Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2006 13:58:14 +1000 (EST) From: Gay Stories Subject: Melbourne Commonwealth Games This is my second story - haven't gotten around to finishing Luke's ski trip yet, but will do so real soon now. Please write me: I'd love to know what you think and also am keen to know how far it gets around the world, so please put your location in. This was going to be a single chapter, now looks like two. Please stay with it. It won't be long BTW: Did anyone notice how the male Indian dancers at the Melb closing ceremony showed no chest or underarm hair? Looked v-e-ry sexy but unusual for such a race. Comments welcome on that too. "Go Gra!!" "Go Sam!!" Tom and I were yelling at the top of our lungs for our respective brothers nearing the finish line of the under 18yrs men's 200 metres sprint. It was the regional finals, right at the start of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and their fever had even hit Sydney where we are. Tom and I are both 14, actually only a couple of weeks from each other, with Tom being the older one. Our brothers the runners are 16 but there's months in there. Graham and Sam are pretty good friends, almost best friends, except it seems when it comes to their racing. Sam had just pipped my brother at the finishing line and when I said to Tom that I wouldn't have a happy rest of Saturday I didn't realise how true that would be. "Bad luck, Graham, but that was near your personal best, just ...." "Shut up! What you doing hanging around that cocksucker Tom for? Get lost!" I was left standing in amazement as Graham went into the locker room and the showers. Normally I would go in and help him with his gear and stuff, but I obviously wasn't wanted. He's sometimes been upset when he's lost a race, but never given me a hard time about it - just himself. He'd snap out of it in about 5-10 minutes and try to do better the next time. We're also typical brothers. We have our fights but usually get along these days and certainly if anyone else, including parents, was to bother one of us, the other would stick up like nothing. So this outburst really worried me and hurt too. I decided to give Graham a wide berth the rest of the week which isn't easy when it's just the two kids in the family and you share a room. Still, there was school and schoolwork. He had his training and weights. I just pretty well gave him the silent treatment. I also decided to stay a little away from Tom. We're in many of the same classes but not nearly as close to each other as our brothers - when they're not racing. Sam's even stayed at our place a few times and I've had to give up my bed and sleep in the study so he and Graham could share together. I just didn't want to annoy my brother any further by him seeing me hang out with Tom at school. I also told mum I was too busy with school work to go to training with Graham at the moment. Usually I would mark distances, watch the times etc. Mum seemed to sense something wasn't right but as usual, she let us have time to sort it out for ourselves and didn't push or ask questions. The next Saturday was the usual Little Athletics training/comp that the guys always attended. When I told mum I wouldn't be going 'cause I had too much work, Graham said, "What d'mean, you're not going? You always come! Who's going to look after my gear? Who's going to watch my times? Come on - you haven't helped out all week - it's not fair on Mum!" I was surprised he was so keen on me coming but I held firm and off they went. I actually did some work and was quite surprised how soon it seemed they came back. As soon as I heard the back door slam, I knew there would be trouble. When Mum shouted "Hi" and Graham walked in with a dark look on his face, I knew I was right. Mum's "Hi" was a warning, she used to use that when Dad would come home after a bad day at the office. When things were normal she'd say something else. Not sure what now, but never just "Hi!" "Room!" Graham said, pointing at me then upstairs in the general direction of our bedroom. That was always the way when we had to work something out - just like the 'rents, we never wanted to fight in the open. I could say it too, and he would always respect my wish and we'd sort or try to sort out our problem in the privacy of our room. "Now listen, Jon (how long did you wonder what my name is) - from Monday you come training with us and Saturday you come to comp! No ifs, buts or schoolwork! right?!" "No way!" I said. "Why should I? I've got my own stuff to do!" "I'll tell you why! I stink without you there! You're my good luck charm! Mum can't keep records, she can't even find the stop on the stopwatch, after all these years and it being the same as the start button! You're helping me and that's that!" Again I said, "No way! I don't ask you to do things for me, you don't boss me around!" Graham snapped, grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me. "You will come, you will help. Starting Monday!" I was a little frightened by this outburst but just flung his hands off my shoulders by raising mine that were at my side. "No! No! No! I'm not going ANY more!" I yelled. Graham looked a little stunned. I suppose I had never stood up to him quite like this before, probably there had not been the need. As I said, we got along pretty well usually. He quietened down quite a bit, probably not wanting mum to hear but probably also trying to calm me down. I was a bit teary by then I guess. "Why won't you come anymore, Jon?" "Why won't I come? I yelled but in a whisper, if you understand what I mean. The harshness was there but not the volume. "You don't like my friend, you call him a 'cocksucker' , it's almost as if you think I tell him your training secrets so he'd tell his brother. I don't know your training secrets, if you have any. And I certainly wouldn't tell them to anyone! You've ruined my friendship with Tom, I don't talk to him anymore and he doesn't know why! Should I tell him I can't get too close to a 'cocksucker, 'cause my bro might get mad?" "Oh shit", Graham said, almost in a whisper. "Oh, shit, shit, shit!" Then, looking at me again, he said, "OK. We'll talk again later and walked out the room. I just sat on my bed and tried to recover. I think he told mum he was going for a walk.