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**Additional Note:** There will be sexual scenes throughout this story, but it won't be predominately sex.  
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            All the World's a Stage



by Erastes
Copyright 2017 by Erastes
Chapter 24 - Another Triumph



The next two rehearsals for the play went extremely well and the actors and the stage crew were all in synch.  Nolan was true to his word and kept his promise, because he didn't make a face either time when he had to kiss Julie, since we'd practiced the entire play both times.  In fact, he almost made it seem as if he was actually enjoying kissing her this time, even though it was only a peck on the lips, but it was enough to elicit some light-hearted teasing from Wayne and Brian. 

Gabe showed up to swim with us again on Saturday, and this time he did a little better.  He was only a couple body lengths behind us on the second set, and then did the third set with us too.  Even though he fell slightly more than three-quarters of a lap behind us when we finished that set, it was progress.  He also told me when we were showering that he'd also jogged around his neighborhood every day as I'd suggested, and he was feeling much better now.  He then said he didn't think he would get beat as often this year, cuz now he'd be able to keep up with the other team's attackers. 

Hunter seemed to be vying for my attention again, seeing I was spending so much time talking to Gabe, but I still hadn't figured out why he was doing it.  Was he just one of those kids who needed to be the center of attention all the time, or did he only do this when he was with me?  I wasn't sure, but I didn't want to ask the other teachers if he was like that in his classes, because then they'd want to know why I asked.  I guess I'd just have to keep my eyes open and see what I could figure out. 

Hunter, in particular, was upset when I told him and the others that I wouldn't be there the following weekend, since the drama club would be performing the next play for the parents.  He asked if I could do it after the play, but I had to tell him I had plans for then too, although I didn't tell him the reason.  It was because the boys would be coming over to fool around.   Before he had a chance to ask if we could do it on Sunday instead, I told them they'd just have to workout on their own this one time and I'd see them the week after.  The other two didn't seem to have a problem with doing this, but Hunter was definitely pouting over the fact that I wouldn't be there with him the following Saturday. 

I kept thinking about Hunter's reaction for the rest of the day, while at the same time looking forward to being with the other boys tomorrow.  I just hadn't been able to figure Hunter out.  I was pretty sure he wasn't gay, but might he be bi?  Then, I had another thought.  I didn't know anything about his home life, so was it possible that he didn't have a father figure at home and was he latching onto me to fill that role for him now?  I was kind of young to be his dad, although I could have been an older brother, but was that what this was all about?  Was he doing this and trying to get me to learn everything about him so I'd take him under my wing and be the strong male he was looking for, and possibly even needed?  I wasn't sure, but it would explain the situation better than anything else I'd come up with. 

Now that I had a potential answer to this dilemma that had been bothering me, I focused on the upcoming week with the drama club.  On Wednesday we'd have our final rehearsal, wearing costumes but not makeup, and then on Friday we'd have our dress rehearsal in front of the student body.  On Saturday we'd be putting it on for the parents, which was why I wouldn't be at the Y with Devin, Hunter, and Gabe, and then I'd have a short break until we began work on Oliver!

I decided to go out for dinner that evening, and as I was leaving the apartment I ran into Jennifer.  It was one of the few times I'd seen her since she had brought down the cookies for us.  "Is it this Saturday when the kids will be putting on the play?"

"Yes, we'll be doing it at noon on Saturday." 

"Great!  I'm coming to see it, but I haven't been able to talk Duane into joining me."  

"No problem, and I look forward to seeing you there." 

"Thanks, but I haven't seen the boys around very much lately." 

"Not as much, but they've still been around.  In fact, I expect they'll be showing up tomorrow at some point, so we can go over their lines again before Saturday." 

"Don't you do that at rehearsals?" 

"We do, to a certain extent, but during rehearsals we mainly focus on how it's being said and how they move around the stage.  When we do it here, we focus on how precisely they follow the script." 

"Oh, ok.  I see now how you do things."

"Well, I'm heading out to eat, so I'll see you at the play on Saturday.  We're performing it in the Middle School auditorium." 

"I know exactly where that is, so I'll see you there." 

Hopefully, that had cleared up any questions she had about what we were doing and why the boys had been coming over.  If we're lucky, seeing the boys in action on the stage would remove any other ideas she might have harbored about why the boys were coming over so often.  At least, that's what I hoped. 

I went to the diner, and while I was waiting for my order, I thought about my conversation with Jennifer.  Since I'd given her a reason for why she might see the kids the next day, I wondered if she would try bringing them another treat, knowing they'd be there?   Or would she just figure we had a lot on our plate and leave us alone?  I couldn't be sure, so the boys might have to wait a while before we started having fun. 

After I'd finished my meal and returned to the apartment, I focused on being with the boys the next day and wondered what they were going to want to do.  Of course, I knew fucking would be involved, but would they want to do it simultaneously again, seeing I was going to make them wait first to see if Jennifer showed up?  Would they also want to turn the TV on again to mask the noise, and if they did, might it cause a different problem?  Since I'd told her we'd be practicing lines, would the sound of the TV alert her that it wasn't what we were doing?  Since having the TV on while we were practicing might be an issue, I continued to give it some more thought. 

I had pretty much decided what we were going to do by the time I was ready to go to bed, so I hurried through my nightly ritual and slid under the covers, as I prepared to sleep.  During the night I dreamt that Jennifer showed up at my apartment shortly after the boys got there. 

When I awoke, I interpreted the dream as a subconscious signal to prepare me for that eventuality.  I continued thinking about it as I went through my morning routine, and then I loaded up my gym bag with my swimsuit and towel before heading to the Y.  The boys were all waiting for me when I got there. 

"We all beat you today," Braedon teased when he saw me.

"Yes, you did, so I take it there was no car trouble today?" 

"That's kinda why we're early," Nolan responded.  "My mom and dad went out ahead of time to make sure the car was gonna start, and when it did, Mom told me to hop in and call everyone else to tell them we were on the way." 

"Yeah, I was glad Jon and Braedon showed up at my house early today," Tucker confirmed. 

"We was just in a hurry to get here," that pair offered in explanation. 

We'd all began to undress while we were talking, so it wasn't long before we were heading out to the pool.  After going through our normal routine, we went back to shower and change, but the other boys had to watch what they said in front of Braedon, Nigel, and Rory.  I think they wanted to say they'd see me in a little while, but they couldn't do it in front of the other three, since they would be curious about what they meant.  I was glad they had remembered to keep quiet about it, but Braedon still reminded me that he'd see me in class the following day. 

It was about forty minutes later before the first three boys showed up, but Jon and Tucker didn't get there for another ten minutes.  "What took you guys so long?" Gary asked when they finally arrived.  "We waited for a few minutes for you, but when you didn't show up we just came here." 

"Braedon wanted to hang out with us today and didn't want to leave, so we had to convince him that we had other stuff to do instead," Jon responded. 

"And then he wanted to know what was so important, so we had to make up excuses about doing stuff with our families," Tucker added. 

"It's really not a problem, because we're going to have to wait a while before we get started anyway." 

"Why?" Will challenged.  "We're all here now."

"I know, but I ran into my neighbor Jennifer yesterday, the one who brought us the cookies.  She wanted to know if it's next Saturday when we'll be putting on the play, because she's planning on coming to it.  She also said she hadn't seen you boys around as much lately, so I told her you'd be here today to practice your lines for next week.  I have a feeling she might show up bearing some sort of gift again, and I don't want us to be nude when that happens." 

"What if she doesn't show up?" Tucker followed.  "Then we'll have just wasted time." 

"I think it would be better to waste a little time, than to get caught with our pants down, if you catch my drift."  The boys giggled over the idiom I'd just used. 

We continued talking, and eventually we were interrupted by a knock on the door.  I merely winked at the boys to let them know I thought it was Jennifer, without saying "I told you so."  When I opened the door, Jennifer was standing there with a platter again. 

"I baked brownies this morning, so I brought some down for you and the boys.  I also wanted to wish them good luck this week."

"Thank you, and would you like to come in and tell the boys yourself?" 

"Only quickly, because I don't want to mess things up while you're practicing." 

She carried the platter around and offered each of the boys a brownie as she wished them good luck.  They, in turn, thanked her and told her we had a rehearsal on Wednesday and then we'd be doing it in front of the school on Friday, before putting it on for the parents on Saturday.

"I know.  Your teacher told me and I'm coming on Saturday to see how you do." 

"We did great, the last time," Gary replied.  "I just hope we do as good this time, cuz me and Nolan have got the biggest parts." 

"I'm sure you'll do fine," she said trying to encourage them. 

She then said goodbye and we thanked her again for the brownies.   As I was walking Jennifer to the door, I told the boys they could go out to the kitchen and pour themselves a glass of milk to wash the brownie down.  While I was closing the door behind Jennifer, I was glad I'd taken this precaution. 

"Damn, you were right," Will said.  "You must be psychotic or something." 

"I may be that too, but I think the word you were looking for is psychic - a person who can see into the future." 

"Then what's psychotic?" he followed.

"It's a mental illness where a person loses touch with reality."  Suddenly, the other boys started laughing. 

"Way to go, Will.  You just called Mr. Roberson crazy," Nolan teased. 

"I didn't mean that!  I meant the other word he used.  I just got confused," Will responded, flustered. 

"It's ok, Will.  I didn't take offense and knew you'd just confused the two words, but now you should know the difference, so you don't do that to someone else." 

"What's the right word again?" he asked.

"Psychic.  Just take the 'ot' out of the word you used." 

"Oh, ok."  I think he felt better when he heard me explain that the words were very similar. 

Now that this had been cleared up and we'd finished the milk and brownies, the boys were ready to get down to business.  "We'd better all do it at the same time again," Jon pointed out.  "I don't want my parents askin' why I've been gone so long." 

"Good point, and that's what we'll do," I agreed, as Will began to speak. 

"I'm with you again, Mr. Roberson," he said as he moved closer. 

"When do I get a turn with Mr. Roberson," Jon followed. 

"After you can take that huge dildo in your butt," Tucker answer.  "The one that's way bigger than the blue one." 

"I guess I'd better find a bigger flashlight to practice with then," Jon stated, causing the others to giggle. 

Since I was with Will again, I went to get a towel to put on the floor under him before I undressed.  The boys were all naked and semi-hard by the time I got back.  "Hmmm, it's looks like you guys are ready for some action," I teased as I noticed their condition. 

"Yeah, cuz we've had to wait over a week," Gary responded. 

Gary was with Tucker today and Nolan was with Jon.  The two younger boys were already to enter the older pair as I was taking off my boxer briefs.  Will had put the towel down and was on all fours on it, as I slipped on the condom, added some lube, and then lubed his butt.  As I was sliding into him, it elicited a verbal approval.  "Ahhh, I've been waiting three weeks for you to do this with me."

He obviously had been looking forward to me fucking him again, so I didn't waste any time and got started.  I didn't take it easy this time and pounded his butt, since I knew that's what he wanted.  The other pairs had already switched, and Will and I had been going at it for about fifteen or twenty minutes when I felt his body begin to tighten up around my penis.  I knew this meant he was having an orgasm. 

"Shit.  He did it again," Gary gasped.  "I wish that would happen to me." 

"Me too," Nolan added. 

I couldn't say anything, because when Will's muscles contracted around my penis, it hastened my orgasm as well.  Within a matter of seconds, I was filling the condom with my semen, while at the same time thinking I was glad that I'd put the towel under him again. 

Even though Will had just cum, I asked if he still wanted to fuck me.  "Nah, I enjoyed that way more, because I blew my load too.  We better get goin', though, cuz we've been here longer than usual already."

"Ok, as long as you're satisfied." 

"Oh, yeah.  I'm very satisfied," he commented as he gave me a very toothy grin. 

Since the others had all finished too, we cleaned up quickly and got dressed.  I also wadded the towel up and tossed it in with the dirty clothes, before I said goodbye to the boys and sent them on their way. 

From that moment on, the boys and I turned our total attention to the play.  It consumed our thoughts until Wednesday, when the kids changed into the clothes they were going to wear for the play.  I'd told the boys they should wear jeans, either ones they'd outgrown but could still fit into, or a pair that was too big for them, to make it look like hand-me-downs from an older sibling.  I told them to roll the pant legs up a couple of times too, and I also suggested they wear an old, ratty, short sleeve, button down shirt.  When I saw them, they all looked adorably appropriate for the play. 

The girls, on the other hand, had been advised to wear the plainest dresses they could find, and they might also wear ankle socks with dark shoes or boots.  Once again Gina Atkins helped them pick out something appropriate and offered to alter them if necessary, and then she oversaw the girls while they were getting ready.  I was very pleased when I saw them dressed up, because Gina had added bows to their hair as well. 

The practice was nearly flawless, with only one minor error.  One of the girls slipped when she was trying to move quickly at one point and fell, but it was due to the bottom of her shoes being so smooth.  I wasn't sure what she had in mind, but she said she'd fix the problem before Friday. 

After the rehearsal, I had even more confidence as we moved closer to the Friday and Saturday performances.  The kids were excited, especially Nolan and Gary, because they'd done a marvelous job on Wednesday.  Mr. Baldwin had told me the assembly would be held at the same time as the previous play, and he was also having two different aides cover for Gina and me again.  I thanked him for doing that and promised I'd leave something for the classes to do that would keep them occupied. 

Ironically, I was the one getting nervous the closer we got to lunch period on Friday, because it meant I'd be meeting up with the kids soon, so they could change into their costumes.  I'd kept those things in the storage room again so they wouldn't forget anything, and I'd taken the girls' costumes to the nurse's office, where they would be changing.  Even though I was nervous, I was able to eat a little before heading to the auditorium and unlocking the storage area.  As soon as the lunch period ended, the boys started showing up, ready to change and have me apply their makeup. 

For a few minutes, there was a whole slew of boys walking around in just their underwear as they got ready to put on the various items they were going to wear.  I noticed a few of the boys had some pretty decent bulges, so it looked as if puberty had struck them early, as well as hard, and genetics had been good to them. 

As soon as the first boys were ready, I sat them down at the counter I'd rigged up, complete with decent lighting so I could see well enough to put on their makeup.  It took me longer this time, because there were more than twice as many boys involved in this play, so the girls had to wait until I'd finished up with them.  Fortunately, Gina had done some of the work already, and there was one less girl in this play than the last. 

I finished up as the other students were filing into the auditorium and taking their seats, so I went to check with Wayne and Brian to make sure the first scene of Act One was set, along with the props.  They assured me everything was taken care of, so I peeked through the curtain so I could scan the crowd.  The students appeared to be looking forward to watching us perform this time, since they'd enjoyed the first play, so we'd be facing a much more receptive audience. 

After I listened to Mr. Baldwin greet everyone and give a brief explanation about the play, I opened the curtain to get things started.  The first scene got off to a brilliant start, as the boys pretended to be Robin Hood and his Merry Men in Sherwood Forest, which was the premise for this scene.  It was meant to show Tom and his friends as typical kids, and the audience laughed at their antics.  It just got better from there. 

Before the scene where Tom was supposed to con the other kids into whitewashing the fence for him, I opened a can of paint I'd purchased and set it in a metal bucket.  Wayne and Brian then set it out on the stage, along with the necessary brushes for that scene.  When the curtain opened, we watched as the boys painted one side of the set piece that Bob Krivyanik and his students had made for us.  I had previously taped a large sheet of plastic down on the stage where this activity would take place, so the boys wouldn't end up painting the stage as well. 

By the time the play ended and the kids took their curtain call, they were greeted by a great deal of applause, along with shouts of approval.  Once the curtain closed for the final time and the other students began to leave the auditorium, Mr. Baldwin came back to speak with us. 

"You did it again.  That was amazing - even better than the first play.  I'm truly in awe as to how you got the students to do so well." 

"It was easy.  I just told them I trusted that they would do great and we practiced a lot.  Just like the old saying says, practice makes perfect." 

He agreed, shook my hand, and then he went around to congratulate the students individually.  When he finished, the girls went back to the nurse's office to take off their costumes and put on their other clothes, and Gina agreed to help them remove their makeup.  At the same time, the boys were doing the same thing in the storage room. 

Since a great many of the boys had squeezed into jeans that were way too small for them for this play, I got to see a lot more than I'd expected.  As they were trying to take them off again now that the play was over, quite often their underwear came down with the jeans, giving me a quick glimpse of what had been hidden underneath.  None of the boys overreacted when this happened, and a few stood there shamelessly for a few seconds leaving their goodies exposed to everyone as they laughed about what had happened.  Luckily, I got to see most of this before I became too busy removing their makeup. 

Once she had finished with the girls, Gina came to congratulate me as well, and then I offered to take her out to dinner at the Rusty Hammer again, as my way of thanking her for her help.  We did the same thing we'd done the last time and enjoyed a lovely meal together, while we also discussed Oliver! 

"I want you to be with me when I audition the kids for the various singing roles, because they'll also have speaking parts too.  I want to make sure they can do both, not just sing." 

"Sure.  I'll be happy to do that with you." 

When we finished our meal, I walked her out to her car and told her to drive safely.  Then I headed back to my apartment, still giddy from how well the kids had done.  It was even better than our rehearsal on Wednesday, and Nolan and Gary had done a tremendous job.  I was very proud of both of them. 

I went to bed still on the same euphoric high, and I woke up in the morning still in the same condition.  I hurried through getting ready and headed to the school early, because I wanted to unlock the doors before the kids started showing up, since Mr. Baldwin had loaned me his key again. 

The boys were loud and excited as they piled into the storage area, ready to change into their costumes.  I think each of them told me his parents would be in the audience today, so they were all excited about showing off for them.  I merely reminded them to do exactly like they'd done the day before, because that performance would be hard to beat. 

It was nearly noon before everyone was ready, so I looked out the curtain to see what the crowd was like.  To my surprise, it was even larger than the last time, but that could be due to the fact that more kids were involved in this play.  Unbelievably, it appeared as if there were nearly as many people as there had been when we put the play on in front of the entire student body. 

Once the kids were all in their places, I went out to greet the crowd, thanked them for coming, and told them a little about the play.  I then walked back to my place in the wings and tugged on the ropes to open the curtain on the first scene.  Just as had happened the previous day, I could hear the laughter as the boys repeated their playful antics in Sherwood Forest.  We were off to a great start. 

It only got better from there.  The whitewashing scene went just as well too, and Wayne and Brian remembered to put the unpainted side of the set piece facing the audience so the boys could use the paint left in the can to paint that side too.  When the kids finished the final scene that took place in a cave, the audience was already on its feet, clapping loudly and cheering.  They did it even louder as the curtain opened again so the cast could take their final bow. 

The kids were all jumping around, pumping fists, and smiling broadly as the curtain closed for the final time, and then they went back to change and let me remove their makeup.  To my surprise, Wayne and Brian closed the door to the storage room once the boys were all inside, and then they stood guard so no one would enter until we were ready.  I wasn't sure why they'd done this, but I soon learned the reason when each of the boys intentionally pulled down their underwear along with their jeans, and then began to laugh. 

"Hey, we felt it was only fair, since some of the guys did it by accident yesterday," Lance explained.  He was the eighth grader who had played Jeff Thatcher, and I could see why he was willing to show off like this, because he was definitely well hung. 

I also glanced around the room to check out the various boys, from the sixth graders yet to enter puberty, to those in the older grades who'd definitely started their journey into manhood.  I noticed Gary and Nolan were doing this with the others and smiling broadly at me, so I had a feeling they'd played a big part in talking the other boys into doing this. 

I waited until they had all covered themselves again before I went out to chat with those in the audience.  I assumed the boys had told Wayne and Brian what they'd planned to do, and that's why the pair had stood guard on the door. 

The first parent to approach me was Julie's mother.  "Thank you so much for letting Julie be part of this wonderful experience," she gushed.  "By the way, I think she has a crush on the boy who played Tom Sawyer and kissed her."  I didn't have the heart to tell her Nolan was gay. 

I talked to several other parents as well, including Lance's parents, and I finally got to meet Nolan and Gary's parents too. 

"We knew Nolan was capable of doing something like this," his father stated, "but we didn't know anyone could get him to settle down long enough to do it." 

"You did a great job with the boys," his mother added.  "He talks about you a lot, and for a while I thought you were his only teacher." 

"I don't have him in class, just the drama club, but I'm very proud of him.  He did a wonderful job."

"And Gary talks about you a lot too," Gary's mother added.  "I think he'd stay after school every night if he could spend the time with you." 

"You did a truly amazing job with these kids," Gary's father chimed in.  "We were at the first play, but we didn't stick around to speak with you because Gary only worked in the background.  I was surprised when he told me he was going to be in this play, and I definitely didn't expect it would be better than the first.  I offer my kudos on the fine job."  

"Thank you, and I'm glad Gary joined the drama club too.  I enjoy having him around." 

I talked to a few more parents, and got a high sign from Mr. Chang.  I figured that meant he'd catch me at school the following week, and I couldn't wait to hear what he had to say too.  When the crowd began to disperse, Jennifer came up to speak with me next. 

"That was absolutely fantastic!  Now I understand why the boys spend so much time with you.  They were incredible." 

"I'll be sure to pass that along to them." 

"Will they be coming over today?" 

"I think they're planning to stop by to celebrate this time." 

"Then if you don't mind, I'll watch for them so I can tell them myself." 

"I'm sure they'll appreciate that," I told her, although I wasn't being completely honest with her.  I'm sure the boys would rather spend their time in a sexual celebration, but I'd hold them off until she stopped by. 

After she left, since she was the last one to speak with me, I went back to the storage area to make sure everyone was gone.  I had taken Nolan and Gary's makeup off first on Friday and then had them watch while I did it to the others so they'd be able to help out today.  Once I was certain no one was left in the storage area, I locked the door and went to check the nurse's office next.  Gina was still there at the time. 

"Another great job, Marshall.  I'm really excited about working with you on Oliver! this year." 

"Thanks, and I'm looking forward to working with you too.  I love musicals, so this should be fun." 

"Have you ever been in one?" 

"Oh, yes.  Several." 

"Did you have a singing role?"  

"Once again, several, including Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha." 

"Really.  Sing me one of those songs." 

"Here?  Now?" 

"Yes." 

"But there's no music." 

"Follow me."  She led me down to the music room and sat down at the piano.  "I can fake most of the songs, so which one do you want to do?" 

"Damn, I wasn't ready for this, but I could do either Dulcinea or The Impossible Dream." 

"Do a little of both.  Start with Dulcinea." 

I did as she requested and sang part of each song, only stopping when she quit playing.  "Damn.  I didn't know you had such a great voice to go along with your acting and directing ability," she said when I finished. 

"I've been told I had a good or even a nice voice, but not great.  I never took vocal lessons."

"Trust me, it's better than you think.  How would you like to play Fagin or Mr. Bumble?  I was planning to ask for faculty and staff volunteers for a few of the roles, since I wasn't sure if the students could handle them.  I also thought the contrast with an adult Bumble and Fagin standing beside the kids would be more impressive, but it should help to keep the kids under control too." 

"I'll do whatever you want." 

"Mr. Bumble has an awesome song to sing with Boy for Sale, but the Fagin role is bigger and would be much more fun.  Besides, you're built more like Fagin than Bumble." 

"As I said, I'll bow to your wishes." 

That's how we ended our discussion, as we both left the building and I went to meet up with the boys.





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I wish to extend my thanks to Donny for editing these chapters for me and offering their suggestions. 

 

E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to:  ErastesTouch@aol.com  - but please put the story title in the subject line, so it doesn't get deleted as junk mail. 

 

My other stories:

http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/different-points-of-view/

http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/a-throw-away-kid/

http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/the-guardian/

http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/chance-of-a-lifetime/

                                                *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Although the boys in these stories sometimes have unprotected sex, I strongly urge all of you out there to be smart and protect yourselves from various sexually transmitted diseases by using taking appropriate precautions before engaging in sex.