Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2021 17:52:31 +0100 From: J. Forrester Subject: A Series Embarrassing Events - chapter thirty-five 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 Thirty-Five: The Boy Bent Over THURSDAY 01ST JULY "Knock knock," Matty asked. "Who's there?" replied Noah. "Britney Spears," Matty said. "Britney Spears who?" Noah enquired. "Knock knock?" asked Matty again. "Eh... Who's there?" Noah asked again. "Britney Spears," Matty repeated. "Britney Spears who?" Noah repeated testily. "Oops I did it again," Matty delivered his punchline by slapping his thighs and laughing his head off. Noah laughed too even though the joke was terrible – Matty's laughter and daftness were infectious. "Baby, I'm gonna hit you one more time," Noah told Mateo. Noah and Matty had saved seats for Samir, Toby and Ronan who had been stuck queuing up for lunch. The exam timetable had run from 10TH May until 23RD June, with a week off for the midterm holiday, which anyone sensible used as time to study. Or in Noah's case to take a naked drive with his brother – it was hard to believe it was nearly six weeks since that drive. With the exams over, the boys were back to class and looking forward to the summer holidays starting in less than four weeks' time. "It was the weirdest thing," said Samir as he sat down. Ronan and Toby were right beside him, taking their seats and hungrily eying their food. "What was the weirdest thing?" Mateo wondered nosily. "I had a dream..." Samir replied. "A song to sing," sang Noah. "That all men are created equal," Mateo said seriously. "I am not with these two," Toby said quietly to Samir in a conspiratorial tone. Noah glanced at Toby – he had seemed lighter somehow. Lately, things had been different. They weren't talking more – far from it, secrets were very much being kept between them – but Toby seemed able to breath. Toby was happy and Noah didn't know why; were he to think about it, Noah would have been hurt to think that Toby was coping better for some reason but had not shared that reason with him. Samir waited patiently for them to stop being silly. "I wasn't actually asleep yet but... I heard voices," Samir said. Noah couldn't help himself looking at Ronan who cast his eyes away. <> Ronan ignored the voice. Noah wouldn't do that. <> "I was just starting to fall asleep and it was the weirdest thing, I heard a voice. It was as clear as someone standing next to my bed but I knew it wasn't. I knew it was in my head," Samir said. "How did you know?" Ronan asked quietly. <> "Because... it was Patrick Stewart talking," Samir said with a chuckle. "Captain Picard?" asked Matty asked. Mateo had been increasingly indoctrinated into the world of Star Trek, after years of effort from Sam, and thought The Next Generation were the best generation. "Professor Charles Xavier," Ronan said keenly. <> Noah smiled when he saw that Ronan seemed quite engaged. Ronan didn't even mind Herman's passable impersonation of Patrick Stewart. "Yes. And he said, dancing as only to the morning sunset," Samir said and then chuckled at himself. "That is strange," agreed Ronan. "I think he said something else but only a few words. Like someone talking in the next room but the voices carry," Samir said. <> Ronan was naturally suspicious of the timing of Samir's experience. However, Ronan was relieved that Samir felt comfortable talking about "hearing voices" but it wasn't in the same league as his voice. Ronan recalled when his voice started and he thought it was a noisy next-door neighbour. As time went on, he knew that was not the case and Ronan began to wonder if it was the TV or radio left on in another room. Soon the voice developed a pattern of telling Ronan his friends or peers at school or his family were playing tricks on him and hiding a speaker in the walls or in a light bulb or other such ridiculous notions. Later, Ronan began to wonder if the voice were inside, even though it felt like it came from outside... could it be a problem in his brain? That was when Herman, as he identified himself, began denial and criticism and anything it could think of to turn Ronan away from that kind of thinking. More and more Ronan came to accept it was him - the voice was inside him all the time. It was only now that Ronan began to question what he was going to do about it. "They're called hypnogogic and hypnopompic hallucinations," Noah said. "I don't know what six of those words mean," Mateo quipped. Everyone ignored him. "How do you know that?" asked Toby. "Oh I was reading about stuff online and came across an article about it," Noah replied. He was lying. In the weeks since Ronan had told him he heard voices, Noah had been doing research; he and Ronan talked about it infrequently - it was obvious it was difficult for Ronan to discuss. Ronan confessed that the voice didn't make it easy to talk about him. Nevertheless, Noah had been trying to learn more about the kind of voice Ronan heard. It didn't manifest exclusively as he fell asleep or woke up – as Sam had just reported. The constant remarks, criticism and noise making were far more consistent with his father's diagnosis. However, Noah had used the word Schizophrenic only once - he wasn't a doctor and Ronan needed help beyond a sixteen-year-old friend. Noah glanced at Ronan who seemed zoned out from the conversation and Noah gained an appreciation for how hard it must be for Ronan to concentrate sometimes. "Apparently it's due being in a partly a dreaming state. It usually manifests as voices or noises. Like..." Noah grinned at Samir; "Like hearing Patrick Stewart as you fall asleep, I guess... or hearing a doorbell or knock at the door as you wake up." "Oh, speaking of knocking," Matty said. "Knock knock..." "Who's..." Toby started to ask. "No, don't," Noah jumped in; "Please don't." Matty laughed and then Noah laughed but the others looked on bewildered. "Are you ok?" Noah asked as they left the second last class of the day. The corridor was bustling but the boys stuck together and couldn't be overheard over the camaraderie of excited lads heading to their last lesson of the day. Somewhere behind them Samir, Toby and Matty were loitering or lagging behind. "Yea," Ronan replied succinctly. They hadn't had a chance to talk after lunch but Noah had been worried about the effect talking about voices might have on Ronan. Perhaps Noah was just being paranoid but being in on Ronan's secret made Noah think much more carefully about the kind of things he said. "I just thought... what Sam said at lunchtime..." Noah said carefully. <> "Jesus, you're being a fucking asshole," Ronan muttered. <> Noah looked hurt and then confused. "Sorry. He said..." Ronan started to answer, tapping his temple with his forefinger. "It's weird to be able to tell someone what he's saying." In truth, Ronan wasn't sure he liked talking about it. It felt like Candy Man – if he said Herman's name too many times, he'd appear. "Herman said you were protecting me like I'm a delicate flower," Ronan forced himself to say. "Then he called me a stinking corpse lily." "I don't even know what that is," Noah confessed. "Me neither," Ronan laughed. "Can Herman know something you don't?" Noah asked. "Or do you think maybe you heard about that lily in a documentary one time or something and forgot about it but it's still somewhere in your memory so the voice knows?" <> Ronan smiled just slightly at Herman's childishness. Ronan chose to find Noah's enthusiasm endearing but he asked questions that Ronan didn't know how to answer. "I dunno," Ronan answered. "Anyway, I'm fine. I'm glad Samir is fine too." "Well, I just wanted to check you were ok. I worry about you, mate," Noah confessed. Noah put his arm around Ronan and gave him a friendly hug. Toby was somewhere behind them and saw the gesture. He felt the familiar stab of jealousy that he had learned, trained himself, to ignore. Samir put his arm around Toby and gave him a friendly hug. "Thanks," Samir said gratefully. Toby didn't need to say anything and neither did Sam - they both knew what he was feeling. His feelings were still very confused when it came to boys in general and complicated when it came to Noah in particular. Toby had come to accept that his jealous meant something, yet that feeling was waning. Toby had met someone at Synagogue who had given him a whole new perspective on how hard it was to be who you are. "If you had the power to control plants, would you consider that a superpower?" Matty asked distractedly. Distractedly meaning he was oblivious to the going on around him. "Is that the kind of question you think about when sitting in Biology?" Toby asked sarcastically. "Ok, I was really just looking for a yes or no answer," Mateo responded dryly. "Maybe," Samir answered, laughing and deliberately winding Mateo up. "I mean, Poison Ivy controls plants and she's... sometimes not a bad guy?" "She's an eco-terrorist," Toby bemoaned. "She was in the Birds of Prey in New 52," Samir pointed out. "And the Injustice League," countered Toby. "What about Suicide Squad? That's about as ambiguous as you can get," Samir suggested. "Guys, really... This is important. I'm looking for a yes or no on the controlling plants question?" Mateo interrupted. "And we're out of time," Samir concluded as they arrived outside the next classroom. Noah and Ronan had waited for them to arrive and Matty didn't let a little thing like a class waiting to start distracting him from important questions. "What took you so long?" Ronan asked the three. "Ronan, if you had the power to control plants, would you consider that a superpower?" Mateo asked. "Well, Poison Ivy..." Ronan started to say. "We've already covered that one," Toby said apologetically. "Eh... Swamp Thing? Groot?" Ronan suggested. "I knew there was a reason we kept you around," Mateo said delightedly. "I am Groot," said Samir and Toby to each other - in moody teenager voices. Noah opened his mouth to contribute but just as he did Mr Bassett, the Head Teacher, materialised beside him. Sam and Toby laughed with each other as Mateo put his arm over Ronan's shoulder. They all entered the class, chatting animatedly and ignoring the teacher who was waiting to start the lesson. "Ah, Noah..." said Mr Bassett; "I eh... wondered if we could talk briefs. Briefly, I mean... Oh dear." The man looked very stressed. "We were talking about you... I mean the heads of departments..." Mr Bassett elucidated without shedding any light on what he was talking about; "And the school board are very nearly satisfied about... well, you know about the EVB event already obviously. I just thought we should have a chat about it?" "Mr Bassett, I feel like you're trying to say something," Noah said cheekily. Mr Bassett actually laughed and he wiped his brow with his hand but looking at Noah's innocent face he almost believed the boy. "Well, that's the thing. I am going be unavailable until the last week of term, which is only a few weeks away. However, given the plans for summer and..." Mr Bassett tried again. "Noah McNelis, are you coming into my class or not?" asked Mr Rabb irritably. "Sorry, my fault Mr Rabb. We can talk in a few weeks," Mr Bassett said. Noah got the impression the man was relieved to delay whatever it was he wasn't talking about. It was the second time the man had tried to talk about something. Added to what Daniel had almost talked to him about, Noah's curiosity was piqued. Noah got the impression that the Head Teacher thought Noah knew what he was talking about which begged the question, what the fuck had Dan done? As Noah followed Mr Rabb into the classroom, he gave a final bewildered look at Mr Bassett. "Mateo Locra, sit down!" Mr Rabb said with frustration. "I am Groot," Matty replied – sounding an awful lot like "go fuck yourself." The class thought it was funny. SATURDAY 03RD JULY The school week had ended without any other conversational segues into hearing voices. Noah found himself thinking about Ronan occasionally but most of the time he was thinking about himself. So what else was new? Noah wasn't intentionally thoughtless or self-centred - he cared about Ronan just like he cared about Toby and all his other friends. It was just that Ronan's problem was a work in progress and it was Ronan who needed to make decisions about what to do next. Similarly, Toby's confusion and ruminations about his sexuality were not something Noah could resolve for him. True, Toby had asked him out - Noah thought about that occasionally too - but that would have been running before Toby could walk. Quite beside the point was that Noah wasn't interested in a boyfriend. Noah had spent a few hours of Friday night on Sextr - reblogging and chatting. There were two main conversations he was having in his Message-Me. 1) was with Mr Godetia. Mason felt that it had been too long since Noah's last EMARP event and was trying to pin Noah down to agreeing to another. Noah's last had been in May, nearly eight weeks ago, when he had conducted a naked school-based photo shoot. Noah was a good boy who had prioritised his exams since then and only now did Noah start to contemplate another exciting role-playing scenario. Mason wouldn't tell Noah what the scenario was, which was fine with him as Noah liked to be surprised. Thus Noah was pencilled in for a new EMARP in a few weeks' time – at the conclusion of the school term. 2) was with Ted and Greg who, along with their friend Diallo, had caught Noah naked and demonstrating the use of sex toys during a sexual education class... the insanity of this sounded like one of his Explicit Mass Attendance Role Playing (EMARP) events. The fact it had happened in real life was exciting, incredible and indiscreet. The three boys only knew about Noah's exhibitionism, nudism and sexual vivaciousness because they kept catching him doing things. The first time had been when Noah had worn his birthday suit to a Halloween party – he'd been naked and then shaved and then hard. The second time was equally incidental and fortuitous for the trio – the afore mentioned sex education class. It was there that Ted had asked Noah to attend Diallo's upcoming eighteenth birthday party in a special capacity. Noah was going to be their stripper. The sex education class had been set up by Noah's friends Scott and Kyo and spearheaded by Kyo's dad. Noah saw Scott at least once a month because the boy cleaned windows for his father's business but no further intimacy had happened since the sex education class. Noah had messaged Kyo a few times in the four weeks since the class but his replies had grown less frequent and responses were taking longer to come. Noah switched his attention to thoughts about Saturday. It was Diallo's birthday party on Saturday night and Noah was both looking forward to it and dreading it. Stripping was nothing new but the environment was real life. Would there be anyone else there who knew him? Noah was used to being nude around the house and happy being naked and sexualised in EMARP events but this was different. Noah always felt safe in the controlled environment of the EMARP. Diallo's party, not unlike the sex education class, exposed Noah to greater risk. Noah didn't consider risk of being abused or exploited (he was exploiting his own sexuality) - he trusted Ted et al not to molest him. Rather, it was a loss of control over who might see him naked at the party, who they might tell what pictures they might take and who they might share them with. After all, getting caught by Ted, Greg and Diallo during a sex education class was what had landed him as a stripper for Diallo's birthday. That hadn't been part of the plan. Noah's questionable decision making regarding his exposure in real life dated back to before his sixteen birthday. Noah had made his own live sex tape and he hadn't considered the consequences of exposing his naked fifteen-year-old body in a masturbation video which was now online forever. A boy Noah knew at school had found it – happily, he was a boy Noah liked and trusted but it was an example of the risk Noah took. That video – fifteen and stripping, exposing himself and cumming induced Noah to think about the potential of getting punked in the future whenever he conducted another real-life experiment. It didn't put him off, but he thought about it. Now that Saturday night had finally arrived, Noah was nervous. Although he felt trepidation about the party he was also excited. He mentioned it to Daniel - he told Dan almost everything so if anything went wrong his big brother could rescue him. Dan was Noah's oldest supporter of his nudism and exhibitionism. Daniel occasionally pushed Noah rather than just gentle encouragement but that is what big brothers are for. Daniel seemed ok about it and he remembered Diallo, Ted and Greg from the Halloween party last year - he knew their Ted's big brother. Ted told Noah he could dress however he liked because they'd give him an outfit when he arrived. Noah was suspicious about this - not that he didn't trust them but... actually he didn't trust Ted to provide a real outfit. Thus, Noah wore a white shirt, black trousers and socks, black dress shoes and black briefs. He stuffed a black tie and a black bowtie into his pocket so he had options; Noah pulled on a black suit jacket that matched the trousers and checked himself out in his bedroom mirror. Noah looked like he was dressed for a wedding (or a funeral, but one with hot boys at it). His ass looked amazing and the white shirt was a very nice fit that showed off his slim physique. Noah was busy looking at himself that he didn't immediately notice he was being watched. When he looked, he saw Jamie checking him out. "You look very handsome," Jamie commented. "Thanks," Noah accepted. "Very handsome," Jamie repeated and emphasised each word. Noah grinned, blushed and chuckled his gratitude. He walked to the door, with Jamie just outside the threshold, and leaned though to kiss Jamie. It was soft and warm and sexy; if he hadn't been busy that night, Noah might have hoped to get lucky with Jamie. It was six weeks since they'd last fucked - outdoors on an exciting daytrip that Noah had been naked for the entire duration. Fucking bareback had been a very exciting sexual experience. "You look handsome yourself," Noah commented. Jamie was wearing a muscle-fit grey t-shirt that showed off his swimmers physique and big arms and also white shorts that emphasised his muscular legs. Jamie's pale ginger hair went well with the light hues of his clothing and his skin was fair and freckled, his legs downy to the touch. Not that Noah was touching them right now. "I look a mess," Jamie said with a guffaw. He casually ruffled his strawberry blonde locks and looked dazzling like a model who Calvin Klein would get to strut around in underpants. Jamie looked very comfy in casual clothes, perfect for a night in on the sofa or sitting in the garden sipping beer on a warm summer's night. Noah leaned in to kiss Jamie again and pressed his body against the older lad and he felt firmness everywhere. Jamie was a handsome and strong man yet when Noah put his hand on Jamie's arm, he felt the feathery hair on his forearm and delighted at the round bulge of Jamie's bicep. Noah and Jamie continued to kiss. "Please don't turn him on before you go," Daniel pleaded jokingly. "Someone else will just need to deal with it if you do." Noah and Jamie stopped kissing. Although Daniel was straight, he considered himself hetero flexible which meant sometimes he fucked his best friend Jamie. Dan wasn't embarrassed about Noah knowing this, nor did he blanche at explaining how a straight guy could enjoy anal sex. No-one voiced the unspoken sexual tension but Noah suspected Daniel and Jamie would be fucking before the night was over - after all it was Dan's birthday tomorrow. Noah just wondered if he'd get so lucky. "You ready to go, young man?" Daniel asked Noah. "Yup," Noah replied. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Jamie said but he knew Noah would. Diallo's birthday party was the Five Duke's Rugby Club which had a private function room and a licence to serve alcohol, but only until 11PM. Noah wasn't old enough to drink and despite the stereotype that all teenagers are racing to get illicit booze, Noah had no real interest in it. The club closed about half an hour after they stopped serving alcohol but the birthday boy and his friends would probably move on to the city centre after that. Noah didn't expect they'd bring along the underage stripper though. Noah was old enough to fuck but not old enough to drink booze. Daniel was quite quiet on the drive. A few times Noah thought his big brother was going to say something but then decided not to. Noah kept thinking about Mr Bassett's strange lack of conversation and that Dan had tried to tell him something a few weeks ago, before dad had returned to America for work. Noah and Dan never seemed to find the time to go back to the interrupted conversation and a short car journey wasn't the time to bring it up. Moreover, Noah loved surprises. Noah wanted whatever Dan had concocted to be a surprise as Dan intended it to be. Noah didn't know what Mr Bassett meant by his hints about the summer or what EVB was but it was going to be fun when he found out. Meanwhile, Noah already had fun planned for that very evening. "If it ever stops being fun, you have to tell me," said Dan. "It'll never stop being fun," Noah assured him. That made Daniel laugh and relax a little. "You still like getting naked then? Showing off your little willy and making it bigger for the boys to look at?" Daniel teased him. "Don't call it my little willy," Noah protested. "Do you know anyone at this party apart from the birthday boy and his mates?" Daniel asked. "I don't even know how many people are going to be there," Noah confessed. "Don't you know Ted's big brother... the dinosaur from Jamie's Halloween party last year?" "Josh? Yea I know him," Daniel responded. "He's kinda cool. He won't let things get too out of hand." Daniel seemed to be delegating supervision to Josh for the night, which was reassuring. Noah didn't know Ted well enough to know if he was eighteen yet or not. It was Diallo's 18TH so Ted had either recently turned eighteen too or was going to soon. His big brother Josh was twenty or perhaps twenty-one. The last time Noah had seen him, Josh had been dressed as a dinosaur for Halloween and his friends had been dressed as an Egyptian and a Caveman. Ted and Josh had the same thick dark hair and dark, humour-filled eyes set against fair skin - they were very handsome. "It's not showing off, you know," Noah corrected Dan. "No?" Daniel replied sceptically. "No, not really. I like being naked and I don't mind being seen naked. It's just that sometimes, more and more when you're involved..." Noah pointed out with passive aggressive accusation; "I also get exhibited and exposed and that's a totally different thing." "What kind of thing is that?" Daniel enquired. "Ok... That is showing off, I guess," Noah confessed with a laugh. "It's exciting and flattering and really fun." "I'm happy to hear that," Daniel said as if something was playing on his mind. Noah wondered what that something was - he got the feeling it was another reluctant nudist moment like the one that had kicked off his adventures last year. Daniel pulled into the car park of Five Duke's Rugby Club and brought the car about to stop in the drop-off outside the front door. It was a bright and sunny evening, hot too going by the number of guys who were shirtless outside and nursing cold pits. "See you later," Noah said. "Do lots of things I wouldn't do," Daniel encouraged him. Inside, the music was loud and only just below the threshold that would qualify it for obnoxious. The lights were down but a strobe light flashed above the DJ. The DJ was called Sean Jovi - he was also a local morning radio presenter and Wikipedia wouldn't tell if that was his real name or not. Noah hadn't gone inside yet - he watched through the door and felt rather out of place amongst the guests. Everyone else was dressed casually in jeans, shorts, t-shirts, short sleeved shirts and combinations thereof. In his suit, minus neckwear, Noah looked like he'd dressed for the Sixth Form Prom – quite stunning by comparison. Noah noted a very high concentration of guys, which he obviously found appealing. "You look very handsome, Noah," a voice surprised him. Ted added, "C'mon round this way." Noah turned to see Ted who was dressed in blue denim shorts, with a light blue hem across the thighs and a sky blue and white plaid shirt. He looked very sexy - Noah wanted to stroke and spread Ted's legs as far as they'd go. Noah followed Ted around the side of the building to side door. "Hi Noah," welcomed Greg; "You look amazing." "We figured, given your contribution to the celebration, you might appreciate anonymity?" Ted suggested. Noah was offered what looked like a mask – it felt like it was made of thick foam. There were loops that fit snugly behind his ears and it was shaped to cover his nose, mouth, half his cheeks and it snapped under his chin. It was much like the kind of mask one would wear during a global pandemic as part of common-sense public health measures. Or the kind of thing totally ignorant and selfish people would refuse to wear during a global pandemic as part of common-sense public health measures because of freedom or something. In the same way one would refuse to wear a seatbelt because it restricts freedom or one would kill someone they don't like because murder laws restrict freedom. Noah liked the mask because it felt comfortable and it kept his eyes, forehead and hair exposed. Because it only covered part of his cheeks, it also exposed his smooth face to emphasise his youth. Looking at himself, Noah was surprised by the result. This was no Clark Kent or Robin disguise - it really did obscure his identity. The fact the lads had gone to such efforts to support Noah's anonymity made him wonder if there was going to be people here who might know him? Or maybe they didn't want to be questioned about a sixteen-year-old boy as a stripper? Noah pulled on the mask and put his hands on his hips in what he imagined was a superhero pose. Greg and Ted smiled indulgently - Noah did look handsome and the mask was a more effective disguise than they had anticipated. "That looks brilliant," Ted said. "How many people are here?" Noah asked; "The place looked packed from outside." "We invited about forty people but they brought friends and girlfriends or boyfriends and friends of friends so we think ninety or more people," Ted answered. "That's a lot of people to see me stripping," Noah said worriedly. "Don't worry, your show is only for a dozen guys but we were hoping you'd stay around and be an almost-naked butler for the big group?" Greg said. "Almost naked?" Noah asked with a raised eyebrow. "There are limits Noah. Can you imagine if we sent a petite, naked, sixteen-year-old schoolboy out into the main function room?" Ted asked rhetorically; "You can wear your pants, that'll get a giggle without people thinking we're sex-pests." Noah could imagine it and it made him grin. However, he actually liked the idea of being almost naked, which could be as exciting and embarrassing as totally nude. Noah imagined himself in his mask and perhaps black briefs handing out snacks - he remembered the bowtie in his pocket and made a mental note to put it on after his show for the chosen few, the happy few. Instead, Noah took the necktie from his pocket and quickly tied it while Greg and Ted nodded approvingly. Ties were fun to play with for a stripper. "We're ready when you..." someone started to say. Noah was surprised to realise he knew the lad - it was Scott's big brother, Rob. Scott and Rob's dad ran a window cleaning business and his four sons worked under him. They had all seen Noah strutting around the house naked but Noah had become friends with Scott who was his own age. Rob on the other had was a few years older. Noah still wasn't clear if Rob was gay, bisexual or something else but he had a boyfriend – an intimacy had started with his best friend Carl last Christmas. Rob had later seen Noah naked at the cinema... The number of improbable sexual adventures Noah had was insane. He needed a Wikipedia page to keep track of all the side characters in his life. "Well, hello," Rob said when he saw Noah; "Please tell me the skinny blonde twink is our stripper." "Hush, your boyfriend will get jealous," Ted admonished. "Carl likes skinny blonde twinks even more than I do," Rob assured them. "Hi," Noah said and lifted his hand in a half-arsed wave. "We're ready when you are," Rob told Noah. Rob gave no indication that he'd recognised him which was probably reassuring. "Let's go," said Ted. Greg led the way and Ted brought up the rear as they headed for one of two doors in the corner of the room. One led to the main function room that was heaving with people and the other into a smaller function room. The smaller room was big enough for a dozen people and one stripper. The room was set out with twelve chairs in a semi-circle facing the middle of the room. Rob sat next to his boyfriend Carl while Ted and Greg sat at opposite ends of the semi-circle. Diallo was in the middle of the arrangement; he was wearing grey trousers with a matching waistcoat (very Gareth Southgate 2018), his shirt sleeves exposed but Noah suspected there was a matching jacket that completed the ensemble. Diallo was also wearing a darker grey tie and offset the smart look with a pair of Converse on his feet. Noah also recognised Ted's big brother Josh. Josh was flanked by two guys who Noah recalled were dressed as an Egyptian and a Caveman last Halloween. Noah didn't recognise the remaining four lads at all. They were cute and hot though even if one of them was dressed as if he'd just come from the gym. Noah got to thinking about the kind of boys arranged to see him strip; were the three friends Ted, Greg and Diallo all gay? Noah stripping was a gift for Diallo so it made sense for Diallo to be gay but were Ted and Greg? Were Ted's brother and his friends all gay too? Was anyone straight in this county? Noah admonished himself for thinking about things so narrow mindedly. The fact was none of them had to be gay to enjoy Noah's strip tease - how many guys jerk off watching themselves in the mirror? How many men watch a cock in straight porn an fantasise that it was their own? It didn't matter much to Noah either and he couldn't exactly ask everyone for their gay credentials, could he? Maybe the guys would just get off on the scenario of Noah's increasing nudity, like exhibitionism by transference. "Everyone, this is Noah," said Ted. "It's a miracle you got a stripper for Diallo. I didn't think he'd go for that kind of thing," observed one of the lads. "I believe in miracles since he came along," Diallo said of Noah. It was a Fully Monty joke that earned polite laughter. Noah could hear the music from the main room and almost feel the base though his feet. Nevertheless, Greg got up and started music that would fill the intimate arena and as soon as it started, Noah began to sway his hips. To be sultry and provocative and sexual when taking one's clothes off is a difficult thing. Noah was already thinking about the order in which things should come off. He danced for a few minutes but opening his jacket and sliding it off his shoulders was Noah's first act; in his white shirtsleeves, Noah looked striking. His small frame and skinny waist and flexing hips captured the attention of the dozen boys watching him. Noah's thoughts returned to his pondering about the audience's sexuality. Although he'd told himself it didn't really matter, Noah was able to infer certain people had more interest in him than others. Diallo was one of them and Noah already thought it made sense for him to like boys otherwise his friends would have got him a female stripper. Noah also registered the attention of two of the lads he didn't know as well as Rob and Carl. Noah made a note to target them when his clothes came off. Noah toed the back of each shoe to free his heel and then kicked them free with a flick of his ankle. The skittered across the floor and under the chairs out of sight. Noah lifted his feet one at a time and pulled his socks off in a single fluid motion, from the back of the heel and turning the socks inside out as they were removed. Noah tossed them haphazardly away as well. Noah's bare feet touched a cold floor but his skin was golden from the summer sun and the pine wooden floors were pale in comparison. Noah undid his tie and thought about going closer to the boys but he felt he should reveal a little bit more before seducing anyone. Noah had planned to slowly unbutton his shirt but after opening the top two buttons, he gripped it and pulled sharply. Buttons pulled off, skittering and scattering over the floor while Noah's shirt flew open and revealed his silky skin underneath. The audience cheered and clapped, encouraging Noah to continue. Noah barely noticed the changing soundtrack to his striptease, but the rhythm kept him going. He slipped the tie from the collar but left it around his neck. The cuffs of the shirt were unfastened so it slipped off easily. Noah's wiry arms and hairless chest greeted the room and he twirled the shirt around his head while moving closer to Diallo. The gays in the room drank in the sight of the pretty boy whose armpits were so sparse and the hair so fair, it was difficult to see. Noah's eyes smiled with excitement as he advanced on Diallo who was one of the few people who knew who Noah was under the mask that covered half his face. Just two paces from the birthday boy, Noah tossed the shirt in the face of one of the unnamed lads; he caught it and the others hooted and jeered while he took a whiff of the shirt, taking in Noah's boy-smells. Noah pulled off the tie and put it around Diallo's neck; he continued to hold each end and used it to gently pull Diallo towards him. Noah got close until Diallo could put his hands on Noah's hips, which swayed to the music. Diallo's hands dared to pull the waistband of Noah's trousers down just a little, revealing the top of Noah's underwear - he reacted by stepping out of reach. "Oh my god. I can see his pants," said Carl. "Not if we wait a bit," joked Rob. The comment drew chuckles around the room and revealed a wolfish hunger to see Noah's underpants discarded from view. They wanted to see Noah naked and he was happy to indulge. Noah twirled as he went back to his original position. He wasted no time in opening his trousers and turned his back to pull them down off his little ass. Clad in black briefs, Noah's butt was petite and flat and he grinned over his shoulder because he knew there were those already fantasising about fucking him. Noah slipped the trousers down his lean legs until they hit the floor when Noah stepped out of them. He turned to face the crowd again and smiled naturally at them as he moved around the semi-circle wearing nothing but tiny underpants and a facemask. Almost all of the guys reached out to touch him, stroking his flat chest and stomach or caressing his thigh and most adventurous was the boy next to the former caveman; he reached into the front of Noah's briefs, his fingertips feeling though the small bush of Noah's pubes. Noah pulled away from the groping - his short penis enjoyed the touch but remained inert inside the undies that offered little room for expansion. Noah returned to stand in front of Diallo to take his briefs off, again turning away from them as he eased them off his buttocks. The briefs sat under the cleft of his butt cheeks while Noah pulled the front down but grabbed his genitals with one hand. Noah stuck his bare ass out towards Diallo while working the briefs down his legs until they reached the floor. Noah slid them back towards Diallo with his bare foot and stalked away. Once he was centre stage again, Noah released his hands and revealed his penis to the room. The looks were difficult to gauge but once again he saw the most interest from the same people. Others in the group like Ted and Greg and Josh were harder to read. Since Noah hadn't been briefed on the strip show he was to give, he didn't know how to proceed. Did they must want him to strip - did Diallo just want to see his dick or did they want more? Noah's legs were shoulder length apart, he put his hands on his hips and looked directly at the birthday boy to ask the next question. "What do you want me to do next?" Noah asked, his voice barely muffled by the mask. "We want you to touch yourself and let us watch," Diallo said. There were cheers, jeers, laughter and clapping from the other lads. Again the wolfish interest filled the room until Noah found it hard to separate the sexual interest of those lads interested in men and those (who might also be interested in men) who were simply attracted to Noah's exposure, exhibition and debasement. Noah tugged his dick, freeing the head of his cock from the foreskin and moving back to Diallo to let the eighteen-year-old have some fun with the semi-hard member. Diallo reached out and touched Noah's dick, squeezing it gently and watching it fill in the palm of his hand. Noah pulled free before he was fully hard and danced and twirled anti-clockwise to one edge of the semicircle and then crossed the room to the other side and passed each lad on the other side until he was back at Diallo. Noah put both hands on his head, exposing his pits, as he stepped backwards until he returned to his original position – in the centre of the semi-circle, directly in front of Diallo, where everyone could see him. Noah was young and nude, exposed in a strange place and nearly erect. His balls sagged between his silky thighs and his whole body looked boyish. Noah's fingers brushed though the short hairs above his penis. He took a hold of his dick and this time made sure it was fully hard, hot and wet. The drool from his cock began almost immediately - it was like spider silky except gooey. Noah resisted the temptation to thrust his cock in each lad's face and instead stroked himself with slow pleasure. Noah liked the attention and the hungry looks spurred him on. "Lap dance for my friend?" asked Ted as he pointed at Diallo. Noah took the instruction and returned to Diallo. Back and forth across the floor, Noah worried he looked like he didn't know what he was doing but the group seemed to like following him with their eyes. Noah approached Diallo with his cock pointed at the eighteen-year-old. He turned at the last moment and pressed his ass into Diallo's lap. Noah very nearly sat on Diallo's knee and he could feel the erection pressing against his bare ass cheeks. Noah grinded his naked ass into Diallo's crotch and eventually stood up and turned, spreading his legs and sitting on the edge of Diallo's knees. Noah shuffled forward, sitting on Diallo's thighs but facing him and moving closer. They were nearly chest to chest and face to face. Eventually, Noah's cock was leaving slobbery trails on Diallo's shirt and Noah could feel Diallo's throbbing cock against his buttock. Noah grinded his ass again, squeezing the hard-on under him and watching Diallo enjoy the pleasurable sensations. Noah took a hold of his own tie that was still around Diallo's neck and gave it a tug so the older lad's face came close enough to kiss. The mask was in the way but Diallo could feel Noah's hot breath and when their lips met, even with the mask between them, it was sensual. Noah could tell Diallo was attracted beyond the mere physical stimulation to his penis which Noah's butt continued to bounce on. Diallo drank in Noah's physique, his sun-drenched skin and short pubes - he thought Noah was beautiful. The group that had been watching had varying reactions to the whole scenario; they thought it was embarrassing for a teenage boy to strip naked and yet fascinated by the reveal and tempted by the vision being presented. Under other circumstances, Noah might have sucked Diallo's cock but just then he became aware the music in the room had actually stopped for the first time. They could still hear Sean Jovi in the next room but the music Noah had stripped to was over. "We can't be in here all night," said Ted. "Put your briefs back on." Noah realised the track list must have only lasted half an hour or so as a reminder for the birthday boy to re-join his own party. Noah wiped sweat from his brow and only then remembered he had a mask on. "You sure you don't want me to do anything else while I'm still naked?" Noah asked suggestively. "We thought it would be more fun if you were still turned on and denied an orgasm – more chance of an embarrassing bone," Greg replied. Ted, Greg and Diallo chuckled and the other lads were jostling and larking about as they left the room. Noah had been light entertainment and while they had expected a stripper, no-one had expected a young teen to masturbate or cum. Noah thought about the implications of being an almost naked butler and the humiliation he would feel if he did get an embarrassing boner. Mask, briefs and then... a room full of drunken people in their late teens and early twenties were going to see him. Noah pulled on the black briefs, stuffing his erect cock into the fabric, but couldn't find his shoes so he'd need to go barefoot. Noah looked at his trousers on the floor, one sock was within sight, his jacket was over the back of a chair and his shirt hand been left by the lad who's caught it with his face. Noah only now considered the damage he had done to the shirt by ripping it off - he wouldn't be able to refasten it. Noah was excited by the idea of getting home with his chest exposed; what if Dan or Jamie wouldn't collect him and he had to take the bus home? Noah imagined the looks of the passengers and daydreamed about a sexy young scoundrel making him take the shirt off on the bus and then demanding a blowjob. Noah had walked towards his jacket without consciously thinking about it but when he realised where he was, he reached into the pocket with a smile on his face. From the pocket, Noah retrieved a black bowtie. It was pre-tied so a strip of fabric wrapped around his neck and the two sides fastened together. Briefs, bowtie and mask – all black and that was all Noah was wearing. "Are you coming?" asked Diallo. Noah hadn't been paying attention so hadn't noticed how close he was. Diallo was very close - he looked good and smelled great and Noah was even more tempted to pleasure him. Maybe later? "Happy birthday, Diallo," Noah said with a kiss on the cheek. Still the mask was in the way but it was a sweet gesture. "Thanks, Noah," Diallo replied quietly. "Maybe later I can make it a very happy birthday?" Noah suggested. Noah patted Diallo's ass as he strode towards the door that led to the main function room. He stepped through the door and headed for the main party. It took a little bit of time for Noah to be noticed. Less than five seconds to be exact. There were only giggles at first and Noah reminded himself that the mask protected his anonymity. Still he blushed and the part of his cheeks that could be seen flushed pinky-red with embarrassment. He was a barefoot boy in a room packed with strangers and all he had on was underpants. As Noah walked deeper into the loud room that was crowded with people, more began to notice him. There were cheers and jeers and shouts and pats and strokes... "What the fuck are you doing, dude?" asked one lad. Noah was luckily not hard anymore but the attention was arousing and he could feel a stir in his loins. "He's our nude butler," said Ted about the sound of the music. "Freshly shaved and brand spanking new at the job," Greg added. Noah got a swat on the ass to punctuate Greg's comment. The giggles, the pointing and the mockery continued but it was good natured and no-one was overtly sexually aggressive. Noah was given jobs to do - mostly carrying food and drinks around and inviting new guests and dancing when asked to. It was actually quite fun. The naked butler job - though he was still in his briefs - went down well and the increasingly drunk lads thought it was hilarious and mortifying for Noah. "Aren't you embarrassed?" "Look at your lovely long legs." "I'd love to see inside your boy briefs." "Your bowtie is just adorable, sweetie." "You look like my little brother. He's fourteen." "You have big balls, boy. Literally." The comments were lewd and crude, some punctuated with defence as some took offense with the sexually charged comments but most were happy and benign. Some of the caressing and groping became heavy handed too but Noah spotted Ted, Greg or Diallo swooping in each time a lad got too handsy. Noah had half expected to get pantsed by the boys who had invited him so their protection was unexpectedly sweet. Clearly the humiliation of Noah being petite, almost hairless and barefoot in briefs seemed to be enough for them. A bell rang for last orders as the time approached 11PM - it was a traditional signal to get your last drink before the bar closed, to finish that drink and then please go away. Most of the party goers would head into the city and a few asked if Noah were coming with them. The drunken laughter wasn't mean spirited but it was very kind either – they wanted to see a nearly naked boy on the street. When music is playing for hours on end, it's difficult for it to wind down. The last few tracks were played slightly quieter but still, the sudden quiet when the party was definitively concluded was peculiar. Noah noticed the DJ looking at him - not with sexual interest but curiosity. "Do you need help packing up?" Noah asked out of politeness. "No thanks, kid," Sean Jovi replied. "Must have been some bet you lost." "Huh?" Noah replied bewildered. "They said you were shaved and running around undressed because you lost a bet?" Sean Jovi said - reminding Noah of the excuse for his near nudity. "Oh yea," Noah said and just laughed it off. Ted, Greg and Diallo had to tell the more responsible adults something believable. Sean Jovi eyed Noah up, noting the respectable dunt of his penis contained in the small black briefs. "Please tell me you're at least sixteen?" Sean Jovi asked. "Yea, of course," Noah replied. "You're never eighteen," Sean Jovi commented. "I bet they didn't shave you either?" "No," Noah said with a grin. "Did you like it?" the DJ asked with a sincere smile. "Loved it," Noah confessed. "You think I'm a weirdo?" "I was young once," Sean Jovi pointed out. "I used to love showing off too. Enjoy it while you can." Noah checked the man out - he was athletic but not sculpted and he was anywhere between thirty and forty. Noah would totally fuck him or get fucked by him if it were an option but he didn't get the gay vibe from him. "Thanks for the talk," Noah said gratefully. "I think the birthday boy is looking for you," Sean Jovi nodded in Diallo's direction. "He's been watching you all night... You remember no means no, ok?" "Oh totally," Noah replied. "Those guys are cool but if I didn't want to do anything I wouldn't." "Good boy," Sean Jovi. "And neither would they," Noah asserted. "No, they're good boys too," Sean Jovi agreed. Noah followed Diallo's very not subtle beckoning and re-entered the room strewn with his clothes. Diallo looked at him clear and hungry eyes. Diallo's friends and their friends had all been drinking but Diallo had more or less abstained as he intently watched Noah the whole night and thinking about what he wanted next. He just hoped Noah would want it too. As soon as the door closed, Noah pulled the loops of his mask away from his ears and revealed the bottom half of his face. Most importantly, his lips. Noah tossed the mask onto a vacant chair - they were all vacant. They were alone. "We have some time before they lock up," Diallo said. The bar staff were tiding up in the main function room where most of the mess was contained. The only mess in here was Noah's clothes and he intended to wear them home. "Time for what?" Noah asked innocently though he knew quite nicely what Diallo wanted. Noah reflected on this the moment the thought passed through his mind - the arrogant presumption of his own sexual attraction. In fairness, most boys and men he'd met were interested in sex with him so perhaps it wasn't arrogance but insight. Noah leaned in and kissed Diallo, he would be disappointed if Diallo didn't want to fuck him. "Do you want to fuck me?" Diallo asked. Noah was wrong - but not disappointed. "You want me to fuck you?" Noah clarified. "I saw your nice big cock and can't stop thinking about it," Diallo admitted, slightly flustered. "I'm used to people wanting to top me," Noah admitted. "I'm a shameless bottom," Diallo confessed. "Bottom versatile actually, so if you don't want to..." "Oh I want to," Noah agreed. "Have you ever topped?" Diallo asked keenly. Noah nodded - he didn't want to get into the details of his sexual experience. At sixteen-years-old, the only way Noah could have seen more action was by becoming a rent boy. "Awesome," Diallo replied. Noah kissed Diallo's lips, tilting his head up to meet the taller boy's lips. Noah's hands found Diallo's hips and Diallo returned the gesture so they were locked in a dance-like embrace where neither of them was leading. Noah took the initiative and slid his hands to Diallo's groin, teasingly brushing his hand over the turgid lump in Diallo's trousers. Noah's hands moved up and started to unbutton Diallo's waistcoat and when that was done, he pulled the shirt to untuck it from the trousers and Noah undid the shirt too. Diallo helped by pulling his tie free and in moments, Diallo's chest was exposed. Then Diallo reached up and unfastened Noah's bowtie, dropping it to the floor. "First time I saw you I thought you were cute," Diallo admitted - recalling Noah attending a Halloween party in his birthday suit. "When I saw you at that sex-ed class I thought you were hot. Tonight? You're so pretty." Noah smiled and blushed at the sound of the adjective. He'd never been called pretty before - beautiful yes, but not pretty. It was a very sweet and graceful compliment. Noah repaid the compliment by pushing his briefs down - they tumbled to his hairless ankles and revealed a squat but not quite soft penis. Diallo appreciated Noah's total nudity by reaching for the plump penis and fondled it, his fingers brushing Noah's scrotum. "Fuck me," Diallo said as his eyes took in Noah's magnificence. "I'd love to," Noah agreed; "You're so damn gorgeous." Diallo's exposed chest was toned, his nipples dark and his chest and abdomen flecked with black hair. Diallo made no move to take the shirt or waistcoat off and Noah found it quite appealing to leave them in place. There was a mixed dichotomy of power at play - Diallo was older by sixteen months and still dressed but partially exposed and a submissive bottom; meanwhile Noah was sixteen, totally naked and barefoot but about to penetrate to older lad. "I have protection," Diallo breathed. His hand hastened into his pocket to pull out a condom which he handed to Noah while he reached for the button of his trousers. Diallo left the zip up so his trousers stayed in place but there was the merest hint of a reveal of his underwear. Noah started to stroke his dick but Diallo reached out to take over that duty, fondling Noah's balls with his other hand. Noah's testes were not shaved but the sac was still silky and soft and the hair was more like the fuzz on a gooseberry. Noah's three inches began to grow, the head pushing the foreskin open like an iris and the weeping eye released a trail of goo before the cock was even six inches long. Noah had the condom in one hand but used to other to grope Diallo's dick though his trousers. It thickened and grew under Noah's hand and felt pleasingly responsive to Noah's touch. Now Noah was fully erect, Diallo stepped back to review the result he eyed the teenager with dilated eyes, taking in every inch of the exposed boy. Noah rolled the condom on while Diallo eased his trousers open and pulled his cock out. It was about six inches long and Noah felt pleased that he was over half an inch bigger than the older boy. There was a table at the side of the room which Diallo walked to in three steps and leaned over with his ass stuck out; looking over his shoulder at Noah, Diallo eased his trousers down until his ass was exposed. Noah took the initiative and stepped up to Diallo's ass, nearly poking the uncovered globed with his erection. Noah reached out and tugged the trousers so they bundled at Diallo's ankles and then he pulled up Diallo's shirttails to get a better look at the fantastic buttocks. Diallo bent over and touched his hole with a finger so Noah could watch the sphincter appreciatively pucker. Noah knew the time had come for him to press the advantage so he held his cock steady as he pressed it against Diallo's hole; Diallo held his cheeks apart and Noah pressed harder until his cock slipped inside. Diallo's ass was warm and the grip of the sphincter tight around Noah's throbbing boner. Noah rocked back and forth, easing in and out just an inch or two. The head of his cock was like an arrowhead pulling at a wound as it tried to pull out; Noah used this as the signal to push again and gradually he went deeper. Noah was no expert at the fucking aspect of sex, he was more often the boy bent over. Spreading his legs, bending over or flat on his back - Noah appreciated sex and craved it. He craved attention and affection and he knew he thrived on the affection of men and boys. Diallo's interest in Noah had added a different dimension to the night's proceedings and he rather enjoyed the surprise because he had fully anticipated cumming in front of a live audience or sucking multiple cocks or even getting fucked - possibly multiple times. But that was a fiction written in his own mind. The reality was that a party of lads don't do that to a teenage boy. Noah was happy things had turned out more intimate. Just him and the birthday boy. The intimate change of pace, with Noah topping and Diallo moaning appreciatively, was unexpectedly enticing. Noah had also enjoyed his strip show - exposing himself to strangers, near-strangers and passing acquaintances. The memory of the humiliating exposure was enough to make Noah harder and he thrust harder as a result. "Oh fuck yea, harder," Diallo said encouragingly. Noah started to thrust harder and while he pumped Diallo's ass, the eighteen-year-old was jerking his own dick. Noah could feel his orgasm getting closer but he slid his hands around Diallo's body so he could feel the older boy's chest and abs. Diallo liked that too. "I'm going to cum in minute," Diallo warned. "Me too. Save yourself and I'll eat your spunk," Noah promised. "Better cum quick," Diallo chuckled; "I can't hold on much longer you sexy fucker." Noah pulled back so he could ease the head of his cock in and out, the tightness of the sphincter becoming excruciatingly exciting. As his orgasm arrived, Noah pushed his cock back in and eased the shaft all the way in - he came while buried in Diallo's ass. "Happy birthday to Diallo," Noah sang. "Happy birthday to me," Diallo sang in reply. Noah pulled his cock out and Diallo stood up straight, touching his spread ass with his fingers. He still intended to party the night away and was delighted with the notion of doing so after letting the hot sixteen-year-old shoot in his ass. Noah's cum was contained within the condom but the lubed protection was slippery in a way that allowed Diallo to imagine he had been barebacked. Noah removed the condom and was about to tie it up when Diallo's hands, bigger than Noah's, gently grasped Noah's fingers. "If you're not going to eat that, I will," Diallo said. "Be my guest," Noah replied as he offered the used condom filled with slimy sperm. Noah was intensely aroused as he watched Diallo tip the contents into his mouth and swallow it. Noah's cum coated Diallo's tongue before sliding down his throat. Diallo tugged on his cock a few more times; Noah wasted no time in dropping to his knees and putting lips around the nice dick on offer. Diallo's pre cum had made the erection slippery and Noah's mouth added to the slick pole of meat. "Thanks for the presents. I feel bad, I didn't get you anything," Diallo joked. Noah stopped sucking, never taking his eyes off the bobbing one-eye in front of his face. "I got what I wanted," Noah admitted. Noah put his lips together and kissed and then slurped until Diallo's cock was sucked back into his mouth. Noah felt Diallo's hands on his head an knew the sweet release was about to come. Diallo didn't need to say anything and when the first jets of spunk filled Noah mouth he almost smiled. He would have smiled had his mouth not been filled with cock and sperm. The dick tumbled free from Noah's mouth and the boy licked his lips while he finished tasting the testicular deposit before letting. He gazed at the spent cock which dropped, floppy but firm and dribbling. "Mmm. Straight from the source," Noah mumbled. Diallo tucked himself away, not embarrassedly but he was thinking the bar staff would be in to tell them to get out soon - his friends could only buy him so much time. Noah was bold and confident and shameless but Diallo, coming to his senses, did not want his modesty exposed. "You'll need to get dressed," Diallo said. "Ok," Noah agreed. "Do you want to come partying with us?" Diallo asked. "I'm not eighteen. I don't want to hold you guys back," Noah said without envy. Noah was happy to go home having made Diallo happy and himself in the process. "Thanks for coming," Diallo said unironically as Noah collected his clothes from around the room. They had both enjoyed the strip show, the (almost) naked butler and definitely the anal sex. Noah was about to button his shirt when he remembered he had ripped it open. Noah's chest remained exposed but he put his jacket on and buttoned it over the shit – his smooth, skinny chest was still exposed. Noah stuffed the mask he'd been given into his pocket – just in case – and added the tie and bowtie to the pockets too. Once Noah was dressed, Diallo peeked into the main function room where there was a bout of laughter that put him off entering. "My friends are waiting... it might be more dignified if you make a hasty retreat out the back," Diallo suggested. "Are they going to make fun of you?" Noah asked. "They're my friends," Diallo replied. "So yes," Noah giggled. "Yes. They will make fun of me for having sex with a small, beautiful gay boy," Diallo agreed. "Worth it?" Noah asked. "Oh yes," Diallo chuckled. "It'll be more dignified for you if you avoid them." "Thanks," Noah said and gave Diallo an affectionate kiss on the cheek. Noah withdrew back though the function room and found the side door where the night had started. The air outside was lukewarm, the summer heat not quite dissipated in the night. The sky was a midnight blue, still faintly light on the horizon as if the sun never went down but the stars were shining and Noah felt bright. He chose the second star from the right and started walking – straight on till morning if he had to. Noah had only just rounded the building when a familiar voice came out of the night. "Hello Noah." Feedback is my only compensation and motivation - please tell authors when you like their stories. Email me: niftyencomiums@gmail.com My blog: https://niftyencomiums.blogspot.com My newtumbl: https://niftyguy.newtumbl.com/ My stories so far: https://www.nifty.org/nifty/authors.html#jforrester Chronological order: School Exhibitionism, The Symposium, The Embarrassment of Riches and Do As You're Told. Also see: Anthology. Many thanks to the Nifty archivists. I am not incentivised to endorse supporting the archive; please donate to keep the active: http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html