Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2015 21:46:24 -0700 From: Douglas DD DD Subject: Rough Edges Chapter 12 Welcome back. In this chapter we leave Phil's punch and the impending rumble and spend some time with Phil and Larry as adults. Larry has some tough coaching decisions to make. And, what is all of this talk of marriage. The story is mine. It contains sex between minors. Please be safe. If you enjoy this archive of stories, please give to Nifty to keep is free for all of us. CHAPTER 12 INTERLUDE Life is really good. I mean totally good. How many guys get to go to bed as the State Tournament batboy for an awesome team like the Mustangs and wake up finding out that instead of being the batboy they are suiting up to play for the team? Yep, that's what happened to me and my VBBF Nicky. That's Very Best Boy Friend for you guys who don't know. Yeah, I'm a gay boy. I'm out and proud of it. I'm fourteen and a freshman (at least for a couple more weeks) at Mayfield High School, home of the mighty Mustangs. Nicky played mostly on the JV team, but got to play a couple of varsity games. I led the JV team in hitting, was their winningest pitcher and also play third base, but I didn't play any varsity, mostly because I was a frosh. Coach Sanders said I'll have plenty of chances next year. Anyway, Nicky and I got to be batboys for the tournament because we were batboys in middle school and were good at it. Some players would look down at being a batboy, but Nicky and I love it. For the state tournament we got to travel with the team and stay at the hotel with the team and eat with the team, along with sitting in the dugout making sure the bats were being taken care of. We even got to strut out on the field in our full baseball unis looking important. As far as anybody knew, we were players—which was true in a way. But then Raul, who was the winner of yesterday's awesome 5-3 win, and Zack who is a senior who doesn't play much, got dumb and went to some party or something and got kicked off the team by Coach Sanders. Dad says that just because you get older doesn't mean you get smarter, and Raul and Zack are proof of that. Nicky and I were rooming with Toby and Justin who are seniors and boyfriends, even though they say they're not gay. Toby says having a boyfriend to have sex with is easier than messing around with a girl. What I think is that Mayfield is the best place to come out and tell everybody you're gay because there are so many of us gay boys. Dad says everybody thinks having so many gay boys in Mayfield has something to do with the water, but he's really just kidding. Nicky and I love sex. I've been doing sex since I was seven, with my BBB (Best Big Brother) Marty who was fourteen then. He showed me how to jerk off and gave me my first orgasm, my first blow job, and my first fuck. It wasn't all at the same time or even the same age, though. I was really experienced at sex by the time I got to middle school. Marty isn't my real big brother, but he lived with us from the end of eighth grade and all the way through high school. He's in college now, but when he comes home from school he comes to my house because that's his home, too. Nicky and I do a lot of sex with each other, and like doing it with other guys, too. They don't even have to be gay and most of them aren't. But they all tell us that nobody gets them off better than we do. We don't fuck all of them though. I'll only fuck Nicky, Eric, Marty, Noah, and my little brother Sammy, who's in sixth grade and almost twelve. I turn fifteen just a couple of days before he turns twelve. I'm the only person who can fuck Sammy. He says brothers fucking isn't gay, it's just brothers being nice to each other. We've been doing it since he was like eight or nine. He fucks me, too, plus he's fucked a few girls. I watched him fuck a girl and it was hot. I told dad once about Sammy getting into the pants of girls back when he was ten and dad ordered little boy size condoms from Sweden or someplace like that. He's just started to shoot a little bit, so it's a good thing he's got the condoms. The girls really love Sammy and love being fucked by him, and they're just eleven. Wait until they all get older, he'll be the stud of Mayfield. The time I watched Sammy fuck Leslie, I got to fuck her, too. That's the only time I've fucked a girl. It was fun, but I like guys way better. Okay, I know I'm giving you way too much information, but I'm not known as Hurricane Jeffrey for nothing. I tend to run at the mouth and am in what my dad calls perpetual motion. But it gets things done for me. I'm a straight A student, a really good soccer player, and a really good baseball player. Dad says he hoped being in high school would calm me down some, but no luck with that happening. He did say I've learned to channel my energy better though. Nicky is pretty calm, and Sammy is really calm, except when he's having sex and then he goes totally nuts. He doesn't have any pubic hair yet and barely cums, so wait until he hits puberty. I know since I got pubic hair and can cum I've been even hornier than ever. I like playing third base because that's where Marty plays. I'm hoping he gets drafted by the pros this year and becomes the first openly gay player ever. He says even if he gets drafted he'll probably go back to college for his senior year. Dad says it's the smartest thing he can do. Marty is my hero. He's an alcoholic, but hasn't had any booze since he was in the eighth grade. That's like over seven years now. He lived with us all those years for a lot of reasons that you can find out some other time. He's totally like my big brother and taught me a lot. I'm not talking about just sex, but a lot about life and overcoming shit and growing up to be an awesome person. He's the reason I've only touched alcohol once just to try it. Boy, was that a giant mistake. Dad's an alcoholic, too, but he's got, like, way over twenty years sober. I've never seen my dad drink alcohol in my life and I think that's so really cool. I've never seen Marty drink, either, but I've seen him when he was drunk before he decided to go to AA and become sober. All that brings me to suiting up for the championship game today. I'd have my uniform on anyway to be a batboy, but now it's to be on the bench as a player. I know I won't get to play. When Nicky and I came down to breakfast, Coach talked to us in private and told us what happened with Raul and Zack. He said we were listed as extra players and he was suiting us up as regular players because we were on the roster and could play if he needed us. "But the chances of you guys playing are slim to none," Coach Sanders told us. "That's cool coach," I said. "Just being suited up like a player is great for me." Nicky said it was great for him, too. Coach Sanders smiled and told us to relax and be part of the team. We're so lucky to have Coach Sanders. I mean he's gay and all and sets a good example for us, but just being gay wouldn't make him a great coach. He just knows how to talk to us and make us all feel good, plus he really knows his baseball. And kicking Raul and Zack off the team right before the state championship reminded everybody he doesn't take any bullshit from anybody at any time. "Who's gonna be the batboy?" Nicky asked. "David," Coach Sanders told us. David was Coach Fitzgerald's son. Coach Fitz is the head football coach and the Athletic Director at Mayfield High. His son is twelve and cuter than you can believe. He had been batboy for a couple varsity games. But he played middle school ball, so he really couldn't help much once the middle school season started. He knows what to do, though. And yeah, don't tell anybody, but he knows what to do with his tongue and mouth, too. I've exchanged a couple of BJs with him and he is totally hot. He's got no hair yet, but he shot a little spunk when I did him back in April. I was hoping to get his dick in my mouth here at the tournament, but he hung mostly around his dad. It will be cool to see him in the dugout, but you gotta know, sexy as he is, my mind is gonna be on the game. I want a championship trophy just like Marty has. It was tough to learn that two of our players had been suspended on the day of the state championship game. Not that it was a surprise to Chandler and me. After all, we were their roommates and we knew something was going to happen when they were missing at curfew time. Zack didn't surprise us. Nobody cared much for Zack. A lot of us were surprised when Coach Sanders kept him. Coach usually doesn't surprise us. He is a fair and reasonable guy, but this time he blew it. There were times during the season that Chandler and I wanted to just kick the crap out of Zack for being a total asshole. That usually doesn't happen in Mayfield baseball. Ever since my twin brothers, along with Eric, Noah, Marty, and all those guys formed the Go to State, club playing baseball for the Mayfield Mustangs had become a really special thing. Zack's slot on the roster would have helped the program more if it was set aside for underclassmen to get varsity experience. Well, I guess nobody is perfect, not even Coach Sanders. I saw Noah and Eric after breakfast in the hotel lobby. We talked about what had gone down. I loved those two guys. They were always nice to me even though I was two years younger. I remember pestering my brothers to let me hang out with all the older guys, and they were usually pretty good about it. Yeah, I had sex with a lot of the older guys, even as a little preteen. I ended up being gay just like the twins. Noah and I have that in common. We're both from a family with four boys and three of them being gay. That's gotta be tough on the parents, but that's just the way it is. My oldest brother Keith is the straight one in my family. He is twenty-four and married. He and Sherry are planning to have a kid soon, which will make my mom and dad happy. They really want grandkids bad. Noah is gay and so is Nick, although Nick might be bi. The oldest brother, Glenn, is twenty-six and is married—only it's to another guy. The straight brother in his family is Shane who is twenty and in college. He has a regular girlfriend. He's so straight that he and his twin sister fucked when they were in middle school. I'm not supposed to know that. They don't go to the same college now, but Nick thinks they still like to go at it in bed when they're visiting home at the same time. As for the twins, Kevin has Lars. I think they're going to be together forever. Kraig has Hunter, but they don't see themselves as lifelong partners. Hunter has been dating a girl and thinks he might be bi. But damn, there is no way he can go fucking a girl the way he fucks Kraig or me—the dude is rough and tough in bed. While I was talking to Eric and Noah, Marty and Rich came into the hotel. I said hi to them, but before we could talk, Hurricane Jeffrey saw, or smelled, or sensed Marty's presence in some way. He was on top of him like flies on shit. There is nobody like the Hurricane, and he loves every inch of Marty, inside and out. Anyway, Chandler is finished talking to Casey, our right fielder. He was a bit upset about the suspensions, so Chandler played captain and talked to him. I talked to Justin and Toby at the same time, but my talk was quicker. They had no problem with what went down. Nick came out of the dining room. He gave Noah a big hug. I called him and Jeffrey over for a captain's chat with me and Chandler. We welcomed them to the varsity. It's not like nobody else welcomed them—in fact everybody did. It's just we wanted to give them a special captain's welcome and tell them how we expected them to behave in the dugout. It's not like they didn't know. I mean, everything is done the Mayfield Mustang way from the high school varsity down to the middle school JV. Everybody knows what's expected, which is why what Raul and Zack did is such a total pisser. Coach Sanders didn't tell us to talk to Jeffrey and Nick, but we knew he expected it. He'd had a coach's talk with Chandler and me before the season started telling us what we could and couldn't do as captains. "You guys probably aren't going to play," Chandler told Jeffrey and Nick. "We know, Coach told us," Jeffrey said. "We're going to yell and holler and support you guys and stay out of the way." "We were in the dugout yesterday," Nick reminded us. "Yeah, and you did a great job. It's just that it's different being there as a batboy rather than as a player," I told them. I think Jeffrey wanted to tell us to chill out and give them credit for having a clue. I knew that's what I would do, and I knew Jeffrey was not afraid to express his opinion. I was sure we were sounding pretty uptight, but Chandler and I have never been in this position before. Chandler was smart enough to send them off with a pat on each of their butts and telling them to be ready to help kick ass. "You liked that didn't you?" I asked Chandler. "You mean I liked acting like some kind of dorky teacher and telling those two shits what they already knew?" "No, I mean you liked patting their butts?" Chandler gave me a big grin. "Of course I did." Larry had to make a tough decision with the suspensions, but it was the right decision. He didn't make the decision alone. He asked me my opinion first, even though I didn't have an official vote. But, I knew I carried a lot of influence with my partner. Larry tended to pause and think things through before making a decision. I tended to be more impulsive—I've been known to act first and think later. That difference showed up in our coaching styles. For example, while I was always respectful of the umpires, I've been known to raise my voice during a dispute. Larry was always the picture of calm and reason. I've been tossed from a couple of games as a coach, something I was not proud of. Larry has never been thrown out of a game. He and the umpires hold each other in utmost respect. The point here is that Larry has actually talked an umpire into changing a ruling, something I've never been able to do. Of course Larry consulted Coach Hart, his JV coach and official assistant about his decision to suspend Raul and Zack. He also didn't have an official vote in the matter. Finally there was a meeting with Coach Fitzsimmons, the AD, and John Wilson, the principal, who did have official votes. Official or unofficial, the vote was 5-0 and the decision was made before the boys' parents arrived. In essence they were toast. Neither boy was slated to start the championship game, but both could have come off the bench and given us needed depth. We now had a sophomore who suited up for less than a half-dozen games and a freshman who never even suited up varsity. Sure, there were more experienced JV players, but Larry decided to place Nicky and Jeffrey on the supplemental roster since they were coming along as batboys. It saved the cost of one hotel room as well as the cost of meals. Yes, the state reimbursed us on a per diem basis, but they would pay for only seventeen players including the two on the supplemental roster. Larry, Coach Hart, and I spent some of the morning talking to some of the boys individually. Everyone seemed to be accepting of the decision. They felt betrayed by the behavior of Raul and Zack. They were very accommodating toward Jeffrey and Nick. While the two underclassmen were inexperienced, they were talented players who had started for the JV team. Not only that, everybody liked them and acknowledged their being a part of the program in some way even before they entered middle school. Our game didn't start until one and the players were antsy. Our captains, Chandler and Korey, communicated at breakfast that the team would rather watch some of the B championship game than hang around the hotel thinking about our game. As a result, we checked out of the hotel at 10:30 and were in our seats at Gisa Stadium a little bit after eleven. The score was tied at one and the team settled back to enjoy somebody else's game and not have to think about their own. I sat with Larry, Coach Hart, and Coach Fitz. As I watched the game unfold I thought about one of the times I saw Larry be impulsive. He was only eleven, but even then his action was out of character. We both acknowledge to this day that his impulsive decision was huge in turning the animosity we had for each other into what became a life-long friendship. All I know is that on the day we faced each other in his neighborhood I was walking the fence between listening to my big brother, who was trying hard to act like a father figure, and telling him to fuck himself and follow the gang of punks who got off of the bus with me. When things broke loose, it happened so fast I didn't have time to think about my options. I just did what I always did—I reacted. It never occurred to me at that moment, or even for a long time afterwards, that my reaction would change the course of my life. It was at that point that thoughts were interrupted by a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see who was sitting behind me. It was one of my favorite former players, if not one of my favorite people ever, Marty Carlson. "Hey, coach." "Hi, Marty. Thanks for coming to the cheap seats to visit." We were sitting on the third base side, a couple of aisles towards the outfield from third and about fifteen rows up. "It was a sacrifice, but for you, it was worth it." "Where's your better half?" "He's trading bullshit with some of the other guys. I saw you coaches down here and figured it might be my only chance to chat." "Rich doesn't chat with coaches?" "He says to tell you guys hi. He had his say last night and I wanted a bit of private time." We exchanged some small talk. Eventually the subject turned to baseball. "Are you looking forward to the Major League draft?" "Nah. I don't figure to go very high. All of the teams know I plan to return to school for my senior year, but somebody might still take a gander at me in a middle round." "Any idea where you'll go in the draft next year if you play out your senior year?" "The agent who's been helping me said I could go as high as the fourth round, but more likely I'll go in the seventh or eighth." I shook my head. "You were second team All-Pac 12 third baseman last year as a sophomore. From what I've read, you could easily be first team this year. You may even get some All-America mention. That's some pretty good credentials for an eighth round pick." "Well, there is the big elephant in the room that the Majors don't want to mention." "You mean the gay thing." Larry broke in, to give his two bits and to let us know he was listening. "Rich and I plan to get married after we graduate, and we won't be keeping that a secret." He gave Larry and me a smirk and added, "This puts us ahead of some coaches I know." "You are planning a gay wedding even though you know it could hurt your position in the draft?" I asked. "They have to draft me coach. I'm too good not to draft, which means if they pass me up they're obviously discriminating. They can doctor scouting reports to drop me down a couple of notches, but they can't totally ignore my credentials." "Getting married could cost you a lot of money," Larry reminded him. "I know that and Rich knows that, but you know what? Our happiness and honesty about who we are is more important to us than money. If I'm good enough, I'll make it to the show no matter what. I'd rather make it there as the person I know I am rather than the person somebody else wants me to be." I told you Marty was one of my favorite people in the world. I wish there was a way to get fourteen-year-olds to learn and live by the twelve steps of recovery. Few twenty-one year olds have their collective acts together better than Marty, and he owes that to his seven years of sobriety and sober living and all of the AA meetings he's attended. I wish there was a way I could get him to communicate those wonders to my brother Keegan. This is my third state championship game in my seven years of coaching high school baseball. Most coaches would be happy to make it this far once in their career; being here for the third time is amazing to me. The first two times I had a definite feeling of confidence. I knew the pulse of my team and I knew they would not be easy to defeat. That didn't mean I knew that we would win, but there was no doubt in my mind that my kids were physically and mentally ready to play. I didn't have that same feeling this time. While the team appeared to have accepted the two suspensions, I've been in athletics long enough to know that instances like that always had a mental effect. The suspensions couldn't help but be a distraction. Therefore, I had some doubt about the boys being mentally ready to play. And then there was the physical readiness. I was allowed seventeen players on the tournament roster and was permitted to suit up fifteen of them. Including my designated hitter I would be starting ten of those fifteen. Two of the remaining players would be my designated runners for the pitcher and catcher. I had planned on Raul being one of those. Of the remaining three players, two of them were an inexperienced sophomore and a freshman who had never played an inning of varsity ball. I never imagined I would need both of those young kids when I turned in my roster. While the two designated runners were eligible to play as substitutes, I knew I was going to be reluctant to use them because of the lack of depth on the bench. Once a designated runner appeared in the game as anything other than a DR, I could no longer use him in that capacity. I did not want to find myself in a position where the game could hinge on Nick or Jeffrey. That would be unfair to them and to the team. My mom and dad came over to wish me, Phil, and the team good luck. "When are you and Phil going to quit playing around and get married?" my mother asked with a big grin. "Sweetheart, now is not the time to ask that question," my father admonished. "Maybe adopt us a couple of grandchildren..." My father's glare stopped her, but she didn't lose her smile. Between her and Marty that made two votes for marriage. I had enough on my mind without thinking of that. "I was just trying to take the boy's mind off of baseball for a moment," my mother said. "I think he likes having his mind on baseball," dad told her. "Baseball is what he does." "Well, we'll be rooting for you," mom said. "I should have brought some pompoms." My mother had been a cheerleader in high school and my dad was the quarterback. Yes, they had a high school romance, but marriage didn't come until after college. Smart folks. They mean well. They've been completely accepting of my homosexuality and of Phil as my partner. They love him like a—well, like a son-in-law. But there are times my mother used to frustrate me. She seems to think she has to emphasize her acceptance. I'm not sure if she does it to convince herself or to convince me. I used to ask her to act like Phil and I were like any other couple, until my father told me that maybe I should accept her for the way she is. "Your mother would treat you the same way if Phil was a female and was your wife and you had two rug rats running around." He was right—I had to accept her for who she was, just like she accepted me. Once I did that, the frustration ended. After my parents left, I looked over at Phil. I don't know why, but the upcoming game gave me the same nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach that Phil and his wanna be gangsta buddies gave me that day they skipped the east side bus stop and rode all the way to our stop. The funny thing was, all of us usually didn't get off at that stop, but we were all going to mess around at my house that afternoon so we got off of the bus together. I knew that this would end up being no good for anybody, especially for my friends and me. I was wrong that afternoon, and I hoped I would be just as wrong this afternoon. But, the feeling was there in my gut, and I didn't like it. Next: Turnaround