This is all fantasy fiction. None of the events are real.
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This story is an original work of fiction ©Copyright 2023 Tux - Please do not copy or post without permission.
I appreciate all the emails, suggestions, offers, and support that I get and for those who haven't emailed yet and are waiting or don't feel comfortable or safe emailing let me, let me express my gratitude for reading my story and tell you a little bit about my story. I've been reading nifty for many years about two months ago I just decided to start emailing people and let them know how much I appreciate their stories. I got replies almost instantly. The responses were supportive, encouraging, and some even held spoilers. I struck up a friendship with Andrew and it grew with my confidence and now Andrew is my most trusted editor. I cannot do this without him. Other authors like Lucas and Eric Murphy offer advice and support with my stories and it means the world to me. So, take a leap email an author and tell them how you feel, did you like the story did you not like it, all opinions matter to the author. Do you have suggestions on where you think the story could go, all suggestions interest the author. So take that leap and email your favorite author, you can change his day for the better, and might even influence or change the story. Thank you to all those that were supportive to me and I can't wait to show you the rest of... Counting.
This story and my other work can be found on AO3 at the following link. Tux Edwards - Archive of Our Own
Friends, the beginning of the crossover with Andrew's Trust, Counting, and Transitions: New Adventures (TNA), has begun. The Chapters in order are:
Andrew Trust Chptr 12 - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/andrews-trust/
Transitions: New Adventures Chapter 5 - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/transitions-new-adventures/
Counting Chapter 38
Andrew's Trust Chapter 13
Counting Chapter 38
Etc.
For three weeks (maybe four) we invite you to come and enjoy Grizzly Valley Days with the rest of your favorite characters! Starting with the Lincoln Thomas Foundation Fundraiser, Junior Rodeo, the County Fair, and then Adult Rodeo and Concert big ending. Reach out and email me or Andrew Thomas and let us know what you think of the crossover so far.
The fire is crackling in the four-foot fire pit. Beau sits on my right, talking to Rex. I invited Rex, even though Beau doesn't like him. I think he's cute and fun to be around. He's a little more of a jock than we are, and it's cool to get his perspective on things. Martha, or I guess she's grandma now, is entertaining Colt and Mom. Dad and Pop are talking about the rodeo. It sounds like Dad's going to ride in the adult rodeo at the end of Grizzly Valley Days. I'm sticking to my own thoughts, to be honest. The thought of being able to marry Zack, or even Beau, has taken on a whole new meaning. I said I wanted to marry Zack, but I don't believe I really thought it was going to happen. Now that I actually met two gay men who are married, it feels not like crazy dreaming, it feels possible. Like something to take more seriously. The Thomases can answer a lot of my questions about marrying another guy and, I bet they will can help me with my questions about being gay. I have to talk to them again.
Sure, I identify as gay, but sometimes I'm not sure if I understand what that means. It must be more than loving butt stuff and enjoying sucking cock. I can't talk about this with my parents; they think I'm just going through a phase of copying the twins. They are gay, so I'm gay, but I feel it's something more. I'm just not sure what that `something' is.
"Beau, you lived with the Thomases for a while; what was it like living with two men? Were they nice? Would they talk to me if I ask them questions?" I asked him with a little tap on his arm.
He and Rex look my way, and I wait for an answer from Beau. "It was okay; I mean, there was some drama at their house, and I brought my own problems, but I don't remember it being bad. They seemed very open and willing to help; I'm sure they will talk to you. Why do you ask?"
"What are you saying? Beau, you were living with two married men?" Asks Rex loud enough for both of us to hear.
"Yeah, they're married; why?" Beau asks back.
"Dude, that's gay, that means they're faggots! What are you, a faggot too?" Rex asks and elbows Beau in the ribs, then starts to laugh.
"Don't call him that! What's wrong with being gay, I'm gay!" I respond with authority as I stand with irritation in my body language.
Rex stands up and somehow puffs out the muscles in his bare chest as he declares, "There's a lot wrong if you being gay like this faggot!" He says and pushes Beau off the log we're sitting on.
It was over before I knew it. What have I done? All I know is that my hand is killing me, and Rex is on the ground with blood covering half of his face. "I told you not to call us that! That's a bad word, and we don't like being called that!" I yell at him and bring the night's commotion to a silent stop.
"Damn!" yell the twins at the same time, breaking the silence, along with, "Did you see that?"
I watch Rex squirm on the grass, holding his nose and covering his right eye, as Mom yells my name, "Andrew Maxims Docker!" I know I'm in trouble, and tears begin to flow down my cheeks. But I'm not sad, upset, or afraid of being punished; I'm pissed. I'm pissed that someone could be so cool, but so close-minded. Mom gets to me and grabs my shoulder, turning me towards her. "What is wrong with you? Did you punch that boy?"
"He sure did!" yells Zack.
Followed by Zeke, "It was a solid five knuckles to the face!"
"Boys," says dad, looking at the twins, and he gets up to check on Rex, but he freaks out and gets up running away, so dad helps up Beau. I can see the tear tracks on his cheeks glistening in the light of the fire.
"Did you hit that boy?" Yells my mom again.
I could no longer take it, so I yelled back, hopefully loudly enough for Rex to hear, "Yes, I hit him, and I'll continue to do so whenever he calls Beau a faggot!" I look at the ground and sob under my breath, "I don't like that word. He shouldn't have called Beau that."
Silence once again takes over the campsite, and Mom lets go of my arm. I rub where her hand was clamped. Then Zeke speaks up: "You should have hit him again; that's racist."
Zack rolls his eyes, gives a light push to his brother's shoulder, and says, "Gay is not a race, idiot."
"Gay-ist?" Asks Zeke.
Zack shakes his head in disappointment, saying, "You're such an idiot."
"Boys," says Dad, a little sterner than before. "Randy, could you show me where that boy's trailer is? I better go check on him."
"And AJ will go with you and apologize for punching him," my mom speaks up.
Everybody calms down, and Dad sets Beau next to Grandma before he and Pop lead me out of the yard towards the trailers. I look over my shoulder at Beau, and he gives me a little wave that I return. Dad takes me by the waist and helps me onto his shoulders as we follow Pop.
"AJ, why didn't you tell one of us that Rex called Beau that?" Dad asks as he plays with my bare feet.
"I don't know," I respond, setting my chin on the top of his head.
"It's a bad word; you're correct, but that doesn't make what you did right. Fighting is never the answer, little cowboy." I let my dad's words sink in as we walked through what seemed like endless rows of trailers.
Pop stops and says, "552, that's the Walker trailer."
The front door is open, and we can hear Rex screaming in pain from inside as we approach. Dad looks up at me and sighs.
"I didn't hit him that hard," I tell dad as I rub my right hand. "I am sorry, I just got so mad when he called us that," I tell him with very little remorse in my voice.
"Don't tell me, kiddo," Dad says, lifting me off of his shoulders. Setting me on the ground, he aims me at the screen door and lightly swats my bottom to get me to start walking. I can see Dad's shadow from the streetlight following me towards the trailer, and knowing he is behind me gives me enough courage to do this.
I knock on the door with a little soft tapping. Dad reaches over and knocks a little harder. The racket inside the trailer stops except for Rex's whimpering, and a man wearing a tank top comes to the door. He looks like he hasn't shaved in a few days, and maybe he is longing for a shower. "What do you want?" He asks harshly with a burp that follows and a deep rasp in his voice that makes me take a step back.
Behind him, I can see Rex looking around the corner at me with rolled-up pieces of Kleenex shoved up his nose and tears streaming down his face. His face has been washed, and a deep black and purple area is beginning to surround his right eye where I punched him. The left side of his face is what is really disturbing. It's all red, and I think it's a little swollen, like someone has been slapping it over and over.
"Evening," Dad says, with an eagerness to get this over with in his voice. "Unfortunately, our sons had a disagreement that ended with my son hitting yours. We just wanted to make sure Rex is okay and AJ has something he wants to say."
The man looks me over and then looks back at Rex, saying with almost a chuckle, "This is the kid that punched you. What is wrong with you, boy? He's half your size."
"He suckered punched me, dad! I never saw it coming!" Rex yells through his tears.
"Lier! You called us faggots, and I warned you not to, but you did it again, so I punched you!" As apologies go, that one sucked.
"Well, are you?" The man asks as he turns around to face me again. His mouth moves in a sign of disgust, and he asks snidely, "Are you a dick-sucking faggot?"
"Craig, don't go there," warns Randy.
Dad picks me up and says, "We wanted to make sure the boy was okay. Now, we'll be on our way." Dad turns and heads back towards our trailer, and I watch over his shoulder as Pop keeps the man from following us. He just stands by his truck, yelling at us, "That's right, take your faggot son back to your trailer," and Rex just stares at me from the door. Tears flow down his cheeks and glisten in the light from the streetlamp. I wipe my tears from my face and wonder if he's crying for me or because of what will happen to him after we leave.
I'm not sure if this is what Dad wanted me to do when Rex first called us that bad word. If I had just walked away, would Rex think he was right? Was he?
Later that night, after we headed back to our trailer, after we all stripped down and got in our pajamas, after mom put bandages on my knuckles and bandaids on my fingers, after kisses and hugs were given, after Dad went to talk to Pop and Mom hurried after him, leaving the twins in charge, and well after Colt fell asleep with his thumb in his mouth, me and Beau whispered back and forth.
"I'm sorry you got into trouble."
"It's okay, I don't think I am, to tell you the truth, and besides, I wasn't going to let him talk to you like that."
"Thanks. A year ago, Rex was me. I would have called Andrew and Ethan that. But a lot has happened to me since then," Beau says, and then he looks at me. "You happen to me. I don't understand my feelings anymore, AJ, but I think I love you."
A single tear trails down his cheek, and I wipe it off. "I admitted I was gay almost a year ago, but I think I'm just as confused as you are. Zack is special to me, but I don't think I was `in love' with him like I am with you. Does that make sense? Being with you is like forgetting to breathe. It's like touching the sun. It's like a smile. I want to protect you. I don't ever want you to suffer a hit, a bad word, or to be uncomfortable with being... you."
I wake up in AJ's arms with his drool on my neck, gross. I wonder if that is part of love. I pull myself from his arms and wipe the back of my neck. Turning around, I work myself in front of him so I can look into his eyes when he first opens them. His breath is minty from last night's toothbrushing, and his blonde curls never really recovered from playing in the water pump. His nose twitches and looks so soft that I reach out with one finger to verify it. Gently, oh so gently, I lay my finger on the bridge of his button nose and slowly draw it down to the tip. The only way I can think of describing it is to compare it to a rabbit's nose. Drawing my finger down the side of his nose, I softly follow connecting lines to his mouth. I circle it and then pull my finger across his perfect lips. Without warning, his lips parted, and I allowed my finger to be sucked in. He lays there sucking on my finger like Colt does his thumb. Soft `coos' escape his lips, and then the corners of his mouth lift into a smile. His emerald eyes open, blinking at first, and then they too almost smile as he focuses on my face. His tongue wraps around my finger, and I get lightheaded.
He lets go of my finger and gently takes my face, pulling it close to his. I close my eyes, just enjoying his warm breath on my face. He softly, at first, gives my lips small, slow kisses. When I believe he is only going to tease me with his lips, they rest on mine, and I can feel his tongue tempting me to let it enter. Every time I think that this perfect boy has given me the best kiss of my life, he kisses me, and once again, all that matters is our connection.
If I wasn't lost in AJ's mouth, I would have felt the `little bear,' as dad calls him, roll over. If I had noticed him rolling over, I would have been ready for... "ROAW!" from Colt and Gomer being forced in between us.
AJ pulls Colt between us, and together we tickle him, yelling, "ROAR!" The blankets get kicked around and entangle us as Colt kicks and pushes to save himself from the world's worst tickling. The three of us laugh and spill out of bed on the floor, exhausted and giggling.
"Alright, you three, it's a big day for you guys," Mom says as she comes in from being outside with Dad and Pop. "Let's get you stinky boys showered and ready for the rodeo," my mom adds as Colt runs into her arms for a good morning hug.
With Colt on my hip, I led Martha through the crowd of people eager to see the Junior Rodeo Championship. We find a seat in about the middle of the crowded stands, and we settle down. Colt, with Gomer, is up and down, jiggling, hopping up and down, and talking a mile a minute. Most of it, I believe, is a Joey Murphy song he learned yesterday. Of course, the words are out of order, and I'm not even sure he understands what the words mean at this point, but he's really happy, and that's the only thing that matters to me.
"Do we know what order numbers the boys have?" Martha asks as her head swivels back and forth, taking in all the sights.
"Jack is supposed to come find us when he knows. AJ is in three events: Barrel Racing, Breakaway, and Rope & Flag. Beau is in two events: Calf Riding and Rope & Flag. Our little Colt here," I say, teasing Colt, making him scream and giggle, "is doing Mutton Busting."
Colt squeezes in between Martha and me. "Are the twins in every team event?" She asks.
"Yes, isn't that great? They did very well this year, and so far, they are unmatched."
"Thewe's A-yay!" screams Colt, and he jumps up, waving excitedly.
We all wave to him, and AJ, mounting onto Stepper, waves back at us. "Why does AJ wear that vest? It can't be comfortable," Martha asks.
Taking a deep breath, I begin to tell her the speech I've memorized over the years, "AJ has a spinal disease called..."
"Cotton candy! Get your cotton candy here!" Yells a man dressed in summer clothes and wearing a red and white pin-striped apron. He carries a tray full of light blue and pink spun sugar treats, each on its own cardboard handle.
"Mommy! Mommy! Can I have some? Pwease, pwease, pwease!" Colt begs energetically.
"Oh, honey, it's too early for cotton candy. You don't need any more energy; you're about to explode as it is now," I say with a chuckle as he spins in place, proving my point. "Anyway, where was I? There is this tissue called the Choroid Plexus in your brain that makes spinal fluid. AJ's will sometimes not make enough, and if he gets too excited, scared, or really mad, it might just shut down completely."
"Oh dear, that's terrible."
"It's better now. We used to have to wait till he started to shake and foam at the mouth before we could give him a shot to jumpstart the tissue to correct itself, but now he has an injector mounted on his back. It gauges the spinal fluid in his spine and will inject the medicine to keep the choroid plexus running steady."
Jack whistles, getting my attention, and holds up four and then nine fingers. He smiles and waves to Martha, and she blows him a kiss, and he turns to run back to where AJ is on Stepper. It looks like AJ is about to go out and do his barrel run. Martha buys us all sodas, and Colt hugs her, almost spilling his. "Colt, honey, please sit here and drink your soda. Look, there's AJ," I say to him with a little jump in my voice. He bounces on his little butt as he drinks from his straw, unable to sit still.
The buzzer sounds, and AJ and Stepper take off like lightning across the arena. "Oh my, he has so much control. Does he practice a lot?"
"Yes, he's always on that horse. The two have quite a relationship. Stepper even saved his life a couple times last year."
Martha takes a moment to soak in what I said and says, "That's incredible. Your boy has such an adventurous heart."
I worriedly smile and say, "You have no idea."
"Alice, are you okay?" Martha asks me, and Colt looks up into my eyes with a worried look of his own.
"Yeah, of course. I just worry about AJ when he does the Barrel Race. He's far from careful." We watch as AJ flies through the course. It's a little harder than the one in Cut Bank, but you wouldn't know it by how he pinpoints every turn around the barrels. I audibly gasp when he slides low on Stepper's saddle to grab the flag. With the horse digging in to streak back to the gate, it's a wonder that he doesn't just fly off the saddle. The announcers are so excited about his time, saying it's a new record on this track. The crowd is deafening, and we all stand up to clap as he comes out to celebrate with the people in the stands. If he wins this, I'll never be able to talk him out of being a rodeo cowboy.
The calf is jumping and banging in the chute. Jack and Pop try to steady it, and I wait patiently for my time. My adrenaline is pumping so much that my heart is about to beat out of my chest. "Are you ready?" Yells Jack.
I stare at my helmet, and with my finger, I trace the words `Beau Colter', that Jack had someone paint on it. This is who I am now. This is who I want to be. It looks like a lacrosse helmet to me, but he says it's a bull riding helmet. I take a deep breath and put it on my head, latching the strap in place, and then punch it with my fist a few times, and I scream, "Let's do this!" Jack picks me up and lowers me on the calf as it tries to jump and kick free from his corral. I hold on for dear life with my knees, and Jack helps me wrap my hand in the calf rope. I punch my gloved hand a couple of times to make sure it's not going to come free, and I give Jack a thumbs up.
The calf jolts and jumps forward, slamming its head into the chute's wall and ringing the cowbell that is on the bottom of my calf rope. "Good lord, Beau, you have yourself a Chute Fighter for sure!" Pop yells as he holds me steady on the calf's back.
Jack checks the calf rope, giving it a yank, then smiles at me. "Don't forget about your freehand, keep it up above your head and off the calf rope. You're doing great, and you look ready, kiddo! How does it feel?"
"It feels lit! Let's go! Let's go!"
Jack taps my helmet, and then the chute opens. The calf jumps left, and the cowbell rings with every movement. Then it jumps forward until it jerks its hind end around, then spins in midair. The leather strap in my hand creaks and tightens as I hold onto with everything I have. Ding-dong, ding-dong! The arena is a blur, and I begin to get disoriented, but Jack's words are in the back of my mind, reminding me to watch my hand and not to look around. Ding-dong, ding-dong! Suddenly my knees slip, and my legs fly up near my chest, and then as the calf comes down, they fit back into place, and I correct my knee grip. Phew, that was a close one! Ding-dong, ding-dong! For a second, I see the time clock by the judges, and it reads four seconds. Four seconds! Wow, I'm doing great!
Left, right, then left again, but this time it reverses direction in the air, and my knees slip from around its chest. Ding dong, ding dong! I feel my body jerk and see my brown chaps, with its red writing down my legs, high above the calf. Shit! I pull with all my might back into place as the calf prepares itself for another spin. The signal horn is loud, and I see the clock blinking with a giant six. Six seconds? I did it! I can't contain my excitement as I scream, "I.... did.... it!"
The calf spins to the right, and the pick-up man quickly rides his horse up beside me and pulls me from the calf's back, laying me over his saddle. The calf jumps and spins as the rodeo clowns run in to distract it as the cowboy rides me clear of the calf. I slid off the saddle and hit the ground, running towards the empty chute I came from. Jack is there, and I leap into his arms, yelling, "I did it! Did you see me, Dad? I went the full six seconds!"
"I'm very proud of you, Beau! You were great," he says as he tosses me in the air and catches me. He spins me around and points into the stands, and I see Mom, Grandma, and Colt. They are clapping and waving at me. I wave back and hold my arms up in victory. Dad carries me back to the staging area, and AJ meets me there. I slide down from Dad's grip, and AJ hugs me.
"I was so afraid for you, but you did it! You were great! It was so exciting!" He says it right before he kisses me! Right in front of everyone. At first, I'm embarrassed, but then his tongue caresses mine, and nothing else matters but his embrace.
Beau and I are standing on the second rung of this metal fence that surrounds the arena. We're both bending over the top rail, cheering for some teenager to finish riding his bull. He held on for five point seven seconds and seems upset that he didn't go the whole six seconds. "Why's he mad?" I ask Beau.
"He didn't go the full six, so those points don't count. He didn't qualify."
"I thought it was eight seconds," I say as I shift my boots on the rail.
Beau shakes his head, saying, "Not for kids. For us, it's six seconds. I'm not sure I would have lasted if it was eight to tell you the truth."
Soon after we talked about how we thought the championship was going, Dad came up behind us and picked me up off the fence, startling Beau.
"Hey Dad," I giggle as I give him a hug and lay my head on his shoulder.
Dad gets right up behind Beau, and he leans back against him, getting comfortable. Dad wraps his arm around Beau's waist, and Beau subconsciously plays with the bandages on dad's massive fingers. I study dad's right hand, and his bandages are wrapped around his knuckles just like mine. He also has a small bandaid under his right eye. I'm about to ask him how he got hurt when I see over his shoulder a Sheriff's SUV pulling an old trailer. Then the SUV rolls to a stop, and the driver gets out to talk to Pop at the corner. The passenger turns his head just right, and I can see--
"Look at that! Dad, put me down, please."
I slide down his leg, and Beau shifts over, taking my place on dad's hip. The Sheriff's SUV isn't too far from him, and I knew dad would be watching. So, I hurry over to the SUV, making sure I look both ways as I cross the dirt road that separates the arena and the trailers. I climb on the running boards and knock on the window, I look inside and ask the passenger, "Why aren't you riding in the rodeo, Rex?"
He must have seen me coming because it didn't scare him when I knocked on the window. He just rolls down the window, doing his best not to look at me. He stares out the front of the windshield and sourly asks, "What do you want?"
"Um, hey, I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I shouldn't have punched you like that. I should have used my words," I say softly and with as much `sorriness' as I can muster. The black eye that I gave him is more prominent under his right eye than it was last night.
"Well," he begins, "if I remember right, `words' is why you punched me." He then looks over to the Sheriff to make sure we can't be heard. "I shouldn't have called you that... that word. I shouldn't be using those words at all. You had every right to hit me. You guys are pretty cool. I was just joking around and I thought you'd think I was funny."
I wasn't expecting him to say he's sorry; I'm a little lost for words. Suddenly, his face turns towards me, and he looks past me. The left side of his face is, in the best way I can describe it, swollen. He had a big white gauze square covering his left eye and one on his ear. The left side of his face is so swollen that it barely looks like the right side. I have no idea what could have done that. Looking over my shoulder, I see Dad. He has a look of... pity on his face as he looks at Rex. I check back at the arena fence, and Beau stands by the fence and looks petrified.
A very, very soft "thanks, sir," comes from Rex as a tear comes down his right cheek. "Officer Meeks was just coming to get the trailer and picked me up from the hospital, so I could get my things."
Dad reaches through the window with his bandaged hand and shakes Rex's hand, saying, "Rex, don't forget; you promised to call me if you ever need help." Then dad picks me up from behind. The sheriff walks back to the SUV, and they drive away with Rex waving at us, dragging that old trailer behind it with the hat hook next to the door.
"What's going on? Where is his dad?" I ask, not quite putting together the pieces of last night's events.
Dad held me for a little while as we watch the trailer drive away, and then we head back to the arena. Once we got to the fence rails, my head was spinning with so many questions. Dad could tell I was about to burst at the seams, and even though there were thousands of things to distract me and thousands of ways to change the subject, he just put me down and took me and Beau by the hands, pulling us close. My eyes shifted around us, kind of embarrassed, and when they land on his face, my father--the strongest `man' I know--is crying. I look at Beau, and he still looks terrified.
Dad hugs us both and says, "Boys, your friend Rex is going to be okay." As he holds me close, my mind begins to piece the evidence together about what happened after dad and I left Rex's trailer. After the hug, Dad realizes something is wrong with Beau. He's crying and shaking like a leaf. "Beau, what's wrong?"
"That trailer... that man, he was an old client of mine and was very mean to me. It would take me days to heal up after he had his way with me. I didn't know he had a son back then. I must have took Rex's place when he was here doing adult rodeo competitions. I feel so bad for Rex. He must have been going through what I did, but everyday."
Dad hugs Beau alone and tells him, "Rex is going to be okay now. His dad can't hurt him anymore, or anyone for that matter."
Colt comes running up to me with a huge hug, telling me how great I was during my event. Once I peel him off and onto AJ, I hug Grandma and Alice, then take my seat next to AJ. AJ sits next to his mom, who is telling him how proud she is of him and me for doing our best. Jack and Pop are talking just out of earshot again, talking about the Sheriff and last night's events, no doubt. After they are done talking, they join the rest of us, and Pop orders us all hot dogs and sodas. We all eat our lunch and watch the twins dominate the team events and do really well in Bull Riding, although I don't think either of them will place. During one of the runs, Alice holds up a cell phone so the other person that is FaceTiming her could watch Zack, riding Shadow's Whisper, get a great time in Cattle Roping.
I elbow AJ and ask, "Who's on the phone?"
He looks past me to the front of the phone and snidely whispers back, "It's Aidan, Zack's boyfriend."
AJ is a great friend, a wonderful person, and the best brother a guy could ask for, and with all those things being true, when I see the sour look in his face when he says Aidan's name, he just seems more... normal. He acts like it's no big deal, and no matter how he backs up his big game, I can see how hurt he still is from the breakup between him and Zack. He side-eyes me, and I say, "Oh, thanks. I was just wondering," and I take his hand. He watches it for a few seconds and then smiles at me.
Laying his head on my shoulder, well, until he sees the Thomases in the crowd a few benches over. "Mom, Mom, can I please go talk to that man, he's a friend of Beau's," he begs.
Alice looks over and sees Andrew and Ethan sitting with their sons and says, "That's okay, just don't be a pest and don't go anywhere but straight back when you're done. I'm watching you."
"Be right back," he says and hops up to his feet and hurries over there.
"Mr. Thomas?"
"Yes," he responds and turns to be face-to-face with me.
He seems so much bigger than the last time I saw him. I can't be afraid. I have to know, "I don't know if you remember me or not, but my name is AJ and I'm a friend of Beau's," I introduce myself as I fidget with one of the corners of my shirt.
"Of course I do. You did very well earlier today with your riding and roping."
"Thank you sir, but I didn't come over here to talk about the rodeo. You see sir..."
"Andrew, please," he interrupts me with a warm smile.
"Okay, Andrew, I just... I wanted to ask... are you gay?"
He studies me just long enough to make me uncomfortable, then pats the seat next to him. "Yes I am AJ. Why do you ask?"
I sit down and the man sitting next to him, who I now know to be his husband-Ethan, looks at me and smiles before returning his attention back to the arena. I look around so that no one is eavesdropping on what I'm about to ask. I shift my butt a little close to him and lift it just enough to whisper in his ear, "I think I'm gay, but I don't understand what that means."
He sits up and gives me a warm smile again and rubs my back saying, "You don't have anyone else to talk to about this, do you?"
"I've never met a gay man before. I kind of need a gay man's perspective. Asking my parents, well, it just won't be the same. Please, sir, I won't take up too much of your time."
He nods and pats my back saying, "I tell you what, let me talk to your dad and get permission to talk to you and if he doesn't have a problem with it, then you can ask me anything you want, deal?"
I think it over and say, "Yeah that'll be great. I best get back. Thanks, Andrew, I really appreciate it." I'm not sure why, but I'm crying. I quickly wipe my tears with my hand before getting up, and I'm sure Andrew sees me crying.
"Oh, okay, I'll contact you later when we can sit and talk. Bye, AJ, nice seeing you again," Andrew says with a wave.
Then, I head back to my seat and sit next to Beau.
Jack leaves the stands to go help the twins with their horses, and Pop takes Colt to get him ready for his Mutton Buster event. We get permission to go also, and us three boys race around Pop as we make our way to the staging area. Between the three of us, mostly Pop, we get Colt all dressed up in his helmet, protective vest, and chaps. He can barely move around, making me and AJ laugh at him. Soon Jack comes out of nowhere and scoops Colt up and carries him under his arm, making Colt laugh hysterically, to the chute where his sheep are stationed.
Much like me riding the calf, we have to just about tie Colt to the sheep as it screams, "Baaaaaa," and moves around the chute trying to get free from Jack's grip. AJ and I sit on the chute walls and watch as Colt gets comfortable with his mount so he can last at least six seconds. Colt's calf rope doesn't have a cowbell on it; its bells sound more like a reindeer's jingle bells. It doesn't really matter, though, it scares the sheep all the same.
Soon, we're given the word, and Jack grabs Colt's attention and psychs him up, and before we know it, Colt's yelling, "Wet's Go! Wet's go!" And with a tap on his helmet, the chute gate opens, and Colt and his crazy ass sheep bolt from the chute.
The bells jiggle, and the sheep runs around, making short, quick turns, trying to knock off my little brother. AJ and I scream and clap for him to do his best as we watch his little body bounce around, looking like a plastic bag in a windstorm. I'm sure it was the longest six seconds for Colt in the world, but he did it, and once the buzzer rang, he let go and hit the ground in a roll, trying to get away from the sheep. The rodeo clowns speed in to steer the vicious animal away. My brother, always the ham these days, drops to his knees and pops the latch off his helmet, taking it off. Then he jumps to his feet and throws it in the air, yelling, "I did it!" and as it comes crashing to the dirt arena, he begins to do the Griddy dance.
"The Universe is Made of Stories, Not of Atoms" -Muriel Rukeyser
If you like my stories and want to tip or donate to me, consider buying me a coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/foxfire3737
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I hope you are liking the last few chapters of Counting. If you have extra time, check out my other stories:
"Fire" is about a time when Zack, Zeke, and Alice share a quite time on the back porch one evening. I used to know what chapter it took place in but I've written so many, I just don't remember now. It was too short of a story to post on Nifty, but I thought it was interesting. https://archiveofourown.org/works/44356165
"Not Capable of Love" https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/not-capable-of-love/
"Jaded" https://archiveofourown.org/works/46783999
"The Universe is Made of Stories, Not of Atoms" -Muriel Rukeyser
If you like my stories and want to tip or donate to me, consider buying me a coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/foxfire3737
I really appreciate your help.
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