Chapter Three

(Continuation from Chapt. 1)

I stopped about three feet in front of him and just sort of lowered my book bag down by my foot. By this time I was looking at the ground in between his feet. I was feeling all numb inside and I just wanted to get this over with.

I heard him clear his throat - a sort of uhhmmm . Next I heard a sort of a sigh and then what sounded like a choking sound. None of this sounded consistent with what I expected to hear and so I dared to glance up towards his face. What I saw just kind of shocked me to my roots. His face, that handsome, gorgeous face was kind of screwed up like he was trying really hard to keep his emotions in check. I don't mean angry, screaming at me, really pissed off type of emotions either. He looked like he was just a few seconds away from bawling. I thought, "what the fuck have you done to him Carl?" I didn't just get this guy pissed from perving at him but I have really hurt him on some deep emotional level. Maybe he's had some tumultuous problem with a gay person before or maybe he was being molested at home or something. Oh shit, oh fuck. I am such a horrible creep. Here is a guy I would give my left nut just to cuddle up to and instead I've torn his heart out. I was wishing he would scream at me, call me a filthy fairy faggot at the top of his lungs or start punching on me. Anything but this. I felt my own waterworks start to give way.

*********************

Then he finally spoke. It was kind of a quivery voice. I could tell he was trying hard to maintain.

"So, Carl, where's my Double Bubble gum?" He gave me this half-assed, shit eating grin, all the while using his knuckle to wipe the corner of one eye and then the other.

I couldn't believe it. Not only wasn't he yelling at me but he was trying hard to come up with some friendly banter. He was trying to make up to me - as if he had anything to make up for! He'd even found out my name!

I said "sorry dude, I'm afraid I grabbed you the Dentyne instead", I smilingly answered him and then I just sort of lost it. I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks and then I said...

"I'm sorry dude, I'm so, so... sorry."

He looked at me like he didn't know what I was talking about. And then he walked up to me kind of fast. I started to hold my hand up cause I was still half thinking I was going to get knocked on my ass. But what he did next really surprised the shit out of me. He just grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into him and held me in this tight hug. He was so tall that he just kind of rested his chin on the top of my head and squeezed me in really close. I was sniffing and I could hear him sniffing and I was pretty much getting his tee shirt soaked. He was doing a good job of pasting down my cowlick with his saltwater. But God, It felt wonderful to wrap my arms around his back and squeeze him into me just as tight as he was squeezing me.

It must have been a good two minute squeeze and sob fest till we both kind of pushed away when we heard someone give a wolf whistle. I nervously glanced in the direction of the sound but it wasn't directed towards us. Some kids were whistling at some girls up the street. In fact there wasn't anyone around us. Everyone was busy pulling bikes out of the racks or climbing on buses or getting in their parent's cars. I don't think anyone observed our little, Romeo and Juliet scene. I wasn't worried so much for myself, I just didn't want this cool guy to get tainted by me. This wasn't some kind of a gay moment anyway - just an emotional one. Well, at least I figured it was just an emotional thing for him - it was definitely a gay moment for me. I was sporting a major woody. (Yea, right, a major 3" woody!) There are times when having a small dick can be helpful - like not being all that easily spotted in your baggy pants.

We were both dragging our knuckles across our cheeks, looking sheepish, trying to salvage a little dignity. "Do a favor for me will you Carl" the guy sniffed.

"Sure thing dude" I said, my voice breaking a little.

"Will you come up to my locker with me while I get my homework assignments? And then I'll walk home with you a ways if that's alright?"

"OK dude, if you'll do me a favor too."

"Just name it bud" he said.

"Well then, how about telling me your name so I can call you something besides dude," I smilingly asked him.

He laughed - right from the belly, not something forced. God he was going to be an easy person to like. Like? Hell, let's tell it like it is man. I had fallen all the way for this bozo. It was way beyond like. It was a lot closer to `lick' than like. As in `I would like to lick him from his nose to his toes'. I was just going to have to play it kind of careful though. I still didn't know if he realized I was perving him in math class. `Hmm, just what was his take on that anyway?'

He bent down and picked his book up from the planter while I leaned down and picked up my book bag. Then he put an arm across my shoulders and we started walking towards the building.

"My name's Richard" he said, "Richard Bambrough. But you can go ahead and call me dude if you want to".

"OK Richard... dude" I said. "But, you know, it might be a good idea not to do the arm over the shoulder thing on school grounds. Tongues might start to wag, you know?" To be honest, I loved feeling his arm there but I was still worried about him getting a reputation because of me. He pulled his arm in, reluctantly it seemed to me.

"Oh, hmm, thanks Carl. It's a good thing you're here to keep me out of trouble." Me - keep him out of trouble? What, am I going to have to become this poor kid's Chad or something? Wow, actually that's kind of a neat feeling. "Today I haven't put a lot of forethought into anything it seems," he continued. "It's sorta like I've just been reacting instead of thinking. I mean, I sure managed to embarrass the hell out of you and I really didn't mean to, honest".

"I know that Richard. At least I know it now. I guess I'm just running on overload these days what with our moving and the new school and everything. Hell, you were just trying to be nice to me and I don't really know where my head was at. Up my butt probably."

Richard chuckled. I'm going to have to try to make him laugh more. I sure love hearing it. I love seeing his face lit up in a smile too. It really makes his dimples stand out.

We were only a few feet beyond the front door when he guided me into the lockers. I set my book bag down while he started doing a combination on a locker.

"So Richard, your locker's nearly at the front door huh?" He nodded his head, still working the combination. "So, how come you didn't grab your homework before you went outside to wait for me?"

I swear I saw him blush a little.

"Well, uh, I didn't want to take a chance that I might miss you."

"But," I said "how did you know I would go out the front door and not out the side door?" He was blushing big time now.

"I uh, well I..."

"DUDE!" I said. "You've been checking me out haven't you? You already knew I would leave by that door and you knew I walked home from school too! You gave yourself away when you told me you would walk with me a ways." His face was the color of a stop sign now.

"All right, all right. I admit it." He looked up at me, sorta pensively. "I've been checking you out since you first came into our class last Monday." Then he looked down to the ground and seemed to hesitate, I guess trying to decide if he were going to continue with whatever else he had to say.

"And I suppose the only reason I can admit that so easily is because - well, because of the way I caught you eyeballing me out in class today." He looked up at me again. "Admit it Carl, you were really giving me the twice over weren't you?"

Now it was my turn to blush. He definitely had me dead to rights there. Hell, I wasn't just eyeballing him. In my fantasy I was down in his pants, rooting around in his cellar so to speak. I was doing num nums on his yum yums.

"Well," I said. "I guess we're both kind of outed now huh?" I asked him with my Opie grin.

"NOW I know who you remind me of" he said, putting his hand up to his mouth and laughing.

"Don't you say it. Don't you damn well say it" I laughed, play smacking him in the arm.

"OK I won't, I won't" and he held up his hands to ward off my evil blows. His smiling face practically shined at me. God he is gorgeous. AND HE'S BEEN CHECKING ME OUT!!! How cool is that I ask you.

"I've already embarrassed you enough for one day" he chuckles at me. But do me another favor will you?"

I nodded in the affirmative, grinning like crazy.

"Next time yer in Mayberry say `hey' to Andy for me!" And then he busted up laughing. I was laughing with him and pretending to beat on him like I was really indignant or something. Then I glanced around me, to see if the hallway was clear - it was. I stood up on my tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on his handsome chin. He stopped laughing and just stood there, quietly, with this sorta half smile on his lips. I'd swear his eyes started misting up again.

"Thank you bud, I really needed that. How about we go somewhere private so you can give me a few million more of those?"

"How about I take you home with me" I answered. My Mom won't get home for a couple hours yet and I can show you my room. In fact, I`ll show you anything you want to see" and I wiggled my eyebrows at him.

He giggled, blushed and then just nodded his head while his face lit up with that infectious grin of his. He grabbed his homework, slammed his locker closed and we turned towards the doorway. As we started walking he slipped his arm over my shoulder again. "Should I remind him again? Nah, screw it. This feels too good. Let the old tongues wag." I slipped my arm around his waist and adjusted the tent in my trousers, - ok, pup tent! I kinda glanced down at his circus tent and grinned. Maybe I was going to get to play Ringmaster when we got to my house!

We walked out into the bright sunshine and into a new day... a new day for the both of us and a new beginning. God, I'm sure glad I moved to Boise!