RENAGADES & OUTLAWS

By Pink Panther

We’ve just disclaimed again, okay?

As you may have noticed, for the last couple of chapters, we’ve increased the font size. A couple of guys mentioned that it was getting hard to read, so we dealt with it. We like to please! As usual, feedback will be more than welcome. Please send your comments to archimedes294@hushmail.com and I’ll reply as soon as I can.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

Mark sat in the Mercedes outside Newton Valley Leisure Centre. The dashboard clock showed 19:28. Peewee was due to arrive at any moment. The minutes ticked by. 19:40 came and went. Mark was not unduly concerned; Peewee had been late a couple of times before. 19:50 rolled around; it now seemed increasingly likely that Peewee would not show up.

Mark decided to give it till eight o’clock. There was still no sign of the boy. With the clock showing 20:05 Mark finally drove away, heading for home. There might be a simple enough explanation, he told himself. Peewee might have had to do something that he couldn’t get out of, or he might simply have forgotten the time. If so, he’d probably come to the pool at the weekend to re-establish contact. But Mark’s gut instinct was quite different; Peewee hadn’t shown up because he’d chosen not to. Apart from sex, they just hadn’t got on, and Peewee had opted out. So they wouldn’t see him at the pool either; he’d stay away.

It was all very unsettling. It wasn’t that Peewee was a complete no-hoper. He was an excellent swimmer and by all accounts an outstanding athlete, but he’d completely rejected the idea of developing these abilities. Mark had made far less use of his athletic talents than he might have done, but he’d had his studies and his music to keep him busy. Peewee’s abilities as a swimmer and an athlete were all he had. The way he was going, his life could spiral out of control. But there was no point in worrying, Mark reflected. If Peewee wasn’t willing to help himself, there was nothing he could do.

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

Josh followed Rob into Mark’s bedroom and began to undress.

“Well, as you know, the blood test showed signs of infection,” Rob said quietly, taking a seat on the chair. “So how’s it been?”

“Fine,” Josh said casually, removing his school trousers.

“Any soreness or itchiness?” Rob asked.

“No.”

“Any discharge?”

“No, nothing.”

“That’s good,” Rob said gently. “We seem to have nipped it in the bud, which means you won’t have passed it on to anybody. I’ll just take a look.”

Josh discarded his briefs, his penis hardening rapidly. He moved across in front of the chair. Rob carefully examined the boy’s genitals.

“Well, it all looks fine to me,” he said quietly. “I’d say you were good to go.”

“Thanks,” Josh said, smiling down at him.

“What I must do is to show you how to use a condom,” Rob announced. “The guys who are fucking you probably won’t want to, so it will be down to you to make sure they do, okay?”

“Okay,” Josh agreed.

“I’ll need to get undressed for this part,” Rob said, smiling.

After taking a condom and a tube of KY from his bag, he quickly removed his clothes. They got onto the bed.

“Well here we are then,” Rob whispered, draping his arm around Josh’s shoulder.

He opened the condom packet, handing the contents to Josh. Following Rob’s instructions, Josh placed the condom over the head of the man’s penis, carefully rolling it down.

“Make sure it comes right down to the base,” Rob advised, “or it might come off.”

Josh did as he was asked, the rim of the condom buried in Rob’s pubic hair.

“Excellent!” Rob cooed. “Now it’s got its little rubber sock on, are you going to let me put it into your beautiful little bottom?”

Josh examined the man’s cock. Bigger than Tommy’s but a fraction smaller than Zac’s; it wouldn’t be a problem.

“Yeah, if you want,” he answered, grinning. ”You’ll need to finger me first though; I haven’t taken it for ages.”

“Oh, of course,” Rob assured him, expertly complying with Josh’s request. “Now you do me,” he added, handing Josh the tube.

Josh smeared KY over the condom. Rob rolled onto his back, his legs together,

“Right, kneel astride my tummy,” he ordered.

Josh got into position.

“Move a bit further up,” Rob told him.

Josh shuffled forwards.

“Okay, that should be perfect,” Rob said, sliding his hand between Josh’s legs. “Now sit down on it,” he continued, holding his penis so that it pointed towards the ceiling.

Josh lowered his hips, allowing Rob to guide the hard swollen object onto his pucker. He took a deep breath and pushed. It popped inside.

“I’ve never done it like this before,” he said quietly, looking at the man smiling up at him.

“Just take your time,” Rob counselled, removing his hand.

Very carefully, Josh worked his way down until he was completely impaled.

“That’s beautiful,” Rob gushed. “You’re very tight.”

Josh grinned. Of course he was tight; he hadn’t been fucked for more than three weeks. He knew instinctively what to do, pumping up and down on the man’s penis. Rob lay back in total ecstasy, unable to imagine anything more wonderful. Without even thinking, he gently fondled Josh’s boy-prong. Josh increased his efforts, the sensations driving him almost delirious. Suddenly everything went mental. He was so light-headed he could barely stay upright, the room swimming in front of him, his bum clamped tight around the man’s cock. Little drops of boy-juice arced through the air, splashing down on Rob’s chest.

“Oh yes!” Rob gasped, pressing down on Josh’s thighs.

He pumped his hips furiously, driving his cock into Josh’s rectum. A few thrusts were all it took, his balls churning into action. Semen surged through his penis, flooding prodigiously into the condom. He lay back, a completely spent force, his chest rising and falling.

“That was out of this world,” he declared at last, looking up at Josh who was still sitting on his cock. “Quite extraordinary! Just ease yourself up a little.”

Josh lifted himself up slightly. Rob slid his hand, palm down, between Josh’s legs, placing his index and middle fingers on either side of his penis. He held it firmly, gripping the condom.

“Okay,” he said quietly. “Up you go, nice and slow.”

Josh steadily lifted himself off, Rob’s still hard cock popping out of his anus.

“Feels weird,” he said, grinning.

“Weird?” Rob enquired. “How?”

“Sort of empty,” Josh said. “I’m usually all messy after I’ve been fucked.” He examined Rob’s penis, still encased in the condom. “Very messy if you’d shot all this lot up me,” he added. “Looks like you’ve cum loads.”

“I should think I have,” Rob cooed, “having such a beautiful little arse to fuck.” He reached into his bag. “Take these condoms with you,” he said gently, passing them to Josh, “and make sure you use them.”

“Thanks,” Josh said, climbing off the bed. “Please tell Mark I’m having a quick shower,” he added, padding towards the wet room. “We had athletics last period and I’m all grubby.”

Rob wiped the boy-spunk off his chest. After pulling on his clothes, he strolled into the lounge room.

“You look like the cat that swallowed the cream,” Mark commented.

“Actually, that was the one thing I didn’t do,” Rob said, flopping down on the sofa.

“So you fucked him then?” Rob asked.

“Oh yes,” Rob said blandly. “He was well up for it. So there I was; usual position. He said he’d never done it like that before, but the way he was riding me was quite incredible. I barely touched his cock; the horny little thing squirted all over me. Only a few drops, but it shot right up by my nipples.”

“So he was worth bending the rules for,” Mark suggested.

“Oh definitely,” Rob said, beaming. “They don’t come any cuter than that, do they? And he’s so sexy! I take it that you’ve had your wicked way with him?”

“Yeah,” Mark confirmed. “I’ve been up there a couple of times when he’s been here with Ryan.”

“You’re very lucky,” Rob admonished. “That’s the first thing I’ve had since the blond Ukrainian boy you put me onto.”

“It can’t be a regular thing, unfortunately,” Mark advised. “It’d be way too risky.”

“I haven’t met Ryan, have I?” Rob commented, changing tack. “You must introduce me sometime.”

“Don’t go building your hopes up there,” Mark warned, “Ryan’s given me exclusive access, and unless he indicates otherwise, that’s how I intend to keep it.”

A freshly showered Josh appeared in the room, dressed and ready to go.

“Sorry, dear boy,” Mark said, smiling at Rob. “I’m going to have to kick you out; got to get this young man home before his mum comes in from work.”

“Thanks for sorting me out,” Josh said, giving Rob his trademark smile.

“You’re more than welcome,” Rob responded. “I hope to see you again some time.”

Mark saw Rob out of the flat and strolled back to the lounge room. Josh was sitting on the sofa.

“You’ve got a hard-on,” he said, looking at the bulge in Mark’s jeans. “Do you want to . . . ?”

Mark swallowed hard. He hadn’t been sure if Josh would be up for anything so soon after going with Rob, but he quite clearly was. He was prepared, and they did have time, just about. It was too good an offer to refuse. He walked across to stand directly in front of the boy, taking a condom packet and a small tube of KY from his pocket.

Josh quickly opened Mark’s jeans, pulling them down round his thighs. Mark’s boxer briefs quickly followed. Josh ripped open the condom packet, quickly rolling it down over Mark’s rampant cock.

“This is different from the one Rob used,” he said, working KY over the ridges and valleys that ran along its length.

“Yeah,” Mark said, smiling. “If I have to use one, this it the type I go for.” He helped Josh to his feet. “Bend over there,” he instructed, pointing to the coffee table.

Josh did as he was asked. Mark quickly undid the boy’s school trousers, pulling down trousers and underpants in one movement. He smiled, noticing the chafing to either side of Josh’s anus, a result of the fucking that Rob had just given him. He lined himself up. With one thrust he was inside.

“Oh yeah!” Josh moaned.

Mark held Josh around the thighs, driving his penis deeper into the boy’s rectum. Josh winced, emitting a series of slight gasps, his sphincter being stretched by the increasing girth of Mark’s cock. Within a few seconds he’d got it all, Mark’s pubic hair brushing against his bum.

Mark began to fuck, giving it everything he had, Josh moaning incoherently.

“You are so horny! Mark asserted. “You love this!”

His orgasm came quickly, volley after volley of thick creamy spunk flooding into the condom. Though not as good as when he’d done it bareback, fucking a boy as cute as Josh could never be less than satisfying.

“Okay, pull out just a little bit,” Josh instructed.

Mark complied, pulling back around half an inch.

“Right, now slide your hand down so you can get hold of the condom,” Josh continued. “Then pull out nice and slow.”

It worked like a charm. Mark dropped to his knees, turning Josh to face him. He plunged down onto the boy’s throbbing prong, sucking it hungrily. It was over in a matter of seconds, Josh’s penis jabbing against the rood of his mouth, little drops of boy-cum squirting onto his tongue. A few minutes later, they were in the Mercedes, heading back to Newton Oaks.

“So what’s the score with Tommy and his step-brother?” Mark asked.

“Oh, Kevin got Tommy into doing stuff when they first moved in with them,” Josh said casually, “about two years ago I think. They’ve been doing it ever since.”

“And where’s the step-dad fit in?” Mark enquired.

Josh squirmed, not knowing what to say; he’d been dreading this.

“Well?” Mark persisted.

“Tommy made me promise not to say anything,” Josh mumbled.

“Well I want you to tell me,” Mark insisted. “Whatever you say will not go any further; that is a promise, but in the circumstances, I need to know. Would I be right in thinking that the step-dad is fucking Tommy as well?”

“Yeah,” Josh muttered, turning bright red.

“And is Tommy happy with that arrangement?” Mark queried.

“Not exactly,” Josh admitted.

“So why doesn’t he say something?” Mark asked.

“He’s worried that if he says anything, his mum will blame him for breaking them up. He and might even get put into care. He says it’s not that bad so he just gets on with it, yeah?”

“Well I don’t like it one little bit,” Mark asserted. “I’m no saint, as you know, but I’d never force a boy to have sex with me; that’s just wrong.”

“Yeah, that’s what I said,” Josh responded. “But Tommy thinks if he says anything it’ll just make things worse.”

“Well, I can see where he’s coming from,” Mark conceded. “I still don’t like it. Just remember, if he ever changes his mind, you know where I am.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Josh said, giving Mark a weak smile.

He still felt bad about betraying Tommy’s confidence, but what choice had he had?

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

“So did you get the all-clear?” Josh asked nervously.

“Yeah, no problem,” Tommy assured him, smiling.

“That’s great!” Josh enthused. “I’ve really missed . . . you know.”

“Yeah!” Tommy said, grinning. “Me too!”

“Come on then!” Josh encouraged, undoing the buttons on Tommy’s shirt.

Tommy hesitated.

“Are you okay?” Josh asked.

“Yeah, okay,” Tommy said, pulling a face. “The thing is, Frank and Kevin got the all-clear too, so I’ve had them both on me, Kev last night and Frank this morning. They weren’t too gentle either. My bum’s still fuckin’ sore.”

“Tommy! That’s not right!” Josh said vehemently. “Why don’t you say something? You can’t let them go on treating you like that!”

“Leave it, yeah?” Tommy said quietly. “If I say anythin’ the shit hits the fan, then fuck knows what happens. One thing I do know; I’ll get the blame for it. Mum’ll make out I’ve only said it to get rid of Frank. It’s okay; I can handle it.”

“It’s still not right,” Josh insisted. “If things ever get really bad, you’ve got to tell me, yeah?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Tommy conceded.

“Promise?” Josh demanded

“Yeah, promise,” Tommy said, smiling.

They quickly undressed each other before snuggling up on the bed.

“It’s all worth it to be here with you,” Tommy whispered.

“Well I still don’t think it’s right, making you do stuff you don’t want to,” Josh complained. “Gary says that you’ve both been told you’ll be in the top group for all your classes next term,” he added, changing the subject. “That’s fantastic! You should feel really proud.”

“Yeah,” Tommy said quietly. “And one other thing I know is that I’d never have done it without you.”

They kissed, they cuddled, they sucked, eagerly making up for lost time.

“So are you going to fuck me?” Josh asked, smiling.

“Is that okay?” Tommy asked apprehensively.

“Yeah, sure,” Josh assured him, “but we’ll have to use a condom, okay?”

Tommy nodded. Josh removed a sealed packet from the box Rob had given him, opening it with his teeth.

“How did you get those?” Tommy asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Oh, the doctor gave them to me,” Josh said breezily.

“Really?” Tommy queried.

“Don’t ask!” Josh giggled. He passed Tommy the KY. “Finger me up then we’ll give it a try!”

Tommy squeezed the gel onto his fingers, inserting first one, then two, into Josh’s anus.

“Okay,” Josh said. “Let’s see if I can do this.”

He placed the condom over the head of Tommy’s penis, rolling it down the way Rob had shown him.

“That looks alright,” he asserted, smearing the condom with KY, before quickly demonstrating how to hold it when pulling out.

“Yeah, no problem,” Tommy said, nodding.

Josh placed a pillow in the middle of the bed, covering it with an old towel. He lay face-down on top, his legs spread apart. Tommy climbed onboard, aiming his sheathed cock at Josh’s anus. With one thrust he was inside. He continued to push down, his tummy colliding with Josh’s bottom.

“Oh yeah!” Josh groaned. “Do it, Tommy!”

Tommy didn’t need to be asked twice, fucking insistently, his cock thrusting repeatedly over Josh’s prostate. Josh was in ecstasy, the tingling in his penis building second by second. Tommy’s heart pounded against his back, the boy’s warm breath swirling around his face like some mystical sex-drug. All too soon he felt the tell-tale signs, his breathing becoming harsh and uneven. The spasms began right down at his feet before sweeping right through him, his sphincter tightening sharply around Tommy’s cock. His penis twitched wildly, little jets of watery spunk squirting onto the towel.

With just a few more thrusts Tommy was there too, several wads of sticky semen exploding into the condom. After a few seconds, he carefully withdrew, holding the condom firmly as he did so. Josh flipped over, smiling beatifically.

“That was awesome!” he breathed. “I’ve missed that so much! How was it for you?”

“Wicked!” Tommy whispered, smiling back.

“As good as doing it without?” Josh asked.

“Not quite,” Tommy said, “but it’s not a problem. We’ve got to keep each other safe, yeah?”

“Yeah, course we have!” Josh agreed.

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

“So what’s the line-up for this gig?” Damian asked as they set up for their Sunday afternoon rehearsal.

“Michelle Hanson’s doing the opening set,” Zac said blandly. “She’ll do about thirty minutes. After her, there’s Yunga Bruvvaz and us, doing forty to forty five minutes each. Start at seven thirty, allowing time to reset the stage, it’ll be all done by ten.”

“So who’s headlining?” Greg enquired.

“Mike’s not made his mind up about that yet,” Zac said. “He’s going to come to rehearsals this week then he’ll let us know. We might even have to toss for it.”

“I hope it’s us,” Greg said.

Josh was bemused; he hadn’t heard of any of the other people.

“Oh, they’re mainly kids from our year,” Damian explained. “Michelle Hanson does this acoustic thing with a couple of guitarists, one kid from our year, one from year eight. Really nice voice; a bit like Corinne Bailey Rae, or maybe Norah Jones, yeah?”

Josh nodded.

“Yunga Bruvvaz are a hip-hop band,” Damian went on. They’re not bad, but they’re a bit disorganised. There are six or seven of them altogether. Kemal Thomas and Virgil Scott, the two main ones, are superb, but some of the others aren’t really up to it. Kemal and Virgil are top kids; they get ‘A’s for everything.”

“The rhythm section’s the problem,” Greg added. “Marcus, their drummer, is very weak; he’s got no confidence. The thing that gets me is that they pretend they’re like ghetto kids. Virgil’s dad’s a dentist, for fuck sake!”

“So are they all black then?” Josh asked.

“Most of them are,” Damian said. “The keyboard player and the DJ are white.”

“That keyboard player’s such a poser!” Greg sneered. “Talks like he’s trying to sound black; it’s pathetic! And he’s not very good; Virgil has to tell him what to play.”

“So which year’s he in?” Josh asked.

“Year Eight,” Damian said.

“So didn’t you want him to join your band?” Josh queried.

“No way!” Greg insisted. “He’s not good enough and in any case he was already working with them.”

“Oh, I see,” Josh said. “So will there be anyone else from year seven playing apart from me?”

“Not as far as I know,” Damian told him.

“Okay guys!” Zac called. “Time to get some work done!”

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

Two hours later, the rehearsal was over. It had gone very well; the work that they’d put in during the half-term break had made a big difference. Once everything was packed away, Greg and Damian were quickly on their way home.

“So I take it your period of quarantine is at an end,” Zac ventured.

“Yeah, thanks,” Josh said, beaming.

“Let’s go upstairs,” Zac suggested.

Josh followed the teen up to his bedroom. They quickly undressed each other. Within a couple of minutes they were stretched out on the bed, kissing and fondling, their hands going everywhere.

“I can’t wait to fuck you again,” Zac growled.

“That sounds good, Mr. Outlaw,” Josh responded, grinning, “but you’ll have to use a condom.”

“Oh, come on!” Zac protested. “It wasn’t me that infected you, was it?”

“No,” Josh admitted, “but that’s not the point.”

“Look,” Zac insisted. “Tommy’s fucking you again, and you’re using condoms yeah? Well I’ve not fucked anyone apart from you, so we’ll be perfectly safe.”

“Forget it, “Josh said sharply. “No condom, no fuck.”

“But I don’t like condoms!” Zac whined.

“So you’ve actually used one then?” Josh demanded

“No, but . . . ,”

“Well piss off then!” Josh snapped.

“You’re a leery little bugger at times,” Zac observed. “Okay then, what do we do?”

“Well first you finger me up,” Josh said, beaming at having won the argument.

Zac readily complied.

“Okay, now what?” he asked.

“Well first I’ll make sure you’re nice and hard,” Josh cooed. “Then I’ll put it on for you.”

After a few strokes of Josh’s fingers, Zac was as hard as stone. Josh ripped open the packet, took out the condom and placed it over the boy’s penis, rolling and smoothing it down until the rim was deep in the teen’s pubic hair. Finally, he coated it with KY.

“So how d’you want me?” Josh asked provocatively.”

“You know how I want you,” Zac shot back, grinning.

Josh climbed off the bed. He picked up a pillow and placed it on Zac’s desk, bending submissively over it.

“Come on,” he urged. “I’ve been waiting for this! Show me what you’ve got!”

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

Ryan knocked on the door of Paul Stephens’ office, waited for a second and entered.

“Good morning, Ryan!” Paul said warmly.

“I’ve brought the list of tunes for the end of year concert, sir,” Ryan said, handing it over.

Paul scanned through the list:

‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine’ (Norman Whitfield)

‘Round Midnight’ (Thelonius Monk)

“I Wish’ (Stevie Wonder)

“So you’re not playing ‘Eleanor Rigby’ this year?” he queried.

“No sir,” Ryan said. “I wanted to play some different tunes this time.”

“That’s a shame,” Paul said quietly. “That knocked everyone out last time. Still, it’s your call. I guess you’ve put a lot of work into these three.”

“Yes sir,” Ryan confirmed. “I’ve been working on them since Christmas.”

“That’s fair enough,” Paul said, smiling. “Off you go, you’re missing your break.”

Ryan left the office an idea germinating in his head. He hadn’t played ‘Eleanor Rigby’ for ages, but it wouldn’t take him long to get it up to standard. Maybe, just maybe . . .

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

The summer term was drawing to a close. With their end of year exams completed, Josh and his bandmates could focus on the upcoming gig. After Mr. Russell had seen them in rehearsal, they’d been given the headline spot. They were pleased to get it, but it was a responsibility; they knew they’d have to play well.

The day of the gig arrived, the Friday before term ended. After lunch, they went to the theatre hall to set up. In order to minimise the time needed to reset the stage, Fireblade and Yunga Bruvvaz were using the same amplifiers and drum kit.

“Don’t you mind Marcus using your kit?” Josh asked.

“No, he’s okay,” Greg said. “He’s not using my cymbals though. I’ll have mine set up in the wings. We’ll change them over as soon as they’ve finished.”

Josh watched intently as three boys from Year Twelve connected up the P.A. system.

“Are they running everything through the P.A. like Renegade do?” he enquired.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Damian told him.

“So how big’s the system?”

“About 2k out front with 1k fold-back,” Damian said. “It’s big enough.”

“Not as big as the system Renegade use though,” Josh noted.

“Oh, using that set-up at the Crown & Anchor’s a joke,” Damian said, grinning. “It’s like using a Rolls Royce to drive to the shops.”

With everything in place, the sound-check began. Greg sat at the drum kit as Tom, the seventeen year old sound engineer, adjusted the levels to make each drum sound just right, finally checking the sound of the whole kit.

“Okay! Bass!” Tom called.

Josh watched carefully as he checked the sound for both Damian and the bass player from Yunga Bruvvaz. He was puzzled.

“Won’t you have to re-check before we go on?” he asked. “You’ve altered all the settings.”

“Nah!” Tom said casually. “I’ve got all Damian’s settings written down; I’ll just change them back. Right! Keyboards! On you go kid, it’s your turn.”

Josh took his place on the stage. He selected the acoustic piano sound. Tom beavered away, raising a level here, trimming one there.

“Okay,” he called. “Are you using any other sounds?”

“I’m using electric piano,” Josh called back, “and on one song I’ll be using Hammond organ”

“Right, let’s try electric piano,” Tom instructed.

Josh began to play. Within a few seconds Tom called a halt.

“Yeah, that’s okay. Now try the Hammond.”

Josh set up the keyboard and began to play while Tom adjusted the levels.

“Make sure you mark that song on your set list,” he instructed, “so I know to give you more reverb.”

Josh stepped away, to be replaced by a tall, skinny boy. The lad selected a synthesiser sound and proceeded to play some very basic lines. Josh was unimpressed, concluding that Greg’s assessment had been pretty much spot-on; the boy wasn’t very good at all.

With the individual instruments sorted, they moved on to sound-checking each of the three bands. They began with Michelle. She sang very well, Josh noted, her voice strong and clear. Without doing anything complicated, the two guitarists backed her beautifully. He was looking forward to hearing her whole set.

Yunga Bruvvaz followed. They weren’t bad, Josh concluded, but they sounded rough and under-rehearsed.

“Their problem is that they’re not together,” Tom explained. “Kemal and Virgil know what they’re doing, but some of the others aren’t really on it, so it’s a bit of a mess.”

Finally it was Fireblade’s turn. Greg counted them into ‘Love Hurts’ and they were away. It was nothing like doing it in Zac’s rehearsal studio; Josh could hardly believe it was actually them playing. The sound was so solid and powerful, the monitors enabling him to hear everyone perfectly. They played a couple of verses before Tom called a halt.

“Sounds good to me,” he called. “How is it up there?”

“Great,” Zac responded.

The other boys nodded their agreement.

“That’s it then lads,” Tom said. “We’re good to go. See you back here at half past six. Don’t be late!”

“Wow!” Josh bubbled as they left the platform. “That was amazing! I’d no idea it’d sound like that!”

“Yeah, it’s a pretty good set-up,” Damian said casually. “The acoustics are nice too; not too much echo.”

Josh checked his watch. It was ten past four; time to go home and have something to eat. Ryan and Ashley were coming to the gig; he’d arranged to meet them at Ryan’s house at six o’clock. He could hardly wait.

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

Josh arrived at Ryan’s house at five to six. Ashley was already there. Ryan and Ashley were dressed in their best playing-out clothes. By contrast, Josh, in knee-length denim shorts and a plain pale blue top, looked quite ordinary.

“Are you playing like that?” Ryan queried.

“No, I’ve got a change of clothes in the bag,” Josh explained. “Mr. Russell says we’ll get really hot on stage.”

He handed passes to both boys.

“Access all areas?” Ryan queried, grinning. “So we can come backstage?”

“Yeah, if you want,” Josh confirmed. “You don’t have to, of course.”

“You bet I want to!” Ryan said, his grin broadening. “Are we ready then?”

The other boys nodded.

“Okay mum, we’re going now!” he called. “See you later!”

They headed off towards the school. Josh was excited and nervous in roughly equal measure. This would be nothing like playing for the kids at Stainmoor, or in front of an examiner. This was scary! He was desperate not to screw up, but he’d put the work in; all he had to do was play like he did in rehearsals.

They reached the school and made their way to the band room. Zac and Damian were already there.

“Hi Zac!” Josh said brightly. “This is Ryan, the guitarist I told you about, and that’s Ashley.”

“Hi guys!” Zac responded, looking Ryan up and down. “Hmm! Damian said you were big for your age. How’s the electric going?”

“Pretty good thanks,” Ryan said, grinning. “It’s getting there. Uncle Mark’s taking me to a jazz summer school the week after next; I should learn a lot more there.”

“Cool!” Zac said.

“Did you go to the Renegade gig over half-term?” Damian asked, addressing himself to Ashley.

“Yeah, it was great,” Ashley responded, smiling.

“I only asked cause dad said Ryan had someone else with him. So are you a muzo then?”

“No,” Ashley admitted, “but I like listening.”

“Where’s Greg?” Josh enquired.

“He’ll be here in five,” Zac said casually.

“So what time are you going on?” Ryan asked.

“About five past nine,” Zac said. “Could be ten past; depends how long it takes to reset the stage.”

A few minutes later, Greg joined them. They sat together in one corner of the band room, keeping to themselves, the other bands doing likewise, the room filled with a sense of nervous anticipation. Just after seven o’clock, Mike Russell breezed in. He spoke to each band in turn, coming finally to Fireblade.

“Okay,” he said quietly. “I want you ready to go on at nine o’clock. It’ll probably be a bit later than that, but be ready anyway. As soon as I call you, you all go on together. And no faffing about when you get up there; just check your tuning and get into your first song, okay? Don’t waffle between songs; keep introductions to a minimum. Introduce the band before your final song. Let’s have a sharp, professional presentation. Understood?”

“Sir,” Zac acknowledged, answering for all of them.

“You sounded excellent in rehearsal,” Mike continued. “So go out there and enjoy it. Right, so who are these young men?”

“Oh, these are Ryan and Ashley, sir,” Josh said politely. “They’re in Year Six at Stainmoor. Ryan plays guitar. We jam together a lot.”

“Oh, I see,” Mike said smiling.

“Ryan’s uncle’s the guitarist in Renegade,” Damian explained.

“Oh, excellent,” Mike said, beaming. “You’ve got quite a bit to live up to then. So will you be joining us next term?”

“Nah,” Ryan said, grinning. “Mum wanted me to go to the grammar school.”

“These two are clever clogs,” Josh interposed.

“That’s a disappointment,” Mike said, “We’re always keen to recruit talented musicians.”

“I wanted to come here,” Ryan said, “but I got an electric guitar for passing the exam, so I guess it’s not all bad.”

“Well, I hope it works out well for you.” Mike said warmly, before making his way out.

“Who’s that?” Ryan asked.

“Mike Russell, Head of Lower School,” Damian explained. “He’s a real music buff; plays a bit himself. He’s well into Renegade and all that sort of stuff; definitely one of the good guys.”

Ryan sighed; he couldn’t imagine there being anyone like that at the boys’ grammar school.

Just after half past seven, Mike re-appeared, calling Michelle and her two guitarists to the stage.

“I’m going out to watch,” Josh said quietly. “She’s sounded really good this afternoon.”

Ryan and Ashley followed him into the hall. It was filled with kids from years seven, eight and nine, with girls noticeably outnumbering boys. There was no formal seating, most were standing; a few near the front were sitting on the floor. With an audience in front of her, Michelle was even more impressive, her voice complemented by an easy stage presence.

“She’s superb,” Ryan enthused as the first song came to an end. “She’s gonna be a star. Guitarists are doing a nice job too.”

“You could play that in your sleep,” Josh told him.

“Doesn’t matter, does it?” Ryan shot back. “They’re getting the job done.”

They played a second song, mid-tempo like the first.

“We’re going to slow things down now,” Michelle announced.

They glided into ‘Cry Me a River’. The whole audience was spellbound, giving her rapturous applause as the song ended.

“Fuckin’ amazing!” Ryan breathed. “I never imagined she’d be as good as that, and I love the stuff she’s doing.”

After half an hour, the set ended to more tumultuous applause.

“Wow!” Ryan gasped, grinning at Josh. “Follow that!”

Josh didn’t reply. It was a challenge and he knew it. Gary and Joanne sauntered over to them. Josh and Gary slapped hands.

“What did you think of that?” Josh enquired.

“She was hot, man!” Gary said, grinning.

“Is Tommy here?” Josh asked a little anxiously.

“Yeah, he’s getting a drink,” Gary said. “Don’t worry; he wasn’t going to miss this. Are you on last?”

“Yeah,” Josh confirmed.

“We’ll be here!” Gary told him. “See you later, yeah?”

They strolled away.

“I’m going to listen to Yunga Bruvvaz first song,” Josh said quietly, “then I’ll have to go back.”

At ten past eight, the hip-hoppers appeared. They began with a version of Jay-Z’s ’99 Problems’. There was a great deal of energy, with rapper Kemal working the crowd and Virgil performing wonders on the computer, but the togetherness was lacking, just as Tom had said.

“I don’t reckon much to them,” Ryan said as they strolled back to the band room. “They’re all over the place.”

“Where’s Michelle?” Josh asked.

“Getting changed,” Damian said.

“Great,” Josh said grinning, “I’ll be alright here if I’m quick.”

He peeled of his shorts and top, replacing them with black cargo pants and a grey, black and white camouflage tee-shirt.

“Nice!” Zac said approvingly.

They sat, waiting quietly. Suddenly, Yunga Bruvvaz reappeared.

“I’d better go and change the cymbals over,” Greg said, getting to his feet.

“We’d better get out there,” Ryan said, nodding towards Ashley. “Find ourselves a good place.”

A couple of minutes later, Greg was back. The minutes ticked by as they waited anxiously for the stage crew to complete their preparations. Finally Mike Russell appeared.

“Okay lads!” he said brightly. “Let’s go!”

The boys stood up and headed towards the stage.

“Best of luck” Mike added as they made their way out.

There was a ripple of applause as they took to the stage. Josh sat at the keyboard and selected the acoustic piano, nervously playing a few notes to make sure. Zac and Damian quickly checked their tuning. Zac nodded. Greg counted them in. They launched into ‘Love Hurts’. Josh relaxed immediately; it sounded fantastic, even better than it had at the sound check. The song ended. The crowd went wild.

Dressed head to toe in black, a heavily studded belt holding up his skin-tight low-riders, Zac had stage presence too. Compared to Michelle, his singing was raw and uncultured, but it was no less effective.

“Thanks,” he called. “This one’s called ‘Rain Keeps Falling’.”

Four sticks from Greg and they were off. They finished the song to an equally enthusiastic reaction. Josh was on cloud nine; they were going down a storm. The rest of the set passed in a blur. Almost before he knew it, it was time for their final song.

“We’ve got one more song for you tonight,” Zac announced. “So before we go, please give it up for Greg Thornton on drums, Damian Reeves on bass and Josh Banham on keys!”

They each received thunderous applause. Greg counted them in to ‘Can’t Get Enough’ which they all agreed was their best song. They played it better than they ever had. All the work had paid off; they were rocking! The song ended with more wild applause. Josh felt as though he was floating somewhere near the ceiling. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that it would go as well as it had.

“I’m Zac Reynard,” Zac called, “and we are Fireblade. Thank you and goodnight!”

Leaving their instruments behind, they strode back to the band room.

“Let’s hear it one more time for Fireblade!” Tom called from behind the mixing desk.

There was more loud applause. Knowing that there wouldn’t be an encore, Tom started the background music, signalling to his colleague to bring up the house lights. The crowd slowly began to drift away.

“Man, that was such a blast!” Zac enthused, sinking into a chair.

Josh couldn’t disagree. It was the best thing he’d ever done, fulfilling and exhilarating at the same time. He pulled off his pants and tee-shirt, quickly towelling off before dressing in his street clothes. He wandered out into the hall where the gang were waiting for him.

“Man, that was wicked!” Ryan gushed, pulling him into a hug. “The songs were fantastic!”

There were hugs and congratulations from everyone; Joanne even gave him a kiss. It was overwhelming; Josh was as high as a kite. Even sex wasn’t as wild as that.

“Thanks,” he said quietly. “I must go and speak to mum.”

He strolled across to Kate, who was waiting patiently a few yards away.

“You did wonderfully,” she said warmly, “not just you, the whole band. I’m very proud of you. Are you nearly ready?”

“I just need to get my bag and we can go,” Josh said.

He collected his bag, slapped hands with his bandmates and returned to the hall.

“Are you okay for getting home?” Kate asked, addressing herself to Ryan.

“Yeah, thanks!” Ryan responded. “My mum’s picking us up.”

They went their separate ways. Half an hour later, Josh was in bed. Sleep, however, was out of the question. Tired as he was, the adrenalin obstinately refused to subside. He lay back, replaying the gig over and over. This was what he’d been born for, he decided, as well as having gay sex, of course.

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

Josh walked through the gate of Stainmoor Primary School. It was the first time he’d been back since leaving, the previous summer. He wandered into the hall where seats had been set out for the end of year concert. Paul Stephens spotted him immediately.

“Josh!” he said warmly, bustling across. “Great to see you! I didn’t know you were coming. My spies tell me that you’ve been doing very well at the high school.”

“Yes, thanks sir,” Josh responded. “It’s been going okay.”

“And what about the music?” Paul asked.

“I’m in the choir,” Josh said. “We’ve got a concert tomorrow night. I did grade seven piano last November. I got a credit, which was okay, and I’ve joined a rock band at school; we did our first gig last Friday.”

“Excellent!” Paul enthused. “And how did it go?”

“Very well, thanks,” Josh said, grinning. “The other guys are in year nine; they’re really good.”

“I’m delighted it’s working out so well for you,” Paul said, before hurrying off to supervise the children entering the hall.

A few minutes later, Rachel and Mark arrived.

“So you got the afternoon off too,” Josh commented.

“Absolutely,” Mark said. “Ryan’s put a great deal of work into this; I needed to be here.”

They took their seats and the concert began. As always, the standard was excellent. Finally, they came to Ryan’s solo spot. As he walked onto the platform, a round of applause was followed by an almost reverential hush. Ryan, it seemed, had achieved something close to cult status, especially among the younger kids.

Mark took a deep breath. Ryan had selected a very demanding programme, the tunes far more difficult than the ones he’d played the year before. Now he had to deliver. And deliver he did, with an assurance and maturity in his playing that far exceeded his previous performance; a moody and atmospheric ‘Grapevine’, a haunting ‘Round Midnight’ and a joyful, foot-tapping ‘I Wish’, each followed by enthusiastic applause. Ryan got to his feet.

“Thank, you,” he said, smiling at the audience. “I’m supposed to stop there, but I’m going to play one more tune. This is for Mr. Stephens and the other teachers, to say thanks for all the help they’ve given me. If you were here last year, you might remember this one.”

He sat down and began to play ‘Eleanor Rigby’. It somehow epitomised Ryan himself, the Ryan who was supposed to play three tunes, but had decided, without asking permission, to play an extra one. It was a wonderful performance, full of emotion. Mark gently took Rachel’s hand, both of them fighting back tears. The tune ended; two seconds of complete silence were followed by spontaneous, rapturous applause.

The concert concluded with two songs from the choir. Proceedings at an end, the audience began to disperse. Ryan trotted across to Rachel and the others.

“Hey man!” He said, giving Josh a hug. “Thanks for coming! You kept that quiet!”

“Yeah, well I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it,” Josh explained. “You played great!”

“You totally nailed it,” Mark confirmed. “That was right on the money; excellent!”

“Thanks!” Ryan acknowledged, looking a little embarrassed.

Paul Stephens came to join them.

“Mrs. Clark! Lovely to see you!” he said warmly. “Another wonderful performance; I’m afraid it’ll be a few years before we hear anything of that standard.” He turned to Mark “Good to see you again,” he greeted, extending a hand. “You must be very proud of your young protégé.”

“Very much so,” Mark responded, “He’s put the work in; that’s what it’s down to. I’m pleased to have been able to help.”

“I totally agree,” Paul said. He put his arm around Ryan’s shoulder “Thanks for playing ‘Eleanor Rigby’,” he added. “That was a very nice gesture, and much appreciated, by all the staff. You can go off to the grammar school with a lot of confidence. Keep working the way you have been and you will do well.”

“Thanks sir,” Ryan said quietly.

It was time to go. The previous year Ryan and Rachel had got into an argument. There was no question of that this time; battles like that seemed no more than a memory. They made their way out, very much at peace.