Date: Thu, 26 Nov 2020 17:55:08 +0000 From: J. Forrester Subject: A Series Embarrassing Events - chapter twelve DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction that contains graphic sexual content. It is purely for entertainment so please enjoy safely and legally. Resemblances to real people, places and events is unintentional (but would be really cool). A Series of Embarrassing Events Chapter Twelve: The Art of the Feel FRIDAY 27TH NOVEMBER 2020 The three weeks since meeting Mr Godeita - aka Mason - had flown by. Noah's dad had flown back to the USA and Noah had mostly managed to avoid further humiliation; the comments about his hairlessness continued but Noah took them good-naturedly. When he thought about how he'd worried his underwear exposure on the dance floor at the Halloween party could be the worst thing that happened, Noah almost laughed. Hardly any comments were made about it in light of his new bald look from head to toe. Jamie had avoided a repeat tryst but Noah lived in hope and Noah had had had also had repeat fumbles with Matty and Ronan (separately) but nothing more exciting than mutual masturbation. Noah indulged fantasies of bringing the boys together and seeing what happened but there was a spanner in the works - Toby. Toby was still his best friend but Noah knew excuses when he heard them and he was hearing them a lot - excuses not to hang out, excuses not to do homework together... While Noah was secure in his sexuality, it didn't take a genius (and Noah was borderline) to figure out that Toby was not secure. They had only fooled around once, over three months ago now, and like typical boys it took them a while to talk about things. When they eventually talked about it last month, Toby had said he didn't think he was gay but he was confused. They hadn't talked about it again since. Noah and Toby still hung out as friends but there was always someone else along to chaperone. Noah was a little hurt that Toby didn't feel comfortable being alone around him anymore. Noah also felt a pang of guilt that he hadn't tried to talk to his friend - his best friend - about how he was feeling and how he was dealing with this conflicted sexuality. Toby could probably use a friend to talk to if he was still confused and full of doubt. Noah had been selfishly exploring his own adventures (or misadventures) while Toby struggled. Toby had said he wanted to forget and move one – but had he done either of these things? Toby was sullen, withdrawn and moody and if it wasn't about maybe or maybe-not being gay, then what was it about? It was Friday afternoon and Noah knew he would be busy with his first EMARP over the weekend so it was now or never and he had put it off long enough. He had to talk to Toby – even though Toby didn't want to. Noah thought he was being a good friend by giving Toby the opportunity to open up. The boys were in their usual lunchtime huddle but luckily Noah's other mates were distractedly in the midst of a very serious conversation. "When you think about it, hyperspace is a much more efficient way of travelling," Matty argued. "It's also a much more fictional way of travelling," Samir responded. "And warp drive isn't?" Matty replied animatedly. Ronan opened his mouth to say something by was interrupted. <> "Hyperspace is embarrassing. You... what? Enter some kind of other space somehow, give me a break," Sam reported passionately. "It's another dimension, asshole. Han Solo can do it," Matty countered. "You know Star Wars isn't a documentary, right?" Ronan added neutrally. "Neither is Star Trek and the rubbish warp drive nonsense," Matty said with a grin. "You take that back," Sam replied as if insulted. <> "I'm not saying that," Ronan said. <> "You're not saying what?" Sam asked bewilderedly. "Eh... I'm not saying you're both wrong but maybe we should just come up with an infinite improbability drive," Ronan covered while cursing the invisible intrusion. "I'll get the really hot tea," Mateo agreed. The conversation continued... "Do you have any idea what they're talking about?" Noah asked Toby. "Mateo is pro-Wars, Sam is pro-Trek and neither the twain shall meet," Toby replied with the glint of a smile. "I've been meaning to ask... Are you ok? Is anything wrong?" Noah asked. "Fine. Why wouldn't I be? Nothing's wrong," Toby answered too quickly. "...exotic matter? Do you hear yourself?" "Have you figured things out yet?" Noah asked quietly, trying to tune out the others. Toby's face grew serious and annoyed and he blushed too, looking to see if Matty, Samir or Ronan had overheard the question. He didn't want them asking: "figured what out?" "Shhh" Toby admonished; "No. Yes. There's nothing to figure out," Toby insisted. Noah thought he was helping. It would be hard to talk about your feelings and sometimes all it took was someone to care enough to ask. This was not one of those times. "...because you'd need an energy source equivalent to the mass of Jupiter, dumbass..." "Toby, I'm trying to help," Noah said softly. "Then go help yourself. Chat up Mateo. Or Ronan seems kind of gay too," Toby said hostilely. Noah's jaw almost dropped. "So, what if he is? I am and Matty's bisexual and so what?" Noah demanded. Toby flashed a look at the other three boys in their group - they were chatting, laughing and pushing each other and Toby was stuck having this sucky conversation. "Nothing is wrong with it for you guys but I believe in something you don't," Toby answered; "It doesn't matter anyway; I prayed and I asked for help and I know what I'm doing now." "Toby, I thought it might help you to talk?" Noah offered patient, hopefully even. "I don't need your help, Noah. The Torah says..." Toby stopped short of reciting Leviticus. "Yea? Remind me what it says, Toby," Noah said tightly but still sotto voiced. Toby could see Noah was insulted. "I said I wanted to forget about what happened. I regret it and I want to forget it," Toby insisted. "Then why are you..." Noah started to reply through gritted teeth. He stopped himself - Toby was his best friend and either he wasn't gay or bi or anything else in which case he really did regret what happened and wanted to forget it or Toby was gay or bi or something else and wasn't ready to deal with it. "You know what? This isn't my problem. I wanted to talk because I thought you weren't ok but since you are totally fine, I guess there's nothing to say," Noah said (sounding like a bit of a dick, to be honest). Noah didn't need to speak sarcastically to load his words with sarcasm. Toby knew it too but he ignored it because he knew he'd just missed an opportunity to talk about what was in his heart and he'd blown it. He wasn't ok, not at all. Noah known that and been good enough to ask and Toby had thrown it back in Noah's face. Noah turned away from Toby and shuffled closer to the rest of the group. "Oh, fuck off! You're making this up. Euclidean geometry doesn't work like that..." Mateo said, now sounding exasperated with the conversation about fictional space travel. "What are you guys talking about?" Noah asked with forced levity. "Space travel. I think wormholes are a nice compromise..." Ronan tried to say. "They require extra dimensions just like captain Han So-stupid here," Samir interrupted. "This all sounds very complicated," Noah contributed; "Can't I just ride my bike?" The three boys looked at Noah like he was an idiot. "Yea, sure thing Noah. Wolf 359 is only 2.39 parsecs away, average bike speed is say 15 mph..." Samir said sardonically. Ronan was doing the maths in his head, rounding numbers to make them easier to work with, while Matty added with equal sarcasm: "It should only take you... hmm, let's see... carry the one..." <