Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2020 00:43:52 -0500
From: Jacob Windigo <jakewindigo@gmail.com>
Subject: A Marching Band Story Chapter 3

The following is a work of fiction loosely based on real life. Any
similarities to anyone are purely coincidental. The story is intended for a
mature audience. It may contain profanity and references to gay sex. If
this offends you, please leave and find something more suitable to
read. The stories are copyrighted, and the author maintains exclusive
rights to the story.

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A Marching Band Story Chapter 3

The kiss was better than I could ever have imagined; it was more perfect
than my most vivid fantasies. The mix of his pillowy soft lips, the
enticing warmth of his mouth, the gentle caress of his embrace, and the
familiar musk that I knew so well, created an intoxicating concoction in
which I easily lost myself, momentarily forgetting everything that had
troubled me moments before. I was so stunned that I had all but forgotten
to kiss back, and when I came to my senses, without thinking I quickly
pushed Connor off me in a moment of anxious fear.

The hurt in his eyes was painfully apparent, his soul crushed by my rash
mistake. "I-I-I am s-s-so s-s-sorry", he stammered, "I-I-I d-d-didn't
mean...".

I didn't give him the chance to finish as I wrapped him in a passionate
embrace, this time making sure to kiss him back. I realized at that moment
that Connor had wanted me just as much as I wanted him. Who cares if Connor
didn't have everything all quite figured out yet? At this moment, not
kissing him was causing him more pain than kissing him.

This time it was Connor who was shocked. But only after a couple of seconds
stunned paralysis, Connor began to return my passion and then some. Neither
of us was afraid to explore each other with our hands, fiercely caressing
each other's bodies while our lips and tongues danced together in gleeful
amazement. After what seemed like an eternity, give or take a couple of
minutes, Connor broke away with a simultaneously mischievous and confused
grin on his face.

"Okay, so, that was literally the best kiss of my 15-year-old life, but,
what the fuck Jarrod?!?", Connor exasperated between heavy breaths.

"Yeah, I should probably explain myself shouldn't I", I said to no one in
particular. "So, umm, I guess I was just really surprised, to the point of
panic, when you first kissed me, Connor. My mind literally had no idea how
to react, so I made the decision to push you away, which is definitely not
going to be one of my proudest moments. I don't know, I guess I've just
wanted you for such a long time that I didn't know what to do when I
finally had you, if that makes any sense".

Connor had this look of complete shock on his face. "Wait wait wait wait
wait, you've had a crush on me for how long?!? You are literally one the
hottest guys in this band and you're telling me you are in love with me?!?"

Smiling at Connor's surprise I explained, "Of course I've had a crush on
you, Connor! You are the most perfect guy in this band. Your hair is this
beautiful golden-brown color, and just long enough for me to run my hands
through it and watch you flip it out of your eyes like you always do. Your
light brown eyes always seem to catch the sunlight just right so that they
shimmer like gold. Your face is one of the cutest I have ever seen, and I
can now attest to the fact that your lips are even softer than they
look. Your skin is literally flawless, as smooth and as rich as
caramel. You have an amazing body, toned in all the right places. On top of
all that, you are a beautiful human being. You are so kind and empathetic,
acting as a mentor and friend to all the drumline rookies. You are also
super funny, and your laugh is enough to send me to pieces.  Connor, you
are everything and more I could ask for in a boyfriend, so never, ever
think you are less than amazing" (What can I say, I'm a sappy romantic at
heart I guess).

Connor was completely floored by what I had said, and tears began to appear
at the edge of his already tear-stained eyes. "Jarrod, you can't be
serious. You are perfect, you are friends with literally everyone in the
band, you are compassionate, you are funny, you are beautiful, you
are... everything. I don't even compare", Connor said, his voice breaking
with those last words.

Now, as literally anyone will tell you, actions speak louder than words, so
I decided to take this beautiful boy in my arms, hold him as tight as I
could, and our lips met once more. This kiss was even more passionate than
the last. Nothing was hidden from our explorative caresses, and our tongues
fought for dominance in each other's mouths. After another several minutes
of making out, we finally broke away and I smiled at my young lover.

"Connor, you really have no idea just how beautiful you are", I began to
say.

Connor tried to interrupt, saying "Jarrod, come on, I'm no-"

"Yes, you are. Any guy, or girl for that matter, would be so extremely
lucky to have you", I continued adamantly. "I am dead serious when I say I
think you are one of the cutest boys I have ever had the opportunity of
meeting, and even if I have to remind you of that every single day, and
trust me, I will, never ever think for a second that you are somehow lesser
than me".

"Every single day? I mean, wow, would you really be willing to do that,
just for me?", Connor asked with a look of grave skepticism on his face.

"Every single day, every hour, even every minute if I had to", I responded,
looking directly into those golden eyes of his.

Connor grinned. "But not every second, that's asking for too much, isn't
it?"

"Oh, I don't know, nothing is too much for you. But if I had to tell you
how perfect you are every single second, there would be no time for
anything else". (I know, sue me for being a sappy romantic, I dare you)

For the first time that evening, I heard Connor's distinctive yet
infectious laugh, like something caught between a hearty chuckle and a
delicate giggle. "Yeah, every second is a little ridiculous, and you're
right, we would have no time for, I don't know, making out", as he gave me
a quick kiss on the lips, "and more... intimate embraces", as he started to
kiss and nibble at my neck.

"Okay, okay, that's enough", I said, gently pulling away from
Connor. "Believe me, Connor, I want more than anything in the world to take
things further with you, but we hardly know each other. I mean, literally
not even ten minutes ago we were barely even friends and had no idea the
other was gay. I want to have sex with you, I really do, but take it from a
guy who has had a lot of sexual experiences and one night stands, if this
is going to be a real relationship, then we should maybe take things slow,
get to know each other a little bit, you know?"

Connor sighed, clearly disappointed yet also understanding. "Yeah, I guess
you're right, and I do want this to be a 'real' relationship. But I guess
that brings us to another point: how long we want this," he motioned
between him and me, "us, to last".

I was almost shocked at how mature Connor was to ask that question. "Wow,
umm, honestly I didn't think you would ask that. But, umm, I don't know. I
mean, I head to college the last week of August, so there really isn't a
lot of time with this week being the first week of July".

Connor sat there with this adorable look on his face, clearly deep in
thought. "Okay, so, how about this? Why don't we hang out together for the
rest of this trip, which is what, like five days more? We get to know each
other, act like a secret couple, maybe even fool around a little, and then,
when we get back home, we can make the decision whether to continue as a
couple or not, that way we will have at least five days of fun unburdened
by the question of how long we want to last together".

For the second time in as many minutes, I was shocked by Connor's
maturity. "I honestly could not have come up with a better plan myself", I
said, watching an infectious grin creep across Connor's face. "That sounds
wonderful, but I do have one more question: how do you want to spend your
first evening as a 'secret couple'?"

"Another excellent question, my love", Connor said with a smile. "You know,
I heard this hotel has great walking paths that take you right into the
surrounding forests. How about we take a stroll among the trees and the
moon and the stars?"

"My love, huh... well, that sounds perfect, my love, what are we waiting
for?"

The walk was nothing less than enchanting. As the sun set in the west,
painting the clear mountain sky with hues of orange, pink, and purple only
nature could create, the moon and stars became increasingly more visible,
bringing the nocturnal life of the forest abuzz. We walked in silence at
first, his hand fitting so naturally in mine, not really caring if anyone
saw us.  As the last moments of sunlight winked out of existence, we began
to talk.

"So, Connor, umm, what's your favorite color?", I asked sheepishly, not
really knowing what to say.

Connor gave me one of his trademarked mischievous grins and replied,
"Really? That's the first question you want to ask me?"

"Well, I don't know, we have to start somewhere don't we?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Well, to answer your question, my favorite color is
blue", Connor said with a twinkle in his eye. "Blue is just a deeply rich
yet soothing color. It's the color of the sky, of the oceans, of the
rivers, and of the lakes. Blue can also mean so many different
things. Light, baby blue is soft and playful, whereas deep, dark blue is
both comforting and sorrowful".

"Wow, I can honestly say that I have never thought of blue in that way", I
said, taken back by how much passion was in his voice.

"Well, what's your favorite color?", he asked with genuine curiosity.

"My favorite color is purple", I stated matter-of-factly. "I don't know,
purple is just a very comforting color to me. Purple can be vibrant or
muted, light or dark, royal or simple, opulent or plain. Purple is only
found in nature in flowers or in the night sky. It's rare in that way, so I
guess that makes it special".

"Okay, that's enough color speculation for one night", Connor said,
stifling a laugh. "Rapid-fire round: what's your favorite animal? Favorite
food? Favorite season? Hogwarts house? And...  what's your favorite Star
Wars movie?

I took a moment to think, careful to choose my answers. "Wow, okay, a lot
of questions. Umm, elephants, any type of shrimp, spring, Hufflepuff, and
Empire Strikes Back".

"Well, Hufflepuff is definitely not a surprise, but really, shrimp? I mean,
seafood is definitely not on my list of favorite foods. I can respect
elephants and spring, and there is literally no better Star Wars movie than
Empire. If you had said any other movie, we would've had to break up right
then and there".

I giggled, "I am SO relieved that we have similar Star Wars opinions, but
what about you, care to answer your own questions?"

"Bears, lasagna, autumn, and Ravenclaw", Connor said with a proud smile on
his face.

"Wow, Ravenclaw. I mean, I guess I can date a Ravenclaw, and I suppose I
should just be happy you aren't a Slytherin", I said, laughing comfortably
in the night air.

Connor laughed with me, saying "yeah, that also would have been a
dealbreaker for me. But now for a more serious question. Now, we are both
band kids, so, what is your favorite genre of music?"

I responded without hesitation, "Jazz, definitely jazz. You know I play
trombone, and I also pay that in jazz band. I don't know, in jazz, there
are just so many layers coming together to create art, it's
just... beautiful".

"Well, I've heard you play trombone, and you are awesome by the way, so I
can only imagine how incredible you are at jazz trombone", Connor said not
even trying to hide the notes of flattery in his voice. "So, what are your
top three favorite genres of jazz?"

Again, without hesitation, I listed off, "Big band, Latin, and
funk. Nothing beats classic big band swing, and Latin and funk have
specifically unique rhythms found nowhere in other music".

Connor smiled, moving closer to me as we continued to walk the moonlit
trails. "All very good choices. Now, I wouldn't say jazz is my favorite,
but as a band kid, I do appreciate it. As for my favorite genre, I don't
know, I guess I just listen to a little bit of everything. I have a very
eclectic taste in music".

"Well then, I will definitely have to educate you in jazz so that it
becomes your favorite without question", I exclaimed with a laugh. "In
fact, why don't we listen to some right now?"

We sat down at one of the trailside benches and I pulled up one of my many
jazz playlists on my phone. I hit shuffle and the first song that came up
was "Fly Me to the Moon", by Frank Sinatra, one of my personal
favorites. Now, there is this rumor that band kids cannot sing that's why
they're in band. But I can assure you that that is just not the case. To be
in band means you must have at least some singing ability and to be a good
instrumentalist you must be a good singer. Anyways, I started to sing along
with the song as Connor rested his head on my shoulder, cuddling close to
combat the chill of the night mountain breeze.

The song lasts for about three minutes, and afterward, Connor is blown
away. He grabs my phone to pause the music and adjusts himself so that his
eyes look directly into mine.

"Where the HELL have you been hiding THAT?!?", Connor all but
shouted. "That was absolutely brilliant! I had no idea you could sing like
that! Why aren't you in choir?!? Why don't more people know you're an
amazing vocalist?!?"

I look back at the face of my love with a shy grin. "Well, I don't know, I
just don't really like to brag or show off or sing in front of others all
the time. And at my school, we're only allowed to do band or choir, not
both. Besides, my band directors wouldn't let me switch over to choir even
if I wanted to".

Connor put his head back on my shoulder and I wrapped my arms around
him. "Well, your voice is AMAZING, and I wouldn't mind listening to it all
night long".

Which is exactly what we did. We sat on that bench in the middle of the
forests and mountains, cuddled together as I sang to my love, for what felt
like hours. When my playlist was finished, we walked back to my hotel
room. Connor left to go "sleep" in his room with his assigned roommates,
but once he was sure they were all asleep, he sneaked out and joined me in
my single bed room. We decided that we didn't want to do anything too
intimate that night, so we just stripped down to our underwear and spooned
in my bed until we both slipped into the most peaceful and comforting sleep
of our young lives.

*******

Hello readers, Jake here!

First off, I want to thank all my patient fans who read the first two
chapters of "A Marching Band Story". I never expected such an outpouring of
support for my first story ever, so truly thank you so much for your
comments.

I want to apologize for how late this third chapter was published. I
recently moved into a house closer to my college, which turned out to be a
huge life event for me. It took up much more of my time than I had expected
it to, but now that I am finally settled in, I was able to sit down and
write the third chapter of my story. In the hopes of being transparent with
my readers, college will be starting soon for me, so I expect to be even
busier than I was these last couple months of summer. The next couple of
chapters will be slow to publish, but I assure you that I want to see
Jarrod and Connor's story unfold just as much as you do.

I also want to apologize for any confusion I might have caused in the last
chapter. When this story was nothing but fragments of characters and plot
points swirling around in my imagination, I had several names lined up for
the "Jarrod" character, "Josh" being one of them.  When it came time to
write the first chapter, "Jarrod" is what felt most right to me, but for
some reason when righting the second chapter, my mind reverted back to
"Josh". "Jarrod" is the name I have settled on, and I will make sure to
work harder in the future so that no more confusion is caused for my
readers.

Finally, I would like to write a special thank you to Deryck, my newly
appointed editor. You have been a source of inspiration and support, and I
couldn't ask for someone better to read my first drafts and give me much
needed feedback.

If you enjoyed this chapter or have any questions or general comments, feel
free to reach out at jakewindigo@gmail.com, I love hearing from readers!

Thanks again,

Jacob Windigo