Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2017 14:41:32 -0700 From: Ian Bridger Subject: London Calling Chapter 5 Readers Warning; The following story contains elements of sexual content and contact between young boys around the age of twelve. If the subject matter offends you, or is not to your taste, or if you are closed mined to such things, or if you are a minor under the age of eighteen; then you should probably not read any further. Thanks, and enjoy. Story Written and Posted by About A Boy "Young boys should never be sent to bed. Because they always wake up a day older." ( Quote from Finding Neverland ) Authors note: In writing, it is often times difficult to convey an accent, or certain colloquialisms. Accordingly, I have taken certain liberties with spelling and grammar, to convey a bit of British flavour to the story. Please allow me this, and go with the flow. Thanks for reading, and please enjoy... **With Shay's father having relapsed into drinking again, Shay opted to go to his friend Asher's house once again to spend the night. Feeling quite upset, he needed comfort and friendship. This opened the door to their mutual needs. Shay returned home the next morning, and we begin here. London Call ~ Chapter Five ~ **Excerpt Chapter Four **The following morning after breakfast, Shay made the decision to head back home. He needed to check on his father; and despite Ash's offer to go with him, he went alone. The boy walked down the block, his pace tempered by his deepened thoughts. He glanced up at the summer sky, heard the song of several chirping birds from the trees of the corner park, and he wondered why life had to be so damn complicated. A twelve-year-old boy shouldn't be bothered or weighed down by such things. Skinned knees, kickball teams and what kind of sweets to eat should be a boy's biggest concerns. It wasn't fair that a young lad should have to face such adult complications. It just wasn't fair. Shay continued on, eventually turning the corner onto Burnaby Road. His pace was slow, and the fingers of his outstretched hand clunked rhythmically again against the spokes of the black ornamental iron fences that fronted the row houses as he walked along. He reached number '16' and he stopped, looking up at the all too familiar panel of the heavy wooden and glass door. Shay's shoulders dipped noticeably. Slowly, he took a deep resigned breath, letting it out in one long sigh as he started upward. One by one he mounted the stone steps till he reached the landing. Trembling fingers touched the door handle, and he paused for a long moment, a multitude of thoughts racing through his young mind. With final resolve, he turned the handle and opened the heavy door. The boy stepped softly across the threshold into the darkened entry. His eyes slowly adjusting to the dimly lit entryway. It was quiet. The only sound was the far away tick, tock, tick of the old mantle clock in the living room. Shay stood, listening... "Dad?" he called softly.....** * * * * * * It was almost a deathly silence that greeted Shay's ears. For a moment, he assumed his father must be out of the house. That is until he heard the sound of a bottle fall over. The cold clink of glass against the wooden floor. It seemed to have come from upstairs, perhaps from his bedroom. Shay swallowed with some difficulty, and he glanced at the small entry table to the right of the door. Yesterday's mail was still lying there, with one envelope torn open, and a crumpled sheet of paper way laying on the floor near the table. Shay took a step toward it and he stooped to pick up the official looking letter. It was addressed to his father, and apparently from his dad's former business company. The missive was informing him that the job opening he had applied for had already been filled, and no other openings were anticipated in the near future. "Shit..." Shay breathed under his breath. He set the letter on the table and turning, he walked slowly toward the staircase. Glancing to his left, he noticed at least a half dozen beer bottles lying askew in the living room; clearly quite empty. Again he heard muffled sounds coming from upstairs, and glancing upward, the twelve-year-old gathered his courage and started slowly up the wooden steps. The sound of something breaking came from down the hall; from his bedroom. The boy swallowed again, and considered his options. He loved his father, and he feared for him now. But at the same time, his old man could be more than a little mean when he was intoxicated, and he feared that as well. Still, this was his father... Shay topped the stairs and strode slowly across the upper landing, walking quietly toward his bedroom door, which was open slightly. Carefully he peered in through the opening, and he saw his father, Graham, sitting on the edge of his bed. The man was tipping back the last of a bottle of beer. Graham wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and grumbled almost incoherently; then he threw the empty beer bottle against the wall. Shay cringed desperately, tears welling in his eyes. The boy turned away and stood for a moment, making the decision to leave. Just as he turned to do so, his bedroom door flew open, and his father reached out angrily and grabbed him forcefully by the upper arm. "Where the bloody hell 'av you been..?" he bellowed, slurring his words badly. "Nowhere..." Shay offered meekly. "Out... I told you last night I was spending the night at Asher's." His father swayed slightly, his grip still uncomfortably tight on the boy's arm. "Fuck that..." His father grumbled sternly, as he yanked Shay into the bedroom. "Owe... Dad yer' hurtin' me." Shay winced. His father squeezed his arm even tighter. "Dammit young'un. You're always out pissin' about with yer little mates. I don't bloody well like it... I don't bloody well like them either for tha' matter." "Dad stop it... Yer pissed man, and yer hurtin' me..." "Oh... You think I'm drunk do you?" He replied, and he thrust Shay violently toward his bed. The boy crumpled onto the edge of it, then slipped down onto the floor. "Bollocks... You and yer stupid little mates..." Graham spat, as he stood swaying. "That boy Asher. He's a bloody fairy, ain't he... He's a fukin' fruit..." "Dad stop it... You don't even know wha' yer sayin'. You've been drinking, and this isn't you. Stop it Dad... Stop it please..." Shay pleaded, but his father loomed over him. "Dad you've got to get help. I want you back... I want things back the way they were..." "Shite boy..." Graham spat angrily. "Ya mean the way it was before yer mum died... I canna' do that now can I? She's dead... Dead ya hear, and she ain't com'in back..." The man whirled around, anger in his eyes. "If she hadn't gone out to pick you up from your little mate's house that night, she'd still be alive..." He yelled. Shay's eyes filled with tears as he absorbed this comment. "Is that why you're so angry? Is that why you're taking it out on me, and me friends. Dad, it wasn't anyone's fault. The lorry lost it's brakes and ran the stoplight and smashed into her car..." Shay shook his head, tears streaming down his cheeks now. "You should' a been home boy, instead of out muckin' about... She'd never have gone out, so it's on you boy..." His dad sneered. Shay managed to stand, his face a tear stained grimace. "I hate you..." Shay blustered. "You're a bastard..." His father whirled on him, slapping the boy stunningly across the face. Shay spun away and fell back against his wardrobe, then stumbled to the floor, a painful look of disbelief and fear on his features. Graham staggered then, catching himself. He stood stoically, as if suddenly realizing what he'd just done, and all the color drained from his face. He turned to face his boy, to say something, but Shay had wasted no time in gaining his feet. The boy wanted only to run away now, but his father blocked his way. "Shay, I'm s...." He started to say, but Shay's features were twisted with his own anger. "Aaaaarrrrrrhh...." The boy screamed as he charged forward throwing himself against his father and driving the staggering man backward toward the wall. They crashed into the closet door, knocking it from its track, and Graham fell against it and slid clumsily to the floor. The boy had pulled back, and he ran through the bedroom door, bolting out onto the landing, tears, fear, and confusion clouding his vision. He stumbled on a loose throw rug on the landing, and just managed to grab the banister to keep himself from falling down the stairs. Shay looked back fearfully, then gaining his feet again he thumped down the wooden stairs to the parquet hallway below. Without looking back, the boy turned and ran down the narrow hall throwing open the back door into the alley. He stumbled again and slid into the trash bins, sending himself falling to the ground. The youngster cast a desperate look back, climbed to his feet and bolted headlong down the alley, his trainers pounding the cobbles as he ran. The feel of hot tears spilled down his cheeks, and he bolted out of the alley and onto the main road. Then came the desperate sound of screeching tires, as a black taxicab skidded to a stop, narrowly avoiding hitting the boy. Shay stared back blankly at the irate cabbie, who was shaking an angry fist out the window at him. The boy turned and ran again, his mind lost in a cloud of confusion, anger, and fear. He ran, and ran on, till his lungs burned and his legs threatened to betray him; and still he continued to run. Eventually, and quite randomly his exhausted body spilled onto the green lawn and gardens just below Victoria Tower Park. He lay there on his back, sprawled out in the grass, his lungs heaving, his eyes still burning, though he had long since cried the last of his tears. The gardens were mostly empty of people at the moment, and he lay undisturbed for several minutes as he struggled to catch his breath, and some semblance of his mind. With some effort the boy found his feet again, and he shuffled across the lawn to lean against the metal railing atop the stone wall which fronted the Thames River. He felt light headed, either due to the run, or his situation, or both; but suddenly feeling sick, Shay leaned over the railing and puked away his breakfast, and the nasty bile from his stomach. The tears came again then, as he spit away the vile taste in his mouth, then fell back onto one of the park benches there along the footpath. Burying his head in his hands, Shay cried again. He hated his father. He loved him as well... Bloody hell, when would it end.... His mind raced, wondering what he could possibly do now? He desperately wanted his friend Asher. His best mate would comfort him, offer him support. But Shay didn't want to dump this on him yet again. The situation was so pathetic, and Shay hated always needing to be rescued. He hated feeling like a burden on his friends. And Asher's father would certainly want to bring in the authorities, and he wasn't at all sure if that was the answer. The boy sat for several minuets, and finally realized he needed time. Time to think. Time to make decisions. An idea crossed his mind, and as it was all he could think of at the moment, Shay got to his feet and hurriedly walked out of the park toward the road. The number twelve bus stop was there, and he waited for several minutes before the bus showed up. Boarding, he swiped his oyster card on the reader, and rode the inbound bus toward Victoria. Some ten minutes later, Shay hopped off the double decker near Victoria Station, and he hurried quickly down the road toward the National Express Coach Line station. Inside he made his way to the counter, and used his card once again to purchase a ticket. A one way ticket to Bournemouth. With just over an hour to wait, Shay purchased a can of Ginger Ale, hoping to calm his still unsettled stomach; and he sat in the back of the terminal thoughtfully rubbing on his cheek where his father had backhanded him. Aware now for the first time how much it hurt. How much his arm hurt as well... He sat, deep in thought as he idled away the time till the coach departed for Bournemouth. It seemed to take forever, but when finally the coach boarded, Shay took a seat half way back on the left, and he sat staring nervously out the window till they were well underway. He was headed to Swanage. Back to the summer cottage that Asher's parents owned. The same getaway place where he, Asher, and Nathan had spent the weekend, less than two weeks previously. He knew that Ash's parents wouldn't be terribly upset if he took refuge there, even without their permission. The coach droned onto the highway, and with his head still leaned against the window, Shay dozed fitfully. * * * * * Nearly an hour passed, and Shay was softly jarred awake by sounds of the Coach, as the muffled sound of a ringtone. Opening his bleary eyes, the boy glanced about for a moment, and then realized the sound was that of his own mobile phone. He reached down to the leg pocket of his board shorts and fished out his phone, glancing at the front of it just as the ringing stopped. The brief look told him that it was his friend Asher who had called, and he held the phone to his chest, feeling a rise in his throat. Shay's thoughts raced again as he sat, and momentarily the telltale ping sound told him that Ash had left a message. Pressing the button, Shay swiped to the message screen and brought the phone up to his ear as the message began. "Bloody hell man, what's goin' on?" Asher's recorded voicemail began. "Shay are you alright? Where are you?" His voice was urgent, worried. "I was worried about you so I went by your house and... And, shit mate, what happened? I went inside and yer dad was sittin' there in the livin' cryin', so I raced upstairs and saw yer room all in a big mess... Oh Shay... Where are ya mate? Please call me, please..." Click. The message ended, and Shay's throat tightened as another tear rolled down his cheek. Asher had sounded beside himself with worry. Through his tears, shay typed a quick text, and sent it off to Ash. It read: 'Ash, I'm okay... Just need time to think. Me dad went off again, and he... Look I'm aw'right. Call you soon, please don't worry. Thanks mate...' Shay swallowed, wiped a tear from his cheek and stared out the window again. Almost immediately his phone rang again, but he silenced it and tucked it back away into the pocket of his shorts. He wasn't ready to talk to anyone yet. He didn't even know what he'd say. Over the next few minutes he felt the phone vibrate several more times in his pocket, before it mercifully fell silent, and Shay fell to staring out the Coach window for the next half hour till they pulled into the terminal at Bournemouth. Shay gathered himself quickly and hurried off the bus, setting a determined pace as he walked down toward the waterfront. There were bicycles to hire there at the kiosks, and the boy figured he would hire one. It was only eight miles or so to the cottage in Swanage, and for a twelve-year-old boy in prime shape, that was a mere hop. Pulling his tee shirt off and hanging it over the handlebars he set out, and made the ride in no time at all, barely even breaking a sweat under the cloudless summer skies; and in no time at all he was riding up the thatched grass driveway to the quaint old cottage. A half smile crossed his lips for a moment as Shay hopped off the bicycle and rolled it up to the front porch. He leaned it against the railing and mounted the two wooden steps to the covered area, and then smiled stoically again as he looked at the hanging porch swing, swaying listlessly in the early afternoon breeze. He thought back to two weeks previous, and the fun time he Nathan and Asher had shared here that weekend. Shay stood shirtless, and he glanced out at the sea for a moment and sighed, before walking over and retrieving the hidden key to the cottage, using it to unlock the front door. The boy went inside and quickly opened up several of the shuttered windows for light, and some fresh air. It felt quite summerlike now, so he slipped off his trainers and socks, and tossed them near the front door. His tummy rumbled at him then, reminding him that he'd not eaten since breakfast, and he had subsequently lost that when he'd thrown up. Shay made his way into the small kitchen, where he found a package of crisps in the pantry, and some bottled water in the fridge, and for now he was content to snack on those things. There were some other canned goods in the pantry as well, and Shay also had a £20 note in his wallet, so he could pop into town later and buy a few sundries if needed. When he'd satiated his hunger, Shay went back to the larger bedroom and gazed in at it. He smiled then, recalling how the three boys had shared the bed that night, and had all masturbated together for the first time. A childhood memory that he would recall fondly through his dying days. He even remembered Nathan's nasty fart under the covers that night, and it made him grin even larger now. Yes, those were the silly little things that make up a life. The little lost moments in time that become the tapestry of our past. Feeling a bit sticky now, Shay turned and walked back toward the bathroom, where he stripped off his board shorts, then peeled down his underpants and dropped them on top of crumpled shorts. He leaned into the tub and turned on the faucet, setting the water temperature to cool, before stepping in under the flow. He stood then, letting the water sooth his naked, pubescent body. Wash away the grime of his ride, and perhaps the salt of his earlier tears. He simply stood for many minutes, leaning forward with his hands on the front wall as the water streamed down over him. The boy cried quietly again as his reality slowly flooded back, and he knew he had some serious decisions to make. At length he began to feel a little better, as he lathered and washed himself taking special care with his private parts. It even surprised him somewhat, that under the circumstances his boy part began to stiffen up a bit even with the diligent manipulation of his fingers. There was some relief to be had here though, that no one could take from him. He began to think about his best mate Asher, and the sexual encounter they had shared that previous night. It had been Shay's first ever real sexual experience, and even though it had involved little beyond sensuously kissing another boy, and humping against one another's nakedness, until they had both cum; well... Well it seemed to have been a rather defining moment for him. He had been totally aroused by... By another boy. And as he stood now, under the cool stream of water in the shower, he became aware that his boyhood was standing fully erect again, under the gentle caress of his soapy fingers. His tool was literally throbbing in his hand; the mere thought of his best friend had aroused him so... The boy lay his head back, and he began to stroke himself. His slender, four and a half tumescent tube slid silkily between his soapy fingertips, and in his minds eye he replayed the special encounter he'd had with Asher. Using his other hand to excite himself further, he slid his palm to his inner thigh, then gentle cupped and rubbed the loose hanging rounds of his testicles... "Mmm...." The boy breathed and hummed aloud as wonderful feelings began to accompany his manipulations. Slipping his foreskin back as he stroked, he exposed his glistening purple knob, and Shay used his forefinger to massage this most sensitive ripened cherry. A shiver of delight ran through his frame, his thighs seemed to tremble with it. "Oh... Oh geeze..." Shay muttered, lost now in the physical sensations. "Ohhh...Oh..." It was a wonderful escape. The youngster slid the flat of his palm around and onto his buttock, letting his soap lathered fingertips strafe down the length of his boy crease. It felt so good that he did it again, trailing his fingers deeper this time, as he enjoyed the erotic feel of his silky warm skin, and the budding warmth of his nether regions. Shay swallowed hard, then his lips came apart as his excited breathing began coming from his mouth now, "Ohhh..... " he sighed again, his fingers still working steadily up and down the length of his rigid boy tube. In his mind, Shay imagined himself coiling body to body around his best mate, Asher. The seething warmth of their naked bodies sliding in unison on one another in a near primal manner. He had stepped back out of the shower stream, and his fingertip found, and slid through the generous droplets of clear precum that rolled freely from his reddened pee slit. Without thought, the boy brought his finger to his mouth to taste his own sweet boy nectar, and he shivered with the erotic tasty delight. "Ohhh....." he moaned. Stooping slightly now, his free hand slid even deeper between the orbs of his firm buttocks, till his fingertips rolled gently across his youthfully virginal boy opening. His body shuddered at the pleasant contact, and unnoticed, the speed of his other hand increased as he stroked himself faster now. "Oh fuuuhhh..." he moaned. In the past, Shay had only fingered his heated, spongy anus a time or two; enjoying the interesting feel of his meaty grommet, as it snugged itself shut in playful resistance. But now... Now he was fully engaged in his own sexuality, his own experimentation; and gently he slid the tip of his middle digit into the warm recess of his anus, and then withdrew it. "Oh..." he mumbled, surprised at the unexpected pleasure of it. He swallowed, and curiously he entered himself again. Past the first knuckle, and on to the second. His sphincter tightened momentarily around it, but then seemed to relax in acceptance of this pleasurable probe. The boy withdrew his digit, then immediately entered himself again. This time he wiggled it a bit, pumping it in and out several times. "Huhhhh..." he huffed, enjoying the filling, and exciting feeling that it offered. Little did the twelve-year-old realize that this was a very sensitive erogenous zone. It came as a complete surprise to him, and the fingering of his penis slowed as his focus switched to his backside. He pulled his hand around an inspected his finger. It was clean and wet, perhaps still lubricated by soapy residue. He sniffed at it tentatively, but there was no odor really, other than that of boy. Shay squatted down in the tub, then sat back rolling onto his back till he was lying in the tub. He raised his right leg, resting his foot up on the rim of the tub. Thusly, opening himself up a bit. It was easy now to reach under his leg and explore his private opening again. Closing his eyes, Shay rubbed his fingertip over the ripe opening, pushing gently against its spongy ring. His insides seemed to tingle in appreciative response. The boy's left hand cupped over his soap slimed penis and testicles, and he continued his gentle rubbing, while the fingers of his other hand still played on his pink rosebud. "Oh man..." Shay sighed again, and he slipped his finger inside himself once again, pumping it there, and now for the first time letting his mind wander to thoughts of Asher, and sharing this moment with him... He pushed his finger in deeper, wondering how deep the other boy's penis might encroach, and what that would feel like. "Mmmmph...." he mumbled as he softly finger banged his pink boy opening, excited by these all new sensations. The boy was urgently and overly horny now, and giving in, he began masturbating afresh. His eyes were only half open, as if drunk with sexual pleasure, and within minutes the familiar leg twitches, and curling toes signaled the approaching mother load. "Ohh...ohhh bloody hell... Bloody h...." he mumbled, then rolled his head back in the tub. His tummy tightened and his upper thighs went numb; the joyful onslaught had begun. So many feelings going on at once. Shay felt his bunghole tighten around his intruding finger, and then the hot rush as his balls released their molten load. "Uhhhhhhhnnnnchhh...." He all but screamed joyfully as hot boy spunk coursed through his tube and erupted from the plum colored knob. He'd been so stimulated that the first juicy pulse splattered all the way up against his jaw and clung there. He looked down to see the next spurts alight on his breast and upper stomach. "Fuuuu, uhhh, uuuuuhhh..." "Ohh...ohh..oh..." he sighed. A sticky strand of opaque boy honey dangled from his glans, over his thumb and down onto his nearly barren pubic mound. "Uhhh....." his breath came heavy and his upper body shuddered at the grand finale. The boy's hand fell away from his strained penis and dropped into the tub. His bunghole unclenched, finally letting his middle finger slip out with a somewhat wet sounding plop. Shay's eyes fluttered a time or two, and finally after several minutes he managed to slide his naked butt back under him as he sat up in the porcelain tub, still reeling with the pleasure. The dangling strand of boy seed still clung to his chin, and swayed there before falling away and dripping back onto his thigh... He smiled stupidly at it, then wiped the rest from his chin with his forefinger. Without thought he suckled it from his finger; somehow it had just seemed the thing to do. "Oh man..." he mumbled, licking his lips from his own tasty treat. Shay attempted to stand in the tub then, but his legs were shaky and he needed to use his hand for support. "Whoa..." He breathed. He'd never felt so physically drained, and he pushed the shower curtain back and stepped carefully out of the tub. Using the counter for support, Shay glanced at himself in the mirror. His lean, boylike body glistened with wetness from the shower, and his eyes focused on the jelly-like mess still smeared on his left pec and nipple. He slid his hand through it with a little smile, wiping away the last remnants of his boy seed. Shay took a deep breath as if to clear his head, and he smiled slightly. "Man..." he mumbled to himself. "That was intense..." Reaching out, he pulled a towel from the rack and proceeded to dry himself, and finally he peeled his foreskin back and milked a final sticky droplet from his limp horn, wiping it away with the towel. He cringed as he did so, his little knob still somewhat flushed from the big event. The boy tossed the damp towel into a laundry hamper there in the bathroom, and still naked he crossed the hall to the small bedroom, allowing himself to fall limply on top of the comfortable bed, and he lay there tiredly with his thoughts. With a pleasant shiver he thought about what he'd just done with himself in the shower. He remembered how his sexual thoughts had been about Asher, and how intense they had been, and absently he rested his palm over his genitals An impish, boylike half smile crossed his features, and then feeling rather spent from his experience, and everything else that had been going on, Shay slipped off to sleep. His youthfully fine and naked body was sprawled loosely across the bed, and would have looked like a fine Norman Rockwell painting had anyone had the opportunity to see it. But he snoozed unobserved as the warm afternoon sun drifted through the sky. * * * * A little earlier back in London, Asher had anxiously pressed the button of his mobile phone for the umpteenth time, trying to make contact with his best friend. It had been over an hour since Shay had texted him last, and he was really getting worried about him now. He had told his parents everything. How he had gone over to Shay's house, seen his father crying listlessly in the kitchen, seen the beer bottles strewn about, and the state of Shay's room all a mess with its caved in closet door. This whole situation had gone beyond the boys now, and Ash knew he needed to involve his parents, and that things had to change. His mum and dad were gone there now, in fact. They'd gone to Shay's house to somehow begin to try and sort this all out. And in the meantime, Ash sat in his room fretting over the wellbeing of his best mate. Thinking frantically, Ash used his mobile and called their other best friend Nathan, to ask if Nate had heard anything from Shay. He had told Nathan the whole story, and wondered if Nate had any ideas about where their friend may have gone to get away and think. And now, minutes later Nathan had come over to try and help find him. He pushed in through the front door and saw Asher standing there, with an almost dazed look on his face. He stepped forward and put his hands up on Ash's shoulders, looking him in the eyes. "It'll be aw'right..." he promised. "We'll get this all sor'ed out..." He saw tears begin to well up in Ash's eyes, and he immediately pulled him in close and wrapped his arms around the other boy in a reassuring hug. And they stood there that way for several long moments. An all too rare sight perhaps. Two young boys embracing tenderly to offer comfort and share their concern for their best mate... "Got any ideas then?" Nate asked finally, wiping his own tear away. "I don't know. Westminster Park, the school, the library... I don't know..." Ash replied. "Its all too public I think. If Shay wants to be alone to figure things out, well... Maybe the hidden gardens behind the old church, or... Or maybe he hopped the bus out to Camden Town, you know he likes it out there." Ash shook his head. "Na, that's way too public as well, but... But..." he looked up at Nate. "Wait... The bus! I think I know where he may have got off to." Ash looked quickly at his watch. "There's just time, I think... Come on then..." * * * * In Swanage, Shay finally woke after an nice hour and a half catnap. He propped himself up on his elbows, and glanced down at his naked body, remembering that he'd fallen asleep that way. A brief smile spread his lips as he recalled his recent experience in the shower. That had certainly been Epic. The boy scooted to the edge of the bed and he stood, stretching himself briefly before padding naked out to the front room and into the kitchen to grab a cold bottled water from the fridge. He drank it all down, then glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. It was late afternoon now, and he really needed to think about things. He took several steps toward the front door thinking to sit out on the front porch swing, and as he opened the door he remembered that he was still starkers. Leaving the front door open, he went back to the bathroom and retrieved his board shorts, stepping into them without bothering about his underwear. The boy strolled outside now, and he sat on the hanging porch swing, freely dangling his bare legs and rocking gently as he stared out toward the sea. His mobile phone vibrated in his pocket, and feeling a bit guilty he pulled it out and thumbed it on. Twelve missed calls, eight from Asher, and another four from Nathan. His throat tightened a bit, realizing that they must be really concerned about him. There were several text messages as well, and his throat really tightened with emotion now as he read them. Asher was clearly beside himself with worry. One of them said that if anything bad happened to Shay, Asher would kick his bloody ass all the way up to Sunderland. The text ended with, 'luv u mate'. Shay almost cried now, having made his friends worry like that. He texted back that he was fine. And just to add a touch of humor he added; 'you worry like a lit'l school girl', but he ended the text by typing, 'luv U2'. Send... And with that Shay slipped off the bench and still barefoot and bare-chested he stepped off the porch and strolled down the thatched grass driveway, headed down the hill toward the sea. The late sun was very pleasant on his naked shoulders, and the air was fresh and tinged with the scent of early summer. The boy walked casually, hands stuffed down carelessly in the pockets of his board shorts. When he reached the shore, the sand felt wonderful against the bare soles of his feet, and he meandered at a leisurely pace up the beach. There weren't many people here yet. With the summer school term just finished, the tourists wouldn't start showing up till next week; but for now it was just a few locals, which suited the boy fine. He found a lonely stretch of sand up a ways, and after dipping his feet in the sea, he walked back a few yards and sat in the sand, gazing out across the shimmering sunlit waters. After many minutes, he breathed a heavy sigh and began thinking about his dad. About what had happened back at the house. Shay was both angry and sorrowful in the same moment. The things his father had done and said were very hurtful. Both physically and emotionally. And it was the first time his father had expressed his resentment; that in some ways he blamed Shay for his wife's death. Shay's breath caught in his throat. That comment had stung him so... Anger flashed within him. Yet, at the same time it was tempered with sorrow. He didn't want to loose his father as well. It was his dad's the drinking. Drinking and stupid thinking that had created this rift. The boy absently wiped a tear from his cheek. He wanted his old life back. Shay didn't know how long he had been sitting there, quite lost in his thoughts as he went over and over things in his mind. And suddenly the warm summer sun which had been washing over him seemed shaded. Blocked somehow. The boy turned his head to look back over his shoulder, and his eyes widened in surprise. He struggled to swallow with some difficulty as he stood and turned around. Standing there, with grave concern on their faces, were his best mates Asher and Nathan. His breath caught in his throat again, as he struggled not to cry, and then Nate closed the gap and threw his arms around Shay, holding him tightly, and finally kissing him gently on the cheek. They held the embrace for a dozen seconds before standing apart. And then Asher was upon him, hugging him like a bear. "Don't ever do that again you wanker..." Ash mumbled into his ear, through his tears as he held onto him tightly. And then without embarrassment, he kissed Shay on the lips before hugging him again. After a few seconds, Nate rejoined them. Three boys huddled in a meaningful embrace, oblivious to any awkward stares by any nearby beachgoers. This was true friendship if ever there was. Three English lads, who would give their all for one another. When finally they separated, the boys walked slowly back together along the beach. Asher kept his arm around Shays shoulders as they walked, and Shay was delighted to see his best friends; it touched him deeply that they had come all this way on the mere chance of finding him here. He glanced at Nathan and smiled appreciatively, then looked at Ash and did the same. Standing in the middle, Shay put his arms over the shoulders of both his best mates. "I love you guys..." He offered sincerely. "Don't suppose yer gonna' kiss me on the lips as well..." Nathan queried playfully, as he smiled and pulled away. Shay grinned back at him. "I'd sooner kiss your bum." he teased, and they all laughed. He looked at Asher then, caught his eye meaningfully. "We should talk..." he said somewhat cryptically. Ash nodded back at him. "Yeah..." He replied. "I was thinkin' the same thing..." ~~ End Of Chapter Five ~~ Comments are always welcome at; ians.daydream@gmail.com Hope you are enjoying this coming of age tale. It is a Boy's duty, to explore, experiment, and enjoy with curious wonder, this precious time of adolescent change. Where every experience is new, and nothing is off the table. Enjoy it boys.... Also, stay tuned for more new stories from About A Boy I really appreciate your reading my stories, and offering up your comments... I truly hope that you continue to enjoy them, and just maybe, find something of your own similar boyhood memories mixed into it as well... Childhood was a wonderfully innocent time, wasn't it..........