Date: Sun, 12 Jun 2022 17:05:11 +0200
From: Ryan White <liciousryan@gmail.com>
Subject: Twelve Year Old Tyler, Chapter 3

HOLA PEEPS!!

I'm literally so busy at work at the moment, that the only day I currently
have for writing is on Sundays...sorry again for the long wait, to those
who have enquired about the next chapter xoxo

Your continuous feedback is SO appreciated!! Seriously you just love seeing
a bunch of emails when a story is submitted, saying how much y'all enjoyed
it.

It makes writing WORTH it so much more!!

Please enjoy, and thanks for reading xx

Peace and love,
Ryan


TWELVE-YEAR-OLD TYLER
CHAPTER THREE
By Ryan White

"Catch me if you can!"

Frankie sped off in the direction of the park at lightening speed, to which
Tyler at once gave immense chase, leaving a laughing and heaving Kyle
behind in their dust.

The three of them had been out for a run on this glorious Sunday morning,
and ever since it was arranged a few weeks ago that Tyler would in fact go
back to school as of the following day, he desperately wanted to get in
shape for possibly, just possibly, being on the soccer team yet again...the
first time in twenty long years.

As if that wasn't enough pressure on him, he was really daunted with the
fact that he was, most probably, going to be bullied and stared at and
talked about for weeks and weeks to come...because just imagine for one
meek second, that a full grown thirty-two year old man, who looked like
one, who talked like one...but in his heart and his soul, wasn't
one...joined YOUR class of fellow twelve year olds...and you were supposed
to believe that Tyler Miller, the new guy, had been in a coma for twenty
years, and was still very much twelve years old inside his being and inside
his mind...flabbergasted to say the least, but unfortunately it was very
much true.

Back with the scenes at the park, and Tyler had eventually managed to haul
in Frankie, who was just as fast as his father was back in the day, as the
two of them reached the swings at virtually the exact same time.

"BEAT YA!" Frankie shouted and pump his fist into the air, with Tyler
immediately on the war path in solid disagreement.

"Like hell, dude! I touched that pole WAY first before you! I'm not blind!"

"You must be, because it was ME who came first!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Kids...please...stop this...Tyler, you are a grown man, for god's sake..."
Kyle huffed and puffed when he eventually re-joined the two at the swings,
falling down on the grass and struggling to get his breath back. Kyle
wasn't fat or unfit at the very least, but he was really tied down at work,
what with COVID cases and everything, to really do a good workout. He was
shocked about how out of breath he was.

Smiling slightly at seeing his best friend and his son bond, he was
actually a little jealous of said best friend...the fact that Tyler had
managed to completely transform his skinny, lanky body from where he had
woken up from the coma until now...he was really showing definition in his
stomach muscles and even his biceps, plus he knew that Frankie and Tyler
had been working out after school in their home gym...but it was still such
an accomplishment what Tyler had been able to do in these past few months
that he had been back in the land of the living.

"You getting tired, old timer?" Tyler laughed at Kyle, and high fived
Frankie, who also struggled to keep his own laughter in check.

"You two ganging up on me, are you? Go look in the mirror, you're my bloody
age!" Kyle managed to croak out as his tiredness overwhelmed him, his chest
expanding and exhaling in his desperate attempt for some much-needed
oxygen.

"Doesn't look like it, does it, pal?" Tyler smiled fondly at Kyle, and once
more, some of the good and unforgettable memories he and Kyle made during
their childhood flooded through him.

Kyle never...ever knew how Tyler really felt about him. Never, to this
day. And Jesus Christ...if he knew that Tyler was now developing strong ass
feelings for his young son...Tyler didn't wanna think about that, he
already had multiple nightmares about it...man oh man, Kyle would fucking
throw him right of his house! That's if he didn't cut his balls off first!

Kyle smiled back at his friend and managed to get his breathing under
control.

"Well, let me tell you...this body had been through so much training in the
past, and it will again! From now on, I'm training with you guys."

Frankie pulled a face at his father's words, and just for a moment again,
Tyler realised just how much Frankie resembled the Kyle that he knew, the
twelve-year-old Kyle from his own timeline...the Kyle he had been best
friends with before that terrible accident on the soccer pitch that had
left him comatose for twenty years.

And as much as he hated it...the fact that he and Kyle had almost nothing
in common anymore in the year 2022, there wasn't much he could do about
it. It was a shame...just a sad, waste of a shame. They had been such good
friends.

He was shaken right out of his train of thought when he felt Frankie's arm
on his shoulder...and not for the first time, a sudden rush of sheer sexual
electricity shot straight through him...ever since a few weeks ago when he
had witnessed Frankie and his own bestie Brandon sucking each other off
secretly inside his bedroom, he had fought his feelings towards the boy
with everything he had inside of him.

Sure, Tyler was twelve years old at heart, but unfortunately, that was not
what biology had determined...and thirty-two-year-old men shouldn't be
wanting to kiss and have sex and give blowjobs to boys of Frankie's age. He
was so confused; he didn't know what to do.

"Race you around the park and the first one back give's the other his
pocket money!" Frankie suddenly snickered enthusiastically, energetically
jumping up and down, ready to go.

"You're on!" Tyler giggled back and looked expectantly towards Kyle, who
was still sitting on the ground, with a slight smile on his face, noticing
how much Tyler was acting like...well, what he actually was...a
twelve-year-old pre-pubescent boy.

"Can I have some money, Daddy?" Tyler asked, his eyes full of laughter and
behind him, Frankie was doubling over at the sound of the childlike voice
that Tyler was using...Kyle just shook his head and finally stood up,
wiping the excess grass stains from his shorts.

"If my kid wasn't here now, I'd tell you exactly where you can put that
"Daddy" comment, old buddy...okay, are you both ready for this race? Tell
you guys what, first one back here, wins an extra fifty bucks to take to
school tomorrow. Scout's honour."

"Scout's what?" Frankie asked, his handsome face etched in sheer confusion,
before Tyler turned around and shortly explained what his father had meant.

"Why didn't he just say "promise" or something I can actually
understand..." Frankie muttered, but got in line next to Tyler and stared
straight ahead of him, ready for the sheer sprinting race that was about to
take place.

Kyle's eyes softered as he locked eyes on Tyler...if anyone still doubted
that this fully grown man was actually a child trapped there, they should
see him now...both boys were waiting anxiously for the race to get started,
and Tyler looked every bit as boyish as Frankie did at that moment.

It was sad, yes...but in a way, it was so endearing to see.

"Right...counting down! On your marks...get set...GO!"

Kyle's voice thundered over the quiet Sunday morning atmosphere as the two
boys...well, boys at heart haha, ran as fast as they could to the other
side of the park. With his much smaller frame, Frankie was out front by
quite a bit, but Tyler and his bigger, fully grown shade was gaining
momentum with every step he took. Kyle smirked...he knew his son and losing
to a man twenty years older than him, he would absolutely NEVER live that
down!

Frankie was really sprinting now and his younger posture made that he
completely pulled away from Tyler, who was still chasing him as fast as he
could, his 2002 brain didn't know the meaning of giving up, but he knew
that the race was virtually won. It wasn't that he was slow, it was just
that Frankie was twenty years younger and that made a huge difference in
its self. To his surprise, as he found that when he pushed himself just
that little bit more, that he in fact managed to haul Frankie in a little,
so that he could literally touch his feet with his own, should he have
wanted to.

Frankie nervously looked over his shoulder at Tyler coming ever closer and
quickened his pace as well. He was determined not to lose to Tyler, even
though the dude was becoming more and more of a friend, than what he would
have liked to admit. This from Frankie, who didn't wanna have anything to
do with Tyler at first, simply because the situation of him being twelve,
stuck in a grown up's body was too hard to understand...and it didn't help
that Tyler kept referring to him as Kyle, because father and son looked so
much alike.

That had all somehow...changed over time. They had insane many things in
common, they loved sport, especially soccer, and because his dad was always
working and ALWAYS at the hospital, Tyler had become more of an older
brother to him...something he secretly always wanted.

And he had to admit, now that Tyler had bulked up some and worked out
daily, that he was...well...Frankie didn't quite know why he felt this
way...he didn't normally check out older guys, but Tyler wasn't OLD...in
the full sense of the word. Tyler was...well, Tyler was actually really
hot...come to think of it...

And then it happened. It was like an accident, WAITING to happen.

Tyler was so close to Frankie, that both could literally smell each
other...and as Kyle thought, Frankie would rather die to lose to a guy that
was so much older than him. Frankie looked around to see just how far Tyler
was behind him, and right at the moment where there was a big mole's heap
right before him...

"FRANKIE! JESUS!"

Tyler came to a shuddering stop as Frankie completely tripped over the
mole's heap and fell face first onto the cold, wet, hard muddy
exterior. The boy's body made a nasty sound as he collided with mother
earth, and it shocked Tyler to his core that the boy made no movement,
whatsoever.

He chased over to Frankie, who still wasn't moving, and he didn't know
whether to touch him or to wait for Kyle, who was of course, a doctor, but
for god's sake, he couldn't do NOTHING! His heart felt like it as being
ripped apart as he saw Frankie lying there, and for the first time...he
realised just how the boys around him THAT day must have felt...seeing him
all bloody on the pitch and scared to hell that he was going to die.

"Frankie...Frankie, talk to me? Frankie! Please be okay, please be okay...I
already lost my parents and my best friend, I can't lose you too, not
you..." he whispered, with an utter desperate child's voice clearly evident
from inside a grown-up accent...before he heard urgent footsteps behind
him, with a worried Kyle quickly on the scene.

"Saw everything from back there. Frankie...Frankie, come on, get up. Here
we go, son, time to get up!"

At last, at fucking LAST, there was movement beneath them as Frankie
groaned, before he lifted his head up and tried to wipe some of the dirt
off of his face, of course making it even worse, as both his hands were
also covered in mud. He looked up at his father and at Tyler with squinted
eyes.

"What? Haven't you seen anyone trip before?" he asked before he lifted
himself off the ground and in pure kiddie style of action, he was way more
upset at his expensive clothes being soiled than he was that he could have
gotten seriously hurt.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...you wouldn't have tripped if it wasn't for
me..." Tyler whispered, and he found himself with tears in his eyes,
although he couldn't explain why...they were just THERE all of a
sudden...before Kyle placed his arms around his best friend.

"Tyler...come on...I know you're coming up twenty years in the past, but
surely you remember how much we used to fall, and hurt ourselves playing
soccer and all that other jazz? It's part of growing up and essential to a
kid's development. Anyway, if Cyclops here didn't look back at where you
were like fifty times, he would have seen that mole's heap. Frankie, you in
any pain?"

It took a few moments for Frankie to "test" out all of his limbs, and apart
from a few scrapes he was fine, before he nodded and wiped some dirt from
his shirt.

"Right, no harm done then. Come on, I'll take you two for breakfast at
MacDonalds. I think you deserve it," Kyle said, with a friendly pat on
Tyler's shoulder before he signalled both of them to follow him.

"You sure you're, okay?" Tyler asked, his eyes still hovering over the mess
that was Frankie's shirt...and he remembered how good the boy looked
without it...his sleek, slightly muscled torso and his strong legs from
playing soccer...the slight hairs that was just beginning to grow on his
arms...

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry I scared you. Look...what you said earlier..."

"What did I say?"

Frankie frowned and then his eyes flickered over towards those of Tyler.

It was like he had never seen, nor realised it before...but Tyler's
eyes...they were green...almost turquoise in colour...his face widened in
the, once again, shock realisation that they were the same age...maybe not
in stature, but definitely in mind and spirit...and those eyes of
Tyler's...they were...they were child like eyes.

They belonged to a grown up, yes...but they were so much like his own...

He cleared his throat and forced himself to look away."

"Nothing, I can't remember now. Come on, Dad's waiting. Race you to the
swings?" he asked, pure utter mischief glimmering inside his eyes.

**

The first week of school was...well, there was a few problems along the
way, there would always have been, but to his surprise, most of the kids,
especially the boys who shared his love for soccer, immediately accepted
Tyler as one of their own.

The first day of school, the principal himself, called the entire school
over to assembly and told them truthfully what had happened to Tyler twenty
years previously. Most of the kids were shocked, others were curious about
how this supposed man-child looked, and others were again excited that
something like this would be happening at all.

In pure childlike fashion, there was a million questions put to poor Tyler
as he was more than overwhelmed by the attention he was receiving. This was
something that happened once in a lifetime, if ever, and it was as if the
kids knew, that Tyler as someone special and someone they could connect
with as a fellow twelve-year-old.

Then, there was Brandon and his possy of boys...who was not happy at all
with a full-grown ass man having to study with them and get along with
them, and that was putting it mildly.

Right from the very start, whereas Frankie had gotten used to Tyler and got
to actually know him, Brandon had seen Tyler as a threat and he still
did. Frankie was his best friend, ever since the two had been in
kindergarten together, but what's more...and what no one knew apart from
them, was that he and Frankie was way more than just friends.

Brandon didn't know it yet, not at the tender age of twelve, but he was
starting to fall more and more in love with Frankie...not being able to put
a name to what he was feeling for the beautiful, sexy boy, except a deep,
deep desire to always be near him and in his heart, he knew that he was at
his happiest whenever he was spending time with him.

Having Tyler and Frankie now basically joint at the hip, becoming closer
and closer each and every day, and what's more...they were LIVING
TOGETHER...was sending jealously vibes as wide and big as the Sahara Desert
down his spine, and he was determined to get Tyler the fuck out of the
school and off the soccer team.

Frankie was HIS friend. He wasn't going to have some freak show come in and
destroy all that they shared. Not a chance in hell.

After school, when the boy's lined up for the after-school activities
sessions, the school's soccer coach, Max Anderson was stunned...in awe and
in sheer disbelief, when Tyler entered the locker room for the soccer
practise after school, and not just him, the latter recognised his old
coach from the year 2002 immediately, and greeted him with a friendly smile
and a wave.

Everyone who witnessed that boy's horrific tackle on Tyler twenty years
ago, would never, ever forget it, and the coach reached out his hand and
shook Tyler's warmly as he placed the other on his shoulder.

"I heard you were finally awake, Kiddo...oh, sorry...when I look at you
now, I still see that little boy who was so damn good at soccer, I could
have sworn you would play for Manchester United one day. You okay doing
this? After what had happened? It's going to be your first time back on
that pitch since...you know."

Tyler smiled and nodded, once again, so much as the child he was on the
inside, that even Coach Max was take aback at the sight. This was the boy
he was so proud of, between him and the young Kyle, they were devastating
on the pitch for their age group. And if the Tyler of today remembered any
of that, their team would have just gotten a major boost in quality.

"Right peeps, everyone on the pitch and I want five laps of running around
it, let's go!"

**

"Tyler, I'm open!"

Tyler looked to his left and saw Frankie's arms raised as he was levelling
him at every step of the way towards the goal posts, but to his left, there
was another boy who seemed to want the ball with all his might. Tyler's
brain worked overtime...

...the keeper might be thinking that he would naturally pass it to Frankie
since they knew each other...but pass it to the boy on his right and he
would never see it coming...

A solid pass to his right, had Frankie frustratingly scream loud
profanities at him, but it was worth it, as the keeper, just as Tyler had
thought, anticipated a left foot pass and instead was helplessly exposed to
his right, leaving the boy to slot home the goal and celebrate for their
part of the team they had been divided in.

Tyler immediately turned towards Frankie and signalled he was sorry, but
the boy was already on his way to celebrate with them. Any true footballer
would understand that you either made a right choice, than a wrong one out
of sheer emotion, and Frankie knew that, thank God.

After a water break, Coach Max switched the teams up, Frankie and Tyler now
being on the opposite teams, but Tyler as now on the same team as Brandon.

"Get ready to have you ass whipped, Grandpa!" Frankie good naturedly
shouted towards Tyler, and the latter showed a middle finger towards his
friend, which immediately cracked up the boys on the opposite team.

Tyler was yet to score in the entire practise session...he didn't know what
exactly it was, but he didn't have the sheer guts to actually take on
defenders like he used to back in the day and try to slot one past the
keeper...every time there was two or three defenders near him, he preferred
to pass, rather than attempt to fight them and get a shot in on goal.

They kicked off the second session, and immediately the ball was passed
towards Tyler, with his pace and his physique of course completely dwarfing
the other pre-teen boys. His step overs and his reflexes were unparallel,
and not for the first time that afternoon, Coach Max felt a cramp inside
his chest, thinking what might have been, if not for that horrible
afternoon twenty years ago.

With the speed and grace of a ninja, Tyler was suddenly face to face with
two of the opposing side's defenders. There was no Frankie next to him now,
who he could pass to...

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Brandon next to him, but it didn't
seem like the boy was making much of an effort to keep onside and level
with him, probably assuming that Tyler was going to attempt the shot
himself.

Once more, that cold, dark, frightening feeling enveloped Tyler as he
neared said defenders...it was as if his brain was shutting down...and he
passed the ball towards Brandon...who clearly wasn't expecting it...

"FUCK!" yelled Brandon as he completely missed the ball suddenly coming
from Tyler, and it went straight back to the opposing team's players.

"What the fuck? Are you scared to try and score? You wanna make ME look
bad? FUCK YOU, you freak!" Brandon sneered towards Tyler, who could only
stand there and listen in sheer silence...his body was heaving and his
chest was feeling tight as ever...he himself didn't know why he didn't take
the two defenders on...they were kids...so much smaller in size than
him...he was literally too afraid and he now knew why...

...being on this pitch, the exact, same pitch where that terrible accident
happened that placed him inside a coma for twenty years...the last time he
tried to score a goal on this pitch, he was horribly tackled beyond
belief...

"Coach, you gotta take this freak out of the team! Did you see what he
happened?"

Coach Max rolled his eyes but attended to Brandon as was his job to do...

"Yes, Brandon, I saw what happened. And what I saw, was that he made a
decision to pass to his teammate, who wasn't ready to receive the shot and
lost the ball to the opposition. How many times did I tell you guys to
think AHEAD!"

"But coach, you're all making out that he is this great soccer star, so why
didn't he just shoot at the goal? He could see that I..."

"Brandon! Enough! That man...that boy has been through so much in his life,
please don't make it harder for him! Okay? Everyone, we're switching things
up again!"

This time, Coach Max made for damn sure to separate both Brandon and Tyler,
with the latter and Frankie on the same team once again. This time, it was
a much tighter affair with Brandon solidly marking Tyler, whilst in the
process letting Frankie get away from him and scoring a goal in the
process.

Brandon had never, ever been this angry ever in his life...and he felt it
was unfair and that Tyler was getting special treatment by everyone,
including the coach. A fire lit up inside the pit of his stomach as he saw
Frankie jump on Tyler's back in celebration after the goal he scored...that
was HIS best friend, not Tyler's!

In a sudden rush of anger, and petty pre-teen calamity, Brandon watched as
yet again, the perfect synchronicity between Frankie and Tyler was heading
towards the goal that he was supposed to be guarding. A fit of pure hatred
and pure cascaded through him as he saw Tyler, once more, not attempting a
shot at goal, but rather passing the ball to Frankie. He hated marking
Frankie...that was his buddy and he wanted the coach to see how good his
friend was!

But then...instead of Frankie attempting the shot towards goal as he had
been doing all afternoon, he passed to Tyler at the last moment. Clearly,
he wanted Tyler to score. Brandon saw what could only have been sudden
panic inside Tyler's childlike eyes, and he seemed to stand still, with the
ball at his feet, frozen as an iceberg. Brandon knew, this was his
chance. He'd make sure this freak never played soccer again...

Tyler was still weighing up his options...he couldn't pass it back to
Frankie, he was surrounded by defenders...he's gonna have to take the shot
himself...when he ferociously felt himself being kicked in the shin by
Brandon, with such a velocity that the spikes on the soles of the boots dug
deep into his skin.

He didn't even so much as try and get the ball...it was solemnly done to
hurt him, with such a force and with such anger and mean spiritedness,
Brandon's eyes were gleaming as Tyler grabbed his foot, but he didn't fall
down as was the plan...Brandon's weight wasn't enough to completely
immobile him, but it had been enough to seriously injure his foot.

Coach Max blew his whistle and made his way over to Tyler and Frankie, who
had joined his friend...there was so much blood that Tyler felt he was
going to pass out. Frankie turned around and stared Brandon down with
murder in his eyes.

"What's your fucking problem? It's just a training session, not a real
match! And his OUR teammate! What the hell is wrong with you?" he shouted
before running back to Tyler and putting his arm around his shoulder to
help him balance.

Brandon's eyes were tearing up...he didn't mean to actually HURT Tyler to
that extent...Jesus, look at all that blood...he just wanted his friend
back, it felt every passing day that he was losing Frankie more and more!
And now...now it seemed that he had fucked up that friendship in more ways
than one.

**

A couple of stitches later and the drive home, and everything was
over. Tyler's triumphant return to the schools under 12 soccer team was
over before it had started.

A full six and a half weeks...that's what the doctor had said. The season
would be over before that time had elapsed, so thanks to Brandon, Tyler
would have to wait another full year before the next school season would
even start.

Tyler didn't know what he could have done to Brandon to have the dude do
something like this...but he has his suspicions...no one knew that he had
witnessed Brandon and Frankie having sex or giving blowies or whatever they
did a few weeks ago, and he himself hadn't mentioned it to anyone,
ever. Brandon might be jealous that he got to spend so much time with
Frankie, and he would himself admit they were getting close.

Frankie stayed with Tyler, the whole time they were waiting for a doctor to
check the damage on Tyler's foot, and Coach Max even phoned Brendan's
father because of what happened. Tyler shuddered...the last time he had
seen Brendan's father...heard him laugh and talk...there was something,
something he could't fathom inside that voice and laugh that gave him
goosebumps.

He had no reason at all to be scared of the man, he didn't know him from
Adam...but it was like his brain was trying to tell him something. That he
should stay away from that man, what ever the hell it took.

A knock on his bedroom door and Frankie's handsome face peeped around the
corner.

"You okay? Can I come in?"

"Sure, you can. My house is your house. Literally."

Frankie smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

For what felt like the millionth time, Tyler's heart swelled and his chest
was warm...so warm when ever he was with Frankie. He didn't know what was
happening to him, but he knew he wanted to be with him, so much...he liked
him, he really, really liked him.

Frankie sat down next to Tyler and sighed. He ran his fingers through that
sexy jet-black hair of his before looking upwards at Tyler.

"Dude...I dunno what happened out there...did you say something to Brandon
to upset him or what the fuck is going on?"

Tyler shook his head, before he laid back and gently placed his head on the
soft cushion.

"I really didn't Frankie, you gotta believe me. We were just playing
soccer, next thing I knew you passed the ball to me and then...then he
slided right into me."

Frankie's eyes diverted to Tyler's foot, which was now inside a snow-white
cast, before he reached out and touched Tyler's arm.

"I feel...no, I know I can trust you. Things were crap at the beginning but
now...I feel that you're my friend and that I can tell you stuff. I know my
dad is like your best friend..."

"...was, my best friend. Me and him don't have that much in common
anymore," Tyler muttered, still saddened by the ugly truth of the matter.

Frankie looked down at the floor and he closed his eyes. He covered his
face with both his hands before he laid back onto the bed himself, a few
feet away from Tyler.

"Please don't hate me...I fucking beg you...my dad is away like all the
time at work, my mom and I haven't really got a good relationship and I
just lost my fucking best friend because he's a fucking jerk and..."

Tyler frowned as he heard a croak in Frankie's voice, before he went on...

"...and I dunno know how to say this, but I have to, I have to tell
SOMEONE, I can't do this anymore...I just can't..."

Frankie kept quiet, and Tyler could actually hear his morbid breathing
coming and going in short staccato noises. He had no idea what was going on
but he kept quiet and allowed Frankie to compose himself.

The boy sniffed a few times before he sighed once more.

"Tyler...I'm...I mean...I'm gay..."

Those last two words came out in a mere whisper...almost so softly uttered
that Tyler had to make sure of what was said inside his brain. It might
have been soft, but it was there, he heard it. He suspected that already
after the whole blowjob saga the other night, but now, this was
huge...Frankie actually trusted him enough to tell him this.

"Please don't hate me...please..."

The boy was openly crying now and Tyler sat upwards, looking down at the
most beautiful, most cutest, most handsomest boy he had ever seen in his
entire life...that same boy who was clearly in so much pain, having to hide
who he truly was.

Tyler reached out, without even thinking and took hold of Frankie's shaking
hand. The boy sobbed uncontrollably, but not as loud to actually have his
parents hear him. Together, they sat and lied on that bed, respectively,
without talking, just the utter silence as Frankie's sobs became lesser and
lesser over the next few minutes. Tyler was still holding Frankie's
hand...the latter boy never once snatched it out of his control.

"Why aren't you saying anything..." came the soft whisper once things were
calmer, to which Tyler closed his own eyes and decided to say the one thing
he never thought he ever would...

"Because...I'm gay too."

Silence.

Complete and utter silence.

Then, a movement on the bed, followed by the natural sound of a mattress
losing weight on its side as Frankie sat upwards and stared at Tyler in
what could only be described as mortal disbelief and pure shock.

"No...no, you're not. No, you're just saying that..."

"I'm not, Frankie. I'm really not."

Frankie swallowed, slowly.

His miniature Adam's apple moving up and down was one of the sexiest things
that Tyler's twelve-year-old mind had ever seen. He was processing all of
this, and not doing a very good job of it. Once more, his eyes fluttered
questioningly towards Tyler, who gently nodded and completed the answer
with a sad, sad smile.

"You never...why didn't you say anything?" Frankie finally asked, now
turning his full attention towards his grown-up friend.

Tyler laughed and rolled his eyes, so much typical of a pre teenager.

Once again...as Frankie was beginning to realise over and over...those
actions weren't those of a grown up. Tyler might have been thirty-two
biologically...but he was every bit as much a twelve-year-old every and
anywhere else. They were the same age...they felt the same things...they
might have been born twenty years apart, but this...miraculously...they
were acting and breathing as one person.

"Dude...you're forgetting that in my head, it's still the year 2002. People
didn't just go around coming out and all that shit back then...people
preferred to stay quiet. And how was I supposed to know you were gay? You
don't look gay."

This time it was Frankie's turn to almost choke with sudden laughter.

"How does a gay person look, huh? Tell me?" he giggled.

Tyler giggled back and blushed a deep red at the same time.

"I don't know, man! Just...all girly, I suppose...?"

Frankie shook his head and stood up, and before Tyler knew what had
happened, Frankie had completely taken off his shirt. He then proceeded to
make a pose, showing off his biceps and muscles, before he slumped his arms
back down, with another devilish smirk inside those beautiful blue eyes.

"I ain't fucking looking girly. See? I got muscles, just like a straight
boy. So, what do you say now?"

Tyler licked his lips, dry all of a sudden. He needed water...seeing
Frankie's shirtless torso in a situation so intimate was more than he could
endure. His cock was rock hard, and thank God that he was wearing jeans,
was all he could think of.

And suddenly...it hit him. Like a steel hard dick to the forehead.

He...oh jesus christ...he was IN LOVE...there was no other
explanation...all this time...how the fuck didn't he realised it before?!

Then again, he was only twelve inside his mind...way too inexperienced to
be dealing with things like this, as all twelve year old's were...oh wow,
he was actually in love with Frankie.

"BOYS! DINNER IS READY!"

"Gotta eat, man, gotta eat! Oh...sorry, should I like, help you with that?"
Frankie asked as he pointed towards Tyler's injured foot.

Tyler smiled happily and his chest once more was filled with that special
sort of warmth...the only difference was...now he knew what the heck it
was...it now had a name.

"Yeah, thanks!" he said, his eyes never leaving that, of an equally smiling
Frankie.

**

As Kyle's wife and Frankie's mother Kimberley dished out dessert, the
doorbell rang.

"I'll get it, don't you guys get up, least I can do," Tyler announced
before he stood up, but not before he saw Frankie's eyes flickering towards
him, and giving him a subtle smile.

As if he was dreaming, it literally felt as if he was walking to the front
door on air, before he opened it up.

"Oh, it's YOU."

Tyler stood aside as the big, bulky man known as Brandon's father simply
seemed to swat him aside as he made his way into the house.

Tyler swallowed slowly...that feeling of dread suddenly overpowering him
once more, the exact same feeling he had gotten the first time he had met
the man. He quietly closed the door and walked slowly back towards the
living room, where already, loud voices could be heard...

"...can you allow a person like that in a school, Kyle? Have you completely
lost your mind?"

Tyler's heart sunk at the Mr Johnson's harsh words, and even more when he
saw Kimberley's head buried inside her hands, as if she was mortified and
utterly embarrassed...but that all changed the moment Kyle finally stood up
and faced Brendan's father.

"I know me and you are friends Jim, and our boys are friends, but quite
frankly what the hell gives you the right to just BURST in here and demand
answers? And as for Brendan...Tyler here, had to have EIGHT...that's EIGHT
stitches in his foot because of what YOUR SON did on that pitch today. I
have talked to Coach Max, and he saw everything. Brendan WANTED to injure
Tyler, the reason, I wouldn't know. I don't know what Brendan told YOU, but
if he was kicked off the team, then he damn well deserved it!"

Kyle's voice might have thundered throughout the living room during all
that, but Jim Johnson wasn't quite finished with him either.

"Oh please, kids get hurt playing sports all the time, you know that,
Doctor! And if that...that person over there, insists that he is a kid,
then he will be treated as a kid! My son made one bad tackle, in a fucking
CONTACT SPORT, and now all of a sudden you and that damn coach is going on
as if he had committed murder!"

Kyle took a deep breath. Even Tyler had NEVER seen this side of him.

"That person, as you call him, is my lifelong best friend. Some idiot had
the balls to seriously injure him to the extent that he was in a coma for
twenty long years. Considering how close your son was to history repeating
itself, THAT's why I'm angry as hell! Now, I'm sure you can understand that
he wants to get on with his life and in fact, Jim, it's only your son that
has any kind of problem with him. The kids like and respect him, if Frankie
and Coach Max is telling me the truth. Are they, Frankie?"

Frankie quickly nodded, before talking one look at Jim Johnson, and then
straight back to his plate of food.

The latter shook his head and placed both hands on his hips. Even Tyler
could see the family resemblance from Mr Johnson to Brendan in that moment
and time.

We'll see, Kyle. If my son, who has given EVERYTHING to that soccer team,
if he can't be on there, then neither will this...this FREAK! There, I said
it!"

He turned towards Tyler, and if the latter thought it was bad previously,
the man was spitting flamethrower fires now.

"So...comatose for twenty years, huh? Hope they find the person who did
it. Good luck with that..." he said before he smiled at Tyler...a smile
that didn't reach his eyes.

Jim Johnson stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

Kyle immediately rushed towards Tyler and grabbed him inside a tight bear
hug. Tyler felt his shoulders being caressed by his best friend as he was
held inside his arms...but Kyle eventually realised that his buddy wasn't
moving. In fact, he was as stiff as a board...seriously, rigor mortis came
to mind...

"Dad...something is wrong..." Frankie shouted as Kyle was just in time to
catch Tyler as he started to fall backwards.

"Tyler...Tyler, talk to me!" he whispered urgently.

"It's him..."

"What, who? Where?

Tyler blinked his eyes and started into nothingness.

"Jim Johnson...it was him, Kyle. It was him. Who had tackled me. That
day. That smile...that smile was the last thing I saw before...before...

**



THANKS FOR READING!!

I cried at writing the scene where Frankie and Tyler come out to each
other. I couldn't help it...reminded me so much of my own childhood.

THANK YOU again to everyone who send me some feedback. It's really
appreciated and it really encourages you to just get out there writing more
chapters LOL xx

liciousryan@gmail.com