Chasing Rusty Parker – Ch. 31
By Laura S. Fox
Copyright © 2023 Laura S. Fox
All Rights Reserved
Gay Erotica
Intended for Mature Audiences Only
This story will contain graphic depictions of sexual intercourse, strong
language and it is not meant for readers who are less than 18 years of age.
Consider making a donation to Nifty by clicking the little blue button
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~
Chasing Rusty Parker is the sequel to my story Good Guys Don't Date Bad
Boys that you can also find here, on Nifty.
~
Chapter Thirty-One - A
Night To Remember
Zoey walked into the room
as soon as Matty yelled for her to come in from the other side of the door, but
it took him a few moments to recognize his bestie in her new attire. The pink
jacket she loved so much was gone, and so was any trace of glitter. If anything,
the lack of any makeup made Zoey look younger with her eyes made huge by the
glasses and her hair brushed back and tied into a braided ponytail. Knowing the
usual troubles she had with making her hair behave, Matty wondered what could
have happened to warrant what must been a torture involving hours of punishing
brushing of that leonine mane.
The clothes were just as
much of a shock. Matty could have overlooked the lack of pink, but why was Zoey
wearing a long black dress? The only thing going for it was the way it cinched
at the waist, showing the wearer's slim figure. Otherwise, it looked like something
that forced the person in it to take small painstaking steps just to move
about. Zoey wore thick socks wrapped over a pair of black army boots that made
her feet look enormous compared to the rest of her. That was, however, the only
thing of that entire outfit that revealed to Matty
that his usually fun-loving bestie was somewhere underneath all that stern
clothing.
Zoey obviously took
delight in his shocked expression because she made a pirouette toward the
middle of the room, allowing him to observe her from all angles. "Well," she
asked, "am I cultist chic already?"
So, it was a change of
style. "With flying colors," he confirmed. "The only question is: why?"
Zoey puckered her lips
with an expression of glee on her small face. "This is my undercover cover."
"Wow," Matty said
unenthusiastically. "Don't you think it's missing something?"
"Like what?" Zoey asked,
without hiding her confusion.
"I don't know. Some pink
maybe? Or any other color, if I think about it. You look like you're getting
ready to attend some wacky funeral."
Zoey grinned, seemingly
satisfied with his fashion critique. "I suppose you could say that. It's going
to be the Implacable Team's funeral once I'm done with them."
"Oh," Matty said, as the
meaning of all that finally caught up with him. "This is your undercover cover,
indeed. I'd say, girl," he continued with a snicker, "that you're going to need
a stick to beat off all those doom-loving cultists once you set foot in there.
But are you sure that this horrible dress is enough to make them bite? That
mischievous glint in your eye might give you away."
"That's why I'm here, to
test drive it," Zoey explained. "On your roommate," she added at his
questioning look.
"As you can see, he's not
here," Matty pointed out.
Zoey waved. "I saw him
outside, talking to another Implacable. That's what they call themselves. I'd
say that I did earn a couple of lewd looks while walking past. It worked
wonders for my self-esteem."
"Really? Did they see
you?" Matty stared, unsure of what was going on in Zoey's head. "I mean, I bet
it's hard to see anyone from the heights of moral purity they bask themselves on."
"Yeah, you're right,"
Zoey admitted. "I was totally pulling your leg. And it's good that they didn't
notice me. I mean, I have to be at least half invisible for this to work."
She barely finished speaking
when the door opened brusquely, letting in the d-creature they were just discussing.
John examined them quickly, pushing his glasses up his nose and flaring his
nostrils for a moment as if he could smell foul play.
"Hey, John," Zoey began
without delay. "I'm here to ask you something."
John eyed her
suspiciously. Matty wasn't entirely sure his roommate recognized Zoey. After
all, he had barely recognized her sans glitter.
"Hello to you, too," John
uttered without one trace of friendliness. "Ask away."
"I was wondering if I
could join your order," Zoey said with aplomb.
Matty worried for a
moment. But Zoey was a terribly good actor, innocent and hopeful, her hands
linked in front of her chest as if she was waiting with bated breath for John's
approval.
"You will have to pass a
test," John said testily.
"Of course," Zoey
supplied dutifully. "I didn't imagine that you would take in just anyone
walking in from the street. Do you think you could put in a good word for me?"
She tipped her head to one side and looked at him while biting her bottom lip
nervously.
Matty was sitting on his
bed, but he felt the need to give Zoey a standing ovation. She was playing John
just the right way, getting into the coat of the lost sheep as if it had always
belonged to her.
"If Matty forgives me,"
John suddenly blurted out, taking both of them by surprise.
Zoey's mask almost
slipped as she turned her head to ask him without words what that was about.
Matty hurried to the rescue. "If this is about the superhero outfit, it's water
under the bridge, man."
John's face lit up as if
he had been promised endless afterlife. "Then I'll take your friend to Connor
right now." Showing again that he had no proper notion of personal boundaries,
he grabbed Zoey's hand. "You should come with us, Matty," he added, while
dragging Zoey along, making her stumble in her tight dress. "We should all be
Implacable," he declared in a pompous tone.
Matty made a move to
follow, already worried about the possessiveness John showed for Zoey, but a
curt look from his bestie assured him that his help wouldn't be seen with good
eyes. "Ah, thanks, man, maybe another time. I have a ton of studying to do."
The magic word made John
waver. "I have to study too," he said in a forlorn voice.
"I'm sure you two will
make it quick," Matty said.
Behind John, Zoey made an
exasperated gesture mimicking a forehead slap. The joke, however, was lost on
John. "Okay," he said. "I'll be right back."
Zoey waved at Matty and
winked. Then, her smile turned into a startled look when John pulled her away
with all his force.
***
Everything had to be
perfect down to the minutest detail. Rusty examined his accoutrements with the most
critical eye he could muster. He grabbed the black mask and put it over his
eyes while looking in the mirror. That thing was worth every penny. It covered
his forehead, slipping comfortably over the nose and obscuring his left cheek
while allowing unhindered vision. There were at least a few things that could
give him away, but he counted on the simple fact that people didn't look
further than what they were used to seeing on a regular basis. For them, Rusty
Parker, the now contested king of Sunny Hill, was a jock, a meathead, a fuck
boy, whose performance at any karaoke attempt was just a reason for hilarity
and nothing else. Plus, presumably, he was living the consequences of his
profligate life, which meant that he was caught up in soon-to-be-a-father
plans.
Sure, most students with
a head still on their shoulders wouldn't be fooled so easily, but they weren't
interested in seeing the truth to begin with. That was another little aspect of
human behavior he was counting on. Mrs. May had questioned him about it and
nodded in agreement as he explained his reasoning. That small smile that had
curled her lips also assured him that she thought him pretty clever to come up
with such ideas, and also brave enough to enact them.
He smiled as he replayed his
plans through his head. The mask in the mirror remained immobile while only
half his mouth seemed to be caught in that satisfied grin.
***
"What are your plans for
this Saturday?" Rusty questioned Matty as soon as their tutoring session was
over. To make sure Matty continued to like him all the same, he even forced
himself to study for those sessions. The hardest part wasn't that, though. It
was keeping himself from jumping the guy's bones, especially since Matty looked
really sexy while playing the role of the stern professor. However, since Rusty
could also make him smile when he got the answers right, all was good in the
world.
"Since you won't be
here," Matty replied, somewhat pointedly, "I suppose I will spend my time
indoors, studying and such."
"Aww, sorry to ruin your
Saturday," Rusty joked while brushing off the implied question. He hadn't told
Matty anything, and he didn't want to lie, either. It wasn't earning him any
points with his baby dude, but his secrecy had a role to play, just as he had
justified it when talking to Maddox. That was the part of him he didn't want
exposed. Only with a mask firmly wrapped around his head, he truly had the guts
to let it shine. Mrs. May had had something to comment about that, but she was a
kind soul. He had even managed to get her to promise that Francine Hamilton
wouldn't hear one word about his convoluted plans, although Jonathan's mom
probably had better things to do than be concerned about his secret and unusual
project.
"We've spent quite a bit
of time together this week," Matty said and then averted his eyes. "I'm not
complaining."
Rusty didn't know what
was going on in Matty's head and didn't want to pry, either. After all, he had
plenty of secrets himself, and it would be hypocritical to comment on others'
propensity for the same thing. "Okay, then," he said and felt as if he should
say more but, unlike most times, he had no idea what that would be.
***
Matty
took a deep breath once outside Rusty's room. There was something going on with
Rusty, and the guy didn't want to share. Right now he, Matty,
also seemed to be suffering from a case of a foot in his mouth because, to any
normal person's ears, what he had just said earlier must have sounded like the
words of a miffed boyfriend. Since Rusty didn't do girlfriends, there was no
way he'd do boyfriends.
Although, what could be
keeping Rusty away from campus this Saturday? Matty's thoughts went to the
young woman they had met while shopping for birthday presents for Gabriel. At
the time, he had decided not to make too much of that encounter. However, that
didn't mean that a little worm with green eyes wasn't trying to gnaw its way
through his heart as if it were an apple. Strangely enough, he had seen girls
trying to get Rusty's attention before, and it had never bothered him.
Mainly because Rusty's responses had been nothing but superficial and
disinterested. That wasn't the case with August, right? Well, that made things
a lot less funny than Matty was trying to make them. There was no reason for
him to act like a jealous boyfriend; there was no reason for him to act up at
all, regardless of what August was to Rusty, and Rusty to her.
Yet, why did he feel like
a jilted partner now that he knew Rusty had plans off campus, and secret plans
on top of that? He shook his head, wishing he could laugh at himself. What was
he even thinking? Maybe those plans weren't secret at all. Maybe Maddox and
Rusty's other friends knew where he was going, and there was a good reason why
Rusty didn't want to talk about them to just anyone.
Even that thought was a
bit depressing. After all, it only meant that Matty wasn't part of Rusty's inner circle, and that hurt. At least he could
expect to be considered a friend, even if he wasn't Rusty's boyfriend in any
shape or form.
Lost as he was in his own
head, he missed colliding with Jonathan at the foot of the stairs by a hair's
breadth. Jonathan laughed and caught him as he was about to end up twisting his
ankle in an effort to keep from crashing into the other.
"Hello, Matty," Jonathan
said in his pleasant voice. "Is Rusty doing okay in his studies?"
Matty had heard Rusty
joking about Jonathan being the `mom' on more than one occasion. "Yeah, he's
doing great, actually."
Jonathan smiled broadly
and Matty felt his heart growing bigger for some reason. "I'm happy he found
you," he said.
Matty considered those
words carefully and then blurted out without thinking twice. "Do you happen to
know where he's going this Saturday? I forgot to ask him," he added quickly,
feeling instantly guilty over the lie.
Jonathan seemed a bit
surprised at the question. Matty cursed inwardly. Was he being stupid or what?
Rusty was upstairs. They had phones. There were a gazillion opportunities for
him to ask his question. However, what Jonathan said took him by surprise. "He
didn't tell any of us he'd be away this weekend."
Not odd. Not odd at all,
Matty told himself. Rusty was a free man; he could go wherever he wanted, with
whomever he wanted, and there was no law that he had to tell his friends – or
Matty – anything about his plans.
"Ah, I must have
misunderstood him," he said quickly and made a beeline for the door. "Have a
great weekend, Jonathan," he added brightly as he walked out.
He was behaving like an
idiot, he decided as soon as he was outside. Plus, wasn't he the pot calling
the kettle black now? He intended to take Slicky Coolplums out for a run this
weekend.
***
"Matty, you wouldn't
believe it," Zoey began without any preamble. "This Saturday is going to be
huge."
"All right, all right,
slow down. What do you mean?" Matty asked while moving his phone from one ear
to the other.
"I'm all in, you know,
deep in you know what, and this Saturday, we're going on a rampage against
party people."
"We? Are you already part
of them? I had no idea a brainwash would suit you," Matty joked.
"Geesh, stop it. I'm
blending in," Zoey whispered.
"Why are you whispering?
Is your roommate there? Where are you?" he asked, feeling his suspicion
growing.
"Didn't I just tell you?
I'm deep in--"
"Okay, okay, now I'm sure
you're starting to crack. Get off the phone, and stop putting yourself in
unnecessary danger. You can tell me all about it when we see each other. After
all, I'm going to come over this Saturday for you know what." Great, now they
were talking like a pair of conspirators.
"Right, right. I'm going
to leave the key in the usual place. I won't be there, since now I'm part of
the... you know, it."
"Tell me in two words or
less what kind of crazy you'll get up to this Saturday."
"You just said it. Crazy.
Shoot, I can't talk anymore. But it's going to be a night to remember. Bye for
now, Matty. I'm going to call you later, when I can, with details."
Matty stared at his phone
for a moment and then put it away with a sigh. Everyone was dealing in secrets
nowadays. Rusty, Zoey, and him. Yeah, no point in judging others, for sure.
***
Why would I ever give up
on being a night owl? Rusty thought as he took one deep breath
before hiking himself up on the wall. He had everything well planned out. Since
everyone was out partying, the campus would be his stage. From the top of the
wall he could see far left and right, and the lawns were getting busier with
people in the mood for drinking and partying. With midterms looming on the
horizon, it was obvious most students were trying to make the best of the time
they had left.
And this was his
playground, Rusty thought with a smile. He was about to choose the first party
to crash when the sound of a loud procession coming from the far left stopped
him. What the hell was going on? He crouched on the wall and then took a seat,
letting his legs dangle over, while crossing his arms and waiting for the
unusual cortege to come near.
"What do we want? Order!
When do we want it? Now!" The chanting was loud enough now to make out the
words.
Rusty couldn't believe
the golden opportunity being delivered right into his lap. "I'll be damned," he
murmured, as he took in the group marching by, armed with what looked like
torches and slogans. They had to be Connor's formidable shitheads by the look
of it. First of all, they were a homogenous mass, and Rusty had to hand it to
them that they appeared to be really disciplined. They were marching, hitting
the pavement hard with their boots, and they stopped in front of one of the
houses where a party seemed to be in full swing already.
Full of curiosity, he
waited. The procession continued marching in place, and finally, the noise they
were causing made more and more heads turn, until the music pouring out of the
house in question stopped.
Someone, who appeared to
be at the front of the clamoring cortege, took a few steps forward, breaking
ranks, but, as Rusty quickly realized, all for a good cause. His vantage point
perched on the wall afforded him a good view of the conflict brewing at his
feet. This was going to be good, he thought and couldn't help a grin.
Also, it looked like he
wasn't the only one going for a masked act tonight. The leader of the
procession, all dressed in black and wearing a hoodie supposedly meant to make
him look badass for the role, went straight toward a pair of well-built guys
who were struggling with a beer keg, seemingly unaware that they were walking
through a minefield. The masked personage grabbed the keg so suddenly that the
two students didn't understand what was going on at first. Surprised with his
unexpected success, the guy hesitated for a moment, but then, he threw one arm up,
a call to arms of sorts. "Seize all the alcohol!"
His followers took the
order to heart, and they lunged over the lawn, pushing people out of their way.
The two jocks in charge of the keg finally caught up with what was going on and
tried to get their property back. However, in the confusion caused by the
surprise attack, the keg had fallen as the first victim and was now on its
side, foaming at the mouth and giving up its last breath. Rusty said a few
words in its memory quietly to himself, with all the piety he could muster.
The party people were too
stunned by the attack of the masked mob, so bottles were littering the lawn
soon enough, their contents spilled directly on the grass. That can't be
good for the environment, Rusty thought and shook his head.
Delighted with their
first success, the procession of black hoodies rushed toward the next lawn but,
this time, the party goers were better prepared. Some of the masked guys and
gals got pushed back and their leader gestured for them to fall back and
regroup.
Disgruntled shouts could
be heard everywhere, especially coming from those who had no booze left thanks
to the impromptu intervention, and sides were getting formed. Just as he was
thinking that things were getting out of hand and campus security had to take
action, a shout came from the far left. "It's the cat boy!"
What? For real? This
night is just getting better and better, Rusty thought, his face muscles
already cramping from all the fun he was having. His gaze followed the outstretched
arms and took in Slicky Coolplums
hanging from the lowest branch of a tree, seemingly intent on mocking the crowd.
The righteous destruction of booze appeared to have been abandoned in favor of
a worthier cause.
The masked guys turned
their whole attention to Slicky, who, now aware of having drawn their focus,
grabbed a higher branch of the tree and hiked himself up, while swinging his
tail with his usual elegance.
"Take him down!" someone
bellowed, and the crowd surrounded the tree and began to shake it, although
their efforts were hilarious given how thick the trunk was. However, since they
were smacking their fists against the bark, some shaking was starting to show
and, for a moment, Rusty worried that Slicky was on the point of losing his
balance.
No, no, that was just an
act with the intention of mocking the crowd below. Other students were watching
the show, and they seemed mesmerized by it. The spilled booze was forgotten, as
something a lot more interesting appeared to be happening in front of their
very eyes.
"Do you think I'm a
girl?" Slicky shouted in his usual shrilly voice. "Check this!" He was holding
himself with one arm and with the other, he made a lewd gesture, moving it down
his lean abdomen and stopping right above his sex. Then, he pushed his hips forward,
making the mob below gasp in outrage.
"Get him down! Unmask
him!" Cries of anger emerged from everywhere.
Uh-uh, weren't they the
hypocrites now?
Slicky laughed and swung
his hips, making sure to draw attention to that particular part of his anatomy.
However, caught up as he was in the act he was putting on, he missed one of his
masked enemies climbing on a lower branch and trying to grab his foot. He
jumped out of the way just in time and then climbed higher. Spurred on by being
made fun of, the Implacables, because there was no
way they were anyone else, began to attack the tree.
Rusty pushed himself off
the wall. Now, this situation called for an intervention. Carefully, his eyes
on the prize, aka the cat boy, he slunk around, making sure that no one noticed
him, and used another tree to climb up and then jump onto the roof of a nearby
building. In the meantime, Slicky was starting to have a hard time fending off
his attackers, so Rusty cleared his throat for a moment to achieve the tonality
he was going for, and then began. "Give me thy hand, sweet creature of the
night," he sang, going for a lower register, the one Mrs. May had told him to
practice and explore.
Everyone stopped at the
sound of his loud voice, as if a magical wand had snatched away their ability
to speak, yell, and grunt. Slicky turned his head, and Rusty opened his arms
wide. It was not only for Slicky's sake, but also because that way, the cape on
his shoulders would billow in the night breeze, showing its shockingly red
interior.
"Who the fuck is that?"
someone from below cried out.
Rusty gestured for Slicky
to jump into his arms. The cat boy looked down at his attackers getting nearer
on the lower branches, hesitated in pure feline fashion, but then, pressured by
the incoming mob, he threw himself forward. Rusty quickly wrapped one arm
around his waist and used the cape to protect him from the eyes of those
unworthy onlookers. Briefly, he placed his lips on Slicky's moist mouth and
made them both turn in a waltz-like pirouette. "And now, I'll make you
disappear," he continued in the same baritone register. "Go," he whispered to
Slicky and obscured his running away by turning his back and throwing his arms
wide like a magician executing his prestige.
He didn't look to see if
the cat boy was making himself scarce. Behind his cape, he was, indeed,
invisible.
***
Who was that?
Matty wondered, throwing one last look over his shoulder at the tall figure in
the moonlight, standing there with his arms extended while mocking the crowd at
his feet and singing... some sort of opera? He rushed away, his heart beating
wildly. When Zoey had told him where the Implacables
were going to hit, he had thought it was a great idea to go and crash their
party-crashing plans and end up being featured on the cover of Xpress for Rusty's amusement when he got back from his weekend.
However, he had underestimated,
and grossly at that, just how determined Connor's team was. That had been a
really close call, with the mob climbing the tree and trying to get him. In
hindsight, he could have chosen to jump on the roof of the building anyway to
save himself but being helped out had come as a big surprise.
He stopped at the edge of
the roof, looking back one more time. Whoever that had been, he had an amazing
voice, nothing like anyone else Matty had ever heard or listened to in his
entire life. When the enigmatic stranger had kissed him, he had experienced a
wave of familiarity, but...
Matty shook his head. He
missed Rusty, even if it had barely been thirty hours or so since they had seen
each other last. And now he was imagining that the dark handsome stranger, in
his heavy luxurious cape with his black hair swept back and wearing the costume
of an opera star, was the guy he was in love with. It couldn't be, right? The
general consensus was that Rusty couldn't sing for shit, that was something he
had heard someone saying at one point – but who was it then? – and, also, he
was away for the weekend.
A small shiver coursed
through him as his heartbeat settled to a steadier rhythm. In the distance, the
stranger stood tall, and sounds of awe from the audience could be heard from
time to time, followed by clapping.
It looked like someone
was stealing the headlines from Connor. Matty couldn't keep in a snicker. Well,
Rusty would have a grand time hearing about all the astonishing things that had
happened tonight... but he wouldn't hear them from him. After all, he, Matty, was
supposed to be deep in study or even asleep at that hour.
He touched his lips for a
moment, where the stranger had kissed him. He had only felt the other's lips
partially, as the mask he was wearing covered almost his entire face save for
half his mouth and part of his right cheek. There was also quite a strong smell
of some haircare product that had invaded his nose during their short
encounter. He was pretty sure Zoey was using something similar, so he would
have to ask her about it later.
What could she be doing
by now? He had noticed someone short and energetic in the mob chasing him, and
it had to be her. What gave her away was how she had continuously grabbed
people to drag them down from the tree while yelling the hardest and pretending
to be crazed about being the one who wanted to catch the cat boy. No one had
seemed to notice, but, still, Matty shivered again.
Damn, they were getting
into some dangerous game, weren't they? All of them?
***
Rusty was beyond pleased.
The finale of his aria was met with applause and demands for encores. The only
ones ruining the mood had been the Implacables, but
even their energy eventually ran out, and, at first, they had waited by the
foot of the tree, only to make themselves disappear little by little.
Yes, he thought, that was
more like it. He wrapped his cape around himself. "Have fun, my lieblings," he boomed. "And remember the name Rybalt,
belonging to the one who saved your night. Farewell for now. You'll hear from
me again."
With that promise, he
turned on his heel and made his grand exit. Too bad the cat boy was no longer
there. A part of him had wished for Slicky to be waiting for him in the distance.
Alas, one couldn't have
everything.
***
Oh,
dears, did you hear a divine voice last night, cutting through the din of
parties and bottles getting smashed by the Implacable Team – yes, yes, we know
who it was, masks or not – in an effort to reestablish the cursed days of
prohibition? A war is underway, guys and gals of Sunny Hill, a war of one
against an army. And boy, we love us an underdog.
We
do. And his name is Rybalt. If you noticed that R splashed all over the door to
the room where the Implacable Team is holding its daily fastidious planning of
how to ruin your youth, hopes and dreams (of fucking up) then you know who your
masked hero is. Yes, we know, we messed up at the time, wrongly suspecting our
local hero Rusty Parker of being the author of the aforementioned prank.
We're
not too proud to stand corrected. Now, on to the burning questions that won't
let our poor souls rest. Is Rybalt a student here? But since when do we house
such endowed singers in our midst?
Stay
tuned. The true identity of our new masked hero will be revealed here. At the
right moment, as you know is our way by now.
TBC
Author's
note: Since the story of how I came up with Rusty's
secret masked persona was not exactly a straight line, here is the explanation
behind the name Rybalt. It stems from Tybalt – the secondary character in Romeo
and Juliet, whose name means `the prince of cats' – and the word `ribald',
which obviously refers to Rusty's innate irreverent manner regarding certain,
ahem, activities. Also, Rusty won't be able to help himself write his signature
Rs all over the campus, as his chosen nickname is
only a secondary character to his own person while having a lot of things in
common. Did I ruin your brains with my convoluted logic already? I hope you
enjoyed the chapter!
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