
along with little elegant cards, which must have the name of the person who
is supposed to sit there. There is an area clear of tables and chairs,
right in the middle of the hall. Given the large sound system I see set up
on the stage, I realise the gap must be left as a dance floor. I can tell
this will be a fun night, and I so can't wait to enjoy with my soon to be
husband. The adults finally turn up, but the thing I notice is mum seems to
be having a conversation with the neighbours little girl. I only notice
this because it seems out of place, amongst everything else.

"Hello everyone, and welcome to the town hall where Jean and I are pleased
to host our wedding reception. I have to tell you that I have brought you
all over a little earlier than intended, but I have a good reason to. There
is something very important and special to get out of the way before the
rest of the town turns up. Sorry, I probably should have told you earlier,
but on top of this being a reception for our wedding, I have used it to
thank the town for putting up with Josh, Callum and I, during the time we
lived here. I know we weren't an easy family to have in such a peaceful and
beautiful town, but the residents didn't complain or kick up a fuss over
us, so I thought it would be nice to thank them," mum announces, once she
has finished talking to the girl.

"Mum that is a great idea, because I'd like to say sorry to the residents
for some of the things I did here. I still feel guilty about some of the
stuff I've done, so I would like to earn my forgiveness. I love this place
too much not to, so thank you for the opportunity to set things right," I
say, feeling even more excited about what the night is to bring. Callum
reiterates what I said, because he feels like he owes the people of the
town an apology as well. I also suddenly feel like puking from nerves,
because I have realised that Pierre and I are going to get married in front
of the whole town. It wasn't what I expected, and I'm actually quite scared
by the prospect.

"I wasn't so much thinking about you when I decided to do it Josh, because
once people know what you have been through then they will understand the
reason for the way you used to act. I have done some disgraceful things in
the time we were living here, and that is why I wanted this to happen. I
will tell you a bit more a little later on, because you never knew some of
the stuff I did. It was out of frustration and guilt I felt because of what
you went through, but it is still no excuse. On the brighter side, Josh,
Pierre, let's get you married shall we," she says, making Pierre and I
almost faint in disbelief. Mum has gone out of her way to marry Pierre and
me, I can't believe it, especially after her response when I told her
earlier in the day. Although, now that I think about it, I realise that I
had totally overlooked what she was trying to tell me. She never said no to
us marrying, but made a point in writing off the time we had said. Well,
that's what I think she did, now anyway. I am thrilled to bits now that I
know she is happy with our plan, and even more so because she has gone out
of her way to make it happen. I know she must have had the day pretty well
planned out, and yet we haven't thrown a spanner in the works by wanting
this.

"I wish I could do this for real for you, but I know it is going to mean
exactly the same as a proper wedding would, so I'm really happy to see you
get married," mum whispers to me, after she has embraced me in a big
hug. She is crying in happiness, because this truly has been the best day
of her life. She has married the man she loves more than anything, and now
she is also going to see me, her son, get married. She couldn't have asked
for anything more special if she tried. I am of course hugging her back,
just as tightly as she is hugging me, because it is very important to me
that she backs me in this. I know we have had our differences, but she is
still my mum, so having her blessing to marry the person I love most in the
world is of great significance.

"Thank you very much mum, you have no idea how much your blessing means to
me. I mean with all we have been through, I wouldn't have been surprised if
you said no it can't happen, but you didn't. You're the best mum in the
world, and I'm so glad you are mine. I love you mum," I reply, and give her
a kiss. I feel the closest to her now that I have ever felt. Even before
all the shit went down I have never felt this close to her, and I never
want things to change. This really is the start of a whole new chapter,
should I say life, and that is what makes it even the more special. I can
finally let go of everything from my past, and move on. Mum allowing me to
marry Pierre - a boy - means the final issue from my old life has gone, and
mum has fully accepted my relationship, to the extent she is happy for us
to go through with this. I am the happiest boy on the planet at this point
of time, and yet I know I'm going to get even happier.

"Oh Josh, it means so much to hear you say that. I don't know how, but
somewhere along the lines I managed to get three important things
right. You, Sarah and Callum, but after how badly I screwed up I don't know
how I ended up with you three awesome kids. I thank god every day that I
have all of you, and that none of you have left and found someone more
deserving to take care of you. I never would have blamed you if you had run
away, even taken Callum with you, because you deserve better than me. The
three of you are living miracles, and I'm so proud to say you are
mine. Allowing you to marry Pierre is one way I can say thanks, but it is
more because I'm proud to give you away to someone equally as special as
yourself," she says, well, more blubbers. She is crying heavily now,
because this little moment between the two of us means so much to her that
she never wants it to end.

I give mum another kiss, because I figure that says more than words will. I
also don't want to say anything further, since I would likely say the wrong
thing and ruin this special moment between us. No-one says anything,
because they all seem to know how important this tender little moment is
between us. Callum feels like he should join in, because he wants to show
mum that he loves her too. It isn't just that, as he also feels this moment
is the end. It is the end of our terrible past, and the start of a new and
happy life for all of us. I know that we are still bound to have our ups
and downs, but in general I'm sure our new life is going to be a shitload
better than the one we are saying goodbye to today.

"Josh, please don't get me wrong and I am happy for you, and so is
François. I think we are both a little scared to see you get married,
even if it isn't a legal marriage. We are scared because it shows how much
you and Pierre have grown up, and that you are no longer the little kids we
want you to be. I don't know why, but I think a lot of it is because we
both feel like we have missed out in seeing you grow up. I mean, we were
never very close as siblings until recently, and now all I want is to watch
my little brother turn into a well-rounded adult, so when you asked
François to marry you I panicked, realising you are pretty much there
already," Sarah blubbers, finally telling me the reason she was trying to
put us off the idea of getting married. It comes as a huge shock to mum,
Callum and me to hear her say this, because none of us had any inkling that
this was the reason.

"Sarah, I am still your younger brother, and always will be. Callum will
also be too, and don't worry I'm sure I can still act childish enough to
keep you from feeling you have missed out on something, so you are happy,"
I reply, with a cheesy grin across my face. Well come on, I am only twelve,
so still a child in most peoples' eyes, so I'm sure as hell I can act like
a twelve year old, despite having married my one true love. Sarah just
smiles; knowing full well that I will be true to my word and continue to be
her little brother, because nothing will ever change that. She also knows
that I am still young, so every now and then I will show my immaturity by
acting like a kid again, so all is not lost. She ruffles my hair, before
joining in the hug which will probably be the last hug all of us ex-Mc
Fadden's will ever have together since we have a new bigger family now.

"Come on mum, let's get this show on the road. I want this to be a special
day for you and Josh, so let's get him married," Sarah says after a few
quiet tender moments. Mum knows she is right, but reluctant to stop hugging
us, she is worried that this maybe the last time she gets to tender moment
like this, but I think we all know that there will be plenty more to
come. It is more that it is something new to her, as she hasn't experienced
it enough in the last few years, so she is feeling the happiest she has
been because she has her family together. Then there is the new part of the
family, who are allowing us this tender moment together, even though they
should be in it. I want them to join in, and Pierre as well, but they give
us the space they think we need, which I am also grateful for. Even though
I want them to join in, this is a moment between a mother and her kids, and
they respect that.

Sarah decides that enough is enough, and gently pulls mum away so we can
get this started. It isn't simply because she feels like we have had long
enough, but more because she is unsure what time the rest of the town is
going to turn up, so knows we need to get this done with. It isn't
something she wants to rush, but feels Pierre and I would be uncomfortable
having a whole heap of people we don't know particularly well, here for the
occasion. Once she has pulled mum away from us, she starts to organise
things, including something neither of us had thought about, and that is
who is going to be the one to walk down the aisle. I don't care if it is
supposed to be the thing that the bride does, so I say I will do the
walk. The main reason I want to do this, is because I want mum to give me
away properly, like a father normally does for his daughter at a wedding. I
think it will be something mum will cherish forever, and it is something I
want dearly, because it means mum is over her prejudices, and that it
wasn't all just talk.

Mum agrees to do it, and even makes the commitment of doing it in our real
wedding. She also promises to allow us to legally marry as soon as we are
both sixteen, if that is what we want to do of course. Neither of us have
thought that far ahead at this stage, because we are treating this like the
full shebang. We want this to be as close to a true wedding as possible,
because we know it is all we can get at this point in time. We are going to
look at ourselves as being a married couple after this, so the thought of
having a proper wedding when we can legally do so, hasn't come into the
equation yet. We may want to when we get to that age, but then again we may
also be just as happy to use this wedding to show our commitment to each
other. Only time will tell, so for the meantime we are going to make the
best of our current situation.

Sarah is amazing with how much she does to help us with this. She even goes
as far as setting up chairs in the same arrangement that mum and dad had
for their wedding. She double checks that Callum knows what he has to do,
along with Xavier, but Manuel has already explained to them what they are
to do. He also did an amazing job of it, because Sarah didn't need to tell
them anything. It shows proud he was to be his dad's best man, so I'm
hoping Callum feels the same honour doing it for me. Grandpa is standing
next to Pierre, who has Xavier beside him, indicating that we are ready to
begin. The next thing surprises me, as all of a sudden I hear the music
that the bride usually walks down the aisle to, blaring from the sound
system. Mum then links our arms, before she starts to walk with me down the
aisle, and I'm suddenly overcome by the most amazing and happy feelings, as
I know I have made the best decision in my life.

Grandpa conducts the ceremony flawlessly, although I didn't hear a lot of
what was being said. I was too lost in Pierre's sparkling hazel eyes, so
wasn't paying him the attention he rightfully deserved. It is hard, because
I am so in love with Pierre that he is all I can concentrate on at times,
but despite my inattention I don't miss my cue to say `I do'. The words
flow out of my mouth so naturally, and felt so right that I know this was
meant to be. I knew it anyway, but it re-enforces my gut feeling. When
Pierre says those two special words, his voice sounds like one from the
most gorgeous angel, so harmonious and magical. The next part is the moment
that Callum has been looking forward to, as he gets to open the parcel
grandma gave to me. He is then able to see the necklace I bought Pierre,
before handing it so delicately to me, so I can put it on my husband. He
does his job well, and I can see the honour he feels as he gets to see the
necklace before Pierre. It is an amazing experience for the youngster, and
I know he will cherish the memory forever. All I hope is I get the same
honour when he marries whoever it is he ends up being with.

Xavier gets as much of a thrill as Callum did, as he passes the necklace
Pierre had bought for me. It turns out he too had secretly bought a
necklace while we were in the souvenir store in Paihia. He also went for a
traditional Maori one, but the one he got is made from whale bone, not
greenstone like the one I had got for him. They are both as significant as
each other as far as Maoridom is concerned, but one is uniquely made for
me, while the other is for him. I almost wonder if by some amazing
coincidence they were deliberately made for us, because they are perfect in
every sense of the word, and I'm sure they wouldn't mean as much to anyone
else as they do to us. The only thing left to do is kiss my husband, and
then we are officially unofficially married. I have longed for this kiss
since I came up with the idea earlier today, but it feels like I have
wanted this kiss a lot longer than that. As our lips come together, and
electricity arcs between them, I know this will be the most special kiss I
have ever had.

The kiss is far more amazing than I ever could have imagined, and in the
process of our kiss I feel like my soul is fusing with his. I feel like we
are becoming one, as what marriage is supposed to be, and the feeling is
unbelievable. My soul and Pierre's soul are now one, making me wonder
whether there would be much point in having another wedding when we are
legally old enough. Only time will tell I suppose, and until then I'm going
to make the most of this. It is more than enough anyway, because it has
been more magical, more unbelievable, more wonderful than anything I ever
imagined and more. I never want to break from this kiss, as I never want
this magical moment to end, but as I feel Callum and Xavier embrace us in a
hug, I know it will soon have to. We kiss for a while longer, but it is the
sudden embrace from another two people which causes us to stop. I know we
should have realised it was Bastian and Manuel, but we were too lost in the
moment to think about it properly. It doesn't matter because I still feel
just as amazing as I did while kissing Pierre, so I decide on behalf of
both of us to thank the other boys for their support, and I hug them
back. Of course, Pierre also gives them all a hug, as we try to spread the
special feelings we are experiencing around, but by the looks of it the
others are already feeling it too.

We stop hugging when we suddenly become aware that some other people have
turned up. I don't want to, but we figure we should show them some
respect. On top of that, we don't know how they will react seeing a whole
bunch of boys hugging each other. I mean it is harmless, just showing how
much we love and care for each other, but they won't know that. Despite not
hugging anyone, I still feel the same as I did before. It is a feeling
which is best described as complete. I sort of feel like everything in my
life is now perfect, and nothing will ruin that for me. It is a feeling I
wouldn't change for anything, and I know why I'm feeling it. I am feeling
it because I have given myself away, to the full extent to Pierre. We are
married, so have made a commitment to love and support each other for the
rest of our lives, and I would have it no other way. We are one, and that
is all I ever wanted, as he is the only person I will ever have a
relationship with as lovers.

The hall quickly fills up, and I am surprised at how many people live in
this small town as all the tables are soon filled. We decide it is time to
find where our seats are, which initially I thought wouldn't be too
hard. That was until I realised that there isn't a free table, so we must
be mixed in with the residents. I just hope my seat is beside Pierre's,
because after having just been married I don't want to be separated from
him, even temporarily. Manuel is the only one of us who knows where his
seat is, and that is because he was the best man for his dad, so he has a
seat with the bridal party. I'm not sure why mum didn't seat us all with
them, I suppose it is because she figures it would be good for us to get to
know some of the community we used to live in. Even that makes little
sense, but mum does do some strange things at times. Bastian and Xavier get
it easy, as they have been put at the same table as François and
Sarah. I think that is so they are comfortable since they are going to
struggle to communicate anyway, because only Bastian can speak any English,
and that is limited.

Thankfully mum wasn't too cruel, as she has Pierre and Callum at the same
table as me. The other three sitting at the table I don't remember very
well from my time living here. In fact I think I have only seen one of them
before, but my memory is too vague to know where and when. I think the
three of us feel a bit awkward sitting with these strangers, but they give
us a warm greeting and friendly smile, which makes us feel a lot more
comfortable. They help to ease our fears further when they start a
conversation with us. We chat for a while, getting to know them as well as
possible, although the weird thing is just how well they seem to know
us. They even seem to know a lot about Pierre, and yes, they do already
know all about our relationship. Turns out we weren't as secretive as we
thought about it. The thing which surprises me most, is they all live in
the houses directly across the road from our old house, and yet we don't
remember them. Hearing that pretty much tells me that they would have most
likely heard every single hissy fit, or argument I had with mum. The
thought embarrasses me, so I apologise for the way I acted.

They tell me to stop being stupid, because they have known for a while that
the house was used for witness, and or victim protection, so it didn't take
a genius to work out that I was the reason we lived there. It was my
constant mood swings, and the way I used to mope around which gave it
away. They knew I was battling with some big evil inner demons, so were
constantly watching out for me, because they were very worried I would do
something stupid. Mum didn't want much to do with them at the time, because
she was too occupied with me, and thought she had enough people to talk to
with our immediate neighbours. Thankfully, they never took any offense to
the way mum shunned them, although a lot of that was because they knew she
had her hands full with me. Over time the truth started to emerge, after
mum told our neighbours what had happened. Of course, with it being a small
town the story soon got around, which had the effect of bring it closer
together, because they knew just how unstable I could be and the reasoning
behind it, so banded together for my safety.

They tell us they were happy when Pierre showed up, because they noticed a
dramatic change in my behaviour and attitude. It was all because of him and
they knew it, so it didn't bother them in the slightest when our
relationship bloomed, because they knew he was the best thing for me and we
needed each other. They were just as devastated as I was when Pierre got
deported, because they knew I was going to be very vulnerable, and volatile
as hell. It didn't stop them from keeping an eye on me, and they also knew
they were going to have to keep a good eye on Callum for the first time,
because they had seen how close to Pierre he had got too. They kept such a
good eye on us that they even took turns of watching over us while we were
out on the rocks, hiding from mum. They didn't tell mum where we were
because they knew it would cause more problems than it was worth, so let us
do things in our own time.

They were pretty confident we would do the right thing and make our way
back home eventually, but also knew we needed time to cool off, so they
just watched over us to ensure we stayed safe. They feel a bit bad for not
having told mum that they knew where we were and that we were safe, but
they realised that if she knew anything then she would want to see us. That
would have been a very bad idea, and they knew it, so kept all they knew
about us secret from her. To be honest I feel a little embarrassed knowing
they were watching over Callum and me while we were out on the rocky ledge,
because I remember what went on during our time there. The good thing is
no-one mentions anything about what we did there, so I soon forget about it
again. If they saw what we did, then they aren't worried about it enough to
bring it up, so I feel a bit more at ease with it. That said I sort of
wonder how much they saw of what Pierre and I got up to, before he got
deported, so I decide to ask them.

They tell me that they continued to watch over us for a couple of days, but
noted a remarkable improvement in my mood. They soon felt that I was in
good hands and stable, so they eased back on how much they kept an eye out
for me. They also noticed I was trying to find more and more time to be
alone with him, so figured that they better allow us some privacy. They
didn't want to know what we were up to, all they were concerned with is our
wellbeing. So long as they knew I was in a safe place, and in a good mood,
they left me alone. The problem was each time I ended up in an argument
with mum they were all over me again, trying to make sure I didn't do
anything I would regret.

I am amazed, and so is Callum and Pierre, at how much the community banded
together to look after me, and to a certain extent the others as well. They
were helping mum without her even knowing, despite the fact they knew she
didn't want their help. They did it because they knew she couldn't handle
me on her own, but also because they are caring warm-hearted people, who
knew I must have been through hell, so wanted to make sure I stayed safe. I
feel like the community deserves a medal or some sort of accolade for the
good they have done, and are continuing to do. It turns out they are
looking after the new family as well, although in this instance the kids
are less volatile than I was. The real difference is the person who is
after this family is out of jail, so there is a real chance they could be
found. They are willing to help the protection agency anyway they can,
without stepping on their toes. The biggest thing is that only those who
are permanent residents are in on it, because the ones who come here for
holidays can't really be trusted. They feel that those who only come into
town temporarily stand more chance at spilling the beans back in the city,
or wherever it is they spend most of their time living.

They have done everything they can to safeguard the secret the town holds,
but know there is always a chance that it could get let out of the
bag. They hope that if that happens, they are ready, because they want to
ensure the town is a safe place for vulnerable victims. They are actually
proud in knowing the town has a safe house in it, especially now they have
united around it and are trying to give the people who stay in it a safer
and happier life. The three of us kids are extremely impressed with what
they have told us, and in a big way also feel indebted to them. I know they
are doing it out of kindness, but still feel the need to repay some of
their thoughtfulness. They won't take anything, no accolades, no gifts, no
nothing. It is frustrating, because I like to be able to repay the kindness
I have received from others, but all they want from us, is to enjoy the
rest of our childhood and enjoy life. I don't think any of us are going to
have problems fulfilling their wishes, but we feel we owe them more than
that. I mean they did ensure we were as safe as possible no matter what we
did.

************

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