Date: Fri, 1 Dec 2023 18:37:17 +0000 From: Matt Smith Subject: The Kingswood Effect - Chapter 42 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 42 ---------- Friday 24 June 2022 The Southern Counties Inter-School Partnership Scheme (SCIPS) was one of the biggest parts of the school calendar, but the three youngest Year groups at Kingswood were yet to truly witness its magnitude. Thanks the cancellations and disruptions caused by the pandemic, they had not seen a full event so the upcoming celebration weekend seemed unlike anything they had seen before. For the Year 9s in particular it was a most welcome event. The past couple of weeks had been... difficult. The big argument between Adrian and Kyle took an already fractured group and split them even further once Danny and Chris had been drawn into it. Adrian's ill-advised revelation about the start of Chris and Kyle's relationship had completely shattered the group as the boys chose their sides in the various disagreements. There had not been any other big arguments or slanging matches. Instead, all those involved seemed to have retreated to their respective corners, withdrawing from doing much of anything. Danny in particular had almost completely shut down. Already struggling with the pain of his recent break-up, he attended classes and really didn't do much else, hiding away in his bed or hiding somewhere else on the school grounds. The only activity outside of classes he actually took part in was rehearsal for the play, though he just quietly stuck to his own small role and barely spoke outside of it. Chris had disappeared completely into his new relationship with Mark, the two utterly inseparable and mostly keeping to themselves. The distance they kept from the rest of the dorm was a deliberate choice by Chris. Remembering the awful atmosphere in the dorm at the beginning of the year, he was keen to avoid dragging the others down, though in reality, having the boy often described as the `heart of the dorm' gone was every bit as harmful as any argument they could have. Dorm 1.12 had closed ranks, making very clear to the rest of their Year that they were very much on Kyle's side in all of it. Dorm 1.11 was split, with some staunchly supporting Adrian while others disagreed and thought he had crossed the line in saying what he had to hurt Kyle. Dorm 1.10 was really the only neutral ground, not housing any of the boys involved in the whole situation, but they ended up isolated by default thanks to the segregation of the other three Year 9 dorms. Ruby had instantly picked up on the tension when he got the boys together for rehearsals of `A Mid-Summer Night's Scream', the silver-medal winning play Chris had written that was due for an encore performance over the coming weekend. The only advice he had offered the boys was, "Take the feelings from whatever this is you're all faffing about at and channel it into your acting. Use emotion to portray emotion!" Needless to say, it was not helpful. It was lunchtime when the first guests started to arrive at Kingswood. The Guest Building had been decked out with as many beds as it was possible to fit in comfortably, due to the sheer volume of incoming students and teachers for the action-packed weekend. It was only Charles Summers Memorial, Eversham Academy, Witherington Grammar and King Edwards students who would be staying for the whole weekend, with Fothergill Academy, Crestwood School and Moderna Academy all close enough by to make it a daily commute, but the place had still filled up quickly, leaving the school abuzz with activity. With so many people around, Danny had found it next to impossible to find somewhere to hide away after his leaving the final play rehearsal. With all of his usual options exhausted, he was just about ready to give up when he remembered another option. He wandered across the grounds towards the main car park. Usually he would have looked slightly conspicuous, but with all the coaches from the other schools parked there and so many people generally wandering the grounds, nobody really noticed him as he headed across and into the foliage beyond. Pushing through, he soon found the trees and shrubs falling away as he reached the small hidden clearing. The four large logs sat positioned around the central area, but Danny sighed as he saw one of them was occupied. As he turned to leave, he heard, "Danny, wait!" Danny stopped, closing his eyes as he recognised the voice – Adrian. He remained still and silent. It was as much as he could commit to right now. "Can we talk?" Adrian requested softly. Danny took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly as he turned. "What?" he said coldly with a shrug. "You wanna talk about how you took something I told you that was absolutely secret and didn't just blurt it out to the whole fucking school, but also did it in front of the ONE person it could hurt the most?" Adrian just stared back, teary-eyed. "Or maybe you wanna talk about how the only person who actually made my days tolerable won't even look at me now because I completely betrayed his trust?" Danny asked, his tone hopeless rather than angry. Adrian sniffled as he stared silently. "Or should we talk about how the entire school, who already took EVERY opportunity they have to call me a slut or a man-stealer or any other insult they can think of, now have yet ANOTHER thing to whisper about behind my back or just insult me with to my face?" Danny asked, shaking his head. "Danny, I... I know!" Adrian said, taking a step closer. "I know I fucked up as badly as it's possible to fuck up." "Oh good, then you know why I DON'T want to talk to you!" Danny said before turning away. "Josh!" Adrian suddenly blurted out. Danny froze for another moment before he turned and looked back. "What about him?" he asked cautiously. "Josh... hurt you, hurt ALL of you and you were still there for him when he... needed help!" Adrian explained. Danny's eyes narrowed, his weariness slowly being replaced with anger. "Josh was dealing with years of torture and abuse and was at the point of trying to fucking kill himself. Don't you fucking dare try and compare your shit to him!" "Sorry," Adrian said quietly. "You... you can have in here, I'll go!" "Don't bother," Danny said as another idea came to him. "How hard is it to find some fucking alone time around here!" he mumbled angrily to himself. ***** "So how does it feel to be officially finished?" David asked as he strolled along, his hand happily swinging back and forth as it held onto James'. "It's... weird!" James replied, frowning a little. He turned to a slightly concerned-looking David and insisted, "Good weird, not bad weird!" As he got a chuckle in return, he glanced round at the school grounds and sighed. "I couldn't have done it without you!" David smiled and avoided teasing. James rarely talked about how he felt, and David was keen to avoid putting him off by mocking when he did. "I helped a bit, but you did the hard work!" he said reassuringly. "Well, yes, obviously," James said with a shrug, "But... I think we learned a while back that my hard work isn't ALWAYS the best way to be, at least not ALL the time. Without you helping me de-stress, I probably would have just burned out entirely or given in and come back to year nine!" "Yeah," David said, pouting slightly. "Hey," James said, stopping and pulling David to a halt as he kept hold of the hand. He pulled the other boy to stand in front of him and said softly, "I know how much it hurt you when I moved up and I know how much you would have loved me to come back, so it really means SO much to me that you convinced me I could do this. Not many guys would've put what's best for me above what they wanted... in fact, I literally can't think of anyone else who'd do that for me!" "Hey, that's what boyfriends are for!" David said with a grin. "No. That's what best friends are for!" James replied with a smirk. "This is what boyfriends are for!" he added, leaning in to kiss David. It only lasted a few seconds before he pulled back, smiling and blushing in equal measure. "Wow, public display of affection. How... unexpected!" David giggled playfully. James shrugged and said, "I'm not exactly gonna start shagging on stage or running round and carrying on like Danny, but... I'm okay with public displays of affection. I've got the best boyfriend in the school and I don't care who knows it!" "The best? Not the second best after you?" David asked, a little surprised. "Wow, you really ARE growing!" "Shut up," James said, though a smile broke through the scowl he tried to force. "Ya know... speaking of not caring who knows... have you told..." "No!" David interjected sharply. He sighed heavily, knowing what James was going to say without hearing it. It was something they had talked about quite a lot in the nine days, twenty hours and thirty-two minutes they had been an official couple - telling Rose that they were dating. "I don't want it to seem like I'm... moving on too quickly or forgetting her or anything," David sighed. "I know," James nodded. "But... I know she still talks to some of her old dorm now and then. I just don't want her to find out through them and think you were keeping it secret from her. Believe me, I learned the hard way that keeping secrets from people you love is never a good thing!" David grinned broadly. "What?" James asked, frowning a little as he took a slight step back. "You said you love me!" David said, unable to resist teasing. James looked utterly unfazed as he shrugged and said, "Well yes, obviously I love you. How is that not apparent?" David laughed, shaking his head a little. "Romance isn't dead, it's just very blunt," he smirked. "And... obviously I love you too!" "Okay. Good. Glad we cleared that up," James said very formally. "Now, unless you have any other plans or want to take a minute to contact Rose." He paused, giving David a chance to interject, but as he got a frown in return he continued, "Then I would very much like to suggest some kind of sexual activity!" David laughed again at the formality. "Of course," he replied. "Just fill out form 322B in triplicate and indicate your desired sexual activity and I'll be happy to arrange it!" he said sarcastically. "Ooh, there's forms?" James asked excitedly before his face dropped and said, "No, of course there isn't, you were being sarcastic. You're hanging out with Nicky WAY too much!" "Crankypants!" David sniggered as he leaned in for another kiss. "Come on. I know you said you're not going full on `Danny' but I'm sure we can handle a LITTLE risk!" he said as he nodded towards the nearby treeline. "That's so unseemly," James grumbled as he let David drag him along, "But very well." They moved on into the woods, far enough to remain effectively hidden from anyone passing by, but with the back of the Home Building still vaguely visible in places. They started kissing, much more passionately than when they had been in plain view of the rest of the grounds. As David's hands reached for James' trousers, they were swatted away as James reached for David's instead. "I want to do you!" James whispered, blushing a little at the proclamation before he returned to kissing. David kissed back for a few moments. "Works for me!" he said happily as their lips parted once more. "Hnnh," James grunted as he squatted down, pulling David's jeans and underwear down as he dropped. "You've got a bit of stubble!" he observed, running his finger over David's mostly smooth pubis. "Yeah, I'm due for a wax!" David replied with a nod. He watched happily as James' hands ran up and down his thighs, both inside and out, occasionally reaching up to his crotch or onto his smooth chubby stomach. His dick stiffened in response. "Does it... bother you that I don't have hair?" he asked quietly. James looked up, appearing almost annoyed as he said abruptly, "Don't be absurd!" As he shook his head disapprovingly, he explained, "It's your body, you do what makes you happy and you look how YOU want to look. I love YOU. The fact you're so cute is just a nice little added bonus, but I'd like you no matter how you look!" "Wow, that's the most aggressive compliment I've ever had. Thanks!" David said, only being half sarcastic. "You're welcome. Now are there any more questions before I begin?" James asked, raising his eyebrows. As David shook his head, he added, "Good! Enjoy! A tap on the shoulder when you're ready to climax would be appreciated!" "Certainly," David smirked. James leaned in and took the slim, eleven-centimetre erection into his mouth, just the head at first, letting his tongue encircle it delicately before he started sucking more of it down. He let his tongue lash at the shaft as he began to slide back and forth. It was still an exceptionally new experience to him, but as with most new things he was taking it as a chance to learn and even in nine days, twenty hours and thirty-five minutes he had had already started to get a better understanding of David's body. The sounds he made when it was most pleasurable, the way his legs tensed just a little, the slight twitch of the smooth balls, each of them was a subtle clue to understand what his boyfriend enjoyed, and they were clues he was loving discovering. David was so lost in the pleasurable sensation that he almost forgot the instruction he had been given. At the very last second, he tapped James on the shoulder then began to shoot a small load onto the forest floor. "You're... really good... at that!" he panted happily, watching as James stood. He even had the courtesy to re-dress David once he was finished ejaculating. "Thanks," James said with a casual shrug. He held out his hand to David, who took hold eagerly. "Fancy a game of chess? I promise I'll go easy on you!" David just laughed, grasping tightly onto James' arm as they walked. ***** "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, we have to do it!" Chris said excitedly, bouncing up and down in front of Mark. "We shouldn't," Mark said, giving a mischievous grin that made it pretty clear he was absolutely doing it. "Wait, what?" Mikey asked, "What are we doing? Or not doing?" Stage Fright, along with many of the other musical groups were in the massive performance area that had been set up for the weekend doing sound checks for the Battle of the Bands scheduled for that evening. "Dickface is here!" Chris exclaimed. He immediately saw Nicky raise his eyebrows and pre-empted the question with, "Gregory!" "Oh. You okay?" Mikey asked, looking sympathetically at Mark. While it was mostly other bands that were gathered, a few friends of band members had tagged along with not much else to do until the formal opening of the event. Gregory appeared to have joined some of the King Edwards boys in the small audience. "I'm fine, but... I kinda had this song that is perfect for basically telling him... fuck you," Mark explained. "We're doing it!" Nicky exclaimed confidently. "Give us the music. You go clear it with Mr Yaeger!" he said with a wicked grin. Chris pulled out his tablet, tapped away for a few moments and said, "There, sent! Be right back! You talk them through it!" Several minutes later, with the agreement of Mr Yaeger who would have likely agreed to anything just to shut Chris up as he badgered him, the group took to the stage. "Okay everyone," Chris said as they prepared to start. "This one's dedicated to... well, he knows who he is!" he said, before very unsubtly staring Gregory's way. Mark started playing and the others joined in as he started singing `Ugly Heart'. It seemed most of the audience were as clueless about the song as Chris had been when he heard it the previous week, most of them mildly confused until it got to the more obvious lyrics. The whole band could barely contain themselves as they could see Gregory growing redder and redder as the boys around him clearly began to tease over the lyrics. "But it's such a pity a boy so pretty, With an ugly heart!" Mark finished the final line. He looked to Chris who did exactly what he expected and repeated what they had done when messing around the previous week and grabbed him in a passionate kiss. The crowd cheered, as much for the kiss as for the performance, except for Gregory who looked about ready to explode. "Uh-oh, trouble!" Mikey said as they gathered in the middle of the stage. "Nah, he wouldn't start anything here, not with so many witnesses!" Mark said, shaking his head. "Not what I meant," Mikey said, pointing off to the side of the stage where Adrian was standing. As Chris spotted him, he glared angrily but felt Mark grab his wrist. "It's okay," Chris reassured his boyfriend. He gave him a gentle nod and smiled as he let go before heading over to Adrian. "What?" he demanded bluntly. "Can we... go somewhere else?" Adrian requested timidly. "Oh, now you DON'T want an audience?" Chris said pointedly, but huffed and added, "Fine! Follow me!" He headed down the side of the stage and out behind the performance area, stopping as soon as they were clear of any prying ears. "Look, if you're here to apologise..." "I'm not!" Adrian interjected. "I mean... obviously I AM sorry, but that's not why I'm here. I'm not trying to get you to forgive me or anything cos... well I don't think I deserve that, I'm here about Danny!" Chris, who already looked as annoyed as he could get, frowned even more heavily. "What about him?" he demanded. "That!" Adrian said, pointing at Chris for a moment before dropping his hand and the death-stare he got back. "You... you shouldn't be annoyed at him!" "You're telling me how to feel now?" Chris asked, taking a small step towards Adrian, who took a step back in response. "No, it's just this was my fuck up, not his. Be pissed at me. Take it out on me. Do whatever you want but... don't take it out on Danny!" Adrian pleaded. "He... he told you things that were supposed to be private... things I didn't even think he remembered!" Chris said, shaking his head. "He didn't even talk to ME about them, but he spoke to YOU! Do you have any idea how that feels?" he demanded angrily. "Do YOU have any idea how it feels?" Adrian demanded back. "Imagine being in love with someone and being the person they go to when they're struggling with issues about who THEY love... and you're not even one of the options!" "You... you... what?" Chris asked, his anger deflating into confusion. "Come on. You know how I feel about him!" Adrian said accusingly. "Well... how I thought I felt anyway," he mumbled quietly. "But that issue aside, who else was Danny supposed to talk to about this stuff? Think about how messy things are in your whole... group. All of his roommates are YOUR roommates. His boyfriend's YOUR mentor. His mentor's YOUR mentor's best friend. Fuck, even Mr Trent's basically YOUR brother-in-law. He talked to me about this stuff because of a lack of options, not cos he didn't wanna talk to you! The fact I told Kyle and everyone else just means I'm a cunt, but Danny telling me... that wasn't wrong, it was needed!" "I... hadn't really thought of that," Chris said, a little emotionally winded. "Yeah, I know, that's why... I just don't wanna see this fuck you and him up. Hate me all you like, but... not Danny!" Adrian pleaded. "That's... that's all I really wanted to say to you. Even if we never talk again, I NEEDED you to hear that! I'll... I'll be going now!" He turned to walk away. "I..." Chris started, pausing until Adrian stopped and looked back. For the briefest moment, the selfless act was almost enough to make him feel sympathy for Adrian, but it quickly passed. Instead, he thought about Danny and said, "I'll... talk to him!" Adrian nodded back and said, "That's if you can find him. He seemed pretty sure nobody'd find him after we spoke!" Chris frowned as he thought about it. He stood in place as Adrian disappeared around the corner, still contemplating where Danny might be... and what he might say to him. As he eventually turned, he was met by a fist flying towards his face. It connected with his jaw and staggered him, making him fall to the ground. Dazed, he stared up to find Gregory standing over him. "Oh you think you're funny do you, FAGGOT!" he yelled furiously. "Singing some... some... STUPID song and making out with my... my... leftovers!" Chris quickly scrambled backwards and jumped to his feet. "He's not your leftovers. He's my boyfriend!" he said, resisting the urge to rub his aching jaw. "CHRIS!" Mark suddenly yelled out, running round the corner. He looked back to Mikey and Nicky who were right behind him and said, "Go get Mr Yaeger!" They immediately complied and ran back as Mark stormed over towards Gregory. "What did you do?" he snarled. "Gave him what he deserved!" Gregory snapped back. "And I'll give you even worse, you pathetic sack of shit!" he spat venomously as he stood in between Mark and Chris. "Don't you fucking dare touch him!" Chris said, taking a step towards Gregory. "Back up, faggot!" Gregory said, spinning to raise his fist to hit Chris. Mark was on him in a second, grabbing his hand before he could swing. "No!" he snarled. "You... you're not laying a hand on him again. Or me!" He grabbed Gregory's other hand as he tried to smack him away. "I let you use me. I let you control me. I let you... make me less than I am and I let you have power over me that you do NOT deserve!" "Oh fuck off you sad little homo!" Gregory hissed, though he looked slightly panicked as he felt the tight grip on both of his wrists. "I let you rule my life for too long and I'm done with it, you sad little cunt!" Mark said, glaring for a moment before he headbutted the other boy hard in the face. Gregory fell back to the ground, clutching his face as blood streamed down from his nose. "STOP THAT!" Mr Yaeger screamed out as he appeared, followed by half the crowd from the performance area. Mark jumped down onto Gregory and started punching him repeatedly as he screamed out, "YOU DON'T CONTROL ME ANYMORE!" He was still swinging wildly as the teacher pulled him away. "Get back!" Mr Yaeger snapped, pushing Mark back as he stopped flailing. "Jesus Christ!" he gasped as he saw the bloody mess that was Gregory's face. ***** "Are you sure this is okay?" Luke asked a little nervously, stopping as his dick began to slide into the tight hole. Rob stared at him for a moment, looked down and back up then smiled as he nodded. "You're balls deep in me and asking HIM if he's okay with it?" Jazz suddenly exclaimed. "Rude!" "I'm not balls-deep yet!" Luke growled, pushing into Jazz a little further with a smirk, but it dropped as he forced a more serious expression and said, "But it's not about you. Well, just a little bit, I suppose!" "I told you," Rob insisted. "This is fine!" he reassured his boyfriends as they slowly started to fuck in front of him. "I don't have an issue with anal, I actually think seeing you two together like this is freaking hot!" "We can tell," Jazz sniggered, reaching out to playfully tease Rob's erection as he stood naked at their side. Rob shrugged, happy to accept the touching. "I just... don't wanna do it myself!" he explained. "Yeah, I get it," Luke said, nodding a little sheepishly. While he still felt inordinately guilty about pressuring Rob into getting fucked, and the subsequent emotional and physical pain it had caused, the throuple had been working hard to get past it and today felt like the final hurdle. To try and emphasise his okay-ness, he slowly built up speed as he fucked the very receptive Jazz. Rob mewed happily as he watched, replacing Jazz's hand with his own as it fell away, a result of the pleasure he was feeling from the long overdue fuck. As he watched Jazz's eyes flicker closed and the look of contentment spread over Luke's face as he thrust away, Rob said softly, "I might never want it!" Both Luke and Jazz looked at him curiously. "Fucking, I mean," Rob clarified. "It's... really not that unusual. A lot of gay guys aren't into it apparently. I was looking it up!" "Oh yeah," Jazz smirked with a knowing nod, then put on a slightly mocking voice as he said, "Oh, yes sir, I was only searching `gay butt sex' on the internet for research purposes, I swear!" "Ha ha, very funny," Rob said rolling his eyes. "I just..." "It's fine!" Luke insisted as he reached out to hold Rob's hand. He held his gaze for several moments then repeated, "It's fine, really. If you never want it... you never want it. I promise I'll never try and push you into it again. You ever decide you want to experiment, just say the word, but... never's okay too!" "Oh no," Jazz said, clearly sarcastically. "Any time my boyfriend wants to fuck, he'll have to fuck me. How dreadful. I will never survive such an ordeal!" Rob scowled back playfully then looked to Luke and asked, "Why exactly did we start dating him again?" "He's the diversity hire!" Luke joked. As he got a scandalised look from Jazz, and a hysterical laugh from Rob, he said urgently, "Joking, joking, I'm kidding, totally!" Jazz's eye narrowed, looking less (fake) annoyed. "I started dating you to have someone to occupy Rob when I can't be bothered with him!" he said with a cackle. "That actually kinda works for us, right?" Jazz asked, reaching out to pull Rob towards him. The two boys started kissing excitedly. As Luke leaned in to try and join them, Jazz raised a hand to stop him, broke the kiss and said, "Sorry, I'm busy with Rob, ya know... just doing my job!" "Fuck you!" Luke smirked, then proceeded to fuck him. "How about..." Jazz started as Luke started thrusting hard. "Every time we fuck," he paused to gesture to himself and Luke, "We both owe you like a handjob or a blow job or something!" "Ooh, suddenly a much bigger fan of fucking!" Rob said happily. He grinned at Luke and said, "Hurry up and finish, this thing ain't gonna suck itself!" He gestured to his straining cock with one hand, stroking it slowly with the other. Luke nodded as he chuckled his agreement, then started jack-hammering into Jazz. "Oh my god," Jazz gasped as he received a thorough pounding. The pleasured grunt gave way to more a more serene moan as Luke slowed, returning to making love to the boy, the brief rough fuck having just been for comedic effect. "I can suck it... while you wait... if you like," he said staring up at Rob dreamily. Instead of moving his dick to Jazz's mouth, he leaned down to kiss him instead, losing himself in it for a moment before he pulled back and said, "Nah, this is a you and Luke thing, I can wait my turn!" Jazz nodded and turned his attention back to Luke, oblivious to the content smile that spread over Rob's face. As he watched the two boys fuck, he thought back to the first few times he had seen it, how jealous he had felt... how left out. Watching it now, nothing had changed... yet everything had changed! They were still doing something without him, something he couldn't be part of (admittedly by choice) but somehow it didn't feel like being excluded. Getting Jazz to join their relationship had taken some time, and hadn't been without its hiccups, but as he sat now seeing a boy he loved, fucking another boy he loved, it just felt... right. Rob wasn't left out, he was just waiting his turn and the hungry looks he kept getting from both of the others made it clear they were every bit as keen about that as they were about their current entanglement. "I love you guys," Rob sighed, the feelings bubbling up and erupting into words before he really even thought about them. "Meh, you're not bad yourself," Luke said back with a grin. "I think we should see other people!" Jazz added with a smirk. "I hate you both!" Rob laughed, shaking his head as he fought back a smile. Once Luke and Jazz finished up, with Jazz receiving a shot of spunk to the face as Luke pulled out at the last moment, both boys turned their attention to Rob as promised. The three of them had happily lost themselves in the kissing, the excited touches, the eager wanking, the slow sensuous sucking. Luke's dick may not have been inside of Rob, but he made love to him every bit as much as he just had to Jazz, not stopping until all three were exhausted, sweaty and utterly content. Eventually re-dressed the throuple headed out of the private room, heading towards the Underground's main atrium when another door opened. "Oh hey," Rob said cheerfully as Danny emerged. He frowned, seeing nobody behind him and asked, "In there alone?" As Danny nodded, Rob bid the other two a quick goodbye, promising to catch up again later before hanging back to walk with his dormmate. "Paying for a private room just to have a wank seems a bit wasteful," he said with a giggle. Danny rolled his eyes and shook his head. He glanced back down the hallways and said, "I didn't. I just... couldn't find anywhere else to be alone!" "Ah, clearly having a good day then!" Rob said with a cautious smile. Danny just shrugged then looked ahead to where Luke and Jazz had just disappeared. "Good day for you then?" Rob frowned a little, looking slightly unsure of himself. Danny gave the other boy a nudge and said, "I may be miserable but you're still allowed to be happy!" A grin spread across Rob's face. "Yeah, sorry," he said a little awkwardly. "Yeah, great day for me," he added happily, "And I've got you to thank for it!" Danny shook his head dismissively. "Nah, Sam sorted your stuff out WAY more than me," he said humbly. "Yeah, and Sam never would've been involved if you hadn't been there, seeing the problem in the first place!" Rob insisted. "I know we say we both look after the dorm together, but... I'm glad that means you look after me too!" "Happy to help," Danny said, a little more wearily than he intended. "Hmmm," Rob hummed thoughtfully as he glanced round at Danny as they casually strode across the atrium. "I just wish I could return the favour!" he admitted. "No need, I'm fine," Danny said utterly unenthusiastically. "Ugh, okay, even I didn't believe that one," he added with a slight smirk, "But... I'll be okay... eventually!" Rob just took his hand and the two continued on, heading for the stairs back up to the Home Building. They emerged from the second floor shower room's secret exit and headed out, down towards their own floor. The sound of loud chatter echoed everywhere around them with so many students milling around. "Oh my god!" Josh suddenly yelped out as he saw the other two come down the stairs. "Gossip time!" he said excitedly. "Who've I pissed off now?" Danny asked dejectedly. Josh frowned and said, "Nobody! But Mark's been suspended!" "What?!" Rob and Danny demanded in unison. ***** The opening event for the SCIPS celebration weekend went off smoothly, despite word still going round about the violent incident earlier in the day. Soon after, dinner had been served, with the Kingswood catering staff meeting their usual high standards even with over a thousand mouths to feed. With dinner out of the way, the evening was dedicated to the Battle of the Bands, with everybody piling into the massive performance area ready for a night of music and celebration. The Kingswood group had been forced to make some quick changes, with a member of one of their bands now suspended. Fortunately, one of the members of Triple Jay had been able to step in and take Mark's place for the show, so the disruption was fairly minor. Waiting for the show to start, Danny had taken a seat between Rob and David, with Josh sat to Rob's other side and James beside David. "It's just so unfair!" Danny scowled. "Gregory starts the fight, but Mark gets suspended, even after ALL the shit Gregory put him through!" Rob nodded sympathetically. Needless to say they had all jumped to their dormmates defence in their own way, but none more emphatically than Danny. Being slightly less involved, Rob had been able to take a slightly more impartial view, that he was still trying to get Danny to understand. "Look, they're not siding with Gregory. They know what Mark went through. That's why he's only suspended for a week! And Gregory got it way worse, I mean... he's been properly expelled, not just suspended. He ain't coming back!" "Then that just makes punishing Mark even more fucked up!" Danny snapped angrily. "He's not being punished for defending himself... or Chris," David said, shaking his head. "From what Nicky told me, by the time Mr Yaeger got there, Gregory was already down and if it had stopped there, Gregory would still be out and Mark would have been fine, but he didn't! He crossed the line from self defence to actual assault. He's actually lucky he's not facing criminal charges!" "Oh, so you think he needs to be arrested!" Danny said accusingly. "I didn't say that," David snapped back sharply, "And I get you're pissed about this and everything else, but that doesn't mean you take it out on me, dickface!" "Easy," James said, placing a hand on David's leg. Danny fell silent, a little stunned. David rarely snapped, but when he did it was normally justified. It was the reality check he needed to bring him back down. Visibly deflating, he gave David a timid smile and said, "Sorry." "S'okay," David replied, returning to his usually-sweet demeanour, giving Danny a gentle nudge with his elbow to make it clear they were still good. "Did any of you get to see him before he left?" Danny asked, having missed Mark's departure entirely. As they all shook their heads, David explained, "They let Chris talk to him, but they rushed him off pretty quick so even that wasn't for long." "How..." Danny started, wincing a little, "How's Chris doing?" "Nasty bruise from Gregory's punch," Rob said, then frowned a little and explained, "But... I dunno, pretty shaken up about it all. Blane's been with him a lot." "That's good," Danny nodded. "The... the Blane bit, I mean. I hope he's okay!" Rob sighed and reached out to put an arm around Danny as he said, "Come on, let's just enjoy the show!" As Danny leaned towards Rob a little, he heard from behind, "Someone tell Jazz. Danny's after Rob now!" As Rob went to react, Danny grabbed him and shook his head a little as he whispered, "Just ignore it!" The show soon started, and soon enough even Danny and the others were drawn into the excitable delight of the evening. One thing that became apparent very early on was that the judges for the show had their work cut out. Even the school's that focused more on their sporting or academic subjects like Fothergill and King Edwards had managed to produce an excellent set to meet the challenge. The Charles Summers Memorial School, dedicated more heavily to the arts than most of the other SCIPS members, had really put on an amazing show, though that was to be expected with a lead singer who had just been signed by a major label. The only moment that really managed to bring down the mood was during the Kingswood performance, when Stage Fright had taken to the stage with one of their usual members missing. Jenson had done a great job of filling in for Mark and the performance had gone well, but the song choice of `Steal My Guy' by One Direction had resulted in a number of teases, comments and insults being thrown Danny's way during the song. Danny had been willing to continue ignoring it all, but Rob had turned to the other Year 9 boys behind them and threatened to knock out some teeth if they didn't shut up, which they promptly did. As the show ended, pending the decisions by the panel of judges, Danny excused himself. "You coming back?" Rob asked before letting him leave. Danny shook his head glumly and said, "I just wanna get into bed and forget today ever happened!" As he saw Rob go to object, he added, "It's okay, I'm fine, really. I just need to be alone for a bit, okay!" He headed out and wandered back towards the Home Building. After the noise of the concert, and how busy the place had been all day, it was eerily silent as he made his way up the stairs, his own gentle footsteps echoing up and back down the large atrium. As he walked along the main walkway, he casually let his hand slide along the stone balustrade, overlooking the ground below. He rounded the corner, headed into the dorm and jumped straight onto his bed. Even the bunk that had been his safe space during the early days of his break-up had become less comforting now. His bunk had remained pushed up against Chris', and the two continued to sleep within arms' reach of each other, yet they had continued to not interact, like they existed on two completely separate planes of existence that just happened to occupy the same physical space. Danny laid looking over at Chris' bunk and eventually stretched an arm out to rest on it before slowly drifting off to sleep. He wasn't sure how long he had been unconscious, but Danny woke as he felt a hand resting on his own. He opened his eyes to see the emerald green of Chris' eyes staring at him. He stared back for a moments and said sleepily, "Hi!" "Hi," Chris said back. "You're talking to me!" Danny observed. Chris nodded gently for a moment, then realised he should probably verbalise it and said, "Yeah, I am!" Danny remained laying on his side, staring at the boy beside him as he said, "I'm not complaining, but... why?" Chris sighed heavily as he thought, then answered, "Something shitty happened today and I wanted to talk to my best friend about it, but I realised I couldn't, which sucks!" "It does," Danny agreed. "And... I guess cos of Adrian a bit too!" Chris added. He saw Danny scowl and went on, "He... talked to me today and... he tried really hard to get me to just blame him and not you. He said even if we never talk again, he just wanted me to know this on him and not you!" "How selfless of him!" Danny sneered. "Yeah," Chris said unsympathetically. "But he's kinda right. Him... saying that in front of everyone IS on him, you didn't do it!" Danny's expression softened, looking almost hopeful. "But that's not why I'm mad at you!" Chris said, shaking his head a little. "No, it's cos I told him in the first place, I get it!" Danny admitted. "No," Chris disagreed, sitting up. Danny copied, sitting cross-legged as he faced Chris. He frowned at the disagreement, clearly confused. "Adrian... kinda made me see why you told him. I mean... who else were you gonna talk to?" Chris asked rhetorically with a shrug. "Your options were a little... limited, so I get it!" "Then... what?" Danny asked, bewildered. "It's because... you didn't tell ME!" Chris said, frowning heavily. "You... you know what happened in that hole fucked me up emotionally as much as it fucked you up physically," he explained. "The stuff we went through, the things... the things we both said..." He sniffed a little. "The things I told you! And you let me think you didn't even remember most of it!" "I should have told you," Danny admitted. "Yeah, you should!" Chris snapped, sorrow replaced by anger for a brief flash. "Danny, I basically told you I'm in love with you and... and... it sucked having you not remember that, but knowing you DO remember and won't talk to me about it is SO much worse!" Danny stared back for a moment, looking upset at first but it slowly twisted into anger and frustration. "What was I supposed to say, Chris? What was I supposed to DO with that information? I was WITH Brian. I was with him and I was happy and what was I supposed to do, walk up to you and say, `Oh, I know you love me, but I'm kind of occupied right now, so you enjoy that!' Like... what did you want me to do?" "I... I don't know," Chris said honestly, "But...you're my best friend, we could have worked it out together!" "Okay," Danny said firmly with a nod. "Okay, now you know, so... let's work it out together, shall we? YOU are with Mark, so... what's your solution? Oh I know, you should break up with him! You should break up with a guy who just got suspended for defending you, so you can be with the boyfriend-stealing, homewrecking, grand supreme slut of year nine! I mean why not. Maybe you can do it with some kind of big, grand announcement to really make it look even worse and give the whole fucking world yet ANOTHER fucking reason to hate me. That'll definitely get Mark into the `I hate Danny' club, which is growing every fucking day, I hear they're always looking for new members!" The two sat staring at each other as Danny panted from his irate rant. "Come on then," Danny said when Chris remained silent. "I'm waiting to hear how you think we can work it out! What's your magical solution?" "I don't have one," Chris replied sullenly. "I don't know where we go from here, Danny. But I want us to be okay!" As Danny continued to breathe deeply, having vented some of the many unpleasant thoughts he was juggling, he nodded gently and said, "So do I. I think it's just... time for us both to move on." He felt like he had been stabbed in the gut as he said it, but it felt like all he could say. He got a pained but understanding look of sympathy back. "Just... gimme some time, okay!" he requested, "And I'm sorry, for not telling you I remembered, and for telling Adrian!" "I know," Chris nodded. "It's okay." They exchanged awkward slightly forced smiles for a moment. "I'm gonna get back, cos the judging's due. Do you... wanna come?" "Would you... be offended if I don't?" Danny asked cautiously. Chris smiled and shook his head. "Nah, it's fine. We're not winning anyway. We were good but so many of the others were better. We can't win `em all!" "No," Danny said as he watched Chris climb off the bunk, "No, I guess we can't!" ***** Saturday 25 June 2022 "I swear you boys are going to be the death of me!" Ruby wailed as he flounced dramatically through the drama room (that's the drama classroom, to be specific, not just a room dedicated to dramatic moments). "Timothy, hand me the script!" The boys looked to each other. Usually someone ended up being the designated `Timothy' and assisting the drama club leader as his assistant, but today nobody seemed forthcoming. "Ugh, I can't even get a Timothy!" Ruby grumbled as he moved across to the desk and snatched up his paper copy of the script, still sticking to his eternal opinion that digital scripts were the work of Satan himself. "Well thanks to the actions of that terrible King Edwards ruffian, we now find ourselves missing our Damian and we are also short of our King Oberon thanks to Adrian's rather unexpected decision to withdraw from the play, but as always... the show must go on without them!" "Wow, such sympathy for Mark!" Chris mumbled, shaking his head. "Sympathy is not helpful, Christopher!" Ruby insisted. "We can mourn our fallen comrade AFTER we fix the show!" "Fallen... he's not dead!" Chris scowled. "Exactly, hence the non-necessity of sympathy, Christopher. Now shush!" Ruby said firmly, swatting Chris on the top of his head with the script as he was wont to do, yet another reason why he liked a paper copy. Striking students with electrical devices was almost certainly frowned upon. "Daniel, I know you still recall Damian's lines! You still mouth them during performances, the role is still very much within you!" "Along with a dozen dicks!" Jason Johnson added quietly to the boys around him, getting mischievous sniggers. "I... don't do that," Danny objected meekly. "You totally do!" Harley said with a confident nod. "That's how you always prompted Mark when he forgot a line!" "Indeed!" Ruby agreed. "So Danny becomes our new Damian and the role of Tytania will go to Bojing!" "Me?" the Year 8 boy asked in surprise. "Why me?" "Because your current character is fairly inconsequential and can be easily amalgamated into the others, and you have a knack for remembering lines quickly, which is exactly what we need right now. So suit up, fairy queen! Now, let's discuss the other changes. Quickly now people. The curtain goes up in less than ten hours and we have work to do!" ***** "Thank you so much!" the young Fothergill student said to Angel before happily hurrying away. Nicky grinned at the younger boy for a moment then asked, "So how did that feel?" "Like I didn't waste weeks of my life for nothing!" Angel said with a reserved smile. "Come on," Nicky said, punching Angel's arm playfully. "Cheer up. That's the third guy we've helped already this weekend. I know we haven't exactly cured their problems, but we've given them a safe space to talk about what they're going through and you've seen the difference it's made!" Angel finally allowed himself to smile properly as he said, "Yeah, I guess so. It just... makes me so sad to think of what they're dealing with... and what other people might be facing that they HAVEN'T told anyone about." "You can't solve every problem," Nicky said with a shrug. "But hey, seeing bullying problems at other schools but none at our own kinda makes you glad we're at the best school, right?" Angel frowned as he sat back in his seat. "Well, I wouldn't say we have none!" Angel said, shaking his head dismissively. "Oh, spotted some, have you?" Nicky asked curiously. After their months-long campaign to identify and tackle bullying at Kingswood had resulted in nobody coming forward with any genuine issues, the two boys had made it their business to be on the lookout for any small issues that were flying under the radar. Angel stared at Nicky for several moments, his expression changing between curiosity and outright confusion as he tried to read Nicky. "Come on, you... you know who I mean, right?" Nicky shook his head as he shrugged. "I swear I'm not playing dumb," he said, genuinely clueless what the younger boy was getting at. "Danny!" Angel exclaimed. Nicky looked even more confused. "Danny as in... Danilo, in year seven? I told you, their stuff is just that lot of being... dramatic and stuff. Hey, did I tell you Ror and Makoto got together, it was actually kinda romantic the way they..." "No, not him!" Angel interjected before Nicky could go into another anecdote about the Year 7s he had taken to watching like a reality show. "YOUR Danny. Danny Davies!" Angel stated bluntly. Nicky stared again for a few moments. "What?" he asked, smirking incredulously. "What are you talking about? Danny's not being bullied!" "It kinda looks to me like he is!" Angel insisted. "I'd know if one of my best friends was being bullied!" Nicky said, sounding slightly offended. "Okay, okay, maybe... maybe I'm just reading it wrong," Angel said defensively. "No, come on. Who's supposed to be bullying him?" Nicky demanded. "No, it's nothing, forget I said anything," Angel said, beginning to look a little uncomfortable at the reaction. Nicky sensed the younger boy's anxiety and pulled back in his seat a bit, unsure when he had even leaned forward so aggressively. "If you've seen something, it's probably not nothing. Come on Angel, who's bullying Danny?" "Well... kind of... your entire Year!" Angel said, nervous of how Nicky would react to the comment. "Oh, is this about the whole Adrian and Kyle thing? That's... that's just the big news right now. It'll pass. Besides, most the hate's aimed Adrian's way anyway, which he totally fucking deserves!" Nicky said dismissively. "No, not just recently. This is..." Angel started, then frowned at Nicky and said, "Wow, I think this is one of those situations we learned about in that video we watched online, ya know, about how you can easily miss these things. I'm not being mean, but... maybe you're too close to him to notice it!" Nicky wanted to argue back, but in all the time he had spent with Angel he had gotten to know the boy quite well, and certainly trusted his judgment. He thought for a moment and asked, "Okay, so... why do you think he's being bullied?" "Well I don't get to be round you year nines that much, and I don't really know Danny outside of his reputation, but... even I noticed when you're all together there's always... comments or, like, jokes at his expense." "That's just..." Nicky went to defend it, then realised what he was saying. "Banter?" Angel asked, raising his eyebrows. "You know as well as I do how often things get called `banter' when they're really not. Maybe that's all it is... now and then, but this is... ALL of the time," he explained. He sat silently for a moment as he watched Nicky take it in. "I know Danny's... a big personality, but that's gotta hurt even him eventually, hasn't it?" Nicky nodded gently, remaining silent as he contemplated the situation. "I'm sorry," Angel said timidly. "I'm probably wrong, you know the situation and Danny better than I do, it's just... I always notice but I just kind of assumed you knew and you were... handling it!" He sat as silent as Nicky for another few moments and repeated, "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." "No. No, you didn't!" Nicky said, seeing the younger boy beginning to get visibly upset. "Hey, I'm the one who should be sorry," he said as he stood and held his arms out. He held Angel as he stood, just a brief hug to reassure him. "Thank you for mentioning this. It's definitely something I'll keep an eye on!" ***** Mr Rudd smiled as Josh closed the door and grinned as he said, "Hi daddy!" Josh cocked his head curiously and hummed. "What's up, little man?" Mr Rudd asked with a playful smirk. "I think... maybe..." Josh started, clearly thinking as he spoke. He frowned and hummed again as he moved round the teacher's desk and hopped up to sit on it, letting his legs swing slightly as he settled. "D'ya think calling you daddy is maybe a bit... I dunno, I can't think of the word!" Mr Rudd sat back in his chair, looking the boy up and down for a moment until he suggested, "Sexualised?" "That's the word I wanted. You know me so well!" Josh gushed. "Whadda you think?" "I think it's up to you what you call me. If daddy doesn't sit right, you're welcome to go back to Mr Rudd, or Sir!" the teacher suggested. Josh scowled as he shook his head and said, "No, that's what everyone else gets to call you. I'm special!" Mr Rudd struggled to contain a laugh, but nodded and said, "You certainly are!" He thought for a moment and said, "There's Maxwell, or just Max, that's what my friends call me!" "I'm not your friend!" Josh insisted, then blushed a little and corrected himself, "I mean, you are, but... more!" He pursed his lips, clearly deliberating whether or not to say what he was thinking. All it took was an eyebrow raise and nod from the man to prompt him on to say, "Would it... be okay if I just called you... dad?" Mr Rudd stared blankly for a moment before a smile spread across his face. "I think I'd like that," he said, reaching out to pat Josh on the knee. "But I warn you now. At some point you'll accidentally call me dad out there," he gestured to the door, "And your mates are gonna rip the piss outta you mercilessly for it!" Josh blushed a little, but quickly shrugged it off as he said, "I survived getting caught wanking. I reckon I can manage anything they throw at me!" "Yeah, you probably can," Mr Rudd said proudly, patting Josh's leg supportively. "I saw you out on the obstacle course, by the way," he said, not wanting to linger on the negative too long. One of the day's activities had been some team races on the school's obstacle course, which had not long finished. "We kicked ass!" Josh said proudly. Being notorious for his speed and agility, Josh had been in demand to join various teams. "We nearly won too. You shoulda joined our team. We DEFINITELY woulda won!" "Oh, I don't doubt it," the man said confidently, "But I don't feel the need to beat a bunch of teenagers in a race to boost my ego. I'm not a King Edwards teacher!" Josh laughed at the insult for the rival school, but the smile dropped as he thought about them. "Ya know that kid who got expelled yesterday..." he started. "He's the one you had the issues with last year when you visited them, right?" Mr Rudd asked. He grinned at the surprised look on Josh's face. "Come on, if I'm gonna be your dad, it's my business to know this stuff!" "Thank you," Josh said, blushing a little. "I just... well, I knew he was giving Mark a hard time last year. I noticed it and I... kinda reached out to support Mark, but... I was thinking about what I heard happened yesterday and I keep thinking maybe it woulda been different if I'd just told a teacher instead of trying to help myself. I heard Danny saying the same thing too... about him, not about what I did." "Mm-huh," Mr Rudd hummed thoughtfully. "Do you think I did the wrong thing?" Josh asked, pouting slightly as he stared, awaiting the answer he wasn't sure he wanted to hear. "I think... focusing on right or wrong isn't a helpful approach, and I don't necessarily mean just for the that stuff," Mr Rudd explained. As Josh cocked his head curiously, the teacher continued, "Look, you've been through lots of things, experienced things other people don't and you've had some tough times. People who've been through that sort of stuff sometimes get bogged down in `what if' when they really shouldn't. The past is a place to learn, not a place to live. So, in your case, son, don't ask yourself `did I do it wrong', ask yourself `what would I do if I had to do it again now'. Does that sound reasonable?" "It sounds like you're avoiding saying I was wrong!" Josh said with a slight smirk, but as he got a disapproving look he quickly said, "But yeah, it does. Thanks... dad!" He grinned and got a content smile in return ***** "Sorry we didn't win," Harley said timidly as he towelled off. Mikey frowned a little as he sat on the bench, leaning back and seemingly unbothered by his own nudity. He had been one of the team captains for the obstacle course race and had surprised everyone by choosing the smallest Year 9 boy to join his team. "I don't think I mind," he said thoughtfully. "You... don't sound sure," Harley said as he started pull on his underwear. As a foot caught in it, he staggered slightly but Mikey's hand was immediately up to steady him, without even looking round. "I'm not," Mikey replied honestly. "I mean, I like to win as much as the next guy," he started, then smirked as he added, "So long as the next guy REALLY likes to win!" It got a giggle from Harley. "But I guess we had fun. I was pissed when you fell in the mud for, like, the sixth time but the way you were laughing about it... well, your laugh's funny, so... I guess it was worth it for that!" Harley pulled on his t-shirt and took a seat next to Mikey. "Why are you so different?" he asked softly. Mikey's eyes widened in slight panic for a moment. "When we're alone or there's just a couple of us," Harley elaborated. "It's like you're a completely different person when there's a group!" Mikey shrugged. "Don't know, I just am," he answered honestly. "Okay," Harley nodded. "Whadda you wanna do now, anyway? Or you just planning on sitting here with your dick out all afternoon?" he joked. "Oh," Mikey said, like he genuinely hadn't noticed, then reached out to grab his underwear. "Erm... I don't mind. Maybe something that's somewhere a bit... quieter. The noise is making my head go weird!" "We could..." Harley started, then looked round nervously and, seeing some other students milling around, silently mimed wanking. "Sure," Mikey said with a shrug. "Although that never takes you long, so we'll still need stuff to do after that!" "Oh, sorry," Harley said timidly. "For what?" Mikey demanded before grabbing his t-shirt. As his head popped out the top he asked abruptly, "Did it sound like I was complaining?" "I guess not," Harley giggled. A couple of minutes later, the two had left the locker room and headed down the main corridor towards the exit. "Wait up!" they heard as they walked. They stopped and turned to see Josh hurrying towards them, the door to Mr Rudd's office closing behind him. After brief pleasantries, Josh asked, "Where you two headed?" Harley blushed a little, which only intensified as Mikey answered, "We were gonna go find somewhere to wank. Wanna come?" He paused a moment then laughed, "Ha, cum! I'm so funny!" Josh and Harley exchanged slightly awkward glances. They had spent more time together over the past few weeks thanks to their mutual friendship with Mikey and already knew each other well, but the friendship had always been entirely platonic. "I'm... okay with it if Harley is," Josh said cautiously. Harley grinned at the comment and nodded emphatically as he said, "The more the merrier!" "Great," Mikey said, casually throwing an arm around each of them, though it resembled a headlock more than a hug as he dragged them along. They headed out of the building, bypassing the crowds at some of the organised activities and headed for the woods. "You two do this stuff together a lot?" Josh asked casually as they continued on. "Not a lot. Just now and then," Mikey replied. "Do you two?" Harley asked in response. "Been a while," Josh said a little awkwardly. "It'll just be nice to do it without getting punched in the balls or something first!" "Hey, I don't judge fetishes," Harley said with a smirk. "I learned that at Kinkswood!" "It's not a fetish," Mikey replied bluntly. "When I get... hazy... fighting can snap me out of it. Josh helps me with it sometimes," he admitted. Josh was quite surprised to hear it stated so openly. Giving Mikey a brief, proud smile he added, "And I have anger issues sometimes, plus my therapist sometimes says I confused aggression and affection, ya know, cos I'm just THAT fucked up!" "Yeah, we're a right pair!" Mikey said with a smirk. "You sure you wanna be in here with us?" he asked the Harley playfully. Harley looked slightly sullen for a moment, then said quietly, "I got suspended for violence when I was nine!" "No fucking chance!" Mikey sniggered, shaking his head dismissively. As he looked at Harley, he frowned, glanced off to the side for a brief moment then looked back and asked, "What happened?" Harley gave a momentary shrug and said, "It's not as bad as it sounds. Some kids at my primary school used to tease me ALL the time about being so small and one day I decided I'd had enough and threw a chair at them!" Mikey and Josh both stared in shock. "And a book!" Harley added timidly. As he saw amused smirks spread across the other two's faces, he continued, "And a bag and then a couple more chairs!" "Sounds like they deserved it!" Mikey said thoughtfully. "I hope it hurt!" Josh added with a wicked grin. "So I guess the question is whether you guys wanna be in here with me?" Harley joked playfully. Mikey looked round and shrugged as he said, "Well I don't see any chairs, so I think we're safe!" It got laughs from the other two, making him smile proudly. "I also don't see anyone else around. You guys just wanna do it here?" Josh and Harley both looked round and, seeing they were very much alone, happily agreed. "Wanna do each other?" Harley asked softly. Mikey shook his head and replied, "Nah, not today, but maybe next time!" It got a smile and a happy nod from Harley, who knew it wasn't a dismissive brush-off, but simply a statement of preference. All three boys pulled out their dicks and started playing. Harley was hard instantly, but the other two were several strokes in before they were erect. Once all three were hard, without any verbal prompt they all held their dicks out, a mix of showing off and comparing as they looked at their own and each other's. "You look bigger!" Josh observed, nodding to Mikey's dick, all fourteen centimetres, crowned with a patch of fiery-ginger pubes. "Do I look bigger too?" Harley asked with a giggle, waggling his slim, nine-centimetre penis from Mikey to Josh and back again as the three stood in a circle. "I don't think I've seen you hard before," Josh replied with a smirk. "But I'm happy to keep an eye on it!" Mikey tutted, rolled his eyes and said, "Get a room!" "Only if you come with us!" Harley joked back. Josh frowned and asked, "You two aren't together, are you?" "Eww!" they both responded in unison, though they continued stroking their dicks. "Don't put me off my wank!" Mikey added, getting a gentle laugh back from Harley. Josh smiled and replied, "Good, just checking!" "Why? You interested?" Harley asked playfully. "In you? Or in dating?" Josh asked, then shook his head and said, "Doesn't matter, both are a no!" "Wow, I feel so wanted," Harley pouted. Mikey huffed and shook his head. "So needy. I'm wanking with you. I don't do that with just anyone!" he said, his hand still pumping eagerly. "I know, just kidding," Harley replied. "And I think I'm... about to..." He never finished the sentence. There was no need to as his penis did it for him, spitting up white globs that shot ahead between Mikey and Josh, landing on the loose foliage underfoot. "That was kinda hot," Josh said, gulping slightly as he felt his own load ready to erupt. He looked to Mikey, the two exchanging words without speaking before they both turned at the same time to shoot their loads straight onto Harley. Harley stood, mouth agape as his hands, softening dick and trousers dripped with the dual load. "You two are SO gross!" he complained. "Shame Danny's not here to help clean up!" Josh sniggered as he tucked his dick away quickly. "Why? Does he really like cleaning or something?" Harley asked, oblivious to why the other two burst into laughter. ***** Rehearsals for the play had been rushed, focused mainly on getting Bojing and the other new cast changes up to speed while amalgamating vacant roles into the lines of the others. Danny had refamiliarized himself with the script for Damian, but grudgingly had to admit he really did still know the role he had initially been cast in. It was a few minutes before Ruby was due to call them all together for the usual pre-performance pep-talk, when Adrian appeared, looking nervous. "Hi," Danny said softly as he got close. "Hi!" Adrian replied timidly. "You... asked me to come!" Danny nodded, staring at his friend... former friend maybe... for a moment. "You... okay?" Adrian asked, still unable to read Danny's intent in inviting him to meet. Danny looked thoughtful for a moment as he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Chris told me you... tried to push him to forgive me, and that it was all your fault!" Adrian gulped and started, "Sorry, I probably shouldn't have..." "Thanks," Danny said without making eye contact. "I mean... we're not... me and Chris, we're not back to being... whatever, but... we spoke at least!" "I'm glad!" Adrian said sincerely. Danny sighed again and shook his head as he asked, "I just... I don't get how you could even go there, how you could... pull that particular thing out to say!" Adrian, who already looked sheepish, now looked utterly ashamed as he admitted, "I wanted to hurt him!" "Clearly!" Danny said, shaking his head. "Mission accomplished on that one! You must REALLY hate him!" Adrian stared blankly for a moment, then started to cry a little, raising a hand to his face to try and conceal it, but quickly managed to stop himself. "I don't hate him, I love him!" he sniffed. Danny stared back blankly, blinking a few times. "Have you ever done something and then regretted it, like, RIGHT away?" Adrian asked. "I'm me, so obviously yes!" Danny replied with a shrug. "That's what breaking up was for me!" Adrian insisted flatly. "I was so caught up in thinking I had feelings for you that I didn't even notice how much I was into Kyle and... yeah, I know he didn't make it easy to be with him but... fuck, the second we broke up, I KNEW I'd messed up!" "Sucky," Danny said with a slight shrug, sympathetic but not emphatically so. "And then we just kept... arguing and he kept saying these awful things and accusing me of stuff and hurting me over and over and I still loved him, but then... that night... I just... hurt so much that all I could think to do was hurt him back so I said what I said!" "And it was another `I wish I hadn't' moment?" Danny asked. Adrian just nodded sadly. Danny let out a low groan as he shook his head. "I'm still pissed at you," he said with a sigh. "As you should be!" Adrian agreed. "And I'll probably still BE pissed with you for a while," Danny added. "Again... as you should be," Adrian nodded. "But...we're friends," Danny said with a sympathetic head bob, thinking back over the year, "And you've forgiven me for things, so... just gimme some time, okay!" "It's okay," Adrian said with a shrug. "It won't be a problem for long!" Danny frowned heavily at the comment and started, "What d'you..." "GATHER ROUND, THESPIANS!" Ruby shrieked backstage, interrupting the conversation. By the time Danny turned back from looking Ruby's way, Adrian had already hurried off. He stared after him for a moment as he headed away from the performance area and back towards home then hurried to join the pre-show huddle. "You've all done wonderfully with the last-minute changes," Ruby said proudly, "And you all very much deserved the award the show received. Remember, this weekend is our celebration, the award is already won, so... have fun tonight. Enjoy the limelight and break a leg!" He received a cheer from the group before they all rushed to take their places. Following Ruby's advice, the boys took to the stage and got the show underway, giving it their all. For Danny, it was nice in a way to lose himself in the role. During his scenes, he didn't need to think about any of the unpleasant stuff he was dealing with, any of the relationships he had lost or feared he was at risk of losing. The crowd was big enough and the lights bright enough that he couldn't make out individuals, so though he knew they were there (as the entire school and every guest was gathered in the audience) he didn't need to see Joseph, or Brian, or Kyle, or any of the Year 9 boys who managed to blame him for all of Kyle's woes. The one thing that did manage to weigh on Danny's mind was one particular scene – a scene he had even gone as far as switching roles to avoid earlier in the year. Despite his reluctance, he knew it was inevitable. Characters had been dying off constantly and as the tension built, gripping the audience, the moment of reunion for Hunter (Chris) and Damian (Danny) was fast approaching. Danny staggered onto the stage, looking round frantically as he called out weakly, "Is anyone still out here?" "Damian!" Chris said, his head popping up from behind a fake shrub, "Is that you?" "Hunter! You're alive!" Danny gasped, a hand reaching out before him. The two ran to each other, meeting in the middle of the stage where they hugged. They held for a few seconds, both seemingly nervous of what was about to happen. "I thought they got you!" Danny said as they parted. "I thought I was the only left alive!" Chris raised a hand to Danny's cheek, brushing it gently with one finger. He paused, staring into his beautiful blue eyes in silence for a moment. "No babe, I'm... still here. I'd never leave you!" The words were slightly shaky, adding to the scene unintentionally. "You broke up with me!" Danny said, taking a step back and dropping to the floor. "You... you DID leave me. I..." He paused, already imagining the comments from the other Year 9s, even though he knew he'd never hear them. "I loved you and... you left me anyway!" Chris turned away, as the scene required, but raised a hand to wipe an unscripted tear. Turning back, he knelt down on one knee, looking up at Danny as he declared, "I left you because I got scared. Scared of how MUCH I loved you. You are the light of my life," he paused, sniffling slightly. "The sun in my sky... and I feared that if I flew too close to you I would burn away and be left... nothing but ash. I never stopped loving you from the first day we met and every day we have been apart has felt like the death I feared, the death we... may face here tonight!" By the end of it, he was barely holding himself together, overwhelmed with memories of the night they truly had almost died together. Danny stared back, hands trembling slightly. Just as a prompt was about to whispered from off-stage, he went on, "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!" He paused, panting slightly, almost scared to deliver the next line. He tried once and the words caught in his throat, but tried once more and somehow managed to say, "If you still have love for me... then show me!" Chris stood slowly, emerald eyes fixed on deep blue, bodies already close but edging closer. He reached out to place a hand on Danny's hip, the other raising to place on the side of his neck as they both leaned in, breaths held as silence swept the crowd. They held, so close, so ready to kiss... Suddenly, the silence was gone, replaced by the sound of an explosion and shattering glass. As every startled student and terrified teacher jumped to their feet and turned to see the source of the sound, all they could see off in the distance was the Home Building ablaze! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE END Ha, not really! What kind of monster would leave you on a cliffhanger like that? Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed. Be back here in 2 WEEKS for the FINAL CHAPTER of The Kingswood Effect! 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