Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2023 16:11:58 +0000
From: Matt Smith <matterotica@hotmail.co.uk>
Subject: The Kingswood Effect - Chapter 29

Author's Note – This is book three of the Kingswood Saga. Check out
Tales from Kingswood and The Kingswood Eight to find out what has happened
previously. Thank you all for the ongoing support and feedback.

If you have any questions or comments, my email is always open at
matterotica@hotmail.co.uk. Alternatively, I can be found on patreon where I
also post my stories, along with bonus content and exclusives, at
patreon.com/matterotica

Finally, Nifty is a wonderful site that has been home to my writing for
over a decade. Please consider a donation to help support it -
http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html


---------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Kingswood Effect

--------------------


Chapter 29

----------


Sunday 13 March 2022

Chris let out a happy sigh as he awoke to the feeling of arms around
him. Having recently been black-banded, a severe punishment that included
(among other things) the restriction of physical contact, Chris had been
released of that particular part the previous night thanks to a stand taken
by the whole of Year 9. One of the first things they had done after it was
to push their bunk beds back together. Chris and Danny had spent the entire
night clamped tightly onto each other.

Seeing it was still ridiculously early, Chris knew he could easily get some
more sleep, but instead he kept his eyes open, determined to enjoy the
feeling of his best friend at his side. The entire confrontation the night
before had turned out to be entirely Danny's doing, but it likely wouldn't
have succeeded without the whole of Year 9 on his side. As Chris laid there
thinking about it, he couldn't help wondering whether the others had risked
punishment to help him, or just because it was Danny asking! Either way, it
had felt amazing having every one of his classmates backing them up to
return a modicum of freedom for Chris.

That feeling of friendship, brotherhood and community truly was a wonderful
feeling, but it paled in comparison to one single sentence Danny had
uttered, `I'd burn the entire fucking world down for him!' It kept playing
over and over in Chris' head. They were best friends, though that
description really didn't even come close to the magnitude of their
relationship.

Chris reached for his chest and felt the necklace he had worn constantly
since Danny's birthday, a black teardrop that formed a heart when combined
with the white one he could see resting on Danny's chest. After fiddling
with his own for a moment, he reached out to touch Danny's, his fingers
lightly grazing the smooth, pale skin beneath. He let the back of his
fingers caress the soft, silky skin as he held the pendant between his
thumb and forefinger, contemplating its meaning.

"Y'okay there?" Danny suddenly whispered.

Chris jumped slightly and released the necklace as he looked up at Danny's
face to see him wide awake and staring down at him, smirking a
little. Chris blushed, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie
jar. "Yeah, was just... looking," Chris replied, his heart racing.

Danny smiled but didn't say anything else about it. Instead, he just asked,
"Did ya sleep okay?"

"Best night I've had in weeks," Chris said happily, pulling the two of them
closer together.

"Yeah, me too," Danny agreed contentedly.

Chris sighed and started, "Danny, I..."

"Don't!" Danny immediately objected. "You don't have to keep thanking me. I
did what I did cos it needed to be done!"

Chris smiled and nodded before letting his head rest against Danny's
shoulder. "Don't suppose you feel like breaking any other rules, do you?"
he asked playfully.

"Like what?" Danny asked curiously.

Chris raised his head to stare into Danny's eyes for a moment. He wanted to
lean in and kiss him, but considering the lengths Danny had gone to so he
could avoid it in the play, Chris doubted he'd be open to it
now. "Like... this," he said with a slight smirk. He shifted round to lie
on his back, then shifted round once again to face away from Danny, pushing
his butt back against the other boy's crotch.

"Fuck!" Danny exclaimed in surprise. It had not been what he expected to
wake up to.

"Yeah, that's the idea," Chris whispered, stifling a giggle.

"Do you still..." Danny started, but paused as Chris pulled some lube out
from under his pillow, sniggering. "You're the best," he chuckled. Moments
later, he had one hand stroking lube onto his rigid dick while the other
gently probed at Chris' hole, preparing it for him.

Chris let out a gentle gasp as he felt Danny's cock pressing against him
for a second before his hole gave way and let it begin sliding inside. He
felt Danny slowly but surely pushing all the way in. Danny had a few
different techniques by now, but Chris always liked this one in
particular. Danny would slowly push all the way until his crotch pressed
against the fleshy mounds of Chris' buttocks, letting him feel the full
length inside him for several moments before pulling all the way back
out. He would repeat it a few times, getting the butt used to the entry
before slowly picking up the pace with long full-length thrusts.

"Mmmmm," Chris moaned dreamily, though it was surprisingly not because of
the penis repeatedly impaling him. The fucking felt nice, but it was the
rest of it that was driving Chris' cock to strain against his chastity
device. The arms wrapped around him, gently stroking his chest and
stomach. The feet slowly sliding up and down his legs. But most of all,
Danny's lips kissing and nibbling at his back and shoulders.

Chris started to push back against him, happily feeling the teasing mouth
move along his shoulder and up onto his neck. He let out a high-pitched
whimper as he felt Danny nibbling at his ear. He shuffled down a little,
and turned his upper body as much as he was able to as he craned his head
round, desperately hoping Danny's lips would continue their journey
round... but alas not. Danny pulled back a little, returning to kissing
Chris' neck. Chris gave a gentle moan and let his head tilt forward again.

"God, I love this arse," Danny growled as he reached down to grasp one of
Chris' buttocks firmly, his fingertips digging gently into the soft flesh.

"I think the feeling's mutual," Chris giggled, clenching his hole as Danny
thrust into him again.

"Ugh, that'll make me cum," Danny grunted, feeling the ring tighten around
his straining erection.

"Oh good!" Chris giggled, clenching once again.

"Fuck, fuck... Chris, you... you're... unnh!" Danny groaned, giving several
more quick thrusts before he started shooting.

"I missed that so much," Chris said dreamily as he felt the hot spunk
filling him up.

Danny didn't say anything back, he just held Chris tightly, letting his
cheek rest against a shoulder as he slowly came down from his orgasmic
high.


*****


Josh had been stood in Mr Rudd's office for just over half an hour before
the man even acknowledged he was there. Josh didn't mind though. If Mr Rudd
was still wanting him to prove his obedience and good behaviour, then he
would stand there as long as he needed to. It was always worth it to see
the pleased expression on the man's face when he finally looked over. Even
if it was one of those annoying days where they didn't even speak after
Josh had served his time, he still got an immense sense of satisfaction at
not disappointing the amazing teacher. Today, it seemed today was not one
of those days.

"So, exciting day yesterday!" Mr Rudd stated.

Josh frowned a little, unsure whether he was asking or observing, so he
just went with a generic, "Yes... daddy!" He almost called him sir, but
caught himself just in time, something that clearly didn't go unnoticed by
Mr Rudd who smiled at the almost-slip.

"A tie's not as good as a win, but it sounds like you all played really
well, and you're in the final," Mr Rudd stated. He got a proud grin and nod
back. "Although I hear that also cost you a forfeit!"

Josh blushed heavily. For failing to win the match, both teams had taken
part in a shared forfeit, which had ended up being a naked practice
session... with an audience! He nodded silently, red-faced.

"I'm guessing you got a few comments because of that," Mr Rudd said,
pointing to the chastity device that Josh had removed before showering
after he arrived.

"A few," Josh said awkwardly.

"And any more comments about... the hallway?" Mr Rudd asked, referring to
the incident that had brought the two into their current arrangement.

"A few," Josh repeated.

"But I see no reports of fighting or any other problems, I notice," Mr Rudd
stated. "Why's that?"

Josh thought for a moment and said, "Because I was... well behaved!" He
almost called himself a `good boy' but that phrase felt like it was
reserved for the teacher to say, a verbal reward for good behaviour, and
not appropriate for Josh to award to himself. "I... didn't want to let you
down, daddy!"

"That's lovely to hear," Mr Rudd said with a nod. "But you should worry
about not letting yourself down first. Make yourself proud and I'll almost
certainly be proud of you too!"

"Yes daddy," Josh said, smiling sweetly.

"And this really goes to show that you CAN control yourself, Josh... with
the right motivation!" the teacher said thoughtfully. "But now I guess the
question is whether you can FULLY control yourself," his eyes wandered to
the chastity device again as he finished, "Without that!"

Josh's eyes widened. He had been in chastity for nearly three weeks now,
with just a single orgasm permitted a week earlier. Having full access to
his penis again sounded wonderful. He didn't want to mess it up by saying
the wrong thing so he simply nodded.

"So if I don't put it back on you, you'll behave?" Mr Rudd asked
curiously. Another nod. "Even if I say you are still not allowed to
masturbate?" he probed.

Josh visibly flinched at the question. Not playing with himself because he
wasn't able to had been tough enough, but resisting temptation without the
cage to stop him... that felt like an entirely different challenge.

"You don't look sure!" Mr Rudd observed. "It's okay if you don't feel
ready. This is about teaching you self-control and part of that is knowing
your limits, Josh!"

Josh shuddered slightly. Hearing Mr Rudd using his name always made him go
a little weak, but hearing it while contemplating this... order?
Suggestion? Request? Offer? Josh didn't quite know what it was, but either
way it made his stomach flutter while his dick continued standing to
attention.

Mr Rudd finally got up from his desk and walked around to stand in front of
the boy. Staring down at him, he asked, "So Josh, do you think you can
control yourself?

"I... I... I..." Josh stuttered, desperately caught between the difficulty
of the request and the burning desire to obey.

"Why don't we try a little test and see how you do," Mr Rudd said with a
sincere smile. "Come here," he said as he reached down at took Josh's
hand. He waked over to the sofa and sat down, spreading his thick,
trunk-like legs. His shorts rode up a little, showing most of his powerful
thighs.

Josh looked for a moment and gulped, imagining being able to reach up
inside the legs of the shorts and pleasure the man again. Unfortunately,
the view was cut short as Mr Rudd grabbed his arms and span him around to
face the desk.

"So here's the deal, Josh," Mr Rudd said, smiling as he saw the slight
shudder at the use of his name. "Right now, you have permission to
masturbate and to ejaculate," he paused to lean round and look up at Josh
as he grinned and added, "That means jerk off and bust a nut, as you young
`uns would say!"

Josh giggled at the comment, despite the nerves and excitement.

"So, you CAN do it if you wish, but if you so much as touch yourself, I'll
know you're not ready to be out of chastity yet. I won't be mad, or
disappointed, this test isn't setting you up to fail, it's to see how far
you've come... or how far you DON'T cum, maybe!"

Josh giggled again at the joke, but it soon gave way to a gasp as he felt
the man's strong hands grasp at his hips, slowly stroking up and down his
sides. This was impossible. He had already wanted to touch himself, but
with Mr Rudd playing with him it became more than a desire, it was a deep,
desperate need. His cock throbbed as he felt the hands slide round to
caress his chest, briefly tweaking the nipples before moving down to stroke
his firm, flat stomach.

"Oh my god," Josh gasped, shuddering, unsure how exactly he was managing to
resist stroking his straining prick.

"You're doing really well, Josh," Mr Rudd said softly before letting his
hands move down and round to the back, each cupping a pert little buttock.

Josh let out another whimper.

The teacher smiled as he saw Josh' hands move behind his back in an obvious
attempt to resist playing with himself. He grabbed one of them, pulled it
back a little and leant down to kiss it, getting a happy chuckle in
return. "Okay, let's try this," he said as he returned his hand to Josh's
butt.

Josh gulped, unsure what was about to happen as he felt the man pull his
cheeks apart. He suddenly let out an incoherent noise that was somewhere
between pure amazement and a prayer to some fictional deity as he felt the
teacher's tongue probe his hole. It took every bit of strength he had to
keep his hands behind his back as Mr Rudd circled his hole with his tongue
several times, occasionally stiffening the tip to press it slightly into
the puckered ring.

"Wow," Mr Rudd said as he pulled back. "That's some impressive
self-control!" he said in genuine admiration as he saw Josh still holding
back. "Hey, Josh," he quickly added as he heard a sniff. He grabbed the boy
and span him around to see he was crying. "Oh my god, are you... did I hurt
you?" he asked, sounding panicked.

Josh went to reply but whimpered instead, then raised his hands to wipe his
cheeks, feeling horrifically embarrassed. "N... no," he finally
squeaked. He sniffed heavily and wiped his cheeks again as he stared at Mr
Rudd. "I just... I never knew butt stuff could... NOT hurt!" he sniffed
sadkt.

Mr Rudd stared for a few moments as the words really sunk in. Without
saying another thing, he reached out and grabbed Josh, pulling him into a
hug. He held the boy for a few minutes as he cried it out, shedding a
couple of tears of his own, though he did his best to hide it from Josh.

"I'm sorry," Josh eventually said weakly as he pulled away, avoiding the
man's gaze.

"Don't be. You've got nothing to be sorry for," Mr Rudd assured him. "You
did SO well!"

"Really?" Josh asked, almost smiling at the compliment.

"Really!" Mr Rudd replied. He glanced over to the desk. Josh looked round
too, then back to the teacher, who said happily, "I think we're good to
leave that off now, aren't we?"

"Yes daddy!" Josh said proudly.


*****


Danny didn't want to be up on the third floor. It was home to the Year 13s
who he had publicly blackmailed the previous night to help out Chris. To
say it had put him on their bad side was an understatement, but thankfully
he was on the opposite side of the building, near the Year 12 dorms,
standing awkwardly just outside the door to dorm 3.04.

Still enduring the punishment he had been given for his shenanigans in the
Dining Hall, he stood completely naked, which should have been enough to
encourage him inside the dorm, but knowing who was in there wasn't making
it any easier – Brian!

At the start of the week, he had still been trying to find a way to help
Chris and had resorted to asking Joseph and Brian for help approaching the
Year 13s, only to find out Brian didn't WANT to help. Brian actually agreed
with them, and the punishment they had inflicted on Chris. Needless to say,
Danny had not taken it well, leading to an argument that had led to Danny
ignoring his boyfriend for six days.

His morning with Chris had been so incredible, which had only left him
feeling even worse about how things were with Brian. Part of him wanted to
just leave it, to let Brian come to him, but as he thought back over their
last argument it had been Brian who made the first move to reconcile. It
was clearly Danny's turn, as much as he wished it wasn't.

"Knock knock," Danny said as he appeared in the open doorway, hearing the
conversation inside immediately stop. "Can I... come in?" he asked
cautiously as he looked at the two teens sat side-by-side on Brian's bunk,
seemingly watching something on his laptop.

Brian stared back for a few moments as he closed the laptop, then nodded
silently.

"Hey," Joseph said with a slightly forced smile. He always found it
difficult when Danny and Brian fought. Best friend to one, mentor to the
other, there was no way he could ever take sides without hurting one of
them, which left him in an awkward limbo of almost-impartiality.

"Hi," Danny said awkwardly to the older boy, then looked directly to Brian
and said, "Hey!"

"What?" Brian demanded curtly.

"Bri!" Joseph said, frowning as he shook his head a little.

Brian huffed, rolled his eyes and said a very reluctant, "Hi!"

Danny frowned at the reaction and asked, "Guessing that means you're still
pissed at me?"

"I guess so," Brian said flatly.

Danny shrugged as he shook his head, moving across to sit on Joseph's
bed. "Okay, I just... don't get why! All I was doing was standing up for a
friend who was getting hurt!"

"That's not even what I'm pissed about anymore," Brian said angrily.

"Fuck's sake, what did I do now?" Danny asked, shrugging emphatically.

"I think I should go," Joseph said, not wanting to get stuck in the
middle. As he got to the door he looked back and said quietly, "Just
remember you love each other, okay!"

Brian sighed as he thought for a moment. "I heard about all of it, ya
know," he said with a slight pout. "All the times nagging the year
thirteens, all the stuff you went through to put your plan together, the
twisted crap you agreed to so everyone'd help you with it!"

Danny shrugged, unsure what the point was.

"All that effort for Chris, and what do I get? A pathetic `hey' after a
week of ignoring me?" Brian said, looking absolutely crestfallen.

"That's not fair!" Danny complained. "Chris needed help!"

"And I needed my boyfriend!" Brian snapped back.

Danny looked back at Brian for a moment and nodded as he said, "I know, I'm
sorry! How do I make this right?"

Brian sighed, thinking for a moment. "Look, I... I think I'm as much to
blame for this as you are. I was pissed at Chris... I still am, by the way,
but... I took that out on you!"

"So... we're good?" Danny asked curiously.

"No!" Brian insisted. "The argument was, well... that was both of us, but
what I said before... about you putting more into your relationship with
Chris than with me," he paused and sighed again. "Danny, it scares me
because you... mean everything to me, and... I don't know if you feel the
same!"

"You know I love you!" Danny said, feeling a knot in his stomach. "I
mean... I wear your ring," he said, waving his hand bearing the promise
ring Brian had given him on their first anniversary. "And I wrote our
freaking names in the stars!" he added, gesturing upwards, having gotten a
binary star named after them as a gift on that same anniversary. "What more
do you want me to do?"

"I..." Brian said, then paused, looking unsure he really wanted to say what
he was about to. "I want you to be honest. With me and... with yourself and
tell me if I'm really the one you want to be with!"

Danny paused for several seconds, staring blankly. "I... don't know," he
eventually answered honestly.

Brian smiled as he nodded. "That's what I thought. So... go, take some
time, as long as you need and once you figure it out... I'll be here!"

Danny nodded solemnly as he stood up. He stepped forward so he was looking
down slightly at Brian who remained sat on the side of his bed. "You know I
love you, right?" he said quietly.

Brian stretched up to kiss Danny. Their lips held together for several
moments before he pulled back, nodded gently and said, "I do. And I love
you too!"

Danny took a deep breath in, exhaled slowly then turned to leave.


*****


"This really is unnecessary," James insisted as he sat down in the chair
beside David. Across the table, Mr Fitzsimmons, Master of the second floor
was sat beside Dr Arkwright, the school's physician and counsellor.

"James, it's okay," David reassured him, reaching out to touch the other
boy's hand. "Just... tell them what you told me yesterday!"

Dr Arkwright nodded gently as he added, "If there's a problem, James, we
can't help if we don't know what it is."

"There's no problem," James insisted, "I was just... having a bad day
yesterday, that's all. We don't need to be here!"

"That was more than just a bad day. You were a mess and if you don't tell
them about it, I will!" David said, a little angrily.

James was taken aback by the aggressive tone, recoiling slightly in his
seat. He let out a deep sigh and said, "I've just... been struggling with
GCSE prep, that's all. Everybody does!"

Dr Arkwright nodded once again as he said, "Stress is indeed normal, but
there are different kinds of stress. Good stress can motivate you, focus
you, even enhance performance!"

"See!" James said cockily to David.

"But there's also bad stress, James," Dr Arkwright interjected before the
two boys could squabble. "The kind that wears you down. It can lead to
things like depression and anxiety and is very bad for your health!"

"See!" David said back, slightly mockingly. As he got a frown from Mr
Fitzsimmons he added a sheepish, "Sorry!"

"I'm not stressed!" James insisted. "Well, I am... ya know, like I said,
everyone is, but... it's the good kind. It's keeping me focused on
studying!"

"Do you think maybe a little TOO much?" Mr Fitzsimmons asked softly.

James frowned, looking a mix of annoyed and confused. "What's `too much'
studying? Are you scared I'll end up too smart?" he asked sardonically.

"No James," Mr Fitzsimmons said flatly, "Too much studying is when it comes
at the cost of everything else in your life. You've been attending your
extracurriculars less and less this term and I rarely see you socialising
with your peers."

James shrugged dismissively. "Isn't it up to me how I use my time?" he
asked petulantly.

"Not when it leaves you crying, shaking and telling me you can't handle
it!" David snapped furiously.

"I... I wasn't..." James stuttered.

"Shut up... you... you... you're gonna..." David stammered, too angry to
form a full sentence.

"Hey, hey, easy," Mr Fitzsimmons said, shifting slightly around the table
to place a hand on David's shoulder.

"James," Dr Arkwright said, trying to keep things moving in the right
direction, "I want you to think for a minute. Imagine we stayed in here all
day and you couldn't get back to your revising, tell me how that would make
you feel!"

"Annoyed!" James said immediately. He went silent, but as the doctor
remained silent too, looking at him expectantly he eventually filled the
silence as he went on, "I'd... I'd probably feel a bit anxious
about... getting behind on my schedule and... and perhaps... a bit worried
about messing up an exam and... just... not good!"

Dr Arkwright nodded thoughtfully for a moment. "David, thank you
for... supporting James with this, but I'd quite like to speak to him alone
for a little while if that's okay."

David looked back and forth between the doctor and his friend a few times.

Giving Dr Arkwright a quick look and getting a nod in response, Mr
Fitzsimmons stood up and placed a hand on David's back as he said, "Come
on, let's give them some privacy!"

Slightly more satisfied as he was not the only one being kicked out now,
David stood and let the man lead him away.

"David," James called out as they reached the door. As David looked back at
him, he added a quiet, "Thank you!"

David smiled back at the other boy before he left. Once they were out in
the hallway, David asked the teacher, "Will he be okay?"

"Yeah," Mr Fitzsimmons replied with a nod. "He will. But... right now I'm
more worried about whether you're okay. You... don't quite seem yourself
lately."

David stared up at the man for a few moments. He had totally been himself
lately, it just happened that `himself' was still distraught and depressed
over Rose's departure from the school, not that anyone actually seemed to
care. That was old news now. It seemed Rose was all but forgotten to most
of Year 9 and the offers of `we're here if you need us' had faded within
days of her departure. "I'm fine, sir," he lied. "Just worried about
James," he added truthfully.


*****


"So we're all agreed?" Chris asked, virtually bouncing with excitement.

"Yeah," Mikey said with a nod.

"Works for me," Mark agreed.

Nicky smirked. The name suggestion for their band had been a joke, a
self-deprecating comment about his own ability to get on stage, but if the
others liked it, he wasn't going to disagree. "Sure," he said with a shrug.

"Excellent. We are officially `Stage Fright'. Yay, we finally have a name!"
Chris said happily.

"Well technically we had a name before," Nicky said with a slight smirk,
"But `That band that broke up on stage in front of everyone' is kinda hard
to fit onto merchandise!"

"Oh, so we're joking about it now?" Mikey asked with a wry grin. "Great,
I've been saving some up!"

"Ugh, bring it on!" Nicky said, shaking his head.

As Nicky and Mikey started hurling playful insults at each other while they
packed up, Chris frowned a little at Mark who was putting his guitar back
in its case. He walked up to him and casually stroked his back for a moment
before he asked, "You okay? You're quieter than usual... and no terrible
jokes either!"

Mark forced a smile as he nodded and said, "Yeah, I'm good!"

"You sure?" Chris asked, his brow furrowing. "I know I've been caught up
in, like, my own shit," he paused to wave his black-band, "But... I dunno,
seems like something might have gone down at your old school that's still
kinda... sticking with you!"

Mark looked slightly annoyed as he asked, "What did Danny tell you?"

"He didn't tell me anything," Chris said with a shrug. "But... there IS
something to tell, then?"

Mark looked at the other boy for a moment. Sometimes it was tough being in
dorm 1.09. Everyone was paired up with a best friend and while Mark had
gradually gotten close to most of the dorm's occupants, he still didn't
quite have that same level of connection as the others. Chris really was
the closest he came to it, so if he could talk to anyone, it was him. Maybe
Danny too, but today Danny had been... distracted. He let out a sigh and
glanced round at the other two.

Chris nodded his understanding and said, "We're gonna go on ahead. See you
guys in the dorm!"

Nicky and Mikey waved their acknowledgement without breaking their
energetic back and forth of teases and insults.

"Come on then," Chris said as they wandered down the hallway of the empty
School Building. "What's going on? What happened at King Edwards? Was
it... him?"

They didn't even need to say the name, they both knew who it was –
Gregory, Mark's first `love', and abusive ex.

"I thought... I was moving on," Mark said sadly, "But... ugh, the second he
started talking to me I was just... right back there, right back to the
scared, lonely nobody who thought being with him was my only option!"

Chris nodded. "I... I think I almost kinda get it," he said cautiously. He
gestured back to the music room and said, "When I'm with those guys,
sometimes it just feels like... we're US again, we're just the throuple and
it never ended."

Mark nodded a little. "The really stupid thing is, at one point when we
were together he was actually nice to me and if he was like that now
then... maybe I'd get why I'm drawn back in, but... he's not! Not
anymore. This time he just... cornered me and he said horrible things to
me!"

Chris could feel anger bubbling up inside him. Mark had never really shared
the full details of Gregory's behaviour with him, but he definitely knew
more than most of the others did, and it was all just awful. "What did he
say?" he asked sympathetically.

"Doesn't matter," Mark said, shaking his head.

"Kinda does!" Chris insisted.

Mark looked round at Chris and sighed. As he got a gentle supportive nod
back, he explained, "He was just... saying how shit I was, and how the
Kingswood team didn't win because of me and he called me a... a useless
faggot and... and said he was disgusted he ever let me touch him and that
nobody could ever love me!"

"Fuck!" Chris exclaimed, shocked. "And you think all of that `doesn't
matter', do you?"

"He's... said worse before," Mark said softly. "And he's right."

"He's fucking not!" Chris said sharply, without the slightest hesitation.

Mark just shook his head as he lowered his gaze to the floor as they walked
along, stopping just before the exit.

"Jesus, Mark, you really can't listen to him!" Chris insisted. "He's a
self-hating closet case who's pissed at you cos you actually had the balls
to stand up to him. Now he's just trying to drag you down to his level of
misery, cos HE'S the worthless piece of shit!"

Mark looked unconvinced.

"Mark, you're... so kind and so funny and just a ridiculously nice person,"
Chris insisted. "Plus you're stupidly hot. I mean... you on the football
pitch in football kit... instant boner, same goes for the rugby. Or put you
on stage and you're not just a fucking awesome bass player, but you look
fucking hot doing it! And... and you're a great actor too! Playing opposite
you in the play has been freaking amazing!" He smiled sweetly for a moment
before the smile turned a little more mischievous as he added, "And the
fact we get to make out in the roles certainly doesn't hurt!"

"You're just trying to make me feel better!" Mark pouted.

Chris frowned as he said, "Well yes, obviously!" then smirked and added,
"But that doesn't make it all any less true."

Mark finally smiled.

"So... seriously, fuck that twat. If you're only capable of listening to
one person's opinion, then forget him and listen to me, cos I think
you're... amazing!" Chris insisted.

Mark nodded as he thought about it silently for a moment. As a wry grin
spread across his face, he said coyly, "You know, the making out part is
definitely fun..."

"Hey, nobody's around," Chris said, glancing around the empty foyer. "We
could... practice the scene now if you like!"

"Sure, what line shall we start on?" Mark grinned.

"This one!" Chris said, grabbing him to pull him into a kiss.

They melted into each other, Chris still recovering from two
almost-contactless weeks and Mark finally giving himself permission to feel
good about himself. Any pretence of rehearsal, flimsy as it had been, was
instantly dropped as the two boys just stood making out. While Chris' hands
casually roamed up and down Mark's muscular back, Mark's arms were wrapped
tightly around Chris holding him in place firmly.

Any sense of time disappeared as the kissing continued, only to be broken
eventually by someone calling out, "I think that's against your rules!"

The two boys jumped apart, looking round guiltily as they saw Nicky and
Mikey approaching from the stairs.

"We were just... practicing the play!" Chris attempted feebly to explain.

"Mmm-huh," Nicky replied, giving Mikey a snigger as they gave each other
sly side-eye.

"If that's practice, I need to join Drama Club!" Mikey replied, getting a
laugh back.

"Please don't tell anyone!" Chris pleaded.

"Oh chill, you know we'd never get you in trouble," Nicky said dismissively
as they continued their approach.

Mark looked at Chris and frowned. He had a feeling Chris' request wasn't
from concern about getting into trouble, so much as someone else hearing
about it!


*****


Friday 18 March 2022


Spirits were already high on account of it being Friday, as well as having
the end of term and Survival Club camping trip only two weeks away, but
most attention was focused on the upcoming weekend instead. The school was
hosting the SCIPS `Creative Weekend', which would focus on the less sporty
inter-school contests and showcases. Cooking, chess, music, drama and art
were just some of the events taking place over the weekend. The drama
showcase, which was themed around `modern twists on literary classics' this
year, was definitely being hotly anticipated and the Kingswood students
were working hard to prepare.

The Year 7 to 9 students were performing `A Mid-Summer Night's Scream', a
horror/slasher version of a Shakespeare play, written by Chris, while the
Year 10 and 11 students had put together `Doctor Jeckyll and #Hyde', a
version of the classic story in which the evil alter-ego only came out
online. All students involved in the two productions had been given the
afternoon off of classes as they would be performing their `premiere' that
evening, just for the students of Kingswood, as a kind of final rehearsal
for their showcase entry over the weekend.

"I'm just saying," Mikey complained, gesturing with a cheestring, "If I'd
know it'd get time off of classes, maybe I'd have been into that drama
shit!"

"How does he even make dairy products menacing?" Mark asked, shaking his
head at Mikey's gesture.

"It's a gift," Mikey shrugged before shoving the whole thing in his mouth.

"Anyway, we've put in countless hours of our own time! This is just ONE
afternoon off of classes!" Chris interjected.

"One of which is a free period," Mark added.

Mikey swallowed and grinned as he said, "Yeah, fair point then, I'm
definitely glad I avoided drama club!"

"You're so fickle!" David said, shaking his head.

Mikey frowned at the comment and looked to the side as he asked quietly,
"Do I need to be offended by that?"

"Nah, he's right," Chris replied.

Mikey looked slightly shaken by Chris' response, as if he hadn't been
expecting anyone to reply, but shrugged and continued eating.

Josh had been listening to the conversation, but suddenly jumped up as he
saw Mr Rudd stand up from the staff table. "I gotta go. Meeting with
my... therapist!" he said, slightly shiftily.

"Don't be late to History!" Rob warned Josh as he ran off to the exit.

"Hi...da... sir," Josh said as he caught up to Mr Rudd, barely avoiding
calling him daddy.

"If you come with me now, you'll just be left waiting for our meeting,
you're very early!" Mr Rudd said, raising his eyebrows at the boy.

"That's okay sir, I'm happy to wait!" Josh said cheerfully.

Mr Rudd chuckled slightly as he patted Josh on the back and said, "Okay
then. Also... hi lil buddy!"

Josh beamed proudly at the greeting, following along beside him. He didn't
know whether this would be `stand patiently and do nothing for an hour'
meeting, or one that would involve actual contact... and he didn't really
care either way.


*****


Having the party tent put up had only added to the general excitement of
the day, and not just because a rather foolish teacher had stated it was
being `erected' and caused laughing amongst the students that seemed like
it might never end.

The main stage had been set up for A Mid-Summer Night's Scream, which was
being performed first and the boys had given the play one final run-through
ahead of the evening. With the older students now taking their turn, the
younger boys were sat half-spectating and half-chatting quietly amongst
themselves so as not to disrupt the older students on stage.

"Still can't believe this is actually happening," Chris said in slight
disbelief. "Something I wrote, actually being performed... for, like, real
human people!"

"It's a good play," Danny said, not really paying too much attention.

"It's a great play!" Mark insisted.

"You're just saying that cos you get to make out with half the cast!" Aaron
sniggered.

"Only two!" Mark insisted. "And a peck on the lips with another!" he added
thoughtfully.

"Yeah, not like Chris," Harley said with a cheeky grin. "You so know he
wrote the whole thing just so he could get off with everyone!"

"You complaining?" Chris asked as he leaned forward to grab Harley and give
him a playful kiss on the cheek.

As Harley giggled, Aaron asked, "He's got a point though. Who's actually
had to make out with him for the play?"

Harley, Mark, Aaron and a handful of Year 8s raised their hands, all
laughing.

Danny let out a gentle sigh. He had been so close to being one of the boys
raising their hand, but he had switched to avoid the kiss his character was
due to have with Chris'. "I'm gonna go stretch my legs," he said quietly as
he stood up and started walking away.

Danny stopped just outside the party tent, breathing in deeply as he closed
his eyes for a moment, feeling the gentle breeze licking at him. While it
wasn't a particularly warm day, it was clear and sunny, perfect for
mope-walking, his apparent new favourite hobby. He had done it a lot over
the past few days as he contemplated his relationship with Brian.

"Wait up, bitch-tits!" Adrian called out, running up behind Danny. He
grabbed him in a headlock that Danny quickly pulled out of, straightening
up his hair as he frowned at the unwelcome attack.

"I wanted to be alone," Danny said grumpily.

"And I wanted a twelve inch dick and Joshua Bassett waiting in my bed, but
we don't always get what we want," Adrian said with a shrug before throwing
an arm back around Danny.

Danny chuckled reluctantly, but forced the frown back onto his face as soon
as he could.

"Come on then, let's hear it!" Adrian demanded. "Oberon ain't going on
stage with a mopey Tytania, so let's just... deal with all of whatever this
is," he said, gestured broadly at Danny as a whole.

"It's nothing," Danny said, shaking his head.

"Uhhhhh, you are SO exhausting," Adrian complained. "We both know
something's wrong, we both know you'll tell me eventually and we DEFINITELY
know you always feel better after you talk about it, so pleeeeease don't
make me drag it out of you. I already spent the morning dealing with Kyle,"
He paused to roll his eyes then finished, "I'm running on empty!"

"What's up with Kyle?" Danny asked with genuine concern.

Adrian smirked. "Yeah nice try at a subject change, but we're focused on
THIS lunatic right now," he said, squeezing the arm around Danny's neck for
a moment.

"Fine, whatever," Danny huffed. The annoying part was how right he
was. "Well I went to try and make up with Brian after we fell out, ya know,
about the whole argument over Chris," he started, getting a nod from
Adrian. "Short version, he... got pissed because he thinks I put too much
effort into helping Chris and not enough into fixing us."

"Mmm-huh," Adrian hummed thoughtfully.

"And then..." Danny paused, reluctant to put it into words, like it would
make a hard situation all the more real, "...he asked me to think about
whether I'm... really with the person I WANT to be with!" Danny said,
feeling a tightening in his chest. It felt exactly as horrible as he
thought it would to say it aloud.

"Wow," Adrian said with another nod. "I... kinda get why you're so out of
it now. Fuck!" He frowned a little and asked, "What did you tell him?"

Danny shook his head as he said, "Nothing. He told me to take some time and
really think about it!"

"Damn, dropping that on you when you've got the play going on. Dick move!"
Adrian said disapprovingly.

"He... said it on Sunday!" Danny said a little awkwardly.

"Fuck. Danny!" Adrian said, stopping dead as he grabbed Danny and moved
round to face him. "Five days? Your boyfriend asks you if you're with who
you REALLY want to be with and you think about if for FIVE days? That kind
of answers itself, doesn't it?"

"I don't know," Danny whined, leaning forward to rest his head on Adrian's
shoulder. He felt arms gently wrapping around him. "What do I do?" he asked
softly.

"Jesus, no chance. You ain't putting this on me," Adrian said, recoiling
from the question. "Like... what are you thinking? I mean... we're pretty
progressive here. Is... BOTH of them an option?" He found it mildly amusing
that neither of them had said who the other option was, the other person
Danny might have wanted to be with. As much as Adrian wished it was him,
they both knew it wasn't.

Danny shook his head. "Even if they both wanted that, which I really don't
know if they would, I... that's... not what I want. You know me, I'm all or
nothing. Two guys... it wouldn't work!" he explained.

"You can literally get off with a dozen guys a day, but two boyfriends is
stretching it?" Adrian asked, genuinely curious despite the apparent
bitchiness.

"Sex isn't love!" Danny said, shaking his head.

"Fair," Adrian conceded, "But...isn't it still better than choosing between
them?" Adrian asked with a shrug.

"It's easier," Danny replied, "But... that doesn't make it right!"

"So... what, then?" Adrian questioned. "You just gotta make a fucking
choice!"

"Oh. Oh, is that all? I just have to make a choice. Why didn't I think of
that. I'm SO glad you're here with your amazing, valuable insight. How ever
would I cope without you?" Danny asked sarcastically.

Adrian stared at Danny for a moment then raised an eyebrow. "Feel better
now, do ya?" he asked, shaking his head.

"A bit," Danny said, pouting. "By the way, I... never ACTUALLY want to have
to cope without you. Shut up, that was sincere and if you take the piss
I'll literally kick your nuts clean off of you!"

Adrian mimed zipping his lips closed as he smiled.

"What am I meant to do?" Danny grumbled. "I love Brian SO fucking much,
like... the thought of not being with him makes me feel physically sick,"
he said, holding his stomach, "But... on the other side... it's Chris!"

"Mate, I really wish I could do more to help with this, but..." Adrian
said, pausing to reach out and touch Danny's chest. "You know what's in
here. You know what you want. Just... listen to yourself, okay!"

Danny let out a hearty sigh as he nodded gently. "Yeah, you're right," he
agreed. "So... come on then, we've covered my shit, so what's up with
Kyle?"

"I dunno, I probably shouldn't," Adrian said cautiously.

"Come on. After the stuff I've told you... not just today... you know this
stuff stays between us!" Danny insisted.

"It's not that I'm worried about," Adrian said, blushing a little. "It's
more... that it's... kind of about you!"

"Fuck, what did I do now?" Danny whined as his shoulders slumped
dejectedly. "Whatever it is, I'm sorry. Ugh!"

Adrian laughed as he shook his head. "No, not like that, it's..." he paused
and sighed, "Okay, so... since we made up... and made out..."

"Ah good times," Danny giggled.

"Maybe," Adrian said thoughtfully, "And we kinda make out in character at
the end of the play too. It's just... Kyle kinda thinks... erm..."

"Ah shit," Danny complained as he caught on. "I kinda fucked up his last
relationship by doing stuff with his boyfriend and now he thinks I'm gonna
do it again, right?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Adrian shrugged. "I mean, he knows about my
whole... being into you thing. Even though I'm totally over that," he
paused as blushed and muttered, "Mostly." As he got a gentle smile back, he
went on, "So he thinks... all of this making out between us is leading
somewhere that it's totally not!"

Danny chuckled as he said, "Maybe try telling him I got enough shit to
worry about choosing between two guys. I really don't need a third option!"

"Yeah, imagine you choosing me. How absurd!" Adrian scoffed a little
pointedly. As Danny looked apologetic, he said, "It's cool. I know what we
are and I'm TOTALLY good with it!"

"Thanks," Danny said, clearly relieved. "Hey, erm... I don't know if
this'll just add to your whole mess but... any chance I can interest you in
some... pre-performance relaxation?"

"Does this relaxation involve removal of clothes... and cum?" Adrian
grinned.

"Fuck yes!" Danny exclaimed happily. "I mean... just yes, not a fuck. I
still... want that to be... nice!" he added awkwardly, still determined to
make up for how badly their first fuck had gone.

"Sounds good to me," Adrian grinned.

"Where shall we go?" Danny asked, looking around. Their wandering had come
to a halt leaving them stood on the main driveway in front of the Home
Building.

"Here, this way," Adrian said as he grabbed Danny's hand, leading him away.

Danny looked ahead and frowned. "A car park? Oh, you old romantic, you!" he
said teasingly.

"I'd tell you to shut up, but my dick'll be gagging you soon enough so I
won't need to," Adrian said. "And also, shut up!" he added with a smirk.

They soon reached the school's main car park but hurried across it. On the
opposite side was a small woodland area separating the car park from the
Sports Complex's grounds. Adrian pushed his way through the heavy foliage,
with Danny close behind, until it gave way to a small open area.

"Oh cool!" Danny exclaimed as he looked round the clearing. There were four
large logs, seemingly fallen trees from the area, positioned into makeshift
benches making a small, discrete sitting area. "I didn't know this was
here!"

"Yeah, well, most dorms aren't quite as `look at me' about our wanking
habits so spots like this become KINDA useful when you need some privacy!"
Adrian explained.

Danny chuckled. He was coming to increasingly understand just how different
his dorm was from others. This was just another example of how his life
varied from so many of his peers.

"Sometimes we just hang out here too, ya know, away from teachers and
stuff!" Adrian explained. "But enough about that. Let's get nekkid!"

"Yeah, I believe you said something about me gagging on your cock, right?"
Danny grinned, looking Adrian up and down.

Adrian reached down to shove his sweatpants and underwear down to his
ankles, then stood up with his penis proudly on show as he invited, "Get to
it then!"

Danny grabbed the bottom of his hoodie and pulled it off over his head. Not
wearing anything beneath it, he let his hand caress his exposed chest.

"Ugh, your body's so hot!" Adrian groaned, letting his fingers trace the
lines of Danny's muscles.

"Thanks," Danny said happily as he unzipped Adrian's jacket, then slid his
hands under the t-shirt beneath. His hands quickly moved up, lifting the
clothing and revealing the smooth, flawless brown skin beneath as he said,
"You're hot too, ya know!"

"Yeah, but... I don't have these," Adrian sighed, running his fingers down
over Danny's abs.

"You don't have to be muscley to be hot," Danny insisted. He reached up to
push the jacket off Adrian's shoulders, then pulled his t-shirt off,
leaving him stood naked aside from the clothing pooled around his
ankles. "And you're really cute too," he said with a smile as he raised a
hand to stroke Adrian's cheek. "Kyle's a lucky guy!"

Adrian smiled sweetly, then his eyes narrowed as he replied playfully, "And
so's whichever guy you finally choose!"

"Ah, damn, savage!" Danny said, shaking his head as he started to squat
down. "Makes me almost NOT want to blow you!" He reached out to grab
Adrian's now-erect cock, grasping it round the base as he gave the
underside a playful lick before adding, "Almost!"

"Shut up and suck," Adrian laughed. "Ah yeah," he moaned as he felt Danny's
lips around his prick. "God, you're so fucking good at that! But hey, lots
of practice, am I right?"

Danny frowned a little and let out a non-committal grunt. He was never
ashamed of his promiscuity, yet there was always a comment, joke or insult
ready to be thrown out at his expense. He ignored it, as always, and
continued teasing the erection in his mouth with his tongue, one hand
grasping Adrian's balls gently, the other holding onto his hip.

"Ah fuck, Danny, you really need to start giving lessons!" Adrian said with
a grin.

Danny pulled off, looked up and smiled. "Not the worst idea, and nice to
have a class I'd actually do well in!" he said, getting a laugh before he
continued sucking.

About a minute later, Danny felt hands on his shoulders. He knew what it
meant. Adrian's knees always went a little weak shortly before he shot. It
had led to a few amusing moments, so he tended to steady himself now. Danny
continued sucking, not giving the other boy any real options on where to
shoot other than into his mouth.

"Shit. Fuck. Yes. Ah, fuuuuck, Danny!" Adrian moaned excitedly as he
spurted a modest load into the kneeling teen's mouth.

Satisfied he had extracted every last drop, Danny pulled away and stood up,
keeping his lips sealed. He couldn't help smiling at Adrian's expression,
his post-orgasmic daze. He was cute most of the time anyway, but in that
particular moment he was especially beautiful. He leaned in to pull him
into a kiss which Adrian happily accepted until he tasted his own jizz
being pushed from Danny's mouth into his own.

"Mmmmmhhggg!" Adrian groaned as his spunk melted into their shared saliva,
gulping down bits of it as he maintained the lip-lock.

When Danny finally stopped, he grinned wickedly and asked, "Was it good for
you too?"

"You're such a dick!" Adrian smirked.

"Speaking of my dick..." Danny said, pressing his still-clothed bulge
against Adrian. He didn't need to speak the rest of his request as Adrian
dropped to his knees, eager to return the favour.


*****


"Thanks for joining us, I know it's been hard finding a mutually suitable
time," Dr Arkwright said as Mr and Mrs Taylor appeared on the screen.

"Not a problem. Hi James," Mr Taylor said with a warm smile.

"Hey dad," James replied a little sheepishly.

"Okay, so we've been working with James this week because he's... been
having a few difficulties, isn't that right?" Dr Arkwright asked, prompting
James to speak up, as they had planned before the call started.

James nodded and looked at his dad and step-mum on screen. He let out a
gentle sigh and said, "This... erm... the move to... to year eleven has
been... harder than I expected," he explained.

"Oh James, I'm so sorry," his step-mum said sympathetically. "Are you
struggling with your grades?"

James looked like he wanted to speak but wasn't quite sure how to put it,
so Dr Arkwright stepped in and explained, "No. In fact his grades have been
every bit as good as expected, possibly even better. The difficulties have
been more on the emotional and wellbeing side of things!"

James sniffed slightly, getting a little tearful. "I'm sorry. I don't mean
to let you down!" he said weakly.

"James, you're not letting us down. We're so proud of you no matter what
happens," Mr Taylor replied.

"And there's absolutely no shame in struggling, or getting help when you
are," Dr Arkwright insisted as he placed a hand on James' arm. As the boy
smiled at him, he looked to the camera and said, "And I believe James may
be facing a little extra difficulty..." he paused, looking for James,
seeking final approval. Getting the nod, he continued, "As he may possibly
be dealing with a condition known as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Is that
something you've heard of?"

"Possibly!" James reiterated eagerly.

"Indeed!" Dr Arkwright nodded. "James is most certainly dealing with some
compulsions, but whether it is simply a precursor to it, or actual OCD, I
believe we are catching it early enough for it to be manageable! May I ask,
is it a condition you have much knowledge of? We have an extensive list of
literature if you wish to know more about it."

James' dad and step-mum looked at each for a moment. James frowned a little
as he saw his step-mum hold his dad's hand.

"Actually, it's a condition I've lived with myself for many years," Mr
Taylor said, looking distinctly uncomfortable with admitting it.

"You... have?" James asked in shock. "But you seem so normal!" All three
adults laughed, making James blush slightly until he said, "Sorry, I didn't
mean, erm... you know what I mean, don't you?"

"I do," Mr Taylor replied. "And I think maybe it's something we should talk
about properly, in person over the Easter break. If you'd like that, I
mean!"

"I would!" James said happily.

"And this is a very positive thing," Dr Arkwright added. "Understanding is
the first step in supporting someone, and it certainly sounds like you
understand exceptionally well. We do have a few treatment options
available, which again I'm sure you're familiar with, but I think it's
something we can all discuss and agree to together. How does that sound,
James?"

"That sounds... good!" James said happily.

"Excellent," the doctor nodded. "But that does bring us on to another
matter we may need to discuss." As James and his parents both looked at the
man curiously, he went on, "I've been discussing James' continuing
placement in year eleven with the school and while they are happy to allow
it to continue if James feels he is up to it, and that we can do so without
causing any further long-term harm from excessive stress. However, they
have also offered another option – a return to year nine. One of our
year nine students recently transferred to another school, meaning we have
a vacancy. The school are willing to consider allowing James to return to
his original year group, if it is the best thing for his education and
mental wellbeing."

"I could... go back?" James asked, staring at the man, his mouth slightly
agape.

"If it's the right move for you, yes," Dr Arkwright explained. "Now we just
have to figure out if it is!"


*****


After some initial lighting issues that the actors had managed to turn into
an impressive improv moment, the play had got off to an excellent
start. Chris remained entirely in character as Hunter, though he could feel
an immense swell of pride as the audience laughed, gasped and jumped at all
the right moments, clearly engrossed in the fantasy slasher he had written.

Although it had been a good few weeks since the role changes had been made,
it was still amusing to see some of the guys mouthing along to the lines of
their old parts, or even moving slightly at the wrong moment, trying to
play a part they no longer had. Danny was by far the worst, clearly knowing
every line of Mark's dialogue, though it didn't stop him performing
wonderfully as Tytania, the Queen of the Fairies.

They were just coming up to Chris' favourite moment, and the one that
required the most precision in order to pull off an illusion to entertain
the crowd – the moment `Hunter' transformed into Puck, to murder Damian.

Danny stood just off-stage watching eagerly. While everyone else in the
cast who watched eagerly to see if the switch could be pulled off
flawlessly, Danny's gaze was decidedly fixed on Chris. Originally that was
THEIR moment. That was THE kiss, the one he had read, the one that had
prompted the change. They would have kissed before leading into the magical
moment, but now he was stuck watching Mark do it instead.

He glanced off briefly into the crowd and spotted Brian sat among his
classmates, clearly enjoying every moment. He knew he needed to give Brian
an answer, to declare who his heart truly belonged to, but looking back and
forth between the his best friend on stage and his boyfriend in the
audience, the answer remained as elusive as ever.

Chris could feel his nerves building as Mark went into Damian's short
speech before they would embrace.

"Our love is not to be feared! The light of our love will not burn you,
beloved, it will guide us, it can show us the way out of these woods and
back to safety! If you still have love for me... then show me!" Mark
recited.

Chris stared for just a moment. He thought back to his conversation with
Mark a few days before, how Mark confessed to believing his abusive ex that
he was an awful person and impossible to love. It broke his heart, because
Mark truly was one of the sweetest, kindest guys Chris had ever met, and
certainly one of the hottest too! They had kissed that day after Mark's
revelation, but by this point they had kissed a lot of days. He hated the
idea of someone, especially a friend, feeling so unloved and unwanted. He
felt like he needed to fix it, but he just wasn't sure how.

Mark cleared his throat and repeated, "If you still have love for me,
then... SHOW ME!" in an attempt to prompt Chris to continue as he seemed
lost in a daze.

"Gladly, my love!" Chris called out with a broad smile. He lunged forward
and grabbed Mark in a passionate kiss as the crowd burst into a chorus of
oohs and cheering.

Together they dropped to the ground, preparing for the switch. Just as they
got into position, with Chris concealed from the crowd their lips parted
and he whispered, "I think I like you!" Before he could say any more, or
even gauge a reaction from Mark, he was yanked away as Aaron got into his
place.

"Let's make this look good!" Aaron whispered with a grin as he grabbed Mark
and started kissing before they moved back to reveal the change to the
crowd who immediately gasped.

"Wh... what? Where's Hunter?" Mark asked, looking shocked to be facing the
murderous fairy.

Aaron grinned, glanced at the crowd then plunged his stage knife into
Mark's chest, spraying them both with fake blood. "Oh, what fools these
mortals be!" he called out, getting gasps and yells from the crowd as the
lights dimmed ahead of the next scene.

Backstage, Chris climbed to his feet after crawling his way out of the
hiding spot. As Danny helped him up, Chris gasped, "Oh god, I think I did
something stupid!"

"What happened?" Danny asked, mildly alarmed.

"I... kinda told Mark I think I like him!" Chris explained
nervously. "You... you know his... relationship issues, ya know, with
Gregory and everything. How bad is this?"

"You... said you like him?" Danny asked, feeling like he was the one who
had just received the knife to his chest. Avoiding his own feelings for
now, if only because he was afraid he would cry if he even thought about
them, he stared at Chris and said, "I... don't know. He's... it could be
fine, or..."

"Or I could've just really messed him up, Fuck! Danny, whadda I do?" Chris
demanded, oblivious to Danny's turmoil.

"Chris, you're up in a sec," one of the Year 7s who was acting as a
stagehand said, grabbing his arm. He gave Danny a final look before
readying himself to return to the stage.

Danny barely had time to think before Mark appeared, most of the fake blood
wiped up aside from the stain on his clothing. "Danny!" he declared
urgently. "I... just now... Chris... I... fuck, fuck fuck fuck. This
is... this is why I didn't want a role with... with... romance and stuff,
cos it... confuses things and... and he... Chris said..."

"Hey, easy, take a breath," Danny urged, grasping the taller boy by his
ample biceps.

Mark did as he was told and took a deep breath, starting to calm a
little. "Chris... said he likes me!" Mark finally explained.

"Oh!" Danny replied, playing dumb. "What did... you say?"

"Nothing, it was right before the switch so he said it and then just
disappeared and then I got stabbed in the chest and I think Aaron had a
boner which isn't relevant but I just thought you'd find it funny!" Mark
explained, confused and amused all at once.

"Wow, yeah, I..." Danny started, then smirked and said, "Aaron had a boner?
Ha, nice!" He got a smile from Mark. "But, yeah, so... so Chris said that
then! What are you... gonna tell him?" he asked curiously.

"I... I... don't know," Mark replied, visibly shaken.

"Do you... like him too?" Danny asked, the words literally painful to speak
as his eyes drifted over to watch Chris on stage.

"You know I don't... can't... think about stuff like that. It's... fuck, I
don't know what to do and I'm totally freaking out!" Mark explained.

"Danny, come on, your cue's coming up," the Year 7 stagehand said, pulling
at Danny's arm.

"We can talk about this later, okay. All of us!" Danny insisted before
taking to the stage.

As the play drew to its end, the rest of the mortals slain one-by-one by
Oberon's minions, Tytania and Oberon (aka Danny and Adrian) finally came
face-to-face.

"These peasants stole my immortal gaze, and held my focus, locked my
gaze. Yet thou hath slain these pesky strays, and freed me from my stupor'd
haze," Danny said as he flounced around Adrian.

"For you, my love, they all would die, foolish mortals who offend thine
eye. Now return to, end our apart, and heal my true immortal heart!" Adrian
replied, holding out his hand.

Danny took the hand, just as he had in rehearsal, but he turned a little,
still facing `Oberon' but with his gaze fixed on Brian as he sat in the
audience. He glanced to Chris, who was playing a very convincing corpse,
then back to Brian and began, "Distractions but to entertain, yet not the
substance to sustain, my heart was given once to thee, now pledged again
for all to see. Though blood and death and hurt and pain, has filled this
night you dared to deign, to murder my distractions here, to pledges vowed
I will adhere."

Aaron leaned in towards the two royal fairies, grinning in character. "That
means they're shacking up again, for you mortal simpletons!" `Puck'
interjected, getting a laugh from the audience which turned into a chorus
of wooing as Oberon and Tytania kissed.

Puck stepped forward to centre stage as the actors behind him froze in
place.

"And so we bring our stories close, a tale of bloody love, As King and
Queen of fairies play with mortals from above.  So venture if thy will some
time into the haunted wood, But fear to tread the hallowed ground no measly
mortal should.

"Portent, nightmare, maybe fate, or simply just a dream, Listen well and
you may hear a Mid-Summer Night's Scream.  As you hold the ones you love
and heed their dying plea, Prepare to hear your final words... what fools
these mortals be!"

With a sudden clap of thunder, the stage went dark as the crowd burst into
cheers and applause. As the lights came back up, the cast took to the stage
to take a bow, lined up to bask in the genuine delight of the watching
students, staff and teachers, who took to their feet to give a standing
ovation.

The applause continued for well over a minute with the cast taking several
bows, waving on Ruby and Chris, as Director and Writer, to receive an extra
loud cheer.

"Thank you, thank you everyone," Ruby called out. "I hope you enjoyed that
WONDERFUL performance. Now we'll be taking a thirty-minute break so be back
here soon for the debut performance of Doctor Jekyll and Hashtag Hyde!"

More applause followed before the crowd began to disperse, the cast of the
first performance disappearing backstage.

"Truly a magnificent performance, boys," Ruby called out exuberantly over
the excited chatter, "But I'm going to need to hurry you along so we can
get set up for the next performance. Costumes back to wardrobe fully intact
please. I don't want any last-minute panics next time!"

The actors quickly started changing while the rest of the boys helped clear
things away. "Mate, you fucking nailed it!" Chris said excitedly to Aaron
who was changing next to him. "That closing speech was fire!" Chris could
feel Danny and Mark both watching him as he chatted excitedly with the
others, but by the time he was changed and ready to chat with either of
them, they were both gone.


*****


"David!" James called out as he headed for the small group of dorm 1.09
boys who were waiting for Chris, Danny and Mark.

"Oh, well fuck the rest of us!" Mikey said with a shrug.

"Sorry," James replied, surprising Mikey and the others. It was a word they
didn't even think he knew. "Hi everyone, I hope you're well," he said
politely nodding to Mikey, Josh, Rob and Nicky before he looked to David
and said, "Can we go talk please?"

"Sure," David said, casually excusing himself as he walked away behind
James. "What's up? Are you okay?" After their meeting the other day, the
two hadn't seen each other much, but David was happy knowing that they had
gotten the right adults involved in helping James.

"Okay, so doctor Arkwright thinks I might have OCD or at least be possibly
developing OCD but he thinks we can manage it so it doesn't BECOME OCD, but
that's not even the big news, he said he was talking to the school and they
said if I'm not coping with being in year eleven that I might be able to
move back to year nine because of the vacancy you've got now and I know
when I found out about moving to year eleven and didn't tell you it really
upset you so I wanted you to be the first person I told about it this time
so that's what I'm doing!" James explained, virtually in a single breath.

David blinked a few times, taking a few moments to process it
all. "The... vacancy? You mean... Rose's spot?" he asked, looking quite
upset.

"Oh god, yes, I'm sorry. Was that... insensitive of me to tell you?
I... you know I'm... not good with this stuff!" James apologised.

David sighed and forced a meek smile as he said, "No it's okay, it's not
your fault. But... thank you... for wanting to tell me. That... means a
lot!"

"Well... you're my best friend and I fucked up before but I'm too smart to
not learn from my mistakes, so I'm not doing it again this time!" James
said happily.

"So... what ARE you going to do then?" David asked curiously.

"I... don't know!" James replied. "I've got some time to think about it,
like, over Easter. I know you said you were skipping the camping trip, so I
was hoping you might want to... spend Easter break together like last year
and we can, ya know, discuss it. I didn't talk to you about it last time,
so I want to hear what you think about it this time."

David nodded. "Yeah, yeah I think I'd like that!" he said happily.


*****


"Your majesty!" Joseph said, bowing with an excessive flourish as he saw
Danny approaching.

"Move along mortal," Danny said with a smile, waving Joseph away in
character as Tytania.

"Certainly, my queen!" Joseph grinned, then moved forward to grab Danny in
a quick hug as he said, "You did great up there!"

"Thanks," Danny said happily. As Joseph ran off, he found himself standing
facing Brian. He swivelled awkwardly back and forth on one foot as he
started coyly, "I... don't know if you caught it, but... that stuff I was
saying to Oberon!"

"I caught it, I'm not quite THAT slow," Brian said with a bemused
headshake. "Did you... really mean it?"

"Well... no," Danny said. As he saw Brian look a little distraught, he
quickly went on, "But only because they were Chris' words, not mine. And
telling you I'm choosing you over Chris... with Chris' words just
feels... really freaking wrong!"

"So... it IS me?" Brian asked, looking somewhere between relieved and
overjoyed.

Danny stared for a moment, then nodded. "I love you, Brian and... you're
right. I've... not been giving you everything you deserve, but... that
changes now. Chris is always gonna be my best friend but..." He paused,
thinking about Chris and Mark. With a determined nod he finished, "Best
friends is as much as we'll ever be!"

Brian shook his head gently. "Taking this long, I just... I was sure you
were just trying to find the best way to let me down gently!"

"Sorry, looks like you're stuck with me," Danny said with a playful grin.

Brian laughed but didn't say anything back as he grabbed Danny and hugged
him tightly, lifting him slightly off the ground for a moment before
placing him back down. "Ugh, that used to be so much easier! Stop growing!"

Danny giggled and replied, "I'm only doing it to save you straining your
neck when we make out!"

"Hmm, making out, you say..." Brian replied with a huge grin as he grabbed
Danny eagerly.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed. New chapters will post weekly,
so be back same time next week for more!

If you have any questions or comments, my email is always open at
matterotica@hotmail.co.uk. Alternatively, I can be found on patreon where I
also post my stories, along with bonus content and exclusives, at
patreon.com/matterotica

If you wish to read any of my other stories, please see below for links


---------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Kingswood Saga


Tales from Kingswood (Book 1)– https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/tales-from-kingswood/

Half-Term at Kingswood (Book 1 bonus story) – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/half-term-at-kingswood/

The Kingswood Eight (Book 2) - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/the-kingswood-eight/

A Very Kingswood Easter (Book 2 bonus story) - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/a-very-kingswood-easter/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Benny Saga (in reading order)


Benny Takes Control – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/benny-takes-control/

The Dangers of Desire – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/the-dangers-of-desire/

Benny's House – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/bennys-house/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Other Series


Possession – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/sf-fantasy/possession-series/

Jack Hamilton – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/jack-hamilton/

Phil's Naked Adventures – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/phils-naked-adventures/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


One-shots


The Art of Seduction – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/the-art-of-seduction

Jake's Exposure – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/jakes-exposure

Becoming an Internet Master – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/becoming-an-internet-master

Brian's Big Mistake – http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/brians-big-mistake

And Then It Got Worse – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/masturbation/and-then-it-got-worse

Missed Opportunity – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/young-friends/missed-opportunity

There's a Naked Alfie in the Garden - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/theres-a-naked-alfie-in-the-garden