Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2023 14:37:00 +0700 From: Andrew Passey Subject: Shipperton Rules Part Four (Young Friends) "Big day today Ken," Michelle said to her son as he came downstairs into the kitchen for breakfast. Ken wasn't hungry, his stomach was a knot of nerves but he didn't want to show it so he'd decided to at least try and force some food down. One way or another in a few hours time he'd know if he was chosen or not. It had been a difficult week at school, the waiting, the uncertainty were driving lots of the boys crazy and part of Ken was pleased it was finally D Day. Another part of him hoped the day would never come but his Dad had told him last night over dinner that being a Shipperton meant facing up to it whatever might happen. "Easy for you to say Dad, you weren't chosen were you? You could stop all this right now, stop the mistreatment of boys like me!' Ken had said feeling feistier than he usually would be with his parents. "You know I can't stop it Ken. Not the day before you enter the lottery. The backlash would be immense!" "The town is called Shipperton for a reason Dad, it's OUR town!" "Yes but I can't just change the rules. I wanted to a while ago but the council said no. People don't like change even if it's positive change. Some families are happy with the current situation and want their boy to be chosen, there's a lot of money on offer." "You'd think adults would be against underage boys being pretty much prostitutes," Ken said grumpily. He could see his Dad looking annoyed before his Mum intervened. "I don't like it either Ken but it's the rules we live by. You can work to change them when you take charge but your father is right, a lot of people here like the old rules. Some of them were even chosen and found it fine and still support it. It might be cheap living here but not all families are as well off as we are. The financial benefits are attractive, it can make a real difference to someone who is selected." Michelle then shook her head, " That doesn't mean it doesn't all sound messed up to someone like me. Certainly it wouldn't have been approved of in Hong Kong when I was growing up but it is what it is. We have a great lifestyle here and you have a responsibility to your family. If you get chosen we'll support you and it won't be as bad as you think. Now, would anyone like dessert?" That was the end of that but it didn't help Ken sleep. So when he sat down for breakfast the next morning he felt woozy and half asleep still. "I know, thanks Mum, how exciting it all is!" he said grumpily in reply to her big day comment. "Don't be stroppy young man! I want you to handle yourself like an adult today!' "I handle myself enough as it is Mum!" Ken said with a giggle calling his Mum to roll her eyes and mutter something about boys and their smutty minds. Across town Nick was nervous, the most nervous he'd ever been. How was this lottery going to work? Was it going to be worse because there were two other boys called Nick in the lottery? What if they all got selected? What if he got selected and then Christian was in his cohort? Would he really make him bleed? The uncertainty was stressing Nick out and he just wanted it to be over one way or another with a very very strong preference for him not being chosen! In Christian's house there was excitement. He knew what he needed to do if things went his way, it relied on him not being chosen and also Nick being chosen. Statistically he knew it was a real long shot but sometimes long shots do happen. Either way he was prepared. If luck wasn't on his side then he hadn't lost anything, if it was then the benefits would be immense. That thought made his dick go harder than he thought it ever had and he closed his eyes and imagined forcing his dick inside Nick while he begged him not to. A couple of hours later all the boys at risk of being selected stood in the village hall with Jeremy Shipperton and Mr Hodgkins standing on the stage looking over them. While Jeremy was approachable and relaxed around children of all ages, Mr Hodgkins was more of an enigma. And it was Mr Hodgkins. No boy knew his actual first name. He didn't have children and he seemed to actively dislike them. He had worked with the Shippertons all this life and always participated in the lottery selection. Of course the truth was that he loved this day. He loved seeing the fear in all the boys' eyes. They were usually so cocky he thought, strutting around as if they owned Shipperton. On this day they looked meek and scared. Five boys' lives would change today and Mr Hodgkins would take great pleasure in the knowledge he was in part responsible for that. Mr Hodgkins loved it most of all when small scared boys were picked. He liked the thought of them being in pain as a bigger boy fucked them. As a result he favoured the bigger boys and he did what he could to subtly support them on the very rare occasions when disciplinary cases came up. He'd made sure to be on all the committees years ago and he was part of the furniture. A slightly nasty piece admittedly but no one else really knew what he thought. He kept all that to himself. Outwardly he portrayed a vision of a fair neutral guide to the committees where he didn't let emotion sway him. Inwardly he loved it when he knew boys were suffering. Nick nervously waited with the other boys, he'd bumped into his name sakes Nick Jackson and Nick Cook. All three had said they were praying not to hear the name Nick read out but as they all knew it was out of their hands. The wait was starting to get to a lot of the boys and the room hummed with tension. Everyone wanted to know the outcome. To know whether or not they could relax and get on with things, or face the realisation that their life was about to seriously change. Nick looked over to the stage. The set up looked simple to his eyes. Jeremy and Mr Hodgkins stood together next to a big receptacle with balls in. Jeremy then clapped his hand for quiet and the room went silent. It was time for the selection to start. "Settle down boys. Thank you for coming today. I can imagine some of you are very nervous. I want to start by assuring you that it won't be as bad as you think. Rules are in place to protect you and the council deals with transgressions very firmly. So being picked isn't anything to worry about. In fact look upon it as an opportunity, an opportunity to get a financial kickstart to your life. For some of you it will be life changing and you should be crossing your fingers you get picked!" Easy for you to say, thought Nick glumly as he waited for Jeremy to continue. "So...selecting the five boys to be your representatives. It's all very simple. In this machine there are numbered balls up to number 45. The numbers correspond with a boy's name on the list Mr Hodgkin has. I don't know which numbers match which names so as to ensure there are no accusations of bias with my son being in the lottery," Jeremy said. "Five balls will be picked out separately and five boys' names read out. Those boys are then your chosen representatives. Well I'm sure you're all anxious to find out those names so let's get started. So let me pick the first ball out......." Everyone watched nervously as the balls whirred around and Jeremy picked the first ball out. He turned it around to show everyone, "number 23!" The room went deathly silent as the boys watched Mr Hodgkins look down his list. He then nodded approvingly and started to read out the name "Nicholas....." he said before pausing theatrically. Ken caught Nick's eye as both boys held their breath and then exhaled loudly as the surname "Jackson" was said. Nick Hurley looked over to see his namesake go white as a sheet and get clapped on the back by a few boys around him. He didn't look pleased about it all and Nick couldn't blame him. Still, one down, four more to go thought Nick. Surely no more Nicks would be picked?" Christian had got his heart rate back under control after the drama of thinking for one moment that Nick Hurley was being picked. Four more names, four more chances for Nick to be picked. He could see the other two Nick's looking slightly more relaxed. They probably thought that no more Nick's would now be picked but Christian shook his head to himself. Statistically it made no difference what their name was, they were just as likely to be picked as they were before. He had everything crossed that Mr Hodgkins would be reading out "Nicholas Hurley" as one of the next four names. Nick waited anxiously as the second number was chosen. "The next number is......12." "Matthew...........Robinson." Nick looked over to see Matt smiling broadly. Clearly he was one of the small minority of boys who saw this as an "opportunity" as Jeremy had called it. Good for him, thought Nick, at least someone was happy in the room. The next two selections seemed to go very fast. "Number 2...." "Patrick............. Bennett." "Number 34......." "Joshua......Atkins." As that name was read out there was heightened excitement in the room as they approached the final name and number. This was it. Forty one boys waiting anxiously knowing that if their name wasn't read out they were safe. A one in forty one chance suddenly sounded very safe although many boys were convinced it would be their name next. Nick wasn't one of them, he was just beginning to feel slightly confident he was off the hook. One Nick had already been chosen. Surely he was safe? He glanced around and could see some boys looking relaxed while others looked tense. Ken still had a nervous look on his face and Nick smiled at him trying to reassure him. Not that anyone knew who would be chosen. It really was now all down to Lady Luck. "And the final number is...........42," Jeremy said, holding the number up and hoping Mr Hodgkins wasn't about to read out his son's name. If he did they'd deal with it and he thought Ken would cope with it. But he knew he'd feel terribly guilty about it, Ken would probably be pissed off at him for the next three years and he didn't really want to bring that into his life. He looked over to see Mr Hodgkins reading down the list before with a final satisfied nod he cleared his throat and started to read out the name "Nicholas.........."