THE HUNTING SEASON

By Pink Panther

Hi everybody! Pleased to be here again with another new chapter, so read on and enjoy! If you've got this far, you know the score so I'm not going to insult your intelligence by including any more disclaimers.

Thanks to everyone who wrote to me after the last chapter, but I always like to hear from my readers, so please send your comments to archimedes294@hushmail.com and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

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CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

May 1961

The next day, after first-year games, Alex got his things together and returned to the flat, an evening's marking ahead of him. He had just finished dinner when the phone rang. He picked it up. The caller was Gordon Millward. Alex was taken aback. As the choirmaster had been to the flat only the previous afternoon, he was not expecting him to call.

"Well this is an unexpected pleasure," he said. "What can I do for you?"

"I understand that you have a second boy of Bradshaw's age that you omitted to tell me about," Gordon stated.

"Oh," Alex replied, gritting his teeth. "I assume Holdsworth must have told you. I guess he let it slip out. I didn't say anything because having two boys in the same year is more than you recommend."

"Well, it is, but as you have no younger boys to choose from, and you only have three boys in total, I'm not worried at all. At your establishment, how many boys are there in each year?"

"More than a hundred and twenty."

"Almost as many as we have in the entire school. Two out of that number doesn't seem excessive. More to the point, from what Holdsworth said, this other boy is very nice-looking and very, shall we say, receptive."

"Yes, you could say that. Although Pennington's never played for the school, he was in my under-12 football training squad. I knew quite early on that he was interested, but as I don't teach him, I couldn't approach him in front of the other boys. They might have got suspicious.

Anyway, one Saturday morning he came to support the team at one of our home matches. Our opponents arrived late, which meant that by the time we'd finished, everyone else had gone home, leaving me to lock up the pavilion. I found Pennington still hanging around after everyone else had left. He asked if he could use the toilet before I locked up. I knew what he wanted. Well, I wasn't going to turn him down. As you mentioned, he's a very nice-looking boy. But I was already committed to Bradshaw by then, so I ended up with the two of them."

"Oh, I see! Well, I'd love to meet him. Could you bring him with you this Saturday?"

"Probably. I'll have to ask him. I'm seeing him after school on Wednesday. I'll give you a call. Whitney won't be too pleased, of course."

"Well, I'm sure you'll be able to handle it," Gordon said reassuringly.

"And which of your boys will be there?"

"I thought Van Kerkstraat."

"That may not work too well," Alex advised. "Although Pennington's bigger than Bradshaw and he's been able to cum for months, he's shown little interest in fucking. He did fuck Long after a fashion, but only because the lad knelt across his chest and sat on his cock. He definitely prefers taking it."

"How d'you think he'd feel about taking it from a boy who's smaller than he is?"

"If you're talking about Southcott, I don't think it would bother him at all."

"Fair enough. See what you can do. I'll look forward to hearing from you on Wednesday evening."

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

Since the Easter holidays, rather than picking Pennington up outside the Kings Head, Alex had arranged to meet the lad at the bus stop outside Beechwood Park, near where the lad lived. If the weather was warm and dry, they'd go into the woods. If not, they'd drive back to Alex's flat.

Two days after the phone call from Gordon, Alex drove towards the appointed spot. As the weather was sunny and pleasantly warm, there was no doubt that they would go to their usual hiding place. Doing it outdoors made Pennington even hornier than he usually was, and Alex had to admit that there was something primal about it, an element of risk that made the forbidden fruit taste even sweeter.

As he reached the bus stop, the lad, still in his school uniform, was waiting for him. As he parked the car a little further on, Pennington came to join him. They quickly headed into the park.

"I need to talk to you," Alex said quietly. "You've met Whitney's friend Holdsworth, haven't you?"

"Yes sir."

"As you may know, he's at boarding school. His music master, Mr Smith, is a friend of mine, which is how Whitney and Holdsworth became friends. We go over there quite often. I'd asked Holdsworth not to mention you to Mr Smith, but it seems he forgot. The upshot is that Mr Smith wants to meet you. He's asked if I could take you over to his place on Saturday afternoon."

"Would it be like when Mr Brown comes to your flat?"

"Very similar. One of his boys would be there too."

"So what's Mr Smith like?"

"He's very nice. He's quite a bit older than me. In fact, he taught me when I was a boy at the school. That was where I learned about sex."

"Really, sir? That's amazing! So would he want to fuck me?"

"Yes, definitely."

"What's his cock like?"

"Somewhat bigger than mine, but he is very gentle. Bradshaw's met him. He took it alright. Mr Smith will want you to sit on his lap, facing away from him, so that his prick goes up your bottom."

"You mean like yours does when Mr Brown, Whitney and I come to your flat?"

"Exactly!"

"So will the other boy get spit-roasted like Whitney does? I love that!"

"Absolutely!"

"Will that be Holdsworth? He's really nice!"

"Probably not on this occasion. I think it'll be a boy called Southcott. He's the same age as you, but he loves to fuck. Whitney and Bradshaw like him a lot."

"Okay then, sir. What time will I have to meet you?"

"What's the earliest you can make it to the Kings Head?"

"Two o'clock if I'm going to be certain that I'll be on time."

"Okay, two o'clock it is."

Having reached their hiding place, they quickly set about undressing each other. Pulling down Pennington's grey school shorts, Alex noticed that the lad was wearing football shorts instead of underpants.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" he whispered, running his hand over the hard bulge in front.

"Yes sir! We haven't done it like that for weeks."

Alex licked his lips, the prospect of fucking the lad in his football shorts raising his level of arousal by several notches.

"Well," he said seductively. "If that's what you want, I'd better not disappoint you."

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

At morning break the following day, Alex waited in his classroom for Whitney to arrive.

"You wanted to see me sir?" the teenager asked, striding into the room.

"Yes, come and sit down," Alex responded. "There's a problem about this Saturday. It seems that Holdsworth inadvertently mentioned something about Pennington. I've had Mr Smith on the phone. He wants to meet him. He's asked me to take him over this Saturday. As you know, Mr Smith and I go back a long way. I would have only turned him down if Pennington had told me he couldn't go, but he didn't. So that's what we'll be doing."

"I suppose Mr Smith will want to see Pennington every time now, won't he?" Michael demanded sulkily.

"He might," Alex said evenly, "but that isn't what's going to happen. Mr Smith will still want Van Kerkstraat to be involved in our little get-togethers, as will I. And as Pennington has no interest in fucking, it'll have to be you."

"What about Bradshaw?"

"You are absolutely not to repeat this," Alex said firmly, "but we tried that. Bradshaw's not big enough yet. He came alright, but Van Kerkstraat just knelt there like a tailor's dummy. He hardly reacted at all."

"Oh, I see. Has Bradshaw fucked Long yet?"

"Yes, he did that the week before. That went splendidly. They both absolutely loved it, but Long's still really tight, of course."

"And Van Kerkstraat isn't, because he's taking Mr Smith's monster every other day."

"I'd say that was a pretty fair assessment. You'll probably have to miss a couple more Saturdays before the end of term, but I promise I'll keep it to a minimum. Okay?"

"Yes sir. So who'll be there on Saturday? Holdsworth?"

"No, I think it's going to be Southcott."

"But he's smaller than Pennington," Michael objected.

"True," Alex said, smiling. "But I can't see that bothering them too much. Right, you'd better go and get what's left of your break. I'll see you this afternoon."

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

On Friday afternoon, having changed out of his school clothes, Michael pottered around in his bedroom waiting for Tom Pennington to arrive. At twenty-five past four, the doorbell rang. He hurried downstairs to answer it. Pennington, still in his school uniform, was standing on the step.

"Come in!" Michael said, smiling. They headed up to Michael's bedroom. "So Mr Faulkner's taking you to meet Mr Smith tomorrow?" the teenager added.

"Yes, he asked me about it on Wednesday."

"Right! It was supposed to have been me, but Holdsworth let slip something about meeting you, so Mr Smith asked Mr Faulkner to take you instead."

"Yes, that's what he said."

"You're lucky," Michael sighed. "I love going there. I always have a super time. Tomorrow, I'll get so horny, I won't know where to put myself."

"We could meet tomorrow morning, if you want," Tom suggested.

"Where would we go?"

"In the woods, near where I live. It's going to be warm and sunny all weekend. I love doing it out in the woods when it's warm like this."

"Are you sure it's safe?"

"Absolutely. I've been there with Mr Faulkner several times. He wouldn't go there with me if he thought we might get caught."

Michael thought for a moment. Much as he preferred the safety and comfort of his bedroom, that wasn't available on Saturdays when his parents were around. So unless he waited until he visited his uncle on the Sunday afternoon, Pennington's offer was the best he was going to get.

"Okay, where will I meet you?" he asked.

"At the bus stop on Beechwood Road, outside the Park."

"Yeah, I know where that is. What time?"

"Half past ten?"

"Fine," Michael answered, smiling. "Now let's get on with today!"

After Pennington had pulled off his shoes and socks, the two boys began to undress each other. Pretty soon they were both naked from the waist up. Michael quickly undid the younger lad's grey school shorts, surprised to find white cotton gym shorts underneath.

"What are you wearing those for?" he asked.

"Oh, I think you know," Tom said, grinning. "From what I've been told, you like getting done like that as much as I do."

Michael licked his lips. This was a bonus he hadn't expected.

"Okay," he said, smiling. "But you can take them off for now. I still want to suck you and lick your bum."

Over the next ten minutes, they reprised their usual routine.

"Okay," Michael said, handing Tom the tube of K-Y. "Lube me up then!"

Tom obediently smeared the gel over the teenager's penis.

"Right," Michael instructed. "You can put them back on now."

Having donned his gym shorts, Tom bent down, feet apart, his hands resting on the bed. Michael moved in behind, carefully lowering the skimpy garment an inch or two, just as Mr Faulkner did with him. Inserting his cock into the leg of the shorts, he guided it onto the twelve-year old's starfish. With one well-directed thrust, he was in. Holding the lad around the thighs, Michael pushed in deeper until his pubic bone was pressed tight against his younger friend's bottom. After a moment's pause, he began to fuck.

Within a few seconds, a small wet patch developed at the front of Tom's shorts, the twelve-year old moaning and whimpering, begging the teenager to do it harder. Suddenly, he bucked like a wild animal, his anal ring flaring and tightening around the older boy's penis. A moment later, his prick jerked into action, the small wet patch quickly becoming a large sticky one.

"Oh fuck!" Michael gasped, his orgasm almost knocking him over. "Oh yes!"

Hanging on as best he could, his cock pulsed repeatedly, rope after rope of teen spunk spurting into the younger lad's bottom. After taking a few seconds to regain his composure, he carefully withdrew. Almost immediately, Tom farted noisily, an even larger wet patch spreading across the seat of his shorts.

"Wow!" Michael exclaimed. "You're not going home with those on, are you?"

"No, it's okay," Tom assured him. "I've got my briefs in my blazer pocket."

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

As forecast, Saturday morning was warm and sunny. At quarter past ten, Michael, dressed in a tee-shirt and blue summer shorts, got out his bicycle from the garage and headed to Beechwood Park. As it was close to his uncle's flat, he knew the area well.

When he reached the bus stop, Tom, similarly dressed, was waiting for him.

"Hi!" the twelve-year old greeted. "Glad you could make it. It's a super day, isn't it?"

"Yeah!" Michael agreed, dismounting from his bike.

Within seconds, his penis was fully erect. Turning onto a side-road, they strolled to the park entrance. After locking up his bicycle, Michael accompanied Tom into the park, taking care to note where they went.

"What are you wearing under there?" he whispered, nodding towards his friend's boy-parts.

"Oh, I've got briefs on today," Tom said, grinning.

They made their way into the woods. A few minutes later, they arrived at a small clearing among the bushes. Although not far from the path, they were completely hidden from view.

"Is this it?" Michael asked, grinning.

"Yeah! What d'you think?"

"It's good. How did you find it?"

"I know these woods pretty well. Last summer, I wanted to find somewhere I could hide. After looking around for a couple of hours, I discovered this place."

"So this is where you come with Mr Faulkner?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Are we going to strip off?"

"We don't usually. Mr Faulkner pulls my shorts and underpants down and he takes his trousers down."

"Right!" Michael said, smiling. "That suits me. Are you ready, then?"

Tom nodded. They began by feeling each other up, each of them fondling the other's boy-parts. After a few seconds, their shorts and briefs were around their ankles. As Tom pulled up his tee-shirt, Michael knelt down, his lips closing over the younger boy's prick. He sucked it expertly, twisting his head this way and that, his tongue performing wonders on the small, shiny head.

Slipping his hand between the youngster's legs, Michael began to stroke the lad's perineum, his fingers gradually moving back until he reached the twelve-year old's rosebud. Sensing that the boy was getting close, he pulled away.

Without a word being spoken, they swapped places. Michael loved to have his cock sucked by a younger boy. The fact that Tom Pennington's technique was no more than average was largely irrelevant. The important thing was that the lad was doing it willingly, his near six-inch prong touching the back of the younger boy's throat.

"Okay, you can stop now," Michael whispered.

Obediently, Tom released the teenager's glistening penis. Shuffling around, he bent over, resting his hands on the low bank that bordered one side of their hiding place. Michael knelt down behind. Carefully parting the youngster's bum-cheeks, he lapped at the boy's starfish. It twitched invitingly. Encouraged, Michael pushed his tongue inside.

"Ooooh!" Tom purred. "Oh yes!"

Having retrieved the tube of K-Y from the pocket of his shorts, Michael applied some to his fingers. He inserted his first one into the lad's anus. It slid in easily. He quickly added the middle one, which also met with little resistance.

There was no more to be done, Michael concluded. He'd given the lad a good, hard fucking just eighteen hours earlier. Now he was about to do it again. Getting to his feet, he smeared K-Y over his prick. He moved in close, guiding it onto its target. With one hard thrust, he penetrated him.

"Ohhhh!" Tom whimpered. "That feels so good!"

Without a moment's pause, Michael held Tom around the thighs, drawing the younger boy right onto him.

"This is what you want, isn't it?" he demanded.

"Oh yeah!" Tom confirmed. "Come on Mike! Do it! I want to feel you spunking up my bum!"

Without hesitation, Michael got down to his task. After just a few strokes, he was into his rhythm, fucking the lad relentlessly. Tom Pennington was by no means the tightest, but that didn't concern him. What mattered was that he was pounding the arse of a very cute younger boy who was loving every second of it.

"Ohhh! Tom moaned. "Please Mike! Play with my cock!"

Reaching down, Michael wrapped his fingers around his playmate's throbbing prick and began to give him a gentle wank. After only a few strokes, Tom bucked violently.

"Ohhh!" he gasped. "Oh! Oh! Ohhhhh!"

A moment later, his penis swelled and pulsed between Michael's fingers, little jets of boy-cum spraying into the bushes. At the same time, his anus went into spasm around the thirteen-year old's cock. The result was the same as it always was, three healthy ropes of teen spunk spurting Tom's bottom.

As his breathing began to recover, Michael gently pulled out. He was glowing. He loved fucking younger kids, especially cute ones like Tom. He wondered if that was what he'd always want to do. He found the thought unsettling and pushed it away.

As soon as they were dressed, they headed back the way they'd come, Tom having kept Michael's spunk inside him as he invariably did.

"D'you know who Mr Smith will have with him?" Michael asked.

"Mr Faulkner said it'd be a boy called Southcott."

"Yeah, that's what he told me. Southcott's a super kid. Mad as a hatter, but really good fun to be with."

"What's mad about him?" Tom asked, looking a little worried.

"Oh, he likes taking on dares, stuff most kids wouldn't dream of doing. And he likes being spanked. Mr Faulkner always spanks him before they fuck. I was quite upset the first time I saw it. I thought Mr Faulkner was hurting him. But Southcott loves it."

"Oh, right!"

On reaching the park entrance, they said their goodbyes. While going through the motions of unlocking his bike, Michael watched the younger boy disappear along the road. As soon as the lad was out of sight, he locked his bike up again and hurried back to the hiding place.

It was as he'd thought. On the far side from where they'd entered, there was a small gap through which he could pass. Going through, the only way led him around the side of the den before reaching a dead-end. That was okay, he noted, the only way into their hiding place being the way they'd come.

Turning to his right, he looked towards the space where he and Tom had just been. At first, he couldn't see anything, the thick bushes seeming quite impenetrable. But suddenly, he found it. In just one spot, there was a perfect line of sight into the den. Someone positioned where he was would have been able to watch him and Tom fucking.

It was an exciting discovery. But would someone in the den be able to see him? Carefully making his way back, he tried to look through the other way. He couldn't see a thing. At first, he was puzzled. For sure, the little space where he'd just secreted himself was smaller and darker than the clearing where he and Tom had had sex, but was that all it was?

Almost by chance, he looked up. Immediately, he had to avert his eyes as he found himself looking straight into the sun. He knew straightaway that that was the reason. Looking through into the hiding place, the sun had been behind him, enabling him to see perfectly. Looking the other way, the sun shining in his face meant he couldn't see anything. A plan was forming in his brain. He was far from sure that he'd be able to put it into action, but he was definitely going to try.

Although he'd cum barely twenty minutes earlier, he was horny beyond belief. Undoing the front of his shorts, he took out his prick. His thoughts turned to Tom Pennington, picturing the pain and shock on the twelve-year old's face as his boy-hole was reamed by Mr Smith's man-sized prong.

He began to masturbate, his focus switching to Southcott, Pennington's cock in his mouth, Mr Faulkner's up his bum. He wished it could be him. He'd even submit to having his bottom smacked if that's what his form master wanted. His penis jerked painfully, a little rope of spunk spurting onto the ground immediately in front of him. After squeezing the last drops from his foreskin, he tucked his fuck-stick back into his underpants, did up his shorts and headed for home.

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

Standing outside the Kings Head, Tom was very nervous. He was almost hoping that Mr Faulkner wouldn't show up. But just before two o'clock, his teacher's car appeared, drawing up next to him. Putting his nerves to one side, he got in.

"Good to see you," Alex greeted. "Looking as sexy as always. Are you okay?"

"Yes, thank you sir."

"You're bound to be a bit nervous," Alex said, reading the youngster's mood. "Don't worry; you'll be fine."

"Whitney said Southcott's as mad as a hatter."

"Actually, he's not," Alex said reassuringly. "He is a bit wild and likes to try things that other boys wouldn't, but he's a really nice lad and does very well in class."

"What sort of things, sir?"

"Oh, I'll leave him to tell you about that! I noticed you playing cricket on Monday. You looked pretty good."

"I did okay, but I only got to bowl a couple of overs. The rest of the time I was just fielding."

"Even so, you seemed to be doing pretty well. You took a very good catch."

"Yes, I took a wicket as well, but Mr Forbes wanted to give some of the other boys the chance to bowl, so that was it. I hope that I'll get to bat the next time we play."

At ten to three, Alex drove into the cathedral close and parked the car. Tom was awestruck. Although he lived in a large detached house in a very prosperous area, it wasn't anything like this. It felt as though they were stepping back in time.

Leaving the car, he accompanied his teacher to Mr Smith's front door. They rang the bell. Moments later, they were ushered inside. They were shown into the lounge where a nice-looking boy with neatly combed dark brown hair was sitting on the sofa. As they entered the room, the lad stood up and strode towards them.

"Hello!" he said, extending his hand. "I'm Southcott. You must be Pennington. Delighted to meet you!"

"Pleased to meet you too," Tom responded.

"Come and sit down," Southcott suggested, guiding his new friend to the sofa.

"Would you like a drink?" Mr Smith asked, turning to the boys.

"May we have some lemonade, please sir," Southcott responded.

The adults disappeared into the kitchen, leaving the boys to get to know each other. Tom found himself tongue-tied. Southcott seemed friendly, confident and not in the least bit mad, but he wasn't sure what to say to him.

"How did you get into doing this?" Southcott asked quietly.

Tom quickly recounted the events of the previous summer.

"Wow, I wish I had the chance to do something like that during the holidays," Southcott said, grinning. "So how did you get together with Mr White?"

"When I started at the grammar school, I went to football training," Tom explained. "Afterwards, we had to have a shower. I saw Mr White watching us. He was looking at us just like David's scoutmaster did, so I knew he was interested. But he doesn't teach me, so it was a bit awkward. Eventually, I managed to get him on his own. That was it, really."

"Holdsworth says you like taking it up the bum."

"Yeah."

"So will you let me do that?"

"Yes. I was hoping you would."

"You can cum, can't you?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever fucked another boy?"

"Yes, I did once. It was with a boy called Long. I didn't really know what to do, so he got me lying on my back, knelt across my chest and sat on my cock, so it went right up him. Then he bounced up and down till I spunked in his boy-hole. It was okay, but I prefer taking it."

"I've fucked Long a few times," Southcott confided. "He can't get enough of it. And his bum's so small. I wouldn't have thought he'd be able to take Mr Smith's, but he does."

"Mr White told me you like to do stuff other boys wouldn't do. I asked him what sort of stuff, but he said I should ask you.

"Well," Southcott explained. "I used to take on dares, that sort of thing. My best one was stealing a pair of the school captain's underpants, climbing onto the roof and hanging them from the flagpole. I got caned for that. But I don't do stuff like that anymore."

"Really? Why did you stop?"

"This school is very traditional. When we get caned, we have to take our shorts down. I didn't mind. Getting caned always gave me a hard-on. But the last couple of times, I had a dry cum. That was bad enough, but now I can cum properly, I know what would happen. I'd squirt in my underpants. That would be far too embarrassing, and to make it worse, I'd have to go round in spunky underpants for the rest of the day."

"Whitney told me you liked being spanked," Tom said.

"Yes, I love it," Southcott admitted. "Especially when Mr White does it."

At that point, their teachers returned to the lounge. As he sat drinking his lemonade, Tom looked around. Although the house was every bit as posh as the one where he lived, like its surroundings, it looked as though it belonged to a bygone age.

"Sir," he piped up, addressing his host. "Is that your Jaguar outside?"

"Yes," Mr Smith confirmed. "Why d'you ask?"

"We've got one of those," Tom explained. "They're super, aren't they sir?"

"Yes, I've had it a few months now," Mr Smith told him. "I'm very pleased with it."

As soon as they'd finished their drinks, they made their way to Mr Smith's bedroom. As the adults sat down to watch, the boys began to undress each other. In less than a minute, they were down to their skimpy white briefs. Southcott reached across, running his fingers over his new friend's penis.

"You've got a nice one!" he whispered. "Maybe you should be fucking me!"

"I'd rather we did it like we said," Tom responded.

"Happy to oblige!" Southcott assured him.

They pulled down each other's underpants. Southcott noted that he was right. Pennington's cock was a good half inch longer than his and correspondingly thicker. Normally, the taller boy with the bigger prick would have been the one to do the fucking, but not on this occasion.

They climbed onto the luxurious double bed, snuggling up close, their erections grinding together. Taking charge, Southcott drew Pennington into a passionate kiss. After a few minutes, they moved into a sixty-nine. With only a small difference in height, they fitted together beautifully. It was a delight for both of them. They had to restrain themselves in order not to cum.

Slipping his hand between Pennington's legs, Southcott's index finger alighted on the lad's rosebud. He pushed it in, surprised to find that the youngster's bum-hole was already well-lubricated.

"Would you like me to lick you out?" he asked, withdrawing his finger.

"Yes please!"

With the lad on all-fours, Southcott set to work, his tongue lapping at his friend's anus. Pushing it in, he got an even bigger surprise. The taste was unmistakeable. Spunk! Pennington must have been fucked within the previous few hours. Who was responsible for that, he wondered? He didn't want to say anything in front of Mr White, but it didn't matter. He'd ask later, when he and Pennington went to the bathroom.

"Are you ready then?" he asked, though the question was hardly necessary.

"Yes!" Tom urged. "Stick it up my bum!"

Moments later, Southcott's prick was right inside him, rapidly pistoning in and out. Smaller than any of the others he'd taken, it felt quite different, barely grazing his prostate. Although he found it very enjoyable, he sensed that it would keep him teetering on the edge without ever making him cum.

Southcott jack-hammered away as hard as he could, the wonderful tingling sensations building steadily. Almost without warning, his breathing became harsh and irregular. With his muscles going into spasm, he drove right in. As he held onto the lad's thighs, his prong jerked violently, three jets of boy-cum spurting into Pennington's bottom.

After a suitable pause, he carefully withdrew, flopping down onto the bed. Tom lay down to face him, watching the lad's chest rising and falling.

"Was that good?" he asked.

"Yeah!" Southcott confirmed. "I love fucking! Did you like it?"

"Yeah, it was super! You could have kept doing that forever!"

"Did you cum?"

"No, but that's good. I wanted to save it for later."

"You've done this before then?"

"Yeah, I've done it a few times."

"Okay, I think they're ready for us now. You go and sit with Mr Smith."

Tom sat up. As the two teachers were now naked, he got his first view of Mr Smith's erect penis. He swallowed hard.

"Wow!" he whispered nervously. "Mr Smith's cock's really big, isn't it?"

"You're used to taking Mr White's, aren't you?" Southcott countered.

"Yes, I've taken it loads of times."

"Then don't worry about it. You know what to do. Relax as much as you can and take it slow. You'll be fine. Bradshaw and Long have taken it, and they're both smaller than you are."

Rather apprehensively, Tom got off the bed, his gaze fixed on Mr Smith's impressively large prong. This was going to hurt!

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

As soon as Pennington vacated his position on the bed, Alex moved across to replace him.

"So how was that?" he asked, smiling. "Did you have a good time? It looked like you did."

"Yes sir," Southcott responded. "It was good. I love to fuck!"

"Yes, I rather gathered that."

"Pennington's not all that tight," Southcott went on, lowering his voice, "but I'm used to that."

"With, for example?" Alex probed.

"Well, Jessop for one. And Van Kerkstraat. It's a shame. When I first did it with him he was really tight, but now he's taking Mr Smith's all the time . . ."

"I understand," Alex said, cutting him off. "So who's your favourite boy to fuck?"

"Well Bradshaw's very good, of course, but I'd say my favourite was Long. He's incredible!"

"I can't disagree with that," Alex told him. "Well, I'd better get you ready. Pull your legs up for me."

Lifting his legs, Southcott drew them back until his knees were close to his shoulders. Alex moved around behind, his tongue gently bathing the youngster's rosebud. He pushed it inside.

"Oooh, sir!" Southcott exhaled, clearly revelling in the wonderful feelings the man was giving him.

Withdrawing his tongue, Alex replaced it with a well-lubed index finger, thrusting it deep into the lad's rectum. As he'd expected, there was little resistance.

"Well, I think you're about ready," he said, smiling. "Bearing in mind what happened last time we did this," he continued, taking a towel from the bedside cabinet, "Mr Smith asked me to put this under you. Help me spread it out, will you?"

With the towel spread across the foot of the bed, Southcott got down on all fours, just in time to see Pennington sitting atop Mr Smith's penis. As he watched, he received a sharp smack on his bottom.

"Oh fuck!" he protested.

"I've warned you about your language!" Alex retorted.

He promptly administered a second blow, Southcott's prick twitching in response. Alex quickly lined himself up. Guiding his cock onto its target, he thrust it deep into the twelve-year old's bum.

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

Tom stood submissively in front of Mr Smith, who was sitting in his armchair.

"Well, young man," the music master enquired. "Did you enjoy having Southcott's cock in your bottom?"

"Yes, very much sir."

"You're a gorgeous boy with a beautiful cock," the music master pronounced, licking his lips.

Leaning forwards, he took the lad's prick into his mouth. He sucked it sensuously, his lips and tongue exploring every square inch. Finally, he sat up.

"Mmmmm!" he purred. "It tastes as good as it looks! I bet you make lovely clear spunk. Southcott's going to love that! Okay, your turn now!"

Tom knelt down. Holding the base of the man's penis, he took it into his mouth. He found it hard to get much past the head, but Mr Smith didn't seem to mind, the man's fingers ruffling his hair. He began to suck. Gradually, he got down a little further, but taking the whole thing was out of the question.

"Okay, you can stop now," Mr Smith told him.

Allowing the boy got to his feet, he produced a tube of K-Y, squeezing some onto the youngster's fingers. Knowing what was expected, Tom carefully smeared it over the man's rampant prong.

"Right, I am assured that you know what to do," Mr Smith intoned.

Obediently, Tom turned around, slowly lowering himself onto Mr Smith's lap until his boy-hole encountered the head of the man's penis. Trying his best to relax, he pushed out, just as he did for Mr White, but nothing happened.

"Push out a bit harder, there's a good boy," Mr Smith instructed.

Tom tried again. Suddenly, Mr Smith's large appendage penetrated his boy-hole.

"Aaaaggghhhh!" he gasped, perspiration breaking out on his forehead, the sharp pain of his anal ring being stretched considerably further than he was used to having taken his breath away. Instinctively, he tried to get up, but Mr Smith's hands were resting on top of his thighs, holding him in place.

"Relax!" the choirmaster said gently. "Take some deep breaths. You can do it."

With no other choice, Tom followed the man's instructions, the pain of entry slowly ebbing away. Over the following few minutes, he slowly lowered himself onto his host's cock, no more than one centimetre at a time. Eventually, he was sitting right in Mr Smith's lap, his bottom in contact with the man's thighs. Having been in this position with Mr White, he knew what to do, raising his feet and resting them against the side of the bed. Although still uncomfortable, the pain was far less severe than it had been.

"Sir," he said quietly. "It feels like I've got a tree-trunk up my bum."

From his position on the bed, Southcott had a perfect view of all that had happened. Although he had seen it on several previous occasions, the sight of a lad's boy-hole stretched around the music master's cock was still a source of wonder. Without waiting to be asked, he lowered his head and shoulders, his mouth closing over Pennington's erect penis.

"Okay boys!" Mr Smith ordered. "Keep nice and still!"

The action began immediately. Tom scarcely knew where he was. While Southcott's prick had barely grazed his sex-gland, Mr Smith's was pressing hard against it, the man's gentle thrusts and the ministrations of Southcott's lips and tongue making him hornier by the second. After barely two minutes, he could stand it no longer.

"Ohhh!" he squealed. "I'm going to cum!"

In the next instant, his penis swelled and pulsed, his tangy boy-juice squirting onto Southcott's tongue.

"Oh, wonderful!" Mr Smith enthused, the boy's anus spasming around his cock. "I'm going to shoot my spunk into your lovely tight bottom!"

"Oooooh!" Tom groaned as the man's semen filled his boy-tunnel.

The sensation of Pennington's joy-stick jerking in his mouth and the taste of the lad's spunk were all the additional stimulation that Southcott needed. As Mr White's penis continued to pound into him, he ejected two little jets of watery cum onto the towel that was covering the bed-clothes.

"Oh, you sexy boy!" Alex growled. "Now take my spunk!"

Tightening his grip on the lad's thighs, he quickly deposited his creamy load in the twelve-year old's rectum. After a short pause, they disengaged. As usual, Southcott was leaking profusely, Mr White's spunk trickling down his legs. Alex looked across at Pennington, intending to ask the lad to lick Southcott clean, but Pennington, he observed, was in considerable discomfort.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I think so, sir," Tom answered, "but my bum feels like it's on fire."

"Shall I give him a bath sir?" Southcott volunteered. "I know where everything is."

"Yes, go ahead!" Mr Smith instructed, smiling approvingly.

As Southcott and Pennington left the room, Alex and Gordon relaxed in their chairs.

"Pennington's a delightful specimen, isn't he?" Gordon said thoughtfully. "I was a bit worried when I first got inside him, but once he'd got used to it, he took it beautifully."

"Unlike Bradshaw, he's actually quite soft," Alex explained. "He doesn't like pain, which is one reason he didn't make the football team. I was concerned that he might panic and not be able to relax, but he did very well."

"I take it you'll bring him here again?"

"Yes, I thought possibly a couple more times this term. I don't want us to exclude Whitney just yet. At the moment Bradshaw's not quite big enough to give Van Kerkstraat a proper fucking, and Pennington's not really interested, so Whitney still has a role to play. Of course, once he starts his third year, I'd expect Pennington to become a more frequent visitor here."

"That sounds fair enough," Gordon agreed. "And if I'm not seeing the lad too often, he'll be wonderfully tight when I do."

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

Tom sat relaxing in the bath, the warm soapy water helping to ease the soreness.

"Are you feeling better now?" Southcott asked.

"Yes, much better thanks."

"I know what it's like to have your bum-hole stretched. Have you heard what Whitney and Holdsworth did to me back before Christmas?"

"No, not a word. What happened?"

"The two of them fucked me at the same time. Holdsworth was lying on his back. He told me to sit on his cock, like you just did with Mr Smith's. Well that was easy enough, so I lay down with my back on his chest. Then Whitney knelt down between our legs. I thought he was going to suck me off. Instead he lifted my legs up and shoved his cock in as well. It was very exciting, but it hurt like hell! I could hardly walk afterwards."

"Wow, I didn't even know you could do that!"

"Neither did I, but Holdsworth did. Last summer, a couple of the older boys did him the same way. The worst part for me was that the following afternoon I had to sing a solo in the cathedral."

"And did you do it?"

"Oh yes. I was still pretty sore, but I did it. I wasn't going to give it up!"

"I hope they don't try doing that to me," Tom said, looking worried. "I'd hate it!"

"Tell Whitney you know what they did," Southcott suggested, "And say they're not to try it with you. I'm sure he'll get the message." He paused for a moment. "Is it okay if I ask you something?"

"Yes, of course."

"When I was licking you out, there was spunk up your bum."

Tom turned crimson with embarrassment. It hadn't occurred to him that Southcott would have been able to tell.

"Anyone I know?" Southcott enquired.

"Whitney."

"So when was that?"

"This morning. Yesterday afternoon I was round at his house. I always go there on Fridays while his mum and dad are at work. Anyway, he started going on about how he was supposed to have come here today, and how horny he was going to get. I said we could meet this morning if he wanted. I've got this hiding place in the woods near where we live. I love doing stuff out there. I've been there with Mr White a few times. So that's what we did."

"I love doing it outdoors when it's warm and sunny," Southcott enthused. "It's really exciting, isn't it?

"Maybe we could meet sometime?" Tom suggested. "You know, during the holidays?"

"I'd love to," Southcott said a little sadly, "but we live on the other side of London. I couldn't travel all that way on my own. I'd get lost."

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

On Sunday afternoon, Michael arrived at his uncle's flat with an uncharacteristic spring in his step.

"You're looking very pleased with yourself," Jack commented, letting him in. "What's happened?"

"I've met this first-year boy at school," Michael explained. "His name's Tom and he's really sexy."

"I see. How did that happen?"

"I'd gone to the toilets near the physics lab for a piss. As I went in, I saw this first-year kid at the stand-ups but didn't think anything about it. I was just finishing when I noticed he was still there. I thought something was going on, so I had a peek. He'd got a hard-on and he was playing with it. Of course, I got hard in about two seconds flat."

"Very interesting! So when was this?"

"Just after the Easter holidays."

"I see. And what did you do?"

"We couldn't do anything right then because the bell was about to go for the end of the lunch break, so I arranged to meet him after school. We went into one of the stalls and he sucked me off. That's how it started. For the last couple of weeks, he's been coming to our house after school, Tuesdays and Fridays. Like I said, he's really sexy. He loves taking it up the bum."

"Lucky you! Has he told you how he got into it?"

"He's got a cousin about a year older than me who lives near the south coast. Tom spends time there during the school holidays. His cousin's in the Scouts. That was where he started doing it."

"And he was more than happy to teach Tom about it, no doubt."

"Yes. Actually, I wasn't going to say anything. I know you wouldn't let me bring him here. But on Friday, Tom suggested we could meet on Saturday morning. He lives in one of the big houses by Beechwood Park. He said to meet him at the bus stop because he knew a place we could go where nobody would be able to see us."

"Carry on!"

"Well, I wasn't going to say no. We went into the woods. He took us to this place a few yards off the path. It's like a den. We were completely hidden. Well, it was plenty warm enough and we were both horny, so we did it right there."

"Did what, exactly?"

"We took our shorts and pants down and took turns sucking each other. Then he let me fuck him up the bum."

"Very nice!"

"Yes, but the thing was that I noticed that there seemed to be a second way in and out of the den, so when Tom went home, I went back to have a look. Well, there was, but it didn't go anywhere. After a few yards, you couldn't go any further. But guess what?"

"Surprise me."

"Well, there was a small gap in the bushes. I only found it by accident. You could see right into the den. Someone who'd hidden themselves there would have been able to see what we were doing."

"But if you could see into the den, someone in the den would have been able to see you."

"Not really. I checked. It's because of the light. I can show you afterwards if you don't believe me."

"And why would I be interested?"

"Well, I thought that if it was warm again next Saturday, we'd do it again. If you'd hidden yourself before we got there, you'd be able to watch us. And after I'd finished, you could fuck him if you wanted to."

"You, young man, will get me into lots of trouble!"

"Not really. If we did it right, he wouldn't even see you. Won't you come and have a look after we've had our fun?"

"Okay, I'll come and have a look, but I'm not making any promises."

"Thanks!" Michael said, grinning from ear to ear. Reaching out, he ran his hand over the front of his uncle's trousers. "May I have that up my bum now, please?" he asked.

Jack allowed himself a satisfied smile. Although he preferred boys with no pubic hair whose spunk was still clear and watery, Michael was slim, boyish-looking, delightfully smooth-skinned and a quite wonderful fuck. He still found the lad very attractive and knew that he'd continue to do so for at least another year.

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

Forty minutes later, Michael and his uncle were strolling through Beechwood Park, enjoying the warm spring sunshine. Shortly after entering the woods, Michael led the way off the main path. After several twists and turns, picking their way through the bushes and ducking a couple of times to avoid overhanging branches, they arrived at Tom's hiding-place.

Jack was impressed. On holidays abroad, he's engaged in outdoor activities with some willing local boys. None of the places he'd used had been as good as this one. Far enough from the path that they would be neither seen nor heard, it was, he estimated, as near perfect as one could find.

"Very good," he said approvingly. "Your friend Tom's done very well to find a place like this."

"Yes," Michael agreed. "He told me he's played in these woods for years. Even so, he had to search for a couple of hours before he came across it."

"How many times have you been here?"

"Only once, yesterday morning."

"Then you've done well too, to be able to bring me straight to it."

"That was one reason that I came back after Tom went home. I needed to make sure I could find it again. Otherwise, I'd have looked a right idiot."

"Did you strip naked?"

"No, we just pulled our shorts and underpants down."

"Fair enough. Where did you fuck him?"

"Here," Michael responded, bending down and resting his hands on the low bank that Tom had used.

"Careful," Jack warned quietly. "You'll give me ideas."

"I don't care. You can fuck me again if you want."

"I'd love to, but it's less than half an hour since I came. I need a bit longer than that. Anyway, where's this other entrance you were talking about?"

Michael indicated a small gap in the bushes. Jack raised an eyebrow. Though be no means impossible, getting through would definitely be a squeeze.

"That looks tight," he commented. "I'm surprised you even considered it. It can't possibly go anywhere."

"Well, come on and I'll show you."

They carefully picked their way through the dense shrubbery to the tiny space that Michael had found the previous morning.

"Now look through here," Michael urged.

"Hmmm! Very interesting!" Jack said quietly.

"I could see even better when I was here yesterday," Michael informed him, "because the sun was right behind me. Right, you stay here and I'll go back."

Jack waited for what seemed like ages, although in reality it was less that half a minute. Finally, Michael reappeared in the den. As he watched, the lad lowered his shorts and underpants before resuming his earlier position in front of the small bank.

Jack swallowed hard, his penis becoming almost painfully hard. If Michael and his friend were in in there having sex, he'd be able to see everything. On a trip to Amsterdam, he'd seen pictures of boys having sex. Although he'd found the pictures erotic, seeing it live would be far more exciting. And what did he have to lose? If Michael was right, the risks were minimal. As quickly as he could, he made his way back to the den.

"Well?" Michael demanded.

"I could see you perfectly," Jack said evenly. "Now you go back there. I need to make sure that I can't see you."

A minute later, Michael was back in the little viewing space.

"Can you see me?" he called.

Jack looked carefully. After a few seconds he spotted the lad, but only, he realised, because he knew exactly where to look. A casual observer wouldn't have had a clue that anyone was there.

"Okay," he said clearly. "You can come back now."

Michael returned to the den. He was sporting a very obvious erection.

"So did you see me?" he asked.

"Yes, just about. But I wouldn't have if I hadn't known you were there."

"So are you going to come and watch us?"

"Sure, but you'll have to let me know that you're definitely going to be here. I don't want to come out on a wild goose chase."

"Ring us next Saturday morning," Michael suggested. "If Dad answers, tell him you want to know what the physics homework is that I need help with."

"Fair enough. I'll call between nine and half past."

"What about fucking Tom afterwards?"

"I'm not sure about that. I don't want him to see me."

"That's easy. As soon as I've cum, you come back here and tap me on the shoulder. I'll pull out and move to one side. And in you go! He'll be a bit shocked of course. Just tell him to keep quiet and not to look round. It'll be fine. He loves it."

"Goodness me! You have been thinking about it, haven't you?"

"Of course! So will you do it?"

"I'm not sure. Probably not, to be honest. I'll have to see how it goes."

"Well, I can't stand there forever with my cock up his arse. I'll count slowly up to thirty. If you haven't tapped me on the shoulder by then, I'll know you're not going to do it."

"Okay."

"Are you sure you don't want to fuck me again?"

"Sorry, it's still a bit too soon after the last time."

"So will you suck me off? I need to cum."

"You always do," Jack said, kneeling down. "Come on then!"

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

With their maths tutorial completed, Alex took Bradshaw into the lounge. They flopped down on the sofa. Bradshaw seemed unusually calm, Alex noted, showing neither the excitement that he'd displayed the week before, nor the antsy nervousness of the week before that.

"Are you looking forward to today?" he enquired.

"Oh yes, sir," Bradshaw replied, giving his mentor a confident smile.

The doorbell rang.

"Goodness me!" Alex exclaimed, getting to his feet. "This is early, even for Mr Brown."

Half an hour later, with the usual preliminaries completed, Alex sat back in his armchair as Bradshaw and Long, both boys naked and erect, climbed onto the bed.

"It was my birthday yesterday," Long announced. "I'm eleven!"

"Then I'd better give you a special birthday present, "Bradshaw answered, smiling.

He took charge right from the start. He remembered the occasion when Holdsworth had come to the flat, and how the older boy had focussed on giving him an enjoyable time. Now it was his turn, that was what he was going to do.

Very gently, he guided Long through their foreplay, always alert to the eleven-year old's reactions. They kissed, they fondled, they sucked. It all went perfectly, Long participating eagerly as they gradually moved things along. Finally, the lad got down on all fours, allowing Bradshaw to lick him out. After a few minutes, Bradshaw's tongue was replaced by a well-lubricated finger.

"Ohhh!"the younger boy gasped. "I want your weewee now!"

"I'd like to try it a different way if that's alright," Bradshaw suggested.

"Sure! How do you want me?"

"Roll onto your back."

With the youngster in position, Bradshaw gently lifted the lad's coltish legs. Long got the idea immediately, pulling them back to expose his winking starfish.

"Come on!" he urged. "Stick it in!"

Sitting back on his heels, Bradshaw coated his cock with K-Y. With the task completed, he shuffled forwards, guiding his hard prong onto its target. Slowly and deliberately, he pushed it in. Long watched intently as the twelve-year old's penis slowly disappeared into his bum.

"Oh yes!" he enthused. "Now do it! Pump your spunk into my boy-hole!"

"Just a moment," Bradshaw said quietly. "We're not quite ready yet."

Bending at the waist, he pushed his torso down between the eleven-year old's thighs. Reaching up, Long drew him into a passionate kiss, the youngster's legs wrapping themselves around his back. Instinctively, he began to fuck, driving his four-inch cock deep into the younger lad's tight little bum.

Long's reactions told him everything he needed to know. They were kissing and fucking as though their lives depended on it, and the younger lad was enjoying every second of it, as was he. It was the most intense experience of his young life, their two bodies perfectly in tune.

Long's orgasm hit him out of nowhere. He began to thrash around, his muscles wracked by uncontrollable spasms. His penis swelled and pulsed, the tingling sensations making him dizzy. His rosebud tightened sharply around the older boy's prick, pulling the lad right in.

"Oh fuck!" Bradshaw groaned. "I'm going to cum!"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Long insisted. "Fill me up!"

Bradshaw's cock jerked into action, jet after jet of watery boy-cum spurting into Long's bottom, the older lad becoming concerned that it might never stop. Finally, it was over. Bradshaw hardly knew where he was, the room turning cartwheels around him. His balls ached, his penis was super-sensitive and he was gasping for breath even more than he had after winning the school cross-country race. Very gingerly, he withdrew, flopping down on the bed. Long turned to face him.

"Wow!" he enthused. "I like presents like that! That was even better than last time!"

"Thanks," Bradshaw acknowledged, flicking out his tongue to lick the youngster's nose. "That was incredible!"

"Are you okay?" Long asked, watching the older boy's chest still rising and falling.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Bradshaw assured him. "I've just never cum as much as that before. It was like it sucked all the breath out of me."

They settled into a sensuous post-fuck kiss. After a couple of minutes, Long eased himself away.

"Are you ready for part two?" he asked.

"I am if you are," Bradshaw responded.

"Okay then, I'll leave you here, I'm going to join Mr White."

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

Over the next ten minutes they reprised exactly what they'd done two weeks earlier, though for Bradshaw in particular, it was even more enjoyable. With their activities at an end, the boys headed to the bathroom.

"That was super," Martin gushed as soon as the lads were out of the room. "And they put on a wonderful show for us. Bradshaw looked so much more confident than he did two weeks ago."

"Yes, I noticed that," Alex agreed. "Before you got here, he was very calm and relaxed. It's not that much of a surprise. He does pick things up very quickly."

"Yes, and he's a beautiful fuck, still really tight. How did things go with him and Van Kerkstraat?"

"Not too well, unfortunately. Ven Kerkstraat isn't that tight, and at the moment, Bradshaw's not big enough to really stimulate the lad's prostate."

"Yes, Arrowsmith's said much the same thing, only he wasn't quite so polite about it. The problem is that Van Kerkstraat's getting too much of Gordon's cock."

"Definitely. I think he'll be better in a year's time, once Gordon's recruited a younger lad."

"Yes, he probably will. Actually, I've got a new boy I'd like to bring over. His name's Highfield. He's just turned thirteen, but he's small for his age and very cute."

"Thirteen? Isn't that a bit late? Surely he'll be leaving in a few weeks."

"It wasn't planned, but one night last week I went out for a late patrol as I sometimes do. I heard some tell-tale noises from one of the senior dorms. Highfield always used to be a rather prim and proper little boy. I wouldn't have dreamed of trying anything with him. He'd have been horrified. So I was rather shocked to find him lying on his tummy with Arrowsmith pounding his boy-hole. The other boys appeared to be asleep, but I suspect most of them weren't. At least two of them would have been wanking themselves stupid wishing that they were where Arrowsmith was, but they don't have our mutual friend's charisma, or his chutzpah."

"I see. So what did you do?"

"The following day, I sent for Highfield. I explained that I'd seen what was going on and asked him if he was happy with it. He assured me that he was, which was what I expected. Arrowsmith may not be my favourite pupil, but he wouldn't force himself on a boy who wasn't willing. Apparently, it's been going on since before Easter. So Arrowsmith now has three boys, two for the daytime and one for the night."

"Are you going to tell Gordon about it?"

"Oh no! He'd tell me I should have left well alone."

"But you decided to take advantage of the situation."

"You could say that. What was it you said about low-hanging fruit? After our little chat, I could see he'd got a hard-on. I just took it from there. It wasn't difficult. At first, he was a little nervous about taking mine, but he's fine with it now."

"Sounds delightful! Can he cum?"

"A couple of drops of watery stuff, that's all. And there's not a trace of hair on him. The thing is that he'll be going to public school on a music scholarship. I had to put in a great deal of work to make sure he got it. I've already briefed his new music master, who's looking forward to meeting him."

"A man of our persuasion, I presume?"

"Very much so! And working in a senior school, opportunities with a boy as cute as Highfield are not as common as you might think. As well as having the lad himself, he'll arrange for him to meet a suitable older friend. I wouldn't want him to become the school slut."

"Quite so!"

"My colleague tells me that the older boys would be queuing up to have sex with a boy like him. Anyway, I'd like to bring him here next Saturday, if that's okay? He needs to become accustomed to taking larger ones than mine or Arrowsmith's."

"I'll be happy to help," Alex said, smiling. "As you know, I love stretching cute little boy-holes. I'm looking forward to it already."

0 o 0 o 0 o 0

Half an hour later, Alex showed Mr Brown and Long out of the flat. Returning to the lounge, he sat down next to Bradshaw.

"That was a very assured performance you gave today," he said approvingly. "Anyone would have thought you'd been doing stuff like that for ages."

"Thanks, sir," Bradshaw said appreciatively. "Do you remember the time when Holdsworth came over, and I told you he tried really hard to make sure I was enjoying what we were doing? That was what I tried to do."

"Well, you definitely succeeded. Long was all smiles when he got to me."

"But that's it, isn't sir? It's only really good when you both enjoy it."

"That's what I've always thought. And it explains why you were so disappointed last week. I want to have a word with you about that. Your reaction when things didn't work out as you'd hoped was more negative than it should have been. You will have disappointments; we all do. They're part of life. When something like that happens, ask yourself if there was anything that you could have done to make things better. Sometimes there will be. Nobody gets it right all the time. And if there was something you could have done, store it away for the future. But don't get upset about it. Learn the lesson and move on. Now last week, there was absolutely nothing you could have done. All you can do in that situation is to chalk it down to experience. The important thing is to stay positive. Does that make sense?"

"Yes sir," Bradshaw responded. "Thanks for explaining it to me."

Alex wrapped his arm around his protégé's shoulder, drawing the boy towards him. He had feelings for Bradshaw that he'd never had for anyone else. Leaving the lad behind, as Gordon wanted, would be very difficult. He wasn't even sure he could do it.