Robert and Johnny-The rest of the story Ch 10

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Robert and Johnny
The rest of the story
(Part three of the trilogy began in My 11th Summer, then Tween to Teen)
By: Kewl Dad

The days turned into weeks, the weeks into months, and soon the school year was over. We had the option of taking summer classes, but we were all doing so well that we decided to take the summer off.

We'd heard from Gerald on a semi-regular basis but his letters seemed guarded and a little sad. He said flying missions to pick up wounded soldiers and to fly in supplies for the troops on the ground was exciting, but the suffering he saw was taking a toll on him. He'd lost at least two good friends to the war, and he knew that every mission he flew could be his last.

We said our prayers for Gerald and each of us wrote at least a page when we wrote him back. Our folks went a step further and sent what they called 'Care Packages' to Gerald, with things like socks, cookies, and magazines. Sometimes we'd add things to the packages and Gerald always thanked us warmly for our contributions. It was like having a little bit of home, he said, and as much as he'd wanted to go off to war and do this, I could tell he wanted to be back with us more than anything.

The war raged on, and we followed it in the news, along with the growing unrest among the young. My mom and dad were against the war, and though they didn't go out and protest, they made their vote count when it came to electing officials who shared their views.

We stayed in Tahlequah for the first two weeks of summer break and just relaxed and did all the things we never had time for while attending classes. We even drove home one weekend and picked up Mikey and he stayed with us a whole week.

He was so much fun to have around and we showed him all the sights we took for granted, and seeing them through his eyes gave us a new insight on our lives. He slept in mine and Johnny's room on a fold out cot we'd bought just for him, but truthfully, most nights the little stink wound up wedged between us.

Of course that put a damper on our sex lives, but we still found time to make love, hopefully without Mikey knowing what was going on. Caleb and Tony were great when it came to entertaining Mikey and he went on a lot of trips with those two while Johnny and I stayed at home and made up for lost time.

We decided to go camping the last weekend we were in town and of course Mikey loved it. It was unseasonably warm that year and though the water was cold, we even managed to do some swimming in the creek at Spavinaw. We walked the nearby woods and showed Mikey all the places we'd loved as boys growing up, and it suddenly occurred to me that Mikey was the next generation of boys to explore and enjoy this magical place.

At night we'd build a big fire and sit around it roasting marshmallows and shooting the bull, occasionally sharing a memory or a scary story. When the scary stories started, Mikey would move a little closer, and usually by the time it was over he was in either mine or Johnny's lap.

The last day there it came a sudden rain shower, surprising us all, but it was warm, and instead of seeking cover we frolicked in the rain in just our swim trunks and enjoyed an impromptu shower, courtesy of Mother Nature.

On the way back to Tahlequah, Mikey jabbered about this and that, but he soon ran out of energy and slept the rest of the way. However, when we finally arrived, he was awake and ready for his next adventure.

That following Monday we drove back to Pryor, Johnny, Mikey, and me in the Bug Bus, and Caleb and Tony in his pickup. We'd packed as much stuff as we needed, but we had clothes and hygiene items at our homes for when we paid the occasional visit.

I think of all the parents, Caleb and Tony's granny was the happiest to see her boys home. She was still as spry as ever and insisted on feeding them every chance she got, and I confess Johnny and I stopped by for her delicious food often.

Life at home seemed dull after my busy life at college, but Johnny and I hung out everyday, at one house or the other, and we reacquainted ourselves with life in our sleepy little town.

Not much had changed, but then we were never away for more than a week or so at a time without a visit back home, but there were subtle changes here and there.

Downtown looked the same, and one day we stopped by Sharpe's to visit with Jake and got a surprise. As soon as we stepped in the door we realized not only was Jake there, but so was Ronnie. He was dressed in a shirt and tie, and we soon learned that he was working alongside Jake.

"Wow, that must be fun, working together," I said grinning, "do you slip off to the bathroom and fool around?" I joked.

"No, of course not," Jake said sounding indignant, then he grinned, "we go upstairs to the storage room."

"Just you two working today?" I said looking around. There wasn't a single customer in sight on that side of the store, but I saw several women shopping on the ladies' side of the store.

"Yep, Verlie is off and Anna Mae is out sick, but it's no big deal. It's been really slow today," Jake said.

"So, how long have you been working here, and why didn't you tell us?" I asked curiously.

"About two weeks. It just happened so fast and I figured you guys would be coming home soon, so we were going to surprise you. So...Surprise!" Jake chuckled.

"Yeah, I'm still nervous as heck," Ronnie said, "but the customers don't scare me as much as they did at first," he added laughing.

"You'll do fine," Johnny said, "I bet the old ladies love you. That sweet young man is so helpful," he said trying to imitate an old lady's voice.

"So, are you guys just out causing trouble or what?" Jake asked grinning.

"Just came to see you really," I said, "Do you guys have any plans after work?"

"Nope, what did you have in mind?" Jake asked, looking to Ronnie who just nodded.

"Maybe we could go get a pizza and hang out, how does that sound?" I said hopefully. I hadn't discussed anything with Johnny but he was easy, and I knew he'd be up for some company as well.

"Yeah, we're buying," Johnny said grinning.

"Well, we can't pass up free pizza," Jake said, "we're off at 5, how about 6:30?"

"Perfect, we'll pick you up," Johnny said then.

"Okay, sounds great," Jake said, then suddenly a customer entered, then a second one, and we said our goodbyes and promised to see them later.

Outside Johnny turned to me and smiled, "I wonder if those two have made a commitment yet or just taking it one day at a time?"

"I don't know if they've ever spoken it, but it's obvious they have some kind of relationship going on. I'm sure to Jake's parents and the world in general they're just roommates, but it doesn't take much imagination to figure out what's really going on. That's so cool working together, maybe some day we can work together," I said then.

"Maybe, one thing is for sure...I'd never grow tired of you," he said slipping an arm around my waist right there on the sidewalk in front of Ben Franklin's 5 and 10. "How about some chocolate covered peanuts?" he said steering me to the door.

"And some coconut bon bons, they're my favorites," I said grinning.

He released my waist and we went inside and decided to look around before getting our candy. Not much had changed since the last time we'd been in, but it was still fun to look. When we came to the toy section I couldn't help but think about all the times I'd perused the shelves as a boy and lusted for all the neat toys. My favorite section had been the model cars, and even today I still like building models and have quite an extensive collection.

"Oh, look...a 69 Charger," I said grabbing a box off the shelf. I always wanted one of these," I added studying the box.

"A model or a real one?" Johnny asked, but he knew the answer, "well I can't buy you a real one, but I'll buy you that kit if you want."

"Only if you help me build it. You can do the painting, you're so good at that," I chuckled.

"Deal, see anything else you want?"

"Nah, this is good. Let's go get our candy, then grab some lunch at the Cherokee drug. I have a craving for a BLT and a cherry-limeade."

The 5 and 10 had a nice candy counter with all manner of fresh bulk candy, and we got a pound of chocolate covered peanuts and a pound of coconut bon bons. I couldn't resist eating a couple of bon bons once we were outside, but we stowed the rest in the van to keep us from eating all of the candy and ruining our lunch.

The Cherokee Drug was busy that day, so we had to take a seat at the counter, but that was okay too. We could swivel around and see the whole store and everyone in it, and for a moment I felt like that small boy that had laid down his dime for a limeade so many times I'd lost count.

Angie, the lady behind the counter, had worked there as long as I could remember, and of course she recognized us right away.

"Oh my, you two have certainly grown up nicely," she said smiling and looking us over, "how's school? How're your folks?"

We talked for a few minutes, filling her in on our lives, then she took our order and hurried off to fix it. She sat down our drinks a few minutes later and the rest came shortly after.

As we ate our food I looked around at the familiar surroundings and nothing seemed to have changed during my time away. It was comforting in a way to know that I could come back here to my childhood home and recapture the memories that were fast slipping away as I matured.

I'd once read that magic does exist, but that only children are aware of it, and when they grow older they forget about it and stop believing. Like Santa Claus. As a kid I'd been so sure Santa was real, and it wasn't until I reached puberty that I finally figured things out. I wasn't shocked, it was a slow revelation, and I still embraced the magic of Christmas, even if I didn't believe Santa was a real person who could deliver toys all around the world in one night. Santa wasn't so much a person, I decided, as an ideal, a feeling of peace and love, and the good in people, and even if only for one night a year, his spirit made us all better people.

After we ate, we checked out the comic book rack, and even though we were now young adults, we excitedly picked out a half dozen and bought them to read later.

Johnny had a roll of film that needed developing so we dropped that off as well, then we were on our way once again. We walked the town from end to end, exploring all the shops, and at Western Auto I bought Mikey a plastic bat and ball. I had been wanting to introduce him to baseball and this seemed like a safe way to do that. He wouldn't need a glove yet, but someday I hope to help him pick out his first real ball glove.

When we finally pulled up in the driveway at home, Mikey came storming out of the house and met us in the driveway. I reached in back and pulled out the gift I'd bought him and he went crazy, hugging us and begging us to go play with him.

Snoopy greeted us as we entered the backyard, and while Johnny loved on the dog, I pitched the ball to Mikey as he tried his best to make contact with the little plastic bat.

Mikey wasn't the kind of kid who gave up easily, and he was determined to hit that ball no matter what. Once Johnny finished roughing Snoopy's fur, he walked over and gave Mikey some pointers, showing him how to hold the bat, and pretty soon my little brother got the hang of it and made contact.

After that, he hit the ball almost every time. That kid had a good eye, and he was going to make a hell of a ball player someday, even if I was a little prejudiced.

When dad came home, he joined us in the backyard, and Johnny and I joined Mikey, and we three took turns batting while dad pitched. I remembered playing with my dad in this backyard, but that seemed like ages ago. Of course I'd spent so much time with Johnny, those times with my dad had been few and far between. I felt a little bad for missing out on all those opportunities to spend time with my dad, but I was glad that he and Mikey spent a lot of time together. In a way, I guess dad was making up for all that lost time with me through Mikey. It was sad in a way, but I wasn't jealous. I was happy for both of them.

We'd told mom about our dinner plans and she didn't nag us to eat with them, but she did say there would be plenty of leftovers if we were hungry later. Around six, Johnny and I cleaned up a bit and changed clothes and headed to Jake and Ronnie's.

They were ready to roll, and we drove to Ken's Pizza and took our favorite corner booth. We ordered two large pizzas and a pitcher of Pepsi, and one of Root Beer, and visited while we waited for our food.

We talked about our plans for the summer, but since Jake worked six days a week he wouldn't be able to join us on any extended trips. Ronnie wasn't much better, even though he only worked five days a week, his days off were seldom together. Since the store was closed on Sunday, they did have that day together, and the store closed at five on Saturday, so they had a night and a whole day free. We could work with that.

"We should've invited Tony and Caleb," Johnny said when our food arrived.

"Yeah, we'll do that next time," I said, truth was, I just wanted some time with Jake and Ronnie, and Johnny of course. When there were too many people it was hard to really have a good visit.

After dinner we piled in the Bug Bus and cruised the restless ribbon and talked more about our lives, our plans, and somehow the subject of Ronnie and Jake's relationship came up.

"We don't know if we're in love or not," Jake said after some discussion back and forth with us, "but we do love each other, and what we have works."

"Yeah, it's hard to make it on your own," Ronnie said, "we share the expenses and we have fun together, so right now it's a good deal for both of us."

"That's cool. You don't have to put a name on it," I said, "Nothing wrong with two friends living together and helping each other out. I'm sure no one thinks anything about it, well except me and Johnny maybe," I added with a chuckle.

"We don't sleep together every night," Jake said suddenly, "but sometimes we fall asleep after...well, you know?"

I laughed, "Yeah, that stuff will wear you out fast. Again, nothing wrong with any of it as far as we're concerned, right lover?"

"Hell no, if it works, that's all that matters. Living with Robert has been the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I don't care who knows it."

"Well, we're happy with things like they are," Jake said, "especially since Ronnie came to work at the store. We even ride to work together most of the time. I'm hoping that someday...Leroy will retire, I'll become store manager, and Ronnie can become my assistant."

I smiled, "Sounds like a good plan. I hope it all happens like you want."

We stopped at DQ for ice cream and ate inside. We saw one of our old friends from school, Sam, and he came over and visited for a bit, but when his order was called he said goodbye, grabbed his order and left.

"Seems weird that we haven't seen that many of our fellow graduates so far this summer," I said thoughtfully.

"Well, it's still early. I bet we'll see more of them as the summer goes by," Johnny offered.

"Yeah, well...maybe we should try looking some of them up, going to their houses and stuff."

"Yeah, we can do that...starting tomorrow," Johnny agreed.

We drove Jake and Ronnie back to their apartment around 10, then Johnny dropped me off at my house. We'd agreed that we wouldn't spend every night together, and tonight was his night to sleep at home. I would miss him, but I was tired and hoped to fall asleep quickly.

Mikey was already asleep, but I couldn't resist tiptoeing into his room and giving him a goodnight kiss. He was so beautiful when he slept, like a little angel, and my heart was filled with so much love for him when I bent down and kissed his forehead.

His eyes fluttered open for a moment and he smiled, then he closed them and sighed. I watched him sleep for a long time, before going to my own bed, and as predicted, I fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Johnny and I had considered getting summer jobs, but the thought of having the whole summer free to do as we wanted appealed to us more. As for Caleb and Tony, they didn't need the money, thanks to Caleb's trust fund, and so they too were free to join us for our summer fun.

Donnie and Walter were still working for the city but had weekends off and we often included them in our plans, including a couple of weekend camping trips.

As I said before, we often included Mikey in our plans, but sometimes it was just us guys. One weekend near the end of June, it was Walter, Donnie, Caleb, Tony, Johnny, and me and we camped out at Spavinaw.

Donnie and Walter got off work at 4, and after showering and changing at Donnie's house, they joined us in the Bug Bus and we were off. We had the usual two ice chests for drinks and cold stuff and snacks and condiments and everything we needed to get us through the weekend. We'd already decided we were going to cook every meal and not eat at the restaurants nearby, so this time we'd brought the Coleman propane stove as well.

We had skillets, and pans, and even a griddle for pancakes, and we were looking forward to roughing it. We arrived just after five thirty and the first thing we did was set up the tent. It would be a tight squeeze fitting 6 adult sized bodies in there, but we thought the benefits would far outweigh the inconvenience.

Our first meal was a simple one, hotdogs cooked over a campfire, but we had also brought chili and we heated it up in the can and made chili dogs. We also had relish, mustard, ketchup, cheese, and onions and I swear those chili dogs were the best I'd ever eaten. Mom had sent a large container of her delicious potato salad, and in addition, we had several kinds of chips, and for dessert we had Bama pecan pies, those little ones that come individually wrapped.

We were stuffed by the time we finished dinner and none of us looked forward to the cleanup, but with six of us we made short work of it. There was still plenty of daylight by then, and we decided to slip on our swim trunks and cool off before we settled in for the night.

We'd been experiencing a bit of a heat wave the last week or so and the temps were in the high 90s during the day, but had yet to reach 100 as they often did in Oklahoma.

We quickly donned our swim trunks, playing grab ass as we did so, but no one got hard and there was no serious fooling around then. It was too hot in the tent for fun anyway, and we figured we'd save that for later when it cooled off some.

We drove the bus to the creek even though it was only a short walk away, just for convenience. We had two inner tubes that we'd aired up before we left town and driving saved us having to carry them all the way to the creek, plus we had our coolers in back in case we got thirsty.

The creek was flowing full despite the fact that we hadn't had a lot of rain that month, so we assumed the dam authority had released some water from the dam upstream.

There were only two cars there but about a dozen people in the water, mostly kids and there was an older couple sitting on a blanket under a shade tree. They were fully dressed so I assumed they'd just come to watch their kids swim.

As we parked, the man looked our way with interest and I wondered what he was thinking. Johnny had added a peace sign decal to the back window of the Bug Bus and I wondered if the guy was thinking we were Hippies or something.

As we passed them on our way to the water, I spoke first, giving them a cheery hello. The woman returned my hello, but the man just nodded, and seemed to be looking us over as if trying to figure us out. The others said hi, but didn't seem to notice the man's inquisitive glance and marched on ahead to the water.

Once we were far enough out to be out of earshot I voiced my observation, "I think that guy thinks were commies or something," I laughed, "Or Hippies, or draft dodgers."

"He's probably just never seen six gorgeous sexy guys in one place before," Caleb laughed.

"I wonder if he was looking at me?" Tony said glancing that way, "I do tend to stand out when I'm surrounded by all that white skin," he added chuckling. Tony was good-natured, despite the fact that he was often the target of prejudice, and never made an issue of it unless the other guy did first.

"Probably wonders how big it is?" Johnny teased.

"Yeah, I bet his is skinny and all shriveled up," Donnie added.

All the while we were talking I was aware of a group of kids, mostly boys, in the middle of the creek and now they too seemed to looking our way as if inspecting the newcomers.

"Uh oh," I joked, "looks like the kids are giving us the eyeball now."

"Well, let's wade out there and kick their asses," Johnny suggested with a grin.

"Or...lick their asses," Caleb laughed, "that oldest boy looks pretty hot."

"I suggest we wade out and introduce ourselves," I said then, "worse that can happen is they tell us to shove off."

"I'm not worried," Walter chuckled, as the biggest of our group he was an imposing figure, and if anyone didn't know what a gentle soul he was, they might have been a bit intimidated by him.

"Yeah, Walter can single-handedly whip their asses," Donnie chuckled.

"No one is gonna get their ass whipped," I sighed, "come on, let's make some new friends. We've always been good at it, why stop now?"

As we waded out to introduce ourselves to the group of kids, all eyes were on us, and I saw everything from fear to defiance in those eyes, but mostly I saw curiosity.

"Hi guys," I said leading the way, "are you guys having fun?"

The oldest boy and I locked eyes then, and we looked each other over. He was tall with sandy blond hair and grey-blue eyes and a spattering of freckles across his nose. I guessed his age to be somewhere between 14 and 16, and his upper torso, the only part I could see at the moment, was tanned and well developed. He was cute, but he'd have been cuter if he'd smile, and I was determined to get him to do just that if I could figure out how.

"You all ain't from around here, are you?" the boy said almost accusingly.

"From Pryor originally," I said smiling and hoping it was contagious. Some of us still live there, the rest of us live in Tahlequah and go to NSU."

The kid sort of grunted, "What you all doin' here then?"

I laughed then and he frowned, "Same as you I guess, trying to cool off. We're camping over by the road and just wanted to swim a little before we settled in for the night. By the way, I'm Robert," I said offering my hand.

At first I thought he wasn't going to take it, but slowly he raised his hand from the water and placed it in mine. It was a calloused hand, probably made so from working on a farm, and I assumed he and this bunch were no doubt locals.

"Reno," the boy said finally managing just a little smile, but what there was lit up his whole face.

"Nice to meet you Reno, this is..." I went on to introduce the rest of the gang, and in turn the others introduced themselves.

I can't remember all their names, but there was a Billy, a Suzy, a Mark...etc, but Reno I will never forget. Once we'd broken the ice, the kids treated us like kin and frolicked around us as if they'd known us forever.

On the bank, I noticed the man occasionally looking our way, but he seemed more relaxed somehow, as if we'd proven ourselves safe by mingling with his kids.

Reno turned out to be quite friendly once he allowed himself to let down his guard, and for some reason I found myself attracted to him. Oh, it wasn't that I was physically attracted to him, especially when I discovered he was only 15, but there was something about him that I found intriguing.

The mob of kids he was with were both brothers and sisters, and cousins, and as predicted they all lived in or around the town of Spavinaw. The adults on the blanket were actually Reno's uncle and aunt, and I learned that his dad had died when he was 10, and it was just his mom and four siblings now.

However, they did not live alone. They lived with Reno's grandparents on a farm just outside the city and raised vegetables which they sold to nearby markets, as well as at a roadside stand. In addition, they raised chickens and had a couple of milk cows, and the aunt and uncle raised cattle and pigs so they always had plenty of meat.

It was interesting to listen to Reno as he spoke of his life and the symbiotic relationship the families had. But there was more to Reno than met the eye, and I was determined to find out more about him in the short time I had.

While pushing him on the inner tube we chatted while Johnny and the other seemed happy to entertain the other kids. I learned among other things that he was a very good student, and hoped to go to college some day, even though he confessed he had no idea how he could afford it.

"There are scholarships and grants," I said trying to give him hope, "and of course you can always work and pay your way as you go."

"My ma needs me on the farm," he said almost sadly, "but she don't want to hold me back if I can figure out a way to go to college."

"NSU is a good school," I said, then I told him about our experiences there and he seemed surprised to learn that we lived together with Caleb and Tony.

"No offense, but isn't it kind of hard living with a nigg...I mean, a black guy?"

"No, not at all," I wasn't angry, but I wanted Reno to understand that Tony's color had nothing to do with what kind of person he was, "Tony is our friend, and we've been through a lot together. He's a good person and he has our backs, just like we have his." Then I told him Tony's story, about how he wound up a ward of the state, and how Caleb's granny had adopted him, and how he had come to be more like family than a friend. He seemed more surprised with each revelation, but nodded and seemed to accept that what I said was the truth."

"Ain't no black folks livin' here in town, but they's some on the farms. We sees em in school and that's all. Some of the kids make fun of em and they get into fights a lot."

"Well, I hope you're not one of those that make fun of them," I said touching his arm gently.

"I ain't gonna lie, I was...but next time I'll think on what you said," he said smiling.

"Good, the only way things will ever change is if kids like you and me change our way of thinking about things. The adults are sometimes set in their ways and it's hard for them to change, but it's easier for us kids."

"You're not a kid," Reno laughed, "but I get what you mean."

"I was a kid when Tony came into our lives, and I been spreading the word ever since."

"That's good. Uh, I was wondering...that one boy, Johnny, you said he was your best friend all your life. Is that why you live together now?"

I smiled, even someone as naive as Reno had to see that Johnny and I were closer than most friends.

"Well, Johnny and I are a bit closer than most friends, and we're happy to be together, and plan on being together for a long time."

"What if you decided to get married?"

I almost choked. I knew he meant to a woman, but I couldn't help but think what it would be like if Johnny and I could get married someday.

"I doubt that's gonna happen," I said grinning, and just leaving it there.

"Oh," Reno said, and he grinned a little as his cheeks turned red.

"So, what about you? Do you want to get married someday?" I said turning it back to him.

"Nah, I mean...maybe. I don't know. First, I want to go to college, then I'll think about that stuff."

"Sounds like you have a plan. I sure would like to know how that turns out," I said sincerely.

"Really?" he said sounding touched, "You don't even know me..."

"I'll admit we just met, but I feel like we've gotten to know each other pretty well in the last half hour or so. I know you're intelligent and thoughtful, and open to new things, am I right?" he nodded, and I continued, "You're also a hard worker and you believe in doing your share, and I sense that you are very protective of your family. Am I right?"

He smiled and blushed some more, "What are you, a mind reader?" he chuckled.

"No, I'm a people person though. I can spend an hour with someone and pretty much know what kind of person they are, and I've decided that you are a good person and worth getting to know better."

"I wish we could..." he started, "we're only here till it gets dark," but we're gonna come back tomorrow," he said cheering up some.

"Great, how about tomorrow we meet up here and talk some more?"

"Okay, that sounds fine," he said smiling, and this smile was the one I'd been looking for since I met him. His whole face lit up with that smile and he was beautiful. So beautiful that my heart sped up for a moment, and even though I still believed my interest was not physical, I am only human and gay, and he had an effect on me I couldn't deny.

Eventually, we joined the others, and Johnny gave me a questioning look, and I returned it with a look that said 'later'. It was starting to get dark by then, and the uncle called from the bank for the kids to come out of the water, and reluctantly they began to move that way.

"What time are you coming tomorrow?" I asked Reno as we walked together to the creek bank.

"Right after lunch I reckon," he said locking eyes with me.

Those blue-grey eyes were compelling, and if I wasn't already smitten with the boy, those eyes would have sealed the deal. "Okay, I'll see you then," I said smiling and laying a hand on his shoulder.

He shivered a little then, but I wasn't sure if it was from my touch or from the night air. The temp had dropped a few degrees and it was time for us to head to camp for the night as well. We said goodbye to the others, grabbed our towels, and dried off as we watched the gang of kids load up in an old pickup truck, and in a cloud of dust they drove off.

"What was that all about?" Johnny chuckled.

"I'll tell you later, right now, let's get back to camp."

We loaded up in the van and Johnny drove us back to camp, and after grabbing a drink from the cooler, we sat down on the picnic table nearby and talked about our day.

"Well...?" Johnny said, "you said you'd tell me about that kid later, this is later."

"Oh, yeah. Not much to tell. I felt a connection to him, that's all, and we spent some time getting to know each other."

"A connection, as in you wanna fuck him?" Donnie joked.

"No, not that," I said grinning, "but he is pretty cute. But he's only 15, and technically I'm an adult now."

"Yeah, what happened to our boyhood?" Johnny sighed, "so you like this kid, but not sexually?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," I said sharing what I'd learned about him and his situation and my observations about him, "You probably heard, but they're coming back tomorrow, and I sort of promised we'd come swimming again."

"Sounds fun," Johnny said, "and maybe you can drag him off to the bushes and play hide the sausage," he teased.

"Johnny, be serious. Besides, it's called corn-holing out here in the country," I joked.

"Speaking of that..." Donnie said, "I'm as horny as a goat, are we gonna do some foolin' around tonight?"

"Do bears do it in the woods?" Johnny joked.

For dinner we cooked hamburgers on the griddle and had leftover potato salad and chips. As we ate, we talked about the kids we'd met today, and Donnie confessed he was kind of smitten with one of the girls, Becky, who was 16.

"Well, she's marryin' age up here in the hills," Johnny joked, "and breedin' age. I bet she'd let you take her virginity, that is if one of her cousins hasn't already done that," he added with a chuckle.

"I wouldn't mind," Donnie said grinning, "she grabbed me once and I swear I think it was on purpose. She grinned real big when she figured out what she had a hold of."

Even though I wasn't interested in girls, hearing Donnie talk about this one grabbing his pecker had me squirming as my own pecker plumped up a little. Though Johnny and I had both tried girls when we'd gone to visit my cousins in Arkansas, once had been enough for both of us, but that didn't mean the thought of Donnie fucking a girl wasn't exciting.

"Well, they're coming back tomorrow," I said, "maybe you can get Becky to take a little walk with you in the woods on the other side of the creek."

"Yeah, with her aunt and uncle right there watching us like hawks," Donnie sighed, "if we did anything it'd have to be right there under their eyes in the water," he joked.

"Well, we'll just see what happens. Maybe we can all go up to the spillway. I'm sure the others wouldn't rat you guys out," Johnny suggested.

"Too bad they're not camping out overnight, we could meet in the bathroom," Donnie joked.

"You really got the hots for this girl, dontcha," Walter chuckled, "you gonna share?"

"Heck, I don't mind if she don't," Donnie laughed, "but I get to go first."

"I don't mind sloppy seconds," Walter joked, "just makes it more slippery."

"I bet she's tight..." Donnie said sounding aroused.

I rolled my eyes and sort of zoned the two out as they talked about Becky, and pussy, and girls in general, and thought about Reno instead. I wondered if Reno had any experience with girls, or boys for that matter. If he and his cousins and siblings were anything like my cousins in Arkansas, then I supposed the answer was, yes. You can't throw that many horny kids together and not have something happen, and I was getting hard just thinking about it.

Besides Reno, I'd found several of the other boys attractive, though all were a bit too young to be tempting. Billy, Reno's 13 year old brother was almost a carbon copy of his older brother, though he wasn't quite as well developed as Reno. Reno was nearly perfect from what I'd seen so far, and I supposed the parts hidden inside his shorts were just as perfect. I had no hope of finding out, but who knew, stranger things had happened.

After cleaning up and showering, we gathered around the fire and roasted marshmallows and waited for the night air to cool down some. It was nearly ten by the time we finally crawled into the tent, and as predicted it was a tight fit.

At first, we sat up and just talked, but when the subject of Becky came up again, Donnie and Walter got so excited that pretty soon they were pawing at each other. Underwear came off then, and soon all of us were naked and engaged in some kind of foreplay.

We swapped around, finding a hard cock or an ass to play with, but no one got serious for the first hour or so. Despite the temperature having dropped into the high 70s, we were sweaty, and when Johnny unzipped the tent flap, the air felt good on our skin.

We stopped for a drink of water then, but soon we resumed our sex play. Even though we didn't know what it was called back then, we formed a daisy chain and managed to get a cock in every mouth, and a mouth on every cock.

We sucked for a long time like this, but no one got off. We separated, then broke off into couples and kissed and stroked for a while, but eventually we all needed to get off, and that's when the real fun began.

I wanted Tony to fuck me, and it didn't take a second invitation to make that happen. Meanwhile, Johnny and Caleb did some fooling around, then Caleb fucked Johnny, but Johnny said he was saving himself for me.

Walter and Donnie were very comfortable with one another, however their sex was more about getting off and less about romance. I watched as Walter fucked Donnie from behind, spanking his butt occasionally, then coming hard and fast before laying down and letting Donnie do him. It was over so fast I wondered if they'd really had much time to enjoy the process, but to each his own.

Tony, on the other hand, liked to take it slow, and he made love to my little butt for a long time. In fact, he actually flipped me over, and finished face to face and bent down to kiss me deeply and wetly as he came inside me. He stayed in me a long time before rolling off, his eyes closed as he lay there resting.

Johnny took his place, but started by kissing me deeply and wetly as he felt up my body and brought me pleasure. I was sure that I could come without touching myself once Johnny started making love to me, so I was in no hurry to pleasure myself.

Finally, Johnny moved into position, and using Tony's cum for lube, he entered me quickly. He felt so good inside me, so familiar and so perfect, and I was moaning as he started to thrust deeply.

Sometimes, Johnny liked to fuck hard and rough, but sometimes he liked to take it slow and easy, and that night he seemed especially gentle. He made love to me in the purest sense, and as expected, his expert movements brought me to a hands free orgasm. As I splashed my thick hot cum between us, he cried out and began to come deep inside me, and as we'd done many times, we shared a simultaneous orgasm.

When we'd come down from our orgasmic high we kissed, Johnny still deep inside me, and he seemed in no danger of going soft. In fact he began to move again after a while and I was delighted at the prospect of him coming yet again in me.

However, he didn't come that second time, although he did come close, no pun intended. I guess he was as tired as I was by then, and he soon pulled out and fell down beside me where we snuggled up and kissed.

We were a sweaty mess by then, in fact all of us were, and we decided to take a midnight shower to clean up. Since it was so late, we figured no one else would be out and about, so we just slipped on our underwear and shoes, grabbed our towels and soap, and walked the short distance to the bathrooms.

We were careful to be quiet as there were several RV's between us and the bathrooms, but no lights were on and no one seemed to be stirring. When we reached the bathrooms, we decided to shower in threes to save time, and Donnie joined Johnny and me as we went first.

I heard Walter and Tony talking about that girl again, but Caleb was staying out of it since he was like me and only liked guys. I chubbed up a little when I heard Walter telling Tony what he'd like to do to that girl Becky, but then it didn't take much to get a rise out of me.

We rinsed off quickly and let the others take the shower while we dried off as best we could by the sinks. We were still naked and toweling off when suddenly we heard footsteps approaching, and before we could react a young teen stepped through the door and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Uh sorry," he stammered, but he didn't seem in any hurry to leave.

"No problem," I said speaking for the group as I looked the boy over.

I guessed he was 14 or 15, but it turned out he was almost 17. He was slender, but not skinny, with dark hair and eyes, and a cute face and very kissable lips. There was no doubt in my mind that he was checking us out. He was wearing just a pair of loose fitting gym shorts, and I could just make out the outline of his cock, and either he was hard, or very well hung.

His chest and upper body were smooth and well developed, but not overly so. He wasn't a body builder, but he had a nice body from head to toe, and was a joy to look at.

"We were hot and sweaty and decided a shower would help out, we didn't figure anyone would be up so..." I explained.

"Uh, it's okay. Just needed to...uh, pee," he said looking me in the eyes then blushing, "I can, uh...come back."

"No it's fine, just us guys here," I said purposely removing my towel to give him a good look at the goods.

He didn't disappoint as his eyes went straight to my crotch, and he licked his lips automatically. I smiled and winked at him and he blushed even deeper. I might think he was too young to mess with, but showing off and teasing was fun too.

"I uh, I'll just...uh, go in here," he said giving me one last look, then suddenly his eyes were on Johnny, who'd picked up on my signals and was now giving the kid something more to look at.

"Need any help?" Johnny joked, and I swear the kid looked like a beet as he blushed even deeper.

"Uh, no...uh, no thanks," he said sounding unsure whether Johnny was kidding, and if not, whether he should take him up on the offer.

The door to the stall snapped shut as the kid disappeared inside, but it was a while before we heard the sound of piss hitting the toilet. I guessed he'd had to will his pecker to go down before he could get a stream going, or maybe he was just bladder shy.

He was in there a long time, and by the time he finally emerged, Tony, Walter, and Caleb had joined us, and I thought he was going to drop dead from the sensory overload of seeing us six studs in all our glory.

"Uh...sorry," he stuttered once again, but his eyes were roaming the three new bodies before him and suddenly they stopped on Tony.

What can I say: of all of us, Tony's body was the most defined and beautiful, at least in my eyes. He was muscular without being grossly so, and his skin was smooth and unblemished, and a beautiful shade of tan. The bottoms of his feet and the insides of his hands were pink however, and I found that contrast intriguing and alluring. In my eyes, Tony was perfect, and from the look on this new kid's face, he thought so too.

"Well, who's this?" Tony chuckled, "what's your name pawdner?" he said grinning.

"Uh...Eric, uh, Eric Thompson," the kid said, his voice cracking as he looked up into Tony's warm pools of chocolate and licked his lips nervously.

"Well Eric, I'm Tony. Glad to meet ya," he said walking over and thrusting his strong, yet surprisingly soft hand at Eric.

The kid looked scared at first, but I don't think he ever considered refusing Tony's offer. His hand was up in a flash, and though he still looked a little intimidated, he seemed to relax when Tony covered both their hands with his other hand and just held them there like that while he looked the kid over.

"Nice looking kid," he said looking back at us, causing the kid to blush and give us a shy look.

"Prolly wondering what we're doin here nekkid," Tony chuckled, "well it's not what it looks like, we already done that, and now we're cleaning up some."

"Tony..." I moaned, but the kid didn't seem upset, in fact he seemed to relax even further as Tony continued to hold his hand.

"It's okay," the kid said, seeming to be at a loss for words.

"You camping here with your folks?" Tony said, finally releasing Eric's hand.

"Uh, nah...just me...I uh, live up in town, but I like to camp out sometimes...just to get away, you know?"

"Nice," Tony said looking at me and raising and eyebrow.

"How old are you Eric?" this from Caleb, who was probably thinking the same thing I was, he's too young.

"16, almost 17," the teen said quickly, "my birthday is July 4th."

"Wow, Fourth of July," Johnny said, "that's not too far away," he added looking at me with a sly grin.

Meanwhile, we'd managed to get dried off and dressed in our undies, but Eric still seemed in no hurry to leave us. I think we all knew where this was headed, but for once I didn't want to be the instigator. Tony seemed interested in the boy, and the feeling seemed to be mutual, so I decided to let him lead.

"You should come visit us, hang out a while," Tony offered. We're just camped over by the road.

"Uh, I'm down by the creek," Eric said, "under a big tree," he added trailing off.

"We were gonna go back and get something to drink, want to come with us?" Tony said, absent-mindedly touching himself as he spoke.

Eric's eyes went right to Tony's crotch, and if he had any doubts before, I think that pushed them out of his head, "Yeah, I guess...if it's okay."

This had to be scary for him, six older guys, adults really, luring him to their tent for who knew what, but like many of us boys, he was thinking with his little head. He was curious, and maybe he hadn't had a chance to explore his feelings and this seemed like a good way to do that without having to worry about repercussions. We weren't local, and he wouldn't have to face us later, or worry that we might spread rumors or cause trouble. It was a perfect situation for him, but it was still a little scary.

We walked the short distance to the campsite with only hushed whispers between us, and once there, we actually sat on the picnic table and talked for a while, just getting to know each other better. It didn't take long for us to figure Eric out however, and once we were sure he wanted what we had to offer we moved to the tent.

Without a word we began to strip off our underwear, and once again Eric's eyes feasted on our manhood as he sat cross legged, not trying to disguise his interest in the least.

"Well..." Tony said, "it's only polite that you lose your shorts too. You can't be the only one who's not nekkid. Sides, it's too hot in here to stay clothed."

"Uh, well..." Eric sputtered, but he knew the score. It was now or never, put up or get out. Eventually his little head won out however, and he began to remove his shorts.

It was no surprise to any of us that when his shorts came off his dick sprang up, fully hard, and an impressive 6 and a half inches of uncut meat. He had a nice patch of pubes as well, but his balls appeared to be smooth, and the hair on his legs was so fine it was hard to see in this light.

"Nice," I said, finally speaking up, "love the skin."

"Thanks," he said blushing, "yours is nice too, all of your..."

"Well, feel free to touch them if you want," Tony chuckled, "but that goes both ways, we get to touch too."

"I've never..." he started, then blushed, "but I've wanted to," he added sounding sad.

"Well, now is the time to do all those things you've just dreamed about as you jacked off," Johnny said smiling, "we do it all, and we'll show you how to do anything you want to do."

"I...I don't know what to do," he said once again, blushing deeper.

"Well, here...let me help you," Tony said moving closer and sitting down next to the boy, so close their legs were touching. Then reaching down between Eric's legs, Tony wrapped his soft hand around his pecker, causing the boy to sigh and shiver.

Timidly, Eric returned the favor and let out a little gasp as his hand touched Tony's hard fat meat. This was the first time he'd ever touched another boy's dick, and it felt even better than he'd dreamed it would. It was hot to the touch, and though hard as a stick of wood, it was velvety soft to the touch. It was so thick his hand barely closed around it, and his butthole twitched as he thought about something else he'd dreamed about.

"That's it, just take it slow," Tony said looking over at Eric and smiling, his face only inches away.

Eric had been told black folks were dirty and nasty and to be avoided at all costs, but Tony surely had to be the exception to that rule, for he was nothing like that. He smelled clean, and he was nice, and his body was so, so perfect, and his pecker...it felt so good in his hand, and what he was doing to his own pecker was the best feeling ever.

"Don't hog the new guy," Johnny joked, "let us get a feel," he added moving closer.

I took that as my cue to move in as well, and we began to feel Eric's body up, and eventually get a feel of his cock. He was producing a lot of precum, and it made the skin slide easily up and down his shaft, but what I really wanted was a taste of that slippery piece of meat.

Without asking anyone's permission, I bent down and went down on Eric's cock, swallowing the boy to the hilt, and I thought he was going to come unglued.

"Unnggghhhh," he moaned, "Oh...oh...oh...shit," he gasped.

I came up for air and smacked my lips, "Mmm, you taste good. Here Johnny, give it a lick," I said passing it off to Johnny.

Before long the others wanted a taste too, and Eric was cross-eyed by the time everyone was done. I knew he had to be getting close to coming, but we'd been careful not to let him get too worked up. I guess we were all thinking the same thing, we wanted his first orgasm to be up someone's ass. The question was, who's ass?

"So, you've never done anything with a boy before?" I asked curiously during a lull in the activities.

He shook his head, "Nah, I've always been too afraid...you know...that someone would tell on me."

"Well, I think you'd be surprised at how many boys are just as curious as you are. We all grew up in Pryor and found each other, and there are lots more of us there," I chuckled, "and we been messing around since we were kids."

"Really, well...there's a couple of boys I like...but we never did anything, I was too scared."

"So, do you like girls too, or just boys?" Johnny asked.

The kid blushed again and he was faced with a dilemma, tell the truth or hide his true feelings once again. Finally, deciding he had nothing to fear from us, he answered, "I...think I only like guys, but I don't know for sure. I've never been with a girl either."

"Well, either way is fine," I said smiling, "as for me, I only like guys, but some of these knuckleheads like girls too."

"But guys are easier to deal with," Donnie added, "especially if you just want to get off and not have to worry about all that shit girls expect from a guy."

"So, you're, ummm...gay?" Eric asked me looking nervous.

"Yes, gay and proud and I have a boyfriend. In case you haven't figured it out, it's Johnny. We even live together and sleep in the same bed every night."

"Really?" he said giving Johnny a shy look, "that's neat...and no one cares?"

I laughed, "Nope, not even our parents. They figured us out long ago, and they've accepted that we love each other, and they're fine with it."

"Wow, cool. My dad would never understand. He hates gay people and nigg...I mean black folks," he said looking at Tony and blushing, "sorry...that's just him. I don't feel that way."

Tony winked, "I can see that. You like this black boy, don't ya?"

Eric blushed deeper, but nodded, "You're nothing like what I expected. You're so nice, and your body is so...so perfect."

"You think so, well...how would you like to lose your virginity to this black boy?"

"Whaaat do you mean?" Eric stammered, sounding a bit nervous.

"Just what I meant, you can fuck me if you want...and if you want to see what it's like to get fucked, I'd be glad to be your first."

"I uh, I don't know. You're so big..."

"Well, don't worry about that right now. Let's start with you fucking me, okay?"

"Right now? Uh, in front of everyone?"

"That's up to you, but I promise you they don't mind, right guys?"

"No way," I said for all of us, "we'd like to be here, but if you'd feel more comfortable alone with Tony, then we can sit outside on the picnic table."

"No, no...I guess it's okay, but...man, I don't know what to do..."

"Well, we can help," I offered, "Johnny, grab the lotion and let's get Eric ready for his first fuck," I added chuckling.

The kid was trembling as we helped him get ready, and I was afraid he was so excited and eager he might blow the minute his dick touched Tony's hole, so I decided to slow things down some. Before I greased up his dick with the lotion, I used my mouth to stimulate him again, using lots of spit.

He sucked in a deep breath and I could see he was having a hard time holding back, so I finally pulled off and let Johnny apply some lotion. Eric settled down some by then, and of course Tony was raring to go. I worked some lotion into Tony's hole, but it didn't take much to loosen him up these days, and soon I pronounced him ready.

For his first time, we suggested Eric do it doggy style, and he seemed to like that idea. I wasn't sure he was ready for anything more romantic, like face to face, and this position would keep him from having to look at Tony's face or worry about kissing.

We gathered around like vultures waiting for a death, and eagerly and lustily watched as Eric made his first crude attempt at copulation. Getting just the right angle and using just the right amount of force takes practice, but soon Eric had his cock lined up, and the surprise on his face was priceless as he slipped inside.

"Oh my God," he cried out as his pecker slipped inside Tony's hot velvety tunnel.

I saw he was shaking a little as he finally bottomed out and biting his lip, no doubt to keep from coming. Finally, once he was settled a little he began to move in and out, his instinct to fuck needing no coaching from us.

I knew he was trying to pace himself and make it last, but after all, it was his first real sex and his dick was crying out for release. I saw him bite his lip hard, then push in all the way, and again, and again, and then...his eyes closed and he moaned as if he were dying as the biggest most intense orgasm of his life washed over him.

He was shaking like a leaf as he thrust repeatedly, firing off his love cannon in Tony's hot guts, over and over, till he was spent. He stayed inside for just a moment while he gathered his wits about him, then he nervously pulled out and looked down at his still hard dick.

"Wow, that was hot," Caleb said from the sideline where he was fingering his cock.

"Yeah, nothing like the first time," Johnny chuckled.

"Well, Eric, how was it?" I just had to ask.

"It was good, really good," he said blushing, "but kind of embarrassing.

"Well, you'll get over that in time," I assured him, "at least your first time was with a bunch of horny boys who love that stuff, and there are no judgments here."

"Yeah, thanks," he said, looking a bit dazed and unsure what to do next.

Johnny saved the day by tossing him a towel to clean up with, and he surprised us by offering to clean up Tony as well. I think he was surprised that other than his cum and the lotion there wasn't much mess, but then we kept ourselves ready for love back then, and still do.

"Whew, that was nice," Tony said falling down flat and resting a moment, "glad you liked it."

"Uh, thanks," Eric said holding the towel up for Johnny and looking nervous once again.

Johnny grabbed the towel and gave Eric a sideways look, "So, are you ready to lose your virginity at the other end?" he said grinning.

"I guess, it's only fair, but...will it hurt?"

"Like hell," Johnny said, then laughed, "maybe a little at first, but Tony will take it slow, right brother?"

"I'm an expert at breaking in virgins," Tony assured him, "and if it gets to be too much, just holler and I'll stop."

"Oh, okay, but I really need to, uh...piss first."

"We all could use a whizz," I suggested, "come on guys, to our favorite tree," I chuckled.

That late at night we didn't even bother putting on our underwear, and though Eric seemed a bit concerned at our lack of modesty outside the tent, he followed our lead.

We spaced ourselves far enough apart so as not to splash each other's feet and hosed down the ground under the big tree by the little gully that ran just behind our camp. It was far enough away that we didn't have to worry about the smell, but close enough for convenience.

Back in the tent, I could sense that Eric was having second thoughts so I assured him that it was completely up to him whether he lost his virginity or not, and that no one would say anything if he chose not to. He looked torn at first, then I saw a look come over his face that said he'd made up his mind.

"I want to do it," he said boldly, "I don't want to pass up this chance to get it over with. Maybe if I'm experienced I can find someone else who wants to do this stuff too."

"That's the spirit," I said slapping him on the back, "now..." I quizzed him on whether he'd had a BM that day and he had, and then when his last shower was, and it had been around 10 that night. So, he was as clean as we could expect, though I doubted Tony really cared one way or the other. He was on a mission to Baptize this boy in the waters of queer sex, and he was only half way there.

I won't go into great detail here, but let me just say that Tony really did know how to break in a virgin. It took a lot of patience and perseverance, but at last Tony was fully inside Eric and then they rested.

I had been keeping a close eye on Eric to make sure he wasn't in too much pain, but once the initial sting of penetration was over, he seemed to be okay. He was sweating, but then so was Tony, and the rest of us for that matter, but so far he seemed to be holding up well.

Slowly, inch by inch, Tony continued to push inside Eric until at last he was balls deep, and all of us took a deep breath. It was all downhill from there, and once Eric got accustomed to Tony's big cock in him, Tony began to move.

Tony was gentle and loving as he pulled back almost to the head, then thrust back inside, all the while studying Eric's face and smiling down at him, uttering words of encouragement.

"That's it, you doing just fine. You feel so good baby," Tony cooed, "you all man, but you soft too...I like that ass. Feels so good around my big ole' dick. Do you like Tony's big ole' dick in ya?"

"Yesss," Eric said with more enthusiasm than I'd believed possible.

But as I've found out over the years, some guys are just natural born bottoms, and I think Eric might have been one of those. I could relate to some degree, because with Johnny, I certainly preferred the bottom bunk, though making love to him was certainly enjoyable as well.

If Eric came too fast, the same cannot be said of Tony, who turned Eric's first fuck into a long, but pleasurable experience. I knew Tony could pace himself and he was very good at keeping others on the edge as well. Before we knew what edging was, most of us boys were pretty good at it, but Tony was a master.

I was surprised that Tony had chosen the missionary position for Eric's first time on bottom, but now it made perfect sense. He could look into Eric's eyes and read his emotions, and I've no doubt that if he had seen too much pain on the boy's face he would have ended things quickly. Instead, the two seemed to be lost in each other's eyes and sharing a moment, or in this case a half hour, as Tony made slow gentle love to Eric.

As much as I loved watching Tony's taut ass move up and down, my own cock needed release and I coaxed Johnny into a 69, still keeping my eye on the little show going on before us. The others seemed content to just watch and fondle themselves or each other, but when Tony started down the finish line, we were all up on our knees and jerking our cocks desperately in the hopes of finishing up as he did.

It was then that Tony also grabbed Eric's cock and began to jerk him in time to his thrusts, and suddenly Eric's cock began to gush forth. Then Tony grunted and cried out and began to come as well, and the rest of us weren't far behind. Whether planned or a last minute thing, I don't know, but somehow we managed to direct our spray onto Eric and Tony, and they were a mess when we were all finished.

Needless to say, we were pretty wiped out by then, and after cleaning up a bit we fell down and most of us were asleep in a heartbeat. I woke later and found both Tony and Eric gone, but I didn't worry. My best guess was: that they had moved to Eric's tent so they would have more room for...Heaven knew what, or maybe just to sleep.

The next morning, Tony and Eric joined us for breakfast about 9, but after that Eric said he needed to get home. We were kind of disappointed, Tony in particular, but we understood that not everyone was as free to do what they wanted as we were.

Tony helped Eric pack up his stuff and Johnny offered to drive him home, or at least into town, and Tony went with them while I stayed behind doing cleanup. By the time the two had returned, Tony seemed fine and didn't mention Eric for the rest of the trip. I don't think Tony would ever admit it, but I think he had a bit of a crush on Eric, and if things had been different, they might have become a couple.

No one was really hungry after the big breakfast we had, so at lunchtime we just had a quick snack, then loaded up and drove to the creek. As we got closer I could see the old pickup truck and the aunt and uncle on the same blanket as the day before. Out in the creek, the kids whooped and hollered, and when they saw us they were even louder.

Reno came swimming up as soon as I hit deep water, all smiles and looking very cute. We exchanged greetings, and immediately he asked if he and I could play with the inner tube like we had the day before. This gave us the opportunity to be far enough away from the others to talk without being interrupted, and I could tell Reno was enjoying our time alone together as much as I was.

"Want to walk down to the spillway?" I suggested after a half hour or so, "would your aunt and uncle care?"

"Nah, but I'll tell em where we're going, okay?"

"Sure, that's fine," I said as we headed back up the creek to where they sat.

His aunt just told us to be careful, but his uncle didn't speak at all as he sipped a cold beer and watched the other kids play. I had already told Johnny where we were going, and even offered for him to come along, but he just gave me a wink and said he was fine, and to enjoy myself.

I think I actually blushed, but I had nothing sexual in mind as far as Reno was concerned, as we padded up the dusty road on our way to the spillway. As we walked we talked some more, and Reno said he'd been thinking about what I'd said about college and had actually talked to his mom and aunt and uncle about it. He said he was surprised that they had seemed all for it, and even offered to help him in any way they could. They said they didn't have the money for it, but that if he wanted to try for a scholarship or work his way through school they thought that was just fine.

We finally made it to the other end of the park and started down the little path to the spillway. We could hear the water gushing from the overflow pipe, forming a little waterfall of sorts, and the much more subdued sound of the water lapping above at the edge of the spillway above us before running down the sides of the curved spillway.

We both wore tennis shoes, but no socks, which was a good thing as the rocks were slippery as we neared the water and would have hurt our feet. We finally managed to get onto the base of the spillway, but not until we'd passed under the overflow pipe and got a little wet. Once on the cement base of the spillway, we looked across the vast structure before starting for the far end.

"I've never been all the way across," Reno confessed.

"It's pretty cool. Once we get to the end, there's a steep trail leading up the far side, and on top there's a little rest area. It has cement benches and short walls on three sides, and you have a great view of the lake from there. I think when they first built the place they intended for it to be reachable from both sides, but somewhere along the way those plans got scrapped," I chuckled.

"What would happen if they let the flood gates open, would we be washed away?"

"Nah, first of all: they release the water slowly, and second: there's always a warning siren." I proceeded to tell him about the night the creek had flooded and how Johnny had saved us, and rather then calm his fears I think I made them worse.

Eventually we made it across and up the other side and he seemed relieved to be above water level again. I sat down on one of the cement benches in the little rest area and Reno plopped down beside me, so close our legs were touching.

I thought for a minute he might move, given how close we were, but he seemed content with things as they were, and I certainly had no complaints.

"It's nice up here," he said gazing out at the water, then looking at me and blushing, "I...thanks for bringing me here," he said sounding nervous, "I...really like you," he blurted out, then looked away as if embarrassed.

"I really like you too. I wish we lived closer together, I'd like us to be friends."

"You would, really?" he asked looking my way to make sure I was serious.

"Yes," I sighed, "there's something about you that makes me want to get to know you better."

"Me too, I mean...I want to get to know you better," he said, then suddenly he leaned in and kissed me before I could even react.

Unfortunately, he took the look of surprise on my face as one of rejection, and when he pulled away he buried his face in his hands and started crying.

"I'm so, so sorry. I ruined everything...didn't I?" he sobbed.

"No, not at all," I said scooting even closer and hugging him to me. He stiffened at first, then relaxed into me and buried his face in my neck and continued to sob.

"I'm sorry, it's just that...you've been so nice to me...and I thought..."

"Shhh...it's okay. I understand," I said rubbing his back gently, "I understand even better than you think. You see...Johnny and me, well, we're in love, and we've been a couple for a long time."

"You are, is that for real?" he said raising his head to look into my eyes.

"Yes, it's for real. See...not all boys like girls. Some of us only like boys, or some like both."

"I...I guess I'm one of those that likes boys," he said wiping at his eyes, "but I've never done anything, you know? with a boy."

"Well, trust me, there are plenty of boys who like boys, or who will at least play around," I chuckled, then suddenly I thought about Eric and I had a great idea.

As it turned out however, Reno already knew Eric. Well, it's a small town and most everyone knows everyone else, but he seemed shocked to learn that Eric might be like him. It took some persuading on my part, but I had finally convinced him that Eric was one of us and he seemed to be thinking about that the whole way back to the creek.

We swam and played the rest of the day but stayed with the others, and Reno didn't seem to mind. I was a little hurt at first, but in the end I decided it was for the better. There was no future with Reno, and to just have a quickie with him felt wrong. I wanted him to find love like Johnny and I had, and I hoped he and Eric might be a couple, and soon.

Later, after the kids were gone, and after Reno and I exchanged addresses and phone numbers, I told Johnny all about what had happened on the spillway.

He just smiled and gave me a little kiss, "Babe, you could've given that boy something more to think about if you'd wanted to. I wouldn't have been jealous. Heck, I thought that was why you were taking him up there to begin with."

"Nah, I didn't have anything in mind, but when he kissed me, he was so sweet. I think I'd like for his first time to be with someone he really likes, someone he could have a future with."

"Yeah, well...we broke Eric in, so at least one of em will have some experience," Johnny chuckled, "but if I was you, I wouldn't mention to Tony that you're trying to hook Eric up with the kid."

"Yeah, some things should stay between you and me, and this is one of them. Agreed?"

"Yep, agreed...now then, how about some dinner? I'm starved after skipping lunch."

We had steaks that night, courtesy of Johnny's folks, and I fried potatoes while Johnny did the honors with the steak. His dad knew a guy who raised cattle and he bought meat from him wholesale, and we never went without beef.

We were so full by the time we finished dinner that we even skipped dessert, but we knew later we'd be hungry again, and those cupcakes mom had sent would be a welcome treat.

We spent that last night around the campfire talking about our lives and how much fun we'd had over the years, then took a shower and retired to the tent for one last night of sharing. We were a bit more subdued that night, but no one went unsated, and there was a closeness between us that night that we hadn't felt for a while.

The next day was anticlimactic as we loaded up and headed home, and we were a bit somber as we rode along, but soon the mood lightened and someone started that stupid '99 bottles of beer on the wall' song, and before long we were all laughing and singing. Even as young adults we still had the spirits and hearts of the boys we once were, and I hoped we would never lose them.

End Chapter 10

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