Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2015 22:34:42 -0700 From: Kit Darling Subject: A Rose Among Thorns Part 4 *DISCLAIMER* This story contains depictions of male on male, graphic sexual interactions. The characters are highschool aged and sometimes have unsafe sex. ALWAYS USE A CONDOM! This is a complete work of fiction and any similarities to persons or events is purely coincidental. Enjoy the story and any feedback is welcome. Remember that Nifty needs your generous donations to continue on, Dears. So make sure to toss a few dollars their way so they can keep tossing great stories your way. Love ya! CHAPTER 4 On Sunday I woke up and looked at my phone to see a text from Logan. LOGAN: Hey I have 2 make a run 2 the French Quarter for some herbs, wanna join? ME: Sounds fun, what time? LOGAN: I'll be there 2 get u in an hour. I hopped out of bed and got into the shower. After I was clean and my hair was styled, I went to the closet to decide what I wanted to wear. Tommy came skipping in and stared at my closet with me. "What are we doing?" he asked while he rocked back and forth on his toes. "I have no clue what I'm going to wear today," I put my hand on my chin and glared at all the ugly things I had in my closet. Okay so my things aren't ugly but suddenly I had nothing that seemed appropriate for the occasion. "Goin' on a date?" Tommy inquired. "Kinda. Logan want's me to go across the lake with him today," I groaned and sat on the floor. "Then you should wear black. How bout this one with the peter pan collar? And these black shorts and this sun hat." Tommy pulled all of the pieces out and sat them on my bed. He grabbed a belt and some black oxfords to finish the outfit. "You should be an outfit designer," I tousled his hair as he scowled at me. I dressed and then went downstairs to make some sandwiches for us. Ham with extra mayo for Logan, and turkey and cheddar with mustard for me. I wrote our names on baggies, then put the sandwiches in them. I picked up the marker and drew a little cat on his baggie and a unicorn on minebefore putting them in a paper bag with a baggie of potato chips and some carrots. I threw in some gummies for good measure. Ready to go, I sat on the porch swing and waited for Logan to show up. As I waited Blake came jogging by. He stopped in front of the house. Of course he'd come jogging by. He was shirtless, and sweaty, and absolutely gorgeous. He walked up the front path and onto the porch, "Why are dressed like you're going to a funeral?" I looked him dead in the eyes and removed all expression from my face before saying,"Wait." "Huh?" he was confused by my pun that he would be dead soon and I'd be attending his funeral. "Ugh, never mind," I rolled my eyes. What a boob. "Well you look hot anyway," he grinned flashing his incredibly white teeth and the dimple in his left cheek. "You're welcome," I responded, trying to be immune by his butter melting smile. "Don't you mean thank you?" he questioned. "Why should I thank you for popping a chub at the mere sight of me." He looked down at his obviously growing bulge and chuckled. "Glad you were looking," he said with smug satisfaction, which bugged the hell out of me. Was there nothing I could say to jab him? "It was pretty hard to see. I'm surprised I didn't need my magnifying glass." He grabbed his heart and put on a hurt look. "Ouch. You always aim right for the heart." "Or in this case, the balls. Seeing as how you most likely don't have a heart," I was on a roll. "Why do you hate me?" his voice was suddenly very serious. I felt bad for all the things I'd just said to him. "I don't hate you, I hate your attitude. You think that just because you're hot that everyone wants you. And it's like, you're ugly where it counts." "You think I'm hot?" he smirked. I let out a loud, annoyed sigh, "Can't you be serious for like a second, Blake?" "I seriously like you," he responded. His eyes looked into mine and I shivered. "I'm seriously not interested," I replied. He put his hands on his hips and just stared at me. I felt incredibly vulnerable and I looked at my feet. "I really like that thing you do when you know someone is checking you out. You get all red faced and look at the ground. It's so modest, so humble. That's what I like about you, Corrigan. You have a pure heart. I know I come on strong, but that's all I've ever known. I never meant to make you uncomfortable or upset. I know I'm a douche, but I really want the chance to make it up to you." "As lovely as that speech was," I looked up into his eyes, "I'm dating Logan. I'm sorry, Blake." He ran a hand through his hair and nodded, "I get it. I wish I hadn't been so late or so cocky. I might have had a chance." I pitied him. I went to grab his arm but then I saw Logan's truck pulling into the driveway. "See ya around, Corrigan." "See ya around, Blake." He jogged off my steps and I went and got into Logan's truck. "What did Blake want? Is he harassing you?" Logan sounded defensive. "No, not really," I smiled and waited for Logan to back away. "Don't I get a hello kiss?" he asked pointing at his stubble- covered cheek. "No one is around to see us," I said looking around. "It needs to become a habit, I don't care if no one is around." I leaned in and peck his cheek. He smiled and we were off. Soon we were walking down Royal Street looking for the magick store his mom usually shops at. "So what do we need exactly?" I inquired looking in the windows of the pretty stores. "We need benzoin, milkweed and thistle. Mom also wanted me to pick up some powdered toadstool. She needs it to make some sort of banishing potion," Logan replied. "Aren't toadstools poisonous?" I remembered reading somewhere that they were. "I assume she's going to sprinkle the potion around the house or something." "Interesting," I said to myself. Logan reached down and grabbed my hand. I looked at him with a puzzled look. "In case someone from school sees us." "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you actually think we are together," I teased. "So what if I do?" He responded without hesitation. "Huh?" I was confused by the statement. Did he mean that he really does think of us as an item sometimes? Does he actually like me? I mean, like-like me? "Nothing," He mumbled. We went into the magick store and I started looking around while he went to the counter to ask for the herbs. There were all kinds of occult things, wands, athemaes, potions, lotions, spells. It was so cool. I was mesmerized by a deck of cards in the display case. They had a beautiful drawing on the box. It was in warm, earthy tones. Logan's voice startled me, "Find something you like?" "Yes, this Tarot deck is gorgeous," I was drawn in by the intricate art. "You a fan of Alphonse Mucha?" He asked me, sounding surprised. "I've never heard of him, but I'm thinking I'm gonna become a fan of his." The store owner came over to the case, "Anything I can help you with, Darlin?" She had black hair and was wearing a red halter top. "No. I'm just looking." "You must be a Libra," it wasn't a question, she said it like it was a fact. "How did you know?" "You are weighing the options of buying the deck. You want to make sure it's the right choice. I see you, boo," she stated with a wink. "We better head out, Mom needs these herbs before the moon rises," Logan stated, taking my hand in his. "Thank you, Miss," I waved to her as Logan pulled me out the door. "Of course, come back when you decide you want these cards, Hun." I smiled politely and then we were off. We walked back to our parking spot and Logan took me to my place. On our way home we ate the sandwiches I'd made us, but Logan accidentally spilled the chips all over. When we pulled into my driveway, he leaned in and kissed my cheek; I blushed. "See ya later, Boyfriend," Logan said with a grin. "Bye, Boyfriend." I got out and waved as I walked up to the porch. Logan left and I went inside. A couple hours later, Nolan and I were sitting on my bed playing Gin Rummy. Tommy was on the floor, coloring in his Scooby-Doo coloring book. "So what do you want for your birthday?" Nolan asked as he discarded a six of hearts. My birthday was October 5th, which was two weeks from Monday. I picked up the card, putting it with all my other hearts, then tossed my ace of spades into the pile. "I guess I don't really know," I shrugged, "I figure I'll like whatever you get me, Nolan." "It's going to be your eighteenth birthday. This is important," Nolan said while he eyed his hand. He grabbed the ace and threw down the seven of hearts. "I'm not super concerned I guess," I looked over my cards to decide which one I no longer wanted. I took the seven and discarded the three of spades. He put down his cards and looked at me intently, "You are gonna be able to vote, to get an adult license. I have to know what you want." I shrugged, "I need a new sketch book, mine is almost full again." Nolan sighed before laying down his hand, "Gin Rummy." "Again?! I swear you cheat. I give up!" I tossed my cards down and stood up, "I'm gonna go make popcorn." "Oh! I'll go pick out a movie!" Tommy took off in the direction of the TV room. "I'll clean up in here," Nolan said putting the cards and crayons away. In no time, all three of us were sitting in front of "The Little Mermaid" my favorite Disney Princess, I might add. Tommy was laying on the floor watching intently. "So I think I know what I'm getting you for your birthday," Nolan whispered. "And what's that?" I asked looking into his pretty green eyes. "I can't tell you silly." "Then why did you bring it up?" I giggled. "To confirm that I have an idea and I'm not a worthless best friend," he put his arm on the back of the couch behind me. "I never doubted you," I said quietly. I started to get tired and before I knew it I was asleep. When I woke up the TV was fuzzy because the tape had ended. Yes we still have VHS' at our house.. Nolan's arm was around me and my head was on his chest as we had ended up laying down. Tommy was fast asleep on the ground. I could hear Mom and Dad just getting back from their date night. I slithered out from under Nolan's big, strong arm and sneaked into the kitchen. "Hey, Sweetie, how was your night?" Mom asked when I came into the light. "It was fine. We all fell asleep watching The Little Mermaid." "We all?" her eyebrow shot up. "Nolan came over to help me babysit," I replied grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl and peeling it. "Oh how is he? I haven't seen him around in a while," Dad asked as he took off his dress shoes. "He's fine, and of course you haven't seen him in a while, I was grounded and couldn't have any friends over, remember?" I crossed my arms and scowled at Mom. "Careful with that tone, Sonny Boy. I won't hesitate to ground you again," she smiled and then went for the upstairs. "What a monster," I whispered when I was sure she was out of earshot. "I heard that!" Mom called from the top step. "Ugh!" "Hey, I'm gonna take Tommy up to bed and then I'll probably head home," Nolan was standing in the doorway cradling Tommy's limp, sleeping body. I followed him upstairs and helped tuck in my little brother. "Thanks for coming over tonight, Nolan," I said as he backed away from Tommy's bed. "No problem, Pal," He pulled me in and gave me a hug. The hug seemed different than all of our other hugs. It was a tad too long, not that I was complaining. He pulled back and gave me a smile before leaving. I went to my own room and was fast asleep within minutes. On Sunday morning, the family was all at church listening to the pastor droning on and on, telling us the story of Rachel and Jacob, and how it was important to never deceive. I was sending a text to Logan when I felt a jab in my ribs. I looked up to see Mom scowling down at me. Logan and I had been texting about how lame this was. He was telling me he was excited for me to participate in the Mabon ritual. I was pretty excited too. I'm sure it was much more interesting than learning about the time that Jacob was a dummy and didn't look under the veil to notice that it was Rachel's uggo sister he was about to get hitched to. I glanced over and saw Blake sitting near the front with his mother. Oh yeah, that's right, he was our pastor's kid. My family went to a church that celebrated all types of families, and they didn't discriminate against gays. They loved everyone. I mean, it's a great church, but I am entitled to being bored by the constant yammering coming from Pastor Smith's mouth. Blake turned and smiled at me. I looked forward. It was time to sing some hymn and like a robot I stood and sang the song with the angelic voice the good lord gave me. Tommy grabbed my hand and I put on a happier face because I could tell that I looked incredibly uninterested. We were saying our goodbyes after church when Pastor Smith stopped my parents. "My family would love to have your family over for dinner tonight," he said to Daddy. "Oh I don't know," Daddy replied looking to Mom to see what she thought. "I insist, Calvin. I'm barbecuin and Dianne is makin some fresh peach cobbler." I looked at dad frantically. I couldn't possibly go to dinner. Blake would be there. He'd be hitting on me all night. Ugh. I just wanted to chill tonight, eat pizza and veg out in front of the boob tube. "We'd love to," Mom cut in, "Dianne and I have some catching up to do anyway. Tommy and Julie can have a little play date." "Swing by around four thirty and you just HAVE to bring some of that famous potato salad you make, Jinel," Dianne said putting a hand on my mom's arm. At three forty-five I was still laying on my bed, hoping Mom had changed her mind about us going over there. "Get dressed, Cori," Mom sounded annoyed that I still wasn't ready to go. "Do we have to go?" I whined. "Yes. No more complaining. Now get dressed so we can go," she was such a tyrant. "Why do you hate me?" I asked. "Why don't you wanna go?" she came in and sat on my bed. "Because I don't want to be around Blake," I admitted quietly. "Why not? He's such a sweet boy," she replied. "Sweet? Have you met him Mom?" I looked at her incredulously, "He's crass and rude and conceited and he knows he's hot and that is so annoying." "Hun, I'm sorry you don't like him. Please just get dressed." I rolled my eyes. With a huff and deliberate movements, I got off of my bed and went to the closet to pick out what to wear. I settled on a light pink, cat-print sweater and some high waisted khaki shorts. I pulled on some shoes that matched the sweater then brushed out my blonde hair. I reluctantly hustled down the stairs. "You look very cute, Cori," Daddy complimented me. "Hopefully too cute," I whispered to my self. "What'd ya say buddy?" "Nothing." Mom grabbed the potato salad and we were off. When we pulled up to the Smith's house I was getting more and more nervous. I really didn't want to be around Blake anymore than I had to be. We went up to the door and waited until Dianne came and opened it for us,"Come in, come in!" Tommy ran off with Julie as soon as we were inside. Mom and Dad went to the backyard with Dianne and Pastor Smith. Blake came in holding a tray of lemonade. "I'm gonna take this out to Mom and Dad... Do you wanna go play video games or something until dinner is ready?" "Not really," I confessed. "I swear I wont come onto you, Corrigan," he promised, looking a tad hurt by my confession. I narrowed my eyes at him, and against my better judgment, I said yes. In a few minutes Blake was leading me up the stairs to his bedroom. "I have a ton of games, Mario games, Zelda, Nazi Zombies, Resident Evil games, Super Smash Bros-" "Oh I'm so gonna kick your ass in Super Smash Bros." "Bring it," he said as plugged in the Wii system and put the game into the console. He plugged in a couple of Gamecube controllers and handed me the pink one, "It matches your sweater." "Why do you even have a pink controller?" I quizzed, looking up at him. "It was my older sister's. She went off to college and didn't want any of the game system stuff." "Good for me," I said as Blake booted up the game. I picked Princess Peach, as usual, and then our brawling began. "Princess Peach? What a worthless character," Blake said. "Excuse me, she kicks ass in the cutest way. Just wait, bucko. I'm going to slay you." He picked Link and we began. I whooped him in every round we played, and before I knew it, I was loosened up and actually having fun. Blake was a really cool guy when he wasn't trying to get in my pants. I stood up way too fast; my vision blurred and I got dizzy. I started to fall down but Blake grabbed me around the waist, catching me. When I was able to collect myself I looked into his eyes. His arms were so warm and the atmosphere around him was just so comfortable. I felt my knees going weak, then he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. I couldn't stop myself. I wrapped my arms around his neck and got on my tip toes so I could get closer to his mouth. His lips were so gentle. His abdomen was so firm and muscled. His strong arms felt so nice around me. I began to lose my breath. No one had ever affected me like this before. Electricity flew through my body with every kiss. I pushed him backwards onto his bed. I climbed up on top of him and showered him with more kissing. I felt his hand sneak up my sweater and the touch of his palm against my skin sent a shiver of excitement through me. I reached up his shirt and caressed his abs and pecs. When my thumb ran over his nipple, he moaned into my mouth. Suddenly I came to my senses; I sat up and got off of him. "Why did you stop," he asked with a frown. "I can't. It's not fair to Logan," it really wasn't. How could I expect him to stay celibate while I went off and made out with one of his teammates? "It seems like he doesn't give you what you deserve, or this wouldn't have happened." "I'm with Logan, Blake. I'm sorry about what just happened. It was a mistake." He sighed and nodded, "I'm sorry too. It wont happen again." He left and I went down to sit with the parents. This night was certainly not going the way I had originally planned. *AUTHORS NOTE* As usual, I wanna thank Robbie for his help in making this story much better with his input and his editing. Next, I'd like to thank any and everyone who has sent me an e-mail about this story. It really means a lot to me that you all like it so much. Keep telling me what you like, what could improve, what you hope to see! Kisses! -Kit =^.^=