STANDARD WARNING: This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to
individuals, living or dead, is pure coincidence. Do not read
this story if you are offended by male-to-male romance or sex. Do
not read if you are underage according to the laws in the
country, state/province, county, city/town/village or township
where you live. There is sex between males. You have been warned!
Copyright 2000 by archer. Permission is granted to Nifty Archives
to post one copy. No part may be copied, reproduced, republished,
or reposted on another website without written permission from
the author.
Pocketful of Stars |
By archer
Chapter 1 |
When I was a boy -- wait a sec, Im still a boy --
technically. But, I hate the term boy. Im fourteen.
I dont want to be called a boy anymore. I prefer young
man. Guy is good. Kid is OK. Teenager if
youre as old as my grandma. Even student. But not boy.
Sorry about that. I get off the subject a lot. Its one of
the things youre going to have to get used to. I generally
get back to the original topic.
I guess Id better tell you a little about myself. My name
is Joe Ryan. I live in Bloomington, Illinois. Im finishing
eighth grade at Bloomington Junior High. Im going to high
school next year. My parents are divorced, and I live with my mom
and two sisters. Their names are Carrie and Cindy. Im the
only boy -- oops, now I did it -- male in the house.
Its very lonely and I hate it. I also hate when my mom
refers to me as the man of the house. My dad lives in Williams
Bay, Wisconsin. I miss him a lot. We were very close. Not that I
dont love my mom. I just want a guy around.
Oh, yeah. What I look like: well, girls always call me cute. I
hate that word. Cute. Reminds me of baby rabbits. Im about
average height for a fourteen year old, and average weight and I
have brown hair and blue eyes.
So, back to my story. This took place about the time I was six or
seven. My whole family went to the beach. I think it was in
Michigan, but I really cant remember exactly where it was.
We rented a cabin right on a lake and there was a big, sandy
beach. We went swimming every day.
My dad is an astronomer. No, not astrologer. Those are bogus
people who think that they can predict the future by the position
of the stars and planets. No, my dad studies stars and planets
and time and the Big Bang and all sorts of stuff. I think
its reallly interesting stuff. I may want to be an
astronomer when I get older, but you have to be good in math. And
I suck in math. Im much better in reading and English and
writing. More about that, later.
Im doing it again, right? Getting off the subject again.
Ok, I dont want to confuse you. Ill stick to the
topic.
Were all on the beach one sunny, hot afternoon. The girls
were scared of the water, but my dad and i splashed around and
had a great time. The water was cold, though, and we got out
after a while. I was wearing cutoff jeans because I was so
skinny. See, when I was younger, I was really skinny. I was so
skinny that my mom had a hard time finding clothes for me. Before
we went on vacation, she tried to find a bathing suit that fit
me, but they were all too big. She bought one anyway, and hoped
that the drawstring around the waist would help keep them up. Was
she ever wrong! We went to the public pool in Bloomington a few
days later and they kept falling off me when I jumped in the
water. Talk about embarrassing! So, before we went on vacation,
she took a pair of my old jeans and cut the legs off. She said
Id grow into the trunks eventually.
Dad and I got out of the water. He sat on a towel on the sand. I
can still remember how hot the sand was. It burned my feet! I was
a bit cold from the lake, so I sat in Dads lap. Remember,
Im just a little kid!
He put his arms around me. He said, I love you, Joe.
I love you, Dad.
He picked up a handful of sand. Did you know that there are
more stars in the sky than grains of sand on this beach?
Really?
Its true. Remember the time we looked in the
telescope?
Yeah.
There were more stars in the telescope than the grains of
sand Im holding. He opened his hand and the sand
slipped through his fingers.
Wow! Is that true, Dad?
Yes, son.
Why cant I see the stars sometimes, Dad?
Theres a lot of reasons. It could be clouds are
blocking them. Or theres too much light around. He
stopped talking for a minute. But always rembember,
theyre still there. And theyre still inside
you. He poked me in the ribs.
I giggled. I dont get it.
You have stars inside you, even when you cant see
them in the sky. Because you are a star. You are part of the
universe. You are loved and love is the whole universe. So when
you love, you are the stars and sky and universe.
I had no idea what he was talking about, but it sure sounded
cool.
He picked up more sand. Im going to put some stars in
your pocket. He slid some sand in the pocket of my cutoff
jeans. Pretend its stars. Whenever you cant see
the stars in the sky, remember theyre in you. And if you
cant remember the stars are in you, just reach in your
pocket.
That night, as my dad put lotion on my sunburned back, he sang to
me:
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket
Save it for a rainy day
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket
Never let it fade away
Ill never forget how his fingers felt on my back. It
felt so good, I got a boner. If anyone tells you that little kids
dont get boners, they dont know what theyre
talking about!
My mom tried for years to break me of the habit of putting sand
in my pocket. Shes do the laundry, and the sand would get
everywhere.
Mom is putting on her makeup in our small, cramped bathroom. I
watched her as she carefull applied a cover to hide the dark
circles under her eyes. She looked tired. She had worked a full
day at Dinahs Diner. Yes, Dinahs is as tacky as it
sounds.
Mom, I have to go to the bathroom, I remind her.
She flashed me a quick smile. Ill be done in a
minute, Joe. She took a puff from her cigarette. I watched
the bluish smoke as it curled up toward the light fixture over
the sink. Mom is a really good-looking mother, for her age.
Lately, though, expecially after the divorce, she has started to
look really tired. I think she is working too hard. I wonder how
she pays all the bills.
Im beginning to wonder if a persons bladder can
burst. That would be painful!
Mom.....
Im done now.
Who are you going out with tonight? Frank? Barry?
Well, she said in a tone that told me she was
controlling her anger, if you must know, his name is
Mark. She starts to put her makeup away. The plastic makeup
cases click together as she deposits them in the zippered bag she
keeps her makeup in. But frankly, I dont see that
its any of your business. She put the makeup case on
the back of the toilet tank.
Youre getting taller every day, she commented
as she left the bathroom.
I guess my bladder didnt burst after all.
My two sisters are plastered in front of the television.
Theyre watching a show I cant stand. I had wanted to
watch something else. I guess I lose again.
Mom walked into the living room, making her rounds. Its
sort of a ritual with her. She went through the house, checking
to see if the windows are doors were locked. She left a list of
emergency phone numbers on the refrigerator. Once again, Im
stuck babysitting. And the worst part is, I dont even get
paid.
Are you going out tonight, Mom? my sistet Cindy
asked.
Carrie anwered, No, shes going out to get milk.
Why are you all dressed up to get milk? Cindy is only
eight, so some of her stupidity is understandable.
I said, Shes not really going out to get milk,
stupid. Shes going out to get Mark.
Whos Mark? Carrie asked.
Mom tightened her lips. None of you business. Do you have
your homework done?
Carrie sighed, Yeah I did it at school.
Good. Now remember: Dont cook anything, dont
let anyone in, and go to bed by ten.
Mom, I interrupted. I need that six dollars for
that yearbook by tomorrow.
Good luck.
What do you mean?
That means I dont have the money. I wish I had it to
give to you.
Youre always broke.
When you work for a living, then you can criticize.
I decided to live dangerously. You seem to have enough
money to go out with Mark.
She flashed me one of her dirtiest looks. You know the one: If
looks could kill Id be six feet under right now.
Thats none of your concern.. She opened the
front door, then turned and pointed a finger at me.
Dont fight with your sisters.
After we heard the screen door slam, Carrie turned to me and
asked, I wonder who this guy Mark is?
Dont know. She wouldnt say much about
him.
Well, I want a new daddy, Cindy added.
You are so stupid, I told her. Besides we
already have a father.
Im telling mom you told me to shut up and you called
me stupid.
Shut up, stupid. I slammed into my bedroom.
I like my room. Its pretty messy, and my mom is always
yelling at me to clean it up. But I like it messy, it feels more
comfortable. Theres dirty clothes on the floor, and I make
my bed about twice a year. There are papers and books everywhere.
No one can say it doesnt look lived in. Once in a while,
Mom gets on a clean-room kick. She wants it to look like
something out of House and Garden. You know the ones
Im talking about; theyre so clean and neat that no
normal person could possibly live there.
I sighed and plopped on the bed. Another boring night. My stupid
sisters werent going to give up the TV.
I went over to my bookshelves. There was an old picture in a
macaroni frame I made in Cub Scouts. I spray painted it gold. The
picture was taken about five years ago when everyone in my family
was smiling. That hasnt happened in a long time. Dad is in
the picture. I look a lot like him. Brown hair and blue eyes.
Mine was blond when I was younger, but it got darker as I got
older. It still gets light if Im in the sun a lot.
Both my parents look young and happy. When I went to see my dad
in Wisconsin two summers ago, he had grown a beard, and it made
him look a lot older. I told him I didnt like it. He told
me it wasnt any of my business.
I guess a lot of things arent my business anymore.
I looked out the window that faces Illinois State. I could sneak
out the window and be back in by ten. Ive done it before.
If Cindy found out, she would tell my mom. Its not worth
the trouble.
Most of the buildings at ISU were dark. If the University
students were still here, I could call my Big Brother. He was a
pretty cool guy, most of the time. He took me roller skating and
to the movies a few times. I liked going over to his place. It
gave me an excuse to get out of the house.
But hes gone now. ISU finished classes the first week of
May. That was about two weeks ago.
I had an idea. I could go upstairs. I like to go upstairs. When
my parents got divorced, my mom got this big old house. There are
three bedrooms downstairs, plus a big room upstairs. Carrie
sleeps up there.
I climbed the stairs quietly. Carrie doesnt like me coming
up here. But she cant see me because the stairs are in back
of the house. Sometimes my mom calls this an efficiency
apartment. I cant see where she gets the name efficiency
because its too small to be an efficient apartment.
Theres a small room thats supposed to be a bathroom.
Theres no fixtures in it now. You can see where the toilet,
sink and shower stall are supposed to go, because the plumbing is
still there. Ive been trying to convince my mom to put the
fixtures back in, so theres no threat of bursting bladders,
like tonight.
I hear the front doorbell ring, and I look out the front window
to see if I can spot who is at the door. I forgot that the roof
of the porch blocks the view. So I run down the stairs.
....but he cant come out. I hear Carrie say to
whoever is at the door.
Oh, yes, I can, I correct Carrie. I see its my
best friend, Josh.
Mom and I have a deal. When Im babysitting, I can go on the
porch. She let me have the privilege in a moment of weakness. I
reminded her of what it was like to be fourteen. So, I can visit
on the porch, but I cant step off the porch, and my friend
cant come in the house. A few weeks ago, Josh was here, and
I let him use the bathroom. Carrie tried to get me in trouble for
that, but Mom is pretty reasonable and let me go with a warning.
If I werent so mature, I would have stuck my tongue out at
her.
I have known Josh since second grade. He lives a block away. We
have the most fun together. We team up and make teachers mad. He
does all sort of crazy things. Last Fourth of July, we took
firecrackers to Carries room and threw them at cars passing
on the street. Josh has the craziest sense of humor. He put
shampoo in a fountain at the mall. The funniest thing he ever did
was the garbage can trick. On Wednesday, which is garbage day
around my neighborhood, he went out on a mission. He took nylon
fish line and strung it from empty garbage cans on one side of
the street to empty ones on the other side. When a car drove down
the street, it got caught on the fish line. The garbage cans
smacked the doors of the car, and then started dragging behind
until the car stopped. I laughed so hard, I almost wet my pants!
We were smart enough not to do it on a block where we lived. And
it was a lucky thing we didnt get caught.
He stays overnight at least once a week during the summer. Or I
stay over at his house. We joined Cub Scouts at the same time,
and quit at the same time. We like the same kind of movies, and
video games and TV shows. We can talk about anything. Well,
almost anything. He talks about girls, and I listen.
Not only is Josh my best friend, he is gorgeous. Drop dead
gorgeous. Hes got sandy blond hair and blue eyes. And
hes a jock. Hes got the sexiest body. Hes got
wide shoulders that taper down to a narrow waist. I never tell
Josh how attracted I am to him. Like I said, we talk about
everything. Except one thing.
You see, Im gay. At least, I think I am. I think I forgot
to tell you about that, sorry. Well, Im not sure if
Im gay or not. Ive never talked about it with anyone,
or told anyone. I know what youre thinking. How could a
fourteen-year-old guy know hes gay? Well, I just do, OK? My
first wet dream last year was about another guy. Josh, in fact.
I have a Playgirl under my mattress. It was another one of
Joshs brainstorms. He found out that they tear the covers
off the magazines and throw the old issues out. One night the
three of us raided the dumpster in back of the store. Josh and
Kyle were after Playboys bit I found a Playgirl. I
took a Playboy too, but I stuffed the Playgirl inside.
I threw out the Playboy later.
Being gay is inherited, like being left-handed. I read that in
the Advocate. Are you surprised I read the Advocate? Its
at Bloomington Public Library. The article said that the latest
scientific thinking is that gayness is caused by a gene. It was
pretty interesting. I must have inherited it from someone, and I
think I know who.
Hey, I say to Josh.
I talked to Mrs. Blaisdell after school today to check on
my grade. She is our algebra teacher. Shes a real
bitch. Im not doing very well in that class.
Yeah?
And Im passing.
Cool. When he didnt say anything else, I raised
one eyebrow. Im good at doing that. And?
Well, she said that there were other people in the class
who werent doing so well.
Uh-huh?
And they might have to go to summer school.
Yeah, so?
Youre one of them.
I could feel my heart sink and my knees shake. I sat down ont he
steps.
Get out of here, Cindy. Josh said to her. She was
listening by the open window.
Cindy, Im going to kill you.
Im gonna tell mom.
Not if I tell her about what really happened to the
toilet. About a week ago, Cindy wet her pants and to hide
the evidence, she flushed her underwear down the toilet. It
plugged up the toilet and no matter how hard i used the plunger,
I couldnt get the drain to clear. When Mom got home, we all
acted stupid like we didn;t know how the toilet got that way. Mom
tried to plunge it, and finally got it unblocked. But, now I have
something against Cindy. As long as Mom doesnt find out the
truth, I could use it to keep her quiet.
Summer school sucks, Josh tried to sympathize.
Tell me. That bitch!
He put a hand on my shoulder. I love it when he touches me.
Im sorry, dude.
Hey, maybe it wont happen. I got a 90 on the last
test. I didnt mention that I havent done any
homework since Spring Break.
Im sorry. I know how much you wanted to go to your
dads.
But I get to spend more time....here. I almost said with
you, but I stopped myself just in time.
I gotta go, dude.
OK. Thanks for coming over. I put my hand on his
shoulder. I figured if he could do it, so could I.
After Josh left, I sat on the porch steps. This could ruin my
whole summer. I was planning going to my dads without my
sisters. I was going to spend almost the whole summer there.
Summer school lasts at least four weeks. And if I dont
pass, I cant go to high school. My mom and dad are going to
be so pissed!
I just sat there, trying to figure out how to break it to my mom
and dad and feeling sorry for myself, until ten oclock came
around and I had to go inside the house.
Thanks for reading! Your comments are appreciated and valued.
Be sure to check out my other story in Nifty Archive; Paternal Instincts in the Gay Male category and the College subcategory.
Or, you can find all my work and the work of other authors at
my website. archerland. It is the link in the bottom left corner.
archerland@lycos.com | ICQ 61283246 |
http://members.tripod.com/archerland/ | archer@gtemail.net |