Counting

Chapter 7

by Tux


This is all fantasy fiction. None of the events are real.

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Edited by Andrew Thomas

This story is an original work of fiction ©Copyright 2022 Tux - Please do not copy or post without permission.


Chapter 7 - 17 Beads

AJ

"AJ... AJ, can you look at me please?" asks Dr. Ford as I sit in a chair a few feet in front of her. Even though she's right there, I can't focus on her. I'm looking out the window behind her. No, that's not true, is it? I'm not looking, I'm counting. I've counted the leaves on that tree branch thirty-seven times since I've been here. It's not that I don't want to talk to her; I don't want to talk to anyone.

"Alright AJ, I'd like to talk about Maxwell," she says, and my eyes dart to hers. My walls begin to break down and my bottom lip begins to tremble. I could feel the tears on my cheeks, then the sound of beads... beads, bouncing on the floor. "Can you start with the end of school? Do you remember?" Do I remember? I wish I could forget. The sounds of bouncing beads turn into the bell that sounds, telling us that school is out.

School was boring as usual, but my friends at lunch made it fun. Cory and Brian tried to mess me up by asking me questions about things that I had memorized the previous day to see if I really could remember anything. After lunch, I only have a couple of hours to go till the end of school, and so I just doodle in my third-grade classroom and wait for that blessed bell. I am putting my stuff in my backpack and giving Maxwell a pet when my teacher calls me up to her desk.

"Yes ma'am," I say softly. She's not as `friendly' as Mr. Wolde is to me.

"This was sent for you an hour ago," and she hands me an envelope. Inside is a message from Mr. Simons telling me to come to the music room and that my mom will meet me there. That's odd. I wonder what he wants. So, I headed that way. It's like trying to swim upriver walking against the flow of students, but I hang to the sides and get to the stairs. There are thirty-six stairs to the second floor.

I take a right at the top of the stairs, and I walk a little way. I passed my geometry class and waved to Mr. Wolde. The music class is just up here by the bathrooms. Suddenly, I'm pushed into the bathroom. I hit the floor hard, and sounds started to smear together. Looking around, I realize that the room itself is moving. No, that can't be right. I'm being carried.

"What did I tell you about being on the second floor, baby!?" That voice, I recognize it.I'm tossed into the wall at the far end by the window. Flipping over I see what I was afraid of, Bobby Tons. "Did you think I was kidding? Get up!" He grabs me by the shirt, and it rips under the strain, but I get up. I see it coming, the first punch. I fall back against his idiot friend and am pushed up into the second one, the one I didn't see. The punch knocked me into the stall, and as soon as I saw the toilet, I knew what was next.

"AJ, I know it doesn't sound like it will feel good to talk to me about what happened, but it will." My eyes drift from Dr. Ford and I count picture frames; twelve. Pencils on her desk: six. Books on her shelves: one hundred and eleven, and then the snapping of her fingers: three. My eyes shift from her fingers to her eyes like gears that haven't been greased in years. She's saying something, but I can't focus. I shut my eyes and remember that I'm crying. Using my arm, I use my short sleeve to wipe away my tears and snot. Then look at her. She gives me that `what am I going to do with you' look and brings me a tissue to clean me up. Her red dress is like the reddest of all reds. Red, I think back. Not because I want to, but because I can't keep the memory back.

There is red on the toilet bowl. That's weird. How did blood get on the edge of the toilet? Wait, it's coming from me, but before I can find out where it's coming from, my head is plunged into the bowl. The toilet is flushed over and over again. The sound is so loud. My head is set free, so I push myself out in between each flush. I guess they thought it fun to push it in. Then, the fourth time I come out, I'm put in a head lock by that lanky goofball that is always following Bobby around like a lost puppy. My feet almost don't touch the floor as I can only get my toes down. I hang in his grip as Bobby looks me over.

"You know what we have here? A cocksucker," and they all begin to laugh. I'm dropped and I must have told him no. I don't remember saying no. But he punched me really hard, and I just remember seeing dancing lights for a time. Before I could do anything, like I could have done anything, my backpack was opened, and something was taken out. Someone grabs my hair and yanks my head up to look at Bobby, and he has Maxwell.

"No, no, no, anything. I just need that back!" I plead. I knew it wouldn't do any good, but the more upset I get, the less my brain works. They all laugh as I reach for him, only to have my hands slapped away by Bobby. It was just a game to them.

"If you want this bear back, then you're going to suck... my... cock!" He undoes his pants, and they fall to his knees. He's penis looks no bigger than mine. The head looks a little different and I can tell he normally lies to the left at a weird angle. While I'm looking and memorizing what I'm seeing, someone from behind me, that lanky idiot I'm guessing, forces my head on the dick. At first, it hits my cheek and smears pre-cum up to my eye. Then Bobby pulls it across my face to my other eye. Maxwell is lowered where I can see him, and I reluctantly open my mouth.

"AJ, dear, you have to talk to me about this," Dr. Ford is squatting in front of me, holding my hands. She's trying to lock my gaze down, but I tilt my head to the other side of the room and begin to count the ticks on the window as the wind blows a branch into the glass. It taps out its secret code. It's not Morse code, it's something only nature understands. She sighs and gets up, moves back to the desk chair in the corner, and pulls out a book to write in. "What am I going to do to get through to you, AJ?" What am I going to do? What am I going to do?

"This is what I'm going to do, AJ. If you don't do a good job, I'm going to rip this bear to pieces. Got it?" Bobby is really serious, so I look at the bear one more time, nod, and close my lips around his penis. He tastes like dirty sweat and pee. He doesn't smell like Zack; he smells like he doesn't shower at all. I hack and begin couching, and he grabs my head by my hair and thrusts his penis back into my mouth. Other than being smacked across the head then told to, "Watch those teeth, idiot," it's all Bobby as he thrusts and pulls out, thrusts and pulls out.

Somewhere during that time, my pants were pulled down to reveal my hard-on. They laughed that I had one and then teased Bobby that mine was bigger than his. I don't think it is. They looked the same size to me, but when he got to his tingles, his first shot of cum hit my tongue and slashed up in my mouth. The taste was so bad, it didn't matter if he was yelling, "Swallow it baby!" I pushed off him and the second and third one sprayed all over my face and shirt. He appeared to be a little weakened by it, and so I jump for the bear, but he recovers fast enough to see me and kicks me down. Because my pants were around my knees, I fell back hard, and my head hit the baseboard heater. Once again, dancing lights filled the room.

I remember looking down and seeing my hard-on was gone, so I pulled my pants up. Then the sound of rain on a tile floor confuses me. Shifting my focus, I see black beads bouncing on the floor, and my eyes quickly count seventeen. I dive for the beads, catching each one to the sound of muted laughter. Ten... thirteen... fifteen... sixteen... sixteen... where, no, what's this, and I pick up something white and fluffy, but before I look up, I'm kicked in the ribs. Then a kick to the nuts for a bad blowjob. I'm kicked for a while. I'm not sure how long. Then the room starts moving again towards the door. My eyes feel loose. As they shift around the room, I see a shiny bead by the trash can. Seventeen... I reach for it, but my carriers don't care much, and my arm is kicked back. They carry me into the hallway and start swinging me back and forth... back and forth.

Dr. Ford has me in her lap and is rocking me. We're by the window now, and I can see more than the tapping branch. The wind is blowing hard now and there must be a storm coming. The tree is old and weathered but will not bend. It will not break easily. I wonder how long it's been standing next to her office? I lay my head on her shoulder and she begins to hum. The hum is one constant tone, but changes pitch every now and then. When I concentrate on the hum, it turns into a buzzing. A buzz I can't get out of my head.

I'm thrown against the wall across from the bathroom. Kids are walking by and stop to stare at me. "Look at this baby! He spilled milk all over his face!" shouts Bobby as he and his two goons entice the crowd to make fun of me. There is a buzzing in my head that is starting to hurt. I'm bleeding from somewhere on my face. I'm covered in cum, and I'm soaking wet. I should feel embarrassed or afraid, but I don't feel much of anything right now. I'm numb. Suddenly, through the wall of students, I see Zeke forcing his way through. Zack rushes in in Zeke's wake, and the twins get to work. Zeke takes out the goons with punches to the face and guts. Zack took down Bobby before he knew what hit him. He is too busy making fun of me to even know his goons are gone. Once Bobby is down, Zeke stands guard, and Zack comes to my aid. Zeke looks so strong, standing there like he'll fight off anyone that crosses that line. My eyes blink lazily and shift to Zack.

"I'm so glad you came. Bobby beat me up and I'm a mess." I tell him, but he doesn't seem to understand me.

"Why is he soaking wet? What is this on his face?" Zacks asked.

Zeke takes a few seconds to look and his eyes light up in rage. "You know what that is!" He screams and kicks Bobby in the ribs. "What did you do?" He kept kicking until Mr. Simons broke through the crowd to stop him. Zeke is crying, and Mr. Simons just locks him in a hug.

"My little guy, what did they do to you?" Zack asks me, and I open my hands to show him the beads. My eyes quickly move across the beads, and I count sixteen... sixteen. Bolting up, I startle everyone as I run inside the bathroom. The pain in my ribs breaks through the numbness, making me stumble, but I manage to get into the bathroom, and I crash into the trash can. I moved towels, gum wrappers, notebook paper, and where... where... I couldn't find the last bead.

"Oh my God," comes from behind me as Zack and Mr. Howl, the eighth-grade shop teacher, follow me in to see the carnage.

I find the last bead and sink to the floor. Zack kneels down and says he's so sorry. I show him the beads in my hands. "Seventeen," I say, smiling.Then I witness what remains of my faithful friend, my companion, my best friend, my anchor. I couldn't barely recognize him as he lay strewn across the room. "Maxwell?"

That is the last word I've spoken since that day.

They took me and the bullies to the hospital. Other than fixing up my wounds, I had three deep cuts on my face, and I have ten stitches in the back of my head. They did something called a rape kit on me, and the doctor was really gentle. Since I wouldn't talk, and I had evidence of cum on me, they had to do the full kit, even checking my butthole for fresh rips, but the only thing they found were the scars from the old ones left by my father. I was given a week off from school, no questions asked, and the twins are on a week of time off also. The principal understood why they beat those guys up but couldn't just let them come back to school afterwards, so he gave them time to cool off.

The chime goes off, and that tells Dr. Ford that someone is in the waiting room. So, I slip off her lap and she follows me to the door. After she opens it, I see it's my mom, and I hug her, then head to the door to leave and wait.

"How was he?" My mom asks.

"He was perfect, perfectly quiet. I'm sorry Alice, he didn't open up to me. I think he just needs time. He's dealing with a lot. The problem is, he's reliving it over and over in his head. With his photographic memory, I'm sure it's like a perfect movie every time he closes his eyes or hears a trigger word, sound, or touch. Bring him back tomorrow; we'll try again," says the doctor. Soon, my mother arrives and opens the door, so I leave. Once we're in the truck, my mom checks my booster seat, and then we're off. She talked to me, and I let her. Mom's words drift in front of my mind while I stare out the window. She talks about her day, and the funny things the twins did while I was at the doctor. I do listen to the part about Zack, but then I lose interest when she changes to my sisters, and I go back to counting the white lines in the middle of the road.

I sit in the little chair that looks out the window until someone comes to get me for dinner. Since that first dinner a week ago, Uncle Jack and the twins have been eating here. I eat a little, but I don't have much of an appetite lately. When I'm done, I get up and walk back to my chair. Like every night since that day, Zack pulls up a chair next to me and sits down with me, holding my hand while I stare out into the night.

My mom has been taking care of me lately; bathing, brushing my teeth, and even sleeping with me. Sometimes we're in my bed and sometimes we're in hers, but she always holds me in a hug when we sleep. Every night I wake up with a wave a fear from my past. I pry myself out of her embrace and return to my chair downstairs. But this night was different.

On my way to my chair, I see something out on the patio. Going through the kitchen, I have the top of my baby blanket wrapped around my shoulders and am dragging the rest of it across the floor behind me. When I get to the glass door, I can see Zack sleeping on the patio. His blanket has fallen off, and he must be really cold because his nipples are big. He's in his jeans and isn't wearing a shirt. Very quietly, I opened the door and walked out to him. He's sleeping soundly on one of our patio chairs. I pull up the rest of his banket and crawl in with him. He eminently rolls over and embraces me in a hug. He mumbles something that sounds like, "Hold still, AJ," so I close my eyes and fall back asleep.

Twins

So, when I decide to sleep outside on the patio until Mrs. Docker lets me back in the house to sleep with AJ, the cold night almost changes my mind. But in the morning, I woke up nice and cozy, and confusion struck me. Why? I wipe the sleep from my eyes when I notice a very handsome little boy sleeping in my patio chair. I cover him with the sleeping bag flap, and he spoons into me. "Good morning, little guy," I say, and he begins to turn around until we're face to face. His little eyes are locked onto mine, and his hot little breath fills the small gap between us. I took his hands and held them up, "You're with me now and you're going to be okay." A thin trail of tears begins to fall at a sideways slant from his eyes down his cheek and nose. He opens his mouth like he's going to say something, but closes it soon after. He scoots closer, lays his head on my chest, and falls back asleep.

And that is how Mrs. Docker found us. I slept on my back with AJ sleeping on my chest. She woke me up and asked, "Zack dear, what are you doing out here?"

Sleepily, I answer, "I wanted to see AJ first thing in the morning, so I camped out here. Sometime in the middle of the night, AJ joined me. I'm not sure when. I just woke up and he was like this." She gave me a look that day that I will never forget. It was like she had lost the battle, or the war, and she just gave up. I think her heart broke that day, and she gave AJ to me.

"Can you carry him inside or do you need my help?"

"I got him if I can get out of these covers," I said, trying to untangle myself from the baby blanket that had wrapped around my feet.AJ had a pretty good grip around my neck, so I only had to worry about holding his legs. With one heave and a lot of help from Mrs. Docker, I was able to stand and hold onto AJ. I took him inside and up to his room and laid him back in his bed.

Mrs. Docker pulled the covers back and told me to strip down and hop in, "You've got a few hours left before I call everyone for breakfast." So, I took off my pants and climbed into AJ's warm bed and wrapped him up in a hug. Aj immediately responded by spooning into me and giving a sigh before settling in. I can see Mrs. Docker's shadow stretching across the bed for a while. I'm not sure how long she watched us sleep because it didn't take me long to drift away. I am finally back where I belong.

Mrs. Docker yelled upstairs, telling us breakfast was almost ready, waking me and AJ up. I open my eyes to two emeralds staring deep into my eyes and a little impish smile. He's smiling. I sit up, I smile back, and he just lays there, showing me everything I love about his body. His smooth skin was like silk in the sunlight. The little muscles on his chest were not defined by hard work but were there, nonetheless. The little hunter green boxers I picked out for him, tenting with a good morning thought. I reach out and touch his chest, making him quiver a little. He sits up and smiles.

I sign, `How are you feeling? Does your head still hurt?' I've been working on my signing a lot this week. With no school, what else do I have to do?

He nods and signs back, `It hurts here,' and touches his head, `here,' and touches his ribs, `and here,' then touches his heart.

"You have a concussion and bruised ribs, so time will have to heal those. This," I lay my hand on his heart. "...we'll heal this together, okay."

He embraces me in an AJ style hug. We get off the bed, and I pick out something that I think he'd like to wear and get him dressed. I put on the only thing that I have here is the pair of jeans I wore over. We head to breakfast, and I feel a little naked showing up without a shirt. But AJ kept my attention, and that didn't go unnoticed by Mrs. Docker. She excuses herself from breakfast and goes to make a call.

"Good morning, Jack. Yes, he's here eating breakfast. No, I didn't know he was sleeping outside either till I found him out there this morning. Yes, yes, why don't you come over for coffee this morning? I have an idea to talk to you about." Then, after a few other pleasantries, she hung up.

"Am I in trouble?"

"Well, if you were my son, you would be. You could catch a cold or get even sicker sleeping outside in this weather. Jack is coming over, and we're going to talk about it. You best finish and get to your chores, mister, before your uncle gets here."

I jumped up and put the last few eggs in my mouth. Grabbing another piece of toast, I turn to head to the door, "Hey Zack," she calls me back.

"Yes ma'am."

"Don't forget your sidekick," and she nods to AJ. AJ smiles at his mom and gets up, grabbing a piece of toast from the plate. Then we went off to do chores.

Alice

I'm enjoying my morning fifth cup of coffee on the patio so I can watch AJ chase Zack in and out of the barn as they feed this animal, open this gate, or turn on the water to fill the troughs. Soon, Jack makes his way here with his overalls and baseball cap.

"Morning Alice," he says, as I offer him a cup of coffee. He takes it and sits down across the table from me, angled enough to be able to watch the boys work. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I haven't come to this decision lightly, but I do believe that it's in everybody's best interest. I want you and the boys to move into the basement. There is plenty of room down there, and the only person that has been down there has been AJ, looking for something in a box. I've cleaned up that mess, and we'll move everything down there in the acetic storage room or toss it if we don't need it. That will give you three bedrooms, a full bath, a living room, and a playroom. If you don't move in, it all goes to waste. Our two families are closer now than when we first moved in, and by moving in, it will, well, the reasons for this merger are purely selfish."

Jack just listens while I talk, I guess that is what I needed, and he knew it. So, I kept going, "I thought after the school... issue, with my son, he would reconnect with me. You know, on a mother son level, but that hasn't happened. He almost acts like something happened to me and he's helping me get through it." I take a second or two to wipe my tears away and collect my thoughts. "That is why I've kept Zack from spending time with him. It seems like I've only made the issue worse. Somehow, AJ knew Zack was sleeping outside, and he found him.I found AJ and Zack on the porch, and they were sleeping soundly together, instead of finding him asleep in his chair by the window. Please accept my offer." I was relieved that I got it all out without breaking down and crying.

Jack drank from his cup until he was sure I was done and then crossed his arms as he thought. "I think my oldest twin is interested in your middle girl. I'm not saying that they're in love like Zack and AJ, or that they will go that direction, but he talks about her. Does that bother you, those two living under the same roof?"

I did not know that. Does that change my opinion on what we should do? Zack comes running out of the stud barn pulling a small cart with a bale of hay on it and AJ is riding on the front. My son is laughing. "No," I say, with conviction. "It doesn't change my mind. If something comes of that romance, then we will address it then."

Jack nods his head like he's got some old radio tune in his mind, "Okay then, let me talk it over with the boys. It would be nice to have us all under one roof since it is about to get really, really cold here. By the way, for that little stunt they pulled last night, I've assigned extra chores for Zack and AJ to finish this morning, not that they mind by the looks of it." I give him a nod and think that if it were up to me, it's far worse than that. "And one more thing, I whip my boys. It's the only way to get lessons through their thick heads. Are you okay with that?" I nod to that and think to myself, `this should be interesting.'

We sat back, drank coffee, and watched Zack, Zeke, and AJ play in the field.

Twins

"Okay, sleeping outside was dumb..." I confess to my brother as we break the last hay bale and spread it out for the studs. AJ sits by the wooden fence just outside. He looked even smaller up there, swinging his legs back and forth.

"...and stupid..." my brother responds.

Nodding my head in agreeance, I say, "...and stupid."

"Remember, we don't know how this works. If you get really sick, what is to say I don't also get sick? I'd rather not test it."

My look turns to one of `I can't believe you said that' and I answer his concerns, "Well, unless we kiss and share germs, I think you'll be fine."

We finish our chores, and Zeke says something about going to change and shower. I about fell over. "What?! You? Why?"

He just shrugs and looks a little embarrassed when he says, "I'm going to see if Missy will teach me how to play the drums."

I yell at him, "I thought we were gay?"

He just turns to me and shrugs again, "Wouldn't you like to know for sure?"

The only thing I can think of is yuck. Then I think of the girl to help him figure that out is Missy, and I say yuck again. I climb up on the fence with AJ and we flip our legs over, so we're sitting on the top of the fence together and we lock eyes.

"I'm sorry you got hurt. I told you I would protect you and I showed up too late."

He lifts my chin a little and shakes his head. It doesn't look like he's going to speak yet. At least he isn't just sitting there looking out that damn window. There isn't anything to see out that window, just an open field we don't even use anymore.

"And I'm sorry about Maxwell. I'll get you a new bear. One that I'll give you. You'll love it." That earns me a huge smile and a hug. "Does it still hurt?" I asked a general question.

To my surprise, AJ points to the small cut he has on his forehead, then he leans in close to me, so I kissed it. "Does that feel better?" I ask him, almost making fun of me kissing his booboo. He nods that it does feel better, but then he points to the cut under his right eye. Suddenly, this isn't funny anymore. My heart begins to beat out of my chest. He leans in and I give it a small, slow, caring kiss. I realize that when I did that, I had my eyes shut. When I opened my eyes, I saw that his eyes were also closed. "How does it feel now?" I say, blushing a little. He smiles and blushes a little, then touches the cut on his mouth.

He turns all shades of red, and I'm not sure if the word blushes describes it, but I'm sure I look the same. `Okay, here we go. Don't screw this up,' is all I can think about as I watch him inch closer to me on the fence rail and then lean in. I put my hand on the back of his neck and pulled him closer as I tilted my head and leaned in. When our lips meet, it's electric, and I feel it down to my toes. His lips are so soft, and they move open like he's done this before. But that doesn't matter right now. All that matters is the warmth I find in his mouth. Our tongues dance and curl around each other until his tongue pushes mine back into my mouth and we repeat the dance. Sharing the inside of our mouths seems so intimate, my toes curl in my boots.

We break the kiss, and it's a good thing because I can barely keep my balance. At that point, I notice AJ, still with his eyes closed, basking in the afterglow, tilting. I reach out and try to catch him, but it knocks me off balance and we tumble into the water trough we just filled, splashing most of the water out. We come out of the water, and I make sure AJ is okay. He just looks at me, giggles, and says softly, "Again, please."

From the patio at the estate, we hear Uncle Jack yell, "Nice kiss! Now fill the trough back up! "


End of Counting - Chapter 7 - Tux